Reborn as a lotus, she initially refuses to hand it over to the state.

Black Tiger King's voice was very low.

Even as its massive body lay prone on the lake shore, the surrounding beasts still involuntarily held their breath.

The black tiger guards behind it were all fierce-looking.

There is a giant wolf with hair as black as ink.

An armored wild boar with protruding tusks.

There are also shadow leopards lurking in the shadows of the forest, almost blending into the darkness.

These strange beasts were few in number, but they were all elites that the Black Tiger King had gathered and selected one by one from the abandoned cities and desolate forests in southern Lingnan.

They exuded a strong murderous aura.

But not a single one dared to cross the root boundary at the edge of Black Dragon Lake.

Black Tiger King lowered his head.

"With the master opening the Myriad Beasts Platform, the Black Tiger dares not be late."

Chu Zhou looked at the dark red scar on its back.

The wound did indeed retain a trace of cold, eerie energy; it wasn't that the Black Tiger King had been corrupted.

Instead, it is a more bizarre, grayish-white psionic energy.

The strange rock shimmered with crimson patterns: "It smells like a Soul Devourer."

Chu Zhoulianye swayed gently: "Something happened in the abandoned southern city?"

The Black Tiger King raised his head: "Seven days ago, three fifth-tier exotic beasts went missing on the outskirts of Black Tiger Ridge. My subordinates led the Black Tiger Guards into the ruined city and discovered a group of humans setting up an array underground."

"They have gray-white circular marks on their bodies and are holding petrified spirit cores, trying to extract the spiritual veins beneath the ruined city."

The area around the center of the lake immediately fell silent.

Bai Shanjun let out a low growl.

The herd of beasts behind it, including those from White Tiger Ridge, all showed signs of alertness.

Black Tiger King continued, "My subordinates killed thirteen people, and the rest escaped into the subway tunnel. That wound was left by one of them when he detonated the gray-white rune before he died."

"Your subordinates are incompetent; they failed to leave any survivors."

Chu Zhou did not blame it.

Cassian fled, severely wounded, and the Ash Court crumbled.

Those remnants who were controlled by the Soul Devouring Ring will not disappear with the collapse of the Holy Court.

They didn't dare to provoke the European countries again, nor did they dare to confront Chu Zhou directly.

So they turned their attention to the outskirts of Lingnan.

"You did a great job."

The roots of the Chu boat stirred slightly.

A wisp of blue-silver lotus light fell onto the back of the Black Tiger King.

Within that dark red wound, grayish-white psionic energy twisted wildly.

In the dim light, it transformed into the phantom image of a broken ring.

The Black Tiger King tensed his limbs and let out a low, muffled roar.

A moment later, the gray-white ring was completely purified by the lotus light, turning into specks of ashes.

The wounds on the Black Tiger King's back have healed.

It sensed the lingering, chilling power in its wound disappear, and a hint of excitement surfaced in its enormous tiger eyes.

"Thank you, Master." Chu Zhou said, "The ruined city is temporarily sealed off. Black Tiger King, you lead the Black Tiger Guard to continue patrolling the southern wilderness. If you find any remnants of the Soul Devourers, show no mercy."

The Black Tiger King lowered his head and said, "Your subordinate obeys."

Lord Baishan looked at King Heihu and said in a low voice, "If there is any unusual activity in the abandoned southern city, Baihu Ridge can send troops."

The Black Tiger King glanced at it and said, "Guard your northern ridge well. The south is the place I guard for my master."

Bai Shanjun's tiger-like eyes narrowed: "What if you can't hold it?"

The Black Tiger King grinned, revealing its gleaming white fangs: "That's none of your business to guard it."

The two tiger kings stared at each other across the lake shore.

One black and one white.

The tiger's fierce aura and murderous intent collided in mid-air, making it difficult for nearby beasts to even breathe.

Little Jinbao huddled on Chu Zhou's lotus leaf, muttering to himself, "These two big guys are having another competition to see who's stronger."

Chu Zhou's lotus leaves swayed gently: "The White Mountain Lord guards the Northern Ridge, and the Black Tiger King patrols the Southern Wilderness. I will see who guards it better."

Both tiger kings lowered their heads at the same time.

"I will obey my master's orders."

……

Above Heilong Lake.

The clouds dispersed, revealing the black-gold imperial seal suspended in the sky. Nine floating islands encircled the center of the lake, while strange beasts from all directions lay prostrate among the mountains, forests, waterside, and cliffs.

The nine lotus leaves of Chuzhou unfolded, their bluish-silver light illuminating the entire Black Dragon Lake.

"Today, I am opening the Myriad Beasts Dao Platform not to teach you the methods of slaughter, nor to teach you to devour spiritual cores and flesh. What I want to teach you is a path that will not be swallowed by the Black Tide."

Many strange beasts raised their heads.

They can't understand overly complicated principles.

However, they could understand that the Lord of the Azure Lotus before them did not intend to strip them of their power.

Instead, we should teach them how not to be devoured by power.

The roots of the Chu boat penetrated into the lake bottom.

The Zhenyuan Emperor's Seal rotates.

In Black Dragon Lake, countless cyan and silver spiritual mists rose up, transforming into a spiritual tide that enveloped the mountains.

"When spiritual energy enters the body, the worst thing you can do is be greedy. Swallowing a spiritual core may make you stronger, but it will also increase your distracting thoughts."

"Eating a strange beast not only yields its flesh and blood but also its ferocity. What the Black Tide loves most are fools like you who only know how to devour and never know how to restrain yourselves."

Chu Zhou's voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to strike deep into the souls of the beasts.

Black Tiger King lowered his head.

It recalled the growing bloodlust it felt when the gray runes invaded its wounds.

Baishan Jun also closed his eyes.

The murderous aura that had accumulated within it over the years began to circulate slowly at this moment.

Chu Zhou continued, "The cultivation process for exotic beasts involves first refining the body, then the core, and finally the spirit."

"If the body is unstable, spiritual energy will tear flesh apart; if the core is unstable, the mind will be swallowed up by desire; if the spirit is unstable, the Black Tide can enter the heart with a single thought."

hum!

In Chu Zhoulian's heart, a wisp of azure silver essence rose up.

The source did not fall into the body of any of the alien beasts.

Instead, it transforms into countless tiny points of light, merging into the world of Heilong Lake.

[The Zhenyuan Breathing Technique has been deduced.]

[Applicable targets: Beasts not deeply corrupted by the Black Tide.]

[Effects: Stabilizes spirit, tempers body, and stabilizes core.]

The next moment, an extremely mysterious breathing rhythm spread in all directions along with the ripples on the lake.

Little Jinbao was the first to close his eyes.

Its golden feathers trembled slightly, and the wind and fire spiritual energy within its body, which had been somewhat restless, flowed along its wing bones and meridians.

Lord Baishan lay prostrate on the floating island.

Its breath was like thunder.

Strands of white-gold tiger energy dissipated from the fur and then sank back into the depths of the bones.

The Black Tiger King is entrenched on the lake shore.

Black psionic energy swirled around it.

The fierce aura hidden deep within his bones and blood began to subside little by little.

The lake python sank into the deep water.

The eagle on the cliff folded its wings.

The wolves, deer, and bears in the mountains and forests gradually quieted down.

The entire Black Dragon Mountain seemed to breathe in rhythm with Chu Zhou's breathing.

The strange stone watched this scene, its crimson patterns flashing continuously: "Lotus Demon, you really have a heart for this."

Chu Zhou said, "It's just a basic breathing technique."

Strange Stone sneered, "What do you know? In the old days, countless strange beasts slaughtered each other for a method that could stabilize their intelligence. If you spread this today, the karma of Black Dragon Lake will be huge."

Chu Zhou laughed and said, "Have I ever feared karma?"

The strange rock remained silent, then whispered, "You're the kind of guy who's least afraid of trouble."

……

One hour later.

The mist over Heilong Lake gradually dissipated.

Little Jinbao suddenly opened his eyes.

Its wings spread out, and streaks of crimson-gold patterns emerged from its golden feathers.

hum!

Little Jinbao flew into the sky.

Its silhouette transformed into a dazzling golden line, instantly sweeping across the top of Black Dragon Mountain.

Subsequently, it remotely locked onto a fifth-order black-feathered vulture hidden in the clouds hundreds of miles away.

A golden feather blade fell.

boom!

The black-feathered vulture screamed as it plummeted into the forest.

Little Jinbao excitedly flew back to the center of the lake.

"Master, this sparrow can see much farther now!"

[Little Jinbao, a member of the family, comprehends the Zhenyuan Breathing Technique.]

[Awakened Ability: Golden Feather Sky Patrol.]

[Golden Feather Sky Patrol: Capable of patrolling eight hundred miles of the sky, identifying black tides, spiritual veins, and hostile auras.]

Little Jinbao landed on the lotus leaf of Chuzhou and raised its head.

"From now on, Master, just say the word, and I guarantee I can see everything in Lingnan, from the heavens to the earth, clearly!"

Chu Zhou laughed and said, "Then the sky over Black Dragon Mountain is in your hands."

"Completion guaranteed!"

the other side.

The platinum tiger stripes on Baishanjun's body suddenly lit up.

It looked up at the sky and roared.

Roar!

The tiger's roar echoed throughout the northern mountains.

Dozens of tigers, wolves, and giant bears simultaneously crouched low, their life force converging under the influence of the tigers' roars.

Behind Baishanjun.

A phantom image of a white tiger appeared.

[Bai Shan Jun comprehends the Zhenyuan Breathing Technique.]

[Condense the White Tiger's Killing Seal.]

[White Tiger Killing Seal: Can unite the killing energy of a horde of beasts, transforming it into a White Tiger Killing Array to suppress the Black Tide beast horde.]

Bai Shanjun felt the more solidified power within his body and bowed his head to Chu Zhou.

"Lord Baishan, thank you, Master, for bestowing upon me the Dharma."

The Black Tiger King did not break through, but the black spiritual energy within its body became increasingly profound. It closed its eyes for a moment, and when it opened them again, a wisp of dark light appeared in its pupils.

The Black Tiger King looked down at his reflection in the lake, and the reflection stood up and transformed into a black tiger phantom that had shrunk several times over.

[The Black Tiger King comprehends the Zhenyuan Breathing Technique.]

[Awakened Ability: Shadow Patrol.]

[Shadow Patrol: Can detect lurking individuals, remnants of black tides, and anomalies in the earth's veins by using the shadows of mountains and forests.]

A hint of coldness appeared in the Black Tiger King's eyes.

It finally understood why Chu Zhou had made it continue to guard the abandoned southern city.

Those things hidden in the shadows.

From now on, there will be no escaping its patrol.

"Master, Black Tiger Ridge will not allow any remnants of the Soul Devouring Clan to approach Black Dragon Lake again."

……

Just now.

The Zhenyuan Emperor Seal suddenly emitted a low hum.

Chu Zhou lifted the lotus leaf.

Above the Imperial Seal, a beam of black and gold light shot out of Black Dragon Lake, passed through the Lingnan Mountains, and spread in all directions of the Dragon Kingdom.

Little Jinbao flapped its wings and flew to the clouds.

The golden stamen bee swarm responded from the direction of Changbai Mountain.

Countless golden pollen grains were scattered by the wind into the mountains and rivers.

Chu Zhou's voice traveled along the earth's veins and spiritual tides, reaching the minds of countless strange beasts.

"Any strange beast that is not tainted by the Black Tide, does not feed on humans, and does not destroy any key points in the mountains and rivers may come to the Azure Lotus Forbidden Zone and Black Dragon Lake to listen to the Dao. I will not ask about your origins, but only whether you are willing to protect this land."

boom!

At this moment, the Taibai Zhenyue Stele trembled within the Qinling Lingtao Valley.

The Blue-backed Ape King opened its eyes.

In the ice valley of Changbai Mountain, a giant bear crawls out from under the ice.

In the rainforests of southern Yunnan, the Green-Scaled Python King raises its head.

Deep in the mountains of Sichuan, a king of iron-backed bears put down the black tide beast he had just killed.

In the northeastern swamps, countless birds soared into the sky.

The beast kings slumbering throughout the Dragon Kingdom all sensed the call from Lingnan.

……

The next morning.

Northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains.

The Blue-backed Ape King stood outside Spirit Peach Valley.

Behind it, two adult mountain apes, carrying spirit peaches and ancestral spirit stones, waited quietly.

The elderly mountain ape emerged from the forest and growled softly.

The Blue-backed Ape King turned his head.

"I will go to Lingnan to repay the kindness of the Lord of Qinglian in protecting our ancestral lineage."

"Let's go see if the mountain and river path it speaks of can truly accommodate the strange beast."

After saying this, it led the two mountain apes southward.

……

At the same time.

Pixie monitoring stations across the Dragon Kingdom sounded piercing alarms one after another.

"The sixth-tier beast king of Qinling has left the core area!"

"A large herd of wild animals has migrated to the northern border of Changbai Mountain!"

"The King of the Green-scaled Pythons in the Yunnan Rainforest is moving eastward!"

"High-level exotic beasts have left their habitats in Sichuan, the Northeast, and the Kunlun Mountains!"

Four Nine Cities.

Ninth Bureau Headquarters.

Wang Jun stared at the constantly changing red dots on the screen, cold sweat beading on his forehead: "Old Zhou, the beast kings in various places have all made their moves, and their target is Lingnan."

The atmosphere in the meeting room was somber.

An elderly military officer said in a deep voice, "This is too large a scale. If it triggers a beast tide, the safe zones along the way could all be in trouble."

Zhou Zhenshan did not immediately order an interception.

He looked at the satellite images.

A pack of snow wolves heading south from Changbai Mountain stopped by the mountain road.

A convoy of supplies slowly drove by.

The escorts gripped their weapons tightly, while the ordinary people inside the vehicle turned pale with fright.

But the Snow Wolf King simply lay quietly by the roadside.

It only continued its journey with the wolf pack after the entire caravan had left.

In another scene.

At the foot of the Qinling Mountains, a black tide beast crawled out of a crack in the ground and pounced on the evacuating villagers.

The Blue-backed Ape King leaped down from the mountain forest.

boom!

The giant hand landed on the ground.

The Black Tide Beast didn't even have a chance to struggle before it was smashed into a bloody mist.

The Blue-backed Ape King did not turn around to look at the humans.

It simply led the mountain ape and continued its journey southward into the Lingnan region.

Zhou Zhenshan said, "It seems it's not a beast tide. The Lord of the Azure Lotus is giving a sermon; they're keeping their appointment."

Upon hearing that they were going to the appointment, Old Ye and Wang Jun's eyes lit up.

To be taught the Dao by an eighth-level expert is an incredible opportunity and an immense honor.

Although eighth-tier beings have also appeared among humans, for these martial artists, these are all opportunities.

Unfortunately, the Lord of the Azure Lotus is a mythical beast and does not belong to the human race.

Otherwise, people of all levels would have to go and listen to the teachings.

……

The day.

Live streaming platforms across the country were flooded with countless videos.

Herds of beasts traverse snow-capped mountains, giant pythons emerge from rainforests, spirit birds soar through seas of clouds, and mountain apes cross canyons.

They did not attack the city, nor did they breach the security zone.

Guided by the swarms of little golden bees and golden stamens, they even deliberately bypassed villages, farmland, and human transportation routes.

In the most popular video.

A truck driver was blocked in the middle of a mountain road by a herd of wild animals and was so frightened that he could not even hold the steering wheel.

Outside the car.

Hundreds of strange beasts emerged from the mountains and forests.

Giant wolves, mountain deer, black bears, and apes mingled together, and everyone thought the truck would be trampled into scrap metal.

Just then, a golden-feathered sparrow descended from the clouds and flew around the truck once.

A crisp sound came through the car window.

"Hurry up, don't block this sparrow from leading the guest!"

The next moment, the herd of beasts scattered to both sides.

A straight mountain road appeared in the middle, and the truck driver trembled as he stepped on the gas.

As the car passed through the herd of animals, a giant wolf lay quietly by the roadside, and a black bear even took a few steps back.

Less than half an hour after the video was released, the comments section exploded.

"Is this still a strange beast?"

"The Lord of the Azure Lotus is truly summoning all beasts!"

"They didn't attack humans, so what kind of conference is Black Dragon Lake going to hold?"

……

Bottom of Heilong Lake.

Chu Zhou watched as the auras converged from all directions, and the lotus leaves swayed gently.

After a long silence, the strange stone finally spoke: "Lotus Demon, the commotion you've caused this time is even greater than the one you slew of the Sea Dragon King."

Chu Zhou said, "I am not asking them to submit. I simply want this world to have more creatures that dare to fight the Black Tide to the death."

The strange stone's texture lit up: "What if they come, but refuse to follow the rules?"

Chu Zhou looked up at the Myriad Beasts Dao Platform above Black Dragon Lake, which was supported by roots, and said coldly, "Then let them understand that the Dao of Black Dragon Lake is not something anyone can hear."