Immediately after a resonant hum echoed through all the copper pillars, a brilliant white light surged at their summits, transforming into a series of fierce, monstrous dragon heads. As they moved, each dragon head opened its mouth, aiming directly at the black mist enclosed within the seal. A low roar erupted within the mist, and suddenly a silver flash burst forth—then, in a flash, the thunder beast appeared unexpectedly at a remote corner of the electrical grid. Yet the black electric arcs, as if already locked onto the creature, curved around and swiftly launched a new assault upon it. Startled, the thunder beast let out an angry roar, clearly intimidated by the black arcs, and began darting wildly, employing the technique of lightning traversal. For a moment, a shimmering silver glow flickered and danced within the seal, appearing ghostly and elusive, while behind it, dozens of black electric arcs surged relentlessly, never letting go. The seal now resounded with thunderous crackles, and the shopkeeper resumed chanting incantations, intensifying the entire seal from outside. The black electric arcs launched faster and faster, eventually transforming into streaks of shimmering shadows, as if enveloping every inch of space within the seal with their dark electric glow. Han Li, observing from outside, was quietly astonished. These black arcs seemed to possess some unknown lightning technique—so swift and powerful that it was truly astonishing. Should he himself be trapped within this seal, even with the combined speed of wind and thunder wings, he would hardly be able to escape for long. Even this master of lightning travel, the thunder beast, would likely be unable to sustain such relentless pressure. Indeed, as he had anticipated, only a brief moment later, the silver glow of the thunder beast was struck by several black arcs due to a mere lapse in concentration. With a piercing cry, the beast suddenly trembled and flickered into existence mid-air, its form momentarily halted. As a result, the other black arcs, now resembling countless black ribbons, struck the creature's body with full force. A thunderous roar erupted from the Leaping Beast, its body simultaneously radiating four distinct electric arcs—crimson, white, blue, and golden—struggling fiercely to withstand the assault of the black arcs. Upon witnessing this, the lean man's eyes brightened. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward resolutely and placed one palm firmly upon a copper pillar before him. Instantly, a steady stream of ethereal, misty energy surged through his palm and rushed into the pillar. The slender electric arcs spewing from the dragon's head instantly thickened and grew significantly in volume amid the roaring sound. At the other end, the Leaping Beast, already overwhelmed by the black arcs, finally collapsed from the sky, its four-colored electric arcs dimming and fading. Meanwhile, the black arcs suddenly flared brilliantly, transforming into a series of dark, chain-like formations that tightly ensnared the beast, completely immobilizing it. "Excellent," the lean man declared, "all of you may now enter." With a firm press of the palm against the copper pillar, he sent a spell诀 into it. The pillar trembled and then settled, and the vast grid of electricity cracked inch by inch, eventually disintegrating into nothing. Han Li and his two companions exchanged glances and immediately transformed into glowing lights, flying into the space within. As their lights flickered, they each settled a few zhang away from the bound thunder-beast, not too close to it. The thin, gaunt man, after gathering the spell, also flashed forward and joined them beside Han Li and the others. "Once I seal the thunder-essence within the beast's body with my secret technique, simply follow my commands and channel lightning energy into its form," the merchant said without further explanation, only quickly adding a few more instructions. Then, with a single hand motion, he suddenly produced five black daggers in his hands. They were light as if made of wood. At the sight of these five daggers, both the tall man and the young man grew pale. Han Li frowned, feeling a sense of puzzlement. Yet, although the Han and the young man showed signs of surprise, they said nothing and did not ask any questions. The shopkeeper made no explanation, merely raising his hand. With a series of swift "shush-shush" sounds, several streaks of dark light flashed, and five daggers suddenly pierced the limbs and heart of the thunder beast. The thunder beast roared with a sound that shook the heavens, its body trembling violently within the black chains, yet not a single drop of blood flowed from the wounds where the daggers had struck. The five daggers shimmered with a radiant glow, and as the light faded, the thunder beast's eyes dimmed, and the four-colored electric arcs across its body gradually vanished. Seeing this, the shopkeeper then expelled a burst of white light, forming a translucent rhombus crystal about the size of a clenched fist. It was entirely milky white, pulsing with an impressive spiritual pressure. Han Li's eyes narrowed slightly. Unlike human high-level cultivators who attain the stages of Golden Elbow and Yuan Ying, the high-level beings of the Fei Ling race develop a substance known as "crystalline core." In terms of importance, it is no "A pfft!" A large stream of pure blood sprayed directly onto the crystal core. The storekeeper, no matter how firmly he pressed his finger against the core, could only watch as the crystal sank slightly, then vanished in a flash, fully absorbed into the rhino's head. Immediately, five daggers suddenly shimmered with layers of deep, ethereal light, then transformed into streaks of black electric arcs, silently penetrating the body of the thunder beast. The tall Han man and the young man were momentarily stunned, yet their own electric arcs continued to surge without pause. The black, luminous glow from the daggers grew increasingly intense, and the blades themselves began to gently tremble. Han Li, observing this, glanced briefly toward the shopkeeper beside him. He saw the thin, gaunt man now seated cross-legged, eyes closed, hands forming an unusual and peculiar hand seal, as though channeling a secret technique. A bright white light radiated around him, clearly indicating that he had drawn upon the full extent of his spiritual energy. Noticing any immediate anomaly, Han Li calmly turned his gaze away, temporarily setting the shopkeeper aside, and focused entirely on driving the divine protective thunder. Whether it was due to the unusual nature of the thunder beast's body or some special quality of the black-star daggers remained unclear. After just a meal's time, the blade, though having consumed vast amounts of electric arcs, still trembled slightly on the Lei Beast's body without any further anomalies. The merchant who had been meditating and casting spells beside it, however, grew pale, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead at an unknown time, and veins and capillaries bulging prominently on both temples and his neck—his body strained visibly, his luminous aura dimmed by one-third. A crystalline white shadow, the shape of a clenched fist, had appeared subtly between his eyebrows, clearly the image of his crystalline core, flickering intermittently. "Ladies and gentlemen," the man said suddenly, his face now completely devoid of color, his voice hoarse and strained. "Increase the flow of lightning power even further!" A few moments later, the others—Han Li and the young man—frowned. After this continuous infusion, the three had nearly exhausted half of their stored lightning energy. To increase the flow further would likely leave them unable to sustain much longer. Yet, hearing the shopkeeper's tone so confident, they hesitated only briefly before promptly following his instructions. At once, the thunder roared louder, and the three-colored electric arcs shone so brightly that they nearly engulfed the entire thunder beast. Under the full power of the three riders' lightning, the five daggers embedded in the beast's body gradually underwent further changes. As they continuously absorbed the electric energy, the blades seemed to take on a deep red hue, like blood being drawn into them, and gradually became vividly crimson. At that moment, the crystalline phantom shimmering in the dry, gaunt man's facial features also turned a blood red, beginning to pulsate and swell irregularly. With a low exhalation, the man suddenly snapped his eyes open and expelled something from his mouth. To their astonishment, it was a green wooden plaque, intricately patterned with complex, mysterious designs. As soon as the plaque appeared, it flashed into place atop the thunder beast's head, gently swaying. A soft "pffft" sound followed, and a fine stream of green filaments shot out, vanishing instantly into the beast's skull. As if the thunder-beast had just fainted, its body trembled, and beneath the gentle hum of the wooden plaque, a miniature green shadow of the beast was wrapped in countless green filaments, gradually drawn out from within the beast’s head. The shopkeeper, seeing this, beamed with delight, his fingers moving swiftly and silently reciting a series of incantations. The hum of the plaque grew stronger, and under the impetus of the filaments, the ethereal shadow of the thunder-beast’s spirit was steadily pulled forth, inch by inch. Suddenly, the once-blank eyes of the beast flashed with golden light, and a roar of thunder surged across its body—five black daggers embedded at various points on its surface trembled violently and were suddenly expelled halfway from its flesh. New arcs of electricity, of four distinct colors, reappeared on its body. The shopkeeper was startled, having yet to take any action, when the spirit shadow—now fully drawn out—emitted a brilliant green glow and suddenly sank back into the body of the thunder-beast. At the same time, the Thunder Beast roared again, its electric arcs flashing intensely, and began to struggle fiercely. "Can you further intensify the power of the lightning?" the thin, gaunt man, startled and furious, hurriedly asked the three of them. "No, we've reached our limit," the young man with a gentle demeanor said, his face pale. "I can't inject any more powerful lightning either," the tall man added, though his condition was slightly better, yet he expressed the same limitation. Han Li simply shook his head. "Then it seems we have no choice but to take a real risk," the merchant said, with a touch of disappointment, but then firmly resolved. "I'll maintain the current level of lightning power for all three of you, and I'll cast a spell to summon the Five-Colored Heavens' Thunder. I believe this thunder's power should give us a strong chance of success." Though slightly disheartened, the merchant's determination quickly solidified. Upon hearing this, the three of them exchanged slight expressions of concern, but none voiced any objection. The merchant paid no further attention to the Thunder Beast's struggles, and with a sudden flap of his wings behind, he gracefully ascended toward the (Second update!）！