Wei Yun watched intently from his concealed position, his gaze fixed on the center of the battlefield, where more than ten spirit beasts were locked in a fierce melee.

  Compared to the Lightning Zebras and Sawtooth Mantises battling on the outskirts, the beasts in the center were far stronger, each at least First-Tier, stage 9. They surrounded their respective leaders.

  Each leader stood far above the rest, whether in size, power, or presence—clear Second-Tier spirit beasts.

  At that moment, the Lightning Zebra leader, its body crackling with electricity, lowered its head and charged at the Sawtooth Mantis leader like an arrow loosed from a bow.

  The Mantis leader did not evade. Instead, it chose to meet power with power, crossing its scythe-like blades in an X-formation. A dazzling light flashed as it slashed toward the zebra’s head.

  Boom! Boom!

  A dull impact resounded as both leaders were forced backward. A deep, cross-shaped wound was now carved into the Zebra leader’s head, blood gushing onto the ground.

  The Mantis leader, though victorious in that exchange, did not escape unscathed, its chest now bore a piercing wound, residual electric currents surging through its body, momentarily paralyzing it.

  Yet, without hesitation, both leaders lunged at each other again, their silhouettes blurring as they clashed.

  Meanwhile, the remaining spirit beasts engaged in brutal pack warfare, their battle even more savage. The battlefield grew redder by the second, littered with fallen beasts, some merely injured and struggling, others lifeless.

  Unlike human wars, spirit beast battles were raw, bloody, and unrelenting—a pure struggle for survival, dictated by nature’s law of the fittest.

  With each fallen beast, Wei Yun felt his heart tighten. How many high-quality beasts were dying in vain?

  Before long, both sides had suffered massive losses, yet neither had gained the upper hand. Normally, at this stage, spirit beasts would retreat, recognizing the danger of mutual destruction.

  Yet here, they fought on, their frenzy unrelenting—as if some irresistible force compelled them.

  "Strange…" Wei Yun narrowed his eyes.

  Then, a peculiar scent drifted into the air. Mira, her nose far keener than his, suddenly stiffened. Her body grew hot. Her breathing turned heavy, instincts warring within her, a wild restlessness creeping in.

  By contrast, Sylvia remained unaffected, merely peeking through her tiny hands at the battlefield like an entertained spectator.

  "Mira, what's wrong?" Wei Yun asked.

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  Huff—!

  Mira whimpered, her nose twitching, her gaze locked onto the northeast corner of the battlefield.

  Then—her mouth opened wide—drool cascading down like a waterfall. Wei Yun followed her gaze.

  At the battlefield’s center, the leaders clashed fiercely.

  But this time, Wei Yun’s attention wasn’t on them—his eyes scanned the surroundings.

  Then, he saw it.

  A small tree stood within the battle zone. Oddly enough, while spirit beasts fought viciously around it, they always avoided stepping too close.

  "A willow tree?"

  Wei Yun furrowed his brows.

  The tree looked similar to a willow, but unlike normal willows, it bore a single fruit at its crown, a round, red-green fruit, its surface glowing with a dim, blood-colored light.

  As time passed, the blood-hued glow intensified, and its scent thickened, spreading further across the battlefield.

  Then, realization struck him.

  "A… Bloodline Fruit?!"

  Wei Yun’s pulse quickened.

  The Bloodline Fruit—a legendary natural treasure, formed only when a tree underwent a rare mutation.

  Its true nature remained a mystery, as any tree species could theoretically produce one. But one thing was certain, it could strengthen a spirit beast’s bloodline.

  A spirit beast that consumed it successfully could awaken dormant bloodline potential, possibly evolving into a higher species.

  No wonder they’re fighting so desperately…

  However, Bloodline Fruits were not guaranteed to succeed.

  Their effectiveness depended on the beast’s quality and bloodline purity. For a high-quality beast with a thin bloodline, success was highly likely.

  For a low-quality beast or one already close to its bloodline limit, failure was almost certain. While a failed attempt wouldn’t be fatal, it would leave the spirit beast severely weakened for a time.

  "It’s not fully ripe yet…" Wei Yun observed closely. According to ancient records, a Bloodline Fruit only reached peak potency when it turned completely blood-red.

  Before then, it was not only useless—but highly toxic. Additionally, once fully matured, it had to be consumed immediately, or its energy would rapidly dissipate.

  Its ephemeral nature made it priceless, with even high-ranking Beastmasters willing to pay fortunes just to secure a growing location.

  "Mira, be patient. We wait until it ripens." Under Wei Yun’s soothing words, Mira’s agitation slowly eased, though her instincts still tugged at her.

  Meanwhile, Wei Yun glanced at Sylvia, knowing that, as a Spirit of Nature, she lacked a bloodline—the fruit held no effect on her.

  Time passed.

  More spirit beasts gathered, drawn by the fruit’s intoxicating scent.

  As it neared maturity, the tension on the battlefield thickened.

  A Bloodline Fruit’s birth always ended in chaos.

  To the Lightning Zebras and Sawtooth Mantises, they were the strongest factions here.

  They believed that defeating the other would ensure their claim to the fruit.

  But their near-equal strength meant that even after a prolonged battle, neither side could achieve decisive victory, only mutual ruin.

  Finally, before the Bloodline Fruit could ripen, the battle reached its conclusion.

  The Lightning Zebra clan emerged victorious, by the smallest of margins.

  But it had come at a terrible cost.

  Only a few survivors remained, and even they were injured, exhausted, and far from their peak strength.

  Neigh—!

  The Zebra leader, standing atop the corpse of the Mantis leader, raised its head triumphantly.

  However, its body was battered, bloodied, and its horn, once a proud weapon, had been broken.

  It was a victory in name only.

  And now…

  "It’s our turn."

  Wei Yun’s eyes sharpened.

  Before the Bloodline Fruit could fully ripen, he moved into action.