Is this little thing intelligent? It's quite cute

Above Fog Island.

A dark blue triangular Smart Fighter tore through the long night in the deep hours.

The greatest gain from the Fog Island dispute was undoubtedly Luo Feng. Having obtained the Fallen Ink Star inheritance, he had truly begun to qualify for soaring upward.

After returning to Bright Moon District, Luo Feng spent a little time with his family before coming to Zhou Ze's place.

"Xiao Feng, you're looking refreshed. Seems like your trip to Fog Island was fruitful," Zhou Ze said with a slight smile.

Luo Feng grinned. "Teacher, you really missed out by not going to Fog Island this time..."

"If I get it, it's my fortune; if I lose it, it's my fate. What's there to miss out on?" Zhou Ze said calmly.

Luo Feng took out ten Muya Crystals, and an extremely rich aroma immediately emanated, but he locked it tight with his Psychic Power, otherwise the whole neighborhood would have smelled it.

"These Muya Crystals are treasures that even Hong and Thunder God fought over. Teacher, I'm offering you ten as a token of respect!" Luo Feng used his Psychic Power to control the box containing the ten Muya Crystals, floating it to a table not far from Zhou Ze.

Zhou Ze glanced at Luo Feng in surprise. "Luo Feng, it's only been a few days, but I've noticed you've become so sycophantic. That's not like the old you."

"No one visits the temple without a reason. Just say what you want—why take such a roundabout way?" Zhou Ze stretched lazily.

Luo Feng scratched the back of his head. "Teacher, that power you wield—it should be the domain force that Hall Master and Thunder God have, right? That's how you sent Yan Hai's staff flying. I want to learn the domain too!"

"Domain? Haven't I been teaching you all along?" Zhou Ze lounged lazily in his chair.

"Ah!" Luo Feng exclaimed in surprise. "Cultivating the mind can master the domain?"

Luo Feng was somewhat astonished.

"Just a prerequisite..." Zhou Ze said indifferently.

Just as Luo Feng was about to say something, Babata appeared out of nowhere, projecting an image visible only to Luo Feng and Zhou Ze right in front of Zhou Ze.

"Zhou Ze, nice to meet you. I'm Babata, the great Demon Babata!" Babata floated in the air, her almost perfectly proportioned figure fully displayed, her exposed starry skin giving off an exotic beauty.

The real-life Babata was far more visually striking than in any animation—her small form was both cute and exquisitely beautiful, and her tiny iron wings made one want to reach out and touch them.

"Is this little thing an AI? Pretty cute..." Zhou Ze chuckled.

"..."

At Zhou Ze's words, both Luo Feng and Babata were stunned.

"Zhou Ze! You're so rude! Do you know who I am? I am the great Demon Babata, Lord Babata who followed my master across the universe!"

Babata roared, nearly exploding with rage. She instantly appeared right in front of Zhou Ze, almost nose to nose.

"Apologize! Apologize to me right now!"

Zhou Ze's gaze involuntarily drifted downward. Such amazing skin, and those large exposed shoulders—damn, he was really hungry.

"Zhou! Ze!"

Babata practically growled through gritted teeth!

Since the moment she gained consciousness, Babata had never been so insulted, nor had she ever encountered such an abstract human!

"Babata..."

Luo Feng was dumbfounded, weak, pitiful, and helpless.

"Hey, Luo Feng, where did this little thing come from? Pretty cute..." Zhou Ze rubbed his chin. "Mm, her level of consciousness is quite high. Seems even more advanced than the AI at the No. 9 Ancient Civilization Ruins."

Babata was completely enraged. Ignoring the fact that she was only a consciousness projection, she started wildly pummeling Zhou Ze.

"Damn it, Luo Feng, control your AI! Why is she hitting people..." Zhou Ze covered his head with both hands.

In reality, his body suffered no harm, but on the consciousness level, it really hurt a bit.

After a bout of chaos, once Zhou Ze surrendered and sincerely apologized, Babata snorted and let him off.

"Luo Feng, you little rascal, you're not being honest. Setting your teacher up like this..." Zhou Ze complained with a look of grievance.

Luo Feng didn't answer Zhou Ze. He was long used to his teacher's eccentricity. Seeing him get a lesson from Babata actually felt a little satisfying.

Zhou Ze looked at Babata, surprised at how real the tactile sensation was on the consciousness level. He'd heard Babata also had an energy body, and he really wanted to ask for the netizens of his past life—could an energy body get pregnant...

"A person shouldn't, at least not... ahem..."

Zhou Ze put on a serious face. "Luo Feng, explain. How did you bring back such a little cutie... little demon?"

Glancing at Babata, who stood silently staring at him, Zhou Ze decided to play it safe.

Luo Feng smiled wryly. "Teacher, this is Babata. I found her underground on Fog Island..."

Luo Feng briefly recounted the events of taking a master underground on Fog Island, then emphasized, "Teacher, she's not an ordinary AI..."

"Is that so? She does seem much more advanced than the AI at the No. 9 Ancient Civilization Ruins," Zhou Ze said in realization.

"Not much more advanced!" Babata corrected indignantly, hands on her hips. "There's no comparison!"

"Those simple logic-processing programs on Earth don't deserve to be called AIs! To be called an AI, at the very least, it must be no worse than a human in thinking!"

"Logic-processing programs, then AIs that rival real humans in logic, then emotional AIs, and finally, intelligent lifeforms! I am an intelligent lifeform!"

Babata pointed a thumb at herself and said, "I'm a life form just like you humans, and like those animal life forms, plant life forms, and so on!"

Her tone grew impassioned. "I have emotions too—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness—and I have the comprehension for cultivation and evolution!"

"Then can you get pregnant?" Zhou Ze really wanted to ask, but he was afraid of getting beaten to death...

"And back then, my master prepared a body for me. With that body, across the vast universe, I made the name 'Demon Babata' resound through countless star systems!" Babata said with a smug look.

Zhou Ze replied with a perfectly straight face, "So that's the kind of Demon Babata you are. How impressive!"

Babata felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. After all, as the intelligent assistant of a former Immortal Marquis, almost no one dared to speak to her in that tone.

"Alright, Zhou Ze, I'm asking you formally now: are you willing to become my master's nominal disciple?" Babata said urgently. "Of course, this is only because my master prepared just one Inheritance Soul Seal, and the situation is special now."

"Even as a nominal disciple, you'll still enjoy all the treatment except for the Inheritance Soul Seal!"

Zhou Ze spread his hands. "Babata, you're looking down on me. I admit my cultivation talent is a bit lacking, but based on some relic information I've obtained, with my comprehension—able to grasp a domain at the Apprentice-level—even among the Five Great Powers, I'd be highly valued, right?"

"You have to understand, in the universe, what matters least to those great powers is cultivation talent. What matters is comprehension of amplification, domains, laws, and secret techniques!"

Babata was completely flustered. She hadn't expected Zhou Ze to know some information about the universe. How was she supposed to fool him now?