Chapter 1239: 分刮

At the very top of the Ancestral Soul Tree, nineteen glowing orbs were suspended, indicating there were nineteen ripe Ancestral Soul Fruits.

Zhou Yuan eyed them greedily. He felt that if he could consume all nineteen fruits, his Spirit realm would undoubtedly improve significantly.

However, he knew that taking them all for himself was impossible. Many powerful cultivators from various Beast Heaven clans had already gathered here, including the Black Dragon Clan led by Jiang Hongying and Jiang Ba. If he tried to monopolize the fruits, it would surely provoke widespread anger, and he and Tun Tun would likely be unable to withstand such resistance.

Above him, Tun Tun suddenly patted Zhou Yuan's head, sending a thought: "Zhou Yuan, get ten Ancestral Soul Fruits, and there'll be a surprise!"

Zhou Yuan was startled and asked, surprised, "What do you mean?"

Tun Tun didn't elaborate, merely sending back a mysterious thought: "You'll find out when the time comes."

Behind the words formed by its thought, Tun Tun's mysterious and smug expression seemed to linger.

Zhou Yuan was a little speechless, then frowned. "Ten fruits? That's too difficult."

With only nineteen ripe Ancestral Soul Fruits in total, he felt that even Jiang Ba and Jiang Hongying wouldn't dare to be so greedy. While they were undoubtedly powerful, if they didn't leave anything for others, they probably wouldn't be able to smoothly claim the fruits.

"Let's just try to get as many as we can first," Zhou Yuan said, remaining calm and not getting carried away by Tun Tun's suggestion.

Tun Tun yawned, not pressing the issue. It was just a suggestion; if it worked out, great, if not, no big deal.

Just as Zhou Yuan and Tun Tun were communicating, a ferocious tiger's roar, brimming with overwhelming murderous aura, suddenly echoed from the distant horizon, momentarily engulfing the entire world.

Hearing the roar, the expressions of many powerful cultivators present subtly changed.

"That's... the Earth-Shattering Divine Tiger Clan!"

Zhou Yuan also looked up into the distance, seeing several figures pierce the sky and descend like meteors, landing heavily in the Ancestral Soul Tree's vicinity, causing the ground to shake.

"Hahahaha, what a lively scene! I didn't expect such an opportunity here." As the Divine Tiger Clan experts landed, a thunderous laugh boomed out.

Everyone looked over to see a burly, shirtless man at the forefront. His body was covered in gruesome scars, and his tiger-like eyes radiated a fierce, murderous aura, making him seem like a peerless beast incarnate.

"It's Meng Chong of the Earth-Shattering Divine Tiger Clan."

"Another troublesome one, sigh. With them here, a good portion of the Ancestral Soul Fruits will surely be taken."

Amidst the whispers, the burly man named Meng Chong grinned, his stark white teeth glinting coldly. His tiger eyes immediately swept towards the Black Dragon Clan's position, and upon seeing Jiang Hongying and Jiang Ba, he furrowed his thick brows, muttering a curse under his breath about his misfortune.

After all, he was well aware of Jiang Hongying and Jiang Ba's formidable power. With them present, he probably wouldn't get the lion's share.

Next, his gaze fell upon the Golden Glazed Clan group led by Zhou Yuan. His eyes lingered on Zhou Yuan and Tun Tun perched on his head for a few seconds before slowly withdrawing.

"Meng Chong, your nose is quite sharp," Jiang Hongying remarked coolly, having also noticed him.

Meng Chong merely pursed his lips, ignoring her.

"Meng Chong, I have a proposal," Jiang Hongying said suddenly, unconcerned by his attitude. "If your Earth-Shattering Divine Tiger Clan joins forces with us, we could first drive out the third party. Then, you and I could take the lion's share, which would be better than splitting it three ways, wouldn't it?"

At her words, Jin Zhong and the others immediately showed anger. The three strongest factions present were currently the Black Dragon Clan, the Earth-Shattering Divine Tiger Clan, and their Golden Glazed Clan team. These three certainly had the right to claim the most benefits, yet Jiang Hongying actually wanted to team up with the Earth-Shattering Divine Tiger Clan to expel them?

Hearing this, Meng Chong's eyes flickered. Several experts from the Earth-Shattering Divine Tiger Clan behind him also seemed tempted. Among the three forces present, the Black Dragon Clan clearly appeared the strongest, and a joint effort could certainly benefit them.

Meanwhile, teams from other clans watched with cold detachment, secretly hoping that these three strongest factions would clash first. Only then could they potentially benefit from the chaos.

To everyone's surprise, after a few seconds of silence, Meng Chong grinned. "Jiang Hongying, I have no interest in your messy affairs. Don't expect me to be your hired muscle."

He held up four fingers. "I only want four Ancestral Soul Fruits from here. You can fight over the rest."

Four fruits, relative to the nineteen available, was not a large amount, but certainly not insignificant. Beneath Meng Chong's seemingly rough exterior lay a remarkably shrewd mind, as this number would not invite too much controversy.

Many onlookers were somewhat disappointed that Meng Chong had refused. Despite his seemingly stubborn demeanor, he was in fact quite cautious.

Jiang Hongying also snorted coldly. This "dumb tiger" was surprisingly not dumb at all.

Her scheme having failed, Jiang Hongying didn't dwell on it. She cast a cold glance at Zhou Yuan, then stepped forward and flicked her finger. A majestic surge of Genesis Qi roared forth, directly enveloping a section of the Ancestral Soul Tree's canopy.

Within that canopy, seven glowing orbs shone brilliantly, clearly indicating seven ripe Ancestral Soul Fruits.

"These seven Ancestral Soul Fruits will be claimed by my Black Dragon Clan," Jiang Hongying declared coldly, her voice ringing out. Though a woman, her intimidating aura was second to none. "If anyone has an objection, feel free to act according to the rules of Beast Heaven!"

A silence fell, but the eyes of the various clan experts glittered.

In Beast Heaven, when rare treasures appear, if you believe you have the strength, you are free to claim them. However, the prerequisite is that you can withstand a concerted attack.

Here and now, a single faction might not be able to contend with the Black Dragon Clan, but if they truly joined forces, they could still pose a threat.

However, no one made a move yet, as Jiang Hongying had been clever. Although claiming seven fruits was a significant amount, she had at least left some behind.

After Jiang Hongying had staked her claim, Meng Chong also made his move, using Genesis Qi to demarcate a section of the canopy containing four Ancestral Soul Fruits. He then led his people to sit cross-legged in mid-air, blocking the path.

This left only eight Ancestral Soul Fruits remaining.

All eyes turned towards the Golden Glazed Clan team led by Zhou Yuan.

Jiang Hongying also cast a playful glance, curious to see how much courage and appetite Zhou Yuan possessed.

Under those many gazes, Zhou Yuan remained expressionless. With a wave of his hand, Genesis Qi surged, enveloping a section of the canopy. A calm voice then announced, "We'll take these five Ancestral Soul Fruits."

His action caused some people to breathe a slight sigh of relief, as Zhou Yuan had left three fruits, indicating that there was still a chance for them to contend for them.

"Tsk."

Jiang Hongying, however, pursed her lips in disappointment. She had intentionally left a trap: if Zhou Yuan had been ambitious enough to claim all the remaining fruits, it would have certainly provoked widespread anger. At that point, she could have fueled the discontent, likely driving Zhou Yuan and his group away entirely.

But who would have thought this guy was quite calm, taking only five fruits and leaving three, which significantly diverted the attention of many clan experts.

Despite her slight disappointment, Jiang Hongying wasn't overly concerned. This was just the beginning, and she knew the various Beast Heaven clan experts too well. Once the remaining three Ancestral Soul Fruits were claimed, those people would inevitably turn their attention towards them.

At that point, it would come down to true strength.

If they could defend their claim, they would naturally be entitled to the opportunity. If not, then unfortunately, the opportunity here would likely have little to do with them.

This was the rule of Beast Heaven: might made right. No matter one's status, even the Black Dragon Clan could be challenged and have their claims seized.

With the distribution decided, Zhou Yuan led Jin Zhong and the others to hover in the air, protecting the area they had claimed behind them.

The three factions had each secured their targets, while numerous other clan experts turned their attention to the three unclaimed Ancestral Soul Fruits. After a few seconds of silence, furious surges of Genesis Qi suddenly erupted.

A murderous aura soared into the sky, instantly pervading the area beneath the Ancestral Soul Tree.

A fierce battle for opportunity had finally begun.