From outside the settlement, shrieks echoed while the silhouettes within the houses covered their mouths, trembling incessantly in the corners of their beds.

Some children struggled but had their mouths tightly covered. Others lay shaking in their mothers’ arms.

No one dared to go out and see, for stepping out meant becoming food for the Holy Apes.

"Why? We’ve already prepared the tributes; why do they still take our clansmen?"

"Hush, don’t make a sound!"

...

The repressive voices sounded within the houses.

The silhouettes in every house listened intently to the outside movement; after the cries, there was a rustling sound.

Only when the sky brightened did the oppressive atmosphere gradually fade away.

Dawn broke.

Families emerged and gathered outside the collapsed house.

"Awu, Uncle Yunshan, Auntie Yunshan."

Outside the house were messy drag marks and bloodstains that disappeared beyond the giant stone wall.

"Clean up the house, and distribute the things inside to each family."

The clan elder didn’t say much, walking mechanically into the distance while other adults started to tidy up, with only a few children crying out.

Those who resist the Holy Apes can only face death and clan extermination, for in this wilderness, the Holy Apes reign supreme.

Apart from preparing tributes every month, every three years, better tributes must be prepared to pay homage at the Holy Ape Palace.

Deep within the river valley.

Ancient palaces stood in the mountains, shrouded by ancient trees and vines, with some vegetation growing directly out of the palaces.

The buildings belonging to the Human Race had long since merged with the mountain forests, covered with thick black-green moss.

On a towering mountain ridge stood a majestic stone hall overlooking all.

Vines on the stone platform had formed a thick layer on the ground, scattered with ape droppings and scattered bones.

The intense stench and wild, savage aura permeated inside and out.

Roar!

A deep beast roar echoed from within, as a pack of ape shadows roared together, swarming across the mountains, most dragging a human figure, rushing into the topmost stone hall.

Inside the stone hall were six two-zhang tall ape figures, one lying on a broad stone couch while the other five sat on either side, scratching their ears and cheeks.

This arrangement was much like the tribal council of a Human Race tribe.

One by one, humans were thrown from outside into the grand hall, some still alive.

The six great apes bared their fangs and lunged directly.

When Shen Can arrived, the feast in the hall had ended, blood flowed within, and scattered bone fragments were everywhere.

With their fill, the great apes lounged on the stone couches like humans, legs crossed, swaying with soft murmurs.

From Snow Demon Mountain to the Holy Apes, passing through many dangerous places, Shen Can wandered in the Giant Mountain Range for over two and a half years.

He traversed the buildings buried within the mountain forests, discovering the Ancestral Temple, the cemetery, the Library Hall, and the Beast Taming Valley.

Overall, it was comparable to the size of a Bo Division.

The Ancestral Temple ruins had long merged with the vegetation and rocks.

The cemetery had been leveled, its bones mingled with the wild grass.

In the Library Hall, beast hides were shattered, bamboo slips decayed, and jade scrolls crumbled to debris.

In the Beast Taming Valley, ancient trees with intertwined roots suggested countless years of abandonment.

"Cloud Mountain Honglie."

In the Ancestral Temple ruins, a still somewhat intact Divine Tablet bore a few indistinguishable words.

In the Library Hall, Shen Can reorganized the shattered beast hides.

"Yunshan Clan, Earth Ant, New Year’s Eve, Cold Night Festival..."

Scattered words recorded the migration route of a group called the Cloud Mountain Bo Division.

From Dai Land’s Huai River migrating into the Nanyue Mountain Range.

Shen Can also found some incomplete cultivation techniques, matching them with the Great Strength Saint Ape Skill from the witch pouch.

"Forefathers... save Yunshan, save Yunshan..."

On one of the shattered beast hides, chaotic handwriting revealed sorrow and despair.

As for the cause of such despair, a glance at the Human Race’s living conditions in this river valley explained everything.

...

Roar!

One of the six Holy Apes in the clan hall roared, ’it’ was grabbed by Shen Can.

After a thorough inspection, Shen Can confirmed his suspicions.

Unable to continue their legacy in Dai Land, the Yunshan Clan migrated with vassal tribes into the Giant Mountain Range, settling in this river valley.

However, during their inheritance and proliferation, the Great Strength Saint Ape Skill beastified the Yunshan clan members, and the beastified bloodlines were passed down.

After generations, the Yunshan people became the Holy Apes.

In the Desolate Beast Race, reversion naturally signified elevated bloodline power, but for the Human Race, this reversion resulted in Yunshan’s fate.

Following beastification, due to the Human Race’s bloodline, they formed a unique social system in the relatively isolated river valley.

For example, the tribute from vassal tribes evolved into smaller settlements offering tributes to the Holy Apes.

The six leader Holy Apes had formidable combat power, roughly on par with the Xiaoyang Divine Storage Seed he previously defeated, slightly stronger than ordinary Celestial Vein Ninth Layer Martial Artists.

Roar!

With a wave, Shen Can released the bound Holy Ape.

Upon landing, the Holy Ape bared its teeth at Shen Can, but when seeing his eyes, it curled up, whimpering on the ground.

Shen Can didn’t kill this Holy Ape; studying these Holy Apes held greater value than killing them.