Bonus Chapter. Enjoy!
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Still shocked by Gu Yuena's identity as a god, Huo Yuhao had already followed Di Tian away from the Lake of Life and was standing on the grass by the lakeshore once again.
Di Tian glanced at the darkening sky, then looked at Huo Yuhao and asked, "Do you choose to leave now, or wait until tomorrow?"
Huo Yuhao snapped out of it; he was now certain that he wouldn't be in any danger here. Since that was the case, opportunities to safely linger in the Star Dou core circle were rare.
So, Huo Yuhao immediately replied, "Then I'll leave tomorrow."
Di Tian nodded. "Then I will have Chi Wang escort you out tomorrow."
After saying that, Di Tian paid no more attention to Huo Yuhao. He sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes slightly; his breathing became long and slow, though whether he was Cultivating or doing something else was unclear.
Huo Yuhao scanned his surroundings. As dusk fell, the light in the forest gradually dimmed, but it didn't affect his vision.
With a wave of his right hand, a set of table and chairs appeared beside him. He set up the table and chairs and once again took out various foods from his spatial Spirit Tool.
After all the commotion, he was indeed a bit hungry. Now he could finally sit down and have a quiet meal.
Huo Yuhao began to eat his dinner slowly and methodically, as if he weren't in the dangerous core circle of the Star Dou Great Forest, but in his own home.
On the other side, the Auspicious Beast's gaze couldn't help but keep drifting toward him. It lay on the ground, its golden eyes staring unblinkingly at the food in Huo Yuhao's hands, its nose twitching slightly as it caught the drifting aroma.
It remembered Di Tian's previous warning not to have contact with this human.
But at this moment, the Auspicious Beast still couldn't help but whisper, "It smells so good."
For the longest time, the Auspicious Beast had thought that the brains of light-attribute Spirit Beasts were the most delicious thing on the continent.
That smooth, tender texture and the light-element energy contained within were its favorites. It had thought there was nothing in the world better than that. But today it realized that there really was something even more delicious. Just the aroma wafting over made it lose some of its self-control.
The Auspicious Beast swallowed hard, its golden eyes filled with longing. It nudged its way toward Huo Yuhao bit by bit, its steps light and slow, like a thief.
As it walked, it also observed Di Tian's reaction.
Seeing that the other party didn't stop it, the Auspicious Beast's courage gradually grew.
Its pace quickened slightly, and in a short while, it had moved to Huo Yuhao's side.
Its large, golden-furred head leaned in, its nose twitching as it smelled the aroma of the food on the table.
A clear, pleasant voice rang out, carrying a hint of curiosity: "What are you eating?"
Although he was certain Di Tian wouldn't move against him, Huo Yuhao wasn't going to "seek death" by eating nourishing foods made from Spirit Beast meat here. He didn't want to provoke the nerves of these Spirit Beasts or cause any trouble in the Star Dou core circle. Therefore, everything he brought out was vegetarian or ordinary meat, basically containing no Spirit Beast components.
Huo Yuhao pointed at the table and said, "This is Lingxi Milk Cake, this is Eight Treasures Stew, this is Emerald Spirit Veggie Rolls, this is Honey-Roasted Pork Ribs..."
With every name, the Auspicious Beast leaned in and sniffed deeply, as if trying to suck all the aromas into its nostrils.
After Huo Yuhao finished his introduction, a flash of hesitation crossed the Auspicious Beast's golden eyes.
But in the end, it still couldn't help but ask with a hint of shyness, "Can I try some?"
Huo Yuhao smiled. "Whichever one you want to eat, feel free to try it!"
In the original history, the Auspicious Beast had sacrificed its life for him; what did this food matter now? It was just a few dishes, and he had plenty more in his Spirit Tool.
Hearing this, the Auspicious Beast's eyes instantly lit up. It opened its mouth and inhaled, and a dish flew up from the plate, tracing a graceful arc in the air before landing precisely in its mouth.
"Munch munch..."
The Auspicious Beast's mouth chewed rapidly, its golden eyes filled with intoxication.
Its eyes narrowed into two crescents, and its face was written with satisfaction.
"Mm! This is too delicious!"
Its voice was full of surprise, as if it had discovered a new continent.
"This is delicious too!"
It took another breath, and another dish flew into its mouth. As it chewed, its tail even curled up.
"And this one!"
"This one isn't bad either!"
In the blink of an eye, all eight dishes on the table in front of Huo Yuhao had entered the Auspicious Beast's stomach.
After swallowing the last bit of food, a look of happiness appeared in the Auspicious Beast's eyes; it had never imagined there could be such delicious food.
But then, looking at the eight empty plates on the table, a flash of embarrassment appeared in its golden eyes.
Its ears drooped slightly, and its tail sagged as well.
It was simply that this human food was too delicious; in its momentary excitement, it had actually eaten all of Huo Yuhao's dinner.
It opened its mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know how to start.
Huo Yuhao, however, smiled nonchalantly. He then took out quite a bit more food from his spatial Spirit Tool, arranging them one by one on the table. Before long, the table was full again.
He looked at the Auspicious Beast and asked, "Want more?"
The Auspicious Beast swallowed, its golden eyes full of longing. It was just about to nod when a voice came, making it tremble all over.
"Auspicious Beast, have you forgotten everything I said before?!"
It was Di Tian's voice. At some point, he had already opened his eyes. Those golden vertical pupils were looking at the Auspicious Beast with a hint of sternness and a hint of helplessness.
The Auspicious Beast's body stiffened, and it took a step back, creating some distance from Huo Yuhao. But when children grow up, there are always times of rebellion.
At this moment, the Auspicious Beast suddenly tilted its head up and looked at Di Tian, saying, "Di Tian, you all have names, I want a name too! I don't want to be called Auspicious Beast!"
After Huo Yuhao had asked for its name earlier, it had decided that it also wanted to take a name like Di Tian and the others.
It didn't want to be called "Auspicious Beast"; that was its identity, not its name. It wanted a name that belonged to itself, a unique name.
Bringing up this idea now happened to be a perfect way to change the subject; the Auspicious Beast secretly gave itself a thumbs-up for its cleverness.
It tilted its chin up slightly, a flash of cunning in its golden eyes.
Hearing this, Di Tian frowned. This wasn't a big deal—just a name.
He asked, "What do you want to be called?"
"Hmm?" The Auspicious Beast tilted its head, falling into thought.
Huo Yuhao, standing nearby, blurted out, "How about Wang Qiuer?"
This was the name the Auspicious Beast had taken after transforming in the original trajectory of history.
And according to historical records, after transforming, the Auspicious Beast actually looked exactly like Wang Donger. He wasn't sure what the reason for this was; could there be some connection between the Auspicious Beast and Wang Donger?"
This question had always been in his mind.
Hearing this name now, the Auspicious Beast immediately shook its head: "Doesn't sound good!"
Its voice was crisp, carrying a hint of disdain.
Di Tian glanced at Huo Yuhao, a flash of displeasure in his golden vertical pupils. The Auspicious Beast's name should naturally be given by him; what right did a human have to name the Auspicious Beast?
According to human customs, a daughter's name was often given by the father. In Di Tian's heart, the Auspicious Beast was his daughter, a child he had raised himself.
Di Tian stood up and arrived at the Auspicious Beast's side in a flash.
A hint of softness flashed in those golden vertical pupils. He thought for a moment and said, "How about Di Rui?"
The 'Di' from Di Tian, and the 'Rui' from Auspicious Beast.
Hearing these two words, the Auspicious Beast thought for a moment before shaking its head again: "No!"
It didn't want its name to have anything to do with the Emperor Auspicious Beast anymore; it wanted a name unrelated to its identity, a name that belonged only to itself.
"I'll choose my own name!" Saying that, the Auspicious Beast slowly walked to the edge of the Lake of Life.
Although the sky had darkened, the lake's surface remained as calm as a mirror, reflecting the shadows of the trees on the shore. It lowered its head and saw its own reflection in the lake water.
Time passed second by second; the sky grew darker, and the starlight grew brighter.
Finally, its gaze gradually brightened.
The Auspicious Beast then turned around to look at Di Tian and Huo Yuhao.
It took a deep breath, its clear voice carrying a hint of trembling and excitement: "I've decided, I shall be called..."
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter
2 Reviews = 1 Extra Chapter
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.