“Roooaaar…”
A pack of ancient beasts charged forward, howling and bellowing. Wherever their iron hooves passed, the vast sky trembled and holy might permeated the air, awed the heart. Long Ma and the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon — every last one of them fiercer than the last — were savage beasts in every sense of the word. They let out long neighing roars, like primordial great demons loosed from their cages, jostling to be first, fusing into a torrent of steel that ground forward.
Every one of them was brimming with excitement. Not one of them treated this as a great battle. It was more like a hunt — men shouting and horses crying, eyes gleaming with ferocity, every one of them surging bravely ahead.
“Don’t fight over him — he’s mine!”
“I haven’t fed on Saint blood in ages — no one is allowed to take this from me, or I’ll go after you!”
A golden lion, resplendent all over as though cast from divine gold, masculine and mighty, pounced straight toward an Ancient Saint of the He Family, quarreling with the several Saints around him over the prey.
Everyone was stupefied. Never mind the He Family’s people — even Wang Ziwen and the others on their own side were left utterly dumbstruck. These were genuine, bona fide Saint-realm powerhouses, and they had just pounced to kill like this — it was like divine soldiers descending from heaven.
Wang Chen was first struck speechless, then overwhelmed with excitement. He had seen these ancient beasts and foreign-race cultivators in the South Sea, yet had never imagined they were this powerful — it seemed every single one had achieved Saint-hood.
Wang Xi was at first very tense, her heart full of grief and outrage. But now she was so stunned her little mouth had fallen open in a round O. What she was witnessing before her eyes felt unreal. This uncle of hers was astounding — he had brought along an entire group of Saint-realm beasts.
“Heaven be praised! With backup this powerful, who still fears the He Family? Kill them clean — even if their Saint King comes, we’ll give him a bloody nose and a swollen face!”
The powerful figures of both the Wang Family and the Lin Clan were stirred to great excitement. Every one of them was deeply encouraged — every single person was worked up and eager to charge into the fray.
“Do not make a move.” Ye Fan stopped them.
He understood well the wild savagery of the twelve Saints. Once a great battle erupted, they might go beyond all bounds and accidentally harm these people. Just a moment ago they had already been shouting about swallowing blood and devouring prey.
“Ye Fan, this is…” Wang Ziwen was stunned. In this moment he clenched his fist tightly — a reversal of fortune after desperate straits. This old classmate of his had actually arrived leading a band of Saints. It felt almost unreal. His heart surged with exhilaration and excitement as calm returned to him.
Others might not be able to tell, thinking they might not all be Saints — but he could see it clearly. These were twelve Saints, every one of them possessing peak combat power, each one extraordinary, every one capable of fighting across levels of cultivation, striking at the strong with the weaker.
In all his years roaming the starry sky, to be recognized by Ye Fan and to follow at his side, these ancient beasts and foreign-race Saints — how could they be ordinary? Every single one had been carefully chosen, having proven themselves through endless real combat and emerged to stay.
“Rooooaaar…”
The golden lion unleashed its might. Its blood and energy surged to the heavens. Like a golden beast-god, it pounced to kill — and on the spot sent an Ancient Saint of the He Family sprawling, Saint blood spraying everywhere.
This was an incomparably powerful and savage beast. Even Long Ma and the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon found it exhausting to fight — it had taken considerable effort to subdue this creature back in the day.
Its golden claws could directly tear Saint artifacts apart, and it also possessed the technique “Swallowing Heaven and Earth” — with one breath it inhaled the dozens of magical treasures belonging to this Saint, swallowing them clean.
To clash directly with it was nothing short of seeking humiliation. This Ancient Saint of the He Family was knocked down right there and then, one arm torn off. He was, at least, decisive — he turned and fled.
But how could the golden lion possibly let him go? Having obtained the ancient art of purifying divine blood from its elder brother Long Ma, it was desperate to devour all manner of blood prey.
“Rooooaaar…”
Another thundering roar. It swiped a claw forward. The Saint’s ancient shield shattered. He deployed all manner of secret arts to block — but none of it was any use; none of it could change anything. The golden lion was too immensely powerful — peerless, matchless — blazing like a golden sun, radiating dazzling, eye-catching light.
“Pfft!”
One swipe of its claw crushed this Ancient Saint’s heart-protecting mirror and tore him clean in two. Blood shot up high — only to eventually pour into the golden lion’s maw as it devoured this Saint whole.
In that moment, every powerful figure present drew a sharp, cold breath from head to toe. This was too savage — the battle had barely started, and in barely a moment it was over.
Everyone felt this Ancient Saint of the He Family had died a wretched, stifled death. Killed by a single claw swipe from a savage beast, torn apart, becoming food — far too brutal.
Several Saints around the golden lion were displeased at missing out on the blood feast. They charged toward the next target, unwilling to snatch from the lion — that beast was not easy to provoke, standing at the ninth heaven of the Saint Beast realm.
“Where did these savage beasts come from? And there are foreign-race cultivators too — what manner of combination is this?!” The He Family’s people were nearly frantic. They had never imagined a surprise attack would come charging down at them.
They had brought a great number of people, many of whom had not achieved Saint-hood — they had been sent for the purpose of plundering the Lin Clan. Now they were being mown down like crops, collapsing in rows. Those savage beasts opened their mouths and inhaled — blotting out the sky and darkening the earth — and in the blink of an eye had nearly consumed them all.
It was a blood-soaked scene. The He Family’s people had no way to resist. Severed arms, broken limbs. Blood fell like rain. The sky itself had been dyed crimson.
Pfft!
A streak of dark red light flashed past. A spear-like sharp stinger pierced through heaven and earth, drilling through the forehead bone of another Saint of the He Family. The Celestial Scorpion among the twelve Saints had made its move — ruthless and merciless to the extreme, killing in a single blow.
It came from the Scorpion Clan. Its power was formidable. At first glance it appeared little different from the human race — only a dark red scorpion’s tail, red as blood, grew behind its back. Its offensive power was extreme: it could pierce Saint artifacts.
The others raged: “Scorpion, you’ve stolen our prey! We had him cornered — he was never going to escape. You suddenly came in like that and took our blood feast away.”
The dark red tip of the scorpion’s tail, embedded in this man’s forehead, instantly absorbed the totality of his vital energy and spiritual essence. The Celestial Scorpion’s entire body blazed with light. A head of blood-red long hair danced freely, and its eyes gleamed sharp as lightning.
All the He Family’s people cried out. Two Saints — just like that, quickly cut down. Their clan was extremely powerful; among them were two Saint Kings and three Saints. Yet in a single instant, two of those Saints had been struck down. It was enough to make their hearts weep blood, and left them feeling icy cold from head to toe.
“Wonderful! So powerful! So savage! I love it!” Wang Xi clenched her small fist and punched the air forcefully, extremely agitated — though simultaneously, feeling it was a bit too gory, she grew somewhat pale.
All the powerful figures of the Wang Family and the Lin Clan echoed her sentiment, especially the last part. This was far too savage. Every single one of these ancient beasts and foreign-race cultivators was staggering — the weakest among them were at the seventh heaven of the Saint realm.
What did this mean? Twelve powerhouses of this caliber. It was truly shocking!
“Truly so powerful!” Even Lin Ling could no longer maintain her calm. Though she did not shriek repeatedly like her own daughter, she could not conceal her stirred excitement. She looked toward Ye Fan. What on earth was this old friend of her husband’s background? How could he lead a group like this? It was simply defying heaven.
The He Family had five great leaders. On this occasion they had brought one Saint King and two Saints — and now two of them had been struck down. Every single one of them had gone pale.
But there was still a force that was not weak: they had managed to summon four old demons from the Primordial Mountain Range — all of them high-level Saints, having cultivated for thousands of years.
Unfortunately, those old demons refused to engage. Upon witnessing the savagery of the twelve Saints, they cursed the He Family’s ancestors for eight generations — and turned and fled.
This was the “broken-down gate-clan house” the He Family had spoken of? What in the world — they had never seen a “broken-down household” like this. One casual whistle had summoned twelve Saints straight down. Every last one of them more savage than the last.
“Where do you think you’re going?! Since you’ve come, all of you had better stay!” As the head of the twelve Saints, Long Ma led the charge. Rising on its hind legs, running its Action Script technique, its two rear hooves hit the ground — and it transformed into a bolt of lightning that shot forward, cutting off their path of retreat.
The four old demons were greatly alarmed. Never had they seen such a savage horse — one that eschewed all convention and ran on its hind legs. What on earth was this? Absolutely savage!
They attempted to cross through the void, but found it completely impossible. Behind them a pack of howling, bellowing savage figures had totally surrounded them, sealing off the entire sky.
“Uncle Wang, what is the meaning of this? Even if you refuse the marriage proposal, you could simply say so openly. Would we not back off?” He Qingyang shouted at the top of his lungs, his face snow white.
He was a direct descendant of the He Family’s younger generation, having severed his Dao for years. Barring mishap, in time he would achieve Saint-hood. He was a core member of the He Family — and with his remarkably handsome appearance, noble and extraordinary bearing, he was deeply cherished by the Saint King patriarch.
Wang Chen replied: “Shameless. When you saw that our maternal grandfather had met with misfortune, your He Family was the first to leap out, secretly plotting to slaughter our clan in blood, bringing ancient demons from the Primordial Mountain Range. And now you can still say something like that.”
Wang Xi was already bristling with anger. The He Family clearly had their eyes on the Nine-Transformation Immortal Pill fragments and wanted to exterminate their entire clan — yet they spoke in such high-sounding, self-righteous terms. They had the nerve to speak of a marriage proposal. They wanted to consume them until not even bones were left.
“If Uncle Wang does not release us, all of this will be considered settled. The He Family will never seek revenge. Regardless of whether Saint King Lin Han can pass through this ordeal, we will honor our word.” He Qingyang said. Wave after wave of cold fear gripped him — those savage beasts were too terrifying. Even sheltering behind his grand patriarch, his body felt icy cold all over. He realized that the grand patriarch was locked in a standoff with the golden lion, the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, the Celestial Scorpion, and the others — unwilling to make a rash move. He instantly understood: even with the grand patriarch being a Saint King, victory against them was by no means guaranteed.
Wang Ziwen let out a long breath. A deep satisfaction welled in his heart. In recent days he had been beset on all sides, pressed by enemies until he could barely breathe. Never had he imagined Ye Fan would appear — and leading a group of powerful Saints like this, making everything feel slightly unreal. As calm returned, his heart swelled with excitement.
“Wang Ziwen, what do you intend? Will you truly not relent?” The middle-aged man leading the He Family said grimly — this was one of the clan’s two Saint Kings.
Wang Ziwen understood well: a Saint King towered high above, beyond the reach of mere Saints. Ye Fan shook his head, signaling to him that everything was fine — they could all be killed cleanly.
Wang Ziwen’s heart gave a jolt. “Senior He Kun — did you not just say that if I refused to give my daughter in marriage, you would raze the Wang Family and the Lin Clan? You all harbor the desire to slaughter our clan in blood, and you still ask me what I intend? Don’t you find that laughable?”
Lin Ling also nodded, her heart full of hatred. The other side was taking advantage of their difficulty, intent on annihilating their clan, seizing the immortal pill fragments — for the sake of profit they had cast all conscience aside, utterly cold and ruthless.
“Very well. If so — let us see who gets wiped out in the end!” He Kun said savagely. Now it could only come to a life-and-death reckoning. Soft words served no purpose.
“Ahhh…”
Just then, not far away, the four old demons all let out one scream after another. Led by Long Ma, the pack of savage beasts divided them up between themselves, slaying them all and swallowing them into their bellies.
At the same time, the Nine-Tailed Crocodile Dragon, the golden lion, the Celestial Scorpion, and the others launched an assault on Saint King He Kun, unleashing fierce and relentless attacks.
“Can they… fight a Saint King?” Wang Ziwen asked uncertainly. Even though He Kun was at the low-tier of the Saint King level, he could still look down on mere Saints from above.
“Don’t worry. Not a single one of these creatures is easy to deal with.” Ye Fan said. Otherwise he would not have chosen them to stay and travel at his side.
“Lion! Scorpion! Crocodile! Don’t even think about eating alone — this is a Saint King! Leave me an arm!”
“I want a thigh!”
“The head is mine!”
The pack of savage beasts bellowed and howled. Having consumed the four old demons, they all charged over together, jostling to be first. Even Long Ma, as the head of the group, could not hold them back. Faced with prey more enticing than anything before, these Saints’ eyes became terrifying — sharp as lightning — and they charged on without stop.
“Young man, you said you wanted to wed that young lady? I say you’d better go be reborn instead. Wait for the next life until my cub is born, then you can be betrothed to her.” A black bear, having reached the eighth heaven of the Saint Beast realm, rose on its hind legs — ten zhang tall, its black fur gleaming and smooth, several feet long. Now it exposed a gaping maw, terrifyingly fearsome.
He Qingyang felt his calves going weak. These enemies were too terrifying. In one moment of inattention, a tremendous force pulled him away, and in the next instant he found himself in the embrace of the black bear Saint.
“Oh, heaven help me!”
He was so frightened his eyes rolled back, and he nearly fainted on the spot. How had he suddenly ended up clasped in the arms of this Saint bear? Nothing could be worse than this!
“Grand patriarch, save me!” He Qingyang cried out in desperation, utterly drained of color, struggling with all his might. But to escape from a Saint bear’s embrace was nothing short of a waking dream.
With a dull thud, he was squeezed alive into a mass of mangled flesh — then lapped up by the Saint bear’s great crimson tongue, consumed as food.
“No…” Saint King He Kun’s eyes turned blood red. The people under his command had been completely crushed. Now only he himself remained. Even the junior he had cherished most had not been spared. He charged forward in frenzied assault.
But he was surrounded by the twelve great Saints, unable to break free. He was being beaten until blood poured freely, his hair wild and disheveled — on the verge of his body and soul both being destroyed.
This was simply inconceivable. A Saint King’s pressure had absolutely no effect. These savage beasts were one more untamed and domineering than the last. They ignored his sealing arts completely, surging forward again and again — like starving tigers pouncing on lambs.
Not a single one of the savage beasts was ordinary. Every one of them could fight across levels. Every one was a king among beasts. And those few foreign-race members were equally terrifying — all of them vicious characters through and through.
He Kun clearly realized these Saint beasts and foreign-race cultivators were not even exerting their full strength. Every single one of them appeared at ease. His chances of survival were slim to none.
“Pfft!”
A flash of blood-light. The golden lion swung a claw from behind him and tore away more than a pound of flesh and blood. Saint blood sprayed everywhere, causing him excruciating pain.
“So powerful! They can actually match a Saint King in battle! So savage — I love it!” Wang Xi clapped her hands and cheered. The liveliness and romanticism of the young woman had overcome her fear of the bloodshed. She turned to Ye Fan and said: “Uncle, I worship you so much! Where did you find all these powerhouses? I want to join you too.”
Her face was flushed with excitement, and she clamored to join the savage war party — to one day become a little demon herself.
This gave Wang Ziwen and Lin Ling a headache, unsure how to “tame” their precious daughter.
“He is a powerhouse who has come to comprehend the Dao in seclusion — truly exceptional.” Ye Fan said simply.
Wang Ziwen was equally shaken beyond measure. The path Ye Fan had taken was already beyond his ability to see through. He understood that this crisis might well be resolved with his old classmate’s assistance.
“Ahhh…”
Saint King He Kun let out a sharp cry. A dark red scorpion’s stinger pierced through his right rear shoulder — blood dripping, his entire body going numb. Even a physique as powerful as a Saint King’s could not move a single inch.
ROOOAARRR!
The twelve savage figures fought over him and swarmed in. In an instant they tore him apart. Each seized their share of the spoils. A generation’s Saint King was rent into four pieces — and thus perished.