Refining the Mountains and Rivers

A barrier gradually appeared, wrapping around the entire mountain valley. Although it couldn't completely prevent any inside auras from leaking out, it weakened them a great deal so that they wouldn't proliferate in too wide a range.

Cloud Mist said, "I'm not afraid of attracting nightmare beasts, but we aren't alone here. Although there have been few accidents hunting in the Nightmare Beast Territory, it is always good to be cautious."

Qin Yu lifted a hand and rubbed his nose. This woman was quite smart. How come he didn't sense it before?

When Cloud Mountain, Cloud River, and Cloud Sky returned, Cloud Mist took a deep breath and shouted, "Go!"

Bang –

Wild fluctuations of strength erupted. A violent horse nightmare beast that was near the entrance was directly shattered and condensed into a nightmare beast heart.

This action was like poking a hornet's nest. Within the valley, all of the violent horse nightmare beasts roared and rushed over in a frenzy.

Rumble rumble –

Their hoofbeats shook the earth. The entire mountain valley shivered!

…

Before, it was said that the nightmare beast hunt was a two-sided affair. The Nightmare Clansmen were hunting the nightmare beasts, and the nightmare beasts were also hunting them.

Now, the Nightmare Clan had made their move. How could the nightmare beast tribe that had lived in this world for generations not act in kind?

In a giant stone cave, there were obvious signs of excavation. Although the markings were extremely rough and wild, because its scope was large enough, the cave actually appeared magnificent and filled with overpowering momentum.

Powerful nightmare beasts were gathered in the cave. They were all massive and exuded a terrifying aura.

"Those from the Nightmare Clan have intruded into our territory once more! According to our agreement, once they begin their hunt, we can also capture and slay their descendants!"

At the center of the cave, an alligator-shaped nightmare beast opened its mouth and slowly spoke. Its deep and rich voice reverberated in the colossal stone cave.

An ant beast roared out, "We nightmare beasts are not slaves that are raised by the Nightmare Clan to be slaughtered at their pleasure! Why are they able to provoke a slaughter each time and leave with the power of our young! We should take action now and massacre them all!"

That's right, the 1000 foot long ant understood what was happening. It roared with anger and its giant legs moved back and forth beneath its abdomen, causing cracks to appear in the cave and wildly spread outwards.

Other beasts in the cave became restless because of the ant beast's actions. The atmosphere suddenly became burning hot.

The alligator beast flung its tail like a bolt of lightning, slapping the ant beast and sending it crashing into a wall. "Shut up!"

The ant beast's eyes turned red as it was attacked. It screeched and crawled back up. Its legs rapidly moved as it plunged at the alligator beast.

But soon, it was slammed into the stone wall once again. Its hard carapace was torn open with long wounds, and smoke-like energy leaked out.

The alligator rose up from the ground. Its ice cold eyes locked onto it, "Ant King, if you dare to offend me again, I will kill you!"

The ant beast roared in anger but it didn't dare to charge forward again. The difference in strength between it and the Great Alligator King was far more shocking than it had imagined.

As the other tribal kings saw this, they immediately extinguished certain thoughts they had.

The Giant Alligator King coldly snorted and looked around the cave, "We nightmare beasts cannot contend with the Nightmare Clan in terms of strength, so we can only remain in a passive state. Maintaining this current situation is already difficult. I have determined that a new Nightmare King will soon appear in the Nightmare Clan…if any of you dare to provoke the wrath of an Abyssal King, you should understand what fate awaits our race!"

It let out a long breath, its voice rising as it continued to speak, filled with cruelty and viciousness, "So you should all be honest and not try to interfere and break the rules, otherwise I will kill anyone that does!"

Numerous great beasts lowered their heads, "Yes, Great Alligator King."

The nightmare beasts had no true King. These so-called kings were simply the most formidable existences of their tribe. Strictly speaking, they could only be regarded as false kings. Their strength barely managed to reach the threshold of the King boundary.

And the Great Alligator King was the most powerful of them all, even if he seemed equal to the other kings on the surface.

But in truth, he already dominated above the other kings, becoming the true ruler of the Nightmare Beast Territory!

Perhaps the Great Alligator King wasn't too far away from the true King boundary…but it was exactly because of this that it had to ensure the situation maintained its balance, and that they avoided a head-on conflict with the Nightmare Clan.

It required time!

The meeting in the stone cave ended. The kings of their tribes departed one after another. When the giant ant beast returned to its nest at Blackgold Mountain, it immediately killed two subordinates and started chewing and eating them.

The terrifying wounds that covered its body began to regenerate faster. The other ant nightmare beasts in the hall all lay down prone in panic, fearing that their king would eat them next.

"Screw off. All of you screw off!" The giant ant beast roared in anger. Its massive body paced up and down, causing the entire underground cave to tremble.

After eating two ant commanders who had been coveting its throne, although its injuries healed faster, the rage and anger in its heart remained unabated.

The Giant Alligator King actually dared to humiliate it in public. Its face had swept the floor, and now it had become the joke of all kings.

Hateful! How hateful!

That damned Great Alligator King…but anger was just anger. It had no choice but to acknowledge the strength of the Great Alligator King. It was at a level that it couldn't resist. Even though it had been shamed, it could only patiently endure it. This only served to pour oil on the flames of anger blazing in the Ant King's heart.

Bang –

Bang –

The ground could not withstand the power it vented in its rage. Cracks started to appear all over.

At this time, the Ant King's complexion changed and it fiercely looked up at the space in front of it.

With a fierce shake, a massive crack appeared. A deep and low voice sounded out, "Ant King, I came here upon orders of the Great Alligator King to give you an explanation."

As the voice rang out, a black wolf beast drilled out from the spatial crack. Its body was over 1000 feet tall and its aura was tyrannical.

"Black Wolf King, what did you come to my domain for? The Great Alligator King injured me and caused me to lose face. Do you intend to laugh at me too!?" The Ant King roared in anger.

The Black Wolf King might be a king of its tribe, but it submitted itself to the Great Alligator King and thus was despised by the other kings.

So facing it, the Ant King felt no fear.

The Black Wolf King shook its head. "Ant King, there is no need to lose your temper. I am only following orders to come and explain some things to you. At today's meeting of kings, the Great Alligator King had no choice but to attack you. There was no other alternative…this involves a secret of the Great Alligator King. After you learn it, please do not tell anyone else."

"Secret?" The Ant King shook its massive head, its two antennas shaking, "What secret do you speak of?"

The Black Wolf King took a few steps forward and lowered its voice, "The secret is…the Great Alligator King wants me to eliminate a giant ant that is in its way!"

It spat out a breath that was mixed with the power of wind and ice. The unprepared Ant King was instantly blasted back. Countless wounds appeared on the surface of its body before they were frozen solid by the power of ice.

"Black Wolf King, you dare to attack me!? I will kill you!" The Ant King's anger soared to the heavens. It never imagined that the weaker Black Wolf King would dare to attack it.

But soon, the Ant King's roars started to become tinged with fear. "Black Wolf King, you have been concealing your strength! Damn it all!"

Rumble rumble –

Two giant beasts crazily slaughtered each other in the underground cave.

The ant army standing guard outside didn't rush in. One part of them turned and left. Before the others could react, their heads were severed from the sharp teeth that bit down on the back of their necks.

…

A team was hidden on a hill that wasn't too high. As they looked at Blackgold Mountain which was shaking with a tyrannical aura, they revealed looks of shock and surprise.

The reason they snuck their way here was because they had chosen the Ant King as their target. They were going to kill it and obtain its king-rank nightmare beast heart.

But they never imagined that before they did anything, a fierce battle would erupt within Blackgold Mountain.

Although they couldn't clearly feel it, what the Ant King fought with had to be another incomparably formidable king-rank nightmare beast.

Perhaps they could benefit as a fisherman…at worse, they could kill a severely wounded Ant King. It would be even easier than they first imagined.

"Everyone, restrain your auras! Do not do anything without my order!" A demon quietly commanded, his eyes shining with a sharp light.

…

The Ant King felt fear. The Black Wolf King was too strong. Even though it couldn't compare to the Great Alligator King, it was far more terrifying than it had thought.

Its injuries hadn't fully recovered and then it had been sneak-attacked by the Black Wolf King. It found it growing harder and harder to support itself, and it felt as if it would be crushed at any moment.

It had no idea why its subordinates waiting outside had yet to come in. It also couldn't figure out why the Black Wolf King dared to murder it.

But none of this mattered. What mattered was that if it didn't run away, it really might die…as the master of Blackgold Mountain, the Ant King never thought it would be hunted down in its own domain.

Bang –

Fighting with injuries, it managed to drive out the Black Wolf King. Then, the Ant King crazily starting digging a hole. The extremely hard blackgold stone was as fragile as tofu in front of its legs.

Run! It had to run away!

Then, it would convene a meeting of kings from the other tribes and reveal the vile conduct of the Great Alligator King. Once that happened, the Great Alligator King would be done for!

The kings of the Nightmare Beast Territory would join forces and overthrow the rule of the Giant Alligator King…if the Great Alligator King wanted to kill it, it would have to pay a heavy price in return!

The Ant King clenched its jaws with hate. It dug faster and faster, and in several breaths of time it dug a hole out of Blackgold Mountain. Then, it leapt into the air and started flying into the distance.

Mm? How come the Black Wolf King didn't follow it? Its speed shouldn't be that much slower.

The Ant King began to feel restless. Its compound eyes swept across the surrounding area and its two antennas kept moving through the air.

This was a unique detection method of the ant nightmare beast tribe. But before it could judge the situation, there was a loud shout.

"Go!"

Bang –

In midair, a mass of demonic light exploded. It changed into a net that covered the endlessly wounded Ant King.

Hiss –

A terrifying corrosive sound filled the air. Wherever the net touched the Ant King's body, its incomparably firm carapace easily melted away, allowing the net to sink further in.

"Nightmare Clan! Damn it! Damn it all!" The Ant King roared in anger, "Great Alligator King, you dare to collaborate with the Nightmare Clan!? Even if I die, I will never let you go!"