Aksai observed Arkaal warily as he thought.

’Even with my advantages in body and mind cultivation, the gap in Spirit cultivation and experience is too big. Things would have been a lot more manageable if he had been a mid-stage Lord or someone who had just stepped into the late stage. But this bastard is only a few steps away from becoming a King.

’Plus, that was a bona fide Weapon Intent just now. I am not afraid of his poison attacks but I really can’t deal with a veteran weapon cultivator in my current situation. Especially when I don’t have suitable weapons on me.

’I... I really can’t take him lightly. In this situation, he is far more dangerous to me than an almost dead King. I have already lost the element of surprise, and since I killed his master, he won’t underestimate me despite me being a newbie Lord. Once he identifies that I am in no mood to strike a losing deal with him, he’ll attack me with his full force once the battle starts.

’And to make matters worse, I’m already dealing with backlash. If I push my Spirit essence too hard, I’ll only add to my troubles. I don’t have suitable levels of talismans or potions to handle a late-stage Lord. Not to mention, as one of the heads of the royal faction, he too will have loads of trump cards under his sleeves.

’Damn it. I played the role of Naran for too long. It seems what they say is true after all. Curiosity kills the cat. Not that this cat is planning to die here, but still—’

Aksai quickly discarded many strategies that could have been used against an ordinary Core Formation Lord.

’If a straightforward fight isn’t going to be in my favor, then that leaves only one option,’ he concluded. ’Use my backups. Wear him down first.’

The plan formed in an instant. Aksai raised his hand slightly.

A faint ripple of energy spread around him. The space beside him twisted briefly, like air bending under intense heat.

Then—

A large shadow appeared. With a low, heavy sound, a massive figure stepped into the chamber. It was a wyvern.

Zyn.

Its body was covered in dark scales that shimmered faintly under the dim light. Its folded wings alone occupied a significant part of the chamber. Its long tail moved slowly behind it, and its sharp claws scraped lightly against the ground.

A faint green mist leaked from its mouth as it breathed, carrying a strong scent of poison. Its eyes glowed with a cold and intelligent light.

The moment it appeared, the pressure inside the chamber changed.

Zyn lowered its head slightly and let out a low growl as it locked onto Arkaal.

There was no hesitation in its stance. Only readiness.

At the same time, Arkaal’s eyes widened for a brief moment when Zyn fully revealed itself inside the sealed chamber.

The old man’s grip on his Dadao tightened slightly as he stared at the massive wyvern standing protectively in front of Aksai. The beast’s scales glimmered faintly under the dim green light of the poison cave.

For the first time since Qishan’s death, genuine shock appeared on Arkaal’s face.

"A 4th Order demon beast..." he muttered under his breath.

His sharp eyes quickly scanned Zyn’s body from head to tail. The more he looked, the more surprised he became. This was not some weak mutated beast or incomplete bloodline creature. It was a genuine 4th Order wyvern-type poison beast.

Even among the Kings of the past, possessing such a familiar beast was extremely rare.

A Core Formation Lord could already dominate a region by themselves. A Lord with a 4th Order demon beast companion was even more dangerous. Technically speaking, some top-tier 4th Order beasts could even contend with Nascent Soul Kings.

Of course, that was only in theory.

The actual result depended heavily on the demon beast itself—its bloodline, battle experience, instincts, and abilities.

Still, Arkaal could not deny the pressure Zyn gave off.

’No wonder this brat survived the poison cave so easily,’ Arkaal thought as his eyes narrowed slightly. ’So this beast was the one dealing with the poison creatures around the poison lake.’

He finally understood why none of the poison beasts inside the cave had managed to disturb Aksai during the entire week.

However, after the initial surprise faded, Arkaal slowly calmed down again. His expression soon returned to normal.

"Hmph."

He snorted lightly before looking at Aksai with a cold smile.

"So this is your hidden card?"

His gaze shifted back toward Zyn.

"Interesting," he muttered.

Arkaal himself had raised and experimented on countless poison beasts throughout his life. He had spent centuries studying demon beast bloodlines, poison mutations, and beast taming methods.

Because of that, he quickly noticed certain details about Zyn. The beast’s aura was powerful, but its killing intent lacked sharpness. Its poison was dense, but its movements carried traces of unfamiliarity.

Most importantly, its body looked too clean. Not physically clean—but spiritually. There were not enough traces of life-and-death battles etched into its aura.

’This beast was raised in an isolated environment where it didn’t face any mortal threats,’ Arkaal concluded silently. ’It has strength, but not enough experience.’

His eyes sharpened further.

’And judging by its aura, it seems to have only recently stepped into the 4th Order.’

That discovery greatly eased Arkaal’s worries.

If Zyn had been an experienced mid-stage or late-stage 4th Order beast, Arkaal might have already started planning an escape route.

But now?

He no longer felt pressured.

After all, if the beast had truly possessed enough power to threaten a Nascent Soul King, Aksai would have used it against Qishan earlier. Instead, the brat had resorted to strange lifespan-draining methods and tricks. That alone proved enough.

This wyvern was not invincible. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Arkaal slowly lifted his Dadao and rested it on his shoulder casually.

"Heh," he laughed lightly. "You think you can scare me with that pet of yours?"

His eyes landed on Aksai again.

"But unfortunately for you, this changes nothing."

The poison mist around him started swirling violently as his Spirit essence rose once more.

"Yes, this beast is troublesome," Arkaal admitted calmly. "Even I cannot kill a 4th Order wyvern quickly."

His smile widened slightly.

"But who said I need to kill it first?"

The moment those words left his mouth, his gaze became sharp and dangerous. His killing intent locked directly onto Aksai.

"As long as the master dies," Arkaal continued calmly, "the beast will no longer have a reason to fight me."

Zyn immediately let out a deep growl after sensing Arkaal’s hostility toward Aksai.

The ground beneath its claws cracked slightly. Poison mist poured out from its jaws like smoke from a furnace.

Arkaal, however, did not back away. Instead, his eyes glowed faintly with excitement.

"Come then," he said while slowly pointing his Dadao toward Aksai and Zyn. "Let me see how long the two of you can survive inside my territory."

Swoosh. Zoom. Boom.

A crescent-shaped wave of sword energy sliced across the air and crashed into Zyn’s massive body. The wyvern roared angrily as sparks and green poison mist exploded around the point of impact.

Its dark scales held against the attack, but a shallow cut still appeared across its shoulder. Thick green blood dripped onto the stone floor and immediately started melting the ground with a hissing sound.

Arkaal clicked his tongue as he jumped backward with incredible speed. His body moved like a ghost through the chamber. Even while wielding a massive dadao, his movements were strangely light. Every time Zyn attacked with claws, poison breath, or tail strikes, Arkaal slipped through the gaps with frightening precision.

"You really raised quite the beast," Arkaal muttered while avoiding another burst of poison flames. "What a waste though. It’s just a kid with no teeth and no bite."

Zyn roared again and spread its wings slightly despite the cramped chamber. Violent winds mixed with poisonous fumes surged outward. The poison clouds smashed against the walls and formations, causing the entire chamber to shake faintly.

Aksai remained behind the barrier in the corner of the chamber, observing everything carefully.

The translucent protective barrier around him flickered softly. Layers of Heretic Talismans were attached around its edges, strengthening it further. Every now and then, stray sword energy or poison shockwaves crashed into the barrier and caused ripples to spread across its surface.

Aksai narrowed his eyes as he studied the battle.

’Well... the old man’s right yet again. Zyn’s attacks are powerful,’ he thought calmly. ’But he lacks experience fighting cultivators like Arkaal.’

The difference became clearer the longer the battle continued.

Zyn relied heavily on overwhelming force. Every movement carried terrifying destructive power. Its poison breath alone could melt ordinary Core Formation cultivators alive. However, Arkaal never allowed himself to take those attacks directly.

The old man moved quickly across the battlefield while releasing sharp waves of Weapon Intent from his dadao.