Chapter 462 - 157: Trampling Dignity and Face Underfoot, Rushing to Immortal Ascension Island, What Does That Make Her?

Their strengths were all on par with one another, but when it came to actual combat prowess, they were probably no match for Ao Yin.

Now that Ao Yin had been defeated, it would be sheer arrogance for any of them to make a move.

Before arriving, they had considered all sorts of possibilities. They had guessed that the Prime Minister’s Mansion’s goal was to hold them hostage, stunting their growth to prevent them from ever threatening the Mansion’s dominion over the various races.

They had never even considered the possibility that Jiang Lan’s strength was far greater than their own.

The rumors had been wrong. The various reports about Jiang Lan were absurdly different from reality.

"I, Ao Yin... pledge myself to... you, Young Master..."

Ao Yin, who had always been proud and arrogant, had no choice but to accept reality and lower her head.

"I am always fair in reward and punishment. From now on, you will all serve me. Do well, and you will naturally be rewarded."

"Ao Yin, your mother opposed my Prime Minister’s Mansion years ago and is still imprisoned in the Endless Water Prison. Her sentence originally had ten more years. If you are obedient, perhaps I will intervene, show some leniency, and allow you and your mother to reunite ahead of schedule."

"You are quite powerful. It’s just your misfortune to have met me, so there’s no need to be discouraged."

"This is a Rain Cold Pill. It will help you recover from your injuries."

Jiang Lan remained standing high in the sky with his hands clasped behind his back. As he spoke, a white jade bottle flew down and landed before Ao Yin.

She stared blankly at the white jade bottle, an indescribable sense of humiliation welling up inside her. As the Princess of the Dragon-man Race, how could she possibly be short on Healing Elixirs?

But with this act, Jiang Lan intended to grind her dignity and pride into the dust, forcing her to lower her head and bend over to pick up the jade bottle.

"What? Don’t tell me you look down on this elixir?" Jiang Lan asked, a look of amusement on his face.

Ao Yin grit her teeth, lowered her head, and took the white jade bottle. "Thank you for your generosity, Young Master."

Jiang Lan let out a soft chuckle. "I like smart people."

With that, he turned and looked toward the nearby Ancient Battle Platform.

"This Ancient Battle Platform was brought here from elsewhere. It can contain a battle between Sixth Realm cultivators. As for those Fierce Beasts, I had my men bring them from Nanman Province. They are naturally ferocious and bloodthirsty, possessing power comparable to a Sixth Realm Demon King."

"A cultivator of the same realm would have a slim chance of survival fighting them. However, for now, their power is sealed by the Restrictions on their chains."

"As it happens, I am also curious to see your current level of strength..."

"I will gift a Fierce Beast to whoever can subdue one."

Hearing this, the expressions of the youths changed.

For any power, an existence at the Sixth Realm was a pillar of strength, capable of holding a high and important position.

The vast majority of Elders in any Immortal Sect Lineage were only at this realm.

This act of Jiang Lan’s was truly a display of immense wealth and power.

At once, Yuan Kong and Jin Ming grew eager to try.

Jiang Lan wasn’t doing this idly. He was still uncertain whether these youths had obtained their destined opportunities, as events were unfolding far ahead of schedule.

These Fierce Beasts had been carefully selected by him and were far stronger than ordinary beasts of the same realm. If the youths were to fight them, they would undoubtedly be drawn into a bitter struggle.

This way, under the pretext of observing, he could probe their abilities and find out if they had obtained those fated opportunities.

Yuan Kong was the first to step into the ring. Jiang Lan sat upon a high platform and ordered the chains on the Fierce Beasts to be released. A great battle erupted.

Yuan Kong, true to his Mixed World Demon Ape bloodline, quickly worked himself into a battle frenzy. But he had not yet entered the Seventh Realm and condensed a Heaven and Earth Dharma Aspect. Faced with these rampaging Fierce Beasts, he soon found himself outmatched and was defeated, forced to withdraw from the Ancient Battle Platform.

After Yuan Kong, Jin Ming took his turn. He was quite clever, forgoing a head-on clash. Instead, he attempted to use the bloodline talent of the Golden Crow Race to suppress the Fierce Beasts. However, this also failed, and he retreated with grace.

Subsequently, Xiang Xiao and Kong Xuan also made their moves, but they both failed as well.

Fierce Beasts are far stronger than Demon Beasts of the same realm. Their minds are consumed by a vicious aura, making them oblivious to death and pain. They have tough hides, tenacious Life Force, and the bloodlines of ancient remnant species, granting them numerous unique talents and terrifying combat power. Their only weakness is their lack of intelligence.

Ao Yin watched with a cold gaze, using her injuries as an excuse not to participate.

Jiang Lan had gotten a rough idea of their current strength and techniques. However, none of them were fools; no one would reveal their trump cards and hidden skills in such a situation.

Afterward, he arranged for residences for them and told them to rest before taking his leave.

As for the matter of the Demon Calamity, Jiang Lan still had more preparations to make.

Returning to the Prime Minister’s Mansion that night, he found his father, Jiang Lintian, and informed him of his intention to make a trip to Immortal Ascension Island.

His father once had a great rival named Huangfu Hao, who was the former Saint Heir of the Taiyi Sect.

In their time, he was a dazzling figure wreathed in glory. Countless Celestial Prides were defeated at his hands.

Even the current Sect Leader of the Taiyi Sect was once numbered among his defeated foes.

Huangfu Hao possessed one of the Heaven and Earth Treasures, the Book of Mediation and Creation. Though it was a book, it contained a complete world within.

The two rivals fought their entire lives. In the end, Huangfu Hao was narrowly defeated. He then fled all the way to the Demon Abyss, where he leaped in without a moment’s hesitation.

Now, his father had sensed Huangfu Hao’s aura once again, leading him to suspect that with the help of the Book of Mediation and Creation, the man had survived deep within the Demon Abyss.

For the past few days, his father had been considering dispatching experts to the Demon Abyss to investigate the matter and search for any trace of Huangfu Hao.