Chapter 162: Secret Conversation, Heart Palpitations

While a new round of intensive training was underway in the heart of the thick fog, drastic changes were unfolding outside the mist and across the entire Divine Wind Continent.

Deep within the Beast Forest, right in front of the thatched cottage and inside the Return-to-Truth protective barrier, all the monstrous beast overlords were utterly shaken and unable to remain calm.

The bamboo-hatted, white-robed elderly man recounted in heavy tones the firsthand experiences of both his only son and the chubby Gu. Before he could even share his concluding deductions, a small group of the more intelligent and perceptive overlords among them had already outpaced the others, instinctively guessing and foreseeing the gravity of the situation.

When a wise elder of the Fox clan tentatively voiced its inner suspicions, all the beasts were struck with terror.

Especially when they saw the bamboo-hatted, white-robed elder nod with a grave and solemn expression upon hearing those words, every single one of them gasped sharply.

"Old Ancestor, several months ago, I happened to pass near the outer Boundary Sea of the Western Region. A thundercloud spanning tens of thousands of kilometers hung perilously low, and massive bolts of purple-gold lightning furiously hammered the Boundary Sea. The scene was apocalyptic, and the oppressive atmosphere was so suffocating that I retreated immediately. Now, thinking back..."

"No wonder, no wonder! Over the years, I too have passed by the Boundary Sea several times, and each time, the closer I got, the more lingering fear I felt, as if some inexplicable crisis loomed ahead."

"Doesn't that mean the monsters inside the Boundary Sea are not few in number?"

"To be able to cause such terror in the Roc Emperor and the Condor Emperor, who reached the seventh rank long ago, not to mention Brother Lu a hundred-odd years ago..."

The countless beast overlords began to chime in one after another, recalling all their past, previously overlooked encounters at the edge of the Boundary Sea, and consequently realizing the terrifying consequences of combining all this intelligence.

The son of the Old Ancestor, Brother Lu, a grand beast of the late seventh rank, had fought bitterly at the Boundary Sea and perished. Afterward, the terrifying evil monster was personally pursued and slain by the Old Ancestor, who had attained the mid-eighth rank.

Although the chubby Gu was human and exceedingly weak compared to them, after days of observation, every single one of them had acknowledged the boy from the bottom of their hearts.

Yet the horrific firsthand experience this boy had undergone a few months prior was even more chilling: a monster at the Great Perfection of the eighth rank had appeared, surpassing even their Old Ancestor by a considerable margin...

One must know that across the entire Divine Wind Continent today, whether among humans or beasts, no towering expert of such cultivation had emerged for thousands of years.

If a monster of such cultivation truly succeeded in landing—or if their numbers were even greater—then the entire continent would inevitably march toward absolute doom. Neither humans nor beast kinds would be spared.

Fortunately, along the Boundary Seas surrounding the Divine Wind Continent, there was still the aid of the Heavenly Dao's tribulation lightning; otherwise...

For instance, had it not been for the assistance of the endless purple-gold lightning from the thunderclouds, the weak chubby Gu would undoubtedly have been reduced to ashes long ago, and how could he possibly be standing within their Beast Forest right now?

Combining the words of the Roc Emperor, the Condor Emperor, and all the other overlords with similar experiences, this hypothesis was now fully and firmly established in the minds of every overlord present.

"Old Ancestor, if this is truly the case, how should we beasts respond?"

"It is not just a matter for us beasts, but something all living beings on the entire Divine Wind Continent must face together."

"That's right. If the cultivation of those monsters is truly at that level, our beast clan alone could never resist them."

"Especially now, the turmoil in the Boundary Sea seems far more frequent than before."

"Judging by this, we truly owe a massive debt of gratitude to that kid Gu Changqing."

"Indeed! First, he helped our elite descendants improve their cultivation and even created the miracle of low-tier beasts achieving human form ahead of time. And now, he has brought us such critical intelligence..."

"Issue the order: this youth Gu Changqing shall receive the highest level of friendship from our entire beast tribe."

"Agreed. We share this sentiment, and I also have a vague, inexplicable premonition that the ultimate destiny and heritage of our beast clan seems to be pinned upon him."

"Regardless of whether that is true, this youth deserves the wholehearted devotion and even the trust of all our beast tribes."

"Mm, that is precisely the reasoning."

"As for the great tribulation, what about the human side..."

"Everyone, leave the human side to this old man. I will personally go and lobby them later."

"As for our own Beast Forest and even the Endless Forest, I must ask you all to handle them. Comprehensively accelerate the cultivation progress of our descendants, and continue screening for any outstanding youths yet to be discovered."

"If this is truly the great tribulation, and it has invisibly been brought forward, having even a fraction more strength when the time comes will grant an extra layer of self-preservation."

"Understood! We shall strictly obey the Old Ancestor's decree!"

As the protective barrier dissipated, the bamboo-hatted, white-robed elder's figure vanished on the spot, leaving no trace of his whereabouts.

The tens of thousands of overlords dispersed with heavy hearts, accelerating the screening and selection of exceptional talents.

For every single overlord knew deep down that if the entire continent was truly fated to suffer this catastrophe, they must prepare in advance at all costs. They had to protect the elite progeny of all their tribes; only thus could the legacy of the beast race be sustained and prevent them from being completely swallowed by the long river of history.

Wisely, they unanimously refrained from passing this news further down to avoid unnecessary panic among the general beast populace.

Even so, the countless mid- and low-tier beast masses, who possessed a far more sensitive and acute perception of crisis than humans, could sense that something was deeply wrong with the atmosphere—the situation must be grave indeed to cause such abnormal behavior in all the overlords.

...

In the Central Region, not far from the Beast Forest, stood a faction known as the Supreme Temple, which had exerted its dominance over the entire human race for thousands of years.

Deep within a cluster of resplendent and magnificent halls sat a simple, unadorned room devoid of carved balustrades, jade pillars, or rouge decorations.

Inside sat a burly man dressed in plain cloth, exuding a majestic aura with thick eyebrows and a broad nose. He was cross-legged in meditation, while simultaneously splitting a sliver of his divine sense to monitor any potential or sudden risks from the outside world.

This elder was none other than Long Bailong, the Hall Master of the Supreme Temple. Rumors ran wild across the outside world that his cultivation had reached the late stage of the Great Accomplishment realm over a hundred years ago, and he was said to be on the verge of stepping into the Return-to-Truth realm.

The Supreme Temple, which struck terror into the hearts of the continent, had been founded single-handedly by him, and its formidable reputation had been forged through his own fists and bloody battles.

Yet at this moment, he sat like a mortal; his oppressive aura was deeply restrained, giving the impression that he possessed no cultivation at all.

Hall Master Long, who had been meditating in peaceful serenity, suddenly snapped open his thick-browed, wide-eyed gaze, gripped by intense dread. Without any warning, an elder wearing a bamboo hat, clad in outdated white robes, and exuding an utterly ordinary aura had appeared right before him, looking at him with a warm smile.

Who the other party was, how they had bypassed his divine sense to appear without a sound, and what their purpose was—Hall Master Long knew none of it.

Yet, being a veteran top-tier expert, his composure was formidable. Despite the profound terror in his heart, his expression remained completely normal.

"Junior Long Bailong pays respects to Senior!"

The mighty Hall Master, who commanded the respect of the world, took the initiative to cup his fists and bow before the figure.

"Daoist friend, please don't be so courteous. Rather, it is this old man who has rudely intruded; I hope you will forgive me."

"Indeed, as expected, Daoist friend is no longer bound by mere rumors; you have truly stepped into the Return-to-Truth realm. Truly the fortune of the human race!"

"Senior's discerning eyes are like torches; this junior is truly unworthy of such high praise."

"You are worthy. You are definitely worthy."

"I wonder what guidance or instructions Senior brings by condescending to visit my humble abode today?"

"Daoist friend, this old man harbors no malice on this trip, so you needn't be so guarded against me. Come to think of it, there is still some connection between the two of us."

"Oh? How does Senior mean?"

"Over a hundred years ago, Lü Yongshuo, who once sparred and exchanged pointers with you, is precisely this old man's only son."

"Ah! So it is Senior Lü in person. This junior was discourteous just now! Speaking of which, this junior hasn't seen Brother Lü in over a century. How is he doing?"

At this moment, Hall Master Long's heart was a tempest of complex emotions. He realized instantly that he had labored under a misconception all along.

Before this, he had always assumed that the master of the Beast Forest was the very Brother Lü he had fought—namely, Lü Yongshuo.

Never had he imagined that Brother Lü's father possessed an even higher level of cultivation, causing him to feel as weak as if he stood at the edge of an abyss. Thus, he immediately re-evaluated and concluded that this elder was the true master of the Beast Forest.

Yet when he subconsciously asked how Brother Lü was doing, remarking that they hadn't met in over a hundred years, the elder before him wore a bitter expression and let out a heavy sigh.

"Lü'er right now... his corpse is lying inside the Cold Star Meteorite Core coffin in my dwelling."

"C-Corpse? How is that possible?!"

"The reason this old man came to find you today is directly related to this matter."

"Uncle Lü, although Brother Lü and I only crossed paths in a single battle, I have regarded him as a soulmate and brother. Whatever Senior commands, this junior will never shirk from it."

Hall Master Long's shock and grief at this moment were entirely genuine. Although he had only shared a single battle with Lü Yongshuo, he admired that brother from the bottom of his heart. At the same time, as if destined by fate, he truly considered Lü Yongshuo a confidant and friend. The reason he hadn't personally visited the Beast Forest in over a century was simply because he was nursing a stubborn drive within himself—he wanted to cultivate in seclusion and elevate his strength so that he could turn the tables upon their next meeting. Never did he dream that their post-battle toast and parting would turn out to be an eternal farewell.

At the same time, he was filled with perplexity: how on earth could Lü Yongshuo, whose combat power back then was already fully on par with the Great Perfection of the Great Accomplishment realm, have perished? Who could possibly possess the might to completely slaughter him, to the point that even an elder as terrifying as the one before him could not save him?

Could it be those secluded aristocratic families?

This was no wonder Hall Master Long would think along these lines, because in his heart, he vaguely felt that the only entities across the entire continent capable of suppressing and slaying Brother Lü were those reclusive, hidden clans.

With that thought, his gaze seemed to pierce through the walls of the room, looking toward the four distant corners of the continent as a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.

Seeming to read his thoughts, the bamboo-hatted, white-robed elder immediately spoke up to correct him.

"You are mistaken. Lü's death has nothing to do with those four hidden families."

"How can that be? Apart from them, who else possesses such strength and dares to deal a fatal blow to Brother Lü?"

"The Boundary Sea!"

"The Boundary Sea? Brother Lü actually attempted to cross the Boundary Sea? But although the Boundary Sea holds unknown perils, with Brother Lü's capabilities..."

Immediately afterward, the bamboo-hatted, white-robed elder repeated his hypothesis regarding the Boundary Sea to Hall Master Long point by point, along with the corroborating evidence.

The more he listened, the uglier Hall Master Long's expression became. Especially when he learned how tragic and fierce Lü Yongshuo's final battle had been, his fists involuntarily clenched so tightly that the surrounding space fractured into ripples of terrifying distortions.

At the same time, Hall Master Long was gripped by lingering fear, for more than two hundred years ago, he too had attempted to cross the endless Boundary Sea, penetrating hundreds of thousands of li deep into it. It was only out of awe for the inexplicable dangers lurking even deeper and further ahead that he had abandoned his journey and returned to the mainland.