I established the Eternal Immortal Clan by taming beasts.

As the morning light slowly spread across the eastern horizon, it dyed the densely forested ridges of the central Fulong Mountains in varying shades of green.

The mist in the forest was slowly dissipating as the temperature gradually rose, and the dew that had solidified in the night wind began to slide off the edges of the leaves, leaving fine, damp marks on the soil.

The reinforcements arrived faster than expected. On the morning of the third day after the intelligence was sent, a group of figures appeared in sight outside the camp.

"Someone's coming." The low growl of the Azure Scale Wind-Patrolling Beast rang in Lin Xinqing's ears. Its ears twitched slightly, and its nose twitched gently, as if confirming the scent carried on the wind. "It's our people. It has the scent of the Lin family crest."

Lin Xinqing turned her head and looked in the direction it indicated.

The morning light slanted in from behind them, casting a soft golden glow on the silhouette of the moving figure at the edge of the dense forest.

A group of figures moved quickly and steadily, without making any attempt to conceal their presence. They all wore the Lin family crest, the blue emblem reflecting a warm glow in the morning light.

The short figure at the head of the group wore a light blue cloak, followed by several array masters and guards.

Behind her, several array masters each carried a standard storage box on their backs. The edges of the boxes were engraved with fine array patterns to prevent the contents from being damaged by bumps and collisions.

The guards were spread out on both sides, protecting the entire group in the middle, maintaining a distance that would not hinder their speed of travel but would allow them to quickly deploy their defensive line in case of an emergency.

The leader was Qin Yulin, who had come to provide support.

Her figure appeared somewhat thin under the cloak, but her pace was faster than those of the array masters behind her. Half a step behind her, a figure also wearing a cloak with most of his face covered by the hood followed closely behind, his pace almost synchronized with Qin Yulin's. That was Lin Xuanqing.

Lin Xinqing slid down from her post, landing nimbly on the grass below, and quickly stepped forward to greet Master Qin: "Greetings."

Qin Yulin stopped and pushed the hood of his cloak back, revealing a calm face that belied his age.

"No need for formalities. I was sent by your patriarch to break the formation. I don't concern myself with other matters. Your patriarch is here too; if you need anything, please speak to him. However, he had to go elsewhere first and sent me to help you break the formation. Have you discovered anything? How is the progress?"

"Our team's array master has roughly tested it." As he spoke, Lin Xinqing took out a few imprint talismans from the storage bag at his waist and handed them over. "A fourth-order double-nested illusion array. The outer layer is a common disguise technique, while the inner layer has a very special rune structure, which is very different from the array system we are currently using. The array master who broke the array said that more time is needed to study it before a solution can be determined."

Qin Yulin took the rubbing talisman, unfolded it, and quickly scanned the rubbings on the patterns. She didn't speak immediately, but simply looked through the rubbing talismans one by one before handing them to Lin Xuanqing, who was hiding his identity behind her.

Their eyes swept over the patterns at almost the same speed.

After a moment of silence, Qin Yulin spoke first: "The fourth-order double nesting, the outer illusion array is indeed a standard disguise technique, but the inner rune structure... this is not the array system of the Great Qian Dynasty, nor is it the set we commonly see now. The way the patterns turn and the connection order of the spiritual power nodes look more like an earlier system. It should be the array path inheritance of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, which is different from the ones we use now."

Lin Xinqing's gaze sharpened slightly: "Can it be broken?"

Qin Yulin looked at the entrance of the formation, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Uncertain. Although the logic of this formation is special, it still operates according to fixed rules. We must first figure out how the nodes are connected. We need time to study it. Even the most complex formation, as long as its structure has a pattern, must have a path that can be opened."

"Alright, then I'll trouble Master Qin." Lin Xinqing stepped aside to make way, taking half a step back to give his spot to the array masters who were preparing to begin their work.

Lin Xuanqing withdrew his gaze and turned to the array masters behind him: "Prepare to begin."

The array masters behind him nodded in unison, each taking out a spirit pen and array plate from their storage bags, and began to set up a temporary analysis array on the ground.

The magic pen made a soft rustling sound as it traced across the rock surface. The lines being drawn extended, intertwined, and connected at an extremely fast speed, forming a spreading magic map that gradually covered the stone ground where the foot was placed.

The array plates were activated one by one, and the aura at the edges spread out the moment it touched the ground, connecting the new array patterns being drawn with the old array patterns on the ground, forming a complete analysis path.

The array masters crouched down, their fingers moving rapidly along the edge of the array plate, constantly adjusting the output frequency and angle of the spirit pen.

Qin Yulin and Lin Xuanqing's research work officially began.

They stood side by side in front of the rock wall covered with vines, each with their own perspective, observing, comparing, and dissecting the spirit patterns imprinted on the wall from different angles.

…………

On the other side, Lin Che used Absolute Concealment to follow behind a squad of demonic beasts.

These demonic beasts were the intruders targeted by the Lin family's spirit beast scouts—those who left suspicious traces deep in the mountains and had never been captured head-on.

Now that I've personally arrived, I naturally need to address these unexpected issues.

Lin Che's figure was like a wisp of smoke blown away by the wind, silently trailing about three hundred feet behind the monster squad.

With the blessing of absolute emptiness and invisibility, his existence was completely erased from all perception in this dense forest.

This monster squad is not large, consisting of about twelve members, but it is quite powerful.

Four of them had reached the third tier, and the rest were all in the late second tier. No wonder their scouts couldn't pinpoint their exact movements and could only find scattered traces left behind.

These monsters moved with extreme caution, clearly indicating they had undergone specialized training.

Their formation was loose yet orderly. The three heads at the front were responsible for scouting and avoiding traps, the five heads in the middle maintained a steady pace, and the four heads at the rear took turns covering the rear, compressing the entire group's movements to the minimum.

They did not communicate using animal language, but rather conveyed information through body language and eye contact. It was a tacit understanding that could only be formed through a long period of adjustment, indicating that they had clearly been acting together for a long time.

When the scouts at the front stop, the troops in the middle will slow down in unison.

When the trailing enemy turns around, the pathfinder in front will adjust its direction at the same time.

Lin Che's gaze slowly swept over them, taking into account their appearance and behavior.

The three-headed pathfinders ahead are Greyscale Weasels.

It has a slender body, short but powerful limbs, and a bushy tail like a broom. When it runs, it runs close to the ground and makes almost no sound.

Each time they pause, they prick up their ears, turn their heads, and twitch their noses slightly, taking in the surrounding atmosphere.

This kind of monster is a natural scout, with keen senses and silent movements. Its only weakness in reconnaissance is its lack of skill underwater.

Unlike the Azure Scale Wind Patrol Beast, which can conduct reconnaissance in various special environments except for high altitudes.

The five in the middle section are the main force, each with a different size, including a Thunder Serpent, a Red-maned Wolf, and a slightly smaller Wind Howling Beast.

Although their pace is slow, they maintain a posture ready to charge at any moment, their muscles slightly taut under their fur, like bowstrings being slowly drawn to their fullest extent.

The four at the rear were the last to hold the line: two Thousand-Blade Rhinoceroses and two Night Scorpions.

Lin Che squinted as he observed the composition of the team, while recalling his second conversation with Venerable Bai Ze a few days ago after learning about the training base.

This conversation also allowed Lin Che to understand the current power structure of the monsters in the Southern Region.

The only demon beast lord atop the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range is Venerable Bai Ze.

There are four more on the three mountain ranges, three of whom are remnants of the former Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, while only one is a newly born fifth-tier powerhouse after the destruction of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect.

The difference in ideas gave rise to the new school and the old school.

One of the old-school ideas was to continue to maintain close ties with humans and cooperate with them.

The new faction is completely hostile to the human race, with no room for cooperation whatsoever.

The only thing the two sides have in common is their desire for revenge against the Great Qian Dynasty, which is why the beast tide has never stopped.

Among them, only Venerable Bai Ze belonged to the old school, while the other three belonged to the new school.

The two sides, though full of contradictions, have never fought each other, not only because they share the same clan, but also because of their relative strength.

Venerable Bai Ze had already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage a thousand years ago.

According to Wan Yue, Venerable Bai Ze held a very high position in the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect back then, one that no other Venerable could compare to. However, she is now his only subordinate, while others like the Burning Sky Crimson Ape are part of the new faction.

This monster squad was completely unidentifiable in terms of their origins; they bore no obvious signs of any faction.

Yet the orderliness of their actions, the collaborative rhythm that can only be formed through long-term training, seems to be the product of a massive force.

Since that's the case, Lin Che didn't hesitate.

His Nascent Soul stage cultivation was released without reservation, like a mountain slowly emerging from the void, making the air in that forest feel heavier.

The group of demonic beasts were greatly alarmed.

Their bodies froze the instant they sensed that oppressive aura, as if a pause button had been pressed simultaneously.

The oppressive feeling caused their hind legs to bend involuntarily, and the speed of blood flow slowed down rapidly the moment they sensed the strength of the other party, and then accelerated due to fear.

The gray-scaled weasels leaped from their ground-hugging positions, and the main force that was marching also stopped at the same time. All eyes were turned in the same direction: the cyan figure that was appearing from the void.

But they didn't try to escape, nor did they choose to attack after seeing Lin Che in person.

Because they understand that their struggles are meaningless when facing a fourth-tier powerhouse; the power gap at that level cannot be bridged by numbers or courage.

Of course, the most important point is that they have a background.

The moment it saw Lin Che, the largest red-maned wolf took half a step forward and growled in a low voice, "We are subordinates of the Azure Ridge Python Demon King. Are you sure you want to be our enemy?"

Lin Che didn't waste any words.

An oppressive aura enveloped the demons, forcing all the beasts that were searching for a way out back to their original positions: "Tell me your purpose for being here. I don't want to hear another word of nonsense."

"you……"

Just as the red-maned wolf was about to say something, a thin line appeared on its body, extending from its shoulder blade to its waist. After forming, it paused for a moment, and then its body shattered in the middle, like a piece of stone that had been neatly cut and misaligned, leaving a very short red line in the morning light. Then it fell backward and plunged into the bushes below.

The demons instantly fell silent, no longer daring to utter a word.

The four squad leaders, all at the third tier, exchanged glances, and with a final grit of their teeth, the largest of the four, the Thousand-Blade Rhinoceros, moved forward half a step.

"We are here on the orders of the Jade Python Demon King to find a spirit beast breeding base left behind by the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect."

After listening to their stories, Lin Che frowned slightly.

Unexpectedly, this team of demon beasts had the same goal as them: the spirit beast breeding base of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect. They had come to find the location of their target.

If the spirit beast scouts hadn't discovered them by chance, and if the remnants of the Azure Scale Wind-Patrolling Beasts hadn't come to surrender, they might have really seized the initiative.

That breeding base is absolutely important to the Lin family, whose foundation is beast taming.

Without hesitation, Lin Che wiped out the entire monster squad without leaving a single one alive. This place was only a few hundred miles away from the breeding base, and he couldn't let them send back any information!

The Thousand-Blade Rhinoceros's thick carapace shattered like thin ice before the tip of the Rending Wind Spear. The Night Scorpion's stinger lost its connection to its main body before it could even lift. The Thunderstorm Serpent's body was neatly dissected along its spine. A very thin red line appeared at the throat of the Crimson Mane Wolf. Then, their bodies fell one by one, like ears of wheat blown down by the wind.

No monster could sound the alarm, and no monster could escape.

When the last figure fell, all that remained in the dense forest outside the valley entrance was a patch of trampled grass and a few dark red marks slowly seeping into the soil. Those marks were quickly evaporated by the rising temperature in the morning light, as if they had never existed.

Although he acted decisively, Lin Che had already begun to be wary.

Because behind them is the Azure Python Demon King, and behind this Demon King is none other than the Crimson Serpent Venerable.

The most radical, most hostile to humans, and most likely to take the initiative among the three new factions.

Lin Che didn't believe for a second that there was no benefit from the other party behind the scenes; what a coincidence!

Why didn't they come looking for us earlier or later, but only after the Lin family acquired this territory?

Therefore, this may involve a power struggle between two factions.

With this in mind, Lin Che didn't linger and quickly headed towards the spirit beast breeding base.

He needed to complete the investigation and take over the breeding base before the next batch of Red Serpent Venerable's troops arrived.