Chapter 36

The next morning, Han Luo made a breakfast of fresh soy milk and delicious pork-filled buns. After watching Shen Xian’er happily devour the meal, he smiled and asked, “Xian’er, how was it?”

“It was amazing! Senior Brother makes the best food in the whole world! Xian’er loves it the most!” she beamed with wide-eyed admiration.

In her world, being able to fly through the skies or burn mountains wasn’t impressive. To her, the strongest person was the one who could make delicious food—and that was her Senior Brother.

Han Luo decided it was time to stop hiding his intentions. “Xian’er, I’ve been researching formations. Help me test a few, and I’ll cook for you every day. Deal?”

“Really!?” Her face lit up like a blooming flower.

“Of course. You’re my Junior Sister. I’d never lie to you.”

“Okay okay okay! When do we start?” She rolled up her sleeves, eager and excited. After all, what could be better than eating her Senior Brother’s cooking every day?

“You’re not going to ask what kind of formations we’re testing?” Han Luo asked, amused.

“No need. Senior Brother is the best and would never hurt Xian’er. I trust you!” she said, all puffed-up with confidence. Beside her, Xiaobai the cat could only sigh. From her understanding of Xian’er, whoever fed her was practically family. Falling into Han Luo’s hands… truly a tribulation written in fate.

“Of course,” Han Luo chuckled. “You’re my Junior Sister. I’d never harm you.”

Thus began Xian’er’s new career as the perfect test subject. For three whole months, she helped him test countless illusion-type formations. Each one was a new wonderland to her—an entirely different world to play in. Through it all, her innocent joy never faded.

By the end of the three months, Han Luo had refined his illusion formations to near perfection, achieving what he considered the ideal setup for a Stage One Immortal trapping Formation. All that remained now were the offensive and defensive formations—which, clearly, Xian’er wasn’t suited to test.

So, he turned his gaze… to Xiaobai.

Under the parasol tree, Xiaobai was napping peacefully on the stone table when she suddenly shivered. A cold chill raced up her spine. Something was wrong.

“Xian’er, can I borrow Xiaobai for a bit?” Han Luo said with a sunny smile.

“Meow!” Xiaobai immediately turned her head and looked pitifully at Xian’er.

“Senior Brother, Xiaobai says it’s dangerous. Is that true?” Xian’er asked, her mouth still full of candied hawthorn.

“Of course not. Xiaobai is your favorite pet. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

“Meow meow!”

“She says she refuses to help you—no matter what!” Xian’er translated, chomping on her snack.

Xiaobai’s smug little cat face was practically glowing. Three months ago, he bullied me. Now he wants help? Dream on.

Han Luo calmly said, “Xian’er, I know a recipe for braised pork…”

“I’ll tell Xiaobai to help you.”

Xiaobai: …

“Damn! So heartless!”

“Meow meow meow!”

Xiaobai’s face twisted in disbelief as she stared helplessly at Xian’er.

“She’s doing the pity act,” Han Luo said. “She’s hoping you’ll feel bad.”

But Xian’er was already cracking sunflower seeds, eyes misty as she stared.

“Senior Brother…”

Han Luo felt a twinge of guilt. Had she reconsidered?

“I just wanted to say… these sunflower seeds are delicious.”

Xiaobai: …

Han Luo: …

“Eat as much as you want. If you run out, just ask me.”

“Okay, Senior Brother!”

Carrying a very depressed-looking Xiaobai, Han Luo headed off for testing.

He had no intention of letting her get seriously hurt, of course. But Xiaobai’s background was clearly unusual—this was the perfect opportunity to see what she was really capable of.

He activated the first attack formation.

Inside the mirror realm, icy spears shot out toward Xiaobai. She didn’t even flinch, easily dodging with nimble footwork.

Han Luo took notes. “Ice spear concealment needs improvement…”

Landing lightly, Xiaobai was already alert for more.

Sure enough, blades shot from beneath her feet. She leapt away just in time. But a gust of wind knocked her off balance mid-air—followed by raining fireballs cutting off every escape route.

Still, she didn’t panic. A golden symbol flared on her forehead, and in an instant, she vanished—reappearing outside the blast zone, safe and sound.

Just as she relaxed, the ground beneath her exploded.

“Boom!”

Soot-covered and singed, Xiaobai looked like a burnt marshmallow. Her snow-white fur was blackened.

“Han Luo!!” she screamed in rage.

But just as she prepared to retaliate, the glow of the character disappeared.

“My spiritual energy… it’s gone! What’s that smell!?”

She sniffed her fur. “Disruption Powder!?”

It was a concoction that severed a cultivator’s connection to their spiritual energy. And just as she realized this, ghost vines wrapped around her—vines that sucked spiritual energy and, once that was gone, life force.

Han Luo stared intently at the mirror. “Come on… use your trump card.”

Xiaobai cursed under her breath, then activated a forbidden technique. Golden runes flared across her body, incinerating the ghost vines.

But it wasn’t over.

The ground roared, forming a giant stone hand that reached to crush her.

“You bastard, Han Luo! How many damn traps did you set up!?”

He sighed. “It’s just a basic 88-step combo sequence…”

Eventually, he paused the formation.

He was quite satisfied with the results. Xiaobai’s performance had far exceeded expectations, and his attack formation was now thoroughly field-tested.

Xiaobai stumbled out, charred and exhausted.

“Go take a bath. We’ll test again after dinner,” Han Luo said.

She wanted to cry.

But then… she realized her cultivation had subtly advanced.

So the little cat silently vowed: “Just wait… once I recover, I’ll make you pay, Han Luo.”

Meanwhile, Han Luo rubbed his chin. “I gave her a second-tier beast core and pumped the formation full of spiritual energy. Why is her growth still so slow? Her talent might be worse than I thought.”

He needed stronger testers.

But he didn’t want to bring in outsiders. Too risky.

Just as he was thinking this… his mirror artifact suddenly lit up.

Warning: an intruder had entered the Formation.