Suddenly, a soft groan came from Ziyou's direction.

"This little stone is surprisingly sharp..."

Zero had no time to observe the internal structure of the main hall; he arrived in front of Zi You in an instant.

"What's wrong?"

A slightly deep voice sounded.

Zero's gaze swept towards Zi You's jade-like palm—

A crimson stain was constantly emerging on that slender index finger, while Zi You's gaze remained fixed on the small stone on the ground.

Clearly, the culprit behind all this was that small stone!

Surprisingly, this smooth-surfaced stone actually has a sharp side.

Zero wanted to kick the stone away, but then he remembered what had happened before and realized he couldn't do anything about it, which made him anxious.

"Tell me, why are you here?"

Zi You, standing beside her, showed no significant emotional change, but instead spoke softly to the stone.

Zero was stunned for a moment. If he hadn't misheard... Zi You was talking to the stone?

Surprisingly, the stone seemed to understand Zi You's words and began to jump and bounce on the spot.

What's wrong with this world...?

Looking at Ziyou, who was constantly talking to the stone, Ling suddenly felt somewhat out of place...

Shaking his head, Zero simply sat down to one side, resting his chin on his hand and lost in thought.

"ah--"

Zi You exclaimed again, and in an instant, she turned around and saw that the stone on the ground suddenly emitted a golden light, circled around Zi You, especially circling the bleeding index finger, and then "whoosh" flew into Zi You's arms.

Ziyou stared at it blankly:

"How did it get to me by itself?"

When she touched the stone earlier and cut her index finger, she assumed it was just because the stone was sharp and she had accidentally cut herself.

Now it seems that the scratch was not accidental, but rather caused by the stone...

Zero examined it carefully for a while and then gave his guess:

"It seems to have recognized you as its master..."

Zi You picked up the small stone that had lost its light after it had fallen into her arms, and a black line appeared on her forehead.

What's going on...?

This little thing has to choose her of all people...

and……

What could be so special about this dark stone, about half the size of a palm?

Although it could move and seemed to be spiritually connected, Ziyou did not think highly of it because of this.

Perhaps sensing Ziyou's dislike, the little stone moved slightly in dissatisfaction, but still obediently nestled in her palm.

"But it seems quite interesting, and it's quite well-behaved."

Zi You stretched out her finger and gently tapped the small stone, which trembled in her palm as if tickled.

"Afraid of being ticklish?"

Zi You became interested and started tapping on the stone absentmindedly. The scene of the person and the stone gave Ling a strange sense of harmony, as if they were always together...

"Hey, isn't this an ancient spirit stone?"

The space that had been unreachable for so long suddenly responded. Tu Ling slowly spoke, his tone filled with shock.

"Life Stone, what is that?"

It sounds like something really impressive.

I never expected that such an ordinary-looking little stone would have such a remarkable origin.

"Life Stones are very beneficial to the cultivation of both humans and beasts, and they are very difficult to find even in the Upper Realm."

"So, this stone not only poses no danger or harm, but can actually help with cultivation?"

"Yes."

After receiving an affirmative answer from Tu Ling, Zero raised his eyebrows.

"but……"

Tu Ling suddenly hesitated.

"But what?"

He spoke without a doubt.

Earth Spirit continued:

"But what's strange is that I seem to sense a different power within the Life Stone. Could it be that it intends to devour the Life Stone, which is why it went to Zi You?"

"What? There's something inside the rock?"

Zero surprises.

Yes, but very faint.

"Would that pose a threat to Zi You?"

Zero wasn't initially interested in the stone, but since the Earth Spirit said there might be another power within the Life Stone, he couldn't help but want to find out.

If it's detrimental to Zi You, then no matter how precious or wondrous the stone is, he will destroy it at all costs...

Tu Ling smiled, understanding perfectly how Ling treated Zi You.

"There is no threat at the moment. After all, the Life Stone itself has a very rich spiritual energy, and it is usually used to absorb spiritual energy to increase cultivation. However, there is already a little thing inside it now, and it may compete with Zi You for the Life Stone."

After Tu Ling patiently finished explaining, Ling frowned slightly.

So... there's something alive inside this stone?

No wonder it can move...

"Isn't it a rock? How did the little thing inside get in?"

Tu Ling pondered for a moment, then replied:

"Either that little thing is very powerful, or it was conceived together with the Life Stone from a young age and eventually grew inside it, and will devour it in the future."

Ling nodded knowingly and looked at Zi You beside her, or more accurately, at the stone in her hand.

"What's wrong?"

Noticing Zero's gaze, Zi You couldn't help but ask a question.

Following his gaze, she saw the stone in her hand. She raised the stone, looked at Zero, and asked in confusion:

Is there something wrong with this stone?

Why did he look at it with such... well, complicated...?

After searching through the dictionary for a moment, Zi You finally decided to use "complex" to describe it.

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