Lan An's expression shifted from calm to solemn as he assessed the enemy's battle formation.
The Earth Prime Shark, a Peak Sixth-Grade beast, could strike from below at any moment. The Wind Spirit Monkey boasted terrifying speed, the Blazing Cloud Bird swooped for aerial assaults, and the Rock Crystal Ape wielded formidable defense.
Such a beastly coalition could even stall an Early Body Unity cultivator.
Yet Lan An restrained his full power to avoid exposing his identity. If Yu Han, Yu Guo, and their elder realized he was Lan An, they'd flee with all their might, thwarting his plans.
Soul cultivation breakthroughs were rare, and Lan An craved a feast of souls to elevate his Early Spirit Transformation soul realm to match his spiritual and physical prowess.
His mind raced, devising a strategy to wipe out the entire group.
Unaware of his intent to slaughter them all, Yu Han and Yu Guo laughed confidently. With their master's Peak Sixth-Grade beast aiding them, what was there to fear?
ROAR!
As if to prove their arrogance, the Rock Crystal Ape uprooted a massive tree, swinging it with mountain-shattering force at Lan An's head.
The Blazing Cloud Bird, true to its name, tore through the clouds with iron-hard wings, diving at him.
The Wind Spirit Monkey transformed into a gale, its paws conjuring storms, unleashing a barrage of palm strikes.
The Devouring Dog watched calmly, as if a protagonist waiting for its grand entrance.
Lan An activated Piercing Weakness Vision, gripping his Heavy Sword. Cyan flames erupted along the blade, sweeping outward.
"Heavy Flame Sword Art, First Form – Mountain Suppression!"
The sword unleashed oppressive force, its devastating sword qi shattering the beasts' combined assault.
But Lan An wasn't done. He roared, "Heavy Flame Sword Art, Second Form – Earth Rend!"
The Heavy Sword vibrated violently, slashing again. The ground exploded in a chain of eruptions, the sword qi shaking the very space around it.
Lan An had long mastered the second form of the Heavy Flame Sword Art.
The earth-shattering strike forced the Blazing Cloud Bird to flap desperately, soaring to safety.
The Wind Spirit Monkey, agile as ever, paled and fled within a whirlwind.
Only the sluggish Rock Crystal Ape relied on its innate defense, roaring as molten armor formed around it to meet the Earth Rend.
BOOM!
The sword struck, shattering the ape's armor into fragments. Its massive body hurtled dozens of meters, crashing onto the Fire Lion, still struggling to rise.
The Fire Lion, barely recovered, was crushed under the ape's tons of weight. Its bones snapped, eyes bulging as it fainted, utterly defeated.
"Die!" Lan An pursued, eager for their rich souls.
ROAR!
Seeing its allies in peril, the Devouring Dog unleashed a cart-sized black orb, devouring all matter in its path, corroding even space with eerie power.
Forced to halt his chase, Lan An directed Eight Desolations Heavenly Flame's wings to counter the orb.
SIZZLE!
To his shock, the orb consumed his Strange Flame, though weakened, dissolving in midair.
"What bizarre power," Lan An muttered, stunned that a Mid Sixth-Grade beast could counter his top-six Strange Flame.
"That's Corrosive Devouring, a Taotie clan talent—it can consume all things. This Devouring Dog has grasped a fraction of it," Jin Ni explained gravely.
"Is there a way to counter it?" Lan An asked.
"Of course. Use a force stronger than Corrosive Devouring, and it's powerless. The Kun Peng clan's Swallowing talent is also its natural counter," Jin Ni replied.
Kun Peng? Lan An thought of Kun Ming Yue, the petite beauty descended from the Kun Peng clan.
ROAR! ROAR! "Swallow! Devour!"
The Devouring Dog gave him no time to think, its massive maw unleashing a domineering suction, aiming to engulf him.
Eight Desolations Heavenly Flame's wings flapped furiously against the pull, creating a stalemate.
"A force stronger than Corrosive Devouring would be Tri-Color Tribulation Lightning or combined Strange Flames, but I can't use them now," Lan An mused.
He'd only unleash his full power when certain he could trap the elder and his disciples, ensuring none escaped.
"Die!"
The beasts didn't relent. From deep below, the Earth Prime Shark surged skyward, its jagged teeth targeting Lan An.
The Wind Spirit Monkey and Blazing Cloud Bird, recovering, renewed their assault.
The situation turned dire.
Yu Han and Yu Guo laughed, certain of Lan An's doom.
Yu Guo eyed the Devouring Dog's prowess with envy. His junior brother's once-mocked stray had become his trump card, fueling Yu Guo's jealousy.
"Annoying. Perish!" Lan An's killing intent flared at the Wind Spirit Monkey and Blazing Cloud Bird.
His eyes glowed, unleashing a ferocious soul force.
With his identity masked, he had no need to hide his soul cultivation.
"Soul Blast Technique!"
Freshly broken through to Early Spirit Transformation, his soul power was formidable.
SCREECH! SCREECH!
The two beasts, caught off guard, writhed as their souls burned, minds exploding in pain. They plummeted, senseless.
Lan An sneered at the Devouring Dog, still trying to devour him, and unleashed another Soul Blast Technique.
HOWL!
The Devouring Dog staggered, the world spinning. It clamped its maw shut, shaking its head to ease the agony. Its potent bloodline spared it the others' fate, but it barely stood.
"What's happening?" Yu Han and Yu Guo screamed, their beasts suddenly powerless.
Ignoring them, Lan An used Fire Law Ten Thousand Miles to dodge the Earth Prime Shark's terrifying strike. He wasn't foolish enough to face a Peak Sixth-Grade beast head-on.
"Soul cultivator? From the Heavenly Secret Palace?" The elder, watching from atop the Black Giant Eagle, shouted, his face darkening.
On the Dragon Crossing Star, soul cultivators were synonymous with the mysterious Heavenly Secret Palace, a force rivaling the Beast Taming War Sect.
But he shook his head, calming himself. "No, the Heavenly Secret Palace couldn't produce a soul cultivator like you, with Strange Flame and body cultivation. You're a monster. Capturing you will make my name resound!"
His killing intent locked onto Lan An, and he charged atop the Black Giant Eagle.
Though injured, the Seventh-Grade beast could easily crush Lan An.
"Leaving?" Hua Qing Zhu's face darkened, her hair billowing. Her Spirit Magic Staff hummed at its limit.
"Spirit-Grade Technique – Nine Heavens Ice Rain!"
Icy droplets fell from the heavens, each laced with lethal intent, capable of freezing a Void Refinement cultivator. It was one of Hua Qing Zhu's strongest techniques.
CLINK!
The Iron Scorpion was pelted, its massive body temporarily immobilized.
With a flash of movement, Hua Qing Zhu blocked the elder's path, her Ice Earth Falling Petal Palm targeting the Black Giant Eagle.
The elder gritted his teeth, eyes resolute, and made a reckless move.
He leaped off the Black Giant Eagle, his Early Body Unity power erupting, charging Lan An at terrifying speed.
SCREECH!
Abandoned, the Black Giant Eagle took the full brunt of Hua Qing Zhu's palm, shrieking as it crashed, barely alive.
"No!" Hua Qing Zhu paled. The Beast Taming War Sect relied on beasts, yet the elder fought personally.
Though weaker than a typical Body Unity cultivator, he could still gravely wound Lan An.
She chased desperately but was too late.
"You monster, you can't live!" The elder locked onto Lan An, his killing intent surging.
As Hua Qing Zhu watched in despair, the elder closed in, his palm poised to crush Lan An's head.
"Die!" Yu Han and Yu Guo laughed, gleeful that the beast-killer would pay.
Seeing Lan An stand motionless, they assumed he was paralyzed by fear.
The elder grinned savagely, thrilled at slaying a peerless genius.
But a cold, arrogant voice rang out.
"Touch my man? Who gave you such dog's guts?"
The elder's grin froze. Beside Lan An stood a woman.
A breathtaking beauty, mature and flawless, with proud phoenix eyes, a noble Golden Crow phantom behind her, wielding a scepter crackling with lightning. No words could capture her beauty and majesty.
Yan Yue Qi gazed at the elder with disdain. An Early Body Unity cultivator meant nothing to her.
The elder trembled. Her Peak Void Refinement aura radiated danger, especially her scepter, shattering space without being used.
Thunder Emperor Scepter…
"True… Grade… Treasure?" the elder stammered.
"Exactly," Yan Yue Qi spat, raising her scepter. Purple and black lightning coalesced, roaring toward the elder.
His eyes widened. The events defied comprehension—her sudden appearance, her overwhelming power.
Instinctively, he raised his arm to block.
AAAAH!
A scream echoed as his arm shattered, lightning coursing through him, wracking his body.
The Beast Taming War Sect's cultivators had weak personal strength, and against a battle-defying monster like Yan Yue Qi, he was doomed.
"Twin Moon Fairy…" Yu Han and Yu Guo gasped, horrified. And she called this Spirit Transformation youth her man? Heavens…
Even Hua Qing Zhu froze, Yan Yue Qi's presence igniting her competitive spirit. Her beauty, aura, and Peak Void Refinement strength—despite being weaker—posed a threat, stirring Hua Qing Zhu's pride.
"Keep fighting?" Yu Han and Yu Guo screamed, terror-stricken.
Yan Yue Qi ignored them, her Thunder Emperor Scepter unleashing destructive lightning, charging the elder with glee. Her first Body Unity fight thrilled her, even if he was weaker than most.
"Run!" the elder shouted to his disciples, rage and fear mixing as the tide turned.
The Beast Taming War Sect neglected spiritual power and distress signals, relying on numbers and arrogance. Now, they'd kicked an iron plate, with no way to call for aid.
"Exactly. If one of us spreads the news, they'll be hunted by the world!" Yu Han and Yu Guo decided, exchanging glances.
"Escape?" Lan An's killing intent flared. He wouldn't let them succeed.
Unleashing his full power, he conjured Spirit Fusion Palm. It was time to end this.
"Spirit Fusion Palm? He's Lan An?" Recognizing the famed technique, Yu Han, Yu Guo, and the elder nearly fainted.
The domineering Spirit Fusion Palm erupted, infused with Emperor Flame and Tri-Color Tribulation Lightning, targeting Yu Han.
As the Devouring Dog's master, his death would kill it too.
The Earth Prime Shark hesitated, sensing the palm's lethal aura, unwilling to risk itself for Yu Han, its non-master.
ROAR!
Seeing its master in peril, the Devouring Dog leaped forward, its maw wide to swallow the Spirit Fusion Palm.
BOOM!
Before all eyes, the Devouring Dog exploded into a bloody mist, utterly annihilated.
Silence fell over the battlefield.