The eaves of the four-sided pavilion curved high, and Xiao Wu hopped up the bluestone steps, brushing away a few fallen leaves.
Rotom's metallic casing was still coated with fine dust, and its infantile giggles—processed through a voice modulator—echoed between the pillars along with crackling electrical sounds: "Baby wants a hug, Rotom~."
"Like I'd ever hug you!"
Xiao Wu spun to dodge the mechanical arm's feigned grab, her braided ponytail whipping against Rotom as she moved.
Xiao Wu kept dodging and running, while Rotom chased her with piercing laughter, circling the pavilion repeatedly. It often emitted eerie tones to frighten her.
"Wah! Rotom~ is going to eat someone!"
But it only made noise, never attacking. Gradually, Xiao Wu realized something was off. "Is this thing just trying to scare me?!"
On the tenth lap around the pillar, Xiao Wu suddenly stopped. A burst of pink light exploded from her toes, and translucent rabbit ear illusions flickered in the air.
As she flipped backward mid-air, her waist bent into an astonishing arc: "First soul skill, Waist Bow! Play Rough!"
Her right leg swept through the air with a sharp whoosh, startling Rotom into a shrill scream.
"Murder! Murder! Rotom~ Help!"
Rotom scrambled in panic, but Xiao Wu's combat experience allowed her to predict its movements. With a powerful kick, she sent it flying far away, leaving a shallow crater where it landed.
"Ow, ow, ow!"
Xiao Wu dropped onto the smooth stone steps, cradling her reddened ankle and wincing in pain.
Rotom, having been flung into the muddy ground, carved out a half-foot-deep trench. Gingko leaves wedged in its shell gaps fell away with a rustle as it expelled heat.
When it shakily rose back into the air, the emoticon on its screen changed to <(￣︶￣)>.
Rotom patted itself with its mechanical arms, "Rotom~ I'm fine."
It was back in action, circling Xiao Wu's head playfully once more.
Gu La's wheelchair crunched over fallen leaves as he called out, "Stop. Don't tease Xiao Wu anymore. Let's get to work."
He flicked his fingers, releasing a cluster of emerald-green light that split into seven points, each precisely entering Xiao Wu's foot acupoints.
"The next time you face an enemy with strong defenses, use the side of your heel to strike. Don't be so reckless like this time."
Xiao Wu pouted as she got up, angrily shaking her fists at Gu La. "I know already, you just love watching me embarrass myself."
Gu La chuckled, placating her. "You were the one moving too fast. Don't be mad. Rotom's just playful—I'll help discipline it later. For now, release your martial soul and soul rings."
"Hmph, that's better." Satisfied, Xiao Wu released her martial soul.
"Rotom, begin."
"Scanning… Rotom~"
Rotom's scanning equipment came from the Pokémon world's top-tier scanners used in Pokémon Centers. Designed to quickly assess internal and external injuries for targeted treatment, it worked exceptionally well for scanning meridians too.
While Rotom scanned, Xiao Wu didn't just stand idly by. She walked over to Gu La and steadied his wheelchair.
"So, are you going to explain now?"
Gu La shrugged. "I wasn't lying earlier. Rotom really is a newly born life form. The materials Rongrong's father provided had inherent spirituality, and after my modifications, they coincidentally gave birth to life."
"Is that so?"
Xiao Wu remained skeptical. It was hard to imagine Gu La creating life—even with special materials, such an act should belong to the realm of gods in legends.
Gu La changed the subject: "Xiao Wu, tell me about your transformation process. Give me some details, especially how your species changed."
Xiao Wu felt a bit embarrassed. After spending so much time in human society, she had almost forgotten her identity as a transformed spirit beast. Lowering her head, she asked, "Why do you want to know? I've almost forgotten all about it."
"I need to reference your transformation process to refine the cultivation technique. Try to recall carefully."
"Well, since you're asking nicely… I'll try to remember."
Xiao Wu tapped her chin, recalling the specifics of her transformation.
"I remember when I broke through the hundred-thousand-year mark, sensing the approaching thunder calamity. Unlike Da Ming and the others, I didn't feel confident enough to endure it, so I chose to transform. Once I made up my mind, I began sealing the essence of my soul power.
"Some of my soul power formed a cocoon-like structure externally, and my body started changing. The process itself was blurry. I just thought about wanting to become cuter and didn't control it much.
"At the time, my soul power felt like a drained spring. I could sense my bones melting and reshaping."
Unconsciously, Xiao Wu tugged at the rabbit ear decorations on her skirt. "The scariest part was when my thoughts were compressed—it felt like stuffing my brain into a narrow container."
She paused suddenly. "After that, I can't remember anything clearly."
Gu La felt somewhat disappointed. Such vague descriptions offered limited help.
"It's probably due to the brain restructuring, which caused memory loss."
Taking out a notebook, Gu La used telekinesis to write and record continuously. He pondered, 'Spirit beasts transforming is part of the natural rules. Should I communicate with the plane's consciousness to inquire further?'
However, thinking about how the plane's consciousness was even more confused than Xiao Wu, Gu La sighed in frustration. The plane's consciousness had just been born, akin to an infant, and couldn't engage in normal communication.
Mental communication differed significantly from the precision required for scientific research.
Plagued by these thoughts, Gu La looked up at the endless expanse of blue sky, which lifted his spirits slightly.
"Am I not being helpful?"
Xiao Wu fidgeted with her skirt, asking shyly.
"No, you've helped tremendously. No one else could have told me about the sensations during transformation—it's invaluable data."
"That's good." Xiao Wu brightened again, her rabbit ears twitching. Her fingers unconsciously traced Gu La's cheek.
Half an hour later, Rotom flew to Gu La, emitting a cheerful electronic chirp:
"Rotom~ Recalculation complete. Time Taken: 27 minutes and 56 seconds. Shall I begin the demonstration?"
Curious, Xiao Wu stared at it. "Why can metal make sounds?"
"I'll let it explain that to you later."
Gu La stepped aside. "Begin the demonstration."
"Understood, Rotom~"
Rotom projected a three-dimensional hologram, perfectly displaying a meridian map based on Gu La's body.
"Using the Mysterious Heaven Technique as a blueprint, I found twenty-seven previously undocumented hidden meridians and one hundred sixty-three minor meridian-like structures. Based on the energy cores near the trainer's heart and brain—named the Red Orb and Space-Time Flower (T/N: Author added Key item for Celebi)—and the concept of the dantian, I constructed a 3-in-1 soul power circulation system."
In the projection, soul power marked in red and blue flowed from the heart as the starting point, traveling upward to the brain and downward to the dantian. Eventually, it passed through two other locations, completing a full cycle.
Gu La stared at the projection, finding it oddly familiar. "This is… the human circulatory system."
Rotom calmly responded, "Trainer is so smart, Rotom~. Truly worthy of being Rotom's master."
"You said you possess the essences of Groudon and Celebi, making you a humanoid Legendary. Your circulatory system naturally adapts to the energy systems of both spirit beasts. Adding a soul power circulation structure will only amplify efficiency."
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