"What... is going on?"
All the Barbaric Beasts—whether they were the less intelligent Tier Four, the Tier Five with their developed minds, or even the powerful Tier Six Barbaric Beast Kings with their complete consciousness.
At this very moment, all of them were crushed to the ground by this terrifying aura.
It was as if that aura was innately superior to them, holding absolute power over their lives. It felt as if the aura's owner only had to say, "Go die."
And they would have no choice but to do so.
This feeling of being completely controlled by another was terrifying, panic-inducing.
"Huh? It's actually a human?"
And when the newcomer's figure appeared, the Heart Spirits of the Barbaric Beast Kings were shaken even more.
Because this was, unbelievably, a human.
'Could it be...'
"Impossible! The Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion's inheritance has existed for countless years, and no one has ever become the new Mansion Lord. How could a successful Inheritor appear now?"
"I don't believe it!"
Many who had guessed the truth felt extremely unwilling to accept it.
After all, even for a Barbaric Beast, no living creature was willing to become another's slave, to have their life and death completely controlled by someone else.
No living creature would be willing to endure such a feeling.
Unfortunately, no matter how unwilling they were...
...events already seemed to be heading in the direction they feared.
"Are you alright? Where are the others?"
The newcomer flickered and appeared beside Yang Ziling and Yang Lin. Who else could it be but Yang Xiao?
"Big Bro, you finally made it! If you'd come any later, you might not have seen your little brother again. Oh, right, and sister-in-law too."
Yang Lin had a roguish look on his face. Despite being heavily injured and his aura faint, he still dared to joke with Yang Xiao.
That last sentence, in particular, made Yang Ziling, who had been looking at Yang Xiao with an expectant expression, blush and immediately lower her head.
She was overcome with shyness.
Seeing Yang Ziling's reaction, Yang Xiao was also slightly taken aback.
The scene of him helping her with the antidote surfaced in his mind, and the atmosphere instantly became a little awkward.
But he quickly snapped out of it.
He glanced at the surrounding Barbaric Beasts and snorted coldly. "Are these the ones who were hunting you?"
"Yeah, that's them. I don't know what happened. Those Barbaric Beasts didn't dare enter the Inheritance Valley we were in before, but about an hour ago, they suddenly could. More importantly, to save us, Senior Brother Yang Tian used a Secret Skill and passed out..."
Yang Lin then recounted all the events of the past half-day.
One hour on the 1st Layer was equivalent to about four days on the third layer.
That was precisely why Yang Xiao was able to arrive in time.
Otherwise, Yang Lin and the others would have died long ago.
"But Big Bro, there's something I don't get. Why did these Barbaric Beasts come out to kill us?"
Yang Lin wore a puzzled expression.
Yang Xiao, however, gave a cold smile. "Whatever the reason, since they made a move, they must die. And as it happens, there's a big one here that possesses a considerable Qilin Bloodline. Once I refine it into Qilin True Blood and merge it into your body, your strength will likely soar once again."
The moment his voice fell, without any visible action from Yang Xiao,
all the Barbaric Beasts prostrated on the ground, subdued by his aura, began to spontaneously explode and die. One by one, the fearsome beasts that had threatened the lives of Yang Lin and the others.
Whether Tier Four, Tier Five, or even those three extremely powerful Barbaric Beast Kings, all of them were reduced to a mist of blood in that instant.
They were utterly powerless to resist.
This ability left Yang Lin completely stunned.
He cried out in amazement, "Big Bro, that move was so damn cool! I want to learn it! Quick, teach me!"
Yang Xiao glanced at him and shook his head. "You can't learn this move. It's a privilege that comes with being the master of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion..."
As he said this, he couldn't help but fall into a slight daze.
Because Yang Xiao was recalling the moment he became the Lord of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.
He also thought of the mission he now shouldered as the Sword Mansion's master.
His mood couldn't help but turn heavy.
"What's wrong?"
Yang Lin couldn't help but ask.
Yang Xiao didn't answer, just shaking his head. 'Should I tell them?' he thought. 'That I had to become the Mansion Lord to save them, and in doing so, I had to agree to a request left behind by the Northern Wilderness Divine King?'
'Even if I told them, it would be useless. It would only give them something new to worry about.'
So, Yang Xiao decided against saying anything. Instead, he made a grasping motion toward the empty air.
Immediately, clouds of blood mist surged toward his palm. This crimson mist was all that remained of the exploded Red Blood Hounds.
The largest cloud of mist was still Spiritual. Within it, one could faintly see a terrifying, mastiff-like giant beast.
It was the king of the Red Blood Hounds.
"Mansion Lord! Mansion Lord! I beg you, spare me! As long as you spare me, I'll do anything you ask..."
At this moment, the Red Blood Hound King showed no trace of its previous confidence, the look of someone with everything under control. Now just a soul of Blood Qi, it knew with absolute clarity that the young man before it was the new Lord of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.
Otherwise, how could he have made them all explode with a single thought?
"You reap what you sow. If I'm not mistaken, you were alerted the moment I first entered this Sword Mansion, weren't you? Those four Red Blood Hounds that appeared in the valley of the First-Layer Inheritance Tower were your way of testing me, right?"
Having become the master of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion, Yang Xiao had begun to gain a clearer understanding of its rules.
While Tier Four Barbaric Beasts weren't intelligent, and the suppressive aura of the Inheritance Valley had little effect on them, would they really dare to set foot in a place that even stronger Tier Five Barbaric Beasts and Tier Six Barbaric Beast Kings avoided?
If a powerful expert wasn't driving them from behind, they definitely wouldn't have entered.
Therefore, the moment Yang Xiao saw the Red Blood Hound's Beast King, he immediately suspected it.
"I... I..."
The Red Blood Hound's Beast King clearly hadn't expected Yang Xiao to see through to its deepest secret.
For a moment, it was rendered speechless.
Seeing its reaction, Yang Xiao instantly knew he had guessed correctly.
At the same time, a question arose in his mind.
'What was this thing plotting?'
He glanced inadvertently at Yang Lin and suddenly understood.
'This thing probably sensed the aura of the Qilin True Body on me, which is why it tested me. And its subsequent move against Yang Lin was likely for the same reason.'
Realizing this, Yang Xiao knew he absolutely could not let this thing live.
Besides, he had never intended to spare it in the first place.
So, while the Red Blood Hound Beast King was still hesitating over whether to reveal its greatest secret, Yang Xiao acted. With a casual pinch,
its remaining Spirit dissipated into nothingness.
Finally, its Essence Blood merged with that of the other Red Blood Hounds. Yang Xiao refined it all into Qilin Treasure Blood and infused it into Yang Lin's body.
With this infusion,
Yang Lin, who had been on the verge of death, recovered in an instant. Not only that, but his aura surged, rising directly from the level of a Peak of Tier Five Middle Grade Barbaric Beast to the Peak of Tier Five Upper-Grade. And it didn't stop there.
He broke straight through the Peak of Tier Five Upper-Grade, becoming a Tier Six Low Grade Barbaric Beast King.
His strength had increased by more than a hundredfold.
This transformation left Yang Lin utterly ecstatic.
He stared at Yang Xiao, speechless.
After a long while, he finally managed to choke out, "Big Bro, that felt amazing! Can we do that a few more times?"
'Damn this guy.'
Yang Xiao was speechless.
Ignoring him, he turned his gaze toward Yang Ziling.