The cyan and white light had dispersed. The black lion on the cliff face had returned to its original appearance. Its black fur was dry and neat, and the scorched parts had fully recovered. Its closed eyes gave no clue to its expression, but its face had gradually calmed.
On its forehead, the faintly discernible blue mark grew clearer...
Hu Qiu clenched his fists! He slumped to the ground in despair, his heart filled with confusion and fear!
It was too late!
He had already entered the Heavenly Emperor realm...
Soon, it wasn't just him who noticed this. The beasts on the cliff also looked at the cliff face with fear, their bodies subtly bowing.
The other beasts of the lion tribe remained still, their gazes fixed on the cliff...
Only the few beasts locked in combat were oblivious! This was due to the intense spiritual energy fluctuations and various deadly attacks filling the surroundings! They simply couldn't spare the time to check.
Jin Bao'er quickly sensed the abnormality, but her movements did not cease!
After a moment, the black lion on the cliff slowly opened its eyes. Its deep black pupils were icy and resolute! It raised its forelimbs, and its tall body stood up, its strong physique exuding an astonishing presence!
Then, it moved...
It lifted its foot forward, stepping directly into the air, and approached the battle step by step! Then, it stopped!
Instantly!
An extremely powerful pressure descended, and a majestic aura surged forward! It was mixed with the wild power of fierce beasts, potent and overbearing!
At the same time, the beasts engaged in combat froze. Their faces turned pale, and they slowly turned around in fear. Upon meeting those icy black pupils, their eyes widened, and they trembled backward...
Kuang Su was terrified to the extreme! The muscles in his face twitched incessantly! Hatred, jealousy, regret, resentment... all sorts of emotions flooded his heart!
Kuang Hou looked at him, his eyes deep and calm! His voice was like that of a hellish demon descending, terrifying and chilling!
"Dear brother! This Emperor... has returned!"
His voice echoed in the vast mountain valley...
Wherever the pressure spread, all beasts were thrown into panic and loss of consciousness, instinctively kneeling on the ground! Filled with awe and trembling!
Their king... had returned!
Jin Bao'er's eyes flickered. She felt a pressure surge towards her, but it abruptly changed course before her and rushed towards others...
Clearly, the Beast King had not forgotten her kindness!
At this moment, all the beasts landed, whether forced or voluntary, their bodies prostrate on the ground, daring not to look up at the suffocatingly powerful being before them.
Only Jin Bao'er landed steadily, standing perfectly straight! Unaffected in the slightest.
The Beast King lowered his gaze, his imposing body and lofty eyes filled with the aura of a Heavenly Emperor! Even without any action or words, he could not be ignored!
"Kuang Su! For poisoning the lion tribe's offspring and your despicable and shameless actions! You are stripped of the position of Lion Tribe Chief, your Heavenly Emperor cultivation is abolished, and you are banished from the beast race!"
This time, he spoke, his voice calm and majestic, accompanied by an bone-chilling coldness! These two sentences directly sealed Kuang Su's fate. Banished from the beast race and without power, he had virtually no chance of survival!
Kuang Su trembled all over, his eyes suddenly widening, he shouted crazily in disbelief! Yet his body couldn't help but prostrate on the ground, looking exceptionally pathetic!
"I don't agree! Why? Why do I lose everything just because you returned? I didn't poison the offspring, I didn't!"
As soon as his words fell, the Beast King, high above, lightly lifted his right paw. A formless, powerful force descended, instantly crippling Kuang Su's Heavenly Emperor cultivation, reducing it to the Heavenly Saint realm before it finally stopped...
The rapid loss of power sent Kuang Su into a frenzy. His muscles struggled violently, but to no avail!
He dejectedly hung his head, mumbling something under his breath!
At this moment, a hint of mockery appeared in Kuang Hou's eyes. With a cold snort, he brought down his power again...
With a "swish!" Kuang Su's cultivation instantly plummeted to the Void-Breaking realm! His body stiffened, then he suddenly lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot, filled with intense emotions of resentment, malice, killing intent, and more!
Seeing this, the Beast King snorted and roared a breath in his direction. The air churned, and a tornado suddenly erupted from the ground, directly sweeping him into the sky and throwing him out of the forest...
In response, all the beasts present tensed up! Their hearts raced! They watched but dared not make a sound!
Soon, the news of the Beast King's return spread rapidly through the forest. The chieftains of the various beast tribes were all shocked upon hearing the news. With disbelief, they quickly led their kin to investigate! After all, seeing was believing!
Before long, Jin Bao'er finally arrived at the vast platform where the lion tribe resided...
In the neatest and cleanest half-cave belonging to the Lion Tribe Chief, the Beast King Kuang Hou took out a dark, unremarkable stone! It looked utterly ordinary, without even a hint of spiritual energy, appearing to be nothing more than a common stone!
Kuang Hou placed the stone down, noticing Jin Bao'er's puzzled gaze. He then spoke with a hint of helplessness.
"To ordinary beasts or cultivators, the Great Dao Foundation Stone may seem no different from a common rock. However, if one possesses the power of the Great Dao, or reaches the Heavenly Emperor realm, they can sense the power of the Great Dao within it. You can use your power to inform us."
Others might not sense any energy from it at all, but Jin Bao'er was different! She could already wield the power of the Great Dao and had been tempered by the Great Dao lightning tribulation. She would surely be able to perceive something.
Jin Bao'er nodded gently upon hearing this and reached out to pick up the black stone...
However, the moment she touched the stone, her body stiffened abruptly! Her eyes went blank for a moment!
In an instant, an invisible force spread through her chest! The Beast King Kuang Hou remained motionless...
Outside the cave, a semi-withered yellow leaf hung suspended in mid-air, as if frozen in that moment!
Beyond their sight, the entire forest fell into a deathly silence! As invisible energy fluctuations swept through, countless beasts froze in their actions. Even those speaking beasts remained with their mouths open, motionless!
Under this incredibly eerie scene, Jin Bao'er quickly regained her clarity and continued the action of picking up the stone. The cold touch landed in her palm. She exerted a slight force, and the Great Dao power seeped in! She quickly felt the peculiar energy fluctuations within...
It was called the Great Dao Foundation Stone, but it was different from the Great Dao power she wielded! She had been genuinely tempered by the Great Dao, so she would not mistake it.
Thinking of this, she suddenly sensed something was wrong... Frowning, she looked up at the Beast King Kuang Hou beside her, her first reaction one of shock and uncertainty!
The Beast King Kuang Hou... wasn't breathing?!
He was a Heavenly Emperor!