The Master of Beasts

The Demon Clan launched a large-scale cannon fodder assault on the city every day at regular intervals, yet Chen Jiuge found it puzzling that their regular forces had not appeared even once.

Despite not understanding what the Demon Clan intended to accomplish, Chen Jiuge had implemented several meager countermeasures. For instance, he had recruited a great number of youths in the city. With an unlimited supply of Low Rank Elixirs, they easily became First Rank and Second Rank body cultivators. However, such a practice of forced growth would significantly increase the difficulty of their future breakthroughs.

Fortunately, the daily assaults by the Demon Clan's cannon fodder provided these youths with ample opportunity to temper themselves and rapidly adapt to their newfound cultivation levels, which turned out to be a silver lining.

As time passed, an odd phenomenon took shape at the Northern Territory's indestructible wall. The Demon Clan sent a never-ending stream of cannon fodder to attack day and night. Meanwhile, on the wall, Low Rank cultivators and local spiritual ability users mounted the defense. The combatants on both sides did not surpass the Foundation Establishment level; it was as if a group of adults were watching a bunch of children fight.

Of course, aside from that, the Ming Snake ventured out every day to duel Gabriel. From initially being at a disadvantage to now exchanging blows and even gaining the upper hand, this allowed Chen Jiuge to breathe a sigh of relief.

Black Eye had not yet brought Bali to the battlefield, leaving only himself and Ming Yujing as the two Mahayana cultivators in the entire Northern Territory. If they were unable to counter those two Demon Generals, they would be in trouble.

An eerie balance thus formed in the Northern Territory.

...

Eden Garden

After arranging the herding tasks for the day, Black Eye would restlessly gawk at the large stone pillar at the entrance of the small courtyard—bored out of his mind.

Black Eye, who originally thought he would only have to wait a few years, never expected that it would be sixty years.

Looking at the stone pillar once again, Black Eye said sulkily, "Bali, if you don't come out soon, Master and the others might finish the fight. It's been sixty years; you should come out now, right?"

CRACK! CRACK!

The pillar started to emit faint cracking sounds. Just as Black Eye was about to turn and leave, he widened his titanium alloy dog eyes and muttered while looking at the spreading cracks in the pillar, "Sixty years. I've waited for sixty years. Finally, you're coming out."

ROAR!

The hundreds-of-meters-tall stone pillar instantly shattered, and Bali's enormous figure reflected in Black Eye's pupils.

Seeing Bali emanating an intimidating aura, Black Eye had tears welling in his eyes and said, "You've finally come out, Bali. It's time for us to go; we are already very late."

"Brother Black Eye, I understand," Bali's muffled voice replied as his body swiftly began to shrink.

Watching Bali condense to a few meters in length, Black Eye's mind froze for a moment. "Bali, you—you can talk?"

Although the Spirit Awakening Pill crafted by Yue Meng had an effect on Bali, it wasn't considerable. It had only advanced Bali's intelligence to the point where he could understand human speech, but speaking was a first.

Bali, somewhat uncomfortable with his reduced size, shook his head randomly. "I just learned how."

"Being able to speak is good, but now it's time to depart."

With the Token left by Chen Jiuge, Black Eye quickly took Bali to the Main Hall's teleportation Great Array.

The Great Steward managing the array squinted at the Token in his hand. After confirming the aura matched, he said, "The quota for Mahayana Realm cultivators allowed in the Spirit Void Realm is full. If you're not a disciple's contracted Spiritual Beast, entering might just get you blown up."

"I am," Bali replied somewhat gloomily. Hasn't this person already sensed it?

"Hmm, I'm just checking to be safe. Anyway, if something goes wrong, it doesn't really affect me," said the steward.

With a flash of white light, Bali and Black Eye successfully arrived in the Spirit Void Realm.

...

Huanghuang City

"Steward Gu! Steward Gu! Two Spiritual Beasts have arrived, claiming to belong to Senior Brother Chen Jiuge," a young disciple reported, hastening to Gu Xu's study.

Chen Jiuge? Isn't that the junior brother responsible for the Northern Territory? Tell them the location and let them go themselves. Gu Xu couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters.

The Demon Clan's arrival from all four directions was somewhat unexpected for Gu Xu, but it wasn't a major issue. However, the composition of their forces this time was quite high-grade. There were two genuine demons on each front, a stark contrast to the previous tactic of having one demon as the Commander and a powerful individual from the servant army as the Deputy General.

One must know that genuine demons are far different from those cannon fodder Demon Worms and the servant army.

Genuine demons are exceedingly rare. There is the Earth Demon Clan, dominant in physical prowess, their faces marked with red lines. Then there is the Heavenly Demon Clan, who reign with Magic, their faces marked with blue lines. Finally, the Demon Royal Family possesses the strengths of both.

Normally, for a lower-tier, minor world like the Spirit Void Realm, the appearance of at most two genuine Earth Demons would be the limit. This time, however, a full eight had appeared. Additionally, the eastern and southern fronts had an extra Mahayana cultivator from the servant army. Fortunately, Lun Shan and Chen He, responsible for these two directions, possessed considerable strength and were managing to hold on for the time being.

After signing another recruitment order, Gu Xu planned to request another batch of Low Rank spiritual materials and Low Rank Elixirs from the Sect. There were far too many Demon Worms, possessing terrifying reproductive capabilities. Without sufficient Low Rank cultivators, if these pestilent Demon Worms—which devoured anything and everything—were allowed to spread, the entire Spirit Void Realm would be ruined.

...

Northern Territory

Demon Clan Camp

Gabriel, covered in dust and ash, flipped back the tent flap, grabbed the cup from Gal's workbench, and downed it in one gulp.

"Drink sparingly; there aren't many living humans left," Gal said with some concern.

Gabriel was filled with resentment. In just over a year, I've nearly become no match for that large snake! "Damn it, when is Moluo's support coming?" he seethed, the red lines on his face pulsing slowly. "That accursed snake has grown too quickly!"

"Don't worry, it should be soon. It's normal to be no match for that snake. I looked into the Cultivation World's records; that snake should be the Disaster Beast, Ming Snake," said Gal calmly.

"I don't care if it's a Disaster Beast or not; I just want to slaughter it! Gal, we've fought side by side for thousands of years. Give me a straight answer: when is the general offensive?" Gabriel demanded, the red lines on his face pulsing slowly.

Knowing Gabriel was already angry, Gal simply held up three fingers.

"Good, I'll wait three months."

...

Bali's arrival brought Chen Jiuge great relief. Witnessing Bali's aura, comparable to Ming Yujing's, Chen Jiuge marveled internally. As expected of a Golden Immortal's blood! Just a single drop not only allowed Bali to directly achieve the Mahayana Realm, but judging by his aura, his strength isn't any weaker than the Ming Snake's—and the Ming Snake is a Disaster Beast!

「The next day」

Facing Bali, Gabriel, with veins bulging on his forehead, roared, "What do you take me for, damned snake?"

The infuriated Gabriel, from afar, seemed to have become a black giant enveloped in flames, continuously throwing punches at Bali. Then, tragedy struck Gabriel.

Bali, born a Fierce Beast, had retained his nature even after this transformation; the strongest aspect of a Fierce Beast was its incomparably strong body and unparalleled danger perception. Gabriel, whose attacks kept missing, was left howling in pain from Bali's lashes.

As Bali's tail once again struck Gabriel's lower body, Chen Jiuge couldn't help but wince. That looks incredibly painful.

He then turned to Ming Yujing, who was watching the battle beside him, and said, "You are a Disaster Beast; your greatest strength should be your innate ability to control sand. Bali, on the other hand, excels in close combat. Overall, you shouldn't engage in direct physical combat with flesh-oriented Earth Demon Clan members."

Lifting his slightly slipping sunglasses with his tail, Ming Yujing nodded in agreement.

Chen Jiuge held his forehead. Who did he learn this bad habit of trying to act cool from? Such a large snake, and still so childish.