Chapter 209: Tianxing Mountain Range
Compared to the brutal space transfer orchestrated by Hun Master last time, this journey through the spatial wormhole was much easier. The space ship beneath their feet alone solved the issue of comfort, and as for safety… with a five-star Dou Zun in command, even if they encountered a spatial storm again, there was nothing to worry about.
Power not only brings a sense of security but also confidence.
"There's nothing here~" Zi Yan lay at the bow of the ship, blinking her big eyes and watching the occasional bursts of spatial turbulence around them. After a while, she muttered, "So boring, why haven't Big Brother and Cai Lin come out yet?"
The longer she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. She gently touched the space bracelet on her wrist, took out a bottle of pills, and began eating them.
For her, when she was in a bad mood, eating was the solution.
Ling'er lay on Zi Yan's head, lazily squinting her eyes, swishing her pretty tail. When she saw Zi Yan eating the pills, her eyes suddenly opened wide. As a little foodie, how could she let Zi Yan eat alone? She let out a soft call, reaching out her paw to tap Zi Yan's head.
Zi Yan seemed used to this. She handed over the half-eaten bottle of pills and continued to stare blankly at the distance. She suddenly felt that her Big Brother was a fraud. He promised to take her out to play, but once they arrived in the Jia Ma Empire, Yao Yan got busy. If she hadn't been so full, she would have made Yao Yan pay.
Ling'er took the bottle happily and started eating.
It wasn't until a figure appeared behind the two of them that Ling'er felt something. She tilted her head to look, and just as she did, her neck was pinched by someone behind her, followed by a laughing scolding voice.
"Eat, eat, eat! All you do is eat!"
"?!"
Zi Yan turned her head in surprise, just in time to see Yao Yan teasing Ling'er. Her eyes lit up with surprise, and she happily called out, "Big Brother, you're out?!"
"I'm done with my business, so of course I'm out," Yao Yan said as he rubbed his lower back, his expression complicated. Helping Cai Lin evolve her bloodline was difficult, but helping Cai Die was twice as challenging. The two sisters had a special mental connection, especially when they were close…
It was no wonder he felt exhausted.
It took him half a month just to feed the two women. After this, he no longer needed to stay and guard them; he could just wait patiently for the process to complete.
Cai Die's bloodline was different from Cai Lin's, so the direction of their evolution was also different.
Cai Lin's original companion spirit was the Purple Ghost Flame Snake, and her final evolutionary form would be the Heaven Devouring Python. Cai Die's companion spirit, however, was the Purple Ghost Hell Snake, and her bloodline evolved in the direction of the Gu Heavenly Snake, a beast that was as powerful as the Heaven Devouring Python. These two species were royal families in the Gu times, much stronger than the current Nine Netherworld Earth Serpent.
They were powerful enough to rival the Gu Heavenly Dragons.
Unfortunately, both species were wiped out in the Gu battle, just like the Dou Emperors on the Dou Qi continent, disappearing without a trace. Only a few remnants of magical beasts containing their bloodline survived, until Cai Lin and Cai Die appeared.
Technically speaking, Cai Lin and Cai Die were not magical beasts. They were originally Medusa clan members, but during their time in the womb, a companion spirit was planted in them, causing a mutation in their bloodline. The two spirits complemented each other and grew together.
Had it only been the Purple Ghost Flame Snake and the Purple Ghost Hell Snake, they would have likely used up their lifespan without reaching the seventh rank, let alone undergoing a transformation in their bloodline.
It was well-known that the more powerful the magical beast, the more difficult it was to evolve its bloodline. This required higher-level bloodline power or special treasures, none of which could be obtained by a sixth-rank magical beast.
Cai Lin and Cai Die's success in evolution was due to the power of the Burning Decision.
After all, Yao Yan was a humanoid heavenly flame.
"Where are Cai Lin and the others?" Zi Yan tilted her head to look behind Yao Yan but didn't see the familiar figures of Cai Lin and Cai Die. She blinked and tilted her little head, asking, "Where are they?"
"They'll be fine soon," Yao Yan said with a faint smile as he looked at the darkening sky. "Let's keep moving, we'll talk on the way."
As soon as he spoke, a silver glow flashed in his hand, and the Heavenly Demon Puppet, made from the body of the Earth Demon Old Ghost, appeared next to him. The killing aura immediately surged, and as a puppet, it didn't have the ability to conceal its aura.
At the same time, the dark clouds in the sky grew thicker, and the surrounding energy began to riot. The heavens began to flash with thunder, forming silver dragons that roared across the sky.
"Go," Yao Yan's consciousness moved.
"Whoosh!"
A silver streak of light shot up into the sky, instantly disappearing into the thunderclouds. A moment later, a loud explosion sounded from the clouds, and the terrifying power shattered the clouds, even causing the raging thunder to break apart into silver shards, which were then absorbed by the Heavenly Demon Puppet's body.
Yao Yan was quite satisfied with this. After absorbing a portion of the thunder energy, the Heavenly Demon Puppet was not far from reaching the highest stage.
As for Cai Die… Normally, magical beasts would have to risk encountering thunder tribulation to undergo a bloodline transformation through thunder energy. However, Cai Die didn't need to go through this step. With Yao Yan, a humanoid heavenly flame, and when they deeply communicated, the power of the heavenly flame could wash her body more safely and efficiently than thunder energy.
At this moment, many of the Snake People came out, staring fearfully at the changes in the sky. Only a few knew that their queen was evolving.
"Boom!"
With a punch that was strong enough to twist space, the dark clouds above the Snake People's city finally dispersed.
The bright sunlight broke through.
At the same time, a massive snake-shaped shadow appeared from deep within the palace. It was made of heavenly energy and seemed to instinctively resonate with Cai Die's bloodline. As a pair of crimson eyes opened, an indescribable pressure from the bloodline swept out, making Zi Yan clench her little fists. Her eyes flickered with purple light as she locked eyes with the shadow.
The shadow was enormous, almost covering the sky. Its body moved, shaking the energy of the world with each motion.
Luckily, this phenomenon quickly dissipated.
"..."
Zi Yan frowned, her expression slightly serious, like a little adult.
Yao Yan reached out and patted her head, smiling. "That's what Cai Die's bloodline looks like after evolving. How do you feel? Feeling the pressure?"
"Just a little..." Zi Yan murmured, holding her head up and turning her eyes towards Yao Yan. "Big Brother, do you know what my real form is?"
"Didn't I say? After we go to the Central Plains, you'll be able to find your people," Yao Yan said, looking surprised, before softly answering.
"…I just want to know why my parents abandoned me."
Zi Yan's eyes dimmed as she whispered.
This little one wasn't as carefree as she seemed. She still thought about her family. After all, she had never had anyone to accompany her since childhood. Even magical beasts, after giving birth to cubs, would desperately protect them.
But she didn't have that, and she had nearly been eaten by other magical beasts many times. Fortunately, her bloodline was strong, and her growth rate surpassed that of ordinary magical beasts, which allowed her to survive in that dangerous mountain range.
It was also luck. That mountain range just happened to be within Canaan Academy's jurisdiction, and there were no magical beasts above the sixth rank, nor were there any strong people from the Black Corner Region.
If not for that, Zi Yan would never have survived to this day.
"Big Brother will help you ask why," Yao Yan promised after a brief silence.
"Mm." Zi Yan nodded heavily, then took out a bottle of pills and started eating. She wanted to grow up quickly, so she could ask Big Brother why. If there was no reason, she'd knock some sense into them.
"Ying Ying~" Ling'er, who was held by Yao Yan around his neck, swung her little legs, looking at Zi Yan eating the pills with longing, then cast a pitiful look at Yao Yan, as if asking for some too.
"Silly fox~"
Yao Yan smiled and placed her on his shoulder, handing her a bottle of pills. With his current collection, he could afford to let Ling'er eat as much as she wanted, and wasn't stingy about low-grade pills.
"Whoosh~"
At this moment, the Heavenly Demon Puppet returned and stood beside Yao Yan.
After several rounds of thunder energy purification, the Heavenly Demon Puppet had almost reached the peak of the second stage. Its body's silver light was fully contained, clearly not far from reaching the highest level. A few more rounds of colored thunder should bring it to that stage.
Zi Yan had finished a bottle of pills and seemed much more cheerful. She looked at the Heavenly Demon Puppet, then asked Yao Yan, "Big Brother, when will we go to the Central Plains?"
"In a few days," Yao Yan replied, glancing at her with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.
He hadn't told Cai Lin and Cai Die yet about his trip to the Central Plains. Moreover, he didn't plan on taking them with him. After all, the things he had to do there weren't suitable for them, and once things were set into motion, they could easily be dragged into it.
As for Zi Yan, he didn't need to worry about her. This little one had the most powerful backing, being a direct descendant of the Gu Heavenly Dragon clan, one of the strongest races in the magical beast world. Even without the Dragon Emperor, their strength was no less than that of imperial clans.
Bringing Zi Yan along was more about altering her development path, allowing her to grow as quickly as possible. With more than ten years to make up for the early foundations, her talent would allow her to reach a higher level. In the original story, too much time was wasted.
As for Cai Lin and Cai Die, their bloodlines had already evolved. Even without going to the Central Plains, their strength would rapidly increase, and with some more opportunities, they would have no trouble reaching Dou Sheng.
"Okay~" Zi Yan nodded, her anticipation clearly building.
At this moment, Cai Lin slowly emerged from behind Yao Yan. A beautiful purple-colored small snake floated in the air beside her, with gem-like eyes that looked curiously around. When it saw Yao Yan, it rushed towards him, and Yao Yan caught it easily.
The impact still surprised Yao Yan. Cai Die's evolution seemed to be highly successful. Her bloodline transformation was more thorough than Cai Lin's. Just after being born, this little one had already reached the peak of the fifth rank.
The power of Gu magical beasts' bloodlines was truly terrifying.
The little one seemed to be very affectionate towards Yao Yan, swimming around his wrist until it found a comfortable spot and settled down. Soon, it fell into a deep sleep. This scene didn't go unnoticed by Cai Lin.
It was obvious that even though Cai Die had just been born, she was already so affectionate towards Yao Yan. It was clear how deep her feelings for Yao Yan were. Even her companion spirit was affected by it, even as it fell into a deep sleep.
"Looks like you don't have to bother with her anymore," Cai Lin walked to Yao Yan's side, casting a cold glance at him and snorted lightly.
"Can't deceive her this time, the companion spirit's purple crystal source has been used up."
Yao Yan shrugged his shoulders, looking innocent.
Cai Lin's expression stiffened, and she vaguely recalled herself. When she had evolved into the Heaven Devouring Python, she had been tricked by Yao Yan, almost treated like a pet. At this thought, her gaze became complicated.
"Cai Die's bloodline evolved more thoroughly than yours. The Gu Heavenly Snake clan and the Heaven Devouring Python clan are different. To advance your bloodline to a higher level, you'll need to rely on external resources to reach the level of the Nine-Colored Heaven Devouring Python. When we go to the Central Plains, I'll keep an eye out for you." Yao Yan gently patted the little creature on his wrist and said softly to Cai Lin.
"?!"
Cai Lin's eyes turned cold when she heard this. It seemed Yao Yan wasn't planning on bringing her along.
"I've thought it through. You shouldn't come with me this time. I might offend some forces, and it could easily drag you into it," Yao Yan said seriously, looking at Cai Lin.
"I don't need you to worry," Cai Lin said coldly, her brows furrowing.
"But I'm still worried," Yao Yan held her cool hand and gently explained. "And now that Cai Die's bloodline is evolving, it'll take her two to three years to complete. During this process, it's better if she doesn't use too many external resources. It's better for her to rely on herself, so she can get used to the rapid growth in power."
He paused for a moment, then added, "For this reason, someone has to stay behind to look after her."
After finishing, Yao Yan looked at Cai Lin, who didn't speak.
"…I understand. I'll stay," Cai Lin replied after a long pause. She looked at Yao Yan, her gaze calm.
She didn't ask when Yao Yan would return because there was no need. The ones who needed to return would come back sooner or later, and the ones who wouldn't come back couldn't be persuaded, no matter how much they tried. Besides, as the Medusa Queen, she wasn't the type of person who couldn't survive without a man.
She turned and walked back to the palace, her aura becoming a bit colder, as though she had returned to her old self.
Yao Yan looked at her retreating figure and smiled bitterly.
Zi Yan secretly tugged at Yao Yan's clothes and whispered, "Big Brother, it seems like Cai Lin's angry..."
"I saw."
Yao Yan knocked Zi Yan's head lightly and sighed.
(END CHAPTER)
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