130: Chapter 130 Mysterious Doll

It was late at night.

Qin Ce returned to the safe house with his mother and younger sister. This highest-level safe house was very large, consisting of a three-bedroom, one-living room suite, which was just right to accommodate Qin Ce.

After returning, Qin Ce spent some time chatting with them before heading back to his room to prepare for sleep.

Tianlu had already fallen asleep in his arms, its small body rising and falling with tiny snores.

After landing, Qingluan had been retracted back into his chest.

Interestingly, the tattoo Tianlu transformed into on his back was split down the middle—half Tianlu and half Minghuo.

However, Qin Ce did not plan to retract Tianlu. When it was out, it could continuously gather energy, which was beneficial for bodily recovery.

So, Qin Ce placed Tianlu by his pillow and lay down on the edge of the bed.

Too many things had happened today; he needed time to digest and think.

There were still many things he didn't understand about Tianlu's talents and skills.

The 'Currently Unavailable' Purgatory Torture Abyss, the sealed skills, and the design of the tattoo...

Qin Ce was certain that Tianlu could indeed switch to its Minghuo form.

But what were the conditions for this switch?

And Mike said there were things to discuss tomorrow—what could they be?

The mythic-grade ruins in the north would appear in three months; how should he plan his moves?

What would the final reward be for the top military merit below Bronze Rank?

One thought after another circled in his mind.

And then...

Qin Ce's breathing gradually steadied.

By the pillow, Tianlu rolled over, rested its small paw on Qin Ce's wrist, and continued to sleep soundly.

...

At eight o'clock the next morning—two hours later than the usual six o'clock wake-up at the training base.

Qin Ce opened his eyes.

He felt refreshed from the sleep, his body brimming with strength.

The restorative effects of being Reborn were even better than he had imagined. The hidden injuries that had been aching slightly last night were now completely gone, replaced by a vitality that radiated from his very bones.

He sat up and moved his shoulders, his joints letting out a faint popping sound.

Tianlu was nowhere to be seen on the pillow.

Qin Ce scratched his head, feeling slightly confused, but soon heard his sister's laughter and Tianlu's youthful chirping from the living room.

He stepped out of the bedroom, intending to wash up.

In the living room, Qin Jian was sitting on the floor with Tianlu in her arms, having a wonderful time.

"Brother! You're awake!" Qin Jian looked up, her face full of an excited smile. "Your little pet is so well-behaved! It even glows!"

Tianlu snuggled in Qin Jian's arms, squinting its eyes and rubbing its small head against her palm, letting out a comfortable purr.

That look of enjoyment was worlds apart from the way it had curled into a ball out of fear the night before.

Qin Ce shook his head with a smile, said, "I'm going to wash up," and turned into the bathroom.

However, what he didn't notice was...

A faint, ethereal aura on Qin Jian's body was quietly changing.

The aura was very thin—so thin that unless one deliberately tried to sense it, it was impossible to detect.

It was like a thin mist surrounding Qin Jian, slowly blending with the cloud-like energy emanating from Tianlu.

No, it wasn't blending.

It was resonating.

Tianlu's cloud energy seemed to have found one of its own kind, joyfully surging toward Qin Jian.

And when that cloud energy touched Qin Jian's body, it didn't dissipate; instead, it followed her breath and merged into her body.

Qin Jian's aura was bit by bit becoming one with Tianlu's.

Or perhaps she already possessed a certain talent—one related to fortune, prosperity, and karma.

At this moment, it was being unintentionally activated by Tianlu's Nine-Radiance Spiritual Wisdom.

Even more incredible was that while one of Qin Jian's hands scratched Tianlu's chin, making it purr with delight...

Her other hand was pressing on the bell-shaped scale on Tianlu's chest.

Her small finger gently traced over that scale.

Once, twice, and again.

The movement was casual, as if she were playing with a fun toy. But if someone could perceive the fluctuations of spatial energy, they would discover...

Every stroke of Qin Jian's finger stirred a circle of faint ripples on the bell on Tianlu's chest.

Those ripples passed through the bell, through the scales, through Tianlu's body, and directly into the alternate dimension connected behind that bell.

It was an endless void, harboring infinite opportunities.

Qin Jian didn't know what it was.

She just thought it was fun.

With every stroke of her finger, she could 'see' some strange images.

Sometimes it was a desolate desert with glowing stones buried in the sand.

Sometimes it was an ancient ruin, with something calling out from deep within.

Sometimes it was an endless starry sky, with strangely shaped objects floating in the cosmos.

She curiously flipped through those images like she was browsing an interesting picture book.

And when she became interested in something within one of those images...

That object would feel as if it were being drawn toward her by some invisible force when her finger stopped.

This made Qin Jian feel it was very amusing.

...

By the time Qin Ce finished washing up, changed his clothes, and came out of the bedroom...

Qin Jian was sitting obediently on the floor, holding Tianlu quietly in her arms.

"Xiao Jian, I'm going to find Uncle Mike." Qin Ce crouched down and took Tianlu from his sister's arms.

Tianlu's enjoyment was interrupted, and it let out a dissatisfied whimper, but smelling Qin Ce's scent, it snuggled back into his arms and resumed its purring.

Qin Jian nodded obediently: "Go ahead, Brother. I'll wait for you to come back."

Qin Ce smiled and patted her head, then turned and left.

Qin Jian watched her brother's figure disappear out the door, then looked down at her hands.

She scratched her bottom, feeling as if she hadn't finished something while she was playing just now.

The moment that thought arose...

Sshhh!

The space in front of her suddenly cracked open, revealing a tiny fissure.

The crack was only the size of a palm, its edges glowing with a faint silver-gray light, identical to the color of the bell on Tianlu's chest.

Qin Jian's eyes widened.

A second later, a fuzzy object fell out of the crack and landed in her lap.

It was a plushie.

A little bear plushie.

With honey-yellow fur, jewel-like eyes, and a beautiful rune on its chest, it was a cute plushie that little girls would love.

The craftsmanship of the plushie was incredibly fine, as if it were a real animal.

Qin Jian picked up the plushie and was stunned for a long while.

Then, she began to laugh.

Her eyes curved into crescents, and she was extremely happy.

Because she could feel a faint sense of goodwill from the plushie.

At that moment, Su Wan returned from outside, carrying a stack of washed clothes—the combat uniform Qin Ce had changed out of last night.

Seeing an extra plushie in Qin Jian's arms, she asked curiously, "Where did that come from?"

Qin Jian held up the plushie and shook it proudly, her small face full of a boastful smile:

"Brother's little pet gave it to me!"

Su Wan was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head, assuming Qin Ce had given it to her and not thinking much more of it.

She put the clothes away and went to the kitchen to get busy.

Qin Jian hugged the plushie again and began playing by herself in the living room, talking to it.

...