Gilded Divine Script

Little Flame's layer of soft crimson fur rapidly turned transparent in his field of vision, and what was finally revealed was a Divine Mark Diagram that made him suck in a cold breath.

Gilded.

That was the first word to leap into Lin Yi's mind.

The entire set of Divine Markings spread through Little Flame's body, from the tip of its tail to the tips of its ears, from its limbs to its spine. Every line glowed with a quiet, luxurious gilded hue.

Those golden markings were unlike any Ferocious Beast Divine Markings he had seen before. Instead, they carried an indescribable... spirituality.

What shocked him most was their complexity.

He had originally thought that after seeing the Lava Giant Ape's ten percent Divine Markings, he was fully prepared for the word "intricate."

But the Gilded Divine Mark Diagram inside Little Flame was no less dense and complex than that of the giant ape.

And the densest, most profound portion of the entire diagram was concentrated around its eyes.

...I struck it rich.

Lin Yi's mind raced wildly as he pushed his Spirit Eyes to their limit. White-gold glimmers flashed violently in the depths of his pupils.

Every structure within his vision was imprinted into his mind without the slightest error.

"Hehe, Little Flame, then big brother won't stand on ceremony."

A sly, shameless grin spread across Lin Yi's lips as he leaned his whole face even closer to Little Flame, looking no different from a habitual child trafficker lurking at a street corner.

He held Little Flame's two front paws and leaned in, staring unblinkingly into its eyes. The look on his face was so punchable it was almost criminal.

Little Flame was enclosed in his arms, its amber-gold eyes fixed directly on the face he had brought so close.

Then—

It rolled its eyes dramatically.

That eye roll was textbook-perfect, brimming with disgust and a clear sense of I've put up with you for a long time—it was full of intelligence.

If anyone who did not know the truth saw it, they would definitely wonder whether this fox had become a spirit. Well, it seemed it really had.

Lin Yi was wholly focused on recording the Divine Markings and did not notice Little Flame's expression at all. But the village chief, walking ahead, did.

The old man had originally been leading the group at the very front, occasionally turning his head to make sure everyone was keeping up.

This time, when he turned back, he saw Lin Yi holding Little Flame, white-gold light shining from his eyes as he stared at it with a wicked grin.

Put bluntly, that scene looked downright lecherous.

The village chief paused, and his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

"...You little brat, what are you doing?"

The village chief's voice was not loud, carrying the unhurried drawl unique to old men, yet it was especially clear within the quiet group.

Lin Yi abruptly snapped out of his recording state. The moment he looked up and met the village chief's face, which plainly said, You'd better explain yourself honestly, his back stiffened. He instinctively pulled Little Flame closer to his chest with both hands. "N-No, I wasn't doing anything!"

"If you weren't doing anything, why were you staring at Little Flame?" "I—" Lin Yi opened his mouth, his confidence clearly lacking. "I was just..."

The village chief stared at him for several breaths. The old man asked nothing more. He merely turned back and continued leading the way, tossing out one sentence. "Don't make Little Flame angry. Its scratches hurt quite a bit."

Lin Yi let out a long sigh of relief. Little Flame rolled its eyes again in his arms.

The village chief did not press further. Lin Yi knew that was probably only because the old man trusted him.

He had no intention of explaining either. After all, matters like Spirit Eyes and Super Brain would only make people worry more if he spoke of them.

The road ahead grew much quieter. Lin Yi continued following the group while recording the Gilded Divine Markings inside Little Flame, utterly absorbed.

The village chief at the front occasionally spoke up to correct their direction, while Mang and several hunting team members spread out along both sides of the group on guard.

The forest trail at the edge of the Great Wilderness was fairly level, and they encountered no real danger along the way.

At one point, two small Ferocious Beasts in the Initial Blood Resonance realm sprang from the grass. They were not much larger than household dogs, and Mang cleanly dispatched them with one slash each the moment they showed themselves.

Lin Yi did not even get a chance to make a move.

Not until the sky gradually darkened did the village chief finally raise a hand and point ahead.

"That cave up ahead is the first rest stop. We'll spend the night there."

Lin Yi looked in the direction the village chief indicated. Sure enough, a natural cave was set into the base of a low cliff at the edge of the Great Wilderness. Its entrance was broad enough to hold roughly twenty or thirty people.

But the instant his gaze landed on the cave, his pupils contracted slightly.

"Village chief, there are already people by the cave."

Faint firelight flickered in that direction, and several figures could be seen at the entrance. Someone was crouching outside, tending a fire.

The village chief slowed his steps and quietly raised his right hand. The hunters behind him immediately understood. Mang's hand had already moved to the hilt of the blade at his waist, while the other members silently adjusted their positions, forming a loose defensive formation.

"Stay alert. Move closer first," the village chief said gravely.

The group steadily approached.

The firelight at the cave entrance grew clearer, and the people there noticed them as well. Several people beside the fire stood at once, the weapons in their hands reflecting a cold gleam beneath the flames.

The two sides stared at each other across some twenty zhang, and the tension in the air seemed almost solid.

In the Great Wilderness, one's own kind never guaranteed safety. Sometimes, one's own kind meant even greater danger.

Amid the standoff, a solidly built middle-aged man stepped out from the opposing group.

He looked to be in his early forties. His face was half-lit and half-shadowed by the firelight, while his blood energy was thick, steady, and at the Mountain-Sinking Realm. His eyes swept swiftly over Lin Yi's group as he spoke in a booming voice.

"We're from the Gray Wolf Tribe. Which tribe are you from?"

The village chief slowly stepped forward, bringing himself into the range where the firelight could clearly reveal him. His tone remained calm. "We're from the Bluestone Tribe."

"The Bluestone Tribe?" The middle-aged man's brow shifted as his gaze swept across the crowd again.

"I know the Bluestone Tribe. But shouldn't Biao be leading the group? And you are?"

The village chief was somewhat surprised. "You know Biao?"

"We met at several past Trade Gatherings. I recognize that great saber." The middle-aged man paused, sizing up the village chief once more. "Biao from your tribe didn't come?"

The village chief answered frankly, "Biao was injured and is recuperating in the tribe. I'm leading the group to the Trade Gathering this time."

The moment he finished speaking, Mang, standing behind the village chief, leaned half his body forward, and the firelight illuminated his face.

Mang called loudly to the middle-aged man, "Cang Lan, it's us!"

The middle-aged man called Cang Lan focused his eyes, and his tense shoulders finally relaxed.

He turned and made a gesture to his tribesmen behind him. They all lowered their weapons.

Cang Lan shifted slightly toward the cave and raised a hand in invitation. "It's getting dark. It isn't safe outside. Come in first."

The village chief pondered briefly, then turned to glance at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi nodded faintly. His Spirit Eyes had already made a rapid sweep of the area around the cave, and he had found no ambush or irregularity. Only then did the village chief step forward, leading the Bluestone Tribe's people into the cave one after another.

The interior of the cave was deeper than it appeared from outside. There were around a dozen people from the Gray Wolf Tribe, scattered across the right half of the cave entrance to rest. Though they remained wary after seeing the newcomers enter, their gazes were fairly friendly.

Taking advantage of Cang Lan walking away, Mang moved close to the village chief and quickly lowered his voice.

"His name is Cang Lan. Biao dealt with him at the last few Trade Gatherings. Biao said he's a fairly straightforward man, though they aren't deeply acquainted."

The village chief nodded, his expression unchanged.

At that moment, Cang Lan also took the initiative to walk over. He cupped his hands toward the village chief, his tone carrying some apology. "I offended you earlier. When we see strangers, our first reaction is always to be on guard."

The village chief waved a hand. "There's no need to apologize. Meeting an unfamiliar tribe in a place like this, staying vigilant is the right thing to do. We would have done the same."

The two exchanged a few simple pleasantries. The village chief suggested dividing the cave in two, with each side occupying one half and leaving the other undisturbed. Cang Lan readily agreed.

Lin Yi held Little Flame as he leaned against the stone wall on the left side of the cave, watching the two tribes settle into their places on opposite sides of the fire.

The village chief lowered his head and looked at Little Flame. It was curled in Lin Yi's arms, licking its paws, its amber-gold eyes half-closed in contentment.

The village chief quietly withdrew his gaze. Little Flame had shown no hostility or wariness, which meant that this group from the Gray Wolf Tribe harbored no ill intentions.

Lin Yi shifted Little Flame farther back into his arms.

He lowered his head to look at the little fox resting with its eyes closed, quietly brushing the tuft of silver-white fur at the tip of its tail with his fingertips.

"You little thing, your bloodline isn't simple," he muttered so quietly that only he could hear.

Little Flame's ear tips twitched slightly, but it ignored him.