Zhen Len began to awaken slowly, stirred by the faint sound of the alarm. His senses were still dulled by sleep, but he soon noticed a soft, warm, and pleasant sensation surrounding him. His body felt an unfamiliar warmth, and when he slightly turned his head, he saw Xi Zexi's naked body curled up against him, hugging him for warmth.
For a few seconds, he remained still, contemplating the scene. Then, memories of the previous night came to his mind. A serene and tender smile formed on his snout, and carefully, he tried to move away without waking her.
As he did so, he noticed that the floor was splattered with semen and fluids, clear evidence of how intense the night had been between the two of them. However, he didn't allow that thought to linger longer than necessary. Gently, he covered Xi Zexi's body with several furs, making sure she was comfortable and warm before silently leaving the room.
He walked down the hallway until he reached the chamber where Zhou Linlan was sleeping. There, he paused for a moment before leaning down and gently shaking her.
"[Wake up]."
"Is it morning already? It's still so dark…" murmured Zhou Linlan, half-asleep, rubbing her eyes. Her confusion was evident; the lack of light didn't help her sense of time.
Zhen Len immediately realized the mistake. He quickly lit the nearest lamp. "[You must get used to waking up early. The cultivation technique I'll teach you requires watching the sunrise every day, so you'll need to maintain the habit of rising before dawn.]"
Zhou Linlan stretched slowly, but upon seeing her master's serious expression, she sat up with more energy, clumsily rubbing her eyes. Without saying more, he guided her out of the den to one of the elevated rocks he used for meditation and cultivation.
Once there, Zhen Len turned to her with a solemn expression.
"[Let me explain the technique you're going to learn]," he said, as his red eyes and the Eye of Truth began to take on a purple hue, glowing softly in the night.
Zhou Linlan was mesmerized by that ethereal glow. The sight of her master with those shining eyes in the darkness had something captivating, and she felt excited at the thought of making her eyes look just as beautiful.
"[The technique is called Purple Demon Eyes. It enhances visual sharpness and boosts spiritual power. Since your Martial Soul is a bow, this will be especially useful to you. As you advance in cultivation, your arrows will be able to reach great distances, but without clear and precise vision, you'll lose that advantage. This technique is perfect for solving such situations because it allows you to see even the tiniest detail from far away.]"
Zhen Len sat beside her and began to explain the basic principles, detailing how the spiritual energy should flow and how it is used in the eyes, how to absorb the purple qi, and what the proper posture was. Zhou Linlan listened with full attention, memorizing every word seriously.
As the sky began to brighten, he positioned himself behind her. Using one of his front paws, he gently touched the girl's head.
"[Take the lotus position and keep your eyes fixed on the rising sun. Do not blink. I will transfer a bit of my spiritual power to you so you can get used to it and begin to cultivate it.]"
As the first light of dawn rose on the horizon, Zhou Linlan fixed her gaze on the rising sun. Zhen Len also began to cultivate by her side. For a long time, both remained still, connected with the energy flowing between them and the environment.
When the cultivation ended, Zhou Linlan slowly opened her eyes. Now fully awake, she remembered something she had unconsciously forgotten while spending time with Zhen Len.
"Master, why isn't Mom practicing this technique with us?"
For a brief moment, Zhen Len felt nervous, but he quickly calmed himself and looked at her peacefully.
"[This technique progresses slowly. It only shows its true value at advanced cultivation levels and when practiced over a long period. For someone who has already passed the optimal initiation point or who does not aim for great advancements, it is not a useful technique. Your mother doesn't need it, and her effort wouldn't be adequately rewarded because she has no need for it.]"
Zhou Linlan lowered her head for a moment, processing the answer, then nodded in acceptance.
"I understand…"
"[Good. Since we're done for now, I'll go prepare breakfast for you and your mother. For now, I only have meat and some spices. You'll have to live off that for a while.]"
Far from feeling disappointed, Zhou Linlan smiled. The thought of eating meat prepared by her master Zhen Len every day felt like a true blessing.
"That sounds amazing! Your meat is the best I've ever tasted!"
Zhen Len pulled out some pieces of meat from his storage soul tool, lit the grill he had forged with fire circuits using a bit of soul power, and began to cook patiently. Meanwhile, Zhou Linlan sat quietly and continued cultivating.
The aroma of roasted meat soon mixed with the singing of birds waking among the trees of the Star Dou Forest. When the food was ready, he placed a generous portion on a wooden plate and went back inside the den.
Xi Zexi was still fast asleep, her breathing calm, and her body still wrapped in furs. Her skin had a slight blush, evidence of the intense night they had shared.
Carefully, Zhen Len knelt beside her and gently shook her shoulder.
"[Zexi, wake up. Breakfast is ready.]"
She mumbled something unintelligible and slowly opened her eyes. Upon seeing him, she shrank slightly under the covers.
"I can't move… everything still hurts…" she whispered sleepily, and it seemed like she wouldn't be able to stand or walk for a while.
Zhen Len smiled at her tenderly.
"[Then I'll bring it to you.]" He stood up, fetched the plate, and carefully placed it on her lap. "[Eat something. You need to regain your strength. I'm going out for a bit, but you can rest peacefully.]"
He also handed her a wooden jug of water. Xi Zexi looked at him sweetly and began to eat slowly.
Zhen Len watched her for a few more seconds before stepping outside. Once outside, he noticed that Zhou Linlan was still cultivating seriously, which made him nod in satisfaction.
"[Linlan, breakfast is ready. I'm going out for a while and will probably return before nightfall at the latest. So I'll give you this bracelet, which has enough roasted meat stored in it.]" Zhen Len pulled out the microwave he had forged and began to explain: "[You can use this soul tool to heat food if you get hungry. Just place the food inside, press this button, wait until it stops making noise, and then take it out.]"
She nodded energetically. "Thank you, Master! I'll be careful."
Zhen Len gave her one last look before climbing up a tree. Using the Purple Demon Eyes technique along with the Eye of Truth, he made sure there were no nearby threats before heading to the area where he had found the Iron-Devouring Rhinoceros.
Running at full speed and dodging obstacles and soul beasts he could see using the Eye of Truth, it didn't take long for him to reach the area where he had once encountered the Iron-Devouring Rhinoceros. Zhen Len noticed that the landscape was distinctly different from the rest of the Star Dou Forest he had explored so far. It wasn't overly dangerous, but he knew better than to be overconfident just because he could see the soul beasts using the Eye of Truth.
He observed the area. Unlike the dense vegetation and lush life typical of other areas, this place featured more open and rocky terrain.
Large outcroppings of dark rock rich in metal veins rose from the ground, some showing signs of having been scratched or worn down in peculiar ways by the Iron-Devouring Rhinoceros. The soil itself had a reddish or grayish hue, speckled with fragments of minerals that faintly reflected the sunlight.
The vegetation here was scarcer and more resilient. Instead of broad-leaved trees, there were mostly low, thorny shrubs and some plants with thick, leathery leaves, adapted to the less fertile, mineral-heavy soil. Some thick, strong vines could be seen climbing the rocks, with a subtle metallic sheen on their stems.
The air had an earthy and slightly metallic smell, almost as if the land itself were soaked in minerals. With his sharp sense of smell, Zhen Len could detect subtle traces of rust and other metallic compounds in the environment.
He also noticed small caves and crevices in the rock formations, some with smooth, polished edges, suggesting the frequent passage of a large, heavy body. In some of these entrances, deposits of fine, dark dust could be seen, similar to the residue left after refining the rhinoceros hide.
Now that the Iron-Devouring Rhinoceros no longer lived there, other 1,000-year soul beasts with earth or metal attributes had started to occupy many areas.
Once he finished surveying the area, he grew excited. There were many stones with all kinds of metals with different properties, black iron, copper, silver, and he might even find higher-quality metals if he was lucky. Now all he had to do was collect and refine them back in the den. The downside was that he would have to refine stones containing minerals over and over again because the amount needed to build a mecha was immense. So he could only let out a sigh and began imagining himself piloting a giant mecha through the Star Dou Forest, which filled him with great determination. Plus, refining repeatedly would improve his physique, something that motivated him even more.