169: totem

"It's over, will I be eaten by a Yao Beast?"

Youxiong Yanzhi felt a bit panicked.

Ever since that night, he had left the village alone and ventured into this Forbidden Ground.

He originally intended to search for the Treasure Trove that had fallen from the sky.

But as he walked, he became lost in this dense forest with trees that soared to the sky.

Fortunately, there was no shortage of food here, so he wouldn't starve to death.

"Roar~"

The roars of beasts echoed continuously through the mountains and forest.

Although Youxiong Yanzhi was brave, the fear in his heart was inevitable in such an unknown environment.

"Go."

Youxiong Yanzhi's heart was in a panic, and he retreated, moving away from the direction of the sound.

He hadn't retreated far when an alarm suddenly blared in Youxiong Yanzhi's mind, and his body instinctively lunged to the side.

A Shadow Leopard, its body interwoven with dark patterns, moved extremely fast, its sharp claws grazing Youxiong Yanzhi's body, tearing through his animal skin and leaving streaks of blood.

Youxiong Yanzhi rolled on the ground, feeling pain, but he didn't cry out. Instead, he scrambled to his feet, his eyes vigilantly scanning the spot where he had just been.

A Shadow Leopard, less than a zhang long, lightly scratched the ground with its sharp claws, looking at Youxiong Yanzhi with greedy, bloodthirsty intent.

"Yao Beast, is this a Yao Beast?"

This Shadow Leopard, both in its aura and appearance, was completely different from the wild beasts and Vicious Beasts he had seen hunted by the village's hunting party.

"So there really are Yao Beasts here."

Youxiong Yanzhi's heart sank continuously. These past few days, he had been wandering in the outer areas, encountering nothing but wild beasts and Vicious Beasts, all of which he had dealt with and eaten.

He had somewhat dismissed the rumors in the village.

The only thing that made him a little afraid was the occasional huge beast roar.

He hadn't expected to actually encounter one.

"Woo~"

The Shadow Leopard let out a low growl, its body like the wind, its fangs bared, and it lunged towards Youxiong Yanzhi.

"totem Power!"

Youxiong Yanzhi shouted in his heart.

A complex and profound totem pattern began to appear on his exposed back.

The moment this pattern appeared...

The Qi and blood in Youxiong Yanzhi's small body suddenly surged by a significant amount.

"Bang!"

With the totem pattern activated, Youxiong Yanzhi's speed increased significantly, already comparable to that of an adult.

At the moment the Shadow Leopard was upon him, he narrowly dodged to the side, his body colliding with a giant tree.

The Shadow Leopard missed again, a human-like look of annoyance appearing in its eyes. Its tail had just shot up and was wagging slightly when a dark light suddenly emanated from it.

"Ah!"

The dark light suddenly came close and struck Youxiong Yanzhi's body.

Youxiong Yanzhi cried out in pain.

The Shadow Leopard seized the opportunity and lunged again.

Youxiong Yanzhi endured the pain and dodged, but he didn't completely avoid it. His body was grazed by the Shadow Leopard's sharp claws, and blood flowed.

The pain ignited anger in Youxiong Yanzhi's heart. He didn't dodge or evade the Shadow Leopard that lunged at him again, instead gathering all his Qi and blood and smashing his fist onto the Shadow Leopard's head.

"Woo~"

The Shadow Leopard, struck by this blow, retreated a few steps, its head shaking, its body unsteady, as if it was about to fall to the ground and die.

Youxiong Yanzhi rejoiced in his heart, thinking that a Yao Beast was nothing more than this.

However, in less than a moment, the Shadow Leopard recovered, looking at Youxiong Yanzhi with a cruel and playful expression in its eyes.

Youxiong Yanzhi's joy stalled. His full-power blow had no effect at all.

The pattern on his back activated again, and Youxiong Yanzhi swiftly retreated, fleeing.

The Shadow Leopard watched Youxiong Yanzhi flee, its body moved slightly, and it leaped out, chasing after Youxiong Yanzhi.

In less than a moment, it caught up to Youxiong Yanzhi again.

"Snap!"

The Shadow Leopard swatted Youxiong Yanzhi to the ground with one claw.

Youxiong Yanzhi coughed up blood, his heart a mix of despair and regret.

The Shadow Leopard slowly approached Youxiong Yanzhi, looking down at him.

It opened its gaping maw, about to bite down on Youxiong Yanzhi's head.

"Oh! Senior Brother, there's a person there."

A young female voice came from afar.

The Shadow Leopard's fur stood on end, a sense of danger echoing in its heart.

Before the Shadow Leopard could react...

A surge of magical power arrived swiftly from afar.

"Bang!"

The magical power struck the Shadow Leopard, reducing it to a pile of minced meat.

"A Qi Refining First Layer minor Yao, this cursed place really has a lot of Yao Beasts."

A young man sighed softly.

As his voice fell, the three, two men and one woman, appeared before Youxiong Yanzhi like ghosts.

Youxiong Yanzhi heard the sound, opened his eyes, and looked at the three young men and woman standing beside him.

"Immortal..."

Youxiong Yanzhi's heart trembled.

He struggled to get up and thanked Zhou Xiuyuan and the other two with trepidation.

"Thank you, Immortals, for saving my life."

"It's nothing."

Shen Xuanzhao spoke, his magical power surging out, helping Youxiong Yanzhi up.

Then, he flicked a Medicinal Pill into Youxiong Yanzhi's mouth.

The three of them, having traveled this far, had only encountered Yao Beasts. This was the first human they had met, so they naturally had to save him to inquire about the situation.

Youxiong Yanzhi felt the Medicinal Pill dissolving in his body, the pain and injuries gradually easing. He secretly watched Zhou Xiuyuan and the other two, only feeling that the three of them, dressed in various brocade robes, possessed extraordinary temperaments and were exceedingly handsome.

"As expected of Immortals..."

Youxiong Yanzhi secretly observed them, his heart filled with envy.

This was his first time seeing Immortals, and they were indeed different from the people in their village.

"What is the pattern on your back?"

Zhou Xiuyuan suddenly spoke, looking at Youxiong Yanzhi, who stood respectfully at his side, and asked softly.

He had noticed earlier that although this eight or nine-year-old child had not Cultivated and was merely a mortal, the Qi and blood in his body were comparable to an adult's. However, as the pattern on the child's back faded, his Qi and blood also gradually decreased.

That was why he asked this question.

Shen Xuanzhao and Yun Qingsi were also slightly curious; they had never witnessed such a method.

"Replying to the Immortal, this is a totem pattern."

Although Youxiong Yanzhi was confused, he still answered honestly.

Zhou Xiuyuan nodded slightly. Although he still had doubts, he didn't ask further.

The fleeting confusion on Youxiong Yanzhi's face had been caught by him.

After all, the three of them were from the outside world. If the Cultivators of this world were to find out, they might not have a good outcome.

"We three Senior Brother and Junior Sister accidentally entered this place and got lost. May I ask if this young friend can guide us?"

Shen Xuanzhao changed the subject.

Youxiong Yanzhi was about to reply, but his face showed some hesitation.

"To be honest, Immortal, I also can't find my way back."

Youxiong Yanzhi's tone was slightly awkward.

"Hehe~"

Yun Qingsi chuckled softly.

"Little brother, let me borrow your aura."

Before Youxiong Yanzhi could reply...

A Talisman appeared in Yun Qingsi's hand. Her finger touched Youxiong Yanzhi, imprinting a wisp of ethereal aura into the Talisman in her hand.

"Manifest!"

Yun Qingsi uttered a low shout. The Talisman floated in the air, and a winding, twisting line of light appeared within the Talisman. The Talisman flew out, following the line of light.

"We've got it!"

Yun Qingsi's eyes lit up, and she said to Zhou Xiuyuan and the other person.

"Truly the methods of Immortals."

Youxiong Yanzhi watched, filled with envy.

"Let's go."

Shen Xuanzhao took the lead.

Along the way...

"Little Yanzhi, this is our first time going out for training. We don't know much about many things, so please tell us more, Little Yanzhi."

Yun Qingsi's tone was gentle, making people feel good upon hearing it.

Looking at the expectant Yun Qingsi...

Youxiong Yanzhi's face flushed slightly, and he told them everything about the village and its surroundings in detail.

As for the doubts in his heart, they had long been cast aside.

"totem..."

"Ordinary people can also gain totem Power..."

"If I can obtain this Totem Method, wouldn't the elders or younger siblings in my family who lack Cultivation talent have another path to take?"

"In this way, the family's strength can greatly increase."

"I just don't know if this Totem Method has any restrictions, and what is the strongest level it can reach..."

Zhou Xiuyuan remembered everything Youxiong Yanzhi said, constantly pondering in his mind.

After a moment of thought, Zhou Xiuyuan decided to first get his hands on this Totem Method. He turned around and exchanged glances with Shen Xuanzhao.

Shen Xuanzhao nodded slightly.

He also wanted to explore the hidden secrets within it.

Yun Qingsi remained calm, continuing to subtly extract information from Youxiong Yanzhi.

The four followed the tracking Talisman, heading towards Youxiong Village.