Chapter 394: Soul Imprint Control, The Golden Warhorse Clan
"The Golden Warhorse Clan?"
Hearing the Black Bat King's muttering, Mo Yu was momentarily surprised. His gaze shifted to Qingzhi's golden beast eyes behind him, and he narrowed his eyes. "Do you know what they are?"
After a brief moment, the Black Bat King regained his composure, his eyes filled with surprise as he glanced at Mo Yu. From his perspective, it was simply unbelievable that the golden beast eyes of the Golden Warhorse Clan were installed in a human body.
If he hadn't previously encountered an adult member of the Golden Warhorse Clan and fought with them, he might not have recognized the origin of these eyes so quickly.
"Where did you get these golden beast eyes? Judging by their quality, they must belong to a direct descendant of the Golden Warhorse Clan, right?"
The Black Bat King's eyes gleamed with interest as he studied Mo Yu. From the beast eyes alone, it was clear that these belonged to a deceased Golden Warhorse. The Golden Warhorse Clan was a top-tier magical beast species, and while the clan had a large population, their direct descendants were extremely rare and incredibly powerful with frightening potential.
Furthermore, every direct descendant of the Golden Warhorse Clan would return to their ancestral burial grounds before they died, meaning no outsider could ever obtain anything related to them—especially the golden beast eyes!
"What kind of beast is this Golden Warhorse?" Mo Yu asked.
"Oh, you don't even know about the Golden Warhorse?"
Hearing Mo Yu's question, the Black Bat King was stunned and then burst out laughing, as if Mo Yu had said something utterly ridiculous.
"Is the Golden Warhorse Clan that famous?" Mo Yu raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing in his eyes.
In all his memories—both from the original storyline and after his rebirth—he had never heard of the Golden Warhorse Clan. From the Black Bat King's reaction, however, it seemed that this clan was quite powerful. Mo Yu wondered how they compared to the top three magical beast families.
With a sly smile, Mo Yu asked, "Why don't you tell me everything you know about the Golden Warhorse Clan?"
"Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? Just because you broke through to Dou Sect, don't think you can act all high and mighty! If the Golden Warhorse Clan finds out you've put their member's golden eyes into a human body, they'll hunt you down relentlessly. You won't even have time to cry!"
The Black Bat King snapped back to reality after Mo Yu's rude question and laughed angrily.
"If you're smart, hand over your spatial ring now. If not, I'll eat you alive today!"
The Black Bat King's scarlet tongue licked his lips as his bloodshot eyes stared at Mo Yu. He stomped the ground and, with a swoosh, appeared above Mo Yu's head, roaring as his sharp claws slashed down with a booming sound.
Mo Yu calmly watched as the Black Bat King launched his fierce attack. With a flick of his finger, dazzling lightning burst forth in front of him.
"Bang!"
The Black Bat King's fist struck the lightning, creating a low, rumbling sound with a metallic ring. His face changed slightly as his arm suddenly went numb from the impact.
Before he could pull back, a silver fist shot out from the lightning and slammed into his chest.
"Boom!"
The punch hit hard, and the Black Bat King's throat tightened as he tasted blood. His eyes widened in shock—did that incredible strength really come from this boy?
Stumbling backward, the Black Bat King's feet left deep imprints in the ground as he skidded to a stop. He looked up in astonishment, his gaze fixating on Mo Yu, sensing danger emanating from the young human.
"You have two choices: answer my questions and continue ruling your territory, or let me kill you now." Mo Yu coldly looked down at the Black Bat King.
"By you?" The Black Bat King laughed angrily.
"Fine. I don't have time to play with you. Bring him down," Mo Yu said with a smirk, pointing at the Black Bat King. He turned to Qingzhi and ordered, "Capture him!"
The moment Mo Yu's voice fell, Qingzhi shot forward like a cannonball, crashing into the Black Bat King with terrifying force.
Sensing the powerful aura surging from Qingzhi, the Black Bat King was startled. As he looked into Qingzhi's familiar golden eyes, he felt an aura stronger than that of the adult Golden Warhorse he had once fought.
Although alarmed, the Black Bat King's pride flared, and his eyes turned bloodshot as he roared and charged back at Qingzhi.
Both Qingzhi and the Black Bat King engaged in close combat, relying on their physical strength—something both excelled at. But after just a few exchanges, it became clear that Qingzhi was far superior. Qingzhi's strength surpassed the Black Bat King's, and even in raw physical power, Qingzhi was a level above. The outcome was obvious.
Realizing that he couldn't win in a physical brawl, the Black Bat King's expression shifted. He spread his wings, hoping to use his speed to regain control of the fight.
However, Qingzhi saw through his plan and unleashed a surge of ice power, freezing the Black Bat King's flight path.
"Boom!"
With no way to escape, the Black Bat King gritted his teeth and braced for another direct confrontation with Qingzhi.
Their fists collided with a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves that obliterated the stones around them into dust. Even a nearby stream erupted into towering waves, while the surrounding trees were shattered.
When the dust settled, Qingzhi stood firm, unmoved, while the Black Bat King was knocked back, his feet dragging a trench several meters long in the ground. Blood trickled from his mouth, and his aura was significantly weaker.
As he raised his head again, fear replaced the viciousness in his eyes. He now understood that this monstrous figure could easily kill him.
Before the Black Bat King could recover, Qingzhi took another step forward, preparing for a final attack.
"Wait! I surrender!" the Black Bat King yelled, his face paling as he saw Qingzhi approach, cloaked in freezing air.
"Hmph, too late. Restrain him!" Mo Yu sneered.
As soon as Mo Yu spoke, Qingzhi accelerated, his golden-red eyes locked on the Black Bat King, causing the latter's skin to prickle with cold.
Though the Black Bat King was as strong as a human four- or five-star Dou Sect expert, he was powerless against Qingzhi, who was nearing Dou Venerate strength. In just two minutes, Qingzhi had him firmly pinned down.
"Damn human! What are you going to do?" The Black Bat King, frozen in place by an ice prison, glared at Mo Yu, struggling in vain.
"You'll find out soon," Mo Yu said with a cold smile as he approached. He swiftly formed hand seals, his soul power surging, and a mysterious aura spread out.
Sensing the strange energy, the Black Bat King felt a chill of dread deep in his soul. He panicked, "I was wrong! Spare me! I'll serve you—I'll be loyal to you!"
"Oh? I'll grant you that wish, then," Mo Yu chuckled darkly. His hand seals solidified, and he directed a stream of energy into the Black Bat King's mind.
"Soul Imprint!"
With a loud command, Mo Yu stamped a terrifying soul imprint into the Black Bat King's consciousness. This sudden intrusion made the Black Bat King's face twist in horror.
Realizing what was happening, the Black Bat King desperately tried to resist the soul imprint, but Qingzhi's suppression prevented him from gathering the strength to fight back. As the seconds ticked by, the imprint grew clearer in his mind.
"Thump!"
Thirty seconds later, with a single heavy beat of the Black Bat King's heart, the fierce resistance faded. The struggling stopped, and a profound stillness settled over him, as though he had become a different creature.
When the Black Bat King opened his eyes again, the cold, murderous gleam was gone, replaced by confusion and fear.
"Black Bat King, do you remember me?" Mo Yu asked, frowning slightly as he studied the dazed creature.
The Black Bat King blinked, then looked at Mo Yu. The soul imprint trembled in his mind, and the confusion in his eyes disappeared. He bowed respectfully and said, "Master!"
Satisfied, Mo Yu nodded and gestured for Qingzhi to release him. The ice prison vanished instantly.
Helping the Black Bat King to his feet, Mo Yu smiled slightly. "From now on, you'll be called Black Bat."
"Yes, Master!" The newly named Black Bat showed none of his earlier defiance, bowing with utmost respect.
The Soul Imprint, a secret technique for controlling magical beasts, combined with Mo Yu's current level-seven soul power, ensured a flawless result. Mo Yu had no doubts about its effectiveness.
His reasons for controlling the Black Bat King were twofold: first, to learn more about the Golden Warhorse Clan, and second, to have a local guide in the unfamiliar Western Region. Since the Black Bat King was quite powerful, Mo Yu figured it was useful to keep him around.
"Tell me everything you know about the Golden Warhorse Clan," Mo Yu asked.
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Black Bat respectfully began, "Master, the Golden Warhorse Clan is a well-known force in the magical beast world of the Western Region. They're as famous in the beast world as the Four Pavilions are in the four regions of Central Continent, and they are quite powerful.
"While ordinary members of the Golden Warhorse Clan aren't particularly special, the direct descendants, who possess the golden beast eyes, are extremely strong. Every Golden Warhorse that opens the golden eyes is at least a sixth-tier beast, and the clan leader is said to be an eighth-tier beast.
"In the Western Region, not even the Pavilion Master of Wanjian Pavilion would dare provoke the Golden Warhorse Clan's leader. In fact, the clan is even stronger than Wanjian Pavilion."
"An eighth-tier beast, stronger than Wanjian Pavilion…" Mo Yu murmured, deep in thought.
Though he hadn't heard of the Golden Warhorse Clan before, based on Black Bat's description, they were indeed a powerful force. However, compared to the central regions of the continent or the top three magical beast clans, they wouldn't be considered much.
Still, with an eighth-tier magical beast at its helm, the Golden Warhorse Clan was not a power Mo Yu could afford to provoke for the time being.
"You said that once a Golden Warhorse opens its golden eyes, it becomes different. What exactly do the golden eyes do?" Mo Yu asked.
"Master, the Golden Warhorse Clan is considered the smartest magical beast species, largely because the golden eyes are known as the most powerful brain. They grant the direct descendants of the Golden Warhorse Clan intelligence far beyond that of regular beasts.
"With the golden eyes, these warhorses can learn and master human techniques and Dou Skills, making them even stronger. This is one of the reasons for their clan's great power."
"Oh? They can learn human skills and Dou Techniques?" Mo Yu raised an eyebrow.
Magical beasts and humans had different structures. Beasts didn't possess Dou Qi and usually couldn't learn human techniques. However, high-tier magical beasts relied on their physical and bloodline powers, not Dou Qi. That the Golden Warhorse Clan could learn human skills set them apart.
Glancing at Qingzhi, Mo Yu finally understood why, after being turned into a Earth Demon Puppet, Qingzhi had developed some intelligence upon receiving the golden beast eyes.
The golden eyes weren't just ordinary eyes—they were like a magical version of artificial intelligence!
"Do the golden eyes have any other abilities?" Mo Yu asked, stroking his chin.
"Yes, Master. It is said that Golden Warhorses with golden eyes belong to a space-manipulating race, much like the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan," Black Bat answered, his tone filled with reverence as he mentioned the ancient dragons.
After a moment of contemplation, Black Bat continued, "Like the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, once a Golden Warhorse reaches the seventh tier, it can travel through space. The golden eyes provide the spatial coordinates, ensuring that the Golden Warhorses don't get lost in the void.
"Thanks to this ability, the Golden Warhorse Clan has collected many rare spatial treasures, including Na Stones. They've made considerable profits trading these treasures with humans. Though they aren't the most powerful magical beast clan, they are among the wealthiest."
Hearing this, Mo Yu's silver eyes lit up, and he murmured to himself, "Spatial treasures!"
(End of Chapter)
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