’Envelop him with my Consciousness Suppression.’

Luo Zijie’s body shook violently, terror filling his eyes. He felt an unprecedented pressure enveloping him.

It was as if everything around him was trying to devour him piece by piece. He faced endless darkness, threatened with utter annihilation, not even bones left behind.

"What did you do to me?" Luo Zijie roared, his face drained of all color.

Tu Xiao’an looked up, his features as fine as a painting, and announced in a clear, loud voice, "I will take you as my servant."

"In your dreams!"

Luo Zijie understood the other’s rapacious ambition and struggled desperately against the oppressive pressure.

But he was severely injured. The moment he struggled, his internal organs churned, and a large amount of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. His life force plummeted.

"Hmph, a mere Snake Demon wants to take me as a War Servant? I won’t let you succeed!" Luo Zijie was unyielding, preferring death over submission, and guarded his mind fiercely.

’It’s always humans who subdue Awakened Creatures as Battle Companions. Since when did it become the other way around?’

Tu Xiao’an continuously released his Consciousness Suppression, a smile playing on his lips. ’I can even subdue a Rank Three Demon Spirit. What’s a human Martial Cultivator who hasn’t even reached Rank 3?’

There was nothing in heaven or on earth that Tu Xiao’an could not subdue.

"Stop struggling. It’s useless. The weaker your life force becomes, the easier it will be for me to succeed."

Luo Zijie’s head was spinning, and he was drenched in sweat. The terrifying feeling of being devoured intensified, like a demon’s hand dragging him down into the Hell Abyss.

’I can’t submit, I can’t submit...’

Luo Zijie roared inwardly. The feud over his brother’s death was irreconcilable; how could he become the servant of a Snake Demon?

He was a genius human Sword Cultivator with a boundless future, destined to rise.

Moreover, he was the future heir of the hidden Luo Family in Wencheng. His status was not much inferior to Bai Junran’s.

Hatred had clouded his judgment, leading him into a Demon Nest. Now he was caught in a dilemma where even death was a luxury.

His body was no longer under his control. He couldn’t move a muscle and could only hold on with his willpower.

"Submit!"

Tu Xiao’an bellowed, unleashing the full force of his consciousness. Luo Zijie was completely enveloped in a radiant light.

’No... no... no...’

Luo Zijie was filled with despair. A trace of fear flashed through his heart. He couldn’t resist the external invasion and was about to be completely devoured.

「Three minutes later...」

"No..."

A horribly tragic roar erupted in the villa’s courtyard, but the owner of the voice had vanished from the spot.

"DING... Congratulations, Host, for successfully subduing a Level 29 human Sword Cultivator. As a special reward, you may access the store’s Weapon Interface and choose any Upper Grade Weapon."

The system’s voice suddenly rang out.

’An Upper Grade Weapon?’

Tu Xiao’an had learned from the Weapon Interface that they were divided by price. Those under one million were Lower Grade, over five million were Middle Grade, and between ten million and one hundred million were Upper Grade. His Xiaoli Flying Knife barely counted as an Upper Grade Weapon.

Weapons over one hundred million were High Grade Weapons, and those over one billion were Divine Weapons.

This system reward wasn’t anything amazing; it was more of a token gesture.

Given Tu Xiao’an’s power, subduing someone below Rank 3 was no great effort. However, since he had subdued a human Martial Cultivator this time, it was normal to receive a reward.

’It’s a good thing, though,’ Tu Xiao’an thought. ’Buying an Upper Grade Weapon myself would cost tens of millions at least. This saves me a lot of money.’

After some thought, Tu Xiao’an glanced at the Weapon Interface, then with a mental command, Luo Zijie appeared out of thin air and stood before him.

The look in Luo Zijie’s eyes as he gazed at Tu Xiao’an was clearly different. The overwhelming hostility was gone, replaced by reverence.

He was now Tu Xiao’an’s servant, able to be enslaved but never to resist.

He couldn’t even choose to die.

Tu Xiao’an watched Luo Zijie quietly, saying nothing.

Luo Zijie’s expression twitched as his soul and thoughts were transformed. After a few breaths, he dropped to one knee before Tu Xiao’an. "War Servant Luo Zijie pays his respects to Master."

Tu Xiao’an smiled. With another mental command, SHING...

A Treasure Sword radiating a righteous aura, shimmering with Baoguang, plunged into the ground before Luo Zijie.

When Luo Zijie saw the sword’s radiant Baoguang, he gasped sharply. His eyes were glued to it, unable to look away.

"This is called the Heroic Sword. Your sword was destroyed just now. This one is yours."

Tu Xiao’an said with a smile. This sword belonged to the Fengyun novel World Series. It was the weapon of Nameless, a Martial Arts legend of his generation—a sword that represented justice.

For a Sword Cultivator whose purpose is to right the world’s wrongs with a single blade, this sword was the most fitting.

Moreover, it was classified as an Upper Grade Weapon, priced at eighty million RMB.

"Thank you, Master!" Luo Zijie was instantly thrilled. He pulled out the Heroic Sword, and its blade glinted as he held it.

A good sword could cause one’s combat power to soar.

Tu Xiao’an then went to the Cultivation Technique interface and bought a Sword Technique Manual for Luo Zijie. He said, "Break through to Rank 3 as soon as possible. Don’t disappoint me."

Anyone below Rank 3 was no longer worthy of his attention.

With the Heroic Sword and Sword Technique Manual he had been given, Luo Zijie could be considered to have received a blessing in disguise. His strength would skyrocket, and breaking through to Rank 3 would just be a matter of time.

If a Sword Cultivator became a being of the Three Realms, their combat power would be incredibly formidable. At that point, if he were to fight the Bull Demon King, the outcome would be hard to predict.

Tu Xiao’an had really splurged this time. It was rare for him to be so generous.

He was treating Luo Zijie as a key subordinate to cultivate. In the future, Luo Zijie would be his sword-wielding guard, cutting down all obstacles for him.

"There’s nothing for you here. Go back to the Ancient Academy."

No matter how much Luo Zijie had hated Tu Xiao’an before, now that he was subdued, he could never betray him and would follow him wholeheartedly for the rest of his life.

This was one of the system’s perverse aspects—it could completely brainwash a person.

After Luo Zijie left the villa, the Bull Demon King came over, a resentful look on his face. "Master, how come when this old bull was subdued by you, I didn’t get any reward?"

Er... that seemed to be the case. Tu Xiao’an had even taken three hundred million from him. He gave an awkward smile. "You’re already a Rank Three Demon Spirit. I don’t have anything I can give you."

"This old bull isn’t picky. Just give me one of those swords," the Bull Demon King said, not giving up.

Tu Xiao’an shot him a glance. "Do you really think a sword is suitable for a bull like you?"

"..." The Bull Demon King was speechless.

"Just focus on making money for your master. Maybe in the future, I’ll get you a Ruyi Golden Cudgel to play with."

"Now, take me to a quiet room. I need to cultivate," Tu Xiao’an said.

A short while later, Tu Xiao’an sat cross-legged on the bed. With a mental command, his data materialized.

Host: Tu Xiao’an.

Identity: Pseudo Snake King (Enthroned).

Level: 28.

Evolutionary Energy: 3300/5000.

Faith Points: 30,010,000.

Elemental Attribute Abilities: Power of Thunder and Lightning, Flame Power, Ice Frost Power.

Weapon: Xiaoli Flying Knife (9).

Battle Companions: Bull Demon King (Level 32), Snake Flood Dragon (Level 30), Silver Moon Giant Wolf (Level 23), Immortal Spirit Peacock Azure Owl (Level 20), Mutated Two-headed Snake (Level 19), Xiaobai (Level 15).

War Servant: Sword Cultivator Luo Zijie (Level 29).