The good news lifted everyone’s spirits, especially the girls from the Yue family, for they wouldn’t have to hurry on this treacherous journey. Even though, the girls had a special ability to keep themselves tidy, even without showering for ten days or half a month, they hated to wear a fatigued face, while walking in this dangerous forest.

Half of the team members were asked to guard the teleportation posts, while the other half set up the camp. By jumping onto the ancient trees, they surprisingly found convenient sleeping bunks, which were left by the Hua family in previous wars. The bunks they found were large in quantity, upon which a layer of hay was placed, to serve as bedspread. Meanwhile, the girls from the Yue family began setting up their own convenient bath house, which was established simply by sticking several lumps into the soil, which they covered with thatches. Also, they wrapped the whole house with a large sheet of clothing, in case they would be watched stealthily by the young men in the team.

After a long while, they were almost most finished with setting up the camp. The girls from the Yue family had named their bath house, which was set near the eastern side of the pool, as a forbidden place for all men. Now, since the preparation tasks had been taken care off, it was time to enjoy some food to fill their stomach. However, when they were about to eat, a shriek sound, very much like the one made by a kingfisher, suddenly grabbed their attention.

“Enemies! This is the alarm siren set up by the Hua family!”

Everyone’s heart tightened, as they put their food away, and grabbed their weapons. Within seconds, they arrived at the place where the sound of the siren came from. Silently, they sneaked into the thick bushes, and found three giant figures looking around themselves with blank eyes. With a height of more than two meters, and super muscular bodies, these three giant figures distinguished themselves from the human race. Compared with them, even Feng Zi’s arms and legs suddenly turned slim. Actually, they were wrapped up in thick armors, as they resembled three clothed wild apes – whose foreheads protruded in front, and their eyes stuck out as far as the size of a human fist.

“The barbarian race!”

Qinghan, after exchanging a look with Feng Zi, waved his hands toward his elite team. Soon, ten cultivators in the Realm of the Marshal valiantly dashed to the three barbarians.

Indeed, the three barbarians were at a loss, for they had suddenly been teleported to such an unfamiliar place. But shortly after, they turned clear-headed. With extreme caution, they observed their surroundings. Suddenly, one of them rolled his ball-like eyes, and his glance landed on Qinghan. When they found the elites in black samurai suits approaching them, they opened their mouth, and howled with their head turned upward. By waving their sturdy arms in an imposing manner, they moved towards the men sent out by Qinghan, as they were ready to launch a fight!

“Integration!”

The ten members were actually all lineal descendants, and they quickly integrated with their battle beasts. All of a sudden, a dozen of beast figures appeared in the air. Before they rushed back into their respective master’s body, which underwent some minor changes – enlarged ears, hands with sharp claws, and sturdy legs. Some of them even had two horns emerge right on top of their heads. The tattoos, which represent their battle beast, was the biggest difference between them. The image of them created a creepy atmosphere.

“The Ye family..” Strangely, the three barbarians slurred; it seemed that their language was similar to that of the human race. The main idea in their ambiguous remark was: they had recognized this technique. The five prominent families had long represented the whole Mars Prefecture, and killed countless demons and barbarians throughout history. So, it was understandable that the other prefectures could have collected their relevant information, in order to defeat them.

“Qinghan, no offence, but does your family share their bloodline with the demonic race? I mean, when integrated, you guys look very similar to those demons from before!” Feng Zi, teasingly, glanced at both Qinghan and Qingwu.

“I don’t think so. Oh, look at you, how muscular and sturdy you are! Maybe, you have a special relation with the barbarian race. No, I guess, that you’re actually a spy from the Barbarian Prefecture, aren’t you?” Without feeling threatened, Qinghan retorted.

While at the same time, Qingwu was also outraged by Feng Zi’s impolite remark. She glared at Feng Zi, as she clenched her fist, and the snapping sound of her knuckles could be heard.

“Feng Zi, do you want to spar with me? I guarantee that you’ll enjoy it..”

“No.. Sister Qingwu, it’s my fault, ok? Look, they’re fighting!” Feng Zi replied awkwardly.

Qingwu’s capability was undeniable – a cultivator in the first level of the Realm of the Marshal, who would be equal to the third level of the Realm of the Marshal once integrated with her battle beast. Furthermore, she was the beloved granddaughter of Ye Qingniu, who had given her lots of treasures that could help improve her cultivation. While, as a cultivator only in the third level of the Realm of the General, Feng Zi would definitely suffer from Qingwu’s attacks, rather than “enjoy” it..

The attention was redirected to the three barbarians. They all knew, that the first few battles were of great importance, in terms of figuring out the main techniques used by the enemy races. Otherwise, they would have little chance to defeat them in the final chaotic battle. As the saying goes: if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles (知己知彼，百战不殆).

Actually, by sending the ten cultivators in the Realm of the Marshal, Qinghan intended to test the true ability of the barbarians. Plus, with the presence of seven Prince-Realm cultivators in the team, their security was basically guaranteed.

The ten cultivators formed a circle, leaving the three barbarians besieged. Nevertheless, they didn’t attack altogether, instead, only three of them stepped forward, trying to fight one-on-one.

- Bang! -

The man on the left first attacked with one of the three barbarians. With no weapons at hand, he only extended his fist. Owing to his pure-strength battle beast, he was able to gather all his Battle Qi on his fist, forming a terrifying force. The moment his fist collided with that of the barbarian, the Battle Qi exploded and burst into brilliant lights. With a thud, both this cultivator, and the barbarian were thrown away into the far distance..

As for the other members of the team, they strained their eyes and ears, as they were trying to catch every movement of this fight.

“The force unleashed by this cultivator should reach the peak level of the Realm of the Marshal, given his integration with the battle beast.”

“Yeah, but they ended up with equal injuries. That barbarian boasts an equal force.”

“According to my information, the barbarian race is born with mighty physical power. After cultivation, their body can be comparable to weapons.”

Another cultivator, who was standing in the middle of the circle, took out a Horse Killing Sword, and unleashed his Battle Qi upon the edge of his sword, leaving a streak of cyan light. The pouring of Battle Qi onto a weapon was actually a rather common technique, which would directly increase the sharpness of a weapon. After all, the defensive ability of the barbarians was said to be extremely powerful.

On his forehead, there was a leopard-shaped tattoo. They weren’t sure what grade his battle beast was, but his speed reached a terrifying degree, for he nimbly dodged every fist that was thrown by the barbarian. Meanwhile, he wielded his cyan-colored sword, leaving countless marks on the armor of the barbarian.

The Battle Qi helped his sword exert a strength equivalent to a spirit-level item. However, it still failed to cut into the barbarian’s flesh, as it only left scratching marks on the surface of his armor. As for those exposed parts of the barbarian’s body, only his skin was wounded, rather than his flesh or bones. The impressive defensive ability surprised everyone..

The third cultivator was, by appearance, a defensive fighter. His battle beast could either be a rhinoceros or an elephant. By unleashing a large amount of Battle Qi, he wrapped his body up in glaring beams, which served as a protective Battle Qi armor. Without dodging away, he then received the ferocious fist from one barbarian.

- Bang! -

With a ruthless, evil smile, and widened eyes, this barbarian was fully provoked. He slammed his fist heavily against the cultivator, with the force of which he created a gust of wind. However, to his great surprise and terror, the human cultivator almost remained standing steadily where he was, as he was only forced to stagger back several steps.

After the collision, the light of the Battle Qi armor was dimmed for some seconds; but it soon regained its brightness. Standing there unmoved, the barbarian looked at his own fist, as well as the beaming human cultivator, before he frowned in sheer confusion..

Translated by XianXiaWorld