I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Zhu Zhengping’s brows furrowed. He looked at Tong Yuanzheng’s nonchalant expression and sneered, "I don’t think you understand your place. You’re too proud, Tong Yuanzheng, and proud people are difficult to control.

"To our Profound Yin Sect, the Dark Stream is just a tool—a dog. A tool doesn’t need a mind of its own. If the Dark Stream is gone, it’s gone. I can always raise a new one. As for you lot... why can’t you just be abandoned?"

Tong Yuanzheng was silent for a long moment before letting out a soft chuckle. He gave Zhu Zhengping a deep look. "You’re afraid."

"Hm?!"

Zhu Zhengping’s brows knitted together. He shot to his feet, and an even more immense pressure descended upon Tong Yuanzheng. Unfazed, Tong Yuanzheng simply offered a refined, gentle smile and spoke with even greater certainty.

"You’re afraid. And it’s not someone else you fear. It’s me, isn’t it?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Tong Yuanzheng shook his head with a smile. After another glance at Zhu Zhengping, his figure flickered and slowly melted into the shadows, vanishing completely. Only a cold, spectral voice was left echoing in the hall.

"Regardless, the Dark Stream’s hunt has enraged the Martial Continent. A time of chaos like this, Zhu Zhengping... opportunities like this are rare..."

Zhu Zhengping’s expression was unreadable as he watched Tong Yuanzheng leave, and he did nothing to stop him.

Silence returned to the great hall. After a long while, Zhu Zhengping emerged from his contemplation. He looked at the empty hall, shook his head, and smiled.

’Afraid of you? How absurd.’

’However, Ta’er has fallen, and this matter will not end so easily.’

Zhu Zhengping muttered to himself. As he spoke, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. The scholarly air about him vanished, replaced by waves of heaven-reaching Evil Qi that erupted from his body.

’Perhaps our Profound Yin Sect has lain dormant for too long. So long that the world has begun to forget us. In recent years, quite a few so-called geniuses have emerged in the outside world...’

Zhu Zhengping exhaled, his gaze piercing through the building to look toward the other two mountains. He let out a cold laugh.

’So be it. Since your two lineages remain silent, my Slaughter lineage will take the lead. Our generation of Cultivators has been quiet for too long. How are we to temper our Dao Hearts? We who prove our Dao through slaughter—how can we comprehend the true Great Dao in such tranquility?’

Amidst the swirling energy, Zhu Zhengping’s brows furrowed. A monstrous wave of Divine Thought surged out, blanketing the entire Slaughter Mountain. The astonishing fluctuation swept through the void, becoming a clap of thunder under the broad daylight that echoed across all of Slaughter Mountain.

"The Slaughter Mountain lineage of the Profound Yin Sect emerges today! All disciples of my Slaughter Mountain lineage who meet the requirements may leave the mountain to gain experience! Soon, in Celestial Killer City, we will extend a broad invitation to the geniuses of every sect for a battle! We will uphold the prestige of our sect and show all the powers of the Martial Continent, big and small, who truly leads the Three Gates and Six Sects!"

In that instant, Slaughter Mountain trembled. Evil Mountain and Xiong Mountain were shocked, and both turned their gazes over, silent and filled with disbelief.

"What? Do the Xiong Mountain and Evil Mountain lineages not dare?"

After speaking, Zhu Zhengping looked toward the other two mountains and spoke coolly. The disciples of Slaughter Mountain all looked in the same direction, and the force of their combined will seemed to coalesce into a heaven-shaking storm of Evil Qi that ravaged the void.

"Why wouldn’t we dare?"

Within Xiong Mountain and Evil Mountain, someone lowered their head and sighed, helpless against this display of overwhelming pressure. In the end, though, their acceptance came as a thunderous roar in response.

"Xiong Mountain will also emerge!"

"Evil Mountain will also emerge!"

And so, the Profound Yin Sect was shaken. Streaks of light shot out like rainbows with heaven-reaching momentum, carrying invitations as they flew in all directions, heading for the various sects of the Martial Continent.

’That’s more like it.’

Outside the plains of the Profound Yin Sect, Tong Yuanzheng’s figure appeared. He gazed at the three mountains of the Profound Yin Sect and smiled faintly. Finally, he cupped his fist in a bow toward Slaughter Mountain before his figure dissipated completely.

At the same time, Zhu Zhengping seemed to sense something. His gaze pierced through the infinite void to where Tong Yuanzheng had been, a profound look in his eyes.

This outcome was exactly what Tong Yuanzheng wanted to see. Whether or not Zhu Zhengping would actually help his Dark Stream, the mere fact that he had decided to emerge would draw the world’s attention to the Profound Yin Sect. This would absorb most of the scrutiny, alleviating much of the pressure on his own side.

Soon, news that the three lineages of the Profound Yin Sect had emerged and were hosting a battle in Celestial Killer City, with a wide invitation to all the great young geniuses of the Martial Continent, swept across the entire continent. The dispatch of the invitations, in particular, caused a massive uproar.

Countless factions, large and small, were shaken and abuzz with discussion. The upper echelons of the other two of the Three Gates and Six Sects gathered, sending out projections of their Divine Thought to convene and communicate within the Sect Hall of the Wanxiang Sect.

"What is the Profound Yin Sect playing at? They’re ignoring the matter of the Dark Stream and pulling a stunt like this instead."

The first to speak was the Sect Leader of the Cang Lei Sect, one of the Six Sects. His voice was like thunder, and as it reverberated, his Divine Thought revealed a hint of violent intent.

"The Profound Yin Sect’s goal is simple enough. You and I are both well aware of the relationship between the Dark Stream and the Profound Yin Sect. There’s no need to elaborate on that here."

"So for them to emerge with such high-profile fanfare right now—isn’t it just a ploy to draw our attention and give the Dark Stream some breathing room?"

The one who responded was the Sect Leader of the Red Fire Sect, also one of the Six Sects. He spoke coolly.

"I’m afraid it’s not that simple," the Sect Leader of the No-Mind Sect said, shaking his head. His voice was a low hum. "We all know about the Profound Yin Sect. Their Sect Disciples are all murderous, Bloodthirsty Cultivators. The Cultivation Techniques they practice are practically demonic."

"It was only after we other sects suppressed them a thousand years ago that they reined themselves in and started acting with more discretion. For them to make such a high-profile declaration to the world now..."

"This is a show of force directed at us. I’m sure you’ve all seen the contents of their invitation. If we ignore them this time... not only will they lose face, but they’ll also think we’re afraid. I fear that when they fully emerge in the future, they’ll become even more frenzied and unrestrained, recreating the scene from a thousand years ago."

Having said his piece, the Sect Leader of the No-Mind Sect fell silent, simply turning his gaze to the other Sect Leaders.

The others were silent, the light in their eyes flickering as they each weighed the situation in their minds.

"The Sect Leader of the No-Mind Sect is right," the Sect Master of Tyrant Emperor Sect, one of the Six Sects, said in agreement after a long moment. "If we fail to respond this time, it will only fuel their arrogance and diminish our own morale. The Profound Yin Sect has always been domineering."

"They’re setting up this stage in Celestial Killer City, claiming it’s to temper the geniuses of each sect and observe the vigor of the new generation. But to put it bluntly, isn’t it just an attempt to beat us down and prove who the true masters of this Martial Continent are—who is number one among the Three Gates?"

After speaking, the Sect Master of Tyrant Emperor Sect scoffed. His gaze swept over the others before finally landing on the representatives from the Purple Rainbow Sect and the Seven Stars Sect.

Of the Three Gates, besides the Profound Yin Sect, the other two were the Purple Rainbow Sect and the Seven Stars Sect. Among the Divine Thought projections that had arrived, only the ones from these two sects were the most immense, radiating the might of the Purple Mansion realm.

Therefore, the other Six Sects naturally deferred to their opinions, and a hint of respect could not help but show in their expressions.

The Divine Thought projection from the Seven Stars Sect was that of a white-haired elder. He wore a long robe, and his complexion was ruddy—the very picture of youthful vigor despite his white hair. His eyebrows rose and fell like great dragons, giving him a unique charm. His eyes seemed to hold the birth and death of stars, their depths containing the fundamental principles of the universe, threatening to pull one in and drown them.

Everyone, including the representative from the Purple Rainbow Sect, looked at this elder with heartfelt respect. There was a simple reason for this. Not only was he the Great Elder of the Seven Stars Sect with a Cultivation at the Purple Mansion realm, but he was also a master of divination and the arts of fate. He was the contemporary Seven-Star Elder of the Seven Stars Sect, a figure of great renown throughout the entire Martial Continent.

With his superb, almost divine, Astrology Skill, he was deeply respected throughout the Martial Continent, and the various Sect Leaders present had, to varying degrees, all benefited from his favor.

After all, the art of destiny was inherently mysterious and abstruse, and in the Cultivation Realm, its uses were endless.