"What do you mean by this?" Feeling his entire body being bound in place, as if shackled with heavy chains, Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

He would have understood it if Zhan shi had refused to lend him any grade-9 formation flags, but what did the latter mean by making a move on him?

"The First Elder of the Zhang Clan, Zhang Wuheng, has sent a message over, requesting for the Sanctum of Sages to hand you over for wreaking havoc in their territory. I thought that there might be some misunderstandings, but since you have admitted to it, I'm afraid that it's our responsibility to hand you over to the Zhang Clan to face the consequences for your actions," Zhan shi said.

"Rest assured though, since you are a student of the Sanctum of Sages, we'll definitely try our best to protect you. It's also with you in mind that we chose such a course of action. The Zhang Clan is a behemoth on the Master Teacher Continent, and the longer you drag this matter on, the more unlikely it'll be for you to reconcile with them. You should take this opportunity to resolve the conflict with them once and for all; Elder Ge and I will be helping you by the sidelines."

"The First Elder of the Zhang Clan?" Zhang Xuan frowned. "Pardon me, but I still have some matters that I need to attend to, so I don't have time to wait for them to come over!"

Zhao Ya's life was at stake, so there was no time to be lost. Otherwise, he would not have teleported back using the Sanctum Head Token.

All in all, he had already wasted more than ten minutes there. A second wasted meant a second longer Zhao Ya would be danger. If he did not rush, he would regret it for life if something were to really happen to Zhao Ya!

Besides, the conflict between him and the Zhang Clan was not something that could be resolved with just a couple of words. Zhan shi might have been the deputy head of the Sanctum of Sages, but even his words would not be strong enough to resolve the situation.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's obstinate words, Elder Ge harrumphed. "That isn't up to you! Whether you like it or not, you will be waiting here obediently till the Zhang Clan arrives!"

As he spoke, he flicked out his wrist and whipped out a rope, which tied Zhang Xuan up real tight.

"I assure you two that I won't implicate the Sanctum of Sages in the conflict between the Zhang Clan and me, and I'll pay a visit to the Zhang Clan in the near future to resolve the conflict. For the time being, I really have urgent matters to attend to, so I ask of you two to let me off," Zhang Xuan said anxiously.

"No matter what kind of urgent matters you have at hand, you won't be going anywhere till the problem with the Zhang Clan is resolved," Zhan shi replied sternly. "Elder Ge, take him down for the moment. I'll inform Elder Wuheng right now to send his men over!"

"Yes!" Elder Ge nodded. With a pull, the rope tied around Zhang Xuan immediately tightened, sinking into his flesh.

"Since you aren't going to let me off, I'll have to beg your pardon for what I'm about to do"

Seeing that the other party had their minds set on sending him over to the Zhang Clan, not leaving any room for discussion at all, Zhang Xuan knew that it was meaningless for him to say anything else.

Shaking his head, he said, "Inferno Qilin, I'll be leaving them to you!"

Hong long!

The next moment, an Inferno Qilin appeared before everyone's eyes. The moment that it appeared, a powerful burst of flames gushed outward, leaving the room feeling as if it was a furnace.

With just a light flick of its hoof, the rope binding Zhang Xuan fell to the floor.

Hu la!

After cutting the rope, the Inferno Qilin's powerful hoof thrust forward once more.

Peng! Peng!

Before Zhan shi and Elder Ge could even react to the situation, they were smashed right into the wall, plastered to it as if a lizard. A powerful impact reverberated through their bodies as fresh blood trickled down their lips.

The Inferno Qilin was a Saint 9-dan pinnacle beast possessing the Ancient Qilin Bloodline, and it possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary cultivators. While it had sustained considerable damage in its fight with the First Elder earlier, even in its wounded state, it was still an adversary far beyond the means of Zhan shi and Elder Ge to deal with.

Not expecting the young man to bring out such a powerful tamed beast, Zhan shi's face immediately turned livid. He swiftly tapped on the space ahead of him as he bellowed, "Activate!"

Weng!

The formation in the room swiftly whirled into action. A powerful pressure crushed down from the surroundings, suppressing the Inferno Qilin tightly.

They had planned to use this formation to trap Zhang Xuan, but it seemed like they would have to deal with this massive fellow before deciding anything.

If they allowed the beast to run rampage, it would not be long before the Sanctum of Sages was reduced to dust.

Roar!

Trapped in the formation, the Inferno Qilin released a furious bellow. It swept its tail forth with formidable force, but its tail was swiftly impeded with spatial ripples in the air.

The formation in the Sanctum Head Hall was something left behind by their ancestors, and its might was not to be underestimated. As powerful as the Inferno Qilin was, it was still unable to struggle free of its restraints in the short-term.

"Capture Zhang Xuan first! Once we subdue him, his tamed beast won't dare to do anything!" Zhan shi bellowed furiously.

Knowing that they would not stand a chance once the Inferno Qilin struggled free from the formation, he immediately rushed forward to grab Zhang Xuan and hold him hostage.

As the saying went, 'To take down a den of bandits, subdue the chief first!'

No matter how powerful the Inferno Qilin was, it was still nothing more than a tamed beast. Once its master was taken hostage, there would be nothing that it could do.

"Humph!"

It was already enough for him to come under attack from the elders of the Zhang Clan, but to think that even the elders of the Sanctum of Sages would be so eager to apprehend him With an ireful wave of his hand, he commanded coldly, "Take down those two fellows!"

Hu!

The next moment, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast materialized and grabbed forward.

Peng! Peng!

Zhan shi and Elder Ge were swiftly sent flying once more.

"Saint 9-dan? Wasn't it at Saint 8-dan pinnacle just a month ago?" Elder Ge widened his eyes in horror.

He had experienced the frightening strength of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast once before, but back then, it had only been at Saint 8-dan pinnacle. How did it manage to make a breakthrough in just a single month?

There was a nearly unbridgeable rift between Saint 8-dan and Saint 9-dan. This final step was one that was exceptionally difficult to make, but once a cultivator managed to pass the threshold, their fighting prowess would be at a whole new level.

Elder Ge was not the only one shocked. Zhan shi also felt as if his head was exploding, as if he was going mad.

It was already a shocker to see that Zhang Xuan had a Saint 9-dan beast with him, but to bring out two at once just how in the world did he tame those beasts?

It was no wonder he could wreak havoc in the Zhang Clan and still manage to get away scot-free. With just these two saint beasts, it would be difficult for the ordinary guards of the Zhang Clan to stop him!

"Hold it right there!" However, knowing that this was not the time to be shocked. Zhan shi flicked his wrist and wielded his sword.

With just a simple slash, a barrage of sword qi had already burst forth, sealing the movements of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast. It was initially planning on charging forth to continue the pummeling, but under the onslaught of sword qi heading its way, it could only stop and defend against it for the time being.

The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast had only reached Saint 9-dan recently whereas Zhan shi had already been in this realm for many years. Not to mention, he even wielded his sword and used a battle technique, so the fight ended in a stalemate for the time being.

"Don't bother too much with them, help the Inferno Qilin break free of the formation first. Strike there!" Knowing that the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast was at a disadvantage strength wise, Zhang Xuan quickly issued an instruction while pointing to a certain location in the room.

Knowing the severity of the situation, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast also hurriedly rammed its way toward the area that Zhang Xuan had pointed out, and with a powerful whip of its tail, it struck the spot with absolute precision.

Kacha!

A crisp echo sounded in the air, followed by intense tremors. The trapped Inferno Qilin swiftly tore free of the formation, and at the same time, the Sanctum Head Hall succumbed to the pressure and began collapsing.

As soon as it was free from its restraints, the Inferno Qilin immediately launched a vicious counterattack, as if to cleanse itself of the humiliation that it had just suffered. With a ferocious roar, it rammed right through Zhan shi's defensive swordsmanship, and raising its hoof, it thrust it down forcefully on the two elders.

Padah! Padah!

Zhan shi and Elder Ge hurriedly raised their arms to cushion the blow, but the colossal strength behind the hoof was too much for them to bear. Their backs gradually bent under the astounding might as the creaking of bones sounded in the air, ready to snap at any moment.

Saint beasts had always possessed an advantage in terms of strength over cultivators of the same tier. This included even the powerful combat masters, let alone them.

Sensing that he was swiftly reaching his limit, Elder Ge bellowed, "Zhang Xuan, do you know what you are doing? This is the Sanctum of Sages, the root of countless powerful experts! Do you understand the consequences of laying your hands on a deputy sanctum head and an elder? Don't let your own recklessness compel you to make a decision that you'll regret for life!"