When Mountain Tyrant Tiger was in so much pain that it could barely breathe, it realized that the person cutting through the vines wasn’t Xie Shaoning—and immediately, the system's favorability notification chimed in its ears.
[Pet Mountain Tyrant Tiger’s favorability toward you has decreased by 20 points. Current favorability: 10. It will no longer cooperate in battle. Please focus on nurturing a better relationship with your pet!]
With the combined efforts of Qi Xu, Little Seven, and Xie Shaoning, they quickly managed to sever all the vines entangling Mountain Tyrant Tiger. Qi Xu had no ulterior motive; he simply didn’t want to watch the creature die right in front of him.
The tree demon wasn’t completely dead, but with so many of its vines severed, it fled without hesitation...
Mountain Tyrant Tiger was drenched in blood, the crimson flow unrelenting as it lay weakly on the ground, too injured to stand. Yet its eyes remained fixed on Xie Shaoning with an unyielding glare.
Xie Shaoning felt a twinge of guilt. "Sorry, I was a bit slow. But you were too reckless—I called you back, and you still didn’t listen. Unbelievable."
[Your pet Mountain Tyrant Tiger’s favorability toward you has decreased by 10 points. Current favorability: 0. Warning: Your pet’s mood is unstable, posing risks of rebellion or betrayal. It is not recommended to bring pets with favorability below 20 into battle!]
[Your pet Mountain Tyrant Tiger is in critical condition. Please administer treatment immediately!]
Xie Shaoning took out a pet healing pod. "Get in there, quick. If you hadn’t run off, the tree demon wouldn’t have targeted you!"
Mountain Tyrant Tiger ignored him outright, refusing to enter the healing pod. Instead, it glared at him with a ferocity that could devour a man whole.
"Suit yourself."
Xie Shaoning’s temper flared—especially since outsiders were present. Being openly defied by his own pet in front of others made him visibly agitated.
Qi Xu sat down to rest, saying nothing and choosing not to interfere further.
But Little Seven scratched at the ground anxiously. Unable to bear it any longer, and seeing that its master didn’t stop it, the creature rushed to Mountain Tyrant Tiger’s side. "Are you stupid? Get treated already—do you want to die?"
Mountain Tyrant Tiger remained unresponsive. Though it didn’t answer, its silence spoke volumes: it had no will to live.
Little Seven hurried back to Qi Xu, asking if it could give one of its healing pills to the injured tiger. Qi Xu nodded. "It’s yours to decide."
Little Seven retrieved a small pill from the touch-activated spatial stone around its neck and forced it into Mountain Tyrant Tiger’s mouth.
After swallowing the pill, the tiger’s condition visibly improved—at least the bleeding stopped. However, its spirits remained low, keeping its distance from Xie Shaoning and even giving Little Seven the cold shoulder.
Once it confirmed the tiger was out of danger, Little Seven ignored it and obediently returned to Qi Xu’s side.
Meanwhile, Kissing Ember Starlight Moon adjusted slightly and used a basic healing card—mainly to treat the wounds on their right arm from the vine’s thorns. Though the injury wasn’t serious, the forest’s dangers were unpredictable, and they didn’t want to risk another sudden attack.
Xie Shaoning grew angrier the more he thought about it. He had gained nothing from this expedition—only lost a high-tier pet hatched from an advanced egg. No matter how he looked at it, he’d been played for a fool.
He tried talking to Mountain Tyrant Tiger again, but when communication remained impossible, he decisively severed their bond.
"You’ll regret this one day."
Xie Shaoning couldn’t resist throwing out a final threat.
Mountain Tyrant Tiger turned and left without hesitation, showing no trace of attachment.
After a brief two-minute rest, the group pressed on. Soon, they found a diamond-tier supply chest containing a tea tree and 72 portions of tea leaves, all temporarily stored with Qi Xu.
They agreed to distribute the spoils after leaving the Taobao Illustration Secret Realm. Since they had all signed a contract, no one had any reservations.
The tea leaves had the ability to refresh the mind and restore mental energy—something Qi Xu found quite appealing, though he didn’t show it.
After all, for ability users, stronger mental energy meant greater combat prowess.
The other three hadn’t yet awakened as ability users, but they sensed that mental energy might be the key to future evolution. None of them were fools.
Though the four of them didn’t talk much along the way, they cooperated seamlessly when facing monsters, with no weak links—just a well-balanced team.
Kissing Ember Starlight Moon provided long-range suppression, Xie Shaoning and Cheese Milk Cap Eight Sugars engaged in frontal combat, while Qi Xu swooped in for the finishing blows.
Little Seven also helped by diverting the enemy’s attention. Within just a few battles, everyone had settled into their optimal roles, working together smoothly.
By the end of the day, they had encountered four supply chests. Though the resources weren’t bad, they still felt like a poor return compared to the survival coins they’d spent to enter. Aside from Qi Xu, the other three were visibly disheartened.
Qi Xu found himself staring at Kissing Ember Starlight Moon’s weapon, lost in thought. So even little goblins could craft such… unimpressive weapons?
It was just a plain iron bow—no embellishments, no unique design. Compared to his own [Cherry Blossom Fall] and [Cherry Blossom Illusion], or even Slice Your Sister’s long blade and Little Chef’s shield—all exquisitely crafted and dazzling—this one paled in comparison.
Noticing Qi Xu’s gaze, Kissing Ember Starlight Moon proudly waved the bow.
"The weapons from the peerless master are truly something. I heard you didn’t splurge on the extra 500-material upgrade?"
Qi Xu paused before catching on. "Yeah, I didn’t. The second-tier was enough."
"Same here. That little goblin’s prices are steep, but worth every coin."
Cheese Milk Cap Eight Sugars sighed enviously. "I’ve tried waiting for that goblin a few times, but it never opens its shop. What about you, Brother Ning? Ever been?"
Xie Shaoning’s face darkened. "No."
The three of them let out synchronized "Oh’s" in varying tones, nearly breaking Xie Shaoning’s composure.
Perhaps because the day’s teamwork had gone smoothly, the group had grown less guarded around each other.
As night fell, visibility in the forest vanished entirely—so dark they couldn’t see their own hands. An inexplicable heaviness weighed on them if they tried to press forward, so after some discussion, they decided to stop and rest.
Qi Xu had come straight here after leaving a dungeon, having only eaten lightly. Now starving, he didn’t hold back—pulling out a table, chairs, and an array of food and drinks before digging in heartily.
The others were instantly entranced. It was just ordinary stir-fry and rice, so why did it smell so irresistible?
And Qi Xu’s eating style—like a black whirlwind of destruction—was practically begging to be livestreamed. The more they tried not to look, the more the tantalizing aroma forced its way into their noses, impossible to ignore.
..........
