Chapter 402: Dragon King

The teacher of the Five Poisons Young Master was once an extremely skilled Spirit Tamer, particularly adept in the art of detection.

He had journeyed across half of the Continent of Flames, utilizing his talents and skills to document the habitats of numerous wild Illusion Spirits. These records later became invaluable assets for the Five Poisons Young Master.

Otherwise, it would have taken him countless detours to gather all five Poison Illusion Spirits.

Wu Ming took the map and glanced at it briefly.

It portrayed nearly half of the Continent of Flames with astonishingly intricate brushwork, striving for authenticity and precision, clearly demonstrating the immense effort the Spirit Tamer had devoted to it.

However, on the map, most marked locations were those of outstanding Illusion Spirit clans. There were only about a dozen spots suspected to be Silver Rank, and even fewer areas believed to have Gold Rank activity—only three, two of which were already marked as forbidden zones or false leads.

“A Gold Rank Illusion Spirit…”

Wu Ming thoughtfully stroked his chin. A specialist Spirit Tamer could gain an additional summoning slot with each rank advancement. Now that he had reached the Lord Rank, he could theoretically control five Illusion Spirits. Currently, he had only four, leaving one slot unfilled.

At this point, Silver Rank spirits no longer satisfied his needs.

Only Gold Rank spirits were suitable for Wu Ming now.

His finger traced the final marked spot suspected of harboring a Gold Rank Illusion Spirit, and he suddenly smiled, “The Immortal Riding Dragon King? Isn’t that the main force Jun Xuanming obtained later?”

According to the original timeline, Jun Xuanming, after successfully resisting the rebel forces, gained great reputation and consolidated his power. Upon reaching the Lord Rank, his chosen Illusion Spirit became the Immortal Riding Dragon King!

The Dragon lineage was the pinnacle of Illusion Spirits in the Living Spirit Realm.

The Immortal Riding Dragon King was a Gold Rank spirit, later promoted to the King Rank, ranking alongside the Golden Mane Roar as Jun’s two main forces. These two Gold Rank spirits played a significant role in his conquest of the fire element and in gaining recognition from the Divine Illusion Spirits.

“I had only seen fragments of him commanding the Immortal Riding Dragon King in my memories before. Never thought I’d now know its habitat as well. Is this the sign of increased fortune after obtaining the world’s essence?”

Wu Ming touched his forehead, pondering silently.

Jun Xuanming would ultimately earn the acknowledgment of the Flame Emperor and ascend as a Divine Spirit Tamer. One key factor was his status as the Chosen One of the Flame Continent, embodying profound righteousness. Another decisive reason lay in his formidable power—commanding two Gold Rank Kings, rendering him invincible in battle!

Of course, currently, his Golden Mane Roar had been killed by Wu Ming before it could fully mature.

And now, this Immortal Riding Dragon King was also in danger. This shift in power dynamics, or rather, the culmination of Wu Ming’s actions, had already tipped his fortune above Jun’s, allowing him to counterattack.

“If Jun Xuanming loses both the Golden Mane Roar and the Immortal Riding Dragon King, he might not even be qualified to meet the Flamefire Emperor within the Fire Element Tribes…”

Wu Ming made a firm decision inwardly, “This time, I must seize his opportunity!”

He had already begun to understand the structure of the Illusion Spirit world and had some guesses regarding the four ultimate Illusion Spirits—Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water.

“The hierarchy of Illusion Spirit races, excluding the Creator God, goes from Common upwards to Elite, Outstanding, Silver, Gold, and finally the four Divine Rank Illusion Spirits!”

“To subdue a Divine Rank Illusion Spirit, a King Rank Spirit Tamer cannot rely on any other spirits. The only way is to use the power of a King Rank spirit, because only Gold Rank spirits possess the bloodline to transcend racial boundaries. Other spirits don’t even have the qualification to stand before a god!”

A group of King Rank spirits could slay a god!

After reaching this conclusion, a surge of fiery determination ignited in Wu Ming’s heart.

To become a Divine Spirit Tamer, one must subdue a Divine Rank Illusion Spirit! And to subdue a Divine Rank spirit, there were only two paths!

The first was to gain the Divine Rank spirit’s recognition! Wu Ming didn’t even consider this path. Perhaps Jun Xuanming had a chance, but himself? Hmph…

When the first path was impossible, the only remaining option was to forcefully subdue the Illusion Spirit through sheer force!

“I need King Rank Illusion Spirits—the more, the better…”

Wu Ming’s eyes darkened, “The Star-Moon Empire failed in their challenge against the Celestial Emperor. At that time, they had five King Rank Spirit Tamers, each commanding no fewer than five Gold Rank spirits…”

“Although commanding multiple spirits simultaneously is different from a single individual wielding several King Rank spirits, the terrifying power of Divine Rank spirits was still evident…”

“And also… according to the legends of the continent and the final fragments I witnessed, only when the seals of Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water are lifted will the ultimate secret of this world be revealed… hehe…”

At this moment, he had no more doubts regarding his plans.

“Alright, you may go now. Call Die Yu and Dongfang Tie in!”

Wu Ming accepted the map and waved his hand dismissively.

The Five Poisons Young Master instantly flushed with rage. As a Lord Rank Spirit Tamer, he stood at the pinnacle of the Flame Continent’s hierarchy. Never before had he been subjected to such indignity—summoned and dismissed like a mere servant!

But the restriction in his soul clearly told him—he was indeed a servant!

The excruciating pain directly affecting his soul, a torment even a Lord Rank soul couldn’t resist, was something he had no desire to experience again.

Therefore, he could only obediently leave and call the two in, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him like a fawning dog.

“Greetings, Lord Shuo Ming!”

When Dongfang Tie saw Wu Ming, he immediately saluted. He would never again regard Wu Ming as the same young boy.

“Ah Ming… are you leaving already?”

Dongfang Dieyu’s eyes reddened, “Don’t lie to me!”

“Of course not… but before I leave, I still have some things to tell you both!”

Wu Ming said solemnly, his tone making Dongfang Dieyu look up in surprise.

“The Dongfang family should transfer or disperse its core elites to a place where no one knows them, hiding under the protection of the Five Poisons Young Master…”

Wu Ming hesitated slightly before slowly speaking.

“Why? We’ve just merged with the Five Poisons Society. This is the perfect time to expand our influence!”

Dongfang Tie was the first to object.

“Because… I once hunted Jun Xuanming!”

Wu Ming shrugged, giving Dongfang Tie a reply that left him speechless, “And… I probably already have a deadly enmity with him. Although he might not recognize me, we still need to prepare for that possibility!”

“Jun Xuanming?!”

Dongfang Tie’s mind was in chaos. He never imagined that Dongfang Shuoming would immediately become entangled with the continent’s greatest genius and brightest hope, and in such a deadly conflict!

Even though he was only a minor clan elder from the countryside, he was well aware of the Jun family’s formidable reputation. The Dongfang family was merely at the bottom of the aristocracy, while the Jun family had undoubtedly reached the pinnacle!

“Of course… he might not discover my identity, but the danger still exists. You could relocate some elites first and continue expanding through the Five Poisons Society… whatever choice you make is entirely up to you!”

Wu Ming shrugged.

During his previous appearances, he had always maintained either a wolf-beast fusion or an eagle-beast fusion state. It would be strange if Jun Xuanming could recognize his face.

Moreover, after three years of evolution, both the Blue-Eyed Evil Wolf and the Iron-Winged Golden Eagle had become unrecognizable. As for the Lava Tyrant—was he truly the only one of his kind in the Flame Continent?

Therefore, it wasn’t impossible to conceal his identity, though risks remained, especially after Wu Ming’s recent high-profile appearances.

Possessing both wolf and eagle summons, plus a Lava Tyrant, and being a young genius!

One or two could be coincidences, but when countless coincidences converge, they become inevitabilities!

Therefore, he predicted that once his reputation spread again, it would only be a matter of time before the Jun family took notice, hence the need for the Dongfang family to prepare in advance.

Although he held little emotional attachment to this family, it would be quite unpleasant if they were destroyed because of him.

“Alright… I’ll think it over carefully!”

After hearing Wu Ming’s edited version of events, Dongfang Dieyu sighed with a bitter smile.

Just having emerged from the shadow of the Five Poisons Society, the Dongfang family now faced an even greater threat—an unexpected disaster indeed.

But they could only passively endure it, or else they would lose Dongfang Shuoming, their Lord Rank ally entirely. This was the tragedy of being a minor family!

“Chirp chirp!”

Watching the golden-winged roc soar into the sky and disappear in an instant, Dongfang Tie turned to Dongfang Dieyu, “Head of the Family? Should we start transferring people now?”

“First, move some women and children away!”

Dongfang Dieyu sighed, her expression resolute, “I’ve made up my mind—I must stay! Constantly hiding and relying on fate is not a good strategy. The most important thing for our Dongfang family to emerge from darkness is our own development! If we’ve already witnessed one miracle in Dongfang Shuoming, why can’t there be a second?”

Dongfang Tie remained silent, sensing that his granddaughter’s character had undergone significant changes, becoming more and more like Dongfang Shuoming…

…

Forest Alliance.

“Lord Xuanming!” “Lord Xuanming!”

Amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the people, Jun Xuanming returned to Bright City with the spoils of another great victory.

This was the largest stronghold of his resistance army, always guarded by tens of thousands of troops, with countless commander and general-rank Spirit Tamers under his command.

“Xuanming!”

“Xuanming!”

Upon entering the palace, two charming female Spirit Tamers immediately approached, embracing his arms affectionately from either side.

“Ao Shuang, Yi Lian… how has Bright City been while I was away?”

Jun Xuanming laughed, asking.

These two women were not only his confidantes but also powerful Spirit Tamers themselves, having even attained the Lord Rank. They were his most important aides.

“The third batch of supplies promised by the Jun family has arrived. The Righteous Wanderers Association has been continuously providing us with intelligence. Everything is going well…”

“Regarding civilian affairs…”