Zhang Chen was unaware of Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s thoughts. As he controlled the water to irrigate and used ice to cool, the boy’s breathing gradually stabilized.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen released the Water Control Technique, glanced at the blazing sun in the sky, and then hoisted the boy onto his shoulder, heading toward the distant dense forest.
Zhang Chen’s steps were quick, and finally, as the sun rose, he arrived beneath the shade of the trees.
The tree was enormous and tall. Approaching it, he discovered that it was probably thirty meters high, with a stout trunk requiring three meters to encircle.
Unlike the yellow sand outside, it was very cool under the tree’s shade. Dewdrops condensed between the branches, each drop the size of a fist, hanging from the large tree’s limbs, making Zhang Chen look at them with surprise: fist-sized dewdrops were quite bizarre!
Zhang Chen thought for a moment, and the dewdrops on the tree gathered, forming a water ball. After washing himself, he also rinsed the boy on the ground before surveying the surroundings.
The tree was so tall, yet the ground still had grass that reached knee height, seemingly unaffected by the towering tree.
"Hmm? There are many animals in the jungle." A hint of surprise appeared in Zhang Chen’s eyes. With the activation of his Beast Taming Skill, within a mere five hundred meters, there were dozens of animals, though their sizes were a bit large, like a herd of antelope.
As Zhang Chen’s Beast Taming Skill activated, an animal came bounding over in his perception. When the small animal approached, Zhang Chen was stunned: "A rabbit?"
But wasn’t this rabbit way too big? A rabbit the size of an antelope?
Under the Beast Taming Technique, the rabbit obediently submitted. Zhang Chen placed his hand on the rabbit’s neck, two fangs protruded and drained the rabbit’s blood.
"But how should I start a fire to smoke and roast it?"
After some pondering, Zhang Chen looked at the tattered pelt on the boy, collected some fallen branches and leaves from the ground, and then used ice to make a magnifying glass. With the sun now rising, a campfire was soon burning brightly.
Holding an ice knife, Zhang Chen sliced open the rabbit, and before long, the aroma of roasting meat wafted through the air.
Zhang Chen tore off a rabbit leg and started devouring it heartily. Meanwhile, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon paced around the boy, seeming to contemplate some perplexing problem.
"You seem quite interested in him?" Zhang Chen remarked to the Great Freedom Celestial Demon while eating the rabbit leg.
"I’m just finding it odd to see a living soul in the Spiritual World." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon replied.
"It is indeed strange, as the current Spiritual World is completely different from what external records describe. Externally recorded Spiritual Worlds are described as only having mysterious and Great Medicine, nowhere mentioning a living soul." Zhang Chen commented, gnawing on the rabbit leg.
As they spoke, the boy let out a weak cry, slowly opened his eyes, and feebly asked, "Who are you? Where am I?"
The boy’s tone was strange, and Zhang Chen couldn’t understand: "What language is that?"
"Can’t you understand?" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon looked at Zhang Chen, growing increasingly worried, knowing that this was Zhang Chen’s Illusion Realm. How could something beyond Zhang Chen’s comprehension appear?
The only explanation was that this wasn’t an Illusion Realm at all!
One should know that all Illusion Realms are derived based on the ’target’, never exceeding the target’s knowledge.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon glanced at both Zhang Chen and the boy with a wandering gaze, feeling a mix of anxiety and excitement.
"He’s asking who you are," the Great Freedom Celestial Demon translated for Zhang Chen.
"Can you understand him?" Zhang Chen curiously asked the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"It’s an ancient language from an extremely long-ago era." The expression on the Great Freedom Celemon’s face was peculiar.
Zhang Chen picked up another rabbit leg, extended it to the boy, saying, "For you."
The boy could not understand Zhang Chen’s words. The Great Freedom Celestial Demon could only translate one way because the boy couldn’t see the true form of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
Even though there was a language barrier, the boy instantly understood Zhang Chen’s intent, rising cautiously to take the rabbit leg before hungrily devouring it.
"Can you teach me this language?" Zhang Chen asked, glancing at the ravenous boy and then at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"You underestimate my abilities. You just need to release your Protective Golden Light, and I can instill the language into you instantly, no need to learn piece by piece." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon said.
Hearing this, Zhang Chen’s eyes were filled with amusement. If he hadn’t mastered a skill that could extract the Great Freedom Celestial Demon at any time, he would have dreaded the creature by three points.
But now that he possessed the second-tier Soul Hook Skill, if the other wanted to play tricks, they were overthinking.
As Zhang Chen’s thoughts flowed, thinking the Great Freedom Celestial Demon was up to something, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon said, "I can teach you the language, but you must let me leave for a period."
"Leave? Go where?" Zhang Chen was taken aback.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon sneered coldly: "To see what’s interesting in the First Heaven of this Spiritual World! You know, I’ve lived countless years, and have visited the First Heaven many times. I left some Creations there, which should’ve grown by now."
"Hmm?" Zhang Chen was surprised, not expecting there would be such benefits in living a long life.
Seeing Zhang Chen’s expression, the Great Freedom Celestial Demon thought Zhang Chen was getting greedy, so with a smile, he said, "Don’t worry, if there’s truly a Great Medicine Immortal Grass, your share of benefits won’t be forgotten."
Zhang Chen gave the Great Freedom Celestial Demon a look: "I agree to this deal, you may go as you wish. However, while teaching me the language, you won’t play any tricks, right?"
"You know I possess the Nine Bends Yellow River Array; you should be aware of the power of the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array." Zhang Chen remarked to the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"Rest assured, I know my limits. I just found this place strange, allowing you to grasp more skills for better survival."
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon transformed into a black lotus, a petal fell, landing before Zhang Chen. Then the Great Freedom Celestial Demon resumed human form, pointing to the fallen petal: "You only need to refine it with Magical Power to gain language communication ability."
"Could it be a Demon Seed?" Zhang Chen’s eyes questioned the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"You’re overthinking it. I know I can’t plant a Demon Seed on you, why waste the effort? Plus, I know it can’t fool your Dharma Eye!" The Great Freedom Celestial Demon replied.
"Even if it is a Demon Seed, I’m not afraid!" Zhang Chen picked up the petal from the ground. After inspecting it with the Dharma Eye and finding it harmless, he enveloped it with Magical Power. The petal turned into black smoke and entered Zhang Chen’s body.
Sure enough, an information flow circulated in Zhang Chen’s mind, inexplicably mastering a language.
Simultaneously, Zhang Chen activated the Soul Hook Skill and found no trace of the Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s Demon Seed on himself.
"You’re unexpectedly humane now." Zhang Chen gazed at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon ignored Zhang Chen, now having more important, thrilling tasks to do. With a flicker, it transformed into black smoke, vanishing into air.
"What’s your name?" Zhang Chen asked the ravenous boy, attempting to use his newly acquired language.
Though freshly learned, Zhang Chen found no difficulty with the language, as if he was born knowing it.
"My name is ’Earth’, as in the earth below." The boy paused his eating, answering gravely: "May I know your name?"
"Your name is odd, only one word?" Zhang Chen responded, surprised, then introduced himself: "My name is Zhang Chen!"
As he spoke, Zhang Chen looked at the boy, whose face was full of burns, and he felt as though he had seen him before (in a dream realm): "Why are you alone here?"