Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
There was a moment of complete silence as everyone stared at the sky with a dazed look in their eyes.
“The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast… is heeding Zhang shi’s commands?” Luo Xuanqing’s lips twitched as he finally awoken from his dazed state.
He had seen that massive fellow from afar the first time he came over, and it was incomparably ferocious. Most Saint 8-dan cultivators would struggle to be a match for it.
It was for that reason that he had gone to the extent of forging out the Soulbinding Golden Bead to knock it out so that he could sneak into the cavern without facing the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast.
It was a complete coincidence that Zhang Chun appeared just then, so he had decided to lure the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast to the latter instead.
But before they could even carry out that plan, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had suddenly flown over itself, and from the looks of it, it seemed like it was completely devoted to carrying out Zhang Xuan’s orders, not daring to disobey them in the least.
Luo Xuanqing quickly turned his gaze over to Yuan Xiao, seeking an explanation. Perhaps harboring the same thoughts in mind as well, the others also turned their gazes over.
“Don’t look at me, I don’t know what’s going on either!” Facing the gazes from the crowd, Yuan Xiao could only shrug helplessly as well. “Earlier, I went into the cavern to search for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, intending to taunt it and lure it out, but I wasn’t able to find anything at all in the end. But as soon as I walked out of the cavern, I saw the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast lying right before Zhang shi, licking his feet. I have no idea what happened in the time that I was gone!”
“You say that it was licking Zhang shi’s feet?” Luo Xuanqing’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment. “Are you saying that… Zhang shi has already tamed the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast?”
“Just look at that! Is there even any doubt about it? It should be apparent to anyone who isn’t blind!” Yuan Xiao exclaimed.
“But…” Luo Xuanqing did not dare believe what he was seeing. “It has only been twenty minutes so far, and he has already managed to tame a Dimension Sundering realm saint beast despite being at Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle himself?”
Fast in terms of forging pills? Possible. Fast in terms of neutralizing poison? Possible. Fast in terms of setting up compounded formations? Arguably possible. But taming beasts required the cultivation of intimacy and feelings between the beast and the beast tamer!
To succeed in such a short period of time, are you actually some kind of love guru?
Not even 9-star beast tamers could accomplish something like this!
Seeing the disbelief in Luo Xuanqing’s eyes, Yuan Xiao asked, “Before meeting this fellow, would you have believe it if someone told you that it’s possible to set up a grade-8 formation faster than one can activate a formation plate?”
“This…” Luo Xuanqing was stifled.
Coming from the main family of the Luo Clan, he had seen plenty of formidable formation masters. In fact, he had many opportunities to meet with and interact with 9-star master teachers too, but not even they were able to set up formations that swiftly!
Even his younger sister, who was known to possess unparalleled talent, could not come close to that speed!
“Would you believe it if someone told you that it’s possible for one to remain completely fine after being stung by the Crimsontail Wasp King and even poison the latter to death?” Yuan Xiao pressed his point on.
“Would you believe it if someone told you that it’s possible for a cultivator to send a lightning tribulation fleeing in fear?”
Luo Xuanqing did not know how he should respond to those words.
All along, he had viewed his younger sister as the very peak of talent in the Master Teacher Continent, and he was only second to his younger sister. However, upon seeing this fellow, he realized that he might have been too narrow-minded.
The world sure was far bigger than he had thought.
While Luo Xuanqing’s group was discussing with hushed voices, Zhang Chun pushed himself out from the cliff face and flew over with a furious look on his face.
“Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, what are you doing? We have a deal with one another!”
He had not thought that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast would turn against him all of a sudden.
“Deal? That doesn’t matter anymore. Since my master has asked me to give you a taste of the floor, I have no choice but to imprint that flavor in your mind. Come, be obedient and don’t fight back,” the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast replied nonchalantly as it sent another tail whip toward Zhang Chun.
Previously, that human had promised it valuable treasures in exchange for a truce. However, since it had already acknowledged a master, it could not possibly commit acts that were contrary to its master’s orders.
Kacha!
Driving its Dimension Sundering realm strength to its limits, the surrounding space around it seemed to have suddenly froze in place, thus hindering Zhang Chun’s attempts to retreat. As a result, it ended up being slammed into the cliff face once more.
This time, his state was even worse than before. His internal organs had been jolted out of position, and several of his bones had splintered. Before he could climb out from the cliff face, a sudden spurt of blood escaped from his mouth, and his face paled.
Zhang Chun swallowed a pill, and after recovering slightly from his severe wounds, he pushed himself out from the depression in the cliff and stared at the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast with gritted teeth. “You… actually acknowledged this fellow as your master?”
In order to tame this fellow, he had prepared many good items, and he had been extremely confident of success. Yet, who would have thought that within a short span of twenty minutes, the saint beast was actually tamed by another person and even launching a barrage of attack against him!
“How dare you speak of my master in such disrespectful terms? You are courting death!” The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast narrowed its eyes menacingly as it swept its tail over furiously.
The might of its assault was far stronger than the previous two times, such that it nearly burst even the space in the valley itself. In the form of a black streak, its tail appeared before Zhang Chun, carrying might so imposing that it threatened to tear him apart.
Zhang Chun instantaneously realized that there was no way he would be able to withstand that attack with his current strength, so he gritted his teeth, whipped out a jade token, and crushed it without any hesitation.
Weng!
A series of ripples reminiscent of flowing water appeared before Zhang Chun, and in the face of the water-like barrier, the might of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast’s tail whip vanished without a trace.
“Grand Cosmos Protective Amulet! What an extravagant move!” Yuan Xiao remarked in astonishment.
“Grand Cosmos Protective Amulet?” Zhang Xuan repeated doubtfully.
“It’s a protective amulet that only 9-star master teachers are capable of forging. Once activated, as long as the opponent’s cultivation isn’t beyond Saint 9-dan, one will be able to withstand any assault with ease,” Yuan Xiao explained. “As expected of a genius from the Zhang Clan, to think that they would have such an item in their possession as well!”
Zhang Xuan was astounded as well.
The fact that the protective amulet could only be forged by 9-star master teachers and that it could withstand the attack of any opponent whose cultivation was not beyond Saint 9-dan was sufficient to show that the artifact was of immense value.
“Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, don’t think that I am afraid of you! You might be strong, but you’ll need far more than that to kill me!” Seeing as his protective amulet successfully intercepted that devastating attack, Zhang Chun heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, however, he could not help but feel a pinch in his heart.
He had spent a heavy price in order to obtain the protective amulet, and it could almost be said to be the most valuable artifact he had on him. It was his final trump card to fall back on in a critical situation, but who would have thought that he would have ended up using it there?
Paying no heed to Zhang Chun’s fury, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast continued flicking its tail over, causing the water-like barrier to ripple endlessly.
Seeing that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was relying solely on brute force, Zhang Xuan shook his head. “You won’t be able to break the protective amulet that way.
“Follow my instructions. Gather your strength in your tail and pierce the point three chi left of the intersection of the ripples…”
“Yes!” Hearing that, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast nodded before gathering all of its might at its tail and piercing it forward at a point.
Kacha!
A shattering sound echoed in the air, and as if a balloon popped by a needle, the ripples in the air abruptly burst.
Pu!
With his protective amulet destroyed, Zhang Chun swiftly succumbed to the overwhelming might of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. His chest deflated inward as his body was slammed into the air, and fresh blood spewed endlessly from his mouth.
“This…”
This time, it was not just Luo Xuanqing and the others who were shocked speechless. Those who had come along with Zhang Chun also widened their eyes in disbelief, unable to believe what they were seeing.
No matter how strong a protective amulet was, it was still impossible for it to provide absolute defense. After all, it was only an artifact. There was no way it would possess the flexibility to adapt to situations like a 9-star master teacher.
However, an artifact on the level of the Grand Cosmos Protective Amulet would have already been refined to the point where no one of Saint 9-dan and beneath would be able to see through its flaws. Yet, that young man was actually able to see through it with just a look.
Just how was that possible?
Zhang Chun flew out from the cliff face and furiously roared, “Who in the world are you? This is a grudge between me and Luo Xuanqing, are you certain that you want to barge into this matter? Do you understand the consequences of your actions?”
Blood could be seen trickling down the edges of his lips, and a look of absolute fury was reflected on his features.
Taming the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast should have been a competition between him and Luo Xuanqing, and that young man should only have been an assistant recruited by Luo Xuanqing. Typically speaking, he would not even have bothered to spare someone of that young man’s caliber a second glance, but to think that the young man would actually cross him time and time again.
Do you know what the consequences of offending the Zhang Clan are? With just a word from me, I can make it so that every single thing you attempt to do in the Sanctum of Sages will be fraught with difficulty!
“Do I know the consequences of my actions? Of course I do,” Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly before turning his gaze to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast once more. “Continue pummeling him. I don’t want to hear the slightest rubbish from his mouth anymore!”
“Yes!” The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast nodded before abruptly charging forward.
Despite its immense size, its speed was truly no joke. In the blink of an eye, its sharp claws were already right before Zhang Chun.
With its medium of attack switching from its tail to its claws, the offensive might of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast instantaneously surged by a significant degree.
“You…” Not expecting the young man to actually disregard him, choosing adamantly to make a move on him despite all that had been said, Zhang Chun felt so enraged that he could have vomited blood.
He swiftly flicked his wrist and drew a sword before piercing it forward to defend against the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast’s offense.
Zhang Chun’s swordsmanship was vastly different from the two Sword Quintessences that Zhang Xuan had comprehended.
His movements were simple and concise; there was no particular elegance or beauty to them. But for some reason, his swordsmanship felt extremely heavy, and it carried an unstoppable momentum to it, as if a comet falling from the high heavens above.
“Not too bad, I must say,” Zhang Xuan remarked.
The sword that Zhang Chun wielded was at least on par with the Lingxu Sword, which meant that it was a Saint high-tier artifact at the minimum. Furthermore, he could tell that the other party possessed an understanding of swordsmanship that was far deeper than Shui Qianrou’s, at least reaching the level of Half-Quintessence.
It was no wonder the other party was able to draw with Luo Xuanqing in a battle; his strength was indeed not to be underestimated.
However, as frightening as his strength might have been, it was still far from matching up to the Saint 8-dan Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast.
The claws continued advancing forward, unimpeded by the sea of sword qi standing in its path. Then, with a light grasp…
Peng!
The sea of sword qi immediately dissipated without a trace.
Weng!
With a resounding clang, Zhang Chun’s sword was knocked into the cliff face, and Zhang Chun himself coughed a mouthful of blood. Eight bones of his ribcage had shattered under the impact, and crimson blood dyed his body.
Knowing that he could very well lose his life if this continued, Zhang Chun bellowed, “You lot, listen to my instructions. We’ll fend off that massive beast together!”
“Yes!”
The other four young men who had accompanied him there swiftly flew over.
These four were roughly around the same strength as Yuan Xiao and the others, each of them reaching Saint 7-dan. If the five of them were to put their strength together, they would indeed be a match for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast.
Hu!
Collaborating with one another, the five experts swiftly formed a light noose and hooked it around the neck of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast.
“Zhenqi Bind? They have really come prepared!” Bi Hongyin harrumphed coldly.
“What’s a Zhenqi Bind?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“It’s a technique that high-tier beast tamers commonly use. In essence, it’s a noose formed by putting the zhenqi of a huge crowd together to bind a beast. Once caught within the Zhenqi Bind, it will be difficult for even a Saint 8-dan beast to be able to struggle free!” Bi Hongyin said.
“Many high-tier beast tamers use this method to capture a saint beast before slowly taking their time to make the beast submit to them!”
Hu la!
While they were speaking, the Zhenqi Bind finally tightened around the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast’s neck.
In response to that, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast roared furiously and raised its claws to tear it apart.
Peng!
The Zhenqi Bind was torn apart. The five experts immediately felt a suffocating sensation assaulting their chests, and as if being struck by a massive hammer, all of them plummeted down from the sky.
Even with the prowess of all five of them combined, they were still no match for the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast!
