"Master, save me!"
Qicai Dan closed its eyes, tense.
But after waiting for a while, no great terror occurred.
Opening its eyes, it saw the old Dragon King in front of it say something with a benevolent (?) expression.
"..."
"Alright!" Ao Bai happily agreed in one gulp.
Afterward, Qicai Dan was taken away from the palace.
Together with Jiang Lin, it was arranged to stay in another house that shone with golden light.
"I'll notify you when preparations are complete," Ao Bai said. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed another pufferfish that looked like a round ball.
It had spines on its back, was blue, and its belly was soft white.
It was comfortable to pet when idle, and could be thrown out when needed, also serving to stab fish.
"This is Xiao Pang. If you want to go out for a walk, you can let it take you."
"Don't underestimate it, its guidance ability is quite strong."
It would absolutely not get lost and had good escape capabilities in emergencies.
Jiang Lin took Xiao Pang and said faintly, "Okay."
Xiao Pang in his hand, with its two bulging round eyes, looked at the ghost and dragon in the room with a strange expression.
"Gugu~"
After Ao Bai left, Jiang Lin put away Xiao Pang, whom it called 'Gugu', and looked at the little bone dragon slumped on the table.
"Scared?" Jiang Lin asked.
"...Mm."
Although embarrassed, Qicai Dan had to admit it.
It had no strength left in its body.
That old Dragon King's aura was too powerful.
It was clearly a dragon who had fought real battles.
*Sigh.*
Jiang Lin sat down on a nearby chair. "What did Ao Bai say he needed to prepare just now?"
"Huh?"
Qicai Dan blankly raised its head. After thinking for a moment, it recalled.
"He said he was going to hold a banquet for me, and after the banquet, there would be a formal baptismal process."
"After the baptism, I will officially become a member of the Dragon Palace and can enter and exit freely."
"Ao Bai also said that baptism is a 'cultivation' process that all dragon cubs go through."
During the baptism, the more one received, the better their potential and talent.
It could also be used to determine the future development direction of the dragon cub and formulate a corresponding growth plan.
Speaking of which, Qicai Dan moved its claws, flipped over, and said,
"It seems to be quite an important ritual."
Jiang Lin: "Is there any danger?"
Qicai Dan shook its head. "After all, it's meant to help dragon cubs cultivate, so the methods are very gentle."
"According to Ao Bai, it's probably like taking a bath in hot water, and you wake up feeling refreshed."
Jiang Lin raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that good?"
Wasn't returning to the Dragon Palace for these very reasons?
Qicai Dan was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Master, now that you've confirmed I'm alright here, are you going back to the Underworld first?"
For its growth, it would definitely need to stay in the Dragon Palace for some time.
However, its master couldn't stay here forever, and the work in the Underworld was waiting for him.
Jiang Lin nodded and looked at the little bone dragon on the table. "What, you don't dare to stay here by yourself?"
"You're not that young anymore, you should learn to travel independently."
"In those storybooks, don't the protagonists have to go out to study on their own?"
"Mm..." Qicai Dan nodded dejectedly.
It was true.
It was just a little scared...
Every time it came into contact with anything related to dragons or memories, its sense of belonging and that surging feeling would become stronger.
It was afraid that if it stayed here for too long... it would truly forget about things in the Underworld.
"..."
Jiang Lin looked at Qicai Dan and said nothing more. He got up and casually strolled around the room.
Even if it did eventually return to the dragon race, it might not be a bad thing for Qicai Dan.
At any time, having a powerful and protective racial background would give one more confidence wherever they went.
Just like when he went on a business trip to the Northern Palace back then.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Only the pufferfish in his sleeve occasionally let out a soft 'gugu' sound.
When Jiang Lin had finished exploring the entire room, he suddenly heard a shout from the living room.
"Believe in yourself, keep going! Keep going!"
"Heh! Ha!"
"Ha-hey! I can do it!"
...
When Jiang Lin and they returned to the room.
In the deepest part of the Dragon Palace.
In the endless deep sea.
A youth wearing dark purple robes and with dragon horns on his head walked in.
He sat cross-legged in the air.
"Ancestor, the little dragon cub has been brought back."
As he spoke, a pair of huge, golden eyes appeared in the darkness opposite him.
Like two dim lamps.
"%￥#*..."
Its voice seemed to come from ancient times,
carried by the seawater, drifting further away.
There were no other living creatures in the entire deep sea.
Except for the youth in front of him, probably no one could understand.
"Alright, I'll find an opportunity to investigate."
The youth nodded expressionlessly, his tone serious.
"%...*…………%**."
After the strange voice finished giving instructions, it closed its eyes again.
And disappeared into the darkness.
The youth sat for a while longer, then got up and walked out.
The new little dragon cub, and its master...
Clearly made of bones, yet able to move like a normal dragon.
Suddenly, the youth's steps paused.
There was a way.
...
The next day, as Jiang Lin and Qicai Dan were exploring the Dragon Palace under Xiao Pang's guidance.
Without any warning, they were met by an 'attacker'.
...