Ancient Battle Intent

The three continued deeper into the forest, proceeding with utmost caution.

They had not gone far when the detector in Ling Xuan's hand suddenly blared an urgent alarm. A prominent red dot appeared on the screen, and the signal strength indicated a Planetary Level, third-stage beast!

The three exchanged glances, excitement and tension flashing in their eyes.

During the Mangu Tribe's Coming-of-Age Ceremony trial, killing a Planetary Level, third-stage beast was the ultimate goal. Now, one had appeared right before them.

"After it!" Ling Yue said without hesitation.

The three quickly pursued the beast. Along the way, the slime it had left behind became increasingly conspicuous, and the stench grew stronger.

After passing through a stand of stone pillars, they spotted two Planetary Level, third-stage beasts.

The beasts were enormous, each standing three stories tall. Their massive heads were like hills, and their thick limbs like stone pillars. Every step made the ground tremble.

They were tearing into prey on the ground, blood spraying everywhere in a gruesome scene.

"Why are there two?" Ling Yue sensed something was wrong and stopped Ling Xue, who was about to approach. "The detector clearly showed only one beast just now."

But when Ling Xue looked down at her detector, it clearly displayed the life signs of two Planetary Level, third-stage beasts.

"We were probably in too much of a hurry to chase that beast and didn't notice," Ling Xue said.

Ling Yue relaxed a little, chiding herself for being too suspicious.

"You take one, and I'll take the other. Third brother, stay back and watch our flanks. Afterward, we'll look for the last one. Then second sister and I will help keep watch for you," Ling Yue instructed.

The trial could only be completed by killing a beast alone. Those in a team could only watch while the others fought their own beasts; if they stepped in to help, their results would be invalidated and they would have to take the test again.

Ling Xue and Ling Xuan had no objections.

Each of the two women gripped her weapon and charged at a beast that was feeding.

Sensing the attack, one beast roared furiously and swung its enormous claws at Ling Yue.

Ling Yue darted aside, nimbly avoiding its attack as she continued looking for an opening.

Ling Xue charged at the beast on the right, swinging her spear with a powerful whistling rush. Its tip glinted coldly as it aimed for the beast's vital spots.

The beast was instantly enraged. It lunged forward, trying to swallow Ling Xue whole.

Ling Xue leaped nimbly aside, using the trunk of a nearby tree to launch herself back toward the beast.

Ling Xuan warily watched the battle from the side, ready to support his sisters at any moment.

Just then, the detector began blaring a frantic alarm. A noise came from behind them, and Ling Xuan turned to look. A third Planetary Level, third-stage beast was charging down the hillside at incredible speed. In an instant, it was right in front of him.

Ling Xuan's heart lurched. He hurried forward to block it.

The beast's claws slammed into his blade, and the tremendous force sent Ling Xuan staggering back several steps.

As the battle raged, roars rang out all around them.

The alarms from their detectors merged into one continuous din. More and more red dots appeared on the screens as fourth and fifth beasts emerged—Planetary Level beasts of the third, fourth, and even fifth stages—surrounding them completely.

Faced with such danger, the three had no choice but to stand back-to-back and fend off attacks from every direction.

"What's going on? The beasts are right beside us before the detectors even go off. Could they be malfunctioning?" Ling Yue stared at her detector in disbelief.

The tribe had issued all three detectors, and they had carefully checked them before setting out. They had found nothing wrong, yet something like this had happened as soon as they arrived.

After a fierce fight, Ling Xue's left arm had been raked by a beast's claws. Blood poured from the wound, staining her sleeve red. Ling Yue had also been struck by a beast's tail on her right leg, leaving it bruised and making it increasingly difficult to move.

Even so, the sisters gritted their teeth and pressed on, swinging their weapons in a tight defense as they fought desperately to protect Ling Xuan in the middle.

Ling Xuan also did his best to protect his sisters' flanks, but his spear skills were poor, and wounds kept accumulating on all three of them.

Seeing the situation grow ever more dire and watching his younger siblings suffer more and more injuries, Ling Yue no longer cared about the glory of fighting to the death. Gritting her teeth, she sent a distress signal through the Virtual Universe Network: "We're under attack by a pack of beasts. Requesting support!"

They soon received a cold reply: "Beasts are rampaging in every area. Support cannot arrive in time. Hold on!"

They were not the only ones in danger in the dense forest. Every young member of the Mangu Tribe who had entered it was facing an unprecedented crisis.

The beasts far outnumbered expectations, and many were of a high level. Hidden Domain Lord Level beasts had even appeared, keeping the elders who were guarding everyone occupied.

What was more, the Mangu Tribe was not the only group to come to the Zhulong Secret Realm. Tribes from other branches of the Zhulong Clan had come to hold their Coming-of-Age Ceremonies at the same time.

This was a grand gathering of the Zhulong Clan!

Similar beast rampages had broken out among the other tribes, leaving no one free to send help.

The planets where the various branches lived were extremely far away. It would take at least several days to reach them—unless an Immortal Elder used Divine Kingdom Teleportation to come.

For now, they could only rely on themselves and hold out until the Domain Lord Level elders killed their opponents and could come to their aid.

But the young members of the Zhulong branches were all brave and hot-blooded. When they learned that the elders could not help, not one of them backed down. The battle spirit of their ancestors—who had slain beasts to claim territory, fighting across every inhabited planet in ancient times—stirred in their hearts.

When this Original Universe Era had just begun, humans were an exceedingly weak race because of their physical limitations.

Yet, like the powerful Monster Race, they were scattered across the universe, inhabiting every planet and secret realm.

Faced with the Monster Race's might, those frail human ancestors did not cower. They fought on relentlessly, producing one hero after another, and successfully claimed planet after planet.

Then they contacted human groups scattered throughout the universe and formed an alliance. Step by step, they ultimately rose to become a peak race towering above the universe's countless races.

And Zhulong Ancestor was a living relic who had survived from that era.

His descendants would never forget the glory of their forebears.

The sounds of fighting, furious shouts, and beasts' roars intertwined, echoing throughout the forest.

To shield Ling Xuan from a beast's lethal blow, Ling Xue took the hit across her back. Three wounds deep enough to expose bone opened there, and she staggered unsteadily. Ling Yue's Beast Bone Blade was knocked from her hand, and her arm was bitten, leaving her covered in blood.

Just then, a powerful beast resembling an Abyssal Giant Crocodile came charging at Ling Xuan. Its body was covered in black scales, dark as ink and hard as iron. Bloodlust gleamed in its cold, vertical pupils as it lunged with its jaws wide open.

Its serrated fangs were as thick as a forearm, each one glinting with a chilling light, as if it could easily tear apart anything in the world.

Ling Xuan wanted to dodge, but his two sisters were behind him. If he moved aside, they would be the ones attacked.

No! He couldn't dodge!

"Thump, thump, thump—"

A dull, hurried heartbeat suddenly sounded, like an ancient war drum being struck to awaken a long-slumbering god of war.

In an instant, it was as if an invisible hand had pressed pause on the world.

The Abyssal Giant Crocodile's jaws had already reached Ling Xuan, but now they stopped dead. A droplet of its foul-smelling saliva hung in midair before landing on Ling Xuan's shoulder, filling the air with a nauseating stench.

Its razor-sharp teeth were only a hair's breadth from his throat. If they moved forward even a fraction, Ling Xuan would be torn to pieces.

Ling Xuan turned back in terror. Ling Yue was frozen in the posture of rushing to save him, her hair tossed wildly by the wind and her eyes filled with fear and despair, as though she were witnessing a disaster she could not prevent. Ling Xue was on one knee, her outstretched hand suspended in midair, her fingertips trembling. Pain and frustration filled her face, as if she regretted being unable to save her younger brother in time.

In the distance, the tribe members locked in battle and the frenzied beasts had all gone still. In that instant, the dazzling world turned black and white.