The Ghost Domain.
The Ancient Wilderness.
Zhao Huai had been wandering here for over half a month.
He had been lost in the Ancient Wilderness for the same amount of time.
After Zhao Huai entered through the induction stone at the bottom of the sea, he was directly teleported to the very center of the Ancient Wilderness.
Here, he had witnessed many ancient ferocious beasts.
Qiongqi, Hundun, Taotie - these were beasts that could never be found or seen on the Nine - Province Continent, but in this Ancient Wilderness, Zhao Huai had seen quite a few.
When those ancient ferocious beasts saw someone setting foot in the Ancient Wilderness, they almost rushed out in droves. Such a ferocious sight was probably a spectacle that many alchemists would never see in their lifetime.
However, when those beasts got within ten meters of Zhao Huai, they all stopped.
After that, none of the beasts dared to get any closer.
This was because Zhao Huai's eyes had turned fiery red at that moment.
When the Fire Pupils appeared, all beasts paid homage.
Zhao Huai had been walking in the Ancient Wilderness for a long time. Although the beasts didn't dare to attack him, they also didn't dare to talk to him.
By this time, Zhao Huai had been in the Ancient Wilderness for so long that he was starting to show signs of exhaustion.
From the moment Zhao Huai entered the Ancient Wilderness, his every move had been under the watchful eyes of Mo Bai and the others.
The Purple - Gold Black - Robed Man sat high on the main seat.
"Divine Throne, can this formation trap and kill the Beast Sovereign?"
The formation in the Ancient Wilderness was a powerful maze that the Divine Throne had created with all his life's efforts. Since Zhao Huai's bloodline hadn't fully awakened yet, it was still a bit of a stretch for him to deal with the Purple - Gold Black - Robed Man.
"Do you think the Beast Sovereign is so easy to trap and kill? Even if I use all my strength to construct this Eight - Kill Diagram, I can only trap him in the formation. These ferocious beasts pose no threat to him at all."
"Father, let's wait until he exhausts his energy and then show up."
"Okay."
It was all Zhao Huai's own stubbornness that was to blame.
In the Ancient Wilderness, he was obsessed with finding the ancient divine beast, the Phoenix. So every time he tried to leave, Mo Bai's father would make the sound of a phoenix's cry from a new direction.
Every time the young Zhao Huai heard this, he would grit his teeth and plunge back into the deep mountains and dense forests.
"Why is this Beast Sovereign so obsessed with the Phoenix?"
He himself was the supreme being in the beast world. Although the ancient divine beast Phoenix was precious, it wasn't worth him going to such lengths.
Could it be that he wanted to use the Phoenix to evolve his divine power?
No.
Although everyone was confused, they still kept changing the formation according to Zhao Huai's position.
Zhao Huai walked for a long time.
Only five days were left until Zhao Shuning's birthday, but he still had no clue.
"If I really can't find it, then I'll just let it go."
Being able to accompany little Ning'er was probably what would make her happiest.
As soon as this thought crossed Zhao Huai's mind, the surroundings began to shake. He instinctively felt something was wrong. Two transparent wings suddenly sprouted from his back, carrying his body away from the ground.
Sure enough, the next moment, a palace began to emerge from the ground.
After the palace stopped "growing", Zhao Huai could finally see what it looked like.
From the outside, this palace looked extremely solemn.
Zhao Huai slowly landed on the ground and saw two large characters carved on the palace - Shenzong.
Faint sounds of dragon and phoenix cries came from inside the main hall. This time, the sounds were more distinct than before.
His brows furrowed, and he walked in.
Since he had come this far, it wouldn't hurt to take a look inside.
But the moment Zhao Huai stepped into the main hall, the hall began to sink into the ground.
Zhao Huai grabbed the stone pillars inside the hall with both hands to steady himself.
Then, more and more people slowly appeared in front of Zhao Huai.
The fabric of the clothes of the man standing in the front looked very familiar to Zhao Huai.
But when he looked at the man's face, he felt completely unfamiliar.
"Who are you?"
"Beast Sovereign, we finally meet."
The main hall was plunged into darkness.
The scene shifted, and it was three days before Zhao Shuning's birthday.
That night, Yan Ruyu arrived, and Feng Zhan came as well.
Seeing Zhao Shuning, Feng Zhan presented the gift he had prepared: "Little girl, it's not much."
"Thank you, Uncle - Master."
Zhao Shuning politely bowed deeply to Feng Zhan.
"You're welcome, you're welcome."
Yan Ruyu looked at Zhao Shuning with even more tenderness in his eyes.
"Ning'er."
"Master, I'm really surprised you could come."
Yan Ruyu smiled gently: "Stretch out your hands."
Zhao Shuning obediently stretched out both hands. Yan Ruyu gently drew a magic seal on them. A blue lotus flower appeared on the magic seal.
When Feng Zhan saw this, his eyes widened.
The Pure Lotus Demonic Fire.
Damn it, Feng Buran, are you really that affectionate?
To Feng Zhan's relief, Buran wasn't passing on the Pure Lotus Demonic Fire to Zhao Shuning this time, but the mental method derived from it.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness."
After Yan Ruyu and Feng Zhan were welcomed in by Zhao Shuning's unsuspecting parents, Zhao Shuning was about to follow them in.
But someone called her softly from behind.
"Zhao Shuning."
Zhao Shuning turned around. It was Xia Wanning.
Why was she here?
"Elder Xia, what are you doing here?"
"I heard it's almost your birthday, so I came to have a look."
"Did you come with the Emperor?"
After being exposed by Zhao Shuning, Xia Wanning's expression changed. She said, "Sometimes, being too smart isn't a good thing."
Zhao Shuning frowned and continued, "What do you want?"
"I don't understand, Zhao Shuning. Why would the Emperor come for the birthday of an external disciple of the sect?"
"What does it matter to you?"
Jealousy welled up in Xia Wanning's heart. She had finally gotten rid of Ye Ling. She thought no one could stop her anymore. Then, there was the Saintess of Qingyun Country. Now, even this unremarkable Zhao Shuning had caught the Emperor's eye.
"Elder Xia, if you have nothing to do, you can go back. I don't really welcome you here."
"Wait."
"What else do you have to say?"
"Since the Emperor has given you a gift, I can't come empty - handed. Three days later is your sixteenth birthday banquet. I'll give you a gift then."
A sense of foreboding welled up in Zhao Shuning's heart.
"Elder Xia, you should go back. If the sect is left with only Elder Ji, he might be too busy."
As soon as Zhao Shuning finished speaking, she turned around and didn't intend to pay any more attention to Xia Wanning.
But a burst of laughter came from behind her.
"Ji Qinglin is already dead. Don't you know?"
Zhao Shuning's heart skipped a beat. Her feet felt as if they were filled with lead, and she couldn't move anymore.
She turned around, her eyes red.
"What did you say?"
"I said, Ji Qinglin - is dead -"
Before Xia Wanning could finish her sentence, Zhao Shuning suddenly rushed forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring, charging straight at Xia Wanning.