Chapter 634: Leaders of the Beast Clans

As the news of the retreat of the Eastern and Northern Legions reached the other two legions, they also retreated from the battlefield.

To begin with, the entire plan was to keep the Tiger and Bear Clans occupied so that Jae Hyun could destroy the Tianhu Stronghold.

Since Gumiho had not only injured a War Marshal but also destroyed his strongest weapon, it was natural to assume that the humans would not launch another assault for at least two or three years.

After the day she defeated Jae Hyun, tens of thousands of flying chariots filled the sky above the Deer Clan, where Gumiho was staying.

The air was dense with the pressure of such powerhouses, tension clearly visible among the low-tier beasts who had only heard the rumors.

Rumors that a new High-Tier Beast Cultivator had appeared. And she had boldly summoned the other high-tier beasts to come and meet her.

If that was not absurd enough, the messenger sent to summon the other leaders was none other than Mriga, the leader of the Deer Clan.

In the large field surrounding the grand castle at the center of the city, the beasts were gathered like flocks, but none dared to enter inside.

They could feel an insurmountable pressure emanating from the castle. The being inside was not deliberately releasing this pressure. It was her very presence that stirred something deep within the souls of the beasts, compelling them to show respect.

The yard was filled with hushed murmurs from the beasts.

“Who could be this new High-Tier Beast that has caused such a stir among the Beast Faction?” one among the crowd asked.

“I heard that she is from the Fox Clan. She single-handedly defeated the Leader of the Demonic Faction,” the other beside him replied. “But he still managed to escape with his life.”

“Th-that strong!? This has to be a rumor.”

“This isn’t a rumor!” A third one stepped in. He had large antlers on his head, marking him as a demi-beast from the Deer Clan.

“I-I was there when she appeared,” the deer beast revealed. “She didn’t even use a single named skill and effortlessly defeated Jae Hyun. And he didn’t run away. She let him escape.”

His voice dropped in sheer respect, his lips trembling as he recalled the moment. “With a sway of her hand, all the dying beasts on the battlefield came back to life. Hundreds of them broke through their bottlenecks. Sh-she is no beast. She is the goddess sent by the heavens!!”

The other beasts dismissed his words as nothing more than the exaggerated babbling of a frantic beast.

While the murmurs of the beasts slowly turned into heated debates, three chariots descended from the clouds, larger than any that had come before. The pressure radiating from them alone pressed down on the gathered beasts like a physical weight.

The first chariot touched down, and from it stepped a bald old man with eyes as black as the void. Ethereal antlers glowed faintly above his brow, and a string of prayer beads wrapped around his neck and wrists, swaying gently with each step. Mriga, in his demi-human form.

Beside him was an elderly man with fox ears twitching at the tension in the air. Ryota, leader of the Fox Clan.

From the second chariot came two men who shared the same sharp jaw and piercing eyes, one clearly older, silver threading through his black hair, the other young and striking, his hair a dual shade of black and blonde. Vyomendra, leader of the Tiger Clan, and his son, Vyaghra.

The third chariot was the largest of them all, and it needed to be. The man who stepped from it stood nearly twelve feet tall, his body a mountain of corded muscle, his robe hanging loose enough to reveal a chest and stomach carved from stone. Auburn hair fell past his shoulders, matched by a long beard framing a face weathered by decades of battle. Riksharaja, head of the Bear Clan.

Beside him walked a woman just as tall, just as commanding. Mature beauty sat easily upon her, her shoulders broad and her abdomen lined with the same chiseled strength as her husband’s, wrapped in fur and draped cloth that did nothing to hide the power beneath. Rohini, a Level 9 Mythic Beast, one breakthrough away from becoming a Sacred Beast, and the vice leader of the entire Beast Clan.

Not a single beast in the yard dared to speak.

For the first time in the Western Continent, all the Sacred Beasts had gathered in one place.

‘All of us, gathered like this,’ Ryota thought, his fox ears flattening slightly against his skull. ‘Lord Aruma, your daughter has already surpassed you in reputation.’

Vyaghra’s eyes swept over the silent crowd before finally settling on the towering castle ahead.

“We are both disciples of the same master and started at the same level,” Vyaghra murmured. “She has already reached such a level while I…”

His fists tightened at his sides in frustration. He wasn’t jealous of Gumiho but was disappointed in his own accomplishments. He had only evolved into a Level One Mythic Beast, while Gumiho had already reached the realm of High-Tier Cultivators.

Master Arthur must have been disappointed in him, which was the reason he hadn’t visited him for two years.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, son,” Vyomendra said, tapping Vyaghra’s shoulder. “You and Lady Gumiho are entirely different beings. She doesn’t even follow the cultivation realms of the beasts. Master Arthur would never be disappointed with your growth.”

Vyaghra’s eyes widened slightly at how easily his father had read him.

He took a deep breath and replied, “Yes, Father.”

As the duo walked along the path leading to the gates of the castle, a long shadow descended upon them.

“Ya’ve grown weaker, Vyomendra,” Riksharaja’s heavy voice rumbled from behind them. “Ay heard ya were seriously injured in the battle.”

His voice carried a hint of mockery that made Vyaghra narrow his eyes at him.

“I managed to survive,” Vyomendra replied in a flat tone, clearly unwilling to communicate with him.

Riksharaja raised an eyebrow at Vyaghra. “Oh? Level One Mythic Beast?”

The surprise was clear on Riksharaja’s face. He had never seen Vyaghra before. He had only heard the news that an heir to the Tiger Clan had been born twenty-eight years ago.

Judging by his similar features to Vyomendra, this kid must be the heir. And he had already reached a realm at such a young age that other beasts would barely reach it by the age of a hundred.

“Is he yer son?” Riksharaja asked, unable to keep his eyes off Vyaghra.

“Yes,” Vyomendra answered, moving a protective arm in front of Vyaghra.

“Impressive…” Riksharaja gasped. “Yer son possesses exceptional talent, or…” His gaze narrowed at Vyaghra, immediately making him break into a cold sweat. “He possesses some divine treasure.”

Vyomendra released his own pressure in response. “Behave yourself, Lord Riksharaja.”

The Soulforce clash between these two demi-divine beings instantly shattered the ground around them and forced almost all the gathered beasts to their knees.

The space bent and twisted around them, the still air turning into wild storms as neither of them seemed willing to back down.

The smirk on Riksharaja’s face only widened as he increased the pressure further. Now that Vyomendra had fallen in cultivation realm, Riksharaja was basically the strongest Cultivator among the Beast Clan.

Vyomendra’s feet skidded backward as he was slowly overpowered. He was about to be overwhelmed when suddenly, a commanding voice echoed from the castle.

“ENOUGH!”