Deep within an unknown mountain range, a group of Fox Clan members were hunting two individuals. One was a young man of twenty-eight or twenty-nine, also a member of the Fox Clan who had already taken human form, possessing peak second-level Divine Realm cultivation. He was protecting a youth with two fox ears on his head, who was the very half-demon Wu Tianjun had mentioned.
"Hu Jun, kill that mongrel, and you will remain an elder of our Fox Clan. Otherwise, prepare to die!" A middle-aged man leading the pursuit spoke, his voice cold. He, too, had taken human form and possessed mid-stage third-level Divine Realm cultivation.
"That's right! Hu Jun, you are a genius of our clan. If you kill that mongrel, we believe the clan elders won't punish you too severely. After all, you are still young, and everyone makes mistakes sometimes!" another Fox Clan member added.
"Haha, what good is being a genius? If I can't even protect my own son, what is there to be proud of? If you want to kill him, then kill me too! I won't complain!" the young man said with a bitter laugh. They were of the same clan, yet his son was considered a mongrel and marked for extermination. Although humans and demons were not of the same race, weren't all races living in peace in this era? Why couldn't his son be allowed to live? His beloved had died in childbirth, and he had raised his son in the wilderness for sixteen years before his clansmen discovered them and began the pursuit. He truly hadn't expected the clan elders to want to kill his own child!
"Hmph! Stubborn fool! That mongrel shouldn't exist in this world. Since you refuse to see reason, we'll just take you back for the clan elders to judge!" a fourth-level Divine Realm expert said coldly. He was one of the main leaders of the pursuit.
"Who said he shouldn't exist in this world? This young master says his life is worth ten thousand times more than yours, believe it or not?" A clear, cold voice with a hint of childishness rang out. A figure appeared before everyone, clad in pristine white, with a youthful yet strikingly handsome face. Who else could it be but Wu Tianjun!
"Who are you?" A third-level Divine Realm expert's pupils constricted as he asked coldly.
"You are not yet worthy to know!" A cold voice rang out. Following it, two figures appeared: Ma Lian and Feng Daoling. It was Ma Lian who spoke. As he appeared, the air around them grew heavy, everyone found themselves unable to move, and an incredibly terrifying pressure descended.
"..." The Fox Clan members and the two being pursued broke out in a cold sweat. This powerful expert was simply too strong! Even the Saint God clan elders weren't this formidable. Could it be... They no longer dared to think further.
"They won't tolerate you, a half-demon. So, what do you say? This young master, in his great benevolence, will take you in. Come with me? Later, we'll show them how foolish they were to hunt you today!" Wu Tianjun ignored the Fox Clan members and turned to ask the half-demon.
"Follow you..." The half-demon had not even spoken when his father's eyes lit up. This young man had a Saint Ancestor following him as a protector! Just how powerful must his backing be? One had to know that Saint Ancestors represented Sacred Lands, and the Fox clan only had three Saint Ancestors themselves! "You wish for my son to follow you?" He immediately changed his tone, utterly delighted. If his son followed this young master, even if the Fox clan had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare to pursue his son again.
"Hmph! That's right! I will ensure his safe growth!" Yu Tianjun said confidently.
"..." Hearing Yu Tianjun's words, the Fox clan members' eyes flashed with complex emotions and anger, but they dared not act on it. That Saint Ancestor could casually swat them, and likely not a single one of them would survive.
"Then I beg you, please take him! His name is Hu Wu, hurry and pay your respects to the Young Master!" Once Yu Tianjun confirmed, Hu Jun was overjoyed and immediately pushed his son forward.
"Yo-Young Master!" The half-demon Hu Wu's voice trembled slightly, unsure if it was from fear due to being hunted.
"Haha, follow me, and no one will dare to hunt you down again!" Yu Tianjun laughed, patting Hu Wu's shoulder. The sight of a young lad patting the shoulder of someone a head taller than him felt somewhat familiar!
"I know you all have opinions..." Yu Tianjun looked at the Fox clan members and said, "It's best to stay silent! I'm in a good mood, so I won't bother with you!" He added, before the Fox clan members could say anything.
"..." The Divine Realm Fox clan members were speechless. Clearly, *he* was the one meddling; *they* should be the ones not bothering with *him*! Though they thought this, they only gritted their teeth and remained silent. If things went south, they would all perish here.
"Haha, nothing to say, huh! Good, I'm leaving now! You'd best not do anything bad to Hu Wu. If he seeks revenge in the future, I won't interfere, hehe!" Yu Tianjun said with a laugh.
"Father..." Hu Wu turned to look at Hu Jun.
"Sigh! Go, go. If there's a chance in the future, I'll come find you." Hu Jun patted his son's shoulder and said, "This place isn't suitable for you to stay! It's Father's incompetence..." Hu Jun looked up at the sky and sighed. Hu Wu was his only remaining kin. He wouldn't stay with the Fox clan; this place had not allowed his son to exist and even wanted to kill him. He had no reason to remain either.
"Father... I will definitely return!" Hu Wu's eyes welled up slightly. Since birth, his father had raised him alone.
"Haha, no need for such sentimentality, we'll meet again!" Yu Tianjun said with a laugh. He had also experienced separation by life and death, so he somewhat understood Hu Wu and his father. "Let's go!" He turned to Ma Lian and said. He still needed to find an Ice Spirit Body to complete the Eight Great Spirit Roots.
"Yes, Young Master!" Ma Lian enveloped Yu Tianjun and the other two, preparing to leave.
"You brat, stay behind!" A sudden voice rang out. The void tore open, and golden light appeared, revealing a middle-aged man. It was none other than the Golden Lion!
"Are you talking about me?" Yu Tianjun was startled, his pupils constricting. He didn't know what madness had possessed this Golden Lion to want to keep him.
"That's right!" the Golden Lion said coldly. His appearance caused the entire mountain range to fall silent, and the members of the Fox clan could no longer even stand steady.
"Do you want to make an enemy of me?" Wu Tianjun said coldly.
"If you want to fight, then bring it on!" Ma Lian stepped forward, shielding Wu Tianjun, and said in a cold voice.
"Haha, you are no match for me!" The Golden Lion looked at Ma Lian and sneered, completely ignoring Wu Tianjun.
"I am indeed no match for you, but if I want to leave, you cannot stop me," Ma Lian said, his pupils constricting.
"I only need to keep that brat here, not you!" the Golden Lion said, pointing at Wu Tianjun.
"You'll have to get past me first!" Ma Lian said coldly.
"Are you sure you want to keep me here?" Wu Tianjun said.
"Haha, what right does a mere brat like you have to speak to me?" the Golden Lion scoffed.
"Very well! I'd like to see if a Saint Ancestor like you still dares to boast about keeping me!" Wu Tianjun said coldly, and then the power of Samsara surged around his body.
"Huh?" The Golden Lion's pupils constricted. That unknown power made his heart pound furiously. How many years had it been since he last felt such a looming threat of death?
"Young Master!" Ma Lian was also startled. This was only the second time he had seen the Young Master use this unknown power. The first time was to seal the Six Demon Star; this time, could he be planning to slay a Saint Ancestor-level Golden Lion? That was simply insane.
As the power of Samsara manifested, the surrounding space began to tremble violently, sending out ripples. Ma Lian hurriedly shielded Hu Wu and the other person, preventing them from being affected by the spatial fragmentation. With their low cultivation, if they were caught in it, they would surely perish utterly!
"This Young Master has never tasted the flesh of a Saint Ancestor-level Golden Lion before. You will be the first!" Wu Tianjun said coldly. The power of Samsara began to churn even more violently.
"Wait! It's a misunderstanding! Little brother, I admit my mistake. I will leave immediately and won't stand in your way..." The Golden Lion wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his back already drenched. The moment the words left his mouth, he tore open space and fled. He had absolutely no confidence that he could withstand such power.
The few Fox clan members who witnessed this trembled uncontrollably. They knew the Golden Lion was on the verge of breaking through to the second step of the Saint Ancestor realm. Yet, such a supreme powerhouse was actually terrified and driven away by this Young Master, fleeing even faster than he had arrived.
"Let's go," Wu Tianjun said to Ma Lian as soon as the lion left. Ma Lian cupped his hands, then swept up Wu Tianjun and the other two, and departed. He did not take Hu Jun with them.
"Ugh..." After they left that supercontinent, Wu Tianjun suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale.
"Young Master!" Ma Lian cried out in panic, quickly supporting Wu Tianjun. He had no idea how the Young Master had been injured.
"Hmph! I still haven't fully mastered the power of Samsara. Last time, sealing the Six Demon Star almost completely exhausted it. Forcing myself to use it this time was merely a bluff to drive away that Golden Lion! *Cough*... My body still cannot handle the strain!" Wu Tianjun wiped the dark blood from the corner of his mouth, coughing weakly as he muttered.
"The power of Samsara?" Mo Lian, while supporting Wu Tianjun, now knew that the unknown power was the power of Samsara. It was incredibly overbearing!
"You'll understand later." Wu Tianjun glanced at Mo Lian. "Let's go back and regroup with Chi Danzi and the others. I need a few days to heal. Let's move towards the Primal Wood Star Forest." After Wu Tianjun finished speaking, he closed his eyes, letting Mo Lian take them away. It seemed he now completely trusted Mo Lian.
"Yes, Young Master!" Mo Lian, an old demon of considerable power, smirked. The Young Master truly trusted him!