Not long after, Lü Yin seemed to have largely recovered her mood, continuing to talk about the 'interesting things' in the mountain range on her own.
However, Ji Yuan and Jiang Yun Zhou, who followed behind her, both fell into silence, their brows furrowed slightly in unison.
Although they had not communicated secretly, they both realized a highly troublesome problem at the same time.
Since powerful factions had known about the situation in the Absolute Immortal Valley months ago, it was inconceivable that the Nine Profound Sect, the overlord of Feiyun Prefecture, would be unaware of it.
Yet, neither Xu Cheng Feng, the peak master of Thunder Marsh Peak, nor the sect leader of the Nine Profound Sect had mentioned it. The former, in particular, should have been completely ignorant, otherwise, it would have been logical for him to at least remind Ji Yuan.
Even Jiang Yun Zhou’s master had not given him any special instructions or warnings when he departed from the sect for this place.
But in Feiyun Prefecture, what could possibly be kept hidden from the Nine Profound Sect when multiple other forces were already aware of it?
This was simply an impossibility!
Ji Yuan’s brows furrowed, and he subconsciously glanced to his side, only to be slightly startled, as Jiang Yun Zhou was looking back with an equally somber expression.
Their gazes met in the air, and in just an instant, they understood each other’s thoughts.
Undoubtedly, the high-ranking officials of the Nine Profound Sect knew what was about to happen in the Absolute Immortal Valley, and they were even fully aware of the various factions gathered there.
Perhaps only Xu Cheng Feng, who was outside the underground dojo and in charge of the sky-crossing warship, had not been fully briefed on the matter.
But if they knew, why had they not mentioned it?
Ji Yuan did not believe that the sect leader of the Nine Profound Sect would willingly push his direct disciple into danger.
Unless this matter was of crucial importance to Jiang Yun Zhou...
Thinking of this, his gaze suddenly sharpened, and he already had a few guesses in his heart.
Beside him, Jiang Yun Zhou's gloomy expression also vanished around the same time, clearly realizing something critical.
Based on the information they currently possessed, there was only one possibility that could lead to this situation.
That is, what was about to happen in the Absolute Immortal Valley was likely the key for Jiang Yun Zhou to take that final step!
Only in this way could the sect leader remain silent and send his unsuspecting direct disciple to the Absolute Immortal Valley, as it might hold the opportunity for Jiang Yun Zhou's breakthrough.
"Roar!"
Just as they both realized the crucial point, a clear cry suddenly came from their ears.
They looked up in succession and saw that the black bear in front of them had stopped at some point, and Lü Yin was standing on its back, letting out a series of cries towards the depths of the forest.
"Roar! Roar!"
The clear, childish sounds spread far into the forest, eventually echoing.
After only a dozen breaths, as the two looked on with confusion, beast roars suddenly came from the forest.
About half an hour later, two dark figures moved swiftly through the woods and soon appeared before them.
They were two exotic beasts that resembled horses, but their bodies were covered in shimmering scales, their heads bore a pair of antlers, and their faces had two long whiskers.
Ji Yuan's gaze sharpened. He sensed an aura from the two exotic beasts that was remarkably similar to that of the black giant python.
If he was not mistaken, these two exotic beasts should possess dragon bloodline, and were even progressing towards returning to their ancestral roots.
"You two are too slow, so I called two friends."
Lü Yin jumped onto the head of one of the exotic beasts, holding a small wooden stick, hands on its hips, and said to them.
As it spoke, the black bear it had been riding on silently moved to the side, slowly leaving the area, evidently returning to the edge of the mountain range to continue its guard duty.
"Don't just stand there, hurry up and get on!"
Seeing that they weren't moving, Lü Yin immediately urged them on.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan finally came back to his senses, quickly responded, and then cautiously approached, sitting on the exotic beast's back as indicated by Lü Yin.
Jiang Yun Zhou, on the other hand, seemed much more relaxed. He was a cultivator of high cultivation and was not afraid of any ambush, so he walked forward boldly and leaped onto the exotic beast.
With Lü Yin's "roar," the two exotic beasts let out a low growl and then headed towards the depths of the mountain range.
As they moved, Ji Yuan, who was sitting on its back, was startled. The speed at which these exotic beasts traveled through the forest far surpassed that of a peak cultivator in the second realm running at full speed on flat ground!
Moreover, at such high speeds, the beasts' breathing remained very steady, as if this was far from their maximum speed.
Without delay, Ji Yuan recalled the rumors he had heard: it was said that there were exotic beasts in the world with scales, antlers, and a horse-like appearance, which were rare and valuable mounts.
These exotic beasts were called Dragon Steeds, possessing a trace of the Flood Dragon bloodline. They could easily travel thousands of miles in a day and possessed various innate divine abilities.
If one could tame one, not only would they gain a rare mount, but also powerful assistance, as they were not only incredibly fast but also possessed formidable combat strength.
Legend had it that a Dragon Steed, once mature, could fight a first-tier demon beast alone. If it were to achieve enlightenment and learn to consume the essence of the sun and moon, and by chance embark on the path of cultivation, its cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds, easily reaching the second or third realm.
There were even Dragon Steeds that cultivated to the Golden Core realm, having fully activated their Flood Dragon bloodline. When wielding their innate divine abilities, they were unmatched among those of the same cultivation level!
Ji Yuan never expected to encounter the legendary Dragon Steeds today, and two of them at that!
Unfortunately, unless a Dragon Steed willingly acknowledged a master, it was impossible to truly tame one, no matter how many means were employed.
Even if they were forcibly subdued, there was a significant risk of them betraying their master in the future. Many cultivators in history had been devoured by them after careful nurturing.
"How is it?"
Lü Yin held tightly to the Dragon Steed's mane, its small body swaying in the air.
It squinted its eyes, seemingly enjoying the lightning-fast speed, and shouted excitedly, "My two friends, aren't their speeds incredibly fast!"
As if infected by Lü Yin's enthusiasm, Ji Yuan couldn't help but shout back, "Yes! Incredibly fast—!"
He instinctively straightened his back, then spread his arms, letting the Dragon Steed carry him as they swiftly traversed through the forest.
They sometimes charged forward, sometimes leaped up, bounding and soaring between towering ancient trees, without any loss of speed, as if treading on flat ground!
Jiang Yun Zhou looked over with surprise. At this moment, the young man before him truly seemed like a young boy.