"Are you sure this is the place?" Feng Long was getting flustered by the day. Once a spirit master reaches their bottleneck, they would want to absorb a ring as quickly as possible. After all, it is a simple instinct to wanting to get stronger and reach one's limits.
Zhao Wuji, Feng Long, Oscar, and Jun'er occupied a table in the only restaurant in the town. They still hadn't ordered anything and waited for Ah Yin to show up.
"Still, it is quite a coincidence that we met her here. And about her clothes being bloodied... I don't think it was that Ja Sun," Wuji stated in a low voice.
"Why?" Feng Long scoffed. In their group, only Feng Long seemed to have 'forgiven' Ja Sun for robbing them completely. In fact, whenever the group started a discussion about any popular spirit master, Feng Long would most definitely speak up Ja Sun's name.
"He could defeat all of us—"
"Ah Yin struck us unconscious," Jun'er snorted.
"And Ja Sun struck Boss and Ah Yin unconscious, Stinky!" Feng Long scoffed in defiance.
"He ambushed me!" Zhao Wuji glared and barked, "I can snap that bastard in two!"
Feng Long gave Zhao Wuji a sidelong glance.
"Boss, I respect you," He sighed but Wuji's eyelids twitched.
"And?"
"Eh... you got ambushed by a spirit scholar... and you're proud over the possibility of defeating a spirit scholar without a single ring... that's just desperate..." Feng Long shrugged.
Oscar grew nervous and Jun'er's lips twitched.
"What... did you say?" Zhao Wuji grew calm. His voice low but his muscles tightening as he stared at Feng Long. Realizing something and seeing the lightning vein popped over Zhao Wuji's forehead, even Feng Long's courage squirted away and he smiled anxiously.
"I... don't remember... Ah! Ah Yin! Here!" Feng Long hurriedly waves his hands towards the blue-haired girl in a white dress entering the establishment.
Ah Yin felt a few glances over herself but after locating Zhao Wuji and his group, she walked over to them without paying attention to anyone else. Seeing the empty seat between Feng Long and Jun'er that was opposite to Wuji, Ah Yin sat down and observed everyone silently.
"Miss Ah Yin," Zhao Wuji nodded but he didn't know how to hold a proper conversation. Instead, Jun'er smiled and spoke up, "Ah Yin, your dress looks pretty, too bad that store owner was black-hearted!"
Ah Yin nodded and stated faintly, "Thank you. But, let's just discuss what kind of help do you need from me and set terms. If it is suitable, I will co-operate."
Zhao Wuji nodded and looked towards Jun'er and Feng Long.
"Jun'er absorbed the spirit ring of Violent Jawed Wolf so she is already a rank 41 spirit ancestor. But we couldn't find the spirit ring for Feng Long and Star Dou Great Forest is the best location to find a plant-type or poison attributed spirit beast which is good for Feng Long. With you, our chances of suppressing a plant-type spirit beast will increase greatly."
Ah Yin nodded.
'Two spirit ancestors, one spirit elder, and one spirit grandmaster waiting for his third ring. Two assault-type, one auxiliary-type, and one control-type spirit master. They should already be able to battle most of the thousand-year-old spirit beasts but in case of ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast, they can only escape.'
"Xiao Jun said last night that you offended spirit hall. How?" Ah Yin inquired.
"Does it have anything to do with your cooperation?" Wuji inquired with a frown.
"Yes. If associating with you will make me a target of spirit hall, then I would rather stay away," Ah Yin replied.
The group of four glanced at each other and Jun'er finally huffed, "Telling her won't change anything for the worse right? We don't have her support in the first place, what we will lose is simply a chance."
Crossing her arms, Jun'er stated with a scowl, "Aside from Feng Long, none of us are actually an official member of spirit hall. Feng Long was recruited because of the special nature of his Martial Soul while the three of us were also recruited. The difference is that Boss Zhao, Oscar, and I backed out of the process because we didn't like the treatment being offered to us."
Oscar sighed and shook his head and Feng Long continued with a bitter smile.
"Unlike the two empires that heavily focus on aristocrats, the Spirit Hall gets its seeds from ordinary villages. That's why, there is a spirit hall in almost every establishment and they are still striving to create more branches and expanding their influence on the lower levels. In hundreds of thousands of spirit masters, how can there be only a great Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, or a Clear Sky Hammer, and a Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon?
But.
Spirit Hall is not a paradise as described to the ordinary civilians... in reality, we are just a bunch of losers who couldn't bear the competition, or our failures, or even the insults thrown at us by our superiors."
Feng Long's extremely frank words made Zhao Wuji, Oscar, and Jun'er uncomfortable.
"Be it because of rage," he glanced at Zhao Wuji, "Pride," he stared at Oscar, "Timidness," this time Jun'er flinched, "or the loss of a brother..." Feng Long exhaled deeply.
"What does it have to do with all of you being banned from entering any hall?"
Feng Long sucked in a breath of cold air and pointed at Zhao Wuji.
"Boss Wuji beat up a molester from Spirit Hall. Till the time we reached, that member was broken... in certain ways. We all were then pursued by Spirit Hall and chased out of the city. That member was a Spirit King. Of course, if you help us and someone from Spirit Hall chances upon us, you will have a target on your back."
Ah Yin's brows were locked and she looked at Zhao Wuji with a slightly difficult expression.
"You just... had to do it..." She mumbled.
"So? That bastard beat up the girl's mother in the middle of the street while slowly tearing the girl's clothes. I just returned the favor. Tore his clothes and beat him up just as cruelly," Zhao Wuji crossed his arms.
"You can beat a spirit king, this means, the members that the spirit hall will send will absolutely include a single Spirit Emperor. I can temporarily hold off a Spirit Emperor but I don't want to enter this mess. Apologies, but I will not be cooperating with you."
Ah Yin stood up and walked out of the establishment while the four of them fell extremely silent.
"Sorry, everyone," Zhao Wuji sighed deeply.
"Don't worry, Boss," Feng Long gave a hollow chuckle, "But next time, cover your target's face with a trash can and then beat him up. This way, your identity won't be exposed."
"Did anyone notice that she wasn't holding the Human-tongue Owl?" Oscar suddenly spoke up.
The others nodded and speculated for a bit before leaving themselves.
---
"You didn't exchange the carriage?" Ja Sun looked at the carriage and inquired.
"No, I was out of coins," Ah Yin stated faintly.
"Ten whole gold coins?" Ja Sun inquired again as Ah Yin nodded, "The clothes were expensive."
The both of them looked at each other before Ja Sun shrugged. Opening the back of the carriage, Ja Sun placed the sacs of dried meat and his clothes once again and glanced towards the stack of dresses and inner garments on the side.
'She went all out...' Ja Sun pursed his lips.
"Well, I will be inside the carriage," Ja Sun brought the sleeping Human-tongue Owls with him and slid open the partition of the carriage, and chuckled, "We can chat through here. I'm also activating my spirit beast enhancement."
"I ran into Jun'er and Zhao Wuji," Ah Yin informed Ja Sun and began to describe her encounter with them. Hearing the cause of offense, Ja Sun couldn't help but feel the urge to shrug. If he, at this moment, had the chance to join the Spirit Hall, he wouldn't let go of it. Insult? Completion? None of that mattered to him. He can only gain various valuable skills and information from his trait but Spirit Hall must be full of it!
"We could have helped them," Ja Sun finally concluded.
"How?"
"Spirit Hall is going to chase me one way or the other. It's better to strengthen the ones who already hate spirit hall. Who knows, one day, they might just hurt the Spirit Hall greatly enough that they need to recuperate for a long time," Ja Sun smiled.
"For a Spirit Ancestor to reach that level, it will probably take ten years at the very least."
"Oh, and how long do you think you can reach rank 60?" Ja Sun inquired.
"With the increase in speed in cultivation, probably 6 years. 8 years at most!"
"That's long... Well, let's go and find me a spirit ring!" Ja Sun licked his lips. Ordinary individuals wouldn't take a carriage into the Star Dou Great Forest but with Ja Sun's presence, the spirit beasts become docile, and finding a good resting spot in the outskirts will allow the duo to move without the Carriage.
"What are you reading?" Ah Yin glanced back and gazed at the thin booklet.
"Legend of Evil God," Ja Sun replied. This was his first reward.
"Where did you find it?"
"I robbed it."
"What's it about?" Ah Yin inquired.
"How will I know with this constant distraction?" Ja Sun inquired calmly.
"What distraction?" Ah Yin looked curious.
Looking up, Ja Sun gazed at Ah Yin seriously, "You."
---
Star Dou Great Forest is the largest natural habitat of the continent. It is divided by the borders of Heaven Dou Empire and Star Luo Empire which means that spirit masters of the entire continent have a chance to exchange pointers with each other and realize the culture of the other Empire.
Being the largest spirit habitat, the Star Dou Great Forest is home to beasts that even Titled Douluos are afraid to invoke the rage of. The outer periphery of the forest itself has many hundred-year-old spirit beasts. In fact, every animal found will be a spirit beast in the outskirts.
After years of civilization, many ancient clans and powers have tried to map out the forest. Mark the locations with specific spirit beasts so that it can be easier for the new generation but somehow, there is always chaos in the forest. Even in the outskirts, spirit beasts fight and battle daily. They migrate from one location to another and strive to gain strength. Not only do they battle humans, but their very life is also filled with it.
"I'm going to let Olivia—"
"And Caihong," Ah Yin glanced at Ja Sun as the youth pursed his lips.
"I'm letting the owls find a good hiding location. The two of them are best at it," Ja Sun stated. They had already traveled for hours. The horse was completely drained and the duo needed to refresh themselves. At this point, the first thing they needed was a hiding spot big enough for the carriage, and with that intention, Ja Sun communicated with two owls and lazily woke up before flying out. Their colorful bodies attracted less attention as the evening sun set away slowly.
"It may take a long time," Ja Sun muttered.
"That may not be true. Star Dou Great Forest is dangerous partly because of the varying terrain found within. This means that there may be spots that others are simply unable to find and may get discovered by Caihong and her mother."
"Her name is Olivia."
"I'll call her that if you call Caihong by his name," Ah Yin stated.
"You know, when we finally separate, I'm going to make Oliver sing his real name."
"Who said I won't take Caihong with me?"
"You can take him, but he will return eventually. He loves me and her mother," Ja Sun smiled.
Ah Yin narrowed her eyes and sighed softly. She didn't speak for the rest of the time and finally, Caihong flew over to the carriage.
"Found... hoot... found... ho...me..." He spoke sharply and hooted before flying off. Riding the carriage, the duo followed Caihong and entered the forest. The spaces between the trees were enough for Ah Yin to handle the carriage safely and there were no hidden pits on the way. The surrounding was simple with various plants and flowers growing under the trunk of trees. Small birds, spiders, cats, and a few rodents chirping or hunting. A few snakes could be seen coiled around the branches of the tree as their heads steered towards the carriage.
Seeing the glowing flowers that illuminated the forest and thick vines hanging down, Ja Sun's mood relaxed. There was a refreshing air in the forest that wasn't present anywhere else. The density of spirit energy was greater within the forest, this was due to the high concentration of spirit beasts which creates a virtuous cycle.
Ah Yin narrowed her eyes as Caihong suddenly disappeared into an extremely large network of vines that stood around 7 meters high and covered a large portion in front of them.
"Ah Yin... you're driving into a wall of vine," Ja Sun observed and spoke calmly.
"Ah Yin! That's an actual—" Ja Sun stopped instantly as they 9^3/4 platformed the vine system and phased through the wall. What the carriage exited to was a large cavernous descent that made Ah Yin jump out of the carriage and stop it with her hand. Even Ja Sun got out. The walls of the tunnel were uneven and rocky but the pathway itself was quite smooth.
Since he had slightly greater strength than ordinary humans himself, he pulled the carriage from behind and slowly descended together. If they didn't do it, the horse would have tumbled down due to the carriage's momentum.
Ah Yin raised her index finger and gestured to Ja Sun to be quiet. Releasing her domain and covering the carriage, they continued down and in a few moments reached the entrance of the cave large enough for Carriage to pass.
The interior of the cave was completely primal. Nothing of use or value. A plain ground and a smooth dome as their roof. The entire area of the cave was almost 80 sq meters and the carriage could instantly cover a great portion of the area.
"Looks artificial," Ja Sun mumbled.
"Probably an abandoned spot. But what about the illusion at the entrance. It felt real even to me and in the outskirts, nobody would pay attention to it. And there must be a reason why some other beast didn't accidentally enter it. The Human-tongue Owls sense the presence of beasts left behind years ago. If they are comfortable here then it means this place is abandoned for a long time," Ah Yin walked towards the wall and touched. Her domain only covered herself now as she closed her eyes.
"We need to assign spots," Ja Sun suddenly spoke up.
"I'll take the carriage," he added.
Ah Yin only glanced at him.
"We should test if your presence makes the spirit beasts enter the cave or crowd outside. If they do, then there is no point of keeping that form," Ah Yin sighed once she failed to find any mystery at first glance.
"Sure," Ja Sun jogged towards the mouth of the descent and made his way upwards. Peeking his head out, he found not a single beast attracted to this location and frowned.
Returning, Ja Sun shared the simple observation and the duo finally took their spots and meditated for half-an-hour until Ah Yin was ready to move out.
The carriage was kept in and they had prepared enough feed for the horse to last him a week.
"But... what will we do about the smell?" Ja Sun inquired.
"Smell?" Ah Yin looked confused.
"The horse is going to do his business here. In a week... we will have destroyed this place's... natural air."
Ah Yin looked thoughtful.
After a moment, her domain spread out to cover the entire cave and her spirit rings appeared around her body. Revealing her Martial Soul, Ah Yin took a deep breath. The lowest yellow ring lit up more than other rings and Ja Sun found a single blade of blue river grass sprouting from the ground. Then another... then another. In a few breaths, the entire floor was carpeted with blue river grass that had its tips pointing towards Ah Yin.
"This should take care of the smell."
"It's amazing," Ja Sun crouched down and touched the grass while Ah Yin removed her domain.
"Let's go," Ah Yin led and walked out while Ja Sun followed.
As they walked out, Ja Sun kept his form but he didn't spread his influence which made him the least threatened individual in the outskirts of the forest. The dusky evening allowed Ja Sun to finally appreciate the forest for it truly was.
It looked like a paradise. Ja Sun knew that most of the plants have certain poisons. They may even be carnivorous. But they still looked dazzling. He saw little fireflies fly about. Glowing flowers that only bloomed in the absence of sun. The chirps of insects and the soft hisses of the serpents around him. Everything made Ja Sun fall in love with this forest.
"Wait, wait!" Ja Sun suddenly jumped up and plucked a green fruit right next to a snake. The green-scaled snake looked aggrieved but it slowly slithered onto another branch. Meanwhile, Ja Sun licked his lips and rubbed the fruit against his robe before taking a bit out of it.
"Ohhh... that's the stuff," Ja Sun closed his eyes and let out a comforting groan.
"This forest is dangerous regardless of your Martial Soul. Don't lose your caution," Ah Yin frowned and Ja Sun nodded.
*Crunch*
He bit onto the guava-shaped fruit and continued to devour it. The sound of his meal making Ah Yin's ears twitch.
"Wait," Ah Yin whispered and she hid behind a tree. Ja Sun followed the suit and looked curious as to what Ah Yin had discovered.
"There's a family of Shuttle Bees ahead. They scare easily and have a useful skill that allows quick movement. They are spatial attributed beasts but..."
"But they can't cultivate higher than the ten-year-old mark. Let's keep looking," Ja Sun nodded.
Ah Yin didn't know whether the bees would escape or not despite Ja Sun's appearance but her worry seemed unfounded since the Bees seemed to have completely ignored Ja Sun's appearance and with her being close to Ja Sun, they buzzed around relatively calmly.
*Sprinkle*
Suddenly, the duo saw a golden mist move in front of them a little distance away. There was a soft and sweet scent that soothed the duo's mind.
From the source of moving mist, Ja Sun finally observed a palm-sized butterfly moving towards their location. It was in the center of the mist...
No, it happened to be the center of the glowing mist that seemed to announce an ethereal presence that made the ordinary beasts of darkness retreat.
***
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