Thick fog shrouded the world before him.
Eleven Hedgehog Hounds, one hundred and thirty-two Lightning Hounds, and seventeen Chrysanthemum Akita Hounds. On top of that, there was one Hundred
Restrained by the mighty power of heaven and earth, the pack of hounds followed Fang Yuan in silence, docile and quiet, without making a single sound.
The fog-bound world was utterly still.
So quiet that every breath Fang Yuan took could be clearly heard.
Even though he had passed the twentieth round and his pack had reached an unprecedented high, Fang Yuan felt far from optimistic.
"The Three Kings Inheritance — every ten rounds, the difficulty multiplies several times over. Even though I have over a hundred hounds, making it through the next ten rounds and reaching the thirtieth stage on my first attempt won't be easy."
The thirtieth stage was the goal Fang Yuan had set for himself in his first assault on the Hound King Inheritance.
In his previous life, the Three Kings Inheritance had taken many years before it was divided up among numerous Gu Masters. This time at Three-Fork Mountain, Fang Yuan knew it would also take a long while. Seizing the inheritance in one go was simply unrealistic.
The difficulty of the Three Kings Inheritance was enormous regardless of which path one chose. Even with a Hundred Beast King and over a hundred hounds, Fang Yuan had at most only secured a temporary foothold.
If he grew careless in any of the upcoming rounds, he could lose everything — all the hounds he had painstakingly accumulated wiped out, and his life forfeit.
"The further you progress in the Hound King Inheritance, the more advantageous it becomes for Enslavement Path Gu Masters. I walked the Enslavement Path in my previous life, but in this life I'm still just a Strength Path Gu Master."
After the intense battle he had just fought, Fang Yuan's head still throbbed with dizziness.
This was the aftereffect of exerting his mind intensely, expending vast amounts of mental energy to command the hound pack in battle.
But for an Enslavement Path Gu Master with a powerful soul, these symptoms would be far milder.
The Enslavement Path was a school of Gu Mastery focused on enslaving beast and insect swarms. Commanding large numbers of creatures simultaneously placed an enormous toll on one's mental energy and spirit. That was why Enslavement Path Gu Masters often employed specific Gu insects to train and deepen their soul foundation.
Within the Hound King Inheritance, the power of heaven and earth did not restrain or limit the soul foundation of Gu Masters in the slightest.
As a result, Enslavement Path Gu Masters thrived in the Hound King Inheritance like fish in water.
"Still, the Enslavement Path is extremely demanding. First, the burden of feed is immense — the larger the swarm, the more they eat. Second, subduing powerful creatures is no easy task. There's a real risk of suffering a backlash that turns you into an imbecile. Third, Enslavement Path Gu Masters become too reliant on their creatures. With weak personal strength, they're easy targets for being singled out." Fang Yuan pondered these points.
Every major school of Gu Mastery had its own advantages, disadvantages, difficulties, and ease.
The world changed, and seas turned to fields. In the current era of Gu Masters, the Qi Path had all but vanished, the Strength Path had completely declined, leaving only a faint afterglow. The Enslavement Path was middling — difficult to flourish. The rare powerful Enslavement Path practitioners who appeared were often like meteors, blazing brilliantly for a moment before fading.
"Enslavement Path Gu Masters typically demand enormous resources, and the work is both mentally and physically exhausting. Even mid-sized stockades can't afford to support them. Only large or supreme clans would specially cultivate a few Enslavement Path Gu Masters for major warfare. Among the Demonic Path, Enslavement Path practitioners had an even harder time and were especially rare. That was why he would not choose this path."
Fang Yuan steadied his mind and set aside his wandering thoughts.
After a short while, he felt his head gradually clearing, the dizziness fading considerably.
He turned his gaze and began surveying his surroundings.
On both his left and right sides, as well as ahead, a sphere of luminous imagery glowed.
The imagery from before had been blurry and indistinct. But after twenty rounds, every detail had become crystal clear.
In the imagery to the left was a pack of Chrysanthemum Akita Hounds — roughly two hundred strong. Some lay resting on the ground, some frolicked and roughhousing, and others clustered beneath their mother's belly to nurse.
Fang Yuan watched with intense focus, his eyes sweeping back and forth.
The Beast King of the Chrysanthemum Akita Hounds was unlike other hound beasts — the stronger it grew, the smaller its body became.
Especially on the chaotic battlefield, the Beast King would blend into the pack, utterly unremarkable. It was an effective form of self-preservation.
"Where is the Hundred Beast King?" As Fang Yuan's gaze roamed, the imagery suddenly shifted, revealing a Gu insect.
The Gu was about the size of a fist, shaped like a pebble, deep brown in color. Its surface was smooth, as if coated with a layer of oily sheen.
"Dog Courage Gu." Fang Yuan identified it instantly. "It appeared after the beast pack, which means if I choose to fight this pack of Chrysanthemum Akita Hounds and win, I'll receive a Dog Courage Gu..."
Before long, the sphere of imagery faded away.
Fang Yuan made no choice and instead directed his gaze straight ahead.
The imagery directly ahead showed a pack of pitch-black hounds.
These dogs barked at one another, pairing off to charge at their opponents before slamming together with brutal force. They fully displayed the fierce ferocity of their breed.
These were Iron Armored Hounds.
Their bodies were covered in hide armor — black, thick, and heavy as iron, granting them formidable defensive capabilities.
As they grew, Iron Armored Hounds would repeatedly crash into each other to relieve the intense itching that accompanied their bodies' growth.