"Wait, are those Element Beasts?"

Suddenly, their eyes lit up. They had finally found them—and an entire group, at that. They quickly counted and put the number at around fourteen. With that many in sight, capturing one or even several was almost guaranteed.

"Everyone, careful not to spook them!" hissed one of them.

Indeed, Elemental Beasts were extremely alert, and the slightest disturbance would send them fleeing. Getting close to them was very tricky, so the fortune of encountering one did not guarantee a successful capture.

Now, these martial artists could only rely on luck. Fortunately, there were fourteen beasts. Surely their luck was not so terrible as to not even catch one. With that thought, they edged forward step by step.

One hundred zhang, eighty zhang, fifty zhang, thirty zhang... Just as they were about to close in, something happened.

About ten zhang from the beasts, a figure burst out. In that instant, fourteen streaks of jade light shot forth like sharp swords and disappeared into the bodies of the fourteen beasts.

"Damn it! Don't scare them away..."

The three of them were stunned. Being sensitive creatures, Elemental Beasts would try to flee the moment they sensed danger.

"Where did that guy even come from?"

More importantly, how could that man deal with the fourteen beasts from ten zhang away and without even using a Domain? If anything, his sudden appearance would only scare them away.

The martial artists felt their hearts sink. After finally finding a herd of Elemental Beasts, they were about to lose their precious opportunity.

Voooosh...

However, the man who had jumped from the shadows paid them no mind. The fourteen streaks of jade light sank into the bodies of the beasts. Then, something strange happened. The beasts, which were just about to activate their escape techniques, froze and cried out in pain. At the same time, a Domain descended—the Saber Domain. And shortly after, the Storm Domain followed.

Naturally, the man was Lu Changsheng. He had spotted the fourteen beasts long ago and had been hunting them patiently. When he noticed the three martial artists approaching from behind, he feared they might alert the beasts and chose to act at once.

Fourteen Heart Swords pierced the beasts and rattled their minds. Then, he unleashed the Saber Domain and the Storm Domain, both unrelated to the five elements, and pushed them to their limits. With the Heart Swords disrupting them from within, he managed to restrain all fourteen beasts.

Schiuuu...

After restraining the Five Element Beasts, he immediately stored them one by one in his spatial ring. In just a few moments, all fourteen were gone. With the sixteen beasts he had previously captured, his total now reached a staggering thirty!

Thirty Elemental Beasts meant at least 300,000 contribution points—and that was without the extra value of complete sets of five elements.

By the time Lu Changsheng finished the hunt, the three martial artists had rushed over. They stared at the empty ground with grim expressions.

"They're all gone. Not a single one left..."

All three of them turned to look at Lu Changsheng.

"A spatial ring... and one that can store over a dozen beasts. That's no ordinary item."

"And that jade light just now... That has to be some kind of mental technique. Only something like that could shake the beasts' minds and prevent them from escaping. A mental technique that can be materialized is not easy to practice."

"He's probably from a major sect."

As they exchanged glances, the three martial artists suddenly realized something.

"Wait... This guy looks familiar..." 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"Feels like I've seen him somewhere..."

"Yeah, I get that feeling too... could he be the one Xu Haotian's been looking for?"

"Right, I remember now. Xu Haotian's been tracking this guy. Lu Changsheng from the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect, right?"

For a moment, all three were taken aback. Lu Changsheng was the man Xu Haotian of the Yellow Heavenly Sect had been searching for. Xu Haotian held great influence in the second layer of the Ancient Region, especially among martial artists.

It was said that within the next few years, Xu Haotian had a strong chance of refining a Mind Materialization Stone, establishing his own Dao Foundation, and stepping into a critical stage of Martial Dao. Once he established a Dao Foundation, he would truly become a powerhouse comparable to a Dao Lord.

"Let's ask."

One of them worked up the courage to go up to him. "Are you Lu Changsheng, a true inheritor disciple of the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect?"

"Hm?" Lu Changsheng turned and looked at the three. "You know me?"

He had never seen them before.

Another one of them gave a faint smile and said, "We don't know you personally, but you're the one who fought above your realm and defeated a Divine Treasury expert, right? We've heard about you. Many people said you were the foremost Divine Fortification martial artist in the Ancient Region."

Lu Changsheng gave a slight nod, not feeling particularly suspicious about these three martial artists. Ever since he had defeated a Divine Treasury expert, his reputation had spread far. It was only natural for other Divine Treasury martial artists to recognize him. His name had to have spread through the second layer as well.

Still, he had no interest in chatting. With a flash, he vanished into the distance, leaving the three martial artists by themselves.

"We can't stay in Boundary Mountain any longer. We haven't caught a single Five Element Beast this whole time, and it's getting too dangerous."

"If we take news of Lu Changsheng to Xu Haotian, he'll definitely reward us."

"Exactly. Xu Haotian's known for being generous, and he keeps his word. If he's looking for Lu Changsheng, he won't shortchange us."

"Then let's get out of here and find Xu Haotian."

After that brief exchange, they left the Boundary Mountain.

***

At the Yellow Heavenly Sect, Xu Haotian remained in seclusion within his cave residence. At that moment, a martial artist in white robes arrived with news.

"Brother Xu, someone has seen Lu Changsheng at the Boundary Mountain."

He knew Xu Haotian would hear him. Though in seclusion, Xu Haotian was not completely cut off from the outside world; he still maintained a degree of awareness for what happened around himself.

Xu Haotian's voice drifted out from the cave. "Lu Changsheng... So he really made it to the Divine Treasury Realm, huh?"

The white-robed martial artist said solemnly, "Yes, it's confirmed. He broke through a while ago. Someone saw him capture over a dozen Elemental Beasts in the Boundary Mountain. He's not someone to take lightly."

"Of course, Lu Changsheng has comprehended four Domains. Now that he's reached the Divine Treasury Realm, all four can materialize. Naturally, his strength is on another level. I did say that I would kill him myself once he stepped into the Divine Treasury Realm, but I'm in seclusion right now. I can't leave without my master's approval.

After a brief pause, Xu Haotian went on, "So, Brother Long Yun, would you trouble yourself to make a trip to the Boundary Mountain and kill him for me? If you do so, that Heart-Soothing Pearl you've always wanted will finally be yours. What do you think?"

Long Yun's eyes flashed. "Hm? Are you really willing to part with the Heart-Soothing Pearl? That treasure dispels negative emotions and keeps the heart at peace. It was personally refined by a Dao Lord and is one of a kind. Hard to make a second."

Long Yun was not Xu Haotian's subordinate. He was a renowned true inheritor disciple of the Yellow Heavenly Sect in his own right. Their relationship was one of friendship, and nothing more. Xu Haotian could not simply command him.

However, with the Heart-Soothing Pearl added into this, things were different. Such a pearl was immensely beneficial when comprehending Intent because it could keep the mind calm at all times. Xu Haotian's rapid progress in cultivation owed a great deal to that pearl.

"It's just a Heart-Soothing Pearl. At my level, I don't really need it anymore. I'll give it to you upfront as a show of good faith."

As Xu Haotian finished speaking, the stone door to his cave opened slightly.

Vooshh...

A pearl flew out from the cave residence and landed in Long Yun's hand. It was cool to the touch, and a refreshing sensation spread through him at once. His restless thoughts quickly faded under that chill aura.

This is the real thing!

"Brother Xu, you really are willing to go all out for your brother's revenge, even giving up the Heart-Soothing Pearl. Fine, I'll take care of it. I'll head to the Boundary Mountain right away and kill Lu Changsheng for you."

For the Heart-Soothing Pearl, Long Yun would not hesitate. One Lu Changsheng meant nothing to him. Even ten would not make him pause. If he missed this chance, Xu Haotian might never offer the pearl again.

As for his strength, Long Yun had full confidence in himself, and Xu Haotian trusted him as well. He might not match Xu Haotian, but dealing with someone who had only just advanced to the Divine Treasury Realm would not be a problem.

"Then I'll be waiting for your good news, Brother Long Yun..."

Long Yun nodded and immediately left Xu Haotian's cave residence.

Xu Haotian's voice echoed through the cave residence. "Lu Changsheng... Now that you've reached the Divine Treasury Realm, even the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect won't be able to protect you anymore..."

Indeed, killing a fellow Divine Treasury martial artist did not violate any rules. Long Yun was also a true inheritor of the Yellow Heavenly Sect, and his status was no lower than Lu Changsheng's. If Lu Changsheng was killed, the only conclusion would be that he had been weaker than his adversary. No matter how furious the Ancient Region Heavenly Sect might be in that case, they could do nothing about it.

With that, Xu Haotian closed his eyes and returned to his cultivation. He was certain that Long Yun would return with good news.