The dust had settled in the small courtyard.
After making the Three-Year Agreement with Gu Yuan, Lin Hai did not linger at the Xiao Clan.
Joining forces with the Ancient Clan, and possibly the Flame Clan and Thunder Clan down the line, as well as dealing with the Soul Clan and the Ancient Emperor's Abode, were all important matters, but there was no need to dwell on them too much just yet.
For now, he needed high-level fighters who would follow his orders directly.
Yao Chen, Haibodong, Medusa, and even Xiao Yan in the future all had their own responsibilities, and their strength was limited for the time being.
He needed a few fighters who could grow powerful quickly and were absolutely loyal.
With that settled, Lin Hai vanished from the small courtyard. The next time he appeared, he was high above the clouds.
His gaze turned toward the southern part of the continent. It was home to the gathering grounds of the magical beast clans and a paradise for top-tier fire-attribute beasts—the Southern Region.
Deep within the Lava Mountain Range, Southern Region.
The air here shimmered with scorching heat. Dark-red fissures crisscrossed the ground, and scorching lava occasionally erupted, filling the air with a pungent stench of sulfur.
The powerful fire-attribute energy was almost tangible. Even an ordinary Spirit Venerable would struggle to take a single step here.
Lin Hai appeared soundlessly at the edge of the largest active volcano, his black robe unmoving in the waves of heat.
His vast soul power, boundless as a sea of stars, spread out like quicksilver, instantly enveloping the mountain range for thousands of miles around.
Soon, he pinpointed four fairly powerful auras.
They were scattered across different parts of the range, each occupying an area where energy was most concentrated. All were overlords of this region—four fire-attribute Spirit Saint magical beasts, with strengths ranging from one to two stars.
A Heaven-Burning Crocodile, dwelling beneath a lava lake, at the mid-stage of two-star Spirit Saint.
A Blazing Earth Lizard, coiled within a volcanic crystal-vein, at the early stage of two-star Spirit Saint.
A Flowing Fire Sky Owl, soaring through clouds of volcanic ash, at the peak of one-star Spirit Saint.
A Lava Giant Ape, slumbering deep within an underground fire vein, at the late stage of two-star Spirit Saint.
"Barely enough," Lin Hai remarked coolly. With a flash, he vanished from the volcano's crater.
The next moment, he appeared at the bottom of the roiling lava lake.
The terrifying lava and heat were nothing to him.
The Heaven-Burning Crocodile, as huge as a mountain and covered in dark-red scales, had not even realized what was happening before an indescribable pressure, as crushing as the entire continent, bore down on it!
Its enormous eyes filled with utter terror. It felt its soul trembling and wailing, and could not summon the slightest thought of resistance.
This was the crushing force of a higher level of life and absolute power!
(After Spirit Saint, the gap between each star is enormous. A nine-star Spirit Saint can easily kill a two-star Spirit Saint.)
Lin Hai coaxed a tiny wisp of blood essence from a nine-star Spirit Saint from his fingertip. Though minuscule, it contained enough energy to destroy the world. At the same time, a cold voice rang directly in the depths of the Heaven-Burning Crocodile's soul. "Submit, and I will grant you supreme power and the chance to evolve. Resist, and your body and soul will be annihilated."
The temptation of that wisp of blood essence far surpassed any natural energy it had absorbed over thousands of years of cultivation.
Its instinct to survive and its yearning for power instantly crushed the last vestige of pride it had as a Spirit Saint magical beast.
"Roar... (I submit!)" The Heaven-Burning Crocodile sent out a low, submissive pulse of soul energy.
Lin Hai flicked a finger. A complex soul brand shot into the Heaven-Burning Crocodile's brow, planting a mark of absolute obedience deep within its Soul Origin.
The process was simple, forceful, and highly efficient.
He did the same with the others.
In less than half a day, Lin Hai had found and subdued the other three Spirit Saint magical beasts that ruled the Southern Region: the Blazing Earth Lizard, the Flowing Fire Sky Owl, and the Lava Giant Ape. Helpless to resist, they were each branded with a soul mark under the threat of his overwhelming power and the temptation of greater strength.
With all four beasts gathered, Lin Hai tore open space and returned with them to the Xiao Clan in Wutan City.
In a hidden valley behind the Xiao Clan, where Lin Hai had set up layer upon layer of restrictions.
The four magical beasts had shrunk to a fraction of their original size, but still radiated a terrifying aura. They lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to look up at the black-robed figure standing before them with his hands behind his back.
Lin Hai swept his gaze over them and said coolly, "Now that you have submitted, I will grant you a fortuitous opportunity."
Four drops of blood-red essence appeared at his fingertips, each like a crimson diamond, wreathed in faint, glazed flames. The space around them continuously collapsed and reformed.
Each drop held the vast energy and part of the life origin of a nine-star Spirit Saint at the peak.
"This is my blood essence. Refine it, and your bloodlines will be reforged."
Then four streams of light shot from between his brows and entered the beasts' minds.
They contained the complete information for the high-level Heaven-tier technique, the Nine Nether Flame God Art, as well as Lin Hai's insights into fire laws and the use of power.
To them, those insights were like a beacon, enough to save them ten thousand years of hard cultivation.
"Use this technique to absorb the blood essence and comprehend the laws. How much you can absorb and how far you can advance will depend on your own fortune."
The four magical beasts sensed the terrifying value of the blood essence and the knowledge in their minds. Their bodies trembled with excitement, and their enormous eyes burned with fervor and reverence.
They roared as one. "Thank you for your generosity, Master! We will not fail you!"
Lin Hai waved his hand, sending one drop of blood essence into each of them, then paid them no further attention.
The moment the blood essence entered their bodies, its wildly violent energy erupted!
All four magical beasts let out pained roars, though excitement shone through even more strongly.
They immediately began to circulate the Nine Nether Flame God Art, frantically absorbing and refining the energy in its purest form while greedily drawing in fragments of the law insights.
The valley was soon filled with four different colors of equally ferocious flames. Terrifying energy surged against Lin Hai's restrictions in wave after wave, like a tsunami. Without those barriers, the entire Gama Empire would have been shaken.
A day passed.
The Heaven-Burning Crocodile's dark-red scales fell away, replaced by deeper black-and-red scales with a metallic sheen. Its aura rose steadily.
Brilliant fire crystals formed over the Blazing Earth Lizard's body, as if it had donned a layer of armor, and its strength surged.
The Flowing Fire Sky Owl's feathers became like flowing lava. When it spread its wings, runes of the fire laws appeared on their own.
The Lava Giant Ape grew even larger, its muscles bulging like coiled dragons. Every breath it took sent out scorching white flames, brimming with explosive power.
Without exception, their auras broke through their former bottlenecks and surged toward a higher level!
Several days later, when the last waves of energy gradually subsided, the valley had changed beyond recognition.
The four magical beasts still lay prostrate on the ground, but the pressure emanating from them was more than three times stronger than before!
All four had reached the four-star Spirit Saint level!
(The combination of blood essence, technique, and law insights had brought them to four-star. That was not unreasonable.)
They had only just entered this new realm and still needed to stabilize their strength, but their solid four-star Spirit Saint auras were unmistakable.
The Heaven-Burning Crocodile, early-stage four-star Spirit Saint.
The Blazing Earth Lizard, early-stage four-star Spirit Saint.
The Flowing Fire Sky Owl, early-stage four-star Spirit Saint.
The Lava Giant Ape, mid-stage four-star Spirit Saint!
They looked at Lin Hai with more than reverence now, regarding him like a divine creator.
A few short days had given them what would have taken a thousand years of hard cultivation! What godlike means!
Lin Hai looked at the four magical beasts, their auras now majestic, and gave a slight nod.
"Good," he said coolly. "Stabilize your realms and familiarize yourselves with your power. Before long, you will have a chance to put it to use."
The four newly advanced four-star Spirit Saint magical beasts responded in deep voices that shook the valley, their words brimming with strength and loyalty.
Lin Hai turned around. His gaze seemed to pierce through space and settle on the Central Plains.
The time to head to the Ancient Realm was not far off. Once Yao Chen finished refining the last two Eighth-Tier Pills, it would be time to go to the Ancient Realm.
Before you continue