Chapter 232
Lang Ze stared blankly at Ran Lie. Although Ran Lie hadn’t said much, the information he dropped was overwhelming for the simple-minded wolf cub to process.
Su Su wasn’t just a caretaker? How could he possibly be the spirit of Earth Star?
“Pulu-pulu—”
In the distance, the little water orb leapt out of the river, bouncing rhythmically along the riverbank. It drew water from the river, sprinkling it over the plants growing on either side.
The bamboo forest rustled cheerfully, making soft shh-shh-shh sounds.
Lang Ze pointed at the hopping water orb, still dazed, and asked Ran Lie, “Y-you’re saying Su Su is like Pulu?”
Ran Lie followed his gesture and looked at the bouncing Pulu. Noticing the attention, Pulu turned to face them. The moment it saw Ran Lie, it shot a water jet toward him.
“Pulu—!”
Ran Lie tilted his head, easily dodging the attack.
The little water orb made grumbling noises, grumpily hopping farther away. Out of all the cubs, it only got along with the water-type Lu Jiao. It had no patience for anyone else.
Watching Pulu bounce away, Ran Lie paused for a moment before replying, “Su Su is much stronger.”
So, you couldn’t just compare Su Su to Pulu.
Lang Ze thought back to Su Su’s powerful moments and couldn’t help nodding in agreement. To him, Su Su was undoubtedly the strongest and most capable. How could someone like Su Su be compared to that grumpy water orb?
But still, Lang Ze struggled to imagine Su Su as anything other than a caretaker.
“Su Su… really is the spirit of Earth Star?” Lang Ze asked again, seeking confirmation. “How do you know that? Did Su Su tell you?”
The little black cat curled in his arms perked up its ears.
“Yes, he is,” Ran Lie affirmed, raising his hand to point toward the waterfall. Beyond it lay the plains and the towering tree whose crown reached into the clouds. Even from upstream, the tree was visible.
Ran Lie began recounting what he had witnessed that day—how Su Su’s power manifested and the clues that led him to this conclusion.
When he finished, Ran Lie looked at the little black cat nestled in Lang Ze’s lap. He asked, “Zheng Xing, you should have noticed, right? Su Su isn’t human.”
Caught off guard, Zheng Xing stiffened. After a moment, he replied softly, “I don’t know…”
From the very beginning, Zheng Xing couldn’t “see” Su Su clearly. Even when he later could “see” him, he knew it was only because Su Su allowed it.
Ran Lie didn’t find this surprising. Considering how powerful Su Su was, anything seemed possible with him.
After thinking for a moment, Ran Lie said, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Mu Bao and his father. They should know.”
Hearing this, Ran Lie stood up, preparing to leave.
Although Lang Ze was still unsure if it was true, Ran Lie’s explanation comforted him. Suddenly, he didn’t feel as upset anymore. If Su Su was truly the spirit of Earth Star, as long as he stayed on Earth Star, he could still see him.
Wherever Su Su and his companions were, that would be his home!
Lang Ze sincerely hoped Ran Lie’s words were true.
Seeing Ran Lie about to leave, Lang Ze hastily wiped his tears and quickly asked, “Ran Ran, what are you doing here? Did you go outside the barrier?”
The cubs were allowed to play near the riverbank and grasslands, but they were strictly forbidden from going beyond the barrier. The areas outside were still covered in red mist and could harbor monsters they couldn’t handle.
The thought of Ran Lie sneaking outside left Lang Ze utterly shocked.
Caught in the act, Ran Lie had no intention of lying.
He casually replied, “I was itching for action, so I went out to clear a few monsters.”
Over the past few months, requests for the cub squad to assist other bases had become less frequent. What began as daily missions with barely any rest had dwindled to tasks that only came up once every few days.
For someone like Ran Lie, accustomed to high-intensity battles, this adjustment was hard to bear.
So, he turned his attention to the outskirts of Base 24.
Since Su Su had subdued hundreds of monsters in a single act, Base 24 hadn’t experienced another monster attack. However, this didn’t mean the surrounding monsters had vanished.
With Su Su’s powerful presence and the purification grass driving out the resentment, the monsters lost their protection from the blood mist and became much weaker. Fearful of Su Su, they dared not attack the base.
If they wouldn’t come to him, Ran Lie decided to go to them.
Relying on his flame powers, which were particularly effective against the monsters, Ran Lie ventured out alone without suffering any setbacks. Now, knowing Su Su was the spirit of Earth Star, he felt even more determined to eliminate anything harming their planet.
Ran Lie knew his farming skills were lacking, so he chose other ways to contribute, like clearing monsters and helping spirits pass on.
These tasks allowed him to support Su Su in his way while gaining valuable experience. He was no longer the same boy who had panicked during his first encounter with a giant spider.
Lang Ze’s eyes lit up as he listened to Ran Lie’s explanation. He couldn’t help but exclaim, “I want to go too!”
In the beginning, he, Xing Xing, and Ran Lie had fought monsters together at other bases. Their teamwork was seamless, and their results were impressive.
Hearing Lang Ze’s enthusiasm, Ran Lie frowned slightly.
He preferred solitude. Even as the captain of the cub squad, he remained a loner during downtime. Unlike the vice-captain, Rong Heng, who got along well with everyone, Ran Lie found it challenging to form such close bonds.
After attempting to socialize and feeling uncomfortable, he returned to his independent ways.
So when Lang Ze said he wanted to go with him, Ran Lie’s first reaction was to refuse. However…
Seeing the little wolf cub’s red eyes and red nose, Ran Lie couldn’t bring himself to say no. He pursed his lips and said, “Next time.”
After that, he lifted his foot to leave, but as if remembering something, he turned back to the two children and sternly warned, “Don’t go out on your own. Without my Crimson Flame, you won’t be able to defeat those monsters.”
Having said that, he left with a cold expression.
Lang Ze watched Ran Lie’s retreating figure and grumbled under his breath, but he didn’t dare sneak past the barrier to venture out.
He knew Ran Lie was right—his sound illusion technique could only immobilize monsters, not destroy them. Ran Lie’s Crimson Flame, however, was unparalleled against all but mentally manipulative monsters.
“Fine, next time then!”
Ran Lie had just returned from outside the barrier; he was likely tired and needed rest. If he said next time, then so be it. Lang Ze decided he would keep an eye on him over the next few days to make sure Ran Lie didn’t sneak out again.
With that thought, Lang Ze chuckled, ran to the river to wash his face, and then headed for the teleportation array with the little black cat.
But he wasn’t the type to blindly trust what someone said. He would ask Su Su himself to confirm whether what Ran Lie said was true.
If it turned out to be false…
Lang Ze thought about it and realized he wouldn’t feel so bad. After all, there were still ten years until they became adults—longer than he had been alive so far.
And for the youngest cub, Little Li Hua, it would be another thirteen years before she reached adulthood.
With so much time, he was sure he could come up with a solution.
Lang Ze pondered these thoughts as he stepped onto the teleportation array, only to realize something—neither he nor Xing Xing knew how to operate it!
Although Xing Xing’s mental strength was formidable, his abilities were very modernized in their characteristics, and Su Su hadn’t yet found a cultivation method suitable for him.
As for Lang Ze, he simply lacked aptitude in this area.
The little wolf cub glanced at the water blob. Just as he was about to call it over, Pulu abruptly stopped mid-hop, turned, and gleefully bounced in the opposite direction.
“Pulu-lu-lu~”
Its voice was filled with joy.
“Hmph!”
Lang Ze pouted and made a funny face at it. He looked down at the teleportation array beneath his feet, preparing to recall what A-Yan had taught him. But then, a new idea struck him, and he stopped.
“Xing Xing, I’ve got a brilliant idea!”
Lang Ze stroked the little black cat’s head, then jumped off the teleportation array to stand on solid ground.
He gazed at the earth beneath him and started calling out, “Su Su! Su Su, can you hear me?”
Since Su Su had told Xing Xing that as long as he was on Earth Star and called for him, Su Su would respond, Lang Ze figured the same should apply to him.
Back in Dorm 303.
Su Su had just finished tidying up, and A-Yan was continuing to work on crafting the training uniforms.
“Su Su, Su Su—”
The cheerful voice of the lively boy echoed in Su Ci’s ears.
Su Ci’s hand paused slightly. He wasn’t inclined to respond, but the boy’s voice carried a heavy nasal tone, clearly from recent tears. And his relentless, earnest calls softened Su Ci’s heart.
Lifting his gaze, he met A-Yan’s amused eyes.
Though Lang Ze was calling for Su Ci, as the Spirit of the Earth and the embodiment of its Heavenly Dao, A-Yan could easily hear it too.
“Su Su, ask Lang Ze and Xing Xing what colors they want for their practice clothes?”
Su Ci hummed in agreement, then used the excuse to quickly disappear from the room. A-Yan’s smile gradually faded. With a soft sigh, he lowered his head and resumed his crafting.
“Su Su, Su Su, if you’re the Earth Spirit, you should be able to hear me, right? Are you really the spirit of Earth Star? Why are you ignoring me…”
Lang Ze crouched on the ground, poking at the soil with a small branch while muttering nonstop. Beside him, a small black cat quietly crouched.
“What do you want?”
Su Ci’s sudden voice startled Lang Ze, causing his tail to puff up. But when he turned and saw Su Ci, his eyes lit up with joy.
“Su Su, you really heard me!” Lang Ze jumped up and ran toward him, aiming to pounce.
Su Ci, however, simply extended a hand and pressed it on Lang Ze’s head, effortlessly keeping him in place. The wolf cub flailed his arms helplessly, unable to move forward.
“Su Su!”
After a shout, Lang Ze grabbed Su Ci’s hand, hugged it tightly, and asked with sparkling eyes, “So what Ran Lie said is true? You really are the Earth Spirit?”
“Mm.” Su Ci nodded.
“Then who’s Su Ci?” Lang Ze pointed to the nameplate on Su Ci’s chest.
“That’s also me,” Su Ci replied.
Lang Ze nodded in semi-understanding. Whether Su Ci was human or spirit didn’t matter to him. What mattered was knowing Su Su would never leave them!
Especially since calling out to Su Su just now actually made him appear. This fact alone filled Lang Ze with an overwhelming sense of security.
His tail wagged vigorously, brimming with happiness.
But soon, his expression turned conflicted. “Ran Lie said you’re the Earth Spirit, and Earth Star is our home.”
Su Ci didn’t refute this statement.
Then, Lang Ze continued, “But this home is way too big!”
An entire planet—how was anyone supposed to live in a place that vast?
Hearing the wolf cub voice his “concerns,” Su Ci couldn’t help but find it amusing. The melancholy lingering from thoughts of parting seemed to dissipate.
He ruffled Lang Ze’s furry ears vigorously and said, “Didn’t you say you wanted to be a teacher someday?”
Lang Ze nodded firmly.
He thought being a teacher was super cool!
“Then I’ll give you a mountain. You can establish your sect there, take in disciples, and grow your legacy. How about that?” Su Ci asked.
Lang Ze’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“A whole mountain just for me?” he asked incredulously. “I can do whatever I want?”
“Yes,” Su Ci answered generously. “As long as you keep your promise to carry forward the Sound Sect.”
“Yay!”
Lang Ze cheered and agreed without hesitation.
He had only ever owned as much as fit in a storage pouch. Even the little room he lived in hadn’t truly been his, and just yesterday, he’d given Su Su all his saved snacks. But now…he could have an entire mountain!
