Huh?
Everyone froze at Su Mo’s words.
’The guy actually refused.’
’But why?’
This was the best chance to become the most powerful faction in the Northern Profound Domain—an opportunity countless people could only dream of.
Su Mo, however, looked utterly disdainful.
The Ink Flood Dragon asked in disbelief, "Elder Su, you... are you really going to refuse us?"
"That’s right!"
Su Mo said nonchalantly, "Frankly, I don’t have time for you."
The Ink Flood Dragon was speechless.
Forget the other Demon Beasts—he was a Divine Beast!
Back at the Beast Taming Sect, Chu Tianxiong had gathered powerful masters and set up all kinds of Arrays, exhausting every means possible just to try and keep him.
Yet Su Mo had mercilessly rejected him and even said he didn’t have time for him.
’This is just unbelievable.’
The Saint Spirit Manor Master couldn’t help but try to persuade him, "Sir, we can talk this over. Please, could you not refuse them just yet?"
"What do you mean?"
Su Mo looked at the Saint Spirit Manor Master in confusion.
’Whether or not I take in these thirty thousand-plus Demon Beasts doesn’t seem to have much to do with your Holy Spirit Manor,’ he thought.
The Saint Spirit Manor Master asked, "Sir, just think about it. What do you think will happen when thirty thousand Demon Beasts migrate all at once?"
Su Mo shook his head, admitting he hadn’t considered it.
The Saint Spirit Manor Master said, "They will trigger a demon tide along their route."
Su Mo asked, "Are you going to trigger a demon tide?"
"We won’t!"
The Ink Flood Dragon thumped his chest and vowed.
However, the Saint Spirit Manor Master shook his head. "Even if you promise not to cause a demon tide, powerful human experts will still hunt you down."
Humanity could never stand idly by and watch such a massive migration of Demon Beasts.
When that happens, they will inevitably send powerful warriors to intercept you.
The Saint Spirit Manor Master said, "It will be useless to explain. You Demon Beasts and we humans are natural enemies. The masters of the Northern Profound Domain will never trust you."
"Then we’ll just fight our way out!"
the Ink Flood Dragon said coldly.
The Saint Spirit Manor Master sighed. "That is precisely my greatest fear. If you fight your way out, not only will countless human experts perish, but your own kind will suffer immense casualties as well. It will bring nothing but death and devastation."
"I..."
The Ink Flood Dragon looked to Su Mo.
Su Mo frowned. "So what you’re all saying is, I have to accept this horde of Demon Beasts as my Demon Pets?"
"It’s the best solution,"
the Saint Spirit Manor Master replied earnestly.
"What a damn hassle,"
Su Mo grumbled.
All he wanted was to quietly participate in the Holy Spirit Competition. Instead, he was being strong-armed into taking on thirty thousand Demon Beasts as Demon Pets, a problem he just couldn’t seem to shake off.
’What kind of damn logic is this?’
The thought of having to manage more than thirty thousand Demon Beasts in the future made his head throb.
Just then, Fairy Jinghong knelt. "I implore you, Elder Su! For the sake of all life in this world, please take them in."
"Elder Su, we’re kneeling to you as well."
"Only you can save the world from devastation now, Elder Su."
Li Nan walked up to Su Mo and dropped to his knees.
The Middle-aged Steward knelt right after him.
"I, too..."
The Saint Spirit Manor Master was about to kneel when he heard Su Mo roar, "Don’t you fucking kneel to me!"
"I..."
A cold sweat instantly broke out on the Saint Spirit Manor Master’s back.
He had only intended to kneel, yet it had provoked such a furious outburst from Su Mo.
’Was kneeling wrong, too?’
Su Mo glared at the Saint Spirit Manor Master. "You’re in your seventies or eighties. Are you trying to shorten my lifespan by kneeling to me?"
"Uh..."
The Saint Spirit Manor Master looked utterly mortified.
Setting aside their differences in power, it was indeed inappropriate for a man his age to kneel to a youth of seventeen or eighteen.
"And the rest of you, get the hell up,"
Su Mo barked.
Li Nan and Fairy Jinghong scrambled to their feet, terrified of angering Su Mo further.
Fairy Jinghong asked tentatively, "So, about the Demon Beasts..."
"Sigh..."
Su Mo sighed. "Fine. To save the world, I’ll reluctantly take them in. But I can’t possibly keep them by my side. Let them move to Qingyang City."
’If I run around with a pack of Demon Beasts, anyone who doesn’t know better might think I’m a Demon Beast myself.’
’Wouldn’t that make me an animal?’
"Qingyang City? Where is that?"
the Saint Spirit Manor Master asked.
Fairy Jinghong replied, "I believe it’s in the territory of the Eighteen Kingdoms."
The Saint Spirit Manor Master asked, puzzled, "You mean to say Elder Su is from the Eighteen Kingdoms?"
Fairy Jinghong nodded. "It’s possible. But as I recall, it’s a desolate region without any major clans."
"A desolate region?"
The Middle-aged Steward chimed in, "Fairy Jinghong, you must be mistaken. How could such a powerful expert possibly come from a desolate region?"
"A true master is never limited by his environment,"
Fairy Jinghong declared with conviction.
The Ink Flood Dragon asked worriedly, "Elder Su, it’s a journey of several days from here to Qingyang City. What if we run into trouble with humans along the way?"
"That’s simple. I’ll just put in a word for you."
Su Mo took out a Communication Stone and infused it with Spiritual Qi. The Cyan Emperor’s respectful voice immediately came through: "Alliance Leader, please give me your orders. I guarantee I will complete the mission."
"It’s nothing major," Su Mo said nonchalantly. "I just wanted to inform you that I’ve taken in a group of Demon Beasts. They need to pass through the Canglan Empire’s territory to get to Qingyang City. Arrange for someone to guide them."
"Rest assured, Alliance Leader. I guarantee it will be done."
The Cyan Emperor asked respectfully, "If I may ask, Elder Su, roughly how many Demon Beasts are in this group you’ve subdued? And what are their Realms?"
Su Mo replied, "Around thirty thousand or so. I don’t know the exact number."
What?
Over thirty thousand Demon Beasts...
The Cyan Emperor was so shocked he nearly fell over. He asked in disbelief, "Alliance Leader, are you certain you mean thirty thousand, and not... three?"
Su Mo answered confidently, "You heard me right. Over thirty thousand, led by a Tier Five Demon King. Oh, right, have Sect Leader Chu come along. He’s acquainted with these Demon Beasts."
"Yes, of course!"
The Cyan Emperor responded, "I’ll notify Sect Leader Chu at once and ask him and the acting Alliance Leader to personally receive these Demon Beasts."
"That’s all."
Su Mo cut the connection to the Communication Stone.
Du Feng asked curiously, "What did Elder Su say to you?"
Wiping away his cold sweat, the Cyan Emperor said, "Elder Su has subdued thirty thousand Demon Beasts. He wants me and Sect Leader Chu to receive them and escort them to Qingyang City."
"What? Thirty thousand Demon Beasts?"
Du Feng shot up from his chair in shock. "Your Majesty, did you mishear him? Is there something wrong with your ears?"
"There’s nothing wrong with my ears. It’s thirty thousand,"
the Cyan Emperor said firmly.
At first, he’d also thought his ears were failing him, which was why he had specifically asked Su Mo to confirm.
Du Feng stood frozen, his face a mask of utter disbelief.
’Thirty thousand Demon Beasts...’
Even if they were all merely Tier One Demon Beasts, that would still be an invincible army capable of dominating the entire Northern Profound Domain.
And this was a Demon Beast army led by a Tier Five Demon King, no less.
Du Feng wondered aloud, "Why would Elder Su gather so many Demon Beasts? Does he plan to conquer the entire Northern Profound Domain? To become its king?"
"It’s possible!"
The Cyan Emperor agreed. "With Elder Su’s power, being the Alliance Leader of our Eighteen Kingdoms is beneath him. Only the title of King of the Northern Profound Domain is worthy of him."