Chapter Summaries

The White Dragon and the others struggled to incubate the many Tuonai'er Demon Bird eggs after the male bird died, and the two dragons took turns warming them. Later, Sylvan brought another egg and shared his findings about the damaged magic array, leaving the White Dragon with a possible path toward rebuilding it in a few decades.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei prepared to incubate ninety-two blessed Demon Bird eggs, but the female birds forced their sole male to sit on them until he died and was stewed for a meal.
• Harper and the others volunteered to incubate the eggs, but there were too many, so the two dragons took turns in their dragon forms.
• Sylvan visited the White Dragon with a blessed Demon Bird egg, and the White Dragon sent Harper and the others to have it blessed further before adding it to the eggs being incubated.
• Sylvan explained that he had reconstructed the missing design of the Kaonielin Plain magic array and believed it could be repaired for use in a few decades.
• The White Dragon learned that half the array remained, but its positioning and passage-construction sections needed to be rebuilt for his intended destination.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei invited the Dwarves to build a huge interplanar teleportation array, and Big Banya’s team eagerly accepted the commission. The dragons then visited the Kaonielin Plain, where the Dwarves were already repairing the array with Sylvan.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei worked through the night to turn the magic array formulas into construction plans and sent an invitation to the Dwarves.
• A messenger bird delivered candied pumpkin and a letter from Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to Big Banya’s team in the Dwarf tavern.
• A second messenger bird brought Big Banya a commission from Lord White Dragon to build a huge teleportation array between planes for over thirty thousand gold coins.
• The Dwarves celebrated the commission, and Changmao volunteered to work for Lord White Dragon.
• Xie Juanhan arranged for the fluffies to incubate the eggs, then left with Telingewei for the Kaonielin Plain.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei found Sylvan discussing the plans with the enthusiastic Dwarves as repairs to the magic array proceeded smoothly.

During construction, Telingewei discovered a lava-sealed cache of Demonic Cores left by his mother, Rheinhild, before she departed for another plane. Xie Juanhan comforted him as he reflected on his mother’s love, and the chapter left them watching the sunset together at the cabin above the sea of clouds.

• The dwarves found a huge energy-filled mass of lava near the magic array, bearing a dragon’s aura, and brought Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to see it.
• Telingewei recognized that the lava was not part of the array and explained that dragons hid heat-resistant objects inside lava; he suspected his mother had sealed Demonic Cores there for him.
• Xie Juanhan reasoned that Rheinhild had left the cache for Telingewei, and the two dragons left the construction site to spend time alone.
• Telingewei told Xie Juanhan that he had never felt an emotional connection to his mother, though recent discoveries had made him feel that she had always loved him.
• Xie Juanhan embraced Telingewei and reassured him that their family had chosen him freely, and they watched the sunset from the snowy mountainside.

Telingewei and Xie Juanhan held each other beneath the sunset while the creatures at the forest cottage struggled with the long task of incubating Demon Bird eggs. After Haxi’s attempt to recruit the clumsy Perytons failed, Moli sent for the Golden-Horned Deer, who agreed to take over for a day.

• Telingewei refused to let White Dragon turn back into a dragon and held Xie Juanhan as they watched the sunset and waited together in the cold.
• At the cottage, Harper and the other furry creatures grew bored while taking turns incubating the Demon Bird eggs, and Haxi decided to ask the Perytons for help.
• Haxi, Habi, Hani, and Nibote woke the Perytons and brought five of them to the cottage, where they accidentally broke part of the fence and the stone steps.
• Harper and Moli refused to let the Perytons handle the eggs, so Moli sent Habu, Habi, and Hadi to find the Golden-Horned Deer.
• The Golden-Horned Deer arrived, offered to incubate the eggs for a day, and settled into the study while Harper and the others made room.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei returned home to find the Golden-Horned Deer incubating their eggs while Harper and the other furry little ones played hide-and-seek in the Magic Forest. After the deer left, the family reunited, apologized, and spent the night huddled together around the eggs, waking refreshed for breakfast.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei found a herd of Golden-Horned Deer in their study, where the deer explained that the Dragon Companion Beasts had asked them to incubate the eggs.
• Harper and the others returned from hide-and-seek just as the Golden-Horned Deer were leaving, and Xie Juanhan sent the deer home with tea and snacks.
• Telingewei gave Harper and the others a cold look, but Xie Juanhan reassured them and apologized for leaving them to help incubate the eggs.
• Hadi and the other furry little ones crowded around Xie Juanhan for affection, and the dragons took over incubating the eggs.
• The whole family squeezed into the study and slept together, then woke stiff but cheerful and ate Xie Juanhan's breakfast.

Xie Juanhan and the others watched their Tuonai'er Demon Bird eggs hatch into unusually bright, lively level-three chicks and built them a warm shelter for the winter. After tending to the chicks and the magic array on the Kaonielin Plain, Xie Juanhan and Telingewei returned home to find it eerily silent and empty.

• Nibote accidentally kicked open an egg while the fluffies slept, and the first Tuonai'er Demon Bird chicks began hatching.
• Xie Juanhan examined the newborn chicks and found they were high-end level-three Demon Birds, though he said raising them to level four was unlikely.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei built a sheltered bird shed beside the Magic Wand Tree to keep the chicks safe from the cold.
• The chicks followed Nibote everywhere, and after they called for him all afternoon, he chose to stay home and look after them.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei checked on the Kaonielin Plain magic array and decided to leave the Demonic Cores sealed inside the boulder.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei returned home after dark to find the house silent, with no beasts in sight.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei prepared dinner while Harper and the others returned without the chicks, who had wandered off to the farmland pond. After the group chased the escaped chicks, Xie Juanhan discovered the aquatic plants had produced edible seeds that could be harvested as a new grain.

• Xie Juanhan learned from the Magic Wand Tree that Harper and the others had taken the chicks out, so he prepared herbal soup and a large dinner for their return.
• Harper and the others came home and discovered the chicks were missing; Nibote tried to fly off immediately, but Xie Juanhan urged everyone to eat first and used divination to reassure them.
• Nibote spotted the chicks from the air, and the group followed him to the farmland pond, where the chicks were pecking at ripe aquatic-plant seeds on the ice.
• The chicks scattered when Xie Juanhan, Telingewei, and Nibote arrived, so Harper and the others split into groups to chase them across the fields.
• Xie Juanhan tasted the dried seeds and realized the aquatic plants had produced an edible grain, while Telingewei asked whether they should harvest them.

Xie Juanhan and the others discovered that aquatic grass seeds made delicious, nourishing porridge, while Harper and the other fluffies insisted on saving the best seeds for planting. The next day, the forest’s intelligent beings helped harvest and sort the seeds, leaving the finest ones to dry for planting.

• Xie Juanhan cooked aquatic grass-seed porridge while the Magic Wand Tree watched the fire, then joined Telingewei and the fluffies as they brought all ninety-three escaped Demon Bird chicks back to the shed.
• Xie Juanhan found stiff flight feathers beneath a chick’s wing and realized the chicks had escaped by gliding short distances as they grew quickly on magic-rich food.
• Harper and the other fluffies enjoyed sweet porridge made with Star Berry nectar, then objected when Xie Juanhan proposed gathering more seeds to eat, insisting the best seeds should be saved for planting.
• The next day, Goblins, Flower Elves, Pixies, and Weaving Fairies gathered at Xie Juanhan’s pond to help harvest and sort the aquatic grass seeds.
• The Flower Elves competed to select the best seeds while the other intelligent beings helped, and Xie Juanhan and the others spread the plump, fragrant planting seeds out to dry in the winter sun.

Xie Juanhan discovered that the aquatic plants’ seeds could be popped into a fragrant snack, and he and Telingewei shared it with the fluffballs. The chapter ended with the fluffballs tasting Xie Juanhan’s Star Berry nectar-and-cheese popcorn and marveling at its flavor.

• Xie Juanhan popped grass seeds over the fire and introduced Telingewei to popcorn.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei made more popcorn, then sat under the veranda eating it with tea.
• Nibote squeezed his head through the fence to ask for popcorn, and Telingewei freed him before the fence was damaged.
• Harper and the other fluffballs returned, and Xie Juanhan popped more seeds for them and set aside a portion for Moli.
• Xie Juanhan coated popcorn with Star Berry nectar, cheese, spices, and salt, and the fluffballs eagerly ate it.

During the snowy winter, Xie Juanhan and Telingewei turned the fluffballs’ foraged berries and nuts into new foods, keeping everyone supplied with fruit and snacks. When Habu brought back especially bitter nuts, Xie Juanhan discovered they smelled fragrant when roasted and decided to grind them into powder instead of eating them whole.

• Harper and the others brought back sweet winter berries, and Xie Juanhan and Telingewei made berry-flavored popcorn for them.
• The fluffballs kept collecting berries and other fruits from beneath the snow, and Xie Juanhan prepared them in different ways.
• After Xie Juanhan mentioned nut-flavored popcorn, the fluffballs brought home many kinds of nuts, which he and Telingewei roasted and prepared.
• Habu brought back bell-shaped nuts that Telingewei warned were bitter and astringent, but Xie Juanhan tasted one and had to spit it out.
• Xie Juanhan noticed that the bitter nuts smelled good when roasted, so he decided to grind them into powder and see what happened.

After Xie Juanhan made bitter nut candy, he stayed awake all night and took Telingewei to the Sea of Clouds Cottage, while Telingewei left gold coins for the fluffballs. The fluffballs later decided to gather more nuts to trade for coins, but learned that the Swamp Banshees had collected most of them.

• Xie Juanhan ground roasted nuts into powder, made candy with sugar, cream, and butter, and shared it with Telingewei and the Companion Beasts.
• After eating the candy and drinking plain tea, Xie Juanhan could not sleep, so he and Telingewei slipped away to the Sea of Clouds Cottage.
• Telingewei left two gold coins under each fluffball's mat, and the excited fluffballs took their coins to the dragon's cave to count them.
• The fluffballs held a meeting and decided to gather more nuts to trade with Telingewei for gold coins.
• Habu led the fluffballs to the nut trees, but they found almost no edible nuts left in winter.
• Moli led the fluffballs to the Pixies, who told them that the Swamp Banshees had gathered most of the nuts by the beach.

The fluffballs tried repeatedly to trade for nuts with the Swamp Banshees, but their offers of gold, snacks, and vegetables were refused. After Telingewei uncovered their plan to take Dragon Power Crystal fertilizer, Xie Juanhan and Telingewei scolded them, then thanked them for bringing home nuts and roasted them the next morning.

• Moli carried the Pixies to the Swamp Banshees, who gave the fluffballs a small handful of nuts but refused their gold coins.
• Haxi led the fluffballs back to offer snacks and then vegetables for more nuts, but the Swamp Banshees rejected both trades.
• Telingewei read Hani and Haxi's memories and discovered their plan to borrow Dragon Power Crystal fertilizer from the Magic Wand Tree and trade it for nuts.
• Telingewei warned the fluffballs not to take things from home, while Xie Juanhan told the Magic Wand Tree to guard its fertilizer.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei served the fluffballs dinner, and Xie Juanhan thanked them for bringing home the nuts.
• The next morning, Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cut the nuts and roasted them, filling the house with their rich aroma.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei traded fermented sea-mud fertilizer with the Swamp Banshees for fragrant nuts, then learned that the Goblins’ generous Spring Festival gifts celebrated their newly grown Goblin Mother Tree. Xie Juanhan and the fluffies visited the Goblin village to return gifts, and he offered to bless the mother tree.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei traded sea-mud fertilizer with the Swamp Banshees, who loaded two large sacks of nuts onto Nibote before Telingewei carried them home.
• Xie Juanhan made a delicious hot drink from the nuts, which the fluffies enjoyed in moderation because it kept them awake.
• Harper and the other fluffies returned from delivering Spring Festival gifts with a huge haul from the Goblins, and Moli explained that the Goblin Mother Tree had grown.
• Sylvan explained that the Goblins had brought a sapling from their Mother Tree when they moved, and Xie Juanhan realized it was the tree that had grown in spring.
• Xie Juanhan, Telingewei, and the fluffies brought gifts to the Goblin village, where the Goblins showed them their sheltered Mother Tree.
• Xie Juanhan asked the Goblins whether they wanted him to give their Mother Tree a White Dragon’s blessing.

Xie Juanhan blessed the Goblin mother tree, then helped the Goblins welcome an unexpectedly large number of newborns. After delivering fifty-three little Goblins, he and Telingewei discussed making them a safer, roomier home.

• Xie Juanhan blessed the Goblin mother tree and promised the Goblins they could ask him for help.
• The Goblins formally invited Xie Juanhan to carry out their newborns and brought him gifts and ceremonial clothes.
• Xie Juanhan gathered with the Goblins and other forest inhabitants to perform the ceremony at the mother tree.
• With Sylvan explaining the mother tree’s response, Xie Juanhan carried out fifty-three little Goblins, who were planted in the Goblins’ nursery field.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei discussed clearing and protecting another plot for the little Goblins.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei planted the little Goblins beneath the Magic Wand Tree, where they quickly sprouted leaves, then began preparing for spring planting. After the Companion Beasts asked to visit the Tata Fish, they flew out with Nibote and Moli and joined the fish in a hunt.

• The Magic Wand Tree offered to shelter the little Goblins beneath its roots, and Xie Juanhan and Telingewei agreed to the plan.
• The Goblins brought the little Goblins to Xie Juanhan's courtyard, where they were planted under the Magic Wand Tree and watered with mountain spring water.
• Within three days, the little Goblins sprouted leaves, while Xie Juanhan and Telingewei prepared to expand their pond and begin spring planting.
• Harper and the other Companion Beasts asked to visit the Tata Fish, and Telingewei agreed as long as they behaved.
• Nibote carried the Companion Beasts and Moli out to sea, where they reunited with the Tata Fish, shared food, and set off together to hunt wild fish.

As spring arrived, Xie Juanhan’s household welcomed the warmer weather and enjoyed fresh mushrooms brought by Moli from the Demon Wolves. After a mushroom risotto dinner, the fluffballs persuaded Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to take them mushroom picking and have a picnic the next day.

• Moli returned with a basket of carefully selected fresh mushrooms from the big Demon Wolves, and Xie Juanhan identified several varieties.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei prepared mushroom risotto and invited Sylvan and his giant eagle to eat with them.
• After dinner, the fluffballs asked Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to take them mushroom picking.
• Nibote and Haxi pressed Xie Juanhan for an outing, and the fluffballs settled on combining mushroom picking with a picnic.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei took the fluffy creatures into the Magic Forest to pick mushrooms, but found almost none, so Xie Juanhan suggested searching the clouds for Cloud Mushrooms. As the group began their skyward mushroom hunt, Xie Juanhan told Telingewei about picking Cloud Mushrooms as a young dragon and promised to take him mushroom picking alone in his hometown, prompting Haxi to call out from nearby.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei woke to the nine fluffy creatures scratching at their door, then made breakfast and packed sandwiches before setting out to pick mushrooms.
• Harper and the others led the group through the Magic Forest, but the cold March weather left them with very few mushrooms to gather.
• Xie Juanhan used divination and suggested they search the clouds for Cloud Mushrooms, so Telingewei transformed into a giant dragon and carried everyone into the sky.
• Nibote released his grip and soared through the clouds with Harper and the others clinging to his fur, while Xie Juanhan watched them and spoke with Telingewei.
• Xie Juanhan told Telingewei about picking Cloud Mushrooms as a young dragon and promised to take him to hidden mushroom spots in his hometown without Harper and the others, but Haxi called out before he could finish.

Xie Juanhan and the dragons took the fluffballs to gather Cloud Mushrooms, but the little ones flew into storm clouds and were nearly struck by lightning. The White Dragon diverted a huge bolt, which dislodged a bounty of mushrooms; back home, Xie Juanhan began cooking them.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei helped the fluffballs search the clouds for Cloud Mushrooms, and the White Dragon joined the little ones when they wanted to pick with Nibote.
• Harper and the others ventured into thick clouds that turned dark, where lightning made their fur stand on end and they called for help.
• The White Dragon used the Lightning-Attracting Art to draw a massive bolt into the clouds, and the lightning shook many Cloud Mushrooms loose.
• The White Dragon, the great dragon, and Nibote caught the falling mushrooms before they hit the ground and filled their basket.
• Nibote carried the fluffballs and the basket home, where Xie Juanhan began frying sliced Cloud Mushrooms with garlic and Spicy Clam.

Xie Juanhan’s Cloud Mushroom dinner captivated the fluffballs, Telingewei, and villagers across the river, while Wokeli’s newspaper article drew travelers to the Magic Forest. During a patrol, Harper and the others chased down an unfamiliar little beast, then brought it back to Xie Juanhan, who wondered where it had come from.

• Xie Juanhan cooked Cloud Mushrooms with fried rice, and Harper, the fluffballs, and Telingewei eagerly ate the meal.
• The Cloud Mushroom aroma reached Ailan Village and nearby settlements, where villagers ate far more bread than usual.
• Wokeli wrote about the Magic Forest’s foods, and his widely circulated article attracted adventurers and travelers to the region.
• Tuoyin discussed the article with his companions but avoided the dragons’ cottage, wary of being made to solve math problems again.
• Harper and the other fluffballs patrolled the Magic Forest, chased an unfamiliar little beast with netherfire beneath its paws, and captured it.
• Xie Juanhan saw the beast beneath the fluffballs’ paws and asked where it had come from.

Xie Juanhan returned Tuoyin’s Life Magic beast, Doris, and learned that the Magic Forest had grown richer in magic herbs and more popular with adventurers. Inspired by the runes he saw at Xie Juanhan’s home, Tuoyin attempted a new magic array and accidentally destroyed his inn room.

• Xie Juanhan identified the little beast Harper and the others brought home as a weak Life Magic creation and cared for it while it grew attached to him.
• Tuoyin came to the courtyard for Doris, greeted Xie Juanhan and Sylvan, and became fascinated by the Life Magic runes in their study.
• Tuoyin told Xie Juanhan that the Magic Forest had gained rare herbs and attracted more adventurers over the past two years.
• Xie Juanhan returned Doris to Tuoyin, while Moli followed them cautiously out of the forest.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei added protective magic around their farmland, homes, and the intelligent creatures’ dwellings.
• Tuoyin tried to reproduce the magic-array idea he had seen, blew up seven batches of materials, and damaged the inn where he was staying.