Chi Yan let out a soft sigh.
His voice sounded incredibly young.
"I never imagined I'd end up in such a wretched state. Back then, my realm cultivation was around level ninety-seven or ninety-eight—even among human Spirit Masters, I was at the peak. I never thought a Heavenly Tribulation would force me into a human transformation, giving Spirit Masters the chance to hunt me down. If I were still at my prime, even if the Supreme Pontiff of Spirit Hall came personally, what could she possibly do to me?"
Chi Yan clenched his teeth, while his companion, the Scarlet Tiger, looked noticeably uneasy.
"Roar—"
Chi Yan raised his head. Seeing the Scarlet Tiger's flustered expression, he couldn't help but ask,
"Boss, how's your scouting? If I enter a nearby human city, is there a risk of being exposed?"
The Scarlet Tiger shook her head, conveying her thoughts to Chi Yan.
The nearby city was extremely large, and there was a high probability that a Spirit Douluo-level expert resided there. Even if there wasn't one at present, it was very possible that a Spirit Douluo—or even a Titled Douluo—might pass through in the future. If that happened, it would be a fatal threat to Chi Yan.
Chi Yan gritted his teeth.
"In that case, take me to a remote mountain village. I refuse to believe I could encounter a Spirit Douluo or a Titled Douluo in some backwater village—unless I'm unbelievably unlucky!"
The Scarlet Tiger nodded in agreement, then suddenly lowered her head and let out a low growl.
Chi Yan froze.
"You're injured?"
The Scarlet Tiger nodded.
"It's fine if you're hurt," Chi Yan said calmly. "Just take me a bit farther away and find a remote mountain village. I'll absorb knowledge from the human world, and you can recuperate in the nearby Spirit Beast Forest. After a few years, once I reach adulthood in the human world, we'll grow together again. Then I'll find a chance to lure some Spirit Masters into the forest—and you can kill them."
"At that point… it'll feel like I've returned to the past."
Although Chi Yan looked extremely young, he was comparable to other hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts who had undergone human transformation. Like Xiao Wu, he retained the mindset and memories he had before transforming, rather than becoming a simple six-year-old human child who only knew how to play.
The Scarlet Tiger lowered her head, not daring to reply.
Although her father had undergone human transformation and was no longer powerful, the memories etched into her heart over tens of thousands of years still filled her with instinctive fear.
And so, the two of them set off in a strange and erratic manner, heading toward the southeast of Fasinuo Province.
---
Meanwhile, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying arrived at the nearest major city—Xuanwu City.
They first checked into a hotel, then headed to the Spirit Hall branch temple within the city.
After receiving confirmation, the two made their way toward the nearest Spirit Beast Forest, where it was said that a seventy-thousand-year spirit beast had appeared deep within the forest.
For Yin Zhang, that was sufficient.
His fourth spirit ring already exceeded ten thousand years.
But now, things were different.
After absorbing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pearl, his mental strength had greatly increased, and swallowing the massive egg had brought a tremendous boost to his physical body.
Yin Zhang decided that his fifth spirit ring needed to be at least thirty thousand years old.
Ideally, it would be a fire-attribute dragon-type spirit beast.
This time, however, they didn't travel by flight.
Since Salas had provided such a luxurious carriage, there was no need to continue flying through the cold wind. There was no rush, and slowing down wouldn't hurt.
The carriage eventually arrived at a small town on the outskirts of the region known as Xuanwu Forest.
"Splash—"
As the wheels slowed, the sound of the carriage coming to a stop rang out.
The massive carriage finally halted in front of a restaurant.
Seeing that Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying hadn't eaten much all afternoon, the coachman decided to stop here so they could have a meal.
The two stepped down from the carriage.
Yin Zhang looked relaxed and refreshed.
Qiangu Yunying's cheeks were flushed, and her movements seemed a bit stiff as she walked.
As for what exactly happened inside the carriage… only Dao knew.
Yin Zhang chuckled as he looked at the coachman.
"Uncle Liu, park the carriage and come eat with us."
The coachman was named Liu Tian.
Though he worked as a driver, he was actually a Spirit Master with level twenty-three cultivation. His martial soul, the Thick Earth Mud Horse, granted him resilience, endurance, and speed far beyond that of most Spirit Masters.
He had become Salas's coachman after Salas saved his life, and now that Salas had directly assigned him to Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying, he followed their orders without question.
A glimmer of light returned to Liu Tian's previously dull eyes as he responded respectfully,
"Dao."
"Yes, Your Highness. I understand. I'll come find you and Young Miss after I settle the carriage and horses."
Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying watched as Liu Tian leapt onto the horse's back. Without using a whip, he simply patted its flank, and the two horses obediently moved toward an open area nearby.
As soon as Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying entered the restaurant, the slightly noisy atmosphere caught their attention.
Most of the patrons clearly belonged to various organizations.
One particularly burly man was addressing two others as "young masters."
Yin Zhang's expression shifted subtly as he observed them.
Could those be the Shi brothers from the original story—the ones from the Huang Dou Battle Team?
Before his transmigration, Yin Zhang had already formed opinions about those two martial souls.
In the later era, Xu Sanshi's martial soul would eventually evolve into the true Divine Beast Xuanwu.
From the name alone, Dao seemed even closer to Xuanwu than Xu Sanshi's martial soul, yet Dao had so little screen time—an undeniable pity.
With that thought, Yin Zhang walked over.
Of course, he didn't approach them directly. Instead, he took a seat at an empty table beside theirs.
After Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying sat down and ordered their dishes…
Yin Zhang's expression suddenly changed.
He turned his gaze toward the far-left table, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Those people were actually discussing the two of them.
A few seconds later, one of them stood up and walked over, his face filled with a smile that clearly suggested he thought success was already within reach.
Yin Zhang felt baffled.
I just came out to hunt spirit beasts… how did I run into a situation that only ever happens in novels?
"Sister Yunying," Yin Zhang said quietly, "do you see that guy? He's here to cause trouble. Take care of him."
His eyes gleamed faintly.
Since it felt like a scene straight out of a novel, it was only natural to include a classic moment of appearing weak while actually being strong.
As a Spirit Saint, Qiangu Yunying naturally had nothing to fear.