Chapter Summaries

Tuoyin came to Xie Juanhan and Telingewei for help after accidentally destroying an inn, and joined their effort to develop rune templates. After the first template succeeded, the group used it to collect energy for the Star Berries and received help from the Elves with spring planting.

• Tuoyin arrived at the Magic Forest badly burned and explained that his magic array had blown up the inn.
• Xie Juanhan offered Tuoyin a job calculating runes, promised he could leave after a year, and signed a magic contract with him.
• Xie Juanhan, Sylvan, Tuoyin, and Telingewei tested a rune template on Kaonielin Plain, where it exploded despite correct calculations and design.
• Tuoyin suggested trying magic potions or potion crystals, and the group eventually made a template that absorbed energy from magical creatures.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei buried rune templates in their yard to collect energy for nourishing Star Berries without drawing on the land's vitality.
• Yiluo brought Elves to help Xie Juanhan and the others transplant Star Berries and aquatic plants, and the Elves' transplanted berries grew especially well.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei hosted a spring celebration where the Tuonai'er Demon Birds beat up the Elves’ drunken giant eagles. After the birds caused further trouble around the farm, Xie Juanhan sought help castrating them, but Old Fowler refused.

• The Elves and Goblins helped Xie Juanhan’s household transplant Star Berries and tend the fields as humans and dragons began spring planting.
• At a bonfire celebration, Elves shared berry wine with their giant eagles, which passed out drunk; Tuonai'er Demon Birds then pecked and attacked them.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei arrived and stopped the birds, while the angry giant eagles followed Xie Juanhan for snacks and comfort.
• Xie Juanhan learned that the Demon Birds had also pecked at crops and tried to attack the young Goblins, so he considered how to control them.
• Orfrey suggested castrating the unruly birds, but Old Fowler refused to do the job because they were level-three Demon Birds.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei castrated nearly all the male Tuonai'er Demon Birds, and the one they spared became the flock’s leader, driving adventurers away from the farmland. Later, while Xie Juanhan and Telingewei were away, the Tata Fish offered to help Harper and the others charge rune templates in the territories of level-four Demonic Beasts, and the group set out with a stack of templates.

• Telingewei learned to castrate roosters and then castrated forty of the forty-one male Tuonai'er Demon Birds, leaving the largest one for breeding.
• The young birds healed quickly, fought less, and followed the uncastered male as their leader.
• The leader and its flock chased adventurers away from the farmland, prompting Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to realize the birds were keeping visitors at bay.
• The Tata Fish visited Harper and the other Companion Beasts while Xie Juanhan and Telingewei were away collecting whale fat.
• Harper and the others explained that rune templates beneath them were absorbing life aura, and the Tata Fish suggested placing more templates in the lairs of level-four Demonic Beasts.
• Moli brought out a stack of unused rune templates, and the Tata Fish carried the Companion Beasts toward the sea.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei discovered that Harper and the others had taken rune templates to magic-beast dens, then punished the group after learning how they had done it. The fluffballs and Tata Fish were soon forgiven over a meal, while the little Goblins continued to win Xie Juanhan’s affection.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei returned home and learned from the Magic Wand Tree that Harper and the others had taken rune templates to magic-beast dens.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei set out to find them but met the Tata Fish returning with the Companion Beasts and learned they had tied the templates to rocks and placed them in the dens.
• The Tata Fish admitted they had eaten all the Demonic Oysters they found, and Xie Juanhan punished the fluffballs and Tata Fish for going without him and Telingewei.
• The little Goblins comforted Xie Juanhan with their leaves, and he reassured them and gave them Dragon Power.
• Xie Juanhan called the punished group to eat, and he and Telingewei served them patties, shredded beast meat, salad, and marinated One-Bone Fish.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei spread rune templates among their friends and allies so the templates could absorb magic power, while the Golden-Horned Deer agreed to help in exchange for a share of Golden Vine Pumpkins. They then summoned Sylvan to help redesign the magic array, and Nibote rushed outside to meet Sylvan’s giant eagle.

• Xie Juanhan warned the Tata Fish not to steal the One-Bone Fish, and the Pixies offered to help nurture rune templates.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei placed rune templates with the Pixies, Goblins, Flower Elves, Weaving Fairies, Water Demons, Dwarves, Perytons, and Demon Wolves.
• Little messenger birds carried rune templates to friends across the world, prompting Xie Juanhan and Telingewei to make more until magical materials grew scarce in Teme Port.
• The Golden-Horned Deer leader asked for rune templates and agreed to help nurture them in exchange for a share of Golden Vine Pumpkins.
• Sylvan arrived to help Xie Juanhan redesign the magic array, while his giant eagle called Harper and the others outside.
• Nibote rushed toward the courtyard gate, and the Magic Wand Tree whipped his bottom to stop him from flying inside.

Xie Juanhan and his companions completed a vast magic array over their farmland, which became a gathering place for magical creatures. While sharing the first ripe Cold Melons, Xie Juanhan learned more about the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds, and Kuitifulong offered to open a way there, leaving the furry companions eager to go.

• Xie Juanhan and Sylvan planned a huge magic array, gathered the materials, and finalized its design with help from Yiluo and Magister friends.
• Telingewei supervised Dwarf craftsmen as they installed the array across Xie Juanhan's farmland and ponds, which magical creatures began visiting to socialize.
• Xie Juanhan, Harper, and the furry companions picked ripe Cold Melons and shared them with the Flower Elves, who told them about the sealed divine mountain and the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds.
• Kuitifulong brought spring water and told Xie Juanhan and Telingewei he could open the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds for one day and one night on a moonless night.
• Haxi, Nibote, and the other furry companions pressed Xie Juanhan to take them to the hunting grounds, but he had not agreed.

Xie Juanhan and his companions entered the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds, where Telingewei was transformed into a tiny, speechless Black Dragon. The chapter ended with Telingewei swatting Harper, the other fluffballs, and Nibote down the hillside while Moli escaped with them.

• The fluffballs followed Xie Juanhan around and eagerly behaved themselves after he promised to ask Telingewei to take them to the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds.
• Xie Juanhan and his companions traveled to Kuitifulong’s home, and Kuitifulong led them to the swamp entrance and opened the way into the Inner Land.
• Kuitifulong warned Xie Juanhan and the others to leave before daybreak, and they entered the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds one by one.
• Xie Juanhan transformed into a White Dragon after hearing the fluffballs cry out, then discovered Telingewei had become a small Black Dragon who could only chirp.
• Telingewei swept Harper and the other fluffballs down the hillside, swatted Nibote after them, and failed to hit Moli as Moli gathered the fluffballs and fled.

Telingewei had reverted to a juvenile dragon and fought with Harper and the other Companion Beasts, so Xie Juanhan led them into a mountain palace in the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds. An ancient magic array trapped the youngsters in auditorium seats, and the chapter ended with Little Black Dragon blasting the hall with Dragon Flame.

• Telingewei and the Companion Beasts tried to fight again, but Xie Juanhan stopped them and led the group deeper into the hunting grounds.
• Xie Juanhan found a palace built into a mountain and entered it with Little Black Dragon, Moli, and the others.
• An unknown force swept Xie Juanhan and the group into a large hall, where it restrained the youngsters in oversized chairs.
• Xie Juanhan identified the force as an ancient deity's magic array and failed to destroy it when it repaired itself.
• After Xie Juanhan reassured the trapped youngsters, Little Black Dragon glared at the far end of the hall and unleashed Dragon Flame.

Xie Juanhan and the others explored an ancient hall after Little Black Dragon freed Harper and the Companion Beasts from a magic array. They found a scroll written in an unfamiliar script and moved on to a banquet hall, with Little Black Dragon clinging possessively to Xie Juanhan.

• Little Black Dragon used Dragon Flame to destroy the stone stools and free Harper and the others, though the blast brought books and papers down from above.
• Xie Juanhan found that most of the fallen books and papers were blank, but a beast-hide scroll bore golden characters in a script he did not recognize.
• Xie Juanhan flew up to inspect a ruined library above the hall, found no other notable items, and stored its papers, books, and scrolls in his spatial armband.
• Little Black Dragon stayed with the Companion Beasts while Xie Juanhan searched, then clung to him and glared at the others as they continued exploring.
• Xie Juanhan led the group into another hall that appeared to have been used for banquets.

White Dragon and the others explored the vast palace in the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds, discovering valuable ancient wine lees and a magnificent colosseum. Near the closing entrance, the adolescent Black Dragon suddenly flew away, and Xie Juanhan’s divination showed he was safe and would gain something, though the group still had to escape in time.

• White Dragon collected nine jars of fragrant fine lees from an enormous wine vat and kept the Companion Beasts from jumping in after them.
• White Dragon and Black Dragon explored the palace, found an empty underground bunker, and emerged at a gigantic colosseum built into a canyon.
• Xie Juanhan and the others admired the ancient arena before deciding to return to the entrance as their time in the hunting grounds ran short.
• The adolescent Black Dragon tipped the furry creatures off his back and shot into the sky, leaving Xie Juanhan unable to follow immediately.
• Xie Juanhan divined that the Black Dragon was safe and would gain something, then hurried to get the others out before the entrance closed.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei escaped the closing Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds with their companions and three Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep. After Telingewei apologized to the angry Companion Beasts, Hadi asked to ride on his back, and they settled together while Xie Juanhan watched.

• Xie Juanhan and the others waited for the young Black Dragon, who returned just before the entrance closed with three Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep.
• Xie Juanhan and the young Black Dragon hurried everyone through the entrance, and Xie Juanhan pulled the growing dragon out just before the Hunting Grounds closed.
• Kuitifulong identified the sheep as Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep, and Telingewei agreed to prepare the injured one because the other two included a male and a female.
• The Companion Beasts confronted Telingewei over his behavior in the Inner Land, rejected his gold coins and jerky, and listened as he apologized.
• Hadi asked to perch on Telingewei's back, and the other Companion Beasts joined him on the Black Dragon's scaled-down adult form.
• Xie Juanhan sat nearby and took out a flute as Telingewei and the Companion Beasts rested together.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei shared a meal with Kuitifulong, who helped them interpret an ancient sacrificial scroll and its star charts. After the feast, Xie Juanhan said he and Telingewei still had something to do and would not return yet.

• Xie Juanhan and the Companion Beasts drank Kuitifulong’s mutton soup and ate his roast Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep.
• Xie Juanhan showed Kuitifulong the ancient scrolls, and Kuitifulong identified a record of a sacrifice and star configurations.
• Telingewei realized the chair she had sat in at the ruins was reserved for dragon young, suggesting dragons had been on the old class roster.
• Xie Juanhan and Kuitifulong wondered whether ancient gods had left their world, since so few ruins and records remained.
• After the meal, Xie Juanhan told Kuitifulong he and Telingewei had something else to do and would not return yet, surprising Telingewei and prompting Haxi to tug at his pants.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei visited the Sea of Clouds Cottage and grew closer as they recalled Telingewei’s childhood. Back at the courtyard, two Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep attacked the Magic Wand Tree, and Moli subdued them before helping the tree move its roots.

• Xie Juanhan sent Kuitifulong home with the furry ones and rode with Telingewei to the Sea of Clouds Cottage.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei discussed Telingewei’s childhood, then Xie Juanhan offered him a set of rune-covered chains and they kissed.
• Kuitifulong left the Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep in the courtyard, where they later tried to eat the little Goblins and tore leaves from the Magic Wand Tree.
• The Magic Wand Tree attacked the sheep with magma, but they ate it and kept devouring its leaves until it woke the furry ones by scorching their tails.
• Moli charged the sheep, knocked them down, and dragged one toward the Magic Wand Tree, which pulled its roots out of the ground.

While Xie Juanhan and Telingewei were away, their Companion Beasts, Sylvan, and the Dwarves arranged to build a sheep pen for the two Divine Goats. When the pair returned to find the pen nearly finished, the Weaving Fairies were so captivated by Xie Juanhan’s elegant outfit that they fell from the air.

• Simurgh found Xie Juanhan’s yard in disarray, with the Magic Wand Tree uprooted and two Divine Goats bound, and brought Sylvan to investigate.
• Sylvan learned that Xie Juanhan and Telingewei were away and agreed with the Companion Beasts to arrange a temporary sheep pen.
• Simurgh and the Griffin fetched Dwarf craftsmen, who accepted only two gold coins and began building the pen with help from the forest creatures.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei returned to find the sheep pen almost finished.
• The Weaving Fairies stared at Xie Juanhan’s covered, elegant outfit, fell from the air, and asked to make him clothes.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cared for their Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep and planned to study the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds’ star charts with help from the Elves. As the household prepared for the Star Berries’ harvest and discovered the sheep might be expecting, Moli questioned whether the ewe was really pregnant.

• Xie Juanhan and his friends penned the two Peiaonuoer Divine Sheep, shared a meal, and sent star-chart rubbings and ancient writing fragments to the Elves for Yiluo to examine.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei thinned the Star Berry flowers, while Xie Juanhan promised to cook them because the Companion Beasts disliked Telingewei’s vegetables.
• Xie Juanhan found discarded vegetables in the sheep’s trough and learned that Harper and the others had been feeding them to the Divine Goats.
• Xie Juanhan noticed that the ewe’s belly and udder had grown and suspected she was pregnant, prompting the fluffies to bring her aquatic plants.
• Moli sniffed the ewe and signaled that she was not pregnant, leaving Xie Juanhan puzzled by her changed body.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei discovered that one of their Divine Goats produced mead, which they and the Companion Beasts drank and found restorative. After the goat stopped producing mead, they asked Kuitifulong about it, and he confirmed other Divine Goats had never produced any.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei milked the ewe and discovered she was producing golden mead, which Telingewei identified as Divine Goat mead.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei drank the mead, felt relaxed and restored, and shared a kiss as the Companion Beasts watched.
• Telingewei gave mead to the Companion Beasts, and the whole family drank together in the Magic Forest before napping.
• After waking, Xie Juanhan and the others pampered the Divine Goats, but the ewe never produced mead again despite waiting nearly half a month.
• Xie Juanhan summoned Kuitifulong, who said other Divine Goats had never produced mead, and Xie Juanhan wondered if theirs had made it once as a final burst of life.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei brought four more Divine Goats home, but the ewes produced no mead, so they suspected the goats needed to eat leaves from the Magic Wand Tree. After the tree’s mead was accidentally spilled onto the little Goblins, Xie Juanhan negotiated for leaves, and the tree asked them to trim more before they left.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei caught four Divine Goats in the Peiaonuoer Hunting Grounds and cared for them at home, but the ewes showed no sign of producing mead.
• Telingewei suggested that the goats might need Magic Wand Tree leaves, and Xie Juanhan asked the tree for some in exchange for Dragon Power Crystal fertilizer.
• The Magic Wand Tree drank the remaining Divine Goat mead, then spat it out onto the little Goblins, who eagerly absorbed it with their leaves.
• The Magic Wand Tree agreed to let Xie Juanhan and Telingewei trim leaves if they first tested whether a goat that had never eaten them would produce mead.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei carefully trimmed the Magic Wand Tree’s branches, and the tree shyly asked them to trim a little more.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cared for the Magic Wand Tree and learned what the Divine Goats needed to produce mead, then discovered all five goats were pregnant. After rumors brought a tearful group of Tata Fish to his home, Xie Juanhan reassured them and sent Harper and the others to show them the goats while he prepared to tend the aquatic plants.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei trimmed the Magic Wand Tree's entire crown, then fertilized and watered it; the tree and the little Goblins soon fell asleep.
• Xie Juanhan told Sylvan that level-four magical plants stimulated the Divine Goats to produce mead, while level-three or higher plants were needed to sustain production.
• Xie Juanhan discovered that all five Divine Goats were pregnant before autumn and warned Harper and the others not to frighten them; the fluffballs spread the news through the Magic Forest.
• A group of Tata Fish arrived believing Xie Juanhan no longer wanted their fish milk, and he reassured them that he still wanted to trade.
• Xie Juanhan asked Harper and the others to take the Tata Fish to see the Divine Goats, then prepared to fertilize the aquatic plants with Telingewei.

Xie Juanhan and Telingewei fertilized their aquatic plants and discovered a Demon Bird nesting ground with many unfertilized eggs. They brought back two baskets of eggs, and Xie Juanhan found one was a level-two Demon Bird egg; at home, they cooked steamed eggs with Demonic Sea Urchin while the fluffballs waited eagerly.

• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei flew to the bay to fertilize their aquatic plants, which had spread across the mudflat.
• Xie Juanhan found a Demon Bird egg in the mud and discovered many more nearby, including both fertilized and unfertilized eggs.
• Xie Juanhan and Telingewei collected two baskets of unfertilized eggs and finished fertilizing the plants before heading home.
• Xie Juanhan cracked open a Demon Bird egg for steamed eggs with Demonic Sea Urchin and realized it was a level-two egg.
• The fluffballs waited at the kitchen door as Xie Juanhan and Telingewei cooked, while Xie Juanhan simmered fish soy sauce for their meal.

Xie Juanhan made mayonnaise and fried white bird for his family, then decided to cure salted bird eggs after describing the dishes they could make with them. He followed Habei underground to find yellow clay and discovered they had taken a long route to a clay mound near the Pixies’ foothills.

• Xie Juanhan simmered fish soy sauce for Demonic Sea Urchin egg custard, then made mayonnaise with Telingewei and shared it on toasted bread with the fluffballs.
• Xie Juanhan and his family caught white birds and ate fried pieces with cheese mayonnaise and golden minced garlic with Spicy Clam powder.
• Xie Juanhan described salted egg dishes and proposed curing their extra bird eggs in salted yellow clay.
• Habei offered to lead the family to yellow clay, and Xie Juanhan, Telingewei, and the fluffballs followed Habei underground.
• Habei guided them through a winding cavern to a yellow clay mound near the Pixies’ foothills, and Xie Juanhan realized they could have reached it quickly aboveground.