Luo Qingyu wandered around the secret realm alone for a long time, feeling increasingly puzzled.
It's so strange. I've been walking around for so long, yet I haven't run into a single one of my senior brothers.
She found a tall, ancient tree that offered a wide view of the surroundings. Riding her Somersault Cloud, she flew up to a thick horizontal branch and set to work, using the flexible nearby branches to build a simple nest.
She covered the nest with layers of fallen leaves, camouflaging the inside and outside so that it blended perfectly with the trunk and foliage. Unless someone looked closely, they would never realize a person was hiding inside.
Luo Qingyu examined her masterpiece with satisfaction and nodded gently. “Mhm, mission accomplished! I can rest in here while avoiding the demon beasts wandering around. I really am a genius.”
Just as the words left her mouth, a distinct rumbling sound echoed in her ears.
Luo Qingyu reached up to pat her empty stomach, only now realizing that after a whole day of running around, she hadn't eaten a single bite.
She reached for the storage bag at her waist and pulled out a snack wrapped in oilpaper. Opening it, she found it packed with fragrant, smoked jerky.
Ling Shuang had specifically gone down the mountain to buy this for her before they left. She had heard this particular jerky was incredibly delicious, so she had been saving it.
Luo Qingyu pinched a piece of jerky and popped it into her mouth. The spicy, savory flavor instantly exploded across her tongue. Her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but praise it.
“Mmm! Delicious! No wonder so many people buy jerky from that shop.”
“Once I finish this, I'll definitely have Ling Shuang buy a few more bags to keep as emergency rations.”
As she reached for another piece, a soft rustle sounded from above. A fluffy little thing fell down with a thud, landing right on top of Luo Qingyu's head.
“Ow! What hit me?”
Luo Qingyu rubbed her sore head and looked around. “Huh? There's no one here. How strange.”
Just as she was about to grab the jerky again, she looked down. The annoyance from being hit vanished instantly, and her eyes sparkled.
Before her sat a tiny fox with fiery red fur and a large, fluffy tail. It stared up at her with round, watery amber eyes, looking incredibly soft and adorable.
Luo Qingyu was instantly captivated by the fluffy little creature. Her gaze was glued to the small fox, completely forgetting the lingering pain on her head.
The little creature let out a soft, whimpering cry, completely melting Luo Qingyu's heart.
She carefully reached out and scooped the fluffy little fox into her arms. Gently stroking its soft, red ears, she spoke softly, “Hello there, little guy. Would you like to try some of this delicious jerky with me?”
As if understanding her words, the little fox blinked its round amber eyes and gave a tiny nod.
Luo Qingyu picked up a piece of jerky and gently held it to its mouth.
Watching the little fox nibble on the jerky with relish, a deep sense of accomplishment welled up inside her, and her eyes crinkled with a warm smile.
Before long, the remaining jerky in the paper packet was completely polished off.
Perhaps still hungry, the little fox suddenly leaned in and nipped at Luo Qingyu's fingertip.
Feeling a sharp pinch, Luo Qingyu winced slightly and said with mock exasperation, “You little ungrateful thing. You ate all my jerky and then bit me?”
She was so focused on examining the little fox in her arms that she failed to notice a crimson mark briefly appearing on her forehead.
The mark flashed for a mere second the moment her finger was bitten, vanishing without a trace.
At that moment, 007, which had been as silent as a crashed system ever since she entered the secret realm, suddenly came back to life like a reanimated corpse, its voice ringing in her mind.
【Ding! Contract formation detected. Divine beast bond successfully established!】
Wait!
Hearing the words “divine beast” from 007, Luo Qingyu froze on the spot, utterly dumbfounded. For a moment, she couldn't believe her ears.
She hurriedly called out to 007, her face a mask of disbelief.
“007, what did you just say? This little guy in my arms who does nothing but steal jerky is a divine beast? You've got to be kidding me, right?”
【007: “Host, it is absolutely true. The ancient divine beasts of the Qingqiu Fox Clan have nearly gone extinct. The red fox in your arms is the very last of its kind in the world.”】
【“Don't be fooled by its current status as a cub. Once it grows all nine tails, its power will rival that of a Tribulation Transcendence Realm cultivator.”】
After hearing the system's explanation, Luo Qingyu looked down at the little fox in her arms.
“I didn't expect a little guy like you to have such a grand background.”
Then, 007's notification chimed again.
【“Host, a friendly reminder: This fox is an ancient divine beast. To ensure its smooth growth, you must feed it all kinds of natural treasures. Your little savings are probably in grave danger.”】
Hearing the system's sarcastic remarks, Luo Qingyu instantly got annoyed and snapped, “Scram, scram, scram!”
She secretly refused to accept this. With the wealth she had accumulated, how could she possibly fail to support a single little fox?”
007 chimed in again. 【“Host, it is a divine beast, not an ordinary fox.”】
Luo Qingyu couldn't help but shoot back, “007, if you don't speak, no one will think you're mute!”
With that, she lightly massaged her temples and began to plan.
No way. I have to work hard to make money once I get back. The savings I have right now won't be nearly enough.
The new web novel I wrote needs to be published as soon as possible. Once I return to the sect, I'll ask Ling Shuang to help deliver it to the bookstore.
The more Luo Qingyu thought about it, the more her head ached. She realized she had not only adopted a money-devouring beast, but she also had to constantly worry about and look after her beloved Junior Sister, Ye Qiao, in the future. Both sides would require immense effort and money.
Oh, right. Her future junior sister would also have a divine beast, which was a phoenix.
Well, that made three money-devouring beasts. Even more expensive.
Luo Qingyu looked down and sighed.
Meanwhile, the little creature snuggled in her arms blinked its amber eyes at her, seemingly unable to comprehend why she was sighing.
Seeing the little creature's adorable actions, the immense pressure of earning money to support a family instantly vanished.
Gently stroking the little creature's fluffy, soft fur, she said softly, “Since you'll be following me from now on, how about I give you a name?”
The little fox in her arms seemed to understand. It wagged its tail excitedly and quickly nodded its head.
Looking at its round, balled-up form, Luo Qingyu's heart softened. “Then let's call you Qiuqiu. It sounds fluffy and cute.”
Curled up in her arms, Qiuqiu nuced Luo Qingyu's palm happily upon hearing its master's words, clearly highly satisfied with the name.
Just as Luo Qingyu was playing with Qiuqiu, a faint rustling of footsteps accompanied by low voices drifted from the surrounding woods.
Sensing the movement, Luo Qingyu immediately tensed. Vigilance flared in her eyes. She gently held down Qiuqiu in her arms and whispered a warning, “Shh, quiet. Someone is coming.”
Qiuqiu seemed to sense the tension in her voice. Its constantly wagging tail drooped instantly, and it curled up quietly in her embrace.
Using the tree nest she had built earlier to conceal herself, Luo Qingyu gently parted the leaves and peered toward the source of the sound.
Before long, four disciples wearing blue sect robes slowly walked out. The leader had his nose in the air, looking incredibly arrogant.
It was none other than the chief disciple of the Yueqing Sect, Song Hansheng.
The three fellow disciples walking beside him were complaining as they went, their words clearly reaching Luo Qingyu's ears.
“Senior Brother, that spiritual plant was clearly discovered by the Changming Sect first. By snatching it like this, we're bound to clash with them if we run into their disciples.”
Song Hansheng sneered dismissively, “In a secret realm, treasures belong to those with the ability to take them. Whoever gets it first owns it.”
“Those Changming Sect disciples are simply inferior. They have no one but themselves to blame. Besides, this secret realm is so vast; we might not even run into them again.”
Hearing that her own sect had been bullied, and by the Yueqing Sect of all people, Luo Qingyu suppressed her anger and decided to teach them a lesson.
She reached into her storage bag and pulled out a packet of medicinal powder, which had the words “Sure-Soft Powder” written on it.
This was a cultivation-world version of Tendon-Relaxing Powder that she had researched out of boredom back at the sect, using a recipe rewarded by the system.
Inhaling even a tiny speck of it would leave a person unable to recover for two days and two nights, rendering them completely helpless to any form of bullying during that time.
Luo Qingyu looked down at the four people below the tree and almost burst into laughter.
“Hmph, using my first trial run on you guys is doing you a favor.”
She lowered her head and softly instructed the little fox in her arms, “Qiuqiu, stay quietly on my shoulder in a moment. Don't move a single inch. Do you understand?”
Qiuqiu wagged its tail and gave a serious nod.
After settling the little guy, Luo Qingyu pulled a large black cloak from her storage bag and threw it over herself, obscuring most of her face.
She intentionally snapped a thick branch beside her, sending a crisp crack echoing toward the group ahead.
Song Hansheng, who was walking at the front with his usual supercilious and arrogant demeanor, frowned in irritation upon hearing the noise.
“Watch out! An ambush!”
Just as the warning left his mouth, Luo Qingyu leaped down from the tall tree, landing on her Somersault Cloud.
Taking advantage of the four scanning their surroundings and failing to look up, she threw the white powder into the air.
The fine powder scattered with the wind, drifting toward Song Hansheng and his group. Caught off guard, they inhaled a significant amount and immediately began to cough violently.
Furious, Song Hansheng still tried to maintain his high-and-mighty posture. “Cough, cough! Who's hiding in the shadows and launching a sneak attack?”
“We are disciples of the Yueqing Sect! Offending us will not end well for you!”
From beneath her cloak, Luo Qingyu laughed and shot back, “I don't care what sect you're from. Since you've crossed my path, you're leaving your storage bags behind.”
To make it sound more authentic, Luo Qingyu couldn't resist adding:
“This tree was planted by me, and this road was cleared by me. If you wish to pass through, leave your toll behind!”
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