The Overlords Assemble

"Whoa, whoa, whoa-!"

Xiao Yi Xian clutched the Amethyst Winged Lion King's purple fur with her slender little hands and cried out:

"I did say I wanted to leave quickly, but there's no need to rush this much, is there?"

The purple fur felt wonderful, springing back as soon as she touched it. It was soft, yet full of power.

But at that moment, Xiao Yi Xian was in no mood to appreciate the comfort.

All that remained on her face was terror.

"Stop! I'm afraid of heights right now-!"

She braced herself and protested with her eyes shut.

Fierce winds surged around them, quickly whipping the girl's hair loose.

Xiao Yi Xian knew she must be experiencing something intensely thrilling right now.

She understood that if she dared open her eyes, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Hearing the screams from afar, Xiao Yan gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

Not long after the Amethyst Winged Lion King left, a sudden change occurred-

Two savage Magical Beast roars erupted, sweeping in from outside the cave like a gale.

Vast Dou Qi gathered around the sounds, abruptly forming a ring-shaped sound wave that hurtled straight at Xiao Yan.

"Watch out!!"

Yao Lao's face changed drastically. He hurriedly released a cloud of white mist from the ancient ring, forming a semicircular soul barrier around Xiao Yan and the Little Lion King.

Boom-!

The sound wave slammed into the barrier.

The sound of the impact alone shattered many of the purple crystals nearby.

Fortunately, Yao Lao had been on guard, and his protection of Xiao Yan was as secure as a fortress.

Had he been a second late, Little Purple would probably have been fine, but Xiao Yan's soul would likely have been scattered.

"That sound doesn't seem to have been sent as an attack..." Yao Lao frowned in thought.

He then exerted a little force, causing the barrier to bounce the sound wave away and release the message within it.

The next moment, the sound wave left its original course and abruptly ricocheted around the amethyst cave.

Two corresponding roars rang out.

"Lord alliance leader, the Deadly Mad Bird has come to pledge allegiance!"

"Lord alliance leader, the Nether Snake King has come to pledge allegiance!"

Hearing the two familiar voices, Xiao Yan and Yao Lao were momentarily stunned, then breathed a sigh of relief:

"So they're on our side..."

Yao Lao made a casual gesture, and the soul barrier slowly broke apart, scattering across the ground as specks of light and releasing Xiao Yan.

Only then did he stroke a tuft of his beard and smile.

"I didn't expect them to arrive so quickly..."

"Xiao Yan, it looks like your plan is going to succeed!"

At Yao Lao's words, the young man froze.

But his expression soon shifted from the relief of surviving a calamity to a ruthless look, and he sneered.

"You're right, teacher..."

"For the Three-Year Agreement, the Misty Cloud Sect will pay the price..."

A cold light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as he recalled the Misty Cloud Sect from his previous life, and what those people would do later.

After the Three-Year Agreement ended back then, Yun Ling had used Mo Cheng's death as a pretext to make trouble for him.

When that failed, Yun Leng attacked the Xiao Clan, causing Xiao Zhan to disappear.

Yun Leng then pressured the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family into wiping out the Xiao Clan, forcing Xiao Yan to go to the Misty Cloud Sect a second time.

While he was cultivating at Jia Nan Academy, the Misty Cloud Sect joined forces with the Hall of Souls to attack the Xiao Clan again.

The first elder and second elder perished, and the other clan members suffered heavy casualties.

Later, Yao Lao was taken away by the Hall of Souls...

Old dog Yun Leng, old man Yun Shan, and Protector Wu, just you wait. We'll be meeting again soon.

Xiao Yan clenched his fists, killing intent churning in his heart.

"Little Purple, let's go!"

He turned and rubbed the Little Lion King's head, then strode straight out along the passage.

The young man crushed an amethyst blocking the edge of the path beneath his foot. Exuding the bearing of an overlord, he suddenly strode toward the sunlight in the distance.

"Roar~"

The Little Lion King roared and hurried after him.

His four limbs moved lightly, and he soon caught up with the young man, walking beside him.

Outside the cave, a bird and a snake stood among the clouds. Their enormous shadows blocked the sun, casting darkness over the area.

They gazed from afar at Xiao Yan and the Little Lion King emerging from the cave, then respectfully bowed their heads.

"Greetings, Lord alliance leader!"

The two were none other than the Deadly Mad Bird and the Nether Snake King, the other two Magical Beast overlords whose names stood alongside the Amethyst Winged Lion King's.

"No need for formalities. There's no time to lose, so let's discuss the alliance now!"

Xiao Yan waved a hand and went straight to the subject, calling out to Yao Lao in his heart:

Teacher, the situation is special right now. Quick, lend me your soul power. Your disciple still needs to put on an impressive show.

Yao Lao sighed helplessly. "I really can't do anything with you. Be careful using it, and don't hurt yourself."

After that warning, his figure rapidly turned insubstantial, forming a white mist that poured from the ancient ring.

Milky-white soul power flowed steadily into Xiao Yan's meridians, continuously strengthening his body.

Before long, a heart-shaking presence comparable to that of a Four-Star Dou Zong spread from the young man's body.

Sensing Yao Lao's response, Xiao Yan's lips curved into a smile.

He stepped into the sky, climbing as though ascending a staircase.

Soon, he arrived above the clouds, at the center of the Deadly Mad Bird's and the Nether Snake King's gaze.

The former spoke first, its voice booming as it gave a detailed report of everything it had done during this time.

"Lord alliance leader, your subordinate has taken over the territories of eight Fifth-Order Magical Beasts. Including my own forces..."

"The final count is thirteen Fifth-Order Magical Beasts, two thousand Fourth-Order Magical Beasts, and a hundred thousand lower-order Magical Beasts, all ready to follow your orders at any time."

The Nether Snake King beside it was unwilling to be outdone and quickly added:

"Lord alliance leader, although your subordinate doesn't have an army as large as the Deadly Mad Bird's, I do have an elite force of Magical Beasts."

"This force consists entirely of Sixth-Order and Fifth-Order Magical Beasts that have sought my protection over the years. There are twenty in all, ready to follow your orders at any time."

Xiao Yan cried out in astonishment. "What did you say? A hundred thousand lower-order Magical Beasts, more than thirty Fifth- or Sixth-Order Magical Beasts, and the two of you..."

Hearing how enormous his force was, he was immediately startled.

A legion this powerful...

With this lineup, let alone suppressing the Misty Cloud Sect...

Even the allied forces of the three empires from later would probably be no match.

The Chu Yun Empire, the Yan Luo Empire, and the Mulan Empire had some Dou Zong experts of their own, but they were absolutely no match for the Nether Snake King and the Magical Beast legion.

Because of their physical differences, Magical Beasts were already stronger in battle than humans of the same rank, to say nothing of how high the ranks of their Magical Beasts were.

At that thought, Xiao Yan couldn't help recalling the grudge between the Nether Snake King and Yun Shan, and proceeded to fan the flames:

"Nether Snake King, I heard that after Yun Shan returned to the Jia Ma Empire, he said you narrowly lost to him in the end. Is that true?"

According to the map's description, Yun Shan was evenly matched with the Nether Snake King.

But Xiao Yan insisted on saying the opposite, deliberately provoking the Seventh-Order Magical Beast overlord.

At those words, the enormous black python naturally bristled with anger. Two streams of cloud burst from its nostrils as it roared:

"Bullshit! That old bastard Yun Shan only knows how to boast. He's no match for me at all!"

With that, the Nether Snake King lashed its enormous tail, sending a fierce wind howling and cutting a fissure through the thick clouds. Then it continued:

"Back when I broke through to Dou Zong, all he could do was run away with his tail between his legs."

"Just last night, I fully broke through to Nine-Star Dou Zong. He's even less of a match for me now."

The Nether Snake King flicked its tongue and proudly raised its chin, a disdainful look on its face.

After obtaining the Dragon Transformation Pill, the Nether Snake King had spent a day refining its energy.

As a seventh-tier pill, the Dragon Transformation Pill's effects were naturally remarkable.

After absorbing the energy, it not only recovered from its injuries but also detonated the Dou Qi it had accumulated in its body over many years.

Once that Dou Qi erupted, it directly helped the Nether Snake King assault its bottleneck and break through to the Nine-Star Dou Zong realm in one stroke.

Not only that, but the Dragon Transformation Pill had also faintly awakened a trace of the Ancient Dragon Bloodline within it.

After undergoing a few more lightning tribulations, he would be able to transform into a true Ancient Void Dragon and possess the innate ability to manipulate space at will.

The Nether Snake King had long since stopped taking the likes of Yun Shan seriously.

But hearing Yun Shan's arrogant words through Xiao Yan, the Nether Snake King still felt somewhat offended.

It gave a derisive laugh and said disdainfully:

"If Lord alliance leader wants Yun Shan's head, I can go twist it off and bring it back to you right away."

Seeing this, the Deadly Mad Bird on the other side suddenly drew in its neck, unable to suppress its fear.

It glanced at the Nether Snake King out of the corner of its eye, the beat of its wings slowing considerably, and secretly rejoiced:

Good thing this is an ally on my side. Otherwise, I'd be in trouble...

After all, I'm only a Six-Star Dou Emperor. If I really faced a Nine-Star Dou Zong, I'd probably be slapped to death in one blow.

Seeing this, Xiao Yan hurriedly gave an embarrassed cough and explained:

"Ahem, it's not some deep-seated grudge. It's just that his disciple's disciple came to my clan not long ago to break off an engagement, which left me a little unhappy."

At this point, he immediately brought out the excuse he had used to fob off Yao Lao and added:

"So I made a Three-Year Agreement with her, to have a decisive battle at the Misty Cloud Sect."

As Xiao Yan spoke, he immediately made up a whole string of lies and continued spinning his tale:

"Three years ago, I cultivated under an expert and accepted a test from him."

"That was to seal my own cultivation for three years and see clearly the warmth and coldness of this world."

Then he waved a hand and said with feigned magnanimity:

"The result was that I became the target of ridicule and suffered the humiliation of a broken engagement. Only then did everything that followed happen."

"Because the Misty Cloud Sect was so powerful and I was alone, I wanted to form an alliance with you, so I could win back some face when the time came."

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Yao Lao fell silent at once. He truly hadn't expected Xiao Yan to be so good at making things up that he even claimed Yun Shan looked down on the Nether Snake King.

It looks like things won't be easy for the Misty Cloud Sect from now on...

He observed a moment of silence for the Misty Cloud Sect in his heart, then shook his head and laughed.

Looks like I'll have to watch out for Xiao Yan from now on.

Although, from what I've seen, Xiao Yan won't betray me, he's sure to pull little tricks behind my back.

After listening, the two beasts exchanged a glance, an exclamation mark appearing in each of their minds: *!*

The Deadly Mad Bird hurriedly flattered him:

"Alliance leader, your might is unmatched! What qualifications does Yun Shan's disciple's disciple have? How could she dare break off an engagement with a Dou Zong expert and a seventh-tier alchemist?"

The Nether Snake King likewise flicked its tail and chimed in:

"Utterly laughable. The Misty Cloud Sect actually dares to be so arrogant. It seems its destruction isn't far off."

At that thought, the two beasts spoke up at once:

"Please give the order, Lord alliance leader. When the time for the Three-Year Agreement comes, you must let us accompany you."

The Nether Snake King went further, hissing with a sinister grin:

"Yun Shan, you and I are bound to fight..."

"I'd like to see just how much you're worth after all these decades, to dare bully the leader of me, the Nether Snake King, like this!"