“Where are we...?”
Liu Yi’s memories gradually returned: the Phantom Mist Sovereign, the fierce battle, and the mycelial threads’ surprise attack at the last moment.
“It seems we were dragged into the water and then carried by the current into this rock cave,” Liu Yi analyzed, her voice gradually steadying.
She tried to stand, her legs still a bit weak, but she was otherwise fine.
Liu Yi wanted to check the time, so she opened her backpack, which lay beside her.
The energy bars and basic medical kit in the small backpack given by Fluffy Butler were intact, but her phone had water damage and wouldn’t turn on.
Liu Yi sighed and put it back in her bag.
She then belatedly felt a pang of hunger. She first took out Ziyue’s and Chiying’s latent energy pills from her Beast Taming Space and gave them to her pets, then pulled out the lunchbox from her backpack, but unfortunately, the food inside had turned into a mushy paste.
“Good thing I have this,” Liu Yi said, tearing open the energy bar’s waterproof packaging. Although the taste was mediocre, it could quickly replenish her stamina.
After eating, she stood up and carefully observed the rock cave, her gaze quickly drawn to the scattered broken mycelial threads on the ground.
The purple mycelial threads had lost their vitality, their surfaces coated with frost and venom.
It was clear Ziyue and Chiying had done this while she was unconscious.
Liu Yi cautiously followed the traces of the mycelial threads. The faint glow from the blue moss on the damp rock walls swayed with her movements, casting shifting shadows on the stone.
After walking for a short while, the rock cave suddenly opened up, revealing a small pool of water.
The pool water was crystal clear to the bottom, and a fist-sized purple glowing object floated in its center. The area around the pool was covered with a thick layer of dormant hallucinogenic spores.
“Is this the source of the Phantom Mist Sovereign?” Liu Yi crouched down, observing the purple object from a safe distance.
“Bingbing!”
Ziyue, who had moved closer, suddenly twitched her ears and let out a cry, indicating that being near this object gave her a feeling of increased energy, similar to consuming latent energy pills!
“Moling.”
Chiying also approached and, after sensing it, nodded.
Liu Yi mused, “It seems this is what gives birth to the Phantom Mist Sovereign, but right now it’s only this small.”
She carefully observed the hallucinogenic spores around the pool, noticing that they were all dormant and lacked vitality.
“Ziyue, use Extreme Cold Storm to freeze all these hallucinogenic spores, just in case.”
Ziyue immediately followed the command, and the Extreme Cold Storm swept around the pool, thoroughly freezing the thick layer of hallucinogenic spores.
“The energy is very pure,” Liu Yi said, approaching the pool. She gently touched the water’s surface, feeling the ripples at her fingertips.
She stared at the purple glowing object in the center of the pool. To generate another Phantom Mist Sovereign, it would likely need to go through another phase of excessive reproduction, absorbing a vast amount of Secret Realm energy.
But in the current situation, she could definitely use it to give Ziyue and Chiying some additional energy.
Liu Yi looked at Ziyue and Chiying: “You two will absorb energy in turns; one absorbs while the other stands guard.”
Ziyue and Chiying took turns approaching the purple glowing object in the center of the pool, carefully absorbing the pure energy it contained.
Liu Yi chose a corner to sit down and began to meditate, while also keeping a portion of her awareness on the surrounding environment.
Ziyue went first, squatting at the edge of the pool and closing her eyes.
The light emanating from the purple glowing object subtly pulsed, and wisps of energy were drawn out like threads, merging into Ziyue’s body.
Its fur shimmered with a faint glow, and Ice-type energy circulated within its body, becoming more solidified.
Ziyue opened her eyes, shook her fur, and retreated to stand guard.
Chiying then stepped forward, its crimson eyes fixed on the purple object.
As it began to absorb energy, the purple light seemed drawn to Chiying, flowing towards it. Its scales grew brighter, and the golden patterns on its body became more distinct.
Even in meditation, Liu Yi felt a sense of relaxation. This pure Secret Realm energy seemed to greatly benefit both Beast Tamers and their pets.
Time quietly passed in the rock cave.
When hungry, they ate energy bars and latent energy pills.
When tired, they rested in turns.
The purple object gradually shrank as energy was absorbed, transforming from its initial fist size to the size of a walnut.
“That’s enough,” Liu Yi said softly.
Ziyue and Chiying obediently stepped back.
The rest would remain here. Regardless, it was part of the Secret Realm’s ecosystem.
How it would be handled later was a matter for the Beast Tamer Association’s Secret Realm Management Office.
Liu Yi brought up Ziyue’s and Chiying’s information to see how much they had improved after absorbing the energy here.
【Name: Silver Snow Fox】
【Attribute: Ice】
【Level: Intermediate stage (40%)】
【Skills: Ice Blade (Perfect 10%), Frost Breath (Expert 96%), Ice Armor (Expert 63%), Ice Spike (Proficient 69%), Extreme Cold Storm (Entry level 76%), Frozen Bite (Entry level 68%), Frost Path (Expert 74%), Snowfall (Entry level 80%)】
【Traits: Ice Soul Awakening (Proficient 31%), Eternal Heart (Entry level 48%)】
.
【Name: Moling Dragon】
【Attribute: Dragon + Poison】
【Level: Junior stage (90%)】
【Skills: Poison Fang (Proficient 77%), Venom Spray (Proficient 94%), Glare (Expert 56%), Dragon Starfall (Entry level 54%)】
【Traits: Counter-Poison (Entry level 61%), Poison Scales (Entry level 66%), Scorn (Arcane ∞)】
Ziyue’s latent energy reached the mid-stage of the Intermediate stage, and Chiying’s latent energy had reached the late-stage of the Junior stage.
If they could cultivate for three days at the [Dragon Vein Ridge] after getting out, she wondered if Chiying would be able to evolve.
Unfortunately, her current points were only enough to exchange for one day.
Liu Yi then shifted her gaze to Ice Blade’s proficiency. Since it had already reached Perfect proficiency, she might as well use a skill proficiency booster to raise it directly to Arcane.
Since the skill proficiency boosters she drew provided a percentage increase, she tried to use them when their skills reached Perfect proficiency, believing this would yield the greatest benefit.
If there were a game-like experience bar, the experience needed for each stage—from Entry level to Proficient, Proficient to Expert, Expert to Perfect, and Perfect to Arcane—would certainly be different.
Liu Yi immersed her consciousness into her Beast Taming Space, picked up nine 【A-rank Pet Skill Proficiency Boosters: 10%】, and dropped them onto the words ‘Ice Blade’ on Ziyue’s information panel.
【Ice Blade (Perfect 10%) → Ice Blade (Arcane ∞)】
Afterwards, Liu Yi looked at Chiying’s Glare proficiency, recalling how Chiying had been vaguely able to see through the Deceitful Crow’s illusory duplicates.
Did Chiying possess some hidden eye-related ability?
Just like Ziyue, whether it was latent energy or skill traits, every time she leveled up or learned a new skill, it immediately had a 10% progression.
Rate on N.U.
