SWISH~
The ring of water, as if suddenly gaining a life of its own, spun lightly in the air, dodging Xiaojiu’s outstretched paw. It then passed under her belly, rose up swiftly, and wrapped gently around her body.
One ring wasn’t enough. A second and then a third formed in quick succession, linking together to create three crystal-clear circlets. Interlocked, they steadily held Xiaojiu suspended in the center.
Hu Zi, Leopard, and Bai Wan, the three dogs, squatted nearby with their eyes wide, their faces etched with astonishment.
The next moment, under the watchful gaze of three pairs of canine eyes and Liu Fu’s little head poking out from the window, the three linked water rings shimmered faintly. They lifted Xiaojiu, suspended in the middle, slowly off the ground.
Xiaojiu was clearly startled as well. Her four paws instinctively scrambled for a moment, but she found the water rings beneath her were stable, like standing on an invisible platform.
She calmed down almost immediately. Her natural feline balance allowed her to adapt quickly, and she even elegantly adjusted her stance, holding her head high with her chest out and her tail swaying gently.
She looked like a black cat walking on water, flying through the open air.
"Hold on tight."
Yang Qi chuckled and gave a mental nudge.
WHOOSH~
The water current made a soft sound as it began to move slowly through the air, carrying Xiaojiu in circles around the backyard.
Moonlight spilled down, refracting into shimmering ripples on the water rings. In the halo of light, Xiaojiu’s black fur appeared glossy and smooth, and her emerald eyes shone brilliantly in the dark, making her look like a spirit cat straight out of a myth.
Leopard was so excited watching this that he couldn’t help but stand on his hind legs, his front paws flailing in the air as he let out a joyful bark.
"WOOF~!"
(Again, again! Sister Jiu, you’re amazing!)
Hearing this, Xiaojiu glanced down at him, then looked at Yang Qi controlling the water below. She let out a soft "meow," her tone tinged with a reserved pride.
(It’s Master who’s amazing.)
"A-wooo~"
Leopard’s eyes shone with envy.
Yang Qi didn’t look at him. He controlled the water, leading Xiaojiu in two low-altitude circles around the backyard, feeling his Magical Power drain away like fine sand through his fingers.
A moment later, with a shift in his thoughts, the water rings slowly descended. Once near the ground, they silently dispersed like a receding tide, turning back into ordinary water and falling soundlessly into the basin, stirring only a tiny ripple.
Xiaojiu landed gracefully, her four paws touching the ground without a sound.
She flicked her tail, walked over to Yang Qi’s feet, and rubbed her head against his pant leg.
Yang Qi bent down and stroked her head, his palm meeting the warm, soft fur.
"We’ll play again next time."
Yang Qi said with a smile, then stopped releasing his Magical Power.
Inside his Dantian, the rotation of the pale cyan vortex had slowed considerably. That brief display of control had consumed nearly half of his Magical Power.
’Lifting a cat that only weighs a few pounds, and just moving it slowly at a low altitude, took this much energy.’
’If it had been a medium-sized dog like Bai Wan, who weighs dozens of pounds, the consumption would probably be several times higher.’
’As for large dogs like Hu Zi and Leopard, with my current Cultivation, I wouldn’t be able to support them for long at all.’
’Magical Artifacts are great, but in the end, they’re still limited by one’s own Cultivation.’
With the experiment over, Yang Qi composed himself and went back inside with his furry kids.
He gave each of the little guys a Beast Spirit Pill and watched as they swallowed them, then settled down to enter a state of cultivation.
Some curled up, others lay on their sides. Their breathing gradually grew long and slow, and faint, imperceptible fluctuations of Spiritual Qi emanated from their bodies.
Yang Qi also went up to the second-floor Cultivation Chamber.
He sat cross-legged in the center of the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array, closed his eyes, and focused his mind. Circulating the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique, he slowly absorbed the ambient Five Elements Spiritual Qi in the air to replenish the Magical Power he had just consumed.
The night passed uneventfully.
...
The next day, Yang Qi woke up on time as the sky was just beginning to lighten. After washing up, he went downstairs to the backyard.
He dismantled the Demon Extermination Array and tallied his gains: over six hundred contribution points.
Time for six consecutive draws!
[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn: Low-Grade Qi Condensing Pill]
[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn: Low-Grade Spirit Rice (five pounds)]
[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn: Strengthening Pill]
’All standard stuff. Broke even.’
The fourth draw...
[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn: Tier One High-Grade Divine Movement Talisman]
’This one’s not bad.’
’Keep going!’
[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn: Low-Grade Gathering Spirit Pill]
’A Gathering Spirit Pill. Good stuff.’
’One more!’
[Congratulations, Host, you have drawn: Fire Qilin Fruit]
"A Fire Qilin Fruit? I got another one?"
Yang Qi was surprised, but then delighted.
’The Fire Qilin Fruit can slightly improve the aptitude of one’s Fire-Attribute Spiritual Root.’
’He possessed the Five Elements Spiritual Roots—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—and he had already improved each one once before.’
’But the further one progresses in Cultivation, the higher the requirement for Spiritual Root aptitude.’
’The better one’s aptitude, the faster one can absorb Spiritual Qi, and the easier it is to break through bottlenecks.’
’The system wasn’t just smart, always giving him the right reward when he needed it or was about to need it; it was also incredibly reliable.’
After a moment of reflection, Yang Qi put the Fire Qilin Fruit away.
He went inside and prepared cat food, dog food, and fresh water for his furry kids, who had finished cultivating and were now eagerly waiting to be fed.
Watching them eat happily, Yang Qi changed into a clean work uniform and headed for the warehouse.
He picked up the day’s rations: chunks of meat and bones for the Gray Wolf, multigrain biscuits, fruit, and nuts for the little raccoon, and a few other miscellaneous items.
Pushing a small cart, he walked along the quiet park roads in the early morning.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadows. The air was fresh and clean.
After feeding the Gray Wolf and the little raccoon, he cleaned their enclosures and conducted some simple behavioral training.
He grabbed a quick bite at the cafeteria for lunch and continued his work in the afternoon.
It was a little after four o’clock. The sun was slanting west, and the summer heat began to fade.
Yang Qi finished cleaning the enclosure for Horn Carved Qi Zai, returned his tools to the cleaning cart, and walked over to a quiet, tree-lined path outside the enclosure.