"Calm down, Sworn Brother. I never said I wouldn't help."
"I was just wondering whether there was a better way."
"After careful consideration, there might be another option!"
Yang Ling spoke solemnly.
Ji Tianming was a little curious. "What other option?"
"Hasn't your physical body already become an Exotic Beast, Sworn Brother? As it happens, I'm a Spirit Pet Venerable. Why don't you see whether you can acknowledge me as your master?
"If it works, you can cultivate in the Spirit Pet Space. Everything will be the same as before. You'll just be lying around somewhere else, and it'll be even safer!"
Yang Ling grew more excited as he spoke:
"Sworn Brother, I think this is a great idea! It's much more reliable than going to the Abyssal Beast Cavern to find Master Zhao De!"
"Oh, you're a Spirit Pet Venerable. I thought you were a Spirit Armor Master."
Ji Tianming looked at the spirit armor Yang Ling wore.
"You mean you want me to become your second Spirit Pet?"
Yang Ling said, "You've misunderstood, Sworn Brother. It's just a temporary measure. We'd still be brothers!"
"Temporary measure, my ass!"
Ji Tianming was so angry he laughed.
"You're not even Second Rank. Even if I wanted to acknowledge you as my master, I couldn't!"
"..."
Yang Ling asked curiously, "It depends on my cultivation too?"
"What else? Your cultivation is far beneath mine. The gap is too wide. If I really tried to acknowledge you as my master, you'd be the first to die."
Ji Tianming said flatly, "There's only one way, and that's to find Zhao De.
"Back in the Abyssal Beast Cavern, he was a Chief Seat under the Five Venom Emperor Lord.
"His current identity is Sealkeeper Zhao, the Cicada-Holding Directorate's Garrison in Jiayi City."
"..."
Yang