Ash couldn't let himself being complacent with Huxian's warm hospitality. On top of that, his primal instinct told him to leave Huxian's place and be an independent Immortal Beast. He wouldn't want to be riddled with regret when someone else had to safe him over and over again, being a weakling was a greatest sin in the Immortal Beast Realm after all.
"Have you decided where to go?" Huxian asked.
Ash nodded, he then facing westward where most of the regions were colonized by cultivators. At that moment, Huxian could read his intentions from his fiery eyes. Every Immortal Beast that she helped always had the same vengeful eyes whenever they facing westward. They only had one goal; revenge upon cultivators who destroyed their homes.
"Such perilous fate awaits you, Xiao Huô. I don't wish you to die young just for enacting your revenge." Huxian caressed his feather, and then she gazed far beyond the window. "But, you will go no matter what I say, yes?"
Ash nodded again. "Worry me not, milady. I can take care myself. Besides, I'm not in a hurry. Firstly, I need to train and become the strongest!"
A smile bloomed on Huxian's face. "Wisely said. If that's the case, I have something that can help you with your training."
"No, no, no. I had enough for being the receiving ends. Besides, I need to figure this out myself."
"Fufufu, it's fine…" With just a swipe of her sleeve, she summoned a golden ring from the rift. "Here, you will need it, trust me."
"A ring?" Ash tilted his head to the side.
"A Storage Ring, to be exact. I have prepared the essentials provisions for you inside. Take a look for yourself."
Curious, Ash grabbed the ring with his talons. Soon, the transparent holographic screen popped up before his eyes, showing the Storage Ring's details.
[Mythical Rank Item]
[Huxian's Storage Ring]
[Forged by the Transcended Rank Immortal Beast, Huxian. It can store up to 10.000 items regardless of their actual size and quality.]
[Additional Stats: VIT +100]
[Touch twice to open the spatial storage.]
When Ash did so, he was froze upon entering the Spatial Space and saw the Epic Rank Items and Legendary Rank Items that are floating inside like star constellations. Each of them glowed with otherworldly light. Amongst those exotic items, he stumbled upon a Mythical Rank Item, a book that looked so thick as it is heavy.
He then summoned the book, and it landed with a loud "thud" noise.
"Ah! There it is! I've been looking for this book everywhere! Hmm, I might have dragged it into your ring by accident, it seems."
"Heavenly Immortal Beast Codex?" Ash raised an eyelid.
"Yes. During my younger times, I have cataloged almost every Heavenly Rank Immortal Beast that once roamed this realm. However, they mysteriously vanished without a trace ten millennium ago, leaving this realm unprotected, hence the colonization by those cultivators."
"T-ten millennium?!" Ash was befuddled by her words which indirectly told him that Huxian was at least ten thousands years old if not more.
"Fufufu, why so surprised? Ten or twenty millennium is still very young compared to those Divine Emperor Rank Immortal Beast, or Heavenly Immortal Beast who had lived for millions of years, some even had existed since the beginning of times."
"Unbelievable…" Ash muttered.
"Fufufu. I know, right?" Huxian chuckled merrily.
"May I keep this book?"
"Of course. Everything inside that ring is yours."
Ash sighed. "I can't thank you enough, milady."
"No need." Huxian smiled gently. "Now, go. Your wings are made to traverse this boundless plain, don't let this vixen hold you any longer."
Before he go, Huxian blew the ring once, it then fitted onto Ash's left ankle snuggly as if it was forged just for him. After which, the ring become invisible yet Ash still able to feel the weight around his ankle. With that, Ash didn't need to worry about the ring being spotted by others.
Once he was ready, Ash instinctively flapped his wings a few times and took off to the sky at once. Ash made a few circles around Huxian's abode. Once he get used to manipulate the speed and altitude, Ash fly up higher to find a jetstream so he could fly longer and farther.
Meanwhile, Huxian sent him off with a heartfelt farewell. "Comeback any time, Xiao Huô."
****
During his journey, Ash would occasionally perched atop a high ridge or the tallest tree on the area to savour the otherworldly scenery of the Immortal Beast Realm while enjoying his meals. Thanks to Huxian's help, he didn't need to enter another predator's territory to hunt for his meal.
However, in order to sharpen his skills, Ash would prey on the careless mountain goats or rabbits that were roaming too close to his reach albeit he felt bad about hunting the weak. Therefore, he would pay respect to the animals that he hunted by not leaving any remains.
Yes, he would even eat the awful organs which surprisingly very nourishing for his body, especially the hearts and brains. His level went up from Level 3 to Level 5 with just a few hunt.
Now he understands why birds of prey or any predators would eat their prey's organs first before anything else.
On one peaceful flight above the clouds, Ash noticed a bright, flashing lightning on the ground.
"Fight between Immortal Beasts?" Ash probed from the height, looking downward. "From the residual energy, they are Sky Rank Immortal Beast. Maybe I can draw some inspiration from their fight by watching them."
Thus, Ash swooped down acrobatically from a great height, he then flying vertically when he could almost touch the very top of the trees. Not so long after, he arrived at the valley where the fight took place.
Alas, the fight was ended abruptly for some reasons. The Lightning Liger was defeated by the massive Bristleback Black Boar. Triumphant, the boar let out a deafening warcry, announcing himself as the sole ruler of this valley.
After that, All of the Earth Rank Immortal Beast emerged from the tree lines, they bowed low one after another in front of the boar. However, since Ash was not a denizen of this realm, the boar's warcry didn't affect him in one bit.
"Tsk! I was too late! It's time to go, before that ugly boar noticed my presence."
Just when he was about to fly away, Ash heard a faint cry from behind the Lightning Liger's body. It's body was very small compared to its parent, like a miniature version of Lightning Liger. The Liger's cub rocked its parent's dead body fervently, trying to wake it up but to no avail.
On the other hand, the boar's mouth was salivating heavily upon looking the delicious prey. Ash couldn't help but to close his eyes, he understood the law of the jungle very well and had adapted to it. He opted to not meddle with the Liger's cub's fate.
However, he was utterly disgusted upon seeing the boar's lower part. He then aware that the boar was not about to prey on the cub, but to violate it before feasting on its meat and bones.
"Die! You sick bastard!"
Without further ado, Ash launched himself with just one flap of his wings, snatching the boar's 'little brother' in one fell swoop!