Yaoyao Is Born

That Divine Lock was as thin as silk, ancient golden patterns flowing across its surface as it wound tightly around the stone shell.

The lock was covered in dense cracks, and dazzling seven-colored light shone from the depths of every fissure.

"When will the ninth one break?"

Little Qing spoke to the Divine Stone, her fox ears tilting slightly forward.

The Divine Stone swayed gently.

There was a sense of rhythm in that motion, as if it were saying: Soon.

Then it swayed again, even more lightly than before.

As if it were saying: I don't know either.

Those two sways made Little Qing's fox tail wag softly.

"You little thing, and you've already learned to tease people before you're even born."

A delighted pulse came from within the Divine Stone.

The pulse spread along the seven-colored immortal light on the stone shell's surface, sending pale golden ripples through the void.

When the ripples reached the World Tree's aerial roots, those ancient roots actually trembled faintly as well, as if responding to a spoiled child's coquetry.

Ten years had passed.

Every day, Little Qing guarded the Divine Stone beneath the World Tree, nourishing it with her origin power.

She had personally witnessed Yao Yao's entire progression, from initially being able to convey emotions only through consciousness fluctuations to now being able to communicate clearly with divine sense.

Their earliest exchanges had been exceedingly simple.

Happiness meant happiness.

Curiosity meant curiosity.

Later, they gradually became more complicated.

Yao Yao began asking Little Qing what the outside world was like.

She asked what Little Qing's green fox tail felt like to touch, why the World Tree constantly scattered rain of Chaos light, and whether the two suns and moons in the sky ever grew tired.

Little Qing answered earnestly every time.

Whenever