The dazzling spiritual light faded, and when Han Li opened his eyes again, he found himself standing on a bluestone plaza. Not far ahead lay a cluster of buildings of varying heights.
Han Li narrowed his eyes slightly and realized that these structures looked familiar—they were identical to the ones depicted on the Sumeru Paradise Scroll, situated atop a small mountain. After a quick glance around, he exhaled softly.
Indeed, he was now standing on an emerald-green hill, beneath a vast blue sky dotted with a few drifting white clouds.
He had truly entered a space that perfectly mirrored the scene from the Sumeru Scroll. The space didn’t seem particularly large, spanning only a few miles, and was enclosed by shimmering five-colored light barriers.
Nearby, the other three had also appeared in this place.
Unlike the burly man and the effeminate youth, who were curiously surveying their surroundings, the shopkeeper wasted no time. With a graceful movement, he floated directly toward the cluster of buildings.
Not daring to delay, Han Li and the other two also took to the air and followed.
“Brother Yu, this Sumeru space appears intact and without any anomalies. What exactly is the flaw you mentioned?” the effeminate youth asked as soon as he caught up to the shopkeeper.
The gaunt man rolled his eyes and replied coldly, “Heh, do you really think I’d tell you that? The flaw in the Sumeru Scroll has nothing to do with our transaction.”
The youth’s face flushed, but he forced a laugh and said, “Haha, Brother Yu is overthinking it. I was merely curious, with no ill intent.”
The shopkeeper snorted but said nothing more, as he still needed the man’s assistance later. After a few more flashes of movement, he appeared atop a pavilion over a hundred zhang away, hovering mid-air with his hands clasped behind his back.
The pavilion was about a hundred zhang tall, divided into three tiers, with a simple yet elegant design—broad at the base and tapering toward the top.
“The spirit beast is trapped inside this building. Follow me down, and we’ll take a look at it first,” the gaunt man said indifferently once Han Li and the others had gathered around. He then led the way downward.
After exchanging glances, Han Li and the other two followed.
Instead of landing at the first-floor entrance, the gaunt man stopped before a second-floor window.
Puzzled, Han Li and the others soon arrived at the same spot.
Peering inside, they saw only a shimmering silver light barrier—the entire second floor had already been sealed with restrictive spells.
Before the effeminate youth could speak, a deafening *boom* echoed, causing the light barrier to tremble slightly. The pavilion itself shook as well.
Then, an unending torrent of thunder erupted from within the barrier, drowning out all other sounds. It was as if they had been plunged into a world of raging thunder, leaving their minds momentarily dazed.
*”Not good!”* Han Li, ever vigilant, immediately circulated the Great Development Art within his body and snapped back to clarity.
The shopkeeper and the burly man, being Void Refinement cultivators, also quickly stabilized themselves with their own techniques.
Even so, the effeminate youth and the burly man paled slightly.
“Is this the spirit beast Brother Yu intends to subdue?” the armored man asked, his gaze fixed on the window.
“Indeed, this is the beast. Don’t worry, fellow Daoists—it’s still restrained by the restrictions. As long as we don’t release it, it poses no threat,” the shopkeeper replied calmly, though excitement flickered in his eyes.
With a flick of his wrist, a flash of lightning appeared in his hand, materializing into the Sumeru Paradise Scroll.
This time, instead of unfurling it, he gripped one end of the scroll and lightly tapped the light barrier with the other.
A bizarre scene unfolded—the silver barrier shattered like glass before dissipating entirely.
The shopkeeper’s wings fluttered, and he vanished into the pavilion in a blur.
Unable to resist, the burly man and the effeminate youth followed without hesitation.
Han Li stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, then drifted in through the window.
Another thunderous *boom* shook the pavilion as a wave of lightning-attribute spiritual pressure surged toward them like a tangible force.
Han Li’s expression shifted slightly as he resisted the urge to dodge. Instead, he remained suspended in the air, blocking the pressure with a surge of gray light.
Only then did he have a chance to survey his surroundings.
The second floor was far more spacious than expected—nearly two to three hundred zhang wide, resembling a small plaza. At its center stood eighty-one massive copper pillars, each gleaming yellow and intricately carved with images of various demonic beasts.
These pillars encircled a thirty-zhang-wide area, crackling with eerie black lightning and emitting continuous thunderous roars, forming a massive prison-like formation.
Within this prison, a ten-zhang-wide mass of black mist churned violently, accompanied by deafening thunderclaps. Occasionally, arcs of silver-white lightning shot out from the mist, only to dissipate upon contact with the black lightning net.
“Is that the lightning-attribute spirit beast inside?” The armored man stared at the unremarkable black mist in disbelief.
“What, you underestimate this creature? The true power of this Thunder Beast is beyond your imagination,” the shopkeeper sneered, casting a sidelong glance at the man.
“Thunder Beast?” Han Li murmured, frowning slightly.
“Indeed, that is its name. I won’t elaborate on its origins, but I assure you—this is the only one of its kind in existence,” the shopkeeper declared, his gaze fixed on the black mist with a hint of madness.
“Exaggeration, surely. Its attacks don’t seem particularly impressive,” the effeminate youth remarked skeptically, eyeing the silver arcs emerging from the mist.
“Attacks? This Thunder Beast isn’t even attacking. Those sparks are merely a natural byproduct of its existence. Allow me to show you its true form and power,” the gaunt man said with a disdainful smirk.
Suddenly, he flicked his sleeve, sending forth a streak of white light that circled once before landing atop the thickest copper pillar.
It was a small winged beast, snow-white and covered in inch-long spikes—like a flying hedgehog.
Under some unknown restriction, the creature trembled helplessly, unable to move.
“A *Haomang Beast*?!”
The armored man and the effeminate youth recognized the infamous creature immediately, their eyes widening in shock.
This beast was notoriously aggressive, daring to attack even Void Refinement cultivators. Though they typically traveled in packs, their ferocity was legendary. Yet here it was, reduced to a quivering mess atop a pillar.
Before they could process this, a massive green hand shot out from the black mist, reaching for the Haomang Beast. Silver arcs crackled around its fingers before they even made contact.
*Boom!*
Though the small beast was outside the black lightning net, the green hand rebounded violently upon impact with the barrier.
A strange, furious roar erupted from the mist. Then, with a thunderous crack, blinding silver light burst forth, dispersing the black fog entirely.
In its place stood a bizarre creature—part human, part bird.
It had the head of a turtledove, blue skin, and a pair of azure wings. Its upper body was humanoid, while its lower half resembled a bird’s. Strangest of all, its arms ended in a hammer and a spike. Its golden eyes gleamed with a sinister light.
At the sight of this Thunder Beast, even the well-traveled Han Li and his companions couldn’t help but gasp.
Before they could recover, the beast let out another eerie cry. White light flashed in its mouth, and countless fist-sized white lightning spheres surged forth.
Simultaneously, its wings flapped, releasing hundreds of blue feathers that transformed into half-foot-long electric arrows, raining down in a dense barrage.
*Boom!*
With a clash of its hammer and spike, a thick golden arc erupted from the spike’s tip, morphing into a golden lightning dragon that charged forward with terrifying momentum.
In an instant, the Thunder Beast had unleashed three distinct lightning-based techniques, each formidable in its own right.
Han Li and the others instinctively stepped back. Given the power of these attacks, the thin black lightning net seemed woefully inadequate.
Only the gaunt man, surnamed Yu, remained unmoved, a confident smile playing on his lips.
Just as the three attacks were about to strike, the eighty-one copper pillars hummed in unison. The previously slender black lightning arcs thickened several times over.
Amidst a dazzling display of crackling energy, the black net held firm against the white, blue, and golden assaults.
Enraged, the Thunder Beast roared again but refrained from further attacks, its golden eyes locked onto the Haomang Beast atop the pillar. It seemed to possess some degree of intelligence.
“Rest assured. This Lightning-Binding Scorched Light Formation was meticulously designed to suppress this beast’s lightning powers. No matter how powerful it is, it cannot break free,” the gaunt man chuckled.
With a wave of his hand, a white mist enveloped the Haomang Beast, effortlessly carrying it through the black net and placing it mere inches from the Thunder Beast.
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