As Wei Long walked through the forest, his claws softly pressing into the dirt, his mind churned.
He kept replaying a certain event in his head—
The mont his Bio-engineered Dinosaur Instinct took over.
It had tad a human cultivator.
Wei Long had never intended to do that.
But his instincts did.
And why?
To preserve its own survival.
Wei Long's reptilian eyes glead.
Does that an…?
The Bio-engineered Dinosaur Instinct only activated when his life was in danger?
Could he… use it in critical situations?
Could he control it just enough to turn the tide of a battle?
He hadn't even considered this when he first realized he was in a sect sanctuary.
Now, a plan ford in his mind.
He smirked.
If he played this right, he could have an ultimate trump card.
But there was also a risk. He could lose his mind. It seems he only needed to use it when necessary.
The only possible reason he didn't lose his mind completely was because of the Bio-engineered instinct he had wanted to save itself.
Suddenly—
Zou Fang, who had been nervously following Wei Long, stopped.
He inhaled deeply.
Then, he raised his hand and chanted—
"Upon the winds of ti, where feathers dance in the ever-flowing currents of fate, heed my call! Descend from the boundless skies, my beast companion—Bashawk!"
Wei Long blinked.
What the hell was that?
Did cultivators always talk like that?
Before he could comnt—a burst of white light descended from the sky.
A majestic beast landed before them.
It had snowy white feathers that shimred under the sunlight.
Its body was plump and round, almost like a boulder covered in soft down.
Its short wings flapped, sending a gust of wind.
It had a sharp hawk-like beak and piercing golden eyes.
Its legs were short yet sturdy, equipped with razor-sharp talons.
It looked like a creature built for both flight and endurance.
Bashawk.
A dual-attribute Temporal and Wind beast.
Zou Fang smiled when it descended.
"Bashawk, you are free to roam!"
The white-feathered beast flapped its wings proudly.
Then, as if rembering sothing, Zou Fang suddenly gestured toward Wei Long.
"Ah! I forgot! Bashawk, et Wei Long! Wei Long, et Bashawk!"
Bashawk turned toward Wei Long.
Their eyes t.
And in an instant—
Bashawk's expression changed.
It froze.
Then—its golden eyes widened in horror.
A primal fear surged through its body.
Because it knew.
As if it saw through the illusion.
Zou Fang did not ta Wei Long, instead—Wei Long tad Zou Fang.
Bashawk opened its beak, about to expose the truth.
But—
Wei Long's reptilian gaze locked onto it.
A silent command.
A single threat.
A look that said—
"Dare to speak… and I will end you and your beloved master."
Bashawk trembled violently.
Its wings twitched.
Its body stiffened.
And then—It shut its beak.
Wei Long smirked.
Good bird.
Zou Fang noticed the trembling of Bashawk.
He blinked.
"Huh? Bashawk? What's wrong?"
Before the white-feathered beast could react, Wei Long suddenly spoke.
"Why doesn't it have a na yet?"
Zou Fang hesitated.
Then, he sighed.
"I can't give it one yet."
"Why?" Wei Long asked, his gaze never leaving Bashawk.
"Because it hasn't reached the phase of Awakened Beasts yet."
Wei Long humd in response.
But his eyes stayed locked on Bashawk.
Bashawk understood.
It knew.
This was no ordinary Ground Dragon.
This was no tad beast.
If Wei Long was the real controller here—then its life and Zou Fang's life were both in his claws.
It trembled uncontrollably.
Wei Long smirked.
Now it knows its place.
Suddenly—
The air shifted.
A heavy, oppressive aura filled the surroundings.
Wei Long's instincts scread.
Bashawk shivered.
Zou Fang froze.
They all felt it—
Sothing was wrong.
Sothing ominous was coming.
Wei Long's reptilian eyes narrowed.
His tail flicked.
His claws tightened.
Whatever it was…
It was close.
Very close.
Wei Long's heightened senses tingled like an alarm.
His reptilian eyes snapped toward the source of danger.
Sothing was coming.
From the bushes.
Rustling.
A sudden blur shot out!
A black fox-like creature with two tails lunged at them.
Its eyes were bloodshot, its fur matted, and its mouth foad as if it were rabid.
But Wei Long was faster.
With one powerful swing, his thick, muscular tail slamd the creature mid-air.
BANG!
The fox-like beast soared through the sky before smashing against a tree.
It let out a horrid screech before going still.
But—
That wasn't the end.
The bushes rattled.
More creatures erged.
Their bodies twitched unnaturally, their eyes hollow, their movents erratic.
Sothing was terribly wrong.
One by one, the creatures crawled from the shadows.
Each more twisted than the last.
1st Beast – The Fox
The black two-tailed fox, the one Wei Long had just smacked, was still twitching in pain.
Its fur seed to be rotting, as if sothing cursed it from the inside out.
2nd Beast – The Ravenous Hound
A canine beast dragged itself forward.
Its body was covered in scars, its stomach bloated unnaturally.
Its mouth hung open, revealing rows of jagged, uneven teeth that didn't belong to a dog.
Dripping saliva boiled upon touching the ground.
3rd Beast – The Bone-Crested Vulture
A massive bird with no feathers, only patches of exposed bone, stood with crooked legs.
Its wings twitches uncontrollably, and its eyes were milky white, void of any intelligence.
It let out a hollow caw, sending a shiver through the air.
4th Beast – The Skinless Boar
A boar-like beast that had no skin stumbled forward.
Its raw, red muscles twitched with every movent, and every step left bloody footprints behind.
Yet, it showed no pain, only pure, mindless aggression.
5th Beast – The Six-Ard Giant Rat
Then—
From the shadows, the largest creature erged.
A monstrous rat, twice the size of the other beasts, with six muscular arms.
Its fur was falling off in patches, revealing greyish, pulsating flesh.
Its yellowed teeth were long, curling outward unnaturally.
Its six claws dug into the ground, cracking the earth beneath it.
Wei Long's eyes narrowed.
This one was different.
Stronger.
More ominous.
And its presence felt wrong.
But Wei Long dealt with them easily.
Before Wei Long could finish them off completely by devouring them, Zou Fang grabbed his tail.
"Wait! Don't eat it!" Zou Fang's voice was urgent.
Wei Long snapped his predatory head toward him.
His sharp teeth glead as he growled, "Why?"
Zou Fang gulped.
Then, he took a deep breath.
"Because… This is not natural. These beasts have been corrupted by… Demonic Dao Essence."
Wei Long's eyes narrowed.
He was unfamiliar with Dao Essences.
He only knew of the Temporal Dao Essence, which governed beast taming and allowed harmony between humans and beasts.
But this…
This was different.
"Explain." Wei Long demanded.
Zou Fang nodded, then began—"There are two main paths to beast taming."
The right way and the wrong way.
The natural path of taming.
Beast Tars form bonds with creatures using the Temporal Dao Essence.
This energy allows for mutual growth—
A tar and their beast grow together, sharing power, emotions, and experiences.
With proper care, beasts can awaken their intelligence, evolve, and reach their full potential.
It is the thod used by sect disciples, noble families, and righteous cultivators.
However—
There is another way.
A darker way.
So tars are impatient.
They do not care for the growth of their beasts.
They do not nurture them.
Instead, they forcefully control them by torturing or not treating them right to release the Demonic Dao Essence.
Demonic Dao Essence is cruel.
To release it, one must break the will of a beast.
It forces unnatural mutations.
It makes beasts stronger, but at a cost.
They beco twisted, unstable, and rabid.
They feel no pain.
They never disobey.
They fight until death.
And worst of all—
Their minds are shattered.
They beco puppets, nothing more than tools to be used and discarded.
Zou Fang's expression darkened.
"The beasts we just fought… they were Demonic Path Beasts."
Wei Long stared at the Six-Ard Giant Rat.
It growled, its mouth foaming, its eyes hollow yet filled with mindless hunger.
Zou Fang continued, voice grim—
"If there are beasts affected by Demonic Dao Essence... that ans there are Demonic Path Beast Tars nearby."
Wei Long gritted his teeth.
So that's what this was.
Sowhere, a Demonic Beast Tar was controlling these monsters.
And these types of tars—were never alone.
Zou Fang grabbed his scaly arm, "We should leave. Now."
Wei Long didn't respond.
Because sothing clicked in his mind.
A mory.
Could it be…?
He suddenly turned toward the deeper part of the forest.
Without a word—
He took a step forward.
Zou Fang's eyes widened.
"Wait! What are you doing?!"
Wei Long stopped.
His golden reptilian eyes glowed.
Then, he spoke.
"Stay here. Don't follow ."
Zou Fang paled.
"Are you insane?! If we get caught—"
Wei Long turned his head slightly.
A silent warning.
Then, his eyes shifted to Bashawk.
A silent command.
A look that said—Tell him nothing.
Bashawk trembled.
Then—
Wei Long vanished.
His body shimred as his Bioengineered Camouflage activated. And within seconds—he disappeared and blended completely in the forest.
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