Myriad Beast Mixed Color Heaven.
All the myriad tribes had gathered on the Tianyue High Slope.
"The Myriad Tribe Festival is held here?" Hei Loulan looked at the barren stretch of land before her, her tone tinged with disappointment.
Every edition of the Myriad Tribe Festival took place on the Tianyue High Slope.
But as far as Hei Loulan could see, the place was nothing but desolate wasteland — yellow earth everywhere and absolutely nothing else. A gust of wind sent dust swirling through the air in billowing clouds.
"The Myriad Tribe Festival is nothing like the Thousand Tribe Festival. It is a grand ceremony encompassing all of the Myriad Beast Mixed Color Heaven, held once every ten thousand years. This is my first time here as well," replied Lan Feng Clan Leader — or rather, Desolate Extreme One Lu Tonglan, one of the Eight Extreme Ones.
Behind the two of them stood the members of the Lan Feng tribe.
Half a year ago, the battle between the Lan Feng tribe and the Huo Rong tribe had cost the Lan Feng tribe a significant number of Gu Immortal elders. But because of it, the Lan Feng Clan Leader had also gained far deeper and more comprehensive control over her entire tribe.
"Clan Leader Lan Feng! Holy Son!"
"So this is the Holy Son?"
"Hahaha, we'd long heard that the Lan Feng tribe had produced a Holy Son. How enviable indeed!"
As they ventured deeper into the Tianyue High Slope, Lu Tonglan encountered many acquaintances. These were either renowned powerhouses or clan leaders and elders — all figures of considerable authority.
Hei Loulan's reputation had also spread to some degree, after all, the identity of a Holy Son was far too conspicuous.
"Hmph!" A cold snort rang out. Fire Fusion Clan Leader Jiao Huo glared at Lan Feng Clan Leader, Hei Loulan, and their party, his face brimming with fury.
A cluster of clan leaders and elder-level figures had gathered around him.
"Clan Leader Lan Feng, you arrived rather slowly. Were you afraid?" Jiao Huo demanded with arrogant condescension.
Lu Tonglan immediately shot back with a cold sneer: "Even if I were afraid, it wouldn't be of you. Who do you think you are?"
"The two clan leaders, the Myriad Tribe Festival is about to commence. Should anyone raise a hand, they shall become the enemy of all the myriad tribes and be sacrificed as an offering without exception," an elder of a major clan said, hurrying over when he saw the situation turning sour.
He then turned to Jiao Huo: "Clan Leader Jiao Huo, why are you still here? My clan leader has already prepared a banquet, and you mustn't be late."
Jiao Huo let out a cold snort and tossed a parting threat at Lu Tonglan: "I'll let you go for now."
With that, he turned and led his entourage away.
"That fellow, Fire Fusion Clan Leader…" Only after he had departed did the clan leaders close to Lu Tonglan finally speak up.
"Clan Leader Lan Feng, although Clan Leader Jiao Huo was defeated by you half a year ago and his strength is greatly diminished, you mustn't let your guard down. He has already attached himself to the Huang Zhong tribe."
"The Huang Zhong tribe is a super-clan! Not only their clan leader but even their Grand Elder possesses Eighth Transformation cultivation!"
These powerhouses shared bits and pieces of intelligence about Fire Fusion Clan Leader between them.
Hei Loulan listened with a perfectly calm expression, gaining yet another understanding of the overall situation within the Myriad Beast Mixed Color Heaven.
"The situation here is really no different from the Five Domains — the weak still attach themselves to the strong. Lu Tonglan and Jiao Huo are two of the Eight Extreme Ones. Even though they cultivate here, using totem killer moves, they still stand far above ordinary people and are powerhouses among Seventh Transformations. That's why a crowd gathers around each of them."
"But the true top-tier forces are still entities like the Huang Zhong tribe. It seems Jiao Huo's plan has succeeded. He leveraged his tribe's period of weakness as a pretext to get close to the Huang Zhong tribe."
"Who could have known that these two, who appear to be mortal enemies with an irreconcilable hatred, are in fact the most intimate allies?"
Hei Loulan found herself rather impressed by the schemes of these two.
Several days later, the Myriad Tribe Festival began.
"Great God of Wild Barbarism, the Zijin tribe offers thirty Golden Sand Carp!"
"Great God of Wild Barbarism, the Ice Lake tribe offers three Infant Lions!"
"Great God of Wild Barbarism, the Huang Zhong tribe offers a flock of Skyward Finches, ten stalks of Blinding Vines, and one outsider!"
Each tribe took turns in the central clearing, slaughtering and presenting their respective offerings.
The weaker tribes could only offer barren beasts. The tribes that were not quite as powerful as the Lan Feng tribe could offer ancient barren beasts.
And the most powerful factions, such as the Huang Zhong tribe, offered great quantities of ancient barren beasts and barren plants, or even several primordial-level barren beasts and plants.
From time to time, outsiders were dragged out and killed before the eyes of the crowd.
These outsiders were all Gu Immortals, with cultivation bases of at least the Seventh Transformation. The outsiders executed by the Huang Zhong tribe even included one at the Eighth Transformation!
"If these things were used as ingredients for my meals, my totems could surge to an entirely new level." Watching from within the crowd, Hei Loulan felt a deep sense of regret.
Whether it was barren beast carcasses or Gu Immortal corpses, once they touched the yellow earth, they would gradually melt like candle wax and seep into the soil.
The entire ground seemed like a silent colossal beast, silently devouring every offering placed upon it.
"This Tianyue High Slope hides an immense secret — it's certainly far more complicated than it appears on the surface!" Hei Loulan thought to herself. Again and again she watched these offerings dissolve into the yellow earth, only for the bloodstained ground to revert to its original ochre color moments later.
The sacrifice of outsiders, regardless of their cultivation level, drew cheers from the myriad tribes each and every time.
The roar of the crowd surged like a tidal wave, shaking the soul.
The Myriad Beast Mixed Color Heaven had endured for so many years. Naturally, word had leaked out. Giant Sun Immortal Zombie had channels to send people in, and others did as well.
"Kill them all, kill them all! Every last one of these Outer Demons deserves to die!"
"Historical records show that whenever the Myriad Tribe Festival approaches, these Outer Demons always emerge."