Three days had passed. The surviving tribespeople in the hunting grounds passed through the gateway one after another, returning to the altar square in the center of White Wolf City.
Of the forty-five tribal prodigies who had entered the hunting grounds, twenty-three remained. Although three of the five who emerged from the Haibei Tribe were charred black from head to toe, their lives had fortunately been saved, and they would be fine after treatment and recuperation.
None had fared worse than the Qinghe Tribe: not a single person had come out alive. The elderly Clan Patriarch of the Qinghe Tribe wore a dark expression. He glared fiercely at Hai Ya, then swept his sleeve and flew away without waiting for the competition to continue. Clearly, he bore a grudge over Hai Chen's failure to help.
Most of the other tribes had only two or three survivors out of five. Even the Taoyuan Tribe had only Tao Hang come out alive.
Tao Lan was also displeased with this result. The fact that the Haibei Tribe had not lost a single person was particularly embarrassing for her.
Fortunately, Tao Hang ranked third with seventy-nine beast cores, winning some honor for his tribe. Ling’er ranked nineteenth with forty-one beast cores, while Hai Chen just barely took twentieth place with thirty-seven.
As the twenty-three contestants emerged from the Beast-Hunting Grounds one by one, the spectators greeted each with thunderous cheers. Dangers had abounded in the hunting grounds over the past three days. Everyone who came out alive was formidable, worthy of their cheers and admiration.
Once they had steadied themselves a little, the twenty-three looked up to find ten raised platforms already erected in the square. These were where they would fight in pairs in the competition's second stage.
This stage tested their ability to fight other people. Generally, a fight ended when someone conceded; few were so bloodthirsty that they insisted on taking another's life.
After two days of rest, the competition's second round began.
The drawing of lots matched Hai Chen against the young man from the Longshan Tribe, Long Fei, who had ranked second in the first round with eighty-two beast cores.
Meeting his gaze, Hai Chen felt no fear whatsoever, confident that he could contend with him.
When Ling’er saw the results of the draw, however, she could only lament her bad luck. Her opponent was actually Tao Hang!
Ling’er wanted to seize the chance to give Tao Hang a sound beating and pound his handsome face into a pig's head. Unfortunately, the gap in their strength was far too great. Her spirit was willing, but her strength fell short.
"Little sister, although you people humiliated me first at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, your big brother isn't some petty grudge-holder. Be good and concede. Blades have no eyes!"
"Wouldn't people laugh at me for conceding before we've even fought? Why don't you exchange a few moves with your little sister instead?"
"All right. I'll use only half my strength. Be careful, little sister."
Tao Hang summoned a seven-foot sword and held it across his chest.
"Thank you for going easy on me, big brother!"
With that, Ling’er took up the Crystal Soul Bow and instantly fired three Soul Arrows. Unhurried, Tao Hang swept his sword, producing several sword shadows that struck down all three.
Before Ling’er could fire again, Tao Hang shifted his feet and thrust his sword forward like flowing water. Seeing her first attack fail, Ling’er instantly changed positions, leaping to one side of the platform. Without even turning, she fired another three Soul Arrows, which grazed past Tao Hang's cheek.
"Fine skills, little sister. Your big brother had better not get careless."
Tao Hang smoothed the long hair at his temple, his smile deepening in the sunlight.
"Full of yourself!"
Ling’er glided from place to place, sending Soul Arrows flying in succession from every direction. Tao Hang leaped up, weaving a skyful of sword shadows to block her incoming arrows.
"Excellent! Such skill..."
Although neither was fighting in earnest, their splendid moves more than made up for it, drawing waves of applause from the spectators. Many young women and infatuated wives were captivated by Tao Hang's dashing elegance, shrieking constantly.
"Tao Hang! Tao Hang! So handsome..."
"I love you..."
The crowd's cheers made Tao Hang even more pleased with himself, and he strove to make every move as dashing as possible.
"Tao Hang isn't bad at heart. He just loves sticking garlic up his pig's snout and pretending to be an elephant!"
Below the platform, Mu Bai watched Ling’er and Tao Hang trade moves, leaping and circling each other. With a knowing smile, he walked toward the fierce battle between Hai Chen and Long Fei.
Unlike the easy exchanges over there, the two on this platform were already fighting in earnest.
Hai Chen and Long Fei were both in the middle stage of the initial level, and both had extensive combat experience. Neither would yield to the other. Hai Chen brandished his spear while Long Fei's halberd moved like a roaming dragon. Black and golden light intertwined and tore at each other, colliding violently in showers of sparks. They fought for a long while, yet neither gained the upper hand.
After another collision, both retreated several steps before steadying themselves. Light flickered as spear and halberd returned to their respective hands. Hai Chen's left arm trembled slightly, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Long Fei was deathly pale as well, forcibly holding back a mouthful of blood.
Without pausing, both roared and collided again, fighting directly with fists and feet.
On the altar, the White Wolf Tribe's Clan Patriarch had vanished. Only Chief of Fangs Wu Tai remained to attend to the other tribes' leaders, taking in the battles on all ten platforms.
"Clan Patriarch Hai Ya, these children from your Haibei Tribe are all quite impressive in this competition..."
"You flatter us, Chief of Fangs. They're merely a few unruly children trying to outdo one another. They'll need strict discipline when we get back."
"May I ask why that young man in blue below isn't competing?"
"My tribal grandson is frail. I only brought him out to broaden his horizons..."
"Our Clan Patriarch wishes to discuss something with you. Please!"
Seeing that Hai Ya still refused to reveal anything, Wu Tai rose solemnly and summoned Wu Yuan. "Take Hai Ya to see the Clan Patriarch at once!"
Standing on a broad sword, Wu Yuan led Hai Ya straight into the Cloudlayer Ancestral Temple.
"Hai Ya of a lesser tribe pays his respects to the greater tribe's Clan Patriarch!"
Wu Ping, Clan Patriarch of the White Wolf Tribe, slowly opened his eyes. "Hai Ya, your tribe is fortunate. You've produced an Alchemist!"
Hai Ya was aghast!
"And unfortunate as well. The Eastern Nether Great Tribe's people will arrive any day now, and the Dharma Lotus Trading Company has become involved too!"
"Please help us. Our tribe is willing to move to White Wolf City and become your subordinate!"
"It's too late! Alchemists are rare, and we wish to help, but the Eastern Nether Great Tribe would never agree. Of course, we won't agree to let them take him away either. As matters stand, only that boy Mu Bai's death can give your tribe a sliver of hope for survival."
Wu Ping spoke slowly, his final words stabbing into Hai Ya's heart like a blade. Hai Ya straightened and clasped his hands, his expression resolute. "Abandon a child to buy our tribe a miserable existence... I refuse!"
"For the sake of our many years of friendship, Hai Chen can receive our protection, preserving a thread of your tribe's bloodline..."
Wu Ping knew Hai Ya was exceptionally steadfast and would never change a decision once made, so he pressed him no further.
Hearing this, Hai Ya clasped his hands and bowed. His figure then dissolved into a streak of light that shot out to the altar square. By then, Ling’er’s match had ended, but Hai Chen was still battling fiercely with Long Fei.
The moment Hai Ya appeared, he manifested the Divine Crow and reached out with a great hand, seizing Mu Bai and Ling’er.
"Hai Chen has the White Wolf Tribe's protection. Hai Zhan, take Hai Dong and the other two away at once! Don't return to the tribe. Go as far away as possible!"
With that, the Divine Crow rose from the ground, and Hai Ya flew toward the Haibei Tribe with Mu Bai and Ling’er.
The spectators erupted in an uproar, unsure what had happened. Hearing those words, Hai Zhan thought, Something terrible must have happened to the tribe. Without time to consider further, he obeyed the Clan Patriarch's orders, swiftly taking Hai Hang, Hai Dong, and Hai Qing into the crowd and hurrying away.
After traveling for nearly half a day, Hai Ya guided the Divine Crow down low and landed in a dense forest with Mu Bai and Ling’er.
"Take Ling’er and hide. Whatever you do, don't return to the tribe. I'll come find you afterward!"
Before Mu Bai could answer, Hai Ya leaped back onto the Divine Crow and sped toward the tribe.
"Ling’er, the tribe is in danger. I have to go back!"
"I'm going back too."
Knowing Ling’er’s stubborn nature, Mu Bai said no more. He turned and ran madly in the direction the Divine Crow had flown. Yet in mere moments, the Divine Crow had already vanished from sight.
Hai Ya drove the Divine Crow through the sky at full speed. After less than another half day, he sensed an enormous Divine Wind Boat gradually drawing closer behind him.
"Cultivator of a lesser tribe, come meet your death at once!"
Standing prominently at the bow of the Divine Wind Boat was Du Yin, a peak expert of the Eastern Nether Great Tribe. Behind him stood dozens of powerful soul cultivators, the weakest at the peak of the second level.
Seeing that escape was impossible, Hai Ya simply stopped.
"If you want battle, then battle it is!"
Hai Ya's figure was thin as he stood alone atop the Divine Crow. But his tribespeople were behind him; he could not retreat a single step. In an instant, he channeled his mental power to manifest the Three-Legged Crow Cauldron and hurled it heavily at Du Yin.
"You overestimate yourself!"
Du Yin strode off the Divine Wind Boat and swung the steel whip in his hand, striking the crow cauldron. Hai Ya spat blood and staggered back several yards.
Having gained the advantage with one move, Du Yin did not pause. A Crow Flood Dragon manifested, its tail sweeping across. Hai Ya hastily summoned the Elephant-Tortoise Bone Shield, only for the tail to shatter it with one blow.
Such was the disparity in cultivation, and an expert from a great tribe had numerous powerful methods at his disposal besides. Du Yin's eight-foot black-gold steel whip was a high-grade soul weapon. A single strike had driven back Hai Ya's manifested crow cauldron and severely wounded his mind and spirit.
Hai Ya staggered several steps before steadying himself. "Come, then. This old man is willing to die. I ask only that you spare my tribespeople!"
"I won't let you die!"
With those words, Tao Lan, Clan Patriarch of the Taoyuan Tribe, arrived riding a sword.
"If you must die, I'll die with you!"
Tao Lan rushed over and supported Hai Ya. "Hai Ya, I've come to be with you..."
"Tao Lan, you shouldn't have come. This could mean the extermination of a tribe!"
"My coming here today has nothing to do with my tribe. Just once, I want to be myself!"
"Tao Lan, what happened back then... I wronged you..."
"It's been so many years. Let it all pass. We weren't born into the same tribe. Now I ask only to die with you."
Tao Lan slipped lightly into Hai Ya's arms, a shy blush rising over her face, like a maiden still waiting in her chambers to be wed.
That year in the tribe, the peach blossoms had bloomed with extraordinary abundance, setting the hills and fields ablaze with rosy clouds.
"Alas, my lonely shadow is tethered to this world. How could we share life, yet not share death?"
Tao Lan murmured softly through her tears. A short peachwood sword appeared in her hand. Smiling, she slowly pressed it into her chest. Blood immediately gushed out, soaking their clothes: two peach blossoms blooming on one branch.
"Ha ha! So be it. In another life, let me remain a fool for love, each word and promise inscribed with longing!"
Hai Ya held Tao Lan tightly. The wrinkles on his face relaxed, revealing a smile of lifelong love.
"Tao Lan, in our next life, we must be together!"
With that, Hai Ya conjured roaring flames that enveloped both him and Tao Lan. The fierce fire blazed as Hai Ya tightly embraced the beloved he had pined for over a hundred years yet never been able to stay beside. Hot tears fell as he let the flames burn, until they gradually turned to ashes, drifting and scattering high in the sky, indistinguishable from one another. Wherever the wind finally carried them would be the place they stayed together at last.
"What a devoted pair!" Watching them turn to ashes, Du Yin actually showed a trace of wistful emotion. "Seal off the surrounding thousand miles. Du Long, take your men and slaughter the entire Haibei Tribe!"
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