Volume Six: Stealing Is Robbing - Chapter Three: The Rampage of the Spirit Beasts (Part One)

Exclamations erupted from all around. Someone even shouted, "My God, a Martial Venerable!"

As the pinnacle of human existence today, a Martial Venerable was not only a source of shock for commoners; even Kuang Chi, Jing'er, and Duke Yelu were astonished when they saw one appear in the flesh.

All eyes were fixed on the Martial Venerable, who drifted silently in mid-air, as if completely liberated from the pull of gravity.

The Martial Venerable’s gaze swept across the crowd below like a tangible force. Even Kuang Chi, hiding inside the airship, did not escape his notice; that gaze seemed to pierce through the hull, lingering on him for a moment like the sting of a needle. Finally, the figure shifted his focus toward the gathered members of Tyrannosaurus Peak.

The men of Tyrannosaurus Peak, however, cared little for the status of a Martial Venerable. On the Forgotten Planet, monsters capable of defying gravity and floating in mid-air were everywhere. To them, such a character was nothing to be surprised by. Nevertheless, both sides in the square came to a halt.

The moment the Martial Venerable appeared, the hundred-plus Tyrannosaurus Peak warriors had instantly bunched together. With flashes of white light, they had completed their fusion with their respective Divine Martial Beasts. Then, with a flicker of red light in their hands, everyone brandished long, heavy battle sabers.

The entire square fell into a sudden, heavy silence as the Tyrannosaurus Peak warriors stared up at the Martial Venerable, the two sides standing in a tense standoff.

After a long while, Duke Yelu, still inside the airship, was the first to speak: "Strong. I have to admire these guys from Tyrannosaurus Peak for this. The combat intent forged by the monsters on the Forgotten Planet is far superior to that of today's so-called top experts. Facing a Martial Venerable’s mental pressure, even those at the peak would never be as composed as they are."

Just then, the Martial Venerable in mid-air frowned slightly and looked down at the group, asking, "What is your origin?"

After speaking, his gaze darted once more toward the airship where Kuang Chi and the others were located.

From within the Tyrannosaurus Peak group, A-San’s boisterous voice rang out: "Our origins are none of your business. What about yours?"

The man, hearing this, laughed in a fit of rage. "Impudent brat! Call out whoever is in charge. I want to see who has the audacity to run wild on Green Leaf Planet."

Though his words were directed at A-San and his companions, his eyes were locked on Kuang Chi’s airship.

Duke Yelu gave a bitter smile and said, "He has sensed me. A Martial Venerable is truly a Martial Venerable." With that, he pushed open the airship door and stepped out. Kuang Chi and Jing'er exchanged glances and followed him.

The three walked slowly into the square. When they reached the center, Duke Yelu looked around and bowed toward the Martial Venerable in the sky. "Martial Venerable Red Flame, I trust you have been well."

The man addressed as Martial Venerable Red Flame let out an angry huff. "Duke Yelu. It was said that you went missing in a starburst over a decade ago. I never expected to encounter you here. What is the origin of these mutants? I hope you can give me a precise answer, Duke." His tone was that of a superior reprimanding a subordinate, causing Duke Yelu’s expression to turn cold.

He paused, then added, "Otherwise, do not blame me for disregarding the reputation of your Yelu family."

Duke Yelu looked back at Kuang Chi, who remained calm, then at the excited Jing'er. He turned back to the Martial Venerable and smiled. "Although they have some friendship with me, they have nothing to do with the Yelu family. Martial Venerable Red Flame, if you are dissatisfied with them, feel free to disregard my family's face."

With that, he walked over to Jing'er and pulled her aside, leaving only Kuang Chi standing alone in the center of the field. By now, even a fool could see that Kuang Chi was the one in charge.

Martial Venerable Red Flame’s gaze settled on Kuang Chi. The two stared at each other.

Although Kuang Chi’s Starry Sky Formula had remained at the third level for over a decade due to his focus on the Tyrant Moon Body Refining Technique, his mental strength had grown increasingly profound. While he was far from a match for a Martial Venerable, he was more than capable of holding his own under such pressure.

After a long time, the Martial Venerable spoke first: "Who are you?"

Kuang Chi smiled cheerfully. "Who I am is not important. What matters is how this matter should be resolved."

Red Flame was a seasoned veteran. He looked at Kuang Chi, then at the Tyrannosaurus Peak men, and finally at the crowd surrounding the square. "Call your elders out. A child like you cannot make decisions in a matter like this."

Kuang Chi did not know whether to be angry or amused, but he stood there and laughed. In truth, the man was not wrong; to the humans of this era, and especially to someone like Red Flame, Kuang Chi—at thirty-something—was indeed a child.

Just then, A-San, with the "Howl of the Azure Dragon" hanging at his waist, trotted up to Kuang Chi, deactivated his fusion, and bowed.

Kuang Chi frowned at the sight of A-San. Ignoring the arrogant Martial Venerable, he asked, "A-San, what is going on here? I heard you beat up the people from Giant Axe Security for some kind of pet?"

A-San hurriedly pulled a small, fleshy creature from his jacket and held it out in his cupped palms toward Kuang Chi.

The creature was only about the size of a fist, its eyes still closed, its body covered in a layer of white down. Kuang Chi couldn't identify the species, so he looked at A-San for an explanation.

The members of the Giant Axe Security team began to clamor, many cursing loudly from within the crowd.

A-San ignored them. He crouched beside Kuang Chi and whispered, "Young Master, this is no ordinary beast. If the records I saw in the library of Nianzu Peak the other day are correct, this should be a Spirit Beast."

He pointed to the top of the creature's head, where Kuang Chi could see a tiny, silver-white horn just beginning to emerge.

A-San continued, "Miss Jing'er has been pestering you for a pet for so long. This Spirit Beast, even though it hasn't opened its eyes yet, would be the perfect gift for her."

For years, Jing'er had never given up on her efforts to get the Nine-Headed Turtle egg from Kuang Chi. Though their conversations were often cryptic, A-San, who was responsible for Kuang Chi's safety, had heard them more than once and taken it to heart.

At this moment, the Martial Venerable in the sky spoke again: "Young man, this Spirit Beast was purchased by a client of our company. Please return it to us safely."

Kuang Chi didn't actually know what a Spirit Beast was. Having been busy with cultivation for years, he was ignorant of many things. But he knew that if a Martial Venerable cared about it, it must be valuable. He snatched it from A-San’s hands.

The roughness of the movement made the Martial Venerable’s eyes twitch.

Jing'er cried out and ran to Kuang Chi's side. Before Kuang Chi could even get a good look at the creature, she snatched it away, hugging it to her chest with a pained expression. After carefully inspecting the little thing, she glared at Kuang Chi. "Is that any way to treat a Spirit Beast? Look, it hasn't even opened its eyes yet! How could you be so cruel? What if you hurt it?"

The Martial Venerable, being ignored once more, grew impatient. "Young man, return the Spirit Beast and call your elders, or don't blame me for bullying the young." He shot a fierce glare at Duke Yelu, who was jogging over.

Duke Yelu reached Jing'er, inspected the creature in her arms for a moment, and pulled her aside.

Only then did Kuang Chi look up at the Martial Venerable. "Your Excellency, my elders are not here. You can tell me whatever you need to say. I make my own decisions." He glanced at Jing'er, who was standing nearby.

Martial Venerable Red Flame’s temper flared at Kuang Chi's demeanor. "Then I will capture you first. I’m sure your elders will come to claim you then."

He reached out and lunged toward Kuang Chi.

However, in his rage, he had clearly forgotten about the hundred-plus human tyrannosaurs of Tyrannosaurus Peak.

Seeing the man strike at their Young Master, the warriors of Tyrannosaurus Peak didn't hesitate. A hundred of them simultaneously unfurled the wings on their backs and descended upon the Martial Venerable. The sheer momentum was such that even a War God could not have ignored it.

Seeing the Tyrannosaurus Peak side move, the Giant Axe Security team roared and charged as well. A-San immediately fused, scooped up Kuang Chi, and dashed toward the edge of the square.

Before Kuang Chi could even react, the square erupted into a chaotic brawl.

This time was different—a Martial Venerable was in the mix. The hundred-plus Tyrannosaurus Peak warriors gripped their long battle sabers. Though they were outnumbered and lacked a Martial Venerable-level fighter, they fought to a stalemate. The combat experience the Tyrannosaurus Peak men had gained over tens of thousands of years on a planet like the Forgotten Planet was far beyond what ordinary humans could comprehend.

Though the hundred warriors seemed to be scattered into small groups of three or five, they moved in perfect unison, like a single, cohesive entity. Even a Martial Venerable could not gain an advantage against such a formation.