The fusion with Ah Yin was like having a universe of power poured into a teacup. Zhang Tian possessed the raw energy of the Blood Silver Emperor, the versatility of its domain, and a suite of terrifyingly potent abilities. But he was keenly, chillingly aware of a gaping hole in his arsenal. He was not a warrior.
'My grenades and calculated ambushes worked on weak, predictable beasts,' he thought, sitting cross-legged in the quiet solitude of his garden. The faint, constant hum of his parasitic network across Suotuo City was a familiar backdrop, a thousand tiny streams of life and spirit power trickling into him.
'But against a truly powerful and experienced Spirit Master, someone like Dai Mubai or even the teachers at Shrek, my lack of combat instinct will be a fatal flaw. I plan my victories. I don't know how to win a fight that I haven't already scripted.'
His intellect was his sharpest weapon, but it was a scalpel, not a sword. In the chaotic, unpredictable dance of a real battle, a scalpel could easily break.
He closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into the vast, crimson expanse of his Spiritual Sea. The mist here was a deep, rich ruby, and the fields of Blood Silver Grass stretched to an infinite horizon. Floating serenely in the center was Ah Yin.
Her transformation was complete and absolute. Her entire being radiated a deep, captivating crimson that seemed to absorb the light. Her long hair flowed like liquid ruby, her eyes held the profound depth of ancient garnets, and her red dress clung to a figure that was even more voluptuous and alluring than before. Yet, despite the fierce, predatory color that now defined her, her aura remained one of profound gentleness and maternal warmth.
"Empress," Zhang Tian's spiritual form materialized, bowing respectfully as always.
A soft, kind smile graced her perfect red lips, a startlingly gentle expression in her crimson-hued reality. "Zhang Tian. There is no need for such formality between us now. We are partners in this endeavor. Our goals are intertwined. You may simply call me Ah Yin."
"Ah Yin, then," he said, accepting the familiarity with a nod. His expression was serious. "I require your guidance. I have the power, but I lack the experience. You have lived for a hundred thousand years. You have fought countless battles, survived the cruel calculus of nature, and stood alongside a Titled Douluo. My combat skills are… unrefined."
He paused, choosing his words carefully. "I am an engineer who has relied on tools, not a fighter who relies on instinct. I need you to teach me how to fight."
Ah Yin's garnet eyes softened with a deep understanding. "It is the pinnacle of wisdom to know your own weaknesses, Zhang Tian. Raw power without control is like a flood; destructive but undirected, wasting its potential in every direction. True strength is like a river, channeled and guided to its purpose."
Her spiritual form drifted closer. "I have watched your self-created skills. They are born from an incredible intellect and a degree of control that shocks me even now. But they lack the fluidity of battle, the instinct born from life-or-death moments. They are equations, not poetry. I will guide you. I will help you turn your equations into art."
A genuine, rare smile touched Zhang Tian's lips. "Thank you. I know the perfect training ground."
The Star Dou Great Forest was not just a collection of trees; it was a living, breathing entity, a colossal heart of nature that pulsed with unimaginable vitality and danger. The moment Zhang Tian stepped past the outer markers, he activated his Blood Silver Domain.
Instantly, his perception exploded. It was a sensation he was still getting used to. He could feel the gentle rustle of every leaf for miles, the frantic scuttling of a beetle beneath the loam, the slow, deep slumber of powerful creatures in the dark heart of the forest. His consciousness had merged with the near-infinite network of Blue Silver Grass that carpeted the forest floor.
'Incredible,' Ah Yin's voice echoed in his mind, tinged with her own awe. 'My original Blue Silver Domain was a tool for sensing and hiding, a passive shield. But infused with your corrupting power, it has become something more... active. More dominant. It seeks, it touches, it asserts your presence. Keep it active at all times. Let it become as natural to you as breathing. It is your greatest advantage.'
Heeding her words, he pushed deeper, not wandering aimlessly, but moving with the purpose of a hunter. His domain scanned the surroundings, painting a vivid, three-dimensional map in his mind. He was searching for a suitable partner for his first dance.
Guided by his domain, he found it: a 300-year-old Iron-Clad Rhinoceros grazing peacefully in a sun-dappled clearing. It was a beast renowned for its nigh-impenetrable hide and its devastatingly powerful charge.
'It is slow, powerful, and straightforward,' Ah Yin advised from within his mind. 'A perfect first opponent to test your fundamental skills against. A rock to sharpen your blade.'
Zhang Tian nodded, his hand instinctively reaching for the pouch of grenades at his belt. It was a familiar, comforting motion.
'No,' Ah Yin's voice was gentle but firm, a mother chiding a child reaching for a crutch. 'No tools. Only your spirit. You are not an engineer in this arena, Zhang Tian. You are the Blood Silver Emperor. Your battlefield is your greatest tool. Command it.'
Reluctantly, he let his hand fall to his side. He took a deep, steadying breath and stepped into the clearing, the soft crunch of leaves under his boots announcing his presence.
The rhino's head snapped up. Its small, dim eyes fixed on him. It let out an aggressive snort, a plume of hot air misting in the cool forest air. It lowered its head, its long, sharp horn gleaming menacingly.
"Let the fight begin," he whispered to himself.
The rhino charged. It was less a run and more a miniature avalanche. The ground trembled with the thunderous sound of its hooves, and it covered the distance between them with surprising speed.
'Do not meet its strength with your own,' Ah Yin instructed, her voice a calm anchor in the rising tension. 'That is a fool's errand. Its momentum is its greatest weapon. Use your control. The ground itself is your weapon. Turn its strength into a cage.'
As the rhino closed in, a mere twenty meters away, Zhang Tian slammed his open palm onto the ground. "Bloodvine Cage!"
The earth around the charging rhino tore open. Thick, blood-red vines, pulsing with the golden veins of the Emperor, erupted from the soil. They wove together at an incredible speed, the snapping and tearing sounds of their growth like a monstrous form of knitting. A sturdy, dense cage of vines materialized directly in the rhino's path.
The beast, committed to its charge, crashed into the wall of vines with a deafening, wet thud. The entire cage groaned, and several vines splintered under the immense impact, but it held. The innate toughness granted by his Blood Silver Emperor spirit was far greater than he had imagined.
The beast roared in frustration, a deep, guttural sound of fury. It began to thrash against its prison, its horn tearing and ripping at the crimson tendrils.
"Good," Ah Yin praised, her tone even. "You have controlled its movement and negated its primary attack. You have seized the initiative. Now, test its defenses. But do not be reckless. Observe your opponent. Learn."
"Viper's Kiss Strike!" Zhang Tian commanded. A single, thick vine shot from his outstretched hand, flying through the air like a living spear. Its tip hardened and narrowed to a razor-sharp point as it flew, and it struck the rhino's iron-like hide with the force of a battering ram.
Sparks flew with a piercing screech of friction. The vine recoiled, leaving only a shallow white scratch on the rhino's flank.
'Its hide is too thick for a single point of impact,' Ah Yin analyzed instantly. 'You cannot break it with brute force. So, you must wear it down or find its weakness. All creatures have them. Its eyes, the soft skin in the joints of its legs, the inside of its mouth.'
"Thousand Crimson Needles!" Zhang Tian changed tactics fluidly. His vines that formed the cage dissolved at his command, not retreating, but breaking down into a swirling cloud of thousands of tiny, hardened red needles. The cloud engulfed the rhino, peppering its body.
Most of the needles bounced harmlessly off its thick hide with a sound like rain on a metal roof. But some, guided by his now precise control, found their mark. They sank into the softer skin around its eyes and in the creases of its leg joints. The wounds were shallow, but they drew blood and, more importantly, enraged the beast beyond reason.
With a final, desperate roar of pain and fury, the rhino put its full weight into a single, explosive push, shattering the weakened cage. It locked its bloodshot eyes on Zhang Tian and charged again, more furious than before.
"Crimson Shield!" Zhang Tian reacted instantly, weaving a dense, layered shield of vines in front of himself, ready to brace for the impact.
'Do not just block!' Ah Yin's voice cut through his focus like a surgeon's knife. 'A shield that only blocks will eventually break! Redirect! Absorb! You are a plant, not a rock. Be flexible!'
His mind processed her command in a fraction of a second. At the last possible moment, he didn't just brace. He shifted his stance and angled the shield. The rhino's horn, instead of meeting a flat wall, struck a slanted surface. The shield screeched and groaned, but the force of the charge was deflected, glancing off to the side. The sheer momentum still sent Zhang Tian stumbling back several steps, his arms trembling from the shock, but the damage was minimal.
'Now, retreat!' she commanded. 'A battle is not a single exchange. Control the pace. Dictate the terms.'
He slammed his hands together. The ground beneath the rampaging rhino erupted once more, not in a cage, but in a thick, tangled forest of binding vines, snaking around its powerful legs. As the beast roared and struggled, trying to free itself from the grasping tendrils, Zhang Tian turned and fled into the dense forest.
'Now, use the domain to its fullest,' Ah Yin whispered.
He focused his will. The Blue Silver Grass all around him seemed to rise up, wrapping him in a shimmering, ethereal cloak. His form blurred for a second and then vanished completely into the greenery.
The enraged rhino, finally tearing itself free from the vines, charged into the forest where he had disappeared. It thrashed about, tearing up bushes and knocking down small trees, but it found nothing. Its target had disappeared into thin air.
Panting slightly, Zhang Tian reappeared a kilometer away, leaning against a tree. He hadn't killed the beast, but he had won. He had controlled the battlefield, dictated the terms of engagement, and left his opponent confused and frustrated.
"You learn quickly," Ah Yin said, her voice warm with genuine pride. "Your intellectual understanding and your spirit control are exquisite. But your instincts are still slow. You react, you do not anticipate. That will come with time and experience. We will continue."
For weeks, this became his new life. The Star Dou Great Forest was his dojo, and its inhabitants his sparring partners, all under the watchful guidance of a hundred-thousand-year-old Empress.
He battled a pack of 500-year-old Swift-Claw Monkeys high in the canopy. At first, their agility and three-dimensional attacks overwhelmed him. They leaped from branch to branch, their sharp claws raking at him from all directions.
'Don't just command the battlefield; become the battlefield,' Ah Yin instructed as he narrowly dodged a diving attack. 'The trees, the vines, the leaves—they are all you. Make the environment your ally and their enemy.'
He took her words to heart. He stopped just creating vines from the ground. He grew them from the tree trunks and branches themselves, creating a complex web. He began to move like them, using his vines as grappling hooks and swings, turning the canopy into his personal playground. He learned to create illusory rustles in the leaves to misdirect their attacks and used whip-like vines to snatch them out of the air. The fight turned from a desperate defense into a controlled dance of dominance.
Next, he sought a challenge that tested a different sense. He found a thousand-year-old Deepwater Salamander in a murky lake. Its primary weapon was stealth, attacking from the unseen depths.
'Your eyes can deceive you,' Ah Yin's voice was a calm murmur in his mind as he stood at the lake's edge, unable to see a thing in the brown water. 'But the domain feels all. Trust it. Feel the vibrations through the water, through the roots of the plants on the shore.'
He couldn't see the beast, so he created a way to. He released a fine layer of spores onto the lake's surface, which instantly sprouted into a thin, delicate film of Blood Silver Grass. He now had a sensitive membrane covering the entire lake. When the salamander moved beneath, he saw its path as a ripple, a disturbance on his crimson film. He used his vines to probe the water, creating a sonar-like effect, mapping the depths. The battle became a tense game of cat and mouse, with Zhang Tian using nets of underwater vines to restrict the salamander's movement, forcing it to the surface where he was strongest.
He fought a burrowing Earth-Scaled Serpent, learning to feel its movements through the vibrations in the soil via the grass roots. He faced a flock of Sonic-Screech Bats, learning to create sound-dampening barriers of thick, soft vines to protect his hearing. Each encounter was a lesson. Each beast a teacher.
His combat sense, once non-existent, was sharpening into a deadly razor. He was learning to read the tensing of a muscle, the subtle shift in a beast's gaze, the infinitesimal change in the flow of spirit power that preceded an attack. He was learning to anticipate. He never killed. He would fight until he drew blood or his opponent was exhausted, and then he would retreat, melting back into the forest, leaving behind a confused and frustrated creature.
One afternoon, as he was meditating, pushing the range of his domain further than ever before, he felt a disturbance. It was different from the straightforward aggression of a beast. It was the frantic, panicked heartbeats of a human. Pursued.
'Ah Yin,' he projected, his focus snapping to the source. 'There is a hunt. Humans.'
He focused his senses, channeling them through the grass, creating a crystal-clear mental map of the scene unfolding five kilometers to the east. He felt the surge of spirit power—a Spirit Ancestor, level 40s. Then the prey—a Spirit Grandmaster, low 30s. The pursuer was stronger, toying with their victim.
'The pursuer is herding her, not trying for a quick kill,' Ah Yin noted calmly. 'There is some sort of history between them.'
'Let's get a closer look,' Zhang Tian thought, his curiosity morphing into cold, calculating opportunity. He thrived on information, and this was a situation begging to be exploited.
He moved silently through the forest, his invisibility active, his presence completely masked by the living world around him. As he drew closer, he scaled a massive, ancient tree with practiced ease, perching on a thick branch that gave him a perfect, unobstructed vantage point.
What he saw below made his eyes widen slightly, a flicker of recognition in their blue depths.
The one being pursued was a young woman, perhaps his age, but with a mature, voluptuous figure that the stress of the chase couldn't hide. Long black hair whipped behind her as she ran, her form-fitting black clothes torn and dusty. Two black cat ears twitched atop her head, and her movements, even in her exhaustion, were impossibly lithe and agile. It was a Beast Martial Spirit of incredible quality: the Hell Civet.
Her pursuers were just as recognizable. The leader was another woman, taller, equally beautiful, with the same ample figure and an unnerving, predatory smile on her face. She too possessed the Hell Civet spirit. The others had similar, though lesser, cat-type spirits.
'Zhu Zhuqing,' Zhang Tian identified her immediately from his memories of the novel. 'And her older sister, Zhu Zhuyun. The cruel succession game of the Star Luo Empire's noble families playing out before me.'
He understood the truth of the situation instantly. Zhu Zhuyun wasn't trying to kill her sister here. She was herding her, driving her out of the empire, breaking her spirit so she would give up her claim to be Dai Mubai's fiancée and live. In the twisted politics of their family, this was a form of mercy.
'But Zhu Zhuqing doesn't know that,' he thought, a cold, calculating glint appearing in his blue eyes. 'She believes her life is on the line. To her, this is a desperate battle for survival. Any rescuer would be a savior, a figure to whom she would owe an immense debt. An opportunity to gain the loyalty and favor of a future Shrek Devil… is far too good to pass up.'
He made his decision in an instant. This was no longer training. This was an operation.
"Prepare yourself," he whispered, though no one but Ah Yin could hear.
Down below, Zhu Zhuqing stumbled, her breath coming in ragged, painful gasps. Her spirit power was nearly depleted. She cast a desperate, defiant look over her shoulder. Her sister was closing in, that cruel, confident smile playing on her lips.
"It's over, little sister," Zhu Zhuyun called out, her voice musical but laced with venom. "Give up. If you prepare to be crippled, I might convince father to let you live, despite you being tied to that disappointing coward of a fiancé."
Just as Zhu Zhuyun and her lackeys prepared to pounce for the final blow, the forest floor came alive.
All around them, the common, harmless Blue Silver Grass erupted from the ground. It wasn't the aggressive red of Zhang Tian's own spirit, but the mundane green of the forest, acting on his command. They shot up like emerald pythons, wrapping around the ankles, wrists, and waists of Zhu Zhuyun and her comrades with surprising strength.
"What is this?!" one of the cat-spirit masters cried out, slashing at the vines with his sharp claws, only for two more to take their place.
Zhu Zhuyun was shocked, her eyes darting around the empty clearing. "A plant-type Spirit Master! Show yourself, coward!"
But no one appeared.
In that single moment of chaos, Zhu Zhuqing felt something snake around her waist. It wasn't the green Blue Silver Grass that had ensnared her sister. This was a single, thick vine, the color of fresh blood, with delicate golden veins pulsing with a gentle power. It was incredibly strong yet surprisingly tender, holding her without crushing.
Before she could even scream, she was yanked off her feet, pulled through the air with astonishing speed towards a dense thicket of trees. The world was a blur of green and brown. She braced for a painful impact, but she landed not on the hard ground, but in a pair of strong, secure arms.
Her head swam, her exhaustion overwhelming her. She looked up, her vision blurring, and found herself staring into the most handsome face she had ever seen. He had long, flowing blue hair and eyes of the same startling color, filled with a calm, focused light. He held her securely against his chest, her voluptuous curves fitting perfectly against his lean, strong frame. For a moment, the world seemed to stop, the chaos of the forest fading into a silent backdrop.
Zhang Tian held the stunned and injured girl in his arms, her softness and warmth a surprising, tangible reality against the cold calculations in his mind. He gave her a single, reassuring nod, a silent promise of safety.
Then, he channeled the power of his domain.
"Invisibility," he whispered, and to Zhu Zhuqing's exhausted eyes, it was as if the world around them dissolved into a shimmering, green haze. The sounds of her sister's enraged shouts and the tearing of vines faded into the distance. They were moving, flying through the forest at an incredible speed, yet she felt no wind, no jarring motion, only the steady strength of the arms holding her.
She was too tired to resist, too stunned to question. A wave of blackness threatened to overcome her, but before she succumbed, her last conscious thought was of the impossibly handsome face of her mysterious savior.
She was safe. And for the first time in a long, long time, she didn't feel completely alone.