After disciplining his newly acquired subordinate and completely shattering his will to resist, Qin Feng turned his gaze toward the depths of the Barbaric Mountain Range.
Just then, the dark-faced man suddenly said in surprise, "Ninth Young Master! The familyâs troops are retreating! Theyâve given up the search. Have the people on the outskirts of the Barbaric Mountain Range completely withdrawn?"
"Are you sure?" Qin Fengâs brow twitched. He was greatly surprised. âDid the Qin Family compromise this time?â Then another thought struck him. âOr is this some new conspiracy aimed at me!â
"Iâm sure. Most of the birds in the forest have started returning to their nests. The search parties in the forest are contracting and have been pulling out one after another! Theyâre leaving in a great hurry, as if something has happened!" the man, Black Lotus, reported, unable to hide the joy on his dark face.
âOh, heavens, I finally donât have to follow this butcher and perform the Slaughter of the familyâs elites anymore. Thank God!â
Qin Fengâs gaze swept over the dark-faced manâs slightly joyful expression. He let out a cold snort, frightening the man into quickly wiping the smile from his face. Snorting again, Qin Feng looked toward Shanghe Town and said,
"Hmph. Iâll never believe the Qin Family would give up the hunt so easily. Theyâve paid such a high price; theyâd never let it all fizzle out for nothing! Theyâre leaving in such a hurry because something must have happened to the family. Letâs go. Weâll follow them and see!"
ROAR!
Suddenly, a wild tigerâs roar echoed from the mountain peak. Qin Feng, who was about to move, froze instantly. He stared into the depths of the Barbaric Mountain Range with uncertainty. From that distant, domineering roar that seemed to pierce the clouds, he could faintly sense a terrifying pressure.
The entire forest trembled at the sound of the roar. Herds of beasts fled in panic, and the birds grew restless, their flapping wings creating a deafening clamor.
As Qin Feng and Qin Shou watched with grave expressions, a small beast tide suddenly erupted in the outer forest of the Barbaric Wilderness. A deafening rumble echoed through the woods, like a dam bursting or rolling Thunderbolt.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
The ground itself was trembling. Qin Feng stood on a rock, gazing into the distance. A rolling cloud of dust stretching for several kilometers rose into the sky. The sound was faint at first, but it grew to a thunderous roll as the spreading dust cloud surged directly toward where the two of them stood.
They turned to look back toward the depths of the Barbaric Mountain Rangeâs forest. To their astonishment, countless Bai Lu, wild oxen, mountain goats, wolves, apes, and even herds of giant elephants appeared in their line of sight, trampling innumerable trees in their panicked stampede.
There were mountain hyenas the size of calves, the most fearsome predators in these ridges. Each one was a match for a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Second Layer Heaven.
Then there were the Earth Bovine-Rhinos, each like a small hill, their earthy-yellow scales gleaming with a faint luster in the sun. Their limbs were powerful, and as they ran, it was as if they were trampling the very earth. These Earth Bovine-Rhinos were immensely strong. Their sharp, black horns could easily pierce Hundred-refined Refined Iron, and even a Martial Artist of the Martial Arts Three Heavens would have to flee at the sight of one. Yet, even this Fierce Beast was fleeing in terror, its huge eyes filled with panic.
CHITTER!
Iron-Armed Apes, each as tall as two men with cyan fur like steel needles, leaped over the heads of the giant elephants. These apes were the elves of the mountain forests; they vaulted like lightning, and few Fierce Beasts could match their agility.
There were also Brute-Force Iron-Skinned Wild Oxen, with bodies like Copper Skin and Iron Bones...
Tusked Boars with two snow-white, sharp tusks and spines of sharp thorns protruding from their backs...
...
One after another, Fierce Beasts that normally reigned supreme in the mountain forests were now fleeing in a panicked, desperate scramble toward the outer woods of the Barbaric Mountain Range, as if something terrible was chasing them from the rangeâs depths.
These fearsome predators were so focused on their life-or-death flight that they ignored everything in their path!
âLooks like a big one has appeared.â A beast tide like this was not unfamiliar to Qin Feng. Whenever a Fierce Beast King appeared, it could trigger an uprising among the Fierce Beasts in the surrounding territories, thus causing a beast tide.
Of course, there was another special circumstance: an intelligent Fierce Beast deliberately driving other beasts from behind, causing a large-scale stampede. The appearance of such a beast tide often heralded the coming of a terrifying disaster on the continent.
A beast tide to siege a city!
ROAR! As the beast tide surged past, a moment later another earth-shattering tigerâs roar echoed through the jungle.
Before their shocked eyes, a massive, snow-white tiger emerged from the depths of the forest with an unhurried gait. It was enormous, at least twice the size of a normal tiger. Its fur was perfectly white without a single stray hair, smooth and pure as fresh snow, and it shimmered with a faint, crystalline glow. It was like a Venerable walking out of an ancient jungle. Oddly enough, as the giant tiger stepped out of the jungle, it exuded a sense of profound elegance.
It walked through the forest as if strolling through its own backyard. Although it made no move to attack, its calm demeanor and heavy steps seemed to stomp on a personâs very heart, striking them with bone-chilling terror.
Its huge, tiger eyes looked over, carrying a faint sense of majesty, indifference, and Wuqing. An army of thousands could not compare to its terrifying presence. This was the gaze of a true apex predator!
"Thatâs... the Yunling Giant Tiger!" Qin Feng said nothing, but behind him, Qin Shou couldnât help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air at the sight of the beast. He even began to stutter.
Qin Shou was scared out of his wits. It wasnât that he was a coward; it was just that this snow-white giant tigerâs background was too immense.
The Yunling Giant Tiger was an Alien Species of Fierce Beast with a trace of an ancient bloodline, one of the top predators among its kind. Even a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Sixth Layer Heaven would have to give it a wide berth.
"Weâre done for, weâre done for! This is the worst luck! How could we run into a terrifying Fierce Beast King like the Yunling Giant Tiger!" Qin Shouâs legs had already started to tremble. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with deep despair.
Qin Shou lifted his head and looked at Qin Feng, wondering what expression the shrewd yet vicious youth was wearing. âFaced with a Yunling Giant Tiger,â he thought, âhe must be filled with utter despair, ready to close his eyes and offer his neck to be slain.â
âThat makes sense. The Yunling Giant Tiger is an Ancient Relic Species with a trace of the ancient King of Lightâs bloodline. With such an old bloodline, even a Martial Artist at the Martial Arts Fifth Layer Heaven would have to give it a wide berth!â
Qin Shou glanced up, but what he saw nearly made his jaw drop to the floor. He rubbed his eyes, almost unable to believe the sight. What was he seeing? When the terrifying youth saw the giant tiger appear, he didnât show the slightest hint of fear. Instead, he looked completely excited, rubbing his fists together as if preparing for a big fight.
It was as if encountering a fearsome creature like the Yunling Giant Tiger was as exciting as finding 100,000 taels of Gold!
âHe wasnât even this excited when he was looting the Treasures from his captain, Qin Yue!! Has he gone mad? Has the sight of the Yunling Giant Tiger scared him witless?â
Qin Feng was, in fact, extremely happy. In this Ancient Relic Species, the Yunling Giant Tiger, he saw the dawn of his breakthrough to the Martial Arts Fourth Layer!