CHAPTER 591: CHAPTER 354: LITTLE NIAN BEAST AND LIN XINGSHI (DOUBLE CHAPTER, PLEASE VOTE)

The time left for him was running out, and he didn’t know what kind of conspiracy the "Prophet" and the Mentor were secretly weaving.

Especially since his brother had already fallen into the Mentor’s hands.

Ji Minghuan didn’t want to see the Mentor use his brother’s genes to create a powerful humanoid creature, just like the "Father of Puppets" did.

So the best course of action was to strike down the Salvation Society before this could happen, eliminating any future threats.

He exhaled deeply, closing the purple-red Skill Tree, and watched as two branches vanished from his view.

Then, Ji Minghuan switched to pull up the Character Exclusive Cultivation System for Unit Four.

"Let me see what this character’s cultivation system is all about. Hopefully, it doesn’t involve eating people to gain attributes, or I can’t manage that," Ji Minghuan mumbled to himself, raising his eyes to the dense text on the panel.

[Character Exclusive Cultivation System: "Ruler."]

[Description of the "Ruler" cultivation system: As a ruler, the higher your prestige among demons, the stronger you can become.]

[Prestige levels range from "Newcomer" to "Emerging Star" and finally "King’s Appearance."]

[Each time your prestige reaches a new level, you gain "1" attribute point as a reward.]

Ji Minghuan gave it a cursory glance before closing all the panels in his view.

He lifted his head and looked into the distance. The sky was fully lit; the summer morning light swept over everything, engulfing the sea mist and illuminating the gray, foggy world.

Ji Minghuan murmured, "It’s also about time to return to see the Year Beast Monarch. I wonder if the members of the Zodiac Team are the same as they were ten years ago."

He shrugged, "Of course, after all this time, they might have undergone several iterations by now."

In the memories of the Little Nian Beast, the Year Beast Monarch once explained to him what the "Zodiac Team" was when they were looking out over the sea together on the cliff.

The "Zodiac Team," as the name suggests, is composed of twelve demons corresponding to the twelve zodiac signs "Dragon, Rat, Pig, Rabbit, Ox, Horse, Goat, Sheep, Snake, Monkey, Pig, Tiger, Dog," and is the most powerful force under the command of the Year Beast Monarch.

Each Zodiac Demon has its duties, guarding the boundaries of Hai Fan Mountain for generations.

In the Little Nian Beast’s understanding, the operation of the Zodiac Team is similar to Lake Hunting.

It seems that learning from their opponents, the Year Beast Monarch personally selects the most outstanding Zodiac Demon from each species and bestows upon them the power to become a member of the "Zodiac Team."

The twelve species include "Flood Dragon Demon," "Rat Demon," "Mad Bull Demon," "Bright Rabbit Demon," "Rainbow Horse Demon," "Aries Demon," "Divine Chicken Demon," "Cyan Snake Demon," "Spirit Monkey Demon," "Porcupine Demon," "White Tiger Demon," "Prison Dog Demon."

Aside from that, the mountain is mostly populated by lesser creatures, like Lantern Demon, Lotus Leaf Demon, Zombie Demon, and so on...

Even a dog would shake its head after a glance.

Living far away from the human world, with lives of luxury and comfort, they are less aggressive than demons daring enough to hunt in the cities. In the event of war, they might serve as cannon fodder at best.

The only one worth mentioning is the "Celestial Wolf" tribe, which is the race of Bai Tanlang.

But the Celestial Wolf tribe has been on the verge of extinction for a century; Bai Tanlang is the last of the "Celestial Wolves."

A dozen years ago, the Little Nian Beast watched as the Year Beast Monarch sent Bai Tanlang out of Hai Fan Mountain to search the world for the descendants of the "Celestial Wolf," to prevent the complete extinction of the demon race.

In the end, Bai Tanlang couldn’t find any of his kin and instead discovered another way to continue his lineage.

That was to fall in love with a human woman and have children.

And now, the little werewolf "Filio" imprisoned by the Salvation Society, is the child of Bai Tanlang and a British woman.

He is also the world’s only demon-human.

It is likely that if the demons residing on Hai Fan Mountain knew of Bai Tanlang’s deeds, they would despise him. In their eyes, he would become an indelible stain on demon history.

"Splash, splash~"

The sound of waves continued uninterrupted, and Ji Minghuan slowly rose from the ground, turned around, and walked back into the dark tunnel behind him, where his view was once again covered by clusters of flowers and thorns.

He walked quietly through the tunnel, listening to the dripping water, and the name "Lin Xingshi" resurfaced in his mind.

Before loading the memories of the Little Nian Beast, Ji Minghuan could never have imagined that the Child of the Year Beast and today’s strongest Exorcist would have met in such a way.

.....

.....

Eleven years ago, the Little Nian Beast was only nine years old, using its paws to pummel the Lotus Leaf Demon beneath it, threatening it to take him away from Spirit Heart Lake, or else he would burn it to ashes.

Looking at the purple-red Demon Flame on the Little Nian Beast’s paws, the Lotus Leaf Demon dared not disobey. It acted like a small boat, carrying the Little Nian Beast across the vast Spirit Heart Lake.

The little purple-red lion’s eyes shone as it gazed at the tunnel, stepped onto the lotus leaf, slowly straightened up, and slowly walked onto the riverbank, entering the deep tunnel.

And thus began a journey that would last ten years.

After crossing the tunnel, the Little Nian Beast descended the mountain, disguised itself as a human child, and entered Hai Fan City at dusk that day.