Long before the Yao clan and the multitude of other cultivators hunted Wang Lin, he harbored a plan, fueled by the might of the Lunar Beast, Wang Yue. Its strength was etched deeply into his memory.

Should this behemoth awaken in wrath, what then would become of the Yao clan and their ilk?

Now, within the Lunar Beast’s colossal form, Wang Lin moved with haste, heedless of whether he might provoke it, making straight for the place where lay its fractured bone.

Soon, he arrived in the depths. There, before his eyes, lay the recovered half of the Lunar Bone, reforged in its place. He had once sought to claim it all, but circumstances had forced him to leave half behind.

Now, his eyes gleamed as he murmured, “It was this very Lunar Beast that swallowed the ancient, peerless cauldron of Greed Wolf…”

The thought of the cauldron stirred his heart. He had analyzed it thoroughly, and was nearly certain it was a discarded relic of the ancient Tu Si, a masterpiece he had deemed imperfect and cast aside.

Under ordinary circumstances, Wang Lin would not dare even contemplate retrieving the cauldron. The Lunar Beast was too terrible; its awakening would unleash a cataclysm.

But now, with so many cultivators eager to quell the Lunar Beast’s rage, Wang Lin steeled his resolve.

He moved swiftly through the Lunar Beast’s interior, his divine sense reaching out. He knew the interior was not safe, that lesser Lunar Beasts could emerge at any time. He recalled his harrowing escape when he first sought the Lunar Bone, and the brute strength it took to break free.

Meanwhile, outside the Lunar Beast’s planetary form, countless cultivators swarmed, their faces etched with hesitation. They had witnessed Xu Mu’s ruthlessness during their pursuit, a knowledge burned into their very bones.

Death lurked, and when they saw Wang Lin enter the planet, their first instinct was that something was amiss.

And then the murmurings of the cultivators from Luo Tian’s Northern Domain spread, revealing to all that this planet was, in fact, a strange and terrible beast!

“Even if this is a savage beast, what does it matter? With our combined might, even if it possesses any power, we can surely slay it!” a middle-aged man of the Yao clan declared, staring at the Lunar Beast with undisguised disdain.

Their clan’s ancient texts, dating back to the仙界 era, told of ferocious beasts far grander than this one. But even those were slain by united immortals.

This creature, however, found no mention in their records. Clearly, it was insignificant, else it would have appeared in the scrolls passed down from the仙界.

“Slaying this creature will not be difficult!” Yao Yunhai stated, retracting his gaze. As a third-generation member of the Yao clan, his cultivation, though merely at the peak of Yang Solidification, did little to quell his arrogance. He saw the Lunar Beast as an insignificant creature.

Yao Bingyun, studying the black mist swirling around the Lunar Beast, leapt forward, plunging directly into the fog. Her action served as a signal, and soon others, confident in their abilities, followed suit.

Yao Yunhai was among them, transforming into a streak of light as he rode his flying sword into the mist.

Gradually, more and more cultivators entered the fog, most of them with shrewd eyes, using their divine sense to confirm the absence of danger before crossing the veil and arriving upon the Lunar Beast’s surface. There, before them, lay a field of swaying tentacles.

This bizarre sight gave pause to even the most eager, but soon they scattered, some seeking Wang Lin, others venturing into the planet’s depths to explore.

Yao Bingyun landed on the ground, sinking beneath the surface amidst the writhing tentacles. As she descended, a sense of foreboding washed over her; the surrounding aura felt incredibly unsettling.

This feeling grew stronger with each passing moment.

“What manner of beast is this…”

Yao Yunhai likewise plunged into the depths, heedless and reckless, charging downward, followed by a few brave souls.

Not all cultivators ventured into the planet, however. Many remained outside, a contingent of the Yao clan among them, waiting and watching.

The sheer number of cultivators entering the Lunar Beast caused a tremor to run through its planetary form, a subtle vibration easily missed. Even within the Lunar Beast, the tremor was faint, merely a slight increase in the pressure from all sides.

But this tremor caused Wang Lin, now moving through the Lunar Beast’s interior, to stop dead in his tracks. A cruel smile played on his lips. “Signs of awakening! It hasn’t been dormant for long, and a little prodding will do the trick… let me help you awaken faster!”

His eyes gleamed with a cold light as he dashed towards the top of the Lunar Bone, a sensitive point on the beast’s anatomy. He had once sought to avoid its awakening, but now he would do everything he could to quicken it.

As he moved, his expression changed. He raised his head, his gaze fixing upwards. A flash of killing intent crossed his features and, with a burst of speed, he shot upwards.

Yao Yunhai, filled with arrogance, searched through the Lunar Beast’s interior with his divine sense, charging downwards. Suddenly, a wave of chilling energy swept around him, causing him to halt abruptly. The few cultivators who followed closed in behind him.

Without warning, the earth behind them cracked open. An immense Lunar Beast, a hundred feet long, erupted from the ground with lightning speed, its tentacles flailing wildly.

It moved with such ferocity that it swallowed one of the cultivators whole before they could react. Another was thrown back, coughing blood, his face contorted in terror. He abandoned his physical form, his soul escaping into the earth.

The entire scene unfolded in an instant. Yao Yunhai’s pupils constricted as his hairs stood on end. He retreated without hesitation, forming hand seals to unleash a powerful technique. But then, Wang Lin burst from the earth behind him, catching Yao Yunhai off guard.

With two fingers like swords, Wang Lin struck Yao Yunhai in the back.

Yao Yunhai realized his error too late. With a look of resolution, he abandoned his body, his spirit flying from his head. Wang Lin had anticipated this, and the instant Yao Yunhai’s consciousness materialized, he reached out with a hand imbued with Yuan energy.

As Yao Yunhai struggled, the Kunji Whip materialized, lashing out and ensnaring him. At the same time, Wang Lin kicked Yao Yunhai’s abandoned body, sending a surge of Yuan energy into it.

The body exploded in a shower of blood, the Yuan energy creating a shockwave that briefly stalled the charging Lunar Beast. Using the force of the explosion to propel himself backwards, Wang Lin vanished into the shadows.