Early the next morning, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying ate a simple meal and set off toward Xuanwu Forest.
As for Liu Tian, Yin Zhang left him behind in the small town to watch over the carriage and wait for their return.
Yin Zhang carried Qiangu Yunying as they flew through the air, heading deeper into Xuanwu Forest.
Since the age of his fifth spirit ring had been fixed at fifty thousand years from the start, he naturally went straight for the forest's core region.
They couldn't stay airborne forever, so they descended near a lakeside.
Their feet touched the ground steadily.
Qiangu Yunying finally released her grip on Yin Zhang, having clung to him like an octopus the entire way.
Fortunately, Yin Zhang flew using spirit wings rather than physical wings growing from his back, so it didn't affect his balance or speed.
"Hehe, we finally landed."
Qiangu Yunying looked at the shimmering lake before her and stretched out her arms, embracing nature with a hint of sentimentality.
"Xiao Zhang, your fifth spirit ring is locked at fifty thousand years. Then by the time you reach your seventh ring, it'll be a hundred thousand years, right?"
Yin Zhang chuckled softly.
"If possible, the fifth ring should ideally be a hundred thousand years as well."
Qiangu Yunying rolled her eyes at him.
"A hundred thousand years? Do you think hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts grow like cabbages? Even if we really encountered one, we couldn't beat it! You're dreaming. Unless the spirit beast willingly sacrifices itself for you—but that's obviously wishful thinking, Dao."
Yin Zhang only smiled, offering no rebuttal.
He still remembered the choice prompt that appeared when he faced the three-thousand-year Crimson Flame Roaring Tiger in the spirit beast forest together with Qiangu Yuan.
By choosing the first option back then, it meant he was destined to have a connection with the hundred-thousand-year Crimson Flame Roaring Tiger Emperor in the future.
Later, during the Continental Elite Tournament, he learned more about the Crimson Flame Roaring Tiger Emperor from Tang Zhen—and was shocked to discover that there were actually two of them.
One had escaped after undergoing human transformation, while the other fled after being severely injured. Their current whereabouts were unknown.
Yin Zhang even speculated that he might cross paths with them during his future travels across the continent. Thinking about it carefully, the possibility was far from low.
"Sister Yunying, let's go this way," Yin Zhang said softly. "When we were in the air, I sensed a powerful spirit beast nest in this direction. If we head this way, we should be able to find a suitable target."
Qiangu Yunying naturally followed his lead, moving deeper into the forest.
Along the way, danger was everywhere, though the most common threats came from seemingly insignificant spirit beasts.
They encountered swarms of small venomous spiders—spirit beasts that lived in large colonies within a small forested area. They crawled across tree trunks and burrowed through the soil, packed densely together. The strongest among them was a ten-thousand-year Spider King.
These spiders shared a single name: Red Spider Demons.
Among them, the Eternal Red Spider Demon—also known as the Red Spider Demon King—could even summon vast numbers of its kin to form massive swarms.
Their venom was terrifyingly potent. Even a hundred-thousand-year spirit beast would suffer if it dared to endure the poison head-on.
For Yin Zhang, dealing with them was troublesome, but far from impossible.
He summoned his martial soul, Charizard, and first used his mental-type spirit ability, Mental Storm, to gather the Red Spider Demons together, wiping out half of them instantly. Then, focusing his power, he unleashed scorching dragon flames, burning the rest to ashes.
After traveling for some time, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying arrived at a valley.
Seeing the beautiful scenery within, Qiangu Yunying couldn't help but feel curious.
"Xiao Zhang, are you sure there's really a dragon-type spirit beast in this valley?"
Yin Zhang nodded and smiled faintly.
"I'm absolutely certain. You might not be able to sense it, but in my perception, this valley is filled with traces of a dragon-type spirit beast around fifty to sixty thousand years old. Look at the ground—there are countless small burrows everywhere, all belonging to Soft Bones Rabbits. Yet they're so cautious that they don't even dare come out during the day."
"That means the dragon spirit beast here usually hunts in daylight. Since that's the case, we'll wait. Once it appears, it's mine—and it won't be escaping."
The two hid behind a massive boulder.
Before long, a deep dragon's roar echoed through the heavens and the earth.
Because of the valley's unique terrain, the roar reverberated again and again, causing all the Soft Bones Rabbits to tremble in terror.
With dull thuds, Soft Bones Rabbits burst out of the ground, fleeing in panic. Their frantic cries sounded almost comical.
Then came the unmistakable sounds of chewing.
These Soft Bones Rabbits were utterly helpless before the giant dragon.
Seeing this, Yin Zhang chuckled softly.
"It's pretty smart. It keeps these Soft Bones Rabbits like livestock. Whenever it's hungry, it comes out to hunt them—and judging by this, it eats quite well."
Peeking out, Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying saw a massive dragon over six meters tall, covered in crimson scales, standing upright. A pair of broad dragon wings stretched from its back, and each enormous claw gripped several Soft Bones Rabbits.
The ground beneath it was littered with rabbit corpses, their fate already sealed.
After stuffing the rabbits from its left claw into its fang-filled mouth, it chewed noisily, blood spilling from between its teeth. Then it reached down again, grabbing more prey and continuing its feast.
Both Yin Zhang and Qiangu Yunying were stunned by the sight.
Yin Zhang swallowed hard, feeling both excitement and confusion.
"I never thought I'd encounter a true dragon here. No… not a true dragon. It just looks similar. This is a sub-dragon species, one that closely resembles a true dragon."
"It's only a spirit beast—but that's more than enough. I didn't expect to find a sub-dragon in Xuanwu Forest. Judging by its aura, it's definitely over fifty thousand years old. This is it."
"Once I absorb its spirit ring, the dragon bloodline within me will surge once more."
He turned to Qiangu Yunying.
"Sister Yunying, do you think you could defeat it on your own?"
Qiangu Yunying thought for a moment.
"If it were an ordinary fifty-thousand-year spirit beast, that wouldn't be a problem. But if it's a sub-dragon species that's close to a true dragon…"