The two Unicorn youths were arguably the finest Foundation Establishment stage cultivators of the Unicorn Clan—blessed with extraordinary gifts, powerful magic, and outstanding treasures that lent them formidable combat strength. Yet, even fighting two against one, they were utterly suppressed by the Saintess alone. The primary credit likely belonged to the strange beast that could spew thunder orbs. Though each glowing sphere was only the size of a head, the world-shattering plasmic energy contained within caused even Lei Dong, watching from afar, to feel a shiver of dread.

The myriad defensive artifacts carried by the two Unicorn youths failed to withstand even two exchanges, utterly obliterated by the aftershocks of the lightning. It was only due to the relatively slow speed of the lightning beams, coupled with their own significant strength, that they avoided instant demise.

“It’s a Sky Thunder Beast, and it looks like it hasn't reached maturity, otherwise its power would be far greater,” the black and white bead representing Yi Kong transmitted in Lei Dong’s divine sense, its voice tinged with excitement: “A very rare Primordial Strange Beast. Eliminate it and take the Sky Thunder Pearl within its body; it will be immensely useful for cultivating lightning spells or refining magical treasures.”

So, this was a Sky Thunder Beast. Lei Dong vaguely recalled glimpsing it in a certain book; it was supposedly an immensely powerful innate demonic beast, comparable to a Nascent Soul stage cultivator once fully grown. However, according to that book, the Sky Thunder Beast was long extinct—he hadn't expected the Saintess to possess one. Although this beast was not fully mature, judging by its appearance, it could probably match a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator. No wonder the Saintess was so confident. Moreover, given her status, she could mobilize almost the entire resource pool of the Barbarian Tribe. It was unlikely she only had the Sky Thunder Beast as her trump card.

“Ming Wuxie,” the battered Young Master shrieked, “Even at this stage, are you still hiding your strength? Let’s join forces and destroy that Thunder Beast.” As he spoke, a pitch-black cone appeared in his hand, emanating a dark, soul-devouring luminescence, a cruel look creeping onto his face.

“Soul Breaking Cone?” Though still hiding and evading, the usually composed Ming Wuxie’s face contorted in horror: “How is that possible? Even if the Clan Leader gave you the Soul Breaking Cone, you couldn't activate it.”

“That’s none of your concern,” the Unicorn Young Master snarled, his face fiercely malicious. “Thirty breaths, hold it off for thirty breaths, and I will slay that Sky Thunder Beast.”

Ming Wuxie’s expression flickered between doubt and anger, uncertain if the Young Master was serious or merely bluffing. If he were to deploy a secret treasure, holding a position for thirty breaths was certainly manageable. But what if he complied, and the Young Master simply fled?

Boom! Boom! As if sensing that the two Unicorn youths were ready to fight desperately, the Saintess intensified the methods used to control the Thunder Beast. A barrage of heavenly thunder slammed down, sending the two youths scrambling for cover.

Seemingly understanding Ming Wuxie’s hesitation, the Young Master roared, “The Clan’s Grand Elder expended a hundred years of his lifespan to help me refine this Soul Breaking Cone specifically for use in this temple ruin. Do not become a criminal to the clan.”

Ming Wuxie froze. The Grand Elder was an unparalleled existence within the clan, the very guardian deity of the Unicorn Clan. For him to willingly expend a hundred years of precious lifespan for this ruin demonstrated the depth of his resolve. Wasting no more time, Ming Wuxie immediately produced a pitch-black elixir and swallowed it. Instantly, he became utterly frenzied.

Thick, dark, and dangerously bizarre black energy erupted from him. The previously ashen face became covered in esoteric patterns. His eyes glowed scarlet, and fangs jutted out. His entire humanoid form forcibly enlarged several times, especially his single horn, which turned a blood-red hue, making him resemble an ultimate ferocious beast escaped from the Demon Realm. From a distance, sensing the violent and perilous aura emanating from him sent a jolt of dangerous premonition through observers.

In this state, his physique was no longer inferior to that of the Thunder Beast. His fangs parted, unleashing a deafening roar. His gaze, brutalized and fixed upon the Sky Thunder Beast and the Saintess, was cold and entirely devoid of the compassion befitting an intelligent being. He took a step, covering more than ten zhang, and punched out, the blow imbued with destructive black energy, aimed squarely at the Sky Thunder Beast.

The Sky Thunder Beast, a rarity among beasts, roared back defiantly, spitting out a thunder orb the size of a water vat. Hissing and crackling, the air was torn into fragments by the violent power of the plasma, creating a sequence of faint, shadowy voids in space. This demonstrated the sheer destructive force of the thunder orb.

“Good heavens, the way that fellow transformed—it looks like one of the famously powerful races from the Demon Realm: the Unicorn Fiends,” Yi Kong exclaimed in Lei Dong’s divine sense. “Where did this Unicorn humanoid clan emerge from? Could they be descendants of the Unicorn Fiends?”

The Demon Realm? Unicorn Fiends? Lei Dong’s expression darkened. Indeed, no race could be underestimated, especially the most outstanding youths dispatched by this race. A mere peak Foundation Establishment cultivator could transform into such a powerful entity. His wariness increased. Naturally, Lei Dong was not without means, and through various methods, he still held a significant advantage.

What Lei Dong didn't know was that Ming Wuxie was already considered an exceptionally talented youth within the Unicorn Clan. His inherited Unicorn Fiend bloodline was dense, yet even so, a single transformation extracted a huge toll. The longer the transformation lasted, the more detrimental it was, requiring a longer recovery period afterward. However, daring to transform at this juncture suggested he must have some countermeasures for the resulting weakness, otherwise, even defeating the Sky Thunder Beast would spell his own doom.

Boom! The colossal heavenly thunder collided head-on with the Unicorn Fiend’s fist. Black and white energy ignited waves of shockwaves, tearing through the air and spreading outward. The ice and snow that had accumulated on the ground for untold years burst into a blizzard of ice flowers. Even the earth seemed to have been violently plowed, forming a significant crater.

The Unicorn Fiends of the Demon Realm were said to be formidable, but Ming Wuxie was ultimately too young; his original body's strength was too weak. Even after executing the transformation technique, he was still half a step behind the Sky Thunder Beast. He staggered backward repeatedly, spitting out a stream of scarlet blood. However, the ferocity in his eyes only intensified, and the demonic energy around him grew thicker and more violent. Showing no retreat, he charged toward the Sky Thunder Beast like a heavy siege tank.

This was the nature of the Unicorn Fiends: inherently belligerent, utterly savage, growing stronger the longer they fought. They were one of the most troublesome races in the Demon Realm.

Lei Dong watched, feeling suffocated. The combat prowess displayed by this Unicorn Fiend was already comparable to that of a mid-to-late stage Golden Core expert. Even moderately strong mid-stage Golden Core cultivators among humans would have to retreat respectfully when faced with him. Truly, the world was teeming with races, and none that survived could be simpletons. Lei Dong had heard before that in the world where humans survived, countless other races existed, and humans were merely one of them—and not a particularly powerful one at that.

Now, it seemed the other races were indeed not to be trifled with. Setting aside the renowned Asura or Winged God races, even a minor clan like the Unicorn could field such formidable fighters. This significantly broadened Lei Dong’s horizons. While his fortuitous encounters were many, and his strength seemed unmatched among his peers, the world was impossibly vast. There must surely be many beings far stronger than him, even among those his own age.

Meanwhile, the Unicorn Young Master began manipulating the Soul Breaking Cone. He too seemed to have ingested some kind of strength-boosting elixir. His body was filled with raging demonic energy, which he continuously channeled into the pitch-black crystal, the Soul Breaking Cone. As he worked, the cone began to exude waves of formidable majesty, as if a peerless killing weapon had suddenly come alive.

However, such a treasure was not meant to be controlled by someone like this Unicorn Young Master. If their Grand Elder hadn't used his vital essence to refine and suppress it, the Young Master would have already suffered a fatal backlash. Even so, it was not something wielded casually; it required significant time and demonic energy to barely urge the Soul Breaking Cone into action.

Seeing this, the Saintess remained unperturbed. She leaped down from the Thunder Beast’s back and floated in the air, allowing the Sky Thunder Beast to engage Ming Wuxie. She let out a cold snort, produced a black banner, and as she executed a hand seal, the banner shot out, hovering in the air, fluttering in the wind. Simultaneously, under her control, it rapidly expanded, and a hundred smaller flags materialized around it.

These smaller flags suddenly burst into fierce flames. Then, a bizarre phenomenon occurred: as each small flag burned, it morphed and condensed into a Swift Shadow Insect. The hundred or so Swift Shadow Insects shrieked in unison, surging forward like a torrential flood toward the Unicorn Young Master.

Such might visibly moved Lei Dong. The strength of a single Swift Shadow Insect might not be immense, but a hundred of them would put even a Golden Core cultivator in a dire situation. It was known that these creatures could even overwhelm Nascent Soul cultivators. A swarm of a hundred insects created quite a formidable momentum—something a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator could not withstand alone.

This Saintess, indeed, was not to be underestimated.

Yet, Ming Wuxie proved even more unsettling. At this critical moment, when his will should have been dominated by battlelust, he suddenly accelerated sharply, blocking the path of the insect swarm with incredible, violent speed, his body engulfed in blazing black demonic flames as he roared, shaking the eardrums and stirring the blood of onlookers. The Swift Shadow Insects abruptly turned their attack toward him, ignoring the Saintess’s command.

“Jie jie~ Saintess, you steal our Unicorn Clan’s insect control techniques only to use them against us. How childish,” the Unicorn Young Master mocked with a wicked grin.

“Lei Dong, how long do you plan to watch the show?” the Saintess sharply rebuked. “Aren’t you coming out to help?”