Meanwhile, more than fifty kilometers away...SHOOOSH!!!!!!!!!! BOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!Lapo slammed to a violent, shuddering halt from his high-speed flight. The momentum of his abrupt stop caused his dark crimson energy to detonate violently outward, obliterating the surrounding trees, shattering boulders into fine dust, and gouging deep trenches into the earth.He descended heavily onto the ruined ground, his entire body trembling uncontrollably with rage. His face was completely drenched, his eyes bloodshot, watery, and bulging as an overwhelming cocktail of raw fury and soul-crushing grief consumed him. He collapsed onto his knees, dropping his head as his mouth opened wide to scream out in agony, yet for a terrifying second, no sound managed to escape his throat. His mouth remained stretched open in a silent, agonizing gasp while his chaotic, dark crimson energy radiated wildly around his frame, cracking and scorching the dirt beneath him.THUD! THUD! THUD!Overwhelmed by helpless

A month later...Deep within the vast, misty expanse of the Middle Ring of the Great Kong Mountain peaks, the atmosphere was suffocatingly heavy. The localized gravity in this treacherous domain was exponentially stronger than in the Outer Ring, crushing the surrounding vegetation against the earth and making every breath feel like inhaling liquid lead.SHOOOOOSH—!Under the cold, silvery glow of the midnight moon, a vivid cyan streak darted at terrifying speed through the dense canopy, weaving through the thick trunks of trees as it pursued a flickering violet streak across the forest floor.SHKKKKKKKK—!A sharp, decisive slicing sound cut through the quiet night, immediately followed by a heavy, thudding impact as the violet streak was violently brought to a halt."This makes about thirty Upper A-Rank mystic beasts..." He murmured softly to himself, his voice dropping into a quiet, calm register.With a practiced, effortless flick of his wrist, he forced the massive, defeated beast

All three of them became alert at that moment.“I cannot sense any life force nor a single thread of a mana signature, but I am absolutely certain something is moving within those trees. The way those branches are swaying over there is not natural,” Mai said sharply.Leaping lightly off the boulder, she floated mid-air to inspect the distant canopy from a higher vantage point. Pushing her perception to its absolute limit, she extended her divine sense across the sector, scanning every leaf and shadow. Yet, no matter how hard she probed, her divine sense returned completely empty. There was nothing there.“It seems whoever it was noticed us first. I think whoever is moving out there is exceptionally skilled with concealment techniques,” she said, drifting back down toward her two companions. “Let us keep moving as well. Remaining in one spot for too long only makes us look like we are openly begging for attention.”Meanwhile, more than fifty kilometers away...Shoosh!Oasis materiali

“If everything goes well and I am not disturbed at all, it will take about three to four weeks,” the beast said at that moment to Oasis, its voice echoing smoothly within his consciousness."Mmh... That will do," Oasis thought to himself, carefully evaluating the timeline as he weighed the potential benefits of the situation. "If I aid this beast through its evolution, having a powerful ally in a dangerous place like this will prove immensely advantageous. After all, my enemies in this realm are not just hostile cultivators, but also S-Rank mystic beasts.""It is more than likely that the Divine-Grade herb I seek in the Inner Ring might be actively guarded by an Upper S-Rank mystic beast, if not something even stronger, like an SS-Rank entity."Oasis’s gaze deepened as he mentally prepared for the absolute worst-case scenario. "I must act under the assumption that the Divine-Grade herb will be guarded by an SS-Rank beast. After all, when I was seeking a cure for my True Yang constitut

One by one, the spirit forms of the Beasts were embedded into the barrier.With each passing minute, Oasis’s spiritual energy was being depleted at a terrifying rate. Maintaining control over all these wild beast spirits was demanding an immense toll from his soul, as the phantoms refused to go quietly, violently thrashing, resisting, and fighting against the binding script.However, his Phoenix Claw Pendant sensed the immense strain placed upon its master. Operating with Oasis’s tacit permission, the artifact continuously flared to life, smoothly replenishing the vast amounts of spiritual energy and mana he was consuming throughout the arduous process.Oasis had frequently relied on the pendant to partially restore his energy mid-battle in the past. Yet during his previous confrontation, after killing Lazo, Oasis had deliberately avoided utilizing the instant-replenishing mechanism of the Phoenix Claw Pendant. In that scenario, too many sharp eyes were watching. This was no longer t