"Neither this nor that, it’s really irritating."

Wang Zhan complained, then shook his head and said, "Go and see it yourself, and everything will be clear."

Suddenly, a low roar echoed from not far away.

Then there was the sound of a battle, clearly Xiang Tian and the others were already fighting with the Fire Qilin.

Wang Zhan and Sword Spirit rushed swiftly to their side, and upon seeing the scene before them, they were instantly stunned.

Beside the large Fire Qilin, there was a cute and tiny Fire Qilin cub, and the large Qilin was always protecting the cub while simultaneously staring fiercely at Wang Zhan and the others, seemingly taking them as enemies.

Sword Spirit slightly curled her lips, then shook her head with a smile and said, "Now I understand. It turns out she was struggling during childbirth for the Fire Qilin cub. To ensure the cub’s birth, she sacrificed her lifelong cultivation, which is why she ended up in such a weakened state. Truly touching."

"What do you mean?"

Xiang Tian widened his eyes and quickly asked, "Are you saying, this beast can give birth too?"

Upon hearing this, the large Fire Qilin roared angrily several times, its eyes like copper bells were fixed on Xiang Tian, seemingly prepared to tear him apart!

Xiang Tian rubbed his fist and coldly glanced at the Fire Qilin, then sneered, "With your current state, can you withstand a hundred moves from me?"

"Enough!"

Wang Zhan called out sharply and said, "The Fire Qilin is a variant beast between Heaven and Earth. You address it as a beast, naturally it feels discontent. Had it not been heavily injured, you would’ve long been a corpse by now!"

Luo Xue quickly walked to Xiang Tian’s side, pulled him aside, and said, "What are you talking about? Even the most wicked people or fierce beasts, as mothers, cannot tolerate a word of insult from you."

Xiang Tian shrugged and stood aside, saying nothing.

The Fire Qilin’s condition gradually improved, but it still watched Wang Zhan and the others cautiously.

The Sword Spirit fixed her gaze on the Fire Qilin for a while, then walked step by step to its front, gently reached out, and touched the Fire Qilin’s horn, before smiling and saying, "It’s been years, do you remember me?"

"I remember!"

Suddenly, the Fire Qilin started speaking.

Seeing this, even Wang Zhan was a bit surprised.

Sword Spirit turned back, glanced at Wang Zhan and the others, then smiled and said, "Actually, the Fire Qilin is a variant beast between Heaven and Earth. After cultivating for a thousand years, it is akin to a god. Rather than saying humans can speak, it’s better to say humans have natural advantages. All beings between Heaven and Earth, upon reaching a certain level of cultivation, can transform into human form and speak."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Tian quickly approached, glanced at the Fire Qilin, and rushed to ask, "Then tell me why this fellow cannot transform into a human form? Why such an ugly appearance?"

Fire Qilin ugly?

What an international joke!

Sword Spirit was slightly surprised, glanced at Xiang Tian, and said, "Apparently, you have a misunderstanding about beauty and ugliness."

"As for why this Fire Qilin cannot transform into human form? Don’t you know the reason?"

"At this moment, the Fire Qilin is close to the end of its lifespan. The little cultivation it has left is used to protect its cub, where’s the time to transform into human form and expend its energy?"

Xiang Tian lightly responded and moved to the side, clearly uninterested in these matters.

Wang Zhan quickly went to the sword spirit’s side, glanced at the weak Fire Qilin, then asked, "Is there anything we can do to help it?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Sword Spirit shook her head. Although she was just a Soul Body within the Great Void Divine Sword, she had followed her master traveling across the entire Star War Battlefield. If she were to forge a physical body, her strength would be terrifying, a single battle could possibly make her a deity.

Thus, just a glance was enough to see the state of the Fire Qilin.

Sword Spirit frowned and said, "The Fire Qilin is now at the end of its strength. Even if we forcefully boost its energy, it won’t make any difference. Moreover, if our true energies repel each other, it would speed up the Fire Qilin’s death."

Upon hearing this, Luo Xue looked saddened.

A young girl’s compassionate heart.

Wang Zhan sighed, "Since that’s the case, let’s not disturb them anymore. From now on, let them mother and child have a good time together."

As they were about to turn away, the weak voice of the Fire Qilin suddenly came from behind.

"Wait a moment..."

Wang Zhan halted and looked at the Fire Qilin, and asked, "Is there something?"

"I really have a request..."

The Fire Qilin weakly said, "My old friend has already seen that my time is nearing its end, but my cub has just been born. Although the Endless Abyss of Fire is extremely beneficial to our Qilin Clan, he is still young and cannot withstand the burning of the Earth Core Flames in this endless fiery domain for long."

"Therefore..."

"I have a request, but I’m not sure if it’s appropriate to bring it up."

Wang Zhan smiled and said, "A person’s words are kind when they are about to die, not to mention that you haven’t troubled us and have not committed any evil deeds. Naturally, you can speak freely if there’s something you want; if we can assist you, we certainly won’t stand idly by."

"Thank you..."

The Fire Qilin looked gratefully at Wang Zhan before saying, "Actually, what I want to ask of you is extremely simple: just take my cub away and ensure he grows up safely."

"How about it?"

Wang Zhan was taken aback and slightly frowned, "The people in Hegemony City harbor some hostility toward you, and I imagine that across the North Netherworld Domain, you have many enemies. Although this is just a Fire Qilin Cub, I’m worried that those people might target him, so..."

"I know..."

The Fire Qilin weakly said, "Once you take my cub, you might become enemies with the people in the North Netherworld Domain, but I won’t make you bear this grievance for nothing. My cub will be grateful to you for life, and I will grant you a fortune..."

Wang Zhan rubbed his chin, a faint smile at the corner of his mouth, and although he didn’t want to see himself as someone who only seeks benefits, his current expression was indeed too telling...

"What?"

The Fire Qilin said, "You have mastered fire-attributed techniques and wear fire-attributed equipment. Presumably, you know there is something extremely important to you in the Endless Abyss of Fire?"

"Are you talking about the Fire Spirit Stones?"

Wang Zhan’s eyes lit up, then he asked, "Can you help me obtain the Fire Spirit Stones?"

It’s said that although these Fire Spirit Stones are within the Endless Abyss of Fire, no one can touch them. Of course, if the Vermilion Bird Venerable were to come here personally, there might be an opportunity, but relying only on Wang Zhan’s current abilities, it’s far from possible...

After all, the Fire Spirit Stones are beneath the Earth Core of the Endless Abyss of Fire, and just the surface temperature alone makes it unbearable for many. Who would dare to enter the Earth Core lightly?

"Yes."

The Fire Qilin nodded firmly and said heavily, "I’ve stayed here all these years, actually relying on these Fire Spirit Stones to enhance my cultivation. However, the Fire Spirit Stones here are becoming fewer, so the temperature within the Endless Abyss of Fire is gradually decreasing, otherwise..."

"How could a small group of your Tribal Patriarch be able to come here?"

Wang Zhan scratched his head awkwardly.

Having joined the ranks of the Tribal Patriarch, he’s respected wherever he goes, but he hadn’t expected to receive no praise from the Fire Qilin here...

The Fire Qilin asked again, "How about making this deal with me?"

"Aren’t you worried I might be a fraud?"

Wang Zhan crossed his arms and grinned widely, "Even if I accept the gift of Fire Spirit Stones, once I leave, I could team up with others to target your cub, and you’d still be in the dark."

"I believe you."

After glancing at the nearby Sword Spirit, the Fire Qilin continued, "Moreover, the Great Void Divine Sword does not casually choose its master; since you are fated with the Great Void Divine Sword and can become the Sword Spirit’s master, it proves you won’t be a despicable person."

"You will naturally fulfill any promises you make."

Wang Zhan nodded and sighed helplessly, "Since you trust me so much, let’s seal the deal."

The Fire Qilin smiled contentedly, becoming significantly weaker in an instant, as if the breath he had been holding all along finally relaxed. He gradually got up, transforming directly into human form, constantly consuming the scant remaining cultivation he had left.

The Fire Qilin transformed into a middle-aged woman, who then raised her hand, showcasing several fiery red stones in front of Wang Zhan.

Wang Zhan was taken aback, glancing at the Sword Spirit beside him, and asked, "Are these the Fire Spirit Stones?"

"Yes."

The Sword Spirit nodded, full of joy, "Look, these Fire Spirit Stones are not only pure but also abundant in quantity. If you can absorb all the energy within the Fire Spirit Stones completely, your strength will surely rise significantly, breaking through the bottleneck of the Tribal Patriarch level, truly entering the ranks of top-tier experts, and even breaking through the Star Domain, creating a space belonging solely to you."

"Breaking through the Star Domain, what does it mean?"

Curiously, Wang Zhan looked at the Sword Spirit beside him.

Off to the side, the Fire Qilin explained, "The Tribal Patriarch is merely Planet level on the Star War Battlefield, which is as common as grass, but can still be considered respectable."

"Once you advance further, you’ll become a Stellar-level expert. At that time, you can freely break through the Star Domain, create a space of your own, certainly also founding your own sect, everything as you desire."

Wang Zhan nodded, finally understanding that he had consistently been unable to advance further because he was just about to enter the stream of top-tier experts...