On the second day of entering the Star Dou Great Forest, the group entered the mixed zone.
After entering the mixed zone, the team's speed, under Zhang Lexuan's deliberate control, slowed down considerably. At the same time, Zhang Lexuan suggested that they should go deeper into the mixed zone, preferably to a location closer to the core area, because the spirit rings needed by the team were all over ten thousand years old. According to the rule that the closer to the core area, the higher the cultivation of the Spirit Beasts, Zhang Lexuan's suggestion had no problems.
After a show of hands, everyone agreed with Zhang Lexuan's suggestion.
Thus, the team maintained a certain speed and advanced deeper into the mixed zone.
"Senior Sister, there are no Spirit Beasts active nearby." Cheng Hui rushed out from the nearby forest and landed beside Zhang Lexuan, saying.
"Good, I understand." Zhang Lexuan nodded upon hearing this and said, "Cheng Hui, you should adjust for a bit. Don't go out to investigate for now."
"Yes." Cheng Hui replied.
After entering the mixed zone, Zhang Lexuan withdrew her pressure. This was because the Spirit Beasts in the mixed zone were not like those outside. The Spirit Beasts here had higher cultivation and were more wild. A Spirit Master's pressure could very likely attract a large number of encirclements. Therefore, the team's route could only rely on the reconnaissance of agility-attack system Spirit Masters.
At noon, the team had already penetrated nearly five kilometers into the mixed zone. Just as they were about to stop and rest, two Spirit Beasts that were fighting each other broke into the team's alert range.
"It's a Fire Spirit Tiger and a Diamond Armored Beast!" Zhu Ziyang exclaimed.
The Inner Courtyard Disciples, upon hearing this, couldn't help but look at this junior Outer Courtyard student. Zhang Lexuan, while vigilantly watching the two fighting Spirit Beasts, asked Zhu Ziyang, "Ziyang, do you recognize these two Spirit Beasts?"
"Mhm. That blue tiger Spirit Beast is a Fire Spirit Tiger. Don't let its water-blue Spirit confuse you; it's a genuine fire-attribute Spirit Beast, capable of spewing extremely hot blue flames from its mouth. The other four-legged beast with a single horn is a Diamond Armored Beast, also known as a Diamond Rhinoceros. Its skin is as hard as diamond, and the single horn on its nose is its primary attack method, possessing the power to shake mountains and tremble the earth!" Zhu Ziyang introduced, "These two Spirit Beasts are both around twenty thousand years old!"
"That's right, Junior Ziyang is correct, Senior Sister." After Zhu Ziyang finished speaking, Zhu Lie immediately echoed, "That Diamond Rhinoceros is exactly one of the types I planned for. I didn't expect to encounter it so easily."
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately understood that this was a fight they couldn't avoid.
"Then, according to what Junior Ziyang said, wouldn't that Fire Spirit Tiger be perfect for me to absorb?" Wu Ming also said in surprise, looking at the Fire Spirit Tiger entangled with the Diamond Rhinoceros, her eyes full of possessiveness.
"No, it's more suitable for Sister Xiaotao." Zhu Ziyang, however, shook his head and said.
"Ah?" Wu Ming and Ma Xiaotao exclaimed in surprise simultaneously. Wu Ming looked at Zhu Ziyang with unfriendly eyes and said, "Brat, don't talk nonsense just because you have a good relationship with Xiaotao!"
"Junior Ziyang, you don't need to worry about me, I have a Spirit Beast I'm fond of." A hint of emotion flashed in Ma Xiaotao's beautiful eyes, then she said with a wry smile.
"Hmph! I never speak nonsense!" Zhu Ziyang snorted coldly and said, "The Fire Spirit Tiger's flames are softer. Senior Sister Wu Ming, your Golden Crow Spirit is more explosive. The Fire Spirit Tiger's spirit ring would be of no help to you, and might even have an adverse effect! But Senior Xiao Tao is different. The Fire Spirit Tiger's blue flames possess a rare purifying power, which can precisely alleviate the flaw in Senior Xiao Tao's Spirit!"
"Ah! Really?" Ma Xiaotao immediately looked at Zhu Ziyang in surprise. Wu Ming and the other Inner Courtyard Disciples also looked at him with a mix of belief and doubt. Although this junior student was young, his talent was outstanding, and he was connected to Dean Yan. He might very well be the heir of some reclusive Sect. In that case, being knowledgeable was understandable.
"I already said, I never speak nonsense!" Zhu Ziyang said expressionlessly, "As for whether you believe it or not, that's up to you."
"Xiaotao, you..." Wu Ming looked at Ma Xiaotao, her eyes filled with concern. Judging by her expression, she clearly believed Zhu Ziyang's words; her Golden Crow flames were indeed of the explosive and fierce type.
"I believe you, Ziyang!" Ma Xiaotao's gaze shifted from confusion to determination, and she immediately spoke.
"Mhm." Zhu Ziyang nodded and said, "That Fire Spirit Tiger's cultivation is approximately nineteen thousand years. Can you withstand it, Sister Xiaotao?"
"I can!" Ma Xiaotao replied with an unwavering expression, her eyes full of determination.
...Wu Ming couldn't help but fall silent. Normally, the upper limit for a Spirit Master's fifth spirit ring is twenty thousand years, but very few people can absorb a spirit ring so close to the limit; it's too dangerous.
"Are you done discussing? If so, come and absorb the spirit ring." Zhang Lexuan walked over, her face relaxed, and said.
"What?" Zhu Ziyang was stunned, then he saw that not far away, the two Spirit Beasts had already been captured, and Zhu Lie had already walked to the Diamond Rhinoceros. He couldn't help but smack his lips, looked at the relaxed Zhang Lexuan, and said, "How could it be so fast?"
Their conversation definitely didn't exceed five minutes!
"With me, Ruo Ruo, Shen Xu, and Zhang Weiwei, four Spirit Masters above rank 70, how could two Spirit Beasts under twenty thousand years resist? Don't underestimate the power of Spirit Masters, and don't overestimate the strength of Spirit Beasts, Junior Ziyang!" Zhang Lexuan said with a light chuckle.
"I understand!" Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but nod, indicating his agreement.
"Xiaotao, go." Zhang Lexuan looked at Ma Xiaotao and smiled, "Don't worry about danger, Elder Xuan is here."
"Mhm, I understand, Senior Sister." Ma Xiaotao nodded, glanced at Zhu Ziyang, then resolutely walked towards the Fire Spirit Tiger.
Ma Xiaotao and Zhu Lie began to absorb their spirit rings. After everyone surrounded the two, Han Ruoruo stepped forward to check if there were any Spirit Bones in the two Spirit Beast corpses. The result was somewhat disappointing; neither of the two ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts produced Spirit Bones.
Everyone had no choice but to rest and wait.
"Junior Ziyang, which country are you from?" Wu Ming sat beside Zhu Ziyang, her eyes full of curiosity, and asked. The others, hearing this, also perked up their ears, their curiosity overflowing.
"I'm from Anyang City in the Tianhun Empire." Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile.
"Anyang City? Where is that? How come I've never heard of it?" Wu Ming was very puzzled because it was her first time hearing about Anyang City. Everyone else was also completely clueless, unsure where the Anyang City Zhu Ziyang mentioned was.
"It's just a small city, it's normal that you haven't heard of it." Zhu Ziyang said with a light chuckle.
"Anyang City, a city under the jurisdiction of Zhenbei Province in the Tianhun Empire, close to the Far North Ice Field. Am I right?" It was Luo Wei who spoke, a sweet smile on her lovely face.
"That's right, has Senior Sister been to Anyang City?" Zhu Ziyang was surprised, looking at Luo Wei with delight.
"No, I just heard Ling Luochen mention it." Luo Wei shook her head and said with a smile, "She once stayed in Anyang City when she went to the Far North Ice Field to hunt for a spirit ring."
"So that's how it is." Zhu Ziyang nodded and said, showing a look of understanding.
Ling Luochen was the Blue-haired girl Zhu Ziyang encountered when Ma Xiaotao's Spirit went out of control. Her Spirit was ice element. It was very reasonable for a rare elemental Spirit Master to have visited the Far North Ice Field.
"Then, Junior Ziyang, are you the heir of a reclusive Sect?" Wu Ming immediately followed up with the question, her curiosity being unusually strong.
"Why would you think that?" Zhu Ziyang was very curious and asked in return.
"Because you reached Spirit Ancestor at twelve years old. Besides disciples of reclusive Sects who are cultivated from a young age, I can't think of any other possibility." Wu Ming said, her tone carrying a sense of natural certainty.
"So that's what you thought." Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Unfortunately, I'm just a child from an ordinary family."
"How could that be!" Wu Ming exclaimed in surprise. The others who were eavesdropping also stopped hiding and looked at Zhu Ziyang in disbelief, with a few having a strange sense of closeness in their eyes.
"You're truly amazing!" After a long pause, Wu Ming finally recovered from her shock, a hint of admiration appearing unnaturally on her face, and said, "When I was twelve, I was only a Spirit Grandmaster. Compared to you, I'm truly embarrassed!"
"Mhm mhm!" The others also unconsciously nodded along.
"Actually, it's nothing." Zhu Ziyang said modestly, but to Wu Ming and the others, these words were practically blatant sarcasm. As a result, everyone except Zhang Lexuan, Han Ruoruo, and Zhang Weiwei became withdrawn.
In the unseen shadows.
"That brat, he sure knows how to talk!" Elder Xuan grumbled.