Returning to the space, Lu Heng helplessly helped Lu Bai change into another set of clothes, this time opting for attire from the Divine Origin Continent.
"You should know how to wear these now, right?" Lu Heng really didn't want to help Lu Bai change again.
Lu Bai nodded, saying nothing.
"Rest here tonight, and tomorrow morning we'll return to the world you lived in."
After a good night's sleep, Lu Heng created a room for Lu Bai, adding a bedroom next to his own.
However, while asleep, Lu Bai unknowingly transformed back into a small fox.
...
They reappeared on the grassy lawn within the Misty Forest.
Lu Heng spotted a familiar little fellow. Lu Heng and his companions had appeared silently, and Xiao Liu, who was lying on the grass sleeping, remained completely unaware.
Xiao Liu's belly rose and fell rhythmically, its short limbs twitching occasionally.
Controlling vines, Lu Heng bound Xiao Liu's limbs. Startled by the vines, Xiao Liu finally woke up. It repeatedly tugged at the vines on its limbs, trying to jump into a nearby dirt pit.
"Squeak, squeak..." Xiao Liu's terrified cries echoed through the silent forest.
After watching it struggle blindly for a while, Lu Heng finally spoke, "Didn't your ancestor tell you not to come to the depths of this forest?"
Upon hearing Lu Heng's voice, Xiao Liu, which had been struggling fiercely, immediately lay down on the ground and stopped moving. It twitched its nose and turned its head towards Lu Heng.
Seeing it was Lu Heng, Xiao Liu immediately squeaked a few more times. It even extended its short legs to show Lu Heng.
"Master, it says to help it untie the vines and save it," Blood Wolf translated helpfully, standing not far away.
Hearing Blood Wolf's voice, Xiao Liu turned its head to look at Blood Wolf again. However, upon seeing the small fox beside Blood Wolf, Lu Heng clearly saw Xiao Liu's eyes widen considerably.
Lu Bai ignored Xiao Liu, casting a disdainful glance at the little giant rat before walking to its original burrow and beginning to dig pits in the nearby ground.
"Alright, don't scare yourself to death later. You're so timid, how dare you dig all the way to the depths of the forest by yourself."
Lu Heng did not release Xiao Liu. He sat down on the grass, waiting to see what Lu Bai was digging for.
"Squeak, squeak..." Xiao Liu waved its limbs again, pleading with Lu Heng for help.
It still didn't realize that the vines binding it were created by Lu Heng. Waving its limbs, it continued to seek rescue from Lu Heng.
"If I don't teach you a lesson, you still won't know your place. You don't even listen to your elder's warnings."
"Wuwuwu..." Blood Wolf translated diligently.
In a short while, Lu Bai dug out more than ten pits, large and small, in that area. It then brought out many items from the pits.
Lu Heng raised an eyebrow involuntarily as he looked at the pile of items in front of him. "You really know how to hide things."
He had thought that the items he found in Lu Bai's burrow last time were all of Lu Bai's possessions. He hadn't expected this fellow to have dug more than ten additional pits specifically for storage.
Looking at the magic crystals piled on the ground, Lu Heng picked up a level five magic crystal and asked, "You gathered so many magic crystals, are you eating them yourself?"
Lu Bai nodded, dug out a level five fire-element magic crystal, and ate it right in front of Lu Heng.
It was so fast that Lu Heng didn't even have time to react and snatch it.
With some heartache, Lu Heng collected all the items on the ground into his space. Then, he examined those items through his divine sense within the space.
The items this time were similar to those previously found. There were also many human items among them. It seemed that humans who had come to the depths of this forest and hadn't returned had all died at the hands of this little fox, and their belongings had been collected by the fox.
Looking at the magic crystals, most of them were below level four. There were only about six level five crystals, and most of them were fire and earth elements. It seemed that when acquiring prey, this fox specifically targeted magical beasts of these two attributes.
Seeing that there were still fire-element magic crystals, Lu Heng felt relieved. As long as one was left, he could bring it back to Jin Yang City and endlessly produce magic crystals of the same attribute.
"From now on, you won't need to consume magic crystals to upgrade. There's a benefit to being contracted with me. As long as one of my attributes reaches a high level, animals of the same attribute contracted with me will also reach the same level. Didn't you realize that you are now at level eight in both fire and earth attributes?"
Upon Lu Heng's words, Lu Bai belatedly sensed the energy fluctuations within its body. Indeed, as Lu Heng had said, it felt its abilities had become even more formidable.
Yesterday, it had been in a state of shock and had overlooked the fact that its level had already increased upon being contracted.
"Come here, I'll wash your paws. You've been digging in the dirt all this time, and you're covered in it. Next time, you should transform into human form and stay by my side."
Creating a stream of water, Lu Heng carefully washed Lu Bai's four limbs clean. Then, he put it back into his space, telling it to transform into human form and put on clothes before coming out.
Xiao Liu, which had been lying on the grass and left to its own devices for half the day, remained in a state of feigned death. Since the little fox hadn't come to find it, it lay motionless on the ground, its breathing slow and its belly barely moving.
Sensing the sudden disappearance of the little fox's aura, Xiao Liu abruptly opened its eyes and looked around. After failing to find the little fox, it began to squeak and plead with Lu Heng again.
"I can release you, but you should go back quickly. Wait until you are strong enough, at least to have the ability to protect yourself, before you wander around."
Lu Heng felt that with Xiao Liu's disposition, it was a miracle it had survived this long. After all, besides digging holes, it had no ability to protect itself.
Releasing the vines that bound Xiao Liu's hands and feet, Lu Heng called out to Xiao Liu, which was circling in front of him and about to burrow into the pit to leave. "Tell your clan leader that I've taken away the magical beast from the depths of this forest. This place is returned to you, and you can move back here to live."
Xiao Liu pulled its head out of the burrow and squeaked at Lu Heng, "That terrifying fellow is leaving?"
Lu Heng nodded. "Yes."
"Won't it come back someday?"
"No, but I can't guarantee that a similar magical beast won't come here again. If you want to survive, you still need to become strong enough." Lu Heng picked a wildflower and sniffed it.
Xiao Liu tilted its head, looked at Lu Heng, then waved its paws at Lu Heng and squeaked twice before abruptly burrowing into the pit and quickly leaving.
"Master, I've changed," Lu Bai communicated with Lu Heng via telepathy from within the space.
"Alright, with matters here settled, let's go and see the capital city."