His body was still extremely hungry, as if the two tigers were merely a drop in the bucket, utterly insufficient.
Xu Zimo looked at the elder and asked, "Do you have any food in the village?"
"Yes, yes," the elder quickly nodded.
He looked at the group of villagers behind him and said, "Everyone, hurry home and bring out all the food you have for our benefactor."
As the villagers ran off to their homes, Master Great Wisdom looked at Xu Zimo and smiled, saying, "It’s said that those who take gifts feel obliged."
"I killed the two tigers for them. We're even," Xu Zimo replied.
"What about the Beast Taming Sacred Ground?" Master Great Wisdom asked.
"Ignore them. Their disciple made the first move," Xu Zimo shook his head and said. "You’re not thinking of paying the sect a visit, are you?"
"Not quite," Master Great Wisdom shook his head slightly and said, "I just worry that even if we don’t pursue it, they might."
At that moment, the villagers returned with large amounts of food.
There was very little meat, mostly coarse grains and steamed buns.
These kinds of food weren’t very helpful to Xu Zimo now.
He looked at the elder and asked, "Elder, is there a city near here?"
"If you keep heading west, there’s a city called Hundred Beasts City," the elder replied. "But that’s Beast Taming Sacred Ground territory. I suggest you don’t go."
"You’re all relocating anyway, so keep the food," Xu Zimo smiled.
After bidding farewell to the villagers of Clear Stream Village, the two continued westward.
After walking for a while, a wolf’s howl rang out in the distance.
The howl acted as a signal, and soon more howls followed in succession.
At the edge of their vision, over a dozen snow-white wolves charged forward from afar.
Each wolf exuded immense pressure, and on each sat a rider.
As the wolves charged in, they quickly surrounded Xu Zimo and Master Great Wisdom.
"You two just came from Clear Stream Village?" one leading man barked coldly.
"Why waste words? Better to kill by mistake than let anyone go," another youth said.
"I’ll leave this to you," Xu Zimo said to Master Great Wisdom.
The young riders on the wolves charged in, the beasts baring their fangs, exuding a thick stench.
"Boundless Heavenly Lord," Master Great Wisdom prayed.
A powerful aura surged from him, and his horsetail whisk turned into three thousand white threads.
The threads blended with the falling snow. Wails echoed across the snowy ground.
Drops of blood like plum blossoms stained the white earth.
"My junior has already reported you to the sect. None of you will escape," came the bitter last words from the final corpse.
...
As the capital of the Beast Taming Sacred Ground, Hundred Beasts City was located right between the Holyflower and Heavensoar regions.
It was well-known across both regions.
As an imperial lineage, the Beast Taming Sacred Ground was famous and influential across this land.
Their cultivation method was different from most.
While most people cultivated themselves, the Beast Taming Sacred Ground cultivated beast mastery.
This method was heavily criticized in the beginning.
Many believed that no matter how powerful a beast was, it was still external. True strength could only come from within.
This view remained dominant until the Imperial Era, when the Red Qilin Emperor carried the Heaven’s Will, stunning all his critics.
Legend says that during that era’s Heaven’s Will contest, the Red Qilin Emperor rode a crimson-eyed qilin.
Surrounded by the four divine beasts, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.
Ghost Carriage, Nine-Headed Serpent, Demon Phoenix, mythical beasts of all kinds guarded him.
It’s said that during that contest, no one could even get close to him.
With ten thousand beasts in tow, he ascended in front of all the world and proved the legitimacy of his path.
...
On the desolate land, a massive city rose.
From afar, it resembled a fiery red qilin coiled across the earth.
The qilin’s head was above the city gate, floating high and overseeing all who came and went.
The three characters "Hundred Beasts City" shimmered in the falling snow.
Since ancient times, humans and beasts had been at odds.
During the Desolate Era, beasts ruled the heavens and earth, and humans were as insignificant as dust.
In the Imperial Era, humanity rose and often hunted beasts.
But if there was any place where humans and beasts coexisted peacefully, it was Hundred Beasts City.
The Red Qilin Emperor was the first human to sign a treaty with the beast race.
Even when the Beast Taming Sacred Ground still existed, they had already granted the beasts a place to live.
This is why the beast race supported the Red Qilin Emperor with everything they had, helping him ascend and carry the Heaven’s Will.
To this day, the sect’s disciples could form contracts with beasts, connecting through formations to use them as battle pets.
Xu Zimo looked at the city before him. After traveling for a full day and night, they had finally arrived.
He rubbed his belly and smiled. "Finally, a proper meal."
Without the support of energy, his body’s transformation had slowed to a crawl.
The two entered the city, where beasts were everywhere.
There were snowstorm apes, green bulls, two-headed pythons, beasts of all types filled the streets.
This was a city of humans and beasts living side by side.
Xu Zimo found an inn, and a servant immediately rushed over.
"Bring me one of every meat dish you have," Xu Zimo casually tossed him several dozen spirit stones.
He picked a window seat and sat down.
"And bring me a pot of hot wine."
Snowflakes danced outside, while the inn was warm with firelight.
"Where are we headed next?" Master Great Wisdom asked.
"To Demon-Slaying Ridge," Xu Zimo replied.
The seal to the Primordial Demon Cave was in Demon-Slaying Ridge, a well-known danger zone in the Heavensoar Region.
It was usually forbidden to outsiders.
As for the route, it wasn’t far from the Beast Taming Sacred Ground either.
The inn servant quickly returned with the hot wine and dish after dish from the kitchen.
All the dishes were made from beast meat.
Xu Zimo didn’t hold back and began feasting.
Just as he was enjoying his meal, a piercing eagle cry echoed from afar.
With a crash, the window was torn apart by a blazing eagle that dove toward Xu Zimo.
Xu Zimo grabbed a bone and hurled it.
With a bang, the bone pierced through the eagle’s head and nailed it to the wall on the side of the street.
"How dare you, villain!" a voice scolded from nearby.
An old man walked over from the distance.
Beside him was the man who had fled from Clear Stream Village earlier.
"There he is!" the man pointed at Xu Zimo and shouted.
"Uncle-Master, that’s him! He’s the one who interfered with the shrine construction!"