It was a stark contrast to the relaxed atmosphere when we arrived.

Even though Ye's parents and others returned safely, the atmosphere was still somewhat heavy.

Ye Bufan, in particular, stared blankly into the distance, seemingly lost in thought.

Shang Wu nudged Qi Jie, who was startled and noticed the other's constantly glancing eyes.

"Old Fan."

Qi Jie scratched his head and quickly stepped forward, unsure how to comfort him: "Don't worry too much about that, Qin Sheng will be fine."

"Um."

Ye Bufan gave a simple response, but the self-reproach on his face was impossible to hide.

"Hey, don't make that face. It's not your fault," Qi Jie said.

Han Jisheng lowered his head. It really wasn't Ye Bufan's fault; it was his!

Shang Wu's lips twitched. He shouldn't have let Qi Jie comfort him!

"Don't look like that."

Yu Rui spoke up, her voice cold: "A bunch of grown men, Qin Sheng isn't dead, and there's still a chance to save him. Instead of being sad, why don't you think about why we can't stop the cultists?"

Without any hesitation, they exposed everyone's wounds, giving Ye Bufan and Han Jisheng a beating.

Yu Rui remained ruthless: "Cultivation level is key, but the abnormalities in the followers can all be traced back to their source. But have you recognized it?"

"For example, the one with thorns."

Yu Rui looked at Ye Bufan and said coldly, "Qin Sheng, you should have fought with similar cultists before. Didn't you realize that the thorns were poisonous? Did you warn Han Jisheng?"

"I…"

Ye Bufan opened his mouth, but could not refute it.

"Me too. That cultist whose feet mutated was much faster than me. I should have realized then that his speed would be even more terrifying after the mutation."

Yu Rui laughed self-deprecatingly: "I was so stupid to go and greet him like that, it was incredibly foolish!"

Qi Jie then spoke up: "I don't understand, but I really shouldn't have rushed out at that time. Even if I had blocked one cultist, it would have left Qin Sheng's surroundings exposed."

Ye Bufan nodded, clenching his fists tightly: "I was too complacent. I thought that once I completed the bone tempering, I could handle even the cultists, but the truth is that I am no match for them at all."

Ye's parents looked at their children, who were reflecting on their actions, with a hint of relief.

Failure is something everyone inevitably experiences; overcoming it is the most important thing.

Looking at Yu Rui, I initially thought she had little presence in the team, but now I see she's a very clever girl.

She may not be as good as others in normal times, but she can push the team forward again in crucial moments.

"It seems we can't afford to be careless with the lessons on exotic beasts anymore," Shangwu said seriously.

Han Jisheng was the first to speak: "I will take this seriously until Qin Sheng returns."

Ye Bufan smiled and said, "I need to get rid of staying up too late."

The somber atmosphere was gradually dispelled, and the group continued forward with their heavy goals.

roar!

Qi Jie gazed into the distance and sighed, "More strange beasts. Which way do we go?"

Shang Wu pondered, "Let's get back as soon as possible, we can go directly..."

Ye's father's expression changed slightly: "Something's not right."

Boom boom boom…

The earth seemed to tremble as the enormous beast galloped across the wilderness, its mountain-like form visible even from afar.

"not good!"

Su Fei's expression changed drastically: "That's a calamity-level alien beast!"

The strongest member of the team is Ye's father, who is at the peak of the Grandmaster level. Without a King-level expert, they simply cannot fight against the Calamity-level alien beast.

"Walk!"

Shangwu immediately said, "It seems we've blocked its path. Avoiding it should make us safe!"

"No! This is a fanged tiger!" Su Fei exclaimed in horror as he recognized the beast.

The Toothed Tiger is also a beast with an extremely strong aggression drive. It will attack any creature it sees, and its aggression is comparable to that of the Berserker Crocodile among beasts.

Since it came for the crowd, it must be here to fight!

"If you can't dodge, then fight!"

Ye's father immediately judged: "You all get away quickly, we'll hold it off!"

The researchers who came out with Ye's parents immediately nodded and ran off into the distance without hesitation.

They're just a hindrance here.

Before long, the saber-toothed tiger suddenly leaped up in the distance, its massive claws, as large as Mount Tai, slamming down directly towards the group of people!

Rumble!

Everyone dodged quickly, but even the impact of the calamity-level beast was terrifying, sending Yu Rui and the others flying.

"Cough cough cough..."

In an instant, everyone except the Ye family suffered considerable internal injuries.

Even after Ye Bufan had completed his bone tempering, he felt a surge in his chest.

Even if the attacks of the calamity-level alien beasts don't land directly on them, the terrifying impact of each move can still severely injure them.

With a solemn expression, Ye's father, clad in heavy weaponry, launched a fierce attack on the fanged tiger.

Pfft…

Although it could inflict damage on the saber-toothed tiger, the weapon became stuck in its flesh, preventing it from advancing any further.

The fanged tiger roared and lashed its tail like a whip at Ye's father, smashing the small hills blocking its path. There was absolutely no chance of survival for Ye's father.

At this moment, a greatsword formed from concentrated energy moved rapidly across the ground and slashed directly at the heel of the Toothed Tiger!

With a soft splatter, blood gushed out like a river, accompanied by the roar of the fanged tiger.

Rumble!

Suddenly, it raised its foot and stomped down on Ye Qianqing below. Even before it reached her, the terrifying pressure hindered Ye Qianqing's movements as she watched the huge tiger claw descend upon her.

"Don't even think about hurting my daughter!"

With a sharp cry, Ye Mu appeared before the Toothed Tiger and swung her longsword at its enormous eyes.

The light bursting from above was like a laser beam, piercing straight towards the eyes of the saber-toothed tiger.

roar!

The fanged tiger simply opened its mouth and roared; its mere impact sent Ye's mother flying out of control.

But thanks to this, Ye Qianqing, who was standing on her feet, immediately escaped the attack range.

Boom!

As the tiger's claws slashed down, although Ye Qianqing had moved away from below, the aftershocks of the attack struck her directly, sending her flying like a cannonball. She slammed into the ground several times before finally coming to a stop.

With a loud "whoosh," Ye Qianqing coughed up a mouthful of blood, mixed with some impurities, clearly indicating that her internal organs had been damaged.

Ye Bufan also wanted to step forward to help, but the invisible pressure emanating from the Toothed Tiger made it impossible for him to move an inch, and going forward would only make things worse.

The figures of Ye's father and mother kept flashing around the fanged tiger, inflicting injuries on it but not posing much of a threat to it.

Instead, the two of them were about to face the attack of the Saber-toothed Tiger, and even one hit would mean the end of the battle.

roar!

The sharp teeth of the fanged tiger seemed to tear through space, appearing in front of Ye's mother in an instant and slicing down at her.

"Wife!"

Ye's father attacked the fanged tiger's body in terror, but failed to attract its attention, as if it was determined to swallow Ye's mother whole.