Douluo Continent: Long Live the Spirit Hall

Yan easily caught the punch Ji Mingming threw at his shoulder. For someone like him, Ji Mingming's skills were simply no match for him. However, this didn't stop him from playing around with the little girl.

"Don't be so arrogant."

Ji Mingming twisted her hands to break free from Yan's control, her body becoming almost ethereal, and her attacks, like a sudden storm, swept over all of Yan's body.

Her arms seemed to be cast in iron, and her lightning-fast steps created waves of heat in the air, but this technique had no effect on Yan.

"Little girl, have you had enough fun?"

Yan easily grabbed Ji Mingming's wrist once again, his face still bearing that carefree smile, which Ji Mingming found extremely irritating.

"You bastard."

A blazing red light and flames erupted from Ji Mingming's body, and in an instant, fiery red feathers covered all parts of her body, while a pair of fiery red wings appeared on her back.

She is the 'Rooster' among the twelve zodiac animals of this generation, and possesses the powerful fire attribute to transform into the Vermilion Bird, one of the Four Divine Beasts. She has potential far exceeding that of ordinary bloodline experts, and her sudden outburst even drew some attention from Yan.

Ji Mingming was now filled with rage. She leaped high into the air and charged towards Yan. Fiery red energy surged around her body, and her long black hair transformed into a fiery red color. Enveloped in the flame-like red energy, she crashed into Yan.

"Are you trying to throw yourself into my arms again?!"

Yan and Ji Mingming landed on the empty square outside the main hall. The cynical voice rose again, and Ji Mingming's anger intensified. She slammed her palms into Yan's chest and pushed him violently, spewing out powerful flames.

"That's all the power I've got!"

Yan leaned back slightly and landed lightly without being hurt. Although it was just an avatar that came here, he was almost invincible in this universe and could not be harmed by Ji Mingming.

Ji Mingming stared at Yan, her body surging with red light, and the feathers on her body rapidly changed. In an instant, the feathers on her body became much denser, her hands took the shape of phoenix claws, and a clear phantom of a firebird appeared behind her.

"Boom!"

Ji Mingming swung her hands, and a violent, fiery red stream of energy shot directly towards Yan's location. The intense heat even made the air scorch, but Yan's face remained largely unchanged.

"Is this all you're capable of?"

Yan casually caught Ji Mingming's attack in his hand, easily analyzed it, and then waved it away. He then beckoned to the girl with a finger in a provocative gesture.

It would be easy to kill Qi Yue, that little rascal, if we mess with him now. Yan doesn't seem to care about killing him yet, so let's find another target. Besides, Ji Mingming is more interesting than Qi Yue, especially with her awakening Vermilion Bird bloodline, which is also valuable research material.

"asshole!"

Ji Mingming bit her red lips slightly with her silver teeth, and a red light emerged from her body, surging towards Yan like a tidal wave. Her right fist condensed into a red ball of light the size of a basketball, which she then blasted straight at Yan.

"Your attack is pretty average."

Yan easily deflected Ji Mingming's full-force attack with his hand. The moment their fists and palms touched, Ji Mingming's body jolted, and her mind instantly cleared.

The red light emanating from her body was still surging, but she realized that she was no match for Yan at all, and she also sensed that Yan did not seem to have any intention of harming her. Her fighting spirit immediately diminished, and the energy around her dissipated considerably.

"Why did you stop? That red light from earlier seemed quite interesting."

Yan naturally noticed Ji Mingming's change. It has to be said that the peaceful environment of Yanhuang Kingdom has made everyone's personality more gentle and orderly, unlike some countries where people are basically mentally ill and would pull out guns in the street and stage gunfights every day.

However, Ji Mingming wasn't going to continue, which made Yan lose some of his fun. He simply reached back and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, then lowered his head and hooked his hand around Ji Mingming's smooth, fair chin. "Little girl, have you fallen for me? You can't even bear to hit me anymore."

"Pah! You bastard, look in the mirror! Let me go right now!"

Ji Mingming became even more powerless when Yan touched her waist. The saying "A man's head and a woman's waist are not to be touched" is actually quite true, because many girls' waists are very sensitive, and touching them casually is tantamount to being a pervert.

But Ji Mingming was just that kind of person. After Yan touched her waist, she immediately lost her ability to resist and was pulled into his arms.

Yan seemed to have found something amusing, and chuckled, "You still say you don't like me, but how do you explain that, clearly?"

Ji Mingming panicked and, seeing Shuiyue standing to the side, quickly said, "I didn't, I didn't. Don't you have any shame? Your girlfriend is right here, and you're bullying a girl."

Yan smiled and continued, "You mean Shuiyue? She's not my girlfriend. We only met today, just a little bit earlier than you. So, you don't need to worry that I'll favor her."

Side Story: Zodiac Guardian Deities (Part 5) - The Divine Beast Xie Zhi

"Stop it!"

A sigh echoed from the palace of the Holy Buddha Temple. Zagru, covered in cold sweat, walked out and stood between Yan and Ji Mingming. He looked at Yan solemnly and said, "Yan Xiaoyi, I know you have a lot of opinions about Qi Yue."

However, he is truly important, crucial to the entire East. He cannot be harmed, at least not now. If you must vent your anger, then you can treat me as Qi Yue.”

As he spoke, he closed his eyes and began chanting Buddhist scriptures. His loud and powerful chanting was filled with a sense of sacrifice, as if he had already made up his mind.

"boom!"

Yan looked at Zagru in front of him and suddenly slapped him on the head. The latter's chanting stopped abruptly, and he collapsed to the ground.

Just as Yan was about to take another step, Zagru, whose face was pale, stood up again and blocked his way. Although his body was still trembling subconsciously, the expression on his face was so firm.

"Do you know what just happened? Why are you still blocking my way?"

Yan looked at Zagru, who was blocking his way once again, and his expression changed slightly, showing a hint of emotion.

With his previous strike, he used his immensely powerful divine sense to pull Zagru into his controlled mental world, allowing the young monk to experience a truly real death. In a sense, he had genuinely died just now.

People are always very courageous when they haven't experienced death, but very few can maintain that courage to face death again after being near death or escaping death.

Even after experiencing 'death,' Zagru still chose to stop Yan once again. This belief earned him the right to be taken seriously by Yan.

Zagru's face radiated a Buddha-like light as he smiled, clasped his hands in prayer, and said, "The Avici Hell may be terrifying, but I was born to fulfill a certain mission."

After a moment of silence, Yan said coldly, "You've been brainwashed, and this kind of pointless fatalism is just that. But someone like you is worthy of my attention, so I can let Qi Yue off the hook for now, out of respect for you."

"Zagru, after he wakes up, tell him I'm waiting for him in the capital. I want to see what the Qilin bloodline can bring him."

After saying this, Yan moved and came to Ji Mingming's side, grabbed the girl's wrist and left. Then he walked up to Shuiyue and pulled her up, ready to leave.

"Amitabha! Excellent, excellent! Mingming, Yan Xiaoyi is also a member of the zodiac, so you should follow him for now!"

Zagru watched as Yan prepared to forcibly take Ji Mingming and Shuiyue away. He moved his mouth, sighed inwardly, and uttered some words of advice.

Ji Mingming turned her head and looked at Zagru in disbelief. Seeing the bitter look on his face, she understood that his words came from helplessness. She herself was indeed no match for this Yan Xiaoyi, so she could only glare at Yan resentfully before letting him take her away.

Zagru watched Yan and the two girls leave, and after a long while, he sighed and said, "Alas! I originally thought that this generation of Qilin would be the most troublesome, but I never expected that this generation of the Sheep would be such a terrifying person."

……

"Hey! Your name is Yan Xiaoyi, right? You're so powerful, you must have the cultivation level of Ji Yun."

"Master Zagru said you are also a zodiac warrior. What zodiac sign are you?"

"What will you look like after completing the Zodiac Transformation? Are you already able to transform into your true form?"

……

Inside the airport waiting hall in the snowy capital, after learning a little about Yan's temperament, Ji Mingming turned into a curious child, constantly asking questions, forcing Yan to close his eyes and rest, ignoring her.

He took Shuiyue and Ji Mingming away simply because he thought it would be pleasing to the eye to have beautiful women by his side. He didn't intend to have them warm his bed for the time being, but he didn't expect to encounter Ji Mingming's personality. He could only suffer in silence. Anyway, this kind of thing wasn't too unpleasant.

Seeing that Yan ignored her, Ji Mingming wasn't angry. After exchanging winks with Shuiyue, the two girls whispered and exchanged information. Before long, they were calling each other sisters. It can only be said that female friendships are really strange.

……

The flight from the snowy area to Beijing was fast, taking just over two hours. From the plane window, the familiar city of Beijing was already visible. It was nighttime, and from above, the brightly lit city of Beijing looked exceptionally beautiful.

Yan was not a native of the capital in his previous life, and he had never even been to the capital in person. However, Yan Xiaoyi was extremely familiar with the capital in his memories.

"Hey! Master Zagru, we've arrived in the capital, everything's going smoothly..."

In a taxi in Beijing, Yan sat in the passenger seat, listening to Ji Mingming report the situation to Wozaglu over the phone, his heart completely unmoved.

The taxi quickly arrived at a five-star hotel in Beijing. When Yan took the two girls to check into their room, the receptionist gave them a strange look. Although they were used to seeing men and women together, it was quite rare to see a man and two women so openly together.

"This bed is quite nice."

After taking a hot bath, Yan lay down on the bed. He had booked a double room and paid the extra fee when he checked in. He was on the bed by himself, while two girls were chatting on the bed next to him.

“Yan Xiaoyi, I heard from Master Zaglu that he never taught you the Ascending Cloud Technique, so how come you are so strong?”

Ji Mingming's words received no response; Yan, lying on the soft bed, had no desire to reply at all.

This lively girl had no good way to deal with someone like Yan, so she pouted and continued, "Have you studied it or not? Master Zagru said that if you haven't studied it, I can teach you. You, give me some feedback."

When Yan heard Ji Mingming's request, he blinked at her, which was considered a response. This made her laugh in anger. She kicked her leg lightly on the bed, but she was afraid that Yan would punish her again, so she could only keep her anger inside.

"You idiot, I'll only say it once, whether you listen or not is up to you."

Ji Mingming pouted and said angrily, "The Cloud Ascension Technique we cultivate is passed down from ancient times. Clouds are ethereal and intangible, just like our strength. We cultivate our own abilities, and our own abilities are closely related to our own zodiac sign."

What I cultivate are the abilities of the rooster, a mythical beast in the Chinese zodiac, primarily in its beak, wings, claws, and voice. The power of my Ascending Cloud Technique also manifests in these four aspects. I don't know what your zodiac sign is, but just practice the Ascending Cloud Technique accordingly.

After cultivating the Ascending Cloud Technique, we gain cloud power, which we can circulate and guide through a special incantation. The incantation is very simple, just the Nine Syllable Mantra: "Lin, Bing, Dou, Zhe, Jie, Zhen, Lie, Qian, Xing..."

Ji Mingming spoke very earnestly, and Yan blinked several times to show that she was listening carefully, which only made Ji Mingming even angrier. Unfortunately, she couldn't beat her in a fight, and she didn't dare to raise her voice, so in the end she could only angrily go back to bed.

The man and two women spent the night in the large room of the five-star hotel. The next morning, Yan took them out of the hotel and hailed a taxi to the outskirts of the city.

"Weren't we going to your house? Why are we heading out of the city?"

Ji Mingming once again unleashed a barrage of questions, but Yan still largely ignored her. The first thing she mentioned was something Yan hadn't even considered at the moment.

Although he used Yan Xiaoyi to solve his identity problem, it didn't mean he accepted everything about the latter. In fact, Yan hadn't even figured out how to handle Yan Xiaoyi's family relationships yet.

"Huh! There's a powerful aura here. Could it be that you've discovered a primordial beast?"

Yan led Ji Mingming and Shuiyue to the foot of a mountain outside the capital. After taking only a few steps, Ji Mingming suddenly ran up to Yan.

As she spoke, she extended her wrist in front of Yan, on which was a silver bracelet, about an inch wide, close to her skin, and inlaid with several red gemstones. "Yan Xiaoyi, look, my Lingyun Bracelet is reacting."

The Spirit Cloud Bracelet works in conjunction with the cloud power possessed by our Zodiac Guardian. It will sense any powerful aura appearing within a thousand miles of our Zodiac Guardian. Did you discover something, which is why you came here?

Yan didn't say exactly what it was, but he tacitly agreed with Ji Mingming's words, "This should be a big guy, and it's very good at hiding itself."

Shuiyue followed them, completely bewildered by the conversation, and asked, "Mingming, what exactly is this powerful aura you're talking about?"

"Shuiyue, do you still remember my zodiac rooster ability and the Qilin tattoo on Qi Yue's body? The abilities of our zodiac guardians come from ancient bloodlines, and these divine beasts that inherit ancient bloodlines existed in ancient history. They are collectively known as primordial beasts."

Ji Mingming explained to Shuiyue, "The Earth has existed for billions of years, while we humans have only existed for a few million years. You should know about cockroaches, right? Cockroaches are known for their vitality. Their footprints appeared on Earth as early as 300 million years ago."

From the day humankind was born, all creatures that existed before that time can be categorized as primordial beasts. Over the course of time, some of these primordial beasts became extinct because they could not adapt to the gradually changing environment.

However, some, like cockroaches, possess incredible resilience and survived. Through long periods of evolution, their abilities have become terrifying, and they mostly hide in deep mountains and marshes.

As guardians of the East, our zodiac guardian deities face many challenges, such as threats from foreign enemies to the Yanhuang Republic, or provocations from guardians in the West. There are also the ancient, mythical beasts passed down from our Eastern ancestors.

She paused here, looked at Yan solemnly and said, "At certain times, these ancient beasts awaken from their slumber or cultivation and will descend upon the world once more."

Many ancient beasts possess immense destructive power; if they were allowed to roam freely into human settlements, they would inevitably bring immense disaster. As guardians of the East, we must not allow these ancient beasts to gain strength; ideally, we should destroy them beforehand or put them into slumber.

"Mingming, you are all so great."

After hearing Ji Mingming's words, Shuiyue immediately became a fangirl, and her gaze towards Yan was no longer so evasive and fearful.

"You're overthinking it. I'm just genuinely interested in this ancient creature."