After leaving the Azure Bird Soul Hunting Squad's base, Yu Yan strolled around Southeast Town. As a settlement bordering one of the three major Spirit Beast gathering places, the Sunset Forest, everything here revolved around Spirit Beasts.
The last time he'd come to the Sunset Forest, he had followed Yu Qingfeng's trio to obtain his first spirit ring. Because he'd simply tagged along, Yu Yan never properly experienced the local customs of this Spirit Beast town.
This time he had come alone, with ample time and freedom to observe the sights and people the original book never described.
At a stall devoted to liquor, Yu Yan saw Monkey Wine (fermented by captive monkey-type Spirit Beasts from fruit of plant-type Spirit Beasts), Three-Snake Wine (a potent brew steeped with White Flower Spirit Snake, Dark-cloud Snake, and Ice-charcoal Snake), Supreme Snake-King Wine (medicinal liquor steeped with Datura Snake gall), Five-Whip Wine (a virility liquor of hundred-year-old deer, tiger, ox, donkey, and dog members plus assorted herbs), and more.
Five-Whip Wine was one of the main culprits that had stolen the Whale Dragon's aphrodisiac market.
Anyone in need of such virility tonics was, by nature, a pleasure-seeker, and pleasure-seekers rarely enjoyed the unpalatable Whale Dragon.
After chatting with the stall owner for ten minutes, Yu Yan spent forty gold coins on two bottles of Monkey Wine said to slightly increase spirit power while tasting delicious.
At a stand selling weapons and armor, he saw gear forged from various Spirit Beast Materials. The variety was complete, the only pity being that, limited by the era, none of these arms or armors possessed special abilities yet.
Finding no special powers, Yu Yan merely glanced and walked away.
The Frost Scale Armor created by his first Ice Fish Skill was the finest gear; anything inferior couldn't catch his eye.
A stall peddling Spirit Beast Materials showed him what "dizzying variety" truly meant.
Rare Ore extracted from rock-type Spirit Beasts was the top choice for forging weapons.
Seeds, fruit, and nectar from plant-type Spirit Beasts had countless uses; high-year ginseng and snow lotus were sought after by nobles.
Refrigerators and stoves made from element-type Spirit Beasts lasted for ages.
Animal-type Spirit Beasts produced the most Materials, applied everywhere from food and drink to clothing and transport.
After a full day's shopping and a backpack stuffed with purchases, Yu Yan returned to his lodgings. The next morning, when he arrived at the Azure Bird Soul Hunting Squad's gate, he found them already assembled and waiting for him.
Besides Azure Yi, Azure Profound, and Qing Zishan, four Spirit Ancestors stood at the entrance.
"Oh my, little Brother Yu Yan, you're here early."
Azure Yi, perched on the stone lion outside the gate, looked surprised; in her experience, gaudily dressed rich kids were never this punctual.
"The sooner I get my spirit ring, the sooner I can head back—I've got plans with friends."
It was the perfect vague answer, impossible to fault.
"Since you're in a rush to meet your friends, we'll try to finish your spirit ring business today."
Without overthinking, Azure Yi leapt down and gave the order to move out.
She took the lead, guiding the squad and Yu Yan toward the Sunset Forest.
Inside the forest she walked point, Azure Profound and Qing Zishan flanked the group, and Yu Yan was protected in the center—standard procedure for a paying client.
"Little Brother Yu Yan, Frost Ash Remnant Dragons roam the mid-layer zone. We'll need to pick up the pace—are you alright with that?"
After summoning her Azure Bird for Martial Soul Possession and scouting from above, the equally eager Azure Yi sought her employer's opinion.
"No problem."
"Great, you're straightforward."
With praise given, she accelerated to a pace a Three-Ring Soul Venerable could manage.
Having consumed Whale Dragon, Yu Yan's physique rivaled a Four-Ring Spirit Ancestor, so he kept up easily.
Thanks to their forest knowledge and a scout's sharp senses, the squad and Yu Yan reached the Frost Ash Remnant Dragon range—a chain of rolling mountains—without incident.
For nineteen thousand gold coins, the location was provided; Yu Yan only needed to follow and absorb the spirit ring.
"There's a Frost Ash Remnant Dragon ahead that meets your needs. We'll rest here, eat lunch, and adjust our condition."
Near noon, Azure Yi chose a flat spot, ordered a break, and outlined the next steps.
No one questioned her command.
After a morning's trek, a tired Yu Yan voiced no objection either.
From the morning's march he could see their professionalism: once inside the forest they stayed vigilant and executed their leader's every order without hesitation.
After lunch and a brief rest, they set off again to find the Frost Ash Remnant Dragon he required.
Frost Ash Remnant Dragons were dragon-like with broad yet heavy wings, their bodies coated in cracked, semi-translucent deep-blue scales that oozed molten gold-red light.
Most striking were their two great wings: the left shrouded in frost, the right wreathed in flame.
Where the wings met, frost and fire collided and Fusion released wildly unstable energy.
The scholar who recorded them argued they were an incompletely evolved sub-dragon Spirit Beast, unable to perfectly fuse its ice and fire attributes—hence the "Remnant" in its name.
The same scholar boldly speculated that, should it ever harmonize those elements, it would become the strongest sub-dragon alive.
Alas, the world rarely grants such "ifs."
Judging its age was simple: each meter of wing length equaled a thousand years.
The first Frost Ash Remnant Dragon they found was about three thousand years—too young, so Yu Yan passed.
The second measured roughly fifty-eight hundred years—too old, also rejected.
The third dragon, by Yu Yan's estimate, floated around forty-five hundred years: a perfect match.