622: The Demon Clan's Conspiracy

At this moment.

Nine Yao Mountain was in a state of utter mess after a brief battle. Two Immortal King level Yao Beasts had already perished there, and the remaining seven Immortal King Yao Beasts were all trembling slightly.

The Central Region was rich in immortal energy, making it perfectly normal for Yao Beasts to be born there.

Previously, they and the Nine Star Empire had stayed out of each other's way. In reality, it was a tacit cooperation with the Imperial Family, allowing Nine Yao Mountain to serve as a training ground for some Cultivators of the Nine Star Empire.

However, they had now completely returned to the embrace of the Yao Race, which meant the Imperial Family would come knocking sooner or later.

In front of the seven great Yao Kings sat a middle-aged man with a cold expression. The Evil Qi radiating from his body was almost tangible, reaching an extreme level of terror.

The Third Elder and Fifth Elder of the Nine Star Empire both looked at this person with solemn expressions.

Late Stage Immortal Lord!

Furthermore, judging by his Aura, he definitely belonged to a race with extremely noble Bloodline among the Yao Race. It was just hidden so deeply they couldn't identify it, but based on the Evil Qi on him, they could tell he was a Vicious Beast.

They just didn't know what kind of Vicious Beast he was.

The middle-aged man glanced at the seven fearful Yao Kings, a look of disdain flashing in his eyes.

Next, he looked up toward the sky, his face revealing a hint of mockery.

"Nine Star Empire, I didn't take the initiative to look for trouble with you, yet you actually dare come looking for trouble with us. You have quite the nerve."

A ferocious smile appeared on his face, completely devoid of any fear or worry. If one didn't know better, they would think the Third Elder and the others were at the Ten Thousand Yao Mountain of the Yao Domain, rather than within their own Nine Star Empire.

As far as he was concerned, the only forces in the entire Central Region that the Yao Race needed to be wary of were those possessing Immortal Venerable Cultivators. Forces only at the Immortal Lord level posed no real threat.

For instance, the two Immortal Lords before him—even if they joined forces, he wouldn't be afraid at all.

Even if he were no match, leaving would be incredibly simple.

The Third Elder was hardly likely to be afraid. He gave a cold snort, his eyes full of killing intent as he said, "Arrogant. Although my Nine Star Empire has no Immortal Venerable, killing you is as easy as turning over a hand."

"Is that so?"

The middle-aged man sneered, and the Aura within his body suddenly became incredibly terrifying. That Evil Qi almost condensed into substance as a terrifying phantom gradually emerged behind him.

Only then did the Third Elder realize what kind of Yao Beast this was.

A Taowu!

It was among the top tier of Vicious Beasts. Even within the Yao Race, its Bloodline was considered a terrifyingly high-ranking one.

The expressions of both men changed, but they quickly returned to normal. This was, after all, the territory of their Nine Star Empire; they couldn't possibly be defeated here no matter what.

"Seeking death!"

The Third Elder and Fifth Elder exchanged a glance and immediately charged toward the Taowu. Neither held back, unleashing sharp and peerless killing moves from the start.

As two Immortal Lord Cultivators, including one at the Late Stage, they might truly be no match for this pure-blooded Taowu Vicious Beast in a one-on-one fight, but together they would surely be able to win.

It would just come at a significant cost.

Seeing this, the Taowu felt a sneer in his heart.

Nine Yao Mountain was merely one link in their plan.

Did they really think the Yao Race intended to make a big deal out of these nine Yao Kings?

Immortal King level Yao Beasts were numerous within the Yao Race; they only began to grow scarce from the Immortal Lord level upwards. He had personally come to preside over Nine Yao Mountain specifically to draw the Nine Star Empire's attention.

This involved a grand scheme of the Yao Race.

With a ferocious smile on his face, the Taowu looked at the two of them, his blood-red eyes carrying a hint of irony.

If everything in the plan proceeded smoothly, the Nine Star Empire might cease to exist as a power on the Central Region Continent after today.

Foolish humans.

They were likely still being kept in the dark right now.

The Nine Star Empire had long been under the surveillance of their Yao Race. Many humans had already defected to them, and a few days ago, someone from the Imperial Family had also joined their side.

With the help of someone from the Imperial Family, their Yao Race was even more like a fish in water.

Thinking of this, the Taowu gave a cold laugh and then met the two head-on. Violent aftershocks of power exploded in the air, making the entire Nine Yao Mountain shake as countless Yao Beasts fled in all directions.

The Taowu was a standout among Vicious Beasts, with a Bloodline nearly identical to that of a Divine Beast. Or rather, he originally had a Divine Beast Bloodline, but because his sinister reputation was so great, he was specifically categorized as a Vicious Beast.

The Taowu's combat power was extraordinary, and his Physical Body was incredibly terrifying. Even fighting two against one, he showed no signs of defeat, merely being suppressed and at a disadvantage.

But anyone with a discerning eye could see that the Taowu was still acting with ease, not under too much pressure.

The Physical Bodies of the Yao Race were terrifying. Even when injured, they would recover to their original state in a mere instant, similar to Body Cultivators among humans. In fact, the Taowu's Physical Body was much more terrifying than that of many Body Cultivators.

"Hahaha, is this the strength of you human Cultivators?"

The Taowu's face was full of a playful smile as he looked toward the distant Void Realm. "How about the one in the shadows makes a move too? Otherwise, I find the two of you are really a bit insufficient."

As soon as these words were spoken, the Third Elder and Fifth Elder's brows furrowed instantly.

"Arrogant!"

A thunderous shout rang out, and a figure instantly broke through the air to strike at the Taowu. The terrifying pressure caused the Taowu's expression to turn serious. He hastily dodged to the side, but even so, he was still injured by that terrifying force.

Intense pain flooded his mind as one of his entire arms was torn off.

The Taowu's eyes were full of gloom.

Immortal Lord Perfection Realm!

The Nine Star Empire had actually sent out such a powerhouse.

The Taowu gave a cold laugh.

Immediately after, his Physical Body began to swell, eventually turning into a terrifying giant beast nearly three hundred zhang tall. This giant beast had blood-red eyes and a body like a tiger, yet it had a face very similar to a human's, which was quite chilling.

After the Taowu revealed his true form, his originally severed arm instantly grew back. His Aura also climbed back to its Peak, releasing a terrifying Aura several times more crazed than before.

However, the Taowu did not force the issue. After giving the Second Elder a cold look, he sneered:

"Human Cultivator, your opponent is not me."

He could manage a one-against-two, but he couldn't possibly be a match for one-against-three, especially when one of them was an Immortal Lord at Perfection.

As he spoke, the Second Elder's expression changed slightly. From the depths of Nine Yao Mountain, a phantom slowly walked out. The pressure on his body was extremely terrifying, even significantly stronger than the Taowu's.

This was also an Immortal Lord Perfection Yao Beast!

The Second Elder's expression turned ugly to the extreme.

Something was wrong!

They knew the Imperial Family was coming to destroy Nine Yao Mountain, so they had prepared in advance.

The Second Elder's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

Was the first war really about to start in the Nine Star Empire?

Since the Yao Race had been hiding all along, he didn't know just how many methods the Yao Beasts had concealed. If the news wasn't sent back to the Imperial Family in time, they might suffer a great loss.

However, just as he was preparing to send a message, he discovered that the surrounding space had already been sealed.

A calm voice rang out.

"Fellow Daoist, stop struggling!"

"Today... I'm afraid you won't be able to leave."

The newcomer wore a black robe and a mask on his face, clearly a human Cultivator...