"Um..." muttered Belle in hesitation as if she was trying to choose her words wisely. Then she looked into Austin's eyes and
continued, "I cto the Black-wind Beast World for a family task. Me, along with other Xiao disciples, were entrusted to
investigate something in the Black-wind Beast World.
Alvin and | were sent here by our family to complete this task.
| never expected that Alvin bribed my maid and have her lie to me. She toldthat she found skind of magical fruit here.
This kind of fruit was important tosince it can greatly improve the martial art skill that I'm practicing.
| believed her and followed her to where she saw the fruit.
All of a sudden, Rogan and his underlings appeared out of nowhere and attacked me."
Belle's face was filled with rage as she was recalling all the things that happened during her encounter with Rogan to Austin.
Austin now understood why Belle was chased and hunted by those guys from the very beginning.
"Alvin was also from the Xiao Family. Why did he conspire with Rogan to kill you?"
Austin was trying to figure out what Alvin's actions meant and raised this question to Bella.
"Alvin and | are cousins. He is the son of my uncle, my father's younger brother.
And our grandpa is the head of the Xiao Family.
Grandpa is getting old and will retire soon. Once he does step down, my father and uncle are sure to battle tooth and nail it to
becgrandpa's heir.
Furthermore, it's tradition in the Solamnia Kingdom for the head of the Xiao Family to assthe position of the prminister in
the Solamnia Kingdom.
Due to this, my father and my uncle are not only competing for the opportunity of becoming the future head of the Xiao Family, but
they're also vying for the position of the prminister in the Solamnia Kingdom.
They are like fire and water under the sroof. No one would give up until their goal is fulfilled,"
Belle sighed and was clearly flustered.
She was tired and at her wits' end when it cto dealing with the internal strife within her family.
"I didn't know members in your family are pitted in a deep-seeded power struggle."
Austin nodded at Bella to show that he understood the complicated internal affairs within the Xiao Family.
Belle just told Austin why she cto the Black-wind Beast World. However, she didn't mention what specific task the Xiao Family
had entrusted her to accomplish. Her blank expression showed no intention of telling him any details about it.
Austin was wise to not prod and get in the middle of Belle's mission and her family's predicament.
After all, it was the Xiao Family's secret. He shouldn't poke his nose into such matters if it doesn't concern him.
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Austin and his two companions were about to leave the Black-wind Beast World.
Suddenly, a strange noise caught his attention.
The sky and the earth shook slightly and was followed by a mild muffled noise. Though the sound wasn't loud, Austin felt as if it
someone has been beating a drum from a distance.
For an unknown reason, the slight noise sent shivers into Austin's and his two companions’ spines and fear in their hearts. Even
their souls trembled upon hearing the tiny sound.
They have never heard any sound like this before!
This unexpected sound caused all of them to stop dead in their tracks.
They all turned towards the direction of the muffled noise and listened carefully.
As expected, they heard the unsettling noise once again.
It still sounded distant. Like the first noise, it filled every corner of the space between heaven and earth. Though the muffled noise
softly echoed, it caused everything in the space to mildly tremble again.
But Austin and his two companions had a completely different feeling—they all felt as if they were struck by lightning. Their bodies
suddenly convulsed and a sharp, shooting pain coursed through their hearts.
As they were feeling such horrible pain, they also witnessed an unimaginable and terrifying sight.
Fierce roars began to echo out in every direction.
They were roars of different beasts, and they all sounded horrifying as if they were clawing their way out of hell.
All the roars cfrom the nearby woods. Waves of ceaseless howling that cfrom middle area of the forest shook the
mountains around and made the trees shudder from such an unseen and immense force. In midst the sea of trees, numerous pairs
of eyes glared and gave off a forceful glint. Those eyes belonged to various demonic and diabolic beasts, and their masters
suddenly leaped out of the woods.
Demonic and diabolic beasts of different sizes began to run wildly in the space. Their sizes ranged from several meters long to
several thousand meters long. Tens of thousands of these beasts filled the whole space like a raging river. They rampaged
everywhere with unbridled rage and fury.
There were lions which had wings on its sides, snakes that sported a menacing horn in the middle of their heads, divine three-eye
wolves that were as gigantic as an elephant, golden centipedes that were several hundred meters long, and many other
unbelievable beasts.
The torrent of demonic and diabolic beasts was so immense that they blanketed all the visible forests. Tall trees drooped as they no
longer bear the weight of the beasts perched on them. The earth violently shook with the beasts furiously stampeding everywhere.
Sof the demonic and diabolic beasts flew overhead. Their sheer mass blocked the sun and rendered the sky in total darkness.
All the beasts were erratically rampaging in different directions as if they were trying to escape something. Their piercing howls felt
like they could shatter iron and stone. Other beasts swung their beaks and claws which could demolish anything it crashes into.
The demonic and diabolic beasts were wreaking havoc in the sky and on the ground. Their number had increased to over hundreds
of thousands, and all of them looked like they were thrashing about and looking to escape.
What they were witnessing was the beasts tide!
Austin was frightened at the horrible scene. It was the beasts tide that he had only heard from legends, but now he saw it with his
own eyes!
Apparently, it was the muffled noises that caused the demonic and diabolic beasts to meld into a cluster that resembled a
monstrous and destructive torrent.
Fortunately, all the demonic and diabolic beasts were trying to escape the muffled noise. Therefore, none of them paid attention to
the three figures suspended in the air.
Otherwise, Austin and his companions would have found themselves in a perilous situation.
Austin scoured the area for the cause of the escaping of the beasts. Just then, he spotted something strange in the distance.
To Austin's surprise, instead of being terrified and shocked as he was, Belle seemed to be elated as she stared towards the
direction where the muffled noises originated.
"Is that the place our family was searching for?"
A joyous expression emerged on Belle's face as she murmured to herself.
"The place the Xiao Family was searching for?"
Both Austin and the queen were perplexed at Belle's words.
"Both of you, leave the Black-wind Beast World now just as you've planned and wait forat the Breeze Town outside the Black-
wind Beast World.
Take these two plates of spiritual sense jade slip with you. I'll find you as soon as | finish my affairs here."
Belle rallied her energy and threw out two plates of spiritual sense jade. Both plates darted directly towards Austin's and the
queen's hands respectively.
After taking a deep breath, Belle twisted her sexy body and leaped into the air. Without delay, she rushed towards the direction
where the strange muffled sounds cfrom.
She vanished at the distance soon after, leaving Austin and the queen with no chance to figure out what was happening.
Austin and the queen exchanged a glance of puzzlement with each other. Then they both looked at the direction where Bella had
jetted to.
The strange noise of beaten drum sounded again without any warning.
It quickly filled the space between heaven and earth and drove every living creature in a crazed, panic state.
Austin and the queen felt a stabbing pain in their hearts with every beat of the drum-like noise. It felt like their hearts were
suddenly grasped and crushed by sunseen force.
The pain caused by the muffled noise was sharp. Luckily, that was not the worst feeling they've ever felt.
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Austin and the queen weren't seriously hurt by the strange noise.
If such a situation had happened to sweaker warriors, the warriors would have perished. Moreover, had the strange noise
lasted any longer, they would have passed out immediately.
"What the hell is that?"
Austin felt extremely curious at this strange sound.
"It's weird. It sounded like something was rousing from its slumber."
The queen was puzzled and curious as well. She racked her brain and blurted out such an explanation.
"Do you know what all this is about, FlEmperor?"
Austin suddenly thought of the FlEmperor in his Soul Sea and raised this question to him.
The FlEmperor was originally from the Divine Continent. He might have sclues to this peculiar situation.
"lI don't know. I'm not a native in the Solamnia Kingdom. | just fled here by accident. Actually, | know very little about things in this
kingdom.
As far as | can tell, it sounded like sgrand master's residence is emerging."
The FlEmperor shook his head while giving his conjecture.
A grand master's residence?
Austin was stunned and couldn't believe what the FlEmperor said.
Meanwhile, ceaseless waves of shocking noise were pulsing at a distance. Dozens of mysterious rainbow-like auras suddenly
appeared in the air and zoomed towards the direction that the muffled sounds were heard.
The whole sky was shrouded under a thick cloud of tremendous vital energy following the sudden emergence of the dozens of
mysterious rain-like auras in the sky. In spite of the far distance between them and the auras, both Austin and the queen vaguely
felt their chests becheavy.
Both of them panicked upon experiencing such a sudden force.
Who or whatever was behind such an amazing display of power was beyond both Austin's and the queen's abilities and
comprehension.
The person or entity behind this energy was absolutely on another level.
"What if we go to check out what's happening over the distance as well?"
Austin asked the queen. His curiosity intensified upon hearing the FlEmperor's conjecture of the emergence of a grand
mater's residence. He was unwilling to leave until he deciphered what secrets the cave might contain.
Additionally, he was fully aware that he might find valuable treasures within the mystical residence.
Instead of escaping from the Black-wind Beast World, Austin and the queen snuck towards the direction of the muffled sounds.