Another Mid-grade Gold Spirit Stone.
I continued.
The eighth and ninth draws were once again regular rewards.
The tenth draw—
[Congratulations, Host. You have received a prize: Mid-grade Spirit Stone (Wood Attribute)]
’A Mid-grade Wood Spirit Stone. Not bad.’
The eleventh draw—
[Congratulations, Host. You have received a prize: Tier One High-Grade Divine Movement Talisman]
’A Divine Movement Talisman!’
Yang Qi’s smile grew even wider.
’Now I’ve replaced the Divine Movement Talisman I used.’
’Time to keep drawing!’
[Congratulations, Host. You have received a prize: Mid-grade Spirit Stone (Water Attribute)]
’Is this the start of collecting a full set of Mid-grade Five Elements Spirit Stones?’
He drew again.
[Congratulations, Host. You have received a prize: Low-grade Spirit Stone (Thunder Attribute)]
’A Thunder Spirit Stone!’
The corners of Yang Qi’s mouth quirked up.
’I’ve finally collected all nine of the Wind and Thunder Spirit Stones.’
’Now I can set up the Cloud Plate Enchanting Array!’
With a great weight lifted from his heart, he felt much more relaxed about the subsequent draws.
From the twelfth to the twenty-seventh draws, the pleasant surprises kept coming.
[Mid-grade Spirit Stone (Fire Attribute)]
[Mid-grade Spirit Stone (Earth Attribute)]
[Corpse Transformation Talisman] [Corpse Transformation Talisman]
[Gathering Spirit Pill] [Gathering Spirit Pill]
The rest were a mix of regular rewards and a few premium prizes, such as a [Universal Array Plate] and a [Nourishing Essence Pill].
The twenty-seven draws were complete.
Yang Qi took stock of his winnings and was quite satisfied.
His most important goal had been achieved.
A complete set of nine of both the Wind and Thunder Spirit Stones!
He also had another complete set of Mid-grade Five Elements Spirit Stones, one of each element!
One Tier One High-Grade Divine Movement Talisman.
Two Gathering Spirit Pills.
One Universal Array Plate.
One Nourishing Essence Pill.
And a large quantity of other regular supplies.
All in all, it was a bountiful lottery session.
There was just one thing that left Yang Qi feeling a bit speechless.
Two Corpse Transformation Talismans.
’These things are great for destroying a corpse to eliminate all traces and clean up a scene.’
But to this day, Yang Qi had never killed a person or an animal.
Mosquitoes didn’t count, of course.
He had drawn Corpse Transformation Talismans before but never had a chance to use them, and he sincerely hoped he never would in the future either.
"Whatever. Better to be prepared just in case."
He turned his attention back to his most important prize.
’The materials for the Cloud Plate Enchanting Array are finally complete!’
However, setting up this Array, with its wide coverage and special functions, would take a considerable amount of time. Plus, it was best done in an environment where he wouldn’t be disturbed.
Yang Qi would have to wait for his next days off, then go deep into Cangshan to find a suitable location for the array’s core before setting it up.
...
「The next day.」
When Yang Qi went to visit the medical area again, Caiyun was already awake. Though still a bit weak, her eyes had regained their usual alertness and spirit.
Ta Xue gazed at her mother through the glass, letting out an affectionate purr.
The Chinese Merganser and the Chinese Pangolin were also recovering very well, even better than the Veterinarian had anticipated.
"Strange. These three wild animals are recovering much faster than I expected."
The Veterinarian was a bit puzzled after his examination. "Logically, the after-effects of the anesthesia and their stress responses should take much longer to subside. But they seem to be extremely adaptable, with exceptionally vigorous life force."
Yang Qi stood to the side, smiling without a word.
The previous night, when no one was looking, he had secretly fed all three animals some "Vitality Nutrient Cream."
The effects of a special supplement for animals produced by the system were, naturally, beyond the comprehension of an ordinary Veterinarian.
The animals recovered with miraculous speed. The next step was their release.
Early that morning, a small team was formed, consisting of personnel from the Zoo, the Forest Police, and the forestry department. Carrying three specially made transport crates, they entered Cangshan from the mountain behind the Zoo.
Yang Qi was naturally part of the group, along with Cheng Xiaoou, Huang Zhongmu, Deng Lei, and others.
Caiyun was the first to be released.
The transport crate was opened. The clouded leopard, its strength now restored, cautiously poked its head out. It glanced at the surrounding "Two-legged Beasts," its gaze lingering on Yang Qi for a moment. It let out a low, "Aow," as if saying goodbye, then flashed away, leaping nimbly into the bushes and disappearing deep into the forest after a few bounds.
Ta Xue had not come along, having stayed behind to rest in the dormitory.
Next was the Chinese Pangolin.
The team left the area behind the Zoo and ventured deeper into the forest, eventually reaching a slope with soft soil and numerous anthills.
After Yang Qi briefly communicated with the Pangolin using his Spirit Communication Technique, he confirmed that this area was part of its active habitat.
When the crate was opened, the Pangolin first curled into a cautious ball. After a good while, it slowly unfurled its body and sniffed the familiar scent of the ground.
It then slowly crawled out of the crate, burrowed into a pile of fallen leaves, and quickly vanished.
Last was the Chinese Merganser.
But there was a problem.
After communicating with the water bird, Yang Qi learned that its habitat wasn’t on the southern side of Cangshan. Instead, it was in a sizable but extremely hidden alpine lake deep in the northern part of the mountain.
To walk there from their current location would take two to three days, even with a guide who knew the mountain paths.
Furthermore, the journey was perilous. They would need to traverse a primary forest and climb steep slopes, making it very inconvenient to carry their equipment.
"This is a bit of a problem,"
Huang Zhongmu said with a frown. "Going that far, the safety of our personnel and equipment is a major concern. Plus, the longer we delay, the harder it will be for the Merganser to re-adapt to the wild."
"Could we drive it to the foot of the northern mountains and find a shortcut from there?" Cheng Xiaoou suggested.
"Even if we start from the foot of the northern mountains, it would still take over a day to reach that lake, and the paths on that side are even worse," a ranger with the team said, shaking his head.
The group fell into discussion.
Yang Qi didn’t join the discussion. He looked at the Merganser, which was perched in its special breathable transport crate curiously peering at the outside world. He then glanced up at Qi Zai, who was circling vigilantly in the sky. An idea struck him, and he spoke up.
"What if... we let Qi Zai help deliver it?"
"Have the Beaked Eagle deliver the Chinese Merganser?"
Cheng Xiaoou was stunned and blurted out, "Are you sure the Beaked Eagle won’t just eat the duck on the way?"
Her question voiced what everyone was thinking.
A raptor delivering a water bird?
No matter how you pictured it, it looked like a food delivery service.
The kind where the delivery guy eats the food himself!