Seeing the six in such a state, Hu Yu, who had only been focused on roasting meat, also set down his skewer and asked with deep concern, "Elder Brother Chi Yi, what exactly is wrong?"
Ye Jingyu also looked toward Chi Yi with confusion; judging by his expression, he seemed utterly terrified.
The others, including the cold-faced young woman, also stared at Chi Yi with perplexed expressions...
"Brother Hu Yu, you... you... alas..." Chi Yi uttered "you" several times before finally letting out a heavy sigh...
"Elder Brother Chi Yi... what is it? Tell me quickly, what is that thing?" Seeing Chi Yi's demeanor, Hu Yu could no longer bother with eating or drinking and asked anxiously...
"That is a Taotie..." Chi Yi did not speak; Chi Yifeng, standing beside him, stated coolly...
"Ah..." Upon hearing those two words, Hu Yu, Hu Yuqi, and the young woman all gasped simultaneously, their look of confusion instantly replaced by sheer dread...
Taotie, one of the legendary Dragon Sons, and furthermore, one of the Four Great Fiends of the Primordial Era. Its greatest love was gluttony, and it would devour anything, rumored to be capable of consuming the entire world...
This information instantly flashed through Ye Jingyu's mind; it was something he had read about in old records of mountain spirits and deities when he was still a student—a creature existing in the Primordial Era...
But this was merely legend; could such a thing truly exist? A savage beast like the Taotie existing in this world...
"Brother Hu Yu, that is a savage beast that surpasses the Saint level. How... how could you have brought it back to your village?" Chi Yi said with regret, observing the terrified expressions of Hu Yu and his group...
"Elder Brother Chi Yi... I... we don't know... Elder Brother Chi Yi... I beg you... I beg you to save our Hu Yu clan, please..." At that moment, Hu Yu could ignore everything else. He leaped up, threw himself before Chi Yi, and repeatedly kowtowed, begging him...
The man and woman behind him immediately knelt down as well...
Taotie, a savage beast dwelling in the deepest recesses of the Southern Wilderness Forest (For the full novel, visit .1.(1.m.Literature Net), a creature unknown to common folk, known only through generations of oral tradition as an exceedingly cruel beast. Many powerful tribes had been entirely devoured by the Taotie in the past...
It could be called the very embodiment of disaster; where the Taotie appeared, rivers of blood would flow...
Only high-ranking Soul Masters like Chi Yi and his kin vaguely knew the appearance of the Taotie, yet even they found it hard to believe that this beast from the jungle's depths would venture near the Hu Yu tribe. Had it not been for hearing from Hu Yuqi that it devoured everything, they would never have been certain...
"Alas... Brother Hu Yu, it's not that we won't help you, but rather..."
"Elder Brother Chi Yi, I beg you, please! If you agree to save our Hu Yu clan, we are willing to join the Chi Yi tribe entirely. I beg you, Elder Brother Chi Yi..." Before Chi Yi could finish, Hu Yu cried out, wiping tears and snot...
The survival of his tribe was at stake; he couldn't afford to be reserved...
"Patriarch, from what this brother told us, that Taotie must still be a young beast. Otherwise, it wouldn't just be eating animal dwellings. If the six of us join forces, we might just be able to subdue it," Chi Yifeng said, feeling a pang of sympathy seeing Hu Yu's despair...
Chi Yi looked at the continually pleading Hu Yu. As a fellow patriarch, he felt a certain shared sorrow—if the Chi Yi tribe faced such a crisis, what would he do?
"Grandpa, why don't we go take a look first? If we can subdue it, we will help the Hu Yu tribe. If we truly cannot subdue it, we can also help the Hu Yu tribe migrate," Ye Jingyu spoke up at this moment...
Since Chi Yi had invited him here, it proved he had the right to speak. Moreover, he genuinely wanted to see what the legendary Taotie looked like...
Hearing Ye Jingyu's voice, Hu Yu and the man and woman exchanged surprised glances. They had never seen this youth before... How dared he speak up in such a place?
"In that case, let's all go take a look together..." Chi Yi truly could not bear to see the Hu Yu tribe plunged into chaos. Furthermore, that Taotie must only be in its juvenile form; if it were an adult Taotie, the Hu Yu tribe would have already been swallowed whole, leaving no chance to send for aid...
"Thank you, Elder Brother Chi Yi, thank you..." As soon as Hu Yu heard Chi Yi agree, he quickly kowtowed deeply several times before shakily rising to his feet. However, he then returned to his seat and began ravenously chewing the remaining half of the leg...
Seeing this sight, Ye Jingyu was utterly speechless. Didn't this fellow seem even greedier than the Taotie?
He did not understand that because the Chi Yi tribe was powerful, they had enough prey to eat almost every day. But other races found it difficult to secure such abundance of game; even the Hu Yu patriarch couldn't eat meat daily, subsisting mostly on wild fruits. To come to the Chi Yi tribe and not gorge himself thoroughly—how could he justify returning empty-handed?
Having promised the Hu Yu tribe his help against the Taotie, Chi Yi was wholeheartedly dedicated to the task, never considering conserving his own tribe's strength. While this might appear foolish, it was the simplicity and honesty of the Southern Wilderness tribesmen; when facing a Primordial Fiend like the Taotie, no one harbored secondary motives...
Thus, Chi Yi selected two hundred warriors, all having reached the N Ji level, along with five elders and ten Fourth-Level (Soul Transformation) Soul Masters, leading Ye Jingyu to rush towards the Hu Yu tribe's settlement with Hu Yu...
Jiu Feng was naturally left behind in the village. Not only was she unqualified for such matters as a woman, but even if she were, Ye Jingyu would not allow her to face such peril...
The two hundred N Ji warriors were no longer led by Chi Yi Zhanlang. Since Chi Yi had to remain to protect the village as its leader, the one commanding the two hundred N Ji warriors became Chi Yixiu, the "former" foremost warrior of the Chi Yi tribe...
When he saw Ye Jingyu following behind Chi Yi, also clad in animal skins and leaves, there was no hatred or sorrow in Chi Yixiu's eyes, only a fierce fighting spirit...
"I say, brother, you already lost to me last time. According to our agreement, everything you have now belongs to me. Do you intend to challenge me again?" Sensing Chi Yixiu's immense battle intent, Ye Jingyu turned back to remark with some displeasure...
"No..." As the foremost warrior of the Chi Yi tribe, Chi Yixiu would never stoop to such blatant reneging, though his defeat last time had been quite inexplicable...
"Forget it, forget it, don't say any more. After we return this time, we'll find another chance to spar. Young Master isn't that petty; I'll surely make you accept defeat wholeheartedly," Ye Jingyu interrupted, respecting Chi Yixiu's upright nature and unwilling to press him further...
"Very well... I certainly won't lose this time..." Upon hearing that Ye Jingyu would grant him another duel, Chi Yixiu's eyes filled with gratitude... After all, by the rules, his status should now make him Ye Jingyu's slave, and slaves had no right to challenge their masters...
"We'll see about that... Hey... what's that sound?" Ye Jingyu spoke dismissively. When he mentioned finding a chance, he naturally meant waiting until his strength could steadily overwhelm Chi Yixiu. At that moment, they heard a sound like a wolf's mournful howl, and the previously solemn faces of Chi Yi and the others turned ashen...
That... that sounded like the roar of a Taotie in its rage...