Chapter Forty-Six: A Brilliant Scheme Emerges

With Yi Tian’s arrival, the six clan elders began a frenzied slaughter of the ferocious beasts, their numbers dwindling rapidly. The pressure they faced was beginning to ease, slowly dissipating. Up until now, of the six or seven hundred savage beasts, only a little over a hundred remained, and the ten million wild beasts had been reduced to around sixty thousand. Even though the tribe was still under immense strain, the massive stone wall, soaring forty or fifty yards high, kept the majority of the wild beasts at bay, allowing them to hold out a little longer.

Every warrior of the Yi Tribe fought with blood and fire. This wave of beasts attacking the tribe was gradually being brought under control. Though the threat was still great, once all the savage beasts were eliminated, the wild beasts, no matter how numerous, would be manageable; their strength could be worn down until they were utterly destroyed.

The remaining hundred or so savage beasts were clearly no match for the clan elders and Yi Tian. They fell rapidly to their arrows. Yet, despite the carnage, the savage beasts showed no fear; instead, they became even more frenzied, hurling themselves at the stone wall, rending cracks into its massive, sturdy surface. In some places, huge breaches had already been torn open.

The scent of humans drove them mad. For these low-level savage beasts, the beast tide was a once-in-centuries opportunity. Not one in a hundred would survive to see the next tide, most being hunted down by stronger beasts long before. If they could devour large quantities of human flesh and blood, there was hope they might awaken hidden potential and evolve. This was a temptation none of them could resist.

Normally, they could only lurk in the Coiling Dragon Mountains, preying on the odd human who dared enter. But those who ventured into the mountains were rarely weak, and often it was the beasts who met their end. They could never risk descending alone into human lands—that would be certain death.

Thus, every time the beast tide erupted was the only chance for them to rampage openly across human territory. None of them were willing to give up such an opportunity so easily. Driven by the savage beasts, tens of thousands of wild beasts continued their relentless assault on the tribe.

Some savage beasts charged impatiently, desperate to break into the settlement and feast, but they were cut down by Yi Tian and the clan elders before even reaching the wall. Still, the tens of thousands of wild beasts remained a terrifying force. Many breached the defenses and clashed with the warriors within, causing heavy casualties. The defenders, exhausted from prolonged battle, found their efficiency waning, the slaughter of wild beasts slowing to a crawl—a grim situation indeed.

All of this did not escape the notice of the clan elders and the chieftain. They watched with heavy hearts, anxiety gnawing at them. If the situation became truly untenable, they would have no choice but to retreat to the mountain summit and make their last stand there. But that would mean the destruction of their entire tribe, casualties soaring in a catastrophic rout.

In the ancestral temple atop the mountain, the chieftain and head elder gazed down at the battle below, faces unreadable. They glanced at the anxious, panicked tribesfolk gathered in the square, sighing inwardly. Even if they survived this calamity, the Yi Tribe would be left devastated.

At the same time, they prepared to lead the people into the temple’s underground passages to defend themselves, should the situation spiral out of control. The struggle between the Yi Tribe and the beast tide raged on. Although the beasts had suffered heavy losses, the tribe was utterly spent, barely able to hold on.

Just as the second elder was about to give the order to abandon the walls and retreat to the summit, a tremendous roar suddenly echoed from the distance, shaking the land for miles around. At the sound, the tens of thousands of wild beasts attacking the tribe froze in terror, halting their assault, cowering and trembling on the ground, as if confronted by some unspeakable horror, utterly incapable of resisting.

Even the remaining savage beasts turned to look back, wariness and fear in their eyes. Yet, they did not fully submit to this presence that had let loose such a roar.

The next moment, a colossal figure, several dozen yards tall, emerged from the forest, its whole body shimmering with silvery light in the sun, radiating authority, ferocity, and overwhelming might. As this beast appeared, all the wild and savage beasts ceased their assault.

This offered every warrior in the tribe a much-needed chance to recover. They hastened to either use elemental stones to restore their energy or practice breathing techniques, alleviating their fatigue as quickly as possible.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The monstrous beast advanced, step by thunderous step, toward the Yi Tribe settlement. Wherever it passed, wild beasts scurried away in terror. Those too slow to escape were crushed beneath its feet, reduced to bloody pulp.

When Yi Tian and the other members of the Reincarnation Squad saw this figure, they could not hide their astonishment. This fifty-yard-tall beast was none other than the Silverblood Ancient Beast they had encountered in the mountains half a month earlier during their hunt.

With the bloodline of a beast king, the moment the Silverblood Ancient Beast set foot on this land, it cowed all the wild and lesser savage beasts into submission.

“This is bad!”

The faces of the clan elders darkened with alarm. Even atop the mountain, the chieftain and head elder paled. The arrival of the Silverblood Ancient Beast had cast a shadow over the entire field—it was a terrifying foe, and they doubted they could withstand its assault.

At that moment, Yi Tian’s eyes lit up. The Silverblood Ancient Beast was indeed formidable. Even if all the tribe’s strongest warriors joined forces, they might not be able to slay it—but perhaps this was an opportunity.

In the next instant, Yi Tian shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

“What?!”

The clan elders, the ranking warriors of the tribes, members of the Reincarnation Squad such as Yi Feng, and others like Yi Kai, Yi Hong, and Yi Qing, were all stunned.

Yi Tian had charged alone into the beast tide.

Below, there were still forty or fifty thousand wild beasts and dozens of savage beasts. Most terrifying of all was the Silverblood Ancient Beast, whose massive body radiated an oppressive force.

Even as a low-level king-class beast, its power rivaled that of mid-tier savage beasts.

Yi Tian vaulted over the fifty-yard stone wall. Weightless, he drifted forward through the air, descending slowly. Below, a dozen wild beasts eyed him hungrily. As he dropped to within fifteen yards of the ground, the beasts leaped up, eager to devour him.

In that moment, Yi Tian lightly stepped on one beast’s head, soaring up again, shooting away into the distance.

In this way, he nimbly borrowed the bodies of the wild beasts, using them as stepping stones to display his Soaring Feather technique, passing unscathed through the horde.

From atop the stone wall, the warriors watched Yi Tian’s graceful movements in awe. His Soaring Feather technique had been cultivated to perfection—he moved as if walking on air, like a human master, leaving everyone astounded.

The Silverblood Ancient Beast immediately noticed Yi Tian’s presence. Enraged, it recognized the human responsible for blinding one of its eyes.

With a furious roar, the Silverblood Ancient Beast charged at Yi Tian. This time, it was determined to tear apart the human who had shamed it, or else its humiliation would never be erased.

In its wrath, the Silverblood Ancient Beast crushed every beast in its path, its massive body and terrifying defenses transforming it into a living engine of destruction, scattering blood and flesh with every step.

Yi Tian, using the Soaring Feather technique, darted across the land before the tribe, changing direction constantly to evade the beast’s pursuit.

The warriors watched in slack-jawed amazement, hardly able to believe their eyes. It was clear that Yi Tian was deliberately luring the Silverblood Ancient Beast to slaughter the wild beasts.

The beast’s relentless pursuit trampled countless wild beasts, sending the rest fleeing in terror, desperate to avoid being crushed.

Of course, Yi Tian did not lead the Silverblood Ancient Beast toward the other savage beasts. Unlike the wild beasts, the savage ones were formidable, only a ninth-tier warrior could confront them. Though Yi Tian could slay them easily with his archery, close combat would be perilous.

Single-handedly, Yi Tian was now holding the attention of tens of thousands of wild beasts and dozens of savage beasts, giving the tribe’s warriors ample time to recover their strength and energy.