Yin Zhang entered the courtyard with Hu Liena. Just as they stepped inside, they saw Old Jack standing there, absentmindedly gazing at a flower.
Yin Zhang smiled softly. "Grandpa Jack, do you still remember me?"
Old Jack snapped out of his daze and turned his head. When he clearly saw Yin Zhang's face, his eyes widened in shock.
"Y-You… you're Xiao Zhang?" Old Jack's voice trembled with disbelief.
Yin Zhang nodded. "Yes, Grandpa Jack. It's me—Xiao Zhang. I've come back to see you. Seven years ago, because of certain reasons, I couldn't return to properly say goodbye. Now that I'm back, I want to stay with you for a while…"
Old Jack's deeply wrinkled eyes instantly turned moist.
"Good… good… good," he said repeatedly, his voice thick with emotion. "Xiao Zhang, it's good that you're back."
His gaze then shifted to Hu Liena, who was standing close beside Yin Zhang. Their intimacy made their relationship obvious at a glance, and as someone who had lived a long life, Old Jack naturally understood—but he still wanted to hear it from Yin Zhang himself.
"Xiao Zhang, who is this young lady?"
Yin Zhang smiled. "Grandpa Jack, her name is Hu Liena. She's my girlfriend. I brought her back this time to meet you."
"Hello, Grandpa Jack," Hu Liena said politely. "My name is Hu Liena. You can just call me Nana."
Hu Liena had a very good impression of Old Jack. He looked kind and benevolent, giving off the feeling of a respected elder rather than the oppressive presence of powerful figures she had met before. More importantly, he was Yin Zhang's grandfather, which made her want to leave an even better impression.
"Oh, Nana!" Old Jack said happily. "Come in, come in—don't just stand there."
Clearly very satisfied, he warmly ushered them inside.
After sitting down, Yin Zhang spoke again. "Grandpa Jack, Nana and I plan to stay in the village for about a month this time. After that, we'll have to set off again."
Seeing the slight hesitation on Yin Zhang's face, Old Jack smiled gently.
"I understand. You've become a powerful Spirit Master now, and you have many things to take care of. The fact that you're willing to stay in Saint Spirit Village with this old man for a month is already more than enough."
Yin Zhang smiled and nodded. "Mm. That's good, Grandpa Jack."
That night, Yin Zhang brought Hu Liena to his former home—or rather, the wooden house that Tang San and his father had occupied for the past seven years.
"Brother Zhang, is this your home?" Hu Liena asked curiously as she looked around the interior, which still resembled a blacksmith's workshop.
Yin Zhang nodded. "Yes. But when I first went to Nuoding Academy seven years ago, it had already been taken over by others. I don't plan to live here now—I just came back to retrieve a few things."
When he was a child, Yin Zhang had hidden something in a secret compartment in the house. It wasn't valuable, but it carried a piece of his childhood. Before he awakened his Spirit, he had poured many of his emotions into it. Afterward, it was forgotten. Later, even when he returned to the village during academy holidays, he passed by this house several times without ever going inside.
Only now, upon returning, did he remember it again.
Hu Liena watched curiously as Yin Zhang walked to a corner, lightly tapped an unremarkable wall brick, and pulled out a dusty little box.
Placing it on the table, Yin Zhang smiled. "Nana, take a look. This box has been here for more than seven years. Inside are small wooden carvings I made when I was a child. They're rough, but they mean a lot to me."
He opened the box. Hu Liena's eyes widened in surprise—the wooden carving inside looked remarkably similar to Yin Zhang's Spirit, Charizard.
Brushing away the dust, Yin Zhang said softly, "When I was very young, I somehow knew there was a dragon-type Spirit in this world. I carved this when I had nothing to do. I never expected that I'd actually awaken such a Spirit later. After absorbing spirit rings and encountering various opportunities, it became far stronger—and very different from its original appearance."
This small carving was something Yin Zhang had made long before awakening his Spirit, purely based on imagination. The coincidence left even him feeling amazed.
Hu Liena sighed in wonder. "That really is incredible. Brother Zhang, your fate is truly special. Who would have thought that the Spirit you awakened would resemble something you carved yourself as a child?"
Yin Zhang smiled, shook his head, and said nothing more.
Time passed quickly.
Yin Zhang and Hu Liena spent an entire month in Saint Spirit Village, accompanying Old Jack.
During that month, their days were peaceful and deeply comforting.
Each morning, they would first go to Old Jack's courtyard to eat with him. Afterward, they wandered through the scenic surroundings of Saint Spirit Village. In the afternoons, they sat together in the courtyard, carving small wooden figures and enjoying the quiet passage of time.
Their lives were simple, yet full.
Over the course of the month, Yin Zhang's spirit power increased by another level, reaching level 68.
One month later, at the village entrance, Yin Zhang and Hu Liena bid farewell to Old Jack under his warm, smiling gaze and left Saint Spirit Village together.
Their destination was a waterfall not far from the village. Behind it lay a hidden cave—the place where Tang Hao had stored the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone and planted the Blue Silver Emperor after it restored its original form.
[Tang Hao is currently located in the southeast of the Heaven Dou Empire. Behind the cave is the resting place of the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone. The system has detected that the host is facing a choice.]
[Choice One: Take both the Spirit Bone and Ah Yin's original form. Reward: Level-one spirit power boost card.
Choice Two: Do not offend Tang Hao. Give up both the Spirit Bone and Ah Yin's original form. Reward: Level-one spirit power boost card.
Choice Three: Enter to take a look, then leave. Reward: Level-one spirit power boost card.]
Yin Zhang barely hesitated.
"System, I choose the first option."
[Selection successful. A level-one spirit power boost card has been stored in the inventory. You may open the personal attribute panel to view it.]