Outside the Hundred Thousand Mountains, a hundred miles away, the cultivators had temporarily settled.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the towering ancient tree within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and many felt a sense of reverence.
It was a reverence for power.
A reverence for the unknown!
The scene of the ancient tree instantly killing the Golden Jade Sculpture and devouring the herd of beasts was still vivid in their minds.
It was imprinted like a nightmare, hard to erase.
The overwhelming power of the ancient tree had made many cultivators lose any thought of resistance.
On a mountaintop, Grand Commander Gu Fang and the other cultivators stood, all eyes directed towards the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
After a long while, Gu Fang sighed deeply, his voice filled with helplessness.
"The power of this ancient tree is truly terrifying. Even that third-tier peak demonic beast was no match for it."
"If it leaves the Hundred Thousand Mountains, we will face a great calamity!"
A demonic beast at the peak of the third tier could be easily slain, and now, after devouring it, the ancient tree's cultivation had evidently advanced further.
Although Gu Fang could not perceive the ancient tree's exact cultivation level, his keen spiritual senses could detect a threat of death emanating from it.
He was certain that if he faced the ancient tree in battle, there would be no chance of survival.
Such cultivation placed the ancient tree among the top existences in the current world of demonic beasts.
At this moment, Gu Fang had already classified Lu Qingyang as a demonic beast.
After all, in his view, anything not human was no different from a demonic beast.
Yang You, hearing this, gazed at the towering ancient tree with a sense of awe and couldn't help but speak.
"Commander, perhaps the ancient tree is different from those demonic beasts. After all, when it attacked earlier, it didn't harm us; it only targeted the demonic beasts."
"If the ancient tree bears no malice towards humans, why not attempt to communicate with it and see if we can bring it into our human alliance..."
Yang You's words caused some of the cultivators present to have mixed expressions.
Gu Fang took a deep look at him and said solemnly.
"Those who are not of our race are sure to be different at heart. Though it didn't harm us, it could still pose a threat to humanity."
"Moreover, this is the heartland of our alliance. If a being more terrifying than a third-tier peak demonic beast rampages, you know the devastation it could cause."
Yang You didn't fully agree.
"However, we haven't found a way to deal with the ancient tree. You saw the power of the Golden Jade Sculpture yourself, Commander."
"We gave our all and still couldn't match that Golden Jade Sculpture, but the ancient tree killed it effortlessly."
"Now that the ancient tree's cultivation has increased, our Ninth Alliance alone can't match it. Even if we mobilize strong cultivators from other alliances, our chances of success are slim."
Gu Fang replied calmly.
"I understand what you're saying. For now, we will remain still. Send people to closely monitor the periphery of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. No one is to enter without my permission."
"If the ancient tree shows any abnormal behavior, report to me immediately."
"This task falls to you, Yang You. Remember, this is a military order and must not be defied!"
At the mention of a military order, Yang You's previously lax demeanor turned solemn.
"Yes, sir!"
"Now that the blood rain has stopped, demonic beasts everywhere will surely have breakthroughs. Even a slight misstep could trigger a large-scale demonic beast tide."
"The stability of the human alliance must not be overturned at this moment. I will lead the remaining forces of the Ninth Alliance to support the other alliances and resist the demonic beasts to the best of our abilities."
Shortly after, the sound of a communication artifact rang out. Gu Fang took it out calmly and connected the call in front of everyone.
Moments later, Gu Fang ended the call, his expression turning extremely grave.
"I've just received the latest intelligence. A demonic beast tide has erupted along the eastern coast, led by a sea beast that has broken through to the fourth tier. It is leading the demonic beasts to attack the land, and the Fifth Alliance is currently making all efforts to resist the tide."
"At the same time, a monstrous wave has surged in the Pacific Ocean. According to cultivators' observations, this wave was caused by several sea beasts breaking through to the fourth tier."
"These fourth-tier beasts are also launching a tide, targeting the alliance. Judging by their route, they aim at the Third, Fifth, and Seventeenth Alliances."
This statement caused an uproar.
The emergence of fourth-tier demonic beasts was the worst of all possible news.
No one had anticipated that fourth-tier demonic beasts would appear so suddenly and in more than just one instance.
As Gu Fang had predicted, the demonic beast tide had erupted.
Everyone who heard this news looked extremely grim.
A third-tier peak demonic beast was already enough to overwhelm them, nearly wiping them out.
Now, with fourth-tier demonic beasts appearing, and not just one, such a large-scale demonic beast tide posed a severe challenge to the human alliance's ability to withstand it.
Gu Fang, seeing everyone's expressions, said in a deep voice.
"Fear is useless now. The situation has reached this point; all we can do is give our all."
"Fifteen years ago, the blood rain descended, and the demonic beasts' sudden attack caught humanity off guard. Even so, we formed an alliance in that critical moment, stabilizing the chaotic situation."
"Now, with the second blood rain, the human alliance is prepared. Even if the fourth-tier demonic beasts are powerful, destroying the alliance completely won't be easy."
"Let's hope so."
A middle-aged cultivator sighed, and the expressions of the others were similarly heavy.
They were not naïve; a few words from Gu Fang wouldn't make them believe the demonic beast tide was not a threat.
But as Gu Fang said, the situation had reached a point where humanity could only give their all. If they couldn't withstand the tide, they would face extinction.
As the demonic beast tide surged,
The human alliance faced unprecedented challenges.
Gu Fang did not linger. He left Yang You in charge and led the remaining cultivators to support other areas.
Yang You watched the Hundred Thousand Mountains and the towering ancient tree.
He still felt a strong urge to enter and try to communicate.
But remembering Gu Fang's military order, Yang You suppressed his impulse.
Before the military order,
He could not defy it.
...
"Demonic beast tide incoming!"
"Fourth-tier demonic beasts appearing!"
"Human cultivator alliance... interesting!"
Within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, Lu Qingyang's state of mind rippled slightly.
While further exploring the power of incense,
He discovered he could observe the world through the perspectives of his believers.
Thus, the conversations of Gu Fang and the others were clearly seen through Yang You's perspective.
From their discussions, Lu Qingyang gained a deeper understanding of the cultivators in this world.