Chapter 48: Mimicry
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Before meditating, Ye Lan glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, who had already drifted into sleep. Only then did Ye Lan realize that Zhu Zhuqing's expres
Before meditating, Ye Lan glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, who had already drifted into sleep. Only then did Ye Lan realize that Zhu Zhuqing's expres
Before meditating, Ye Lan glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, who had already drifted into sleep.
Only then did Ye Lan realize that Zhu Zhuqing's expression was no longer as cold as when they first met. Instead, she looked a little adorably dazed in her sleep—like a small kitten.
Ye Lan forcefully averted his gaze, silently reciting in his heart: Do not gaze upon what is improper.
Though humans on the Douluo Continent matured quickly—most already fully developed by the age of twelve—Ye Lan still carried the mindset of his past life. Zhu Zhuqing had only just turned twelve, and he couldn't bring himself to harbor any disrespectful thoughts.
This was one thing Ye Lan looked down on Tang San for. Even though Xiao Wu was a 100,000-year-old soul beast who had cultivated into human form, Tang San hadn't known that when they first met. The moment he laid eyes on six-year-old Xiao Wu, Tang San developed feelings for her. They even slept on the same bed growing up.
Considering Tang San's mental age was that of an adult, such behavior would definitely be classified as pedophilia on his previous world, Blue Star. The only reason things didn't escalate in the dormitory was that nothing ever "sparked" between them. And since Xiao Wu was technically an ancient soul, Ye Lan simply let that bizarre relationship slide.
After summoning Xiong Er and Big Orange, Ye Lan ordered the two beasts to go catch some fish.
Then, Ye Lan sat cross-legged beside Zhu Zhuqing and entered meditation. This was his first mimicry cultivation session since absorbing his second spirit ring with the Blue Silver Grass.
The Star Dou Forest was unlike human settlements—it was densely vegetated and teeming with Blue Silver Grass.
Not long after Ye Lan immersed his consciousness, he began to sense the presence of countless Blue Silver consciousnesses scattered throughout the forest.
Like fireflies, they gathered around him, each one offering its loyalty as if worshiping an emperor.
Ye Lan's Blue Silver Grass had now evolved beyond the Blue Silver Emperor, though he wasn't sure by how much.
But what he did know was that his martial spirit was edging closer and closer to the realm of divine-level spirits—a true godly path.
Those countless blue fireflies surged toward a "sun" at the center of his consciousness world—that "sun" being Ye Lan himself.
Each blue firefly flashed with joy and excitement as they drew near, as if celebrating his presence.
Perhaps the jubilance of the Blue Silver consciousnesses attracted the attention of other plant spirits, because soon, various other colors of fireflies began appearing in Ye Lan's awareness.
Green, gold, red, purple—he wasn't even sure what they represented.
Outside the conscious realm, all kinds of flowers, grasses, vines, leaves, fruits, and plants leaned subtly toward Ye Lan. Though they couldn't move, they seemed irresistibly drawn to him, as if by a massive gravitational "magnet."
Only the nearby Blue Silver Grass and weeds could physically touch him, clinging to his body and emitting a faint blue glow—as if awaiting the awakening of their emperor.
When Ye Lan awoke, his mind felt sharper than ever.
Sensing the spirit power within his body, he realized mimicry cultivation no longer enhanced his cultivation speed.
His first soul skill, I Want to Grow Up, had already pushed his cultivation efficiency to its limit. Any further improvement would likely depend on another evolution of the Blue Silver Grass.
However, mimicry cultivation wasn't without its rewards. One major benefit was the drastic increase in Ye Lan's spiritual power—an astonishing leap.
Ye Lan believed that if he continued practicing daily, it wouldn't be long before his spiritual power far surpassed that of other soul masters at his level.
Opening his eyes, Ye Lan surveyed his surroundings. The grasses bent toward him, the trees leaned in his direction, and fruits had fallen and rolled beside him.
It was as if he had become the center of the plant world. He understood that this was due to the immensely high rank of his martial spirit, Blue Silver Grass: Radiant Spirit of Life.
These plants were welcoming their emperor.
During his cultivation, their growth rate had tripled.
The second surprise of mimicry cultivation was that these plants were now transmitting their "true selves" to Ye Lan.
By connecting with their consciousness fireflies, Ye Lan could now learn their names, properties, and attributes through his mental world.
It was a pity Ye Lan didn't know alchemy—otherwise, he'd absolutely become a genius apothecary.
As Ye Lan awakened, the surrounding plants stopped inching toward him, returning to a seemingly normal state.
But Ye Lan knew, with just a thought, they'd leap back into joyous action.
He didn't yet know what purpose this held—but he was sure he'd find out one day.
Shaking off these thoughts, Ye Lan turned to Xiong Er. The bear was snoring away in bliss. Big Orange, though appearing asleep with shut eyes, had alert, upright ears and a swishing tiger tail—clearly awake and aware.
"You lazy thing!" Ye Lan cursed jokingly.
Looking over, he noticed more than a dozen big green fish laid out beside Xiong Er. Evidently, the bear had been serious about catching them, so Ye Lan didn't interrupt his nap.
He picked up a fish—over twenty pounds and nearly a meter long.
The rest, amounting to dozens or even hundreds of pounds of fish, were left for Xiong Er and Big Orange to eat raw. Ye Lan wasn't even sure if soul beasts could eat cooked food—and frankly, he wasn't going to bother pampering them.
During his meditation, Ye Lan had never fully withdrawn his awareness. He had left behind his Blue Silver Grass to sense any movement around him.
Noticing that neither beast had shown any sign of threat, Ye Lan now completely trusted them.
Leaving Zhu Zhuqing under Big Orange's watch, Ye Lan carried the big fish to a nearby river to clean it.
He bled the fish, removed the guts, scraped off the scales, and cleared away the dark membrane and gills—completing the initial deodorizing process.
Then, Ye Lan sank into his consciousness again, searching for wild herbs that could remove fishy odors and for spicy fruits to add flavor.
There were many plants in Douluo Continent he didn't recognize—but now that he had the ability to identify them, he would never lack seasoning again.
As for the most crucial ingredient—salt—he had a bag of it in his backpack.
He hadn't brought other spices though; there just wasn't enough room in the bag for everything.
Day N of missing soul tools...
…
Zhu Zhuqing slowly awoke from her drowsy state, feeling more relaxed than ever before. Then, suddenly, she became alert.
"Where… where am I? Why did I fall asleep in the wild?" Her mind blank for a moment, she looked up and saw a familiar face beside the campfire—a golden-haired youth.
Instantly, countless memories flooded her mind. She recalled the moment when the golden-haired young man had rescued her.
He clearly had the aura of a king, yet his gentle and approachable smile made people want to draw close.
As those memories replayed, Zhu Zhuqing's mind drifted into a daze. She didn't know what she was thinking.
Then, she suddenly realized something—her body felt unusually relaxed.
She looked down… and saw a noticeable curve.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Ye Lan, hearing Zhu Zhuqing's scream, skewered the fish over the fire and rushed to her side.
"What's wrong, Zhu Zhuqing?" he asked, only to find her face flushed red.
"You… y-y-you! Don't play dumb!" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes darted toward her chest in panic. Her undergarment was missing!
Could it have been… him who did this?!
(End of Chapter)