Chapter 90

In the twilight, on the荒原大道 (Wasteland Avenue), a mist that seemed both real and illusory could be seen racing along. As the surroundings changed, the mist continuously changed colors, from emerald green to ashen yellow. If one were far away, it would be almost impossible to notice its existence.

However, if one got closer, a majestic lion, standing over two zhang tall, could be seen sprinting at an incredible speed. Not only was it enveloped in mist, but its figure also appeared and disappeared in the sunset.

Zong Shou sat on the broad back of the lion, his eyes half-closed, lying comfortably and basking in the last rays of sunlight. Behind the giant lion, two ropes trailed.

At the end of one rope was Chuxue, her face flushed red, being dragged along as she ran. The other end was tied to Xiaojin, who was also bouncing and jumping, but most of the time, he was being dragged through the air. Despite his plump body, he looked pitiful and uncomfortable.

Chuxue's eyes sparkled with stars, looking at Zong Shou pitifully, almost about to beg. She saw the young man lying on the lion's back, seemingly asleep. Her eyes darted, and she quietly leaped onto the tail of the Shadow Lion.

However, before she could stand steady, a white light struck her. It was a pebble that hit her foot, causing her body to go numb and fall off the lion's back. She barely managed to steady herself after a few unsteady steps, and with a mournful face, she said, "Young Master, Xuer has been running for half a day! Over three hundred miles, without a moment's rest! I didn't rest at all yesterday."

Zong Shou sighed slightly, as if just waking from a deep sleep, and straightened his body, stretching lazily. The fatigue from the previous night had finally subsided.

He had initially thought that this lion was unsuitable as his mount, but now he felt that having such a spirit beast as a mount was quite good.

According to his knowledge, most spirit masters chose soul beasts or spirit fairies as their mounts because they were easy to control and cultivate. With enough yin energy, soul stones, and materials, their ranks could be quickly elevated.

However, living spirit beasts as mounts were rare. Spirit beasts had flesh and blood, making them inconvenient to carry. Their strong life force made them resistant to soul control arrays, and they were prone to backlash. The mental connection required the spirit master to expend several times more soul energy than a soul beast, and they could not be sealed.

Elevating their rank and combat power was also extremely difficult.

Even if a spirit master occasionally chose a living spirit beast as a mount, they would select one with lower intelligence or a young beast to cultivate.

Xiaojin belonged to the former category. Although this little guy was not unintelligent, in the eyes of the world, sticky beasts were naturally not very smart.

If it were a young beast, unless it was a high-rank spirit beast from birth, it would not be a good choice. It would take thousands of years and countless spirit medicines to reach the ninth rank.

The black dragon that Ling Yunlong rode that day was an anomaly. It was said that it had evolved from a black python to a near-dragon in just twenty years.

The Shadow Lion beneath him, though not of noble lineage, had excellent comprehension. On that day, when he used his soul to control the sword, the lion had gained insight and evolved to the fourth rank through bloodline mutation.

The Shadow Lion not only ran swiftly but was also skilled in stealth. Its daytime combat power was enough to match peak-level beasts of the same rank. At night, it was even more formidable, becoming the king of beasts.

However, such a spirit beast was better suited for stealth and swift attacks, making it a night assassin. As a mount, it was not as good as Xiaojin.

But as a mount, it was勉强 (barely) suitable. Although it could not fly, lying on the lion's back was more comfortable than a carriage.

Seemingly sensing Zong Shou's thoughts, the Shadow Lion let out a mournful cry, as if lamenting its fate as a mount.

Zong Shou paid no attention, about to meditate, but was finally unable to bear the piercing gaze from behind.

He spoke helplessly, "Stop glaring. I'm doing this for your own good. The Renji Pill has a powerful effect, being the highest-level foundation-building spirit pill at the body wheel level. Chuxue, you have a great opportunity. With the help of this pill and my personal guidance, you can enter the innate realm within about three months! However, the pill's power is the hardest to assimilate. The longer you run, the better it is for you. Xiaojin's situation is similar. As the saying goes, 'A good sword comes from hard grinding, and the fragrance of plum blossoms comes from enduring the cold; without experiencing the storm, how can one see the rainbow—'"

Chuxue's expression was indignant, still somewhat不服 (unconvinced). No matter how powerful the Renji Pill was, could it surpass the essence of the thunder phoenix egg?

Then she saw Zong Shou turn his head with a smile, "Of course, if Chuxue is willing to learn three sets of guiding techniques and memorize them all, you won't have to run so hard—"

Chuxue's face immediately twisted into a bitter expression, similar to a bitter melon. Compared to the drowsy, soft guiding techniques, she preferred to run.

Zong Shou smiled and submerged his consciousness into the soul sea. Since the day he devoured the thunder phoenix essence, he began to carefully examine his divine soul.

"Indeed, it is due to the thunder phoenix's mental essence—"

He saw that the 'Lei' character talisman was now suspended in the center of the vortex, transformed into a phoenix bird as if about to spread its wings.

More surprisingly, beneath the phoenix, a seven-tailed spirit fox appeared, and there were signs of fusion between the two.

He dared not approach with his consciousness, but whenever he gathered surrounding electrical energy, the phoenix faintly glowed.

"The seven-tailed spirit fox and the Cloud Wasteland Thunder Phoenix, illusion and thunder combined?"

Zong Shou smiled bitterly. These two types of power had no common ground for fusion.

Observing the entire soul sea, it had grown dozens of times larger than a few days ago, and the vortex had become more massive.

The hidden dangers that had not been apparent before were now evident.

He saw that his divine soul was riddled with holes, protected only by a thin membrane.

His current situation was like a patched balloon. His soul power could expand, but once it reached a certain level, it would leak everywhere.

Additionally, his bloodline, at the core of the soul sea, had a mysterious bloodline mark besides the seven-tailed celestial fox. Even though the former was already showing signs of fusing with the thunder phoenix mark, it still held its own.

"This human bloodline has both surface and inner aspects—"

Zong Shou had a sudden realization. This was probably one of the reasons why Ling Yunlong abandoned him. His primordial soul was inherently prone to collapse.

In his condition, if he did not cultivate soul power, it would be better. Once he started cultivating, even if his soul power cultivation stagnated, it would not be long before he died.

However—

"By a twist of fate, the Swallowing Heaven Primordial Transformation Technique and the thunder phoenix egg have completely resolved my hidden dangers. Should I say this is luck, or is heaven guiding me to walk the path of a spirit master?"

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