The Fifth Elder’s intentions were clear; he saw through the Qin family’s strategy but remained unconcerned.

He was only interested in whether there was indeed an anomaly in the jungle and why it occurred.

“If this journey south reveals a problem in the jungle, then the Qin family will not only be blameless but also greatly credited.”

The Fifth Elder waited for a response but turned to glance at the man in Blue, noting his slightly disgruntled expression. “You seem dissatisfied?”

The Young Man nodded honestly, his demeanor serious. “For a family like the Qin’s, barely reaching the Entry-level, to dare play tricks before an Celestial Bureau shows no respect.”

The Fifth Elder chuckled lightly, thinking the young man saw the world in overly simplistic terms due to his youth.

He calmly replied, “Why wouldn’t they dare? Small families won’t always remain small, just as prominent families won’t always stay prominent.”

He continued, “Besides… with that little girl from the Qin family, they’re likely to become more than just a small family very soon.”

The young man was puzzled by this statement. “Does that child from the Qin family possess something extraordinary? Why did you instruct me to deliver such a generous gift?”

Typically, such a junior would receive a modest token, perhaps a scarce cultivation resource.

But a Four-Leaf Spirit Ganoderma? Entry-level families would vie fiercely for such a gift.

The Elder shook his head. “I’m no deity; how could I discern her extraordinary nature at a glance? It’s just… evident.”

The young man was curious, but the Fifth Elder didn’t elaborate further.

He saw that child, surrounded by surging spiritual energy, naturally operating within her, looking harmless but like a small, vigorous beast.

This divine appearance reminded the Fifth Elder of the Celestial Bureau, Innate Perfection – Ancient Primordial Dao Physique.

However, such a realm was pursued only by elites from some ancient families in the previous era; in this era, few could achieve it.

It was unexpected to encounter such a phenomenon in a small place like the Nanling Mountains.

Thus, a small gesture of goodwill seemed appropriate.

…

Due to these reasons, the Elder of the Celestial Bureau was able to arrive promptly.

Watching the Elder’s departing figure, Qin Deming tapped his daughter’s arm.

“Did you receive the herb from the Elder of Celestial Bureau?”

Qin Ruqing mouthed silently, “Yes, he passed it to me.”

Qin Deming breathed a sigh of relief.

With the herb in hand, the rest was trivial—a simple task accompanying the Celestial Bureau’s Fifth Elder around the perimeter of the jungle, introducing him to the situation and investigating the cause of the anomaly in the jungle.

That would be all.

Qin Ruqing and her companions followed the trail of the Fifth Elder Ahead, the Fifth Elder was facing two Golden Core stage beasts.

The Fifth Elder did not emit a strong aura; he casually hovered in mid-air, looking at the two intimidating beasts.

With a wave of his dust-sweeping tool, a golden light flashed, and a barrier appeared in front of the beasts, preventing them from passing through.

The Wolf King, following behind, first noticed the golden light and immediately halted.

The Cold-Flame tiger, focused on finding the Ice-Fire Dual Grass and not looking ahead, bumped straight into the barrier, grimacing in pain.

“The beasts are not to step beyond the jungle’s boundary. Why fight on the outskirts and stir up trouble?”

The Great tiger, hot-tempered and used to dominance, saw a human blocking its path and immediately spoke, “Who are you to dare block this king’s path?”

“The Elder of the Nanling Celestial Bureau .” The Fifth Elder leaned his dust-sweeping tool against his arm, casually responding.

“The Elder of Celestial Bureau !” The Cold -Flame Tiger Beast first muttered these words before its pupils contracted.

Its whiskers bristled, and its entire demeanor tensed as if a volcano about to erupt.

The next moment, it exploded. “Fifth scoundrel, you killed my companion!”

The Fifth Elder’s expression remained calm, even murmuring, “Are you referring to the Cold Flame Beast I subdued and killed after it caused chaos on the Luoxia Peak during the last beast tide?”

This indifferent tone ignited the Great tiger further.

A fearless and decisive beast, it immediately roared, spraying a golden flame towards the Fifth Elder.

With a sweep of his dust-sweeping tool, the Fifth Chief deflected the golden flame, shattering the barrier.

From a distance, Qin Ruqing watched the situation with her divine sense and exclaimed softly, “Wow, this Cold Flame Beast holds grudges. It still remembers that the Fifth Elder killed its companion.”

Qin Deming, observing the Golden Core stage battle, found it both thrilling and impressive.

He didn’t forget to explain to his daughter, “Animals also hold grudges; it’s normal. I’ve heard that some beasts from the previous beast tide hold grudges against humans and deliberately climb out of the passage next time.”

Qin Ruqing clicked her tongue twice, observing how the large tiger, knowing it couldn’t defeat the Fifth Elder, still chose to charge ahead, risking severe injury.

Initially reluctant to engage with it, the Fifth Elder seemed to have been provoked and unexpectedly summoned a bowl-shaped artifact.

The bowl-shaped artifact expanded dramatically, eventually enveloping the Great tiger, calming the situation.

Qin Ruqing was amazed, “Wow, it was captured just like that? Why does it seem so effortless for the Elder of Celestial Bureau to deal with this Cold-Flame Tiger Beast?”

The difference in strength between two Golden Core stage beings shouldn’t be this vast, right?

Qin Deming watched as the Cold Flame Beast was subdued, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes.

He sneered, “The cultivation of the Fifth Elder is not something that these two barely Golden Core stage beasts can compare to.”

“The Fifth Elder is at Peak Golden Core Stage Cultivator.”

It sounded quite profound.

Qin Ruqing made up her mind to ask the Ancestor later about the divisions within the Golden Core realm.

The Fifth Elder, having subdued the cold-fire tiger, then turned his gaze towards the three-eyed Wolf King beside it. It seemed to be intimidated by the Fifth Elder’s actions, not daring to move. It remained on all fours, and if one ignored its three enormous green eyes, it almost resembled a restrained beast.

“There should only be one Golden Core stage Cold Flame Beast around the periphery of the jungle. Where did you come from?”

The Celestial Bureau naturally had a deep understanding of the primitive jungle closely related to the beast tide.

This Cold Flame Beast captured in the bowl was paired with the one that had caused trouble for the Qin Family’s Ancestor Wenxuan and had been killed by the Fifth Elder after the beast tide.

This Cold Flame Beast arrived late during the previous beast tide, almost ending as it emerged from the passage, and stubbornly refused to return after learning of its companion’s death.

It had been lingering on the outskirts of the primitive jungle, waiting for an opportunity.

At that time, the beast tide had already subsided, and the Celestial Bureau couldn’t casually kill high-level monsters, so they detained it on the outskirts of the jungle and let it become the king there.

Therefore, there was only this one Golden Core stage monster on the outskirts of the jungle, and the Celestial Bureau had always been aware of it.

Now, suddenly, there was also a three-eyed Wolf King, which didn’t match the numbers.

At this moment, the Wolf King, upon hearing the Fifth Elder’s inquiry, hesitated at first and didn’t want to tell the truth.

The Fifth Elder glanced at it indifferently and said, “Do you want to join this Cold Flame Beast in the bowl?”

The black fur of the Wolf King trembled, and it finally tremblingly confessed, “There is a crack in the barrier between the beast realm and the human realm, facing that direction of the primitive jungle. I came out through that crack.”

Under the severe gaze of the Fifth Elder, it emphasized, “I wasn’t the only beast that came out at that time. There were at least three Golden Core stage monsters outside the perimeter of the jungle.”

The Fifth Elder’s eyes narrowed.

The fact that a crack had appeared in the protective barrier of the primitive jungle, through which a large number of monsters had emerged, was alarming!

Thankfully, they had listened to the Qin Family’s information and come to investigate the jungle.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have known that the situation in the southern jungle had become so serious.

How serious was it? It was serious enough that even the Fifth Elder felt a chill in his heart and needed to report to the Celestial Bureau Headquarters, awaiting their instructions.

The Nanling Celestial Bureau alone couldn’t handle such a situation.

“Where is this crack in the barrier?” The Fifth Elder’s voice rang out angrily.

The Wolf King was so frightened by this shout that it tucked its tail and whimpered, “If the Elder needs it, I will lead the Elder there. I only ask the Elder to spare my life.”

The Fifth Elder calmly replied, “I think you need to be put in the bowl to calm down.”

The Wolf King was shocked

Raising his head, he exclaimed, “Immortal Elder, please don’t!”

The little fox was locked up.

What would happen to it now?

The Fifth Bureau Elder didn’t want to waste time on this trivial matter. “We’ll keep you detained for a few days. Once we sort out the issues in the dense forest, then we’ll release you.”

Before the Wolf King could react, a giant bowl suddenly moved, emitting a flash of golden light, and the Wolf King was also captured and taken inside.

Watching from afar, Qin Ruqing’s eyes sparkled.

That magical instrument was powerful indeed; it could capture mythical beasts in an instant.

And now, it had captured two demon beasts.

Would the Great tiger and the Wolf King meet inside? Would they have separate rooms or share a big bed?

Qin Ruqing nudged her father excitedly. “Dad, it’s your turn now.”

Her father looked bewildered.

Qin Ruqing gestured towards the direction of the Fifth Elder. “Didn’t you hear what the Wolf King said earlier? There’s a breach in the southern forest passage. The Fifth Elder must be thinking of ways to seal it off… But this isn’t something that can be fixed easily. He’ll probably report it to higher-ups and wait for them to come down and seal it. It’ll take time. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have captured the Wolf King, fearing it might escape.”

Qin Deming and Qin Dexin exchanged a glance, seeing both shock and confusion in each other’s eyes.

Could so much be inferred from just a short conversation?

Qin Dexin’s eyes flickered as she began to understand. “Are you saying that the Fifth Elder needs to calm the chaos in the forest and needs our Qin family’s help?”

Qin Ruqing smiled knowingly. “If the forest passages are breached, many demon beasts could escape. The Fifth Bureau Elder must be troubled now, trying to count how many have escaped and capture them to put them back.”

“Although the Celestial Bureau is powerful, they have their limits. There aren’t enough people at times like this. Isn’t it time for the Qin family to step forward?”

With that, she pushed her father forward. “Dad, show them the authority of our clan. Charge ahead!”

Qin Deming stepped forward as requested. He approached the Fifth Elder and bowed respectfully, getting straight to the point. “Fifth Elder, we understand you’re troubled by the breach in the forest passage and the escape of demon beasts. If you don’t mind, the Qin family is willing to offer whatever help we can.”

He was right;

the Fifth Elder was indeed troubled.

People below often saw their superiors as unapproachable, unaware of their own concerns.

For instance, the current Celestial Bureau Elder was troubled now.

If he mishandled this situation, he might face punishment, or worse, lose his position.

Outsiders only saw the glory of the Celestial Families without knowing the fierce internal competition within such a vast family branch.

As the Elder of this small region in the South Ridge, he wielded significant local power, making his position highly coveted.

Therefore, the Fifth Elder naturally wanted to avoid dismissal.

His immediate priority was to capture the escaped Demon Beast before reinforcements arrived to seal the breach.

If successful, it would greatly reduce the severity of any punishment he might face.

But such a major lapse under the Celestial Bureau’s supervision needed to be kept quiet.

With the Qin family offering help, the Fifth Elder gladly accepted.

Qin Deming noticed the deep furrow in the Fifth Elder’s brow, indicating his endless worries, so he took the initiative to ask, “Are you troubled by how to capture the escaped Demon beasts?”

The Fifth Elder nodded. “The beasts are scattered and elusive. If only there were a way to gather them…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a figure suddenly appeared in their midst.

With captivating almond-shaped eyes and fair, slender stature that appeared around fifteen or sixteen years old, she had an unforgettable presence.

Though her features were still youthful, there was already an enchanting quality about her, likely to mature into a truly extraordinary celestial maiden in a few years.

Of course, the Fifth Elder recognized her; she was the young girl that Ancestor Wenxuan had specifically brought to his attention.

However, what struck the Fifth Elder most wasn’t her appearance but her aura, akin to a formidable little beast.

Now, this formidable little beast extended her hand, palm up, holding a transparent crystal bottle with a faintly shimmering red liquid sloshing inside.

With a radiant smile, she turned to him and said, “Elder, take a look. This might be useful.”