Chapter Fifty-Two: Third Brother, Cool Down

When she awoke again, it was already on the journey back. It seemed as though she had slept for an eternity, and Su Li moved her stiff limbs. Not fully conscious yet, she was only vaguely aware, letting the gentle sunlight fall upon her fur, occasionally letting out a satisfied sigh from her throat.

The warm breeze carried a rich... scent of fish?

Su Li's eyes flew open, instantly alert.

Looking around, she saw the young man seated on the ground, robes gathered, expertly turning a golden, roasted spiritual fish in his hands, brushing it with an infusion of spiritual herbs, making anyone's mouth water.

Her dark red feline eyes widened.

Su Li licked her lips and leapt onto the youth's shoulder, her little paws pressing urgently.

How could she not be anxious? She had gnawed on spiritual fruits for half a month, and her mouth tasted bland as dry leaves.

"Awake?" Shen Luo exclaimed in delight, gathering her into his arms, finally letting go of his worries.

The restless little beast rubbed against him, and then, with bright, glowing eyes, she looked up at him, soft and adorable.

He shook his head helplessly, but his lips curved into a subtle smile.

Ah, little glutton!

Unable to resist, he reached out to rub the tiny beast's head, speaking softly, "It'll be ready soon."

Su Li flicked her tail in protest, but still quietly settled on his lap.

Seeing this, his lips curved a little more, his gaze deepening.

Every time Su Li revealed her powers, it left people astonished; even the tribulation of Heaven itself dared not confront her directly this time. What kind of beast was she, truly? The more he pondered, the more unsettled he felt. Yet—

His eyes cleared, luminous as water. He murmured, "As long as you're always here, that's enough."

Su Li caught the words, but didn't quite understand, looking up.

Shen Luo gently rubbed her head again, redirecting her attention.

In less than half a moment, the spiritual fish was ready, its aroma wafting through the air and drawing the other three beasts back.

"Boss!" came a distant cry, as a plump yellow bird flapped its wings and charged forward, stirring up rolling clouds of sand.

Shen Luo, quick as lightning, sent out a wave of mysterious energy, instantly pushing the dust back.

The beast stumbled, then rolled over in a heap.

Everyone: ...

It grinned sheepishly, saying, "Wonderful, Boss, you're finally awake! No more gloomy faces from the master!"

Tiger Soul and Blue Jade Jiao exchanged glances; sometimes having a slow wit was a blessing—for instance, blurting out such blunt truths!

Su Li couldn't help but look up at the youth, his gentle profile captivating her.

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She recalled that, in the comics, Shen Luo was an extremely protective and responsible master. Even when his beasts made mistakes, he never lost his temper—his good disposition was legendary.

She grew a little displeased, scolding the unreliable little underling, "Nonsense! A Luo treats you all the best."

The three beasts stared, each glancing at the smiling youth.

Shock! Wasn't this the same person who had been working them so hard these past days?

Suddenly, the youth's gaze swept over, cool and calm, yet chilling to the core.

The three beasts immediately fell silent.

Shen Luo withdrew his gaze, tore off a piece of fish, removed the bones, and fed it to Su Li.

The tender fish melted in her mouth, making her tail sway in delight.

Shen Luo's eyes softened.

During lunch, the beasts began their idle chatter once more.

"Boss, I managed to level up this time, all thanks to you," Blue Jade Jiao suddenly announced.

Su Li lowered her gaze, hiding the flicker in her eyes; she had lost consciousness and remembered nothing. Yet, she had no intention of revealing the secret of her transmigration, not even to Shen Luo.

Looking up again, her eyes carried a hint of a smile, "What level are you now?"

"Beast Emperor, seventh tier," Blue Jade Jiao lifted a paw, and a tiny blue ice lotus floated before him. "This is my new skill: Nine Nether Blue Lotus."

Centered around them, cold air spread, layers of frost forming.

Everyone was astonished.

Su Li tossed out a pile of spiritual fruits, raising her chin, "Third, chill them."

Blue Jade Jiao: ...

So infuriating, but he couldn't win against her.

He controlled the cold air with resigned effort, forming hundreds of ice crystals over the fruits, his voice flat, "Done."

Shen Luo picked up a spiritual fruit and placed it before Su Li; she bit into it eagerly, the icy sweetness making her cat eyes squint in delight.

Seeing her satisfied look, Shen Luo smiled, asking, "Is it really that delicious?"

Su Li flicked her tail with joy.

"Let me try, then." The youth picked up the fruit she had bitten and took a taste.

Su Li remembered her saliva, and her whole body flushed.

Yet he commented after tasting, "Exquisite."

His low, mellow voice had an oddly tantalizing note.

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Su Li bristled instantly, embarrassed, and darted onto his shoulder, her tail stiff and twitching, unable to hide her feelings.

The blue bird couldn't wait any longer, pecking at a fruit, its beady eyes rounding in delight, "Tasty!"

Tiger Soul tried as well, "Not bad."

Blue Jade Jiao, half skeptical, took a bite; the cold swept through him, banishing the heat.

"From now on, chilled spiritual fruit will be our after-meal dessert," Su Li declared.

Blue Jade Jiao's expression flattened, though it was hard to tell. He had only wanted to show off his impressive skill, but it ended up as this—a bit frustrating.

After a moment's silence, Su Li remembered something else and asked, "Tiger Soul, how about you? How's it going?"

Tiger Soul stood up, spinning in place, his robes swirling in an extravagant display. "I've absorbed a third, and can transform now. Next, I'll just cultivate slowly in the Divine Tiger Stone Talisman."

Su Li tossed aside the fruit core.

Tiger Soul gazed at Su Li, a hint of grievance in his eyes.

"Stupid bird, breathe fire," grumbled a beast, face darkening.

Tiger Soul ran off, muttering, Bah! Those best-selling tales like 'The Most Beloved Beast in History' are all lies.

Report! Report!

After several days of travel, they finally discovered a small town.

Tiger Soul was sent back to the Divine Beast Stone Talisman in frustration, unable to see the pretentious beast anymore; everyone looked quite pleased.

After discussing, Blue Jade Jiao transformed into human form. However, his appearance was... exceedingly ordinary.

The blue bird—no, in this yellow chicken form it couldn't be called a blue bird anymore—Feng Xi, keeping true to her blunt nature, said, "Jiao, you're so ugly."

In the world of cultivation, appearances rarely disappoint, especially after getting used to Tiger Soul's stunning face; looking at him now was a shock.

Blue Jade Jiao felt stifled.

As boss, Su Li felt it necessary to salvage her little brother's shattered self-esteem, and deliberated, "Not ugly, just a bit plain."

Blue Jade Jiao felt even more frustrated.

It wasn't his fault he looked like this.

The silly bird kept twisting the knife, "I heard from Tiger Soul that people with striking looks like to disguise themselves to avoid trouble. Being so ordinary like you is pretty good—at least it's safe."

Blue Jade Jiao: ...

In that moment, his heart shattered to pieces!

Blue Jade Jiao's gaze fell on the "big yellow chicken" before him, and he let it go—why argue with a chicken? Calmly, he said to Shen Luo, "Master, there should be people selling beasts of burden in town. Shall we take a look?"

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