The teleportation formation began flashing. A clear indication that it connected to another one. And indeed, not more than a few breaths passed as the flashing turned into a radiant light.

"Grah! It's good to be back, isn't it?" Two figures only began materializing in the light of the formation, and one of them already had bellowed.

"Calm yourself. You are not a cub." The other reacted right away.

"Hah! Says the one that yielded to a member of the [Cold Sea] pack's litter!" By the moment the first voice responded, the light of the formation was about to dim, allowing to see the speakers.

"Grrr!" A young-looking, short-statured, fire-tiger Beastman growled before challenging the other Beastman to a fight with an offensive gesture.

"Huh, you want to fight? Good! Let me teach you some manners, you unclawed kitten!" The other Beastman, taller and burlier but of the same race, instantly dropped into a low stance while releasing his claws.

And probably both would have fought, if not for the formation activating again.

"It will have to wait for later, Hongse. The others are here!" The one that had challenged remarked. And then quickly moved away from the stone platform to which they had teleported.

"Don't think that you will be able to avoid it when we get back to the camp, Chihong!" Hongse roared before following suit.

The formation glimmered again. But this time, the radiance enveloped not only the stone platform but also the entire clearing around.

And as it dispersed, dozens of Beastmen could be seen filling up the entire platform. In front of them, an impressive-looking fire-tiger stood. Ten feet tall, he towered over all of the other Beastmen, and the fur on his bare chest was so red that it appeared to be alight.

"Go, time to make our return!" He exclaimed and waved his left arm, motioning for everyone to move out.

***

Huo Laohu was in a good mood. Although the battle event at the [Slithering Pool] wasn't significant for the power hierarchy of the region, the result this year guaranteed his current mood.

He had brought 53 Beastmen with himself, and he returned with 59, with all the six traditional guests without camp choosing his. For any pack leader, it was already a glorious achievement. After all, that meant that his young generation and new members had been considered the strongest, bravest, and most promising. And Huo Laohu could not help but agree as he observed the 42 younglings moving in front, as the victors of the single combats should. Only four of the 46 had lost, and he could not blame either.

As for the remaining seven, they were additions to his camp since the previous battle meet. Three of them had been guests themselves at the event and now showed that this year wasn't for naught, winning their combats as well. They walked parallel to Huo Laohu, again, as tradition dictated.

Huo Laohu's thoughts turned to the other four.

Two members of the [Grey Singlehorn] race walked at the rear. They had asked for Xi Cui's help after their camp was destroyed in a Demon Beast tide six months ago. And Huo Laohu agreed to the Elder's petition to take them in. They had lost the single combats, and during the pack one, they showed a lackluster performance as well.

But Huo Laouhu immediately forgot about the two as his gaze landed on the other pair of new additions right in front of him.

Zhua had arrived a couple of months ago. She was a distant relative of Heise Zhao, so Huo Laohu accepted her without much questioning. But different from the previous pair, she proved herself as one of the best fighters that Huo Laohu had seen. Her single bout opponent was an entire realm over her, and she still won in five exchanges.

And then there was Kass Shaa'r. Huo Laohu had himself observed Kass Shaa'r for a few months already. But he had never suspected that the otherwise tranquil man-lizard was such an experienced, savage, and at the same time frightening fighter. He did know about the training, fights, and other things that the man-lizard had experienced along with his human friend, but still. His looks, origin, and the interest of the [Feathered Snake] had brought Kass Shaa'r several challenge requests.

"And he accepted them all, not failing to win even a single one of the 19 bouts even while injured." Huo Laouhu unconsciously whispered as his gaze rested on the green-scaled man-lizard, examining the dozens of fresh scars that covered him.

***

Occupied by such thoughts, Huo Laohu did not notice that they had already arrived at the camp. He returned to reality only as the cheering and shouting entered his ears.

He lightly shook his head. And then, looking at the hundreds of man-beasts and beasts that had surrounded their group, he announced, "My, no, our camp has obtained the first place!"

___________________________________________________________________

A couple of hours later. Huo Laohu's tent.

Whatever may have been the result, the young and new were always welcomed back from the [Slithering Pool]. But coupled with such amazing results, it was obvious that the welcoming had turned into a true feast.

Huo Laohu did remain how much he had to. But after that, he gestured the elders, and the five followed him into his tent.

"Judging from the prepared feast, there is nothing urgent to take care of?" Sitting down on a luxurious rug, one of the many exotic items that filled the tent, Huo Laouhu asked in confirmation as his aura covered the tent to avoid anyone from listening. It wasn't that he feared to be, but some matters could require delicacy.

***

"The swarm, a mysterious being that controlled Demon Beasts, and a human guest? And you thought nothing of that guaranteed urgency?!" Huo Laohu roared, and even the stronger snake-elder flinched as his aura flared.

However high their position in the pack was, it did not mean anything before the [Fire Tiger of the North], the strongest chief of the [Feathered Snake] man-beast king. They also knew that he would calm down quickly, as Huo Laohu never allowed himself to forget to ask for all the details. Thus, the elders maintained their silence, though not daring to look up.

"Grrr! You know me well and only told a bit of what happened to avoid my initial fury. But you are mistaken if you think that I will not bite your heads off if I don't like what I hear!" He growled before calming his aura and motioning towards the Beast elder, "Pifu, you were here to maintain the balance and calm of the pack while I was away. Speak."

***

Snakes can not sweat - it is an indisputable truth.

But as the enormous, milk-colored snake related the details of all the events, it was as if she was sweating. Huo Laohu did not interrupt her even once, and his aura had not flared either, but his gaze! His gaze was enough to make Pifu, a 9th level Saint Beast, a snake, sweat!

And when a few moments after she finished, Huo Laohu asked calmly and quietly, the other four elders shuddered as well.

"A human guest was left to fend off the swarm and then sent against an opponent that even our best hunter failed to hunt. Am I right?"

"..."

"What is the identity of the human? It seems that you are still hiding something from me." Huo Laohu did not raise his voice, but it was apparent that he was close to exploding again.

"...Wu Guang, the human that you met while inviting Kass Shaa'r." Xiaoshan Mao answered after noticing that no one else did.

"Curse your ancestors! Did you five go senile at the same time?!" And indeed, Huo Laohu exploded. And this time, it was clear he would not calm down for long.

***

After roaring and growling, barely holding himself from actually biting someone's head off, Huo Laohu calmed himself. And then asked about every detail about Chen Guang's, or better said Wu Guang's stay, threatening to pounce on the next Elder that omitted something.

A long talk, and one that finalized with Xiaoshan Mao revealing how they had saved his life.

___________________________________________________________________

Several hours later. Near the [Neverending Snow Waterfall].

Taking only Kass Shaa'r and Xiaoshan Mao along, Huo Laohu left the camp close to midnight. Rushing at full speed, and slightly smiling that the man-lizard was showing an impossible one, Huo Laohu only wished that the human had not done something stupid. For example, trying to penetrate the protection of the Ancestral Totems.

"What the..." Both the elder and Huo Laouhu exclaimed as they approached and saw the totems around the ravine. A question immediately followed in both of their minds. The [Eternal Snowflakes], the cloud of small white flowers, could not disappear without someone forcibly breaking the illusion. But it was set up by one of the Exalted man-beast kings, so how could a Sage-realm human even hope to approach it?!

Kass Shaa'r had no idea about why the two Beastmen were so shocked as they approached a ravine surrounded by dozens and dozens of totems, but he did not care either. Traces of Wu Guang, no, Bai Qi's aura lingered all around.

And as soon as Huo Laohuo touched one of the totems, and it illuminated in both blue and golden hues, Kass Shaa'r rushed towards the only descent in view.

"Wait! There are traps as well. Only we can pass without harm!" The [Mist Cat] elder shouted to him, but Kass Shaa'r did not stop.

Huo Laohu acted simpler, sending his aura and enveloping Kass Shaa'r with it. And with him being one of the few that was bound both to the totems and to the true core of the formation, it was enough to guarantee the man-lizard's safeness.

"Let's go as well. If the human managed to enter, we need to find how."

***

At the bottom of the, there was a small pond. A waterfall ended its fall while releasing myriads of flowers that floated around the ravine.

A truly beautiful place, and one that also contained the purest and most concentrated natural qi for thousands of miles around.

But neither Kass Shaa'r nor the two Beastmen that followed after him looked or marveled at anything of that. The former because he wasn't interested, and the latter because they knew the place well.

Even if it wasn't so, and it was the first visit for someone who cared about the surroundings, this person or beast's attention would be grabbed by far a different thing.

Indeed, anyone's attention would be instantly taken by the three spheres, two white and one black, that floated a few feet above the ground.

*ROAR*

Kass Shaa'r was the first to descend, and after he sensed Bai Qi's presence from inside the black-colored orb, he had attempted to approach. But he had not made even a couple of steps as a roar emerged from the white orbs. A roar that made him freeze on the spot, and if he could have paled, he would have done so.

Both Huo Laouhu and Xiaoshan Mao had been just a few steps behind him, but while the man-tiger only stopped, the elder fell to her knees and exclaimed, "The sacred ancestor's blessing!"

Although like any Beastmen, he felt awe before the roar of the [White Tiger], his bloodline wasn't related to it. Thus, Kass Shaa'r recovered far quicker than the other two.

"Just what is happening?" He asked Huo Laohu as soon as the latter returned to normal.

"The two girls, the ones surrounded by the white-colored sphere of aura, bloodline awoke. And not their common beast bloodline, but the ancestral one." Huo Laohu began explaining but then understood that Kass Shaa'r wasn't referring to the two girls.

"I don't know. I have never heard of something like this." Huo Laouhu dropped the previous explanation and replied truthfully.

___________________________________________________________________

Previously...

Having reached Bai Ze and Bai Rui, Bai Qi had fallen on the ground, but he had not lost consciousness.

He was indeed weak and spent his qi as he fended out the traps meant for cultivators far above his level, but it took him only an hour to recover enough to stand up.

The girls were transforming, or better said, their true ancestral bloodline was doing it.

Such a process could take hours, days, or even weeks. Thus, confirming that except for being out cold, they weren't in any danger, Bai Qi relaxed.

But a couple of hours later, as Bai Qi was meditating and slowly healing his wounds, something happened. He wasn't sure what or how, but it was as if the [White Tiger] bloodline in the girls suddenly decided to react to Bai Qi's presence.

A phantom materialized above the girls and turned their gaze on Bai Qi. Surprisingly, it wasn't a hostile one, but as if the beast was examining him. And it was indeed so, as, after a few moments, it dispersed, only for Bai Qi to feel that the link in his consciousness was now complete.

He now could feel the girls' condition, and it allowed him to understand that their Spirit Cores were lacking for such a transformation. Their inner qi wasn't enough, and their aura wasn't strong enough either.

Sacred Beasts did not like when someone interfered, and it could lead to a bloodline rampage and the subsequent dying of either party. But just now, it had permitted Bai Qi to do so, and he did not think for a moment before expanding his aura and using the connection as a medium, linking with the girls.