Inside the island, strange vegetation grew everywhere: towering ancient trees and vines. None were aggressive. Most of the dangerous plants clustered around the roots of the Floating Sand Tree.
"We'll wait here for now and let them come to us." Luo Feng glanced around and cleared a broad patch of ground with a casual sweep. He shaped the surrounding stone and earth into a manor with a Huaxia-style design. "From here on, this is mainly training for me. Don't step in against anyone below High-tier Second Source unless I can't handle them."
"Yes, Master," Morosa and Tie Nanhe replied.
Luo Feng nodded. He looked over the manor and found it quite satisfactory.
For the next few days, Tie Nanhe stood guard outside while Luo Feng began training on Floating Sand Island.
But the peace did not last. Just as Luo Feng had predicted, two Saint Realm cultivators came after him only days after they settled in.
Both were Early-tier Fourth Source.
The two aliens appeared to be of the same race. Tall and somewhat lean, they were humanoid, with dark-gold scales covering their bodies, heads, and faces. They looked strange yet beautiful. They belonged to the Three-Handed Race, the same race as an Eternal True God Luo Feng had encountered in Azure City's Eternal True God War Zone.
Luo Feng frowned slightly as he studied the two tall, lean Saint Realm cultivators of the Three-Handed Race.
Morosa had told him both were Initial-tier Fourth-Origin Saint Realm, on the same level as Mad Demon had been back then. They were not suitable training opponents for Luo Feng yet. They would simply crush him.
"One Initial-tier Fourth-Origin Saint Realm, one Mid-tier Third-Origin Saint Realm, and an Eternal True God?" The two members of the Three-Handed Race grinned.
"Kakelong, I'll take the Fourth Source one. You deal with the other two. Finish it quickly!" The speaker was Kadir, who was slightly stronger than Kakelong.
"Don't worry. One Mid-tier Third Source and one Eternal True God? I'll take them down in ten moves." Kakelong licked his lips, disdain flickering in his eyes.
"Attack!" Kadir became a streak of light and charged straight at Morosa.
Kadir and Kakelong's Chaos Domains instantly pressed down on the surrounding area.
Morosa released his World Domain. Its power was no weaker than either opponent's Chaos Domain alone, but Kadir and Kakelong's domains overlapped and suppressed it.
Luo Feng activated his Chaos Sea as well, but it was far weaker than an Early-tier Fourth Source Chaos Domain and made no real difference. He tried to use Dragon Tower Realm, only for it to collapse instantly under the powerful domains. These two Saint Realm cultivators of the Three-Handed Race were much stronger than Mad Demon, whom he had fought before.
As a World Beast Warrior, Tie Nanhe could not possess a Chaos Domain. His strengths lay in his body and Destruction Origin.
In the clash of domains, Luo Feng's group immediately fell behind.
"Tie Nanhe, keep him occupied!" Luo Feng ordered. He was not worried about Morosa. Even if Morosa could not unleash the full power of a World Beast King, he was certainly stronger than an Initial-tier Fourth-Origin Saint Realm cultivator. He could handle one without trouble.
"Don't worry, Master." Tie Nanhe's voice sounded in Luo Feng's mind.
Boom!
Tie Nanhe became a streak of light and charged at Kakelong, making no attempt to dodge his thin, flexible blade.
"You want to fight me up close?" Kakelong gave a wicked grin. The Three-Handed Race was naturally gifted at defense. His scales alone were no weaker than Saint-level armor, and close combat was the last thing he feared.
Tie Nanhe's expression remained indifferent. He let Kakelong's blade strike him, then, the instant he closed in, his entire body turned into streams of black liquid. They wound around Kakelong, trying to bind him completely.
"What?" Kakelong's expression changed. His blade had not harmed the burly man in black armor at all. Now the man he had dismissed had wrapped his entire body around him with reckless abandon, restricting his movements. His agility plummeted, and he moved even more slowly than a First-Origin Saint Realm cultivator.
Tie Nanhe held him fast. No matter how Kakelong struggled, he could not break free.
His blade could not even wound Tie Nanhe. How could it cut him loose?
"If I can't break free, I'll drain your divine body. How can a Third Source like you compete with a Fourth Source like me?" Kakelong's face twisted. He used a burning secret technique to send surging divine power from his body around Tie Nanhe, trying to erode his power.
Tie Nanhe's power came chiefly from the Destruction Origin and contained Destruction Origin Power, which was incompatible with other divine power. The two forces eroded each other. This clash was particularly dangerous for World Beast Warriors: once Tie Nanhe's Origin Power ran out, he would die.
"Master, his divine power is depleting my Origin Power. As it runs out, my strength will fall. If it's exhausted, I'll die!" Tie Nanhe's voice sounded in Luo Feng's mind.
"I'll kill him!" Luo Feng nodded.
He knew a World Beast Warrior's weakness. They were difficult to kill through brute force, but a contest of attrition was another matter. Unlike a World Beast King, Tie Nanhe could not replenish his Destruction Origin from the outside world. If it ran dry, he would die unless he returned to the King's body to recover.
"Die!" Luo Feng fixed his gaze on Kakelong.
Suddenly, Kakelong felt the world change. Everything in his sight vanished except Luo Feng's eyes staring into his. Their images overlapped and became an enormous planet, spinning rapidly and shedding a hazy mist. Boundless power radiated from it.
An arrow formed from fiercely concentrated, intangible will shot from the planet and pierced Kakelong's will.
Boom!
A deafening roar filled Kakelong's head and instantly overwhelmed his will.
"No... no!" Kakelong managed one feeble struggle before the world spun around him and he lost consciousness.
The Lie Yuan Technique was overwhelmingly powerful. Against someone whose will was on the same level, it could render them unconscious unless a soul Supreme Treasure protected them. Kakelong was only Initial-tier Fourth-Origin Saint Realm, and his will had not even reached the peak of the Saint Realm. Against the Lie Yuan Technique backed by Saint Realm Top-Tier will, he had no chance of staying awake.
"Seal!"
The Star Tower appeared and drew Kakelong straight into its Sealing Space.
"No, Kakelong!" Kadir roared. Though Morosa had him completely on the defensive, he had seen what happened. One look from that human had knocked his partner unconscious, and then the human had trapped him inside a Sealing Supreme Treasure. Kadir's eyes turned red.
"Damn it!" Kadir fought frantically. Without Kakelong, his Chaos Domain was completely suppressed by Morosa's World Domain. He knew he could not win and began thinking of escape.
He had already used his Innate Secret Technique. The third hand on his back moved with incredible speed, making his Blade Technique even fiercer and more precise. Yet he still could not match Morosa, and he could not shake him off to flee.
How could he escape when he was outmatched in every way?
What do I do? Surrender or self-destruct? Two options flashed through Kadir's mind.
Self-destruct? He did not want to die. Surrender? He had no assurance they would spare him.
"My lord, I'm willing to submit. Will you spare my life?" Kadir finally chose surrender. He looked toward Luo Feng, his humble voice sounding in Luo Feng's mind. He could tell that the weakest-looking member of the group was the one in charge.
Submit? Luo Feng considered it. He could use a few more capable fighters.
He had also thought about what would happen when the Floating Sand Fruits ripened. He could only remain on one island and, at most, seize one fruit. With a group of powerful servants spread across several locations, he might obtain more. The fruits were extremely useful to him, so the more he had, the better.
"You can submit." Luo Feng grinned and told Morosa to stop attacking.
Kadir finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"My lord!" Kadir approached and bowed respectfully.
Luo Feng nodded. "Don't resist. Come inside first."
With that, the Star Tower drew Kadir in as well.
Inside the Star Tower stood Luo Feng, Morosa, Tie Nanhe, and Kadir. Kakelong still lay unconscious before them, completely bound by the tower's Sealing Force. Even if he woke, he would not be able to struggle.
"Kakelong!" Kadir saw that Kakelong was still alive and breathed another sigh of relief.
"To ensure your loyalty, I must plant a Soul Seal in your soul. Since you've agreed to submit, don't resist." Luo Feng looked at Kadir. Hesitation and reluctance showed plainly in Kadir's eyes, but he eventually gave in.
"Very well." Kadir lowered his head respectfully.
Luo Feng grinned.
Soul Force emerged from his eyes and swiftly wove itself into a triangular, tower-shaped Soul Seal. Within it, the character for "slave" gave off an uncanny aura.
What a profound enslavement method. Kadir was shaken as he watched. Even though an Eternal True God was casting it, the technique seemed incredibly complex. Perhaps being controlled by him won't be so bad. He let the Soul Seal enter his body and sink deep into his soul.
In an instant, the look he gave Luo Feng became one of utter respect and adoration.
"Master!" Kadir's eyes shone with reverence.
"Kadir." Luo Feng nodded in satisfaction. He had gained another powerful subordinate, and this was only the first step. He turned to Kakelong and used the enslavement method again. The Soul Seal he formed slipped easily into Kakelong's soul.
"Wake up." At Luo Feng's thought, a strange pulse of Soul Force stirred Kakelong. His eyelids twitched, and then he regained consciousness.
"Master!" Kakelong looked at Luo Feng with fervor in his eyes.
I'm attending a friend's wedding over the next couple of days, so I probably won't be able to update, or there may be only one update.