Living in Seclusion in Dragon Rising City!

After saying their farewells, Wukong swung himself onto Cai Lin's back.

Cai Lin had now cultivated at Lake of Life for many years.

She also ate Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast flesh and blood with Da Ming and Er Ming every day.

With the support of a top-tier Dragon Clan spiritual artifact like the Ice-Fire Twin Dragon Staff,

although she could not compare to Wukong's cultivation speed, she had now attained seventy thousand years of cultivation.

With Cai Lin as his mount, Wukong did not need to worry about being attacked by other Soul Beasts in the forest.

"Set off!"

At Wukong's command, Cai Lin's body instantly began to slither.

Moving at incredible speed, she raced toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The low-level Soul Beasts along the way sensed the terrifying pressure emanating from Cai Lin.

They were all so frightened that they sprawled trembling on the ground, without even the strength to flee.

Sitting on Cai Lin's back, Wukong felt the wind blowing against his face.

His body was still too weak. The wind against his face even stung a little.

He had no choice but to circulate the Soul Power within him, forming a protective layer over his body.

"I was still tougher when I was a Soul Beast."

Wukong silently sighed.

But the advantages of a human body were equally obvious.

His meridians were unobstructed, and his Soul Power circulated much faster than it had when he was a Soul Beast.

As long as he found a suitable meditation method, his cultivation speed would surely soar by leaps and bounds.

More than half a day later.

Cai Lin brought Wukong into the territory of the Death Spider Emperor.

Wukong patted Cai Lin's head, signaling for her to stop.

"Fourth Sister! Old Sun has come to see you!"

Wukong cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted loudly.

His voice pierced through the poisonous miasma and echoed through the dense forest.

Before long, a tremor ran through the ground.

The Death Spider Emperor crawled out of the poisonous miasma.

Fourth Sister had originally assumed Wukong had come to cause trouble again today.

She was just about to open her mouth and curse at him.

But when her gaze swept around, she did not see that annoying, stinking monkey.

She saw only Medusa and a fair, tender little child.

Fourth Sister froze at once.

"Stinking monkey? You... you underwent Transformation!?"

Fourth Sister's voice was full of surprise and confusion.

Wukong stood up, planted his hands on his hips, and said smugly, "What, Old Sun changed his appearance and now you don't recognize me?"

Fourth Sister circled Wukong twice.

"You monkey, even if you turned to ashes, I'd still recognize you."

"But you already survived such a terrifying Heavenly Tribulation."

"You could have continued cultivating until you became a Ferocious Beast."

"Did water get into your brain? Why give up that path and instead embark on the dangerous road of Transformation and recultivation?"

Fourth Sister truly could not understand Wukong's choice.

After all, in the understanding of Soul Beasts, Transformation meant nine chances of death for every one chance of survival.

Instead of taking the broad road ahead, he insisted on crossing a single-log bridge.

What else could that be but madness?

Wukong sat cross-legged on Cai Lin's back and looked at Fourth Sister's puzzled face.

"Old Sun's ambitions cannot be satisfied by a mere Ferocious Beast."

"If I stay here, at most I'll become a Soul Beast with several hundred thousand years of cultivation."

"But what Old Sun wants is to become a god and break free from the shackles of this world."

After hearing that, Fourth Sister rolled her eyes dramatically.

"Become a god? You must still be dreaming."

"Those Titled Douluo are no pushovers."

"If you're discovered, any random Soul Elder could crush you to death."

Wukong grinned. "What, is little sister worried about Old Sun?"

Having been struck at the heart of the matter, Fourth Sister said in embarrassed fury, "Pah! Who's worried about a menace like you?"

"I just don't want you dying at the hands of humans, or else I won't even be able to avenge myself."

Wukong chuckled. "All right, all right, Old Sun will remember that. I won't die so early."

"Don't forget what I told you before, either."

"If you run into danger, if you encounter human Soul Masters you can't defeat, don't try to take them head-on."

"If you can run, run. As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood."

Fourth Sister snorted. "Mind your own business."

"I'm a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Who could possibly kill me?"

Seeing this, Wukong said no more.

"All right, you're the strongest. I'm leaving. I'll come back to see you."

Wukong waved, and Cai Lin turned around and continued toward the outskirts.

Fourth Sister remained where she was, watching Wukong's retreating figure as she said, "What's so good about Transformation? I really don't know what you were thinking."

Only after the man and snake had completely vanished beyond the edge of the forest did she turn and crawl back into the depths of the poisonous miasma.

The farther they traveled from the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest,

the weaker the surrounding Soul Beasts became.

Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts gradually gave way to Thousand-Year and Hundred-Year Soul Beasts.

But they also encountered human Soul Masters more and more frequently.

Sitting on Cai Lin's back, Wukong activated his Truth-Breaking Golden Eyes.

His golden pupils could clearly see energy fluctuations several miles away.

He discovered quite a few groups of human Soul Masters traveling together.

Most of these groups had come to hunt Soul Beasts and obtain Soul Rings.

To avoid attracting attention and causing unnecessary trouble,

Wukong decided to change his strategy.

During the day, he had Cai Lin find a concealed cave or thicket to rest in.

Only at night, when all was quiet, did he ride Cai Lin onward.

The Star Dou Great Forest was more dangerous at night.

But for Cai Lin, who possessed seventy thousand years of cultivation, it was no problem at all.

Those nocturnal Soul Beasts sensed Cai Lin's aura and had already fled far away.

And so they traveled in fits and starts.

The man and snake weaved through the forest.

While traveling, Wukong continuously familiarized himself with his human body.

At the same time, he kept exploring the techniques for using Somersault Cloud, his first Soul Skill.

Two and a half days later.

Wukong finally saw the edge of the forest.

The trees ahead grew sparse, and he could vaguely make out broad plains and roads.

Seeing this, Wukong also jumped down from Cai Lin's back.

"Cai Lin, stay inside the Hundred Treasures Pouch for a while."

"Human society isn't like the forest. Your aura is far too conspicuous."

Cai Lin nodded obediently, transformed into a streak of light, and entered the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch.

Afterward, Wukong walked alone along the broad official road.

Following the road, he headed toward the nearest human city.

Although Wukong's physical body had developed only to the level of a six-year-old,

with eighteen levels of Soul Power supporting him,

he did not feel tired at all as he walked.

Instead, he felt as light as a swallow.

After walking for roughly two hours.

The outline of a village appeared ahead.

The village was not large, with only a few dozen households.

It was the dead of night, and the villagers had long since gone to sleep.

The entire village was silent, save for the occasional bark of a dog.

Wukong stopped and looked at his clothes.

What he was wearing now was still something he had personally sewn and altered from the cloth Dugu Bo had left behind.

The stitches were crooked, and the style was extremely strange.

"First, I need to get some normal clothes."

"Otherwise, if I enter the city in this bizarre outfit, I'll stand out far too much."

Having made up his mind, Wukong silently slipped into the village.

He avoided the farmhouses that kept dogs and specifically inspected homes with low courtyard walls.

After circling half the village, Wukong finally spotted clothes drying on a bamboo pole in one farmer's yard.

Wukong compared the size. It was a set of children's clothes roughly suited to his build.

It was a coarse cloth outfit, somewhat faded from washing and still a little damp, but very clean.

"This will do."

Wukong took down the clothes, but he did not take them for free.

Instead, he left behind a Gold Soul Coin as compensation.

One Gold Soul Coin was enough to feed an ordinary family for half a year.

Of course, it was not that Wukong was especially generous. Old Poisoner was simply too rich.

The Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch did not even contain a single Copper Soul Coin or Silver Soul Coin.

It was filled entirely with the highest-denomination Gold Soul Coins, numbering more than ten thousand.

That was enough for Wukong to spend extravagantly in human society for a long time.

"I really have to thank Poison Douluo, big brother number four, again."

"He truly gave Old Sun far too many conveniences."

Wukong silently gave Dugu Bo his approval.

As for the first three big brothers, they were naturally the Icefire Dragon Kings and Di Tian.

After finishing all this, Wukong left the village and found a hidden corner.

He quickly took off his mismatched clothes and changed into the village child's outfit.

The clothes were slightly too large, but they fit reasonably well.

Once changed, Wukong continued along the official road with long strides.

The sky gradually began to brighten.

At daybreak, the outline of a magnificent city finally appeared in Wukong's sight.

Above the city gates were carved three large characters—[Dragon Rising City]