thedancenovel Chapter 301: If I Don’t Upgrade, I Won’t Be Good Enough For You
Chapter 301: If I Don’t Upgrade, I Won’t Be Good Enough For You
Qiao Xixi’s eyes shot open.
The aftershocks of the golden light trembled, shattering the invisible barrier the Blue Whale Beast had formed with its Beast Soul.
Xijing’s fingertips twitched, and he came to his senses.
"Xijing."
"Xixi?"
Xijing was in disbelief, thinking he was still trapped in the illusion.
But when he caught the scent that was uniquely Qiao Xixi’s, his calm heart suddenly began to pound violently.
He grabbed her hand and, as if in disbelief, brought it to his nose, sniffing it again and again.
’It’s her scent! She really came for me!’
Qiao Xixi squeezed his hand back. "Xijing, it’s me. I remember everything now. The past, everything about us... I remember it all."
Xijing’s grip on her hand tightened. Because he remembered, too.
"Father, I’m so glad you’re okay!" Xiya swam over, joyfully throwing herself into Xijing’s arms.
Xijing hugged Xiya back. "Xiya, you’re here too! Father is fine. Don’t be afraid."
But now wasn’t the time for reunions. Qiao Xixi said, "We can talk about us later. Wake up your people first, and let’s get out of this place."
"Okay."
Xijing opened his mouth and sang a melodious tune. The merfolk floating in the water woke up with a start, as if illuminated by a halo of light.
"Where is this?"
"Why are we here?"
"Prince..."
The merfolk all gathered before Xijing.
The Blue Whale Beast also swam over slowly.
"The Shark Beasts have dared to conspire with the Land Beasts and the Wing Clan to harm merfolk and sea beasts time and again. This is unforgivable. This time, I will go with you to drive them out of that sea region."
Xijing swam up to the Blue Whale Beast. "Thank you, Blue Whale."
The Blue Whale exhaled softly. "Protecting the seas is my responsibility. Let’s go. I’ll lead you out."
"Thank you."
Qiao Xixi used the Lighting Device to look behind her and saw Sunxiao swimming toward her in the distance.
"Sunxiao."
Sunxiao coiled his long tail around her and pulled her over.
"Sunxiao, how are you? Are you okay?"
Sunxiao flicked his forked tongue, his tone laced with disgust. "That Mutated Octopus Beast tasted awful."
’Ugh. A sky-swallowing python, indeed. He really can eat anything!’
"Sangze isn’t here yet. Is he still fighting the Sea Eel Beasts?"
The thought of the Sea Eel Beasts they encountered on their way here made Qiao Xixi’s scalp tingle.
"He’s been gone so long. Could something have happened to him?"
Just as Qiao Xixi finished speaking, a thick cloud of black mist drifted over and swept her off of the long tail.
"Little female, as expected, you love me the most."
As soon as Qiao Xixi heard that voice, she finally relaxed.
"Yes, yes, yes, I love you the most. I’m just glad you’re okay. Let’s go, we need to leave this place first."
Sunxiao looked at the approaching Xijing, and his serpentine eyes narrowed when he saw the Wolf-shaped Contract on his chest.
Sangze had clearly noticed it too. He snorted coldly. "Damn it all. To think this fish actually succeeded."
Xijing just smiled gently. "Although I was the first of Xixi’s mates to meet her, you are all luckier than I am."
The crimson, serpentine eyes grew even colder.
Black mist swirled around Sangze. ’His words really make me want to kill a fish!’
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Qiao Xixi quickly changed the subject. "The situation here is strange and unpredictable. Let’s not talk about this now. We should leave first."
Qiao Xixi had an Instant Teleportation Card, but she couldn’t just have Xijing abandon his people and teleport back to the Black Panther Tribe with her.
"Right. Let’s follow the Blue Whale. He’ll get us out of here safely."
The intimidating power of the Blue Whale Beast’s Beast Soul was even stronger than they had imagined. The mutated sea beasts in the Sea Cliff Deep Gully didn’t dare to approach at all.
No wonder no mutated sea beasts had dared to come near Xijing and the others during their long time here.
So, even though their surroundings were pitch-black as they left, there was far less fear than when they had arrived.
Qiao Xixi leaned against Sangze, but her consciousness drifted into her space.
She looked at the Spiritual Spring and discovered that the sprouted seed she had been nurturing inside was gone.
Also, the last remaining patch of barren field in her space had been lit up.
She was shocked.
"Little Sprite, have all my barren fields been activated? Does this mean I can now absorb energy from Crystal Stones and awaken a Beast Soul?"
"Host, whether or not you awaken a Beast Soul is no longer important for you."
"What do you mean?"
"You’ll find out soon enough."
"You’re being so cryptic. What about the seed in the Spiritual Spring? Why is it gone too?"
"It has completely merged with your body, Host."
Qiao Xixi was astonished. ’Merged with my body?’
But why didn’t she feel anything different at all?
"What does it do?"
"The Spring of Life: it purifies all things, nourishes all things, and commands the elements of nature."
Qiao Xixi felt that Little Sprite’s words were a bit profound. Before she could delve deeper, she heard it say, "Host, I may have to go silent for a while. You’ve leveled up, so I need to go level up too. Otherwise, I’ll soon be unworthy of you."
Qiao Xixi: "..."
"How long will your upgrade take?"
"I won’t make you wait too long, Host. I’m out!"
"Hey, I still have an unfinished mission! Hey..."
Just as Qiao Xixi’s consciousness was about to withdraw, a heavy wave of drowsiness washed over her. In the next instant, she sank into an endless sleep.
Qiao Xixi felt her body sinking into a thick meadow.
She rolled over, but something felt wrong, so she opened her eyes and sat up.
Looking around, she saw a gentle breeze and a beautiful sunny day. Golden light speckled the grass, creating a warm and pleasant scene.
"Where is this place?"
"Xixi."
Startled, Qiao Xixi spun around. Yun Ji was standing behind her, though she didn’t know when he had appeared.
He wore a white feathered cloak. When the halo of light shone on it, it refracted into a myriad of colors, as if rainbows were embedded in the magnificent garment.
"Why is it you again?"
Yun Ji’s expression shifted slightly. "I sensed your call, so I came to see."
"You mean the feather you gave me? You’re too late, then. I’ve already solved the problem."
Yun Ji shook his head and simply held out his hand to her. "Come with me."
Qiao Xixi didn’t take his hand, merely gesturing for him to lead the way.
A faint smile touched Yun Ji’s lips as he turned and walked ahead.
The meadow was soft underfoot, like walking on a plush carpet. But to her surprise, with every step she took, the surrounding scenery changed rapidly.
In just a few short steps, it was as if she had walked through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
As she took the final step, the lush green grass and trees suddenly withered at a visible rate, as if their souls had been ripped away, and the entire land lost its color.
"Xixi, look."
Qiao Xixi followed his hand and saw a sunken pit before her. At this moment, only a tiny bit of water remained in the pit.
"What is this place?"
"This is the Spring of Life."
"The Spring of Life? This is all that’s left?"
"Because the source of the spring has dried up, the water is becoming scarcer by the day. When the spring completely dries out, this Beast World Continent will be destroyed."
"What?"