Now that he was in Zhonghai City, there was no way Li Qian would miss a trip to Central Beach.
It was a necessary pilgrimage, even if only to admire the great feats of the past.
And as it turned out, making a special trip to Central Beach was more than worth his while.
As for researching the evolutionary path from Gray Bean Dove to Sky Escape Eagle and clearing up his task list, that could wait. There was no rush.
As the afternoon wore on and it neared four o’clock, the sun began its descent, and the scorching heat gradually subsided.
By this time, the beach was starting to get lively as locals and tourists—young couples, the elderly, and children—gradually gathered on the sand.
After waving goodbye to the middle-aged man who had driven him there, Li Qian headed straight for Central Beach.
It wasn’t long before he blended into the crowd. Wasting no time, he immediately put on his VR glasses.
Through the VR glasses, Li Qian admired the beautiful scenery while placing a video call to his mother.
The call connected after just a few rings.
"Mom, look! Guess where I am now?" Li Qian said with a smile as his mother’s image appeared in his VR glasses. From the looks of it, she was busy at the base.
Central Beach was a common sight in TV shows and movies, so Han Yuqing recognized where he was almost instantly. "Xiaotian, you’ve already made it to Zhonghai City!"
"Yeah, I got in yesterday. I spent the day with a professor of Breeding, and I just happened to have some free time today, so I thought I’d come out and have some fun," Li Qian replied with a nod.
"I know studying and research are important, but your health is your greatest asset. You need to learn to relax and have more fun," Han Yuqing advised. Hearing that her son was still discussing his studies with a professor even on his day out made her both proud and a little worried.
The smile never left Li Qian’s face. He understood his mother’s concern and nodded in agreement. "I know, Mom. I will."
With that, he quickly changed the subject. "For now, let me give you a tour of Central Beach. The real thing is so much more breathtaking than what you see on TV."
He continued without a pause, "When you and Dad have some time, you should come visit. I’m sure it would be an unforgettable experience."
As Li Qian spoke, he used his VR glasses to pan across the scenery, taking it all in.
At first, his mother, Han Yuqing, watched intently. But after a while, she started busying herself with other tasks as she watched.
Li Qian could tell she was feeding the Koi Carp, just like any other workday.
Even though they had owned the Jiaoyang Cultivation Base for some time now, it seemed neither his mother, Han Yuqing, nor his father, Li Chengyang, had fully settled into their new roles as owners.
They still preferred to do many things themselves, hands-on.
For instance, they were accustomed to personally caring for the Koi Carp, which were currently the Cultivation Base’s main source of income.
Of course, this was partly because Li Qian had improved the Koi Carp’s feed formula before he left.
The new formula included several precious Extraordinary Resources that could help the Koi Carp gain sentience and increase their comprehension.
The future production of Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragons and Frostfire Salamanders at Jiaoyang Cultivation Base depended entirely on these batches of Koi Carp.
With so much at stake, his parents naturally couldn’t trust anyone else at the base to handle the task.
After giving his mother, Han Yuqing, a quick tour via his VR glasses, Li Qian gave a wry, helpless smile and ended the call.
’I shouldn’t keep her from her work. Even if I show her around, her mind isn’t on it right now. It would be better to bring her and Dad here in person when they have the time, or... I can just share some videos and photos with her when I get back.’
After hanging up, Li Qian murmured to himself. ’She’s always telling me to rest and relax, but she never takes her own advice.’
Glancing at the beautiful scenery around him, Li Qian let out a long breath and decided not to dwell on it.
He was out now, with a rare chance to unwind and enjoy some leisure time. He had no intention of wasting it.
He walked over to a stall near Central Beach, bought a coconut, and began to stroll leisurely.
Sipping the sweet coconut water, Li Qian first took a brief stroll. When he felt the time was right, he found a beach chair and settled back into it.
Reclining in the beach chair, he took a pair of sunglasses from his Space Necklace. He sipped his coconut water while watching the distant horizon where the sea met the sky.
With the sun setting in the west, the pale golden afterglow of dusk scattered across the sea, making it glitter as if the stars from the heavens themselves had fallen into the water. This added another layer of beauty to the enchanting view.
After watching for a while, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. Li Qian simply closed his eyes and began to rest.
He’d been up all night yesterday and had barely slept, so he was genuinely starting to feel tired.
The sea breeze was gentle, the temperature was just right, and surrounded by a vast crowd, he didn’t have to worry about his safety. Li Qian simply gave in to the drowsiness and drifted off to sleep...
An unknown amount of time passed.
Suddenly, Li Qian faintly became aware of a sound by his ear. He didn’t know when it had started, but it was the distinct sound of surging waves.
SPLASH...
At first, the sound was faint and indistinct, and Li Qian paid it no mind.
’I’m resting on a beach chair by the ocean. Isn’t it normal to hear the sound of waves?’
’The sound is getting louder. The tide’s probably coming in or going out.’
That’s what Li Qian thought, so he paid it no heed. He simply shifted, found a more comfortable position, and prepared to drift back to sleep...
But soon, his slumber was shattered.
Or more accurately, he was jolted awake by a cacophony of screams and cries of alarm.
The sounds were chaotic, as if he were in the middle of a noisy battlefield.
"AHHHH—!"
"What’s going on over there?"
"That giant wave... what is it?"
"Oh my god, it’s a Tsunami! Run!"
"..."
The voices were a jumbled, chaotic mess, but after listening for a moment, Li Qian could tell something was terribly wrong.
’I’m supposed to be relaxing on a beach chair, surrounded by vacationing citizens and tourists. How could there be such discordant sounds?!’
At that thought, Li Qian’s eyes flew open. He quickly scanned his surroundings and was horrified to discover that in the short time he had been napping, the scene before him had transformed into something completely different!