Chapter 23

Yuan Ming dug a pit by the lake, buried the body, and stood in front of the lonely little mound, standing still for a while.

"You must have already been reincarnated, I hope in your next life you won't be a beast slave again. The path of cultivation is so cruel; it's better to be an ordinary person and live a carefree life."

"Today, you still have me to bury your remains, but if I meet with misfortune in the future, who will bury me?"

"Heaven and earth are indifferent, the weak are prey to the strong. If I cannot free myself from the status of a beast slave and join the Bi Luo Cave, my fate will likely be even worse than yours."

Yuan Ming muttered to the little mound, seemingly reminding himself of the harsh reality while also strengthening his resolve to return to the Central Plains.

He did not transform into a white ape but continued on his way, quickly leaving the lake area and entering a dense forest.

Not far away, a silver shadow crouched on a large tree branch, which was the silver cat from before, its elongated pupils fixed on Yuan Ming's back.

The surroundings were dim, and Yuan Ming began to slow down, walking very cautiously.

Suddenly, he stopped and squatted down.

He found another set of footprints on the ground, the size matching the person he had been tracking earlier.

Yuan Ming followed the footprints slowly, and before long, a sound of battle came from ahead, mixed with the roars of fierce beasts.

Yuan Ming's eyebrows rose, and he quickened his pace, soon reaching the source of the sound.

This was an open clearing in the forest, where two large beasts were fighting to the death. Several large trees had fallen, and dust was constantly swirling in the clearing.

One of the beasts was a green wolf standing upright, about one and a half zhang tall, with thick limbs, exuding a sense of oppression, its power surpassing that of Yuan Ming's white ape form.

The green wolf had elongated eyes, its light green pupils filled with coldness and calm, clearly a furred beast slave.

The other beast was a black crocodile lying on the ground, about three zhang long, covered in thick scales, its yellow eyes emitting a hungry and fierce light.

This crocodile was not only large in size but also exceptionally strong, its long, thick tail like a black steel whip, leaving deep marks on the ground with each swing. Its powerful jaws could easily bite through a tree as thick as a bucket, making it even more formidable than the brown bear from before.

The green wolf beast slave was clearly not a match for the black crocodile in terms of strength but excelled in agility, with an astonishing jumping ability. It kept jumping to avoid the black crocodile's attacks and found opportunities to attack with its four scythe-like claws.

However, the black crocodile's scales were extremely tough, and the green wolf's claws could only leave shallow scratches, not even drawing blood, leading to a stalemate in the battle.

"This green wolf beast slave is quite formidable, his cultivation should be higher than mine." Yuan Ming originally planned to hide and watch, but after a moment's thought, he transformed into a white ape and openly appeared.

The green wolf beast slave immediately noticed Yuan Ming's presence, its eyes filled with cold light.

Although the furred beast slaves in this mountain forest were all collecting essence blood for the Bi Luo Cave, their relationships were far from harmonious, with open and covert conflicts, and even killings and thefts, happening frequently. The Bi Luo Cave turned a blind eye to these matters.

Now, a white ape beast slave suddenly appeared, clearly intending to wait until the green wolf and the black crocodile were both weakened before taking advantage of the situation.

However, the green wolf beast slave was also somewhat puzzled. Those who did such underhanded things usually ambushed and attacked at the right moment. Why did this white ape beast slave appear so openly?

Taking advantage of the green wolf's distraction, the black crocodile opened its mouth and spat out a stream of snow-white water, like a sharp arrow, slashing towards the green wolf's legs, so fast that it almost left a trail.

The green wolf seemed to have anticipated this, jumping up and easily dodging the water attack.

As his body landed, whether by chance or intention, he landed on the black crocodile's back and immediately moved his right leg.

His claws turned into a green blur, clawing at the black crocodile's eyes.

The black crocodile was startled and quickly turned its head to avoid the attack.

However, the green wolf's attack was too swift, and the black crocodile's nose was scratched.

The crocodile's body was covered in scales, but its nose was more vulnerable, instantly leaving five long wounds, blood flowing profusely.

The black crocodile let out a furious roar, its massive body rolling on the spot, dust rising.

The green wolf, wary of the black crocodile's strength, quickly jumped away.

"Roar!"

The black crocodile's yellow eyes fixed on the green wolf, bloodshot, and its originally black skin turned a strange blood-red, its body swelling.

"What ability is this?" Yuan Ming, watching from a distance, couldn't help but exclaim.

"It's a bloodline crocodile!" The green wolf spoke in human language, his voice filled with surprise.

The black crocodile's body transformation was completed in the blink of an eye, growing by a third, with many blood-red patterns appearing on its scales, and the wounds on its nose stopped bleeding.

Its four claws slammed into the ground, and its massive body rushed towards the green wolf, the air whistling within a few zhang.

Seeing the crocodile's formidable momentum, the green wolf did not dare to confront it head-on and dodged to the side.

However, after the black crocodile's transformation, it became much more agile. Its tail slammed into the ground, and it instantly changed direction, continuing to charge at the green wolf, its speed not only unweakened but even faster, catching up to the green wolf in the blink of an eye.

Its mouth flashed out like lightning, almost leaving a trail, and it bit the green wolf's left arm, a thick front claw pressing on the green wolf's body, about to knock him down.

At this moment, a green shadow shot out from a distance, heading straight for the black crocodile's left eye.

Although the black crocodile was in battle, it did not lose its composure, slightly tilting its head. The green shadow hit the scales near its left eye, which turned out to be a green bamboo tube.

Bang!

The bamboo tube burst, splashing a light purple liquid onto the black crocodile's head and into its eyes.

The black crocodile's eyes burned with pain, quickly turning black and rotting, letting out a painful howl, and its mouth opened.

The green wolf quickly pulled out his left arm, breaking out in a cold sweat.

However, this person was extremely brave and did not retreat but instead took the opportunity to pounce on the black crocodile, his right claw extending out.

A flash of blood appeared!

The green wolf's right hand pierced into the crocodile's right eye, pulling out its eyeball.

The black crocodile let out a deafening roar, its massive body rolling violently, its tail swinging wildly, several large trees being knocked down, the scene terrifying.

The green wolf had already jumped away and was not caught in the black crocodile's frenzied attack, looking towards Yuan Ming in the distance.

He saw clearly that the bamboo tube was thrown by Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming nodded at the green wolf, still standing there, not moving closer.

The black crocodile raged for a while, the blood lines on its body quickly fading, and its size returning to its original state.

"Apparently, this transformation has a time limit." Yuan Ming thought to himself.

The black crocodile's body returned to normal, and its reason also returned. Its four claws moved swiftly, stomping the ground with a loud thud, and it fled into the distance.

With both eyes lost, it could not be the green wolf's opponent and would only meet a dead end.

However, the black crocodile, having lost its eyes, could not judge direction and soon collided with a tree as large as a millstone.

A loud "boom" echoed as the tree was split and fell to the ground.

The black crocodile was also knocked to the ground, exposing its soft, pale belly.

The green wolf, clearly an experienced hunter, immediately leaped up, his two wolf claws piercing into the crocodile's belly and pulling.

The crocodile's belly was instantly cut open, blood gushing out, red and white fluids covering the ground.

The black crocodile struggled frantically again, but this time, with a fatal wound, it soon stopped moving.

The green wolf bent down to collect the black crocodile's blood in a storage bag, while also looking at Yuan Ming with a slightly wary expression.

Yuan Ming remained standing still, not making any move, and the green wolf's expression eased slightly.

"Thank you for your help just now. I am Hagon. May I know your name?" The green wolf quickly finished and bowed to Yuan Ming.

"I am Yuan Ming." Yuan Ming returned the bow.

"So, you are Brother Yuan. This is not a place to talk. Let's find another place to discuss." Hagon said.

The battle had been very noisy, and Yuan Ming naturally had no objections.

The two quickly left and soon arrived at a lakeside.

Yuan Ming's eyebrows twitched; this lake was where he had found the black animal skin.

Hagon, covered in dust, washed himself in the lake, dispelled the furred transformation, and revealed his true form: a young man in his twenties, tall, with golden hair and blue eyes, a typical South Border appearance.

Yuan Ming had also put away the ape skin, revealing his appearance.

"Brother Yuan is from the Central Plains?" Hagon's eyes flashed with surprise.

"Yes. Due to some coincidences, I entered the Bi Luo Cave and became a beast slave." Yuan Ming did not hide it.

"I see. But Brother Yuan looks unfamiliar." Hagon said, not delving into Yuan Ming's identity.

"Indeed, I have only been here for a short time. I was curious about Brother Hagon's battle with the black crocodile and stopped to watch. I hope Brother Hagon does not mind." Yuan Ming was friendly.

"Not at all. If it weren't for Brother Yuan's timely help, I would have been seriously injured or even dead. I should be the one to thank you." Hagon said earnestly.

Seeing Hagon's sincerity, Yuan Ming's resolve to form a bond with him became even stronger.

The two continued to chat, gradually becoming more familiar.

From their conversation, Yuan Ming learned that Hagon had been a furred beast slave for two years, making him a veteran.

"Brother Hagon, how much do you know about the Bi Luo Cave sect?" Yuan Ming asked about what he was concerned about.

"My situation is the same as Brother Yuan's. I was also mysteriously captured and brought here. I don't know much about the Bi Luo Cave, only that it is a major sect in the South Border, with many disciples and three Core Formation cave masters, dominating the Ten Thousand Mountains, a vast mountain range, with a very powerful influence." Hagon said.

"Ten Thousand Mountains, is that the mountain forest we are in?" Yuan Ming recalled the South Border script on the large stone and asked.

"Exactly." Hagon nodded.

Yuan Ming turned to look around, seeing mountains and forests stretching to the horizon, unable to see the end of the mountain range.

"The Ten Thousand Mountains is one of the largest mountain ranges in the South Border. You won't see the end of it from here." Hagon laughed loudly.

Yuan Ming smiled faintly; he was not trying to see the end of the Ten Thousand Mountains but to reacquaint himself with the mountain range controlled by the Bi Luo Cave.

"Brother Hagon, how many furred beast slaves like us are there in the Ten Thousand Mountains?" Yuan Ming asked, retracting his gaze.