When Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan reappeared in the outer perimeter, they saw vast numbers of demonic beasts prostrating themselves on the ground, trembling in fear.
Oh no!
They could no longer be called demonic beasts, for the demonic energy within them had been diminished by nine-tenths under the radiant light.
It could be said that they had returned to their original forms.
"Dad! Ao Xiang! What is this?!"
Zi Linling looked at Zi Guochang and then at Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, her voice filled with confusion.
"Just as the darkness dispersed and light arrived, these demonic beasts were terrified and ran amok. Your father and I had no choice but to use some unconventional methods to subdue them," Zi Guochang explained with a chuckle.
"Old monster, I've told you countless times, I am a five-clawed golden dragon, not a mudfish!" Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, corrected him indignantly, shaking his fists.
Zi Guochang nodded and said with mock seriousness, "Right, right! You're a mudfish, not a dragon!"
Ao Xiang gritted his teeth and declared, "Old monster, you're asking for a beating!"
With that, he raised his fist and charged towards Zi Guochang. Of course, he was in human form now, but the power behind his punch was not to be underestimated.
Zi Guochang's figure flickered, evading the incoming fist, but he was still grazed by the wind generated by the punch, feeling a dull ache.
"Mudfish, you actually attack without any semblance of a strong demeanor!" he cried out as he dodged.
Of course, if it came to a fight to the death, Zi Guochang would not fear Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon. Otherwise, twelve years ago, he would not have managed to terrify those demonic beasts when he knew Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, was present. However, his disadvantage was that he could not fight to the death, which meant many of his moves were unusable. Thus, he spent more time dodging than attacking.
By the time Zi Linling and Ye Lingyuan recovered from their shock, the man and the dragon had already exchanged over a hundred blows.
"Ye Lingyuan, let's return to the Azure Dragon Empire first. Let these two continue their spar here!" Zi Linling's voice was not loud, but it was heard by Zi Guochang and Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, without missing a single word.
The two of them stopped their movements in unison and looked at Zi Linling. It was important to note that both Zi Guochang and Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, were eager to leave. Otherwise, they wouldn't have desperately searched for an exit before. Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, in particular, had been trapped for a thousand years, and his longing for Xixi had grown incredibly profound. He yearned to leave this place and find where Xixi was buried to ease his longing. Now, Zi Linling's words had struck him directly in the heart. They could fight anytime, but the desire to leave was immediate.
As for Zi Guochang, although he felt quite content lately with Zi Linling by his side, his spirit, yearning for freedom after being trapped in this tiny place for over a decade, had endured immense torment. Only those who had experienced it could understand. Moreover, Zi Linling's birthday was just a few days away, and as someone who hadn't been by her side since she was little, he didn't even have a proper gift. Adding to that, he hadn't received any news from Yue Wumei in twelve years, making him extremely restless. He simply didn't want to mention it to Zi Linling, to avoid causing her additional worry and sadness. Therefore, he had to leave as soon as possible. In this regard, he shared common ground with Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, and thus they stopped fighting simultaneously.
"Lin'er, did you just say return to the Azure Dragon Empire?" Zi Guochang asked, his voice trembling. His eyes shone brightly with increasing joy, and something glistening welled up within them.
"Miss Zi, can we really go back?" Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, also asked with a tremor in his voice. Hope ignited in his eyes, making his heart feel bright and sunny.
"Are you not fighting anymore?" Zi Linling asked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips, without answering their question directly.
"No more fighting, no more fighting! Leaving is what's most important!" Zi Guochang said with a grin.
"If I can leave, I'm willing to not fight for a thousand years!" Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, declared earnestly, as if he were making a solemn vow.
Zi Linling stopped teasing the man and the dragon. She nodded and said, "In that case, prepare yourselves, and we'll leave!"
"Good, good, good!" Zi Guochang and Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, replied in unison.
But then, they both asked blankly, "Prepare for what?"
Zi Linling replied, exasperated, "Naturally, we need to clean up the mess!"
"Ah?"
The man and the dragon looked even more bewildered and asked, "Clean up... the mess?"
Zi Linling found their reaction amusing and said, "How do you plan to deal with these beasts who are terrified by you? And do you want to take your belongings from your cave dwellings?"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Zi Guochang and Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, nodded repeatedly. Then, they turned to handle the demonic beasts. Of course, their methods were simple. Zi Guochang retracted his aura, while Ao Xiang, the five-clawed golden dragon, pacified them in beast language and then withdrew his dragon's might. Without the dragon's might and Zi Guochang's deterrence, the demonic beasts dispersed in twos and threes.
In the end, only a few spirit beasts remained, including the Dark Gale Leopard that Zi Linling had subdued when she first arrived.
Zi Linling asked in surprise, "Why aren't you leaving?"
"We want to follow you, Master!" The Dark Gale Leopard was the first to express its desire, and the other spirit beasts nodded in agreement.
"Follow me? Are you sure? You know, if you stay here, you will be the kings of this place, and your lives will not be threatened. Of course, this doesn't apply if you fight amongst yourselves. But if you follow me, you will face many enemies and dangers, and you might even lose your lives. Even so, are you willing to follow me?"
The Dark Gale Leopard thought for a moment and then nodded its furry head, stating firmly, "Master, once a servant, always a servant! Since I am Master's mount, I cannot be separated from Master. As for danger, it is a matter of fate!"
Zi Linling nodded and looked at the other spirit beasts, "What about you?"
The spirit beasts looked at each other, and finally shook their heads, slowly departing. A hint of sadness appeared in the Dark Gale Leopard's eyes. After all, they had spent a long time together and had become the best of allies. Thus, facing imminent separation, it naturally felt a pang of reluctance. At the same time, it grieved for their choice, but that did not change its own decision.
"Gale Leopard, since you have chosen me, I will naturally take you with me! However, before we leave, I need you to fulfill your duty as a mount one more time."
"What duty?"
"You need to lead us to sweep... ah, that is, to clear out all the medicinal herbs here!"