230 - Mistress, I Was Wrong

"Are you sure this method will work, Seventh Sister?" Roasting in a sealed alchemy furnace... wouldn’t it suffocate us first? Qian Wanyu cast a cool glance at her, "You don’t trust me?" Dongfang Minghui swallowed hard, feeling that if she denied it outright, something strange might happen. She quickly shook her head, "I’ll try it first." She skillfully set up a furnace, unable to find a wooden frame and thus asked Xiao Miao for help. They divided the meat of the water beast that Little Color had previously taken a liking to into several pieces, each hanging on a white thread, and began roasting them over the flames controlled by Xiao Miao. The aroma of the roasted meat and the smoky scent filled the air, drawing the surrounding onlookers closer. Li En frequently glanced towards them, unsure if he was watching the people roasting or eyeing the tempting meat. "What are you doing?" Qian Yiling asked in confusion. "Mother, you’ll soon find out," Qian Wanyu teased with a secretive smile. "Mmm, the meat smells quite good." Originally intending to tempt Little Fatty, the foodie, any success in enticing Little Artifact Spirit as well would be a bonus. However, Dongfang Minghui unexpectedly discovered that the water beast’s meat had a captivating aroma once roasted. Even those who weren’t hungry would feel an awakening of their deepest appetites upon catching the scent. "Using my stored provisions to appease them again!!!" Little Color was furious, administering a mental thrashing from within the soul sea. If it weren’t fearful of the flames, it might have already rushed out to snatch the sea beast's meat. Dongfang Minghui couldn’t help but rub her forehead, quickly consoling, "Don’t fret, don’t fret, our priority is to escape first and I’ll compensate you with heavenly treasures afterward, okay?" Pig Fairy Grass, boredly fiddling with its grassy tail, commented slowly, "Compared to heavenly treasures, you’ve gained much more with this water enchantress beast." Water enchantress beast? A shiver ran down her spine at the mention of the name, which sounded too elegant for such a creature. Moreover, since those provisions had been stored in her space for ages, Little Color occasionally dipped into the blue liquid without any evident purpose. If they were left to waste, she’d rather put them to use. "Sorcerer." Sitting next to her, Qian Wanyu raised an eyebrow at the man standing awkwardly in front of Nine; this man was no longer Li En but someone whose aura had changed after his seal was lifted. Only Nine didn’t seem to realize. Li En had wanted to catch her as she fell but Qian Wanyu beat him to it. He had intended to speak with her but she was monopolized by Qian Wanyu. Finding this opportunity, he sat to her left and quietly helped thread the meat using the white silk. With limited supplies in the space, Dongfang Minghui recalled that when salting bacon, one often used string to thread the meat and hang it in the sun. Since the silk thread spat by the carnivorous grass was impervious to blades, spears, or the elements, she had Qian Wanyu help with threading the meat, now with an extra free pair of hands, she relaxed. Li En, however, constantly paid attention to the wind, secretly redirecting it away. Little Fatty was compacting fireballs into small flame beads, simultaneously sniffing the air, drawn by the roasting fragrance. Little Artifact Spirit seized this distraction to toss the small flame beads back at her. Clink, clank— A crisp sound ensued and everyone watched in astonishment as Little Fatty had transformed into a Heavenly Sound Helmet at some point, absorbing all the fiery beads before standing still. Dongfang Minghui was dumbfounded, thinking, does this really work? When these two artifact spirits fought, they were fiercely competitive, like kids having a snowball fight, neither yielding to the other. Seeing Little Fatty revert to her original form, Little Artifact Spirit curiously followed her. A shadow flashed by, heading swiftly towards the Heavenly Sound Helmet. "Little Beansprout." As Little Beansprout reached the Heavenly Sound Helmet, Little Fatty instantly transformed into a slender woman. Little Beansprout hastily braked, turning into a straight sprout. Little Fatty unhurriedly dressed, picking up Little Beansprout along with the obsidian soil, and gently poked its bud. To Dongfang Minghui’s surprise, Little Beansprout remained unresponsive, standing stiff. Dongfang Minghui speculated that Little Beansprout was seeking its pot, which likely couldn't accommodate it anymore. She sneaked a glance at Qian Wanyu and Li En, relieved to find them unperturbed, deciding she must discuss some etiquette regarding changing clothes with Little Fatty once they were out. It wasn’t appropriate to undress so openly, without a hint of shame... Even if, moments ago, the blurriness as she changed seemed like a censored view of Little Fatty, that stunning figure could easily turn anyone’s thoughts astray. "Eat," Little Fatty said directly. "Here you go." Little Fatty took a couple of bites before stopping, frowning as she played with Little Beansprout who was equally discontent. Dongfang Minghui found it odd. She sniffed, confirming she’d used adequate ingredients despite missing some tools; the meat was fresh and dripping with golden oil. As a genuine foodie, shouldn’t Little Fatty indulge more? If something strange occurred, there must be a peculiar reason. "Could the meat have gone bad?" The only reason she could think of was that the water enchantress beast had been stored too long, but as she voiced this concern, Little Color shot back. "Nonsense, its blood prevents it from spoiling for over a year," Little Color grumbled, "It's simply a mismatch of attributes upon waking. The water enchantress beast is a water-type magical beast." "I see." Dongfang Minghui was enlightened and hesitantly offered a piece to the quietly observing Little Artifact Spirit, "Would you like to try some?" "What is this?" "Roast meat." After a moment, she added, "It’s edible." Reluctantly, Little Artifact Spirit tasted a piece and then swiftly devoured all her roasted meat. "Burp—" "..." Dongfang Minghui had been prepared for failure but didn’t expect Little Artifact Spirit to eat so much while Little Fatty abstained. "Little Artifact Spirit, are you full?" Little Artifact Spirit scooted closer, "Not yet, need more." Just as Dongfang Minghui was about to slice more meat from the water enchantress beast, Qian Wanyu pulled her into an embrace, holding her hand, "Ninth Sister, don’t you find it a bit stuffy here?" "Yes, yes." She almost forgot the main task. Sitting down, she inhaled the smoky scent, coughing dryly, "Little Artifact Spirit, the air is too stifling here for continued grilling. Why not open the Longevity Cauldron so we can grill outside, how about it?" Little Artifact Spirit shuffled and nestled into Dongfang Minghui’s embrace, quieting down. Instinctively, she petted it, surprised by the cool texture, "Why not join us on our journey? There will always be good food for you that way." She was getting addicted to caring for these little ones. Just as she was plotting to lure Little Artifact Spirit away, Toothless, who had been quietly cultivating, suddenly opened her eyes. Her dark eyes shimmered with fiery patterns and the crimson diamond on her forehead flickered before fading. Rising to her feet, she scanned the area before striding towards Dongfang Minghui, her commanding presence casting a shadow like a small mountain. "Toothless?" Using her size advantage, Toothless nudged Li En aside and began nosing under Dongfang Minghui’s hand, adorably begging for strokes, melting her heart. Remembering the vision of a battered Toothless she once saw, she gently cradled Toothless’ large head and nuzzled it, "Toothless." Under Qian Wanyu’s chilly gaze, Toothless unapologetically licked her, just as affectionately as ever. Dongfang Minghui’s hand froze, quickly shifting Toothless’ head, wondering if returning to this form had restored Toothless’s memories of her. Before she could explore the thought, Toothless noticed the lump in her arms and swiped at Little Artifact Spirit, sending it flying. Sizzle— The sound of searing flesh followed. Little Artifact Spirit rolled off the wall and quickly scurried back into her arms, this time extending two small paws to tightly grasp her collar. When Toothless tried to swat at it again, Dongfang Minghui intervened. "Toothless, no." "Awwooo." Toothless wasn’t fond of the Artifact Spirit's scent, but because Dongfang Minghui was present, she decided to bide her time and deal with the Artifact Spirit later. The Artifact Spirit, intrigued by Toothless’ aura, noticed Dongfang Minghui calming her down and said, "Taking you out is not impossible, but you have to treat me well. If not, I’ll lock you up alone." A chill ran down Dongfang Minghui’s spine; great, she thought, I’ve brought home a little tyrant who needs pampering around the clock. Qian Wanyu's chill radiated through the atmosphere. Worried that her impulsiveness might offend the Artifact Spirit, Dongfang Minghui quickly agreed, "I will treat you well, but if your demands are unreasonable, I will consider carefully." The Artifact Spirit cared little about principles or rules. Satisfied with her agreement, it darted onto Toothless’s large head, sitting smugly as if it owned the place. Unlike Toothless, who disdained its presence, the Artifact Spirit took a liking to Toothless because of the fiery aura. Roaring, Toothless attempted to dislodge the pesky intruder from her head, bouncing around the Longevity Cauldron, occasionally crashing her massive head into its walls in frustration. "No, Toothless." However, every time Toothless made to crash into a wall, the once-sturdy copper wall became soft, neither harming the Artifact Spirit atop its head nor destroying it. Instead, the Artifact Spirit took this chance to mischievously step on Toothless' nose. Irate, Toothless spat fireballs, her dragon roar creating echoes inside the cauldron that hurt everyone's ears. Dongfang Minghui’s heart was on a roller coaster of fear, breaking into a cold sweat watching the odd pair's "friendly interactions." Watching them, Qian Wanyu was quite pleased, "Excellent." Li En chimed in, "Sorcerer, maybe you should clean up a bit here." "Clean up." Nonetheless, Dongfang Minghui’s attention remained glued to Toothless and the Artifact Spirit, the latter perched securely atop Toothless’s head, entirely unmovable—its defiance a constant headache. "What should we do now?" Toothless didn’t like any creature climbing onto her; Little Fatty had only managed it by sneaking onto her when she entered the dragon clan's territory. "It’s fine; there's no need to worry. Ninth Sister, perhaps you should be more concerned about yourself." "Huh?" Turning back, she met Qian Wanyu's dark, penetrating gaze that seemed to strip her bare; it was so intense she could hardly bear it. Was Seventh Sister really so desperate to pounce on her the moment they left the cauldron? Toothless eventually grew bored of her antics and lay down again. The Artifact Spirit, feeling victorious, quickly changed its demeanor. Toothless scraped her claws at it, finally pulling it off her head and flattening it. "Toothless." "Awwooo," Toothless growled, squishing the Artifact Spirit under her paw before pressing it even flatter. Dongfang Minghui felt quite torn: siding with either was unfair. She patted Toothless’s big head, hugging her, "Toothless, we need to get out of here. Let me take the Artifact Spirit for now." Toothless gave it a last rough shake. Dongfang Minghui lifted the flattened Artifact Spirit, "Are you okay, Artifact Spirit?" After righting itself, the Artifact Spirit morphed into a mini-Toothless in her palm, leaving Dongfang Minghui astonished and then exasperated, "You—" Seeing this, Toothless snorted fire and sneered ominously at the imitation, agitatedly pacing back and forth. Were it not for her restraint, she might have shattered the Artifact Spirit to pieces. The Artifact Spirit, unfazed, puffed a small fireball—a fraction of Toothless’s—mimicking every gesture. She knew she wouldn’t be lonely with this little tyrant while hunting for the dragon clan's land. After some playful teasing, the Artifact Spirit hopped off Dongfang Minghui and said, "Follow me." The difference was obvious: Toothless couldn’t speak in beast form, while the Artifact Spirit chattered away. The group trailed behind the Artifact Spirit as it led the way; its small frame wobbled ahead, resembling a smaller version of Toothless. Mu Sheng mumbled as they watched, "A mini-Toothless; let's call it Little Toothless." Toothless growled and blew fire at Mu Sheng in annoyance, barely missing him thanks to Xiao Miao redirecting the flames. Otherwise, he would have experienced first-hand what it meant to play with fire. Dongfang Minghui fell back a few steps to walk beside Toothless, patting her flank, "Toothless, the Artifact Spirit is just playing." Like Little Fatty during her initial interactions with Toothless, she was fond of clinging to her. Only after Toothless transformed into human form and began teasing Little Beansprout did Little Fatty stop chasing her around. Toothless growled softly, lying low, gazing innocently at Dongfang Minghui. Now certain that the Toothless she raised was back, Dongfang Minghui wrapped her arms around Toothless’s head and nuzzled it, "Toothless, I’m glad you remember me." Feeling guilty, Toothless averted her gaze, pondering whether to reclaim her bit of fire from the cauldron’s peak. Dongfang Minghui followed her gaze and murmured, "Perhaps that flame allows the Artifact Spirit to feel familiar with you." The Artifact Spirit, watching everyone, circled back when it didn’t see Dongfang Minghui and Toothless, nudging them, "Hurry up." "Alright." Still trailing the Artifact Spirit, they soon plunged into complete darkness, the kind where one couldn't see their own hand in front of their face. A warm, furry presence nudged against Dongfang Minghui's side, probably Toothless, and another, gentler body was felt as she reached out. Before she was pulled in by a forceful grasp—unmistakably Qian Wanyu—who else would be that assertive? With a slight tug, Dongfang Minghui was drawn back, feeling the softness behind her. Qian Wanyu covered her mouth with a large hand, leaning close to inhale her scent. The other hand slowly traveled upward from her waist, freezing Dongfang Minghui, rendering her utterly speechless. Involuntarily, Dongfang Minghui’s tongue brushed against Qian Wanyu's hand, prompting her to withdraw immediately. Seizing the opportunity, Dongfang Minghui trapped Qian Wanyu’s roaming hand, then turned to embrace her, tracing her fingers along Qian Wanyu’s features as if memorizing them. She detected a faint, heavier breathing. Rising on tiptoe, she planted kisses on the places her hand had traced. Qian Wanyu could clearly see all of her actions in the dark, and seeing her earnest face, she couldn’t suppress her surged desire. So, when a ray of light fell on their faces, they were caught, locked in a passionate embrace. "Oh dear, I didn’t see anything," Mu Sheng exclaimed, covering his eyes as he stumbled forward, nearly rolling down the icy lotus peak. Everyone turned away in mild embarrassment, even Qian Yiling and Qian Ziyan were flushed. Li En quickly averted his gaze, surveying their surroundings. Despite the snow's perpetual whiteness, something felt familiar yet peculiar about it to him. Walking a few steps ahead, he quietly remarked, "I think I’ve been here before." "It seems we’re still on the Icy Lotus Mountain." "Mmm." Qian Wanyu, pleased, left a mark on Dongfang Minghui’s swollen lips and gazed happily at her handiwork. Dongfang Minghui wished the ground would open and swallow her for acting so brazenly before friends and family, shame coloring her thoughts. "Ninth Sister, you looked a bit unsteady. Shall I carry you down the mountain?" "Seventh Sister!" Dongfang Minghui glared at Qian Wanyu, belatedly realizing she'd fallen into her trap. While she couldn’t see in the dark, Seventh Sister surely could. Grinding her teeth in frustration, she discovered that Seventh Sister had a mischievous side she hadn’t known about. “Hey,” Dongfang Minghui spotted Toothless lying beside her with a Little Toothless perched on her head. This Little Toothless wore a hat resembling a magician's hat, comically perched atop its head. She poked Little Artifact Spirit, “Artifact Spirit, do you want to stay with Toothless?” Little Artifact Spirit nodded, the hat surprisingly fixed in place despite its nodding movement. Dongfang Minghui couldn't help but smile broadly, praising, "Artifact Spirit, that hat of yours is quite pretty. If there was a bigger one, maybe Toothless would look just as good wearing it." "There is." With that, the hat atop the Artifact Spirit's head began to grow, expanding to fit Toothless's size. As soon as it reached its larger size, the Artifact Spirit darted off Toothless’s head, leaving the so-called 'hat' embedded on Toothless's large head. Only then did Dongfang Minghui realize it wasn't really a hat at all, but a miniature version of the Longevity Cauldron. With a bellow, Toothless’s anger reached a boiling point, sending a fireball arcing into the sky, which landed who knows where. "If the Longevity Cauldron is pulled away, then—" Boom— Accompanied by the violent shaking of the earth, Dongfang Minghui felt herself falling backward into emptiness, "Ah—" Toothless flapped her wings once, sending the Artifact Spirit who was approaching her flying away, and then dove towards the falling person below her, catching her securely. "Oh my," Dongfang Minghui felt as if she were bungee jumping in mid-air, her throat going hoarse from yelling. Glancing back, she saw the entire mountain tilt forward, with sheets of snow cascading down, "Toothless, where's Seventh Sister?" Toothless rolled her eyes, refusing to concern herself with that woman’s fate. The Longevity Cauldron had been embedded within the Icy Lotus Mountain's enormous alchemy furnace. When removed, it left an enormous cavity in the mountain. Together with Toothless's roar, an avalanche started, too much for the mountain to withstand, causing it to collapse entirely. The powerful force sent snowballs rolling, growing ever larger as they tumbled down. This time, Dongfang Minghui had the misfortune to witness an avalanche up-close. "Seventh Sister." "Mother, Uncle!" Toothless growled, reminding her that if she kept shouting, they'd cause another mountain to avalanche. Maneuvering deftly, Toothless dodged the incoming snowballs, her large eyes scanning the icy slopes. Fortunately, the mountain’s white contrasted with their brightly colored clothes, making it easier to spot them—though the cumbersome weight atop her head was bothersome. "There, there, Toothless." Dongfang Minghui was the first to spot Li En, who was using wind magic to deflect the falling snow, gripping a sharp rock that jutted precariously as the mountain leaned forward. Seeing the massive creature, Li En initially thought a savage beast was about to attack, until a glimpse of the comical 'hat' revealed Dongfang Minghui riding on Toothless’s back. "Sorcerer." With a swift claw, Toothless snatched Li En and quickly found Mu Sheng and Zhi Lan. However, the other five seemed swallowed by the snow, with Toothless spotting no trace of them after circling in the sky for quite some time. Dongfang Minghui was anxious; while Mu Sheng and Zhi Lan remained suspended in mid-air, the avalanche threat loomed. "Toothless, let's head over there." She pointed towards another intact, albeit slightly lower, icy mountain. Toothless flew them there, landing in a smooth spot, dropping Mu Sheng, Zhi Lan, and Li En in one go, "Stay here for now; I'll go search for Seventh Sister and Mother." Qian Wanyu raced against the collapsing ice mountain’s passing time. Having leapt after Dongfang Minghui from the mountain, she swiftly abandoned descent, assured once seeing Toothless catch Ninth Sister. Unleashing her lightning whip three times, she sought a place of resistance before rapidly descending the mountain from a found shortcut. "Roar—" Whipping aside, Qian Wanyu spotted the little Artifact Spirit pretending to be Toothless, conjured wings spread wide, playfully imploring, "Come, sit aboard~" Blasted into the snow by Toothless’s wing earlier, the Artifact Spirit struggled free but lost sight of Dongfang Minghui and Toothless. Coincidentally, meeting Qian Wanyu. She eyed its diminutive form warily, worried about squashing it, though this encounter altered her opinion slightly, "No need, just follow closely." "Okay." The Artifact Spirit buzzed along, chattering incessantly at her side, "Where are they? You're taking me to find them, right?" Qian Wanyu regretted her decision to bring along a spirit that didn’t understand silence, tightening her grip on the lightning whip. Facing an incoming snowball, Qian Wanyu deftly avoided it, while the incessantly yapping Artifact Spirit smacked right into it and passed through, "Ugh—" Smacking its lips, the Artifact Spirit reverted to its habit of asking endless questions, "What was that? Tastes bad." A leap avoided another falling block of ice, making the Artifact Spirit fall silent, finally tacitly mimicking Qian Wanyu’s movements—learning appreciation for not-good-tasting things along the way. Glancing aside, Qian Wanyu caught sight of a fiery red object rapidly dispersing ice, "Little Fatty, what are you doing?" "Bean." Little Fatty, frantic, transformed into a fiery red figure, attempting with every swipe to prevent Little Beansprout from plummeting further. "Step aside, let me handle it." Instantly grasping the situation, Qian Wanyu noted Little Beansprout precariously suspended between jagged stones—one wrong move, and it would tumble and be buried. She stowed her whip, ready to descend and retrieve Little Beansprout. Puzzled, the Artifact Spirit hovered just far enough to see Little Beansprout clinging desperately between stones. Recognizing it, the Artifact Spirit darted over, scooping it up, just as a massive snowball loomed overhead. "That nasty, not-good thing is back," the Artifact Spirit commented sweetly in Qian Wanyu’s ear. Boom— Dongfang Minghui heard a tremendous crash as the entire mountain fell, aftershocks shaking the others, prompting Toothless to soar higher. From above, the mountain was but a tiny speck amid the swirling snow, devoid of any discernible details. "Could they have been buried?" "Awwooo." Toothless wished to reassure her, flying around until the dust settled. Once satisfied with the surrounding calm, Toothless landed half-sprawled. Dongfang Minghui dismounted, finding only the biting cold and a white void ahead. "Seventh Sister." "Mother." "Uncle." … Too fearful of prompting another avalanche with loud cries, she gently employed her spiritual energy to shift the snow, painstakingly clearing it until nearly depleted, yet found no one. Toothless hauled her back from the makeshift avalanche site. Initially intending to check on Li En's group, a small black dot caught her eye, gadget-filled arms laden. "What—" Toothless immediately identified it as the Artifact Spirit, growling low, ignoring the Little Beansprout it carried, her focus on Dongfang Minghui. "Here, here," the Artifact Spirit cried upon sighting Dongfang Minghui, releasing Little Beansprout into her arms. The exhausted Artifact Spirit crawled back to Toothless’s head, shrinking there despite triggering Toothless' ire, to which it was oblivious. Dongfang Minghui quickly wiped the frost from Little Beansprout, tucking it into her spatial storage, "Artifact Spirit, where did you find Little Beansprout? Did you see my Seventh Sister?" "Saw them, saw them," the Artifact Spirit took flight, pointing a direction for her, "Over there—they’ll be out soon." Caught by that unpalatable snowball, then freed by Little Fatty melting a hole through it, the Artifact Spirit nonetheless struggled. Scarcely had the words left its mouth when a loud crash split open a huge snowball, revealing two figures crawling out from the snowdrifts. Dongfang Minghui’s excitement was tempered by the thought—sometimes silence speaks louder here. "Why just Seventh Sister and Little Fatty, where are Mother and Uncle? And Xiao Miao?" Largely unfazed, the Artifact Spirit blinked similar eyes at her, clearly Toothless-like yet enigmatic. "Seventh Sister, Mother, Uncle, and Xiao Miao are buried. I sent everyone else to another mountain." Dongfang Minghui confided worriedly, "Seventh Sister, what now?" Surveying the vast white peaks, Qian Wanyu acknowledged, "Buried beneath the snow, their auras faint, hard to detect. But not impossible." "What can we do?" Within her spatial dimension, Qian Wanyu retrieved a clay flute. This palm-sized flute was something she had exchanged at a trading market with a dwarf. Placing it to her lips, she softly blew, intertwining her wind magic with the melody, sending it outward. An incense stick’s time later, faint replies echoed back intermittently from somewhere, the harmonizing melodies splitting and merging seamlessly. In awe, Dongfang Minghui marveled at her Seventh Sister's delightful skill. Qian Wanyu glanced over, "Mother and Uncle should be around there, though I'm not sure if Xiao Miao is with them. Stay here, I'll go and help Mother and Uncle." "Seventh Sister," Dongfang Minghui called after her, but Qian Wanyu was already darting swiftly towards the sound of music, aided by her lightning whip, reaching the spot in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, Little Fatty nearly picked a fight with the Artifact Spirit again in her rush to find Little Beansprout. Seeing this, Dongfang Minghui quickly retrieved Little Beansprout from her spatial storage, handing it over and giving its bud a gentle pat, "We need to find you a new pot soon, or the obsidian soil might spill out." Little Beansprout wiggled a bit, finally showing some signs of its usual enthusiasm as it nestled into Little Fatty's embrace. Turning to Toothless, Dongfang Minghui noticed her letting out fireballs now and then, her face full of frustration. Never mind how she could discern this from Toothless's furry visage; it was apparent with the Longevity Cauldron stuck on Toothless’s head by the Artifact Spirit, making her unable to vent her anger. Unable to resist, Dongfang Minghui picked the Artifact Spirit off the Longevity Cauldron, attempting to remove it only to find it wouldn't budge. "Artifact Spirit, why not take the hat off Toothless? She doesn’t like it." "Why?" The Artifact Spirit seemed puzzled; it was its essence, rarely given to anyone. "Because the Longevity Cauldron is valuable. If others see it, they’ll likely try to steal you away," Dongfang Minghui explained candidly. "You don’t know much about the outside world, so never reveal to anyone that you're an Artifact Spirit." Unscrupulous individuals would likely swallow the Artifact Spirit whole or use it to forge some powerful weapon. Blinking innocently, its eyes wide and confused, the Artifact Spirit agreed, "Okay." The Longevity Cauldron floated gracefully from Toothless's head back onto the Artifact Spirit’s, shrinking to a refined, smaller form—much less conspicuous than before. Curious, Dongfang Minghui gave it a light tap, unintentionally toppling the Artifact Spirit onto Toothless's furry back. "Mhm, now it shouldn’t attract attention." Dongfang Minghui nodded, satisfied. By that time, Qian Wanyu had already pulled Qian Yiling and Qian Ziyan out from the snowball, but there was no sign of Xiao Miao. Qian Wanyu, seeing Dongfang Minghui's furrowed brow, reassured her, "Don't worry, though Xiao Miao isn't here, he’ll be alright." Dongfang Minghui felt slightly comforted by thinking of Xiao Miao's command over fire, making him likely safe unless confronted by a fierce beast. After assessing their surroundings, she remarked, "We can’t linger here. It could take days to reach the other mountain; let's have Toothless carry you all over." Toothless growled in protest. With their original path blocked, flying was certainly more efficient. However, Toothless disliked having riders on her back, so they each clung to vine-like tendrils from Toothless, hanging mid-air as she ferried them. As they flew, they vigilantly scanned below but saw no signs of burning indicative of Xiao Miao's presence. "My Lady," Zhi Lan sighed with relief noting Qian Yiling's safety, realizing, however, there was one missing. "Seventh Sister, I’m still not reassured." "Hmm." Qian Wanyu found a mountain crevice for them, much like the one on the first mountain. This crevice was snug, fitting exactly five—no more, no less. Carefully inspecting for hazards, she ensured the floor was dry and devoid of obstructions. "Mother, stay here for the night. We’ll be back soon, three days at most." "Yuer, Little Nine, be cautious. If you don’t find him, come back, and we'll devise another plan." "Mmm." Leaving the crevice, Qian Wanyu and Dongfang Minghui headed downhill, Toothless trailing behind with measured, powerful steps. Suddenly, halfway, Toothless halted abruptly, turning toward the barren mountains, growling low. “Toothless, what is it?” "Roar—" The Artifact Spirit imitated, its pup-like mewl betraying its inexperience. "Ninth Sister," Qian Wanyu tugged Dongfang Minghui back to her side, pulling out her whip skillfully, prepared for whatever may come.