The Master of Beasts

Five Elements Secret Realm

Chen Jiuge was at the final step of merging the Water and Fire Elements, but this last hurdle proved insurmountable, causing him immense frustration.

BANG!

As the fusion attempt failed with another explosion, Chen Jiuge's hair was once again disheveled.

What exactly is the problem? It was going so smoothly before, but why does it always fail at the very last moment? Chen Jiuge was deeply annoyed.

"Senior Brother, is it possible you're pursuing perfection too much?" a well-built figure with slicked-back hair and streamlined muscles suggested, appearing before Chen Jiuge.

His first impression on Chen Jiuge was one of arrogance and coldness; he looked like someone not to be trifled with.

"Senior Brother, you should call me Junior Brother," Chen Jiuge reminded him. The muscular man's Cultivation was at the Heavenly Immortal Realm, while Chen Jiuge, a mere True Immortal, wouldn't dare claim seniority.

"My mom told me to call all fellow sect members older than me 'senior brother' when I'm outside." The man's cool demeanor suddenly crumbled, replaced by an embarrassed expression, making him look like an innocent, pure-hearted young man.

Chen Jiuge found the sudden shift a bit jarring, but having encountered his fair share of oddballs, this was hardly shocking.

"Alright, Junior Brother, what did you mean by 'pursuing perfection too much'?" Chen Jiuge steered the conversation back on topic.

"Like this!"

Before Chen Jiuge's eyes, fire and water seamlessly merged, forming a red-and-blue sphere.

"I see, so that's how it is!" Chen Jiuge exclaimed in sudden realization.

"Senior Brother, my name is Wan Hao. If you need anything, just ask. I'll be right beside you," Wan Hao said somewhat shyly.

Wan... Wan Hao? Chen Jiuge was stunned by the name. Wasn't that the name of a character from a famous game in his previous life?

Wan Hao looked puzzled. "What's wrong, Senior Brother? Is there a problem with my name?"

"No, nothing," Chen Jiuge quickly shook his head, even adding a compliment, "That's a very powerful-sounding name."

"Hahaha, Senior Brother, you're a good person! My mom says so too. The others won't play with me; you're my first friend," Wan Hao said happily.

Not wanting to disturb Chen Jiuge further after learning his name, Wan Hao left a Sound Transmission Talisman and went to cultivate nearby.

Watching Wan Hao meditate cross-legged nearby, Chen Jiuge still felt a sense of disbelief. That name was so familiar, yet so strange!

Truthfully, Chen Jiuge could have tried to find the minor worlds from his past life, but there was no point. So many years had passed; everyone he knew, his family, all familiar things, had long since vanished.

Shaking his head to dispel his melancholy, Chen Jiuge encouraged himself, Alright, this time I'll complete my Cultivation in one go, and then I can leave.

Cultivating Law was inherently slow. Even after grasping the final points he hadn't understood, Chen Jiuge spent nearly a hundred years before he finally, through much trial and error, managed to fuse the two elements.

Looking at the sphere of differing colors in his hand, Chen Jiuge wiped the sweat from his brow. "Finally succeeded. Now I just need a few more practice runs."

Three years later, Chen Jiuge had achieved complete mastery.

"Alright, next up is the Earth Element from the Five Elements. But first, I need to go out and relax a bit," Chen Jiuge said excitedly, having completed another small goal. I am indeed a genius!

"Senior Brother, you've succeeded!" Wan Hao, noticing the development, immediately sent his congratulations.

"Wan Hao? You're still here?" Chen Jiuge was surprised. He had seen Wan Hao complete his Cultivation three years ago and then sit there, idly manipulating Law forms for amusement. He hadn't expected him to still be around.

"I told my mom I made a friend. She was very happy and told me to spend a few days at my senior brother's place before coming home," Wan Hao said, scratching the back of his head, looking rather earnest.

Chen Jiuge didn't refuse; instead, he extended a warm invitation. "Perfect, I was about to head out. Let's go together."

However, a thought echoed in Chen Jiuge's mind: The name being the same is one thing, but why is the setup identical too?!

The Secret Realm Elder, sporting a wild, explosive hairstyle, gave the two an odd look but said nothing more.

「Eden Garden」

Hundreds of years had passed, and the chaos caused by that stage play had mostly subsided.

Of course, this wasn't because the Elders had cooled their tempers, but because a new round of lively competitions had begun.

"Junior Sister Wen, are you participating in this competition?" Wudao Tian asked, his eyes shining.

"Eldest Senior Brother, I don't think it's appropriate for me to participate," Wen Ruo replied, reluctant to join while her junior brother was still in the Secret Realm.

Wudao Tian declared with fervor, "Junior Sister, Junior Brother will definitely join this competition! Mechas are a man's true passion!"

"Mecha? What mecha?" Chen Jiuge, who had just returned with Wan Hao, asked curiously.

"Junior Brother!"

"Junior Brother!" Wen Ruo and Wudao Tian exclaimed simultaneously.

"Wait, Wan Hao? How did you get here?" It was only then that Wudao Tian noticed Wan Hao standing behind Chen Jiuge, looking utterly surprised.

"My mom told me to spend a few days with my friend," Wan Hao said in a low voice.

"And this friend is Junior Brother Chen?" Wudao Tian asked, his expression peculiar.

Wan Hao was one of the nine Core Disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect and renowned for his strength, placing him in the top three. Actually, it was more like the top two, as Yue Yinghua, also considered top three, had once been beaten by Wan Hao over a trivial matter.

These weren't the main reasons for Wan Hao's fame. After all, Core Disciples were destined to become Main Hall Elders or Peak Masters of one of the four major peaks. If their talent was exceptionally exquisite, they could even ascend to become Supreme Elders. Such matters didn't typically concern most members of the Myriad Beasts Sect.

Wan Hao was most famous for being a mama's boy. If anyone dared to speak ill of his mother, or if he even suspected someone was implying something negative about her, he would beat them senseless without a word—and to within an inch of their life at that. This was also why Wan Hao had no friends.

Coincidentally, Wan Hao also cultivated the Power Dao. Back when Wudao Tian was disgruntled about not being a Core Disciple, the first person he had challenged was Wan Hao.

The outcome, of course, could be summed up in one word: tragic—with a capital T.

Seemingly recalling the past, Wan Hao suddenly said, "You're that guy who challenged me to a contest of strength! When you couldn't win, you went crying to your elders!"

Wudao Tian, who was about to introduce the upcoming mecha competition, froze. Bro, even if I can't beat you, have some decency! Don't air people's dirty laundry!

To cover his embarrassment, Wudao Tian pressed on, saying to Chen Jiuge, "Junior Brother, I have a competition here that's absolutely fascinating. Interested in joining?"

Chen Jiuge was highly skeptical of Wudao Tian's words now. Hadn't he been tricked badly enough with the last stage play? He was supposed to be a quiet spectator, enjoying the drama from the sidelines, but instead, he was dragged into it and became the 'melon' being eaten.

"Junior Brother, take a look at this projection first," Wudao Tian said, his expression clearly indicating that refusal was not an option.

The Imprint Stone began to display a light projection, opening with a crackle of lightning.

Dressed in sexy black stockings and a teacher's uniform, Senior Sister Yue appeared on the street, looking every bit the queen. She casually lashed out at bystanders with a whip while making "TSK, TSK, TSK" noises.

As her small whip cracked repeatedly, the pedestrians were either killed or severely injured and left lying on the ground. Finally, the protagonist arrived.

Wudao Tian appeared in a suit and sunglasses, exuding an air of righteousness as he shouted at Senior Sister Yue, "Femme fatale, halt!"

Then, the two of them struck a very theatrical pose, and two giant figures materialized.

A lobster beast? Chen Jiuge stared in bewilderment at the creature in the projection, which looked exactly like a crayfish. Are they being serious?

Looking at Wudao Tian's figure, Well, would you look at that—a mecha! And it's the kind operated by a real person.

A great battle erupted between the two. The process itself needs no recounting, and the outcome is obvious to anyone in the know. Finally, a line of large text appeared:

"Justice Mecha Defeated; Double-Bladed Monster Rules the World."

"Junior Brother, what do you think? Interested? This is the most entertaining mecha versus monster competition. It's always been the most popular event in some minor worlds," Wudao Tian said with utmost confidence.

"I don't want to get beaten up by Senior Sister Yue," Chen Jiuge said, decisively shaking his head. As a True Immortal, he was almost certain to get thrashed if he participated. Better to sit this one out.

"Mecha must be self-designed, and the materials' power is capped at the Mahayana Realm. Plus, all the Elders will also participate!" Wudao Tian said, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

"Because of the stage play incident, this mecha battle has become a grand confrontation between Elders and disciples. Junior Brother, are you really sure you don't want to join?"

This... Chen Jiuge was shocked. Disciples versus Elders, using mechas with the same power cap? How could he possibly refuse?

"Say no more, Eldest Senior Brother! Count me in. Where do we build the mechas? I'll head there right now," Chen Jiuge declared with sincere resolve.

"Can I join?" Wan Hao interjected with his usual earnestness.

Wudao Tian's first instinct was to refuse. However, he then considered that if Wan Hao joined, he would be on their side, and Wan Hao possessed an innate combat instinct that couldn't be wasted.

"Of course, you can," Wudao Tian decided, choosing to forgive Wan Hao for exposing his embarrassing past just moments before.

After confirming everyone present would participate, Wudao Tian urged them to customize their mechas in time and then hurriedly departed.

Master, hehe, just you wait, Wudao Tian sneered inwardly.

「At the Main Hall's Rear Mountain」

"Senior Sister, Eldest Senior Brother seems incredibly interested in this competition."

"Of course. This is likely his only chance in recent years to openly challenge his Master and vent some frustration," Wen Ruo said with a giggle, recalling the scene of the dignified Eldest Senior Brother of the sect being hung up and whipped.

"No wonder. Alright, Senior Sister, Wan Hao and I should also go prepare," Chen Jiuge remarked thoughtfully. He, too, harbored similar intentions.

「At the back of the Main Hall」

Golden Immortals, rarely seen on ordinary days, now gathered within this small cave mansion.

"Everyone, we must take this seriously this time," Jun Linseng stated with a serious expression.

"Isn't the Sect going a bit too far? If things get dire, surely we can bend the rules a little, right?" Third Elder Jiang Taiyuan whispered, making a subtle gesture with his fingers.

"No, that's unacceptable. Ancestor Tianhuo heard about this competition and is returning from his patrol. He personally deployed the Sect-Suppressing Immortal Qi for this event! Forget about bending any rules; our only advantages now are our years and combat experience," Jun Linseng said, his face darkening.

Really, Ancestor Tianhuo couldn't have picked a worse time to return. Returning now is one thing, but to even meddle in the youngsters' games? He must be incredibly bored. That Wudao Tian brat is definitely plotting to backstab me. I must prepare thoroughly.

"They're just juniors," Great Elder Ye Sheng said nonchalantly. "We're all Golden Immortals; how could we possibly fail?"

"First, let's hear the current number of participating disciples," Jun Linseng said, preparing to reveal the grim reality.

"The disciple faction currently has over 13,000 participants, and this number is still rising."

"And for us, the Elder faction..." Jun Linseng looked helplessly at the assembly of fewer than a hundred Golden Immortals.

The Elders present instantly grasped the danger. Each of them would have to face hundreds of disciples of the same Realm. Even Golden Immortals would struggle.

Many Elders showed a flicker of hesitation, the thought of withdrawing crossing their minds. This competition is purely for losing face. Perhaps it's better if we just sit this one out?

"Don't even think about backing out, everyone. Ancestor Tianhuo is already watching from above. Let's focus on finding a solution. If it comes to that, we can drag our other colleagues back too," Jun Linseng suggested a rather poor idea. If everyone loses face together, it's as if no one has lost face.

"That makes sense," the numerous Golden Immortals agreed.

They each picked up their Communication Stones and began contacting their old friends. If anyone didn't answer, they'd gather a few colleagues and drag them out of their cave mansions. They were Golden Immortals, after all; why pretend to be in deep seclusion? It would be stranger if they *weren't* secretly watching the commotion on a normal day.