As soon as the Hua Mang creature came into view, the Lei Xu opened its mouth wide and swallowed the small beast with no resistance at all. Then, satisfied, it low-roared a few times, and instantly shrunk in size. At the same time, a layer of black mist rose around it, and within the seal, everything returned to the appearance that Han Li had previously seen. "I've never heard of such a spiritual creature," the young man with a gentle voice remarked, clearly astonished. "I've studied various ancient texts myself, and yet I've never come across this kind of spirit beast." The thin, elderly man glanced at the young man with a tone that carried a hint of warning. The young man's face slightly changed, but he ultimately held his peace and stopped asking questions. Han Li observed the scene, his eyes flashing with a sudden expression of surprise. Then he spoke: "Earlier, you claimed this creature was unique to the Spirit Realm—could it be understood that this creature is not native to the Spirit Realm?" The shopkeeper was startled, his face suddenly pale, but quickly composed himself and replied with a smile, "What nonsense is this, Han junior! This creature is not from the spiritual realm—how could it have appeared here?" The sturdy man and the young man, both now capable of such extraordinary feats, were no ordinary people. They immediately noticed the shopkeeper's attempt to hide his embarrassment and exchanged a surprised glance. "This creature is truly not from the spiritual realm. Then perhaps it's a unique spirit beast native to the lower realms. But no—based on the powers it displayed just now, which were nearly equal to those of a Xuangong cultivator, the lower realms simply cannot produce such a spirit beast. Unless it's from the upper realm of the spiritual world—the legendary True Immortal Realm." The young man paid no further attention to the shopkeeper's warnings, speaking each word with conviction. The sturdy man focused intently on the black mist within the seal, his eyes gradually brightening. "Indeed, you really believe this creature is a heavenly realm spirit beast?" At this moment, the thin, gaunt man suddenly calmed down, though a strange expression now appeared in his eyes. "Could it be that we've made a mistake?" Even if not, Fish Brother, would you mind having us assist you in subduing this beast, or would you care to share its origins with us? With a better understanding of it, our three might be able to offer more effective support later on. Should you truly wish to remain silent, we won’t press you—though we shall then treat it simply as a true celestial spirit beast. The young man sighed. "You dare threaten me!" The merchant’s face flashed with a sudden glow, and a sharp aura of determination surged across his brow. "Though we three may combine our strength, we are no match for Fish Brother, and thus dare not threaten you. Still, my elder brother is the youngest among our elders. Will Fish Brother truly make a foolish move?" The young man, struck by the merchant’s intensity, stepped back half a step, his face pale, yet quickly regained composure and delivered these words with calm assurance. To learn that this gentle young man was the younger brother of a senior elder from the Tianpeng Clan left Han Li and the Han man both astonished, prompting them to reevaluate the young man’s appearance anew. The lean storekeeper, at first displaying a hint of apprehension that faded instantly, then grew uncertain before finally saying coldly, "As for the creature's origin, I won't mind telling you—it's not something truly confidential, nor is there any need for you to guess wildly. I call it unique to this realm because this creature was born entirely from my own gathering of lightning energy, which I then nurtured through a secret technique. After spending half my life on this endeavor, I've succeeded only in raising one such being. Naturally, there's only one such lightning beast in all the world." But I had once traveled to several foreign lands, and by chance, while at the seat of enlightenment of a high-ranking elder from one of those tribes, I unexpectedly obtained a secret cultivation technique for spiritual beasts that had flowed down from the True Immortal Realm. This technique—specifically the one for nurturing thunder-beasts—is the only complete one recorded in the scroll. To the surprise of Han Li and the young man, the shopkeeper's expression darkened for a while before delivering a statement that left the three of them stunned. "It is indeed quite plausible that such a cultivation technique originated from the Immortal Realm. I apologize for my earlier rudeness; I hope Fish Brother will not mind." After a few flickers of his gaze, the gentle young man suddenly changed his demeanor and offered a warm, apologetic smile. The tall man also rubbed his chin, marveling at the revelation. Yet the shopkeeper remained visibly displeased, merely giving a cold sigh. Han Li, standing by, fixed his eyes on the thunder-beast sealed within the spell, his expression brightening with interest. Though it was still uncertain whether the tale of a spiritual being born from lightning was true, the sheer power of the lightning the beast commanded was undeniable—whether or not Yet, despite the Lei Beast possessing divine transcendence-level abilities and the power to command lightning, it was absolutely not worth the storekeeper's considerable effort to subdue it. After all, the three items promised to the beast alone were of such value that they far surpassed even a divine transcendence-level spirit beast. Not to mention the immense energy and time invested in cultivating the Lei Beast, as described. It seemed the beast either possessed other, even more powerful abilities yet to be revealed, or had a far greater purpose for the thin man that justified such a great investment. "Alright, everything I needed to say has been covered. Now, it's time to act—let's get down to business. I'll employ a binding spell to temporarily immobilize this beast. Then you all enter and channel your lightning power directly into its body. Remember, you must hold on until I say it's safe to stop. Otherwise, all your efforts might be wasted." The storekeeper spoke with unwavering confidence. At that very moment, the map of Shuimi shone with a brilliant white light, and a faint milky mist suddenly rose. Within the mist, the walls of the first and second floors of the pavilion on the map gradually unfolded outward, like a slow, subtle opening, before dissolving and vanishing. Han Li's expression shifted, still before he could ponder what this might signify, his feet suddenly trembled. The real pavilion began to shake violently—its walls burst forth with bright white light—and then, as if swinging open like great doors, collapsed outward in all directions, finally disappearing into the void. In an instant, Han Li and his companions, as well as the thunder beasts on the plaza, found themselves beneath a vast blue sky. The ground of the pavilion had now transformed into a platform-like plaza. The black mist within the seal surged and rippled, clearly stirring the thunder beasts as well. Han Li stroked his chin, while the young man and the tall man exchanged glances, each expressing a moment of surprise. At that very moment, the shopkeeper suddenly exhaled a jet of blood from his mouth, which swiftly vanished into the celestial scroll. Instantly, a thunderclap echoed across the clear sky, followed by a surge of strong winds and gathering dark clouds. Amidst the continuous rumbling, shimmering arcs of silver light appeared and faded in and out within the clouds, resembling the arrival of demons, all converging above the platform where Han Li and his companions stood. Before Han Li and his two companions could even ask questions, the thin, gaunt man spontaneously began to explain: "Based on my past experiences, the combined power of your three individuals' lightning and electricity may still be insufficient. Therefore, I have activated all the primordial energies contained within this Suomi Heavenly Realm Scroll, allowing them to manifest as heavenly lightning to support you. After this event, the scroll will likely be destroyed. Thus, this time, I have truly gambled everything. I sincerely hope you all will give it your utmost effort. As long as you succeed in subduing this beast, not only will I fulfill my promise and deliver the agreed-upon items, but I will also personally gift each of you a substantial amount of spiritual stones." As for the final few words, the shopkeeper's expression suddenly grew profoundly serious. Han Li and his two companions were delighted and all expressed their determination to do their utmost. Upon hearing this, the thin man nodded and then, with a sudden flap of his wings behind him, swept them forcefully against the scroll before him. Instantly, a surge of white mist erupted, engulfing the scroll completely. The scroll spun around within the mist, then suddenly radiated a multitude of symbols of varying colors. Finally, with a thunderous roar, it transformed into a radiant five-colored light beam that vanished swiftly into the high, dark clouds. The tall man in black armor leaped upright in place, as if possessed, upon seeing the five-colored lightning, his face filled with sheer terror. "Do not be concerned," the merchant said solemnly. "This is not the true five-colored heaven lightning that the Flying Spirit True Sovereign experiences during his celestial trial. It is merely a simulation I have created by drawing upon a thread of primordial earth and sky qi. Its power is still only one-thousandth that of the genuine five-colored lightning calamity. You may rest assured." The now lean man no longer paid any attention to Han Li and his two companions, instead beginning to cast a new spell to activate the seals on the eighty-one copper pillars before him. (First chapter!