“You—you can’t talk to me like that! Stop making a mess if you don’t understand! I’m a disciple of Beast-Taming Manor—I can’t possibly be wrong!” the pink-dressed girl protested tearfully.
The other three men, whether out of protectiveness, fear of offending the Beast-Taming Manor, or simply because they couldn’t tell what was going on, all sided against Junhua.
Junhua rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Fine! Go ahead and listen to her and march off to your deaths. Your auntie here won’t stop you.”
With that, she stormed out of the battle circle in anger—but this time, the Sunset Lizard seemed to have locked onto her. Its eyes, already blood-red, lunged toward the nearest target—Junhua.
Realizing she couldn’t escape the fight after all, Junhua’s expression changed. She swung her dark red whip, barely managing to block the first strike, but the flame mixed with demonic energy still grazed her hair, singeing it. She jumped up furiously.
“You little reptile! You dare burn my hair? I’ll kill you for that!”
Junhua snapped her whip, wrapping it tightly around the Sunset Lizard’s neck. Using the beast’s frenzied thrashing for momentum, she soared upward. Her strength was already at its limit; she barely scraped past the creature’s jagged, gaping maw, but with a fierce strike, she stabbed its eye and left her dagger buried there before leaping away.
Everyone was stunned by her sheer audacity.
“What are you all staring at? Waiting for this overgrown lizard to recover and invite you to dinner?!” Junhua shouted when she landed, seeing that the others were just standing there, not even thinking to follow up and finish the beast off. She was so angry she could cough up blood!
Only then did the three men react, driven by her momentum, charging forward to attack. As a result, the pink-dressed girl suddenly cried, “Don’t hurt its vital points, you mustn’t…ah!”
She screamed when a stray whip strike landed near her, likely from Junhua’s earlier attack against the beast.
But Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli saw clearly—it had been intentional.
“This Junhua woman fights well enough,” Mo Xuanli said, “but overall, she’s too weak. She won’t last much longer.”
Just as he spoke, the demonized Sunset Lizard let out a deafening roar, flames pouring from the sky like rain.
Even Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli, standing in the trees, were caught in the blast.
Mo Xuanli instantly moved closer to Gu Baiqing, raising God Nine Transformations, which transformed into an umbrella to shield them from the fire.
The people below weren’t as lucky. While the divine artifact could block the flames, the rest were repeatedly scorched and injured.
The Sunset Lizard seized the moment for another assault, sending the entire team sprawling to the ground, desperately dodging flames.
Panicked, the pink-dressed girl sent up a distress signal into the sky, but this area was desolate. By the time help arrived, they’d all be dead.
Mo Xuanli released the umbrella and leapt into the fray. The divine weapon hovered in place, continuing to protect Gu Baiqing from stray flames.
Like a dragon, Mo Xuanli darted through the rain of fire, his movements fluid and unscathed.
Those below saw a flash of white streak past—then a figure descended like a bolt of light, slamming the massive Sunset Lizard hard into the ground.
When the dust settled and the flames receded, everyone finally saw the young man standing atop the beast.
Dressed in white, elegant and refined, he stood straight as a pine, handsome beyond compare. His sharp eyes seemed to read every move of the lizard below. With a slight tilt of his head, he dodged an attack—causing the lizard’s tail, in its fury, to whip itself instead.
Something glimmered in the air—
Before anyone could see clearly, a light flashed, and a bow appeared in his hand.
As he descended with the wind, he drew and released in one motion. The spirit arrow, infused with both wind and fire energy, whistled toward the beast.
“Don’t use fire! Fire won’t work on the Sunset Lizard!” the pink girl cried.
But the young man ignored her. The Sunset Lizard, enraged by the challenge, flared with greater flames, heat forcing everyone back—
Yet the dark-red fire on the arrow didn’t merge with the beast’s blaze; it remained distinct. The lizard never expected that fire to resist its own. Before it could react, the arrow struck home.
A terrible roar echoed—the dark-red flames expanded like a dragon, piercing straight through the lizard’s body.
The demonized beast didn’t die instantly, but collapsed, nearly lifeless, the wound still burning with those crimson flames.
Everyone stared, stunned.
Gu Baiqing, watching the others gape at his disciple, couldn’t help feeling smug. Now that’s how a male lead should make an entrance—flashy enough to make their scalps tingle.
He fully expected the usual chorus of praise to follow.
Sure enough, the pink-dressed girl hurried forward first, exclaiming, “Daoist friend, you’re incredible! Thank you for saving us—without you, we would’ve died! May I ask your name?” Then, shyly, she added, “I’m Yu Qing, a direct disciple of the Beast-Taming Manor.”
“No need,” Mo Xuanli said curtly, stepping past her. “Move aside.”
He had no time for her flattery. To eliminate future danger, he intended to finish off the lizard immediately.
Before their eyes, a sword materialized in his hand—a silver blade bound with a red cord.
Yu Qing, being ignored, flushed with embarrassment. But when she saw him walking toward the wounded lizard, she hurried after him anxiously.
Her teammates followed suit.
“Daoist friend, we were the ones who found this Sunset Lizard first. Though you saved us, we also worked hard for this. Could we perhaps… discuss this?”
Apparently, they thought he meant to steal their prey.
“Daoist friend, I actually need a fire-type contracted beast. This Sunset Lizard suits me perfectly. I understand that since you defeated it, it’s rightfully yours, but you’re already in the Golden Core stage—you can surely find a better one. Could you let me have it? I can offer something in exchange,” Yu Qing said softly, her eyes shimmering like water.
It was the sort of look that accused refusal as cruelty.
“That’s right,” one of the men added. “It’s most suitable for Yu Qing. Whether you want to sell it or make it a pet, it’d be better to give the Beast-Taming Manor a favor.”
Mo Xuanli frowned slightly at the people blocking his way.
Gu Baiqing’s teeth ached just watching. What a way to ask for help—first flattery, then pressure with their sect’s name.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake—you’re not actually trying to snatch it from him, are you? He didn’t even ask you for thanks, and that Sunset Lizard’s not worth much anymore,” Junhua said, stepping forward with a smirk, her gaze raking over Mo Xuanli with interest.
“How can it be ‘not worth much’? We’re just discussing,” Yu Qing protested anxiously—she truly needed the lizard to complete her sect’s assessment.
Junhua chuckled. “Handsome one,” she said directly to Mo Xuanli, “you must be thinking you should’ve waited a bit longer to act, huh? If we’d all died, no one would be here now to negotiate with you.”
Gu Baiqing was stunned by that “pretty boy” remark — truly, that was Junhua for you.
Mo Xuanli, on the other hand, showed no reaction at all.
The others, however, were all angered and embarrassed by Junhua’s mocking tone.
One of the men stepped forward and said, “Junhua, don’t forget — our mission is to help Miss Yu Qing capture the Sunset Lizard. Only then can we enter Beast Taming Manor for training. What good does it do for you to go against us like this? Do you not want to get into the manor anymore?”
Junhua’s eyebrows twitched, and she gave them a look full of disbelief, as if too exasperated to even speak. Finally, she patted Mo Xuanli on the shoulder and said, “Do what you need to do.”
The group was just about to speak when they saw Mo Xuanli lift his sword and strike directly at the Sunset Lizard’s vital point — clearly unwilling to waste any more time on pointless chatter.
Yu Qing cried out in alarm, “Don’t!”
But it was already too late. The Sunset Lizard convulsed once — and then lay still. It was completely dead, no chance of becoming a contracted beast now.
Everyone was still shocked and furious when suddenly a blaze erupted from the creature’s wound. They all hastily backed away. By the time they came to their senses, there was no trace of the Sunset Lizard left — only ashes, the fire having consumed it completely.
The group turned to stare at Mo Xuanli in astonishment.
So he hadn’t been trying to form a contract… nor to hunt it for trade.
Then…
“What exactly are you doing?” Yu Qing demanded, eyes wide.
This time, Mo Xuanli finally spoke — though it sounded more like he was talking to himself. “You’re really from Beast Taming Manor?”
Yu Qing froze.
Junhua, meanwhile, burst out laughing. “I was wondering the same thing! Yu Qing, you and your father are really from Beast Taming Manor? You’re not lying to us, are you? Forget that the others might not know — but you, of all people, should! A demonized beast can’t be used! You actually planned to bring back something tainted with demonic energy? Were you hoping to get everyone else corrupted too?”
Yu Qing’s face went pale, then darkened to a deep shade of blue as realization struck her. “I… I…”
“She’s right!”
A sudden voice cut in from afar, followed by the sound of footsteps. Dozens of people appeared before them.
At their head was an elderly man.
“Third Grandfather…” Yu Qing hurried forward to greet him.
The Third Elder reached out to pat her head. “They’re right to scold you. The demon race has begun to stir again — we should all be extra cautious. How could you make such a mistake?”
“I… I thought the Sunset Lizard hadn’t fully fallen to corruption yet. I was wrong.” Yu Qing bowed her head meekly and apologized to the group.
The three men quickly waved their hands, saying it was fine. Junhua merely clicked her tongue, put away her whip, and began fixing her hair — a few strands had been singed by the fire, and she was heartbroken over it.
As for Mo Xuanli…
The Third Elder’s gaze immediately locked on him — he was, after all, the strongest among them. The lizard’s death cry and the pillar of flame had been visible even from afar.
Yu Qing softly said, “Third Grandfather, just now we were attacked by a demonized Sunset Lizard and nearly met with disaster. Fortunately, this Daoist friend came to our aid. But we still don’t know his name.”
The Third Elder narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly, motioning for Yu Qing to bring him over. A young talent like this — with such bearing and composure — was precisely the kind of person Beast Taming Manor wanted to recruit. Naturally, he was inclined to be welcoming.
Yu Qing was about to step forward and speak, but before she could, Mo Xuanli simply turned away and started walking in another direction.
Everyone was stunned. Was he seriously that clueless? This was the perfect time to make a good impression — to introduce himself and build a connection. Instead, he was acting like he didn’t even see them! Yu Qing aside, that old man was the Third Elder of Beast Taming Manor — on their very own territory! Even if Mo Xuanli was an exceptional young cultivator in the Golden Core stage, wasn’t this arrogance a bit much?
Couldn’t he see the Third Elder’s face darkening already?
Yu Qing, being ignored again and again, felt her face burn with embarrassment. She was used to being well liked — even if she wasn’t as dazzlingly beautiful as Junhua, her gentle manner and soft temper made her quite popular with men. Usually, any man who saw her would at least greet her politely. But this Mo Xuanli was acting as though he were blind.
Gu Baiqing, watching all this unfold with amusement, noticed his disciple completely ignoring the crowd and instead walking over to the tree where he was perched. Mo Xuanli looked up at him with a questioning expression.
…What was this? Finishing a fight only to immediately look for his mother— no, wait, like a dog fetching a frisbee and coming back to its master— no, that wasn’t right either…
Under Mo Xuanli’s intent gaze, Gu Baiqing inevitably drew everyone else’s attention. Only then did they realize — there was actually someone up there! How had they missed that before? Wait a minute — this person didn’t seem to have any spiritual power at all! And when he jumped down from the tree, it was just like an ordinary mortal’s jump.
Even more astonishing — the Golden Core cultivator who had just slain the Sunset Lizard had taken a ready stance to catch him, as though to ensure his safety.
“Brother, are you hurt anywhere?”
Gu Baiqing, of course, didn’t need Mo Xuanli to catch him. After landing, he heard the concern in Mo Xuanli’s voice and suddenly recalled feeling a wave of heat earlier during their battle — though it had only brushed him from afar. So Mo Xuanli had noticed that in the middle of fighting?
“I’m fine,” Gu Baiqing said. “Go and pay your respects. Don’t be rude.”
Mo Xuanli obediently nodded. In truth, he had always known proper manners — no matter who the other person was, he would never neglect courtesy.
But — no courtesy mattered more than his Master.
He had to make sure his master was unharmed before caring about anything else.
However, by the time they returned, the Third Elder turned his back and left with his people — right in front of them.
It was a deliberate snub.
“Third Grandfather…” Yu Qing said anxiously.
“Hmph. Arrogant fool! Given a chance and doesn’t know to take it — does he really think he’s something special? Our Beast Taming Manor doesn’t need someone like that. It’s not as if there’s a shortage of talented cultivators in the world.” The Third Elder’s cold voice rang out, clearly furious at the disrespectful young man who had refused to give him face.
Yu Qing hesitated, glancing a few times at Mo Xuanli. The young woman had long since developed a soft spot for such a handsome man — being ignored only made her heart stir even more. But she knew that Mo Xuanli had already offended her Third Grandfather, and that meant there was no chance for him here. She wanted to at least ask his name, but didn’t dare speak again. She could only follow after her Third Grandfather, looking back at Mo Xuanli every few steps.
The three other men all thought Mo Xuanli was an idiot. They cast mocking looks his way before hurrying to catch up with the Beast Taming Manor group.
“Should we still go and greet them?” Mo Xuanli asked.
Gu Baiqing gave a helpless sigh. “That’s not how it went in the original text… Forget it, just a small detour.”
At that moment, Junhua passed by them, speaking slowly: “Most cultivators who come here are begging Beast Taming Manor for help. You two have just managed to offend them. Reckless… but I like it. Two handsome men like you—what should I call you? I’m Junhua.”
Gu Baiqing immediately said, “I’m Mo Bai, and this is my younger brother, Mo Xuanli.”
Mo Xuanli froze for a second, nodded perfunctorily, then shot Gu Baiqing a sidelong glance.
Junhua seemed not to have heard of Mo Xuanli’s name. She only sighed in admiration. “As expected, brothers — both so good-looking. I’ll be off now; take care of yourselves. But here’s a bit of advice: you’d best leave the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts with the others. The Sunset Lizard’s dying cry will attract its kin — and when a swarm comes, not even high cultivation will save you.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Gu Baiqing said with a smile.
Junhua arched her brow and smiled back before walking away.
Gu Baiqing turned, about to speak to Mo Xuanli, only to find the latter looking at him with faint displeasure.
“What is it?” Gu Baiqing asked.
“Nothing.” Mo Xuanli turned his head slightly, his voice calm. Why had his master been so warm toward that Junhua woman, almost as if trying to make friends with her?
And that look Junhua had given his master — it was clearly the smug gaze of a woman thinking, ‘Look, another foolish man bewitched by my charm.’
That irritated Mo Xuanli deeply.
Meanwhile, Junhua’s brief exchange with them had also been seen by Yu Qing, who kept glancing back from ahead. Her heart tightened — a feeling like losing something. Unable to help herself, she said to the Third Elder, “I don’t think he’s truly rude. He was probably just taking care of his mortal brother, especially since it was dangerous earlier — and it’s true that he saved my life. That’s a great kindness.”
It was, admittedly, a reasonable explanation. The Third Elder looked at Yu Qing’s expression — the shy flicker of a girl’s budding feelings — and, after thinking for a moment, said, “Then we’ll see how he behaves later. If he shows respect and understanding, takes the initiative to apologize — and best of all, if he catches another Sunset Lizard as compensation for you — then this old man might consider allowing him into our Beast Taming Manor.”
“Really?” Yu Qing’s eyes lit up. “Then I’ll tell him later! You’ll really agree, Third Grandfather?”
“Mm. To know one’s mistake and correct it — that’s no small virtue. I am not some petty, rigid old man.” The Third Elder lifted his chin proudly.
Yu Qing immediately looked back toward Mo Xuanli, who happened to glance away from his brother just then. She smiled and waved at him, signaling for him to come along.
She thought that once they reached the forest’s edge and were safe, she’d tell him the good news — that she had pleaded for him and won him such a great opportunity. Surely that cold, socially clueless man would be deeply grateful then. The thought made Yu Qing’s cheeks grow warm.
But Mo Xuanli, walking behind, was distracted and didn’t even notice her gesture.
Gu Baiqing, however, did. He glanced at his disciple — sunlight filtering through the branches above cast mottled shadows across Mo Xuanli’s form, mingling with the faint, restrained light that seemed to radiate from him. The danger around them felt muted in his presence, like a beautiful painting of a man strolling through a forest — something you’d be loath to disturb for fear of ruining the scene.
His disciple truly did have an aura about him. Even when he showed no interest in others, they were still drawn to him.
The group quickened their pace and soon reached the edge of the Forest of Ten Thousand Beasts. Occasionally, they encountered cultivators entering the forest. Regardless of sect or affiliation, when those people saw the Beast Taming Manor’s emblem on the Third Elder’s party, they all bowed respectfully and waited until the group had passed before continuing on.
It seemed Beast Taming Manor’s prestige here was formidable indeed. No wonder they’d been so angry about Mo Xuanli’s earlier conduct.
At last, they reached the exit. Just as Gong Zixing had said, Beast Taming Manor had built a gate-like checkpoint here, guarded and meticulously recorded. Those entering registered their names, paid spirit stones, and received a token. Those leaving had to register again and return the token.
The Third Elder’s group, of course, walked straight through the center.
The three men who had traveled with Yu Qing, along with Junhua, all lined up obediently to exit. Even Junhua — with her bold temperament — was queuing quietly, which showed how routine this had become.
Gu Baiqing and Mo Xuanli naturally didn’t bother lining up; they walked straight toward the center gate. After all, they didn’t have any tokens to return, and surely it wasn’t mandatory.
But halfway through, a sharp voice suddenly shouted, “Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Who said you could go through the middle? Get in line and find your names in the log! New here? Don’t you know the rules?”
The shout came from a Beast Taming Manor disciple guarding the gate — his cultivation barely at the Foundation Establishment stage — yet he dared to yell at a Golden Core cultivator like Mo Xuanli. Bold, indeed.
Few ever dared walk through the center like that, so the moment they were called out, the two instantly became the focus of everyone’s attention.
