Chapter 106
“Buddhist cultivation?”
A-Yan, having finished cleaning up the dishes, walked over to Su Ci and the Crimson Flame Tiger. Hearing their conversation, he couldn’t help but grow curious.
“Su Su, what is Buddhist cultivation?” A-Yan asked on behalf of the tiger.
Ran Lie stared at Su Ci with an intense thirst for knowledge in his eyes. Su Ci, not one to be secretive, explained, “Buddhist cultivation refers to cultivators who follow the path of enlightenment through Buddhism.”
Ran Lie’s expression grew even more confused.
Cultivators who follow the path of enlightenment through Buddhism? What did that mean? He could barely understand the words individually—scratch that, he didn’t even understand the words, let alone the full meaning of the sentence.
What is Buddhism? What is enlightenment? And what does a cultivator mean?
Ran Lie was lost, while A-Yan’s mind conjured an image of Buddhist cultivation. Though he was certain he had never seen it before, he instinctively knew it was accurate.
Curious, A-Yan turned to the Crimson Flame Tiger and asked Su Ci, “So, Su Su, does Number Two… Ran Lie… need to shave his head?”
This time, it was Su Ci’s turn to be caught off guard.
He looked at A-Yan but quickly understood—A-Yan’s memories must be gradually resurfacing. This was a good sign.
As for Ran Lie…
He was completely bewildered. What does Buddhist cultivation have to do with shaving one’s head?
Fortunately, Su Ci shook his head and replied, “No, that’s not necessary.”
The reason he chose a Buddhist mental discipline and the Golden Steel Palm technique for Ran Lie was primarily for their ability to cultivate inner peace and discipline. Combined with the palm technique, it would allow Ran Lie to harness the power of his crimson flames more effectively. Shaving his head or becoming a monk wasn’t part of the plan.
Naturally, the strict monastic rules of Buddhism wouldn’t apply to Ran Lie either. After all, he was barely over ten years old and still growing. A strong, healthy body was key to mastering his bloodline power.
So, eating meat would still be allowed—there was no need to switch to a vegetarian diet.
Adapting useful aspects and discarding unnecessary ones was the way forward. Clinging rigidly to formality would only hinder progress.
Ran Lie listened to Su Ci’s explanation, nodding hesitantly, still not entirely understanding but trusting him. Su Ci then began teaching him the Buddhist mental discipline.
Same with Rong Heng, Su Ci required Ran Lie to memorize the foundational text before continuing to the next steps.
Compared to the young lion cub, Ran Lie’s memory was noticeably better. This was likely due to his ability to use his mental energy to scan his surroundings. Those with strong mental energy often had excellent memories.
Buddhist cultivation techniques, compared to the straightforward nature of sword cultivation, were far more obscure and challenging to comprehend. For Ran Lie, memorizing them fully was no easy task.
Additionally, since he couldn’t speak in his current state, reciting the techniques posed an even greater challenge.
Su Ci, with other tasks to attend to, couldn’t stay with him the whole time. The same applied to A-Yan. So, Su Ci devised another solution:
“Xiao Zhi, I’ll leave Ran Lie in your care.”
Earlier, while reciting the Buddhist mental technique’s mantra, Su Ci had the base’s AI record it. Even if Ran Lie couldn’t read the written words, he could still understand the audio.
Of course, Su Ci also meticulously wrote out the mantra word by word, had the AI scan it, and displayed it on a light screen for Ran Lie to see.
Written words held power. Most Daoist mantras were derived from heavenly scripts, and memorizing these texts would undoubtedly aid in comprehension and cultivation.
Su Ci told Ran Lie, “You can call on the base AI anytime. It will help you with the mantra.”
Ran Lie nodded.
With that, Su Ci left him alone, heading to the coffee table to examine the Selaginella and moss he had collected the day before.
As Ran Lie watched Su Ci leave, he prepared to resume memorizing the mantra when it suddenly hit him—wait, how was he supposed to call the AI in his current form as a Crimson Flame Tiger?
He looked at Su Ci’s retreating figure but hesitated to bother him again.
Thinking for a moment, Ran Lie gazed at the air and tentatively let out, “Meow?”
The light screen slowly unfolded, displaying the mantra Su Ci had written moments ago. At the same time, the audio version began playing in his ears.
Ran Lie found this fascinating. It was his first time encountering something so entertaining, and he couldn’t resist trying again. “Meow~”
The soft, kitten-like sound echoed, and the next moment, the light screen disappeared, and the audio stopped.
Excited, the little Crimson Flame Tiger was about to call the AI again when a calm, cool voice came from the living room: “Ran Lie.”
Ran Lie froze, and his playful mood vanished instantly.
He wasn’t sure why, but ever since transforming into the Crimson Flame Tiger, he often found it difficult to control himself, constantly needing to suppress his instincts.
Perhaps this was his beastly nature?
Thankfully, the caretaker’s reminder brought his rational mind back to the forefront, making him more vigilant.
Ran Lie silently resolved not to make the same mistake again. Refocusing, he called up the light screen and resumed memorizing the mantra earnestly.
Sensing the shift in the tiger’s demeanor, Su Ci stopped paying him any further attention. His gaze shifted to the three spiritual water jars on the coffee table.
The Selaginella was in the best condition. Soaked in spiritual water, its scale-like leaves were lush and vibrant, brimming with vitality.
Next was the small patch of moss, barely the size of a fingernail. It was no longer dried out, now plump with moisture. Unfortunately, it was still deeply affected by lingering resentment, tinged blood-red, and showing signs of mutating into a demonic plant.
Lastly, the small wild grass he had discovered first. Its leaves had mostly regained their luster, interwoven with shades of green and pale red, faintly glowing. It was clearly at a critical stage.
If the plant could convert the pale red portions into green, it might become a true spiritual herb.
After some thought, Su Ci picked up the Selaginella and waved at A-Yan to join him. Together, they moved to the teleportation array he had inscribed in the living room the day before.
“A-Yan, watch carefully how I activate the array,” Su Ci instructed.
A-Yan immediately focused all his attention, using his spiritual senses to observe Su Ci as he channeled soul energy into the array.
Within the array, faint light began to flicker.
The light enveloped both figures, and in an instant, they disappeared from where they had been.
Ran Lie, quietly reciting the mantra, glanced up at them briefly before returning his focus. He wasn’t surprised, assuming that the caretaker’s room also had a teleportation platform installed.
Su Ci and A-Yan reappeared on the teleportation array inside the spaceship.
A-Yan blinked in amazement at the change in surroundings. He could sense that the teleportation array operated on principles fundamentally different from a teleportation platform. Moreover…
The teleportation array could clearly transport over much greater distances than the platform!
“Did you figure out how to use it?” Su Ci’s voice broke through A-Yan’s thoughts.
A-Yan snapped out of it, looking up at Su Ci and hesitantly nodding.
He had indeed remembered the process, but he knew that Su Su’s expectations were for him to fully understand and utilize the array, not merely memorize its activation.
Su Ci seemed to see through his hesitation. Smiling faintly, he reached out to pat A-Yan’s head. “Practice a few more times, and you’ll get the hang of it. It should be pretty simple for you.”
A-Yan nodded firmly. “Mm!”
Su Ci first checked the state of the spaceship. With his current physical condition, long-distance teleportation wasn’t feasible for him, but with the array, that limitation no longer applied.
Not only did it save time, but it also conserved a significant amount of soul energy.
Seeing no notable changes aboard the ship, Su Ci took A-Yan and teleported again, first to the land outside the base and then, with another teleport, to the riverbank.
The river remained filled with water, its surface shimmering under the sunlight with a faint, pale red hue.
The water flowed from an underground source, and while the water level was slightly lower than the day before, it wasn’t a cause for concern. Across the river, the dense blood mist beyond the purification barrier had visibly thinned.
This was partly due to the continuous operation of the purification barrier, which steadily purified the resentment within the mist. Additionally, while the resentment hadn’t developed full consciousness, it retained a basic instinct for self-preservation.
Otherwise, the mist wouldn’t have retreated when Su Ci first ventured out of the base.
Su Ci and A-Yan teleported across the river.
On the far side, the air was thick with spiritual energy, thanks to the ongoing purification process. Even A-Yan couldn’t help but take a deep breath, feeling a level of comfort he had never experienced before.
For Su Ci, it was a faint reminder of what things used to feel like.
Still, as he gazed at the barren soil along the riverbank, he knew it wasn’t enough.
Turning to the river, Su Ci’s eyes flashed with a golden light. The calm surface began to ripple, and moments later, a water dragon burst forth, its sinuous body rising skyward. It soared into the air, coiling among the clouds, its form radiating power and majesty.
This was a creature A-Yan had never seen before. Yet, rather than feeling fear, he gazed at the water dragon twisting in midair and felt a strange sense of familiarity.
Moreover, A-Yan realized that it wasn’t a real living creature.
Su Ci raised his hand, releasing a pinpoint of golden light that shot into the water dragon, purging all the faintly reddish resentment within it.
The water dragon, now glowing with radiant light, soared and twisted through the air, as if jubilant.
*
Far away, at the outer metal walls of Base 24:
After learning about the blood mist’s violent changes and the emergence of a giant mud monster in the eastern sector, the operations team had chosen not to take any further risks. They set up camp on the metal walls, closely monitoring the situation.
Although the mud monster had not approached the base and had disappeared for unknown reasons, no one dared to relax.
Meanwhile, the tunnels under the metal wall had been thoroughly searched by the team, who discovered and eliminated a giant insect lurking there.
Because of this tense situation, when Captain Yan Ping heard that Su Ci, the caretaker, had still found time to take the cubs out for a walk, he decided against visiting Su Ci to question him.
With everyone on edge and the truth best kept under wraps, Yan Ping focused on strengthening defenses to reassure the base’s residents.
He had hoped that in a couple of days, if no anomalies occurred, things would calm down. But to his dismay, another disturbance erupted—this time near the riverbank.
“Looks like… a legendary dragon!” a scout shouted, binoculars pressed to their face.
Yan Ping quickly grabbed the ultra-long-range telescope, cranking up the zoom. Through the lens, he saw an intertwining of red and white light that was nearly blinding. Amidst the glow, a serpentine creature churned above the riverbank.
Judging by the distance, the creature was at least the size of one of their combat ships.
Yan Ping’s expression grew grim.
“Captain Yan, should we send a drone to investigate?” a guard beside him asked.
After a moment’s thought, Yan Ping shook his head. “No, don’t risk provoking it.”
While drones could be made small, they weren’t undetectable by monsters. There had been past incidents where blood mist creatures had tracked drones back to the base.
The prison star’s operations protocol explicitly stated that if a drone encountered a monster in the wild, it should either remain stationary or fly in the opposite direction of the base.
Since the dragon-like creature had not moved toward the base, taking any risks now could invite disaster.
With this in mind, Yan Ping opened his communicator. His eyes fell on a name marked as “Special Attention,” and his expression grew tense with indecision.
The guard next to him, unable to see the communicator’s screen, noticed Yan Ping’s uncharacteristic demeanor and whispered anxiously, “Captain Yan?”
Snapping out of his thoughts, Yan Ping suppressed his emotions and resumed his usual calm and composed demeanor. At the same time, he composed a message and sent it.
*
“Beep-beep.”
Su Ci, who was controlling the water dragon, was surprised to hear the sound of an incoming message on his communicator.
He hadn’t expected to still have a signal this far from the base.
Opening the message, he saw Yan Ping’s text and raised an eyebrow slightly. The captain’s message read:
[Yan Ping]: Caretaker Su, are you… at the riverbed?
It seemed the water dragon he was controlling had caught the base’s attention. And Captain Yan Ping… certainly knew how to handle things delicately.
Su Ci appreciated the captain’s tact. Not wanting to waste the base’s resources, he replied simply:
[Caretaker Su]: Yes.
When Yan Ping saw the confirmation, he unconsciously realized he had been holding his breath. Now, he exhaled in relief.
Still, he couldn’t help but wonder—what was this big shot doing at the riverbed to cause such a commotion?
Curiosity burned within him, but he refrained from deploying a drone to investigate. If it captured something it shouldn’t, that could lead to complications.
That said, having such a powerful figure at the base truly brought a sense of security.
After responding to Yan Ping, Su Ci continued controlling the water dragon, guiding it to fly along the riverbank. As it moved, the dragon began to shrink, its form dissipating into a gentle rain that fell on the barren soil along both sides of the riverbank.
Fine droplets of rain fell, infused with spiritual energy, soaking into the barren soil and nourishing the land.
Although the rain couldn’t reach inside the barrier, A-Yan couldn’t help but stretch out his hand, catching the faintly glowing raindrops in his palm.
His eyes sparkled, and the red tint in his irises seemed to fade slightly.
While he wasn’t unfamiliar with rain—he felt as if he had seen it countless times before—experiencing it like this was entirely different.
As he gazed at the gentle rain, he felt as though his heart had been cleansed, much like the earth beneath it.
A-Yan tilted his head back, looking at the serene and radiant youth beside him. A subtle emotion took root in his heart, growing steadily, much like a green sprout nourished by the spiritual rain.
Soon, the water dragon dissolved, and the rain gradually stopped.
The dry, compacted soil along the riverbanks softened under the rainfall, releasing a faint earthy aroma.
At this moment, Su Ci finally turned to A-Yan and said, “Go plant the Selaginella.”
Even in barren soil, the resurrection fern could thrive, requiring minimal nutrients. The spiritual energy along the riverbank would be more than enough to support its growth.
This was Su Ci’s first step outside the base.
Hearing his words, A-Yan nodded, accepting the spiritual water jar from Su Ci’s hand. He began walking along the riverbank, searching for the ideal spot to plant the Selaginella.
Eventually, he stopped near a large rock. The area around it was scattered with smaller stones. Taking a small shovel from his spatial button, he gently struck the stones, breaking them into coarse gravel.
A-Yan planted the Selaginella in the gravel.
The Selaginella, resilient and drought-tolerant, preferred well-drained, loose, and sunlit sandy soils, often thriving in rocky crevices.
After planting the Selaginella, A-Yan poured the remaining spiritual water evenly over its leaves. The water trickled down the foliage, seeping into the gravel and soil below, quickly absorbed by the earth.
The Selaginella unfurled its leaves, clearly enjoying the spiritual energy-rich environment.
Sensing the Selaginella’s joy, A-Yan playfully tapped one of its leaves with his finger before standing up and looking for Su Ci.
While A-Yan was planting the Selaginella, Su Ci hadn’t been idle. He had found a suitable spot and was carefully inscribing a teleportation array.
“Su Su, it’s done!” A-Yan teleported to Su Ci’s side, watching him draw the array. Before long, he was completely absorbed in observing.
Hearing A-Yan’s voice, Su Ci didn’t pause. He continued his work until the final stroke was complete, then looked at A-Yan and said, “Once you’ve learned how to use the teleportation array, you can use it to water the selaginella.”
A-Yan stared at the array, his excitement barely contained.
Seeing this, Su Ci stepped aside, gesturing for A-Yan to try. “Go ahead and practice.”
A-Yan walked hesitantly onto the array, taking out his notebook from his spatial button. The pages were already filled with heavenly script—symbols he still relied on to harness the power of rules.
Su Ci observed for a moment before heading to the riverbank. There, he gathered stones of various sizes, stacking them neatly. Then, he placed a chair beside the river and sat down.
With a few strokes of his finger in midair, Su Ci created a miniature Water Purification Array and a Spiritual Energy Gathering Array. With a flick of his hand, he combined them and inscribed them onto the flat surface of one of the stones.
Su Ci stroked his chin thoughtfully and added a Reinforcement Array next to the Spiritual Energy Gathering Array. This defensive array would make the original object ten times sturdier than before.
With this addition, the stone would be much harder to damage, ensuring the Water Purification Array wouldn’t easily fail.
Satisfied with the finished product, Su Ci’s eyes showed a hint of approval. He then raised his hand and tossed the stone into the river, where it landed with a deep thud.
Although he could have inscribed the purification arrays directly on the riverbanks, this method was far more cost-effective.
Inscribing on the riverbanks would limit the arrays to fixed locations, but inscribing them on stones provided mobility.
The underground river was vast, an intricate network connecting extensive subterranean water systems. Stones inscribed with arrays would be carried by the current, spreading their effects far and wide.
If enough of these stones were created and deployed, the entire underground water system could potentially be purified within decades.
After throwing in one stone, Su Ci picked up another and began inscribing again.
Before long, A-Yan approached him and said through his communicator, “Su Su, I’ve learned how to use the teleportation array!”
“Good, well done.”
Su Ci didn’t look up, focused on his array work.
A-Yan didn’t mind. He crouched nearby, watching Su Ci work. No matter how long he looked, he felt he could never get enough of this scene.
Being able to stay by Su Su’s side like this was wonderful.
After observing for a while, A-Yan grasped the general principles. He picked up a small stone from the ground and opened his notebook to a page filled with heavenly script.
Practicing with the teleportation array earlier had consumed the rule power of over a dozen heavenly scripts. Now, A-Yan activated the heavenly script again, concentrating the rule power at his fingertips.
Following Su Ci’s example, he began inscribing an array in the air.
Drawing arrays in midair was far more challenging than on paper, but it saved on materials since the array was directly formed with soul energy.
Human cultivators typically required a variety of rare and peculiar materials to successfully craft arrays. As spirits, however, Su Ci and A-Yan were not bound by such restrictions.
Without this advantage, given the current scarcity of resources, Su Ci wouldn’t have been able to create so many arrays.
Compared to Su Ci, who completed arrays in a single fluid motion in just a few breaths, A-Yan’s speed as a beginner was noticeably slower.
Still, he wasn’t discouraged. Carefully and methodically, he succeeded in completing a Water Purification Array and inscribed it onto the stone.
However, due to his lack of experience, he couldn’t yet adjust the size of the array to fit the stone’s dimensions like Su Ci could. Some arrays ended up being so small they were barely the size of a fingernail.
So, A-Yan chose a larger stone. After careful and deliberate control, he finally succeeded in inscribing a small Water Purification Array onto it.
A-Yan looked at his finished product, then at the ones Su Ci had made. Once again, he felt the vast difference in skill between himself and Su Ci.
However, his spirits only dipped for a moment before quickly rebounding.
It was precisely because the gap between them was so great that he needed to work even harder. Every second spent feeling discouraged was a second wasted in catching up to Su Ci.
Holding his finished stone, A-Yan approached Su Ci just as he was about to toss another inscribed stone into the river and start working on the next.
“Su Su, do you think this one will work?” A-Yan asked, a little nervous.
So far, he had only mastered the Water Purification Array. He was still figuring out the structure of the Spiritual Energy Gathering Array, let alone the Reinforcement Array that Su Ci had effortlessly added earlier.
Unlike Su Ci, who could complete three arrays at once, he could only manage a single Water Purification Array for now.
Su Ci, who had been slipping into the monotony of mechanical inscribing, almost bored enough to doze off, perked up at the sound of A-Yan’s voice.
He took the stone from A-Yan, examined it briefly, and nodded. “It’ll work.”
Though the array’s structure differed from his own, as long as it could function properly, the shape didn’t matter. The principles were the same, derived from the same source.
With a flick of his hand, Su Ci quickly added a Spiritual Energy Gathering Array and a Reinforcement Array to A-Yan’s Water Purification Array. Then, he tossed the stone into the river with a splash.
A-Yan watched the stone arc through the air and land in the water with a satisfying thunk.
His spiritual senses tracked the stone as it sank and activated. Feeling it begin to function correctly, a smile spread across his face.
He had genuinely helped Su Su!
Encouraged, A-Yan didn’t waste any time. He bent down, picked up another relatively large stone, and started inscribing again.
Su Ci glanced at A-Yan’s focused expression and forced himself to muster some energy, returning to his own array work.
Although A-Yan’s pace couldn’t match Su Ci’s, his presence made the task far more tolerable. When bored, Su Ci could pat the child’s ears or bury his face in A-Yan’s fluffy tail for a moment of comfort.
If he had been working alone, endlessly repeating this thoughtless, mechanical task, he doubted he would have lasted long before giving up.
Even so, he only lasted two hours in the end.
During that time, according to A-Yan’s count, they had tossed at least a hundred stones into the river—averaging one stone per minute.
That was a respectable speed.
Through careful control, most of the stones stayed within the river, working to purify the water. Only a few smaller stones were swept into the underground river by the current.
As Su Ci had anticipated, once those stones entered the underground water system, they continued to function, steadily purifying the interconnected water networks.
Although their current impact on the vast underground water system was minimal, over time, their efforts would eventually shine.
Su Ci stretched comfortably and stood, ready to leave. Just then, A-Yan exclaimed, “Su Su, I think there are fish in the river!”
Hearing this, Su Ci paused mid-motion.
He moved over to A-Yan’s side, crouching by the riverbank to peer into the water with the boy.
“Where?” Su Ci asked, releasing his spiritual sense as he spoke.
A-Yan wasn’t mistaken.
After a day and night of settling, the gradually clearing river water revealed three or four small fish, each about the size of a palm, swimming freely.
Their colors were very light, nearly transparent. If not for the faint glint of sunlight reflecting off their scales, it would have been nearly impossible to spot them with the naked eye.
Su Ci’s eyes lit up as he gazed at the fish, already envisioning 108 ways to cook them.
Of course, that was just a passing thought—he still had his rationality.
The fish didn’t show signs of mutation—though it was possible they were still juveniles and would grow much larger in adulthood. For now, Su Ci’s senses confirmed that their auras were relatively pure.
This might be due to the underground river remaining largely unpolluted. Although the blood mist had invaded the soil, its effects seemed confined to the surface layers, leaving the underground river largely intact.
The presence of these fish was proof of that.
Their existence also indicated a food source within the underground river—likely aquatic plants or algae. When Su Ci redirected the underground water to fill the riverbed, the fish must have been carried along with the flow.
In any case, it was a cause for celebration.
“Su Su, should we catch them and bring them back?” A-Yan asked. His eyes sparkled with excitement, likely influenced by Su Ci’s earlier enthusiasm, as he too began contemplating ways to prepare the fish.
Su Ci coughed lightly. While he was also tempted to catch the fish for a meal, now was clearly not the time.
“They’re too small. Let’s let them grow for a bit,” he said.
A-Yan nodded in agreement. Fish this small, once deboned, would yield so little meat it wouldn’t even satisfy Su Su’s appetite.
“Should we do something to keep them here?” A-Yan asked hesitantly. “We can’t just let them get away.”
Su Ci crouched beside him, both of them staring down at the oblivious little fish, momentarily stumped.
Finally, Su Ci shook his head. “It’s fine. As the environment here improves, more fish will naturally come to this place to thrive. We don’t need to rush.”
These fish might even carry seeds of aquatic plants or algae with them. Algae spread quickly, and with the abundance of spiritual energy in this area, a sustainable food source would soon be available. With enough food, the fish wouldn’t leave.
A-Yan nodded, already imagining a scene where the river was filled with fish swimming about.
Just the thought of it was exciting!
Su Ci pulled out his communicator and snapped a picture of the fish. It served as both a keepsake and a record of the moment. Taking pictures was simple and didn’t require expending any soul energy, after all.
“Let’s go back,” Su Ci said as he got up again. Before leaving, he glanced at the Selaginella planted among the gravel. Seeing that it was in good condition, he relaxed and withdrew his spiritual sense.
A-Yan reluctantly tore his gaze away from the fish, then followed Su Ci away from the riverbank and stepped onto the teleportation array.
This time, to showcase his progress, A-Yan used the few remaining divine scripts he had, channeling rule power into the array.
The teleportation array lit up, enveloping the two of them in light. When the glow faded, they had disappeared.
Meanwhile, back at the river, the small fish continued swimming carefree, drifting up and down and opening and closing their mouths to absorb the spiritual energy from the water.
Although they had been carried to this location by the current, they showed no intention of leaving—the purified spiritual energy was beneficial not only to plants but also to ordinary animals like them.
Beneath the riverbed, the cracks connecting the underground river began to show a change. Over time, water that had been flowing downward now started to surge upward.
The tide was rising.
Though no new fish were brought up with the current, tiny particles, nearly imperceptible to the naked eye, were carried along by the flow. These particles were deposited against the cliffs and adhered to the rocks.
With the nourishment of the river water, a suitable temperature, and the pervasive spiritual energy, these particles—capable of surviving in harsh environments—began to multiply rapidly.
Before long, faint traces of green began to spread across the rocks…
*
The changes in the river were unknown to Su Ci and A-Yan, who had already returned safely to the nursery.
The Crimson Flame Tiger, Ran Lie, noticed their reappearance and immediately stood up to greet them.
During their absence, Ran Lie hadn’t been idle. He had spent the time listening to the recorded mantra while cross-referencing it with the text displayed on the light screen, diligently committing it to memory.
He wasn’t entirely sure what the mantra was for, but he deeply valued this opportunity.
In his ten years of life, no one had ever taught him how to control his bloodline power. Now, finally, he had been given something he had longed for, and he wasn’t about to waste it.
As he focused on reciting the mantra, Ran Lie gradually realized that even though he didn’t fully understand it, simply repeating it calmed his restless emotions.
During the two hours that the caretaker had been gone, his bloodline power had fluctuated. But he discovered that as long as he recited the mantra and maintained a peaceful mindset, he could hold on to his rationality.
Though mastering his bloodline power in one afternoon was impossible, this was already a significant breakthrough.
Overjoyed, Ran Lie threw himself even more earnestly into his practice.
He had now memorized the mantra well enough to recite it from start to finish without error. If only he could speak, he believed he would be able to read it aloud fluently.
He had also begun associating the written characters with their pronunciations. While he still didn’t understand their meaning, he instinctively knew how to read them.
Seeing Su Ci return, Ran Lie felt a surge of joy and wanted to share his progress. But as he approached, he suddenly remembered that he couldn’t speak…
The little Crimson Flame Tiger’s steps faltered slightly.
Su Ci seemed to understand what Ran Lie was thinking. He reached out and gently ruffled the fluffy fur on the Crimson Flame Tiger’s head before saying, “How about going for a walk with us?”
Su Ci knew the importance of balancing work and rest. From the aura emanating from Ran Lie, he could tell that the tiger hadn’t slacked off while he was away. Since that was the case, taking a short break wouldn’t hurt.
Ran Lie’s body stiffened even more as the caretaker ruffled his head again, but to his own surprise, he found that he… didn’t actually mind.
In the past, if anyone had dared to touch his head like this, he would have immediately pounced on them, delivering a lesson they’d never forget—one that made it clear a tiger’s head was off-limits!
But now…
As Su Ci patted his head, Ran Lie realized that not only did he not feel any resistance, but he even had the ridiculous urge to flop onto the ground and expose his soft belly for more petting.
The shameful thought made Ran Lie’s body freeze even more.
His mind conjured an image of himself lying on the ground with his belly exposed, and he could only be grateful that he was in his beast form—at least Su Ci couldn’t see the deep blush that would otherwise have been obvious.
Exposing his belly…
That must be his animal instincts acting up! There was no way that was his true desire!
He had to overcome these primal urges!
How could the dignified Crimson Flame Tiger roll over to ask for belly rubs? It was utterly absurd!
With these thoughts racing through his mind, Ran Lie hastily stepped back, putting some distance between himself and Su Ci. Only then did he fully process Su Ci’s earlier question.
Go for a walk with them?
Was that really what he meant?
Noticing the confusion in Ran Lie’s eyes, Su Ci clarified, “Why don’t you go play with little Lu Jiao and the others?”
Ran Lie thought back to that morning when Number Seven had appeared outside his door, along with Number Three and Number Eight. Then his mind wandered further back to the night when the nursery had been invaded by a monster…
He was curious—what exactly had happened that night after he had transformed into the Crimson Flame Tiger?
However, since he couldn’t speak in his current form, there was no way to ask. And besides… could he really walk around the nursery in his fully beastified state?
Ran Lie had assumed the caretaker would keep him confined to this room until he could regain his human form.
If he went out like this and was discovered, wouldn’t he immediately be taken away? He didn’t want to end up like Number Four, dragged off for experiments!
“Number Four has already returned.”
Su Ci, who could hear the thoughts of animals, didn’t need Ran Lie to voice his concerns to understand what he was thinking. “And he has a name now: Rong Heng.”
Su Ci continued, “As long as you stay within the nursery and don’t disturb others, you can go wherever you want.”
Ran Lie was stunned for a moment, suddenly recalling the morning he had come to find the caretaker—so when the door automatically opened as he approached, it wasn’t because of a malfunction?
“With me here, you don’t have to worry about being seen and taken away.”
Su Ci said no more. Whether or not Ran Lie chose to believe him was up to the tiger. With that, Su Ci prepared to leave to check on what the other cubs were up to.
“A-Yan, let’s go.”
However, A-Yan declined the invitation.
“Su Su, I want to stay and write,” the boy said.
After practicing teleportation arrays and inscribing Water Purification Arrays that morning, he had used up nearly all the heavenly scripts he had prepared in advance. He needed to replenish his supply while he had the time, just in case.
Seeing how diligent A-Yan was, Su Ci had no objections.
“Alright,” he nodded, but before leaving, he couldn’t resist adding, “Don’t overdo it. You know your limits.”
A-Yan nodded earnestly, promising to be mindful.
Ran Lie overheard their conversation and ultimately decided not to follow Su Ci out. However, when he tried to refocus on reciting the mantra as he had before, he found himself unable to concentrate.
He would recite a few lines, only for his thoughts to wander.
A-Yan noticed his frequent distractions.
After completing the final stroke of a divine script, A-Yan finally spoke up. “If you can’t calm your mind, why not go out for a walk? A lot has changed in the nursery while you were sleeping.”
Ran Lie considered his suggestion and, after some thought, let out a soft “meow.” He closed the light screen and stood up.
After all, he was just a ten-year-old child. His curiosity eventually got the better of him.
He wanted to see how Number Six and Number Seven were doing, as well as the other cubs. And, of course, he wanted to witness the changes in the nursery that A-Yan had mentioned.
“By the way,”
Just as Ran Lie was about to step out of the room, A-Yan’s calm, gentle voice rang out again.
“Besides staying within the nursery and not disturbing others, don’t break anything—especially not the plants in the fields. Got it?”
Though A-Yan’s voice was soft and gentle, Ran Lie suddenly felt a chill down his spine. A sense of overwhelming danger seemed to emanate from behind him.
He swallowed nervously, nodded his tiger head, and let out a small “meow” in acknowledgment.
Only then did the sense of danger disappear, as if it had been a mere illusion. But Ran Lie knew it wasn’t.
Number One… seemed to be far stronger than he had imagined, at least far beyond what he could contend with.
With that realization, Ran Lie wasted no time lingering. He quickly stepped out of the room.
A-Yan watched his figure disappear through the doorway. On the paper before him was a freshly used heavenly script.
Given his own strength, it would’ve been difficult to truly intimidate Number Two… So just now, he had used a heavenly script to simulate Su Su’s oppressive aura.
A-Yan’s lips curved into a sly smile.
It worked pretty well, didn’t it?
