Farewell Journey

Just then, a deeper and more rumbling breath sounded from behind the door, as if some formidable beast was breaking out of its cocoon, exuding an unmatched aura of a ruler.

Everyone's hearts raced, and gasps and nervous swallows sounded from all directions.

That aura was too powerful, striking fear and awe in everyone. This presence undoubtedly heralded the arrival of the true ruler!

Even Christina's face revealed a look of reverence.

Everyone understood that the power of the true king had finally awakened completely, descending into this world.

A new era was about to unfold with his arrival!

Just as complex expressions intertwined on the tense faces, the ten-year-old prince slowly walked out.

He had a flawless countenance, attracting all eyes. His slightly raised brows revealed a regal air, and his clear eyes flickered with intelligence and curiosity, as if able to see through the mysteries of the world.

His silver-white hair, the same hue as Christina's, was neatly combed, softly draping over his forehead.

The prince's face was as exquisitely sculpted as a statue. His skin was fair and smooth, with a high nose bridge that turned up slightly, adding dimension and delicacy to his features.

His lips were soft and full, mouth corners slightly upturned, as if he had a gentle smile perpetually.

As he slowly walked over, it was as if the whole world welcomed the arrival of this most perfect being.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" Christina solemnly bowed her head down in reverence.

David was still getting used to this new body, but already felt very coordinated and dexterous.

Although not as powerful as the Goddess, this feeling of perfection was unmatched by any other being.

"You need not be restrained."

But the people below silently knelt in obeisance, no one daring to overstep.

"Lynn, I plan to set off today to explore the outside world. Do you have anything else to tell me?" David asked directly.

"Do you still need the support of my subconscious?" Lynn politely asked in return.

"Of course, your knowledge and experience are very helpful to me." David replied decisively.

From his past life, he had already grown accustomed to Lynn's presence. If she suddenly disappeared from his mind, David would feel disoriented instead.

Although Lynn could not exert her power in David's new body, her extensive knowledge and calm mind were still valuable resources.

"Emma, Leah, Clara, I've prepared resources to aid your growth. Just ingest them, and I will help you digest with my spiritual power, which should be enough for you all to advance to Initiation."

"Thank you so much, Goddess!" The three were very delighted and grateful.

Under Lynn's guidance, they quickly advanced to Initiation, formally becoming cultivators!

"There is more potential within you. As long as you keep striving, you can continue to grow, eventually reaching the LV5 realm." Lynn explained.

"Digest and absorb?" Leah was still a little confused.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you!" Emma quickly expressed comprehension and thanks.

Lynn took out an exquisite small box and gently opened it. Inside lay two crystal clear immortal dew fruits.

"Alec, Agnes, these are gifts for you - fresh immortal dew fruits. Consuming them can store the maximum level of spiritual power for you. As you digest them, it should be enough to advance you halfway up a level." Lynn said with a smile.

"Immortal...immortal dew fruits?" Alec's eyes widened in disbelief that he and his sister would receive such precious immortal fruits.

Agnes was also surprised, but quickly reacted and deeply bowed to Lynn: "Thank you for the Goddess' gift!"

Alec hurriedly followed his sister in expressing gratitude, extremely excited within.

Not only did Lynn give Alec and Agnes these grand gifts, she had also prepared tailored boons for everyone, so that each received the most beneficial harvest.

Before departing, Lynn also specially distributed some portable treasures and spiritual medicines.

And so, everyone set off on their journey to the outside world.

At the start of their journey, Lynn still accompanied and protected them. But after about three hours, she suddenly stopped and gazed ahead, seemingly lost in thought.

"Lynn?" David tentatively called out.

"We've reached the boundary of the ruins' radiation. If we go any further, my power will quickly diminish." Lynn calmly explained.

"I see. Well, thank you for accompanying us this far!" David nodded to her, saying with some reluctance.

The others were also grateful for Lynn's care and guidance throughout the trip, and felt a bit reluctant to part.

"Goodbye, Goddess. Remember to come back to the village often, my mom will make the best cookies for you!" Leah waved goodbye to Lynn innocently.

"I will, you all take care." Lynn smiled back.

"Alec, I'll leave them in your care from here on." She turned to the siblings to instruct.

After all, among them all, the siblings had the greatest strength.

"It would be my honor to serve and protect the prince and princess!" Alec stood at attention and placed a hand over his chest in salute, accepting the duty.

Lynn nodded in satisfaction and soon disappeared from their sight.

Sob...

When Lynn's figure completely vanished, the air around them suddenly chilled sharply, and an eerie aura swiftly swept over their bodies, making them shiver involuntarily.

"It's back, that unpleasant feeling!" Alec said with a laugh.

"Yeah, why does it feel so cold and creepy all of a sudden!" Emma hugged herself and vigorously rubbed her arms to warm up.

"It's because we've lost the protection of such a powerful being like Lynn. The true nature of this forest is revealing itself now."

"A group our size must have already been spotted by lurking beasts. The Forest of Loss is always dangerous!" Agnes explained.

To prepare for potential threats, they changed their marching formation. Agnes with the keenest sight took the lead, Alec protected the rear, while the weaker ones walked in the middle.

On a rare high ground, Emma took out the map to carefully confirm their route: "According to the map, we should head this way."

The map marked the commonly used paths from the village to the outside world. Among them was a road that the villagers had repeatedly developed and used, much smoother and safer than other areas.

Their trip to the outside world also carried a minor mission - to clear out a vicious pack of wolves along the necessary route to the Kingdom of Diago's adventurer outpost.

This was also David's first time experiencing the eeriness of the forest personally.

Previously while living in Lynn's body, everything seemed so beautiful and peaceful. But now having to face it alone, their surroundings had become frightening.

As expected, one's own strength was most important!

At this time, Leah found an opportunity to politely ask Agnes:

"Sister Agnes, what did the Goddess mean by 'digest' earlier?"

"Hmm...how do I explain this?" Agnes stroked her chin and thought hard, then began explaining:

"For us cultivators, there are only two states in our cultivation - 'intake' and 'digestion'."

"Intake refers to the process of absorbing spiritual energy. This step is very difficult, because resources are always scarce." She continued patiently.

"But merely intake is not enough. We also need to digest and absorb the spiritual energy, truly converting it into nourishment for our bodies."

"When we expend spiritual power, or engage in strenuous exercise, some digestion factors are produced."

"But only when we rest can we utilize these factors to convert the previously absorbed spiritual energy into true strength, breaking into higher realms!"

"So after receiving the Goddess' gifts, our bodies entered digestion state with no spare capacity to take in more spiritual energy."

"What we need to do now is activate more digestion factors through training and combat, then slowly digest and absorb the spiritual energy taken in." She explained directly.

"Miss Leah, no need to worry too much for now. In the city states, the academies will systematically teach these basics."

Due to the complex and dangerous surroundings, Agnes only briefly explained the basic principles and process of cultivation to give Leah and the others a rough idea.

To truly master the specifics and practical details of cultivation would probably require further study at proper academies.

The group continued trekking through the ancient primordial forest, occasionally encountering treacherous terrain and minor beast attacks along the way. The journey was extremely difficult, but they emerged unscathed.

"Phew, we've finally reached the necessary path marked on the map!" Agnes, who was walking at the very front, heaved a sigh of relief. It was great to have a relatively safe stretch for the road ahead.

Though there were wolf packs lurking ahead, this was nevertheless a more traversed path, with lower chances of encountering unknown powerful beasts. It would generally be safer.

"We need to lure those wolves hiding in the shadows to show themselves." Alec frowned and said.

As a veteran adventurer, he had undertaken many bounties to slay beasts.

"Agnes, let's suppress our auras and maintain ordinary human states as we move forward." He instructed his sister.

"Got it, brother. Watch your back too." Agnes nodded.

The two entered vigilant states, while also keeping the rest alert for potential wolf ambushes.

As they reined in their spiritual power, the path instantly took on an even more sinister and perilous air.

Agnes, a highly alert archer with a lithe and agile build, kept her eyes vigilantly surveying their surroundings. Her gaze was sharp and swift, taking in everything around them.

After walking a while longer, the sun began to set and darkness descended, impacting everyone's vision and making travel more difficult.

"Should we find a spot and rest for the night?" Emma suggested. After traveling all day, she was starting to feel tired.

Fortunately, as an Initiation level now, her physique had greatly improved. With her prior ordinary human constitution, she would have collapsed from exhaustion two hours ago.

But Alec immediately rejected the idea of resting: "Not yet. Nightfall is the best time for the wolves to strike. We should seize this chance to counterattack."

"If we wait until deep night, the risks would be too high."

"Agnes, strengthen surveillance!" He commanded next.

"They may be here already. Listen carefully, don't turn your head. There's some noise at the 3 o'clock direction." Agnes said gravely in a low voice.

Since they were all moving in one direction, the 3 o'clock orientation was very clear, making everyone aware of the potential foes' general position.

Alec's gaze was also heavy as he shifted his body weight, entering an extremely wary state. He also boosted his hearing to max, straining to catch sounds from that direction.

"Looks like our bait tactic worked." He murmured.

They had deliberately suppressed their auras and continued moving at night, creating the impression for their foes that they were inexperienced.

"Everyone stay alert!" Alec whispered the order.

"Let them come a bit closer, and see if I can pinpoint the Alpha's location. Taking down the Alpha will make the pack fall apart!" Agnes calmly analyzed.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats. Even the three saintesses who had never fought felt tremendous pressure.

"Is this the wolf pack uncles and aunties fear? Can we really defeat them?" Emma couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. Although she was now at the Initiation level, without combat experience, she still lacked confidence in herself.

Tap tap, tap tap!

The soft sounds of wolf paws came from the bushes.

"Awoo!" Then a wolf howl broke the silence of the night.

"Awawaw!" More howls rose and fell, as a large pack of wolf shadows swiftly charged at them!

Alec and Agnes immediately entered battle mode, while the rest tensely prepared to engage.

"Now! Protect the prince and princess, get ready to fight!" Alec shouted.

Since both sides were aware of each other now, there was no more need to conceal themselves. Alec turned to directly face the wolves. In the hazy night, countless pairs of blood-red eyes swayed, like ghosts in the night, an extremely horrifying sight.

Shing!

Alec drew his longsword, shielding the rest behind him.

Agnes' eyes were like the deep blue sea, sparkling and clear.

She crouched, gazing into the distance. Her eyes like a beam of pale blue light seemed to penetrate the night and foliage, seeing through all.

"There, 11 o'clock, a huge alpha is commanding them. It's very wary - likely the pack leader!"