Beastmaster of the Ages

Many could see the black cat crawling to the top of the Heavenly Pattern Barrier amidst the storm. Thunder roared as the sea of lightning seemingly formed a beast around the black cat. As the Genesis Chaos Thunderfiend, it couldn't ask for a better arena as it feasted on the power of the storm!

With a terrifying boom, the lightning beast descended from the top of the barrier and struck the Blizzard Spirit Dragon at supersonic speed! Immeasurable voltage ran through its body, zapping it from head to toe. The almighty dragon was haughty no more as it spazzed uncontrollably with bubbles foaming from its mouth.

At the same time, Meow Meow had found the perfect spot on top of the dragon's head, from which it swiftly scraped off the scales protecting the flesh beneath.

"Meow!!" It used its tail, the three-pronged electrospike, and rammed it straight into the dragon's exposed flesh.

BZZZZZ!

The discharge electrocuted the dragon's limp body. It wasn't a cute kitty cat standing on its head, but a sadistic devil who could summon the power of a thunderstorm!

Meow Meow was busy grinning and enjoying the thrill of conquering its foe. If it weren't for that cold smirk, no one would have imagined that such a cute, sleepy creature was in fact a terrifying beast.

Yueling Ji, at least, would never have imagined that. She watched, dumbstruck with terror and her mind completely blank. But my eight-star beast, my Unity Stage!

"How could it be! I… I must be seeing things...." She was trembling, and even her pupils were going out of focus.

"Hey pretty, you'll regret ignoring the dashing and suave Mr. Chick!" a ghastly voice sounded right beside her ear, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Die!"

She summoned her Wind Cometh Blade back to her hands, immediately casting both her Whirlwind Nine Strikes and Glacial Squall Sword Art. Now that she was in Unity, the sword arts were many times fiercer than they used to be.

"Ha, wanna compare battle arts with me?" the little chick snickered. Yueling Ji wasn't the only one dual wielding swords!

Demise of Earth, Earth-Quaker, Hell-Shaker! As the tiny chick swept out with its wings, the ground trembled in its wake. Another strike and its wing had turned into the sharpest blade, the sheer power knocking both of Yueling Ji's swords into the air!

The impact sent her crashing into the mud, smudging her pure white dress. However, what was even more agonizing was the shame and trauma she was suffering.

"No, this can't be!" Tears flowed down her face and joined the puddle on the ground. She struggled to climb back to her feet, only to find a youth emotionlessly staring at her. His imposing figure and the lightning surrounding him gave her the sensation that he was a white-haired reaper, ready to collect her soul. The image was ghastly and frightening, morphing Yueling Ji's rage into fear and regret. That demon can kill me with just a look!

"Still want to fight?" Despite the soft volume, his voice rumbled like thunder. Each syllable was like a dagger burying itself in her body and soul.

Yueling Ji stood there, flabbergasted. In the distance, her Blizzard Spirit Dragon was still rolling and spasming on the ground. Each time it tried to climb back to its feet, a quick jab of the black cat's tail would force it to collapse once more.

"Yueling Ji, answer me. Do you still want to fight?" One of his eyes burned with an infernal flame, while sparks relentlessly flickered within the other.

"Shall we end this meaningless battle?" He grabbed her by the back of her neck like a powerless kitten and lifted her off the ground.

Yueling Ji wanted to resist, but to her horror, she realized she could no longer summon any strength from her body. She could only hang there, limp, like a fish waiting to be scaled and gutted.

"Your eight-star beast doesn't seem so scary after all. Your weakness at the Unity stage has ruined my expectations for it. Does Heaven's Elysium really accept trash like you?" Li Tianming was savage with his words, and each of his lines sent more tears flowing down her cheeks.

"I… I'm no match for you. I take back everything that I said. I've lost, Li Tianming." Yue Lingji wasn't injured, and she was definitely still capable of fighting. But she couldn't bring herself to struggle, as Li Tianming had terrified her like none before.

"Very well. There are no grudges between us, so it isn't fair for you to be the one to receive my wrath anyway." Li Tianming gently lowered her to the ground. As she was regaining her balance, her dragon crawled back to its feet as well. Humiliated as it looked right now, the Blizzard Spirit Dragon hadn't suffered any serious injuries either. It would have been long dead if Meow Meow really wanted to kill it.

Shortly after, the two lifebound beasts returned to Li Tianming's shoulders. The little chick grinned smugly and bounced up and down, while the lazy black cat made itself comfortable on his other shoulder. Even then, its lethargic posture couldn't hide the hint of menace running through its lightning-filled eyes.

"Yueling Ji, have you accepted the fact that I can beat you with just my lifebound beasts? Or will you still want to seek trouble with me outside of this stadium?" Li Tianming asked. He still remembered the king's advice. While he could do what he wanted with Lightning Manor, the Yueling Clan was off-limits.

"Li Tianming...." Yueling Ji stared dumbly. The battle was an eye-opener for her, revealing to her how vast the world was. She had lost the willpower to continue fighting.

"I will never dare to seek trouble with you again."

The battle was over. From beginning to end, Li Tianming had barely moved. All he needed to defeat Yueling Ji and convince her of his superiority were his two lifebound beasts.

As she walked out of the barrier with still trembling legs, the stadium was so quiet one could hear a pin drop, just like when Mu Yang had slain the Lin brothers. As rain pitter-pattered on, all eyes were focused on the white-haired youth.

Yueling Ji's utter loss was an unexpected outcome. A vast majority of the crowd had believed she would single-handedly crush him, but the truth was that just his two beasts were enough to crush Yueling Ji like an ant!

In the Lightning Manor, most were dumbstruck as they gaped at the arena, some even taking a step back. As for the Wei Clan, even Wei Tianxiong and Wei Zikun ran towards the railings and into the rain, just to take a better look at the white-haired youth.

Wei Jing and Mu Yang both wore a smile; he gently wiped the tear from the corner of her eye and said, "Don't cry yet. The most exciting part is yet to come."

Within the private room, Jiang Feiling stood alone by the window, her hands tightly gripping the ledge. She was fervently praying to the heavens for Li Tianming to slay his foe.

The appetizer was over, and the real battle was about to begin! From the invigilator's position, the Vermilion Bird King turned around to find the two inspectors frowning with disdain.

"Sir Inspectors?" he asked.

"Let them fight! Let me see what other surprises this Mu Yang and Li Tianming have! What the hell's with all these monsters from Vermilion Bird? Now, nothing's going according to plan."

The two invigilators frowned at each other. They thought it should be a piece of cake for the Yueling Clan to take over Heaven's Sanctum, but they were no longer so certain now.

With that, the king announced, "Yueling Ji has been defeated, so can the Yueling Clan send their next contestant? If there isn't one, it'll be considered the Wei Clan's victory, and they shall continue to rule Heaven's Sanctum!"

Those were the rules of the Sanctum Replacement Challenge! Since the inspectors had announced the rules in advance, they had to be prepared for the chance that the Wei Clan would win, thus forcing the Yueling Clan to give up this opportunity. They couldn't possibly replace the ruling faction of the Sanctum silently, since it was against the Elysium's rule. Doing so would risk exposing their plans completely, and would not be tolerated.

The challenge must continue, and so must the battles. It was just unexpected that after Mu Yang had defeated an entire generation from the Lightning Manor, Li Tianming was about to take on two Elysium disciples all by himself! After his victory against Yueling Ji, could anyone still say for sure that he stood no chance against Lin Xiaoting?

"This is a final reminder. What happens next will be a deathmatch. Until one of them completely stops breathing, the barrier will not open! If there are children among the spectators, please take them away, as some scenes will not be suitable for their eyes." The king's words made many citizens within the spectators' stand tremble.

Sometimes, dying was the easy part.

When the Vermilion Bird King finished speaking, another bolt of lightning crashed down, sending a current of electricity streaking across the puddles. Amidst the rain, a white-haired youth brandished his sword at the Lightning Manor.

Everyone in the Lightning Manor was as pale as paper, with the exception of one youth with bloodshot eyes.

"Lin Xiaoting, come down to die!" Like a bolt of thunder, the voice shook the entirety of Ignispolis!