These sounds were so slight that even Long Feng didn't hear them; only Zhang Yang's abnormally acute hearing detected the barest hint of them, yet even he only caught a whisper of the noise. Zhang Yang turned, walking directly to Old Liu’s side.

“What is going on with your vehicle, and why are you here?”

Without any preamble, Zhang Yang used his Soul Deception technique on Old Liu. At his current level, casting the spell on ordinary people no longer required the use of poison needles for assistance.

“We… we are here to hunt. We recently heard a wild horse has been spotted in this area…”

Old Liu spoke softly. Long Feng and Long Cheng also approached, listening quietly nearby. After some interrogation, Zhang Yang finally understood: these men were poachers, specializing in hunting rare grassland animals for lucrative resale. This time, they had heard about a wild horse on the steppe—a white one—and had mobilized to capture it. Wild horses were common in ancient times, present on nearly every steppe, but human frenzy in hunting drove them to near extinction. In fact, many organizations had already declared the wild horse extinct, only to have their pronouncements invalidated by the occasional fleeting appearance of one or two specimens. An almost extinct creature commanded an exorbitant price. This poaching team, composed of seven or eight men, acted immediately upon hearing the news, searching the grassland for this white horse. Others were also out scouring the area; many people had been waiting on the steppe for days, relentlessly searching for the same animal. They had luck today, finding the horse first. It was indeed pure white and stunningly beautiful. Capturing such a wild horse meant an immense profit. These men had chased it in their vehicles, pursuing it all the way here. Initially, they kept pace, but once they started firing, the horse suddenly became enraged. With a single kick, it crippled their vehicles—both cars bore the brunt of the mare’s fury. After disabling the cars, the wild horse vanished without a trace. This group was lucky to be alive; realizing the horse's ferocity, they dared not pursue further. But with their vehicles wrecked, they were stranded, forcing the most trustworthy-looking among them, Old Liu, out onto the road to flag down any passing car, hoping to intercept an unlucky soul. An unlucky soul they found, anticipating a small windfall, but in the end, it was they who suffered the disastrous fate.

“Besides this, is there anything else you’ve forgotten?”

After the man finished speaking, Zhang Yang asked another question, already sensing something was amiss. How could an ordinary wild horse possess such immense strength? What this group encountered was likely a Spirit Beast; only a Spirit Beast could exhibit such power. Surviving an encounter with a Spirit Beast at all was testament to their incredible luck. The message Wu Ying had just sent him indicated a powerful energy fluctuation nearby. Coupled with the faint gunshots he’d heard, it was highly probable this Spirit Beast had crossed paths with other poachers in the vicinity.

“I remember that wild horse was a bit strange. It was slightly smaller than a normal horse, but it seemed to have horns on its head. When it kicked our car, I was inside driving and caught a glimpse—though I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me!”

Old Liu paused, then added this detail. Under Zhang Yang’s Soul Deception, he told everything he was asked. Zhang Yang’s expression shifted subtly. He quickly pressed, “A horned horse—how many horns?”

Old Liu shook his head. “I didn’t see clearly. I’m not even sure if it had horns. I was terrified at the time, so I didn't pay close attention!” Zhang Yang nodded, asking no more. Released from the mental control, Old Liu slowly regained awareness, suddenly clutching his head in pain, crying out before collapsing unconscious. He had been under Zhang Yang's control for too long and simply passed out; he would be fine upon waking.

“Zhang Yang, something isn’t right!”

Long Feng walked over and murmured softly. While the man spoke, he had deliberately examined the two vehicles crippled by the wild horse’s kicks—only the power of a Spirit Beast could inflict such damage. Long Feng shared Zhang Yang’s intuition, both suspecting a Spirit Beast.

Zhang Yang nodded silently and stated plainly, “This wild horse is most likely a Spirit Beast. Horned equine Spirit Beasts are rare. The Celestial Horse has horns, but the Celestial Horse has been extinct for ages—how could it appear here?” The Celestial Horse is a speed-type Spirit Beast, recorded in the Zhang family’s Chronicles of Strange Creatures: "In the Heavenly Mountains dwells a horse, named Celestial Horse, also known as Dragon Horse, possessing twin horns, moving like lightning, possessing unparalleled speed, arguably the fastest under heaven." The Chronicles offered scant description of the Celestial Horse, mainly because so few people had ever encountered such a Spirit Beast. Legend claims the Celestial Horse's speed is supreme among all terrestrial Spirit Beasts; even a Fourth Layer master could not overtake it. If they cannot be captured or killed, records of them naturally remain scarce.

“The Celestial Horse vanished hundreds of years ago. It might be a Unicorn, too. Unicorns also have horns, and they possess the greatest strength!”

Long Feng shook his head slightly. The Unicorn is also a type of Spirit Beast, sporting a single horn. Unlike the Celestial Horse, the Unicorn is a strength-type Spirit Beast; its speed is unremarkable, perhaps even slower than a Lightning Strike, but its brute force is enormous.

“I doubt it. If it were a Unicorn, these men wouldn't have been lucky enough to wait for us to arrive!”

Zhang Yang gently shook his head. He was familiar with the Unicorn; strength-type Spirit Beasts generally have volatile tempers. If these men had tried to hunt one, they would have been shredded; they wouldn't have lived to deceive them. Furthermore, the Unicorn is massive, while Old Liu described this horse as slightly smaller than an average horse—a detail inconsistent with the Unicorn's characteristics.

“If only we knew where the horse is, we could go take a look!”

Long Feng sighed regretfully. He couldn't share the telepathic link with Wu Ying, nor did he possess Zhang Yang’s uncanny hearing that picked up distant gunshots.

“It’s not far from us. I know where it is!”

Zhang Yang looked toward the distance. Yuan Jing had disappeared a while ago; he wondered about the fate of those who fired the guns. But Zhang Yang was certain of one thing: those few men stood no chance against this Spirit Beast horse. If it was an adult Spirit Beast horse, their hunting rifles would be useless.

Long Feng was momentarily stunned, blurting out, “You know?”

Zhang Yang nodded. “Wu Ying can sense it. That horse was nearby just now!” Relief immediately washed over Long Feng’s face, and he urged, “Since Wu Ying can sense it, let’s go look immediately. No matter what kind of equine Spirit Beast it is, it’s worth seeing!” Long Feng was well aware of Wu Ying’s capabilities and had no reason to doubt Zhang Yang, unaware that Zhang Yang had heard everything himself. In fact, Zhang Yang hadn't just heard; he had sensed something amiss over there as well, though not as deeply as Wu Ying’s connection.

“Good. Leave these men to Long Cheng. We’ll go take a look!”

Zhang Yang readily agreed; this Spirit Beast horse had piqued his curiosity. This was why Zhang Yang dared to act this way now. He was already in the late Third Layer, aided by Lightning and Wu Ying. Six months prior, when he was only Second Layer and lacked Wu Ying, he certainly wouldn't have dared approach a Spirit Beast, choosing to retreat as far as possible upon discovering its presence. Whether Celestial Horse or Unicorn, an adult specimen was beyond the capacity of a Second Layer Internal Strength practitioner to counter; these were relatively famous Spirit Beasts.

After giving Long Cheng a few instructions, Zhang Yang and Long Feng bolted out, leaving their vehicle behind. For short distances across the open steppe, running was faster than driving. The car remained with Long Cheng. Leaving the supplies, Zhang Yang and Long Feng departed instantly, moving like twin shadows. Long Cheng shook his head, thankful Old Huo wasn't present; if he saw their departure, he would surely leap back in shock. Long Cheng remained behind, tasked with an important chore. That task was dealing with the poachers sprawled unconscious on the ground. Since these poachers had attempted to rob them, they certainly shouldn't be let off easily. However, their crimes didn't warrant execution, and Long Cheng was not the type to kill so many people in one go. Long Cheng’s final solution was simple: tie them all up and transport them to the nearest police station ahead. Since they were poachers, the law should deal with them; chances were they had committed many misdeeds before.

Long Cheng drove the car back to the truck. Old Huo, who was waiting in the truck, gaped when he saw Long Cheng’s vehicle packed with people. After Long Cheng’s explanation, Old Huo learned that these men were roadside bandits who tried to hold up their truck, only to be subdued by Long Cheng’s group. Upon hearing this, Old Huo immediately adopted a smug, knowing air, launching into a series of warnings for Long Cheng, implying that he had been right all along: one couldn't stop randomly on the steppe roads, as they were full of villains. After stuffing all the men into the truck, Long Cheng stopped and waited for Zhang Yang and Long Feng. He had also grabbed a hunting rifle. He wasn't afraid of the poachers or bandits, but he feared guns; having one made him feel safer. Old Huo’s experience was correct: the steppe roads were fraught with peril.

Zhang Yang and Long Feng sprinted onward, only two shadows visible in the vast grassland. After running for a while, gunshots erupted again from ahead. This time, even Long Feng heard the sound, and the firing had grown more frantic—multiple weapons discharging simultaneously.

“Chirp, chirp, chirp!”

Wu Ying called out again. Zhang Yang’s expression tightened, and his pace suddenly accelerated.

“Long Feng, keep up! I’m going ahead. It seems there’s been an incident up front!”

Zhang Yang threw those words back before pouring every ounce of his strength into widening the gap between them. Long Feng could only nod helplessly, pushing his own legs to their limit in pursuit. Wu Ying had just informed Zhang Yang that the powerful energy signature had weakened slightly, suggesting it was injured. It was incredibly difficult for ordinary people to wound a Spirit Beast, even with firearms. Zhang Yang was puzzled; no matter which equine Spirit Beast it was, its speed should be formidable. How could it possibly have been injured? This very mystery drove him to increase his speed. A Spirit Beast. Undeniably, Zhang Yang harbored a selfish thought: if this Spirit Beast horse was to be taken, it should be by him, not by some random group of people. (To be continued)