Chapter 516: Li Yang, Leader of the 10th Branch

The Thunder Star Beast Dominator’s eyes lit up as he sensed the laws Li Yang displayed.

"Good! Very good!"

The Thunder Star Beast Dominator said joyfully, "My name is Ancient Remains. You may call me the Ancient Remains Dominator."

"My respects, Ancient Remains Dominator," Mu Xuan said deferentially.

The Ancient Remains Dominator looked at Mu Xuan and said, "I was originally going to take you as my disciple. However, after thinking about it, I’ve decided against it."

Mu Xuan didn’t say anything, but a hint of confusion was evident in his eyes.

’The talent he’d shown was more than enough for a Dominator to take him on as a disciple.’

The Ancient Remains Dominator explained, "Mu Xuan, with your talent, it will likely be very easy for you to become an Emperor in the future. Once you do, you will be the leader of our Thunder Star Beast’s tenth branch."

Logically, the ten branches of the Thunder Star Beasts were established in the earliest days and all hold equal status. There is no hierarchy among them. As long as Mu Xuan doesn’t perish, he is destined to become the leader of the tenth branch.

He, however, was the leader of the third branch.

If he were to take Mu Xuan as his disciple, the leader of the tenth branch would be a student of the third branch’s leader. This would inherently lower the tenth branch’s standing.

It wasn’t just him. The other Thunder Star Beast Dominators had also taken notice of Mu Xuan. After some discussion, they decided they would focus on nurturing him, but none would take him as a disciple.

"I see," Mu Xuan said, nodding.

"But don’t worry. Even without making you a disciple, we will still guide you diligently."

The Ancient Remains Dominator, a smile on his face, looked at Mu Xuan and said, "Your talent is immense. After you enter the Saint Mountain and awaken the Thunder Punishment Talent, your progress will be even faster! The Saint Mountain will open in two days. Mu Xuan, you just need to wait a little."

"Huh? I thought the Saint Mountain wasn’t opening for another month?" Mu Xuan was taken aback.

The elder, Baleng, had told him about this before.

’The Saint Mountain was supposed to open one month after the talent assessment concluded.’

As if sensing Mu Xuan’s confusion, the Ancient Remains Dominator chuckled. "Mu Xuan, with a talent as strong as yours, we’re eager to see if you can truly awaken the Thunder Punishment Talent, aren’t we?"

Throughout the entire history of the Thunder Star Beast race, only a handful have ever truly awakened the Thunder Punishment Talent. Some of us Dominators haven’t even awakened it.

Now, Mu Xuan’s talent had made him the greatest prodigy in their history. Naturally, they were anxious to see if he could awaken it.

If he succeeded, there was even a chance that Mu Xuan could become a Dominator in the future!

Among the Thunder Star Beast race, a total of five had ever truly awakened the Thunder Punishment Talent, and three of them went on to become Dominators!

The odds were better than fifty-fifty!

It was easy to imagine just how much the Thunder Star Beast race prized the Thunder Punishment Talent.

"All right, Mu Xuan. Take these next two days to rest and get yourself into peak condition."

The Ancient Remains Dominator smiled. "This is a Dominator’s Token. With this, you have unrestricted access throughout our entire territory. You can go anywhere you please."

"Fire Radiance, protect Mu Xuan for the next two days."

"Yes, Master."

As he finished speaking, a figure approached from nearby, his expression respectful as he spoke.

’There was someone else here?’ Li Yang was slightly startled. He hadn’t sensed anyone’s presence at all.

’This newly arrived expert... if he isn’t a Dominator, he must be an incredibly powerful Emperor at the very least.’

The Fire Emperor glanced at Mu Xuan.

’So they’re having the clan open the Saint Mountain ahead of schedule?’

In truth, opening the Thunder Star Beast’s Saint Mountain was no simple task. It was meant to be opened at a fixed time, and doing so ahead of schedule would cause some complications.

However, Mu Xuan’s talent was enough to make the Thunder Star Beast Dominators overlook such complications.

"Alright, you may go. Mu Xuan, you will enter the Saint Mountain in two days," the Ancient Remains Dominator instructed.

"Yes." Hearing the Ancient Remains Dominator’s command, Mu Xuan nodded respectfully.

From start to finish, not a hint of arrogance crossed his face. He remained incomparably composed, with no trace of excitement in his demeanor.

The Ancient Remains Dominator took note of this and couldn’t help but nod inwardly in approval.

After displaying such incredible talent and earning the high regard of Dominators, many prodigies would become unconsciously arrogant.

It was a common failing among the gifted.

Yet Mu Xuan remained perfectly calm, a clear sign of his extraordinary disposition.

Neither arrogant nor impetuous, but calm and steady—a temperament like that could carry one far.

Mu Xuan and the Fire Emperor withdrew, leaving the Ancient Remains Dominator alone in the palace.

"Haha! Before, the Human Race produced the monstrous prodigy Li Yang, who shook the entire Cosmos. And now, our Thunder Star Beast race has produced a monster of our own! In terms of talent, he’s not the least bit inferior to the human Li Yang!"

The Ancient Remains Dominator was ecstatic. ’He’s only eighty years old, which means he’s been cultivating for seventy years at most. And in such a short time, he already dares to temper himself through the life-and-death battles of the Slaughter Battlefield. How many others possess such courage?’

’Such immense talent, such courage, and such a steady disposition, with none of the typical arrogance of a genius... Our clan’s... Mu Xuan... He’s practically the perfect specimen of a natural-born powerhouse.’

They had once been intensely jealous of the Human Race for producing a peerless genius like Li Yang, but they no longer felt that way.

Their own race’s prodigy was even stronger than the Human Race’s Li Yang. If anyone should be jealous, it should be others feeling jealous of them.

’I’d better go prepare for the Saint Mountain. This time, we need to have ample energy ready. If Mu Xuan can fully awaken the Thunder Punishment Talent, he will surely require a vast amount of it.’

SWISH!

With that thought, the Ancient Remains Dominator’s figure flickered and vanished completely.

...

「Two days passed in a flash.」

Li Yang was sitting cross-legged in a courtyard, silently contemplating the laws.

"Lord Mu Xuan, the time has come. We must head to the Saint Mountain."

A voice called from outside the courtyard.

Hearing this, Li Yang immediately stood up and left the courtyard.

Many Thunder Star Beasts were waiting outside the courtyard, most of them youths. They all looked at Mu Xuan with eyes full of adoration.

A closer look revealed that all these Thunder Star Beasts had three black stripes on their tails, marking them as members of the tenth branch.

Their tenth branch had always been bullied by the other branches, and they could only endure it in silence.

But for the past two days, the members of the tenth branch had been able to hold their heads high. When they walked outside, members of the other branches no longer dared to bully them.

And it was all thanks to Mu Xuan.

"So that’s Lord Mu Xuan."

"Lord Mu Xuan is so incredible! I heard that he could easily become an Emperor in the future."

"That’s right! In the future, Lord Mu Xuan will definitely lead our tenth branch to greatness!"

Those from the tenth branch who hadn’t seen Mu Xuan before were thrilled to finally lay eyes on him.

They all saw Mu Xuan as their hope. The weak always long for someone to help them, to lead them so they can stand tall.

And now, Mu Xuan was undoubtedly that person.

In their hearts, Mu Xuan was already the leader of their tenth branch!