Four figures swept through the dense jungle like streaks of lightning. Only now did Jidu and Chi Hao truly witness the terrifying speed of the Mammoth Beast. Naturally, my ability to tame a Mammoth Beast as a mount left Chi Du, Chi Hao, and Chi Ming utterly astounded.

However, when they learned that I had unintentionally saved this Mammoth Beast in the Demon Dragon Continent, only to be saved in return by the Mammoth across the ocean, thousands of miles away, they were left speechless beyond their sheer amazement at my luck.

Truthfully, even I found this inexplicable streak of good fortune hard to believe. To this day, I still haven't figured out how this massive creature managed to cross the ocean and appear on the Seal Demon Continent.

Perhaps this is a question I will never have the answer to.

While traveling, Jidu updated me on everything that had transpired since my departure from the Demon Dragon Empire.

Though I didn't witness it, I could easily picture the sheer fury of the enraged Jiuyao Chongyang. Furthermore, Jidu informed me that my mother and nearly a thousand people from Yinxing Village had been relocated to the Demon Dragon Continent by the Demon Dragon Empire and were settled in comfort—in short, they were doing well, and I shouldn't worry.

Long Xin, Long Qi, and Long Zhan Dongguan Jinhong had also been "invited" to the Demon Dragon Continent. I knew for a fact that some extreme measures must have been employed, but I trusted that Long Zhan and Long Qi wouldn't mind, as they were once comrades-in-arms with Shen Yin and Shen Yi. Moreover, they were now enrolled in the Demon Dragon Empire's most prestigious institution, the Demon Dragon Royal Academy, for advanced studies. Upon completion, they would secure high-ranking positions within the Empire, becoming true high nobility.

For Long Xin and the others, who hailed from humble origins, this prospect held an irresistible allure. I was sure they were ecstatic rather than distressed.

This thought brought me considerable relief; otherwise, I truly wouldn't know how to face a furious Long Xin.

We also learned that the chieftains of the Byron and Nujiao tribes had already arrived at the Blood Wolf Legion's secret base, awaiting my return to commence negotiations and discuss the concrete details of merging and forming the new legion.

Regarding this, Jidu had already contacted the Demon Dragon faction and formulated a corresponding plan. However, before that, Jidu urged me to do my utmost to subdue these two great tribes.

Yes, subdue, not just incorporate—there was a fundamental difference between the two concepts. To achieve the desired effect, Chi Du and I had invested considerable effort during our journey.

Seven days later, passing northeast through the Wanluo Mountain Range, we finally arrived at the Blood Wolf Legion's secret base.

Chi Long and the others were already waiting at the main gate. Seeing our foursome return safely filled them with immense joy and excitement.

At the same time, I noticed two other individuals standing beside Chi Long.

The one on the left was tall! His expression was cold and severe. His chiseled, angular face, combined with wildly messy cyan hair and cyan eyes, gave him an appearance of formidable martial prowess. Among everyone I had met, only Jin Yao could compare to him—it was an intuition; one glance revealed this man to be immensely self-assured, proud, and utterly untamed. His golden Battle God armor and the heavy Verdict weapon clearly marked him as a warrior, specifically a strength-focused Verdict warrior.

However, what truly captivated me was the exceptionally beautiful and ethereal woman to Chi Long’s right. Her flawless, exquisite features would defy even the most critical artist to find a single flaw. Unlike the ethereal nature of Shen Yin or the mature allure of Yun Shang, she exuded a unique temperament, like a singular, perfect work of art. She gave the impression that no worldly thing could match her, that nothing could integrate into her distinct style. She wore a silver-white Phantom Battle Robe, a dragon-patterned scabbard hung at her waist, and a palm-sized Soul Necklace on her chest seemed to condense the spiritual energy of the entire world. Just looking at her was a feast for the eyes, utterly comforting.

But when my gaze met her deep, cold eyes, my spirit jolted as if struck by lightning. These eyes were profoundly discordant with the aura and temperament she radiated. I couldn't articulate what kind of eyes they were: aged, sorrowful, yet concealing an underlying reluctance and stubborn persistence. These eyes involuntarily reminded me of Lu Tong.

I had seen such an expression once before, on Lu Tong. The fleeting awe I initially felt was instantly replaced by shock and impact.

Behind the three stood a dozen or so people. In one glance, I recognized that eight of them possessed cultivation levels no less than that of my master, Jian Li, known as the Dragon Shadow Sword God.

Even without introductions, I knew these two, along with the dozen behind them, must be the experts from the Nujiao and Byron tribes.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince." Chi Long and the others quickly stepped forward to greet us.

"Chieftain Chi Long," I vaulted down from the Mammoth Beast's back. "I apologize for the wait."

"Haha, knowing Your Highness has returned victorious, we have been waiting impatiently!" Chi Long’s greeting was respectful yet warm, but he was startled by the majestic and powerful Mammoth Beast King beside me.

"Ah! Is this Your Highness's new mount?" Chi Long stared at the Mammoth Beast King in utter shock, and indeed, everyone present was astonished.

"This is no ordinary Mammoth Beast; this is the Mammoth Beast King, the strongest among them," the ethereal beauty said, her voice laced with disbelief. "Mammoth Beasts are naturally solitary, arrogant, and unyielding; training them as mounts is fundamentally impossible. And a Beast King is even more so. I wonder how Your Highness managed to subdue this Mammoth Beast King."

Roar!

A world-shaking bellow suddenly erupted, causing every face in the vicinity to change color. The blood-red wolf pack nearby grew agitated, trembling fearfully and falling into disarray.

Clearly, the Mammoth Beast King, capable of understanding human speech, was deeply displeased by the beauty's words. Perhaps, for a Mammoth Beast, becoming someone's mount was not a matter of honor. Yet, there was an underlying reason for this arrangement.

"He is not my mount," I said, raising a hand to gently pat the irate Mammoth Beast King under its jaw. I had no choice; the creature was too massive. Even standing fully erect, I wasn't as tall as one of its legs. "He is my important friend!"

Roar! The Mammoth Beast King then let out a proud, low growl, looking toward the ethereal beauty in what seemed like a challenge.

Although it couldn't speak, its proud expression clearly stated its position: how could a Mammoth Beast King possibly serve as someone's mount?

At most, it was a "friendly sponsorship." Of course, this "friendly sponsorship" wasn't without compensation; as for the reward? Heh, sorry, that was a secret.

"Ah, a friend," the ethereal beauty expressed great surprise at my words. The others looked utterly bewildered, though they couldn't help but stare at the incomparably majestic and imposing Mammoth Beast King with envy.

"........." The untamed man standing beside the ethereal beauty looked utterly entranced, filled with yearning. A prized horse and blade have always been the greatest desires of heroes and warriors, and the Mammoth Beast King before them held a fatal attraction for these martial men. "Seeing is believing. I have long heard tales that the Crown Prince of the Demon Dragon, Jiuyao Shenzhen, is heroic, extraordinary, and unmatched in this age. I always thought these rumors were exaggerated, but now I see that the legends don't even begin to describe the Prince's valor and might. In a thousand years, you are the only person to have ridden a Mammoth."

".........." Now it was my turn to be slightly bewildered. Had this giant taken the wrong medicine? Nevertheless, I maintained my cool demeanor.

This was precisely what Jidu had instructed. According to Jidu, I should act as aloof and formidable as possible, just as we had previously terrified the envoys from the Seal Demon Empire back in the Demon Dragon Continent.

Earlier, within the Blood Wolf Legion, I had already been inexplicably labeled with negative terms like cold-blooded, bloodthirsty, brutal, and cunning—every word associated with a villain. Now, with a slight downturn of my expression, I actually looked quite cold and ruthless. At least the people beside me seemed afraid to breathe too loudly!

"Your Highness," Chi Long said respectfully. I could even detect a trace of apprehension and unease in his eyes. "These are the great chieftains of the Byron and Nujiao tribes."

"I apologize deeply for keeping the two leaders waiting," I said, slightly bowing while maintaining a tight-lipped, imposing expression—a demeanor honed by Jiuyao Zhutian during an all-night training session back in the Demon Dragon Empire. It was time to return to old habits.

"Your Highness is too kind." The tall man stepped forward and bowed deeply. "Bai Chuan, Great Chieftain of the Nujiao Tribe, greets His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Yin Shuang, Great Chieftain of the Byron Tribe, greets His Highness the Crown Prince." The ethereal beauty also bowed respectfully.

"Sea Dragons, Prairie Byrons," I stated gravely. "The Nujiao dominate the Black Sea, and the Byron tribe reigns supreme on the plains. It is truly a fortune for Shenzhen to meet both chieftains."

"We are ashamed," Bai Chuan’s usually arrogant expression showed a hint of embarrassment and fear. "Your Highness and General Jidu, along with the two High Priests of the Blood Wolf Tribe, successfully slew Mo Luo Aotian and his five companions. In terms of valor and might, who in this world can compare?" As he spoke, Bai Chuan unconsciously glanced towards Jidu, Chi Hao, and Chi Ming.

"Great Chieftain flatters us," Chi Hao replied. "Chi Ming and I played hardly any role in killing Mo Luo Aotian and the five others."

"The ones who truly killed them were His Highness the Crown Prince and General Jidu," Chi Ming stated seriously. "We cannot accept such praise for might."

"Ah!" Everyone’s expression changed again, though Chi Long and his men seemed calm.

Although what Chi Ming and Chi Hao said might not have been entirely true, it wasn't important. Our true goal was to intimidate Bai Chuan and Yin Shuang, and judging by the current situation, the effect was unexpectedly excellent.

At least I could feel Bai Chuan and Yin Shuang’s breathing quicken. That was enough!

"........." Yin Shuang also appeared visibly uncomfortable. My imposing manner clearly managed to bluff them.

According to Jidu’s analysis, the successful ambush and killing of Mo Luo Aotian and the six others had greatly amplified our prestige. Regardless of the methods used, the fact remained that four individuals had slain six top-tier experts.

In this world, only the powerful command respect. Facing the Nujiao and Byron tribes, which were far superior to the Blood Wolf Legion, we needed to hold a dominant position. Perhaps achieving this before was difficult, but killing Mo Luo Aotian and the six others had elevated our strength to an unparalleled height. To outsiders, this made both Jidu and me seem profoundly unfathomable, which was the perfect resource to exploit—this was what Jidu called residual prestige.

"This must be General Yin Mo Jidu," Bai Chuan and Yin Shuang instinctively looked toward Jidu, who stood behind me respectfully.

"Jidu greets the two chieftains." Jidu maintained his usual placid expression. He only offered a slight bow in response to their greeting, yet no one present found it inappropriate; everything seemed natural and expected. It was only then that I witnessed another hidden facet of Jidu—in front of outsiders, Jidu was always that cold facade, untamed, ruthless, like a razor-sharp sword. Perhaps this was the true Yin Mo Jidu.

The atmosphere was somewhat oppressive, but I had to grit my teeth and press on!

Through the introductions by Bai Chuan and Yin Shuang, Jidu and I also met the other experts from the two great tribes.

Evidently, the Blood Wolf Legion had informed everyone of our success in eliminating the six generals, including Mo Luo Aotian, the moment we returned. As a result, every single person bowed respectfully, showing extreme caution during their introductions.

This secretly brought me immense satisfaction. Heh, killing six super-experts in one go—I didn't know what that truly implied, but such a dazzling achievement might not even be possible for the strongest Heavenly Demon, Jiuyao Chongyang, to accomplish alone. On our way back, Jidu and I had devised a detailed strategy: we absolutely had to subdue the members of these two tribes.

And this so-called subduing wasn't just about bringing them under our banner; it meant truly and thoroughly winning them over from the depths of their hearts.

When it came to psychological warfare, the astute Jidu was far more skilled than I. Only he could devise such psychological tactics tailored to the current situation.

At this moment, I couldn't help but recall the external evaluations of the Nine Great Heavenly Demons of the Demon Dragon Empire. The only four words used to describe Jidu were: "Jidu excels at investigation." In the past, I never understood what "excels at investigation" meant. Now, I realized it referred to Jidu's acute insight into human psychology. Whether in that ambush operation or in this meeting with Bai Chuan and Yin Shuang, Jidu had fully factored in the psychological aspects and formulated targeted strategies.

The Blood Wolf Legion and I had spent so long together that any barriers between us had long dissolved, and I was confident that Chi Long was utterly devoted to me. Not just Chi Long, but the others in the Blood Wolf Legion were the same.

As for the Nujiao and Byron tribes, they were vastly stronger than the Blood Wolf Legion. The Nujiao Tribe alone possessed a regular force of one million Nujiao Knights available for combat.

Even when facing the combined might of the Mo Luo Alliance and the Seal Demon Imperial Family, they thrived due to their powerful naval forces.

Unlike conventional naval units, the Nujiao Tribe possessed the most terrifying naval combat beasts in the world: the Nujiao Dragons.

On the entire Mafa Continent, only the Merman Tribe of the Seal Demon Empire could directly contend with the Nujiao Tribe at sea. Beyond that, even a Heavenly Demon Warrior would struggle against the strongest Nujiao Knights, the Deep Sea Nujiao Dragons. They were the undisputed masters of the sea. For a long time, the Demon Dragon Imperial Family had been frustrated trying to deal with the Nujiao Tribe.

Aside from relying on the Merman Tribe for passive defense against Nujiao attacks, they were completely helpless. Their habitat had long been moved away from the Seal Demon Continent to the four great seas, and their movements at sea were never fixed, frustrating even the Mermen.

If not for severe shortages of resources severely restricting the Nujiao Tribe’s development, the Nujiao Tribe alone would be enough to give the Seal Demon Empire a massive headache.

The Byron Tribe was even more formidable.

Mounting Saber-toothed Dragon Beasts, they were the most terrifying heavy cavalry force on the entire Mafa Continent.

Cavalry mounted on Saber-toothed Dragon Beasts were known as Saber Dragon Knights. The Byron Tribe possessed two million Saber Dragon Knights available for combat—a truly terrifying number, almost the size of a regular army!

Saber-toothed Dragon Beasts boasted speeds comparable to swift warhorses and a terrifying charge impact rivaling that of Great Horned Dragon Beasts. Combined with the fierce and powerful warriors of the Byron Tribe, they possessed the strength to contend with both Bich's Red Dragon Iron Cavalry and the Seal Demon's Magic Cavalry.

However, the lack of Heavenly Demon Warriors prevented them from confronting the Seal Demon Empire head-on, yet eliminating the Byron Tribe was equally difficult for the Empire.

On the Byron Great Plains in the east of the Seal Demon Continent, Saber Dragon Knights charged in overwhelming numbers; even Heavenly Demon Warriors caught within their ranks would be crushed into dust.

If the Seal Demon Continent, outside of the Byron Great Plains, hadn't consisted mostly of forests, deserts, hills, and swamps—complex terrains—protected by strong fortresses, the Byron Tribe alone could have wiped out the Seal Demon Royal Family.

The Seal Demon Empire had always approached the powerful Byron Tribe with extreme caution.

The Seal Demon Continent is surrounded by seas. The eastern end borders a terrifying stretch of water known as the Dead Sea, an area even the Nujiao and Merman Tribes dared not easily enter.

Occupying the eastern edge of the continent, the Byron Tribe was cut off from using maritime trade to acquire necessary resources. To the west of the Byron Great Plains lay the undulating Wanluo and Silver Peak Mountain Ranges, full of cliffs, dense forests, and treacherous paths—terrain utterly unsuitable for Saber Dragon Knight operations. The few passes that offered a viable breakthrough point were heavily guarded by legions of the Seal Demon Empire. Breaking through these cities was simply impossible with conventional forces, even if the Byron Tribe possessed the continent's strongest siege combat units!

The two great mountain ranges acted like two solid gates, firmly restricting the Byron Tribe's westward advance.

The Seal Demon Empire adopted a strategy of containment, division, and economic sanctions, limiting the Byron Tribe's economic growth and construction. This meant the Byron Tribe lacked the necessary mineral resources to forge weapons, craft armor, and procure other essential combat supplies, trapping them within the Byron Great Plains, unable to develop substantially. This was the extent of what the Seal Demon Empire could achieve.

On the Mafa Continent, no military branch dared to engage the Saber Dragon Knights directly on the Byron Great Plains, not even the Heavenly Demon Warriors.

This intelligence was all provided by Jidu. On the Byron Tribe, people worshipped only strength; anyone who became a Great Chieftain was undoubtedly the strongest within the tribe. Furthermore, the Byron people were notorious for their arrogance and brutality, let alone their Great Chieftain.

No matter how arrogant or brutal, it had to be backed by corresponding strength. In this regard, Jidu and I clearly had more confidence than Bai Chuan and Yin Shuang.

Therefore, I decided to press the advantage! My expression remained cool: "Chi Long has already informed me of your purpose. Now, I wish to know how much sincerity you possess."