Who let him join the Sword Sect?!

Medicine King Valley's attempt at crossbreeding is understandable, after all, spirit plants are still plants. Zhang Ze could imagine using a golden hoe to plant rice, and likewise, a Spiritual Qi hoe to plant spirit rice.

But between spirit beasts...

Zhang Ze shook off those chaotic thoughts from his mind, ready to push open the door when Li Jue suddenly stopped him.

"This bronze door is sealed shut. We should use that small door over there," Li Jue said to Zhang Ze, pointing at a small bronze door on the left wall.

...

Behind the bronze door.

There was no peculiar alien spacecraft lost, having come from some part of the universe.

Nor was there a cyber-styled biotechnology lab.

Nor was it the Yap people's evil alternate dimension space.

What stood before him was a vast blue water screen.

Behind the water screen, a blurry figure was busy with something. Probably aware of Zhang Ze and Li Jue's arrival, the figure walked towards the water screen.

The water screen parted, and an old man appeared before the two.

"Elder Han." Li Jue respectfully greeted the newcomer.

The real name of Elder Han was Han Shan, and while his frame was robust, his speech was gentle. Learning of Li Jue's purpose, he welcomed the two into the water screen.

Behind the water screen was a grand hall. Lined up on either side were numerous arrays, each array suspending a large water ball.

Various aquatic animals swam freely in these water balls. Although these animals differed from ordinary beast fish species, they still lacked any spirit.

Several arrays on the ceiling were autonomously functioning, linking the front and rear halls.

The rear of the hall also had a water screen. Behind this water screen's array were numerous giant eggs in various colors.

Strands of Spirit Charm were being infused into these giant eggs.

Though not quite understanding, it all seemed impressive.

However, the most captivating feature was the pool in the very center of the hall, where a peculiar little beast was swimming back and forth.

The little beast's body was streamlined, covered in azure scales, with just a little mane grown around its neck and tail.

Apart from having webbed beast claws instead of hooves on its limbs, it bore an eighty percent resemblance to the Qilin often mentioned in primordial myths.

When it swam in the water, its limbs hugged its body, a thin glow covering its body.

Upon seeing strangers, the little beast wasn't afraid—instead, it stuck its head out of the water, staring at Li Jue and Zhang Ze with big eyes. After a moment, it leapt out of the water...

Then, with a splat, it jumped onto the ground, rolled over onto the cushion prepared for it, and began to roll around.

It seemed it still didn't know how to use its limbs to walk…

"Qilin?" Li Jue stepped forward and picked the little beast up from the ground.

The little beast didn't struggle, instead comfortably rolling around in Li Jue's arms, drying itself, before finding a cozy position to lie down, giving a big yawn.

Elder Han shook his head, "I don't know, it hatched from the egg of a Water Wolf Fish."

"On the day of the anomaly at Wolong Marsh, it hatched from its egg." As Elder Han spoke, he glanced at Zhang Ze.

Zhang Ze looked at the 'Qilin' in Li Jue's arms and, after using his Divine Sense to sense it briefly.

He was sure this little fellow was not a Village.

And this 'Qilin' probably didn't like being stared at. It blinked its large eyes, suddenly spraying water at Zhang Ze without warning, then quickly acted innocent, hiding its head in Li Jue's chest.

Seeing its mischievous expression, Zhang Ze was further convinced this wasn't a Village.

Yet, although this little thing wasn't fond of Zhang Ze, it seemed quite fond of Li Jue. After lying in Li Jue's arms for a while, it began squirming, trying to crawl onto Li Jue's shoulder.

Seeing its flopping fish-like attempts, Li Jue looked at Elder Han, "Does it think it's a Water Wolf Fish?"

Elder Han nodded.

"I think this little guy's changes are related to what happened that day, possibly it's not the only one to have mutated."

Hearing Elder Han's speculation, Zhang Ze remembered what Li had previously mentioned regarding the Village.

As one of the Ancestral Dragons, the Village's properties were quite mystifying, seemingly life-related.

After the Village transformed into light points and vanished, the power contained within its dragon form immediately dispersed and returned to the heavens and earth.

Zhang Ze suspected this Water Wolf Fish, transformed into a 'Qilin', was influenced by the Village's mystical power.

Coincidentally, his malfunctioning system finally did something useful.

[Awakening Task, Returning Home, Investigate the anomalies at Wolong Marsh, follow-up tasks to be unlocked]

[First Walking Task, Help the Dragon Descendant·Little Water Wolf Fish learn to walk]

The first task could wait; Zhang Ze already had an idea for helping the little Water Wolf Fish walk right away.

Upon inquiring Elder Han, he learned that there was nothing wrong with the little creature's limbs, it simply had no concept of walking in its mind.

Elder Han had also attempted to teach the little thing to walk, but without success.

Faced with this situation, Zhang Ze considered applying some physical therapy.

The Thousand Mechanism Pavilion never lacked strange items, such as an exoskeleton to help the disabled stand again...

As a byproduct of developing the Thousand Machine Armor, while it wasn't tough enough for combat, it was perfect for aiding in everyday movement.

After asking Li Jue to measure the little creature's limbs, Zhang Ze took a picture of the little guy, planning to send it to Lily later, asking her to make a small one when she could.

However, upon sharing his idea with Elder Han and Li Jue, he came up with a new thought.

Zhang Ze immediately fleshed out his thoughts.

'The experimental model of the Thousand Machine Armor currently being developed can at best accommodate cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage.'