Chapter 355 : Choosing to Travel
Chapter 355: Choosing to Travel
Three days later, a black airship pierced through the clouds and appeared outside Yunhai Base.
Having attended Scorpion-Lion's engagement ceremony and obtained the intelligence regarding the Sunset Plateau, it was finally time for Zhou Ming to begin his return journey.
Had it not been for Scorpion-Lion, he would probably still be hiding inside the stone tower, continuing to perfect the Shapeshifting Spirit Master System.
"Master, do I look good?"
Inside the airship, Aina had transformed into a completely human appearance. Dressed in a pair of form-fitting jeans and a white blouse, she gracefully showed off her alluring figure before Zhou Ming.
For some reason, ever since she had become acquainted with Scorpion-Lion's fiancée, Mu Xiuzhi, over the past few days, Aina had become increasingly proactive toward Zhou Ming.
As the saying went, one became like those they associated with.
Zhou Ming even suspected that Mu Xiuzhi had taught Aina some rather questionable ideas.
Hearing Aina's question, Zhou Ming raised his head and gave her a brief glance.
He had to admit that Aina had quite a good sense of fashion.
Previously, when Aina had gone shopping around Yunhai Base with Mu Xiuzhi in her catwoman form, her identity as a member of a foreign race, combined with her irresistibly beautiful appearance, had caused a tremendous sensation.
It had even forced the Public Security Bureau to dispatch officers to maintain order.
Fortunately, Aina possessed the Transcendent equipment Zhou Ming had gifted her, allowing her to disguise herself as an ordinary human for short periods.
Only then had she been able to continue sightseeing around Yunhai Base with Mu Xiuzhi.
As a result, Aina had completely revealed her feminine nature.
She had bought a large pile of clothes and now wore them one after another solely for Zhou Ming's appreciation.
"I've decided to travel for a while. This time, you'll return to the camp with Li Hu and the others."
Rather than commenting on her outfit, Zhou Ming simply informed her of his next plans.
"I want to go too."
Upon hearing that Zhou Ming would not be returning to the camp, Aina instinctively replied.
"The camp needs someone to stay behind."
"Master, both you and I have already advanced to the Transcendent realm. No one would be foolish enough to cause trouble for the camp."
Still unwilling to give up, Aina immediately leaned against Zhou Ming and began acting coquettishly.
"I'll also be making a trip to Alliance Headquarters."
Although Zhou Ming did not explain further, Aina immediately understood what he meant.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Aina expressed all of her dissatisfaction before hugging her new clothes and returning to the cabin next door.
Zhou Ming paid little attention to her displeasure.
In his heart, Aina was like a pet cat he had raised himself.
Although he cared for her deeply, it was not the affection between a man and a woman.
As for his decision to travel, it was something Zhou Ming had carefully considered over the past few days.
After advancing to the Transcendent realm, regardless of how outstanding one's talent might be, continuing to break through became unimaginably difficult.
Even with the assistance of high-level Meditation Methods and precious resources, one could only slowly temper their Spiritual Power through the passage of time.
For Zhou Ming, there was only one method available to solve this problem.
He needed to obtain the bloodlines of higher-level serpent species to strengthen his serpent swarm.
Through the unique bond between a Beast Tamer and their Beasts, he could then receive feedback from the serpent swarm's strength and rapidly break through his current realm.
Ideally, he hoped to advance to the high-stage Transcendent realm before the Sunset Plateau entered its peaceful period.
Only then would his chances of surviving within the Sunset Plateau—and obtaining the opportunity to advance to Legendary Saint—be greatly increased.
For that very reason, he had decided not to return to the Snake King Fortress camp for the time being.
After Aina left in a huff, Zhou Ming summoned Li Hu.
He informed him that he would not be returning to the camp for the time being before asking him to deliver several messages to Su Mei.
Li Hu accepted Zhou Ming's orders without the slightest hesitation and immediately promised to complete the mission.
Soon afterward, Zhou Ming appeared upon the airship's deck.
Watching the Snake King glide through the rolling sea of clouds beneath the protection of its energy barrier, he silently observed the scenery.
The next moment, his figure passed straight through the airship as he watched the Snake King continue flying into the distance like a shooting star.
However, shortly after Zhou Ming departed, Aina appeared on the deck.
Looking toward the figure gradually disappearing behind the clouds, a faint glimmer of tears seemed to flash within her lively eyes.
Toward her master, she harbored feelings that she herself could not fully describe.
Zhou Ming's appearance had transformed her from an ordinary member of the Shadow Cat Clan into a catwoman.
It was also Zhou Ming who had transformed her from a royal catwoman of the Shadow Cat Clan into a maid.
Aina had experienced surprise, despair, hope...
And finally, under the influence of her bloodline, genuine feelings had gradually developed toward Zhou Ming.
Perhaps she had once hated him.
Perhaps she had secretly cursed him countless times.
But once a catwoman fell in love, even she herself was incapable of suppressing those emotions.
"Xiuzhi is right."
"I've already advanced to the Transcendent realm. With my catwoman bloodline, I have a lifespan of three or four hundred years."
"Master may already have a girlfriend... but in the end, I'm the only one who'll be able to stay by his side."
Just as Aina was feeling dejected, Mu Xiuzhi's words suddenly surfaced in her mind, filling her heart with boundless confidence.
As long as the others could not keep pace with her master's footsteps, then her rivals in love would never be able to defeat her.
Even if she had to rely on time alone...
She would simply outlive them all.
Thinking of this, a smile finally bloomed upon Aina's face.
She tightly clenched her fair little hands before her chest as though celebrating the fact that she would ultimately be the final victor.
Unfortunately...
Aina had no idea that after obtaining Zhou Ming's Molting Snake Emperor Bloodline, Lei Yuan's potential on the path of a Bloodline Sorcerer was no less remarkable than her own.
It could only be said that if Aina wished to win Zhou Ming's heart, she still had a very long road ahead of her.
As for Zhou Ming, after leaving the Snake King, he did not head directly toward Dawn Base, where Alliance Headquarters was located.
Instead, he flew straight into the deep mountains and vast wilderness.
The Blue Star Human Alliance occupied a territory spanning tens of thousands of miles.
Yet within such an enormous land, there were only a little over a hundred medium and large bases, along with merely a thousand or so small bases responsible for resource collection and material production.
Most of the Alliance's territory remained occupied by Ferocious Beasts and mutated creatures.
At present, they could only barely ensure that no Lord-level Ferocious Beasts or Legendary Beast Kings were born within the Alliance's sphere of influence.
This journey was not only for collecting the bloodlines of higher-level serpent Ferocious Beasts.
Zhou Ming also intended to spread the Molting Snake bloodline while observing the survival of the Molting Snake race in the wild.
His trip to the Polar Ice Plain had made him realize that the support provided by his Blood Descendant race was no less valuable than that provided by his own Beasts.
If he wished to rapidly increase his strength, then besides developing his Beasts, he naturally could not neglect the growth of the Molting Snake race.
As for the lower race, the Ironthread Snakes, they had already spread throughout most of Blue Star's landmasses.
There was no longer any need for Zhou Ming to pay them special attention.
Not long after Zhou Ming landed in a mountain valley, a gigantic serpent nearly ten meters long emerged from the dense forest where sunlight could scarcely penetrate.
Its pitch-black scales reflected brilliant rainbow-colored light beneath the sun.
It was a Molting Snake that had only recently reached adulthood, possessing strength comparable to the entry-level Professional Rank.
As the unquestioned overlord among the nearby Ferocious Beasts, the Molting Snake displayed complete submission before Zhou Ming.
Its enormous serpent head lowered before Zhou Ming's chest, as though waiting to be praised.
"Good job, little fellow."
"But you need to reproduce more descendants for our Molting Snake race as soon as possible."
As the Molting Snake Emperor, Zhou Ming had landed in this mountain valley precisely because he had sensed the presence of a Molting Snake bloodline.
After gently stroking the serpent's head, the emperor of the Molting Snake race resorted to a rather improper method.
He forcibly induced the Molting Snake before him into mating season.