"Three days from now, a group of disciples from the Sect will come to the Ten Thousand Mountains to undergo a trial, and all of you Fur Beast Slaves must fully cooperate." Elder Hu Huo said expressionlessly.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ming and Wulu exchanged glances, then couldn't help looking at each other in dismay.

"May I ask what the specifics of this trial are?" Wulu paused for a moment before asking.

"You don't need to know now. Just remember to gather here in three days. Understand?" Elder Hu Huo commanded in an uncompromising tone.

"Yes," Wulu lowered his head and responded, while Yuan Ming nodded somewhat listlessly.

"I know what you are worried about. Trials like these are common occurrences within the Sect, but not always an opportunity for you to shine. Listen carefully, at the end of the trial, depending on your performance, you can accumulate Blood Food portions ranging from one hundred to three hundred. If anyone performs an outstanding merit, it's not out of the question that they could be directly admitted into the Sect as a Registered Disciple," Elder Hu Huo glanced at the two and continued.

Upon hearing this, Wulu's breathing became much heavier, and Yuan Ming's eyes lit up as well.

"I have said all I wish to say, do not miss this opportunity," Elder Hu Huo stated indifferently.

"Yes," the two replied in unison, their voices noticeably louder.

Next, Elder Hu Huo took away their Beast Blood, bestowed the antidote for the month, then hastily leaped onto a giant eagle and flew away, leaving Yuan Ming somewhat speechless as he had intended to report the matter of the corpse in the valley to him.

Subsequently, Wulu bid farewell to Yuan Ming and turned to leave, looking rather hurried as his figure quickly disappeared into the distance.

Yuan Ming did not linger at the site, but as he walked toward the canyon, he mulled over Elder Hu Huo's words regarding the disciples' trial, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

The trial seemed at first glance to be a decent opportunity for all the Fur Beast Slaves scattered across the Ten Thousand Mountains, but on closer inspection, it seemed somewhat amiss.

The so-called disciples mentioned by Elder Hu Huo must refer to the Registered Disciples, who in terms of talent and cultivation were stronger than these Fur Beast Slaves on the very fringes of the Sect. The only value the Fur Beast Slaves had for them was their familiarity with the Ten Thousand Mountains, to assist and guide them.

He didn't believe that the Sect would just use these Fur Beast Slaves to show the way and do some menial tasks, and reward them with a considerable share of Blood Food in return.

Things must not be as simple as they appeared.

"Better to be cautious," he warned himself silently.

...

Three days later, near the boundary stele.

Early in the morning, figures converged from all directions. Before the Sun could fully rise, already over thirty people had gathered at this place.

Some were quite excited, eager to start, while others had a blank expression, appearing uncertain about why they were summoned.

No long after Yuan Ming arrived, Hagon approached him.

"Have you heard? It seems that this time the Sect has sent a group of Registered Disciples here for cultivation training," Hagon whispered.

"If they are here for training, let them train. What do they need us to do though?" Yuan Ming asked, puzzled.

"Don't you understand? Those pampered folks who live in luxury within the Sect, how would they know the dangers of the Ten Thousand Mountains? Surely we are to accompany and assist them," Hagon said with a roll of his eyes.

"Like a royal family going on a hunt, taking along some attendants?" Yuan Ming queried. Chapter provided via *.

"Calling it attendants is too kind. More like hawks and dogs," Hagon said, shaking his head.

While they were speaking, a group of about ten shirtless men arrived, escorting a tall man with disheveled black hair and a menacing face—it was Wu Bao of the Green Wolf Gang.

Upon their arrival, they cast angry glances toward Yuan Ming and Hagon.

Yuan Ming's face remained unchanged, returning the gaze without a hint of fear in his eyes.

"The inevitable can't be avoided," commented Hagon, tugging at the corner of his mouth.

No sooner had he spoken than another group of about ten people rushed over, led by Jin Kun of the Hyena Hall.

As their gazes met, Jin Kun's face also looked unpleasant. Their previous collusion with the Green Wolf Gang against Yuan Ming and Hagon not only failed to capture them, but also left several of their own men seriously injured.

As for these two factions, especially Wu Bao, they had not given up on Yuan Ming but simply had not found an opportune moment. The moment an opportunity arose, he would not hesitate to take action.

Jin Kun's beady eyes scrutinized Yuan Ming and Hagon as he spoke to Wu Bao, "Since you still have plans, why not take advantage of the fact that Elder Hu Huo has yet to arrive? We have full manpower; isn't this the perfect chance?"

"I have my own plans; don't create unnecessary complications. As for Yuan Ming, this time he's dead for sure. When only Hagon is left, we'll slowly torment him to death," Wu Bao licked his lips and sneered.

"That's good, that's very good," replied Jin Kun with a nod and a smile, upon hearing this.

Hagon, watching the two conspiring, frowned deeply, while Yuan Ming looked nonchalant.

Just then, a piercing cry came from the sky above.

A huge shadow descended, casting itself toward them.

The crowd looked up, only to see Elder Hu Huo riding a falcon hawk mount, flying over, followed by four unfamiliar figures standing behind him.

After the falcon hawk landed, Elder Hu Huo was the first to jump off, and the other four also followed suit, leaping down one after another.

The arrival of these individuals immediately drew the attention of all the Fur Beast Slaves.

The first to jump off the falcon hawk was a brawny man with a rugged face and a short beard. His burly and muscular stature strained against the swells of his dark black robe, and he carried a huge black axe on his back, clearly not someone to be trifled with.

Following him was a woman with a full and voluptuous figure, yet her appearance was rather plain. Her attire was almost identical to that of the bearded man, apparently the same standard issue, even the beast head emblem on their chests was exactly the same.

Yuan Ming took a closer look and noticed that beneath the emblem of the beast head, there was a line of small characters that read "Beast Taming Hall."

Although the woman's face was ordinary, her figure was undeniably hot. As she jumped off the back of the falcon hawk, her chest, which seemed to hold two pure white jade rabbits, bounced incessantly, causing all the Fur Beast Slaves, who hadn't seen a woman in who knows how long, to stare with wide-eyed fixation.

Seemingly unconcerned about their bold gazes, the woman pushed out her chest and struck a coquettish pose, standing beside the short-bearded man.

Behind her was another young man in a green robe, his figure slender, with a shy smile on his face, yet his eyes were fixed intently on the ground just in front of his toes.

The robe he wore, although a different color from the previous two, was of the same design, with an emblem of a Pill Furnace on his chest, and beneath it, the words "Refining Furnace Hall" were written in Southern Border script.

The last one wore a fiery red short skirt; her style was different from the previous three, with the characters "Fire Refining Hall" written beneath the emblem on her chest.

This woman had delicate features and an extremely beautiful face, especially her almond eyes, which were brimming with spiritual energy. Complemented by her short garments, her exquisite figure was showcased perfectly, making her look both lively and beautiful, as well as efficient and capable.

As soon as she appeared, she immediately drew away most of the attention that was focused on the coquettish woman.

However, unlike the coquettish woman, she was quite displeased with those presumptuous gazes on her. Resting one hand on the Green Vine Whip coiled at her waist, she glared angrily at the crowd.

The Fur Beast Slaves, swept by her sharp gaze, all lowered their heads.

Yuan Ming stared at the words "Fire Refining Hall" on her chest, slightly spellbound, reminded of what he had learned from Zhao Tong that the Fire Refining Hall was the branch of the sect responsible for refining magic artifacts.

That guy had previously mentioned asking around to see if there were any brothers from the Fire Refining Hall who could help etch Array Patterns onto the Green Fish Sword, but it had led to nothing but silence.

"Snap"

Just then, a whistling sound suddenly came through the air.

Yuan Ming instinctively dodged, only to see a whip shadow flash by his side, then snap back into place.

Confused, he seemed unaware of why the woman had suddenly struck at him.

Seeing that his gaze had moved away from her chest, the woman in the red skirt didn't bother with him anymore, coiled up her whip, and hung it at her waist.

"What a temper," Yuan Ming whispered under his breath, cursing inwardly.

Elder Hu Huo, as if he heard nothing, only spoke up when the woman no longer dwelled on the issue:

"Everyone, all my Fur Beast Slaves are here. You can select any you like, and it's fine even if you take them all away."

The Fur Beast Slaves listened in confusion, not having received an explanation from him.

"Elder Hu Huo, we are merely looking for guides. One or two will suffice; there is no need for so many," the woman in the red skirt spoke first.

"Sister Chen Wan, perhaps we should bring a few more? In case we encounter danger, having more people would provide a buffer," the slender young man in the green robe suggested, looking toward the woman in the red skirt.

What is 'a buffer'? Just a scapegoat.

Hearing this, discontent arose in Yuan Ming's heart, and the same reaction appeared on the faces of the other Fur Beast Slaves, though they dared not act out.

"Ba Da, with us here, what is there to worry about? For our mission this time, whether we bring one or two Fur Beast Slaves or ten or more, what difference does it make?" the bearded man laughed, dismissing the concern with contempt.

"Exactly, having too many people is just a burden," the coquettish woman chimed in, her voice sultry. Even as her words were of disdain, they made the Fur Beast Slaves tremble with longing, each one desiring to follow her.

"Kun Tu, Yang Chan, this trial is no child's play; think it over carefully," Elder Hu Huo reminded them.

"Elder need not worry; as this is our trial, how can we rely solely on Fur Beast Slaves to pave the way?" the bearded man, named Kun Tu, waved his hand dismissively.

Afterward, he seemed to point randomly toward the crowd: "You, you, the two of you come with us."

His seemingly casual pointer caused all eyes to converge on the two "lucky ones" chosen.

Wu Bao gave a toothy grin, looking over at Yuan Ming.

Yuan Ming, however, couldn't help but frown.

"Brother Yuan, this doesn't seem like a favorable assignment," Hagon voiced his concern.

The two chosen by Kun Tu were none other than Wu Bao and Yuan Ming.