Chapter Seven: Her Seal

Su Li clenched her fists unwillingly, watching helplessly as the flock of bird-beasts surged toward her. At the brink of death, she suddenly noticed ancient and mysterious runes entwined around the beast core within her body. She could sense a force breaking through part of the seal, bursting forth from the beast core. Immediately, her consciousness was seized by an even more domineering presence.

In an instant, her dark eyes turned a deep crimson, and a faint golden spider lily totem appeared between her brows. "Su Li" curved her lips in a smile, leaped forward, and effortlessly grabbed the bird-beast king. With a forceful squeeze, the once-struggling king disintegrated into ash, vanishing into the air.

Leaderless, the bird-beasts sensed the terrifying pressure and hastily turned tail, flapping their wings in blind panic as they fled.

The dense forest fell silent once more.

Although her consciousness was occupied, Su Li remained acutely aware of the power coursing through her veins and meridians, forcefully breaking through blockages. Waves of intense pain accompanied the influx of spiritual energy, healing wounds large and small throughout her body.

Finally, after being tempered and diminished layer by layer, the power converged into her sea of consciousness, transforming into clusters of profound energy that gently enveloped her damaged neurons, flooding her with unprecedented comfort and prompting a soft sigh.

She did not know how long she remained in that state.

When Su Li regained her awareness, dawn was already breaking. Opening her eyes, she saw directly ahead the thin, weary youth, his exhaustion evident, yet he stubbornly forced his drooping eyelids open to keep vigil.

Seeing her awake, his eyes brightened, and two small dimples appeared on his cheeks. "You’re finally awake. How do you feel? Is there anywhere uncomfortable?"

Su Li blinked. "Does suddenly advancing to the third stage of Foundation Building count?"

In truth, she was currently in the beast’s body-tempering period, equivalent to the human Foundation Building realm. The abundant power within her gave Su Li, who had drifted through the cultivation continent for over three months, a long-awaited sense of solidity.

Shen Luo was utterly astonished. When he first met her, he hadn’t sensed even a trace of profound energy; yet within one night, she had leaped two major realms. Her cultivation speed was simply extraordinary. Of course, it was also possible she had deliberately concealed her strength.

Confirming the girl was unharmed, Shen Luo finally pressed, "What happened last night? Did you see a snow-white feline beast? It had a deep red spider lily totem on its forehead." The memory of that sudden, terrifying pressure lingered, filling him with unease and greater concern for the little furball’s safety.

"Never saw it," Su Li shook her head, half-truthfully replying, "I was attacked by a flock of bird-beasts and lured them into the dense woods. In the chaos, a high-level beast in the shape-transformation stage appeared. I hadn’t even reacted before its overwhelming aura knocked me out. But truly, I was able to advance thanks to the spirit fruit you gave me."

Looking into Su Li’s sincere smile, Shen Luo felt embarrassed to ask further, though worry gnawed at him. Since entering the secret realm, the contract sense with furball and Feng Xi had been severed; he had no idea how they were faring.

"Are you worried about your contract beasts?" The gentle feminine voice interrupted his thoughts. "They can’t enter here."

Shen Luo was puzzled.

---

Su Li gave a selective introduction to the mustard seed space, leaving Shen Luo somewhat dazed.

"Are you also a beast tamer?"

"Certainly not," Su Li replied with mock seriousness. "I stumbled in by accident, which is why I haven’t found a way out yet."

It sounded so plausible that Shen Luo was left speechless.

After a brief pause, he said, "My name is Shen Luo, you can call me A Luo. What’s yours?"

Su Li simply used her original name. "Su Li."

Shen Luo grinned, "Li Li."

Su Li: ...

After analyzing their current predicament, they decided their most pressing concern was lunch.

Walking deep into the secluded valley for more than half an hour, they faintly heard the sound of running water and quickened their pace. Soon, a wide lake appeared before them, with countless spirit fish swimming below, attesting to the clarity of the water.

Su Li was delighted to spot several fifth-tier red-mouthed carp, prized for their tender flavor and, even better, their lack of intelligence. Her mind flashed with visions of various fish dishes—grilled, fried, stewed—only to realize she knew none of the recipes.

Perhaps being transformed into a cat had given her a significant fixation with fish. Hungry and eager, she tried channeling her profound energy into her right palm, condensing it into a blade and sending it toward the lakebed.

With a loud splash, dozens of plump spirit fish flopped onto the ground.

Hearing footsteps behind, she turned to see Shen Luo carrying several sharpened wooden spears.

The two exchanged awkward glances, the scene momentarily frozen.

In the end, the grilling task naturally fell to Shen Luo. The young lad rolled up his sleeves and deftly gutted the fish, extracted eggs, and scraped off scales. After cleaning them, he stuffed their bellies with plenty of spirit mushrooms. Suddenly recalling something, he dashed into the woods and soon returned with a bundle of spirit herbs. Crushing them, he smeared the juice over the fish.

Su Li watched with fascination, dipping her finger in the juice and holding it to her nose. A faint medicinal scent wafted up.

"That’s third-tier Concentration Grass," Shen Luo explained. "It replenishes energy and focuses the mind." He expertly skewered the fish and set them over the fire to grill.

Su Li was surprised—this was a scene never mentioned in the comic book. Unconsciously, she voiced her curiosity, "You understand medicine too?"

---

"Yes." Shen Luo nodded, a faint smile on his lips. "When I was five, I found a copy of 'The Complete Guide to Spirit Herbs' in the courtyard. I memorized the properties and interactions of over ten thousand herbs in a single read. When the mood struck, I’d sneak into the family’s spirit herb garden at midnight and identify each plant by the book."

"If you were an alchemist, you’d be the best of them," Su Li affirmed. Simply reading and memorizing the medicinal properties and interactions of all those herbs—such talent was rare.

Shen Luo was delighted by her praise. He gazed into the distance, his expression suddenly tinged with melancholy. "The elders once mentioned my mother was a formidable alchemist. Though only at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, she had reached the rank of Pill Sect and could refine eighth-tier supreme pills."

Su Li’s expression grew complicated. In the story, Shen Luo was a premature child; his mother passed away after struggling to give birth to him. His father, too, had vanished along with several clan elders and the secret realm.

"But now, I am a beast tamer," Shen Luo said, turning to look at Su Li, his eyes filled with warmth. "My contract beasts are a Vermilion Bird and a white cat. Though they’re always causing trouble, with them around, I never feel alone anymore."

Su Li’s heart trembled.

Just then, the sound of sizzling drew their attention: the spirit fish was slowly turning golden, filling the air with a rich aroma.

Shen Luo picked the best-grilled fish and handed it to Su Li, gently reminding her, "Careful, it’s hot."

Su Li took an eager bite; the meat was tender and juicy, the robust flavor bursting on her palate. Her beautiful eyes squinted in bliss.

Having his culinary skills acknowledged made Shen Luo feel deeply satisfied, and he grilled with even more enthusiasm.

The savory scent of fish drifted ever further. Suddenly, a pair of eyes surfaced on the tranquil lake, staring at the fire for a while before silently retreating.

The breeze stirred the lake’s shimmering surface.

They devoured more than a dozen fish, yet Su Li remained unsatisfied.

Shen Luo glanced at the pile of fish bones, inexplicably reminded of the little furball. If it knew there were so many fifth-tier red-mouthed carp, its fluffy tail would surely wag with delight.

With that thought, he rolled up his sleeves and waded into the lake.

Only when several red-mouthed carp were tossed onto the shore did Su Li glance at the protagonist’s direction and then continued to bask in the sun with eyes half-closed. She rubbed her round, plump belly, feeling herself becoming more and more like a cat.