Several groups sat in the great hall. The Ghost Eagle and Golden Ape Demon Marshals looked toward the empty throne, while the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal did not take his seat. He merely stood to one side, leaving the two Demon Commanders puzzled.
"Sky Dragon, we've kept our appointment. You can tell us what this is about now," the Golden Ape Demon Marshal said bluntly.
"No, I wasn't the one who summoned you. It was our Palace Master. He hasn't arrived yet," the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal replied, as if it were nothing unusual.
"What? A new Palace Master!" the two Great Demon Commanders exclaimed in surprise.
But the two were Samsara Mirror Realm experts, after all. They quickly composed themselves, though they began wondering who the new Palace Master might be.
Time ticked by, but the supposed new Palace Master still had not appeared. The two Great Demon Commanders below grew displeased. However you looked at it, they were the top experts in the Beast War Domain. How dare he treat them this way?
Just as the hot-tempered Golden Ape Demon Marshal was about to lose his patience, footsteps finally sounded outside the hall.
By now a young man, Long Jiuyyao finally entered the great hall with Li Shang.
"Palace Master." As Long Jiuyyao stepped into the main hall, the guards led by Sky Dragon spoke in unison.
Long Jiuyyao glanced at them and walked straight past the two Great Demon Commanders. Wearing a Black Dragon Robe, he climbed the steps and stopped before the blood-red throne.
As Long Jiuyyao passed the two Great Demon Commanders, astonishment filled their eyes. Their reaction was no different from that of Xu Zhong and Qin Shi the other day.
Long Jiuyyao's eyes remained calm. He was unmoved by the fact that Samsara Mirror Realm experts stood below him.
Li Shang and Sky Dragon stood on either side of Long Jiuyyao. Li Shang's appearance caught the attention of the Ghost Eagle and Golden Ape Demon Marshals, and both were just as astonished.
From what they could sense, his strength was on par with theirs. He was also at the Samsara Stage. They had never expected the Blood Dragon Hall to have two Samsara Stage experts. No wonder it dared to break the balance of the three powers.
If they were in the same position, they would probably have made the same choice as the Blood Dragon Hall.
The Ghost Eagle and Golden Ape Demon Marshals exchanged a discreet glance and gave a subtle nod.
They didn't dare show disrespect to the new Palace Master now. If he could secure his position with two Samsara Stage experts under his command, he must have other means at his disposal.
"I hear you two are quite powerful. Would you be willing to join my Blood Dragon Hall? You would enjoy the authority of Deputy Palace Masters," Long Jiuyyao said first.
"Heh. I'm already a regional overlord. Why should I give everything up and become your subordinate just because you say so?" The Golden Ape Demon Marshal's fiery temper showed itself as he laughed scornfully.
The Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal said nothing. He felt the same as the Golden Ape Demon Marshal, but he stayed silent and waited for the reply.
"A regional overlord? I've left your Golden Ape Mountain alone only because I didn't want to lose a Samsara Mirror Realm expert. My ambitions extend far beyond the Beast War Domain."
"But if you can't be of use to me, there's no reason to spare you. I won't tolerate any other powers existing in the Beast War Domain under my rule." Long Jiuyyao's tone remained domineering. He showed no restraint just because his opponent was a Samsara Mirror Realm expert, and his expression did not change.
"Crack." Blood vessels surfaced in the Golden Ape Demon Marshal's eyes. Long Jiuyyao's words had clearly enraged him.
Suddenly, a large hand landed on the Golden Ape Demon Marshal's shoulder. His bloodshot eyes still betrayed his fury. The Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal forcibly suppressed his anger and urged him not to act rashly, finally restraining him from the brink of an outburst.
"Golden Ape, don't forget that this is the Blood Dragon Hall, not your Golden Ape Mountain. Those two Samsara Mirror Realm experts, Sky Dragon and Li Shang, aren't here for show," the Ghost Eagle sent telepathically.
The Golden Ape Demon Marshal finally regained his composure, though the fury in his eyes remained.
"What did you mean when you said your ambitions extended beyond the Beast War Domain?" the Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal asked, puzzled.
"As far as I know, there's a Divine Object Mountain Range in the Beast War Domain. If word of it gets out, Mang Mountain Domain, right next door, won't pass up an opportunity like this."
"There's only one power in Mang Mountain Domain: Mang Mountain. It has as many as five Samsara Mirror Realm experts, and its strongest, Profound King Luo Tong, belongs to one of the Nine Phoenix Clan's dominant tribes. He has countless experts under his command."
"If we unite the entire Beast War Domain, Luo Tong wouldn't dare set his sights on the Divine Object Mountain Range because of my status. Once we obtain the Divine Objects, our overall strength will surge, and we'll naturally be able to seize other territories." Long Jiuyyao laid out the advantages and disadvantages.
"Your status?" Hearing Long Jiuyyao's words, the two men below were confused. The Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal finally looked toward the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal beside him and pondered for a moment.
"You're a member of the Dragon Clan," the Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal stated.
Seeing this, Long Jiuyyao stopped hiding it and nodded.
With Long Jiuyyao's confirmation, the Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal was sure that he held a significant position in the Dragon Clan. Otherwise, the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal wouldn't have handed over the entire Blood Dragon Hall to him so calmly.
Long Jiuyyao revealed the black dragon seal that represented his identity, then said, "I'm the Dragon Clan's Young Patriarch. Once I rule the entire Beast War Domain, it will become Dragon Clan territory. I'll ensure that all of you receive the Dragon Clan's protection."
The Ghost Eagle and Golden Ape Demon Marshals looked at each other. They had never imagined that he was the Dragon Clan's Young Patriarch.
Nearby, Xu Zhong and Qin Shi were also staring wide-eyed in astonishment. Their shock was no less than that of the two Great Demon Commanders.
The Ghost Eagle and Golden Ape Demon Marshals opened their mouths, and a fervent look emerged deep in their eyes. If they truly had the Dragon Clan as their backing, their names would surely resound throughout the Demon Beast World!
Such an honor was exceedingly rare throughout the entire Demon Beast World.
After a brief struggle, the two exchanged a glance and nodded firmly.
"Agreed!"
Long Jiuyyao looked at the two men who had finally agreed, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. Now that they had boarded his ship, getting off again wouldn't be so easy.
"Although we've formed an alliance, the Beast War Domain is in turmoil. Some factions may oppose us. You know what to do, don't you?" Long Jiuyyao smiled wickedly.
"Rest assured, Palace Master. In a month, you'll see a whole new Beast War Domain." The Golden Ape Demon Marshal's eyes flashed with bloodthirsty red light.
They knew the Beast War Domain's ways well, but that wasn't a problem. They would simply kill anyone who opposed them. The other powers would hardly dare to say anything.
Bloodshed was inevitable when consolidating and unifying a territory.
Long Jiuyyao nodded slightly and leaned against the throne. "Good. We'll announce the unification of the Beast War Domain in three months. In six months, you'll accompany me to the Crimson Fire Plain."
At his words, the noisy hall fell silent. Long Jiuyyao saw everyone's reaction.
"Sky Dragon, why did you all react so strongly when you heard 'Crimson Fire Plain'?" Long Jiuyyao asked.
"Palace Master, the Crimson Fire Plain lies between the Beast War Domain and Mang Mountain Domain. The Heavenly Fire there is exceptionally powerful. Even someone at the Perfect Death Profound Realm would die on contact. What's more, Mang Mountain Domain has its eye on the Crimson Fire Plain as well," the Sky Dragon Demon Marshal explained.
"Is there anything special about the Crimson Fire Plain?" Long Jiuyyao asked excitedly.
"Actually, there's nothing particularly special about it. But at its center lies a lake covering a thousand li. It's said that the lake water can heal any injury. Unfortunately, Fire Poison and Heavenly Fire are everywhere around the lake, making it extremely difficult to reach," the Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal said.
"So Mang Mountain Domain probably wants to monopolize the Crimson Fire Plain because of that lake. Is there any other way to get in?" Long Jiuyyao stroked his chin and asked gravely.
"There is. On Full Moon Night, the Extreme Cold Day makes all the Fire Poison in the area disappear, and the Heavenly Fire's power drops sharply. Even Nirvana Realm experts can withstand it. By my reckoning, that will happen in exactly six months," the Ghost Eagle Demon Marshal said.
"Good. The Crimson Fire Plain will be ours. Anyone who comes for it will die." A bloodthirsty red gleam shone in Long Jiuyyao's fierce eyes. "You may leave. Hurry up and consolidate the entire Beast War Domain."
The people in the main hall dispersed. Long Jiuyyao leaned against the throne, a Purple Carving Knife floating above his fingertip. White light flickered between his brows. Sin of Lust fluttered through the air like a butterfly, tracing streaks of purple.
Over the past two years, Long Jiuyyao had advanced from a Two-Seal Symbol Master to a Four-Talisman Master. That was already quite fast. If he had been condensing an ordinary Natal Talisman Seal, he would probably have reached the Spirit Talisman Master stage by now.
But if it came to a real fight, even an Intermediate Spirit Talisman Master would be no match for me, given the strange and powerful nature of the Natal Celestial Talisman.
Only after breaking through to the Four-Talisman Master stage had I truly mastered Sin of Lust, wielding it as easily as my own arm.
A month later, while the Beast War Domain remained in turmoil, news finally emerged from the Three Great Demon Marshals' territories. It was brief, but it sent shock waves through the entire Beast War Domain.
The Blood Dragon Hall, Ghost Carving Ravine, and Golden Ape Mountain announced that their three powers had formed an alliance called the "Beast War Palace" and, taking its name from the region, declared their intention to unify it.
The news set the Beast War Domain ablaze. Countless people stared in disbelief. No one had imagined that the three top powers, usually at each other's throats, would form an alliance at a time like this.
The people of Nine-Tails Village, tens of thousands of li away, were also astonished. In the hall, Xin Yi's face was full of surprise when she heard the news. Who could have imagined that a youth who had arrived in the Beast War Domain just two years ago would already become its greatest overlord?
Though he had the Dragon Clan as his backing, he could never have done it without some ruthless methods of his own.
In three months, the Beast War Domain's powers had all been reshuffled and consolidated. Aside from Nine-Tails Village, which remained independent, every other power now belonged to the Beast War Palace.
The Beast War Domain was vast. The powers on its outskirts had largely stayed the same; only the dominant powers in the center had changed.
The Beast War Palace also moved from the Blood Dragon Mountain Range to the Myriad Beast Plain at the heart of the Beast War Domain. Grand palaces rose from the ground, the most eye-catching being one main palace and three subsidiary halls.
The Blood Dragon Hall, Ghost Eagle Hall, and Golden Ape Hall were the main halls of the Three Great Demon Marshals. Their subordinates were all direct members of their original forces.
The main palace above those three subsidiary halls was called the "Beast Hall." It was Long Jiuyyao's residence, and the largest of them all.
The other affiliated forces spread in every direction around the Beast War Palace like the roots of ancient trees. At Long Jiuyyao's suggestion, Nine-Tails Village also moved to the center of the Beast War Domain.
This naturally angered many high-ranking powers, but Long Jiuyyao wasn't about to indulge them. He wiped out the five most vocal factions in succession.
He gave one-third of the assets of those five powers to Nine-Tails Village. This move shocked the entire Beast War Domain even more.
Long Jiuyyao's actions led everyone to regard the Nine-Tails Clan as the nonexistent Fifth Hall.
It wasn't their strength that won everyone over, but their ties to the Beast Hall.
"One month from now, the Beast War Palace Master will announce the new rules for the Beast War Domain. We hope you'll all attend," the Sky Dragon, Ghost Eagle, and Golden Ape Demon Marshals declared together.
Their announcement stunned everyone in the Beast War Domain. A new Palace Master? Wasn't it going to be one of the Three Great Demon Marshals? Who could it be?
Aside from the few who knew about Long Jiuyyao, everyone wondered who the new Palace Master was.
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