Calling

Another day passed. When Ye Qiu emerged from the Divine Might Space this morning, he found that the Blue Silver Emperor seemed to have fully recovered.

It chirped all along the way, calling "Brother, Brother" nonstop.

Yet whenever Ye Qiu asked it anything, it knew nothing at all, just like a child.

Fortunately, with it for company, the journey was no longer so boring.

The setting sun slowly sank; Tiger Cub raced through the wind with dashing grace.

Trees continually flew backward, while wild winds howled past his ears.

Ye Qiu held a patch of grass in his arms, while the silly grass in the pot swayed about.

To make up time, Ye Qiu had the Emerald-Eyed Cloud-Winged Tiger run until nightfall every day. Only after the sun set did he enter the Divine Might Space to rest for the night.

A cliff lay ahead. Other mounts would surely have to take a detour, but for the Emerald-Eyed Cloud-Winged Tiger beneath Ye Qiu, jumping straight down was basic stuff.

The cloud wings on its back unfurled in advance. Reaching the cliff's edge, it leaped high into the air before diving downward. The gale lashed Ye Qiu's face, stinging painfully. The Blue Silver Emperor was pressed tightly against him by the wind pressure, unable to sway.

"Brother~"

Boom!

The moment the Emerald-Eyed Cloud-Winged Tiger landed, the Blue Silver Emperor's childish voice rang out in Ye Qiu's mind again.

Ye Qiu had already realized that it was using Spiritual Power to communicate.

"What is it now, little fellow?"

He no longer spoke aloud when communicating with the Blue Silver Emperor. Instead, he conveyed his thoughts directly through his mind. After all, talking to a clump of grass was far too strange. Anyone who saw him would think something was wrong with him.

"Stop~ Stop for a moment." Its voice was clear and soft, exceptionally pleasant to hear.

The Blue Silver Emperor was actually radiating blue light all over, mixed with golden specks, as though countless stars had fallen into a blue sea.

All its leaves pointed in the same direction.

"Hm?" Ye Qiu frowned and patted the tiger's back beneath him, stopping where it indicated.

"Brother, over there~ I... feel..."

Ye Qiu covered his face. There was nothing he could do about a child's stutter. By the time it finished speaking, the sun would be setting!

Growing somewhat impatient, he said, "Stop talking. Just send me what you want to say directly!"

"Okay, got it." The Blue Silver Emperor seemed to sense Ye Qiu's mood, and its voice became somewhat dejected.

Ye Qiu closed his eyes and processed the message it sent him.

He looked at the Blue Silver Emperor in his arms in surprise. It said it sensed something calling to them, something that made it feel very close and familiar.

But he clearly hadn't sensed anything.

After pondering for a moment and glancing at the setting sun to the west, Ye Qiu decided to investigate.

The only place that could make it feel familiar is probably that place!

A sharp glint flashed through his eyes. He patted Tiger Cub, and the tiger immediately turned its head, racing in the direction indicated by the Blue Silver Emperor.

Perhaps he could even ruin Tang San's opportunity!

This time, Ye Qiu did not use his Sharingan to scout the way, because there was no need.

There were not many thousand-year Spirit Beasts in this region now. To save time, he followed the Blue Silver Emperor's guidance and traveled in as straight a line as possible.

Along Ye Qiu's route, an infamous mercenary group was making its way through the forest.

At the center of the group of more than ten people was a carriage carrying an iron cage. Inside were three Wind Sylph Demonic Wolves, each around seven hundred years old.

"All of you! Move faster! If we haven't found somewhere to settle before nightfall, just wait to become Spirit Beast food!" Wang Hu sat cross-legged atop the iron cage. He toyed with the trapped beasts inside using a bloody severed arm while barking orders at the others.

"Got it, Boss!" the others answered in unison.

"Work hard. Once we finish this job, I'll take you brothers to the pleasure house! Hahaha!"

"Brother Hu! Look, there's someone riding a Spirit Beast over there!" A lean, hawk-nosed man in the group noticed Ye Qiu, who was about to cross in front of them.

"Riding a Spirit Beast? Hah, hahaha! Yin Yan, are your eyes going bad?" A companion beside him mocked him. "I've never seen anyone tame a Spirit Beast as a mount."

"My eyes are going bad? Heh, you know perfectly well what my Black Eagle Martial Spirit's vision is like!" Yin Yan sneered. Ignoring them, he shouted to Wang Hu atop the iron cage.

"Brother Hu, I definitely didn't see wrong. That kid is riding an Emerald-Eyed Cloud-Winged Tiger that has just reached a thousand years!"

Smack! Wang Hu slapped his thigh and stood up, looking into the distance. However, he could only make out a blurry silhouette.

Yin Yan naturally knew what his boss was worried about. "Don't worry, Boss. That kid is ten at most. Could he possibly be a match for you?"

Wang Hu's eyes lit up at those words. He tossed the severed arm in his hand to the giant wolves in the cage. "Brothers! We've got a job! Charge in the direction Yin Yan points! Yin Yan, take the lead!"

"Got it, Boss!" With an eagle cry, a pair of wings extended from Yin Yan's back, and he flew toward Ye Qiu.

As Ye Qiu traveled onward, he suddenly noticed a black dot in the sky far off to his front right.

Before long, it appeared above him. "Kid, stop right there! Third Spirit Ability, Arrow Feather!"

Three Spirit Rings—white, yellow, and purple—encircled him, and the purple ring lit up.

Dozens of arrow-like feathers suddenly shot from those wings toward Ye Qiu.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Ye Qiu promptly made Tiger Cub stop, and the feathers plunged into the ground.

He looked over coldly. Yin Yan hovered in the air, while clouds of dust billowed in the distance. Soon, the Black Tiger Mercenary Group surrounded Ye Qiu.

"What can I do for you?" This was Ye Qiu's first time encountering bandits. Through his Sharingan, he saw that the highest Soul Power among this group was merely that of a Soul Ancestor. Nothing to fear!

A dark, burly man flexed his wrists. With every step he took, a Spirit Ring rose beneath his feet.

After taking four steps, his muscles bulged, and several tiger-like stripes appeared on his face.

"Kid! Hand over what's between your legs! I'll spare your life!"

Yin Yan added from the sky, "And the secret of how you control Spirit Beasts!"

"Right, right, I almost forgot. Tell us honestly how you control Spirit Beasts as well!" Wang Hu narrowed his eyes, which were filled with greed.

"..." Several black lines appeared across Ye Qiu's forehead. Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought he was the one with the tiger Martial Soul.

What the hell does he mean, what's between my legs?

As Ye Qiu was lost in thought, the Blue Silver Emperor urged him, "Brother~ Hurry, that... feeling is fading."

"Mm! Right away!" he replied in his mind.

"Kid! Have you thought it over? Our boss is a Soul Ancestor. He's running out of patience~"

"Pfft! Hehe." Ye Qiu let out a scornful laugh at Yin Yan's words. "Just a trash Soul Ancestor with one purple ring!"

His Mangekyo Sharingan had already opened. His voice was somewhat casual as he spoke. "Hurry up. Young Master is in a rush!"

"Kid! You're courting death! I'll capture you and feed you to the wolves!"

"Feed me to the wolves?" Seeing the blood around the wolves' mouths in the iron cage, Ye Qiu's expression turned cold. "You have earned your death!"

The people around them watched Wang Hu charge toward Ye Qiu, cruel smiles spreading across their faces.

However, Wang Hu, who had just started running toward Ye Qiu, suddenly felt that something was very wrong.

Looking at the blood-red space around him, he remembered that he was supposed to be in the Star Dou Great Forest!

Bound to a cross, terror filled his face.

The boy who should have been riding the Spirit Beast now stood before him. His icy voice held not a trace of emotion. "I'll stab you for one day and one night."

"Ah!" Wang Hu's screams rang out without end.

Stab! Stab! Sword after sword pierced through his body.

Outside, the others' smiles froze on their faces. Wang Hu, who had just rushed out, had actually dropped to his knees in an instant!

What was going on?