Above the Black Dragon Sect, several cultivators dressed in Imperial Beast Sect robes walked leisurely through the air, slowly approaching.

Their manner was relaxed, seemingly not taking the Black Dragon Sect's warning bell seriously at all, as if the entire Black Dragon Sect was merely their backyard where they could come and go as they pleased.

A cultivator named Chang Fen turned to the elder beside him and asked, "Elder Hu, do you think... those people from the Black Dragon Sect will agree?"

Elder Hu chuckled softly, his tone confident, "Hehehe, naturally they will."

"The Black Dragon Sect isn't stupid. They're clear about the consequences of being enemies with our Imperial Beast Sect. This time, we're giving them a way out. This face-saving gesture, they won't refuse."

Chen Yunxi, the handsome cultivator beside them, also curved his lips up, his tone contemptuous.

"The Black Dragon Sect Master only has Immortal realm cultivation. He only dares to be so tough because he relies on the sect-protecting formation. Does he really think we don't dare wage war against the Black Dragon Sect? That Hundun beast, we're determined to obtain!"

Hu Gu waved his hand slightly, his expression composed, "No need to rush. The Black Dragon Sect isn't some soft persimmon either. Once war breaks out, casualties are inevitable. We have many methods, no need to rush."

Before his words had finished, his gaze had already turned toward the distance, his tone relaxed, "Look, aren't they coming to greet us now?"

As his words fell, Black Dragon Sect Master Luo Jie had already led several elders flying forward, blocking Hu Gu's group.

Luo Jie stared coldly at this Imperial Beast Sect Grand Elder, his brow furrowed, "Elder Hu only brings these two disciples to our Black Dragon Sect. Are you deliberately here to make a show of force?"

Hu Gu responded unhurriedly with a smile, "Sect Master Luo, you're being too harsh. Our trip here is to negotiate a condition with your sect. If we brought too many people, wouldn't that make your sect suspicious?"

Luo Jie's brow remained tightly furrowed as he asked, "A condition?"

Hu Gu clasped his hands behind his back, his tone peaceful, "If our two sects wage all-out war, even if our Imperial Beast Sect ultimately wins, we'll inevitably suffer losses. Therefore, our Imperial Beast Sect Master proposes that we let the younger generation settle this matter. What do you think?"

"Speak plainly, don't beat around the bush," Luo Jie stared at Hu Gu warily, speculating in his heart what scheme this old fox was plotting.

"Chang Fen, Chen Yunxi," Hu Gu turned his head and called.

"Disciples present!" The two responded and stepped forward, their eyes flashing with the unique arrogance and sharpness of young cultivators.

"These two Imperial Beast Sect disciples beside me have already reached the Nascent Soul realm. Today they've come specifically to seek guidance from your sect. Life and death will be according to fate, and no one is permitted to interfere."

Hu Gu's voice was loud, carrying far and echoing throughout the entire Black Dragon Sect sky, allowing every cultivator to hear it clearly.

"A friendly spar between peers. Your sect's halls and peaks may each send out two people. Chang Fen and Yunxi will kill their way through one by one. If they both lose, the Black Dragon Sect wins. Our Imperial Beast Sect will immediately withdraw our troops without another word. Sect Master Luo, do you dare accept this battle?"

Luo Jie didn't respond immediately, a trace of hesitation passing through his expression.

"Could it be that Sect Master Luo is... afraid?"

Chang Fen sneered, his tone provocative.

"Don't worry, for the sake of fairness, we'll naturally suppress our cultivation to the early Cave Mansion realm. Your Black Dragon Sect can suppress your realm to the early Dragon Gate realm. Surely the entire Black Dragon Sect doesn't lack even this much courage?"

"Bah! Let me take you on!" A Black Dragon Sect disciple shouted angrily and stepped forward.

"Dugu Qiu! Stand down!" Luo Jie sternly ordered.

"Sect Master..." The disciple named Dugu Qiu looked extremely unwilling, but didn't dare disobey the Sect Master's command and could only grit his teeth and retreat into the crowd.

"We accept the battle!"

Luo Jie spoke coldly, his tone resolute.

Things had come to this point. They had to accept this battle whether they wanted to or not.

Young people were naturally hot-blooded, and it was precisely this sharp spirit that could support them in going further on the path of cultivation.

If one day cultivators were no longer spirited, it would mostly mean their will had broken and their path was nearing its end.

Right now, the other side was openly provoking them. If they didn't accept, it would not only crush the sect's momentum but also leave the disciples with pent-up frustration in their hearts. By then, without even waiting for actual war, the entire Black Dragon Sect's morale would have already weakened.

Moreover, in Luo Jie's view, although he wasn't as high in realm as the Imperial Beast Sect Master, the talent of his disciples was definitely not inferior to the disciples of the Ten Great Demonic Sects!

"Good! Sect Master Luo is indeed straightforward!" Hu Gu clapped his hands with a smile, "In that case, there's no time like the present. Let's begin now."

He turned his head to look at Chang Fen beside him and instructed, "Chang Fen, you go first and choose a mountain peak to have a good spar with the Black Dragon Sect's fellow cultivators."

"Yes, Elder!" Chang Fen's eyes flashed with bloodthirsty excitement, "No need to choose. Let's start from the mountain peak right beneath our feet!"

Before his words had finished, Chang Fen had already impatiently leaped down like a stream of light, plummeting straight to the summit of Lotus River Peak.

He stood at the mountain top, his voice wrapped in spiritual power spreading throughout the entire Black Dragon Sect, "Send someone who can fight! If no one accepts the challenge, this grandpa will fight his way through one mountain peak and one hall at a time!"

"Fellow cultivator, being excessively arrogant may not be a good thing," Black Dragon Sect's first disciple Wen Lin stepped forward holding a long sword, his expression stern, "I am Wen Lin of the Black Dragon Sect's Lotus River Peak. Please enlighten me, fellow cultivator."

"Among the younger generation on your mountain peak, you're the strongest?" Chang Fen frowned, his tone disdainful, "Go, go, go. Send someone else. You're not worth my time."

Suffering such contempt, Wen Lin's brow furrowed tightly as he said in a deep voice, "Fellow cultivator, first win against the sword in my hand!"

With that, he raised his long sword. Sword light burst forth like lotus flowers blooming, carrying fierce sword qi directly toward Chang Fen.

"I told you already, you're not qualified."

Chang Fen sighed lightly, as if helpless, then blew a loud whistle.

"Min—!"

A sharp phoenix cry tore through the sky, and overwhelming flames swept forth. Scorching heat waves surged forward.

The flying creature resembled the divine beast true phoenix, its entire body red as jade, yet it wasn't a divine beast but rather a fierce beast.

Divine beasts and spirit beasts all belonged to the demon race. They had awakened intelligence, could transform into human form, and understood worldly affairs.

Fierce beasts were vastly different.

Although they could naturally cultivate, their bloodlines restricted their upper limits, and their intelligence was even weaker.

Even the highest-ranked fierce beasts only had the mentality of a fourteen-year-old child.

The beast-taming methods cultivated by the Imperial Beast Sect were precisely for controlling fierce beasts.

The rank of the fierce beast directly determined its master's realm upper limit.

Therefore, Imperial Beast Sect cultivators needed to frequently change their fierce beasts.

This also led to few Upper Three Realms cultivators in the sect, only because third-grade and above fierce beasts were rare to begin with, and taming them was even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

However, this "Fire Jade Phoenix" that Chang Fen had summoned was actually third grade!

The Fire Jade Phoenix's strength was comparable to a Jade Simplicity realm existence, yet it had been tamed by a Nascent Soul cultivator. This showed that Chang Fen's talent was truly exceptional and indeed extraordinary.

"Boom—!"

The Fire Jade Phoenix swept across the air, flames churning. In just an instant, Wen Lin didn't even have time to scream before he was reduced to ashes and smoke.