“Awooooo!”
The great gray wolf howled at the moon, its roar startling and powerful.
Opposite it stood a purple lightning marten, a ground-splitting lizard, and a brute-force celestial beetle.
The purple lightning marten was entirely purple, crackling with streaks of electricity. It was an elite mid-stage juvenile.
The ground-splitting lizard was slender, with a thick, earthen-yellow hide that shimmered with luster. Its thick, elastic tongue snapped in and out with lightning speed.
The brute-force celestial beetle, although an insect, was the largest of the three. Its two antennae atop its head were like steel whips, striking fiercely and sweeping wildly, leaving behind whip marks across the ground and snapping trees with astonishing force. Alongside the ground-splitting lizard, it was a common high-stage juvenile!
These three beasts, normally on par with the great gray wolf, were now extremely frightened and driven into a disadvantageous position, forcing them to fight together against their enemy.
Under the moonlight, the great gray wolf seemed to transform into a black lightning bolt, its claws and fangs flashing with light.
“Slice!”
The massive body of the ground-splitting lizard fell to the ground, its eye area marked by a bloody hole, with a claw mark nearby. The great gray wolf had pierced through bone with a single strike, leaving viscera scattered and brains splattered.
“Zap!”
Seeing this, the purple lightning marten’s fur bristled, sparks of electricity dancing across its body.
As an elite with an electric attribute, it was actually the strongest among the three spirits!
“Buzz!”
The brute-force celestial beetle, however, became enraged, charging forward. Its enormous mouthparts resembled iron clamps slicing through the sky, biting down fiercely on the great gray wolf.
“Awooooo!”
The great gray wolf howled furiously, leaping out of the encirclement at the last moment. Its four paws landed on the beetle’s back, leaving deep claw marks despite its armored defense.
“Slice!”
A bolt of lightning struck, hitting the ground beneath the wolf, leaving a black scar.
Innate Sorcery—Electric Shock!
The purple lightning marten screeched wildly, emitting a series of sparks from its back, sending arcs of electricity sweeping across.
The great gray wolf, however, only circled around the brute-force celestial beetle. Before long, the beetle’s back was covered in black burn marks. Suddenly, it let out a strange cry and fell to the ground like a collapsing mountain.
Witnessing this, the purple lightning marten nearly lost its courage and fled immediately.
A faint mocking gleam appeared in the great gray wolf’s eyes as it pursued.
The wolf pack’s greatest strength lay in its hunting ability! Direct assault was not the best strategy; what wolves truly preferred was herding prey, bleeding them gradually, wearing them down with fatigue and accumulated injuries, minimizing their own efforts.
Before long, the great gray wolf returned to the original spot, its mouth carrying the now lifeless purple lightning marten.
One against three!
After evolving, the great gray wolf’s power had reached a level that would leave both Dongfang Yue and Dongfang Ao speechless with shock.
“Good job!”
Wu Ming finally stepped out of the shadows, taking the purple lightning marten and nodding slightly: “Combined with this marten’s flesh and internal organs, there should be enough to prepare another batch of the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Transforming Decoction from the Beast-Taming Sutra…”
The area around Star-Moon Lake was rich in resources. With the great gray wolf’s assistance, Wu Ming could dominate the area without even encountering battle-grade spirits, making it a veritable treasure trove!
Taking the opportunity, Wu Ming collected medicinal herbs, tested their properties, and even attempted a formula from the Beast-Taming Sutra.
“Pity… I’ve used several stimulations on you already, but you still haven’t absorbed even a trace of demonic spirit essence!”
He tapped the gray wolf’s head in frustration: “Do I really have to buy those outrageously priced attribute curiosities? That would not only be a huge hassle, but there’s still no guarantee of success on the first try!”
Even the finest attribute curiosities didn’t guarantee the addition of attributes—only a slight chance.
In terms of effectiveness, Wu Ming thought they might not even surpass his own Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Transforming Decoction!
“One more try tonight. If it still doesn’t work, then I’ll have to try Taoist methods!”
Wu Ming made his decision.
The techniques he currently used were all common ones from the Beast-Taming Sutra, easily prepared using mundane fire, extremely convenient.
As for the genuine Taoist techniques that required spiritual energy, he naturally comprehended them, but whether he could successfully execute them within the Phantom Spirit world was an entirely different matter.
…
At Star-Moon Lake.
Inside the camp, Wu Ming dug a large pit and filled it with boiling water.
The bottom of the pool, paved with pebbles, bore traces of numerous medicinal ingredients—numerous spirit flowers and herbs, insects and worms, even fish eggs, visible among the bubbling water.
Soon, the pool water turned gray.
“Woof…”
The great gray wolf beside him took a few fearful steps back, yet its eyes gleamed with a hint of eagerness.
“Plunk!”
Wu Ming sliced open the purple lightning marten’s heart and tossed it into the boiling water.
“Hmm, adding the brute-force celestial beetle’s antennae, the ground-splitting lizard’s egg, and the purple lightning marten’s heart essence. This batch of Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Transforming Decoction is five percent stronger than the previous one, already matching the potency of potions from the Great Zhou World… What are you waiting for?”
He shouted fiercely.
The great gray wolf shuddered, its expression resolute. With a mighty leap—
“Splash!”
Water sprayed everywhere. A piercing, agonizing howl immediately echoed across the camp, scaring away countless wild spirits in the night.
“The Mutation Chapter of the Beast-Taming Sutra…”
Seeing this, Wu Ming’s eyes gleamed with contemplation.
An ordinary gray wolf evolving into a great gray wolf had already reached its full potential, hitting the racial limit!
But this was far from sufficient for his needs.
“As for elemental attributes, there are countless possibilities. The mutation direction… Fire? Too cliché! Ice? Doesn’t quite suit a wolf-type. Ghost? That could work, but the conditions aren’t met yet… Still missing a demon crystal…”
This demon crystal wasn’t just any ordinary spirit stone, but one originating from an elemental realm demon!
Such demon spirits might leave behind their essence upon death—this demon crystal was the best nourishment for ghost-type phantom spirits.
Even ordinary Phantom Spirits, when consuming Demon Crystals over a long period, might awaken ghost-type abilities upon evolution.
Come to think of it… Dongfang Ba’s Hellish Wolf is a ghost-type… However, even with his wealth, constantly feeding demon crystals to his Hellish Wolf must be a struggle. Once every seven days was already pushing it; any more would cause the Elders to protest and deplete family treasures…”
Wu Ming’s thoughts drifted: “What a pity… At my current level, I can’t even get my hands on a single demon crystal!”
Such high-grade materials were so rare that he hadn’t even seen them in the shops of Stone City. Even if they were available on the market, they would certainly be snapped up by the Dongfang family.
“Going through family channels? That would raise too many questions, wouldn’t it?”
Wu Ming gazed at the gray wolf howling in agony within the pool, his face calm as he pondered.
The scene was quite eerie.
Deep in the mountains, within a camp.
A mere fifteen-year-old youth, arms crossed, before him a boiling pool, inside which a gray wolf screamed continuously.
Were Dongfang Song and others to witness this, they might think Wu Ming had gone mad, intending to cook and eat the great gray wolf!
No one knew how much time had passed.
“Awooooo!”
The gray wolf crawled dripping wet from the pool, panting as if it had endured a thousand cuts.
Behind it, the once-boiling pool had turned pitch-black, emitting a foul stench—the impurities and toxins extracted from its body.
“Excellent!”
Wu Ming fed the great gray wolf several pills, not sparing the pool another glance.
With so much residual toxicity left, the pool was now useless—worse than useless, it was now highly toxic.
His eyes gleamed with sharpness as he observed the great gray wolf, now seemingly lighter in bone weight, and used his Observation Eye. He nodded repeatedly: “Its aura has strengthened again—very good! One more round! I’m confident I can bring you to your peak before the family competition!”
Such progress was truly incredible.
Ordinary youths, not yet fully developed, had immature souls, limiting their Phantom Spirits to mid-stage at best.
Those capable of nurturing juvenile high-stage or peak-level phantom spirits were top-tier elites—minor prodigies!
Only those who reached the rank of Battle-level Spirit Tamers before adulthood were regarded as true geniuses on the Continent of Flames!
Unfortunately, according to Wu Ming’s memories, in the past five years, many stars had risen, and such prodigies had emerged one after another. As for the four individuals blessed with great fortune? They were even more exceptional—their records were meant to be shattered!
“To stand against such true prodigies and eccentrics in battle is still far from enough!”
Foreseeing the impending chaos, Wu Ming dared not entertain any illusions of luck: “In times of great upheaval, prodigies and ancient monsters rise together. To safeguard myself, strength is paramount! Cultivating phantom spirits! Mastering Taoist arts! And above all… the most critical task is supplying world essence to the main body and the Grand Temple!”
…
Late at night, all was silent.
“Whoosh… Boom!”
A tremendous explosion shattered the stillness, causing the entire camp to tremble slightly.
“Gas-bag Flower exploded?”
Wu Ming leapt up, eyes alert, gripping his machete and shouldering his wooden bow as he stepped out of the tent.
“Cursed! Finally found the brat!”
“Heh… Dongfang Shuoming, you sure can hide!”
At the edge of the camp, two young men entered grumbling, their triangular eyes gleaming with malice: “Even set up a Gas-bag Flower trap!”
When the Mimosa senses danger, it curls up, triggering the Gas-bag Flower to explode—an excellent camping defense.
Seeing the two, Wu Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he sneered: “I was wondering who it was. Turns out to be Dongfang Ba’s hounds—Jie Ao brothers! What business do you have barging past our perimeter?”
“Hey? Bold indeed!”
Dongfang Jie sneered: “Daring to speak the Young Master’s name directly—how brave!”
“We won’t hold it against you!” Dongfang Ao continued: “Just summon your gray wolf, let us kill it, and we’ll spare you today!”
“Want to harm my summoned beast!”
Wu Ming lowered his face, his eyes gleaming dangerously: “Trying to ensure I come last in the family competition and get expelled?”
In truth, their plot was far more sinister than that.
After all, this was deep within the Starfly Mountains, deep within Star-Moon Lake!
If one lost their Phantom Spirit, the spirit tamer’s soul would be severely wounded, leaving them worse than ordinary people—how could they possibly survive and escape?
Therefore, although they claimed only to want the gray wolf, in reality, they were after Dongfang Shuoming’s life!
Dongfang Jie was smug: “Dongfang Shuoming is timid—he might actually give in. That way, we can quietly fulfill Young Master Ba’s request and complete Luo Geng’s favor… Let him die!”
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