Chapter 163: Beast Demon Village

“Have you been here all along?” Xu Feng asked.

“Yes, this is my home. My tribe has always guarded the Celestial Garden to prevent strangers from approaching,” the Minotaur said.

“What exactly is in the Celestial Garden that makes you guard it so fiercely?” Xu Feng asked curiously.

“I don’t know,” the Minotaur replied. “It’s been this way generation after generation. Even before gaining intelligence, we were right here. If you had come then, we would have eaten you by now.”

The lightning arrived quickly and vanished just as fast. In barely ten minutes, the dark clouds scattered, and the sky turned clear and sunny again.

“Come on, I’ll take you to our tribe. It’s been a long time since any stranger came here,” the Minotaur said, patting Xu Feng’s shoulder.

“My name is Xu Feng. And yours?”

“Haha, I’m Xihua’er. It means ‘brave warrior’,” the Minotaur replied.

Ordinary beasts all got their own names after receiving the Awakening. This name was given by the Priest of the Extraterrestrial Beastkin Tribe.

Xu Feng followed the Minotaur Xihua’er up towards the mountain peak.

The Beastkin Tribe’s village wasn’t actually at the peak itself, but partway up the mountainside. It looked like a church might have once stood here. Many modern structures stood clustered together, but most had collapsed. Large chunks of broken statues lay scattered everywhere.

Surrounded by these ruins were a few simple huts. Wisps of smoke rose from some roofs, suggesting this was a village built right upon old rubble.

Xu Feng raised his eyes. Not far from this simple village stood a different kind of city. Its walls were old and peeling. It had grand buildings that carried a sense of history. Its feel didn’t match the collapsed structures nearby at all. It seemed to appear out of nowhere, a separate piece not fitting with its surroundings.

“What is that place?” Xu Feng asked, pointing at the ancient city.

“That is the Ancient Temple. It’s the sacred place where beasts of the Beast Demon Clan receive the Awakening. The great Beastkin Priest lives within that ancient city,” Xihua’er explained. He showed deep respect for the city, bowing towards it whenever he mentioned it.

“The castle of the Extraterrestrial Beastkin Tribe,” Xu Feng thought to himself.

This ancient city sat halfway up the mountain. If Wu Feng wanted to go higher up, he would have to pass through it.

Deep inside the city, within a majestic castle, a man radiating powerful energy sat on a stone chair carved with patterns of ancient Deities. His eyes were closed in deep thought.

He had a strikingly handsome face, just like a human’s. Only when he opened his eyes could you notice his pupils were a dazzling gold, adding a mysterious touch to his good looks.

He was Hu Tian, the Priest of the Beastkin Tribe—an extraterrestrial with the power of Awakening. Any ordinary beast meeting him received this gift, gaining intelligence and transforming into Beastkin.

Right now, a wound over a foot long scarred his shoulder. Pale blue crystalline energy flowed from it, chilling the air around him.

“The Celestial Garden… truly not a friendly place. That lightning carried energy capable of freezing the soul itself!” Hu Tian opened his eyes; his golden pupils flashed a piercing light.

“Priest, Xihua’er has brought a human to the village,” a fox demon entered the Ancient Castle and reported cautiously.

“A human? To arrive at the village now… it seems a Teleportation Array has appeared in the human cities,” Hu Tian murmured softly, a trace of surprise crossing his face. “Perhaps I should have destroyed that Teleportation Array earlier. But it was part of the nearby structure. If those beings learned I damaged it, my reputation would suffer greatly.”

“The Teleportation Array is already crumbling. It will buckle under the stress of spacetime energy after a few more uses and break on its own. Patience is the better path for now,” Hu Tian considered silently.

He had planned for the Celestial Garden for a very long time. But he couldn’t use the Beast Demon Village’s strength for this, nor could he tell them at all. If he did, even though he had given them the great gift of Awakening, these Beastkin bound by heritage to protect the Garden would grow angry at him. They might even attack him together.

The Celestial Garden held a huge secret. Hu Tian had descended here for one reason: to open the Celestial Garden and steal the treasures within.

“Invite that human to see me,” Hu Tian closed his eyes briefly, then spoke.

“Yes, Honored Priest,” the fox demon bowed and left to deliver Hu Tian’s order.

Beast Demon Village wasn’t like an upgradeable Camp; it was just a simple gathering place.

“Xihua’er! Who is this? You brought an outsider into our village?” A large white tiger beast barreled onto their path in the village. He glared fiercely, shouting loudly. His body was massive; his mouth held sharp Fangs gleaming coldly.

He was speaking English! His strange accent was fast. Xu Feng understood only a few words. This Beastkin had Three-Star Strength.

Beastkin didn’t climb strength levels step-by-step like humans did—from ordinary, to One Star, then Two Stars. As wild beasts, they already held formidable power. After Awakening, some Beastkin instantly became beings of Two or Three-Star strength. Their natural power outstripped humans.

Plus, they too could use Beast Crystals to grow stronger. In Earth’s Will’s eyes, these Beastkin held even greater potential than humans. That’s why many Beastkin warriors were drawn in later.

“This is Xu Feng. He’s my friend,” Xihua’er shouted back, his bull-like eyes wide.

“Xu Feng? That’s a human name! You brought a human into our Beast Demon Village!” The white tiger snorted jets of white air, clearly furious. He bellowed, “I challenge him! Humans aren’t welcome here!”

“Haha, Xitaier, he is no match for this human. His strength is formidable. Probably only Lin Xi could trade a few blows with him,” said a black ape with white eyebrows and beard. Bent with age, it shuffled forward leaning on a wooden staff.

“Chief!”

…

All Beastkin in the Beast Demon Village bowed towards the old ape.

“Xu Feng, this is our Beast Demon Village Chief, Lord Yuan Yi,” Xihua’er bowed, then introduced him to Xu Feng.

“Chief, this is Xu Feng. He’s a human friend I just met.”

“Haha, a strong young fellow. You came through the Teleportation Array on the small peak outside the village, didn’t you?” Chief Yuan Yi asked, pointing towards the Teleportation Array.

“Yes, Chief.”

This old black ape looked frail and worn by time, yet Xu Feng sensed immense Strength radiating from him. What truly shocked Xu Feng was this: his Insight Skill failed utterly against the old ape. All it displayed were question marks where attributes should be.

“Humans and we… we are both children of Earth’s Will. You are welcome here,” Yuan Yi nodded, his face creased in a kindly smile. “You may stay in our village. But avoid entering the Ancient City casually. Our Priest lives there, and he dislikes disturbance.”

“Of course, Chief. I will respect the rules of the Beast Demon Village,” Xu Feng said.

“Very good!” Yuan Yi nodded again. Leaning on his wooden staff, he slowly moved away.