"Spiritual energy?! Where the hell am I supposed to find spiritual energy?!"
Xu Mo's mind buzzed. The countdown on his phone screen ticked away coldly, and his heart tightened with it.
The little creature in his arms was losing body heat, its breath so faint he could barely feel it.
It can't die! I can't let it die!
This is a living nine-tailed fox!
"Hold on, you have to hold on!"
Xu Mo couldn't tell if he was talking to the fox or himself. Clutching the small creature to his chest, he sprinted toward his pet shop at a hundred-meter dash, as if possessed.
Under the night, he moved like a shadow, racing back to the quiet snack street.
"Bang!"
He kicked open the roll-up shutter. Too frantic to turn on the lights, he rummaged wildly through the shelves by the glow of his phone screen.
"Goat milk? The best goat milk powder in the shop!"
He fumbled to mix it with warm water, then carefully held it to the little fox's mouth.
The fox didn't even lift its eyelids. It weakly turned its head away, showing no interest in the expensive goat milk.
"You won't drink that? What about this? Imported nutritional paste!"
Xu Mo squeezed out a strip of the paste, but the result was the same.
No matter what he offered—even the most expensive pet treats in the shop—the small life in his arms showed no reaction. Its breath only grew weaker.
The countdown on his phone kept ticking:
[45:13]
"Damn it!" Xu Mo's forehead dripped with sweat, his eyes reddening with urgency.
He collapsed onto the floor, his mind blank. A living mythical creature was about to die in his arms.
"What even is spiritual energy?! Where do I find it?!"
Desperate, he frantically tapped at the shoddy game interface, as if clutching a lifeline.
[Compendium] was grayed out.
[Backpack] was grayed out.
[Quests] was lit up, but tapping it only brought up that deadly countdown.
Just as he was about to give up, he spotted a nearly invisible question mark icon in the far corner of the interface.
[Help]?
Xu Mo tapped it without hesitation.
The screen was empty except for a line of text so small it looked like mosquito legs:
"All things under heaven and earth contain spiritual energy. The older they are, the richer the energy they hold."
"The older they are, the richer the energy..." Xu Mo repeated the words, his eyes suddenly widening.
Old things?
A thought flashed through his mind.
Wild ginseng!
The wild ginseng his grandfather had left him!
His grandfather had once been a famous ginseng hunter in northern China. The proudest treasure he'd ever found was a well-formed wild ginseng said to be nearly a century old. On his deathbed, his grandfather had given it to Xu Mo as a family heirloom, telling him never to use it unless it was a matter of life or death.
"Yes! That's it!"
Xu Mo jumped up as if injected with energy. He placed the dying little fox on a soft cushion, then sprinted out of the shop toward the rental house where he lived.
He had never run so fast in his life.
Back home, his hands trembling, he dragged a heavy pearwood box out from under his bed.
The moment he opened the box, a rich, herbal fragrance filled the air.
A gnarled old ginseng—with complete roots and a shape eerily like a human figure—lay quietly on a bed of red silk.
Almost as soon as the box opened, the little white fox back at the pet shop, as if sensing something, suddenly lifted its head and let out a faint whimper in the direction of Xu Mo's house.
Xu Mo knew nothing of this.
This ginseng, if sold at an auction, would fetch at least seven figures—enough to let him live comfortably for the rest of his life. It was also the only memento his grandfather had left him.
But...
The image of the little fox's eyes—filled with dependence and suffering—floated in his mind.
The countdown was still going.
"Damn it! Money can be earned again, but once a life is gone, it's gone forever!"
Gritting his teeth, Xu Mo found a small knife in the kitchen. He winced as he cut off a thin, hair-like strand of the ginseng's root—no longer than a centimeter.
"You prodigal fool!"
He cursed himself under his breath, but moved quickly. He carefully wrapped the tiny piece of ginseng in a tissue, put the box back in place, and raced back to the pet shop.
When he stumbled back, sweating profusely, the little fox on the cushion was barely breathing.
"I'm here! I've got something to save you!"
Xu Mo knelt beside the cushion. His hands shaking, he gently held the precious strand of ginseng to the fox's mouth.
The little creature, which had rejected all other food, seemed to smell something wonderful. It mustered its last bit of strength to open its mouth and curl the ginseng strand inside.
The ginseng melted instantly on its tongue.
In the next second, a burst of white light suddenly erupted from the fox's body!
The light illuminated the dim shop in an instant.
Beneath the glow, the hideous wound on the fox's hind leg quickly healed—scabs formed, fell off, and not even a scar remained. Its once dirty fur turned snow-white and flawless, like fine silk.
"Ying!"
A clear cry rang out.
The little fox jumped up from the cushion, its once weak eyes now bright and alert. Its three tails flicked back and forth excitedly.
It ran to Xu Mo's feet, nuzzling his trouser leg affectionately, and let out a contented purr.
Xu Mo stared in stunned silence, his eyes welling up with tears.
"It's alive... it's really alive!"
Just then, his phone screen lit up, and a flurry of notifications popped up:
[Congratulations! Novice Quest "First Meal" Completed!]
[Rating: Perfect (Found food with ultra-high concentration of spiritual energy for your companion within the time limit)]
[Reward: "Pet Space (Elementary)" Unlocked!]
[Pet Space Description: An independent space isolated from reality, where you can house your mythical creature companion. The space has a comfortable environment and blocks 100% of external detection—essential for hiding your companion at home, while traveling... oh no, we mean, for keeping your companion safe!]
"Pet Space?" Xu Mo's eyes lit up.
This was like someone handing him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy!
He'd been worrying about how to hide the little fox, and this feature had come at the perfect time!
He looked down at the fox, which was now frolicking around his ankles. On the game interface, he found a "Store" button and tapped it tentatively.
With a "swish," the fox at his feet vanished into thin air.
Xu Mo jumped in surprise, then quickly looked down at his phone.
The game's main interface had transformed into a warm virtual scene—like a tree hollow lined with soft hay. The three-tailed white fox was lying lazily on the hay, licking its paws, looking utterly content.
Next to the virtual scene, there were detailed stats for the fox:
[Name]: Juvenile Nine-Tailed Fox
[Rank]: Mortal Grade (Healthy)
[Mood]: Happy, full of dependence on you
[Skill]: Illusion (Elementary)
"I can even see its status? That's awesome!"
Xu Mo finally relaxed. All his problems had been solved.
He'd saved a divine beast and gained the perfect way to hide it—no more worrying about being discovered.
He let out a long sigh and sank into a chair, ready to explore this magical game in detail.
But before he could catch his breath, his phone suddenly vibrated violently again.
The once calm map interface refreshed instantly.
In the center of the city, in the middle of the large man-made lake, a brand-new marker—ten times bigger than the nine-tailed fox's icon and glowing with dazzling golden light—popped up suddenly!
The marker's outline looked like a huge egg.
A line of tempting text appeared next to the icon:
[Limited-Time Adventure: Dormant Flood Dragon Egg]
[Description: An egg left behind by an ancient flood dragon. It has absorbed the essence of the sun and moon and is about to awaken.]
[Travel there now to fish for it?]