Heavenly Mystery Must Not Be Revealed

"Huh? Junior Sister Qianqian, why are you here?"

A female cultivator suddenly stopped and asked. Though her appearance was ordinary, she wore the signature yellow robes of the Xuanling Sect, and her cultivation had reached the eighth level of the Qi Refining Realm, one level higher than Chang Qianqian's.

Chang Qianqian's eyes immediately lit up. "Senior Sister Li, I didn't expect to run into you here!"

"A Beast Tide appeared up ahead too!"

"My heavens! We're surrounded!"

The cultivators had barely run past Qin Jun and the others before coming to a stop. A Beast Tide had appeared on the horizon ahead as well. The only direction without one was toward the forest, but if they turned and ran that way, they would likely be trampled to death before even reaching the trees.

For a moment, all the cultivators fell into despair. The female cultivator called Senior Sister Li walked up to Chang Qianqian and sighed. "Junior Sister, we can't escape. Why did you come out here? Why didn't you stay safely in the sect?"

The noise grated on Qin Jun's nerves, and he shouted impatiently, "Shut up, all of you! You're not dead yet!"

Beside him, the Howling Celestial Dog raised its head, disdain flashing through its eyes.

All the cultivators turned toward Qin Jun. Dressed in an Imperial Guard uniform, Qin Jun cut a striking figure. Especially after breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, the aura he exuded was obvious enough to secretly alarm the Qi Refining Realm cultivators.

What sect's genius was this youth?

But with disaster at hand, no one cared about his identity.

"Damn, the Beast Tide has surrounded us. Can we really survive?"

"That damned Demon King actually drew so many demonic beasts here."

"Where is the Demon King? You all guessed it was the Demon King's doing, but why haven't I seen it?"

"I roamed the kingdom for years, only to die out here in the wilderness! I refuse to accept this!"

Qin Jun stared speechlessly at the grief-stricken cultivators. Damn it, did they have to be this embarrassing?

The ground shook more and more violently as the Beast Tide drew closer. Vast numbers of demonic beasts even came charging out of the forest. Other than the sky, they had nowhere left to flee.

Despair began spreading through the crowd. Even Chang Qianqian tightly clutched Senior Sister Li's arm, trembling all over.

At that moment, Qin Jun suddenly felt taller, and his back straightened involuntarily.

Looks like it's time for yours truly to save these cowards!

"Howling Celestial Dog!"

Seeing the Beast Tide closing in, Qin Jun called out. The Howling Celestial Dog at his feet strutted forward proudly. It had heard every word of the cultivators' earlier insults.

It swept a disdainful glance over the eighteen cultivators. Amid their stunned expressions, it lifted its head and let out a long howl.

"Roar—"

The Howling Celestial Dog's cry was unlike that of an ordinary dog. It sounded more like a tiger or lion's roar, overwhelmingly domineering and deafening. Waves of sound rolled outward, forcing the cultivators to cover their ears.

The Beast Tides charging at Qin Jun and the others from every direction all stopped. They sprawled on the ground, each demonic beast lowering its head as if bowing before a king.

"Holy shit! This..."

"This black dog... is a Demon King?"

"Damn, no wonder it ran so fast!"

"I don't believe it! How could it be a Demon King..."

After their brief shock, the cultivators immediately began chattering excitedly. Even Chang Qianqian and Daji stared at the Howling Celestial Dog in astonishment.

At this moment, the Howling Celestial Dog seemed to have become incomparably majestic. Its messy black fur reflected a metallic sheen beneath the sunlight, leaving them deeply shaken.

Ignoring the cultivators' astonishment, Qin Jun asked the Howling Celestial Dog, "Why did you bring so many demonic beasts here?"

Looking around, the auras of many demonic beasts sent chills down his spine, which meant there were an astonishing number of Second-tier Demonic Beasts.

"I am the Demon King of this region. I came today to pledge myself to you, Master. These demonic beasts could not bear to part with me, so they specially came in groups to see me off," the Howling Celestial Dog said in human speech, unable to conceal its smugness.

Qin Jun immediately understood. The system had arranged identities for every god and demon it summoned, causing them to lose the memories of their original works. Perhaps all the gods and demons had already appeared in this world and were merely waiting for his summons.

He truly did not believe the Mythological System could alter the entire world at every moment.

It really is a Demon King!

The cultivators looked at one another. The black dog they had mocked earlier was actually a Demon King. Their necks went cold, though they also felt fortunate that they would not be trampled to death by the Beast Tide.

"Just who is this guy?"

Chang Qianqian widened her beautiful eyes. Qin Jun always had one astounding trick after another. Daji alone was already formidable enough, and now a Demon King had come to pledge itself to him. Throughout the entire Gan Yue Kingdom, he could already walk sideways!

Covered in cold sweat, Chang Hao could not help swallowing. The thought that he had just offended the Howling Celestial Dog made his body tremble.

"Alright, Howling Celestial Dog, disperse them. We need to continue on our way."

Qin Jun said this while forcibly suppressing the urge to farm monsters. If he attacked these demonic beasts, the Howling Celestial Dog's loyalty would probably plummet.

The Howling Celestial Dog nodded, then let out another long howl. The beasts blocking Qin Jun and the others immediately parted to make way. Qin Jun then strolled forward with Daji and the Howling Celestial Dog. Chang Qianqian and Chang Hao hurried after him, while the other cultivators naturally did not dare linger and followed behind Qin Jun's group as well.

Watching the various ferocious and terrifying demonic beasts on either side, the cultivators trembled with fear. At the same time, Qin Jun's standing in their hearts soared.

Within the Gan Yue Kingdom, they had never heard of anyone taming a Demon King.

Even Ao Tian, the Sect Master of the Purple Light Sect and the kingdom's strongest expert, could not accomplish such a feat!

Demon Kings were utterly invincible symbols within the Gan Yue Kingdom. Fortunately, there were only a handful of them in the kingdom, and they had always kept out of each other's affairs with humanity.

This group of cultivators came from the Three Great Sects and several smaller sects. By chance, they had formed a party to explore the wilderness in search of treasure.

They had not expected to suddenly encounter a Beast Tide that morning, frightening them so badly that their nerves were still stretched taut.

"Master, how did you come to know it?" Daji asked curiously. She had thought she would be Qin Jun's strongest subordinate, but the Howling Celestial Dog had unexpectedly appeared halfway through. She could not help feeling a little upset.

"Haha! Heavenly Mystery must not be revealed!" Qin Jun said smugly. One should enjoy life to the fullest when things were going well—when it was time to show off, one had to show off!

"Master is a divine son sent down from heaven. Sooner or later, you will unify all realms. It is my honor to serve under you," the Howling Celestial Dog suddenly flattered him, making Qin Jun feel thoroughly pleased.

The Howling Celestial Dog's loyalty was currently at its maximum, which was why it praised him so extravagantly. If its loyalty were low, it would definitely have had an entirely different attitude.

"Alright, don't call me Master in the future. Call me Young Master!" Qin Jun said with a wave and a smile.

Sooner or later, he would have to bring Daji and the Howling Celestial Dog into the royal palace. The title "Master" could easily draw criticism from the other court officials. Though he could now act without restraint, he still wanted to ascend the throne legitimately. If he rebelled, war would definitely break out. Even if he won, the Gan Yue Kingdom's national strength would decline drastically.

According to this body's memories, his nominal father's health was worsening by the day. He likely would not last more than a few years before passing away.

He did not want to clean up a mess!

What he wanted was a powerful Gan Yue Kingdom!

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