The arrival of the Heavenly Sword Sect once again pushed Lan Mao City into excitement.
For the next two days...
More and more cultivation forces continued to arrive.
Some were famous.
Some were ordinary.
Some were merely small clans hoping to obtain a fortunate encounter.
Although the Ancient Golden Gate remained silent...
The number of people surrounding it continued to increase.
The city had become livelier than ever.
...
Early that morning...
A deafening beast roar suddenly echoed across the sky.
ROAR—!!
The roar was so powerful that even the windows of nearby buildings trembled.
Many people instinctively looked upward.
The next second...
Dark shadows covered the streets below.
People raised their heads in shock.
"What...?"
"What is that?"
Above the clouds...
Several enormous flying spirit beasts slowly descended.
The beast leading the group was nearly a hundred meters long.
Its body was covered in crimson scales.
Golden flames continuously escaped from its nostrils.
Every flap of its massive wings distorted the surrounding air with scorching heat.
Someone in the crowd immediately turned pale.
"A Crimson Flame Wyvern!"
"A Seventh-Rank Spirit Beast!"
"How can such a terrifying beast allow someone to ride on its back?"
Before anyone could recover...
Another giant beast emerged from the clouds.
A Thunder Sky Lion.
Lightning danced around its mane.
Every roar shook the surrounding spiritual energy.
Behind it...
A Sky Feather Roc spread its enormous wings.
Then came several Ironback Mountain Bears...
Storm Wolves...
Azure Wind Eagles...
And dozens of other contracted spirit beasts.
The sky itself seemed occupied by beasts.
Children stared with sparkling eyes.
Ordinary cultivators unconsciously stepped backward.
The invisible pressure released by those beasts alone was enough to make weaker cultivators struggle to breathe.
...
"They're here..."
"The Beast Taming Valley!"
"The strongest Beast Taming Sect on the continent!"
Excited voices echoed everywhere.
Unlike ordinary cultivators...
Members of the Beast Taming Valley never hid beside their contracted beasts.
Instead...
They fought alongside them.
To them...
Their beasts were companions.
Not tools.
...
The enormous beasts slowly landed outside Lan Mao City.
Surprisingly...
Every beast remained perfectly obedient.
Not a single one acted violently.
It was obvious they had been trained for many years.
Standing upon the head of the Crimson Flame Wyvern...
Was a young man dressed in emerald-green robes.
He appeared around twenty years old.
Unlike Li Tianjian's cold expression...
Or Mo Chenyu's calm elegance...
This young man wore a bright smile.
His long hair was tied carelessly behind his back.
A tiny white fox lazily rested on his shoulder.
The fox yawned...
Completely ignoring the terrifying beasts surrounding it.
The strange contrast immediately caught everyone's attention.
Someone recognized him.
"Long Yuntian!"
"The Young Master of Beast Taming Valley!"
"They say he formed his first beast contract when he was only eight years old!"
"And that little fox..."
"It isn't ordinary."
"I heard it's an Ancient Illusion Spirit Fox."
Long Yuntian gently rubbed the fox's head.
"Don't sleep."
"We've finally reached Lan Mao City."
The little fox lazily opened one eye...
Looked around...
Then continued sleeping.
Seeing this...
Several disciples behind Long Yuntian couldn't help laughing.
"Our Young Master's spirit beast is still as lazy as ever."
"Hahaha..."
"Perhaps it thinks sleeping is cultivation."
Long Yuntian smiled helplessly.
"What can I do?"
"It likes sleeping more than eating."
The atmosphere around Beast Taming Valley immediately became much more relaxed.
Many nearby cultivators couldn't help smiling.
Compared with the serious Sword Sect...
The Beast Taming Valley seemed much easier to approach.
...
At that moment...
The Jiang Family Grand Elder personally walked forward once again.
"Young Master Long."
"Welcome to Lan Mao City."
Long Yuntian immediately jumped down from the Wyvern's head.
He respectfully cupped his fists.
"Grand Elder Jiang."
"My Master instructed me to thank the Jiang Family for maintaining order during these past days."
The Grand Elder smiled.
"The Beast Taming Valley has travelled a long way."
"Please allow the Jiang Family to prepare a resting place."
Long Yuntian nodded politely.
"Then I'll trouble Senior."
...
Soon...
The Beast Taming Valley disciples arrived at their assigned area.
Unlike the previous sects...
They didn't build houses immediately.
Instead...
Their first task was feeding their contracted beasts.
Some disciples carried enormous barrels filled with spirit fish.
Others prepared spiritual herbs.
Several beasts happily lay down beneath large trees.
The Crimson Flame Wyvern simply curled its gigantic body around the campsite before slowly closing its eyes.
Its mere presence was enough to keep ordinary cultivators from approaching.
Only after every beast had settled down...
Did the disciples begin constructing their temporary camp.
Many spectators watched with curiosity.
"So this is how Beast Tamers live..."
"They truly treat their beasts like family."
Even Mo Chenyu, standing in the Azure Cloud Sect's camp, looked over with interest.
Meanwhile...
Li Tianjian merely glanced once before quietly returning to his cultivation.
To him...
Only the sword mattered.
...
High above them...
The Ancient Golden Gate remained unchanged.
Golden light continued to illuminate the heavens.
The dragon's ruby-red eyes quietly overlooked the countless geniuses gathering below.
Day by day...
More powerful forces continued to arrive.
Yet everyone knew...
The truly supreme powers of the continent...
Had still not made their appearance.