Chapter 715: Double-headed Hou

A single difference in cultivation realm carries an entirely distinct meaning.

Amidst his euphoria, Qin Sang pondered the possibilities, concluding that the most likely reason was the inherent characteristics of the Nine Nether Demonic Flame. The Nine Nether Demonic Flame can directly assault the soul, which naturally works on demonic beasts. Combined with the Hunyuan Concentric Rings' ability to bind them, it's a perfect match. With other types of magic treasures, the improvement might not have been as significant.

Qin Sang held the Hunyuan Concentric Rings, turning them over and over as he examined them. Its grade hadn't changed, but its value clearly couldn't be measured by grade anymore. It truly lives up to its reputation as a secret treasure of the Spirit Taming Sect! Qin Sang marveled once more, recognizing that this treasure, through a fortuitous coincidence, was shining even brighter in his hands.

Some demonic beasts possess formidable bloodline powers and vast supernatural abilities, showing no weakness even against cultivators at the late Core Formation stage. If he could subdue such a beast, Qin Sang's strength would significantly increase.

Generally, Core Formation cultivators spend many years cultivating diligently, and only in the late Core Formation stage can they upgrade their Natal Magic Treasures to mid-grade. Very few possess mid-grade magic treasures in the early or middle stages. Among the magic treasures Qin Sang possessed, the Nine Dragon Sky Chariot Talisman certainly counted, and the Golden Radiance Armor could barely be considered one as well. This meant he now had four treasures comparable to mid-grade magic treasures!

Of course, imagination was a beautiful thing. To unleash the full power of the Hunyuan Concentric Rings, the prerequisite was to find and subdue a demonic beast at the mid-Demonic Core stage. Subduing a demonic beast was not easy. First, one had to defeat and capture it alive, seizing the opportunity to strike when the beast was extremely weak. Throughout the taming process, one also had to constantly resist the beast's defiance. The stronger the demonic beast's power and willpower, the greater the chance of failure. As for those demonic beasts with mighty supernatural abilities, Qin Sang could only avoid them if he encountered them now, let alone subdue them.

Furthermore, the limitations of the Hunyuan Concentric Rings could not be ignored. When a demonic beast was forcibly subdued and controlled by a magic treasure, unlike those that voluntarily recognized a master and willingly followed, its spirit would not submit. It would constantly seek to break free from its shackles, and might even retaliate against its owner. Moreover, controlling demonic beasts through the Hunyuan Concentric Rings was different from Qin Sang's self-refined Flying Sky Yaksha. What bound them was the power of the magic treasure itself, not Qin Sang's soul imprint. It would likely be difficult for the Jade Buddha to exert its effect. For this very reason, when using demonic beasts in combat, he would have to retract them once he felt his true essence was nearing depletion. He couldn't rely on them constantly, lest they turn against their master. The stronger the demonic beast, the more caution was required.

Despite these limitations, the Hunyuan Concentric Rings still brought Qin Sang immense delight. With his heart surging, Qin Sang put away the Yang Ring, flashed out of the cave dwelling, chose a direction, and disappeared into the depths of the azure sea.

Time flew by. Years passed quickly. Before he knew it, fifteen years had passed.

It was dawn, the stars had not yet faded, their light dotted the sea, and a layer of white mist was just beginning to shroud the distant east. Nothing had yet awakened. This sea area was exceptionally quiet, devoid of any sounds other than the gentle rustling of the sea breeze and the soft lapping of waves. The area was unusually vast and empty; no islands were visible in any direction.

Suddenly, a streak of green light, moving at astonishing speed, streaked in from the west. With a 'whoosh,' the green light plunged into the seawater and vanished. The next moment, at another spot on the sea surface, a figure the size of a warhorse quietly emerged from the water. Under the starlight, its appearance could be vaguely discerned. It was, unexpectedly, a two-headed demonic beast. Two heads grew from its shoulders, canine-like in form, but infinitely more formidable than any dog or wolf. Even more peculiar, both of the beast's heads had a vertical pupil at the center of their brows. Its true eyes were tightly shut, with only the vertical pupils open, from which streaks of green light occasionally flashed, making it eerily strange. At this moment, its eyes were filled with anxiety.

Two azure feathered wings grew from its flanks, but a closer look revealed they weren't physical, but rather formed by a peculiar power. The demonic beast had a slender physique, and with its wings, every movement exuded a sense of beauty. Unfortunately, it bore injuries that significantly hindered its movements. There was a gaping, bloody wound on its abdomen, seemingly bitten by some great demonic beast, its sharp teeth having pierced through, almost revealing its internal organs. Additionally, its foreleg was limp and broken. Due to its injuries, its wings were unsteady, causing it to fly erratically and unevenly.

The demonic beast surfaced, glanced behind itself, and spotted a white line in the western sea, rapidly approaching. It became extremely anxious. It licked the wound on its abdomen, both heads letting out a low growl simultaneously. Then, its figure blurred, splitting into three, and fled in three different directions.

Soon after, a massive splashing sound came from the west. The white line was actually a parting of the waves, and a fierce shark was rapidly approaching, splitting the water. Standing on the shark's back were two figures; one was Qin Sang, and the other was the Flying Sky Yaksha. Qin Sang rode the shark to the spot where the demonic beast had split into three. With a sweep of his gaze, he pointed in one direction, and the Flying Sky Yaksha immediately shot through the air. Next, Qin Sang patted the shark's head, pointed in another direction, and whispered, "You go chase this one..."

The shark's tail suddenly thrashed, kicking up a wave, seemingly unwilling. Qin Sang snorted coldly, and with a slight thought, a ring-shaped shadow abruptly appeared above the shark's head. The shark writhed in pain. After teaching it a lesson, Qin Sang said coldly, "Azure Shark, if you help me capture that two-headed Hou today, considering how long you've been with me, I can agree to set you free. Otherwise, you'll be my battle pet for the rest of your life!"

Over a decade ago, Qin Sang had successfully refined the Hunyuan Concentric Rings. After first subduing a demonic bird and fulfilling his long-held desire to 'ride a crane through Jiangnan,' he had chosen this Azure Shark, finding it very convenient to use. The Azure Shark was a demonic beast at the early Demonic Core stage, proficient in water elemental abilities and a hegemon of the sea. Although it had always been reluctant to submit after being subdued by Qin Sang, it had still rendered many services. The man and the beast, in a way, had come to know each other through their struggles. Had it not been for encountering this two-headed Hou, Qin Sang wouldn't have planned to replace the Azure Shark so soon.

Qin Sang had been making waves in the Demonic Sea for over ten years, always intending to subdue a great demonic beast at the mid-Demonic Core stage, but had not yet succeeded. Three days ago, he had encountered this two-headed Hou by chance. The two-headed Hou was named for its heads resembling the ancient divine beast Hou, but it had no actual relation to the Hou. This type of demonic beast specialized in controlling wind. The wings on its flanks were wind wings, granting it not only excellent evasion techniques but also an illusionary splitting art capable of deceiving even the most astute observers. This two-headed Hou had a mid-Demonic Core cultivation. After splitting its shadow, even late Core Formation masters would find it hard to distinguish the real one for a time.

Originally, Qin Sang wouldn't have dared to target it, but unexpectedly, this two-headed Hou had fought a great battle with some unknown demonic beast and was heavily injured. Qin Sang had tracked it for two full days, finally finding an opportunity to successfully ambush it, which further aggravated its injuries, severely reducing its power, and affecting both its illusionary splitting art and evasion techniques. What followed was an entire night of pursuit and evasion.