https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-922-Truth-Flower-and-Darkeye-Bird/13456282/
Chapter 923: Burrowing Mouse and Leaf Stone
Chapter 923: Burrowing Mouse and Leaf Stone (Combined)
"Let's go." Seeing the Darkeye Bird's injuries had recovered, Qiao Sang was unwilling to linger any longer.
It wasn't that she was particularly kind; she just couldn't help but think of Steel Treasure's injuries before they had bonded when she saw the Darkeye Bird.
With that, she turned and walked in the direction they had originally decided on.
After taking a few steps, she suddenly remembered something and turned back, pointing in the direction the Darkeye Bird's flock had flown earlier.
"I saw your flock flying in that direction when I arrived."
"Darkeye."
The Darkeye Bird looked deeply at the human before him, called out in gratitude, and then flapped its wings, flying off in the indicated direction.
"Xunxun..."
Treasure Seeker floated beside her, sighing as if to say it was a shame to let it go and that it should have helped search for those seeds.
An Intermediate Darkeye Bird wouldn't be much help in the vast Hidden Realm. To find the Happy Seed, they mainly relied on Guo Ruiqi. Besides, if wild beast companions were so easy to communicate with and get help from, she would have saved every injured one she encountered... To avoid voicing her thoughts, Qiao Sang pretended not to hear and continued along the route.
At the top of a towering tree, the Darkeye Bird that had flown away earlier looked down at the group's disappearing backs.
...
The three of them moved through the stifling thicket, and without a word, none of them spoke.
After what seemed like a long time, they climbed over two hills. Ahead, a wide mountain pass opened up, greatly expanding their field of vision.
Night had fallen, and under the moonlight, everything was silent. A few wild beast companions passed by, but they were all species Qiao Sang hadn't seen before in the Hidden Realm. She realized they must have entered a new area.
She thought of something and turned to Treasure Seeker, asking, "Do you want Fangy to recognize you as its leader?"
Fangy, who had been keeping a wary eye on the surroundings, immediately looked over.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker was taken aback, then quickly felt Big Brother Yabao's gaze and waved its hands.
It had never thought of such a thing!
Fangy continued to stay vigilant.
Good, it seems the effect of the Truth Flower has worn off... Qiao Sang felt relieved and turned to Guo Ruiqi, asking, "Do you need to rest?"
Oh, how much he needed it... Guo Ruiqi weakly replied, "Yes..."
While he desperately wanted to keep searching for the Happy Seed, his body simply couldn't keep up.
Qiao Sang looked around and said, "Then let's rest here."
The area was flat and the vegetation sparse, making it an ideal spot for rest. They could see any wild beast companions that might suddenly appear.
Guo Ruiqi found a spot and, too tired to even lay out his sleeping bag, fell asleep immediately.
Qiao Sang looked at Xu Gehong, about to speak, but saw Xu Gehong quickly pull out a sleeping bag and lie down, closing his eyes the moment their eyes met.
"..."
Qiao Sang walked over to the sleeping bag and squatted down, saying, "Don't sleep yet, I need to talk to you."
I knew you were going to say something, that's why I'm sleeping... Migala kept his eyes closed, pretending to be very tired, and mumbled, "We can talk when I wake up..."
Qiao Sang silently looked at the sleeping bag for a moment.
This Beastmaster, Xu Gehong, was clearly hiding a lot. He was the first to recognize both the Tungsten Corpse Crystal and the Truth Flower, indicating a wealth of knowledge. Could a B-Class Beastmaster really be so terrified and helpless under the influence of Nightmare Aura?
And that "puff" sound clearly wasn't from the Stealthy Shield.
It sounded more like Teacher Migala's Pengamei.
To be honest, if she hadn't seen Xu Gehong's Red Star Array before they set out, she would have seriously doubted that the person in front of her was Teacher Migala.
But no matter how powerful a Beastmaster was, they couldn't change the color of a Star Array.
Qiao Sang stared at the sleeping bag for a while, then sat down cross-legged.
Suddenly, a yellow-furred Burrowing Mouse familiar emerged from the ground, just a centimeter ahead of them.
Burrowing Mouse, Ground-type Beginner Beast, enjoys digging and often pokes its head out of the ground, known for its friendly nature... As this information flashed through Qiao Sang's mind, she reached into her pocket and offered Fangy and the others' favorite treats.
“Cave Travel!”
The Burrowing Mouse was scared and quickly burrowed back into its hole.
After about two seconds, it cautiously peeked out again.
Qiao Sang extended the candy in her hand.
“Cave Travel?”
The Burrowing Mouse pointed at itself with its claws.
Qiao Sang nodded.
“Cave Travel...”
The Burrowing Mouse hesitated for a moment, took the candy, and quickly burrowed back underground.
Qiao Sang's ears twitched, and she heard the faint "crunch, crunch" sound of chewing from below.
“Cave Travel!”
Once the sound disappeared, the Burrowing Mouse emerged with bright eyes.
Its friendly nature was indeed evident... Qiao Sang smiled and said, "Do you want more?"
“Cave Travel!”
The Burrowing Mouse nodded eagerly.
“Will you stay with me and help me explore underground? I'll give you treats every day. How about that?” Qiao Sang tempted.
As she spoke, she offered another candy.
“Cave Travel!”
The Burrowing Mouse stared at the candy, swallowed, and then nodded, taking the candy and starting to munch on it right there, without burrowing back underground.
Qiao Sang smiled, satisfied.
Steel Treasure and Sleepy Bird could handle the upper levels, while Fangy and Treasure Seeker could keep watch around them. The only blind spot was underground, where familiars couldn't be seen until they were close. Now, with a Burrowing Mouse that could dig and move underground, their journey should be much safer...
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker watched this and looked admiringly.
Qiao Sang gave it a look that said, "Keep it low."
“Qingqing?”
Qingbao called from the side, wondering why they didn't ask the black bird from the day before to help.
Because it was a low-level Flying Type familiar, not very useful... Qiao Sang understood Qingbao's question and explained, "That's a Dark-type familiar. It's not as friendly as the Burrowing Mouse, and dealing with it can be risky. The Burrowing Mouse is much safer."
She said this deliberately for the Burrowing Mouse to hear.
“Cave Travel!”
Sure enough, the Burrowing Mouse looked pleased, as if to say, "Someone actually understands me", and it patted its chest, promising to do a good job exploring.
“Cave Travel.”
After a pause, it added, "As long as you keep giving me treats."
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker translated this with a synchronized nod.
The effect of the Truth Flower was truly wonderful... Qiao Sang smiled again, satisfied.
“Fangy”
Fangy was keeping its eyes open, not daring to sleep.
The incident with the Grave Spirit had made it realize that this Hidden Realm was much more dangerous than it had initially thought.
By the time the sun rose, the temperature had risen sharply.
“Let's go.” Seeing that Xu Gehong and Guo Ruiqi were awake, Qiao Sang stood up and said.
“Cave Travel!”
The Burrowing Mouse burrowed out of the ground, called out, and then quickly returned to its hole.
Migala was not surprised. She had been awake when Qiao Sang and the Burrowing Mouse made their deal and had heard everything.
Guo Ruiqi was initially taken aback by the Burrowing Mouse's appearance but then saw it burrow back underground. He thought it was just a coincidental encounter and didn't pay much attention. However, when he noticed the Burrowing Mouse emerging every few minutes along the path, calling out "Cave Travel", he finally realized something was amiss.
"Senior Qiao, this Burrowing Mouse is...?" Guo Ruiqi cautiously inquired.
"I encountered it last night. It will be joining us to help scout the way", Qiao Sang replied.
Hearing this, Guo Ruiqi was momentarily stunned before his face lit up with a "I've learned something" expression.
It seemed that in the Hidden Realm, one could find a wild beast companion to assist.
However, such a thing was probably only something a powerful Beastmaster would dare to do...
...
Time passed, the days blending into one another, the seasons shifting.
The search locations ranged from mountain hollows to thickets, caves, valleys, and steep cliffs, but there was no sign of the Happy Seed.
Qiao Sang's heart grew colder with each passing day.
"How long has it been?" Migala asked after instructing Sleepy Bird to deal with a few attacking Flying Type familiars.
Without hesitation, Qiao Sang replied, "43 days."
She had been keeping track of the time.
After a pause, she added, "The mission I posted only mentioned forming a team to enter the Hidden Realm for assistance, with no specified time limit."
In other words, don't think that staying longer in the Hidden Realm entitles you to additional compensation.
Migala's lips twitched, and she said, "I didn't mean that."
Good... Qiao Sang was starting to dislike her.
43 days!
A full 43 days!
Almost entirely handled by Sleepy Bird!
The only time another familiar was used was when they encountered a flock of hundreds of High-Class Beast Companions, a dozen Champion-level familiars, and one King-level familiar. In that situation, she had no choice but to let the familiar named "Puff" join the battle in stealth mode.
Occasionally, she felt that having this teammate made no difference, but then again, Migala would recognize some rare resources and familiars that Qiao Sang didn't know about, preventing her from missing out on valuable items.
Overall, Migala's contribution was far below her expectations, making her feel like she was dragging along a dead weight.
"Do you have anything else important to do outside?" Migala asked casually.
"Yes", Qiao Sang sighed inwardly, "But the most important thing right now is finding the Happy Seed."
If she couldn't find the Happy Seed, the mission would be incomplete, and without completing the mission, she couldn't participate in the Regional Tournament. Not to mention her future plans, the past six months would have been wasted.
"Qingqing..."
At that moment, Qiao Sang noticed Qingbao occasionally transforming into a wind form to scout ahead. She paused, reconsidering her previous thought.
Even if the mission wasn't completed and she couldn't participate in the Regional Tournament, it wouldn't be a complete waste, as she had bonded with Qingqing Ni...
"Cave Travel!"
About ten meters ahead, the Burrowing Mouse emerged from the ground and called out, indicating that the path ahead was safe.
"Teeth!"
Fangy's Synchronization translated.
"Can you sense anything?" Qiao Sang asked Guo Ruiqi, looking at him.
Guo Ruiqi shook his head. "No."
Compared to 43 days ago, he was much darker and appeared more composed.
This couldn't go on. Xu Gehong's words had indeed made her feel the urgency of time... Qiao Sang pondered as she continued forward.
Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she asked, "Do you think the Happy Seed, after being brought in, can move freely?"
Migala thought for a moment and said, "If it was brought in by a Dullhead Swallow, then it should be free to move."
Guo Ruiqi's eyes lit up with anticipation as he asked, "Senior Qiao, have you thought of something?"
Qiao Sang said, "I just think that if the Happy Seed can move freely, it might be drawn to a particular item."
Guo Ruiqi's range for sensing the Happy Seed was about a hundred meters, and the Happy Seed's range for sensing its Beastmaster was the same. But what if it wasn't based on the usual Beastmaster-familiar bond, but on something else?
With that thought, she stopped and looked at the Treasure Seeker, asking, "I remember buying a bunch of Evolution Stones last time. Was there a Leaf Stone among them?"
Leaf Stone has an absolute appeal to Grass-Type familiars, even if they are far from evolving.
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker let out a call, indicating that it was going to check.
It then took off its Ring, enlarged it, and slipped its head through.
“Xunxun!”
After about half a minute, Treasure Seeker produced a green crystal and called out excitedly, indicating that it had found something.
Migala understood and said, “You’re preparing to use the Leaf Stone to attract a Grass-Type familiar?”
Qiao Sang nodded, “The Leaf Stone should attract a Happy Seed from over a hundred meters away.”
Guo Ruiqi was initially stunned, then burst into joy.
With this, the chances of finding the Happy Seed would be much higher!
Senior Qiao truly was impressive, coming up with such a clever idea!
Migala pondered for a moment and said, “But if a Grass-Type familiar that’s about to evolve encounters the Leaf Stone first, it will absorb it.”
Guo Ruiqi’s joy turned to worry.
What could they do about that?
Qiao Sang had already thought of this and looked up at Steel Treasure, which was circling above.
“Split this Leaf Stone in half.”
“Steel Blade.”
Steel Treasure didn’t ask why. It flapped its wings, and a feather condensed with purple light slashed down, splitting the Leaf Stone into two halves.
This... Guo Ruiqi was dumbfounded.
Qiao Sang slowly explained, “A damaged Leaf Stone can’t be absorbed by a Grass-Type familiar.”
Migala nodded slightly, “Not only that, the energy it contains can still attract Grass-Type familiars.”
She added, “It’s a pity to waste this Leaf Stone, though.”
Guo Ruiqi finally understood and said, “I’ll definitely buy a new Leaf Stone to replace it once we’re out of here!”
“Let’s worry about that after we find the Happy Seed.” Qiao Sang finished speaking, placed the two halves of the Leaf Stone on the ground, and called out, “Qingbao.”
“Qingqing.”
Qingbao appeared.
Qiao Sang instructed, “Spread the energy from the Leaf Stone around.”
A complete Leaf Stone’s energy is more contained, but the cut edges of a split Leaf Stone will continuously leak energy. Over time, the energy will diminish, reducing its effectiveness.
“Qingqing~”
Qingbao called out and circled the split Leaf Stone, gradually expanding the wind.
The green energy spread out with the wind.
“Fangy, shrink,” Qiao Sang said.
“Ya!”
Fangy called out and slowly shrank.
Qiao Sang picked up Fangy and looked at Treasure Seeker, “To the tree.”
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker’s eyes glowed blue.
In the next second, the group found themselves on a branch of a nearby Giant Tree.
Before long, one Grass-Type familiar after another began to approach.
Guo Ruiqi watched intently, afraid to miss the Happy Seed.
Soon, the area was filled with Grass-Type familiars, but there was no sign of a Happy Seed.
Qiao Sang observed the scene below, wishing Qingbao could make the wind blow the energy even further.
Standing on the Giant Tree, they had a wide view, and it wasn’t hard to estimate that the farthest distance a wild beast companion had been attracted from was about 500 meters.
If Qingbao could make the wind carry the green energy even farther...
By the way, Qingbao’s evolution time seems to be tonight...
(End of Chapter)
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