"Whoosh!" Xiao Yan and his companions surged forward through the air. Hundreds of feet ahead lay the group of Hounyu, who had maintained a steady flow of Qi throughout the journey, never expending much energy. With their own strong capabilities, they had already rested well before the others were driven into desperation by the fierce beasts. As a result, their condition remained exceptionally sharp. Xiao Yan glanced at the Hounyu group ahead, then turned to the rear. Near the back, a group of members from the Tian Yao Huang clan stood in formation. The man named Jiu Feng led the way, with numerous strong warriors from the clan closely guarding his flanks. Among them, Xiao Yan spotted Feng Qing'er again—she had now awakened. Though the crimson palm mark on her cheek remained, she had fortunately survived unharmed. As Xiao Yan observed the members of the Tian Yao Huang clan, Feng Qing'er also raised her head, meeting his gaze. Her silver teeth clenched tightly, but this time she managed to restrain herself, not expressing her inner resentment too openly. The previous slap from Xiao Yan had indeed shaken her to her core, making her more composed. Xiao Yan didn't particularly care about Feng Qing'er; though her strength had significantly improved, her future accomplishments were limited and she posed no serious threat. Glancing past the Tian Yao Huang clan members, Xiao Yan turned his attention further back, where several groups of people had arrived. These individuals clearly possessed strong capabilities, and their familiarity with the current beast surge was evident—each had preserved their strength effectively, suffering minimal losses during the earlier advances. "The current wave of beasts still continues, and it's uncertain whether even stronger beasts lie ahead in the distance..." Xiang Yan lifted his head. At the far horizon, the crimson tide of beasts seemed to have thinned out somewhat—perhaps that was the very end of the wave. Still, he didn't know if some particularly formidable beasts might emerge, capable of posing a great challenge. Along the journey, though numerous beasts had been encountered, the strongest he and his companions had faced were merely Five-Star Battle Sovereigns. No stronger had yet appeared. "Roar!" As Xiang Yan pondered, a series of fierce, wrathful roars echoed around him, and soon he sensed an increasing pressure building within the surrounding space. "Have all the ones behind been eliminated...?" Xiao Yan remained silent. There were at least several dozen Dou Zun-level强者 within that group, yet in the midst of this beast surge, such a number was hardly significant—no matter how fiercely they resisted, they would merely be like an ant trying to block a moving cart, eventually succumbing, only a matter of time. What weighed slightly on Xiao Yan's heart was that even so many had only managed to hold out for such a short duration. "Everyone, stay alert and maintain the previous formation. Qingyang, let's advance together and lead the way!" Xiao Yan exhaled gently, then leapt into position at the very forefront of the group. He then spoke firmly. With the fierce beasts' attention shifting away from the ones behind, their own pressure would suddenly intensify. Therefore, they needed to accelerate their pace now. "Understood." "Gu Qingyang also understood the current situation and nodded, stepping into position beside Xiao Yan. The others formed a triangular array, with the weakest members positioned at the center, while the rest rotated in succession—this arrangement ensured sustained, progressive advancement. "The beast tide is coming—charge!" Xiao Yan glanced around and immediately spotted the blazing red eyes and heavy breathing of the creatures. With a sharp command, his pace surged, and the intense, strange fire surged forth from within him. A roar like a dragon's voice echoed as the fire coalesced into a colossal dragon, stretching over a hundred paces in length. The massive tail of the fire dragon swept powerfully, knocking down hundreds of fierce beasts advancing with the force of shifting mountains and trembling earth. "Flood Seal!" As Xiao Yan launched his attack, Gu Qingyang swiftly extended nearly a hundred palm seals, each one roaring forward and clearing the surrounding beasts in a single sweep. At the same time, Xun'er, Cai Lin, Yun Yun, Xiao Yi Xian, and the others also moved in unison, their vast streams of qi spreading out and clearing away all the beasts within a hundred meters range. While everyone launched their attacks simultaneously, their pace remained unimpeded—within a blink, they had surged forward hundreds of feet. Each of them possessed formidable strength, and when working together, they could easily advance past any fierce beasts barring the most overwhelming resistance. The only drawback was the significant consumption of energy required to unleash their qi and fire-based attacks. However, for Xiao Yan, who carried an abundant supply of restorative qi pills, this level of expenditure posed no serious challenge. "Those others are indeed moving swiftly." "While maintaining their pace, Xiao Yan's gaze was fixed on the spirit jewels ahead. At this moment, these warriors finally unleashed their true strength—no beast could breach the hundred-foot radius surrounding them. The powerful aura surged like turbulent currents, relentlessly devouring any creature that dared to intrude. 'How much farther?' Xiao Yan urged, commanding his fire dragon to roar and sweep away the beasts ahead. Though they could still hold on, continuing this way would not be sustainable. 'We've now reached the heart of the beast surge,' he said. 'At this pace, we should break through within half an hour—provided we don't encounter any particularly formidable beasts. These haven't been seen by us before, so we're relying solely on information passed down from our clan for our estimates.' Xun'er replied swiftly." "Thirty minutes..." Hearing that it would take such a long time, Xiao Yan's brow furrowed slightly. This beast surge truly wasn't ordinary—it was no easy feat. If it weren't for the earlier groups who had fought desperately to reach this point, they would have found it nearly impossible to make it through. "Speed up! Don't let the beast surge completely block our path!" With a soft command, Xiao Yan increased the strength of his movements dramatically, and his forward momentum surged instantly. In response, the others behind him moved in perfect synchrony, swiftly catching up and continuously clearing the surrounding beast surge. Though their group seemed no more than dust particles against the endless tide of beasts, their collective strength was remarkably powerful. And with complete cooperation—free from any of the earlier hesitations or mistrust—their pace of advancement matched that of the initial large formations without a single moment of lag. … Within the vast tide of beasts, several squads moved like small boats struggling against a strong current, seemingly wobbling and nearly capsizing at every turn, yet they always managed to remain upright, steadily advancing at a consistent pace, surmounting ever-stronger waves of beasts and swiftly heading toward the distant horizon. "One palm sent several fierce beasts reeling backward. Gu Qingyang didn't turn around, speaking quickly. By now, beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. The prolonged strain had been a significant burden for all of them. As they pressed deeper, the beasts grew stronger, and even with the combined efforts of Xiao Yan, Gu Qingyang, and the others, it now took multiple attacks to fell each one. Their progress had thus slowed considerably." "Even with the elixirs, we won't be able to sustain this much longer," Xiao Yan exhaled. "The Hún Yùs are gone..." Xun'er glanced ahead, suddenly remarking. "They've passed through!" Gu Qingyang was startled. "Hmm?" Xiao Yan's eyes widened slightly, then a look of delight spread across his face. "The wave of beasts is finally nearing its end!" "Quick! Accelerate!" Xiao Yan waved his hand, and his spirit instantly surged. The previously sluggish movements regained their ferocity, several flaming palm seals bursting forth and violently shaking the massive, nearly nine-star Battle Sovereign-level beasts, forcing them to retreat with loud cries. Seizing the momentum, Xiao Yan swiftly moved past them, flashing out with remarkable speed. Behind him, Xun'er and the others quickly followed. With the news of their imminent breakthrough from the beast tide, Xiao Yan and his companions accelerated their pace, their inner battle energy fully erupting and pushing back the charging beasts around them. His body surged forward, and soon his feet settled upon the ground. The ki within Xiao Yan's body surged almost reflexively, yet what surprised him was that this time, no wild beasts charged in. Only upon lifting his head and scanning the surroundings did he realize that the area had grown completely empty. Turning back, he saw that at a distance of ten zhang, countless wild beasts were glaring with blazing crimson eyes, roaring fiercely at them, yet for some reason, none dared to advance. "This is indeed the legendary Bodhi ancient tree..." gazing afar at the venerable tree, exuding an ancient aura as if standing between heaven and earth, Xiao Yan's heart surged with a rapid, vigorous beat.