"The carriage is empty... the only thing that is worth something is the set of blue robes and a few herbs."
Feng Long sighed deeply while the others had slightly terrible expressions.
"The Spirit Master can control spirit beasts. He must have a relatively rare martial soul and is probably a control-type suited in natural habitat," Oscar spoke up, "But he still retreated. It can mean two things. Either he's afraid of us, or he's bringing reinforcement."
Everyone looked at Oscar while Zhao Wuji crossed his arms, "Reinforcement? He probably ran. I guess that he's a Spirit Elder who found a rare artifact and hid in this forest."
"But this isn't how someone hides," Ah Yin countered with a frown. Sighing, she shook her head.
"I'm leaving."
"What?" Zhao Wuji and others gazed at Ah Yin.
"I was interested in the spirit master. But he had probably left the carriage the moment the attacks on us began. Now, without the spirit master, all the beasts had a small skirmish before they hurriedly retreated to their territories," Ah Yin looked towards the injured herd of Five-spotted Antelopes.
"You're going to find him alone since your domain can counter his ability..." Jun'er suddenly gasped.
"I didn't say that," Ah Yin stayed relatively calm.
"No, I have an innate talent of detecting a lie. You're lying." Jun'er stare turned extremely eerie as Ah Yin's blue pupils finally couldn't bear it and she looked away.
"Wait," Ah Yin suddenly frowned, "If you had this talent, you would have known if Feng Long was lying or not. I did not steal from him, after all."
"I guess, you're right," Jun'er grinned and Feng Long shook his head as if reliving some bad memory.
"You tricked me?" Ah Yin's expression turned cold.
Sensing her intentions, Zhao Wuji's body turned tense.
"I didn't trick you. I just led you by the nose," Jun'er stuck her tongue out before getting close to Oscar protectively.
"If you're really thinking of tracking the spirit master, Jun'er can actually help you with that. Her sense of smell is heightened greatly during her spirit beast enhancement. She's is our best bet in finding him."
Ah Yin's expression softened and she looked at Jun'er.
"Fine... but when I meet the spirit master, I want to be the first to communicate with them."
Zhao Wuji and others agreed. Ah Yin's strength had surprised the group greatly and they couldn't have survived the beast horde unscathed without Ah Yin's interference. Especially her domain ability. It was too shocking! This kind of innate skill is 1 in millions!
As Jun'er used her spirit enhancement once again, she remembered Ja Sun's scent and frowned in realization.
"The spirit master... seems to be able to stay in his beast form enhancement for a prolonged period of time. Its scent is bestial."
Then, she tracked the movements and much to Ah Yin's annoyance, the spirit master was quite close to her previous position.
'If only...' Her lips puckered up.
"Let's keep moving," Ah Yin stated and the group looked towards Zhao Wuji who nodded slightly.
---
"Man... they are totally tracking me!" Ja Sun had stayed behind to find opportunities but seeing the dog-tailed chick moving towards the same direction as his, Ja Sun instantly began to take long-winded and twisted paths towards the other ponds. He planned to cover the entire perimeter of the forest before entering the core region if it needed to be done.
Although they were all strong and with amazing teamwork, they should feel stress after walking for so long. Ja Sun was confident that not every spirit master could sustain their spirit energy while running. And the group had also expended spirit energy while fighting the beast horde.
With that in mind, the Ja Sun's long night began.
---
"Huff... we are at it for an hour, Boss," Oscar's chest heaved up and down. "I can't keep creating tofus any longer. Can we rest a little?"
He looked up and inquired while Zhao Wuji nodded. The only reason the group could keep running for this long without any spirit energy was because of Oscar's martial soul in the first place.
"You have an interesting ability," Ah Yin crouched next to Oscar while Feng Long's and Jun'er's head snapped towards the duo's direction.
"A-ah!" Oscar rubbed the back of his head. Extremely pleased. But the moment he felt Jun'er's stare and the phantom of Hell's Dog appearing behind Jun'er, he shivered and exclaimed, "Xiao Jun! Believe me! All my stinky tofus belong only to you! Every taste, every scent! It's all you, my baby! This Granddaddy can never leave you!"
Ah Yin hurriedly stepped aside from Oscar with a strange expression. Zhao Wuji and Feng Long glanced at Oscar with apparent disgust but Jun'er had the opposite reaction.
"R-really? Then... let me smell it more!" she jumped into Oscar's embrace and buried her face into his chest. Her tail wagged in excitement while her pointed ears leaned down, covering their furry interiors.
"Let's just rest," Ah Yin stated.
All this time, she only took a bite out of Oscar's spirit skill the first time and Zhao Wuji felt that it was done out of interest and not need. Aside from heavenly innate ability, the girl also had astounding stamina. These two factors alone can make her top expert but her looks indicated that she was quite young and already a Spirit Ancestor!
'Even I'm considered a rare genius by Spirit Hall and I'll be 22 this month. But she is clearly a young miss of some great clan.
Douluo Continent has Clear Sky, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Aside from these top three sects that clearly don't nurture a plant-type tool spirit, there aren't many lower sects that can have resources to create such a genius... could she be from Spirit Hall?'
Zhao Wuji tried to guess Ah Yin's origin when Feng Long walked up to Wuji and stated with an awkward expression, "Boss... I gotta pee. Will you come with me? I'm... kind of scared."
"What the hell are you scared of? Your martial soul is Yin Ghost Tree! Are you afraid of your own Martial Soul? Just go quickly and be done with it. There aren't any strong spirit beasts nearby," Zhao Wuji glared and Feng Long hurriedly retreated.
He looked towards Oscar but seeing that Jun'er seemed ready to rip him anew if he dared to disturb his meditation, Feng Long gathered his courage and invited Ah Yin for this glorious chance.
"Ah... Yin, ehm, can you accompany me? You don't need to stay close to me. I'm just afraid that I'll be attacked at my most vulnerable moment."
"Alright. What can you pay me with?" Ah Yin inquired calmly.
"Eh? What?" Feng Long looked strange.
"You said you wanted my protection. It doesn't come free of cost. I already have your pouch of coins... what else of value do you still have?" Ah Yin inquired seriously.
"Would... you do anything for money?" Feng Long gulped.
"Not everything," Ah Yin shook her head calmly.
"Oh..." Feng Long felt depressed and entered the thicket alone with slumped shoulders.
"How long will it take for him to recover?" Ah Yin looked towards Zhao Wuji while gesturing towards Oscar who was deep in meditation.
"It will take him 20 minutes or so. Anyway, may I inquire which clan are you from?" Zhao Wuji inquired.
Tracing her chin, Ah Yin herself seemed slightly lost before she smirked and replied, "Blue Silver Palace!"
"Hmm? I have never heard of it. Is it in Heaven Dou Empire?" Wuji looked curious.
"No. I will build it. Yes, Blue Silver Palace is my foundation. Say, are you guys from any particular sect or clan? If not, you can join my Blue Silver Palace," Ah Yin placed her hands on her hips and offered.
"Boss! Hurry! That guy's here!" Jun'er's expression changed and she hurriedly looked towards the direction where Feng Long left in.
Everyone's expression changed and Oscar hurriedly followed the group.
The moment they reached, Jun'er hurriedly covered her nose due to the scent of the piss but on the trunk of the tree with moist base, the group could read a few words.
"Return, or he dies."
"Rraaaghh!" Violent spiritual energy exploded out of Zhao Wuji's body as his eyes reddened slightly.
"By return, does he mean the carriage?" Ah Yin frowned.
---
Feng Long suddenly struggled as his head was shoved into the cold pond.
"Puah!" He gasped and tried to move but a cold voice entered his ears and the grip around his neck tightened.
"Don't move. Calm down and look around."
Feng Long's gaze moved up and he saw a giant python coiled in front of him. It's body moved ever so slightly while the soft hissing sound sent chills down Feng Long's bones.
"This outer pond is the territory of Venom Blue Snakes, the parent species of the variant Blue Grass Snake. Behind me is a horde of them." The voice stated and at this time, all the snakes seemed to flicker their tongues and hissed simultaneously, making the surroundings echo.
"In three minutes, I will kill you if you don't tell me everything about your companions. Start with the blue-haired girl."
Feng Long suddenly chuckled, "I knew it!"
"Hmm?" Ja Sun frowned.
"I told Boss Zhao that I'll be attacked if I leave... sigh. Well, this is fate. Brother Spirit Master, do what you gotta do but, I, Feng Long—"
Ja Sun sent a shock through his claw that instantly fainted Feng Long.
"I said I only have three minutes. They will probably pursue me instead of giving me time to question you."
Ja Sun picked Feng Long and left in a hurry.
He continued to run for half-an-hour. But the more he ran, the more he felt uneasy.
'Did they really return to the carriage?'
Ja Sun felt that no one would do something so foolish. If a member of his team would have been caught and he had another member with a dog's nose, he would have pursued the kidnapper without any rest just so that the information of his team or his mission isn't leaked to the enemy.
'Then again, they might be raised and trained differently.'
---
"Where is Feng Long?!" Zhao Wuji's fist tore through the carriage as it shattered apart in a single blow. He gazed at the slightly fearful herd of Five-spotted Antelopes and felt even angrier.
"Don't aggravate them further if possible," Ah Yin spoke calmly, "These spirit beasts are injured and if we harm their herd again, they might be eradicated the next morning. The competition between spirit beasts is fierce and we should avoid interfering with it if possible."
"Why do you even care?" Zhao Wuji growled, "That spirit master didn't take away your Brother! Feng Long is tough-lipped! If that spirit master interrogates him—"
The longer Zhao Wuji thought, the more ominous he felt.
At this moment, the group heard a soft flap of wings.
They looked up collectively and saw a colorful owl perching on top of the broken carriage. Its feathers were in the shade of green and red while its beak was bright yellow in tone.
"This... is a Human-tongue Owl!" Jun'er gasped.
Human-tongue Owl is a very rare species of flying spirit beast because it can learn any form of speech. But it is also extremely hard to find and it barely exposes itself to any other animal. After all, this owl could even sustain on rocks and dirt! Every single aspect of this beast made it rare.
"*Hoot* Don't worry, Feng Long is alive."
The owl hooted sharply and its voice rose, revealing human speech. The group didn't need to think for a moment who was behind all this.
"But you all did disturb my peace. Still, I won't kill this guy. There's no need for that, I think. But this form of communication is too hard. If you want Feng Long... I will need something in return. That extremely tough guy. The short one. I want you to follow the owl."
Everyone frowned.
"The Human-tongue Owls have a great paternal bond. The one sent towards you is a young owl. If it feels that you're not following my condition, or you have attacked it, I will know. And... I don't enjoy the sight of a grieving parent so to appease the parent owl, I will end Feng Long. And feed him, of course...
To the owl, if you didn't get that."
The owl then turned silent and would hoot after every few seconds.
"Boss, what should we do?" Jun'er looked terrible.
"Aside from always following Feng Long when he needs to pee, follow the owl, of course. Listen, you guys. Leave this forest now," Zhao Wuji states with a somber expression.
"No way, I don't think that's possible," Oscar shook his head.
"Don't be rash, Oscar! We all are together because of you in the first place! This is no place to die!" Wuji grasped Oscar's shoulder as he gave a wry smile.
"No, Boss," he mumbled, "I'm trying to say that our departure might make the spirit master act rashly."
Zhao Wuji slowly let go of Oscar's shoulder and frowned.
"He is right. The spirit master went to great lengths to find a pair of parent-child Human-Tongue Owls. He wants his identity to remain undisclosed. Why would he want any of us to leave?" Ah Yin stated faintly.
"We all need to stay here if you want Feng Long alive... or something along that line. Our mistake should be not pursuing Feng Long right then and there. We panicked, lost our focus, and made the wrong call. Boss, don't worry, we'll stay here," Jun'er smiled reassuringly.
"What will I get?" Ah Yin suddenly spoke up. Her words instantly changed the expression of the other three as Zhao Wuji turned back and glared. His voice low and deep as his spirit rings appeared over him.
"What... did you just say?"
"Once again, the life and death of Feng Long wouldn't affect me. Why shouldn't I just follow you to where the spirit master is hiding? Clearly, he has a trap set up and my only interest is that spirit master. And we haven't known each other for more than a few hours.
Now, I'll ask again. How will I get compensated if I stay right here?" Ah Yin inquired.
"Why do you even need money?" Oscar frowned, "You are a strong spirit master. You can earn easily."
"If I could, would I be finding odd moments for compensation?" Ah Yin wasn't the least bit fazed.
"Fine! I'll pay you 100 gold coins to stay right there!" Zhao Wuji grumbled, "But I will only pay 10 coins upfront! The rest will be paid when I return."
He pulled out ten coins.
"Alright," Ah Yin nodded.
With that, Zhao Wuji began to follow the Human-tongue Owl.
After entering the thicket, Zhao Wuji grew more cautious. There was still a doubt in his heart that Ah Yin may attack Jun'er and Oscar but he knew that with their experience, they would be ready for such an obvious possibility. The Owl flew slowly and through low altitude. In fact, it would perch on a branch every few minutes.
'Damnit, I don't even know where I am at this point. Feng Long is the one who had memorized the information about the forest!' Zhao Wuji pursed his lips.
Once the Owl perched again, it spoke up.
"When you hear the owl speak up, that means you are near the destination. I would like to take this chance and remind you once again that—"
As the Owl continued to speak, a sense of dread rose within Zhao Wuji's heart and he turned quickly.
But not quick enough as a claw layered in a mist-like spirit energy struck Wuji right on his chest. But without even giving Wuji a chance to fly back and regain his composure, two claws collectively slammed against his chest. An extremely dangerous shock passed through his body and his blood churned, making him dizzy.
'Beast... enhancement...'
Wuji's body instantly ballooned up with his palms turning into dangerous bear claws while white fur covered his burly arms.
"Grrr!" His body slid back and his feet left a deep trail against the damp ground.
*Swoosh*
"— I'm behind you." The owl finished and flew into the distance while the greyish shadow in Wuji's dizzy vision grew larger.
'Gravity Increase!' A purple ring around Wuji lit up and with Zhao Wuji as the center, the surrounding area instantly felt a dominant pressure pushing everything against the ground. Weak branches crackled and fell while grass and shrubbery were completed flattened.
"Ugh," Ja Sun pursed his lips.
'Storm Disgrace,' If speed doesn't help, convert momentum.
His palm patted Zhao Wuji's thick calves while his body was still bent. Ja Sun's body let out creaking and popping noises when Zhao Wuji felt his legs go numb. He instantly lost balance and fell. His breathing was heavier and he still couldn't see properly. Every attack caused his blood flow to get excited and chaotic. His innards still hurt from the previous attack.
'This guy is—'
At this point, Ja Sun didn't move to pat Wuji's cheek.
*Thud*
The crushing force around them instantly disappeared as both of them collapsed.
"Haah... haaah... hahahaha!" Ja Sun chuckled. His tone amused.
"I actually mastered it," Ja Sun mumbled. Even when heaving, he still continued to use the Concentric Spirit Technique. Even when under crushing pressure, his breathing didn't change. No, it did change, but the pattern didn't.
"Well, two down," Ja Sun muttered while slowly sitting up. Although he wasn't injured, his body felt slightly weak due to Zhao Wuji's instinctual struggle.
"Two down? Is this a hunt?"
A cold voice entered Ja Sun's ears as he was suddenly covered in an ethereal blue glow.
He felt a cold chill spreading throughout his body as he looked back.
There she stood, with two unconscious spirit masters wrapped by thick blades of blue silver grass.
'I didn't make the 10% cut, huh...'
Not even minding her presence, Ja Sun lied on the ground while yawning slightly.
'Man, I feel tired after running around all this time...'
He closed his eyes and spread his arm weakly.
"What are you doing?" Ah Yin narrowed her eyes and inquired. She carefully observed the silver-haired youth. His palms fashioned into talons while a green tattoo as the third eye continued to flash.
"I lost," Ja Sun stated calmly, "Go ahead. You'll either kill me, or take me for your own use."
"I could enslave and sell you," Ah Yin approached the youth curiously as his enhancement receded, revealing his black hair and slightly tanned skin. After all the training and sparing, Ja Sun's skin had turned healthier than before.
His claws returned to being human palms his fuzzy ears turned fleshy.
"That's what— take me for your own use— means, genius," Ja Sun sneered sarcastically. He didn't know what a domain was but he could understand a few basic information from how the skill was used.
'A dome-like skill called domain. Well, she must be able to control river grass and at a high magnitude, too. This also isn't the limit of her domain since she raised it back when facing the beast horde. The only way to defeat her will be truly believing that I can't beat her... or at least, act like it. I still have four hours left.'
Ja Sun calculated internally.
He opened his eyes and then looked up before speaking up, "Say, Lady, how old are you?"
"Why should I answer that?" Ah Yin frowned.
"Just answer it. Consider it a dead man's request," Ja Sun smiled weakly.
"17. Now tell me why?"
"Then... I guess I can't look up your skirt," Ja Sun pouted and closed his eyes once again. His words stunned Ah Yin but she blinked and sneered.
"You're good at it. You've played with all of our minds by doing the unexpected. You will not catch me off-guard," While saying that, she controlled the nearby grass and they instantly wrapped around Ja Sun.
"Okay," He smiled when he felt himself being suspended midair.
"I have answered one of your questions. Now you answer mine," Ah Yin spoke up.
"I'm not going to tell you what my Martial Spirit is," Ja Sun scoffed.
Ah Yin nodded and observed him carefully. Her gaze fell on the pitch-black mark on the back of Ja Sun's palm and her lips quivered for a moment.
"I know what your Martial Soul is. It should be a variant of Three-eyed Golden Lion, right?" She smiled.
"Really?" Ja Sun inquired with wide eyes, "Thank you, Lady. I never knew it."
Snorting, she continued, "Why didn't you use any spirit skill against Zhao Wuji?"