Chapter 321
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi set off for the alternate dimension. Tang Sheng and his wife originally wanted to go with them, but Tang Yu’an declined.
The time flow in the alternate dimension was far too fast. Deep down, Tang Yu’an hoped his parents would age more slowly, so he was reluctant to let them go there.
Once their cultivation progressed or they found other ways to slow aging, then he could bring them along.
Understanding their son’s concerns, Tang Sheng and his wife ultimately chose to stay.
After all, there were still many matters in the original world waiting for their attention. And since the two children had already been surviving in the post-apocalyptic world for so long, following them now might only cause unnecessary complications.
Watching their figures disappear into the teleportation array, Tang Xueyun couldn’t help but sigh.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Sheng asked.
“I just feel like the kids suddenly grew up… like they don’t need us anymore…”
“Don’t overthink it,” Tang Sheng comforted her. “If they didn’t need us, An’an and Xiao Qi wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble to find us again. Wherever we are, that’s home.”
He took her hand. “Come on, let’s see if there are any message bottles to pick up. Once we’re done with that, it’s time to head back. Xin Xin’s still waiting for us.”
They had already missed their son’s growing-up years—they couldn’t miss their daughter’s too.
Tang Xueyun and Tang Sheng left the trailer and entered the grocery store. As she looked around at the familiar little building, her mood gradually calmed.
No matter what, the fact that the children were alive and had returned to them—that was what mattered most.
*
Alternate dimension, Fire Dragon territory.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi appeared on the teleportation array. Thanks to the protective barrier, the temperature inside the small house wasn’t too high.
They put on sun-protective clothing and stepped out of the branch store.
“Chirp-chirp! Chirp-chirp-chirp!”
As soon as Tang Yu’an stepped onto the platform made of fire-element spirit stones, he heard a familiar bird call. A flash of red appeared in front of him—Ruby the little red bird flew straight toward him.
“Ruby!”
But compared to when they last left, Ruby had clearly grown.
She tried to perch on Tang Yu’an’s shoulder as she used to, only to find it much more cramped. Tang Yu’an could feel the weight on his shoulder too.
“Ruby, you’ve grown so much! I almost didn’t recognize you.”
The once palm-sized bird had spent just two or three months in the Fire Dragon territory—and now was at least ten times bigger.
Tang Yu’an extended his arm for her to perch on instead.
Her feathers were vibrant and beautiful, with long trailing tail feathers—already bearing some resemblance to a phoenix.
“Ruby, you’re so beautiful now!” Tang Yu’an said with stars in his eyes.
Ruby puffed out her chest proudly, then flapped her wings and flew into the air, tugging on Tang Yu’an’s shirt with her beak to signal him to follow.
Tang Yu’an looked in the direction she indicated and saw a massive vine-like tree climbing a stone pillar, winding its way upward.
Wasn’t that the split-off shoot of Green Gem that had stayed behind to accompany Ruby?
Not only had it survived in this magma-rich environment—it had grown huge!
Tang Yu’an quickly flew over. A fiery red vine stretched toward him and wrapped affectionately around his wrist, its crimson leaves rubbing gently against him.
“Green Gem, you’ve turned red!”
While Tang Yu’an was speaking with the vine, the little phoenix had already flown to the treetop. Then it came down carrying a small bundle in its beak and dropped it in front of him like a proud gift.
“Is this a present for me?” Tang Yu’an asked.
The little phoenix nodded haughtily.
Tang Yu’an opened the bundle and found it filled with beautiful, fiery red feathers. If Parrot A’Mu saw this, he’d probably go crazy with joy.
Of course, Tang Yu’an was thrilled too.
These were phoenix feathers, after all—rare and valuable! They’d be incredibly useful for upgrading magical furniture in the future.
“Thank you, Ruby. I love it.”
The little phoenix flapped her wings and perched on his shoulder again, affectionately nuzzling his cheek.
Just then, Tang Yu’an’s system panel popped up.
[Host, did you just raise a phoenix?]
“Yeah,” Tang Yu’an nodded. “You didn’t know?”
[…]
The system went silent.
Tang Yu’an didn’t think much of it. He was already used to the intelligent system being absent most of the time and often forgot it was even there—only occasionally remembering it existed.
A dragon’s roar echoed in the distance.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi looked over to see a small dragon flying toward them.
It must be the child of the dragon Yan Lie—the dragon hatchling they’d saved before. Its body hadn’t changed much in size, but its aura had grown much stronger, and it looked visibly sturdier.
“Baby! Ruby!”
The little dragon called out in a youthful voice. The little phoenix chirped back in response.
When the dragon saw Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, it hesitated for a moment, then exclaimed in delight, “The little people who sell stuff!”
Apparently, it still remembered them—just forgot their names.
The fact that it could speak so fluently at such a young age showed that Blaze hadn’t been exaggerating. Dragons were indeed born knowing their language, unlike humans who had to learn over time.
“Hello, I’m An’an.”
“An’an…” the little dragon repeated, circling them in the air, studying them curiously.
“You can leave the pool now?” Tang Yu’an asked.
The little dragon Hui nodded.
“Where’s your dad?” Tang Yu’an asked again.
“Daddy went to check on the new hatchlings,” the little dragon replied obediently, then pointed toward the magma. “Mommy’s over there!”
“Your mom came back?”
Tang Yu’an had just spoken when a figure emerged from the distant magma.
A fiery red dragon swam through the air and flew toward them.
To Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, most dragons looked similar, but this one had more delicate features—it was clearly a female dragon.
“Mommy!” Little Dragon Hui joyfully flew over. “These are the little people Daddy told me about—the ones who sell things!”
The fire dragon Wenya had also spotted the two tiny humans.
Though she had heard her husband mention them many times, she couldn’t help but look surprised when she actually saw Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi. Her expression then softened into a fond smile.
“Hello, adorable little ones.”
Wenya spoke gently, “I’ve heard all about you from Yan Lie. Thank you for saving my child—and Ruby… she’s incredibly important to the survival and reproduction of our Fire Dragon clan!”
The little phoenix’s flames could strengthen dragon hatchlings’ constitutions and improve their ability to absorb fire elemental energy. With the little phoenix around, they no longer had to worry about hatchlings dying prematurely from weakness.
“I’m glad we could help,” Tang Yu’an replied with a smile.
“Chi Yan’s child was born as well. Yan Lie went to fetch them—they should be here soon.”
Newly hatched fire dragons all had to come to this platform to soak in a pool formed of pure fire spirit energy. Only after surviving the most vulnerable two years could they leave.
Hatchlings like Yan Lie and Wenya’s child—only three months old and already energetic enough to run around with Ruby—were extremely rare.
So every time she saw the little phoenix, Wenya’s gaze grew softer.
Not long after, three large dragons arrived at the platform with a baby dragon in tow.
Seeing Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi, both Yan Lie and Chi Yan lit up with joy.
“You’re finally back!”
Chi Yan asked urgently, “Do you still have any of that healing potion from before? I’d like to buy some more.”
“Mister Dragon, we promised you before that if your child’s life was in danger, we would help,” Tang Yu’an said, reminding him of the previous agreement. “Is your child in danger now?”
Chi Yan nodded. Last time, Yan Lie’s child had first taken the healing potion and then been strengthened by the little red bird’s flame.
Originally, since the healing potion was gone, Chi Yan had been worried about disrupting that order. But now that the two little merchants had returned, he didn’t have to take the risk.
“Then I’ll use Light Healing Magic first. Let’s see if it works.”
After all, healing potions were still drugs—overuse might lead to resistance. It was better not to rely on them too much.
So, Tang Yu’an began casting Light Healing Magic on the newborn dragon.
Under the glowing light of the healing spell, the previously weak little dragon gradually stabilized.
Chi Yan and his mate finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching their baby fall asleep, Chi Yan quickly looked at the little phoenix.
“Ruby, can you give my little one a breath of flame?” This mighty dragon was suddenly full of flattery when addressing the phoenix.
The little phoenix raised its head proudly and chirped several times.
Chi Yan quickly recalled something and broke off a chunk of fire crystal, handing it to Tang Yu’an. “An’an, this is for you.”
Tang Yu’an blinked.
Then he heard Chi Yan say, “Take it, quick! That’s the only way Ruby will breathe fire on my little one.”
Tang Yu’an looked at Ruby.
The little phoenix affectionately rubbed against his cheek and chirped twice as if urging him to accept it.
So Tang Yu’an didn’t refuse—it could count as Ruby’s “labor fee.”
[You’ve completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer. EXP +1, Points +6,850,000]
Wahoo! 6.85 million points just like that!
“Ruby, you’re amazing!” Tang Yu’an grinned from ear to ear at the sight of his soaring points balance.
The little phoenix chirped proudly, then flew over to the newborn dragon and began breathing fire on it.
The other three-month-old little dragon nearby watched with wide, eager eyes.
Once Ruby stopped breathing fire, Tang Yu’an saw the other little dragon flatteringly circling around the phoenix, even mimicking bird-like chirping sounds.
The noises weren’t as crisp or pleasant as a real bird’s call, but they were still adorably childish.
Unfortunately, the little phoenix wasn’t moved.
Before Tang Yu’an had arrived, all other creatures had to make way—so Ruby paid little attention to the young dragon.
Being ignored for the first time, the little dragon looked a bit lost.
Yan Lie, seeing this, quickly broke off another piece of fire crystal and handed it to Tang Yu’an, hoping he could say a few good words on their behalf.
Tang Yu’an took the fire crystal and gently coaxed the phoenix, “Ruby, the little dragon wants to play with you. Why don’t you give it a chance?”
[You’ve completed a profitable transaction with a regular customer. EXP +1, Points +5,790,000]
Along with the alert came a message from the intelligent system panel.
[…]
Wait a second—is this how you usually do business? Just two sentences and you’ve earned 12.64 million points?
12.64 million!!
Since when was it this easy to make points?!
