Chapter 100: Hong Ying

  Three days had passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Yang Tian had been quietly recovering his strength, though he dared not use any high-grade healing pills for fear of drawing unwanted attention.

  Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Tian had spent nearly nine days recovering. Thanks to the vast supply of healing elixirs, half of his physical injuries had healed.

  Over these three days, Yang Tian had gradually learned more about his surroundings. The Hong family hailed from Zhenyao City, a large city bordering the Ten Thousand Mountains. It was several times larger than Martial City.

  The Ten Thousand Mountains were a haven for demonic beasts. The outer regions alone stretched for millions of miles, teeming with low-level ferocious beasts. Beast tides were a common occurrence here, making Zhenyao City a hub for mercenaries.

  The Hong family was a minor clan in Zhenyao City. This particular group had ventured into the mountains to gather a medicinal herb called Bone-Cleansing Flower, a key ingredient for high-grade second-tier healing pills. They were essentially a herb-gathering team.

  What puzzled Yang Tian was why both daughters of the Hong family were part of this expedition. He hadn't met the eldest daughter, Hong Xue, but according to Hong Ying, she was the strongest member of the team.

  Night fell, and the camp was alive with the crackling of bonfires and the aroma of roasting meat.

  "Whimper..." Xiao Bai stirred, poking his head out with a longing look at the sizzling meat.

  "Stay put, little guy," Yang Tian chuckled, gently pushing Xiao Bai back into his robes.

  The carriage door creaked open, and Hong Ying appeared, her smile warm. Over the past few days, she and Yang Tian had grown closer. "Brother Yang, it's time to eat."

  Yang Tian nodded and carefully stepped out of the carriage, walking alongside Hong Ying toward the group of men gathered around the fire. He couldn't help but feel a bit awkward about the affectionate title.

  "Yang Tian, come and have some meat!" a burly man called out, standing up as he spotted Yang Tian. His booming voice carried across the camp.

  Others turned their gazes toward Yang Tian, their expressions a mix of curiosity and surprise. Despite his severe injuries, he was already up and about after just two days—no ordinary feat.

  "Hmph, freeloading every day, acting like some big shot," a handsome young man sneered, his eyes flickering with disdain as he glanced between Yang Tian and Hong Ying.

  The mocking comment drew a few chuckles from those around him, clearly enjoying the drama.

  "Wang Mo, if the meat can't shut your mouth, go patrol instead," the burly man barked, glaring at the young man. Wang Mo shrank back, though his cold gaze remained fixed on Yang Tian.

  "Don't mind him, Brother Yang. Here, have some meat," the burly man said with a hearty laugh, tossing a piece of roasted meat to Yang Tian.

  "Thank you, Brother Tieta," Yang Tian replied with a smile. Tieta was the captain of the guards, a seventh-level martial artist, while the rest of the guards were around the fifth level.

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  "Yang Tian, any plans for the future?" Tieta asked as he sat down, his eyes studying the young man.

  "Not yet. I'll figure it out once I recover," Yang Tian replied, scratching his nose with a smile.

  "You're one tough kid. Surviving such severe injuries is no small feat," Tieta said, tearing off a piece of meat with a laugh.

  "I owe it all to Hong Ying. If it weren't for her, I'd have been beast food by now," Yang Tian said, glancing toward the carriage where Hong Ying had disappeared. He was deeply grateful to her.

  When they had found Yang Tian by the river, it was Hong Ying who had insisted on saving him. Without her, he wouldn't even be alive.

  "Kid, you think you can just call her 'Hong Ying'?" Wang Mo snapped, his voice dripping with venom. "You're just a cripple. What gives you the right to address the second young lady so casually? Don't get any funny ideas just because she's nice to you."

  Yang Tian's eyes turned icy, his fists clenching slightly. A flash of crimson light flickered in his gaze, sending a chill down Wang Mo's spine. Even Tieta felt a cold shiver.

  Wang Mo's heart skipped a beat, a flicker of fear rising within him. But it was quickly replaced by anger and humiliation. Before he could retort, Tieta's sharp glare silenced him.

  The tension dissipated as others quickly changed the subject, laughter filling the air. Yang Tian gradually warmed up to the group.

  As for Wang Mo, Yang Tian paid him little mind. It was clear the young man harbored feelings for Hong Ying, but her indifference had turned his jealousy toward Yang Tian.

  "Everyone, stay sharp tonight. We'll reach our destination the day after tomorrow. Don't let anything go wrong," Tieta announced after the meal. During Yang Tian's stay in the carriage, there had been occasional attacks by low-level beasts, but nothing serious.

  "Kid, watch out tonight. Don't let the wolves drag you away. No one's gonna bury you," Wang Mo sneered as he passed Yang Tian, his voice laced with malice.

  "Idiot," Yang Tian muttered under his breath, watching Wang Mo walk away. He then returned to the carriage.

  Inside the Ancestral Dragon Ring, Yang Tian surveyed the vast field of medicinal herbs absorbing the surrounding energy. A smile tugged at his lips. The herbs he had obtained from Martial Mountain could be cultivated here, though their growth was slower than outside, it was still several times faster.

  Sitting cross-legged, Yang Tian pondered for a moment before popping a Star Pill into his mouth. As the pill dissolved, hundreds of starlight specks appeared within his body.

  The starlight seeped into his flesh, rapidly healing his broken skin. Yang Tian could feel his physical energy strengthening.

  "It works," Yang Tian murmured with satisfaction, swallowing a handful of Star Pills. Countless specks of starlight flooded his body, most of them converging into his river of blood and qi.

  "I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to manifest the Starlight Over Azure Sky phenomenon," Yang Tian thought, sensing his body and blood qi recovering at an astonishing rate. Not only would he heal, but his physical and blood qi strength would also skyrocket.

  His body, now tempered by starlight, emitted a faint, radiant glow. Within his river of blood and qi, arcs of lightning danced among the starlight.

  Star Pills were ancient treasures, crafted by sages who harnessed the power of stars and combined it with primordial energy. With enough fortune, one could manifest the Starlight Over Azure Sky phenomenon—a rare feat in modern times.

  This phenomenon could draw upon the power of stars, benefiting both blood qi and physical body. Starlight would temper the flesh, while blood qi would evolve into a celestial phenomenon.

  Two days later, Yang Tian opened his eyes. With a thought, a faint starlight shimmered across his skin, though it was barely visible to the naked eye.

  "If I can manifest the Starlight Over Azure Sky phenomenon, I won't need to rely on pills to temper my body. The stars themselves will provide endless energy," Yang Tian mused. But such a feat was far from easy.

  After a moment of silence, Yang Tian remembered something. He picked up two jade slips he had obtained from the Star Sect and focused his spiritual sense on one of them.

  "Why is it repelling me? Is my spiritual power insufficient?" Yang Tian frowned, observing the jade slip. He then channeled the starlight within him into the slip.

  As the starlight gathered, the jade slip rippled faintly before returning to normal.

  "This jade slip must be connected to the starlight within me. Perhaps I need to manifest the Starlight Over Azure Sky phenomenon to unlock it," Yang Tian sighed, setting the slip aside. He then picked up the other jade slip, though he held little hope for it.