I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Yu Changsheng paid no mind to the tracks Tang He had secretly left behind. Not long after, a large party set off for Red Lake Mountain with great fanfare.

As its name suggested, Red Lake Mountain was most famous for a large lake nestled within it. The mountain was perpetually covered in vast groves of red maple trees, which seemed to dye the lake’s water red, giving the place its name.

The mountain was enormous, bordering the Cangyang Mountain Range. It was rich in resources, and Spirit Beasts were abundant. It was hardly surprising to find traces of a Cyan Luo Beast here.

Yu Changsheng’s party, on the other hand, was much smaller. Just he and Yu Changao stood before the vast Red Lake Mountain, looking for all the world like two insignificant figures searching for a needle in a haystack.

"This Red Lake Mountain is enormous. How long is it going to take us to find the Cyan Luo Beast?"

Yu Changao sighed, his face etched with worry.

"We’ll just have to take our time."

Yu Changsheng said with a slight smile, not at all discouraged. He kept his Divine Sense extended. Although they hadn’t found any sign of the Cyan Luo Beast, they had managed to find quite a few treasures like Spirit Grass along the way, so the journey wasn’t entirely fruitless.

"’Take our time?’ There are only two of us. By the time we find it, the Cyan Luo Beast will probably have been captured by one of the three great families already."

"Not necessarily. I have a plan, so don’t worry."

Yu Changsheng shook his head. As he spoke, he casually glanced behind them and surveyed the surrounding terrain. Then, his tone shifted as he said calmly,

"However, before we do that, there’s something else we need to take care of. I say, my fellow cultivators, you’ve been following us for quite a while. Isn’t it about time you showed yourselves?"

As his words faded, silence descended. Yu Changao, however, tensed up, instantly on high alert. He moved closer to Yu Changsheng, his eyes darting around as he whispered,

"Who is it? Is someone else here?"

With his level of Cultivation, he naturally couldn’t detect anything out of the ordinary, but he knew Yu Changsheng wouldn’t say something like that for no reason.

A moment later, the forest remained utterly silent, showing no sign of disturbance. Only the echo of Yu Changsheng’s voice lingered.

Just as Yu Changao began to breathe a sigh of relief, Yu Changsheng’s brow furrowed. His tone grew several degrees colder as he suddenly stared in one direction and sneered,

"So cautious, I see."

As he spoke, his hands flew through a Finger Technique. In an instant, a Flame Ball the size of a human head materialized, carrying a hint of the power of Void Fire. Its appearance sent a scorching heatwave through the air.

"Go!"

Yu Changsheng let out a low cry, and in the next instant, the Flame Ball shot toward the dense patch of woods he had been staring at.

BOOM!

The Flame Ball crashed into the woods, sending countless birds scattering into the sky. Amidst the searing heat, the space there began to warp, and a figure robed in black slowly emerged. It was the same man who had been spying on Yu Changsheng the night before.

His face was grim, and a few embers clung to his black robes. His gaze was like ice.

"I underestimated you. When did you notice me?"

"Why don’t you guess?"

Yu Changsheng smiled faintly. His hands flew through another Finger Technique, and two more Flame Balls instantly condensed, radiating astonishing heat. With a wave of his hand, he sent them hurtling off to his east and west, crashing down in the woods.

"How much longer are you two going to hide?"

Yu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed. As the Flame Balls flew out, he waved his hand again, and three Spirit Pets materialized, surrounding him and Yu Changao.

BOOM!

Two more massive explosions echoed out. As the Flame Balls struck, the earth cracked and the fireballs dissipated. The other two figures could no longer stay hidden and were forced to dodge out of the way.

There were three figures in total, all clad in identical black robes with masks obscuring their faces. Judging by their builds, all three were men. Besides the one from the Tang Family, one of the others held a sword, and the last one wielded a saber.

"This is the Qi Refining brat you told us about?"

The three men gathered together and exchanged a look. The sword-wielding Cultivator couldn’t help but ask, his voice raspy as if he were deliberately deepening it.

"There’s been a slight complication. I told you this brat wasn’t simple. No matter. Take care of him, and I’ll double the original reward."

The man from the Tang Family snorted. He couldn’t worry about anything else at the moment and could only make the promise.

"Brat, I underestimated you. It seems you’ve been aware of us since last night. But so what? With three Foundation Establishment experts here to deal with you, at least you won’t die in ignorance."

The black-robed Tang Family cultivator sneered. Though surprised by Yu Changsheng’s perceptiveness, he wasn’t flustered in the slightest. He was confident of victory.

With the three of them—all Foundation Establishment Powerhouses—attacking together, what did it matter if Yu Changsheng wasn’t just at the Qi Refining stage? He was still completely confident they could eliminate him.

"Is that so?"

Yu Changsheng asked softly. Even as they spoke, he made the first move. His qi and blood surged, and he shot toward the sword-wielding figure on the far left.

In mid-air, a layer of earthen-yellow armor spread over his body, enveloping him in a protective layer and simultaneously adding more power to his strike.

"Thousand Mountain Armor!"

Yu Changsheng cried out. With a mere thought, the Red-Training Snake moved. Its thick tail lashed against the ground, launching its body into the air as flames erupted across its scales. It shot toward the man from the Tang Family in the center, aiming to ensnare him.

SKREEE!!

The Golden-Winged Eagle shrieked, its cry sharp enough to pierce metal and shatter stone. After circling once in the air, it unleashed a barrage of black Wind Blades at the other figure, the one wielding the saber.

As for the Colorful Star Deer, it simply stayed near Yu Changao, protecting him without making any rash moves.

Its antlers began to glow, and countless trees twisted and coiled together to form a cage, encasing Yu Changao in layer upon layer of protection.

All of this happened in the space of a single breath after Yu Changsheng spoke. In the sky, the Golden-Winged Eagle’s Black Wind Hundred Cuts formed a raging tempest.

On the ground, the Red-Training Snake struck ferociously, its flexible body attacking with coiling strikes.

And Yu Changsheng himself was even more formidable. His Physical Strength erupted, augmented by the Thousand Mountain Armor. The power of his single punch was enough to shake the heavens and the earth.

Furthermore, the Colorful Star Deer provided support, its eyes fixed on the enemies like a stalking tiger. With their auras surging in unison, they formed the first three stages of the Spiritual Beast Four Extremes Formation, their combined power even more immense.

"Something’s wrong! There’s more to this brat than meets the eye!"

The Tang Family cultivator gritted his teeth. Yu Changsheng’s movements were so fast that even he was stunned for a second. In the next instant, the Red-Training Snake was upon him.

As for Yu Changao, he was completely stunned by the sudden turn of events. He stared blankly at the three assailants, his expression one of sheer astonishment. His body trembled, and his face was deathly pale.

"Three... Foundation Establishment?"

Yu Changao stammered, his body trembling uncontrollably. His speech was faltering, and a flicker of despair appeared in his eyes.

In that exact instant, Yu Changsheng’s fist met the Sword-carrying Cultivator. The cultivator’s pupils shrank. As he retreated, he raised his Long Sword vertically to block Yu Changsheng’s punch.

CRACK... CRACK...

The next second, the sharp sound of a sword shattering rang out. Then, before the cultivator’s disbelieving eyes, with one final SNAP, the sword broke into several pieces.