The moment the lanky man’s gaze locked onto him, a sharp warning flared in Li Fan’s mind. Xu Ke, whose mind was linked with Li Fan’s, reacted in the same instant.

Shielding Li Fan behind him, Xu Ke faced Song Yang, his expression tight with tension. "Song Yang? What are you doing?"

Perhaps emboldened by the chaos, a scene the Beast Taming Sect hadn't witnessed in centuries, Song Yang dropped all pretense. "I truly don't understand how a fool like you got so lucky!" he snarled, malice dripping from his words.

"What do you think I'm doing? I'm taking back what should have been mine from the start!" Song Yang's vicious intent was laid bare at last, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

At his signal, his companion beast, the twin-headed black serpent, began...