The Little Beast's Return

Xiao Chen picked up the tiny creature that lay on the ground like a ball of melting snow. The pitiful little thing stared back with large, bright eyes, offering no resistance at all.

Carrying the fluffy bundle into the swamp, Xiao Chen looked at the three skeletons standing bolt upright. What was wrong with them? Were they afraid of something? But there was nothing ferocious nearby—surely they couldn't be scared of this intelligent little snowball? Impossible.

Ignoring them for now, Xiao Chen hurried over to inspect the Small Sacred Tree. The reason he had come back here after Zhao Lin'er's ambush was that the divine sapling was still rooted in this spot.

The palm-high tree shimmered with rainbow light, misty radiance swirling around it. The ancient tree it had taken root in also benefited greatly, turning lush green and gaining a hint of spiritual life.

Just then, the pitiful snow-white ball in Xiao Chen's arms changed. Those bright eyes suddenly gleamed with a different light. Before Xiao Chen could react, it turned into a white flash and shot toward the ancient tree, yanking out the Small Sacred Tree with a single pull.

Xiao Chen's heart lurched. A violent pull like that might snap the delicate roots!

But there was worse to come. The little beast—like a cross between a tiger cub and a lion cub—clung to the Small Sacred Tree as if glued to it. It rolled around the forest, tumbling in pure joy and excitement like a child given candy, and then it bit down on the jade leaves!

Everything happened too fast. Before Xiao Chen could stop it, the little creature was already chewing and sucking on the leaves, letting out happy cries of "Ya-ya-ya." He rushed over and grabbed the little beast.

The snow-white puffball refused to let go of the tree, holding it tight. But to Xiao Chen's relief, the tree's roots were not broken, and the two translucent jade leaves were intact—the little thing wasn't biting them, it was sucking on them.

A false alarm!

This little one was too reckless. Xiao Chen tried to separate it from the tree, but it was holding on so tightly that he couldn't pry them apart, like a dog guarding its food. The little creature even let out a few low growls.

Not wanting to harm it, Xiao Chen carried it toward the three skeletons. They were craning their necks to watch, but when they saw him coming, they instantly fell flat and lay among the bones, stiff as boards. Xiao Chen couldn't decide whether to laugh or scold.

He lined up the three skeletons side by side and placed the snow-white ball beside them, watching quietly.

The little beast, as if starving, sucked on the two jade leaves with a loud, slurping sound. To Xiao Chen's astonishment, as it sucked, the glossy leaves flowed with water-like light that streamed into its mouth.

It was rapidly absorbing the energy of the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree! Its large eyes were full of satisfaction, no longer looking as pitiful as before. Its expression was incredibly human-like.

Xiao Chen sensed that this little beast was far from ordinary. But he didn't dwell on it; it was so small that he couldn't believe the skeletons were truly afraid of it.

The sun was already slanting westward, and Xiao Chen felt hungry. He hunted a yellow goat in the nearby forest and started roasting a leg on the edge of the swamp. Soon, the tempting aroma wafted out. The golden, crispy goat leg, along with various fresh fruits like pineapple, whetted his appetite. He began to enjoy his dinner.

Just then, the snow-white beast seemed full. It stopped sucking on the Small Sacred Tree and casually tossed it aside, letting the tree root itself in the swamp. Xiao Chen shook his head; the little creature was truly childish.

But what it did next made him jump. The snow-white ball rolled around the three skeletons, blinking its bright eyes as if deep in thought. Then, suddenly, it stood upright like a little monkey, stretched out its tiny paws, and with a series of cracking sounds, dismantled the three skeletons!

Xiao Chen was dumbfounded. He had already been amazed that this tiger-or-lion-like creature could stand upright like a monkey. But this sudden act of violence left him utterly shocked.

Fortunately, the skeletons had only been separated at their joints, not shattered to pieces.

"Ya-ya-ya..." The snow-white beast shook the skulls of the three skeletons with one paw while pointing at the tree with the other, as if angrily interrogating them.

Yes, anger! Even though it was just a little beast, its expression was vivid enough to convey its feelings.

"Ya-ya-ing," the white beast pulled off King Qin Guang's forearm bone, grabbed it like a club, and started tapping the three skeletons' skulls, as if punishing them. Its movements were so lifelike that the scene was almost amusing.

The three skeletons stopped pretending to be dead. Their lower halves and chest bones had been mostly dismantled, so they propped themselves up with their arm bones, looking as wilt as leaves beaten by frost.

"Tap, tap, tap..." The snow-white beast struck their skulls with the arm bone, still pointing at the Small Sacred Tree and grilling them in its baby tongue. The three skeletons seemed out of options. They exchanged glances, then simultaneously raised their bone arms—all pointing at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen nearly fainted.

These three skeletons had no sense of loyalty! Already pathetic enough to be bullied by a furry little beast, they now shamelessly betrayed him. Xiao Chen was speechless.

"Whoosh!" A streak of white light flashed. Xiao Chen felt as if he were riding clouds—he was inexplicably thrown into the air. It was only then that horror struck him: this little beast was far beyond his expectations!

He quickly adjusted into a combat stance mid-air, releasing dazzling light, and began descending to the ground. But before he could land, the snow-white beast below blinked its big eyes, waved a tiny paw, and a white light enveloped him again. With another "whoosh," he was flung back into the sky.