Si Shuo glanced at Xia Ming, and after learning she was a Kangaroo, he contentedly teleported back.

Just then, the cubs woke up. With their eyes still hazy with sleep, they found their Father, clambered onto him, and whined about being hungry. Their dazed, dependent expressions were the spitting image of their Mother’s. ’How could he not adore them?’

He chuckled, hoisting them up one by one, and began to cook meat porridge over the campfire, stirring in some wild bird eggs.

Accustomed to catering to his picky little mate, Zhi Le—who had never been particular about food himself—now strove for perfection with every meal.

The cubs ate with gusto, and Xia Ming practically buried her face in her bowl. There were even smears of porridge on her forehead from its rim. Her silly look made Yi Wan’s heart ache with fondness.

After the meal, Yi Wan and his group packed their things and rejoined the main party.

Xia Ming was tucked tightly in Yi Wan’s embrace. As she watched familiar sights recede into the distance, she couldn’t help but tug on his arm and ask in a small voice, "Yi Wan, I... can I go see the Luoni Tribe? To say goodbye?"

"You said you all live in Golden Lion City now, and since you’ve become the High Priest, you’ll have fewer chances to leave in the future."

Yi Wan kissed her forehead. "Alright. It would be good to go back and see it."

So, the group changed direction and flew toward the Luoni Tribe. As their Flying Beast descended, they all saw a familiar yet strange figure huddled pitifully before the tribe’s dilapidated wooden gate.

Snowy Owl, who had sharp eyes, couldn’t help but exclaim, "Father Zhi Qi?"

Zhi Le’s Clone Ability was a secret. Back in the Central Continent, people weren’t aware of his family’s true situation, so he had lied, claiming he had brothers from the same litter.

But now in the Southern Continent, he did his best to avoid notice even when using his clones.

Snowy Owl didn’t know any of this. They only knew that their Father, Zhi Le, was flying beside them, so the person squatting down below had to be either Father Zhi Qi or Father Zhi Zhan.

But Father Zhi Zhan was a powerful fighter; he wouldn’t let himself get into such a state. And Father Zhi Qi had always been so sharp and tidy. ’When had he ever looked so dirty and miserable?’

"Yi Wan! Where did you all go? I came back last night and didn’t see you. I was so afraid of missing you that I didn’t dare leave," the beastman said, happily running up to Yi Wan at the head of the group. He rambled on, just as he always did, "I thought you’d be gone for another two or three months this time. Did something happen on your journey?"

"I feel like I was only gone a day. How did the tribe get so run-down? It looks like no one’s lived here in ages..."

Just then, Xia Ming popped out from behind Yi Wan, waving with a smile. "Hey, Zhi Li! Long time no see!"

Zhi Li was so startled he practically jumped out of his skin, scrambling up a nearby tree trunk. His eyes were wide and his face was pale as he stammered, "L-Little Ming’er! W-Weren’t you with the Beast God? Why are you here, with Yi Wan? Wait... d-don’t tell me I’m with the Beast God now, too?"

He shook his head frantically. "No, that can’t be! Little Zhan, Xiaoqi, and Xiao Le are all at home waiting for me. I have to go back, or they’ll never survive!"

With that, he cast aside his fear of seeing a ghost, leaping down from the tree and beginning to pace around the Luoni Tribe. "This has to be an Illusion Realm. I have to get out..."

Watching his vibrant, simple-minded Father, Zhi Le’s eyes grew red-rimmed. He walked over step by step, his voice hoarse and choked with emotion as he said, "Father!"

Zhi Li clearly didn’t hear him, still searching everywhere in the tribe for anything out of the ordinary.

"Father, the Beast God let you come back, but he sent you to the wrong time—twenty years in the future. I’m your son, Zhi Le!" he added.

The three cubs also called out "Grandpa" in their small, child-like voices and introduced themselves.

Zhi Li turned around in disbelief. He saw Zhi Le, who bore a strong resemblance to him, then looked at the cubs, who were the spitting image of Little Zhan, Xiaoqi, and Xiao Le in their childhood. His mind couldn’t process it all, and he just stared at them blankly.

Yi Wan also stared intently at Zhi Li, his heart filled with a joy no less profound than when he’d been reunited with Xia Ming. He couldn’t resist reaching out and giving Zhi Li’s ear a hard pinch, causing Zhi Li to howl and grimace in pain.

"OW, OW, OW! Yi Wan, let go! I know this isn’t a dream, but how is this possible?" Zhi Li demanded, rubbing his ear. He looked at the three adults and three children before him, still utterly bewildered.

Xia Ming smiled and chimed in with an explanation. "It was Yi Wan. He became the High Priest and made a pact with the Beast God. He has to serve as the Beast God’s Divine Servant and protect all the Beastman."

"And as the High Priest, he can at least ask the Beast God for one tiny little wish, right? So the two of us are basically the bonus prize for him taking the High Priest’s throne!"

Not doubting her for a second, Zhi Li shot Yi Wan a thumbs-up. "I knew you were the best of the best, Yi Wan! Of course my good brother would be the one to bring me back from the Beast God."

With that, he turned to look at his son and grandchildren. "Good, good, good. Yi Wan, you’ve taken such good care of Xiao Le. Huh? But where are Little Zhan and Xiaoqi?" 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Yi Wan fell silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "I’m sorry, Zhi Li. I... I was only able to save him."

Zhi Le was baffled. Never mind him, even the cubs who knew their Father had a Clone Ability were confused. ’Those names sound so familiar!’

"Father, do I have two older brothers?" Zhi Le asked, his voice trembling. "Why don’t I remember them?"

Yi Wan sighed softly. "Yes, they were your brothers, from the same litter. When your Father was gone, I was away and couldn’t get back in time."

"By the time I returned, your two brothers were already gone. Only you were left, burning with a high fever. To save you, they... they dug out their own Spirit Roots and fed them to you..."

A tremor ran through Zhi Le’s body. Cubs weren’t born with superpowers. Only as their bodies fully developed did their Dantian have a chance to awaken a superpower, allowing them to begin Cultivation.

But whether or not someone would have a superpower was determined at birth. This was called talent, and it was primarily embodied in one’s Spirit Root. Legend had it that Spirit Roots were the main ingredient in Superpower Awakening Pills, but there was no way to detect if a cub possessed a Spirit Root before their talent awakened.

Because of this, many Beastman, desperate to awaken a superpower, would stop at nothing, capturing and slaughtering cubs to devour their Dantian!

Cubs were young and needed to be protected, yet his brothers had made such an immense sacrifice just so he could live.

And yet, he had forgotten them. Suddenly, Zhi Le didn’t know. ’Are my two clones a product of my subconscious yearning for my brothers? Or are they the Spirit Roots I consumed, manifesting themselves through my Clone Ability?’

Hearing this, Zhi Li became so enraged his fur stood on end. He gritted his teeth and demanded, "Yi Wan, what in the world happened after I was gone? Why are Little Zhan and Xiaoqi dead?"

"Was it Ping Mei?!"

Yi Wan nodded. "Back then, Ping Mei had gotten together with Wu Chuan and was pregnant with his cub, so she completely ignored the three of them. Wu Chuan’s status was special, so no one dared to intervene on the cubs’ behalf."

"They had no food, and they weren’t allowed to rest in the cave. They were treated like slaves, ordered around by Ping Mei. If anyone said so much as a word against it, she would turn on the cubs, beating and pinching them..."