Ever since the Wang Lie incident, Yang Lingqing had felt that this Strange Stone in her home was different from ordinary ones.

This difference was not about quality, but rather her feeling that this stone seemed to be "alive."

After that, she would often privately chat with Chen Yang, observing his reaction.

Unfortunately, the Strange Stone never gave any response.

Yang Lingqing lifted Chen Yang above her head. After a while, finding no movement, she lowered her hands again.

She gently stroked Chen Yang and said, "My precious treasure, I know your power. If any Demon Beasts come, you absolutely must warn us!"

Yang Lingqing's gaze turned toward the cliff; below it lay the Yang family's main compound.

If Demon Beasts were to break through from here, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the Yang family.

As a cultivator of the Yang family, protecting the clan was their duty. Ever since embarking on the path of Cultivation, Yang Lingqing had kept this mission firmly in her heart.

In truth, when Yang Lingqing lifted Chen Yang, he had already sensed his surroundings.

There were indeed traces of a Demon Beast's aura in the forest, but they were very faint, indicating they were extremely far away. He could only sense the general direction and was unable to pinpoint their location.

It seemed they intended to wear down the patience of those below the mountain.

This could be considered the first great tribulation he faced since entering the Yang family.

Chen Yang's view was the same as Yang Guanfeng's-this calamity was dangerous, but if they could survive it, it would greatly benefit the Yang family's future development.

Casualties were certainly unavoidable; he only hoped it wouldn't be too tragic.

The Yang family had treated him well, so Chen Yang decided to stay alert. At the very least, he had to protect these two children.

Days passed by.

For ten whole days, there was no unusual movement from any beasts.

Seeing this, many villagers who had come to take refuge felt the danger had passed.

Despite the well-intentioned advice of some Yang family members, some villagers insisted on returning home.

Some even twisted the Yang family's kindness into a conspiracy, claiming the Yang family was detaining them to force them into hard labor.

"Haven't you seen how hard those who became soldiers train every day!"

"Exactly! Over ten days with no movement, and they still won't let us leave. Who knows what they're plotting!"

Yang Feiyun and Yang Xiaolei, who had managed the clan for years, were long accustomed to such situations.

Good words could not persuade a ghost seeking death.

During this time, the Yang family had provided food and shelter, which was already the utmost kindness. If they didn't appreciate it, then let them go.

Three days later, most of the villagers without family members serving as Clan Soldiers had left, with only about ten percent remaining in the Yang family.

And on that very day, Yang Guanfeng suddenly returned home and issued three consecutive orders as the Family Head.

First, from today onward, everyone under the Yang family's jurisdiction must enter the Yang family courtyard to take shelter.

Second, all newly trained outside-surname Clan Soldiers were to be divided into three lines-vanguard, front formation, and rear formation-to guard the Yang family's east, west, and south directions.

Third, except for infants and the elderly who could not move, everyone else must be armed for self-defense.

The entire Yang family immediately sprang into action with intense urgency.

Everyone understood what these three orders meant.

The Beast Tide was coming!

That very night, the mountains shook and beastly roars echoed into the heavens!

At this moment, the ten percent of villagers who had chosen to stay with the Yang family finally understood how correct their choice had been.

Those who had left early had already become bones in the bellies of wild beasts.

"Grab weapons! Light the torches!"

The crowd lit torches, illuminating the Yang family compound brightly under the dark night.

At the front mountain pass, the Clan Soldiers stationed there had already made contact with the Beast Tide.

Yang Tieli divided his men into three groups, forming a bottleneck formation to intercept the beasts.

At first, they could hold the line, but as the number of beasts became overwhelming, they began to fight while retreating.

As casualties increased, their formation began to waver.

"The vanguard line is behind us to provide support! Do not break formation!"

Yang Tieli took the lead at the very front, shouting commands while simultaneously slaying two wild beasts with his blade.

Seeing their leader's bravery, the Clan Soldiers were inspired, and the formation quickly stabilized again.

But just then, two deafening roars erupted from the forest!

The cries were terrifying, causing the Clan Soldiers to panic.

After the roars subsided, two massive figures crashed through a stretch of trees and charged out of the forest.

One was a wild boar as large as an ox; the other was a three-eyed black tiger with glaring eyes!

The Clan Soldiers were horrified at the sight.

"What... what kind of monsters are these?"

"They're demons! These are demons!"

"Are we all going to die here?"

The power of Demon Beasts was too terrifying, far beyond what mortals could withstand.

Seeing the two Demon Beasts charging toward them, the Clan Soldiers fell into chaos.

Whoosh-

Whoosh-

Just then, a fierce wind suddenly arose, and two spinning blades of Gang Wind shot out from above everyone's heads.

Wherever the Gang Wind passed, countless beasts were cut in half.

Squelch!

The Gang Wind was extremely fast and semi-transparent in appearance. The two first level Qi Gathering Demon Beasts couldn't dodge in time and were knocked squarely to the ground.

The Gang Wind sank deep into their flesh. Blood splattered everywhere, and the two Demon Beasts instantly lost their former ferocity, howling in agony.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Yang Lingrui struck again without hesitation. The Gang Wind sliced into the Demon Beasts' necks, completely severing their vitality.

Yang Tieli breathed a huge sigh of relief, thinking that their clan's Immortal Master was truly extraordinary.

He turned and shouted, "Pull yourselves together! The Immortal Master's divine power can slay demons! Do not drag him down!"

"Yes, Chief!"

"Everyone, do not be afraid! Follow me and kill!"

Yang Lingrui's instant slaying of two Demon Beasts greatly boosted the Clan Soldiers' morale, causing their battle intent to surge!

Maintaining this momentum, they held out until the vanguard forces arrived to support them.

The two groups merged and successfully withdrew from the mountain pass.

Beyond that lay the plains. The archer squads the Yang family had prepared in advance released a volley. After several rounds, the beast horde suffered heavy casualties. Yang Lingrui also struck down another first level Qi Gathering Demon Beast, successfully repelling the Beast Tide's initial assault.

"The Immortal Master is mighty!"

"Our clan's Immortal Master's divine power is invincible!"

The Clan Soldiers shouted the Immortal Master's name, but Yang Lingrui knew in his heart that the greatest credit for blocking this first wave of impact belonged to their Ancestor.

Yang Guanfeng had ventured deep into the mountains alone and was currently intercepting Demon Beasts there. The three Demon Beasts just now were merely ones that had slipped through the net.

"The Ancestor's cultivation is profound; he should be fine. I wonder how my elder brother and sister are doing," Yang Lingrui thought.

At the same time, at the Yang family cliff.

After dealing with several dozen ordinary beasts, Chen Yang emitted a fluctuation, allowing Yang Lingqing to detect three wolf demons hiding in the shadows, preparing to ambush them!

With Chen Yang's warning, their tracks were exposed and the ambush failed, forcing them into a frontal attack.

Yang Linghu engaged in close combat with two first level Qi Gathering wolf demons, while Yang Lingqing used the Mud Dragon Art to wear down the stamina of another second level wolf demon.

Because Chen Yang's Spiritual Force Impact had limited uses, she would not use it unless it was a critical moment.

"If I could cultivate the Mud Dragon Art to the second level of Qi Gathering, I could control its shape and greatly increase my strength. Then perhaps I could even subdue third level Demon Beasts."

While skirmishing with the wolf demon, Yang Lingqing thought to herself.

At this moment, the battle on the other side had already concluded.

Although Yang Linghu was also injured, he had snapped the necks of both smaller wolf demons.

"Little Qing, I'll help you!"

Yang Linghu leaped over, and the two began to fight together.