Chapter 137
Seeing little Xing Xing reveal his two fluffy ears, anyone witnessing this scene would undoubtedly be overwhelmed by how adorable it was.
Standing behind Su Ci, Xue Wei couldn’t help but clutch her chest in awe.
So cute! She desperately wanted to touch them too!
Unfortunately, it was obvious that Xing Xing’s offer was directed at Su Su, and she didn’t dare to step forward and intrude.
As for Su Ci…
Even though he hadn’t asked for it, since it was offered voluntarily, he saw no reason to refuse.
Crouching down in front of little Xing Xing, Su Ci gently pinched the small beast ears on top of the boy’s head with his fingers. The ears were tiny, covered in a layer of black velvet-like fur, soft and warm to the touch.
Little Xing Xing stood stiffly, his head nearly buried in his chest, while the blush on his pale cheeks deepened with each passing second.
Su Ci’s lips curved into a faint smile. After pinching both ears lightly, he withdrew his hand and said, “Off you go.”
Relieved, little Xing Xing turned around and bolted as soon as the words left Su Ci’s mouth. His nimble movements betrayed no sign of his impaired vision.
When Su Ci stood up, he was met with two pairs of curious, eager eyes staring at him.
“Su Su, why did Xing Xing let you touch his ears?” Xue Wei asked, her bright eyes sparkling with curiosity.
She wondered if knowing the reason might give her a chance next time too…
However, Su Ci merely shrugged and replied in a light tone, “Maybe because he likes it.”
Xue Wei blinked, but… from what she’d just seen, Xing Xing didn’t exactly look like he enjoyed it?
Su Ci didn’t elaborate further. Instead, he walked over, picked up little Li Hua, and headed toward the cabin. As he walked, he asked her, “Do you want some juice?”
Little Li Hua immediately forgot about the earlier scene, her laughter bubbling up as she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”
After entering the cabin, Su Ci placed little Li Hua on a chair. Then, from his space button, he took out several star-chain spirit fruits and used the ship’s blender to make three cups of juice.
For little Li Hua’s cup, he added two spoonfuls of Demon Flower Honey.
Demon Flower Honey had nourishing effects on the soul. Since little Li Hua had exceptionally strong mental powers, second only to Xing Xing among the cubs, the extra honey would be particularly beneficial for her.
“It’s delicious!”
The tiny lion cub, cradling her glass in both hands, carefully took a sip and instantly fell in love with the sweet, heavenly flavor.
Even Xue Wei, who had grown up indulging in all sorts of gourmet delicacies, couldn’t resist the allure of this juice made from star-chain fruits.
She couldn’t tell if it was because of the current limited conditions or because the star-chain fruits from the nursery facility were uniquely exceptional, but she felt certain that the star-chain fruits she’d eaten before had never tasted this good.
Su Ci downed the entire cup of star-chain fruit juice in one go, set the glass down, and said, “Stay here for now; I’m heading out for a bit.”
After Xue Wei nodded obediently, Su Ci left the spaceship and used the teleportation array to arrive at the Demon Flower Valley.
Thanks to the purification barrier Su Ci had set up at the valley’s entrance, the concentration of blood mist within the valley had visibly decreased, making the air noticeably fresher. However, the state of the demon flowers wasn’t ideal, with some already wilting.
This was an inevitable phase in the transformation of the Demon Flower Valley. As the environment changed, these mist-dependent demon flowers would wither, but in their place, new mutant plants would gradually take root.
Su Ci retrieved the ashes of the giant spider from his space button and evenly scattered them across the flower fields. After spreading them completely, he was about to leave when something caught his eye.
With a casual wave of his hand, the cocoons left behind by the giant insects-turned-butterflies floated into his grasp from the sea of demon flowers.
These cocoons, formed from the silk spun by the giant insects, were wrapped in pale yellow threads. The threads remained soft and pliable, unlike hardened spider silk. Thousands of strands intertwined and overlapped, creating a dense structure.
Aside from their color, they resembled the giant spider’s silk but possessed entirely different properties.
Su Ci raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
This insect silk turned out to be a surprisingly useful material, suitable for crafting spirit storage pouches. Although the resulting pouches wouldn’t be of the highest grade, given the current scarcity of resources, having any at all was already a rarity.
A faint smile tugged at Su Ci’s lips as he began collecting all the insect cocoons from the flower fields.
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he started processing the silk threads.
In the Demon Flower Valley, a gentle breeze rustled through the air as Su Ci focused intently, his hands moving with precision. The golden threads shimmered faintly as they floated in mid-air, weaving together rapidly.
Soon, a small pouch, about the size of a palm, took shape. Once it was complete, Su Ci unleashed the crimson flames of his soul fire to refine it.
The insect silk, already incredibly durable, became fireproof after being tempered by the soul fire, its quality elevated to a new level.
Finally, Su Ci cast a spirit-storage enchantment on the pouch, expanding its internal space. What had initially been the size of a palm now contained an internal volume of approximately 3x3x3 meters.
At this point, Su Ci stopped.
Further modifications would exceed the pouch’s limits. Although its internal capacity was smaller than that of a space button, it had the added advantage of being able to house living beings, and the crafting process wasn’t overly complicated.
He tied the storage pouch to his waist and nodded with satisfaction.
Now, whenever he encountered surviving creatures in the wild, he could place them in the storage pouch, ensuring their safety and ease of transport.
Additionally, the storage pouch could hold non-living items, so making more in the future would undoubtedly be useful.
After stowing the remaining silk in his space button, Su Ci rose to his feet and began walking through the valley.
This mountain, shrouded in blood mist and teeming with monsters, echoed with eerie and terrifying sounds. Within the entire mountain range, it stood out as particularly menacing.
Su Ci let out a soft sigh.
He didn’t particularly enjoy this method because… it was quite exhausting.
However, waiting for the younglings to grow strong enough was simply too slow. At the very least, the area surrounding the base needed to be cleared out first.
Step by step, Su Ci walked out of the Demon Flower Valley, gradually suppressing his aura. By the time he emerged, he appeared no different from a frail human who had mistakenly wandered into the mountains.
The blood mist swirled around him, engulfing his figure.
All the monsters fighting within the mist began to halt, one by one. The closest creatures, catching the scent, surged forward, vying to be the first to reach him.
Fresh meat! The long-lost scent of flesh and blood!
A grotesque monster, its body covered in festering boils that emitted an overwhelming stench, squirmed forward with unnatural speed. It was the first to appear before Su Ci.
Su Ci furrowed his brows.
The revolting pustules on the creature’s body bulged and burst continuously, accompanied by the anguished wails and cries of countless tormented souls.
“Hungry… so hungry…”
The creature roared in agony, its cries a blend of sorrow and rage, as though enduring an eternity of torment with no reprieve. The despair and anguish of countless lives had coalesced into this horrific form.
Before it could approach, Su Ci raised his hand. A radiant beam of purification light shot forth, striking the monster’s bloated form.
The light spread rapidly within the creature, engulfing its entire body. The mountain echoed with both the agonized screams of the tormented and the laughter of those finally set free.
As the light dissipated, so too did all sounds. The monster, formed from the twisted convergence of countless unjustly perished souls, vanished entirely.
This time, however, the purification left no lingering benevolent or rational spirits.
Given the extreme torment they had endured over countless years, it wasn’t something just any soul could withstand.
Su Ci was not disappointed. He proceeded to eliminate the surrounding monsters that had yet to react before swiftly moving to a different part of the mountain range. These monsters didn’t seem the type to communicate or warn one another.
After clearing out over a dozen groups of creatures, a few spirits were successfully freed.
Like the previous heroic spirits, they expressed their gratitude to Su Ci before merging with the earth. There, they began purifying the land, dissolving the resentment and hatred that plagued it.
By the time Su Ci paused, three such sanctified areas had been established.
Although they were scattered and not interconnected—making movement between them somewhat inconvenient—it was still a significant accomplishment.
Su Ci loosened the soil in these three areas, then used his cloud-and-rain technique to moisten it. Afterward, he casually scattered some star-chain fruit seeds.
He didn’t bother soaking the seeds beforehand. Besides the three seedless star-chain trees in the nursery, dozens of ordinary star-chain trees in the incubation phase were already flowering—he wasn’t lacking seeds.
During his rounds clearing monsters in the mountains, Su Ci noticed the region wasn’t entirely arid. There was moisture in the air, and the existence of the Demon Flower Valley indicated that water sources were present within the mountain range.
Su Ci recalled the dried-up river.
Could the source of that river originate from this mountain range?
With this thought in mind, Su Ci casually eliminated another monster before beginning his search for the water source within the mountain range. However, before he could move far, a large beetle came flying toward him, its wings buzzing loudly.
Su Ci had always favored oversized insects when it came to “monsters.”
These creatures were more accurately described as magical beasts, as they didn’t vanish upon being killed. Instead, their carcasses could be harvested—either as food or as material for crafting equipment.
Unfortunately, Su Ci’s spatial button was already full, and even his storage pouch was stuffed with items.
As he deliberated whether to take it down now or leave it for another time, a shadow suddenly leapt out from the underbrush, crashing into the enormous beetle and pinning it to the ground.
Despite being knocked down, the beetle didn’t lose its ability to fight. It immediately engaged the ambusher, their struggle filling the mountain with the sounds of screeching and roaring.
Indeed, the figure that had emerged was a fierce beast.
It was a hulking creature, roughly the same size as the giant beetle. Its fur, a mix of black and white, was filthy and riddled with scars. Some wounds were still bleeding, fresh and unhealed.
In its battle with the beetle, the beast displayed remarkable ferocity. Finally, using its powerful forelimbs, it grabbed the insect, stood upright, and smashed it onto the ground with tremendous force.
After several such slams, the beetle succumbed. Green liquid oozed from its mouth as it lay still, its legs twitching faintly.
The beast then tore off the beetle’s hind legs, stuffing them into its mouth and crunching loudly.
Only after this did it turn its black, beastly eyes toward Su Ci. Chewing on the beetle leg, it watched him with wild, untamed aggression.
But, notably, it made no move to attack.
Su Ci studied its markings—the dark circles around its eyes and the pair of fluffy black ears on its head. Tilting his own head, he asked:
“A giant panda?”
Indeed, the fierce beast before him was none other than a giant panda.
It took another bite of the beetle leg, its crunching filling the air. The creature neither acknowledged Su Ci nor displayed hostility. However, its emaciated frame, despite its massive size, hinted at prolonged hunger.
Su Ci frowned, staring at the beast.
Taking a step closer, Su Ci was met with an immediate reaction. The panda growled fiercely, a guttural warning in its throat. Without hesitation, it grabbed its prize and darted into the blood mist, disappearing from sight.
Su Ci watched as the giant panda disappeared into the mist but didn’t give chase.
If he wanted to pursue it, he could, but what would be the point? The feral nature in the panda’s eyes was evident. Bringing it back to the base would risk harm to the young ones.
After all, he had cleared out many monsters in the mountain range today, so its survival chances had improved significantly.
Su Ci stroked his chin in thought, then left a dozen Star-chain Fruits on the ground where he stood.
The land beneath his feet was now under the protection of heroic spirits, meaning the blood mist wouldn’t dare approach. Monsters born from resentment wouldn’t get close either, except for the oversized insects and beasts.
By leaving the fruits here, even if the panda didn’t return and they were eaten by other creatures, it would simply be fattening them up for later hunting.
Still…
The presence of a beast like the giant panda within the blood mist intrigued Su Ci.
Wild animals rely heavily on plant life for survival. Without plants, there would be no herbivores; without herbivores, carnivores would find it even harder to sustain themselves.
So how did this panda manage to exist within the blood mist?
Regardless of the reason, Su Ci didn’t let it dampen his good mood.
The more life on the land, the better. Besides, the panda didn’t attack him. In fact, in a way, it even helped him by taking care of the beetle.
Clearly, the panda wasn’t entirely without reason.
After all, Su Ci had been cloaking himself in disguise. Between the beetle and him, it would have sensed which one was stronger. Yet, the panda chose the tougher target…
Its true nature could wait for another day to be unveiled.
Su Ci activated a spiritual barrier, concealing himself again. He proceeded to loosen the soil and plant seeds at two other plots of land, leaving behind a dozen Star-chain Fruits at each location.
The panda probably wouldn’t wander that far, but there might be other animals around.
With everything set, Su Ci continued exploring the mountain range. As the Spirit of the Earth, he could sense the condition of every piece of land if he willed it.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived at a nearby water source.
It was a small stream meandering down the mountain, pooling into a deep waterhole halfway down. The waterhole emitted a faint, eerie aura amidst the red mist.
As Su Ci approached, a pair of eyes suddenly opened in the depths of the pool, scanning the surroundings with vigilance.
This was the first creature to detect his presence despite his spiritual barrier—a clear indication that it was far more powerful than the other monsters he had encountered.
Feeling the dwindling reserves of his soul energy, Su Ci decided to leave the area for now.
He had already overexerted himself today. It was time to rest. Nearing noon and with his energy nearly depleted, Su Ci’s hunger reminded him of his limits.
He pulled out a pack of taro chips, snacking as he leisurely made his way back to Demon Flower Valley, navigating the perilous mountains as if on a casual stroll.
Behind him, the monster in the waterhole slowly closed its eyes again, and the area returned to eerie silence.
When Su Ci finally returned to the ship, he found the two girls obediently waiting in the cabin while Zheng Xing was still in the control room, happily immersed in his mechanical explorations.
Noticing the ship still on the landing pad, Su Ci asked Xue Wei, “Did anything happen while I was gone?”
Xue Wei thought for a moment and said, “The spaceship seemed to lift off a little bit and then landed again.”
Su Ci nodded and teleported to the control room.
Zheng Xing didn’t appear as drained as before when he had operated the spaceship, though he looked slightly fatigued. He still seemed relatively spirited.
“Let’s head back.”
Su Ci scooped him up.
The sudden feeling of being lifted startled Zheng Xing, but when he recognized Su Ci’s voice, he calmed down, obediently letting himself be carried. Still, there was a trace of reluctance on his face.
“Do you want to come back here again?” Su Ci asked him.
“Yes!” The usually sluggish Zheng Xing nodded vigorously. “I do. Tomorrow… can I?”
“You can.” Su Ci couldn’t help but stroke the boy’s hair. “As long as your mental energy is fully recovered.”
“Okay~”
The soft, childlike voice, with a hint of excitement in its tone, made it clear that he was genuinely happy.
Su Ci smiled, then returned to the ship’s cabin to collect Xue Wei and Little Li Hua, bringing them back to the riverbank via the teleportation array.
As soon as they reappeared, the mouthwatering aroma of cooked meat greeted them. Along with it came the scent of taro and…
Su Ci noticed a large pot set up along the riverbank. The pot was filled with small green beans, perfectly round and glossy. Under the careful stir-frying by Rong Heng and Lang Ze, they released a tantalizing fragrance that made one’s mouth water.
“Su Su, you’re back,” A-Yan’s voice called out beside him.
Su Ci looked down at him.
A-Yan tilted his head back to offer a cute smile. “Lunch is almost ready! You’ll get to eat soon. The pot is full of fresh emerald beans we just picked. They should taste great after frying.”
Su Ci smiled back, ruffling the furry ears on A-Yan’s head, feeling a sense of warmth and contentment.
Still, he was most curious about one thing—would they finally get to eat roasted fish today?
