Palace Lord Ye, Righteous and Resolute

"We salute Officer Ye—Young Master Ye!"

Under Ye Kong's lead, the myriad Spirit Beasts erupted in thunderous cheers and drained their cups in one gulp.

Good. It seemed time for the next step.

Delight appeared on Ye Kong's face. He sent Peng Chaoyang a voice transmission, signaling him to descend, then spoke aloud:

"Friends, those who know me know that I have the undeserved honor of serving as the Ambassador of Amity for the Heaven-Reaching Ape Tribe!"

"Since the Clan Leader favored me with this position, I have often lain awake at night. All I can do is fulfill my duty."

At this point, Ye Kong's emotions rose, his voice deep and resonant:

"We Beast Tribes have only one Great Thousand World. Countless living beings coexist here, reproduce here, and develop here!

Over the course of their development, the myriad Beast Tribes have long formed a complex situation in which you are in me, and I am in you.

Therefore, today, together with several friends, I represent the Heaven-Reaching Ape Tribe, the Kunpeng Tribe, and the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe in proposing an initiative.

We urge our Beast Tribe brethren of the Great Thousand World not to completely disregard the legitimate interests of other Beast Tribes when conflicts and even clashes arise in the pursuit of their own reasonable interests."

As he spoke, Peng Chaoyang's world-exclusive mount successfully landed atop the speaking platform. Ye Kong leaped down with the other three, landing gracefully before continuing:

"We are not seeking to defy the absolute laws of the Great Thousand World, where the strong are revered and the weak prey to the strong. Strength will always be the root of everything.

But we believe this:

The strong must never act without all restraint. They must not, like the Outer Domain Evil Tribe of the Demon Domain, brazenly trample upon the dignity of the weak and devour everything they possess!

We have appeared here today because this place, these Burial Spirit Ruins, was once the trial ground of countless Beast Tribe forebears fifty thousand years ago—and also the place where they were buried!

Countless gifted youths, once as vibrant and passionate as us, were slaughtered and devoured by those invaders before they could bloom with their own light. This is a Blood Sea of hatred that must never be forgotten!

One Super Divine Beast senior after another, each as concerned for the growth of later generations and the safety of all living beings as our elders, fought the Outer Domain Evil Tribe to the death in order to protect the territory and people of our Beast Tribes.

The once incomparably prosperous Divine Beast Continent was shattered into pieces. Former sacred places such as the trial grounds and the Divine Beast Plains became things of the past, and countless powerful Divine Beast races vanished completely.

Tell me, can we forget such a Blood Sea of hatred? Such humiliation?!"

"No! No! Absolutely not!"

The eyes of the myriad beasts turned crimson as endless fury and hatred surged within their chests.

The Beast Tribes had always prided themselves on their strength and arrogance. How could they tolerate such humiliation remaining forever?

Behind Ye Kong, Peng Chaoyang opened his enormous beak and spat out a blinding golden beam. It fell beside Ye Kong, crashing down with a violent storm.

The beasts fixed their eyes on it. It was an enormous Token, enlarged several hundred times by Peng Chaoyang. The two blood-red characters "Demon Slaying" were carved upon it, as though dyed crimson with blood.

Beneath the Demon Slaying Token, Ye Kong raised his right fist high, lifted his chin, and shouted:

"For fifty thousand years, the Outer Domain Evil Tribe has never ceased coveting our Great Thousand World!

At every moment, they dream of returning in force, of once again launching an unending campaign of extermination and devouring against our homeland, our resources, every one of us, and every one of our loved ones!

Yet over these years, many Beast Tribes have erupted into all manner of internal strife and conflict over resources. Contradictions have emerged one after another. This is a tragedy.

The great enemy still stands beyond our borders. The Beast Tribes of the Great Thousand World must never allow such internal strife and waste to continue developing!

Tribes such as the Heaven-Reaching Ape Tribe, the Kunpeng Tribe, and the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe must all shoulder the responsibilities of top-tier Divine Beast races!

To realize the initiative we have proposed today, to defend our homeland and loved ones, we must follow the model of the Great Thousand Palace and establish an organization capable of uniting the power of the Beast Tribes.

Settle disputes within, slay evil demons without!"

A thunderous salute sounded at just the right moment, spraying fireworks that formed the words "Myriad Beast Palace" across the sky. The three characters were dark gold and radiated a sorrowful air.

At Ye Kong's request, Peng Chaoyang had made these ceremonial cannons using the blood of many fallen Divine Beasts.

Lu Lutong and Lu Kaizhi personally took the stage backstage. Dull war drums boomed like thunder while melodious horns rang out, further igniting the emotions of the myriad beasts present.

Their eyes red, they shouted slogans that shook the heavens: "Myriad Beast Palace!" "Wash away our shame!" "Revenge!"

Several top-tier Beast Tribe geniuses, with multicolored pupils and noble, exceptional bearing that made them stand out like cranes among chickens, also forgot the original purpose of their trip amid the charged atmosphere.

Led by a graceful woman as beautiful as an immortal, they roared together with the other beasts.

Seeing that the atmosphere had fully reached its peak, Ye Kong walked beneath the Demon Slaying Token, pointed at the heavens with one hand, and declared:

"Since this initiative began with me, I shall shamelessly occupy the position of leader for the time being. Once we leave this place, we shall invite a virtuous senior of the Beast Tribes to take over!

Today, with this reckless heart and in my capacity as a Senior Demon Slaying Master, in this place where our forebears fell, beneath this Demon Slaying Token, I make a grand vow:

The day I break through to the Heavenly Sovereign realm shall be the day I head for the borders of the Great Thousand World to wage war against evil demons!

Within twenty years, I shall personally slay ten Demon Emperors and infuse their Demon Souls into this Token, achieving the mighty renown of a Demon Slaying King!

If I fail to fulfill this oath, then my path forward in this life shall be severed, and I shall never glimpse the realm of the world's supreme experts!

The grand undertaking of this generation's geniuses, slaying demons and eradicating evil, shall begin with me, Ye Huan Kong!

My friends, please bear witness for Ye Huan Kong!"

"Palace Lord, your righteousness is boundless! We are truly fortunate!"

The myriad beasts all bowed toward Ye Kong. Their hearts surged with boundless excitement and passion, honored to witness a scene destined to be recorded in history.

Once the beasts rose, Lu Hou and Zong Qingfeng exchanged smiles. Then, simultaneously stepping forward, they said:

"I, Lu Hou of the Heaven-Reaching Ape Tribe—Zong Qingfeng of the Kunpeng Tribe—have formed a community of shared destiny by forging a Bloodline Link, in order to demonstrate our determination to strive together and advance the construction of a Myriad Beast Palace with a shared future!"

"Please believe in our determination to strive forward! We shall endeavor to build a new type of Beast Tribe relationship centered on mutually beneficial cooperation and create a community of shared destiny for all Beast Tribes!"

Afterward, Chi Hongwu also stepped forward and said:

"I, Chi Hongwu of the Crimson Phoenix Tribe, may be of little influence and cannot represent the stance of the Phoenix Tribe, but I hereby represent myself and the Crimson Phoenix Tribe in offering congratulations on the establishment of the Myriad Beast Palace, as well as my highest respect and congratulations to Palace Lord Ye personally."

The jubilation stirred by the three statements left several special guests among the beasts extremely excited. One of them looked expectantly at their leader and said:

"Sister Kong Ling, shouldn't our Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe also go up and say a few words? Aren't you going up?"

Kong Ling, dressed in green and exuding beauty and nobility, froze at those words before hesitatingly asking:

"I didn't receive an invitation from them. Did any of you?"

After a brief silence, someone else spoke softly:

"Big Sister, weren't we here to question where they got our tribe's Signal Flare...?"

Kong Ling's pupils contracted. She suddenly realized that, swept up in the excitement, she had forgotten their real business.

"Big Sister, what do we do now? It doesn't seem right to ask, but it doesn't seem right not to ask either. Those Ice Phoenix Tribe fellows are still lying over there."

"This..."

Kong Ling looked around at the fanatical atmosphere. If she spoke now, they might get beaten to death or crippled on the spot. But if she said nothing, wouldn't the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe have been represented by someone else for no reason at all?

It did not sound like a bad thing, but no one had informed them beforehand.

As though he had noticed their dilemma, Ye Kong smiled slightly on the platform. He took out a strange nine-sided token shimmering with brilliant colors, raised it high, and said to the beasts:

"While traveling the Great Thousand World in the past, I was given this Token by a peerless expert of the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe. Having earned his favor, I may act with his full authority.

Therefore, there is no need for anyone to wonder today. I was the one who released the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe's summons Token, and I am also the representative of the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe!"

Needless to say, the myriad beasts erupted into another wave of shocked cries. The members of the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe, however, were completely petrified. So this man had simply bypassed them altogether?

"Th-this... Big Sister, that Token seems to be the Nine Heavens Divine Sparrow Token, which only the Clan Leader can possess, right? Could Young Master Ye be someone favored by the Clan Leader?"

Kong Ling stared blankly at the Token. The confusion on her face faded, replaced by a fervor and interest unlike that of the other Spirit Beasts.

"Grandfather never mentioned this to me before... But that's fine too!"