If she could, Li Aili really wanted to ask: Are riddles inherited by all of you sphinxes?

The ancestral riddles aren't scary; what's scary is that you've already messed up once, haven't you?

Why not learn from this lesson?

Sphinx lay on the small hill, bubbles constantly rising from its head.

How could that be?

This is the ultimate riddle passed down from my great-great-great-grandmother; even the gods here can't solve it!

[Ah! Is this woman even wiser than a god?]

Sphinx looked at Li Aili again.

Li Aili: "..."

"Since you have solved my riddle, I will condescend to follow you," the Sphinx said reservedly.

Li Aili really just came to ask a question; she never intended to take Sphinx back with her.

"Actually, there's no need. I just came to ask a question..."

The Sphinx slammed its paw on the earthen slope. "Little girl, what do you take us Sphinx for? We mean what we say!"

Soil was falling down the slope in a soft rustling sound, just like Li Aili's mood at that moment.

She felt like she was being framed.

Li Aili just wanted to finish asking her questions and leave as soon as possible. "A friend of mine accepted a mission from the guild's bounty list."

"This mission was rated as extremely dangerous. Can you tell me why you rated it as such a dangerous mission in the first place?"

Sphinx: "Little girl, you have not yet agreed to make a pact with the great Sphinx."

Li Aili: "..."

"I'm not lying to you, but I really can't take you back."

The Sphinx was greatly shocked. "Do you even know what a great Sphinx is?"

Li Aili: "Is it possible that my boyfriend doesn't want me to bring it back because he knows about it?"

Sphinx's worldview was shaken. "What?! Why haven't you broken up with a man like that?"

Li Aili: "..."

Excited, the Sphinx flapped its wings and swooped down, saying, "Does your boyfriend know that we are worshipped as omniscient gods in countless planes?"

Li Aili really didn't use psychological manipulation on the Sphinx; she was just telling the truth: "But my boyfriend just won't allow me to bring back any more weird pets... creatures."

The Sphinx, like an angry lion, paced back and forth around Li Aili.

"Then why are you still keeping such a tasteless man?!"

"No! I must go back with you! I want to talk to him myself!"

Li Aili looked at the Sphinx's furry claws and majestic wings on its back, and her heart fluttered wildly.

The Sphinx noticed her wavering. "Take me back, and I'll tell you the secret behind this mission!"

Li Aili: "Deal!"

The Sphinx beckoned with its paw, and Li Aili leaned closer.

Sphinx said softly, "Well, the root cause is that 'big event' that happened more than 1,000 years ago. I can't say, although I really want to tell you."

"In short, because of this major event, all the magic energy veins on the continent have dried up."

"Everyone is using up their stockpiled ore, but after a thousand years, the stockpiled magic energy ore is almost used up."

"The kinder races, like the valley dwarves, have already switched to being chefs. Although a small number of dwarves still stick to their ancestral profession, without materials, even a master blacksmith... cough, I digress."

"Do you know what makes up the fire giants on the Giant Spirit Plains? Basalt and magical bronze."

The Sphinx never misses an opportunity to show off its vast knowledge.

He said, "The black market price for one ounce of magical bronze today is 3081 gold, 89 silver, and 1 copper."

Li Aili: "..." Shocked, this seems to be more expensive than dragon materials.

But upon closer examination, it's terrifying.

Sphinx: "Tsk, you have to worry about being targeted by the Dragon God when you kill a dragon, but killing a fire giant is just a joke."

Sphinx: "Some big shots have long treated the Giant Spirit Plains as their 'livestock shed,' raising those fire giants and then periodically killing a batch to sell for money."

"Tsk, your friend is quick on the uptake. He actually accepted the quest before the Adventurers' Guild took it down."

The Sphinx said, "Since you are so learned and able to solve my riddle, I will give you some advice."

“Even if the adventure team starts from scratch, they shouldn’t get involved in this.” Sphinx licked its paws.

Li Aili lowered her eyes to look at the bounty mission list in her hand, and calmly put it away.

Sphinx stood up. "Alright, let's go home."

Li Aili: "..."

...

In the afternoon, Li Aili emerged from the underground portal of the Adventurers' Guild in the central city.

The man guarding the portal was an old man with a missing leg.

He held a copy of "World Gossip Entertainment Weekly" in his hand, reading with great interest the gossip and scandals of prominent figures in mainland China.

Even as the Duchess stepped out of the portal, he couldn't put down the newspaper in his hand.

The old man read the writer's vivid description of the essential details about the Holy Spirit and the pink lace dress.

The old man lifted his eyelids and glanced at Li Aili.

Then he casually looked away, reached to the side with his left hand, picked up a teacup, and sipped the cold Celtic black tea.

Li Aili silently stepped back.

Immediately afterwards, the portal lit up again.

A gigantic sphinx emerged from within.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!