Aini's mood brightened, and under Rio's malicious glare, it received another Fire Dragon scale.
Everything was wonderful.
So, under Liszt's astonished gaze, its Bug Grass—the Phoenix-Perching Parasol Tree—slowly bloomed with flowers that resembled flames. These flowers condensed dense fire-aspect magic power and, under the sunlight, transformed into clusters of flame.
From afar, the entire Phoenix-Perching Parasol Tree seemed to be burning.
Little Yellow, Little Red, and Little Purple—the three Flame Dragon Birds, growing ever larger and already sporting brilliant fiery-red plumage—circled the Phoenix-Perching Parasol Tree joyfully. Even Rio, who had always disliked Aini, came over, sniffed the Phoenix-Perching Parasol Tree, and took a liking to this great flaming tree.
"Liszt, look!" Aini slung the Fire Dragon scale over its back, then plucked a flaming flower from its Bug Grass. The flower immediately withered, its flames extinguishing as it turned into a clump of ash.
The ash scattered in the breeze, leaving behind seven purplish-red seeds.
"What are these?"
"These are Phoenix-Perching Parasol Tree seeds, Liszt. I can bloom and bear seeds now!" It placed the seeds in Liszt's hand and chuckled. "Aini can cultivate more Phoenix-Perching Parasol Trees. Aini wants to evolve, and Aini wants Phoenix-Perching Parasol Trees to cover the whole volcano!"
Within the vision of the Magic Eye, the seeds gleamed with fiery-red magical light.
"Are these magic herbs?" Liszt immediately had Aini try planting a batch of Phoenix-Perching Parasol Trees.
Aini did as told. With a casual wave of its hand, the flaming flowers on the tree withered and fell, turning into seeds that flew into the soil. Soon, around its Bug Grass, small Phoenix-Perching Parasol Tree saplings broke through the earth one after another, stretching upward in the wind and growing into young trees.
The young trees had not undergone selective breeding and varied greatly in