"Four saints..."

"Still couldn’t deal with him?"

A few minor lords watching from afar were so intimidated by Ye Qiu’s gaze earlier that they dared not continue observing and fled on foot.

They only stopped several hundred miles away, discussing the scene they had just witnessed.

Ye Qiu didn’t even use any significant power, merely set up a formation and trapped the four saints. If he were to deal with them, it would be even easier.

After distancing themselves, they all panted heavily, feeling as if they had escaped death, mainly because Ye Qiu’s gaze had put immense pressure on them. After all, they were up against four saints.

The minor lords exchanged glances, discussing the event amongst themselves, not daring to speak of it outside. Otherwise, if Ye Qiu found out, he would never forgive them.

Undeniably, Ye Qiu had left them with a substantial psychological shadow.

...

When Taishan opened his eyes, his aura completely stabilized in the Saint Realm.

Before he could fully appreciate the power of the Saint Realm, Ye Qiu’s voice came through: "You’re awake."

"My lord," Taishan responded respectfully.

Clearly, Ye Qiu had stood guard here for a long time. Taishan sensed it before, which made him deeply grateful to Ye Qiu.

Now, he had passed the most vulnerable period and was truly a saint-level strongman.

"I thought I’d enter the Saint Realm during this retreat, but it turns out you’ve become a saint before me," Ye Qiu said with a smile.

"My lord, I remember after I overcame the tribulation, the black clouds hadn’t dispersed but gathered instead. Didn’t they originate because of you?" Taishan asked doubtfully.

Ye Qiu was momentarily distracted, saying, "It’s a long story, but you don’t need to worry. I have confidence regarding the Saint Realm, only..."

Ye Qiu didn’t continue, as some things were not appropriate to detail to Taishan.

"Since you’ve stabilized your realm, let’s first resolve these invaders," Ye Qiu changed the topic.

Taishan didn’t refuse, laughing: "I want to deal with that Black Bull; previously, I couldn’t match him, but now, though newly entered the Saint Realm, I can hold my own against him."

Ye Qiu nodded: "Alright, you can use them to hone your martial path and consolidate your realm."

As for Chi Hu and the four others, Ye Qiu didn’t plan to leave any survivors, especially Chi Hu; he must be eliminated to prevent his identity as a member of the Lone Clan from being exposed. As for the other three, it’s best to kill them too, to prevent future trouble. If allowed to escape, they might seek revenge someday; it’s better to kill them outright.

Chi Hu, Fox Woman, and the Scrawny Man were together when Ye Qiu activated a killing formation to torment them, while he and Taishan approached the lone Black Bull.

Black Bull was trapped inside a grand formation, absolutely furious. He had swung the two large axes on his back but still couldn’t break the formation. Seeing the two appear, he was even more enraged and attacked directly.

Ye Qiu didn’t move; Taishan took the initiative and engaged Black Bull in combat.

Upon clash, Taishan was injured by Black Bull; compared to Black Bull, Taishan’s time in the Saint Realm was too short. However, he was quick to improve, dodging some attacks after suffering losses a few times.

With his realm nearly as strong as Black Bull’s, it was hard for Black Bull to kill him.

Ye Qiu stood quietly watching Taishan’s progression; despite not being with him for long, Taishan’s power had surged into the Saint Realm.

If Taishan could further enhance his strength under the trials of Black Bull and Chi Hu’s group, Ye Qiu would be reassured.

Ye Qiu was forming new intentions, preparing to leave and hand this territory to Taishan. Now that Taishan had reached the Saint Realm, Ye Qiu felt assured, no longer worried whether Taishan could fulfill the duty.

Ye Qiu wasn’t in a hurry to kill the other three, first letting Taishan spar with Black Bull to develop himself. After days of battle, Taishan grew stronger, diminishing Black Bull’s advantage. Though a few days of training couldn’t equal years of cultivation, Taishan’s progress was evident from Black Bull’s angry face.

Someone once crushed by Black Bull and seen as a trivial target now battled him openly, treating him as a stepping stone. Black Bull’s feelings were predictable.

Thus, Black Bull’s anger allowed Taishan to experience exhilarating fights several times over. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Within less than a month, Taishan killed Black Bull, avenging the past.

As for the other three, Ye Qiu and Taishan killed them together. The prior killing formation had exhausted much of their energy, and inside the formation, they couldn’t absorb spiritual energy, only their energy waning with time.

The first to be killed wasn’t surprisingly Chi Hu; in the face of crisis, Fox Woman and Chi Hu teamed up, using the Scrawny Man as a shield, killing him between them.

It showed that even a savior could be killed when facing life-or-death situations.

With only Chi Hu and Fox Woman left, Ye Qiu was speechless as to whether they had conspired beforehand, as they staged a beauty trap.

Fox Woman beguiled Ye Qiu, seeking opportunities for the two.

Who was Ye Qiu? A high-level alchemist producing divine-grade pills, with tremendously strong soul power, unlikely to be seduced by Fox Woman, merely pretending to cooperate. When Fox Woman intended to unleash killing intent, Ye Qiu acted first, severely injuring Fox Woman, followed by Taishan taking her life.

Then only Chi Hu remained, and he surrendered, expressing willingness to follow Ye Qiu just for survival.

Ye Qiu declined with a smile, planning to leave, unwilling to bring a servant, especially someone who internally loathed him.

Chi Hu, finding begging fruitless, counterattacked, ready to seek destruction, shouting that even as a ghost, he wouldn’t spare Ye Qiu.

Ultimately meeting the same fate as the others, he was outright killed.

Four ancient beasts at the Saint Realm, all dead, drawing the curtain.

With the grand formation dissipated, the base returned to normal, and various ancient beasts and beast-men were very respectful to Ye Qiu and Taishan, witnessing saints’ assault yet the territory remained safe.

The think tank and great general were so powerful that it filled them with pride.

The beast-men trained more diligently, and the territory thrived.

Ye Qiu departed slowly, leaving this territory. At the base camp’s entrance, Taishan stood long, watching Ye Qiu’s silhouette fade on the horizon, wondering how long until they would meet again.

Initially, Taishan refused to accept the territory from Ye Qiu’s hands, but Ye Qiu insisted, compelling him to remain, as what Ye Qiu planned next was dangerous, possibly risking his life.

Finally, Ye Qiu left some pills behind and drifted away.