Xuan Yue Island.
On the highest sea-viewing tower of the Island Lord's Mansion.
Xuan Sheng and his daughter Xuan Na stood before the railing, gazing at the point where the sea and sky met.
In that direction, two long rainbows disappeared from their sight at astonishing speed.
Ling Fan and the toad had left.
On the other side.
Upon seeing Ling Fan and the toad finally leave Xuan Yue Island, Xuan Ye's face immediately broke into an incredibly smug smile, and the surrounding trusted powerful individuals began to celebrate.
Li Mobing said, "Young Island Lord, that troublesome fellow is finally gone. Now you can rest easy, and no one can threaten your position. It's a shame his strength is too great to kill him."
Xuan Ye sneered, "No need to worry. He killed Hei Shui Wu Jun, and now he's in an irreconcilable feud with the Three Kings' Hall. Once the Three Kings' Hall is free, he's as good as dead. We don't need to bother with this. Let him bear the wrath of the Three Kings' Hall alone, hehe."
"Young Island Lord is wise!"
...
On a cliff by the Xuan Yue Sea.
Wei Bin held a pot of strong liquor, looking in the direction where the toad and Ling Fan had disappeared. He tilted his head back and took a fierce gulp, feeling a fiery line descend from his throat straight to his chest and abdomen, making his eyes slightly red.
"Today we part ways, where shall we meet again? I don't know if I'll ever see Brother Ling and the toad again... With Brother Ling's astonishing cultivation speed, by the time we meet again, he'll likely be even more unreachable."
He tossed the empty wine pot into the churning sea below, then tidied his emotions and began to cultivate with all his might.
...
And at this moment.
Ling Fan and the toad had already rapidly left the vicinity of Xuan Yue Sea.
They landed on shore from another direction, and without stopping, continued to fly towards the hinterland of the Dong Lin Domain.
They had flown for an unknown amount of time, likely already a thousand miles away from Xuan Yue Sea. The toad, feeling hungry, let out a thunderous rumble from its belly and pleaded with Ling Fan, "Boss Ling, we've been flying for so long. Let's go down and rest. I'm so hungry my chest is touching my back, and my stomach is rumbling like thunder! If we don't go catch some demon food to eat soon, I'll turn into a dead toad."
Ling Fan smiled exasperatedly and nodded.
The toad immediately let out an excited cry and plunged downwards, disappearing into the vast wilderness below.
Ling Fan did not follow. He sat cross-legged in the void.
After a short while.
The toad's voice came from below: "Boss, hurry!"
Ling Fan opened his eyes, his gaze seeming to penetrate through layers of obstruction. He shook his head and smiled, "You glutton!"
Ling Fan took a step forward.
His figure had already appeared in the wilderness below.
In a clearing in the forest, a vigorous bonfire blazed, its flames illuminating several young faces. In addition, there was the toad, drooling, its bull-like eyes fixed on a large, golden-brown, oily leg of wild ox roasting over the bonfire.
Ling Fan glanced at these young people.
They were between twenty and thirty years old, with cultivation levels ranging from the middle stage of the Core Condensation realm to the peak of the Core Condensation realm.
"Boss Ling, hurry! We're in for a treat today. These brothers are preparing food here, and they've cordially invited us to join!" the toad exclaimed excitedly.
Ling Fan sneered, "I'm afraid you're the one who shamelessly begged, and they had no choice but to agree."
The toad waved its webbed feet, "What's the difference! As long as there's food, it's fine."
The young martial artists beside them smiled kindly, "Brother Ling, is it? Brother Toad here is very interesting, and we get along well. Even if Brother Toad hadn't mentioned it, we would have invited you to share. It's just that in this wild place, our cooking might be crude, and we don't have many good ingredients. We're all using what we can find locally, so please excuse us."
With such politeness from these individuals, Ling Fan naturally wouldn't refuse. He nodded, "Thank you for your kindness. We'll be imposing then."
"Please sit!"
The young men shifted their positions, making space for Ling Fan to sit.
"May I ask Brother Ling's honorable surname and given name?" they inquired.
"Ling Fan," Ling Fan replied.
One young man introduced himself, "My name is Han Hai. This is Yang Shili, this is Lu Binian, and this is Jin Gu. We are all rogue cultivators from the Dong Lin Domain."
"May I ask where Brother Ling Fan is heading?" Han Hai asked.
Ling Fan shook his head and said, "We are new here, going wherever the path takes us. We'll stay in the Dong Lin Domain for a while, and then we might leave the Dong Lin Domain."
"Traveling between great domains requires very strong strength, otherwise, it's impossible to move an inch!" Han Hai said with a slight sigh of admiration.
"However, with Brother Ling having Brother Toad as a powerful demonic pet to protect him, it should not be a major problem."
Han Hai and the others assumed the toad was Ling Fan's demonic pet. This was because, in their perception, Ling Fan's strength was between the peak of the Giant Spirit realm and the quasi-Core Condensation realm, which was considered quite weak. Yet, he possessed a formidable demonic beast at the quasi-Core Condensation level.
This could only be explained in one way: Ling Fan's background must be extraordinary. He was undoubtedly a disciple of a major power or a prominent family. They, as rogue cultivators with scarce resources, could not compare.
Ling Fan glanced at them, understanding their thoughts.
He said, "Mo Da Zui is not my demonic pet, and I am also just a rogue cultivator."
Han Hai and the others' eyes widened in surprise, "Brother Ling, you must be joking. How can you possibly be a rogue cultivator?"
Ling Fan smiled faintly, "You think my cultivation hasn't reached Core Condensation, yet I have a quasi-Core Condensation demonic beast following me, so you assume I must come from a major power or family. This assumption is reasonable, but you are mistaken this time. I am indeed a rogue cultivator."
The group became even more bewildered.
In their view, demonic beasts were extremely arrogant and untamable, and intelligent demonic beasts were even more extraordinary. How could they recognize a human martial artist whose strength was far inferior to their own as their master?
The toad, unable to wait any longer, grabbed a large piece of golden-brown, oily roasted demonic beast meat and stuffed it into its mouth, saying indistinctly, "Boss Ling is ten thousand miles stronger than me. Of course, I have to call him boss and latch onto him."
Han Hai and the others exchanged glances.
However, from their expressions, it was clear they didn't quite believe the toad's words.
After all, without witnessing Ling Fan's true strength, it was difficult to believe that a martial artist who hadn't even reached the Core Condensation realm could be stronger than a quasi-Core Condensation great demonic beast exuding immense demonic energy!
They didn't press further, and this doubt remained buried in their hearts.
"Where are you two heading?" Ling Fan asked.
Han Hai replied, "We're going to Guan Sheng City."
"What kind of place is Guan Sheng City? Are there many demonic beasts? Is there good food?" the toad asked.
Han Hai and the others chuckled, "Guan Sheng City is not like this wilderness. It's an extremely prosperous great martial city. Otherwise, it wouldn't deserve the name Guan Sheng."
Yang Shili asked curiously, "Brother Ling, Brother Toad, you don't even know about Guan Sheng City? The current Guan Sheng City has become the focus of countless powerful individuals in the Dong Lin Domain. Everyone is eyeing this prize."