Beside the campfire, Qirong picked up a dead branch and poked at the flames.

He looked up; it was getting dark.

Lu Wei smiled and said, “You seem talented. Why not learn alchemy from me?”

Qirong immediately shook his head like a rattle drum. “Even my sister won’t learn it, so there’s no way I can.”

Tang Zifeng didn’t join in their conversation.

She was busy tending the grill above the fire, carefully watching over a skewer of meat, one piece of which was particularly tender.

Lu Wei, estimating the amount of powder Qirong had inhaled, extinguished her alchemy furnace.

Soon, the herbal scent at Qirong’s nose was replaced by the much more enticing aroma of roasting meat.

His eyes shifted to the meat, then glanced into the depths of the forest. “My sister said she sensed something earlier. She should be back soon, right?” Once she was back, they could finally eat.

Tang Zifeng gave Qirong a sidelong glance, seeming to notice the hunger in his eyes, and pointedly said, “This is beast meat.”

“Beast meat is fine, as long as it fills my stomach.” Qirong now spoke with ease, showing none of the discomfort he felt the first time he had eaten beast meat and vomited.

It was Qin Ruqing who had suggested eating beast meat. “How can you have the strength to resist the beast tide if you only consume fasting pills? You can stomach beast blood refined into pills, but not the actual meat? These beast tides have trampled countless of our kind; eating their meat is a way to vent our anger.”

Qin Dexin, who had come with Qin Ruqing to lead the team, agreed with her reasoning.

So even though Lu Wei could make higher-level fasting pills, the Qin family’s team continued to eat beast meat to replenish their strength.

“But seriously, why do I feel like eating this beast meat is making my cultivation progress faster?” Qirong said.

As a professional alchemist, Lu Wei’s rigorous nature compelled her to respond cautiously, “Frequent battles are a form of training in themselves; your cultivation growth isn’t surprising.”

However, Qirong remained convinced that regularly eating beast meat was causing subtle changes in his body, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.

Tang Zifeng paid no attention to their debate, focusing instead on evenly roasting the meat skewer in her hand.

As the meat finished cooking, Qin Ruqing returned.

She was indeed carrying the two corpse collectors back with her.

The two grown men, initially shocked at being carried this way, soon felt uncomfortable and softly suggested they could walk on their own.

Qin Ruqing dismissed them with a wave. “You’re too slow.”

She was eager to get back to eat.

After that, the two men didn’t dare utter another word.

Qin Ruqing casually swung them down, and they landed steadily.

She sat down between Lu Wei and Tang Zifeng, took the skewer of meat Tang Zifeng handed her, and only after taking a bite did she speak:

“Third Sister, one of these two tried to self-destruct his Golden Core, but I forcibly stopped him. His spiritual energy is somewhat chaotic; take a look. Oh, and there’s also a human we picked up from the battlefield with a faint breath left in the alchemy furnace.”

Lu Wei stood up, the hem of her light purple skirt brushing the ground as she walked toward the two men.

The tall, thin man quickly waved his hand, “It’s just a minor injury; a little meditation will fix it. There’s no need to trouble you.”

“How can it be called trouble when you two risk your lives collecting bodies on the battlefield?” Lu Wei’s tone was gentle, but her actions were firm and undeniable as she directed her medicinal aura into his body.

As expected, his internal energy was in disarray.

Without timely treatment, there was a risk of cultivation regression and instability.

Qin Ruqing quickly finished her skewer, gave Tang Zifeng an approving look, and said, “You just sit tight and let Third Sister treat you… Also, remember what I taught you: if you can’t win, run; if you can’t outrun them, beg for mercy; if begging doesn’t work, scream for help. And only when no one comes to save you should you consider self-destruction. Got it?”

The tall, thin corpse collector’s name was Qin Zhengyi.

He was a high-ranking guest recruited by the Qin family after they relocated to the Eastern Domain.

With Golden Core-level cultivation, he was loyal and dedicated, having even requested to be granted the Qin surname.

During this beast tide, he had taken on the dangerous task of collecting corpses on the battlefield.

Qin Zhengyi was receiving Lu Wei’s treatment when he heard Qin Ruqing’s words.

Instinctively, he nodded. “I… I’ve got it.”

Qin Ruqing narrowed her eyes, emphasizing, “Not a single step can be skipped!”

Qin Zhengyi was stunned.

Throughout history, fleeing soldiers were always feared, but the Qin family followed the creed: “If you can’t win, run, and if you can’t run, at least scream for help.” This was personally taught by the Sixth Elder herself.

Sensing Qin Ruqing’s seriousness, Qin Zhengyi straightened his back and responded loudly, “I will remember!”

Only then did Qin Ruqing nod in satisfaction.

Qirong, having devoured three skewers of meat by the time Qin Ruqing started eating, finally had time to ask, “Sister, what was the commotion in the forest just now?”

These two corpse collectors were both at the Golden Core level; Qin Zhengyi, in particular, was at mid-Golden Core stage.

They were merely clearing the battlefield, yet they were pushed to the point of nearly self-destructing.

Clearly, something abnormal had occurred in the forest earlier.

Qin Ruqing was fed two skewers of meat by Tang Zifeng, and just as her pace slowed down, it seemed she no longer wanted to eat.

Tang Zifeng’s eyes swept over her, and she began brushing honey onto the next skewer.

The first two skewers were seasoned with cumin, and the repeated flavor made Qin Ruqing lose interest.

But if it was changed to something sweet, she would eat more.

Seeing Tang Zifeng brush sweet sauce on the skewer, Qin Ruqing’s eyes lit up with a smile.

As she ate, she casually remarked, “Those two ran into a group of golden core-level insect beasts and got surrounded. If I hadn’t heard the commotion and rushed over, they really would have had to self-detonate their cores.”

“Golden core-level insect beasts!” The Qin family members nearby, either sharpening weapons or resting, all looked up in shock.

Lu Wei frowned, and even Tang Zifeng paused her cooking.

Cheng Yiming, who was walking over to report, hesitated in his steps for a moment before continuing forward.

“Based on the elder’s description, it seems that the level of the attacking insect beasts is rising,” Cheng Yiming said. “At the beginning of the southern ridge beast tide, the first wave was made up of low-level iron cavalry-type beasts. But as the attacks progressed, their levels rose, and the iron cavalry beasts were replaced by insect-type beasts. Insects are characterized by their overwhelming numbers, though high-level ones are rare. However, if the sixth elder’s assessment is accurate, the later waves may bring a large number of high-level insect beasts.”

This golden core-level insect group was an ominous sign.

Qin Ruqing finished the honey-brushed skewer and declined the next one Tang Zifeng offered, stating that she had eaten enough for the day.

Tang Zifeng didn’t argue, and simply ate the rejected skewer herself.

Qin Ruqing dusted her hands off, nodded toward Cheng Yiming, and said, “You’re right.”

Then she raised her voice so that everyone in the camp could hear, “The levels of the upcoming beast tides are likely to increase. Be prepared. Since this wave consists of insects, attacks are likely even during the night. Everyone needs to be on alert and maintain shifts.”

The crowd responded affirmatively, but their expressions were heavy.

There were questions they dared not ask.

The golden core-level beast tide was already at the limit of what they could handle.

Could it be that even higher-level demons—perhaps nascent soul or above—might appear?

If such high-level demons came in large numbers, no matter how hard they fought, they wouldn’t be able to hold the line.

Qin Ruqing squinted into the distance for a moment, sensing the worries of her people.

Suddenly, she said, “The beast tide won’t get any worse. The golden core level is the limit.”

Her tone was one of certainty.

At her words, the entire camp collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

They immediately believed her.

If the sixth elder said the golden core level was the highest, then it must be true.

While a golden core beast tide was still a great pressure to face, with Elder Qin Ruqing’s presence, along with Tang Zifeng’s mastery over weapons and Lu Wei’s expertise with medicinal powders, they could just barely manage to hold out.

As night fully descended, Qin Ruqing ordered the campfires extinguished, as the flames would attract the insect beasts.

Cultivators above the foundation establishment stage could gather spiritual energy into their eyes to see in the dark without the need for firelight.

As for those below that stage—Qin Ruqing hadn’t brought them along.

Given the high level of the beast tide this time, the Qin family had only brought their elite members, even though their numbers were few.

Cheng Yiming began directing the clan members to spread medicinal powder around the camp’s perimeter—powder that Lu Wei had specially concocted to repel insect beasts.

To humans, it was colorless and odorless, but to insects, it was like deadly poison.

There was also a higher-grade powder, meant to aid in combat, which each clan member carried with them.

Tang Zifeng inspected the camp’s protective formations and artifacts.

Meanwhile, Qin Ruqing stood atop the watchtower, gazing out into the distance.

Lu Wei stood beside her, the night breeze gently blowing a strand of her hair, which she tucked behind her ear.

“Qi Rong said eating the beast meat has improved his cultivation,” Lu Wei mentioned.

Qin Ruqing let out a soft, amused sound. “He’s certainly eaten a lot. Wasn’t he the one who refused at first and even threw up?”

“Do you think his cultivation increase is really related to the beast meat?” Lu Wei glanced sideways at Qin Ruqing.

“I don’t know.”

Lu Wei didn’t press further.

When Xiao Wu said she didn’t know, it didn’t mean she denied the possibility.

If Qin Ruqing wasn’t certain, she wouldn’t state anything as fact.

On the contrary, the fact that Qin Ruqing had encouraged the clan to eat the meat suggested it might indeed affect their cultivation.

This hinted at a more unsettling theory—if consuming beast meat could enhance human cultivation, then what about the reverse?

What if the beasts gained power from eating humans?

If this were true, the war would never end.

Once the barrier was broken, both sides would be locked in a cycle of mutual consumption.

Lu Wei’s pure eyes seemed to reflect her deep concern, but Qin Ruqing smiled slightly and suddenly said, “The consumption of strength is not equal.”

“I’ve sensed it over this period of time. If the war continues, in the end, it will be the human race that loses.”

“Why?” Lu Wei’s pupils shifted as she looked at Qin Ruqing.

“Our top-tier forces are evenly matched with the beasts,” Qin Ruqing said, placing her hand at forehead level. “If there was an imbalance, if the beasts had an overwhelming advantage, they would’ve already broken through and attacked—they wouldn’t have waited until now.”

She lowered her hand to chest level. “As for the middle tier, both sides have their advantages. It’s relatively balanced.”

Her hand continued downward. “But when it comes to the lower tiers…”

Qin Ruqing deliberately paused.

Lu Wei followed her thoughts, unconsciously finishing her sentence: “In the lower ranks, the beasts are even stronger. Their natural physique is so powerful that, even without cultivation, their claws and flesh alone can contend with low-level human cultivators.”

As Lu Wei spoke, she seemed to realize something, and she gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

Qin Ruqing nodded with a smile. “Yes, Third Sister, you’ve realized it too. The imbalance of power at the lower levels. The beast race doesn’t even need to initiate an upper-tier war; it just needs to drag us down. Slowly, they’ll wear down the lower-tier human forces. By then…”

There was no need to say the rest.

—By then, when the high-level experts grow old and perish, and the lower-level forces are endlessly exhausted, a generational gap will appear in the cultivation world.

At that point, it will be the time for the beasts to annihilate the humans.

“So, Third Sister, have you noticed? They’re now fighting a guerrilla war against us.”

Her gaze shifted to the dark forest ahead. “If they don’t launch an attack in the next two hours tonight, I’ll go check near the barrier gap myself.”

Wherever a beast tide occurred, there were large cracks in the barriers.

Lu Wei frowned. “Even if they don’t attack tonight, the closer you get to the barrier, the more beasts there will be. It’s dangerous.”

“I won’t fight them; I’m just going to take a look… I have a feeling I need to go.”

Lu Wei wanted to persuade her further, but a steady, deep voice came from behind, “I’ll go with you tonight.”

Qin Ruqing turned to see Tang Zifeng walking up the tower steps.

The tower’s light cast half of his face in shadow, highlighting his deep, chiseled features.

“My bell has a concealment function. We can hide inside it, and Lu Wei can coat the bell’s surface with powder to mask our scent from the beasts. We’ll cloak our presence and just take a look at the barrier. There shouldn’t be any problem.”

Lu Wei pondered.

Qin Ruqing looked at Tang Zifeng and smiled.

Late at night, the Qin clan, along with allied family members stationed at other defense lines, remained highly vigilant.

But as two hours passed, the forest emitted only occasional beastly roars and bird calls, with no signs of a beast tide.

“It seems they won’t launch an attack tonight.”

“Strange, it’s been four days since their last attack. They strike sporadically, keeping us on edge.”

The clan members on night watch muttered in boredom, unaware of the black bell rising silently above the camp and speeding toward the depths of the forest.

The barrier gap in the southern forest.

Countless massive shadows lay sprawled on the ground.

Some had scarlet eyes open, others glowed green in the night, and some were quietly asleep.

But only half of the beasts were sleeping; the other half were quite active, emitting rhythmic, eerie low growls, eating, or fighting each other.

The black bell swept over the beasts, capturing their every movement.

Inside the bell, Qin Ruqing’s eyes glowed with a misty golden hue, as if peering through the bell’s surface. “As expected, they’re still energized at night, even after so many days, yet they haven’t launched another attack.”

“Then the Golden Core-level insect beasts we saw during the day…” Tang Zifeng said.

“Small-scale surprise attacks are also a tactic.” Qin Ruqing’s gaze landed on a particular spot.

She tilted her head and said calmly, “We’ve arrived.”

The black bell halted at a pitch-black space rift, as if it could swallow people and exhale gusts of wind.

Around the rift lay many great demons, each staking out a piece of territory, maintaining a cautious distance from each other.

Each great demon had cultivation no lower than the Nascent Soul level.

Tang Zifeng cast a concealment spell inside the bell, expanding the cloaking barrier to its maximum.

Meanwhile, Qin Ruqing’s figure, like a shadow, slowly merged outside the bell.

Standing on top of the bell, Qin Ruqing looked down at the slumbering great demons below.

She felt a strange energy emanating from the barrier gap—it resembled a spatial fluctuation, but was not merely that.

A sudden, inexplicable thought arose in her mind—she could try to enter.

The moment she realized this, Qin Ruqing startled even herself.

Enter?

Enter where?

Could it be urging her to pass through the barrier and venture into the beast realm?

With so many beast soldiers outside, wouldn’t she be torn apart the moment she stepped inside?!