The youth of the ancient city, three thousand li of jade blood!

Beneath the night sky of the Great Wilderness, beast roars and ape cries rang out without end. From time to time, howls that shook the wilds came from deep in the mountains. In a ruined village, Qingyang Huan and Jin Wei hid among the rubble.

A faint glow spread from Qingyang Huan's body, streams of light circulating through every part of him. Rebuilding his cultivation nine times had brought his exploration of his body ever closer to its limits.

Perhaps there were still places within his body he had yet to explore, but he understood that his present state was his own limit. Blending nine Body Casting techniques had made his understanding of Body Casting increasingly thorough.

Within him, blood Qi coursed through his blood vessels like a great river, flowing into his limbs and bones, seeping into networks of vessels as fine as needlepoints, and penetrating even his marrow. The blood Qi in every corner of his body had come alive.

"It's still a little rough."

Soon, Qingyang Huan opened his eyes. He wanted to blend the nine Body Casting methods completely, keeping their essence and discarding their dross, to develop the most refined Body Casting technique possible, one best suited to himself. Yet perhaps because of the limits of his cultivation, he still could not fully integrate them.

The night passed. When faint dawn light pierced the mountain forest, Qingyang Huan and Jin Wei vanished from the ruined village, heading deeper into Great Locust Mountain.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Great Locust Mountain, the forest howled. An ashen bear that had been lying dormant in a cave and failed to escape in time was swallowed whole by an enormous fierce beast.

It was a huge, single-horned python, yet two pairs of black, fleshy wings grew from its belly, and its scales gleamed coldly in the sunlight!

"A Mang, let's go!"

A quiet voice rang out. The python, fully ten zhang long and exuding bloody savagery, turned its raised head and spread its two pairs of fleshy wings, sweeping through the air above the ancient forest. Immediately afterward, three figures leaped up from below onto its back and headed deeper into Great Locust Mountain.

The python traveled over the ancient forest, its savage presence pressing down upon it, leaving the fierce beasts below crouching on the ground and trembling.

"Yue'er, of all the places in our Ancient Land of La Mountain, Great Locust Mountain is the most likely place to witness Jin Yuan worshipping the moon."

Atop the python stood a young man who looked about twenty. Two beams of light shone from his shifting eyes, and a powerful presence radiated from his whole body as he gazed over the vast ancient forest.

"Senior brother, opportunities are ordained by heaven. If we find nothing, we can only seek another way."

Beside the young man, a graceful figure stood on the python's back. It was none other than Yun Caiyue. Her body, wrapped in azure armor, looked all the more throat-drying, while the heroic spirit between her brows had grown stronger still.

Whoosh!

The python spread its wings and swept straight over the mountain forest, casting a broad shadow over the ground as it hurtled deeper into Great Locust Mountain.

"I never expected to meet you here, Brother Mo." Just then, laughter came from the distance.

Several li away, the forest looked as though some great savage beast had crushed its way through it. Ancient trees and scattered rocks were all pulverized as a fierce beast resembling a giant turtle raced along on four short little legs, barely slower than the python.

"Jade Blood Xuangui."

At those words, the young man Yun Caiyue had called senior brother narrowed his eyes slightly, completely withdrawing their earlier radiance. Even the old servant behind him drew his entire presence taut.

The turtle stood two zhang tall. Its shell was jade green all over and gave off a luminous glow. Faint Bone Runes could dimly be seen flickering across it, sending out ripples like those on water.

A youth stood atop the Xuangui, his whole body hazily shimmering with a faint glow, blood red mingling with azure. A killing aura lingered around him, giving him an indistinct quality that was difficult to perceive clearly.

Most astonishing of all was the crescent-moon-shaped shadow that flickered in and out of sight on the hazy figure's forehead.

Roar!

In an instant, the python roared. Its savage presence shook the mountain forest, and vicious, baleful Qi surged toward the Xuangui.

"Go!"

The next moment, however, the young man stamped on the python beneath his feet. The python gave a reluctant howl, then spread its wings and hurtled farther into Great Locust Mountain.

The Xuangui came rushing over to where the python had just stopped. The youth on its back radiated wildness, like the lurking young of some exotic beast, brazenly releasing his might into the surrounding forests.

"Azure Moon True Intent. If I snatched her back and made her one of our Jade Blood Clan, do you think she would bear children with a stronger Jade Moon Bloodline, forefather?"

A luminous glow flickered in the youth's eyes, his voice quiet.

In an instant, an aged figure appeared out of thin air behind him. A gleam likewise flashed through his clouded eyes. Though he said nothing, his meaning was plain.

"Better not. At least, not now." The youth, who resembled a fierce beast cub, shook his head, extinguishing the flickering light in his eyes.

"Mo Wuxie is one of the top three battle generals under the Lord Border Guardian. It's said he's about to advance to the Totem Realm. Stealing his disciple would be no laughing matter."

The next moment, the Xuangui roared. Faint tides welled up beneath its four feet like waves parting as it headed deeper into Great Locust Mountain.

"Senior brother, was that the much-talked-about youth of the Jade Blood Clan? What surging power!"

"Bixue Xiao, the one with the most powerful bloodline in the current generation of the Jade Blood Ancient Clan. When he was born, jade blood suffused three thousand li around the ancient city. Countless fierce beasts throughout the mountains, rivers, and great marshes prostrated themselves to worship the jade blood, stirring his ancestors' Jade Blood True Intent. Be careful if you encounter him in the future."

The young man's expression was grave as he spoke softly to Yun Caiyue beside him. Even the old servant following behind them wore a solemn expression!

"From what I saw, he hasn't opened his repositories. Why is his blood Qi so immense?"

"He wants to open more Divine Repositories, which is why he's stockpiling his blood Qi like this. His talent, opportunities, and resources all rank among the very best in our Ancient Land of La Mountain. Father once said that when Bixue Xiao advances to the Divine Treasure Realm, he'll have a place on our Ancient Land of La Mountain's Tripod Contest Ranking!"

"The Tripod Contest Ranking!"

At that moment, even Yun Caiyue, proud as she was, seemed bewitched when she heard those words!

"He's a youth destined to dominate the ranking!"

The lands of the Human Race were boundlessly vast, with countless regions like the Ancient Land of La Mountain. Like other regions, the Ancient Land of La Mountain had a Tripod Contest Ranking, which listed the ninety-nine strongest Divine Treasure Realm youths in the entire Ancient Land of La Mountain.

As long as the youths who made it onto that ranking did not fall along the way, most would advance to the Totem Realm. Those in the top ten were even more likely to advance to a higher level!

Did that not mean Bixue Xiao had the potential to surpass the Totem Realm?

Yet Yun Caiyue's expression soon returned to normal. A trace of fighting spirit sank into the depths of her eyes, and the heroic spirit between her brows burned all the brighter.

"Yue'er, your bloodline is still developing. Opportunities and fortune in the Great Wilderness change without end. A temporary rise or fall means nothing. You may not be any worse than him in the future!"

Sensing the change in Yun Caiyue, the young man could not help nodding. Even the old servant behind them smiled. A powerful opponent was not frightening; losing the will to compete was.

The python swept over the mountain forest and soon disappeared into the depths of Great Locust Mountain.

At that moment, Qingyang Huan and Jin Wei had likewise entered the depths of Great Locust Mountain from the north. Yet just as Qingyang Huan reached the depths of the mountain range, a flash of violet light filled his eyes!