254 - Mistress, I Was Wrong

**Chapter 254: The Result (1)** The Man-eating Grass, having long been familiar with escaping during a fiery outbreak, scurried back to the space and huddled, trembling. Its task was considered temporarily complete. Dongfang Minghui saw the vines forming two encircling loops, separating her from Seventh Sister in the middle. It seemed as if they wanted to wrap them up individually like dumplings. With a wave of her hand, the plum flower darts in her grasp shot toward the old tree's main branch. She suddenly heard several ghostly wails echoing in her ears. However, the cries quickly vanished, including the darts she had just shot. Perched on her shoulder, Ding Ding swung its legs with agitation. It still held a grudge from being trapped for three days. Seeing those presumptuous vines probing into its face, Ding Ding fiercely tugged them forcefully, tying them into knots one after another. Then, it spat a few small fireballs at a group of approaching vines, but the fireballs were as ineffective as a girl's embroidered balls, quickly pierced into shreds by the vines. Dongfang Minghui covered her face, unable to watch. Ding Ding belatedly realized its fireballs were completely ineffective. As it flapped its wings, it grabbed onto the vines, darting around. Wherever it went, it tied knots, unaware of the vines above, pressing down from above like a woven net. “Ding Ding, watch out above you.” “Oh.” Ding Ding glanced at the dangling branches above. Using its inherent nimbleness, it weaved through the vine net, winding the vines into a ball form, evidently holding a grudge against being trapped in a vine ball before. Dongfang Minghui found it odd that she wasn't attacked at all; the vines only thrashed about half a meter around her, never coming closer. Meanwhile, Ding Ding was again targeted for attack, almost getting wrapped up like a dumpling. “Ding Ding, quickly release the Fierce Beast.” “Got it.” In the blink of an eye, Ding Ding rudely released a massive ice-type Fierce Beast. Ding Ding shrank itself smaller and perched on the beast’s nose, commanding with arms akimbo, “Fight.” Once the Fierce Beast occupied the area, its sheer presence caused the space around it to feel cramped, and the scene became more chaotic. Upon emerging, the Fierce Beast appeared bewildered, possibly not expecting happiness to arrive so abruptly. With a forceful stomp from its clawed limbs, the vines crisscrossing the ground were instantly crushed underfoot, and the frost expanding rapidly from its pausing form forced the vines back three meters, leaving a thick layer of ice upon the ground. With the dense vines retreating, Dongfang Minghui felt the air around her freshen immediately. She quickly dashed to Qian Wanyu’s side, “Seventh Sister, did Little Hui go to—” Qian Wanyu touched her finger to her lips, silencing her. She scanned the surroundings and whispered, “Tell 'them' now—is it a good time to talk?” “Mm.” Dongfang Minghui guessed Little Hui was probably summoned by Seventh Sister to fetch the longevity liquid. Including Little Color and Pig Immortal Grass, there should be no problems. She displayed her sincerity, “We don’t wish to harm you; we simply ask for a favor to let us pass.” If they could also gift Seventh Sister some longevity liquid, all the better. The old tree shuddered gently, its branches and vines shaking slightly. Whether scorched by flames or snapped by the Fierce Beast, the trembled vines fell to the ground. Those still capable of moving on the ground tossed the discarded ones out of the territory area, as if determined to clear them away entirely. Dongfang Minghui was encountering such a situation for the first time. Most trees would convert leftover branches and leaves into nutrients to sustain their survival. However, this old tree discarded its useless vines to the side, which was peculiar. “Little Nine.” Ding Ding tilted its head, puzzled as it looked at her, seemingly questioning why she paused. “Let them stay.” The old tree rested for less than half an incense stick’s time before it reanimated, and to her surprise, even more vines surged towards them expectantly. The scene before her was obscured by the vines as she leapt up, and the vines above pressed down appropriately. “It seems it won’t shed tears until seeing a coffin.” Qian Wanyu's water-thunder whip flew out with a swish, latching onto the old tree. Bolts of lightning descended from the sky, yet before they landed, the water-thunder whip vanished. “Seventh Sister.” “It certainly has some moves.” Yu Chi Shou, who had been darting around the branches, seeing the situation shouted, “Retreat, withdraw from the circle.” Being higher up allowed for a clearer view; the entire tree’s vines animated as if the previous actions were mere probing and this was a true confrontation. “Ding Ding.” “Coming.” Ding Ding swiftly grabbed Dongfang Minghui’s arm, soaring straight out of the encirclement and pulling her upward. Yet wherever they went remained the territory of the towering old tree, rising to the cloud’s heights. Despite its effort to ascend, Ding Ding found itself still not leaving the tree's domain, becoming frustrated. “Little Nine.” “Ding Ding, what's wrong?” Ding Ding suddenly released one hand, causing Dongfang Minghui to drop slightly, startling her. Upon looking up, she saw a sharp blade forming in Ding Ding’s small hand. Her eyes widened; it was a spirit weapon conjured from spiritual energy, comparable in size to the fingertip dagger she had once wielded. But she remembered Seventh Sister had trained for a long time before finally mastering the art of conjuring a spirit arrow; Ding Ding seemed to have learned this naturally? Emulating her previous dart-throwing posture, Ding Ding hurled the tiny blade at the tree's trunk. Although it only made a small cut, repetitively using the trunk as practice, its skills became increasingly refined. Dongfang Minghui was surprised but quickly reacted, saying, “Ding Ding, the blade is too small. If it were larger and struck forcefully, it might chop these bothersome things away.” No sooner had she spoken than the branches clustered rapidly, seemingly overhearing her words. “Ding Ding.” Everything went dark, and upon reopening her eyes, Dongfang Minghui found herself inside the Longevity Cauldron, surrounded by everyone looking at her curiously. “Ding Ding, make the blade larger and strike.” “Okay.” “What happened outside?” Surrounded by concerned and anxious gazes, Dongfang Minghui moved her lips slightly, “We encountered a millennial tree spirit; we're in a tangle with it.” She presumed she had been attacked by those branches before Ding Ding threw her into the Longevity Cauldron. “A millennial tree spirit?” “Supposedly possessing millennial cultivation.” She briefly recounted the events in the forest, then addressed the Longevity Cauldron. “Ding Ding, don’t get entangled by those branches.” Outside, Ding Ding tightly gripped a large weapon. Although it was much larger than itself, measuring about thirty centimeters, it was slightly longer than a dagger. It swung at the old tree’s branches, chopping precisely with each hit, and then darted away quickly, reminiscent of Dongfang Minghui’s youthful escapades of causing mischief and fleeing. Imagining Ding Ding wielding a fingertip blade to chop a tree, Dongfang Minghui covered her eyes, “Ding Ding, be careful.” “Okay.” Having been deceived before, Ding Ding adeptly evaded, chopping, fleeing, expertly executing these actions in merely two breaths of time. Once Dongfang Minghui vanished, the old tree immediately became agitated, its offensive becoming fiercer and relentless. With Qian Wanyu minus her water-thunder whip, she sustained numerous injuries. The vines were incredibly sharp, and if not for her timely dodging, the wounds could mirror Yu Chi Shou's gaping leg. Yu Chi Shou deliberately led the water beasts’ attacks against the old tree, realizing its cunning as it shielded with branches upon impact. These layered branches formed potent defenses. “What a trickster.” Yu Chi Shou begrudgingly admitted encountering such a devious old tree for the first time. Not only did it summon reinforcements, but it also knew defensive and offensive maneuvers, perfectly protecting the trunk with its branches and vines. If this continued, it offered them no advantages whatsoever. “Qian Wanyu.” Looking up, Qian Wanyu saw how the tree divided into two zones. One targeted Yu Chi Shou, standing advantageously atop the tree, comfortably dodging water beast attacks thanks to their limited reach, while having a clear view of their current predicament. Meanwhile, another zone had the vines seemingly frenzied, chasing Ding Ding all around. "We can't keep being passive like this." "Got it." Qian Wanyu leaped onto the back of the Fierce Beast. Its fur bristled, and ice spikes started popping out. However, Qian Wanyu stomped them flat with authority, muttering, "Help me withstand some attacks. I want to see if this darn tree is truly invincible." The Fierce Beast rolled its eyes begrudgingly but dutifully launched a series of ice balls at the vines, freezing them mid-air, then scratched the air with its claws, shattering the vines into icy shards. Wielding the Reincarnation Bow in one hand, Qian Wanyu swiftly formed an arrow with her other hand. Pulling back the bowstring, she let the arrow fly. As it soared, the surrounding vines seemed to slow, converging on the arrowhead. Before the first arrow's fate was determined, she quickly formed another spiritual arrow. The second arrow struck, freeing the first from the entangling vines. The two arrows merged mid-flight, shooting directly into the old tree's mass of vines. For an instant, it was as if someone had hit the pause button; all vines around them froze in place. Had Dongfang Minghui been there, she might have heard the tree's heart-wrenching howls, but in her absence, everyone simply sighed in relief as the tangled vines withdrew. The dual summoning of spiritual arrows quickly drained Qian Wanyu’s spiritual energy. Bracing herself against the Fierce Beast with one hand, she returned the bow to her spatial ring with the other. "Careful." A small voice from Ding Ding was lost amidst the swirling vortex. "Little Nine, Little Nine, the old tree's gone mad." Dongfang Minghui couldn't see outside, but hearing Ding Ding’s warning, she urgently requested, "Ding Ding, take me back out." Qian Ziyan and Qian Yiling didn't hesitate. As soon as the Longevity Cauldron opened, they rushed out, only to be met by a colossal leaf vortex. Leaves from the entire forest were sucked up into the sky, forming swirling eddies that blocked out the heavens. Their world was enveloped in lush green, but it wasn't the vibrant scenery they once longed for. Trapped within the vortex, they experienced its sharpness firsthand, new wounds opening on their bodies almost immediately. The Fierce Beast exhaled cold air to fend off the encroaching whirlwinds. Qian Wanyu noticed a hint of delight in her eyes and sneered, "Looks like we hit a sore spot." The Fierce Beast internally grumbled at the humans. Once it had frozen all nearby vines, it erected four ice walls for good measure, muttering idly, “Better let Ding Ding put me back in the Longevity Cauldron.” Hearing this, Qian Wanyu nearly fell from its back. She quickly sat cross-legged, “I need to recover for a moment. Keep watch; those vines can slip in through any crack.” The Fierce Beast considered tossing her off but resignedly guarded its surroundings, knowing the consequences. “What a fierce vortex,” Qian Yiling remarked, having never seen anything like it. Through gaps, she estimated that the vortex could hold a dozen people. "Big Brother." Qian Ziyan nodded to her, and together they approached a nearby vortex, one holding a lute and the other a flute. Their spiritual power transformed into a melody that repeatedly tested the vortex barrier. Dongfang Minghui could only sense the rare spectacle as their combined music filled the air. "Ding Ding." "Eh?" In Ding Ding's hand, a short blade—no, a slightly longer blade, about twenty centimeters more—now seemed like a short sword. Oblivious, Ding Ding swung it gleefully. Before the vortex properly formed, it had already chopped several branches and was preparing to boast to Dongfang Minghui. However, the sudden transformation of the surrounding leaves annoyed it immensely. “Little Nine, it’s not the same as yours.” “Hmm?” “Not the same as yours,” Ding Ding insisted, tossing the blade aside where it disappeared. It stood before the vortex, trying to meld into it, only to be bounced out. Dongfang Minghui suddenly understood. She quickly pulled Ding Ding back, “That belongs to the bad guys; of course, it differs from mine.” If she controlled the leaf vortex, she would never wield power like this old tree and its razor-sharp leaves. If Ding Ding hadn’t been a spirit artifact, it might have been shredded. Ding Ding looked at her quizzically, seemingly asking why. “This old tree’s defense is incredibly strong—it's the toughest tree I've ever seen,” Dongfang Minghui admitted. Having studied many plants, she knew their universal weakness was fire. Yet Yu Chi Shou’s attempts didn’t yield an advantage, proving the tree’s shrewdness. “Where's Seventh Sister?” “With the others.” Ding Ding was unsure about their condition. Tired from cutting the tree, it nestled against Dongfang Minghui for a moment before suddenly exclaiming, “Little Nine, this old thing is so annoying.” Its cute, disgruntled voice made Dongfang Minghui chuckle. She patted Ding Ding’s head, “Ding Ding, you must be tired. Rest on me for a while or nap if you want.” Ding Ding hugged her neck, snuggling affectionately, realizing that dealing with this old thing was exhausting—it couldn't be cut down or burned. Hmm, should it try smashing? With the vortex obscuring everything, Dongfang Minghui couldn’t see much. The music accelerated, and the flying leaves paused abruptly before crashing down like shattered glass. Qian Ziyan and Qian Yiling moved forward. Dongfang Minghui had no idea of their intentions, only managing to call out after them, “Uncle, Mother, be careful.” “Roar—” A brief dragon's roar echoed from above, followed by flaming leaves descending, turning to ash before reaching them. Dongfang Minghui glimpsed a severely injured fire dragon falling from above. “Ding Ding, catch him.” Ding Ding quickly tossed Yu Chi Shou into the Longevity Cauldron, unimpressed. "One less." Dongfang Minghui understood its meaning this time. Just as she was about to speak, an intense pain gripped her heart. Collapsing to her knees, sweat beaded off her forehead, rolling down her cheeks. Ding Ding flew to her side, wings flapping frantically, “Little Nine, are you okay?” “I’m upset.” Grabbing Ding Ding, she gasped, “Something happened to Little Color and the others. Find them.” Feeling conflicted, Ding Ding looked around desperately. “Ding Ding doesn’t know where they are.” Dongfang Minghui pointed three meters away from the old tree, “Dig three to five feet down; there should be a natural cave. Little Color and Pig Immortal Grass should be there.” “Oh, easy. Watch me.” Ding Ding pulled out the Longevity Cauldron from its head, smashing it down with a thud. The surrounding vines splattered, and tree sap spilled everywhere, seeping into the soil before disappearing. Dongfang Minghui shivered. “Strange, why does this place feel cold?” Not satisfied, Ding Ding smashed it a couple more times, disorienting the old tree and snapping many branches. “So you covet the longevity liquid.” “No, we’re just passing through. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t expend so much effort for this longevity liquid.” Dongfang Minghui frowned, then stood firm. “Now even if you want to stop, we won’t allow it. If you hand over some of the longevity liquid, we might consider sparing you.” Behind Dongfang Minghui, the continuous musical sounds signaled Qian Yiling and Qian Ziyan’s attempt to unravel the vortex. Though Yu Chi Shou was severely wounded, he wasn’t in grave danger. With Seventh Sister and the Fierce Beast together, they likely remained safe. The key concern was Little Color and the others. There had been no response for so long. Ding Ding raised the Longevity Cauldron, smashing it again and again. The ground vines withered back, and the ground trembled, filling the forest with mournful wails, including the agonized cries of the old tree before them. “Stop, stop.” “If you don’t make those vines retreat, Ding Ding will keep smashing. Do you even know how heavy this cauldron is?” The old tree, impacted at its roots by Ding Ding, found its foundation shaken despite being merged with the soil. Regardless of its defense, it couldn’t deny its plant nature. The roots of the old tree were intertwined and had been part of this land for so long that if an ordinary object struck it, the tree would likely not react. But the Longevity Cauldron was different. Every hit from Ding Ding sent tremors through the ground. "Hehe, Little Nine." Ding Ding proudly opened a small hole with the Longevity Cauldron, jabbing it a couple more times to uproot the tree’s roots completely. It roughly marked the spot inside with the Cauldron. Dongfang Minghui felt a subsiding of the pain in her chest and quickly said, "Ding Ding, the hole is too small. Make it a bit larger." "Stop. If you have that little creature stop, I can give you the longevity liquid." "Hmm?" The tree’s readiness to hand over the liquid so easily made Dongfang Minghui suspicious. The old tree was crafty and surely had some ulterior motive. Shortly after, the figures of the Fierce Beast and Seventh Sister appeared before her. Qian Ziyan and Qian Yiling had broken through two more vortexes, causing the rest to stall and drift silently to the ground. "Little Nine, what's happening?" Qian Wanyu asked. “Wanyu.” Having mostly recovered, Qian Wanyu was unsurprised to see Qian Ziyan and Qian Yiling and jumped down from the Fierce Beast’s back, “Mother, Uncle, why are you out here?” Qian Yiling was almost infuriated, “In this situation, you still want to keep us in the dark? If Little Nine hadn’t been thrown into the Cauldron for safety, were you planning on informing us only after everything was resolved?” Indeed, Qian Wanyu had that thought, and before she could admit it, Qian Ziyan also rebuked her. "Wanyu, what you did was definitely not right." Qian Wanyu didn’t argue. Instead, she approached Dongfang Minghui and said, “Ninth Sister, how are things?” Dongfang Minghui briefly explained the tree’s surrender. “Seventh Sister, I felt Little Color might be in danger, and I want to go down now to find them.” "Indeed, we should look for them." Little Color and the others had been gone longer than she had anticipated. "Yes, Seventh Sister, where’s your whip?" "Ask it." “Ding Ding, give it another hit and see if it’ll spit out the water-thunder whip.” “Wait, wait.” Frightened by Ding Ding’s threat with the Longevity Cauldron, the old tree promptly regurgitated the water-thunder whip. When Qian Wanyu picked it up, a chill ran through her fingers—her soul sea’s Soul Yin Grass reacted. Several plum flower darts were also spat out. Dongfang Minghui gave a derisive hum; the tree had finally recognized them. “Ding Ding, have you finished the hole?” “It’s ready, hurry up.” Ding Ding seemed to have found something amusing and kept jabbing here and there with the Longevity Cauldron. Dongfang Minghui glanced hesitantly at Qian Ziyan and Qian Yiling. “Seventh Sister, I think we should leave some people above. I'm afraid the old tree won't keep its word." Irritated, the old tree retorted, “You're the untrustworthy ones. Don’t blame me for not warning you. The longevity liquid below isn’t easy to take.” “What do you mean?” But the old tree refused to elaborate. Qian Ziyan and Qian Yiling nodded. “We’ll keep watch here.” Ding Ding pointed at the Fierce Beast, “You're too big, stay outside and guard.” Tears filled the Fierce Beast’s eyes. Once a domineering creature of Ice Lotus Mountain, now long confined, it had grown domesticated and frequently yearned to return to the Longevity Cauldron. Qian Wanyu shook her head helplessly, “Let’s head down.” The two slid down the path created by the Longevity Cauldron, discovering a natural rock cave glowing with an icy blue hue. Ding Ding left the Longevity Cauldron outside the cave entrance, “Little Nine, Little Nine, it’s here.” The closer they got, the odder the Soul Yin Grass felt in Qian Wanyu's soul sea. It was originally nurtured from the world's yin energy, prompting her to probe, “Ninth Sister, do you feel cold?” “Cold.” Dongfang Minghui's teeth chattered as she rubbed her arms, her hairs standing on end. “Seventh Sister, I can’t sense Little Color's exact location. This cave seems odd, we must be cautious.” “Agreed.” Qian Wanyu almost confirmed the longevity liquid in the cave was an extreme yin substance; otherwise, the Soul Yin Grass wouldn’t react. Ding Ding flew in first, “Wow, Little Nine, come see.” Holding the water-thunder whip, Qian Wanyu followed into the cave filled with moisture. Surprisingly, the cave was tidy, illuminated by a soft blue light. Faint drips echoed as water droplets fell. Dongfang Minghui’s eyes widened in wonder as everything seemed almost dream-like. Both of them moved deeper, following the densest blue light, and found a basin-sized depression filled with milky liquid. Above, a human-shaped blue crystal was embedded in the wall, with droplets trickling down sharp stones, pooling into a small basin below. “Wasn't it called longevity ametyst? Why is it blue?” Dongfang Minghui wondered, wanting to get closer but the chill was too much. She pointed at the blue matter on the rocks, “Seventh Sister, what is that?” Qian Wanyu leapt to the rim, touching the stone. The blue substance was somewhat sticky, its color changing slightly as it dried into sparkling powder. Ding Ding touched it, too, showing excitement. “Little Nine, look, it’s pretty.” Dongfang Minghui sniffed Ding Ding’s hand. “It even has a fragrance. What is this?” “Little Nine doesn’t know?” “No.” She had no idea what longevity liquid truly was. The Seven Color Continent held so many treasures, and the few she could count were mostly from novels. “Seventh Sister?” Qian Wanyu felt the wall, seemingly searching for a mechanism or hidden trigger. Seeing her uncertainty, Dongfang Minghui took out two porcelain bottles, handing one to Ding Ding. “Let’s quickly fill a couple of pots with this longevity liquid and take them.” “Alright.” Ding Ding had learned to use jars, tossing a bottle into the liquid, waiting for it to fill before retrieving it. Then came a domineering roar seemingly from above. Dongfang Minghui glanced up, seeing nothing but droplets hanging on the cave ceiling. Qian Wanyu advised quietly, “Ding Ding, protect Ninth Sister.” “Seventh Sister, could there be something guarding this longevity liquid?” “Not unlikely.” Ding Ding remained unfazed. The roar was merely tickling compared to what it had heard before. It paused, recalling louder sounds from somewhere. Unable to place them, it returned to bottling the liquid, filling one completely. “Little Nine, here you go.” The milky liquid had reduced by a third. After filling one, Ding Ding eagerly took Dongfang Minghui’s unused bottle to continue. “Roar—” “Watch out.” Qian Wanyu tackled Dongfang Minghui, both rolling into a corner. Startled, Ding Ding dropped the bottle into the small pool, frozen in shock. They looked up to see a blue shadow emerging from the cave's ceiling. It moved and swung a tail toward them. “Seventh Sister, what is that?” “It’s probably a spirit or magical beast guarding the longevity liquid.” Boom— The tail struck the wall, but the tremor was mild compared to Ding Ding’s previous strikes with the Longevity Cauldron. The cave stayed intact with no falling stones or collapse. Ding Ding blinked, fluttering its wings and following the tail. “Oh, fun.” “Roar—” “What was that?” Dongfang Minghui felt something wet on her hand, wiping away to find sticky saliva. Disgusted, she looked up to meet two lantern-sized blue eyes, “Seventh Sister, above us.” Qian Wanyu pulled her back up and said, “Little Color and the others should be nearby. I’ll distract it while you find them.” “But—” Why couldn’t she sense Little Color’s presence at all? Before Dongfang Minghui could finish her sentence, Seventh Sister drew the water-thunder whip and charged forward, striking the beast head-on. Dongfang Minghui hesitated to speak, realizing the huge creature seemed to be a blue dragon. Remembering her past misidentification of Little Hui as a dragon, she reluctantly followed Qian Wanyu’s advice and began searching for Little Color. The cave wasn’t large, and after a quick survey, Dongfang Minghui couldn’t find any hidden compartments or secret chambers—everything was visible. “Little Color, Pig Immortal Grass, Little Hui, can you give me a sign?” she called out. "Little Nine, come play!" Ding Ding was chasing the beast’s tail, causing it to thrash about and shake the entire cave. With Seventh Sister’s frontal assaults, the beast roared repeatedly, its massive body descending from above. Dongfang Minghui was knocked into a corner by the beast’s thick body, landing heavily. "Play, huh?" "Stay still." Ding Ding grunted, pulling and tossing the beast back and forth a few times. Dongfang Minghui noticed something at the top of the cave. "Seventh Sister, there's something up there." Qian Wanyu, standing on the cave’s edge, whipped the hidden objects from above down to the ground. Little Color, Pig Immortal Grass, Little Hui, along with various shining, round items, tumbled down with a clatter... The scene felt eerily familiar. "Roar—" “Roar, huh?” Ding Ding sat down on the beast, pushing its head into the ground, regardless of its tail angrily whipping from side to side. Seeing the state of Little Color and Pig Immortal Grass alarmed Dongfang Minghui, prompting her to quickly gather them into her arms. Both lay unresponsive, their bodies unnaturally flattened, symptoms of compression by a heavy object. “Little Color, Pig Immortal Grass, wake up, don’t scare me.” “Ninth Sister, calm down.” Qian Wanyu picked up Little Hui nearby and noticed a pile of shiny things that looked like treasures. She gave them a brief glance before placing Little Hui beside Dongfang Minghui. “You have a contract with Little Color and Pig Immortal Grass. If they were truly harmed, you’d know.” This reminded Dongfang Minghui of her blood contract with Little Color and Pig Immortal Grass, “Right, I share a blood contract with Little Color, so they’re fine.” She placed both inside her spatial ring and focused on examining Little Hui. “Seventh Sister, Little Hui seems internally injured, with ruptures in its organs.” During their exchange, Ding Ding tied the beast’s long tail into a bow. “Little Nine, don’t be sad. This is for you.” “……” Dongfang Minghui appreciated Ding Ding’s effective and violent tactics. Knowing this, it seemed that letting Ding Ding handle the longevity liquid would have been wise, sparing the three of them from descending here... But such thoughts she kept to herself. “Seventh Sister, that old tree wasn’t entirely honest after all.” Qian Wanyu filled another porcelain bottle, then took another and scraped much of the blue viscous substance off the rocks into it. Curious, Dongfang Minghui asked, “Seventh Sister, what is that, and what’s its purpose?” The beast, subdued by Ding Ding, responded fiercely as she scraped the substance, more reactive than when they were filling the bottles. Dongfang Minghui glanced at the beast, puzzled. “Seventh Sister, should we take the longevity liquid blue crystal?” To her surprise, Qian Wanyu shook her head, “No, we should leave some.” The old tree was cunning and wouldn’t deplete its supply at once. Even if it did, as long as the longevity liquid blue crystal remained, more could grow over a century. “Ding Ding, once we’re up, release the beast.” “Little Nine,” Ding Ding pouted, “Can I take it with us?” Dongfang Minghui looked sympathetically at the beast under Ding Ding’s weight, then at Qian Wanyu. “Seventh Sister?” Qian Wanyu couldn’t help but rub her forehead, “You may, but Ding Ding, you must keep it under control. If it causes trouble, we’ll punish you.” “Ah—” Ding Ding recalled days without fish fillets and spiritual energy. Suddenly, the appeal of the beast waned. After contemplating, Ding Ding, with disdain, replied, “Never mind, then.” Dongfang Minghui laughed uncontrollably. “Alright then, if Ding Ding has made up its mind, release it after we leave.” “Okay.” Carrying Little Hui, they quickly ascended. Qian Yiling, Qian Ziyan, and the Fierce Beast formed a protective triangle. Upon seeing them, they asked concerned questions. “We’ve got what we need, let’s go.” “Ding Ding.” Responding to the call, Ding Ding flew out, swiping two shiny objects with its small hands, gleaming all the way up. “Hehe, a gift for Little Nine. Little Nine will love it.” As Ding Ding retrieved the Longevity Cauldron, the large hole they had dug was evidence of their earlier hard work.