"So that's how it is. The Golden Sunflower Beast Taming Technique doesn't simply borrow Mana and Divine Skills—more importantly, it involves the casting of one's intentions into them, allowing for the maximal unleashing of the borrowed Divine Skills' power!" Yuan Ming had a moment of enlightenment.

At this time, his understanding of the Golden Sunflower Beast Taming Technique had unknowingly reached a new realm, and the operation of the Demon Image Prison Suppression Skill had also become exceptionally smooth.

Streams of Blood Origin Power were infused into every part of Lei Yu's body, quickening the healing of his wounds and enhancing the strength of his demonic body, finally catching up with the increase in his demonic power.

After an unknown period, a piercing screech that penetrated the skies sounded, filled with excitement.

The widespread thunder and lightning quickly shrank, soon disappearing completely. The dark clouds in the sky also dissipated greatly, revealing Lei Yu's figure.

Lei Yu had undergone a significant transformation. His body had lengthened several times, appearing smoother. His originally thick feathers had thinned out, yet each feather felt like refined iron, seemingly indestructible. His claws beneath him were even sharper, flashing a chilling cold light.

The most significant change was Lei Yu's wings, which had grown much broader than before. When spread, they were almost longer than his body, densely filled with purple thunder runes.

With a single movement of Lei Yu's wings, numerous bolts of lightning leaped forth. His body vanished in an instant, appearing the next moment above the sea in front of Yuan Ming as if he had performed instantaneous movement.

Hua Zhi, upon seeing this, shivered internally; Lei Yu's speed was too fast. It seemed he had thoroughly mastered the Thunder Escape Technique. If he were to strike at her, she doubted she could evade it.

"Master, thanks to your help, otherwise my breakthrough would have been doomed without a doubt," Lei Yu, looking toward the closed-eyed, cross-legged Yuan Ming on the water surface—now capable of human speech—spoke in gratitude.

"It's good that you know. Next time you take such a risk, I might not be able to save you," Yuan Ming opened his eyes and slowly said.

His complexion was somewhat pale at that time.

To help Lei Yu break through, he had greatly exhausted his Primordial Qi. A significant amount of the Blood Origin Power stored in the Shura Blood Devouring Map had also been depleted, and the Undying Tree Demon Power within his Dantian was nearly exhausted.

"It was reckless of me. I won't dare again," Lei Yu hurriedly admitted his mistake.

Yuan Ming did not blame Lei Yu further but inquired about the changes in his Divine Skills after the breakthrough. He discovered an addition of a Thunder Escape Divine Skill. As for the other Divine Skills, there were no changes; only their power had significantly increased.

He was not disappointed; the Thunder Escape Divine Ability was renowned, rated as the foremost among all escape techniques. Mastering this skill was more useful than possessing ten ordinary Thunder and Lightning Divine Powers.

"You've already broken through to Level 4, still in demon beast form. Can't you transform into a human shape?" Yuan Ming thought of something else and asked.

"It seems not yet possible," Lei Yu moved his broad wings a bit and said.

"I've heard that the higher the bloodline level of a demon beast, the more difficult it is to transform. It seems that the Thunder Peng bloodline in your body is quite pure. Alright, you've just broken through Level 4; you need to stabilize your realm. Head back into the Spiritual Beast Bag," Yuan Ming said thoughtfully and then with a wave of his hand, stored Lei Yu inside it.

He did not continue to stay outside either and returned to the Stealing Heaven Tripod for further recovery.

…

Two days later.

Yuan Ming sat cross-legged under the Gathering Spirit Tree, slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air.

His recovery ability was already remarkable before. Now, with the help of the Undying Tree, his recovery speed was even faster. The lost Primordial Qi had almost been replenished, though the Undying Tree's demonic power had not yet recovered and needed more time.

Hua Zhi, influenced by Lei Yu's breakthrough, had taken the Shura Blood Devouring Map and gone to the Overseas World to hunt demon beasts, incidentally replenishing the map's depleted Blood Origin Power.

Yuan Ming suddenly felt a disturbance in his Divine Soul and abruptly opened his eyes.

Just then, his second split soul, residing in Evergreen Island, had suddenly sent a message: "Evergreen Island is under attack, and those people seem to be targeting my parents."

The moment he heard this message, Yuan Ming did not have time to think. He immediately leaped up and sat on the White Jade Lotus Platform. This is a sample from *. Read the rest on *.

His expression grave, he closed his eyes and immediately spread his Divine Sense to the location of his second split soul as an anchor point.

The moment his Divine Thought descended, his Divine Power, having reached the Half-step Word Witch level, immediately enveloped the entire Evergreen Island. He soon saw that it was night in the city, but fires were lit everywhere, smoke billowed up, cries of distress filled the air, creating a chaotic scene.

In Gu Town, each with five members dressed in black, two squads were moving from the east and west sides of the town, searching house by house towards the center of the town.

Those who were a little uncooperative or dared to resist along the way were all slaughtered by them.

Standing inside the residence where Yuan Ming's parents were placed, was a figure clad in a large Black Robe and a hood.

This figure was exceedingly tall, over ten feet, but so thin that the robe seemed hollow, exuding a chilling aura all over.

Through the connection of Divine Souls, Yuan Ming quickly located Zuo Qinghui. His second split soul was residing within him, controlling his body, activating a Concealment Array set up by Xi Ying for him.

It had been agreed that should they encounter an enemy they couldn't handle, the clone was to hide his parents within this array, waiting for Yuan Ming's rescue.

Seeing that his parents were safe and had not been harmed for the moment, Yuan Ming's suspended heart was slightly relieved, yet his expression remained as still as water.

His parents were his greatest vulnerability; he had brought the elders here so that they could live their later years in peace, away from the conflicts of the Cultivation World. The actions of the adversary had now thoroughly infuriated him.

Yuan Ming looked at the figure, his brows tightly furrowed. Bolstered by the Lotus Platform Will Power, his Divine Soul Power surged forth and launched a "Nightmare" attack towards the man in the Black Robe.

The silhouette of the man in the Black Robe was holding a square bronze plate, above which a little bronze fish was suspended, turning its head from side to side as if searching for the hiding place of Yuan Ming's parents.

As he continued casting, the small fish suspended above the bronze plate swayed less and less until it finally came to a halt, pointing steadily towards a corner of the courtyard—towards a rockery made from Taihu stones.

"Come out, I have found you already." The shoulders of the silhouette of the man in the Black Robe shrugged as a hoarse voice tinged with a mocking laugh said.

No one responded as the voice fell.

The figure in the Black Robe wasted no more words and immediately raised a palm towards that direction.

A murderous aura emanated from his broad sleeves, and a dense Black Mist filled with a thick scent of death ballooned his sleeves outwards, revealing a ferocious ghost face with two eyes glowing blood-red from within.

Just as the evil ghost was about to emerge from the sleeve, the man in the Black Robe suddenly let out a muffled grunt.

"Who is it?" he bellowed, and a terrifying oppressive force erupted from around him instantly.

Inside the space of the Stealing Heaven Tripod, Yuan Ming was sitting cross-legged on the White Jade Lotus Platform, his eyebrows locked together and his face showing a look of surprise.

Just then, he had tried using his Half-step Word Witch Divine Soul Power to assault the Sea of Consciousness of the man in the Black Robe, only to find a very strong Divine Soul restriction inside that man's Sea of Consciousness.

Even with the aid of the White Jade Lotus Platform, he had not managed to break through that restriction, as his Divine Soul Power was completely repelled.

"It seems he knew I am a Soul Cultivator and came prepared!" Yuan Ming silently mused.

Meanwhile, back in the courtyard, with no one appearing, the figure in the Black Robe quickly waved his sleeve, and a bloody-eyed ghost shadow immediately rushed out from his sleeve.

It had a blurred body trailing like black smoke behind it, emitting ghostly howls and charging directly towards the rockery.

As it approached within three feet of the rockery, the Concealment Array laid down by Xi Ying gradually became visible, revealing a semi-transparent crystalline membrane glinting with seven colors in the void.

Behind that layer of membrane was another pale golden Defense Magic Array that, although not yet triggered, had already lit up with dense golden runes.

Just as the seven-colored light on the semi-transparent membrane flickered unstably, about to collapse, a Light Gate suddenly formed next to the Concealment Array, and ten thick black roots burst forth from it.

After absorbing most of the power from the Undying Tree Avatar, Yuan Ming's control over the Space Power had become even more skillful, and he could now penetrate the void with ten roots.

These roots were clutching a green Palm Leaf Fan, which resembled a banana leaf with wind patterns flowing across it and was in fact Wan Tianren's imitation Spiritual Treasure, the Palm Leaf Fan.

The root suddenly swung the Palm Leaf Fan, lighting up the wind patterns, and a howling sound erupted as terrifying gusts of wind swept out towards the blood-eyed ghost shadow.

As the gusts passed, the blood-eyed ghost shadow felt an irresistible tearing force assault it, lacking the pain of flesh being stripped from bone yet possessing a soul-scattering power. With only a mournful cry, it dissipated into smoke and vanished under the fierce wind.

"A Spiritual Treasure... Who are you exactly? Why don't you show yourself in your true form?" The man in the Black Robe, seeing his blood-eyed ghost shadow dispersed with a single strike, couldn't help but slightly furrow his brow.

His gaze fell upon that strange golden and silver Light Gate, and deep within the depths of his hooded eyes, a flicker of confusion shone through.

"And who are you, why attack this place?" Yuan Ming transmitted his voice through Divine Soul Power.

"I am the White Bone Venerable; since you have come to protect this place, how could you not know why we assault this place?" the man in the Black Robe retorted with a cold laugh.

"It's him!" Yuan Ming couldn't help but frown.

That a Venerable was sent to deal with his parents was somewhat unexpected yet seemed within reason.

"Surely you've heard of my notorious reputation. Do you still intend to meddle in the affairs of the Wu Yue Sect? If you leave now, I will not pursue this further, but if you insist on muddying the waters... hmph," the man in the Black Robe didn't finish his sentence, yet the threatening and intimidating tone was already more than clear.

"The Wu Yue Sect is nothing special. If you provoke me, it is you who will regret it!" Yuan Ming coldly snorted, speaking bluntly.

As his voice fell, the roots extending out from the golden and silver Light Gate suddenly raised high, with the Palm Leaf Fan once again shining brightly as it swung fiercely toward the man in the Black Robe.

"Boom, boom, boom"

A series of sounds like muffled thunder rang out, created by the fierce winds blown by the Palm Leaf Fan clashing against each other, each containing an immensely powerful oppressive force, as if capable of crushing everything.

Everything on the ground, including the bricks and all the furnishings in the courtyard, were caught up and ground into dust by the winds, and half of the house vanished under this strike.