「One month later.」
Beneath the moonlit night sky, brilliant starlight scattered across the boundless grasslands.
On the grasslands, the Ten Thousand Birds Silver Tribe was bustling with excitement.
They were in the midst of a grand bonfire feast.
Dancing people, soaring birds, blazing firelight, and laughing faces...
Though it was a chilly night, the revelry was even louder than it was during the day.
The Ten Thousand Birds Silver Tribe had held this bonfire feast specifically for the Cultivators participating in the Flying Fish Cloud Sea Hunting.
The Cultivators who came for the hunt were either young prodigies like Fang Yang or experts who had been renowned for years.
KRR... KRR...
The strenuous sound of a knife cutting meat rang out.
The source of the sound was a young woman kneeling beside Fang Yang, using a small knife to carve a piece of roasted meat.
The young woman's name was Lu Yao. She wore the distinctive leather robe of the Ten Thousand Birds Tribe—a long-sleeved, blue-and-white garment with green-embroidered edges that gave her a free-spirited and romantic air.
A white sash was tied at her waist. Small flowers were woven into her long, thick, black hair, and she wore white leather boots.
Her skin was a healthy, sun-kissed tan with a reddish undertone—a complexion unique to the grassland tribes.
Her figure was graceful and athletic, like a lovely, full-bodied sika deer.
SKREEE, SKREEE...
The White Feathered Eagle let out a sharp cry, flapping its wings impatiently and stirring up a breeze, urging Lu Yao to hurry.
The Ten Thousand Birds Silver Tribe had clearly put a great deal of thought into this bonfire feast.
The fact that all the roasted meat being served was from Fierce Beasts was proof enough of how highly they regarded their guests.
The more the White Feathered Eagle pressed, the more flustered Lu Yao became, cold sweat beading on her smooth forehead.
"Stop," Fang Yang said simply.
In that instant, Lu Yao's body went rigid. Her eyes welled with tears as she became terrified that she had angered Fang Yang.
As the only Tier One young prodigy participating in the Flying Fish Cloud Sea Hunting, and given his background from the Golden Clan, anyone could tell Fang Yang was someone extraordinary.
And a young woman as beautiful and full of youthful vitality as Lu Yao was a rare sight, even within the Ten Thousand Birds Silver Tribe.
Having Lu Yao assigned to serve Fang Yang was, in fact, driven by certain unspoken intentions.
So, Lu Yao was terrified of displeasing him.
But in the next moment, Lu Yao breathed a sigh of relief.
Fang Yang had simply picked up the piece of meat and tossed it directly to the White Feathered Eagle.
But Fang Yang wasn't paying much attention to either Lu Yao or his eagle.
His gaze was fixed on the other Hunters and their avian beasts.
'Chen Yuan, Tier Two High-Grade. Her partner is a Tier Two Snow Swallow.'
'Hong Qishang, Tier Two Peak. His partner is a Tier Two Bee Mother.'
'...'
'And then there's Desert Tiger. Tier Three Elementary. His partner is a Flying Tiger!'
Fang Yang's gaze swept quickly over the powerful Hunters before finally landing on Desert Tiger.
Desert Tiger was lanky, with a piercing gaze.
Lying before him was his Flying Tiger, a massive black beast that exuded a powerful, intimidating aura.
The *biao* was a creature synonymous with immense power—it was said one was worth three tigers. And this one was a Flying Tiger.
Without a doubt, Desert Tiger was the most powerful Bird and Beast Tamer among the Hunters.
Desert Tiger also had another identity: he was the younger brother of Desert Dragon.
Desert Dragon was one of the four great generals under the Dao Seed Sen Yue, ranked among the top five on the merit list, renowned for his extraordinary combat prowess.
In truth, the hospitality Fang Yang had received was already considered top-tier.
But his reception paled in comparison to the one Desert Tiger was enjoying.
As time went on, the night grew deeper.
The Hunters began to take their leave, one by one, and returned to their tents.
"M-my lord, please let me serve you."
Lu Yao followed closely behind Fang Yang into his tent.
Her voice trembled under his scrutinizing gaze. "I... I still possess my Primordial Yin Body... I... I hope my lord will be gentle..."
'A world of rigid hierarchies... this brutally cold reality is a little unsettling,' Fang Yang realized.
Because for a fleeting moment, the *Yin-Yang Harvesting Art*, a technique passed down by his ancestors, flashed through his mind.
But ultimately, he refused her.
It wasn't that he was acting pure; he simply needed to preserve his Primordial Yang.
For a young prodigy like him, who had only just embarked on the path of cultivation, the consequences of losing his Primordial Yang would be especially severe.
Putting everything else aside, he would, at the very least, lose significant favor with the elders of the Fang Clan.
The *Yin-Yang Harvesting Art* was not his true path, anyway.
...
"Chen Yuan refused... Hong Qishang refused..."
Inside the main tent of the Ten Thousand Birds Silver Tribe's Clan Leader.
An old man was reporting on the Hunters to the Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader, gauging their dispositions.
The Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader mulled it over before asking, "What about Desert Tiger and Fang Yang?"
"Desert Tiger took eight women tonight. He was like a starving beast, completely without restraint," the old man replied.
Hearing this, the Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader's opinion of Desert Tiger plummeted.
'They were just a group of lowly slave women. For Desert Tiger to indulge himself with them, one after another... he must have been truly desperate.'
"'Fang Yang refused Lu Yao,' the old man continued, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. 'He completely ignored her pleas. This matches the intelligence we've gathered on him—he's exceptionally proud.'"
Lu Yao wasn't actually a member of the Ten Thousand Birds Silver Tribe. Her origins were rather unique.
Her mother was the current Clan Leader's own sister!
Unfortunately, once the Xuan-Yu War began, no one outside the eight great Golden Clans, who could maintain their detached status, was safe from being swept into the merciless conflict.
In this ruthless war, the Cyan Deer Tribe, to which Lu Yao belonged, had been annihilated a year ago. As a result, Lu Yao was forced into the life of a high-value "slave."
Ultimately, it was the Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader who, after much effort, managed to find Lu Yao and bring her under his protection.
For Lu Yao, this assignment to serve Fang Yang was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
"Immensely proud, with an unshakable Dao heart. Fang Yang truly has the makings of a Saint. A young prodigy of the rarest kind."
The Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader let out a faint sigh, his tone laced with both regret and relief.
As for why he felt both, perhaps only he knew the reason.
The old man standing at his side, at least, showed no sign of understanding.
The rest of the night passed in silence.
...
As a general rule, Cultivators at Tier Six or higher do not personally participate in mortal conflicts.
Compared to them, Cultivators from Tier One to Tier Five are as weak as ants.
If they were to enter the fray, the devastation to the mortal world would be catastrophic!
The Tier Six realm marks the chasm between mortal and divine.
For instance, in the Xuan-Yu War currently sweeping across the entire Xuan Region, not a single trace of a Tier Six Great Cultivator can be found.
Thus, Cultivators at Tier Six and above are also known as—Saints!
However, the path of cultivation is a continuous progression. Cultivators from Tier One to Tier Five cultivate what is known as the Mortal Acupoint. Cultivators from Tier Six to Tier Nine, on the other hand, cultivate the Immortal Acupoint.
The Immortal Acupoint is a qualitative evolution from the Mortal Acupoint, equivalent to opening up an entirely new personal world.
The Immortal Acupoints of Tier Six and Tier Seven Saints are often called "Blessed Lands."
Those of Tier Eight and Tier Nine Saints are known as "Grotto Heavens."
Each Immortal Acupoint is unique, an intrinsic part of the Saint's very body.
In addition to the grade of one's forged Sacred Body, which represents a Saint's potential to a certain degree, the grade of their Blessed Land is an equally significant constraint!
And the Ten Thousand Birds Blessed Land was precisely the Immortal Acupoint of a Tier Six Saint!
RUMBLE—
A violent roar erupted, and the ground began to shake.
Countless streams of worldly energy swirled like a tempest, surging forward to form a massive curtain of light.
Chen Yuan, Hong Qishang, Desert Tiger, Fang Yang, and the other Hunters stood apart from one another, silently waiting for the Blessed Land to open.
Gradually, the great curtain of light unfurled, forming a portal.
The Ten Thousand Birds Race Leader held a Token, using it to connect with the Blessed Land.
"My lord, the Ten Thousand Birds Blessed Land contains many wondrous realms, such as the Flying Fish Cloud Sea, the Cyan Crane Pine Forest, and the Griffin Mountain Range."
Lu Yao flashed Fang Yang a sweet smile. "Even in the entire Xuan Region, the Ten Thousand Birds Blessed Land is considered a major cultivation ground by Bird and Beast Tamers. It's even said to rival the once-glorious Carp Eagle Blessed Land!"
"Hm?" Fang Yang's gaze turned sharp and cold, his killing intent flaring.
In that single instant, a chill shot through Lu Yao's body, and her limbs went stiff.
The Carp Eagle Blessed Land was a taboo subject for the Fang Clan—a source of regret that had lasted for over two hundred years...