Chapter 405: Yin-Yang Grand Capture, Subduing the Wind Thunder Hound!

Lu Changsheng blended into the void, arriving outside the battle area of the Wind Thunder Hound.

From this distance, he could clearly sense the presence of the man and the beast in the air.

This Wind Thunder Hound should be a Third-Rank early-stage Demon King.

The person confronting the Wind Thunder Hound was a burly man.

His face was fierce, with tiger-like eyes. He wore a tiger pelt cape, radiating a wild and domineering aura. His cultivation was likely at the early stage of Golden Core Formation.

“Human cultivator, you’ve disturbed this king’s rest multiple times. Do you really think this king is so easy to provoke?”

The Wind Thunder Hound looked at the burly man in front of it. It spoke in a voice as deep as rolling thunder.

Once a beast breaks through to the Third-Rank, it can refine its hyoid bone and speak human language.

Some beasts can even take on human form at the Third-Rank.

However, generally, the higher the bloodline’s grade, the harder it is for a beast to transform.

So, Lu Changsheng wasn’t surprised that the Wind Thunder Hound could speak.

“I’ve come here today to borrow the Thunder Crystal King from you.”

The burly man spoke with a rough yet powerful voice, full of wildness.

“Thunder Crystal? You’ve disturbed this king’s rest repeatedly, hunted this king’s kin, and you still want to borrow the Thunder Crystal? Leave the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range now!”

The Wind Thunder Hound’s voice rumbled like thunder, stirring up layers of hurricanes, making countless beasts and cultivators in the mountain range tremble.

“King Hound, I’m here with sincerity. Here’s a bottle of Thunder Essence.”

The burly man’s voice, though rough and domineering, was not strong in tone. He produced a purple jade bottle in his hand.

“Thunder Essence? Not interested. Leave the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range!”

The Wind Thunder Hound, with purple lightning flickering in its pupils, gave a low growl.

“In that case, I’ll have to take it by force!”

Seeing the Wind Thunder Hound persist in its stance, the burly man grew angry.

Despite being a Golden Core cultivator, here sincerely to make a trade, the other showed such arrogance without any respect.

“Hahaha! You humans truly are shameless! If you intend to fight, why waste time talking!”

The Wind Thunder Hound laughed and then opened its enormous, razor-sharp mouth, releasing a fierce, rapid, and intense sonic wave.

This sonic wave, like thunderclaps, and sweeping gusts, formed concentric circles, tearing apart the void as it attacked the burly man.

“Heaven and Earth Spin!”

The burly man brandished a large circular blade in his hands, slashing forward and creating a crimson streak that tore through the sky, ripping apart the oncoming wind and thunder.

At the same time.

“Roar!”

Suddenly, behind the burly man, a massive white tiger with wings on its back appeared, ferociously leaping toward the Wind Thunder Hound.

This white tiger, though not as powerful as the Wind Thunder Hound, was also a Third-Rank beast, fiercely charging at the Wind Thunder Hound.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The Wind Thunder Hound roared and growled, wind and thunder surging all over its body, forming a domain that seemed to obliterate everything.

Its wings continuously expanded, forming tornadoes with electricity arcing along their path, exuding a terrifying might.

“No wonder this guy dares to provoke the Wind Thunder Hound at the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range. So he has another Third-Rank spirit beast!”

“But this Wind Thunder Hound is truly remarkable. Even though it appears to be at the early stage of the Third-Rank, this kind of power makes it impossible for cultivators of the same rank to be a match.”

“This burly man dared to come because of his reliance on the Third-Rank spirit beast.”

Lu Changsheng watched the battle between the Wind Thunder Hound and the burly man, silently calculating.

At the moment, Lu Changsheng couldn’t tell who would win or lose.

However, since this burly man dared to come and provoke the Wind Thunder Hound, he likely had some degree of confidence.

“If they fight each other to a stalemate, maybe I can swoop in and claim the victory?”

Lu Changsheng’s eyes narrowed slightly as he considered.

One of his main objectives on this trip was this Wind Thunder Hound.

Now, seeing the beast being cornered by someone else, wouldn’t this trip be in vain?

But from his perspective, unless this burly man had some hidden trump card, it would be tough to slay the Wind Thunder Hound.

Lu Changsheng didn’t act rashly, hiding his presence within the void, silently observing the two parties’ fight.

“Boom! Boom! Boom——”

In the sky, three powerful energy forces clashed intensely, causing terrifying aftershocks that almost tore the void apart.

If not for Lu Changsheng’s Golden Core cultivation and Void Robes, he wouldn’t have been able to watch from such a close distance.

As the confrontation continued, Lu Changsheng gradually gained a better understanding of the strength of both the man and the spirit beasts.

The Wind Thunder Hound’s power was undeniably the strongest.

Not only were its energy attacks overwhelming and violent, but its physical body was also incredibly sturdy.

The burly man and his spirit beast did not dare to engage the Wind Thunder Hound head-on.

However, this burly man was indeed formidable, showing perfect synergy with his white tiger. Their combined assault techniques were impressive.

Faced with their joint assault, the Wind Thunder Hound was undeniably frustrated, unable to severely injure them in a short time.

“Boom! Boom! Boom——”

In the sky, the clash of energies continually erupted, filling the heavens with lights, tearing the space apart, and obliterating all living beings below at the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.

“How is this guy not afraid of attracting other Demon Kings?”

Lu Changsheng watched from above, frowning slightly.

His biggest worry when coming to the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range was that engaging a Demon King might attract others.

But now, this burly man had been fighting the Wind Thunder Hound for so long without any other Demon Kings arriving.

“If things stay this way, it’ll make things much easier.”

Lu Changsheng stroked his chin, pondering.

“Human, you still have time to retreat! If not, this king will make sure you pay dearly!”

The Wind Thunder Hound, growing impatient under the burly man’s siege, let out a chilling growl.

“King Hound, I’ve said, I only want the Thunder Crystal. I’ll leave right after.”

At this point, the burly man was somewhat exhausted. He responded in a low, tired voice.

“Damn it! I thought you came here to challenge the Wind Thunder Hound with some secret trick, but it turns out you just planned to wear it down until it had no choice but to hand over the item?”

Lu Changsheng frowned at the burly man’s tactic, feeling a bit speechless.

But thinking again, it made sense. At this level of strength, fighting to the death would come at a steep price.

Even taking just a light injury or damaging a magical treasure could take years or even decades to fully recover.

So unless it was absolutely necessary, no Golden Core cultivator would fight without holding back.

“If you refuse to listen, then this king will oblige you!”

The Wind Thunder Hound roared towards the sky. Suddenly, its body was covered in purple patterns, like dragons of lightning swirling around it, its aura rapidly rising, as if an ancient ferocious beast was awakening.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

A storm of wind swept, dark clouds gathered. Lightning flashed and thunder roared as a massive purple lightning column as thick as a giant python struck down.

“Roar! Roar! Roar!!!”

The Wind Thunder Hound’s roars shook the heavens and earth, forming tornadoes accompanied by the lightning columns which sealed off the sky and earth, sweeping towards the burly man and the Third-Rank white tiger.

The wild, violent energy was overwhelmingly terrifying, completely engulfing heaven and earth, as if threatening to end the world.

From a distance, Lu Changsheng also couldn’t help but fully activate his Void Robes under this indiscriminate, rampant energy, allowing his Yin-Yang mystical lights to flow, preventing his presence from being exposed.

“Tiger God Transformation!”

The burly man, now serious, performed hand seals as his bones crackled, with a white tiger’s phantom swirling around him.

Suddenly, his spirit beast white tiger roared and rushed towards him, merging with the white tiger phantom behind him.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The burly man’s energy skyrocketed as his cultivation rose to the mid-stage Golden Core Formation. His body expanded to a height of a zhang (around 3.3 meters), and grew white fur all over, resembling a massive bear.

“This is a fusion technique?”

Lu Changsheng was quite surprised by the method displayed.

He had noticed earlier that this burly man excelled at Beast Taming and had a strong bond with his spirit beast.

But he hadn’t expected the man to be capable of merging with his spirit beast.

He had heard Hong Lian mention that achieving such a state not only required a deep bond between the cultivator and the spirit beast but also for the spirit beast to cultivate the corresponding technique.

“Could this person be a Golden Core cultivator from the Spirit Control Sect?”

Lu Changsheng speculated.

There weren’t many Golden Core cultivators in the Jiang Kingdom.

Being near the Spirit Control Sect, seeing such mastery of Beast Taming, Lu Changsheng surmised this must be so.

“Boom! Boom! Boom——”

In the sky, both parties unleashed their strongest moves.

The terrifying collision of energies produced soundwaves as if divine thunder roared from the heavens, causing the sky to flicker between light and dark.

The destructive energy quickly unleashed endless aftershocks, rampaging wildly, with each wave stronger than the last, engulfing everything in its path.

“Boom! Boom! Boom——”

After a long while, the energy in the sky subsided somewhat. The Wind Thunder Hound’s massive body bore a crimson wound, blood flowing.

The burly man, towering at a zhang high, resembling a massive bear, had several charred areas on his body.

“Human, you deserve to die!”

The Wind Thunder Hound’s purple glowing eyes were filled with killing intent as it roared viciously.

“King Hound, as I said, I only want the Thunder Crystal.”

The burly man’s voice now sounded like the roar of a white tiger, his presence filling the heavens.

But Lu Changsheng noticed the man’s voice had weakened significantly, realizing that with such methods, it would be difficult for the man to slay the Wind Thunder Hound.

“If this is the extent of his strength, then this peach is mine to pick!”

Lu Changsheng saw this scene and remained calm and indifferent.

Nine Treasures Dao Bone—Essence! Qi! Spirit!

“Boom!”

A radiant light burst from the runes on his chest, causing his body, energy, and Divine Sense to roar like tidal waves.

In an instant, Lu Changsheng’s height seemed to increase, and his cultivation advanced from the first layer of Golden Core Formation to the second!

But it didn’t stop there.

Golden Core Formation – Third layer!

Golden Core Formation – Fourth layer!

Golden Core Formation – Fifth layer!

“Who!?”

The towering burly man, now resembling a bear, immediately turned in Lu Changsheng’s direction, shouting.

In the heat of battle, he hadn’t noticed anyone hiding in the shadows—an alarming discovery.

Lu Changsheng didn’t respond, focusing his energy on his dantian, the Yin-Yang Golden Core Dao on the verge of trembling as it fully activated, radiating a dazzling brilliance that made the Golden Core’s energy roar like a true dragon.

“Yin-Yang Grand Capture!”

A mysterious Yin-Yang energy shot out from the top of Lu Changsheng’s head, shooting straight into the sky, forming a massive Yin-Yang hand.

The hand, with its fingers slightly curved, descended powerfully, casting a shadow as it moved to suppress the Wind Thunder Hound!

“Roar!!!”

Seeing this, the Wind Thunder Hound roared in defiance, wind and thunder surging madly, forming a raging, oppressive domain.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The colossal handprint that blocked out the sky and sun directly suppressed the wind and thunder domain, then grasped the Wind Thunder Hound’s massive body, dimming the wind and thunder on its body as it struggled and roared, unable to break free.

This!

This!

This!

The burly man, who resembled a bear, was dumbfounded.

This was a Third-Rank Demon King, the Wind Thunder Hound!

Even if he exerted all his strength and used the fusion technique, he could only subdue it.

And without paying a huge price, he couldn’t even dream of killing it.

As for capturing it so effortlessly? That was out of the question.

But at this moment, this person had suppressed the Wind Thunder Hound with a single move!

What kind of power was this? What kind of divine ability!

“Spirit Control Sect’s Tiger Roar greets Senior.”

Immediately, Tiger Roar assumed a respectful tone, cupping his hands towards Lu Changsheng and introducing himself.

There were only so many Golden Core cultivators in the Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world, and he had never seen Lu Changsheng before.

An unknown Golden Core cultivator appearing before him, having suppressed the Wind Thunder Hound with a single move, made him quite nervous, unsure if Lu Changsheng would turn on him.

So, by announcing himself, he indicated that if anything happened to him, the Spirit Control Sect would be alerted and arrive at once.

“Spirit Control Sect’s Tiger Roar.”

Hearing this, Lu Changsheng realized that the man was indeed a Golden Core cultivator from the Spirit Control Sect.

Clad in black robes, Lu Changsheng appeared calm and indifferent as he said, “This Wind Thunder Hound belongs to me.”

Though the words were simple, they were filled with an undeniable aura of authority.

“It would be the Wind Thunder Hound’s fortune to be claimed by Senior.”

Tiger Roar lowered his stance significantly.

“Capture!”

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly, raising his hand and forming a seal.

Immediately, the massive Yin-Yang hand, swirling with misty energy, enveloped the Wind Thunder Hound, making it wail and roar as its energy weakened.

Moments later, the hand started to shrink, gradually forming a fist-sized Yin-Yang orb that spun in the air before flying into Lu Changsheng’s hand.

As a divine ability designed for capturing, the Yin-Yang Grand Capture naturally had a restraining force.

However, such capture required a lot of energy.

Moreover, the divine ability had to be cultivated to an extremely profound level to be used effectively.

Had the Wind Thunder Hound not been injured, even if Lu Changsheng had elevated his cultivation to the mid-stage Golden Core Formation through the Nine Treasures Dao Bone, he wouldn’t have been able to capture it easily.

“A Golden Core cultivator! This person must be a formidable Golden Core expert!”

Seeing this, Tiger Roar’s throat dried up, and he shuddered nervously.

This person, if they wandered through the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, could wreak havoc amongst the Demon Kings.

What was this person’s background? How could such a powerful Golden Core cultivator appear in the Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world?

Lu Changsheng observed the trembling Yin-Yang orb in his hand. His energy surged, and he suddenly clenched his fist, killing the Wind Thunder Hound within.

Then, looking at Tiger Roar, he asked, “Since you’re a Spirit Control Sect cultivator, do you have a map of the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and information about the Demon Kings?”

He hadn’t known where the Wind Thunder Hound was before, so he naturally didn’t know the locations of the other Demon Kings.

The Spirit Control Sect was adjacent to the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and had guarded the area for years, so they must have a good understanding of the region.

“Of course, Senior. Please wait a moment.”

Tiger Roar promptly took out two Jade Slips from his Storage Ring and handed them to Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng accepted the Jade Slips and used his Divine Sense to explore them.

He immediately saw a map of the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, clearly marking the mountain range’s terrain and the locations of the Demon Kings.

Though it didn’t cover the entire Myriad Beasts Mountain Range, it did provide information on Demon Kings within hundreds of miles.

The other Jade Slip contained detailed information about various Demon Kings in the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.

“With this map, hunting Demon Kings will be much easier.”

A hint of a smile appeared in Lu Changsheng’s eyes. He then said to Tiger Roar, “I heard you wanted to obtain the Thunder Crystal from the Wind Thunder Hound.”

“In that case, you can come with me to its lair. If there are any Thunder Crystals, take one as your reward.”

Lu Changsheng spoke.

He wasn’t a good man, but he wasn’t a villain either.

Since Tiger Roar had been so cooperative, there was no need to kill him.

Moreover, this man was from the Spirit Control Sect. If killed or if he had some hidden tricks up his sleeve, it might attract unwanted attention from the Sect.

It was better to establish a friendly connection and send him off easily.

“Thank you, Senior!”

Tiger Roar was overjoyed at this, bowing graciously.

He then led Lu Changsheng to the Wind Thunder Hound’s cave.

Inside the cave were several Second-Rank demons.

But sensing Tiger Roar’s domineering beastly aura, they trembled in fear.

Bloodline suppression among beasts was very severe.

Even though Tiger Roar’s Third-Rank spirit beast’s bloodline wasn’t of the highest grade, it was still sufficient to make these Second-Rank demons utterly submissive.

“This is a Third-Rank Spiritual Vein!”

When Lu Changsheng entered the cave, he immediately sensed a small Third-Rank spiritual vein beneath the mountain where the Wind Thunder Hound resided, feeling pleasantly surprised.

The Wind Thunder Hound’s cave was extremely spacious, with the walls embedded with many spiritual minerals and crystals. Many rare spiritual herbs were planted there as well.

Once a beast reaches the Second-Rank, it gains some level of intelligence.

By the time they reach the Third-Rank Demon King level, their intelligence is on par with humans, knowing to gather Natural Treasures.

So, the rewards from hunting a Third-Rank Demon King are often tremendous.

As the two went deeper, they felt an increasingly ferocious and domineering aura.

“This is the Thunderstorm Lake!”

Lu Changsheng immediately saw a lake deep within the cave.

The lake was about half an acre in size, with layers of lightning flickering on its surface. Occasionally, bubbles would rise, bursting and releasing an overwhelming dark purple energy.

“This Thunderstorm Lake has already matured into a Third-Rank. With time and effort, it could produce ‘Thunderstorm True Qi’, a Golden Core spiritual item, about every hundred years!”

“Unfortunately, my Dragon-Seeking skill is only at the second level. Trying to extract the Thunderstorm ley line below would cause too much loss. At most, it could nurture a Second-Rank Thunderstorm Lake.”

Lu Changsheng pondered silently.

Tiger Roar, though tempted by the Thunderstorm Lake, had no grand ideas.

Such a ley line required great power or corresponding Divine Abilities or magical treasures to move.

He looked at three watermelon-sized, wind and lightning-wreathed pale golden crystals in the distance and bowed to Lu Changsheng. “Senior, these are the Thunder Crystals. I only need one.”

Although Tiger Roar wanted to take all three, which would have allowed his spirit beast to break through its bloodline limit and advance further, Lu Changsheng’s strength had deeply intimidated him. He dared not overstep and anger him.

“Very well.”

Lu Changsheng nodded slightly.

After storing one Thunder Crystal in his Storage Ring, Tiger Roar cupped his hands and said, “Thank you, Senior. Tiger Roar takes his leave.”

“Hmm.”

Lu Changsheng nodded, signaling him to leave.

Tiger Roar immediately turned into a rainbow light and left the Wind Thunder Hound’s mountain.

He then disengaged from his spirit beast, shrinking his massive bear-like body and weakening his aura as he rode the white tiger back to the Spirit Control Sect.

Even though Lu Changsheng had been kind, the sudden appearance of an unknown Golden Core cultivator in the Jiang Kingdom’s cultivation world meant they had to be prepared.

Especially since Lu Changsheng had subdued the Wind Thunder Hound and demanded a map of the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and the information of the Demon Kings. This made Tiger Roar seriously suspect that Lu Changsheng intended to hunt the Demon Kings.

One or two would be fine, but if he overdid it, it would certainly provoke the Demon Kings, possibly even triggering a beast tide.

Given the situation, the Spirit Control Sect must be ready to defend itself.

After confirming Tiger Roar’s departure, the effects of Lu Changsheng’s Nine Treasures Dao Bone faded like a retreating tide.

His cultivation descended from the fifth layer of Golden Core Formation back to the first, leaving him weak and drained.

“This feeling is really unpleasant.”

Lu Changsheng exhaled deeply, feeling sore and uncomfortable all over. He estimated it would take at least half a month of recovery before he could use such measures again.

However, after this brief confrontation, he had a general understanding of his abilities.

He could quickly finish off an early-stage Third-Rank Demon King, and with full effort, he could probably kill a mid-stage Third-Rank Demon King.

As for the Late-Stage Third-Rank Demon Kings, he’d rather avoid contact unless necessary.

“Let’s get to work!”

Lu Changsheng looked at the cave before him, smiling broadly as he released the Thousand-Faced Fox Puppet to deploy the Small Five Elements Reversal Array and began his work.