Though the little paper servant could receive a spirit soul infusion, Song Miaozhu had no plans to use it for this purpose.
The little paper servant was too small, slow-moving, and made entirely of paper. Unlike the paper soldier constructs, it didn't have a physical manifestation that could resist water.
For an ability like water control, it simply wasn't suitable.
She did run a test, though, and found that even little paper servants that had only been activated through the spirit-lighting method—without spiritual energy cultivation—could still house spirit souls. That meant the two processes did not conflict.
So she decided to craft a water rhino using cowhide and bamboo strips.
Once the spirit soul was infused, she could even attempt the mount activation method, turning the rhino into an aquatic mount, giving it the freedom to move through water. With both water mobility and water-controlling powers, it would resemble the water-type spirit beasts described in ancient cultivation texts.
The memory of the stonemason who had carved the Water-Suppressing Stone Rhino also provided her with design inspiration.
After preparing the cowhide, she crafted a water rhino that was both lifelike and full of spirit. It shared the vivid expression of the original stone rhino but was made with even greater attention to detail.
Since the natural tone of the cowhide was too plain, Song Miaozhu combined her knowledge of decorative divine beast motifs and the coloring techniques of shadow puppetry. Using blue, white, and black pigments, she painted intricate patterns onto the water rhino, dressing it with spirit and elegance.
The final result was a paper-crafted water rhino that looked almost alive.
As soon as it was complete, she tried channeling a bit of spiritual energy into it. The Water-Suppressing Stone Rhino's spirit soul immediately stirred in her spiritual platform, rushed out along her spiritual flow, and entered the paper-crafted rhino's body.
A flicker of spiritual light spread across it. The pitch-black ink-dotted eyes began to gleam with awareness and turned in her direction.
Upon seeing Song Miaozhu, its gaze sharpened with clarity, and it gently nudged her palm with its head. Compared to the rebellious nature of the original stone rhino, this one was far more obedient. Song Miaozhu couldn't help but feel a rush of affection.
Creations made with her own hands were just cuter and more well-behaved.
Concentrating spiritual energy into her fingertip, she performed the mount activation method on the water rhino.
Instantly, she felt a spiritual connection form between them. It was almost like they could understand each other without words.
When the rhino bent its legs slightly and lowered its head, she understood its intent right away—it was inviting her to ride.
Aquatic mounts were naturally drawn to water, but their movement on land was usually limited.
Take the Black Tortoise mount, for example. It could glide freely through water, but on land, its speed was slower than Song Miaozhu's own walking pace.
But the water rhino seemed unaffected.
After she climbed onto its back, it began to run. While not as fast as a qilin mount or even her own sprinting speed, it was still quicker than the Black Tortoise—comparable to a small electric scooter.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, the water rhino suddenly accelerated, and the jolting sensation lessened. Glancing down, she saw streams of water had formed around its four sturdy hooves, propelling it forward.
They were clearly on land, yet it felt like gliding across the surface of a river. The movement was smooth and swift, comfortable and fluid.
The rushing water passed through the bamboo grove without leaving even a drop behind. The paper-crafted landscape features she had placed in the forest were untouched, her pant legs remained perfectly dry.
She hadn't expected the rhino's water-controlling and mount abilities to combine so seamlessly.
"Good job!" Song Miaozhu praised.
The water rhino snorted with joy, then dashed down Little Bamboo Mountain in a burst of energy.
"Are you heading to the river?" she asked, noticing the direction it was running.
"Rrrh—!" Water!
She got the message. "Don't go to the riverside near town. Find a place away from people."
The water rhino veered in response.
Soon, they arrived at the edge of a cliff. Below them surged the swift currents of the river. Without a moment's hesitation, the rhino leapt off the cliff, hoof-first into the air.
Song Miaozhu nearly summoned her Phoenix mount out of reflex, but then a dragon made of water rose from the river below. It caught the water rhino midair and gently delivered them both into the river.
As the dragon returned to water, it dissolved into the flow without a trace.
That, however, was only the beginning.
The water rhino eagerly began to demonstrate its control over water.
Water dragons spiraled into the air, massive whirlpools churned, torrents were split in two, towering water walls rose up, and even waves surged without wind.
To Song Miaozhu, it felt like she was watching a grand performance of water mastery.
And far downstream along the Xiaoli River, near the riverside of Yuanshan Ancient Town, townsfolk began to notice strange fluctuations—the water level rose and fell unpredictably, as if the seasons were changing back and forth in mere minutes.