"You scoundrel!" The other elders roared in rage as they swiftly got into position to guard against the beasts.
The Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix released a shrill cry before it glided across the air, raining arrows of flame upon the elders. One of the elders was just about to soar into the air when a fire arrow pierced through his chest, pus.h.i.+ng him back to the ground.
On the other hand, the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger charged right into the midst of the crowd. With a swift swipe, its claws tore through two elders, inflicting deep lacerations on their bodies.
Most of the elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall were at Heavenly High Immortal realm as well, but the three immortal beasts were blessed with superior const.i.tutions that granted them far greater fighting prowess than that of human cultivators. It was not to say that the elders of the Myriad Beasts Hall were weak, but they were simply no match for the three immortal beasts. In just a few breaths, most of them were already lying injured on the ground.
"Activate the formation!"
Elder Liao knew that they would be defeated at this rate, so he immediately rushed over and stomped on the crux of the formation they had set up earlier.
Weng!
The formation whirred into action.
While trying to tame a beast, a beast tamer had to be prepared for the possibility that he could be killed as well.
Thus, beast tamers would usually set up multifunctional formations that could be used to trap the beasts, coordinate their strength together, and block the offense of the immortal beasts. Such flexibility would prove to be valuable in times of need, especially given how the situation could change in the blink of an eye.
After the formation was activated, the injured elders also quickly retreated into the formation as well.
"Do you really think that a formation that I permitted you to set up in my presence would really work?" the Serpentine Dragon sneered coldly before releasing a deafening roar that tremored the lands.
As if having received an order from the Serpentine Dragon, the earth began rumbling intensely, causing the formation flags of the formation which Elder Liao and the others were hiding in to collapse.
Colonies of ants rose from the places where the formation flags were previously planted!
The Serpentine Dragon had stationed these ants beneath the formation flags in advance so that he could deal with the formation whenever it liked.
With the collapse of the formation flags, the formation also lost its effectiveness too. As such, Elder Liao and the others were exposed before the three immortal beasts once again.
"We were too focused on trying to tame the Serpentine Dragon that we didn"t even notice that we have already fallen into their trap..." Seeing how they were completely encircled by the three immortal beasts and their subordinates, Elder Liao"s face paled in despair.
They had come here confidently, thinking that even if they were to fail in their mission, they would still be able to get away without any problem. Yet, they ended up falling for the other party"s ploy...
The White-eared Fox used its own ability to disguise itself into the Serpentine Dragon so as to lure the Northern Sea Dragon Orb away. On the other hand, the real Serpentine Dragon was moving alongside the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger to a.s.sault the other group.
As soon as they were done, they immediately rushed over to crush their group as well...
Just like that, the tables were turned on them. A beast taming session turned into a ma.s.sacre instead. They would have never thought that the beasts would use their own plans against them.
"The White-eared Fox told me that the humans are greedy. I was still harboring such reservations previously, but it seems like that"s indeed the case!" the Serpentine Dragon scoffed.
"If you haven"t divided your forces into two groups and directed that powerful offensive artifact toward the Nine-tailed Fiery Phoenix instead of just focusing it all on me, perhaps you might have still stood a chance."
Just like how the Northern Sea Dragon Orb was prepared to deal with the Serpentine Dragon, what the other beast tamers had prepared to tame the Nine-tailed Fiery Phoenix was an extremely powerful saber to suppress it forcefully.
If the beast tamers had worked together, even if all four immortal beasts were to work together with one another, they would have stood a very good chance at victory. After all, the prowess of one of the Six Sects was not to be underestimated.
Yet, perhaps it was arrogance or simply foolish greed, they chose to split into two teams. Unfortunately for them, the White-eared Fox saw through their ploy and prepared a countermeasure beforehand. They would first suppress the team which possessed powerful saber before moving on to destroy the other group.
"We have really underestimated the enemies this time around..." Elder Liao said with a bitter smile.
None of the four immortal beasts were easy to tame. The very fact that Elder Liu and Elder Yuan had chosen to compete with one another to see who could tame one of them first was already an arrogant act in itself. They were a.s.suming that success was already in their grasp.
As the saying went, "a proud general is bound to lead his army into defeat". Such a fate was already destined from the moment that such a thought surfaced in their minds.
Putting everything aside, the strongest cultivator of them all, Elder Yuan, was still using the Northern Sea Dragon Orb to lure the White-eared Fox around, completely oblivious that the rest of the group had already been plunged in a perilous position... At this point in time, it was already clear who was really teasing who.
"Let"s just pit our lives against them. They might be powerful, but it won"t be easy for them to defeat us without some sacrifices!" Elder Liao said with determinedly.
He knew it would be difficult for them to escape given the current situation, so the only choice they had was to force their way through.
"Yes!"
The other elders nodded in agreement too. With a flick of their wrist, they took out a bag each roughly the size of their palm.
Hu!
Immortal beasts appeared all around them.
Is that the tamed beast sack?
Hiding by the corner, Zhang Xuan thought.
While they were making their way over, the old man had told him that the more qualified disciples and elders would have special tamed beast sacks, which worked in a similar fas.h.i.+on to his Myriad Anthive Nest. They could store their tamed beasts inside the sack and bring them along with them.
To be able to store the ma.s.sive immortal beasts within it without sustaining any damage, the tamed beast sack was indeed an incredible invention.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
It was an immediate surge in the fighting prowess for the beast tamers. While the situation still didn"t look positive to them, at the very least, it was certain that their enemies wouldn"t be able to take them down easily.
"Block them!" Elder Liao and the others bellowed.
Most of the tamed beasts that were brought out were at Lesser High Immortal realm, but nevertheless, their fighting prowess wasn"t to be underestimated. They swiftly charged into the air to fend off the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-tailed Fiery Phoenix, and the Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger. They might not be a match for the three Heavenly High Immortal realm beasts, but at the very least, they should be able to keep them busy for quite some time.
"As immortal beasts, you lot willingly allow yourselves to be used by these lowly humans. I can imagine no greater shame than this," the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed coldly.
It swallowed the Dragon Blood with a gulp, and in the next moment, an incredibly imposing aura gushed into the surroundings.
This aura was frighteningly powerful, inducing the beasts which the elders had just released to tremble nonstop. Every single one of them froze on the spot, having lost their will to fight.
It"s the natural aura of intimidation that the Dragon Tribe possesses... Zhang Xuan thought grimly.
The dragons were also known as the Sovereign of the Beasts. The Dragon Bloodline represented supreme might and inviolable authority. There was no beast who wouldn"t be intimidated by the airs of a dragon.
This was even more so for Pureblooded Dragons. Every single one of them was a born emperor, and there was no beast who would dare not to submit to them.
There was indeed a huge gap between a Serpentine Dragon and a Pureblooded Dragon, but after swallowing the concentrated Dragon Blood in the jade bottle prepared by Elder Yuan, the Serpentine Dragon"s aura reached a level that was on par with even that of Pseudo Dragons.
As a result, none of the tamed beasts brought out by the elders dared to oppose it. It was innate deference toward a higher existence. Just like that, the tamed beasts were reduced to nothing more than decorative accessories on the battlefield!
Boom!
With all of the tamed beasts paralyzed with fear, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix and Seven-tailed Swordfang Tiger made use of this opportunity to charge at the beast tamers.
The elders did their best to protect themselves, resorting to a collaborative formation even. However, the gap in fighting prowess between both sides was simply too great. Before long, they were already lying defeat on the ground. Blood flowing freely from the glaring wounds inflicted on their bodies.
"Capture them and bring them back to my lair. We"ll use them as hostages to exchange for the method to refine the Dragon Bloodline!" the Serpentine Dragon instructed.
Even though there was no way it would ever submit to a human, it was still moved by Elder Yuan"s earlier proposal. As such, it decided to use these humans as chips to negotiate with the other party.
There was no way Elder Yuan could disregard the lives of his peers. The deaths of these elders would be a heavy blow to the Myriad Beasts Hall, and for allowing his fellow elders to die in vain, Elder Yuan himself would lose prestige from the members of his own sect as well.
It was really foolish of the beast tamers to think that they could outsmart the four immortal beasts so easily... Zhang Xuan shook his head in lamentation.
It was no wonder why no one had managed to tame these immortal beasts all this while. They were simply too cunning!
From the start to the end, the four immortal beasts were in complete control of the situation. In contrast, it felt like the elders of the Myriad Beast Hall were being toyed with.
I should just focus my effort on taming another aerial immortal beast instead, Zhang Xuan thought.
He was indeed interested in taming the four immortal beasts, but that wasn"t a necessity for him. All he needed was a medium for transportation. If need be, he could make do with an ordinary aerial immortal beast as well.
It was not because he didn"t think that he wasn"t a match for the four immortal beasts. With his Heavenly True Immortal realm cultivation, G.o.ds" Sword Intent, and Heaven"s Path Divine Art, he was rather confident that he would be able to defeat the Serpentine Dragon.
But if he were to do so, he could draw the attention of the Hall of G.o.ds upon him. Furthermore, what he had to deal with over here wasn"t just the Serpentine Dragon.
He had never been a selfless man. He would lend a hand to Elder Liao and the others if he was absolutely confident of success, but he wouldn"t go to the extent of risking his life for mere strangers. Elder Liao and the others knew what they were getting themselves into when they made the decision to tame the Serpentine Dragon, so they should have been prepared for the worst too.
Just as Zhang Xuan was about to depart from the scene, a voice suddenly sounded in his mind, "Master, if you capture that bird over there and feed me its blood essence, I think I might be able to break free of my seal and return back to my original body!"
"Return back to your original body?" Zhang Xuan"s eyebrows shot up.
He quickly turned his consciousness to his dantian and saw the Dongxu Gourd pacing around anxiously. It had never been so riled up before.
Yes. My current appearance as a Dongxu Gourd is a form I a.s.sumed after my strength was sealed. My true body is a legendary beast that rules over the lands. Once I return to my true form, the likes of the Hall of G.o.ds won"t even pose a threat at all!" the Dongxu Gourd replied in agitation.
Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before he asked solemnly, "Are you certain?"
The Dongxu Gourd wasn"t very reliable, but there was no denying its tremendous prowess. That could be seen just by how it was able to devour and a.s.similate High Immortal-tier swords with ease.
The only thing that was lacking about it was its offensive ability. If it was really able to break free of its seal, it might turn out to be an incredibly powerful ally on his side!
Just the fact that it was able to induce fear in the Heavenly High Immortal from the Hall of G.o.ds back then likely meant that it was an existence that had reached Semi-Divinity or even beyond.
"Of course! Are you looking down on me over here?" the Dongxu Gourd harrumphed disdainfully.
"Alright then..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and made up his mind. Gritting his teeth, he walked out from his hiding position and shouted, "Hold it right there!"
His words immediately caught the attention of the Serpentine Dragon, Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix, Elder Liao, and the others present in the area. They were all surprised to see that someone was hiding in the vicinity.
"Heavenly True Immortal? Even someone of your caliber dares to appear before me as well? Capture him along with the rest!" the Serpentine Dragon harrumphed coldly with narrowed eyes.
For a moment there, the young man"s sudden appearance made it apprehensive. It thought that someone who was able to hide beneath its eyelids was bound to be extraordinarily powerful. However, who could have thought that the other party would just be a Heavenly True Immortal?
It could easily slay numerous enemies of such caliber with just a swipe of its claws. Someone of that level couldn"t possibly pose a threat to it at all.
Hu!
Upon hearing the instruction, the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix glided over and breathed out blazing flames upon Zhang Xuan.
Standing before the Nine-headed Fiery Phoenix"s a.s.sault, Zhang Xuan simply looked at the Serpentine Dragon and smiled, "You seem to be very confident in yourself. Since that"s the case, shall we play a little game? Let"s see if you are able to withstand this."
"Hah?"
The Serpentine Dragon had no idea what Zhang Xuan was trying to get at.
Is there something wrong with that fellow"s head? Or is he struggling desperately in hopes of a miracle?
Thinking nothing of the matter, the Serpentine Dragon turned its head to the side and ignored Zhang Xuan"s prattling. "Mou! Moo!"
It was as if the ground had split apart in that instant. The two frighteningly loud notes raised up a furious storm as they surged straight toward the Serpentine Dragon.
As soon as those two notes reached the Serpentine Dragon"s ears, the latter felt as if its blood had frozen on the spot.
Its body convulsed uncontrollably as it began plummeting to the ground. Padah!
The Serpentine Dragon crashed into the ground.