Chapter 445: Going Mad

Lei Ming was afraid she struck too hard, and smashed the wild buffalo. She also took out her spirit hammer, pounding the buffalo's heads, one hammer per beast, killing them with great relish.

On the neighboring mountain, wolf howls sounded again, this time more urgent. Clearly, seeing the herd of wild buffalo surrounded and slaughtered made them anxious.

The herd of wild buffalo also grew restless, turning together to charge downward.

"Bai Hu, Princess, jump into the herd and scatter them," Ye Liuyun immediately ordered the battling Bai Hu and the Princess to charge into the herd, preventing it from gathering.

The Princess had never killed with such relish. Hearing the command, she instantly leapt into the herd, continuing the melee. Bai Hu did the same; wherever he stood, the buffalo immediately fled.

Bai Hu's realm was not only high, but his Bloodline Pressure also terrified the buffalo, so they could never gather and could not clash with Ye Liuyun and his companions blocking them.

Gradually, they lost their numerical advantage, and the fate awaiting them was only to be slaughtered.

On the neighboring mountain, wolf howls rose again, a mournful wail. This time it wasn't a single wolf; the sound indicated at least a hundred wolves howling outward, transmitting information.

"Not good, the wolf pack is calling its comrades," Ye Liuyun recalled his earlier encounters with wolves on the barbarian frontier; though he didn't fully understand their message, he sensed they were seeking aid.

He spread his Divine Sense and saw nearby ferocious beasts also gathering toward the adjacent peak. After gauging their realms, Ye Liuyun ceased to worry.

The beasts here were only at the Fifth or Sixth Layer of Golden Core, merely coming to replenish food resources. It suited the wolves to summon them, sparing the need to hunt each individually.

When Ye Liuyun and his group had eliminated the entire herd, hundreds of ferocious beasts gathered beneath the opposite peak.

"Ye Liuyun and his companions collected the buffalo corpses and then charged straight toward that peak again."

Although they were few, their strength was great; facing the beasts they showed no fear. Their battle fervor was high, and even if Ye Liuyun ordered them to stop, they would not be able to restrain themselves.

"Awo!"

With the Beast King's command, the ferocious beasts around the peak surged toward Ye Liuyun and his group. Hundreds of giant wolves descended from the peak, joining the battle.

Both sides skipped any probing; they immediately engaged in life‑or‑death combat. The beasts fell one after another, each leaping onto the fallen, eyes devoid of fear, all blood‑shot with murderous intent.

The people beside Ye Liuyun each shouted "Kill, kill," striking without mercy. Lei Ming and Bai Hu, meanwhile, had forgotten to preserve the food's integrity, killing recklessly.

Looking at Ninth Princess, she was even more unhinged than ever, her body drenched in beast blood, a walking corpse of blood, unable to stop killing.

The hundreds of beasts opposite were soon all slain; only a few remained, which they even fought over.

Ye Liuyun suddenly sensed something amiss. Logically, his companions' realms were all high, so they shouldn't be this eager.

He saw Ninth Princess and Bai Hu about to clash over a prize.

"Not good, they must be affected by this battle fervor!"

Ye Liuyun, realizing this, immediately mobilized True Essence and launched a sound‑wave attack toward those near him.

He employed the Nine Nether Prelude, sounding like a fate‑bell, causing those around him to witness death, desolation, and ruined post‑battle scenes.

The people were instantly shaken, astonished by the visions, and began to calm; their battle fervor gradually faded, receding toward Ye Liuyun.

After their battle fervor left, those of lower realms immediately collapsed from exhaustion, only Lei Ming, Bai Hu and Piao Yun were somewhat better.

"What happened to us?" Wu Qingcheng asked.

The others stared bewildered at the scattered beast corpses, as if they hadn't caused this.

"You've likely been affected by the battle fervor in this Secret Realm, temporarily losing your mind. Rest a while, then clear the battlefield. The peak should hold the cause."

Ye Liuyun hadn't forgotten that a Beast King still lingered on the mountain. Since the fight began, the Beast King had been silent, evidently not wanting to interfere with their battle or disrupt their rising battle fervor.

"That..." Piao Yun, after regaining consciousness, was the first to ask Ye Liuyun.

"That was my sound‑wave attack."

Ye Liuyun gave a brief explanation so they wouldn't mistake it for someone else attacking their souls.

"Am I going mad?" Ninth Princess asked doubtfully. Upon regaining consciousness, the first thing she saw was herself confronting Bai Hu, the fierce aura from him still giving her lingering dread.

"Pretty much! Strong battle fervor can boost a person's combat power, making them fearless. But if it's too strong, it clouds the mind, turning a person into a killing machine. This confusing method is indeed clever!" Ye Liuyun said frankly. He still hadn't figured out how they fell into it.

He probably avoided it because of the Ten Thousand Gods Command.

After everyone rested and replenished True Essence, they began clearing the battlefield, gathering the beast corpses, then headed up the mountain.

Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense and Golden Pupil were fully engaged, searching for the Beast King.

"Strange, where did that Beast King go?"

On the mountain, there wasn't a single wolf in sight. Not even any living creature.

Just as Ye Liuyun was puzzled, wolf howls rose again from a Cave. This time the cries were plaintive, as if narrating a story.

Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense instantly locked onto the Cave, and he led the group forward.

However, after his Divine Sense entered the cave, he found no trace of the Beast King. The interior was small, with several stone platforms. On the central platform sat a horn. The howling came from that horn.

Ye Liuyun wondered, "A horn that makes its own sound?"