Chapter 186

Chapter 186: The Hidden Spiritual Root

Rong Shu hurriedly asked: “Then according to Fourth Senior Brother, is it possible that my spiritual root has grown back?”

Xiao Zi An gave a slight nod: “Yes.”

He said softly: “There are cultivators, as the rumors go, who possess a kind of hidden spiritual root that only activates when a particular opportunity or trigger appears, though it might never be triggered for an entire lifetime.”

He looked at her and added: “Your Wind-Fire Spiritual Root may well be a Hidden Spiritual Root that was triggered into manifesting. One more thing: your original Wind-Fire Spiritual Root was not of high quality, and it might have been injured when your root was dug out.”

Rong Shu listened and fell into solitary thought. [Hidden spiritual root? … Then what about metal, wood, water, earth, and lightning? With no wind root showing, yet I can still absorb qi of those attributes. Could those be hidden spiritual roots too?]

“I came in a rush and did not know beforehand that your spiritual root had been dug out,” Xiao Zi An said, his face solemn and utterly free of posturing, “give me a little time and I will look for some pills that can warm and nourish spiritual roots and bring them to you.”

In the cultivation world, an injured spiritual root is a matter of heaven-shaking importance.

“Mm, thank you, Fourth Senior Brother,” Rong Shu said.

In their brief exchange, Rong Shu had formed a sense of Senior Brother Xiao’s way of doing things. One word: rich. Four words: rich beyond reason.

Given Senior Brother Wu Hua’s close relationship with Senior Brother Xiao, if Rong Shu kept refusing, she would only seem shy and affected.

Still, she would remember Senior Brother Xiao’s kindness.

Seeing the conversation run its course, Wu Hua spoke: “Let us eat first.”

“As for the spiritual root, we can talk after we obtain the Qingjue Six Spirit Flower and you recover your memories,” he said.

Xiao Zi An, eager to please, kept placing meats into Rong Shu’s bowl: “Eat, eat.”

“If you need anything else, just tell senior brother,” he said.

“That is plenty,” Rong Shu said quickly, eyeing the table piled with delicacies.

She lowered her head to the somewhat at-a-loss Little Hamster at her side, extended a fingertip, and poked its head: “Yan Yan, pick what you like.”

The Little Hamster nodded and pounced upon the nearest strawberry.

Watching the Little Hamster hug a strawberry and gnaw, Xiao Zi An arched a brow: “Is this the Little Hamster our little junior sister is raising?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Xiao Zi An lifted a small cube of braised pork with his chopsticks and, testing, held it before the Little Hamster.

The Little Hamster sniffed the aroma, promptly abandoned the half-eaten strawberry, and bit into the meat instead.

After finishing, the Little Hamster lifted its head toward Xiao Zi An, eyes full of hopeful words that said please give me another piece.

Seeing this, Xiao Zi An chuckled: “It does not look like an ordinary hamster. Is it a spiritual beast or a demon beast?”

Rong Shu shook her head: “I am not sure either. I only kept the little thing because it was adorable.”

Xiao Zi An considered, then said: “Little junior sister, do you need a spiritual beast? I am not a beast tamer, but I have a few channels to obtain high-aptitude Spirit Beast Eggs for you to raise from young. The bond will be strong and they will be easier to command in battle.”

At this, Rong Shu glanced hesitantly at Wu Hua. Since they had already spoken of the Spirit Tribulation Fruit, then the matter of the white tiger Divine Beast… perhaps it was not impossible to mention.

“Two senior brothers, I have already contracted a spiritual beast, but it has not yet hatched,” she said.

A doubt stirred in her heart. [A Divine Beast… that counts as a spiritual beast too, right?]

“A beast that has not hatched? What kind of beast?”

“It is a Little White Tiger. It should hatch soon,” Rong Shu answered honestly. “Senior Brother Wu Hua already advised me that I am not a beast tamer and should not contract too many companions. With the Little White Tiger and Yan Yan, I think that is enough.”

“Little junior sister, could you take it out and let us have a look?” Xiao Zi An asked, flicking a glance at Wu Hua.

[Xiao Zi An: What Spirit Beast Egg?]

[Wu Hua: I do not know.]

[Xiao Zi An: You have been with her this long and do not know?]

[Wu Hua: It is normal for a young lady to keep a few secrets.]

“All right,” Rong Shu said.

She took out the Divine Beast egg, set it gently on the table, and added: “The Little White Tiger has not hatched for a very long time, and I worry something might be wrong. Please have a look, Fourth Senior Brother.”

“Very well.”

After the Little Hamster finished another morsel of meat, Xiao Zi An set down his chopsticks and lightly swept his hand across the surface of the Divine Beast egg.

After a moment of feeling, Xiao Zi An frowned: “This egg… it is not a common Spirit Beast Egg. King Beast? Emperor Beast? Or Saint Beast?”

“What a pity Second Senior Sister is not here. She would be able to tell.”

His gaze flicked, intentionally or not, to Wu Hua, then he said to Rong Shu: “The aptitude of this egg should be quite high. If it hatches, it will at least be a spiritual beast bearing Emperor Beast bloodline.”

“But… this Spirit Beast Egg was damaged before, was it not? The veining on the shell has been there a long time. It should have hatched already.”

Rong Shu nodded: “Yes.”

“I met the Little White Tiger’s elder. The elder did not have long to live and entrusted the Little White Tiger to my care.”

Looking at the fifteen-year-old young lady, at the very age to be cherished and protected by elders, speaking with perfect seriousness about caring for another, Xiao Zi An could not help but smile: “Then little junior sister must take good care of this egg.”

“As for senior brother, I will work hard to care for the two of you as well… no, three, counting your Little Hamster.”

His fingers itched as he looked down at the Little Hamster once more, which was back to hugging a strawberry, and he snatched half the berry away.

The Little Hamster, happily eating, suddenly found the fruit gone and froze for an instant.

A few seconds later, realizing Xiao Zi An had stolen it, it puffed up and cooed angrily.

“Gu gu gu!”

Hearing the sound, Xiao Zi An’s eyes grew a touch odd: “Little junior sister… your Little Hamster is unique.”

He picked up another piece of meat and set it before the Little Hamster, finally silencing its cooing.

“Perfectly normal…” Rong Shu rubbed her nose and continued to paper over the truth with clumsy excuses for a certain oblivious Little Hamster.