Cheng Boxuan came within a hundred feet of the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast.
A white light flickered from his body.
The once incomparably fierce Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast quieted down, spreading its wings to let him climb aboard.
However, its pair of purple-gold pupils held a trace of impatience and disdain.
Qin Yan came forward as well.
A white light also flickered from her.
Though still filled with disdain, the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast allowed her to get on.
When it was Yang Xiao's turn, however, no white light flickered from his body.
At this, the fierce aura of the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast suddenly surged.
It stared at Yang Xiao, as if it would peck him to death in the next moment.
"What's going on?"
Yang Zhentian's expression changed.
The aura around him instantly intensified.
Lin Nantian suddenly feigned a cry of alarm. "Ah, this is bad! I actually forgot to give Young Sect Leader Yang a Cloud Token!"
"A Cloud Token?"
Yang Zhentian was confused.
But seeing the astonished faces of the people around him, he instinctively knew this was not a good thing.
He glared at Lin Nantian, a murderous intent flashing through his heart.
'If anything happens to Xiao'er, this Lin Nantian won't live to see another day.'
Though the murderous thought flashed through his mind, Yang Zhentian started to walk toward Yang Xiao.
After all, Yang Xiao's life was the most important thing to him.
But just as he was about to take a step,
Yang Xiao's voice echoed in his mind. "Father, do not panic. It's merely a Tier Four Low Grade Barbaric Beast. I have my ways."
Upon hearing this, Yang Zhentian calmed down.
This, however, confused Lin Nantian, who had been warily watching him.
And what happened next made him want to spit blood.
He watched as Yang Xiao walked step by step toward the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast. This provoked the beast, and its ferocious aura grew stronger and more terrifying. Even Cheng Boxuan and Qin Yan, who were already on its back, were affected. Crushed by the dreadful pressure, they were forced to lie flat on the beast's back, unable to move.
Cheng Boxuan was frantic, but he couldn't even make a sound.
He felt awful.
Qin Yan was in an even more miserable state.
As one of the noblest-born women in the Purple Sun Sect, when had she ever experienced something like this?
If so many people weren't watching, she probably would have been scared into wetting herself.
As for Yang Xiao, she couldn't spare him a single thought right now.
Not only could she not spare him a thought, she was probably cursing him in her heart.
Cursing him for provoking the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast.
'It may only be a Tier Four Low Grade Barbaric Beast, but since Lin Nantian wants to scheme against me, I can't just do nothing.'
'He has to feel the sting of this loss.'
This was Yang Xiao's plan.
Ordinarily, he truly wouldn't have given a mere Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast a second glance.
But Lin Nantian was courting death.
So he couldn't be blamed for what came next.
With a thought, the aura of his Qilin True Body surged forth.
The Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast, which had been so menacing a moment ago, immediately cowered.
Its lofty head drooped low, as if it had seen a prehistoric monster.
In fact, with Yang Xiao's abilities, it wasn't just this Tier Four Low Grade Barbaric Beast. Even Tier Four Middle Grade or Upper Grade Barbaric Beasts would be unable to withstand the aura of the Qilin True Body within him.
Then, he lifted his hand and pointed.
A ball of orange flame emerged from his body.
It entered the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast's mind and directly took control of its Divine Soul.
With just a thought, Yang Xiao could make the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast die.
This was an ability Yang Xiao had gained upon stepping into the Orange Flame Realm.
It was equivalent to the True Qi Separation of an ordinary person at the Innate Realm, but it was far more profound.
For an ordinary person's True Qi Separation, setting aside its power, it could not exist for long. The Origin Flame, however, was different.
As long as Yang Xiao willed it, it could exist indefinitely.
It could even transform into a clone of Yang Xiao's will.
Using it to control this Tier Four Low Grade Barbaric Beast was incredibly easy.
It was more powerful than any other method of control.
'However, although the Heaven and Earth Origin Fire grants me a new ability with each level, it's still a bit lacking compared to those who practice Dominator Level Cultivation Techniques. In this life, I have finally begun my path of re-cultivation. No matter how difficult it is, I must master the Nine Yang Celestial Skill.'
As this thought crossed Yang Xiao's mind, his figure had already landed on the back of the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast.
At the same time, several cracking sounds were heard.
They came from Cheng Boxuan, Qin Yan, and, in the distance, Lin Nantian.
The Cloud Tokens.
They had shattered.
Cheng Boxuan, Qin Yan, and even Lin Nantian were all startled.
But then they saw Yang Xiao standing on the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast's back, and they saw this terrifying Tier Four Barbaric Beast acting as quiet as a tamed puppy.
No, even a tamed puppy would bark at a stranger.
But this Tier Four Low Grade Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast before them did not.
Previously, even with the Cloud Tokens, it had always been disdainful and impatient toward those who wore them, sometimes even playing tricks on them.
But now, it was terrifyingly quiet.
'Could it be... could it have been tamed?'
A thought that he couldn't possibly believe surfaced in Lin Nantian's mind.
Tamed.
This wasn't the "taming" they had been patting themselves on the back for earlier.
His master, the previous Sect Leader of the Purple Sun Sect, had claimed to have tamed this Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast, but in reality, he had only reached an agreement with the Barbaric Beast.
They used the pretense of "taming" it as an excuse to provide for it.
Every year, at least thirty percent of the Purple Sun Sect's resources were spent on this single Barbaric Beast.
And even then, it would only help the Purple Sun Sect once every three years.
It was, for all intents and purposes, a transaction.
And a very unfair one for the Purple Sun Sect, at that.
But for the sake of face, to maintain the Purple Sun Sect's reputation as one of the Nine Sects, they had endured it.
But...
Now, the Cloud Tokens had shattered.
And this Yang brat seemed to have truly tamed it.
How could Lin Nantian possibly believe this?
"What? Are we not leaving yet?"
Yang Xiao's voice drifted over coolly.
"Leave? To where? Ah, yes, we're leaving."
Cheng Boxuan also sensed that something was wrong and began to speak incoherently.
At this moment, Lin Nantian had no choice but to step forward.
"Hold on. Might I ask, Junior Sect Leader Yang, what is going on here?"
"What do you mean, 'what is going on'?"
Yang Xiao gave him an indifferent glance.
'If it weren't for this guy trying to scheme against me, I really wouldn't have bothered with this Barbaric Beast. Since he served his face up on a platter, wouldn't it be a shame not to slap it?'
"Yang Xiao, Junior Sect Leader Yang, how could the Cloud Tokens on our bodies have shattered? And... has this Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast submitted to you?"
Lin Nantian hesitated for a moment before asking.
Yang Xiao just smiled. "You've got sharp eyes. This beast has already submitted to me. As for those Cloud Tokens... what are they?"
"The Cloud Tokens... the Cloud Tokens are what control the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast! Without them, you can't get near it. Now that they've shattered, doesn't that mean..."
Lin Nantian was growing anxious.
"That's right. It's just as you think!"
Yang Xiao stood up straight, his voice rising a few notches. "From now on, this Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast is my mount. Of course, if any of you have a problem with that, you can take it up with the beast itself. But if you die under its claws, don't blame me."
After saying his piece, Yang Xiao ignored him.
With a thought, the Purple Gold Cloud Peng Beast flapped its wings and took to the sky.
Lin Nantian.
He watched as the Barbaric Beastâwhich, while not exactly close to him, had at least maintained a decent relationshipâsoared into the distance without a backward glance, flying farther and farther away.
In his heart, he instantly understood.
Everything Yang Xiao had said was true.
'This time, I've truly suffered a massive loss!'
All because of a moment of pique, he had lost a Guardian Beastâthe only Guardian Beast, the very face of the Purple Sun Sect.
How could this be anything but a massive loss for Lin Nantian?
Even in death, he would be too ashamed to face his master.
He was filled with endless regret, but there was nothing he could do.
Because Yang Xiao was already gone.