The Immortal Emperor Returns C449 – Building the Fierce Beast Army!

The great ship radiated a rainbow-like brilliance flowing all over it from bow to stern.

Huang Yu stared at the lion and tiger mutant with frost in his eyes.

Then he walked across the deck and down the gangplank.

“A champion.”

The very same word flashed across the minds of both the lion and tiger mutant. The palpable hint of malice and deadliness emitted off Huang Yu whether it was intentional or not; enough to have both mutants shiver with fright.

Even so, what was there to be afraid of? The tiger and the lion realized a split-second later they did not need to be afraid. Even if the Sixth Elder – which many had claimed to boast the might of the Immortal stage – was here, to say nothing of Huang Yu, they needed to not feel daunted at all; for they had the Devil.

“We want to make things clear, old man. We did not attack your people first; they stole our food,” said the tiger, feeling that explanations were needed. All in all, food had always been his paramount concern, not some wretched weasel mutants.

Huang Yu's gaze shifted to the skewers of roasted meat now lying on the ground. Still deadpan as ever, he said placidly, “I see. Very well then. I'll compensate you for the food.”

That stunned golden-maned lion and the tiger mutant. Since when did these alien races had become so agreeable?!

“But while I compensate you for your food, I shall require fitting payment for the deaths of my kin,” growled Huang Yu.

For one moment, the lion and the tiger mutants thought their ears were deceiving them.

“That's your cue, Queen Jiu You,” grinned Chu Xun.

Jiu You got up and marched over. She glowered, “Just a bunch of filthy weasels and you want us to pay with our lives?!”

Huang Yu looked at Jiu You and paused for a beat as if to ponder. Then his eyes narrowed with hesitation and he gasped, “Queen Jiu You?”

“Not a fool after all.” Jiu You glanced derisively at him. “And you have a problem with us slaughtering a few weasels?”

Anger boiled inside Huang Yu. Darkly, he growled, “That's unwarranted arrogance, Queen Jiu You.”

“And I have been so for ages. Fight me then, if you're not happy with it,” demanded Jiu You haughtily.

She was joined by the rest of her Beast Lord mutants – the Tibetan Mastiffs, and the white elephant – and they formed up alongside her, confronting Huang Yu.

Huang Yu's eyes grimly beheld at his opposition with an air of malice radiating strongly all over him.

“A Ninth-grade Beast Lord,” Jiu You uttered with disgust as she sensed Huang Yu's powers, confident that she alone could defeat him.

“Every one of the Lost Races is hunting for you, Queen Jiu You. I would have expected that Mount Lu is the last place to find you. Do you truly not fear death?!” Huang Yu said sinisterly.

“Swoosh!”

Like Chu Xun, Jiu You had the least interest in talking. Her petite figure leaped into the air and a bright light erupted, casting a glittering sheen on her purplish hair before her long golden halberd materialized in her grasp and she thrust it furiously forward immediately.

Huang Yu gave a cold snort and clasped both his hands together. A tidal wave of earthen-brown energy poured forth with the force of a broken dam that warped even the fabric of Air and Space.

“Rumble!”

A terrible explosion resounded with an avalanche of blinding lights as a mushroom cloud blossomed into the sky.

Both combatants were thrown backward by the blast at the same time.

Jiu You drove her halberd deep into the ground to keep herself from falling backward and to keep herself steady.

On the other hand, the huge detonation propelled Huang Yu until he somersaulted and landed safely on his flying ship.

“We shall meet again, Queen Jiu You,” grinned Huang Yu wickedly.

He had long heard of Jiu You's prowess in battle and her ability to slay even Beast Lords of the Ninth-grade.

“Trying to escape?” Jiu You's eyes narrowed and she hurled her halberd like a javelin. The polearm screamed through the air towards Huang Yu.

Huang Yu snorted and made no attempt to dodge. The ship bore an enchantment that could ensure his safety.

The halberd tore through the air like a comet, yowling as it barreled straight at the Mustelid elder with terrifying speed and deadliness. It came near the ship's side railing when a golden energy shield shimmered into appearance.

Huang Yu smiled smugly.

Until the rising barrier of gold disappeared suddenly.

His pupils dilated rapidly with shock and disbelief before his face spasmed with terror in that one split-second.

“ARGGHH!”

The halberd lanced through Huang Yu's chest, hurtling him backward with a trail of blood spatters in his wake.

The tiger mutant stared strangely at Jiu You. He had tested firsthand the strength of the golden-colored barrier and he knew that even with the Great Completion of Ninth-grade, Jiu You should never be able to defeat it.

The corners of Chu Xun's lips curled as his eyes flared with a purplish glow. Hardly anyone could best him in the magic of enchantments.

The halberd speared through Huang Yu, killing him instantly while the force of the throw launched his corpse for hundreds of meters away until the halberd struck a granite cliff, pinning the corpse to the hard, jagged rock face. Jiu You rushed over, holding the great halberd. Golden light rippled outwards, directly blasting Huang Yu's corpse into a bloody mist.

Huang Yu had put too much stock in the defensive enchantment of the ship. With his powers, he could have put up a great fight. Yet instead, there he was, none the wiser at all on why did the ship's enchantment failed suddenly.

Chu Xun had used his Divine Sense before and he learned that Huang Yu was the most powerful of the Mustelids still onboard the ship. The rest remained a few high-tiered Beast Lords while the rest feeble and helpless ones.

Strangely, the Sixth Elder of the Mustelids was nowhere to be seen.

Unbeknownst to Chu Xun, the Sixth Elder was still making visits to each of the Lost Races. An invasion on the forces of the Chu Mansion would have already begun if not for the sudden appearance of the ruins of Mount Lu..

The timely turning up of the Mount Lu ruins had bought more time for the forces of the Chu Mansion and Huang Yu was originally on orders to regroup with the Sixth Elder at Mount Lu.

It did not take long for the Jiu You's Beast Lord mutants to get rid of the rest of the Mustelids onboard the ship.

Being the first time onboard a Sacred Relic of such size and capable of flying, the Beast Lord mutants couldn't help wandering around, looking, and touching whatever they found with utmost curiosity.

The inside was very meticulously furnished. With more than a dozen cabins, a galley for cooking, heads to refresh oneself, and even a wardroom large enough to hold meetings, the ship's interior looked more like that of a luxurious estate.

“So, how does this thing fly?” said the lion mutant bewilderedly after a tour around the ship. He glared at the tiger, “This is your fault. You should have kept one alive so that we can squeeze him for ways to steer this ship.”

“If my memory serves, you were the one who killed the last Mustelid,” said the tiger, eager to not bear the blame.

“Is that so?” the lion mutant rubbed his nose sheepishly with annoyance.

“Rumble!”

The flying ship gave a jolt.

The Beast Lord mutants all reeled with shock.

“We're rising!” the tiger shouted with surprise and joy.

The flying vessel slowly rose into the air and vanished into the clouds.

“So this gadget flies when commanded,” the lion mutant shook his head. “I see it now. It's voice-activated. Tell it to fly and so it would. Amazing.”

The elephant mutant joined up with them with a wry look on his face. Dryly, he remarked, “Voice-activated? What do you take this ship for? This cowardly eagle? I say Immortal Chu must have found the way to steer this ship.”

The eagle mutant scowled at the elephant mutant with a look that said: “Dammit, why drag me into a business which is not mine at all?!”

The lion mutant refused to believe that. He glared at the elephant mutant, saying, “Piffle. Chu Xun had not done anything yet since the beginning.”

“As if you understand how Chu Xun performs his wonders,” the elephant mutant threw him a nasty look.

The lion peered around as if to really make sure Chu Xun was nowhere nearby before he lowered his voice and asked, “Come on. Could Chu Xun really be a god?”

“All of you. Come here.”

The question only just left the lion mutant's lips when Chu Xun's voice resounded in their minds.

“Good Heavens Almighty!?” the eagle yelped with such fright that he shivered.

But he was not alone; the rest of the Beast Lord mutants too were as pale as chalk. They almost jumped with terror themselves.

“My, my... Immortal Chu is in our brains now,” said the tiger with a silly manner.

“Idiot. He's not a mentalist. This must be some sort of telepathic magic,” explained the lion mutant.

The elephant mutant thought quietly before he nodded in agreement.

“Let's go!”

They went to the wardroom where Chu Xun and Jiu You were waiting for them.

“Are you the one steering this ship now, Immortal Chu?” asked the lion mutant curiously.

Chu Xun nodded.

The mutants all shared looks of bewilderment.

“So why are we here, Immortal Chu?” asked the elephant mutant.

“Are you interested in joining me and become part of the Chu Mansion?” Chu Xun did not beat around the bush.

In the past, Chu Xun had focused solely on humans and paid no heed to native wild beasts of Earth. Witnessing their ferocity towards the alien races today, he felt that he ought to abandon all racial prejudice and harness their aggression for a better cause. In fact, there have been one too many times where fierce beasts could prove to be more trustworthy and loyal than the treacherous nature of humans.

That prompted the notion to create a battalion of Beast Lords loyal to his cause.

That fierce beasts were born with innate bloodthirstiness and savagery that no human could compare made them better in the business of killing and slaying.

Who dares wins. For this exact reason, Human Kings often lose against Beast Lords in contests of equal grades. They had lost the initiative right from the start.

“Is this true, Immortal Chu? Are you really willing to accept us as one of your subjects?” the lion said earnestly.

Chu Xun nodded.

The Beast Lord mutants shared quick looks before they fell to their knees as one.

We shall be honored to join the Chu Mansion, Immortal Chu.”

Chu Xun chuckled. He had been thinking about this for the past few days until he decided to extend his offer.

“On your feet then!”

He reached out a hand and emitted an invisible wave of energy that lifted everyone up.

That shocked the Beast Lord mutants. Chu Xun's powers really were unfathomable!

“You are members of the forces of the Chu Mansion from this day hence and forever. Your group shall be named the Sky Dragon Guard.”

The name was intentional; Chu Xun wanted this to be a task force capable of shining against the Golden Dragon Guard that Emperor Ao had been jealously keeping for his own.

“Sky Dragon Guard, eh? What an imposing name,” the tiger mutant opened wide his mouth in hearty laughter.

“I guess that means we finally belong somewhere now,” said the Tibetan Mastiff mutant, grinning broadly.

“Show some restraint, Tiger. You can scare someone to death with that laughter of yours,” teased the lion mutant.

“What do you know? I like being with Immortal Chu; to kill whoever crosses my path without worrying about any scruples. It's great!” the tiger mutant cracked his mouth for another peal of laughter.

“For now, the Sky Dragon Guard shall be captained by the White Elephant.”

The elephant mutant had great powers and his calm and composed demeanor made him a good leader.

“Master, if I may, I feel that Queen Jiu You should be the captain of the Sky Dragon Guard,” said the elephant mutant suddenly.

Jiu You stared at Chu Xun with longing eagerness. The white elephant mutant seemed to be true; she really wanted to lead the Sky Dragon Guard.

“We'll talk when you grow up!” said Chu Xun, chuckling. He could not have the Sky Dragon Guard entrusted to her. Heaven would know what havoc she could cause.

Jiu You pouted sourly with discontent.

“That's settled then,” Chu Xun said.

Knowing Chu Xun after all these days, the elephant mutant knew it would only annoy Chu Xun if he continued to decline, so he accepted the assignment.

“Untold dangers abound this foray into Mount Lu,” said Chu Xun, “I'll teach you a trick; it might help against enemies of the Great Completion of Ninth-grade.”

The Beast Lord mutants all gasped with shock. The difference between each grade was so huge that Ninth-grade Beast Lords could easily kill the Eighth-grade Beast Lords twice, triple, or even treble their number. Such difference in strength could never be easily quantified by mere numbers alone.

Naturally, Jiu You was an exception.

“Come here,” said Chu Xun.

One after another, the Beast Lord mutants stepped forward and Chu Xun tapped at their foreheads, right between their brows. The tip of his fingers glowed brightly in purple and a rush of glyphs surged into their minds like part of their own memories.

“This is the Enchantment of Annihilation. You can have twelve manning this enchantment together. Now, time is of the essence. Spend the rest of your time digesting what you've just learned and come to me if you have any questions.”

The mutants all sat down and began assimilating the magic of this enchantment.

The lion might be keeping his eyes closed, but his mouth only opened wider and wider as his face contorted with shock.

But he was not the only one; everyone else was equally shocked too, although their reaction was not as exaggerated as the lion mutant's.

Silhouettes of twelve beasts flitted around in their minds, demonstrating the positions and placings to activate the incredibly destructive magical enchantment.

Two streams of white energy rose from the elephant mutant and connected with the tiger and the lion mutants on either side of him like a huge M.

The white strand connected all three of them together.

The elephant mutant was carefully studying the animated demonstration of the beast-like silhouettes in his mind gleaning every detail and channeled his powers as shown and he could feel his powers funneling into the tiger.

The tiger mutant's aura burgeoned rapidly, rising from Eighth-grade right up to its peak.

The lion mutant succeeded in his assimilation of the technique and he too channeled his powers into the tiger.

The tiger mutant's powers soared even more, breaking through the threshold and succeeded in reaching Ninth-grade.

At the same time, the two Tibetan Mastiff mutants channeled their powers to him as well.

That fully propelled the tiger mutant into Ninth-grade, his surging aura radiating strongly off his very skin.

Not one mutant was not surprised. So this was the true purpose of the Enchantment of Annihilation: that everyone could focus their powers into one single person to strengthen him.

Chapter end