The sky turned into a bleak gray hue that came before sunset. Along with it, the movement of the Lie Tribe came to a halt, and humans rushed everywhere to carry out the orders issued by the Gu Masters.
At the same time, the Gu Masters moved frantically in all directions to fulfill the elders' commands, setting up defenses that transformed the Tribe's temporary camp. After all, who knew what might attack them in such a dangerous environment? The elders of the Lie Tribe oversaw the entire operation, while the Tribe Leader remained inside the command tent, studying a simplified map of the western region of the Northern Plains.
"Our current position lies in the southwestern part of the Northern Plains. By heading east, we are getting closer and closer to the central regions, where conflict is abundant… I would prefer to lead the Tribe north, where the pastures are fertile, but those large Tribes already occupy all the good locations—valleys, defensive terrains, and resource-rich areas… As for my Lie Tribe, we would only obtain an insignificant location at a heavy cost."
The Lie Tribe Leader, He An, let out a weary sigh, yet the flames of ambition still burned fiercely in his eyes. Managing the Lie Tribe alone was no easy task. But to him, the Lie Tribe was home—the place where he had lived and grown—and it was his duty to repay it by leading it to greater heights. With his intelligence and burning ambition, he had raised the Lie Tribe from a small Tribe to a mid-sized one, turning it into a force that even large Tribes would find troublesome to deal with.
However, this deep dedication to his Tribe had limited his own cultivation prospects. Despite possessing first-grade aptitude, he remained at Rank four middle stage.
"The Tribe needs me. Once it becomes a large Tribe, I can use its resources to push my cultivation further… perhaps I might even find Lifespan Gu and gain more years… who knows?"
"Tribe Leader! Tribe Leader! An attack, Tribe Leader!"
Outside the command tent, an elder panted heavily, shouting in panic without any regard for etiquette.
"What?! The Gan Tribe?!"
The Lie Tribe Leader's expression twisted as he dashed out of the tent. The gray sky, tinged with orange, greeted him. Without hesitation, he activated his investigative methods and quickly spotted massive groups of Heavy Earth Hyenas.
"Heavy Earth Hyenas! So many! There's a Ten-Thousand Beast King! Damn it, the defensive line isn't complete yet!"
An elder shouted as he rushed toward the command tent, while the Tribe Leader frowned deeply at the approaching beast tide.
"Elders, maintain your composure! These beasts are slow and foolish, and they are still at a distance. They will only reach us in seven minutes! We must complete the first defensive line quickly and reduce their numbers as much as possible before they collide with us!"
The Lie Tribe Leader displayed the bearing of a true leader, controlling himself and calming his subordinates by laying out their advantages and the enemy's weaknesses. The nearby elders relaxed, and hope lit up their faces as they looked at him.
Meanwhile, Fang Tian hovered in the sky, completely concealed using his methods, barely maintaining his invisibility under the investigative techniques of hundreds of meters away Gu Masters. Although his Gu worms surpassed those of the Lie Tribe in rank, he still lacked full confidence against their variety.
Thus, after luring the beast group toward the Lie Tribe, he chose to remain hundreds of meters away to better observe the situation. Even the slightest mistake could expose him—after all, no Gu worm was truly flawless, no matter how high its rank.
Below him, waves of Heavy Earth Hyenas surged forward in fury toward the Lie Tribe, which had regained order and begun constructing defensive lines while retreating.
Rank one Gu Masters stepped forward, coordinating with each other as they used their Gu worms to dig a trench two meters deep, stretching hundreds of meters long. Then Rank two Gu Masters raised earthen walls two meters high above the trench, with sharp stakes protruding from the top.
Five minutes had already passed in constructing this defensive line, and there was little time left before the Heavy Earth Hyenas arrived. It was barely enough for most Gu Masters to recover their primeval essence.
"Tribe Leader, we've pushed the Tribe members to their limits. Their primeval essence is nearly depleted, and we don't have enough time for recovery, even with primeval stones!"
An elder reported anxiously to the Tribe Leader, who stared grimly at the approaching hyenas, now less than a hundred meters away.
"This situation is indeed difficult. If not for that Ten-Thousand Beast King, I would have already joined the front lines… but being restrained by it, there's little I can do."
The elder's expression tightened with anxiety at these words, but before he could speak, the Tribe Leader interrupted him.
"However, this situation is not that dire. Although the beasts outnumber us, they are merely ordinary creatures. A single Rank one Gu Master can kill ten of them. That is not the essence of this battle. What determines the outcome is the strength of Rank three and Rank four… and in terms of Rank three combat power, we have the advantage. There are nineteen Rank three elders against nine Thousand Beast Kings—two elders for each Beast King. I will remain in the rear to support you when necessary and ensure no unexpected variables arise."
The Lie Tribe Leader remained eerily calm, his gaze drifting indifferently toward the sky above the hyena swarm.
The elder quickly departed to relay the orders, leaving the old He An staring at the sky with a hint of confusion. To an ordinary observer, nothing seemed unusual in that direction.
But for a Rank four expert like him—one with a deep foundation, numerous Rank four Gu worms, and even a Rank five Gu—he had sensed something strange when using his investigative Gu.
It felt as though an unseen weight pressed down upon that area, as if some presence lingered there.
Though uncertain, he chose to ignore it and focused instead on the Heavy Earth Hyenas, now only a few meters from the trench.
Without hesitation, the Lie Tribe Leader leaped forward at incredible speed. A massive dark-yellow bell appeared above him, ringing loudly as its sound echoed across the battlefield. In an instant, he traversed seven hundred steps—and with another strike of the bell, he advanced another seven hundred.
He An arrived above the defensive line. Before either the Gu Masters or the beasts could react, he let out a sharp whistle, signaling the beginning of the battle.