All the bronze pillars emitted a low hum, and at their tops, clusters of white light suddenly appeared, transforming into ferocious dragon heads. With a synchronized motion, they all opened their mouths and spat out black arcs of lightning, targeting the black mist within the restriction.
A low growl came from within the mist, and suddenly a ball of silver light shot out. In a flash, the Thunder Beast appeared in a blind spot within the electric net. However, the black arcs seemed to have already locked onto it, curving mid-air to strike at the beast once more.
The Thunder Beast let out an angry roar, clearly terrified of the black arcs, and immediately used its lightning evasion technique to dart around frantically.
For a moment, a silver glow flickered in and out within the restriction, darting about like a ghost, while dozens of black arcs chased relentlessly behind it.
The restriction was filled with the deafening roar of thunder, and the shopkeeper began chanting incantations again, activating the entire restriction from the outside.
The speed of the black arcs increased rapidly, eventually leaving afterimages that seemed to fill every inch of the restriction with black lightning.
Han Li, watching from outside, was inwardly shocked.
He had no idea what kind of lightning technique these black arcs were, but their speed was truly terrifying. If he were trapped inside, even with his Wind and Thunder Wings, he wouldn’t be able to evade for long.
Even though the Thunder Beast was adept at lightning evasion, it likely wouldn’t last much longer.
As expected, after just a short while, the silver glow of the Thunder Beast was struck by several black arcs due to a momentary lapse.
With a pained cry, the Thunder Beast flickered into visibility mid-air, its body momentarily frozen.
Seizing the opportunity, the remaining black arcs struck the beast like countless black ribbons.
A thunderous roar erupted from the Thunder Beast as four distinct-colored arcs—red, white, blue, and gold—emerged from its body, desperately resisting the black arcs.
Seeing this, the gaunt man’s eyes lit up. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and placed a hand on one of the bronze pillars.
Instantly, streams of white spiritual energy poured into the pillar through his palm.
The arcs of lightning spewing from the dragon heads thickened noticeably with a loud rumble.
Meanwhile, the Thunder Beast, now overwhelmed by the black arcs, finally collapsed from the sky, its four-colored arcs dimming to nothing.
The black arcs flared brilliantly, transforming into pitch-black chains that bound the beast tightly, rendering it completely immobile.
“Good! Fellow Daoists, you may enter now,” the gaunt man declared loudly.
He withdrew his hand from the pillar and sent a spell into it.
With a shudder, the massive electric net shattered into pieces before dissipating entirely.
Han Li and the other two exchanged glances before transforming into streaks of light and flying inside. In a flash, they appeared a few feet away from the bound Thunder Beast, keeping a cautious distance.
The gaunt man, after retracting his spell, also appeared beside them in a flash.
“I will now use a secret technique to lock the Thunder Beast’s lightning essence. The three of you need only follow my commands and channel your lightning energy into its body,” the shopkeeper instructed quickly.
With a flip of his hand, he produced five black daggers.
They were light, almost as if made of wood.
“Black Star Daggers!” The burly man and the youth paled at the sight.
Han Li frowned slightly, puzzled.
Despite their obvious surprise, the two didn’t voice any questions this time.
The shopkeeper offered no explanation either, simply flicking his wrist.
With a few sharp whistles, the five daggers shot out, embedding themselves into the Thunder Beast’s limbs and heart.
The beast let out a deafening roar, its body convulsing violently within the black chains, yet no blood flowed from the wounds.
As spiritual light swirled around the daggers, the Thunder Beast’s eyes dimmed, and the four-colored arcs on its body vanished completely.
The shopkeeper then spat out a white, diamond-shaped crystal the size of a fist, radiating an astonishing spiritual pressure.
Han Li’s eyes narrowed slightly. Unlike high-level human cultivators, who formed golden cores and nascent souls, high-level members of the Winged Spirit Race cultivated something called a “Crystal Core,” which was equally vital.
With a *pfft*, the shopkeeper sprayed a mouthful of blood essence onto the crystal before pointing at it solemnly.
The crystal sank downward, disappearing into the Thunder Beast’s head in a flash.
“Now!” the gaunt man shouted almost simultaneously.
The youth and the others immediately began casting spells.
Han Li rubbed his hands together, summoning golden arcs of lightning.
The burly man opened his mouth, revealing white lightning flickering within, while the effeminate youth flapped his wings, silver arcs dancing across them.
With a thunderous roar, three different-colored lightning arcs struck the Thunder Beast simultaneously.
A bizarre scene unfolded.
Whether it was Han Li’s Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning or the others’ lightning, all were instantly absorbed by the five black daggers with a sizzle.
The daggers then glowed with an eerie light, transforming into black arcs that silently seeped into the Thunder Beast’s body.
The burly man and the youth were stunned but continued pouring their lightning energy without pause.
The black glow from the daggers grew increasingly intense, and the daggers themselves began to tremble slightly.
Han Li glanced at the shopkeeper out of the corner of his eye.
The gaunt man was now sitting cross-legged nearby, eyes closed, hands forming an unusual seal as if performing some secret technique. His body was bathed in white light, a clear sign he was pushing his spiritual energy to the limit.
Seeing nothing amiss, Han Li withdrew his gaze and focused on channeling his Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning.
Whether due to the Thunder Beast’s peculiar constitution or the Black Star Daggers’ unique properties, even after a considerable amount of time, the daggers only continued to tremble slightly, showing no further changes.
Meanwhile, the shopkeeper’s face grew paler, sweat beading on his forehead, veins bulging at his temples and neck. He seemed to be straining immensely, his spiritual light dimming noticeably.
A faint white shadow of his Crystal Core flickered between his brows, pulsing erratically.
“Fellow Daoists, increase the lightning output!” the man rasped hoarsely after a while, his face now completely drained of color.
Hearing this, Han Li and the others frowned.
They had already expended nearly half their lightning energy in this sustained output. Increasing it further would leave them unable to sustain it for long.
But given the shopkeeper’s urgency, they hesitated only briefly before complying.
The thunderous noise intensified as the three-colored lightning arcs nearly engulfed the Thunder Beast.
Under their full-force assault, the five daggers finally began to change.
As they absorbed more lightning, their surfaces turned blood-red, as if soaking up blood.
Simultaneously, the phantom of the Crystal Core between the shopkeeper’s brows also took on a bloody hue, pulsing irregularly.
With a low shout, the man suddenly opened his eyes and spat out another object—a green wooden plaque covered in intricate, mysterious patterns.
The plaque flashed to the Thunder Beast’s head and hovered there, vibrating slightly.
With a *pfft*, a spray of fine green threads shot out, vanishing into the beast’s skull.
The seemingly unconscious Thunder Beast shuddered as, under the plaque’s hum, a miniature green phantom of the beast, wrapped in countless green threads, was partially pulled from its head.
The shopkeeper’s face lit up with joy as his fingers twitched and his lips moved silently in incantation.
The plaque’s hum grew louder, and the green threads continued to drag the beast’s spirit-like phantom outward.
Suddenly, the Thunder Beast’s dull eyes flashed gold, and thunder roared across its body. The five black daggers embedded in its flesh trembled violently, half-ejected, as four-colored arcs reappeared on its skin.
Before the shopkeeper could react, the partially extracted spirit phantom emitted a blinding green light and sank back into the beast’s body. Simultaneously, the Thunder Beast roared furiously, its arcs flaring as it struggled desperately.
“Can you increase the lightning output further?” the gaunt man asked urgently, his voice laced with panic.
“Impossible. We’re already at our limit,” the effeminate youth replied, his face pale.
“I can’t channel any more either,” the burly man added, though he seemed slightly better off.
Han Li simply shook his head.
“Fine. It seems we must take the risk. Maintain your current output while I summon the Five-Colored Heavenly Lightning. With its power, we should have a good chance of success,” the shopkeeper said through gritted teeth.
At his words, Han Li and the others exchanged uneasy glances but ultimately voiced no objections.
Ignoring the Thunder Beast’s struggles, the shopkeeper flapped his wings and slowly ascended into the sky.
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