Ziyang buried the events of last night deep in his heart, pretending they never happened. The next morning, he and Jiang Nannan left Shrek Academy together and embarked on their journey home.
After reaching the Spirit King realm, Spirit Masters gain the ability to fly at low altitudes, a significant advancement. After all, except for flying-type Spirits, other Spirit Masters who wish to fly either need to rely on special Spirit Abilities, special Spirit Bones, or flying spirit tools. To fly by their own power, they must reach the Spirit King realm to fly at low altitudes, which means flying about ten meters above the ground. To truly master free flight, they need to reach the Spirit Saint realm.
Although it was only low-altitude flight, for travel, it was much more convenient than walking or running. Indeed, on the way home, Ziyang advanced with great satisfaction by flying.
He held Jiang Nannan's slender waist, his gaze fixed on the environment ahead. Jiang Nannan wrapped her arms around Ziyang's body, her delicate form pressed against him, her small head resting on his shoulder, a look of contentment on her pretty face.
After a day and a night, Ziyang and Jiang Nannan passed through the Sunset Great Forest. Looking at the eerie and terrifying miasma-filled forest, Jiang Nannan still felt lingering fear, even though a year had passed and her spirit power had reached level 45. Ziyang's expression, however, was much more complex, showing apprehension, curiosity, hesitation, and contemplation.
Since their panicked retreat last time, Ziyang had scoured all books related to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Combined with Electrolux's conjectures, he was almost certain that the hidden mastermind behind the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was very likely the Sea God Tang San! The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well first appeared in historical records because of the Bi Lin Douluo Dugu Bo, but the second, third, and subsequent appearances were all due to the Sea God Tang San. The divine sense Electrolux detected, and the divinity of that unfamiliar strong man, all pointed to the Sea God Tang San.
Undoubtedly, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was deliberately hidden by this Sea God. As for why he would hide the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, an early Tang Sect text mentioned: "The ancestor, to protect the environment of this treasure land, specifically left an edict, forbidding future generations from disturbing it!"
Ziyang couldn't discern the truth of this statement, but Tang San's intention to monopolize this blessed land was clear. The divine sense in the clouds, the Bi Lin Flower cluster on the ground, and that unfamiliar strong man were all methods he left behind!
Did he really need to take such a risk?
Ziyang secretly pondered the pros and cons, passing through Heaven Dou City once more.
The two traveled north, stopping in Zhangyang Village for half a day. This was Ziyang's third time awakening Spirits for the children of Zhangyang Village. Unfortunately, apart from the eleven children who possessed spirit power the first time, none of the nine children in the second group nor the six children in this group had innate spirit power. However, to Ziyang and Jiang Nannan's delight, the little girl nicknamed Nuan Nuan, whose full name was Yang Zhenzhen, had decent cultivation talent, having already reached level 9, with a high chance of reaching level 10 before she turned ten.
Ziyang was prepared to see it through; he could help her acquire her first spirit ring, and even, if she wished, allow her to enter the Shrek Academy Outer Courtyard, which was not impossible.
After leaving Zhangyang Village, the two continued without stopping and finally, after three days, returned to Beihe Village, Anyang City.
"Dad, Mom, I'm home!" Ziyang called out loudly as he entered the house.
"Yang Yang, you're back!" Zhu Changhe, Liang Ying, and Zhu Ziguang, whom Liang Ying held in her arms, appeared before Ziyang, calling out happily.
Zhu Ziguang was already two years old, bearing some resemblance to Ziyang. His dark eyes curiously watched his older brother. Their last meeting was two years ago, so he naturally didn't remember Ziyang, but the kinship made the little one reach out to Ziyang with both hands, his voice a bit milky and somewhat slurred, "Ziyang, ge, gege…"
—
Ziyang spent half a month of leisurely time at home. Zhu Changhe and Liang Ying, who hadn't seen their eldest son in two years, naturally missed him greatly. Almost every day was filled with delicious food and late-night talks, as if they wanted to pour all two years of longing into these dozen or so days.
When Ziyang left, his star flame ring contained a large pile of clothes, all handmade by Liang Ying over the past two years.
Embarking on the journey back to Shrek Academy, Ziyang, after half a month of deliberation, finally made up his mind.
"Brother, are we really going into the Sunset Forest?" Jiang Nannan asked with a worried expression, "Just the two of us, can we really do it?"
"Don't worry, I've already thought of a foolproof plan!" Ziyang said with confidence.
His confidence infected Jiang Nannan, and much of her worry dissipated. She said with determined eyes, "Mm, I understand!"
The two quickly arrived at the same location where they had entered the Sunset Forest last time. After getting ready, they quickly stepped into the Sunset Forest. Although a year had passed, the changes within the Sunset Forest were not significant. They familiarized themselves with the path and arrived at the depths of the Sunset Forest, at the Bi Lin Flower cluster.
Looking at the very obvious small path, the apprehension Ziyang had been feeling suddenly dropped by half. That path was cleared by Ziyang using the Power of Death last time. After the strong man drove them away, he surprisingly didn't destroy this path, which showed that he didn't care about this Bi Lin Flower cluster.
"Nuan Nuan, let's begin!" Ziyang turned and said to Jiang Nannan.
"Okay." Jiang Nannan nodded, then pointed in a direction and said, "Brother, this way."
"Very good, Nuan Nuan, hide behind me and don't move!" Ziyang said with a serious expression, summoning the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe, then pointed to his shadow, telling Jiang Nannan to stand within it.
Jiang Nannan complied, but she didn't notice that something seemed to be hidden within Ziyang's shadow.
Those were a pair of dark eyes, whose owner was the Lich King, the ruler of the Lich race in the Undead Demiplane. Ziyang followed Electrolux's suggestion and summoned the Lich King, whose strength could rival a level 94 Titled Douluo, from the Undead Demiplane, having him hide in his shadow to ensure absolute safety.
The Lich King possessed the Shadow Escape technique, which allowed him to pull Ziyang and Jiang Nannan into the shadow space when danger arose, greatly ensuring their safety.
Ziyang's gaze was fixed on the Bi Lin Flowers in their direction of advance. Electrolux had said that these flowers had no divine sense, so he could devour their life force without any qualms, clearing a path.
He gripped the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe tightly, and the Power of Death within him rapidly filled the scythe. His eyes flashed, and he exerted force with his arm. The battle scythe, infused with the Power of Death, instantly flew out, spinning at high speed to form a Death vortex, harvesting the nearby Bi Lin Flowers. Vast life force was immediately devoured by the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe and fed back into Ziyang's body.
Ziyang began to refine this massive amount of life force, while simultaneously controlling the Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe with dual focus, clearing the Jade Scale Seven Absolute Flower.
Some Jade Scale Nine Absolute Flower tried to resist, but Ziyang was no longer at the same level as a year ago. He showed no fear against these ten-thousand-year-old Bi Lin Flowers, taking full advantage of the elemental suppression. All the Jade Scale Nine Absolute Flower blocking the way were devoured. The Jade Scale Nine Absolute Flower that were not in the way trembled, closing their leaves, not daring to make a sound.
The Death attribute was simply too terrifying for them as plants.
After about seven or eight hours, Ziyang and Jiang Nannan decided to rest. By this time, they could already see the end of the Bi Lin Flower cluster. At a distance of about eight hundred meters, a rock wall appeared. The rock wall was only one or two meters high, but it was exceptionally steep, as if carved by a knife. The Bi Lin Flowers only grew up to five meters away from the rock wall; within five meters of the rock wall, no living things grew.
Seeing the rock wall, Ziyang and Jiang Nannan were very excited, because they both understood that the rock wall belonged to the valley hidden in the miasma, and inside the valley, it was very likely where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was located!
"Nuan Nuan, no more rest. Let's push through in one go!" Ziyang said with excitement.
"Mm-hm!" Jiang Nannan nodded in agreement.
The Pacifying Life-Reaping Scythe was once again thrown into the Bi Lin Flower cluster by Ziyang, and the Death vortex reappeared. Another large group of Bi Lin Flowers had their life force devoured, vast expanses of green leaves withered and turned yellow, falling to become soil, nourishing this land. And Ziyang, in the joy of his spirit ring year limit slowly rising, slowly advanced forward.
The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was within reach!