The Taotie felt wronged.
It was clearly one of the four ancient ferocious beasts.
But.
Chen Nan was even fiercer than it.
This was truly frustrating, wasn't it?
"Do you want to live, or die?" Chen Nan looked down at the Taotie, like a monarch ruling over all beings.
"Live!" The Taotie answered without a second thought.
Chen Nan said, "If you want to live, you need to pledge your allegiance to me."
???
Confusion appeared in the Taotie's eyes.
It seemed it hadn't expected Chen Nan to say this.
The Nine-headed Flame Lion's fur bristled all over: "Boss, did I hear that right? You actually want this Taotie to pledge allegiance to you?"
"Human, I must say you're quite the player!" The Taotie let out a piercing laugh: "From ancient times to the present, I've never heard of anyone daring to keep a Taotie. You are the first."
"I'm sorry, I am a noble Taotie, and I will never pledge allegiance to you."
"Unless you can kill me?"
A cold sneer appeared on Chen Nan's lips: "Do you think I cannot kill you?"
"Although I am not your match, you truly cannot kill me." The Taotie's eyes were full of disdain: "I was born from the greed of mortals. Unless you can extinguish the greed in their hearts, you cannot kill me!"
"Then I shall 'persuade with virtue'!" Chen Nan revealed a smile that was full of meaning.
The next moment.
A dazzling golden light appeared in his hand.
A golden staff, radiating golden divine light, appeared in Chen Nan's hand.
As soon as this item appeared.
The air erupted with rumbling thunder.
Gales howled.
It was like the end of the world.
"What is this thing?" The Taotie's eyes were filled with terror. In front of this golden staff, it felt an immense pressure.
Although it was born from resentment.
It had no doubt.
This golden staff could truly take its life.
Chen Nan looked at the Merit Pillar in his hand, a faint smile on his face: "I call it 'Persuasion with Virtue'." With that, he raised the Merit Pillar.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Day instantly turned into night.
Dark, oppressive thunderclouds enveloped the entire land.
As they rolled and twisted.
Flashes of lightning, imbued with world-ending power, could be seen flickering within the thunderclouds.
The next moment.
Night instantly became day.
Countless bolts of lightning tore through the sky, converging on the Merit Pillar.
"I yield, I yield, I yield!"
"I yield!"
"Please, spare me!"
The Taotie's eyes were bloodshot, filled with terror.
Even though Chen Nan's strike hadn't yet landed on its body.
However.
Its physical body felt as if it were about to disintegrate, unable to withstand this terrifying power.
It was filled with panic, its voice laced with endless unease: "I am willing to surrender to you, but I have one small condition. You must provide food and lodging!"
"This is my only condition. If you cannot provide me with sustenance, I would rather die than pledge allegiance to you!"
The Nine-headed Flame Lion roared: "Who can afford your enormous appetite?"
Chen Nan smiled and said, "If it didn't have such a huge appetite, do you think I would keep it?" With that, he put away the Merit Pillar.
The Taotie was one of the four ancient ferocious beasts.
It was an existence that struck fear into the hearts of all.
But it could not be denied.
The Taotie's strength was terrifying.
It was fortunate that his strength had improved beforehand and he had been nourished by Primordial Qi.
Otherwise.
He would not have been a match for this Taotie.
As for its appetite...
Was that even a problem?
He could completely take it to the various strongholds of the异魔 (Yi Mo - Foreign Demons) for a buffet!
He guaranteed it would eat until it was full.
"Boss, do you really plan to keep this Taotie?" The Nine-headed Flame Lion's eyes were filled with unease: "I think this guy is full of rebellious intentions. Keeping it by your side might be like raising a tiger that will devour you!"
The Nine-headed Flame Lion was a little scared.
It was afraid that if the Taotie became starving and had no food, it would eat itself.
"Think twice!"
"You must think twice!"
The Nine-headed Flame Lion became more agitated as it spoke: "There have been several Taotie throughout history, and without exception, they have all caused immense harm to the world, and their endings were also tragic."
"Let alone keeping a Taotie!"
Chen Nan was unfazed: "Don't worry, I can control it."
The Taotie was like a double-edged sword.
It could harm the enemy a thousand times over, while damaging itself eight hundred times.
But for Chen Nan, keeping the Taotie would not pose any significant hidden danger.
He spread out his right hand.
A golden hoop appeared in his palm.
The golden hoop fell onto the Taotie's head and then disappeared.
This was something he had condensed using the laws of heaven and earth in his small world.
As long as the Taotie harbored ill intentions, he could erase it with a single thought.
Seeing that Chen Nan had controlled the Taotie's soul.
The Nine-headed Flame Lion arrogantly flew above the Taotie, putting on a show: "I am the Boss's first mount. According to seniority, you must call me big brother, understand?"
The Taotie's eyes gleamed coldly: "What is your status? What right do you have to recognize the same master as me?"
The Nine-headed Flame Lion swallowed nervously.
It had intended to put the Taotie in its place.
But it hadn't expected this guy to not even consider it.
Chen Nan pointed with his finger from afar.
A divine power was injected into the Nine-headed Flame Lion's body, and then he said, "It is now the ruler of my world. With a single thought, I can erase your soul."
Although he didn't particularly like the Nine-headed Flame Lion's arrogant and showy personality.
However, they had fought side by side and gone through life and death together.
Moreover, he had promised to make the Nine-headed Flame Lion an existence comparable to Hongjun Laozu in his world.
Naturally, he would not go back on his word.
"Little thing, are you convinced now?" The Nine-headed Flame Lion looked smug.
The Taotie bared its teeth and lowered its head.
Although it was unhappy with the Nine-headed Flame Lion.
It knew it couldn't afford to offend it.
At this moment.
Chen Nan's voice rang out: "Although your strength is not bad, in my opinion, there is still room for improvement!"
"Starting now, you will first go to my small world to cultivate!"
"As for how many opportunities you can seize there."
"It all depends on your destiny!" With that, he collected the Taotie into the world he had created.
Then he released another surge of Primordial Qi and injected it into the Nine-headed Flame Lion.
Primordial Qi was a supreme treasure in the world.
It was a consumable.
However.
As Chen Nan's created world became stronger, the more Primordial Qi it generated.
"Holy crap!"
"Boss, you're amazing!"
"I, I, I..."
"I can't control the divine power within me anymore!"
The Nine-headed Flame Lion's eyes were filled with ecstasy, and it quickly said, "Uh, I can't carry you by flying anymore. You carry me on your back and we'll continue on our journey. I need to break through!" With that, it directly transformed into a solitary male lion about two meters long and lay on Chen Nan's back like a dead dog.
Chen Nan's mouth twitched wildly.
Me carry you on my back?
Damn it!
Are you getting too carried away?
With a thought, he put the Nine-headed Flame Lion into the world he had created.
Just as Chen Nan was preparing to continue heading east.
A weak woman's cry for help suddenly came from the dense forest ahead: "Help!"
Chen Nan's brow furrowed.
In this desolate wilderness, how could there be a woman?