Wu Sha’s heart was greatly shaken. Only then did he truly realize the vastness of the world, with countless powerful figures like migrating fish. He, himself, was as insignificant as a grain in the ocean.

In the eyes of true powerhouses, he might genuinely be no more than an ant.

Looking at the five Golden Core-realm cultivators before him, and the numerous Foundation Establishment-realm experts gathered like a forest, Wu Sha’s legs began to tremble, and he could barely stand steady.

Dan Zhu asked Wu Sha, “Who are are you?”

Wu Sha wanted to speak, but his throat was parched, and no words came out. He could only tremblingly present the letter in his hand.

Elder Ba Shan took the letter and handed it to Dan Zhu.

Upon seeing the letter, Dan Zhu’s eyes lit up slightly. He nodded and then told Wu Sha, “Lead the way.”

Wu Sha hurriedly lowered his head and replied, “Yes.”

Wu Sha then led the way, and the large group marched through Wu Sha Shan Jie, entered Wu Tu Shan Jie, and finally arrived at Wu Tu Bu Luo.

A contingent of barbarians with Golden Core-level combat power entering a second-grade mountain range was like a powerful dragon passing through, its might incredibly astonishing.

Along the way, the chieftains and elders of the various small tribes, sensing this incredible aura, all had drastic changes in their expressions, filled with fear and apprehension.

Wu Sha led the way.

As the newly appointed chieftain and mountain range commander, he felt like a mere stable boy.

All along the journey, his heart was filled with anxiety.

His initial shock had turned into deep worry and fear.

He didn’t know why these legendary figures, these high-and-mighty Golden Core cultivators, would suddenly descend upon their small mountain range.

But with the Golden Core cultivators arriving, how were their second-grade tribes supposed to make a living?

This powerful and irresistible force could effortlessly wipe out their small tribal barbarians.

The Wu Zhu had said that these people were his guests.

But would these Golden Core cultivators, this powerful army, truly act like guests?

If they didn’t want to be guests and instead wished to be masters, what could the Wu Zhu do?

What could the Wu Zhu do against these Golden Core powerhouses?

Was this not “inviting wolves into the house”?

Wu Sha pressed his lips together, his expression growing more solemn. His nervousness reached its peak when these Golden Core cultivators and elite barbarians arrived at Wu Tu Bu Luo.

He genuinely feared that if a conflict erupted, their small mountain range would instantly be reduced to ashes without any resistance.

But all his worries proved unfounded.

These Golden Core cultivators and the mighty barbarians under their command did not harm a single hair along the way.

And when they entered Wu Tu Bu and met the Wu Zhu, the five Golden Core powerhouses, along with five or six hundred formidable barbarians, all bowed respectfully and addressed him as:

“Sir.”

“Wu Xian Sheng.”

The Wu Zhu, Mo Hua, maintained a normal expression and merely responded gently, “You’ve worked hard.”

Wu Sha was startled, and a huge weight slowly lifted from his heart.

But a moment later, his pupils trembled, and an incredible guess emerged in his mind.

Could these people not be the Wu Zhu’s guests?

Instead, they were the Wu Zhu’s companions, or even subordinates?

This wasn’t a powerful dragon passing through; rather, it was a “dragon” that the Wu Zhu himself had cultivated!

The Wu Zhu didn’t say it explicitly, but the more Wu Sha looked, the more it seemed to be the case.

The shock in his heart surged like a furious storm.

When he looked at Mo Hua again, he suddenly felt that the Wu Zhu’s figure was as tall as “heaven,” so tall that it inspired awe.

And it wasn’t just Wu Sha who felt this “unattainable” awe.

Jiao Li, and even the small chieftains of the various tribes, as well as some discerning elders, were now filled with an indescribable shock.

The Wu Zhu’s apparent cultivation was only at the Foundation Establishment realm.

Yet, five Golden Core powerhouses treated him with great respect.

Five or six hundred elite Foundation Establishment warriors were completely obedient to him.

What kind of prestige, what kind of boldness, what kind of—incredibleness was this?

At this moment, Mo Hua’s figure, in their hearts, was no different from a “deity” in the sky.

After a period of commotion, the indigenous tribes of Wu Tu Shan Jie gradually accepted this fact, and their various astonishments settled down.

Dan Zhu’s faction temporarily settled down in Wu Tu Xiao Shan Jie, resting and recuperating.

With Mo Hua, the Wu Zhu, whose prestige was like that of a “deity,” in charge, everything in the small mountain range quickly returned to normal.

Jiao Li of Hei Jiao Bu dared not harbor any further dissent.

Wu Sha, the commander of Wu Sha Shan Jie, was replaced, and the tribe began to undergo a transformation.

All tribal conflicts and discord among the people gradually faded under the shadow of Mo Hua’s prestige.

In Wu Tu Bu, the children’s clear voices of recitation began to echo once more.

The righteous principles propagated by Mo Hua began to spread throughout Wu Tu Shan Jie. With the situation a bit more stable, Mo Hua also felt at ease. After giving a few instructions to Elder Zha Mu, he intended to go to Wu Tu Shen Shan to check on the big tiger.

It had been over a year since he last saw the big tiger, and he wondered how it was doing, if it had gone hungry, or if anything unexpected had happened to it.

Mo Hua was still a little worried.

But before he departed, Elder Zha Mu’s expression became somewhat solemn, “Wu Zhu Da Ren, are you… going into the deep mountains?”

Mo Hua nodded and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Elder Zha Mu hesitated, “The deep mountains lately… have been a bit dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Mo Hua was slightly surprised.

Elder Zha Mu explained, “Our Wu Tu people, following your orders, have designated the deep mountains of Wu Tu Shan as forbidden territory, never to be trespassed upon. The deep mountains have always been peaceful and uneventful.”

“But in the past six months, for some unknown reason, the demonic aura in the deep mountains has suddenly become much more intense. Moreover—”

Elder Zha Mu’s face was ashen, “At midnight, there are often roars of demonic beasts, shaking the mountains and chilling the heart.”

Mo Hua’s heart sank slightly.

Before he left, he had repeatedly warned the big tiger to keep a low profile, not to cause too much of a stir.

Otherwise, it would easily disturb ordinary cultivators and cause panic.

It would also easily attract the attention of unknown powerhouses or formidable demonic beasts.

This wilderness was not peaceful; it was better to avoid trouble.

But now, demonic aura was spreading in the deep mountains? Demonic beasts roaring at midnight?

What exactly had happened?

Had the big tiger’s cultivation broken through?

Impossible, its realm was still far from the third grade, and this was a second-grade mountain range; how could it possibly break through?

Mo Hua’s gaze sharpened slightly, then he told Elder Zha Mu:

“It’s fine, I’ll go take a look. You should still warn the tribal people that no one is allowed to approach the deep mountains. As long as they don’t get close, nothing will happen.”

Elder Zha Mu nodded, “Yes, Wu Zhu Da Ren.”

Mo Hua left Elder Zha Mu and went into the deep mountains alone.

In the deep mountains, dead trees loomed, the terrain was rugged, barren, and chaotic. The fog in the forest was thicker, and the miasma was stronger.

Mixed in with the miasma was a distinct, strange, fishy smell.

This was not the big tiger’s scent at all.

Mo Hua’s pupils constricted slightly.

He unleashed his divine sense, wanting to observe the movements in the forest, but found that the mountain’s Qi (energy) merged together. The mist, miasma, and demonic aura were thick and intertwined, so much so that even Mo Hua’s divine sense had difficulty perceiving clearly.

Mo Hua was slightly shocked.

“What exactly happened in this mountain?”

Mo Hua patiently continued into the deep mountains, heading towards the cave where the big tiger resided.

The further he went, the more treacherous the forest became. Dead rocks resembled tigers, and withered trees looked like phantoms.

The surrounding demonic aura was intensely pungent.

As he walked, Mo Hua suddenly paused, stopping his steps. He looked up and saw, faintly, the silhouette of a fierce tiger in the distant yellowish-white mountain fog.

Mo Hua’s heart stirred with joy, but as he was about to speak, his expression subtly changed.

This was not his big tiger.

Even though it was just a blurry “silhouette” of a tiger in the mountain fog, Mo Hua could tell that this “tiger demon” was different from his own big tiger.

His big tiger was clearly more robust, with a fuller build, and was taller.

The fierce tiger in the miasma gradually approached, revealing its form.

This was a large tiger with black and yellow stripes, its aura ferocious. It stared at Mo Hua with dignified eyes.

“Indeed… it’s not my tiger.”

Mo Hua frowned slightly, then wondered, “Where is my big tiger…?”

The black and yellow striped fierce tiger in the miasma still stared intently at Mo Hua. In front of such a fierce tiger demon, Mo Hua was thin and “petite,” and being alone with a weak cultivation aura, he should have been no threat.

Cultivators of the same realm were generally no match for demonic beasts.

Moreover, this was a tiger demon, the king of beasts.

But it still seemed very wary of Mo Hua.

Sometimes, some demonic beasts have astonishingly keen instincts. They can see through the superficial appearances of blood and spiritual energy, instinctively perceiving the threat of an enemy.

At this moment, this fierce tiger could sense that the slender young man before it was definitely not an ordinary “human.”

Therefore, it did not act rashly.

Mo Hua had always been one to not offend if not offended.

This applied to humans, and it applied to demons as well.

Furthermore, the situation was unclear; he didn’t know what had happened in this forest or where his big tiger had gone.

Therefore, Mo Hua also did not act rashly.

One person and one tiger stared at each other for a moment.

But a moment later, more movement came from the forest. Mo Hua’s eyes trembled, and he saw that amidst the thick miasma, dense layers of demonic shadows suddenly appeared.

And without exception, they were all tigers. At first glance, there were no fewer than ten of them.

Even Mo Hua gasped.

Where did so many tigers come from?! Had he stumbled into a tiger’s nest?!

Soon, one fierce tiger after another stepped out from the miasma, surrounding Mo Hua from all sides.

One tiger might perceive Mo Hua as “dangerous,” but a group of a dozen or so tigers gathered together would no longer find Mo Hua “dangerous.”

Even if a Golden Core cultivator arrived, they would die in the mouths of these tigers.

The one truly in some danger was Mo Hua.

Mo Hua’s figure flickered, directly concealing himself and disappearing.

All these tigers were stunned for a moment.

With their weaker demonic senses, they couldn’t discern Mo Hua’s concealment at all.

Mo Hua, hidden in the shadows, gradually moved away from the tiger pack, but before he could truly relax, he felt over ten fierce killing intents suddenly lock onto him again.

Mo Hua paused, then immediately understood.

Scent!

These tiger demons couldn’t see him, nor could their demonic senses detect him, but they could smell his scent as a “human.”

Originally, this scent wasn’t so obvious,

But now, in the deep mountains of Wu Tu, it was filled with miasma, and the demonic aura was too thick.

Mo Hua, immersed in this miasma, his “human” scent became incredibly obvious. Even every step he took, stirring changes in the miasma, could be detected by these tiger demons.

Not good…

Mo Hua’s heart skipped a beat, and then, in the next instant, a sharp tiger claw, glinting with cold light, suddenly lunged at him from behind.

Mo Hua activated the Shi Shui Bu (Flowing Water Steps), narrowly evading the tiger claw by brushing past its tip.

Then, a foul stench rose again, and a demonic wind swept through.

A dozen fierce tigers, one after another, pounced on Mo Hua.

Even Mo Hua, with his highly refined Shi Shui Bu, could not truly escape unscathed from the onslaught of over a dozen powerful tiger demons.

And with his physical body, even a slight scratch from a tiger demon would likely leave him half-paralyzed.

Mo Hua had a bit of a headache, and his heart grew increasingly shocked and puzzled:

“Aren’t tigers the kings of demons?”

“Aren’t tiger demons generally solitary? The strong walk alone, only the weak gather in groups. Where did so many grouped tigers come from?!”

Mo Hua had no intention of fighting these fierce tigers. Yet, these fierce tigers relentlessly chased after him to kill.

Such a fierce pursuit by the tiger pack, with Mo Hua fleeing, continued for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Mo Hua couldn’t help but frown.

“I wonder if killing tigers counts as incurring bad karma…”

“After all, tigers aren’t human.”

Just as the killing intent in Mo Hua’s eyes grew stronger, a tiger demon’s roar suddenly echoed through the forest again.

This roar was even more resonant, more powerful, and Mo Hua found it very familiar.

“This is… Big Tiger?!”

Mo Hua was startled and turned his head to look, only to see a massive, furry tiger with black and white stripes emerge from the nearby forest.

The big tiger let out a “meow” towards Mo Hua’s back.

The other dozen or so fierce tigers all stopped, lowered their heads, and no longer pursued Mo Hua.

Mo Hua was stunned, finding it somewhat odd.

These dozen or so fierce tigers actually listened to the big tiger?

What was going on?

Had the big tiger become so prestigious now?

The black and white striped big tiger let out another “meow” towards Mo Hua, seemingly very unhappy that Mo Hua hadn’t visited it for so long, but given their bond, it reluctantly greeted Mo Hua.

Mo Hua, with a slightly subtle expression, walked over to the big tiger’s side.

The other fierce tigers simply watched.

The big tiger then majestically led Mo Hua deeper into the mountains. Mo Hua, looking confused, followed behind the big tiger.

They passed through even denser demonic miasma and arrived at the mountain cave where the big tiger resided.

Only then did Mo Hua realize that this cave was much larger than before.

There were marks of tiger claws tearing and chiseling on the cave walls; it seemed the cave had been “expanded” to accommodate more tiger demons.

And this cave was the place with the most intense demonic aura in the entire deep mountains.

The demonic aura inside was so thick it was almost solidified.

The dark cave entrance concealed astonishing danger and killing intent.

Mo Hua’s divine sense stirred, and he seemed to detect something, his expression changed, and his eyelids couldn’t help but twitch.

The big tiger, however, didn’t think so much.

It just let out a low growl at Mo Hua, seemingly inviting Mo Hua “home,” then it twisted its body and entered the cave.

Mo Hua hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and then followed behind the big tiger into the cave.

Inside the cave, it was more spacious, deeper, and had more branching tunnels than before.

The dense demonic aura grew on the cave’s rock walls, almost forming crystals.

This was a veritable “lair of fierce tigers.”

Such an absolutely ferocious demonic beast territory was an almost impenetrable “forbidden land” and “death zone” for human cultivators.

Unless these cultivators died and became “food,” they would absolutely not be able to enter alive.

Nor would any fierce tiger permit humans to enter.

Of course, the big tiger was an “anomaly”; it brazenly led Mo Hua into this tiger’s lair, this forbidden territory.

They walked all the way to the deepest part of the tiger’s lair.

And in the deepest part of this tiger’s lair, another “fierce tiger” resided.

Mo Hua took one look, and his scalp began to tingle.

He had guessed correctly; in the deepest part of this tiger’s lair lived a true, third-grade Golden Core fierce tiger.

This was a fierce tiger with piercing eyes, even larger than the big tiger, with black and yellow stripes interspersed with white. It was currently curled up in the cave.

It breathed in and out like clouds and mist, its eyes opening and closing like lightning, like an earth-shattering fierce beast.

At this moment, this third-grade fierce tiger looked at Mo Hua, its eyes filled with an oppressive power that could almost swallow people’s hearts.

If Mo Hua hadn’t had his divine sense transmuted into Dao, almost like a deity, and had also consumed dragon soul and had a Pixiu blessing, his heart would certainly have been filled with fear at this moment.

This was the inherent fear that humans feel when facing powerful fierce beasts.

Without being there in person and meeting the gaze of such a fierce tiger, one could not truly comprehend the majesty of the king of beasts.

And seeing Mo Hua, a mere human Foundation Establishment cultivator, daring to meet its gaze without fear, this third-grade Golden Core fierce tiger with piercing eyes began to show a murderous aura, exuding monstrous ferocity.

Mo Hua’s eyelids twitched.

A third-grade tiger demon, this was no joke.

But at this very moment, the big tiger stood in front of Mo Hua and roared at this third-grade fierce tiger.

This roar seemed very “authoritative.”

The third-grade fierce tiger was stunned, and then it gradually restrained its ferocity, lay back down, and seemed to have lost its murderous intent towards Mo Hua, the human.

Mo Hua was startled, his heart filled with shock.

This third-grade fierce tiger actually listened to the big tiger’s words?

A third-grade beast taking orders from a second-grade?

What—what was going on?

Mo Hua couldn’t quite understand it at the moment.

Then he secretly glanced at the fierce tiger lying on the boulder, pondered for a moment, and suddenly realized that this third-grade tiger demon seemed to be—

A tigress?

No, not just this third-grade fierce tiger, but the dozen or so fierce tigers outside just now also seemed to be—all tigresses.

All tigresses!

In other words, among all these tigers in the deep mountains of Wu Tu, only the big tiger, which he had raised with dried fish since it was small, was male.

Now, a group of a dozen or so tigresses, and a third-grade Golden Core tigress, were all living with the big tiger.

Then, wasn’t his big tiger living off them?

Living off a dozen or so tigresses…

Mo Hua gasped, finding the thought terrifying.

He then turned to look at the majestic and handsome big tiger with black and white stripes, and saw it grandly searching for something in the cave.

Mo Hua looked around and saw many demon bones in the cave.

Among the bones, there was a lot of flesh hidden.

These were the meats of demonic beasts, soaked in unknown blood, both dry and fresh, some still seeping blood, and even a portion was actually third-grade demonic beast meat.

The big tiger sniffed around, seemingly choosing which piece of meat was good.

After much choosing, it picked the tenderest piece, and this piece of meat had some glistening white light on it. Although he didn’t know what kind of demonic beast it was, its quality was certainly extraordinary.

The big tiger was very happy and wanted to run off with the meat in its mouth.

Mo Hua thought, “Indeed, it’s living off them now—”

But before the big tiger could run a few steps, a low growl came from behind.

The third-grade fierce Golden Core tigress majestically raised its head and glanced at the big tiger.

But the big tiger was even more majestic.

It boldly let out a “roar” at the third-grade fierce tigress.

It seemed to be saying, “Don’t bother me!”

The third-grade Golden Core tigress’s aura actually weakened. Its huge head hung low, and its eyes looked at the black and white striped big tiger with a hint of tenderness and helpless indulgence.

Mo Hua was utterly dumbfounded.

No, this big tiger—could it actually “forcefully live off them”?

Was it that capable?!