“Madam, son, I have brought gifts for you!” Li Haoran said softly.
Li Xue and Li Lin both perked up with interest. Jin Sang also pricked up his ears; he still had many things to inquire about and had no intention of excusing himself just yet.
With a casual wave of Li Haoran’s hand, a small silver beast appeared before the three of them. It had curly fur atop its head and was pure silver-white without a single stray hair. It stuck out a tiny pink tongue and affectionately licked Li Haoran’s hand.
“He is your new master,” Li Haoran said to the little beast, pointing at Li Lin.
“A Silver Lion Beast!” Jin Sang curled his lip. “This is a Silver Lion cub. You didn't actually bring this down from the Upper Realm, did you?”
Li Haoran ignored Jin Sang and said to Li Lin, “Son, quickly sign the Divine Beast Covenant!”
Li Lin was also very fond of the tiny Silver Lion Beast. He immediately established the contract and then pulled the creature into an affectionate embrace.
“Madam, please give the Silver Lion Beast a name,” Li Haoran said to Li Xue.
“Hmm, let’s call him Yin Sang,” Li Xue said after a moment’s thought.
*As expected, it’s still ‘Sang,’* Li Haoran and Jin Sang both cried out inwardly. The Venerable One’s tastes had not changed a bit in millions of years.
Then, Li Haoran summoned another small beast. It looked remarkably like a kitten, snow-white and exceptionally beautiful.
“This is Jin Ling, a Metal Spirit. Do you like it, Madam?” Li Haoran asked, stroking the creature.
This time, even Jin Sang couldn't sit still. The Dream Realm was only missing a Metal Spirit; once it was acquired, the realm’s spiritual energy would be perfected. At that point, cultivation would yield twice the results with half the effort.
Li Xue held Jin Ling and refused to let go, fearing it might vanish the moment she loosened her grip. She smiled foolishly, so happy she didn't know what to do with herself.
Li Haoran looked at Li Xue dotingly, his mood exceptionally bright.
“You truly have gone to great lengths,” Jin Sang said, somewhat moved. It seemed Li Haoran had considered every detail for the sake of the Venerable One.
Li Haoran felt rather proud. As long as she was happy, he would do anything. Before descending to the lower realm, he had realized that Metal Spirits were the rarest of all, and the Ancient God Realm lacked them most, so he had exerted great effort to find one. Seeing Li Xue’s reaction, he felt it had all been worth it.
Li Haoran then summoned two more divine beasts. Upon seeing them, Jin Sang exclaimed, “Well now! The Thunder Peng Envoy and the Wind Tiger Guard. With this, the nine Great Divine Guards are finally complete.”
Li Xue and Li Lin felt the imposing aura of deities. Looking closely, they saw the Thunder Peng and the Wind Tiger. The two beasts suddenly transformed into human shapes—one appearing as a scholar, the other as a sturdy, robust man.
“We ask the Venerable One to bestow names upon us!” The two bowed deeply to Li Xue, attempting to curry favor and take the opportunity to strengthen their bond with the Venerable One’s reincarnation.
Li Xue felt a bit intimidated; here were two more beings at the level of Great Gods. She looked at Li Haoran, who gave her a nod of encouragement.
“Then you shall be called Lei Yan and Feng Yan,” Li Xue said, swallowing hard.
“Our thanks to the Venerable One!” The two rose happily, looking at Li Xue with reverence.
“You should call me Mistress, just as Jin Sang does,” Li Xue added.
“That is for the best. From now on, you are everyone’s Mistress,” Li Haoran agreed with a nod.
Jin Sang, Lei Yan, and Feng Yan exchanged looks and said with clear understanding, “We shall follow the Mistress’s teachings!”
Li Lin suddenly asked, “Isn't the Illusion Butterfly Beast still missing?” Li Xue also nodded and looked toward Jin Sang.
“Does Mistress remember that Bai Xingyu possesses a Five-Colored Illusion Stone?” Jin Sang asked. He had gained a detailed understanding of everyone within the Dream Realm.
It had been too long, and Li Xue couldn't quite recall. Li Lin, however, remembered. “Mother, before we encountered the Cloud Crane Clan in the Sea of Clouds, Xingyu did use a Five-Colored Illusion Stone to break an illusion array!” At this, Li Xue remembered as well.
Jin Sang’s face twitched. “That is the Illusion Stone that seals the Illusion Butterfly Divine Beast. Sigh, for you to use it just to break an illusion array... really!”
Li Xue and Li Lin looked at each other, blinked, and couldn't help but laugh. Li Haoran was clearly dissatisfied with Li Xue’s attention being diverted elsewhere. He took her hand again and asked, “Madam, do you like the Metal Spirit?”
“Hehe, I like this gift very much!” Li Xue cast a grateful glance at Li Haoran.
“As long as Madam likes it, that is enough. I have one more gift for you both!” Li Haoran produced two jade vials.
The three Divine Guards also looked at the vials with curiosity. They knew the Heavenly Fox Clan excelled most in alchemy; therefore, anything the Clan Leader deemed worthy of presenting would certainly be no ordinary divine pill. As one vial was opened, an aura that made one’s soul tremble came rushing out.
“The Yin-Yang Creation Divine Pill!” The three Divine Guards looked at Li Haoran in disbelief.
“White Haoran, have you gone mad? How can mere cultivators withstand the Yin-Yang Creation Divine Pill?” Jin Sang said in shock.
“How can they be compared to ordinary cultivators? If they can't withstand it, they’ll just use a little less!” Li Haoran said dismissively.
“White Haoran, are you certain you want to use it to reconstruct the Mistress’s constitution? Isn't this a bit of a waste?” Lei Yan stared wide-eyed.
“Indeed. How many Great Gods and Heavenly Gods would fight to the death to seize a Yin-Yang Creation Divine Pill, and you’re just going to use it like this?” Feng Yan confirmed.
“What do those people have to do with me? I only know that I must give the best things to my wife and son. Do you have an objection?” Li Haoran asked, raising an eyebrow.
The three Divine Guards shook their heads hurriedly. “No, no objection!” It was a joke—if the Heavenly Fox Clan wanted to be this spendthrift, it was none of their business. Besides, it was for the Venerable One, so they had even less reason to object.
“What are the effects of this divine pill?” Li Lin asked.
“As long as a sliver of divine sense remains, the Yin-Yang Creation Divine Pill can bring one back from the dead and fully restore their cultivation!” Jin Sang swallowed hard. If he had possessed such a pill back then, why would he have needed to spend millions of years healing inside the Golden Silk Divine Cocoon?
Li Xue listened for a while and began to understand what Li Haoran intended to do. “Isn't using this on us a bit wasteful? It sounds like a life-saving pill.”
The three Divine Guards nodded, but seeing Li Haoran’s sharp gaze, they all shook their heads. Finally, Lei Yan said, “Mistress, this pill also has the effect of reconstructing one’s physical constitution. It’s just a bit... er, overkill!” By the end, his voice was so quiet it was barely audible.
“Enough with the nonsense. I didn't call you here to nag! Do you think we have plenty of time?” Li Haoran was quite impatient with the three guards.
The three Divine Guards immediately fell silent, their expressions turning solemn. Naturally, they hoped the Mistress’s cultivation would increase as quickly as possible—ideally reaching the Heavenly Monarch realm directly. Then, there would be many things they could do.
But for now... the three sighed. At only the Nascent Soul stage, she was simply too weak. She probably couldn't even make it out of a single corner of the Ancient God Palace within the Ancient God Realm.
“I shall lay an array for them; you three assist me!” Li Haoran’s aura shifted, revealing the bearing of a long-time ruler. The three Divine Guards felt a chill in their hearts. The prestige he had accumulated over years as the Heavenly Fox Clan Leader remained; even if Li Haoran was currently only at the Great Vehicle stage, that aura could not be changed.
Li Xue and Li Lin naturally knew Li Haoran was doing this for their own good. They only needed to follow his instructions obediently; they had at least that much discernment.
Li Haoran held Li Xue’s hand and comforted her gently, “Do not worry, Madam. Everything will turn out well.” He then dotingly stroked Li Lin’s head.
