A third tail?
Li Hao's figure flashed, and in an instant, he appeared beneath the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's enormous branches.
His appearance made Xiao Wu, who had been excitedly gesturing about something, immediately rush over.
"Daddy, look!"
As if presenting a treasure, Xiao Wu pointed to the Hell Spirit Cat curled up on a branch, lazily dozing.
Behind the elegant, slender body of the black cat, three fluffy tails tipped with deep purple swayed lightly, unconsciously.
Visible to the naked eye, pure Nether Power flowed along each tail.
Stronger and more condensed than before.
This was not merely an increase in number; it was proof that the purity of her bloodline had improved once again.
Li Hao walked beneath the tree and reached out.
The black cat on the branch seemed to sense his presence and opened her golden, slit-pupiled eyes.
With a light leap, she soundlessly landed in front of Li Hao, transforming back into that stunningly beautiful girl.
Her three tails vanished with her transformation.
But the cold, sharp aura surrounding her was several times stronger than before.
Her Soul Power had grown again.
How long had it been?
Dai Mubai's arrival and that brief confrontation had not only failed to affect her negatively, but had instead acted like a catalyst.
The shackles of the past had been severed, and her suppressed potential had begun to erupt.
Looking at her, the grand blueprint in Li Hao's heart, as her creator, became crystal clear.
A mere shady corner could no longer keep pace with her growth.
This paradise needed a true, deliberate plan.
A genuine kingdom that could shelter countless Soul Beasts and let them completely escape the troubles of the outside world.
"Medusa."
Li Hao turned to Medusa, who stood quietly nearby, deep in thought.
"If I wanted to turn this place into a complete world, what would I need?"
A glimmer of surprise passed through Medusa's emerald-green, slit-pupiled eyes.
She had not expected this master, who seemed interested in nothing and only wanted to laze around, to harbor such grand ambitions.
But she soon understood.
This was not an ambition to conquer. It was the obsession of a collector who wanted to build the perfect display case for his collection.
After a moment's thought, she gave a professional answer.
"Master, a complete ecosystem needs several core elements."
"First, water."
She pointed toward the clear stream running through the valley.
"Our water source is too limited right now. We need to reshape it, creating tributaries, lakes, and even small wetlands to accommodate the habitats of different Soul Beasts."
"Second, terrain."
She continued.
"Plains, hills, rocky ground, dense forests... Different terrain gives rise to different plants and attracts different Soul Beasts."
"For example, we could open up a dry, gravelly area to simulate a desert environment."
"And at the highest point in the valley, we could create a relatively cold region."
"Finally, and most importantly, the cycle."
Medusa's expression grew serious.
"A stable ecosystem must have a complete food chain, from the lowest-level herbivorous Soul Beasts to small carnivorous Soul Beasts, and then to higher-level predators."
"Right now, there are only us and some harmless little animals drawn here by the life energy. That's still far from enough."
Her suggestions were clear and well-organized, striking right at the heart of the matter.
As expected of a Soul Beast sovereign who had lived for who knew how many years, she knew this like the back of her hand.
As Li Hao listened, the blueprint in his mind grew more and more concrete.
He walked up to the Illusion Dream Tree Demon and placed his palm against its thick trunk.
Buzz!
The core of the entire paradise responded to his will.
The Soul Power within him instantly connected with the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's vast life energy.
"Then let's begin."
As his thoughts stirred,
the valley floor began to tremble faintly.
Guided by an invisible force, the straight stream began to change course.
Some of the water flowed into a low-lying area, gradually forming a small lake that shimmered in the light.
The rest split into several narrow tributaries, winding away to nourish more distant ground.
In a corner of the valley, rocks rose up and the soil grew dry and barren. A small stretch of gravelly land slowly took shape.
Elsewhere, the rich life energy spurred vines and shrubs to grow, making the forest there deeper and more primitive.
The entire paradise was like a vast canvas, and Li Hao was the creator, brush in hand, painting across it as he pleased.
The satisfaction of ruling over everything and creating a world intoxicated him.
Xiao Wu cheered as she chased several colorful Crystal Wing Butterflies drawn by the moisture around the newly formed lake.
Her innocent, carefree joy seemed to have a peculiar power to spread.
Some harmless Hundred-Year Soul Beasts, cautiously entering the valley after being drawn by the paradise's aura, gathered around her instinctively. Velvet Fire Rabbits, Tri-color Deer, and others formed a delightfully playful scene.
She had become the little queen of this newborn paradise.
Zhu Zhuqing silently watched it all.
When the small wetland had begun to take shape and water plants started to grow, she suddenly transformed into her black cat form.
A shadow flashed by. With her sharp claws, she precisely severed several tough vines blocking the waterway, allowing the water to flow more freely.
Once she had finished, she quietly withdrew and found a spot to lie down, as if nothing had happened.
But that tiny gesture stirred something in Li Hao's heart.
She, too, was helping build this home in her own way.
As the paradise's ecosystem gradually took shape, a faint yet incredibly pure energy flowed from the laws of the entire paradise, feeding back into Li Hao and the Soul Beast Girls.
Li Hao felt the bottleneck in his thirty-fifth level of Soul Power loosen a little more.
The aura around Zhu Zhuqing grew the most noticeably.
This paradise was growing alongside them.
A few days later, as Li Hao surveyed the kingdom he had just finished reshaping, he stopped at the edge of the paradise, in a stretch of forest that had only recently been brought within his domain.
Three palm-sized birds lay in the dead leaves, their feathers scorched black, their life force so faint it was almost extinguished. They twitched feebly.
They were Hundred-Year Soul Beasts: Wind Bell Birds.
It looked like a forest fire had broken out somewhere in the Star Dou Forest. They had exhausted themselves fleeing and fallen here.
Outside, they would have had only one fate: death.
But here...
Li Hao reached out his hand toward the three dying little creatures.
[Detected a target on the verge of death; rescue conditions met.] [Near-Death Lock and Heal, activated.]
A gentle, emerald-green glow carrying the aura of the Illusion Dream Tree Demon welled from his palm and tenderly enveloped the three birds.
Their charred feathers fell away at a visible speed, only to be replaced by new wings gleaming with a fresh green luster.
Their faint heartbeats grew strong and steady.
In less than a minute,
the three Wind Bell Birds were flapping their wings and flying again.
They did not leave at once. Instead, they circled Li Hao affectionately, letting out a string of clear, melodious chirps like wind chimes.
They were expressing gratitude, and pledging their allegiance.
Of their own accord, they became citizens of this paradise.
After finishing, Li Hao looked at the miniature world he had built with his own hands, now brimming with life, and felt a peace and satisfaction unlike anything he had ever known.
Xiao Wu played by the lake, Zhu Zhuqing prowled through the shadows, and Medusa planned for an even more distant ecological balance.
Everything was orderly and flourishing.
It was just that...
Li Hao looked at the medicinal garden rising from the ground, then at the rock cave that still needed to be excavated in the distance.
There was still far too much work to do.
He and Medusa were the planners, but only a handful of them could handle the actual labor.
It was too inefficient.
If only he could bring in more specialists.
For instance, a Soul Beast Girl well-versed in botany and skilled at gardening to tend the medicinal garden.
Or one with an Earth attribute, skilled in construction and excavation, to lead the work crew.
A thought took root in his mind without warning.
He needed a... housekeeper.
A professional who could take care of these tedious affairs and put the paradise's development into the fast lane.
Before you continue