Chapter 174: Nightmare

But in the next instant!

The crowd heard a rustling sound coming from the nearby jungle.

They all turned to look toward the source of the sound!

At first, they’d only heard rustling from one spot and figured it was just one or two Exotic Beasts left over from the previous attack that hadn’t been dealt with yet.

They were about to head over and take care of them.

But!

Then!

As they looked ahead, their eyes all widened. They simply couldn’t believe what they were seeing!

This!

What was this!

“This—!”

A high-ranking official beside them gasped, staring at the scene before him and blurting out unconsciously.

He stared at the enormous head and neck of a deer emerging from the trees!

He recognized the Exotic Beast almost instantly!

It was a—!

Three-tailed Snow Deer!

A Late-Star Stage Exotic Beast!

Everyone else recognized it as well!

Instantly, they felt their bodies tense, their hearts pounding wildly.

Shangguan Yulan, who had already turned away, heard the official’s sharp gasp.

She glanced over, looking at them.

Then she let out a questioning hum.

‘What’s wrong with them?’

‘Why are they making such a face over one or two leftover Exotic Beasts?’

Then, Shangguan Yulan slowly turned her head toward the jungle, and her eyes immediately narrowed!

‘A Late-Star Stage Exotic Beast!’

“Get ready!”

At Shangguan Yulan’s command, everyone’s bodies went taut!

SCREECH!

A sharp cry shattered the tense standoff.

Shangguan Yulan and the others looked at the dark shadow in the sky.

‘It’s!’

‘Ye Yunyi’s giant bird!’

This!

Then, someone beside them pointed at the emerging Three-tailed Snow Deer. “Quick, look! There’s someone on top of the Three-tailed Snow Deer!”

“I think… it’s Lord Ye!”

BOOM!

The words struck like a clap of thunder!

That one sentence sent a shockwave through the crowd!

They quickly looked towards the back of the Three-tailed Snow Deer!

The next moment!

Every last one of them was stunned frozen!

It—!

It really was Lord Ye, Ye Yunyi himself!

Even Shangguan Yulan felt a jolt of shock as she watched!

‘This guy… He makes one trip to the Beast Taming Palace and comes back with their strongest Exotic Beast!’

As Shangguan Yulan thought this, she gradually realized she had seriously underestimated Ye Yunyi.

And then!

Behind him!

One powerful Exotic Beast after another emerged from the trees!

And on each of these Exotic Beasts sat a beautiful woman!

The procession was incredibly long!

So long, in fact, that by the time its leader, Ye Yunyi, was almost upon them, the end of the line was just beginning to emerge from the jungle!

Ye Yunyi glanced at them, his eyes then falling on Shangguan Yulan.

He then looked at the battlefield beside them, littered with the corpses of Exotic Beasts.

In that instant, he understood everything.

“Looks like you were hit by the Exotic Beast Tide as well!”

At his words, Shangguan Yulan stared at him. “You were hit by the Exotic Beast Tide, too?”

“This Exotic Beast Tide wasn’t caused by you?”

Shangguan Yulan retorted, glancing from Ye Yunyi to the Three-tailed Snow Deer.

She had assumed that the oppressive aura from Ye Yunyi’s powerful Three-tailed Snow Deer had caused the other Exotic Beasts to scatter in fear, creating a butterfly effect that triggered this Exotic Beast Tide.

Ye Yunyi: “…”

‘Jeez.’

‘I mean, your line of thinking isn’t completely unreasonable!’

‘But it really wasn’t me!’

“It wasn’t me. A volcano over a hundred kilometers away seems to have become active. It only let out some white smoke and didn’t erupt, but even that was enough to make these Exotic Beasts scatter in terror.”

“That’s what caused this Exotic Beast Tide.”

“But it looks like the impact on the barrier wasn’t too severe.”

“I killed quite a few on my way here. Otherwise, this Exotic Beast Tide might have been even bigger.”

Ye Yunyi said, stroking his chin.

Then, seated high atop the Three-tailed Snow Deer, he looked down.

His gaze fell upon the Eighth King General, Shangguan Yulan.

The next moment!

He froze!

Whoa!

‘Damn!’

‘No wonder the system said the Eighth King General has an explosive figure!’

‘Looking down from up high today, I can see it’s true!’

Tsk, tsk!

Ye Yunyi took in the view.

Meanwhile, the Eighth King General listened to Ye Yunyi’s explanation, frowning in thought.

‘A volcano?’

‘Before the apocalypse, I’d never heard of any volcanic activity in this area!’

‘And there hasn’t been any during all the years of the apocalypse, either.’

‘But there’s nothing I can do about geological activity.’

“Alright, we’ll leave it at that for now. Did you come straight here from the Evergreen Barrier?”

Shangguan Yulan asked, but she didn’t hear a response from Ye Yunyi.

She then looked up at Ye Yunyi.

Then, she saw where his gaze was directed.

Instantly, she understood!

Her anger flared!

‘This guy!’

‘So *this* is how you use a Three-tailed Snow Deer, is it!’

‘Enjoying the view from up there, are we!’

She was half-tempted to jump up there and kick him off!

Ye Yunyi quickly retracted his gaze. “Yes, we came directly from the Evergreen Barrier. Tsk, tsk. When we left, two King Generals and a few Patriarchs came to see us off. They said they wanted me to come to the Evergreen Barrier.”

“They want me to stay at the Evergreen Barrier permanently.”

“Hmm?” Shangguan Yulan’s heart tightened upon hearing this.

‘Those two…’

‘Of course they would!’

She had already predicted that as soon as they met Ye Yunyi, they would use whatever means necessary to keep him at the Evergreen Barrier.

After all, a talent like Ye Yunyi was a hot commodity no matter where he went.

‘Looks like I’ll have to get closer to Ye Yunyi in the future.’

‘If Ye Yunyi becomes a King General down the line, he’ll be a powerful ally!’

“You must be tired from the journey. Let’s get you back inside.”

Shangguan Yulan said, and Ye Yunyi nodded.

Before leaving, he took one last, reluctant look down from his high vantage point.

Then he nudged the flanks of the Three-tailed Snow Deer with his heels.

“Let’s go! Into the barrier!”

As the Three-tailed Snow Deer moved forward, the procession behind it followed.

The people on the backs of the Exotic Beasts looked at the barrier.

They all regarded it with a sense of novelty.

After all, this was a First Line Barrier, just like the Evergreen Barrier.

Shu Lei’s face, however, showed none of that novelty.

After all, she had been here before. She had originally intended to coerce Ye Yunyi into joining the Beast Taming Palace, but instead, she had been subjected to inhuman treatment!

It was nothing short of a nightmare!

Meanwhile…

Inside the barrier, scores of Mutants were geared up and ready to move out!

After all, they had just heard the alarm.

They were now pouring out from the inner sections of the barrier.

Ready to join the defense!

“Move! Let’s go!”

“The alarm’s been going for a while! The battle with the Exotic Beast Tide must be at its peak! Let’s hurry and help!”

“Let’s move!”

One after another, the Mutants grabbed their Weapons and prepared to head outside the barrier.

Every one of them wore a grim expression.

After all, the alarm signified the arrival of an Exotic Beast Tide capable of threatening the barrier itself!

This was an incredibly dangerous situation!

They pressed onward!

They were nearing the main gate!

Then!

One by one, they looked ahead and stopped dead in their tracks!

Then they felt themselves begin to tremble!

Rooted to the spot in sheer shock!

What a terrifying sight this procession before them was!