After a long while, the aftershocks of the battle finally subsided.

A deep pit, roughly ten square meters in size, had appeared in the center of the courtyard, with thick smoke constantly billowing from it.

"This is impossible... impossible! How could I lose to a mere Little Snake Spirit?"

A low, horrified voice echoed from the pit. A moment later, a massive bull struggled to climb out.

The Bull Demon King had completely revealed his true form.

"Colorful Bull, let me ask you—do you submit or not?"

Tu Xiao'an smiled faintly, watching the massive bull climb out of the pit. Apart from its immense size, it didn't look much different from an ordinary bull.

The Bull Demon King swayed, barely able to stand. White steam puffed from his large nostrils as he said resentfully, "That was only because I was careless! If I'd gone all out, I would have killed you, you wretched Snake Spirit, long ago!"

"Colorful Bull, your defeat was no accident—it was inevitable," Tu Xiao'an said with a confident smile, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I'll give you two choices. Either submit and acknowledge me as your master, or be devoured by me."

As he spoke, a giant, terrifyingly ferocious snake shadow appeared behind him, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws.

The Bull Demon King stared blankly at the snake shadow, a flicker of fear in his eyes. But then his eyes widened in defiance. "I am a Rank Three Demon Spirit! How could I possibly acknowledge a mere Rank Two Snake Spirit as my master? What a joke! The biggest joke in the world!"

"So you've chosen to be devoured, is that it?"

"I am a Rank Three Demon Spirit. A little Snake Spirit like you could never devour me. You'd burst trying!"

"Looks like you're itching for another beating." Tu Xiao'an's lips curled into a cold smile. With a light leap, he landed on the Bull Demon King's back and grabbed his two horns. "You're the loser here. What right do you have to act so brave? If it weren't for the fact that you're a Rank Three Demon Spirit, do you think you'd even be qualified to be my Beast Pet? I'm already being generous."

With that, Tu Xiao'an slammed a heavy fist into the Bull Demon King's head, making him roar in pain.

"Will you submit?"

"I, a mighty Rank Three Demon Spirit, would rather die than submit!"

"Right now, you're just a bull."

BAM...

Tu Xiao'an landed another punch, showing no mercy.

"Will you submit!"

"Will you submit!"

"Will you submit!"

BAM! BAM! BAM!

'If I hadn't completely exhausted my Elemental Attribute Power in that last move, I wouldn't just be using my fists right now.'

He rained down fist after fist, making the Bull Demon King scream incessantly. Unable to take it any longer, his body gave out and he collapsed to the ground.

Tu Xiao'an, acting like a common thug, sat astride the bull and continued to rain down punches.

"Stop! Stop hitting me! If you keep this up, this old bull is really going to die!" the Bull Demon King began to beg. But submitting to a Snake Spirit... he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

'Did he have no pride?'

Tu Xiao'an sneered. 'A Rank Three Demon Spirit's Life Force is exceptionally tenacious. They're practically indestructible cockroaches. How could he die so easily?'

'If he were going to die, my three-element ultimate move would have already turned him to ash.'

'His hide really is tough.'

'I'll just keep hitting him. I have to beat him until he willingly submits.'

"I'll give you money! I have lots of it! Just let me go!" the Bull Demon King pleaded, swallowing his pride. As long as he didn't have to submit and acknowledge a master, anything was on the table.

'Once I acknowledge a master, I'll no longer be free.'

Money?

Tu Xiao'an was stunned for a moment. He hadn't expected the Colorful Bull to try and pull a stunt like this. He asked mockingly, "Alright then, tell me. How much are you offering to buy your life?"

"Ten million! I'll give you ten million!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Tu Xiao'an's sandbag-sized fist slammed down with a BAM. "Is the life of a Rank Three Demon Spirit only worth ten million?" he roared.

"Are you trying to humiliate yourself, or are you trying to humiliate me?"

The Bull Demon King screamed again. "A hundred million! I'll give you a hundred million! Is that enough?"

Tu Xiao'an's eyes lit up. 'This bull demon used his Transformation to become a real estate developer in human society. Using every dirty trick in the book... looks like he's made a fortune in illicit cash over the years.'

'His net worth is impressive.'

'If he can offer a hundred million to save his own life, it means his total net worth is far, far greater.'

'In that case, I absolutely have to subjugate the Bull Demon King. I'm even greedier than he is. I want it all—the demon and his wealth.'

BAM! BAM! BAM!

After pondering for a moment, Tu Xiao'an suddenly started raining down punches again, leaving the Bull Demon King completely bewildered.

"I already promised you a hundred million! Why are you still hitting me?"

Tu Xiao'an said with cold indifference, "Bull Demon King, give up on that idea. I'll ask you one last time: will you submit to me? Your money can't buy your life. If you want to live, your only choice is to submit to me."

"If you truly aren't afraid of death, I can grant your wish. You're a Rank Three Demon Spirit. If I devour you, I stand to gain immense benefits, too."

The giant snake shadow materialized behind Tu Xiao'an again, his Killing Intent blasting out like a violent gale.

The entire villa was permeated with the cold, murderous Qi of his Snake Race.

Despair bloomed in the Bull Demon King's heart. His head had been beaten to a pulp, his life was hanging by a thread, and his opponent was giving him no way out.

"I submit! This old bull submits! Just stop hitting me, and please don't eat me!"

The Bull Demon King cried out miserably, slumping listlessly to the ground. Uttering those words seemed to drain every last bit of strength from his body.

Tu Xiao'an's eyes lit up. 'The older you get, the more you fear death. And the higher an Awakened Creature's Cultivation, the less they want to die. Cultivation is hard, especially for a Rank Three Demon Spirit who has reached the stage of Transformation.'

'There are too many temptations in the mortal world.'

'What damn good is having a backbone?'

'In the face of true death, you can only lower your proud head.'

"Bull Demon King, you'll understand in the future. Submitting to me is the greatest fortune of your life." Tu Xiao'an's eyes narrowed as he projected a powerful stream of Consciousness Power onto the Bull Demon King.

"Don't resist. Accept it obediently."

'A Level 32 Bull Demon King... if I can subjugate him, he'll be a super-powerful underling. A rich one, too.'

'Once he's subjugated, everything he owns will be mine.'

The Bull Demon King felt a mountain-like pressure descend upon him. He subconsciously wanted to resist, but after hearing the Snake Spirit's words, he could only close his eyes and stop struggling.

At that moment, a brilliant light erupted from the Bull Demon King's body, gradually engulfing him.

"Ding... Congratulations, Host, on subjugating the Level 32 Bull Demon King. You have been specially rewarded with one Ancient Bloodline. You may enter the store to make your selection."

The system's voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

Hearing this, Tu Xiao'an didn't feel particularly happy. 'As expected, the reward for subjugating a Rank Three Demon Spirit the second time around is a lot worse.'

'Compared to a heaven-defying reward like unconditional subjugation, a single Ancient Bloodline is nothing special.'

'Besides, with my current Faith Points, an Ancient Bloodline isn't even out of my reach. It would take a Divine Beast Bloodline to get me truly excited.'

'Still, something is better than nothing, and an Ancient Bloodline isn't bad.'

The Bull Demon King lay listlessly on the ground, but the way he looked at Tu Xiao'an had undergone a complete transformation.

It was no longer contempt, but awe.

"Call me Master."

Tu Xiao'an said with a grin.

"Master."

The Bull Demon King choked out the word, wanting to cry but having no tears left. He was in utter despair, feeling that this was a fate worse than death.

'A Rank Three Demon Spirit becoming a Rank Two Snake Spirit's Beast Pet... What had the world come to?'

'He had utterly disgraced the entire lineage of bull demons.'