Gu Jin stopped for a moment and raised an eyebrow.
"That lazy bug... can it really become my beast one day?" she muttered to herself.
Long Yifan glanced at the creature and chuckled. "This little fellow looks quite unique."
"Unique or not, right now it only knows how to eat," Gu Jin replied coldly.
If Water Caterpillar, also known as Little Blue or the Water Dragon, could hear her thoughts, he would have cried loudly. But right now he only cared about the food. He was happily chewing the snack that Gu Jichun had given him earlier, his ugly face twisted with joy.
Gu Jin sighed inside. "Forget it. Let him eat. He is useless for now."
She turned away and focused on Little White.
Gu Jin snapped her fingers. "Come here."
Little White and Little Blue both turned their heads at the same time. For a moment, they froze, stunned to see Gu Jin appear.
Little White’s eyes brightened immediately. With a cheerful cry, he ran to her and rubbed his small head against her leg. His movements were filled with affection, and his small tail swayed back and forth.
Gu Jin’s lips curved slightly. "You really know how to act cute."
She bent down and scooped him up in her arms. Little White rubbed his face against her hands, his scales feeling cool yet soft.
Long Yifan smiled at the sight. "This little guy likes you a lot."
Gu Jin did not reply, but her eyes softened. She patted Little White gently.
Suddenly, Little White stopped moving. His small body froze, and his eyes widened as if he had sensed something unusual.
Gu Jin noticed right away. She chuckled softly. "Still as sharp as ever."
With a wave of her hand, a glowing object appeared. It was a small, dazzling gem. The light coming from it was mixed with darkness and brightness, as if it contained two opposite powers.
"This," Gu Jin said slowly, "is the reward I got after working very hard."
Little White’s eyes locked onto the glowing gem. His body trembled slightly, and his breathing grew heavier.
Long Yifan stepped closer. "So this is the Chaos Stone."
Gu Jin nodded. "Yes. And I want to see what happens when Little White absorbs it."
Little Blue finally stopped eating for a moment. He tilted his ugly head and stared at the glowing stone too, drool almost dripping from his mouth.
Gu Jin glanced at him and frowned. "Not for you. Stay quiet."
The Water Caterpillar immediately turned his face back to the snack and began eating again, pretending he had not seen anything.
Gu Jin held the stone closer to Little White. "Do you want it?"
Little White made a small chirping sound and pressed his nose against the stone. His body shook with excitement.
Gu Jin stroked his head. "Good. Then absorb it. This is for you."
She placed the stone gently in front of him. The moment it touched the air near him, the gem began to shine even brighter.
Little White opened his mouth and let out a soft cry. The stone floated slowly and entered his body. At once, a powerful aura spread out.
Gu Jin’s gaze stayed steady, but her heart beat faster. She watched carefully as Little White’s small lizard body began to glow. Silver light mixed with black and purple swirled around him. His tiny body shook as if it could not handle the force.
"Steady," Gu Jin whispered. "You can do it."
The aura grew stronger and stronger. The backyard trembled slightly. Even Little Blue stopped chewing and stared in fear, his fat body shaking.
Little White’s body trembled as if he were in pain. His small claws dug into the ground, and his eyes glowed with strange colors. Then, a crackling sound echoed from deep inside him. It was the sound of something breaking.
Long Yifan’s lips curved faintly. "Good. His core... it has healed."
Gu Jin blinked. "Already? That fast?"
"Yes," Long Yifan answered. "The Chaos Stone’s energy is pure and wild. It broke the seal in his body. Now, he can finally begin cultivation again."
As she spoke, Little White let out a sharp cry. His body lifted into the air, glowing like a star. Streams of energy rushed into him, filling every part of his small frame.
His scales, once dull, began to shine like polished silver. His tiny horns grew a little longer, and his tail stretched out, glowing with faint purple sparks.
The silver light around Little White grew stronger until it became hard to look at him directly. Then, with a final flash, the light sank into his body.
Little White landed softly on the ground. His eyes opened, glowing like twin gems. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelFirｅ.net
He let out a roar, though his voice was still small. Yet that roar carried power. The air rippled, and the barrier of vines trembled.
Gu Jin smiled faintly. "Not bad. He has finally stepped into the first stage of cultivation."
Little White rushed to Gu Jin and rubbed his glowing body against her leg. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and he let out a series of cheerful cries.
Gu Jin bent down, patting his head gently. "Yes, yes. You did well. Your core is whole now. From today, you can cultivate again."
Little White’s tail swished back and forth like a happy dog.
At the side, the Water Caterpillar stopped chewing his snack and stared at Little White with wide eyes. His round body shook, and he made a pitiful noise, as if saying, "Why does he get all the glory while I only eat?"
Long Yifan’s eyes followed Little Blue who was sitting on the ground, still chewing slowly like he had no worries in the world. Suddenly Long Yifan chuckled.
"This fat bug really has no shame. Look at him. Eating all day, doing nothing. And still dreaming of glory? Hah!"
He bent slightly and tapped Little Blue lightly with his hand, then with his leg. "You ugly fellow, you don’t have any glory with you. At best, you are just food for some fish in the river."
Hearing those words, Little Blue’s round face wrinkled. His tiny black eyes flashed, and he stopped chewing. Slowly, he turned his head toward Long Yifan and gave him a long stare.
Gu Jin noticed it and raised her eyebrow. "What is he planning now?"
Without waiting, Little Blue suddenly started to crawl. His fat body moved awkwardly, and yet with determination. He headed straight toward Long Yifan’s feet and then climbed upward, aiming for Long Yifan’s head.
Long Yifan blinked, surprised, then burst into laughter. "Hah! So you want to eat my head now? Want to chew me like your snack?"
Gu Jin pressed her lips, trying not to laugh.
But Long Yifan was not in the mood to let the caterpillar succeed. He moved his hand quickly and swept Little Blue away, sending him rolling back to the ground.
"Disgusting bug," Long Yifan said coldly. "You really think you deserve any respect? Not at all. You don’t even deserve to be graced by a contract bond with a master."
The moment he said the word "contract," Little Blue froze. His fat body stopped moving, and his tiny black eyes widened. He lifted his ugly face and stared at Long Yifan carefully, almost too carefully.
Then, to everyone’s shock, he tried to smile. But his mouth was too wide and his body too round. The smile looked twisted and horrifying, almost worse than when he was frowning.
Gu Jin frowned deeply. "What kind of expression is that? Is he smiling or crying?"
Long Yifan sighed and looked away. "Do not pay attention to him. He thinks if he looks pitiful, you will give him a chance. But this bug does not deserve one."
Little Blue made a sound, half whimper, half squeak, then quickly crawled to Gu Jin’s side and patted her leg with his tiny front claws.
Gu Jin tilted her head, confused. "What is he doing now?"
Long Yifan folded his arms and answered, "He wants to make a contract with you."
Gu Jin was startled. "With me?"
"Yes," Long Yifan nodded, his eyes narrowing. "He is begging for it. But honestly, I cannot see why you would want him. He is lazy, ugly, and has no glory in him."
Little Blue immediately made a series of squeaky noises as if arguing back. He shook his fat body left and right and patted Gu Jin’s leg again and again.
Gu Jin stared at him silently. Her heart hesitated.
When she first met Little White, he had looked like nothing more than a small lizard. Honestly, anyone else would have found him scary. But she had thought he was very cute, in his own way. Now he had grown into a shining silver dragon-like creature, and she was proud of him.
But this... this water caterpillar...
Gu Jin sighed inside. His face was ugly, his body was round, and his movements were clumsy. She tried to look for cuteness but could not find any.