The Southern Wilderness Forest, sprawling for thousands of miles, was the most enigmatic jungle across the entire Soul Battling Continent. It was home not only to the Chi Yi Tribe but also to countless other clans, all of whom, much like the Chi Yi, lived by the hunt...

However, compared to the Chi Yi Tribe, these other groups were considerably smaller; the largest might boast ten thousand members, while the smallest could number only a few hundred. Yet, within the entire Southern Wilderness Forest, the sheer number of such tribes was immense, forming a truly massive collective...

The Fox Yan Tribe was allied with the Chi Yi, numbering over three thousand souls. While smaller than the Chi Yi’s population, they were still considered a mid-sized tribe. Unlike the Chi Yi, whose strength lay in their Soul Masters and exceptionally robust warriors, the Fox Yan excelled with the bow and arrow...

Their archery skills were peerless. Regardless of age or gender, every member was a master marksman. Even the celebrated sharpshooters of the Shu Yun Kingdom, or indeed, those from the Tian Yuan Empire, paled in comparison to them, like children next to adults...

Yet, due to their comparatively sparse numbers, the Fox Yan Tribe did not enjoy great renown in the Southern Wilderness Forest—certainly not to the extent of the Chi Yi Tribe...

However, since their tribal chief had made the journey himself, Chi Yi and the others could not simply ignore the matter. Thus, taking Ye Jingyu along, they left the cave and returned once more to the village...

Three months of grueling training had significantly boosted Ye Jingyu’s strength. His Soul Power had reached the Manifestation Realm, allowing him to competently wield low-grade Soul Artifacts. Moreover, he could now fully execute the first move of his Startling Thunder Blade Technique, the 'Startling Thunder Cleaving Slash,' and the True Qi within his body felt far more potent...

What puzzled Ye Jingyu, however, was that the True Qi in his body behaved differently from others. Most martial artists consolidated their Qi within their meridians, gradually channeling it toward the Dantian. But in Ye Jingyu, the True Qi seemed diffused throughout every single cell of his body, with only a negligible fraction residing within the meridians...

This unique condition resulted in extremely slow progress in his perceived realm advancement, yet the sheer volume of True Qi contained within him was several times that of others...

Following Chi Yi and the others back to the village entrance, Ye Jingyu spotted Jiu Feng’s anxious, caring face from afar, and an involuntary warmth bloomed in his heart...

Ignoring everything else, he started to run toward her for a proper embrace, only to suddenly feel his body unnaturally constrained...

"Kid, we’ll let you go home tonight, but for now, you need to come with us to see what the Fox Yan chief requires," Chi Yi seemed to anticipate Ye Jingyu’s intentions. He bound him with his formidable Soul Power and communicated directly into Ye Jingyu’s mind via a mental wave...

"Uh..." Faced with Chi Yi’s forceful intervention, what could Ye Jingyu say? He could only offer an apologetic nod to Jiu Feng and fall in behind Chi Yi and the other five, walking toward the village center...

Jiu Feng offered a slight smile. Just seeing Ye Jingyu was enough to satisfy her. In the recent period, thanks to her association with Ye Jingyu, her standing within the tribe had improved considerably; at least the other women no longer dared to mock her...

They arrived at the wooden lodge where Chi Yi resided. Chi Yi Zhan Lang was already attending to the guests. Looking up, Ye Jingyu saw a tiger-skin rug spread on the floor to the left, upon which a thin, aging man with sparse hair was seated cross-legged, gnawing on a roasted deer leg. Standing behind him were a man and a woman. The man was about Ye Jingyu’s height, bare-chested, clad only in a beast-hide loincloth, carrying a longbow on his back...

Beside him stood a girl roughly the same age as Jiu Feng. She wore a simple leather vest on top and a skirt cleverly stitched from leopard print below, showcasing her impressive figure...

She also carried an exquisite longbow on her back, lending her an air of spirited valor...

Her face was exceptionally beautiful, arguably three parts lovelier than Jiu Feng’s. Her long, dark hair was tied back, her nose slightly sharp, her lips delicately full. Most arresting were her deep, sapphire-blue eyes...

They conveyed a cold, untouchable aura, yet, inexplicably, Ye Jingyu felt a compelling urge to press her down beneath him...

"Brother Chi Yi, you have finally returned… If you hadn't, our Fox Yan Tribe might have already perished!" Upon seeing Chi Yi and the others enter, the old man who had been contentedly chewing the deer leg immediately leaped up. His previous look of enjoyment was instantly replaced by expressions of urgency and reverence...

This man was none other than the Fox Yan Tribal Chief, Hu Yan...

"What is it, Brother Hu Yan? What could possibly require you to come in person?" Observing Hu Yan's anxious demeanor—even though he suspected it was theatrical—Chi Yi feigned surprise. He, along with the other five elders, settled down, helping themselves to roasted meat and sipping their home-brewed fruit wine, watching Hu Yan with interest...

"Elder Hu Yan Qi, tell Chief Chi Yi what happened to your people that day..." Seeing that Chi Yi and the others were already feasting as if terrified of missing out, Hu Yan pulled the man standing behind him forward, while he himself plopped down and grabbed another piece of roasted meat...

Ye Jingyu couldn't help but feel a black line appear on his forehead at Hu Yan's gluttonous display. This fellow... was truly a tribal chief? How could he speak of his tribe's impending doom while looking utterly unconcerned?

But Chi Yi and the others seemed long accustomed to this behavior, showing no offense, and immediately directed their attention to the man standing behind Hu Yan...

"Honorable Chief Chi Yi, respected Elders, esteemed Leader Chi Yi, this is what transpired: The day before yesterday, one of our tribesmen captured a white lamb. Deeming it too small, we decided to raise it for a time before eating it. However, the next morning, we discovered it had devoured one of the wild boars we were penning up. We immediately tried to kill it, but found that blades and swords could not penetrate its hide. No matter what we tried, we couldn't slay it; in fact, dozens of tribesmen were injured. Worse, the creature refused to leave. It stayed in our settlement, consuming everything it saw—houses, fruit wine, the animals we raised..."

"The white sheep you speak of—did it resemble a sheep, possess eyes located under its armpits, have tiger-like teeth and human claws, and sport a large head and a massive mouth?" Before Hu Yan Qi could finish, Chi Yi interrupted...

"Yes! How did the venerable Chief Chi Yi know its description?" Hu Yan Qi looked at Chi Yi, profoundly astonished...

Upon receiving Hu Yan Qi's confirmation, Chi Yi, Chi Yi Feng, Chi Yi Huo, Chi Yi Lei, Chi Yi Dian, and Chi Yi Yu all simultaneously changed color, their eyes flashing with shock...