High above the Black Dragon Sect, several cultivators in Emperor Beast Sect robes strode through the air, their approach unhurried.
Their demeanor was calm and composed, as if they paid no mind to the Black Dragon Sectâs warning bells. They acted as though the entire sect was their personal backyard, a place they could enter and exit at will.
A cultivator named Chang Fen turned to the elder beside him and asked, "Elder Hu, do you think... the people of the Black Dragon Sect will agree?"
Elder Hu chuckled softly, his tone certain. "Hehehe, of course they will."
"The Black Dragon Sect isnât stupid. They know the consequences of making an enemy of our Emperor Beast Sect. This time, weâre offering them an honorable exit, a chance to save face. They wonât turn it down."
The handsome cultivator beside them, named Chen Yunxi, also curled his lip into a smirk, his voice dripping with contempt.
"The Black Dragon Sectâs Sect Leader is only at the Immortal Realm. He only dares to be so stubborn because heâs hiding behind the Sect Protection Array. But does he really think we wouldnât dare to go to war with the Black Dragon Sect? That Chaos Beast is as good as ours!"
Hu Gu waved his hand slightly, his expression composed. "No need to rush. The Black Dragon Sect is no pushover. Once a war starts, casualties are inevitable. We have plenty of other methods; thereâs no need to be hasty."
Before he even finished speaking, his gaze shifted to the distance. "There, you see?" he said in a relaxed tone. "Theyâre coming to welcome us now."
As his voice fell, Luo Jie, the Sect Leader of the Black Dragon Sect, led several elders up into the air, blocking the path of Hu Gu and his group.
Luo Jie stared coldly at the Grand Elder of the Emperor Beast Sect, his brow furrowed. "Elder Hu, youâve come to my Black Dragon Sect with just two disciples. Is this a show of force?"
Hu Gu replied unhurriedly with a smile. "Sect Leader Luo, you exaggerate. Weâve come to discuss terms with your esteemed sect. If we brought more people, wouldnât that just make you suspicious?"
Luo Jieâs brow tightened. He shot back, "Terms?"
Hu Gu clasped his hands behind his back, his tone even. "If our two sects were to engage in all-out war, even if my Emperor Beast Sect emerged victorious, we would inevitably suffer losses. Therefore, our Sect Leader has a proposalâwhy not let the younger generation settle this? What do you think?"
"Speak plainly. No need to beat around the bush." Luo Jie stared warily at Hu Gu, âwondering what scheme this old fox was plotting.â
"Chang Fen, Chen Yunxi," Hu Gu called, turning his head.
"Yes, Elder!" the two responded, stepping forward. Their eyes flashed with the defiance and sharpness unique to young cultivators.
"These two disciples of the Emperor Beast Sect beside me have reached the Nascent Soul Realm. Today, they have come to request a lesson from your esteemed sect. Life and death will be left to fate. No one is to interfere."
Hu Guâs voice was sonorous, carrying far and wide and echoing over the entire Black Dragon Sect, ensuring every cultivator heard him loud and clear.
"This is a spar between peers. Your sect can send out two people from your various halls and peaks. Chang Fen and Chen Yunxi will fight their way through them, one by one. If they both lose, then weâll consider it the Black Dragon Sectâs victory, and my Emperor Beast Sect will immediately withdraw its forces, no questions asked. So, Sect Leader Luo, do you dare accept this challenge?"
Luo Jie did not respond immediately, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.
"Sect Leader Luo canât be... scared, can he?"
Chang Fen sneered, his tone provocative.
"Donât worry. To be fair, we will suppress our cultivation to the Early-stage Cave Mansion Realm. Your Black Dragon Sectâs disciples only need to suppress their realm to the Early-stage Dragon Gate Realm. Surely the entire Black Dragon Sect isnât so cowardly that you lack even this much courage?"
"Pah! Let me take you on!" a Black Dragon Sect disciple roared, stepping forward.
"Dugu Qiu! Stand down!" Luo Jie barked.
"Sect Leader..." The disciple, Dugu Qiu, was filled with indignation, but he didnât dare defy the Sect Leaderâs command. He could only grit his teeth and retreat into the crowd.
"We accept the challenge!"
Luo Jie said coldly, his tone firm and decisive.
âIt has come to this. I have no choice but to accept.â
âYoung people are naturally hot-blooded. Itâs precisely that fierce spirit that allows them to progress on the path of cultivation.â
âIf a cultivator ever loses that vigor, it likely means their spirit is broken and their path is at an end.â
âTheyâre openly provoking us. If I donât accept, it will not only crush our sectâs fighting spirit but also leave the disciples frustrated and resentful. Before a real war even begins, the Black Dragon Sectâs morale would already be weakened.â
âBesides, while my realm might be lower than the Emperor Beast Sectâs leader, I believe my disciplesâ talent is in no way inferior to that of the disciples from the Ten Great Demon Sects!â
"Excellent! Sect Leader Luo is indeed straightforward!" Hu Gu clapped his hands and smiled. "In that case, thereâs no time like the present. Letâs begin right now."
He turned his head to Chang Fen beside him and instructed, "Chang Fen, go ahead and pick a peak, and have a good spar with our fellow cultivators from the Black Dragon Sect."
"Yes, Elder!" A battle-hungry excitement flashed in Chang Fenâs eyes. "No need to pick! Iâll start with the peak right below us!"
Before the words had even left his mouth, Chang Fen eagerly leaped down, descending like a streak of light straight toward the summit of Lianhe Peak.
He stood atop the summit, his voice infused with Spiritual Power, spreading throughout the entire Black Dragon Sect. "Send out someone who can actually fight! If no one answers the challenge, this great one will just fight my way through every single peak and hall!"
"Fellow cultivator, such flagrant arrogance is not necessarily a good thing." The top disciple of the Black Dragon Sect, Wen Lin, walked out slowly, longsword in hand and a stern expression on his face. "I am Wen Lin of the Black Dragon Sectâs Lianhe Peak. I ask for your guidance, fellow cultivator."
"Youâre the strongest of the younger generation on this peak?" Chang Fen frowned, his tone disdainful. "Go on, get out of here. Bring someone else. Youâre not even worthy of my attention."
Slighted in such a way, Wen Linâs brow furrowed tightly. "Youâll have to defeat the sword in my hand first!" he said in a low voice.
With that, he flicked his longsword. A flare of sword light erupted like blooming lotus petals, carrying a biting Sword Qi as it slashed toward Chang Fen.
"I already told you. Youâre not worthy."
Chang Fen sighed, feigning helplessness, and then let out a sharp whistle.
"SKREEEâ!"
A clear, sharp phoenix cry tore through the sky, followed by a torrent of raging fire that filled the air, sending a searing heatwave washing over the peak.
The approaching creature resembled a true phoenix, a Divine Beast, its body a magnificent, jade-like crimson. But it was no Divine Beastâit was a ferocious Fierce Beast.
Divine Beasts and Spirit Beasts both belong to the Demon Race. Their intelligence is fully developed, allowing them to take human form and understand the ways of the world.
Fierce Beasts, however, are completely different.
Although they are born with the ability to cultivate, their bloodline shackles their ultimate potential, and their intelligence is extremely low.
Even the highest-grade Fierce Beast possesses a mind no more developed than that of a fourteen-year-old child.
The beast-taming arts of the Emperor Beast Sect are focused precisely on controlling these Fierce Beasts.
The grade of a Fierce Beast directly determines the upper limit of its masterâs cultivation realm.
This is why Emperor Beast Sect cultivators must frequently change their Fierce Beasts.
This also leads to a scarcity of Upper Three Realms Cultivators within the sectâThird Grade and higher Fierce Beasts are incredibly rare, and taming them is as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
And yet, this Fire Jade Phoenix that Chang Fen had summoned was actually Third Grade!
A Fire Jade Phoenixâs power was comparable to a cultivator at the Jade Realm, yet it had been tamed by a mere Nascent Soul Cultivator. This was a testament to Chang Fenâs extraordinary, unparalleled talent.
"BOOMâ!"
The Fire Jade Phoenix streaked through the air, flames billowing in its wake. In an instant, before Wen Lin could even let out a scream, he was reduced to ash.