But Long’er ultimately did not disappoint, saying to Zi Linling, “Master, he does indeed carry the scent of a treasure, but it is very faint, as if…”
“As if what?” Zi Linling asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.
“As if…” Long’er’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he said with certainty, “That’s right, the treasure must be hidden on him!”
Zi Linling’s face showed joy, “Can you find it?”
“Of course!” Long’er patted his chest proudly.
“Alright then, quickly recover, and I’ll take you out to find the treasure!” Zi Linling stroked Long’er’s little head, unable to hide her delight.
Long’er was overjoyed at the prospect of going out again. Fearing Zi Linling might change her mind, he quickly patted his chest again, “Master, treasure hunting doesn’t take much effort, I’ve almost recovered!”
“Really?” Zi Linling looked at him meaningfully. Long’er and the other three beasts had been greatly depleted to maintain the Four Symbols Lock Heaven Array. She didn’t believe Long’er could recover so quickly.
Long’er scratched his head guiltily, “Master, I… I’ve only… recovered twenty percent of my strength, but it’s enough for treasure hunting!”
Looking at Long’er’s expectant eyes, Zi Linling felt a pang of guilt. Long’er was still a child with childlike innocence, full of curiosity and longing for the outside world. Yet, ever since he followed her, he had spent most of his time confined to the contract space. How cruel this must be for a child.
Thinking of this, Zi Linling gently stroked Long’er’s head and smiled, “Long’er, the outside world is wonderful, but it is also full of danger. Therefore, we must always ensure we are in peak condition to face any sudden crises.”
“I know you yearn for the outside world. These past years, I have been too busy and neglected you and Xiao Hu, making you endure loneliness in the contract space.”
“How about this, I promise you, as long as there’s no danger, I’ll let you and Xiao Hu stay outside. Okay?”
Long’er nodded uncontrollably, exclaiming excitedly, “Really? That’s wonderful! Master, you don’t know how stuffy it is in the contract space. Xiao Hu and I have wanted to go out and play for a long time, but we were afraid of dragging Master down.”
“So we never dared to say anything, only when Master needed us could we go out for some fresh air.” Being a child at heart, Long’er’s eyes welled up with tears, and he looked utterly wronged. His pitiable expression made Zi Linling feel even more guilty.
She knelt in front of Long’er, cupped his round little face, and said with concern, “How about this, you recover quickly. I’ll wait for you and Xiao Hu outside. From today onwards, you won’t have to be cooped up in the contract space every day.”
“Wonderful!” Long’er leaped three feet into the air, cheering, “Master, I’ve already memorized the scent of his treasure. I’ll recover quickly, and then Xiao Hu and I will help you find it!”
“Mhm!” Zi Linling smiled reassuringly, and her soul left the nascent world, returning to her body.
Then, she turned to Elder Du and said, “Elder Du, do you know where the Dragon Clan is? I want to take some time to take Long’er back to see them.”
“It’s been nearly five years since Long’er’s father, Ao Xiangtian, entrusted Long’er to me. It’s time I took Long’er back to see him, after all, he is Long’er’s father.”
Elder Du nodded, “You’re right, that’s a good idea. In that case, I’ll introduce you to the situation of the Divine Remnant Continent.”
“The Divine Remnant Continent is divided into nine domains: the Myriad Beast Domain, the Demon Spirit Domain, the Heavenly Demon Domain, the Crimson Source Blood Domain, the Ghost Clan, the Nine Saint Domain, the Divine Remnant Domain, the Chaos Domain, and the War Heaven Domain.”
“The nine domains radiate outwards from the Nine Saint Domain occupied by humans, the Divine Remnant Domain inhabited by ancient remnants, and the War Heaven Domain where the War of Guardians took place.”
“To the east is the Myriad Beast Domain where the Beast Clan resides. To the southeast is the Demon Spirit Clan where the Spirit Clan resides. To the south is the Ghost Domain occupied by the Ghost Clan. To the north is the Heavenly Demon Domain where the Demon Clan lives. To the west is the Chaos Domain where various races live together.”
“And the Crimson Source Blood Domain where we are now is west of the Chaos Domain, meaning it is the far west of the Divine Remnant Continent. The Dragon Clan resides in the Myriad Beast Domain, the easternmost part of the Divine Remnant Continent.”
“The Myriad Beast Domain is the domain of the Beast Clan, led by the Eight Great Divine Beasts, comprising eight tribes: the Dragon Clan, the Phoenix Clan, the Qilin Clan, the Fox Clan, the Tiger Clan, the Roc Clan, the Fierce Beast Clan, and the Sea Beast Clan. I will provide a detailed introduction when you arrive in the Myriad Beast Domain.”
“Besides the Crimson Source Blood Domain where we are currently located, the other eight domains are in constant conflict. Furthermore, within each domain, there are numerous vying factions, making it very complex.”
“The Crimson Source Blood Domain is not large; it is the lair of the ancient Blood Demon. Because the ancient Blood Demon originated from the Guardian Clan, the other eight domains give it some respect and rarely disturb it.”
After Elder Du’s introduction, Zi Linling felt her head swell. She hadn't expected the Divine Remnant Continent to be so intricate. Finding the reincarnated bodies of five protected individuals on such a vast and complex continent was like searching for a needle in a haystack. However, with the Cataclysm of Annihilation imminent, Zi Linling could not afford to retreat.
She took a deep breath and asked, “Elder Du, how do you know so much about the Divine Remnant Continent?”
Elder Du was taken aback. “I don’t know. These memories just seemed to appear out of nowhere.”
“…”
This was acceptable? Zi Linling didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. However, the most pressing matter now was to find the Blood Vein Spiritual Silk Bone for Elder Du and help him refine a physical body as soon as possible. The strange phenomenon with Elder Du could only be investigated later.
Just then, Xuanyuan Xun and Rong Guang returned.
“How is it? Did you find anything?” Zi Linling asked expectantly.
The two exchanged glances and shook their heads, their faces filled with disappointment.
Zi Linling was about to comfort them when she noticed Shen Liuxing and Shangguan Yulin also returning. She asked again with anticipation, “Did you find anything on your side?”
Shen Liuxing glared at Shangguan Yulin and shook his head helplessly, “Apologies, Sister Zi, we found nothing.”
Then, he was about to ask Xuanyuan Xun and Rong Guang if they had found anything, only to see their dejected expressions. He immediately understood and said apologetically, “Sister Zi, why don’t the four of us swap directions and search again?”
Zi Linling shook her head, “No need! We’ll go together once Long’er has recovered!”