As dusk settled upon the desolate avenue, a mist, both ethereal and tangible, was observed hurtling forward. Its colors shifted ceaselessly with the changing surroundings—now a verdant green, now a dusty yellow.

From a distance, one could barely discern its presence. But up close, one could make out a majestic male lion, easily over two zhang tall, galloping at great speed.

Not only was it wreathed in mist, but its silhouette flickered in and out of view beneath the setting sun. And there sat Zong Shou, reclining comfortably upon the broad back of the lion, eyes half-closed, basking in the final rays of sunlight.

Furthermore, two ropes trailed behind the giant beast. At the end of one rope was Chu Xue, her face flushed crimson as she was tethered there, forced to run.

The other rope held Xiao Jin, who was bouncing along, though mostly dragged airborne. Despite its plump form, it currently wore a pitiful, pained expression.

Chu Xue’s eyes sparkled, gazing imploringly at Zong Shou, mere inches from outright begging. Seeing the youth on the lion’s back seemed to have drifted off to sleep, her eyes flickered momentarily.

She quietly gathered herself and leaped, landing near the tip of the Longying Shi’s tail. But before she could stabilize herself, a flash of white light struck—a pebble hitting the top of her foot.

Her body immediately went numb, and she tumbled off the lion’s back once more. She narrowly avoided a hard fall, stumbling a few awkward steps before regaining her footing, her face etched with misery.

“Young Master, Xue’er has been running for half the day! Over three hundred li without stopping for a moment!

We haven’t rested at all yesterday either.” Zong Shou let out a faint sigh, stretching as if just waking from a deep slumber. The fatigue of the previous night had finally receded considerably.

He had initially felt this lion was unsuitable as his guardian beast, but now he thought having such a Jingshou for transport seemed quite beneficial. As far as he knew, Spirit Masters usually preferred soul beasts or spirit sprites (Hunshou Jingmei) as guardians.

They were easy to control and cultivate; with sufficient Yin energy, spirit stones, and materials, their rank could be rapidly increased. But living Jingshou mounts were rare.

Jingshou possessed flesh and blood, making them cumbersome to manage. Their vital energy was strong, resisting soul control formations and prone to backlashing.

The mental connection required consumed several times the soul power a Spirit Master expended on a soul beast, and they could not be sealed away. Moreover, improving their combat strength through rank advancement was exceptionally difficult.

Even when Spirit Masters occasionally chose a living Jingshou as a guardian, they usually selected those with lower intelligence or young beasts to nurture. Xiao Jin belonged to the former category; this little one’s intelligence wasn’t actually weak, but in the eyes of the world, Nianshou were inherently simple-minded.

As for young beasts, unless they were high-tier Jingshou from birth, they were also not ideal choices. Ascending from the first rank to the ninth would take millennia and countless spirit elixirs—it was nearly impossible otherwise.

Take Lingyun Longruo, for instance, the Black Flood Dragon he once controlled was a true anomaly. It was said that it transformed from a common Black Python to something approaching a true Dragon in only twenty years.

The Longying Shi beneath him now, though its lineage wasn't exceptional, possessed superb comprehension. The day Zong Shou used his soul to command a sword, manifesting the Longying Sword Intent just once, this lion had already grasped something, causing its bloodline to mutate and advance to the fourth rank.

The Longying Shi was not only swift in its travel but also excelled at stealth. In daylight, its combat strength rivaled that of peak Demon Beasts of the same rank.

At night, however, it was the undisputed king of beasts. Yet, such a Jingshou was better suited for concealment, ambush, and swift, fatal strikes—an assassin of the night.

As a guardian, it was inferior to Xiao Jin currently. Still, as a mount, it was grudgingly adequate.

Although it couldn't fly, sleeping upon its back was far more comfortable than any carriage. As if sensing Zong Shou’s thoughts, the Longying Shi let out a mournful cry, seemingly mourning its fate as a mere mount.

Zong Shou paid it no mind and was about to settle into meditation when he could no longer bear the piercing gaze fixed upon him from behind, a look capable of boring through him. Exasperated, he spoke, “Stop staring.

This is for your own good too. The potency of the Renji Elixir is immense—it’s a top-tier foundation-building spirit elixir for the Body Wheel realm.

Chu Xue, you have an excellent opportunity. With this elixir’s aid, plus my personal instruction**—you should reach the Innate Realm within about three months!

However, the power of this elixir is notoriously difficult to fully assimilate. The longer you run, the better it is for you.

Xiao Jin is in a similar situation. As the saying goes: ‘A sharp sword is honed by grinding; plum blossoms gain their fragrance from bitter cold’; how can one see a rainbow without enduring wind and rain—” Chu Xue’s expression remained indignant, still somewhat unconvinced.

No matter how strong the Renji Elixir was, could it surpass the entire essence contained within that Thunder Luan Egg? Then, Zong Shou turned his head back with a half-smile, observing her again: “Of course, if you are willing to learn the three sets of Guidance Arts from your Young Master, and memorize them all, then you won’t have to tire yourself running—” Chu Xue’s face immediately crumpled, resembling a bitter gourd.

Compared to the drowsy, flabby Guidance Arts, she preferred the physical exertion of running. Zong Shou smiled and submerged his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness.

For the first time since absorbing the Thunder Luan essence, he began to carefully examine his Divine Soul. “As expected, it’s because of the Thunder Luan’s spiritual origin—” He saw the original ‘Thunder’ character talisman suspended in the center of the vortex.

It had shockingly transformed into a Luan bird that seemed poised to spread its wings and fly. What was even more startling was that beneath the Luan bird, a Seven-Tailed Spirit Fox manifested, and signs of subtle fusion were appearing between the two.

He dared not approach them with his consciousness, but whenever he attempted to gather surrounding electrical energy, the Luan bird would emit a faint glimmer. “The Seven-Tailed Spirit Fox and the Arid Cloud Thunder Luan—illusion merging with lightning?” Zong Shou felt a bitter smile tugging at him; these two types of forces shared no discernible compatibility for fusion.

He surveyed the entire Sea of Consciousness. It had expanded dozens of times larger than a few days prior, finally beginning to take shape.

The vortex also appeared significantly more massive. The hidden danger that hadn’t been apparent before now finally showed its traces.

He observed that his Divine Soul, for unknown reasons, was riddled with holes, like something pierced a thousand times. Only a thin membrane protected its exterior.

His current state was akin to a poorly sewn balloon: the soul power could inflate, but once it reached a certain threshold, it would leak everywhere. Furthermore, there was his own bloodline.

At the core of the Sea of Consciousness, besides the Seven-Tailed Celestial Fox, there was also an inexplicable bloodline imprint. Even now, as the former showed signs of merging with the Thunder Luan imprint, it still held its own without being suppressed.

“This human bloodline actually has internal and external distinctions—” Zong Shou suddenly understood something. Perhaps this was one of the reasons Lingyun Longruo abandoned him.

His nascent soul inherently carried the potential for collapse. In a state like his, if he avoided cultivating soul power, it was fine.

But once he began practicing, even if his soul cultivation stalled from that point forward, it wouldn't take long before death claimed him. However— “By accident, a Heavenly Swallowing Primordial Transformation Great Law and a Thunder Luan Egg have actually resolved this inherent flaw of mine completely.

Should I call this luck, or was it Heaven’s will that I first follow the path of a Spirit Master?”