Chapter 900: Sacrifice

Each of the ten sacred beasts of Fog Cloud Ridge possesses combat power comparable to that of the Ten Elders of the Master Teacher Academy.

Who did Elder Mi's student find that could make nine sacred beasts leave together? Could it be that he brought all the other elders? No, if that were the case, the numerous Half-Saints and Ascended Saints outside would have reported it by now. There wouldn't be complete silence!

"Mi Zhu, what exactly are you up to?" The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast narrowed its eyes and looked over.

"Me? I've been here the whole time. I really don't know..." Elder Mi was on the verge of tears. He was merely a bystander, playing along with the act, and genuinely had no idea what the Headmaster intended to do.

"You don't know? You'd better not play games with me. Fog Cloud Ridge has managed to stand firm for so many years right under the Master Teacher Academy's nose; it's far from as simple as it appears..." Seeing that the other party genuinely appeared clueless, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast issued another threat.

"Your spirit beasts are spread throughout Fog Cloud Ridge. If something were truly amiss, how could you not know?" Elder Mi asked.

The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast nodded. This was precisely what puzzled it. If there were truly a problem, the kings would certainly have informed it. Allowing other beasts to go out indicated their capability to handle the situation.

"Don't worry about it for now. As long as this Elder Mi doesn't leave, the Master Teacher Academy will be reluctant to act rashly. Even if they don't agree to our terms, they'll find a good solution!" After a quick mental calculation, feeling there was no problem, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast was about to speak when the Red Flame Lion, who had left first, walked in.

Immediately following were the Iron-backed Bear, Tiger Head Beast, Iron Tooth Wolf... the other nine kings also entered, trailing a young man whose head was bowed, looking utterly disheveled. It was indeed Elder Mi's student who had escaped earlier.

"Boss, we've captured this fellow..." Taking a few steps closer, the Red Flame Lion growled in its deep, rough voice.

"What exactly happened that made all of you go out?" The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast looked over doubtfully.

"Well, it's like this..." The Tiger Head Beast approached, its large iron claw pointing at Zhang Xuan: "This fellow, by some unknown means, brought several formidable master teachers, and they fought with us outside..."

"Master teachers?" The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast blinked in surprise.

"That's right!" The Iron Tooth Wolf also walked over.

"What master teachers? Were they the Academy's Ten Elders?" the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast pressed.

"Apparently not. We don't recognize them; their faces were quite unfamiliar. How about I retrieve their bodies for you to see..." The Iron-backed Bear snorted, moving to a spot less than three meters away from the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast.

Before it could finish speaking, several sacred beasts roared simultaneously and attacked in unison.

Boom!

The Red Flame Lion, Tiger Head Beast, Iron Tooth Wolf, and Iron-backed Bear—these four sacred beasts were considered among the strongest kings of Fog Cloud Ridge. When they attacked simultaneously, their combined power was like mountains crumbling and rivers reversing their course. Before the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast could even react, it was struck by all four sets of hooves and claws simultaneously.

"What are you doing..." With a pained cry, the Bear-Tiger Beast was sent flying backward, its back slamming into and breaking several stalactites, as it coughed up large mouthfuls of blood. These sacred beasts had been with it for over a thousand years, sharing a bond of trust. Who could have imagined such a sudden and brutal attack? And so ruthless! The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast was instantly severely wounded, its internal organs sustaining heavy damage from which it would be difficult to recover quickly.

"What in the world happened..." Lying on the ground, gasping for breath, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast felt as though ninety percent of its strength had instantly vanished. Its eyes bloodshot, it couldn't help but roar.

"Master!" Ignoring its roars, the Red Flame Lion, Iron-backed Bear, and the other beasts turned in unison to face Zhang Xuan, who stood nearby.

"Good!" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan no longer appeared disheveled. With his hands clasped behind his back, he emerged, surrounded by the many sacred beasts, like a supreme emperor.

"Nine of the ten kings of Fog Cloud Ridge have now submitted to me... Golden Bear-Tiger Beast, you have only one path: either become my tamed beast, or... die!"

"Submit?" Its pupils constricted, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast gazed at the nine kings in utter disbelief. They were all sacred beasts, possessing their own pride. How could they possibly submit to a human, and a mere nobody only in the Chrysalis realm at that?

Not only was the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast surprised, but Elder Mi was also utterly stunned. He had genuinely believed the Headmaster was here to negotiate and had prepared himself for insults. He never expected that after just over an hour outside, nine of the ten kings would have been tamed... It seemed that the spirit beasts outside must also have been unable to escape the same fate; they had all become tamed beasts. He had known that this new Headmaster possessed powerful beast-taming abilities, but this... this was simply too formidable, too heaven-defying! If he continued to tame beasts like this, would all the sacred beasts and spirit beasts across the entire continent become his personal tamed beasts? Obey his commands?

As Elder Mi remained stunned, the Red Flame Lion and the others also turned to look at their former leader, the strongest king of Fog Cloud Ridge.

"Submit. Our master is a truly capable individual. Submitting to him is far better than being confined to Fog Cloud Ridge!"

"That's right, we've been trapped in Fog Cloud Ridge for so many years. Although this place has become our territory, and no one dares to enter, and the Master Teacher Academy holds us in awe, it looks impressive, but... what's the difference from being locked in a cage? I've certainly had enough!"

"If you don't submit, you'll die. Don't hesitate any longer..." Having become Zhang Xuan's tamed beasts, stripped of their former kingly dignity, the sacred beasts all urged in unison.

"Make me submit? Dream on!" Seeing that all its subordinates had betrayed it, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast's face twisted into a snarl: "Haven't you always wondered why so much spiritual liquid from the earth veins gathers here, supplying so many of us spirit and sacred beasts without ever depleting? Today, I shall tell you..."

With a roar, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast struggled to its feet, swayed, and leaped into the nearby, now-dry pond, its voice slowly emerging. "Respected Sovereign, please grant me the strength to eliminate these traitors of the beast tribe..."

This time, it wasn't human language, but ancient beast language.

"Sovereign?" Upon hearing the beast language, Zhang Xuan's brows furrowed, and an ominous premonition stirred within him. He had previously found it strange. Spiritual liquid from earth veins was extremely rare, and even with Fog Cloud Ridge's unique terrain, it seemed unlikely for so much to accumulate. Now, it appeared things were far more complex. Furthermore, and most crucially, there were simply too many spirit and sacred beasts here. In the natural order, the number of powerful entities in any given location is limited. For such a large number of spirit beasts to attain such high ranks, it would be a lie to say it wasn't surprising.

Elder Mi's expression also changed. He was a Six-Star Peak Beast Tamer. Although he hadn't fully mastered the ancient beast language, he could understand some parts. At this moment, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast was clearly performing a ritual using beast language, initiating a special summons. If successful, a major upheaval was inevitable.

"Headmaster..." Filled with anxiety, he hastily looked at Zhang Xuan.

"Don't worry, this might be connected to the secret of Senior Wu Yangzi's disappearance that you mentioned earlier..." Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow. After taming the Red Flame Lion and the other beasts, he had naturally inquired about certain matters. However, these creatures were relatively recent additions, having only fully matured in the last thousand years, and thus weren't privy to many older secrets. According to their descriptions, all secrets were held by the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast. It was precisely for this reason that the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast held unchallenged authority in Fog Cloud Ridge, truly earning its reputation as the supreme ruler.

Rumble!

As they spoke, dense spiritual energy surged from the depths of the cave, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing, making it difficult for everyone to breathe. The pond, which had previously held spiritual liquid, now resembled a massive altar. The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast appeared to be performing a sacrifice, drawing forth this powerful oppressive aura.

"So strong..." Feeling this power, Elder Mi's face turned pale. He involuntarily retreated several steps, gritting his teeth to withstand it. The power was simply too immense, piercing directly into his soul. Even as a Saint Realm 1-dan peak cultivator, he found himself struggling to resist.

"Headmaster..." If someone of his strength couldn't resist, what would happen to the Headmaster? He hastily looked forward, only to see the Headmaster standing ramrod straight nearby, eyebrows raised, staring coldly ahead as if completely unaffected by the immense pressure. Elder Mi's entire body trembled. He couldn't resist, and the kings of Fog Cloud Ridge, such as the Red Flame Lion, were already sprawled on the ground. Yet the Headmaster remained completely unfazed. How was this possible?

Rumble!

Before his shock could subside, the spiritual energy in the air seemed to solidify. A phantom blue-horned dragon beast, appearing as if condensed from smoke, floated above, giving the illusion that it could crush one's very soul.

"My descendant, why do you summon me?" A grand voice echoed, still speaking the ancient beast language, yet it carried a sensation of transcending time and space.

"This is... pure ancient beast language!" Elder Mi's body went cold. While the beast language imitated by descendants could be quite close in pronunciation, it lacked the profound sense of antiquity that permeated history, missing a certain ancient gravitas. The voice he heard was heavy and steady. Its mere tone could compel countless spirit and sacred beasts to submit. It was instantly clear that this phantom was an unparalleled figure who had survived from ancient times.

Turning his head, he indeed saw the kings, including the Red Flame Lion and Tiger Head Beast, sprawled on the ground, trembling, utterly devoid of any will to resist. There was nothing anyone could do against the bloodline suppression of a sacred beast. He looked at the Headmaster again, intending to shield him and facilitate his escape, but saw him still standing rooted to the spot, gazing at the phantom before him, his brows furrowed, lost in thought.

"Sovereign, your descendant here implores you to grant me strength to slay these traitors!" Kneeling on the ground, the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast cried out in beast language.

"What are you offering as a sacrifice?" the phantom said faintly.

"I offer this Six-Star Peak Master Teacher from the Master Teacher Academy, the Headmaster of the Beast Tamer Academy, to nourish you with his fresh blood..." The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast let out a long, drawn-out cry.

"Six-Star Peak Master Teacher?" The phantom shook its head: "Not enough!"

"And this student of his..." The Golden Bear-Tiger Beast pointed at Zhang Xuan, then immediately thought this fellow might be too weak. "As long as you, Sovereign, grant me strength, I will immediately mobilize a great army to hunt down more master teachers..."

"Deal. If you renege on your promise, you know the consequences!"

Boom!

As the phantom's faint words resonated, a dense surge of power poured directly into the Golden Bear-Tiger Beast. The beast's heavily injured aura immediately began to rapidly climb.