Bai Shengyi walked closer, only to find that her "friend" was hidden very well. She searched all around but couldn't see anyone.
"Why don't I see you?" Bai Shengyi couldn't help but frown, becoming even more vigilant.
After a moment's thought, she stood in the area with the fewest thorny vines and said, "Friend, the meat is getting cold. It won't taste good then."
"I'm here, why are you so clumsy?" a complaining voice fell. Bai Shengyi felt a faint blue light flash before her, and the surrounding scenery instantly changed. The thorny vines were broken in the middle, and a previously non-existent open door appeared ahead.
She suddenly realized what the other party meant by "opening a door."
It was really opening a door!
The other party actually had a cave dwelling!
Bai Shengyi stepped forward and pushed the door open. Instantly, spiritual energy brushed her face, and her sea of consciousness became clear.
Then she saw a little tiger cub the size of a baby!
Fluffy!
The little tiger cub tilted its head, its round eyes darting around, and grumbled indignantly, "Are you silly? Hurry up and give me the meat!"
He wanted to eat meat!
Bai Shengyi numbly handed over the roasted meat. No wonder the voice sounded so small; it was just a cub!
The little tiger cub pawed at the leaves with its front paws, its nose twitched, and it narrowed its eyes with a look of satisfaction before eating quickly.
The golden fluffy fur quivered and swayed, and Bai Shengyi's hands itched terribly.
She couldn't help but reach out her sinful paws.
"Ah..."
"Ah..."
Both of them let out a sigh of extreme satisfaction at the same time.
"What are you doing?" The little tiger cub immediately sensed something was wrong. "How dare you! You dare to touch me!"
Bai Shengyi innocently raised her hands. "No, I was getting some grass leaves, look."
She held a blade of grass in front of the little tiger cub and then reminded him, "The meat is getting cold."
The little tiger cub indeed forgot about everything else and focused on eating the meat.
Bai Shengyi took the opportunity to pet it a few more times and asked as if by chance, "Fellow Daoist, is this your cave dwelling?"
On the Divine Enlightenment Continent, spirit beasts and spirit plants were divided into two types: those without awakened sentience, and those that seized the creation of heaven and earth. Those like the little tiger cub that could speak, cultivate, and even shapeshift like humans were called demon cultivators.
This little tiger cub should be a young demon beast. Moreover, she discovered that this little tiger was different from any she had seen before. There were a pair of golden wings growing at the bones of its front legs.
At this moment, the wings were folded neatly, and there was a distinct smell of blood from its hind legs and left wing.
"Yes." The little tiger cub had no defense at all. "Wuwu," it said, "I'm injured. Mother said that if I'm injured, I can only stay in the cave dwelling. Wuwu, I haven't eaten meat in so long."
"This is your spirit grass," the little tiger cub pulled out a Flying Cloud Grass, still with soil on its roots, as if it had just been pulled out.
Bai Shengyi finished the leftover meat, petted the cute fluffy creature, and obtained the Flying Cloud Grass. Satisfied, she got up to say goodbye. "Then you eat slowly, I'll be leaving now."
"Mm-hmm." The little tiger cub buried its head in eating the meat, and it didn't mind that Bai Shengyi had petted it again before leaving.
Bai Shengyi walked a few steps in the direction she came from. Instantly, the world spun, and she was back among the thorny vines, as if everything that had happened was just an illusion.
But Bai Shengyi knew it wasn't.
She returned to her original spot, unhurriedly roasted the remaining meat, and contemplated the matter while eating.
To be honest, she kind of wanted to pet the fluffy creature long-term. However, even though the fluffy creature was injured, its strength still made her wary.
Firstly, its ability to speak indicated it had at least fourth-tier strength, equivalent to the late stage of Foundation Establishment in humans. Moreover, the other party not only had a cave dwelling but also a mother.
And she had nothing.
Tears of poverty flowed...
Bai Shengyi frowned in distress, eating the roasted meat absentmindedly.
The aroma of the meat wafted out, and the little tiger cub in the cave dwelling couldn't resist. It smacked its lips and said, "Human, can you give me a little more meat? I'll trade you fourth-tier Fragrant Ling Grass."
Bai Shengyi's eyes lit up. "Of course! But I don't want Fragrant Ling Grass."
"Then what do you want? My mother said I can't take advantage of humans," the little tiger cub asked politely.
Bai Shengyi chuckled. "I just want to pet your fur while you eat."
"Ah?"
The little tiger cub was puzzled. What kind of request was this? But it seemed like it wasn't losing out, was it?
The little tiger cub wagged its tail, its round eyes blinking. "Okay, and if you make roasted meat later, you can trade with me too." It wasn't losing out anyway!
"Alright." Bai Shengyi's eyes lit up, and she agreed quickly.
In the following days, Bai Shengyi did not venture further into the Eastern Yue Jungle. Instead, she stayed in the vicinity, honing her skills in using spiritual energy by battling spirit beasts. The spirit beasts she hunted were used for roasting or stewing, and also to feed the little tiger cub.
As they interacted, the human and the beast became familiar with each other.
Then Bai Shengyi also learned that the little tiger cub's name was Cuiyu, and that the cave dwelling was its innate life-bound cave dwelling, invisible to others without its permission.
"I'm also out here for tempering," Cuiyu said with a mouthful of meat, hearing that Bai Shengyi was here for tempering. "But I was ambushed by a big fellow and had to hide here."
As he spoke, the little tiger cub's tone became dejected. "Shengyi, my injury is almost healed, I have to go back." If he didn't go back soon, he would be spanked by his mother.
"Ah?" Bai Shengyi petted Cuiyu's soft fur, also reluctant. After this period, Bai Shengyi had come to regard the cub as a friend.
However, she had also lingered here for some time, and it was time to return to the capital.
She got up and said, "Little Jade, I'll go roast more meat for you to eat on the road."
Without waiting for Cuiyu to speak, Bai Shengyi left the cave dwelling.
Because of Bai Shengyi's actions, she had become a terrifying figure in the eyes of the spirit beasts in the area. The spirit beasts fled at the sight of her. After much effort, Bai Shengyi only managed to catch a small rabbit.
"It's not even enough for Little Jade to snack on," Bai Shengyi muttered, and then changed direction, heading deeper into the dense forest.
The wind rustled, and the previously noisy forest gradually fell silent.
Bai Shengyi suddenly stopped, a cold smile playing on her lips. "Since you're here, stop lurking. Don't you dare come out and see me?"
"Little brat, you're quite good with your tongue, but today is your death day. It's fine even if you shout, hehe." A gloomy and hoarse laugh came from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint its source.
Bai Shengyi's gaze sharpened. She lunged forward and bent down to dodge a silently flying dagger. Her spiritual energy transformed into a sharp blade and stabbed towards the branches of the large tree in front of her.
"Swish!"
A stream of water-blue spiritual energy shot out from behind the large tree, colliding with and even overpowering Bai Shengyi's spiritual energy, flying towards Bai Shengyi's dantian!
Bai Shengyi retreated rapidly, evading it.
"Little brat has some skills!" A black-robed old man revealed himself. "But that's as far as you go!"
"Ice, come!" he roared, and spiritual energy gathered in his palm, condensing into countless ice blades, which he then slammed towards Bai Shengyi!
Bai Shengyi's gaze deepened. She had encountered a formidable opponent!
This person was at least at the late stage of Foundation Establishment!
The more nervous she was, the calmer she became. Bai Shengyi's Nine Revolutions Samsara Brush instantly appeared, and she drew a semicircle in the air, her red lips parting slightly. "Break!"
Spiritual energy and mental power poured out along the Samsara Brush, filling the invisible semicircle and directly crushing all the ice blades!
With a series of cracking sounds and brilliant spiritual light, Bai Shengyi stood unharmed. "Hahaha," she laughed heartily.
"Ugly old man, is that all you've got?"