Not far from Xie Sen and his companions, the thick stem of a sunflower gleamed with a faint green light. Beside it stood a gigantic flying lion beast. The
flying lion beast was over three meters tall, with a body similar to a giant lion, a flowing golden mane around its neck, and enormous, metallic-looking wings on its back, making it appear even larger and more ferocious.
However, its behavior was strange. It glared fiercely at the sunflower stem, roaring as if facing an enemy, then pounced, its jaws snapping shut with lightning speed. Anyone watching would think it would bite the stem in two.
Yet, the instant it touched the stem, its murderous aura vanished completely. The stem instantly became its prized possession. Its jaws didn't close; instead, it greedily licked the stem with its tongue, its body drawing ever closer.
This fervent display of affection didn't last long. It seemed to freeze for a moment, then retreated with a ferocious expression, increasing the distance between itself and the branch. It roared angrily, then pounced on the branch again, repeating the process.
It was just so ridiculous!
Xie Sen's mind raced with countless melodramatic scenarios, a love-hate relationship filled with torment. If the Flying Lion and the Sunflower were human, this kind of drama wouldn't feel out of place at all.
"What is it doing?" Long Teng asked, bewildered. He and Bai Jiao had come to investigate yesterday. At that time, the Flying Lion had its back to them, and they thought it was attacking the branch but unable to do anything about it. They never imagined the reality was like this!
Maine frowned slightly: "I don't know."
Bai Jiao stared at the branch: "It seems very wary of the sunflower, wanting to destroy it, but after getting close, it can't help but be affectionate."
Xie Sen looked at the slightly glowing branch and roughly understood: "Ah Jiao is probably right."
He didn't know why the Flying Lion attacked the sunflower, but he could understand its change after touching the branch.
Wood energy resides within the sunflower's stem, the closest energy to nature, possessing an extremely strong affinity for all living things. Upon contact, it instinctively draws closer to the trunk, unable to make any harmful movements.
The fact that the winged beast could quickly recover from this instinctive attraction and repeatedly attack the sunflower only indicates that it harbors an extremely strong belief in destroying it.
The leaf that had been guiding them darted in front of the winged beast as it attacked the stem again, quickly raising its broad surface to block it. When the winged beast bumped into the leaf, its movements softened, and it couldn't control itself, rubbing its large head against the leaf.
Xie Sen: "..." This constant switching between hate and love, isn't it tiring?
Another sunflower leaf stretched out in front of Xie Sen, making a waving gesture, indicating that they should continue.
Xie Sen guessed: "You want to take me to the stem?"
The leaf swayed, and Xie Sen felt another wave of pleasure, transmitted to him by the sunflower through its wood energy.
Xie Sen glanced at the branch but didn't walk over directly. The Flying Lion Beast was there; if he went over, he would be very close to it, and the Flying Lion Beast seemed mentally unstable. Although he was very friendly, he couldn't risk it.
Moreover, Maine was the Flying Lion Beast's master; if Maine went with him, he might be repelled upon getting close.
He looked at Maine: "Can you sense the synchronization rate?"
Maine nodded: "It's strange. I can sense its consciousness. It's very agitated. Our synchronization rate should be very high; it should have noticed me and repelled me long ago, but it didn't notice that I was so close." Xie Sen guessed
it might be related to the Flying Lion Beast being too close to the wood energy. He thought for a moment: "Can I get its attention?" Maine
nodded: "Yes." As he spoke, his gaze was fixed on the Flying Lion Beast, and his sharp aura seemed to materialize as he pounced on it. The Flying Lion Beast turned its head alertly, looking directly at Maine, and roared, its roar carrying a heavy pressure and warning. Maine remained expressionless, confronting it.
Bai Jiao, pulling Xie Sen and Long Teng away, was about to do so when the ferocious-looking flying lion suddenly softened its aura. He hesitated, unmoving for a moment. The
flying lion tilted its head, blinked, and with a flap of its wings, flew to Maine in the blink of an eye. It pointed its wing at the branch and roared menacingly.
Maine's expression changed slightly: "You want me to help you destroy it?" The flying lion nodded its large head.
Xie Sen looked at the flying lion in surprise. Did it mean that it would agree to form a contract if Maine destroyed the sunflower?
He couldn't help but ask, "Why destroy it?" The
flying lion raised its head and roared upwards, then roared at the overgrown trees around it, its voice filled with anger.
At this moment, a green leaf darted in front of Xie Sen, curled into a long, thin strip, wrapped around Xie Sen's arm, and gently pulled him towards the middle as if urging him. It didn't use force, but the meaning was clear.
Xie Sen glanced at the Flying Lion Beast, thinking that once he withdrew the energy, he would be able to communicate with it smoothly, without having to ask questions and guess its answers from its actions like he was now.
He looked at Maine: "I'm going to the branch for a bit, you wait a moment." Maine grabbed his hand, and he smiled, "It's alright, the energy is there, I'll go retrieve it."
He followed Green Leaf to the vicinity of the branch, looked up at the flowers covering the mountaintop, and touched the branch. Instantly, a surge of energy rushed up his arm and into his right shoulder, and the temperature of the peony on his shoulder instantly rose to its peak.
Throughout the process, the sunflower leaves did not make any move to stop him. Before long, the green light on the sunflower stems faded, and Adan's excited voice rang in his mind: "Asen, you're awesome! Wood energy successfully recovered, eh~" It paused and then excitedly said, "Wow! Great, finally a highly intelligent plant! Let me chat with it."
Xie Sen was surprised: "You can communicate with it?"
"Of course," Adan said proudly, "I'm a plant system! It said thank you for recovering the energy. It brought you here because it wanted to form a contract with you. It couldn't control its desire to grow continuously and wanted to get the beast master to help control it through a contract. It didn't expect you could recover the energy."
Xie Sen thought about the beast markings on his left shoulder and the sunflower in his consciousness: "How can I form a contract?" He had seen animal contract beasts form contracts several times, but he had no concept of plant contracts.
Adan paused for a moment: "It said you just need to smear your blood on its branches, feel it, and then sincerely swear lifelong loyalty to each other."
Xie Sen was a little doubtful: "Won't contracted plants reject their master?"
"It said they will, but you have a natural aura, so it doesn't reject you; it's very close to you." Adan's tone was smug. "With me here, the plants will definitely like you!"
Xie Sen smiled, thought for a moment, took out a dagger from his backpack, cut his index finger, and smeared the blood on the sunflower's branches. The blood was almost instantly absorbed by the sunflower, and at the same time, the sunflower in his consciousness became exceptionally clear.
He closed his eyes and felt a strange power, heavy yet reassuring, like having gained a loyal companion. He naturally spoke: "I, Xie Sen, swear that today I form a contract with the sunflower, to be loyal for life."
The moment the oath ended, the sunflower in his consciousness came to life. He felt a consciousness that didn't belong to him, warm like sunlight.
Xie Sen opened his eyes, sensing the sunflower's joyful mood. He touched its stem, looked up at its enormous size, and began to worry: "Even an S-rank contracted beast's space lock can't hold it!"
"No problem," Adan said. "It's a plant. Just let it stay here with me. The primal energy I recover can nourish it and make it stronger."
As it spoke, the enormous sunflower in the forest suddenly disappeared, and the forest, which had been covered by the flower, was once again bathed in sunlight. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the trees, creating beautiful light and shadow .
At the same time, in the lower left corner of the hard green book on the system panel, a small sunflower appeared.
"Hmm, it's not a system plant. It needs sunlight to take root here, but it also needs to sprout and bask in the sun. It's too big... I've got it!" Adan said to itself, then happily exclaimed, "That's perfect!"
Xie Sen was about to ask him what he had done when Maine and the other two ran towards him. Maine looked at him with a complicated expression, then pointed to the top of his head: "How could this happen?"
Xie Sen was puzzled. He reached out and touched it. Something had grown on his hair at some point. It felt very soft, and when he touched it, he felt a pleasure that didn't belong to him.
"Wow," Long Teng circled Xie Sen, "Ah Sen, you've got a flower growing on your head!"
Bai Jiao stared at the top of his head: "You've formed a bond with a sunflower? How did it become so small?"
Xie Sen guessed what had happened from their conversation. He opened his bracelet, switched to mirror mode, looked at the small, delicate sunflower on his head, and his lips twitched. A natural plant hair clip?
"Ah Dan, what's going on?" he asked speechlessly. Was this the good idea Ah Dan had mentioned?
Adan said in a boastful tone, "Asen, aren't I super smart? I discussed it with Xiaokui and we made it release its energy into the system, and then its size shrank. That way, it can stay on your head and bask in the sun anytime without attracting attention. Plus, with it there, if someone attacks you from behind, it will immediately notice."
"You don't need to worry either. I taught it how to absorb and release energy. If you need to fight, it can quickly absorb energy and grow bigger. Isn't that great?"
Although having a sunflower on your head is a bit silly, it has to be said that Adan's idea is really brilliant. Otherwise, with the sunflower's large size, it would be really difficult to carry it around at all times and let it bask in the sun all the time.
"Yeah, great, thank you," Xie Sen praised, and couldn't help but ask, "Can we move it to another place? It's a bit conspicuous on your head."
Especially since he was shorter than many people here, anyone who saw him could immediately see the plant on his head. The golden flowers against his black hair were hard to ignore.
"Of course, anywhere is fine, but it's more convenient to sunbathe up there!"
Xie Sen thought for a moment, "Left or right shoulder, either side is fine, just not on my head… When there's no sun, I'll put it back."
Then the three of them saw the little sunflower suddenly disappear from Xie Sen's head and reappear on his right shoulder.
"Wow, it can even change positions!" Long Teng exclaimed in surprise.
Xie Sen smiled, unsure how to explain, and vaguely said, "It's a sunflower, it needs to sunbathe, it can't always stay in the spatial pod."
Long Teng laughed, "Big Black doesn't want to stay in the spatial pod either, it always has to come out."
At this moment, the Flying Lion Beast walked in front of them, creating a large shadow.
The Flying Lion Beast circled where the sunflower had originally been, then walked in front of them, looking down at Xie Sen with its large eyes full of confusion: "Roar~"
Xie Sen thought for a moment, reaching out to touch its chin, but couldn't reach it. Main immediately knew what he was going to do; he knew that Xie Sen could communicate with some contracted beasts through contact.
He grabbed Xie Sen's waist and lifted him up. Xie Sen was startled and hurriedly turned his head. Maine said, "Don't be afraid, you're light, you won't fall."
Xie Sen had no doubt about Maine's strength; he was only startled by the suddenness of the event. He looked at the Flying Lion Beast and reached out to touch its chin: "Can you understand us?"
"Yes, you destroyed the Destroyer?" the Flying Lion Beast asked in a deep voice.
Xie Sen said, "Destroyer? You mean the sunflower?"
"I don't know its name, but recently it started growing bigger and bigger, gradually covering the entire mountain. The mountain was now dark, and plants were growing wildly, destroying animal nests and forcing countless animals to leave. It was the Destroyer."
The Flying Lion Beast sighed deeply as it spoke: "I wanted to destroy it, but it had a strange power that made me unable to resist getting close to it, unable to do anything to harm it."
Xie Sen thought to himself, "Just as I thought."
The Flying Lion Beast stared at him: "You dealt with the Destroyer and protected my home. I must repay you. It's a pity you're not the Flying Lion Beast Master, otherwise I would be willing to form a bond with you."
Xie Sen looked at Maine: "My friend is. He's very powerful. Can you try forming a bond with him?"
The Flying Lion Beast also looked at Maine: "I originally wanted him to help deal with the Destroyer. If he succeeded, I would form a bond with him. Since you are friends, I'll give him a chance, but whether or not we form a bond depends on his abilities."
Xie Sen smiled and relayed the Flying Lion Beast's words to Maine. Maine said, "That suits me perfectly. You guys stand back."
The three of them walked to the side and watched the confrontation between the Flying Lion Beast and Maine.
Long Teng was overjoyed, looking at Xie Sen with sparkling eyes, and said enviously, "I wish I could communicate with my contracted beast."
Xie Sen laughed, "Can't you communicate with Big Black?"
Long Teng: "Oh right, hahaha, that's awesome."
Bai Jiao smiled and exclaimed, "Plant Beast Masters are really amazing."
As she spoke, a sharp aura, almost tangible, emanated from Maine and the Flying Lion Beast, and the three of them immediately looked towards the center.
This was a long process of forming a bond. Although the Flying Lion Beast didn't directly contact the energy, it often came into close contact with it when attacking the sunflower, and its combat power was greatly enhanced under the influence of the energy.
The S-rank contracted beast's original abilities were already very strong.
Unlike the Flying Dragon Beast, it didn't have a strong and persistent love for shiny things. Long Teng catered to its preferences, reducing the difficulty of the bond-forming process.
Maine and the Flying Lion Beast clashed, engaging in a substantial confrontation. The only thing that reassured Xie Sen was that the bond-forming process was a confrontation of auras, not a real fight.
As time passed, Maine's face grew paler, but his eyes grew brighter, like a blade being honed, becoming ever sharper.
After a long while, the Flying Lion finally lay down, resting its chin on its front paws, its large eyes looking at Maine with admiration. Maine was drenched in sweat, looking as if he had been caught in a rainstorm. He walked slowly but resolutely to the Flying Lion and began the bond-forming ceremony.
The ceremony ended with a resolute vow, and Maine simultaneously fell unconscious, collapsing onto the Flying Lion.
Xie Sen's heart tightened, and he rushed over, pulling Maine into his arms. Bai Jiao quickly checked Maine's condition: "He's alright, just exhausted. He just needs to rest."
The Flying Lion turned its large head, letting out a soft growl, its voice weaker than before; clearly, it was also tired. Xie Sen rubbed it, and it let out a comfortable, low hum.
The three discussed it and decided to return to their previous tent, where there was extra firewood and a water source, perfect for resting.
Although Maine wasn't muscular, he was tall and well-built, and quite heavy. Xie Sen tried to lift him but couldn't. In the end, Long Teng effortlessly carried Maine on his back and followed Bai Jiao with light steps.
When Maine woke up, three hours had passed. Xie Sen, who had been sitting beside him watching, quickly leaned closer when Maine opened his eyes. "Are you alright?"
Maine reached out and touched his face, a smile spreading across his lips. "I'm fine, just very hungry." Xie Sen couldn't help but smile too; not long ago, their roles had been reversed.
They left the tent, and the winged lion, which had been lying nearby with its eyes closed, suddenly opened its eyes and nuzzled Maine. "Are you alright?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Maine's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. "I'm fine."
The winged lion said, "You're very powerful, my beast master."
Maine raised a hand and rubbed its neck. "Your condition isn't good; you need more rest. Do you want to eat?"
"No, eating once every two days is enough," the winged lion said, lying back down and continuing to rest. The dragon-like beast watched it curiously for a while, then couldn't resist joining in, chatting with it enthusiastically.
Long Teng and Bai Jiao were roasting meat. Seeing his expression, they knew everything was alright. Long Teng waved, "Come sit down, we'll eat soon."
The four of them sat around the fire, the aroma of meat filling the air. Rustling sounds filled the air, and Xie Sen looked over to see many wild animals staring at them with gleaming green eyes.
Maine glanced around and said, "There are more animals now."
Long Teng nodded, "Yeah, we hadn't seen many animals before, and suddenly there are so many."
Bai Jiao said, "Perhaps they knew about the changes in the mountains and came back."
The Flying Lion Beast peeked out, roared, and a flurry of footsteps sounded all around. Then, all the previously menacing beasts disappeared.
Long Teng laughed heartily, "The Flying Lion Beast is amazing! The animals in the mountains seem to be afraid of it!"
After eating the roasted meat, Xie Sen took out a large watermelon, which the four of them shared.
After finishing, they discussed their options and decided to head west down the mountain, searching for medicinal herbs and edible plants along the way. They encountered many animals along the way, but faced no danger. Upon seeing the Flying Lion Beast, they all fled in panic, often accompanied by shrill howls.
Xie Sen found it somewhat amusing; the Flying Lion Beast hadn't even done anything yet!
The mountain paths were difficult to traverse. Many plants, affected by the wood energy, had roots that grew rapidly, reaching the ground and creating obstacles. The mountains were also densely wooded, unsuitable for flight. Dahei used its four paws to walk, swishing its tail as it cleared a path.
Whether it was due to the abundance of plants native to the Yamu Continent or the influence of the wood energy, they found many herbs and edible plants.
Xie Sen also collected a considerable number of tree seeds. He didn't recognize some of the trees, but he collected them because of their straight and beautiful trunks. He also recognized some trees, such as pine and camphor.
He planned to plant tall trees around the perimeter of the land he had purchased, and then clear a space for shorter trees, creating a miniature forest. A few could also be planted near their villa to improve the environment.
"Wow, what a huge fruit!" Long Teng exclaimed excitedly, quickly darting forward.
Xie Sen looked over and immediately quickened his pace, his eyes filled with surprise—it was a durian! Durian is a magical fruit; many people like it and many don't. Xie Sen liked it, and he knew very well that durian was highly nutritious.
The citizens of Brant Star relied entirely on nutrient solutions for their plant nutrition, and Xie Sen couldn't stand the taste of those synthetic liquids.
Long Teng curiously poked at one, but found it prickly and didn't touch it again. He looked around at it for a moment, then prepared to leave. He always showed this childlike curiosity when he saw strangely shaped plants along the way.
Xie Sen called out, "Come help me pick them all." As he spoke, he picked one from the bottom and put it in his backpack, then continued picking.
Maine listened without asking any questions and started picking durians.
"Why are you picking these?" Long Teng asked, puzzled.
Bai Jiao examined the durian tree, puzzled, "What kind of plant is this? I don't recognize it."
Xie Sen smiled, "Durian is a fruit, edible, very fragrant, rich in nutrients, and good for your health."
Bai Jiao's eyes lit up at this, and he started picking. Anything that might be used in medicine was a treasure in his eyes.
Long Teng picked one, stem and all, and held it in his hand, his eyes sparkling. He chose a pointed one with a protruding edge and bit into it, "Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey, so hard, not tasty."
Xie Sen turned to look at him and couldn't help but burst into laughter, "That's not how you eat it. We'll eat one after we pick them all."
Hearing this, Long Teng put the one in his backpack, looked up, climbed the tree, and started picking from the top. Xie Sen and Bai Jiao picked from the lower parts, while Mei Yin and Long Teng climbed the tree.
The lower ones were picked in no time. Xie Sen looked up and saw that only a few durians remained on the outstretched branches. He quickly said, "Just pick these, leave some so they can grow more later."
Mei Yin and Long Teng jumped down from the tree. Long Teng immediately went to Xie Sen and asked expectantly, "How do we eat it?"
Xie Sen took out his special watermelon knife, cut a slice off the top of the durian, and then peeled it in half with his hand, revealing the yellow flesh inside, which emitted a durian aroma.
Xie Sen peeled off a piece of flesh and observed the three people's expressions: "Do you think this smells bad?"
All three shook their heads. Xie Sen handed the flesh to Long Teng, then gave a piece to Mei Yin and Bai Jiao, and finally took a piece for himself. He took a bite, and the rich aroma instantly filled his taste buds. Xie Sen's eyes curved into a smile. Delicious!
He looked at Maine, wondering if he was used to the taste. Maine said, "It smells very good."
"Delicious!" Long Teng finished quickly, his eyes shining. "I didn't expect the skin to be so sharp and hard, but the inside is so fragrant and soft."
Bai Jiao said, "The taste is a bit strange, but it's not bad."
Xie Sen smiled when he saw that they didn't dislike it. Then he thought about it and realized that they had been drinking that strange-tasting nutrient solution since they were little. As long as it wasn't worse than that, they could accept it.
The four of them continued on their way. As it began to get dark, they discussed whether to return or stay on the Holy Mountain. Bai Jiao looked at the endless forest with bright eyes: "The Holy Mountain is like a huge treasure trove. We've only explored a small part of it. I want to explore more."
Long Teng said, "The mountains are so interesting. There are so many things I've never seen before. Let's stay in the mountains!"
Xie Sen nodded: "Okay." The four of them had their own purposes for traveling. The four of them were a group, and it was only a successful trip if everyone's goal was achieved.
Moreover, he didn't want to leave in a hurry since he had come all this way. He also wanted to find more plants to change the painful days of eating meat every day.
The four made extensive preparations before their journey. Unsure of the small planet's climate, they carried a lot of supplies, including provisions, cold-weather gear, and accommodations, to cope with any possible situations.
They each bought large storage spaces, spending a considerable amount of money.
Lying in their tent, Xie Sen remarked that money was indeed a good thing; even in the forests of a primitive planet, they could sleep comfortably.
The next day, they continued their search for plants. Around noon, a series of eagle cries suddenly echoed through the forest. The Flying Lion Beast approached Maine: "It's the Eagle Clan beastmen."
Maine relayed its words to the others. Xie Sen, listening to the continuous eagle cries, was puzzled: "Their cries don't seem like they're gathering information."
Bai Jiao said, "It feels like it's calling for something...maybe it's coming to find us. This is our third day in the forest."
Hearing this, Xie Sen also thought it was very likely. The four discussed it briefly, and Maine and Xie Sen sat on the back of the Flying Lion Beast, while Long Teng and Bai Jiao sat on the back of the Flying Dragon Beast. Both took off simultaneously, quickly flying above the mountain.
The Flying Dragon Beast cried out to a flock of eagles not far away. The giant eagles looked at them upon hearing the sound, and then the entire flock seemed to be struck by lightning, forgetting to flap their wings and plummeting straight down.
One of them suddenly snapped back to reality, letting out a high-pitched cry, while the other giant eagles flapped their wings and steadied themselves.
The giant eagle stopped five meters away from them, calling out to them, but Xie Sen and the others couldn't understand it. However, the Flying Lion Beast and the Flying Dragon Beast understood.
The Flying Lion Beast said, "He said he was really happy to see you all safe, and then surprised that I was with you."
The Flying Dragon Beast also translated its words to Long Teng.
Xie Sen: "It seems they really are here to see us. This isn't a convenient place to talk; let's find somewhere to land and discuss it!"
Maine nodded: "To the foot of the mountain." The Flying Lion Beast quickly flew towards the foot of the mountain, with the Flying Dragon Beast close behind
. Soon, the flock of eagles landed together, transforming into seven tall men. At the forefront was Ferser. Without a word, the men knelt before the Flying Lion Beast.
"Beast God above."