The Azure Heavenly Emperor Ox felt that its desperate, final counterattack had been effective, but before it could even feel a spark of joy, it saw those two red laser beams blocked by a pale blue protective barrier surrounding the woman.
"Heh! If you actually possessed the cultivation of the Fifth Layer of the Supreme Realm, I might have truly been caught off guard by your trick."
The light vanished from the Azure Heavenly Emperor Ox's eyes. It realized that this time, it would either die or become the woman's pet. But since it only recognized the Immortal Beast Lady as its master, it chose death.
"Kill me!"
Its voice was resonant and powerful, though a trace of weakness could be detected within.
The corners of the woman's mouth lifted slightly. "After spending so much effort to handle you, how could I bear to kill you?"
Suddenly, a formation for signing a master-pet contract enveloped the woman and the Azure Heavenly Emperor Ox.
*Snap.* The formation shattered.
"Who is it?" the woman shouted, consumed by fury.
At that moment, a fox with ten fluffy, swaying tails appeared in their line of sight, elegant, noble, and radiating an ethereal, immortal aura.
"It is I!"
The voice was exceptionally cold, imbued with a terrifying pressure that commanded submission without effort.
The woman stood stunned, her face full of astonishment. "I have the cultivation of the Fifth Layer of the Supreme Realm, yet I cannot withstand this pressure?"
A strange look crossed the face of the Azure Heavenly Emperor Ox. It did not recognize this fox, yet it felt a profound sense of familiarity. Did such a spirit beast exist in its memories?
Xiaoxian glanced at the battered Azure Heavenly Emperor Ox, her cold face filled with anger. "To injure the spirit beast of this immortal—die!"
In an instant, before the woman could even mount a defense, a terrifying, insurmountable force crushed her entire body.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!* The sounds of explosions rang out incessantly.
When the noise finally faded, the woman's body had been obliterated, and her soul was utterly annihilated.
***
In the abode of the Immortal Beasts.
Upon seeing this, the Taiqing Jade Rabbit said, "I will go check on the Azure Heavenly Emperor Ox." In a flash, the rabbit disappeared.
"Master! Is that woman completely dead?" Jing Mingxuan asked, his brows slightly furrowed.
Su Muchan did not take it to heart and replied, "She is dead."
"Master! Are you certain? I fear she might not be fully dead, or that she possesses some heaven-defying resurrection technique," Jing Mingxuan emphasized, his expression incredibly earnest.
In the world of profound cultivation, anything was possible. A single drop of blood could miraculously lead to a rebirth, potentially even influencing the past, present, and future. Some had long ago laid out various resurrection schemes, allowing them to return to life repeatedly even after death.
Su Muchan paused, puzzled. "When you killed You Feng earlier, why didn't you ask that?"
"You Feng was only at the First Layer of the Qi Ocean Realm; he lacked the ability. This woman had the cultivation of the Supreme Realm—I feel she might be capable of such things," Jing Mingxuan replied more seriously.
Su Muchan nodded slightly, feeling her disciple’s reasoning made sense, but she noted a blind spot. "Then why didn't you ask about the other cultivators I've killed before?"
"Master is powerful and ruthless; you would never give an opponent the chance to resurrect."
While this sounded like a compliment, it was actually Jing Mingxuan's inner thought. In the original story, the master was pure and naive, and because of this, she was very straightforward when killing enemies: she had to kill them thoroughly, never giving them a sliver of room to breathe.
The protagonist team had always managed to turn danger into safety for three reasons: first, the strength of the protagonist team; second, the protagonist team had never truly angered the master; and third, the number one male lead used his good looks to his advantage.
Su Muchan smiled, looking very happy and content. Simultaneously, she performed a deduction to see if the woman was truly dead or merely faking it. In a snap, she had her answer. "Disciple! The woman is truly dead."
"I can finally rest easy!" Jing Mingxuan let out a long sigh of relief. After a moment, he said, "Master, let's go to where Xiaoxian is!"
"No rush. There is something I wish to ask you."
As soon as Su Muchan said this, Jing Mingxuan knitted his brows, his handsome face full of confusion. "What is it?"
"Why didn't you tell Xiaoxian about the Divine Beast Taming Method earlier?" Su Muchan blinked her large, watery eyes, full of curiosity.
Jing Mingxuan’s face twitched. He had expected something serious, but it was just this. "At that time, I didn't consider Xiaoxian one of our own, and I didn't feel the need to tell her. In my heart, only you are worthy of knowing about the Divine Book."
Su Muchan felt a warmth in her heart. She was indeed special to her disciple. Her pure, beautiful face broke into an even sweeter, happier smile. She couldn't help but reach out, hook her arm through Jing Mingxuan's, and lean against his strong frame like a little bird. If any of the female protagonists were to see this, they would undoubtedly be shocked beyond belief.
In silence, the scene ahead shifted. Jing Mingxuan looked again to find himself and his master standing behind Xiaoxian.
"Master! I believe we need to drive away those cultivators who entered the Small Myriad Beast World using the Heavenly Beast Tokens, otherwise, they will contract quite a few of our spirit beasts."
Jing Mingxuan agreed, nodding as he looked at Su Muchan.
"Master! Project the image of that Supreme Realm cultivator's death before all the other cultivators."
Su Muchan replied with a simple "Alright."
Immediately, the image appeared before every cultivator. No matter where they moved, the vision followed them. When they saw the Supreme Realm cultivator die instantly, Jing Mingxuan’s figure suddenly appeared, causing them to tremble in terror.
"All cultivators, the spirit beasts of the Small Myriad Beast World now belong to me. I give you thirty seconds to leave. If you are still here after thirty seconds, you die!"
Most of the cultivators did not believe this display of dominance. Only the cultivators from Tianyan City knew that Jing Mingxuan would not lie. Thinking that saving their lives was more important than contracting spirit beasts, they chose to return to Tianyan City.
Meanwhile, Su Muchan made a 'V' sign. "Disciple! I have reinforced the spatial barriers of the Small Myriad Beast World. From now on, even with a Heavenly Beast Token, they won't be able to enter through the teleportation array."
The Taiqing Jade Rabbit noticed a blind spot and asked curiously, "Then how will they go back?"
"They can go back for now, but not once the countdown ends!" Su Muchan smiled gently, a serene expression that made the Taiqing Jade Rabbit shudder.
Jing Mingxuan glanced at the countdown; only 15 seconds remained. He knew there would be those who would take the risk or dismiss his threat entirely. Who should he send to kill them?
After some thought, his eyes landed on Xiaoxian. As the sovereign of the Small Myriad Beast World, letting her do the killing would be justified and would allow the spirit beasts to vent their grievances.
"Xiaoxian, when the countdown ends, kill all the cultivators who haven't left!"
Xiaoxian did not hesitate. "Understood!" She knew her master must have his reasons, and to question him would be impolite. Moreover, her clever mind quickly deduced that this was a two-birds-one-stone strategy. On one hand, it pacified her and the other spirit beasts, and on the other, it earned their loyalty.
Soon, the countdown ended.
"Disciple! Only 10% of the cultivators have left!"
Su Muchan's words left Jing Mingxuan stunned. He had not expected his threat to be so ineffective. Thinking it over, he realized that for a threat to be effective, it required immense pressure, which he had lacked. In the end, his cultivation was too low, and he had mistakenly assumed the image of the Supreme Realm cultivator's death would be enough to intimidate them.
He exhaled slowly. "Xiaoxian, do it."
Xiaoxian clearly felt her master's anger. In truth, she was furious as well; to dismiss her master's threat so blatantly was an act of self-destruction. She stomped her front paws, and the ground split with a thunderous roar.
At that same moment, the bodies of the remaining cultivators began to tear apart. They finally realized the boy's threat was real and scrambled to use their Heavenly Beast Tokens to escape. But they were frozen in place, and Xiaoxian seized the opportunity to strike.
Instantly, wails and pleas for mercy echoed throughout the Small Myriad Beast World. The spirit beasts felt a sense of relief.
A tea-time later, the Small Myriad Beast World fell into a deathly silence.
"Master! All have been tortured to death." Xiaoxian’s tone was gentle, standing in stark contrast to her gruesome words.
Jing Mingxuan nodded, his gaze cold. He did not care about the deaths of so many cultivators. "Before we take the Heart of the World, we need to settle the spirit beasts. My master and I need to return to the main world, and you can take this time to gather them all together."
Xiaoxian lowered her head, disappointment in her eyes. Clearly, she wanted to follow Jing Mingxuan to the main world. Jing Mingxuan noticed this and changed his tune. "Xiaoxian, if you can arrange for all the spirit beasts to gather, you may come with us to the main world."
"I will arrange it immediately!" Xiaoxian lifted her head, her face full of joy, her voice excited.
Before long, the arrangements were complete. The remaining six Emperor Beasts began to move, and the spirit beasts started a migration the likes of which had never been seen before.
Jing Mingxuan did not hesitate further. "Master, let’s go back. It's a perfect time to see the reaction in Tianyan City after my actions."
***
**Chapter 20: Jingxiu Manor**
At the teleportation array for the Small Myriad Beast World in Tianyan City, figures suddenly appeared, drawing the attention of everyone present.
Initially, their eyes were full of anticipation, assuming everyone who went to the Small Myriad Beast World had contracted a spirit beast they were satisfied with. But soon, they saw more and more cultivators appearing, all dejected, wearing expressions as if they had eaten dung.
The First Elder of the Ye family furrowed his gray brows and looked at the two Ye family cultivators who had gone. "Ye Lingtian, Ye Yunmue, tell me what happened."
Ye Lingtian and Ye Yunmue bowed respectfully before Ye Lingtian spoke. "Great Elder, that Jing Mingxuan threatened us all, saying all the spirit beasts in the Small Myriad Beast World were his and that he would kill anyone who didn't leave within thirty seconds."
Except for Jing Zi'ang, everyone present was incensed.
"Damn! Is that Jing boy really that arrogant?"
"Wait until he shows up. If he doesn't give us an explanation, he isn't leaving this place."
"First Elder of the Jing family, do you plan on not staying in Tianyan City anymore?"
Jing Zi'ang gave a dry laugh. "Everyone! You can demand an explanation, but it would be best not to restrict the freedom of the Young Master and myself."
"Why?" a cultivator who had not yet regained his senses asked.
Jing Zi'ang did not reply, only wearing a cryptic, faint smile.
The First Elder of the Ye family frowned deeply, eventually exhaled, and looked at Ye Lingtian and Ye Yunmue. "Let's go!"
Ye Lingtian and Ye Yunmue were full of confusion and cried out in unison, "Great Elder! Why?"
The Ye family Great Elder said nothing. He bound Ye Lingtian and Ye Yunmue with his magic and, as if his house were on fire, rapidly retreated from the area. Many other sensible cultivators realized what was happening and ordered their own people to leave. However, the majority remained, either foolish or blinded by rage.
*Bang!*
They looked toward the sound and saw a massive hole appear in the air. Inside was the eerie, dark blue void. The next second, three figures emerged.
Two of them were Jing Mingxuan and Su Muchan; the third was the ethereal, ten-tailed fox with a graceful, shapely figure.
"Jing boy, what is the meaning of this?"
"If you don't give us an explanation today, this won't end with you or the Jing family!"
"Jing boy, wouldn't it be better if everyone got along? Why must you break the balance?"
"Heh! Jing boy, I think you're just too greedy! Greed without strength is..."
The words trailed off, and the cultivators stood frozen. No strength? Jing Mingxuan indeed had none, but that didn't mean his master didn't!
Suddenly, they remembered the Ye family Great Elder and the others who had run away. *Damn it! Those old foxes must have anticipated this!* They hadn't warned them!
The cultivators broke into a cold sweat. They were now in a predicament, unable to step down, and one by one, they lowered their heads to look at Jing Mingxuan. They saw him wearing a smug, faint smile and heard his arrogant voice.
"Speak! Why did you stop? Weren't you demanding an explanation from me?"
The cultivators fell silent, shaking all over, their toes curling inside their shoes in tension. One flatterer said, "Young Master Jing, our brains must have been pinched by a door! How could we dare demand an explanation from you?"
"Yes, yes! Please, sir, overlook our stupidity. We will follow your lead from now on!" another added.
Jing Mingxuan said nothing. His gaze remained cold, his eyes moving slightly as if deep in thought. The cultivators felt extremely uneasy. They wanted to say something else, but feared angering him; yet they were afraid that if they said nothing, he would think they lacked sincerity and kill them all.
They had no idea that Jing Mingxuan was watching them with an amused look.
"Didn't you want an explanation from me just now?"
The cultivators waved their hands in unison. "No need! We no longer require an explanation!"
"That won't do. I've already thought of one."
Jing Mingxuan smiled. To the cultivators, this smile was terrifying and chilling. Their hair stood on end, and their bodies stiffened.
"Each of you will hand over 10,000 low-grade spirit stones, and then get out as fast as you can, or die!"
Their suspended hearts finally settled. 10,000 low-grade spirit stones were easily affordable for them, and a sense of relief at surviving a disaster washed over them.
After the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, only the three people and one beast remained near the teleportation array, leaving the area feeling cold and desolate.
Jing Mingxuan looked at Jing Zi'ang. "Great Elder, is Jingxiu Manor ready?"
Jing Zi'ang was stunned. Two months ago, the Young Master had told him and the family head that for the Jing family to grow, they could not remain restricted to Tianyan City, even proposing to build a city belonging solely to the Jing family. Thus, the Jingxiu Manor project began. With vast amounts of resources poured in, the manor already had a basic form, covering an area one hundred times larger than the current Jing household, or 1% of Tianyan City.
"It is ready! But I don't know why you are mentioning the manor now?"
Jing Mingxuan’s mouth curled slightly, a sharp glint in his eyes. "To relocate all the spirit beasts from the Small Myriad Beast World."
"What?"
Jing Zi'ang was dumbfounded. He had previously thought the threats were just for the Young Master's own selection of beasts. Now, it seemed the Young Master was playing a much bigger game.
The spirit beasts of the Small Myriad Beast World were numerous and far stronger than those in the Xuan Heaven World. A new problem would arise: they would not be obedient. He wondered how the Young Master planned to solve that.
Seeming to see the concern, Jing Mingxuan stroked Xiaoxian’s fluffy head. "Great Elder, this ten-tailed immortal fox is named Xiaoxian, the sovereign of all the spirit beasts in the Small Myriad Beast World."
Jing Zi'ang blinked, deeply shocked. *Capture the bandits by capturing their leader first...* The Young Master was truly brilliant. No wonder he wasn't worried about disobedience.
"I see! I can rest easy now!"
Jing Mingxuan summoned a slip of paper and handed it to Jing Zi'ang. "I’m going to take Xiaoxian to see the homes prepared for the spirit beasts. You prepare the items on this note and have them ready for me when I return."
Jing Zi'ang nodded, scanned the note, and froze. He had expected rare treasures, but they were common ingredients.
"Great Elder, can these not be bought?"
Facing Jing Mingxuan's concerned inquiry, Jing Zi'ang shook his head. "No! But why buy so many ingredients? Doesn't the manor have your personal chefs?"
"I promised my master I would cook her Spicy Rabbit Head, Spicy Rabbit Legs, and other delicacies." Jing Mingxuan’s gaze softened.
Su Muchan's beautiful face suddenly flushed deep red like a ripe apple, but her eyes were filled with joy.
Jing Zi'ang suddenly realized. The Young Master's move was even more exceptional. He knew that to capture a person's heart, one must first capture their stomach. Su Muchan was the source of the Young Master's, and indeed the entire Jing family's, constant growth; she had to be pleased, ideally without it looking too deliberate.
He had previously worried about how the Young Master would get along with Su Muchan, but now he could finally stop worrying.
"Young Master, I am off!"
With that, Jing Zi'ang skipped toward the Tianyan City vegetable market, appearing incredibly happy—so much so that Su Muchan remarked out of the blue, "Disciple! Does the Great Elder not know how to walk?"
"Pfft!"