Chapter 2835: Chapter 2835
The Black Tiger King possessed an incredibly sturdy physique. Even when occasionally struck by Ye Liuyun’s blade, its primal energy defense mitigated most of the impact, leaving only residual force that it could easily withstand.
Though the blows still stung, they were far from causing any serious injury. The beast had hoped to endure a few strikes before lunging at Ye Liuyun, but the young warrior maintained a calculated distance using spatial manipulation, never allowing the tiger to close in.
As a savage beast, the Black Tiger fought with reckless abandon, heedlessly expending its primal energy. Before long, its reserves began to wane. Desperate, its golden eyes flashed as it attempted to ensnare Ye Liuyun in an illusion.
But with a radiant pulse of golden light from the Ten Thousand Divine Decree, the illusion shattered effortlessly.
"Hah! So you’ve got illusionary pupils too!" Ye Liuyun chuckled. "Not bad—you might actually be useful. I think I’ll keep you around!"
With that, he unleashed a soul attack, no longer willing to waste time. At his current level of strength, subduing the Black Tiger with mere blade intent offered little challenge to his advance energy. His goal was to swiftly tame the beast before seeking a more suitable opponent to truly test his limits.
Meanwhile, his doppelgänger had already subdued a Dominator-level eighth-tier beast and was now locked in combat with a seventh-tier one.
The moment the Black Tiger glimpsed the sheer magnitude of Ye Liuyun’s soul, it let out a mournful cry, realizing it stood no chance. Ye Liuyun’s soul alone was twice its size.
"Seems this beast neglected its soul cultivation," Ye Liuyun mused as he implanted a slave seal into the Black Tiger’s consciousness. He took the opportunity to probe its memories, curious why it had immediately rallied the pack to fight to the death.
What he discovered was unexpected—these beasts were victims themselves. Recently, a group of martial cultivators had slaughtered their kind, leaving fewer than half of their original numbers alive. Even their former Beast King had been slain, and this Black Tiger was merely the newly chosen leader of the survivors.
When they spotted Ye Liuyun and his companions, they mistook them for the same murderous cultivators returning for another massacre. In desperation, they had launched a suicidal assault.
The black tiger knew all too well about the human martial cultivators—led by a warrior at the Unity Realm, numbering two to three hundred—who had mercilessly slaughtered its kind, harvesting their flesh without restraint. They stood no chance against such force.
After extracting the memories through soul-searching, Ye Liuyun immediately signaled his companions to halt. He couldn’t bear to see these beasts suffer further; if the killing continued, they’d face extinction. Under his control, the black tiger roared, commanding the frenzied beasts to cease their attacks.
"Go back," Ye Liuyun instructed the black tiger. "Tell your kin that we’re not allied with those human cultivators, nor do we seek your annihilation." He then gestured toward the shapeshifting spirit beasts beside him. "We’re here to claim this planet. These beasts—choose one to follow."
"Once this world is absorbed into their spatial realms, you’ll be safe. No one will hunt you anymore." His voice hardened. "As for vengeance—I’ll deliver it myself. I’ll lead my forces against those humans and make them pay."
The black tiger relayed his words to the pack. The beasts stared at the figures hovering in the air—the black dragon, the thunder beast, the vermilion bird, the white tiger, the dark tortoise, the Megalithic Ape, Little Blue Ice, the falcon, and the crimson viper. Fear and awe twisted together in their eyes; these were spirit beasts of immense power, ones who had achieved human form.
Exhausted and broken, they had no strong leaders left. Most of their mightiest had fallen. Staying meant certain death—sooner or later, hunters from neighboring planets would come for them. After a tense silence, the beasts made their choices, each aligning with a spirit beast they respected. The groups split unevenly, some larger, some smaller.
Only the black tiger refused to choose. It claimed the spirit beasts were beneath its strength, insisting instead on following Ye Liuyun—though in truth, it meant to ensure he kept his promise of retribution.
Ye Liuyun didn’t force it. But as he watched the beasts divide, he sighed. "This wasn’t what I intended..." Still, since they’d agreed, he allowed his companions to absorb their followers into their respective spatial realms. The white tiger then claimed the planet itself.
Once the world vanished into storage, Ye Liuyun turned to the black tiger. "Do you know where those human cultivators are stationed?"
The beast snarled, its gaze locking onto a distant planet before charging toward it. Meanwhile, Ye Tian Dao discreetly withdrew her martial cultivators, ensuring their numbers wouldn’t draw unwanted attention.
"Let’s go!"
Ye Liuyun didn’t bother gathering the group, simply charging forward alongside the Black Tiger.
The others, still fired up from the earlier fight and eager for more action, immediately followed while replenishing their energy. To keep the slower ones from lagging behind, Ye Liuyun had the Falcon carry them.
As they moved, the Black Tiger turned to Ye Liuyun, questioning whether he could handle a Unity Realm martial artist.
Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun summoned Liao Tianyang—both to reassure the Black Tiger and to prepare for battle. His clone also alerted Black Mountain, ensuring backup in case Liao Tianyang struggled against the enemy.
However, as they neared the planet, the Black Tiger slowed its pace. Ye Liuyun probed it with his divine sense and noticed its golden pupils flickering as it scanned the planet, likely searching for the martial artists’ positions.
Estimating the distance, Ye Liuyun realized the Black Tiger’s vision surpassed even Fuyang’s.
*I wonder if it can refine the alien’s third eye...* He made a mental note to test it after this battle. If successful, he’d offer it a Shapeshifting Pill, allowing it to take human form and serve by his side.
Soon, the Black Tiger locked onto its targets and bolted in a specific direction.
Following its gaze, Ye Liuyun spotted a group of martial artists led by a Unity Realm expert pillaging a city. Their brutality—burning, killing, and looting—justified immediate action.
But their numbers had swelled to nearly a thousand, far beyond the two or three hundred the Black Tiger had mentioned. When questioned, the beast admitted ignorance, insisting the original raiding party had been smaller.
Since the Black Tiger was bound by a slave seal and couldn’t lie, Ye Liuyun guessed the group had since recruited more members.
"Let’s deploy Black Mountain and the Demon Vine too," he decided. "They’ll handle the strong ones and cover us while we pick off the rest. We’ll also keep an eye on that Unity Realm fighter to prevent casualties."
After coordinating with his clone, Ye Liuyun led the charge, following the Black Tiger into the fray.
