With Zhu Yinghuang acting as a lubricant, Chen Jiuge and Zhu Yingque gradually became more acquainted.
As time passed, Zhu Yinghuang grew restless and said to them, "Little Sister, would you like to go see Brother Chen’s eco-park with me?"
Zhu Yingque wasn’t particularly keen on going. However, if her big brother went, staying behind alone wouldn’t look good, so she could only nod in resignation.
"Brother Chen, I’ll take my little sister to have a look, is that alright?" Zhu Yinghuang politely asked Chen Jiuge.
Seeing Zhu Yinghuang already at the courtyard’s entrance, Chen Jiuge said with a laugh, "Brother Zhu, go and have fun. Just don’t disturb the Spiritual Beasts inside."
Although Zhu Yinghuang hadn’t caused a mess in the eco-park last time, he had intervened several times to stop Spiritual Beasts from hunting. He had saved creatures almost as fierce and powerful as the Flame Demons, which now made Chen Jiuge quite skeptical of Zhu Yinghuang’s taste.
"Then thank you very much, Senior Brother Chen. Let’s go, Daoyuan," Zhu Yingque said after expressing her gratitude, calling to Qi Daoyuan, who was lounging beside Chen Jiuge.
"I won’t go; you two go by yourselves. I’m a Heavenly Immortal; what Spiritual Beasts haven’t I seen?" Qi Daoyuan refused without hesitation. With this time, I’d be better off cultivating a good relationship with this human, or, if all else fails, even with that stupid, gluttonous kin of mine.
Seeing that Qi Daoyuan wouldn’t budge, Zhu Yingque gave up. Besides, there was no real danger here.
The siblings quickly arrived at the eco-park.
Looking at a Fourth Rank Unicorn not far away, Zhu Yingque said, "Huh, there’s actually a Unicorn here, and it seems to have quite good potential."
"Little Sister, there are plenty of good things here," Zhu Yinghuang whispered. "It’s just that those Spiritual Beasts are quite pricey. The average disciples you’ve arranged probably can’t afford them."
Hearing her elder brother’s words, Zhu Yingque became interested.
There was the Thunder Deer with lightning flashing on its antlers, the Moon Greedy Wolf howling at the sky, the Mountain Turtle as immobile as a rock, as well as the majestic Fire Flood Dragon and Red Flood Dragon, the ferocious Alligator Dinosaur, and the Flame Demon, among other Spiritual Beasts.
"There really is a wide variety, huh," Zhu Yingque remarked, impressed.
"I’ll take you to another great place," Zhu Yinghuang said mysteriously.
Before long, Zhu Yinghuang led Zhu Yingque to the Fire Element Sanctuary.
Outside the Array, pointing at the romping Spiritual Beast cubs inside, he said, "Little Sister, all of these are Spiritual Beast cubs. You love small animals, don’t you? Go take a look."
Zhu Yingque was taken aback. Since she began her cultivation at eight, her parents had severely restricted her big brother from visiting her. Nearly sixty years had passed. She never thought that the big brother she had often looked down upon still remembered her hobby from before she was eight.
"Is that so? Then I’ll take a look," Zhu Yingque said, going in first to hide her emotions.
As the two entered, the playful Spiritual Beast cubs simultaneously turned their heads to look at them. Some of the little ones recognized Zhu Yinghuang as the bipedal creature who had visited before, and they scurried over eagerly.
Seeing quite a few Spiritual Beasts running toward her big brother, Zhu Yingque was curious but felt it was inappropriate to ask.
"Little Sister, see? This is your big brother’s charm!" Zhu Yinghuang said with a smile, holding a Fire Spiritual Dog in one hand and a Fire Flood Dragon in the other. "Look how cute this puppy is! And this Fire Flood Dragon, isn’t it cute too when it’s little?"
Watching the two little beasts busy gnawing on Spirit Fruits, Zhu Yingque understood why her big brother was so popular.
She plucked a fruit, gently lifted the outermost Fire Fox, and softly asked, "Little one, do you want to eat this?"
"SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK!"
The Fire Fox didn’t understand why this treat had fallen into its lap, but it honestly stretched out its short little paws, trying to grasp the fruit before it.
While the siblings were happily relaxing in the eco-park, Qi Daoyuan’s mood was anything but pleasant.
I stayed, hoping to build a good relationship with this human. This way, he might help me practice Divine Skills more and purify my Bloodline sooner. However, the moment my little master left, this human stopped paying attention to me, the great former Heavenly Immortal Venerable, and instead focused on refining Daoist Soldiers!
Damned human! Don’t you know that I am the true powerhouse here? When I return to my Heavenly Immortal status, I’ll show you what ’unattainable’ means! Oh, wait, his master seems to be a Heavenly Immortal too. Damn it! Qi Daoyuan grumbled angrily.
Watching Qi Daoyuan’s constantly changing expressions, Da Bai, who had finished his fruit and was now gnawing on a lamb leg, wondered, Does our kind really have such a rich range of facial expressions? Or could it be that he’s angry because I didn’t share the lamb leg with him?
With a pang of regret, he tore a leg from the whole roasted lamb he had received as a reward for his morning’s work and slowly offered it to Qi Daoyuan. "Don’t be mad. I... I... I’ll treat you to a lamb leg."
Looking at the lamb leg by his mouth, then at Da Bai, who had his eyes squeezed shut as if afraid tears would stream down, Qi Daoyuan said furiously, "Having such a pure Bloodline is a waste on you! A lamb leg, indeed! You’re disgracing our Qilin Clan!"
「A short while later.」
"How is it? Tasty, right?" Da Bai happily watched Qi Daoyuan next to him, whose mouth was dripping with grease.
Qi Daoyuan nonchalantly wiped the grease from his lips. "This old one was once a Heavenly Immortal. What heavenly delicacies have I not eaten? I’m merely giving face to you, junior, this time."
But to be honest, I haven’t felt this relaxed in who knows how many years. Back in the Desolate World, what kind of Spiritual Beast would bother roasting their meat? Everything was devoured raw and whole. After I became an immortal, I indeed enjoyed many heavenly delicacies and spent considerable time wandering human Immortal Cities. But those days were long past. Since starting my cultivation anew and following my current little master, my diet has consisted of either Elixirs or Spirit Fruits. My cultivation speed has increased, but my happiness has vanished!
Biting fiercely into the lamb leg, Qi Daoyuan casually asked, "What did you feel when your master used ’Bloodline Transformation’ on you?"
Da Bai knew about Bloodline Transformation, having experienced it not long ago. However, he was not eloquent enough to describe it.
"I can’t explain it," Da Bai said, his eyes lighting up. "Come with me. My good friend also experienced it a few days ago. I’ll take you to see."
Since there was a ready example, Qi Daoyuan naturally wouldn’t refuse.
The two tiny Qilins, their stubby legs moving with surprising speed, arrived at a small Defense Magic Array by the edge of the Spirit Lake.
Looking at the little monkey inside, Qi Daoyuan’s eyes emitted a golden light. He saw an Upper Spirit golden light, radiating endless heat, slowly merging into the monkey’s body. Humans are truly frightening, he muttered. If the three major tribes learned about ’Bloodline Transformation’, they would probably go mad trying to get it.
"Spiritual Beasts cannot learn this Secret Technique, you know," Chen Jiuge said with a smile, appearing behind the two.
Seeing the silent Qi Daoyuan, Chen Jiuge tossed him a Jade Scroll. "This is the ’Bloodline Transformation’ Secret Technique," he said. "In the Myriad Beasts Sect, it’s as common as dirt. Unless one is a disciple of the Myriad Beasts Sect who cultivates the Beast Scripture, no one else could possibly master it."
Although he believed it to be seventy or eighty percent true, Qi Daoyuan still clutched a sliver of hope as he pocketed the Jade Scroll. What if? That silly little thing’s Bloodline is purer than mine; I refuse to believe my luck is this bad!