My best friend asked me if I was still doing system tasks.

Jin Si tossed the tea leaves into the teapot, and a jade bottle appeared in his hand. He poured the water from the jade bottle out and brewed himself a pot of tea: "I recognized the cultivation method you practiced after I saw you."

Furthermore, I also know that after using the Lianzhi Ningqi Formation, the party with higher cultivation will not be restricted like in a master-servant contract, and will even share some of their cultivation to complement each other.

With such a useful little guy like you, why would I want to be someone else's pet?

Forming a bond with you wouldn't diminish my strength and would also give me relative freedom, so of course I want to choose to form a bond with you.

"I see..." Ruan Chayan thought to herself that the benefits Xiange gave her were really good, as she could even attract a ferocious beast that was over a thousand years old.

Jin Si snapped his fingers, and the flame in his palm heated the teapot. He sniffed the steam rising from the teapot, his expression a mixture of disgust and despair: "What kind of lousy tea is this? My God! This piece of junk is a complete waste of my Pine Cliff Valley Dew!"

Ruan Chayan's eyelids twitched, and she shifted the blame, saying, "I don't know either. These things were already here when this cave was handed over to me, and I've never used them."

Jin Si crushed the teapot in his hand, and the fragments, water, and tea leaves turned into dust and mist in his hand, which suddenly dispersed.

Jin Si smiled, but gritted his teeth and said, "Hey, Ruan Chayan, now that we've formed a bond, you should at least shoulder the responsibilities of a companion."

I am the Fiery-Eyed Golden Lion, fond of smoke and sitting. A thousand years ago, I was young and had a particular fondness for the smoke and fire that carried the scent of slaughter, which is why I took the initiative to start a war.

Having spent over a thousand years in the dungeon, my temper is no longer as fiery as it once was. My hobbies have changed to tea tasting, and I've also developed some interest in temple incense offerings. You should grant me my request.

"Now, go and find me some fine tea and incense."

"You're really hard to please..." Ruan Chayan complained, then said, "Those things aren't urgent, I still have questions..."

"Why do you ask so many questions?" Jin Si said, quite displeased. "Are all cultivators these days just curious little babies?"

Ruan Chayan pretended not to hear Jin Si's words and said, "Your cultivation level should be higher than the late stage of the Nascent Soul Realm, so why can you come and go freely in the Lanxi Secret Realm without being rejected?"

Jin Si was surprised that Ruan Chayan asked such a stupid question: "I suppressed my cultivation level, that's why."

Ruan Chayan then asked, "I remember Xiaoxue saying that she saw a formation on your body in the bronze mirror. Is that formation still there? Will it have any effect on you?"

Jin Si explained impatiently, "The formation you mentioned is the one Gu Liu used to restrain me. Now that I've formed a pact with you, in a sense, I'm still restrained, so the formation is ineffective."

"But that Xiaoxue you mentioned is really amazing. She's so young and her cultivation isn't high, yet she was able to see through my true form. You've made a good friend."

“Who says otherwise?” Ruan Chayan said with pride, then asked, “What about your injuries? I remember you were so small back then, covered in wounds. You even shielded me from the heavenly tribulation. Are you alright now?”

Jin Si was stunned for a moment because he didn't expect Ruan Chayan to care about him. He then calmed down and said, "The injuries on my body are minor issues."

Every time I travel between the secret realm and the dungeon, I end up covered in injuries.

The Heavenly Tribulation of the Forty-Nine Realms of the Ferocious Beasts is far more powerful than that of humans. Starting from the Forty-Nine Realms, every time a tribulation is successfully passed, the tribulation clouds will change and send down sweet rain.

All those various wounds were easily healed in the spiritual rain.

He changed the subject, "But when I saw you had inner demons, my heart sank. I didn't expect you to be so resilient. I didn't help you block the heavenly tribulation for nothing."

Ruan Chayan found that her mood would improve if she selectively ignored a few of Jin Si's words.

She breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good." She no longer felt guilty.

Jin Si crossed his arms: "You've asked so many questions, now it's time to prepare some offerings for me, isn't it?"

Ruan Chayan readily stood up and said, "I'm going to Xinglin Peak to buy some spiritual tea now. Do you want to come with me? You can choose which kind you like yourself?"

Jin Si smiled broadly: "Of course! I doubt you would understand such refined things."

Several hours ago, inside the secret realm of Lanxi—

"You're saying that Junior Sister Ruan was rejected from the secret realm because her cultivation level was too high?"

Dou Xueran was unaware of the seriousness of the situation. She sighed, "Indeed, there shouldn't be any other possibility besides this reason."

It's a pity that Junior Sister Ruan, who worked so hard to obtain a spot to enter the Lanxi Secret Realm, can't continue exploring even though there's still more than half the time left.

"She's about to undergo her tribulation right now! The Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulation of the Nascent Soul Realm!" Luo Hanying was unable to calm down. She and Ruan Chayan were inseparable, so she naturally knew that the other party had not made any preparations for the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.

They never imagined that Ruan Chayan's cultivation would increase so quickly, and that she would be about to undergo the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulation in the blink of an eye!

Dou Xueran was shocked: "She actually reached the Nascent Soul stage directly? How is that possible?! How did she do that?!"

Luo Hanying didn't have time to answer Dou Xueran's question. She only wanted to know how to leave the Lanxi Secret Realm: "Senior Sister Dou, the elder said that the stone tablet could send us out when the secret realm's time limit expired. Can I use the stone tablet to leave the secret realm on my own?"

Dou Xueran hadn't thought about this question. She said, "I really don't know. Over the years, no disciple has ever left voluntarily."

Why are you suddenly leaving the secret realm? Is it because Junior Sister Ruan went out?

Luo Hanying paced anxiously, examining the stone tablet repeatedly: "She is about to undergo the Forty-Nine Heavenly Tribulation of the Nascent Soul Realm, how can I leave her outside alone?"

Dou Xueran understood her friend's worries; she had once worried about her friends in the same way.

She said gently, "Junior Sister Luo, I understand how you feel. When I first entered the Dao, I was just as nervous for my friends as you are."

They were worried about the lack of progress in their cultivation, and worried about the tribulations they would face after advancing.

Luo Hanying looked up at Dou Xueran, wondering if she was about to start spouting some useless, lecturing platitudes.

Dou Xueran was unaware of Luo Hanying's inner thoughts. She shared her own experience: "But you must know that cultivation is a personal responsibility. No one can interfere except for their own efforts."

We can neither help our friends make a living nor help them through a difficult time.

It's impossible to help a friend meditate or attain enlightenment.

I'll say something you might not like to hear: no cultivator possesses the same Great Dao. You will all eventually part ways because you are pursuing your own Great Dao.

So don't worry too much about Fellow Daoist Ruan."

Luo Hanying couldn't understand Dou Xueran's calmness, and she couldn't help but argue: "But friends should help each other, accompany each other, and encourage each other!"

Dou Xueran's expression remained serene, as if she saw her former self: "Even if you really leave Lanxi Secret Realm now, you won't be able to help her. In fact, your presence within the range of the tribulation clouds will only increase the difficulty for her to overcome the tribulation."

I don't think Junior Sister Ruan would want you to give up the possibility of exploring the secret realm and obtaining opportunities just to stay outside with her.

"Junior Sister Luo, what do you think?"