Journey to the West Creation Technique

On the brink of life and death, Amiya decided not to be a burden to Lu Chengjun, leaped out of his embrace, and left alone.

It's a dead end anyway, there's no need to drag your mount down with you.

Lu Chengjun = mount.

boom!

A loud crash came from behind, and even the painful roar of the crocodile demon.

Amiya didn't dare look back and could only run as fast as she could.

After running forward for a while, he felt that the noise behind him was not right.

So he turned his head and saw his mount galloping away.

Upon closer inspection, a black hammer, seemingly unwielded, was repeatedly pounding the crocodile demon on the ground, shattering its skull, causing its demonic blood to spurt out, and making it howl in agony.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Lu Chengjun had already passed the tabby cat and fled to a more distant place.

Amiya leaped up, her cat paws grabbing onto Lu Chengjun's cat-proof cloak fluttering in the wind. She climbed up the cloak and sat steadily on her mount's shoulder.

"Meow! Don't go that way, it's dangerous," Amiya warned.

Lu Chengjun slowed down, and after seeing clearly what was happening, he ran wildly towards the so-called danger.

The people who came from the forest were dressed as cultivators from the Central Plains, with "cross-collared right-fastening robes and wide sleeves," and one of them seemed to be Master Cai.

Cai Yiheng could be considered half a mentor to Lu Chengjun, and he even saved Lu Chengjun's life.

Although they eventually gave up, it was out of necessity and understandable.

Lu Chengjun had long since stopped caring about it.

Moreover, he only has one month's worth of skill now, he's a complete weakling, so he has no right to argue.

The figures ahead gradually became clearer; it was indeed Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi.

I don't know the other two people, but they should also be fellow disciples of Master Cai.

They walked towards each other and soon met in the woods.

The tabby cat perched on Lu Chengjun's shoulder, watching the four of them warily.

Cai Yiheng and Qiao Zhi had somewhat complicated expressions.

There's no time for reminiscing now...

"Come with me!" Cai Yiheng said decisively.

The five of them left together and quickly disappeared into the forest.

The cunning crocodile, unable to withstand the relentless blows from the black hammer, retreated into the culvert.

The group hurried through the dense forest and soon arrived in front of Zhao Xiong.

Zhao Xiong was dressed in leather armor, with a square face, sharp features, and piercing eyes, giving him a fierce appearance.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Xiong smiled gently at Lu Chengjun and asked, "What's your name?"

"Lu...Lu Chengjun," Lu Chengjun answered cautiously.

Zhao Xiong nodded: "You're from the Middle-earth?"

"In reply to the Immortal Master, I do indeed come from the Central Continent. I was originally a peasant from a remote settlement, but three months ago I was shipwrecked and ended up here..."

How did you get into the indigenous tribe?

"He was arrested."

"They didn't give you any trouble?"

"without."

Zhao Xiong narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Do you understand their language?"

"The boy entered the indigenous tribe, but after a short time he only learned a few basic things."

"Oh...so how much do you know about the deities worshipped by this indigenous tribe?"

Lu Chengjun looked troubled: "To be honest, Immortal Master, all I know is that the deity they worship is a crocodile, and I really don't know anything else."

This answer is indeed reasonable...

Lu Chengjun spent at most three months in the indigenous tribe, which is not enough time to learn much.

Why was that crocodile demon chasing you?

"Young man, I don't know... perhaps..."

"Perhaps what?" Zhao Xiong pressed.

"Maybe he just wants to eat the boy's flesh."

"It shouldn't be... such a monster wouldn't cross mountains and valleys just to eat a mortal."

Zhao Xiong thought that perhaps the problem lay with the boy himself, so he reached out and grabbed the boy's wrist, his fingertips probing his wrist.

A moment later, Zhao Xiong raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This young man possessed extremely weak cultivation.

But despite his repeated investigations, he couldn't find where the boy's spiritual root was hidden, which was truly unbelievable.

"You don't have any spiritual roots in Middle-earth?"

"The Immortal Master's prediction is correct. I have been investigated by the immortals in the Central Continent many times, and I do indeed have no spiritual root."

"Hehehe..." Zhao Xiong smiled and said, "You're incredibly lucky, kid. Do you know that the Southern Desolate Continent is located south of the sun, and its celestial phenomena are completely different from those of the Central Plains?"

"Senior, are you saying I have a hidden spiritual root?" Lu Chengjun's face showed just the right amount of surprise.

"That's right!" Zhao Xiong nodded slightly: "There are 365 days in a year, and 365 acupoints in the human body. However, in the Central Continent, only 361 acupoints correspond to the stars in the sky. The other four acupoints are useless even if they contain spiritual roots... Only in the Southern Desolate Continent, where the celestial phenomena are completely different, can the hidden spiritual roots be revealed..."

Cai Yiheng was completely astonished; he never expected that his joke on the ship would actually come true.

Zhao Xiong released Lu Chengjun's wrist, his expression showing more appreciation: "Although you are a bit old, you are still very fortunate. Perhaps you will achieve something in the future. After you go back, you can join the Qingyun Sect, and the sect will arrange your cultivation."

"Thank you, Immortal Master." After saying this, Lu Chengjun felt that he hadn't been polite enough, so he quickly knelt down and kowtowed.

"Get up." Zhao Xiong gently helped him up, then his expression turned serious: "This place is not safe to stay any longer, let's go back."

Cai Yiheng, Qiao Zhi, and the other cultivators clasped their fists together, their expressions all relaxing.

This exploration mission can be considered a complete success.

The group set off immediately, traversing deep, secluded forests.

Zhao Xiong led the way, with Cai Yiheng and the others following closely behind.

For Lu Chengjun, it was a dense forest fraught with danger at every turn, but for Zhao Xiong and his group, it was nothing more than a leisurely stroll.

Or, when faced with such a group of cultivators, the monsters in the forest would choose to lie low and actively avoid them.

As they walked through the woods, Qiao Zhi's gaze remained fixed on the tabby cat perched on Lu Chengjun's shoulder.

The kitten's fur color and markings look just like my daughter, who has been with me for three years.

Back then, when she traveled from the Central Plains to the desolate Southern Ocean on a Ming Dynasty steamship, the loneliness on the vast sea was unbearable, and it was this little cat that kept her company through countless days and nights.

Even when they were shipwrecked and had to hide in a wine barrel, Qiaozhi took Nannan with her.

Unfortunately, after getting ashore, Nannan got separated from her.

While tabby cats are common in the Middle-earth, they are quite rare in the Southern Wilderness.

Aside from the Southern Underworld Guard, there's simply no way a tabby cat could be found anywhere else.

This is my daughter.

So, Qiao Zhi tentatively called out softly, "Nannan?"

The tabby cat perched on Lu Chengjun's shoulder, motionless.

"Nannan..." Qiaozhi called out again, unwilling to give up.

The tabby cat remained unmoved.

"Nannan..." Qiaozhi reached out to touch her.

"Meow!" The tabby cat bared its teeth without any politeness, startling Qiao Zhi so much that she quickly withdrew her hand.

"Her name isn't Nannan, it's Amiya," Lu Chengjun explained.

Qiao Zhi was taken aback upon hearing this, and the expectation in her eyes faded slightly in an instant: "Amiya... I see."

After walking for a while, the group arrived at a secluded valley hidden by huge rocks.

Zhao Xiong raised his hand and made a hand seal. The ground suddenly cracked open, and a cloud-patterned flying boat slowly rose from the earth, its spiritual light contained within.

The six people boarded the boat one after another, and the flying boat took off into the air, speeding away with the wind.

Lu Chengjun stood at the stern of the boat, holding Amiya in his arms, feeling the wind howling and the mountains rushing past.

Qiao Zhi remained silent the whole way, glancing at the kitten from time to time, unable to hide her disappointment.

The flying boat was incredibly fast; in less than half a day, a magnificent and imposing city appeared ahead.

The city and its surroundings are crisscrossed by paths.

The people of the Central Plains are skilled in farming, and they cultivate land wherever they are.

This is the "Nanming Guard".

The only isolated city of the Central Plains civilization in the desolate Southern Underworld.