The Jackal Old Dog

"Our Sacrificial Spirit has arrived; none of you will leave here alive!" roared Bei Shan, leader of the Bei Village hunting party.

"It's just an old Bei, isn't it? It has lived so long that its teeth have fallen out; I reckon it can barely walk, let alone be of any use," Shi Lin sneered, intentionally showing his contempt.

The Sacrificial Spirit of the Bei Village was a Bei, the very creature from which the clan took its name.

Dozens of giant wolves roared and howled, the air growing thick with a malevolent aura as they prepared to pounce.

"None of you will survive!" Bei Liqing said with a chilling, hollow tone.

"Then give it your best shot!" Shi Lin replied.

"Attack!"

Forty or fifty giant wolves launched probing attacks, lunging forward repeatedly. Little One handled the defense while Shi Lin took charge of the offense. In a few swift strikes, he killed eight giant wolves, their massive carcasses piling up and filling the mountain forest with the stench of blood.

For a full hour, the Bei Village Sacrificial Spirit did not appear; only the giant wolves attacked, while Bei Shan and his men fired arrows from the shadows.

Under the duo's combined efforts, the Bei Village party, which had previously held the advantage, suddenly lost its momentum.

The number of Bei Village men plummeted, while the two boys grew bolder with every kill, their hands glowing with an increasing number of runes.

"Awoo..."

A howl echoed through the air, sounding like the weeping of a mountain ghost, indescribably eerie. In the distance, a strange creature flapped its wings and flew toward them.

It was only two meters long, its yellowish-brown fur oily and bright, yet it looked ancient. Its wolf-like face was etched with deep wrinkles—this was a rare Bei, a creature seldom seen even among countless packs of wolves.

Its forelegs were so short that it could barely walk on its own, usually requiring it to perch on the back of a giant wolf. Fortunately, its bloodline was potent enough to have sprouted a pair of wings, allowing it to fly.

Clearly, this old Bei was terrifying; faint, primitive Bone Text flickered across its body. It was an exceptionally powerful fierce beast!

Shi Lin watched the old Bei from afar.

"It's only at the Blood Moving Realm!" Shi Lin intentionally mocked.

The old Bei seemed to hear Shi Lin's taunt and glared at him, its eyes brimming with greed and cunning.

In the eyes of the old Bei, for a mere human brat to show such disdain was an insult it could not swallow, yet it did not strike lightly.

It gazed greedily at the remains of the Suanni; the Suanni's precious body was of vital importance to it, capable of allowing it to be reborn.

"Lord Sacrificial Spirit, you have finally arrived!" Bei Liqing said, trembling with excitement.

The old Bei nodded.

"Lord Sacrificial Spirit, these two little brats are very strong. They possess Bone Text and have killed many of our men. You must deal with them!" Bei Liqing fanned the flames from the side.

"Old man, what are you blathering about? Old dog, come over here and die!" Shi Lin pointed at the old Bei and shouted.

The old Bei could no longer restrain itself and launched an attack.

Runes flickered in its mouth, condensing into a sheet of radiance that it spat out.

Shi Lin channeled runes into his hand, manifesting a Purple Emperor Immortal Eagle. The phantom of the fierce beast surged upward, transforming into a gale that tore through the sky and snapped the surrounding trees.

The radiance spat by the old Bei collided with the phantom of the Purple Emperor Immortal Eagle.

The old Bei faltered as its radiance was blocked; it revealed a look of shock, its eyes becoming even more fervent.

Now, it wasn't just the Suanni or the Crimson Precious Horn that attracted it; the technique Shi Lin displayed had also become a target it desired to seize. Its Bei eyes flashed with cold, vicious light. With a loud howl, the giant wolves in the surrounding area reappeared, obeying its command to charge and coordinate with its assault.

The situation grew critical. The old Bei refused to close the distance, lurking in the sky and launching predatory strikes.

"Old dog, why are you hovering up there? Come down and die!"

Following this, Shi Lin flicked his hands, and dozens of Golden Moons appeared out of thin air. With a wave, he sent them all flying toward the old Bei.

As a Sacrificial Spirit, it would normally strike fear into the hearts of the humans in the Great Wilderness, yet now that it was being treated with such contempt, the old Bei did not grow angry. Its gaze remained cold, calm, and unhurried.

It was so powerful that it could easily have destroyed a village on any other day, yet its current caution was maddening.

The old Bei moved. Runes flickered, and a golden radiance flashed from its short forepaws. A primitive Treasure Rune condensed and slammed downward. A massive golden claw clearly manifested, sweeping across the sky.

The golden claw collided with the Golden Moons, and suddenly, lightning flashed and thunder rolled, illuminating the dark sky in a terrifying display.

The golden claw failed to block all the Golden Moons. A few that slipped past slashed rapidly toward the old Bei, forcing it to hurriedly lash out with its other golden claw to deflect them.

"Old dog, is that all you've got? Keep them coming!"

Shi Lin unleashed a continuous barrage of Golden Moons. The old Bei used both golden claws to parry them, gradually exhausting its strength.

Shi Lin, however, grew more valiant with every strike, the golden light radiating from his body shining ever brighter.

Just as the old Bei grew weary from the defense, Shi Lin directly summoned a massive Purple Emperor Immortal Eagle to strike at it.

Before the old Bei could react, the attack landed on its body.

With a sound like a collapsing mountain, the massive golden claw shattered. The blurred phantom of the ancient immortal bird gripped the creature's true form and squeezed with violent force, a shrill, miserable scream echoing through the sky.

The vicious and cunning old Bei had its two-meter-long body nearly torn in two. It struggled to break free, but one of its hind legs was struck by a sharp claw. With a sickening crunch, the leg twisted and deformed completely.

The old Bei was enraged. It soared into the sky and circled high above. Having suffered such heavy injuries, it could not tolerate the humiliation, as it was a creature that never allowed itself to suffer a loss.

The old Bei went mad, circling incessantly and occasionally diving down to launch lightning-fast strikes.

However, under the barrage of Shi Lin's dense Golden Moons, the old Bei continued to suffer.

"Old dog, is this the extent of your power? Give up; you cannot defeat me!" Shi Lin sneered.

Below, the ground was littered with the corpses of ferocious beasts and giant wolves, all slain under the fierce onslaught of Shi Hao.

The Old Bei's eyes flashed with a strange light as he extended his massive golden claws, reaching toward the Green-Scaled Eagle.

Shi Hao hurriedly intercepted him, slashing a Golden Moon at the Old Bei with one hand. The Old Bei blocked it casually, only to be sent flying by the impact.

"Don't you dare hurt Auntie Green-Scaled Eagle!" Shi Hao shouted.

The Old Bei had never imagined that a child so small could possess such terrifying strength.

Shi Lin threw out several more Golden Moons, slashing toward the Old Bei.

The Old Bei had no time to dodge; a rain of blood splattered as he let out a shrill, miserable howl. His physical body was nearly shattered, the rear half of his torso partially obliterated, a sight too gruesome to behold. He fled into the distance without once looking back.

Powerful as the Ferocious Bei was, he had lost all will to resist, wanting only to escape this place as quickly as possible. His fur stood on end, and he scurried away, panicked like a stray dog.

"Old dog, don't think you can run!"

"Let me let you taste the Precious Art I just comprehended!" Shi Lin lowered his hands, runes slowly flowing and drifting between his palms to form a strange pattern.

He raised his hands, aiming them at the fleeing Old Bei.

Suddenly, the runes between his hands erupted, intertwining and blooming with divine radiance as a purple Immortal Eagle pattern manifested behind Shi Lin.

"Old dog, go to hell!" Shi Lin roared.

"Purple Emperor Immortal Eagle Art!"

Instantly, the runes in Shi Lin's hands emitted a purple glow, and the pattern behind him unleashed a massive shockwave that pursued the Old Bei directly.

The Old Bei seemed to sense something; he looked back and saw only hell.

The Ferocious Bei shrieked in terror, his fur standing on end as he flapped his wings with all his might. Golden runes intertwined, pushing his speed to the limit, but it was all in vain.

"Woooo..." The Old Bei struggled, his eyes filled with fear, emitting a heart-wrenching howl that shook the mountains and valleys.

The shockwave pierced through the Old Bei's mangled body. With a burst of brilliant, searing light, the Sacrificial Spirit of Bei Village screamed, then shattered into pieces. Its fur and bones withered, cracking like rotten wood before plummeting from the night sky.

"Lord Sacrificial Spirit, you... you just died like this?!" Bei Liqing could not believe it; a small child had actually killed his village's incomparably powerful Sacrificial Spirit.

"Impossible, this is impossible!" Bei Liqing could not accept the reality of it all.

"Charge! Kill everyone from Bei Village!" A loud shout rang out.

At the same time, arrows fell like a swarm of locusts and spears flew like meteors, raining down densely as a chorus of screams erupted from the direction of Bei Village.

The people of Stone Village had arrived, led by the old patriarch Shi Yunfeng, along with Shi Linhu, Shi Feijiao, and the others. All of them were furious, their hair standing on end as they fired shot after shot.

"Chirp, chirp..."

Dapeng, Xiao Qing, and Ziyun flapped their wings, charging across the ground. Though they could not truly fly yet, they moved with great speed, rushing toward the Green-Scaled Eagle while wailing in sorrow.

The three fledglings each threw themselves over a wound on their mother, using their own bodies to block the iron arrows. They wailed incessantly, rubbing their heads against the mother bird's body, their cries sounding like blood-stained tears.

"Quick, run!" Bei Shan signaled the remaining people of Bei Village to retreat.

"Pursue!"

The men of Stone Village displayed their prowess, driving the people of Bei Village into a desperate, exhausted flight.

"Return to the village!"

With the crisis averted, they lifted the Suanni Precious Body and shouldered the treasure horns that glowed red like sunset clouds, striding toward the village.

Stone Village had won a total victory; only a few were injured, while the people of Bei Village were nearly wiped out.

"Linhu, Feijiao, take the Ancestral Artifact and go intercept that group from Bei Village. Don't let a single one escape; kill them all!" Shi Yunfeng was decisive. After settling the wounded, he immediately issued this murderous command, intending to wipe out the fleeing group from Bei Village to avoid future calamity.

Little One had fought all day, battling ferocious beasts for the Suanni Precious Body and then clashing with the people of Bei Village. Having suffered several arrow wounds, he was already exhausted.

However, he still requested to join the operation. Shi Yunfeng hesitated slightly before finally nodding in agreement. Jade must be carved to become a vessel; Little One had to experience the baptism of blood and fire to truly grow up.

Shi Lin also joined the battle; he was the main force, yet his energy remained abundant.

This was destined to be a sleepless night. Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao carried the Ancestral Artifact and led their clansmen in a ruthless slaughter of the able-bodied men from Bei Village, showing no mercy.

Blood splattered and lives were harvested. The moonlit night was cold and bleak, the mountain forests stained with blood, and the mountain beasts wailed, creating an atmosphere that was both murderous and frigid.

In the cruel Great Wilderness, human life was sometimes as cheap as grass. Many fine men died in the maws of ferocious beasts, with a very high casualty rate, yet today, it was the human race slaughtering their own kind.

Bei Village had dispatched one hundred and twenty-three people this time. Half had died in the beast tide, and most of the survivors were already wounded. Upon learning that their Sacrificial Spirit was dead, the tribe's morale plummeted, nearly collapsing.

What followed was a one-sided pursuit. The people of Stone Village counted heads, constantly tracking and searching, eradicating them one by one.

With the Ferocious Bei dead, the giant wolves abandoned the people of Bei Village and returned to the mountains; some even turned on them, biting many of the Bei clansmen to death on the spot.

"Vicious old thing, where do you think you're going!"

Shi Linhu roared, drawing his giant bow. An iron arrow flew out, its cold light illuminating the forest. With a thwack, it buried itself into Bei Liqing's back, the thick arrowhead punching through his chest and bringing forth a spray of blood.

"I hate this!" the Bei Village patriarch roared.

"Old man, you've done enough evil; end your life early." Shi Feijiao also struck, swinging his great sword. With a thwack, a blood-stained head flew several meters away and fell to the ground.

Bei Liqing was dead. The survivors of Bei Village turned pale, trembling in fear as they fled for their lives.

"Swish!"

A cold arrow was fired, flying toward the back of Little One's head. It was vicious and accurate; if it struck, it would surely pierce through his brain.

Shi Hao heard the sound of cold wind and dodged swiftly, turning abruptly to glare at a patch of forest, his eyes burning with rage as he shouted, "It's you again!"

Hidden within the thicket was a burly man who had now been exposed. Standing over two point three meters tall, his powerful, corded muscles shimmered with a bronze-colored luster; he was none other than Bei Shan, the leader of the Bei Village hunting party.

When Little One first clashed with the people of Bei Village, the first arrow wound he sustained had been caused by Bei Shan. Back then, he had lurked in the shadows and pierced Shi Hao's arm with a single shot, causing him to lose much blood, and now, he had struck again.

"Hum."

Shi Hao flicked his wrist, and the Beast Tooth String flew out like a chain of glowing white divine light, radiating brilliance as it surged forward and shattered Bei Shan's great bow with a crisp snap.

The Ferocious Bei was dead, and having completely severed its connection to this ritual tool, Little One found it increasingly easy to wield, as if it were an extension of his own arm. The crystalline, radiant Beast Tooth String was indestructible and possessed immense offensive power.

Bei Shan drew a great sword and charged at Little One, the cold, chilling light cutting through the forest. With an arm strength of five or six thousand jin, he swung the broadsword with terrifying ferocity, as if he were cleaving a bolt of lightning.

Runes flickered at Little One's fingertips, and the Beast Tooth String shone like stars, each bead translucent as it coiled around the gleaming great sword. With a few sharp cracks, it shattered the blade into a pile of scrap metal—such was the might of a ritual tool. "Puff," "puff"...

The forty-two warm, crystalline beast teeth flew out individually, transforming into divine spears and arrows of light that slammed into Bei Shan's body. Blood sprayed as his arms and legs were shattered, and his massive, two-meter-tall frame collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.

The points of light gathered together, reforming into the pristine Beast Tooth String that coiled around Shi Hao's wrist, shimmering with iridescent color.

"Little One, kill him!" Shi Linhu strode over, his expression grave as he spoke.

"Little brat, I never thought you'd actually amount to something. It's a pity that my arrow only pierced your forearm back then instead of punching through your throat." Bei Shan grinned, revealing a set of snow-white teeth that looked truly ferocious.

"Fine!" Shi Hao closed his eyes, recalling the scene of Uncle A Wen being pierced through the chest by that man's arrow. His eyes snapped open, and he swung the great sword in his hand downward. With a "puff," the head rolled away, spraying a fountain of blood.

"Uncle Linhu, I'm tired." Little One dropped the great sword and said softly.

He had fought for an entire day, constantly driving the Silver Moon, facing enemies more terrifying than the last—vicious beasts, ruthless men, and the Ferocious Bei. Having suffered several arrow wounds, he was already physically and mentally exhausted, and he closed his eyes as soon as he finished speaking.

"Get some sleep." Shi Linhu hoisted him onto his back.

When Shi Hao woke up again, a day and a night had passed; his wounds had been treated and were already scabbing over. The pursuit of the people from Bei Village had ended, and they had been wiped out entirely. This time, Stone Village had struck with iron-blooded resolve, showing no mercy; not a single one of that group had been spared. The pile of over a hundred heads was a terrifying sight, while others had been buried in the bellies of beasts before they could even be dealt with.