The moment Little Silver Flower entered, the Clear Core Flower, which had been ignoring Mingxi, moved on its own.

It 'whooshed' out of Mingxi's hand, that kind of 'move'!

Before Little Silver Flower could even react, the Clear Core Flower actively formed a contract with her and then firmly attached itself to her hair.

What a willing attachment.

Mingxi and Chiyu were both speechless.

However, thinking about it, Little Silver Flower was indeed the most suitable for the Clear Core Flower, not because Little Silver Flower was of the Angel System (Xue Qingteng was Fairy-type, so maybe she would also be very suitable).

It was because when two flowers met, who could be more compatible than them?

Moreover, the Clear Core Flower's pink color complemented Little Silver Flower's eye color, making them an exceptionally good match.

Although Little Silver Flower was 'pounced on', once she realized how the Clear Core Flower made her look as beautiful as a goddess, she immediately became vain.

She highly praised the Clear Core Flower for its good taste.

Mingxi had nothing to say.

And there was nothing to say.

At least the benefits stayed within the family.

After Chiyu's success, the research on Emerald Green stopped. Although it wasn't completely fruitless, the Time Realm's duration was precious. Since there was already a method to solve the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox)'s pollution, there was no need to continue wasting time.

It wouldn't be too late to continue the research after returning.

One person and nine treasures left the Time Realm, and then Little Silver Flower first used the Flower Halo to test the 'efficacy' on the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox).

The 'efficacy' was almost zero.

After all, the Flower Halo was an immunity skill, so it was normal for its dispelling effect to be somewhat lacking.

Mingxi had long anticipated this, "It seems we must use Sacred Bloom."

However, Sacred Bloom would cause a 99-day dormancy after use, meaning this ability was a one-time thing. Fortunately, it was a group dispel.

So they had to first dig out all the nearby Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) and collect their horns along the way.

It wasn't that they were worried about the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) 'repaying kindness with enmity' afterward, but rather that doing it themselves ensured self-sufficiency.

And they didn't have to worry about the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) recovering their senses and being unable to bear the pain of this 'live harvesting and dismemberment'.

Mingxi brought out Guangguang, had it scan the nearby soil quality, soil layer structure, distribution of Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox), and other conditions, then formulated a detailed 'combat' plan, before waving her small hand—

"Let's get to work."

Golden Yuanbao and the others quickly accepted their respective tasks without a word and began working enthusiastically.

Because this location was hundreds or even thousands of meters deep beneath the ocean, the soil was even denser and harder than normal rock layers, making excavation as difficult as 'grave robbing' for a grave robber.

And they also had to ensure they didn't accidentally kill the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) buried and sleeping there.

It was quite strenuous.

Imagine the scene: in the dark deep sea floor, under a faint, dim light, one person and nine beasts, wielding various shovels, crowbars, and even directly using their claws to work.

And during the excavation, stiff, unconscious Transcendent creatures were occasionally dug out, pulled out, or lifted out.

So, calling it grave digging and exhumation was not at all out of place.

Although the task was arduous, the atmosphere was not at all serious.

"Hiccup..."

As Black Pearl was digging, she accidentally let out a burp, spitting out a string of purified small bubbles that splattered all over Little Silver Flower, who was next to her, using her wings as a fan to clear away mud.

Little Silver Flower shook her head in disgust, immediately sweeping up a wisp of sand with the tip of her tail in return.

Emerald Green elegantly manipulated its vines, like the most precise mechanical arms, reaching deep into the wet soil, wrapping around the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox)'s body, and then slowly exerting force to 'pull' it out.

Occasionally, the vines would bring out some glimmering objects, like fragments of glazed glass.

Those were the old shells shed by the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) over long years; being able to obtain their carapaces without having to peel the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox)'s skin was excellent.

Golden Yuanbao used lightning to slightly stimulate the wet soil, loosening it, and then used electromagnetic force to control the vibrations to bring it out, which was highly efficient.

Lan Yue and Chiyu teamed up. Lan Yue first solidified the mud with Chill, creating a stable working surface, then Chiyu used the Pomie Gun to poke out gaps, finally prying out entire blocks of earth and stone, which was quite convenient... "Lei Mo Tian (Thunder Demon Heaven), the one to your left is buried a bit deep and is pressed down by Adamantine Rock. You'd best find a way to 'suck' them out together with your lightning field!"

"Ling Tianzi, freeze the surrounding mud to make it easier for Poyu (Breaking Prison) to use its claws!"

"Luo Xu Jingtian, yes, you, the one wearing the beautiful Clear Core Flower... Is the Clear Core Flower's skill ready to be used? Try to maintain energy absorption as much as possible. The more energy accumulated in the flower's core, the better the power of Sacred Bloom should be."

"..."

Guangguang, this mechanical bear, took on the role of chief engineer, supervising Mingxi and the nine treasures' work, and promptly taking over the excavated Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox).

It oversaw the entire situation, precisely coordinating each partner.

Mingxi was not idle either; she worked up a sweat with her new partner.

And her partner was their esteemed lady, Yao Xuan Dada.

Mingxi used tools to dig, while it waved its 'hands' beside her, cheering her on.

"Xiao Xi Xi, you're amazing, digging soil is like shoveling tofu!"

"Go, Xiao Xi Xi! Your movements are so much like Tom Cat tap dancing, all that's missing is the background music~~ Do you want me to sing you a verse of 'Dig, Dig, Dig'?"

"Oh my goodness, with such a light shovel, you actually dug up so much. My dear, you're a strongwoman!"

"The Bright Crystal sweat beads on your forehead, how much they resemble diamonds."

"This °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° stone is so rebellious, daring to disobey and bounce onto your face. Do you want me to recite a passage from the 'Diamond Sutra' to send it off?"

"..."

Mingxi's temple throbbed, and she used all her lifelong willpower not to shovel the iron spade in her hand onto its face.

This fellow!

A dignified Messenger of Destiny, why is it so despicable?

Yao Xuan didn't want to help, but couldn't.

Don't look at it being a divine-level being, the strongest present, but this place was not suitable for it to exert its power.

Once it removed its 'Cloak of Destiny', it would revert to its true form, but its true form was too massive; this underground space simply couldn't accommodate it.

And in its 'lady' state, its strength was only enough to arm-wrestle a newborn baby, extremely weak.

This was also a drawback brought by the threads of destiny.

Unlike Little Silver Flower and Bright Crystal, changes in size did not affect their inherent strength.

And most of its skills were geared towards destiny guidance or support, making them unusable for excavation work.

So it could only give Mingxi its 'enthusiastic support', spiritual assistance. How could that not be considered assistance?

It was indeed very enthusiastic, so enthusiastic that Mingxi was getting irritated!

"Puff, puff, puff!"

Golden Yuanbao and the others worked nearby, stifling laughter.

Brother Yao, mighty!

"Hey, you, the one named Ming and called what-what Xi! Your group's work progress is clearly falling behind, pay attention. How can you just chat and not work? Really, as a Beast Tamers, can't you even lead by example?"

The overseer bear stomped over behind Mingxi and Yao Xuan, hands on its hips, wielding a straight branch it found from who knows where, looking exactly like Huang Shiren's biological son.

Mingxi: "..."

She plunged the iron shovel in her hand into the hard, black-diamond-like rock wall opposite her with a 'sizzling' crisp sound, as if poking tofu.

It went in deep.

She turned back and gave Guangguang a cold look, radiating killing intent, as ruthless as a reborn female assassin.

As if saying, "If you don't want the iron shovel in my hand to plunge into your neck, then speak properly!"

Guangguang immediately shrank its neck.

But it still couldn't help but mutter softly: "Master is really biased. Celestial Mystery Nine Radiance Python only knows how to flatter and drag its feet, but she didn't scold it. I only said this one sentence, and she scares me, intimidates me, threatens me!"

"What a case of 'only seeing the new favorite smile, never hearing the old one cry'! Wuwuwu..."

A perfect illustration of being both weak and wanting to play.

Mingxi couldn't be bothered with it.

Yao Xuan, however, was full of interest, covering its lips in a delicate manner:

"Ever since I entered the palace, I have been exclusively favored by His Majesty. With three thousand beauties in the harem, His Majesty only favors me alone. So I advised His Majesty to spread his favor evenly, but His Majesty simply wouldn't listen. His Majesty, he just favors me, just favors me. How can this servant bear it!"

Guangguang: "Hmph! As long as this empress lives, you all shall remain concubines!"

Mingxi: "..."

The other treasures: "..."

Black Pearl sidled up to its big brother, asking in a small voice: Did they secretly watch your hidden palace drama discs?

Feeling the gazes from all directions, Golden Yuanbao: I didn't, I don't, it's lying!

Everyone silently turned their heads away.

They didn't believe it.

Sigh.

A bunch of rabble.

(¯―¯٥)

This 'grave-digging' operation, which made Mingxi sweat profusely, lasted for over three days.

The process was extremely tiring.

Even with tool assistance, it still required constant expenditure of physical strength and energy, and it was an extremely monotonous and boring process.

Anyone could endure it for an hour or two, but working for a full 70-plus hours, with nothing but energy pills and continuous work in between, was something not everyone could sustain.

However, due to Yao Xuan and Guangguang's occasional banter, they did not experience feelings of irritation, boredom, or fatigue.

Everyone maintained a lasting enthusiasm for this work.

Even Little Silver Flower, who was usually lazy, participated throughout, without faltering at all.

Mingxi knew that this was actually influenced by Yao Xuan to some extent; it had been silently using its skill, Mystic Protection.

Mystic Protection, a high-tier General System skill, provides team protection, deploying a protective field that allows all allies to be immune to abnormal physiological and psychological states to a certain extent.

It truly was a guy that made people feel at ease and willing to indulge.

Of course, their efforts were worth it.

After three days, they not only successfully 'excavated' hundreds of Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) and cut off their horns, but also unexpectedly harvested a large quantity of extremely high-quality sea cow shells.

Xue Qingteng, Chiyu, and Emerald Green were all very happy.

Their happiness made everyone else happy too.

More importantly, during this continuous digging, digging, digging, they not only expended physical strength and energy, but also, by constantly resisting the pervasive pollution around them,

Their spiritual world (spiritual sea) was subtly tempered repeatedly.

Every time energy was consumed, every bit of physical strength was lost, every time they held firm in the face of pollution, their mental strength became more condensed, tougher, and their control over their own power became more precise.

Moreover, their ability to resist pollution also subtly increased.

But at this moment, no one knew.

Of course, Yao Xuan might have known.

But it felt that life needed small surprises, and knowing everything wasn't necessarily something to be happy about.

"Why ask about the source of the mist?

The evening breeze unfolds an unsigned letter.

Dewdrops string necklaces on spiderwebs.

Crickets mistakenly wander onto piano keys in the moonlight.

No need to see the stars' trajectories clearly,

Let the fruit retain its mystery.

When the tide recedes, it leaves its mark,

The beach cradles crystals of salt.

All answers are too heavy,

They would crush the budding wild buckwheat.

At this moment, I am willing to be an empty boat,

Filled with unexpected gifts of cloud and sunset.

During a night voyage, suddenly encountering a lighthouse,

It was just fishing lights drifting into the harbor.

Life always scatters crushed mint and powdered sugar

In the cracks of cognition!"

Hearing the familiar, emotion-filled voice, Mingxi, the eight treasures, and Guangguang all collectively rolled their eyes.

Here it comes, bringing its poetry and prose.

Mingxi really wanted to ask, was this strange, eerie, and unsettling scene, like a mass grave, really suitable for reciting poetry and composing verses?

She decided to ignore the inspired Yao Xuan and looked at Little Silver Flower:

"Are you ready?"

Little Silver Flower calmly ignored the chanting poet and nodded to Mingxi.

The exquisite bud by her temple, like a fusion of crystal and light, had been silently absorbing the scattered pollution energy from the environment and the energy fluctuations emitted by Mingxi and her companions during their work.

The light within the bud grew increasingly gentle and restrained, as if accumulating power for its grand blooming.

Finally, it was time for the most important part.

All the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) without horns were gathered in a temporarily cleared open space, like piglets whose hair had been scraped clean.

It looked somewhat absurd, and a little funny.

At this point, Mingxi naturally discovered the abnormality of these Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox).

They weren't just continuously sleeping due to laziness, but were influenced by other forces, so even when attacked or when their minds were completely polluted, they didn't wake up.

It should have been to protect them from being harmed by the pollution.

Perhaps it was also to protect other marine Transcendent creatures in this sea area.

Although Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) were incredibly lazy, their combat power was not at all weak; in fact, an enraged one could be quite ferocious.

However, all ferocity became insignificant in the face of laziness. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

"Little Silver Flower, begin."

Little Silver Flower nodded solemnly and plucked the Clear Core Flower.

Activating, releasing.

The dreamlike, beautiful flower bud detached from her palm, slowly rising into mid-air, its soft light illuminating the surrounding darkness.

The next moment, 【Sacred Bloom】!

There was no earth-shattering sound; its blooming was quiet and pure.

It was an ultimate tranquility and beauty.

The Clear Core Flower's bud silently unfurled.

Each petal unfolded into an indescribably beautiful posture, and a faint, warm white light rippled out like water, gently washing over every Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox) and filling the entire space.

Wherever the light passed, the viscous, malicious pollution melted and purified silently, like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun.

Countless tiny, sigh-like sounds of relief seemed to echo in the air.

The entire space became clearer and more transparent than ever before; even the oppressive air seemed to become light and sweet.

And Mingxi, who was constantly observing the Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox), immediately noticed one Hai Sha Si Niu (Sea Sand Four Ox)'s eyelid trembling slightly.

It was about to awaken!