C11 Beast Taming

Across the vast expanse of the Primitive Land, two streaks of light raced through the heavens, one chasing the other with incredible speed.

"Hongyun, there's no escape for you today! Surrender the Primordial Purple Qi willingly!" Within the leading streak, the Roc unfurled its mighty wings, nearly ripping the fabric of the void.

Upon learning of Hongyun's separation from Zhenyuan Zi, the Demon Court's forces sprang into action, initiating a relentless pursuit to corner Hongyun.

To keep the Primordial Purple Qi on Hongyun hidden from the Demon Court, the Roc directed them to form a perimeter, while he himself dove in for the kill.

"Roc! You have some nerve! The Primordial Purple Qi is bestowed by the Dao Ancestor himself—do you truly dare to seize it?!"

Hongyun's voice thundered with indignation, yet his heart was heavy with remorse for not heeding Zhenyuan Zi's counsel, believing that no one would dare defy the Dao Ancestor to claim his Primordial Purple Qi.

"The chance to ascend to sainthood belongs to the virtuous. Should I attain it and become a saint, even the Dao Ancestor would have to bow before me!"

"You, a mere wisp of a cloud, a drifting, rootless entity—how could you possibly be worthy of sainthood?!"

"Give me the Primordial Purple Qi!"

The Roc's screeches intensified, tangible as a force of nature, enveloping Hongyun in a tempest of sound.

"Pfft!" Struck by the Roc's power, Hongyun spat blood, his strength failing as he wobbled and plummeted toward the ground.

The Roc's spirit surged, his velocity climbing yet another notch, as visions of himself absorbing the Primordial Purple Qi, ascending to sainthood, and receiving the homage of countless tribes filled his mind.

"Hahaha!"

"Hm? Buzhou Mountain?"

The chase was but a fleeting moment, yet such was the speed of these beings that they had already reached Buzhou Mountain.

But the Roc paid it no mind; his gaze was locked on Hongyun.

Hongyun's falling figure was tantalizingly close, seemingly within reach if the Roc merely extended his talons.

And that's precisely what the Roc attempted, his claws shooting out like a bolt of lightning toward Hongyun.

"Boom!"

Just then, a brilliant golden light swept across the scene. Caught off guard, the Roc collided with the light, the impact leaving him reeling and out of control, spiraling down to the earth below.

The Kun Peng's eyes nearly burst with rage as it watched Hongyun slip by, just out of reach.

"Who?! Who dares ambush me?!"

The Kun Peng bellowed furiously, but was suddenly bound by a golden light and with a resounding "Bang!" plummeted into a pit.

It wasn't long after Zhang Yan bid farewell to Hou Tu that he heard the thud of heavy objects hitting the ground. His eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Has my beast trap worked? Has a wild creature been ensnared?"

With that, he rushed out toward the courtyard.

Between a small forest and a cluster of hills lay the hunting grounds Zhang Yan had selected just days before.

He had meticulously set numerous traps among the trees and rocky outcrops of the forest.

Upon arrival, the sound of heavy impacts reverberated, electrifying Zhang Yan's senses.

"Ha! Looks like we've got a big one!"

Peering into the triggered trap, Zhang Yan caught sight of an enormous, plump bird glaring back at him.

"Wow! What a massive eagle! My little brother and sister are in for a treat next time they visit!"

"You coward, attacking from the shadows! If you're so capable, release me and let's have a proper showdown!"

The Kun Peng, tightly ensnared within the pitfall, seethed with rage upon seeing someone approach, and it couldn't help but lash out.

To Zhang Yan, however, the creature's furious cries were no more than the screeches of an eagle.

A grin spread across Zhang Yan's face as he reached out to seize his prize.

"Seeking your own demise!"

A flash of deadly intent shot through the Roc's eyes. Despite being restrained, it remained a top-tier predator, unaccustomed to such disregard. To think someone would dare to catch it barehanded!

The Kun Peng opened its maw wide, ready to snap at Zhang Yan's hand.

"Such ferocity!" Zhang Yan exclaimed, gripping a wooden stick in his other hand and striking down hard at the Kun Peng.

The stick sliced through the air, but the Kun Peng viewed the attack with scorn. Such speed, such force—without a hint of magical aura, it was laughable, hardly enough to tickle.

This fleeting thought crossed the Kun Peng's mind, but in the next instant...

"Crack!"

"Argh!"

Zhang Yan's swing halted briefly, his expression turning curious. This ancient eagle was truly unique, capable of emitting human-like screams of pain.

The defiance and scorn that once filled the Roc's eyes vanished, replaced by an overwhelming terror.

"Thwack!"

"Argh!"

The wooden stick wielded a peculiar magic; each strike chipped away at its victim's spiritual cultivation.

In just over a dozen blows, the Roc—previously on the cusp of ascending to Quasi Saint status—felt its spiritual essence waver, nearly plummeting from the lofty Great Luo Realm.

"Enough, enough, I yield!"

The Roc's cries were different this time; the fierceness had vanished, replaced by a note of grievance.

Though Zhang Yan could only discern the cries of an eagle, he understood the plea behind them.

Without hesitation, he dropped the stick and hoisted the Roc from the pit.

"What a plump eagle..."

Zhang Yan couldn't help but salivate.

A glint of cunning flickered in the Roc's eyes. It was the Sovereign of the Northern Darkness; submission did not come easily.

In the moment it was lifted from the trap, the Roc summoned its full magical power, ready to take flight.

It was supremely confident as the ruler of the skies and seas, unmatched in speed. If it couldn't overpower this enigmatic youth, surely it could still escape?

But as it gathered its magic, the Roc realized it was futile; its power was inexplicably bound, as if endless fetters clung to its skin, imprisoning its might on par with a Golden Immortal.

Fuxi and Nuwa would have laughed at the Roc's thoughts. Even at the pinnacle of Golden Immortal Perfection, they too had been at Zhang Yan's mercy.

"How can this be?" The Roc was dumbfounded.

Zhang Yan felt the eagle's fierce struggle in his grasp, which soon subsided into a reluctant stillness.

"Huh, what's this? Another person?"

Content with his catch, Zhang Yan was ready to head home when he spotted a figure in red lying not far from the trap, a scent of blood wafting through the air.

He dragged the massive eagle behind him, its size making it cumbersome.

Jolted by the faint trace of an aura he had longed for, the Roc snapped out of its despondency.

"Hongyun!"

"Hongmeng Purple Qi!"

The flames of defiance flared once again in Kun Peng's heart as he writhed in resistance.

"Settle down!"

Zhang Yan commanded, a familiar wooden stick suddenly appearing in his grip. With a swift motion, he brought it down...

"Thud!"

"Argh!"

Kun Peng's eyes widened, fixed on Zhang Yan, before he was overwhelmed by fury and passed out.

Zhang Yan paid no further attention to the subdued eagle and turned his focus to the red-robed Taoist lying on the ground.

The injuries were critical, leaving only a faint breath of life.

"Such is the peril of the Primitive Land!" he mused.

With the Taoist hoisted onto his back and the eagle in tow, Zhang Yan made his way slowly toward the courtyard.