The Clash Comes to an End

"Uncle Wang was right, he really did escape!"

Returning to the area where the beast leader was defeated, Zhang Xuezhou did not find any trace of Hu Hao.

In that area where blood remained, only two broken fly carcasses and a large pile of yellow sand mixed with various liquids were left.

Following the trail of tiger blood down the mountain, Zhang Xuezhou saw a path stained with blood, as if sharp stones had pierced through the soles of his feet.

"The grass was broken in patches, and there were even signs of broken shrubs!"

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't good at tracking, but he could clearly see the traces left by the ferocious beast leader when it fled, and he could also roughly guess what it looked like when it escaped.

The trail eventually ended in a not-so-wide river beside the mountain.

Following the direction of the river, other mountain streams converge, thus forming a river.

Zhang Xuezhou continued to fly along the river, but found no trace of the winged tiger beast leader in the river.

As if they had vanished into thin air, the other party disappeared directly into the river without leaving a trace.

"I kept my promise and let you go. You destroyed two of my treasures, but you returned one of my most cherished possessions. From now on, we're even!"

He grumbled a few times, even boasting about his glorious and trustworthy image, before finally having to stop his pursuit and return to the area where the ferocious beasts clashed.

From night to dawn, the battle has ended.

The hillsides and valleys were covered with countless snake corpses. There were also dead and seriously injured ferocious beasts, as well as ferocious beasts that had escaped. There were also injuries on the members of the sequence committee. Some members had suffered mental shocks that caused their souls to become unstable, thus falling into the symptoms of old age and being locked up like wild beasts.

"Those symptoms were likely caused by the hairless tiger; medication couldn't possibly cause such a side effect!"

Zhang Xuezhou murmured.

Song Xianzong, Bi Dazhi, Li Qi, Jiang Ying, Zhong Rang were unable to maintain their composure and fell into the struggle of the confusion of old age.

However, compared to Cai Guoli's confused and disoriented state, these five people were able to remain clear-headed even while their minds were foggy, and with Ren Yisheng's mental reassurance, their condition was relatively stable.

Of the many committee members, a total of six have fallen into a state of confusion in their later years.

Although the situation was relatively stable, even Changkong Luo's emotions were extremely unstable. He felt somewhat uneasy and kept discussing things with his peers Zhu Bufan, Zuo Lianguang, Qin Zhong, Zhao Tianhua, and others, while maintaining a certain distance from the younger generation, such as Changkong Kongyinghao.

Besides this, after defeating the ferocious beast, the group found themselves in a standoff with the Snake King.

The group had cooperated with the Snake King, but this cooperation did not last forever; it only lasted for a short period of warfare.

Perhaps it was the sudden illness of many committee members, or the departure of the ferocious beast leader, or perhaps this area belonged to the Snake King's territory, which also did not welcome outsiders.

Like a roaming wolf, the snake king did not leave the battle zone, keeping a watchful eye on everyone. A large number of snakes also remained, leaving many people still in the same area.

"Uncle Wang!"

The sound of wind rushing down from the sky reached Wang Haoran looked up.

To many, the beast leader's escape route wasn't far, but Wang Haoran knew all too well how far that distance actually was.

Ren Yisheng remained steadfast in his commitment to the path of Mental Strengthening, but Wang Haoran indeed changed his cultivation direction long ago.

Even though he had already entered the Sixth Sequence, while the Realm Technique had only reached the True Spirit Realm, Wang Haoran made the latter his main focus, using the sequence as a supplementary means.

He watched Zhang Xuezhou fall; this was one of the very few times Wang Haoran had witnessed Zhang Xuezhou truly demonstrate his leaping ability.

This kind of flight, with a speed similar to that of an aircraft, has limited use in the Scarlet Alliance State, but it is an irreplaceable capability in the Qinmeng Ruins.

He was well aware of the mysteries of Technique Method such as the Supreme Purity True Technique and hoped that one day he would possess the same skills.

As his body stomped on the waves, Wang Haoran also moved closer to Zhang Xuezhou, who had just landed.

"How is it?" Wang Haoran asked anxiously.

"Didn't find it," Zhang Xuezhou shook his head and said, "It was my carelessness!"

"The fact that you could sever its four legs and wings, and still let it escape, only proves that these ferocious beasts are organized and possess abilities far beyond our imagination!"

Wang Haoran responded in a deep voice.

Even though he had visited Qinmeng several times, Wang Haoran always believed that Qinmeng was merely a treasure trove of human resources, containing various mutated and powerful beasts.

He never believed that intelligent beings existed here, and he never expected that even Zhang Xuezhou, who handled things with such caution, would be outmaneuvered by the other party.

The Qinmeng Empire's demise has been attributed to various causes, including natural disasters, man-made calamities, beast tides, and the outbreak of a rapidly spreading virus. However, Wang Haoran believes that the possible source lies hidden among these ferocious beasts.

There is more than one of these ferocious beasts. The reason why humans do not understand them is simple: there are too few people capable of exploring them in depth, and there are almost no teams capable of challenging a group of ferocious beasts.

While the individual strength of the people in the world today is not that of the Scarlet Alliance State, the Scarlet Alliance State possesses one of the most powerful teams among all nations.

In terms of strength, personnel, logistical support, and special assistance, their team, even if hastily assembled, is already the most powerful in the Qin-Meng region.

Despite taking advantage of factors such as the beast being injured and the beasts fighting each other like a snipe and a clam, their team did not achieve the overwhelming victory they had imagined.

The leader of the ferocious beasts has escaped, and the beasts are either dead, dying, or have fled. Their team is in a mess and is now in a standoff with the Snake King. Transporting the beasts away will not be a simple task.

Let's go!

Wang Haoran's gaze swept into the distance, then quickly returned.

The ferocious beast leader is beyond redemption, and the best resources are difficult to retrieve; all that remains is to clean up the mess.

Wang Haoran was not the mastermind behind this endgame, but Zhang Xuezhou was one of the key figures in it.

Ren Yisheng can negotiate with the Snake King, while Zhang Xuezhou can heal the beast's injuries and also has the ability to adjust the aging condition of many committee members as much as possible.

Only when humans and ferocious beasts reach a balance can they evacuate from this area.

"If he really has great abilities, maybe we'll get to meet him again in the future!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded, also putting aside the unsuccessful pursuit of the beast leader.

The Twilight Mansion team is facing serious problems. They will not only stop hunting, but also return to Western Capital City, tens of thousands of miles away, and will sever ties with Qin Meng for a certain period of time.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't even consider targeting the Snake King under these circumstances. Instead, he thoroughly searched the snake den, looking for the 'spark' that Hu Hao had mentioned.

They might have a chance to kill the Snake King, but this would not only be fraught with high risks during their fight, but also risk the escaped beasts turning the tables and taking advantage of them. Even if they defeated the Snake King, Zhang Xuezhou didn't think the search for the spoils would be smooth sailing.

He knew nothing about fire and would not risk his life for something he knew nothing about.

"I almost suffered a major setback with Cistanche deserticola, how could I possibly repeat that experience? Besides, the 'fire seed' that Hu Hao mentioned... even if I got my hands on it, it could easily cause problems. Perhaps only he knows the correct way to use it!"

Zhang Xuezhou followed in Wang Haoran's footsteps.

He didn't rush into things based on hearsay, but as long as Hu Hao had his eye on Huozhong, Zhang Xuezhou felt that the two would definitely have a chance to meet in the future.

He doesn't currently seek a source of fire, but he does have a need for the powerful medicine from the snake pit.

He felt that if he could communicate with the Snake King and live in peace, he would come to collect herbs from time to time in the future.

Perhaps at some point, the two may meet again, and Zhang Xuezhou may learn more.