The sky above the Alliance’s Eastern Headquarters was typically dominated by the humming defensive arrays that kept enemies at bay. But today the arrays were silent and the sky was eclipsed by a massive shadow.

  The scouts had sent their reports ahead of Li Yu’s arrival but it’s still hard not to have thoughts while looking at the massive creature in the air. Panic had briefly flared early on his journey back, only to be quelled by the specifics of the transmission. The Sky-Iron Dreadnought beast is tamed. It is heading back with Little Crab from the Southern Continent. Do not block the way and do not anger them.

  High above Tekton continued to move through the air. For a creature born of deep earth and weight, his flight was majestic. It was a swimming motion that seemed to warp the air around his massive segmented armor. He shone like a mountain of burnished bronze and obsidian. A true testament to the terrifying power of the Divine Transformation realm.

  However, the terror was somewhat mitigated by the branding that Li Yu had put on him.

  Draped all over Tekton’s massive body were banners of the Crab Cult. Flags stuck evenly along its body from head to tail. They snapped in the wind, displaying the Crab Cult’s insignia in its full glory.

  Li Yu had thought Jian Xuan was ridiculous when he was handed all these things in a storage ring. Jian Xuan had explained to him that it was needed branding and he was also giving business to those making these flags, banners, robes and all other kinds of merchandise. He was helping the locals and also getting what was needed, a win-win situation.

  Li Yu thought Kui was a genius when it came to trade and selling. Jian Xuan might eventually b able to challenge him for the spot of the Golden Shell Guild master one day. Jian Xuan had all kinds of ideas when it came to merchandise and the scary thing was he had the resources to execute on all of his ideas.

  ‘Li Yu,’ Tekton projected. His mental voice rumbling with a mix of embarrassment and resignation. ‘The banner in front… it flaps in my eyes. Is this truly necessary for my integration?’

  Li Yu, sitting cross-legged on the beast’s forehead with his arms crossed nodded sagely. ‘Absolutely. It’s branding, Tekton. Without these you are a world-ending calamity coming to crush the base. Actually you would be a world-ending calamity anywhere you go, at least that's what normal people would think. With them? You are a mascot. A very large, very dangerous mascot. It puts the people at ease while showing off our might. People would have to think twice about coming to mess with us.’

  ‘If you say so,’ Tekton sighed, the sound vibrating through his iron carapace. ‘I am still thinking about my Crab name though. What about The Iron-Shelled Hermit?’

  ‘Too wordy,’ Li Yu dismissed.

  ‘Sidewalker Tekton?’

  ‘Better. Keep working on it. This name will follow you everywhere. I am now stuck with Little Crab… I wish I had thought longer on it at the time.’

  As they descended, the wind rushing past them slowed. The massive fortress of the Alliance came into clear view. On the main parade grounds a sea of cultivators had gathered when they had spotted them. Many of the people were from the main meeting earlier.

  They had communicated to their superiors the outcome of the meeting, what tasks were assigned and the overall discussions. They had not returned to their own groups yet. Li Yu’s speed at completing the task he volunteered for was shocking.

  Li Yu tapped the metal plate beneath him. ‘Set us down gently. Show them control. That there is nothing to worry about.’

  ‘I am lighter than a feather,’ Tekton grumbled as he activated his gravity techniques.

  The massive beast descended. Despite weighing a lot, Tekton touched down with the delicacy of a falling leaf. There was no earthquake, not even a shake, only a gentle thud and a blast of displaced air that sent robes fluttering and banners snapping.

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  Silence reigned over the square as these leaders looked at the beast.

  Thousands of eyes were fixed on the monstrosity. They took in the heat radiating from its vents, the impenetrable thickness of its armor and the suppressed but undeniable aura of a beast far stronger than they were. Most if not all didn’t know what realm it was in, simply that it was the strongest thing they have ever been next to. And that the boy on top was the one that tamed it.

  Li Yu jumped off and landed on the stone tiles. He dusted off his robes and adjusted his sash. He looked at the assembly of high-ranking cultivators with a bright and unbothered smile. Like he was returning from the market and had stumbled upon a great deal.

  “Greetings, Commanders, Elders!” Li Yu’s voice rang out clear and cheerful. “Little Crab of the Crab Cult reports success! The beast tide has been dispersed, the threat neutralized and the leader… successfully negotiated with. As you can see here, he is now one of my tamed beasts.”

  He patted one of Tekton’s massive scythe-like legs. Tekton remained still, looking like a statue of doom draped in festive laundry.

  At the front of the crowd stood the Alliance leadership. In the center was Shen Tu whom he had met earlier. His expression was not one of gaping shock but of intense calculating scrutiny. He looked at the beast, then at Li Yu, his eyes narrowing slightly as he assessed the reality of the situation.

  Shen Tu stepped forward. His movement was calm, radiating the dignity of a leader who had seen centuries of war.

  “Fellow Daoist Li,” Shen Tu said, his voice deep and resonant. “The scouts reported the outcome, yet to witness it personally is a different matter entirely. Have you truly tamed the Sky-Iron Dreadnought?”

  “Tekton,” Li Yu corrected politely. “He prefers the name Tekton. And yes, Commander. We had a vigorous exchange of ideas regarding the benefits of peace versus the downsides of being turned into soup. He wisely chose peace and followed me back here. I wanted to show you that he is now part of my team and shouldn’t be attacked or stopped as we roam these lands.”

  A ripple of whispers moved through the crowd behind the Commander. “Soup?”

  Torben, the representative from the Northern Continent, stood near the back of the leadership group. His group was still making their preparations and had not left yet. They were going to leave here in a day when they got the news.

  Earlier, he had been vocal about his skepticism of the Southern Continent working with Demons. Now, his face was all smiles, the face of a man who had made the right decision. It was wise of him to have backed off back then.

  He knew this kid was unusual but he didn’t realize how unusual. He stared at the beast next to Li Yu, sensing the sheer crushing power contained within it. The power that could wipe him out if they were to fight. Torben had some confidence he could possibly get away from it but to beat it? No chance.

  “Incredible,” another Elder murmured, staring at the beast. “This might the strongest beast I have ever seen. Those stupid scouts had no idea how strong this thing actually is. Their world view is too small and shallow… and to be tamed in less than a day?”

  “It must be a treasure,” a hushed whisper floated from the side. “Look at the boy. There’s no way he overpowered that thing with cultivation alone. He must have some kind of special treasure that allows him to capture beasts much stronger than he is. What could it be? It must be incredibly powerful.”

  Li Yu heard the whispers but kept his focus on Shen Tu.

  “Commander Shen Tu,” Li Yu said, keeping his tone professional yet light. “As per the mission parameters, the threat is gone. We have completed the task that our Southern Continent group volunteered for. I believe there was a discussion of merit points for completing such a task?”

  Shen Tu nodded slowly. He did not gush, nor did he fumble. “The Alliance honors its words and more importantly its debts, Fellow Daoist Li. For a feat of this magnitude, neutralizing such a threat and dispersing a tide without Alliance casualties, the compensation will be significant as discussed. It will likely be the highest single bounty received since this war started. We thank you for doing such a great job and so quickly as well.”

  “Excellent,” Li Yu nodded. “Please distribute the points evenly among my team members. We work as a unit and everyone gets an equal share of the points for completing the task.”

  Shen Tu raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of surprise breaking his stoic mask. “Evenly? You subdued the beast yourself. Normally that dictates the primary contributor receives the lion’s share.”

  “The Crab does not hoard… well, not too much,” Li Yu said with a grin. “Divide it evenly. We had already decided on this beforehand. It makes our internal bookkeeping much easier.”

  Shen Tu paused, studying Li Yu for a moment, then nodded once. “As you wish. The logistics department will process the transfer to your entire group according to your allocation.”

  “Also,” Li Yu continued. His expression turned more business-like. Kui would have been proud seeing Li Yu extract all the benefits he could here. “There is the matter of the clean-up and this will be for my own personal share.”