Myriad Beast Mountain Sect.
This sect was famous for taming the wildest spirits of the land. Their disciples fought alongside tigers, griffins, and dragons. They believed they were the masters of nature.
But today, nature was rebelling.
The Eternal Night Army didn't land. They dropped pods.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Hundreds of black iron spheres crashed into the forests surrounding the sect.
"What are those?" The Beast Mountain Sect Master, a burly man riding a Rank 4 Golden Lion, shouted.
The pods opened.
Out crawled the Nightmare Beasts.
These were not natural animals. They were chimeras stitched together by Mo Tian's Blood Alchemy. Wolves with snake heads. Bears with spider legs. They didn't roar; they shrieked.
"Beasts?" The Sect Master laughed. "You dare attack us with beasts? We are the Kings of Beasts! Control Art!"
He unleashed a wave of psychic energy, intended to dominate the minds of the invaders.
But the Nightmare Beasts had no minds. They had only Hunger Runes carved into their brains.
The psychic wave washed over them uselessly.
"They... they don't have souls!" The Sect Master gasped.
"Attack!" Xue Yao leaped from a warship, leading the Blood Devil Cavalry.
The battle was brutal. The Myriad Beast disciples tried to command their spirit pets, but the Nightmare Beasts terrified them. A Rank 3 Spirit Tiger cowered as a twisted, multi-limbed horror tore its throat out.
Mo Tian descended to the main plaza.
The Golden Lion roared at him, leaping to protect its master.
Mo Tian looked at the lion.
"Sit."
[Tyrant's Aura: Beast King Frequency.]
The Golden Lion froze mid-air. Its instincts screamed that this tiny human was not prey. He was the Apex.
The lion whimpered and crashed to the ground, curling into a ball.
"You useless cat!" The Sect Master kicked his mount. "Get up!"
Mo Tian walked over.
"You treat your pets poorly," Mo Tian said.
"Die!" The Sect Master threw a spear made of dragon tooth.
Mo Tian caught the spear. He snapped it.
He grabbed the Sect Master by the throat and lifted him up.
"Myriad Beast Mountain," Mo Tian mused. "You have thousands of rare beasts in your pens. Breeding stock. Eggs."
"You... you want our treasury?" The Sect Master gagged.
"No," Mo Tian's eyes glowed purple. "I want your zoo."
He crushed the Sect Master's neck.
[System Notification] [Sect Conquered: Myriad Beast Mountain.] [Resources Acquired: 5,000 Spirit Beasts, 200 Dragon Eggs.] [New Unit Unlocked: Beast Riders.]
Mo Tian turned to the cowering Golden Lion.
"You are now Xue Yao's mount," Mo Tian commanded. "Try not to die."
The lion nodded frantically.
First stronghold: Secured.