"Forget it, let’s not think about that for now. Let’s keep going forward." Someone suggested.
After walking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the group came upon a clearing in the forest. It seemed to be the actual entrance to the main forested valley, where there were several large tree stumps with some bamboo tubes placed on top, containing what appeared to be a clear liquid.
Some small, adorable spiritual objects gradually poked their heads out. They all looked very cute—some pure white squirrels, red-furred rabbits, green hedgehogs, and even golden cats. They were all small, but looked extremely adorable, making people want to reach out and touch them. They seemed to sense that no one had any malice, so they gathered courage, climbed onto the tree stumps, and beckoned to the crowd, seemingly inviting them to drink the water.
"Are they inviting us to drink it?"
"It does feel a bit like being invited by a host to drink tea," someone laughed.
"I must say, it really does feel like that." Another person laughed along.
Luo Yunfei looked at the small animals and also showed a smile.
The small animals appeared incredibly cute. He wondered if any of them would be willing to leave with him. If he gave one to the little junior sister, she would surely love it. In Luo Yunfei’s mind, the image of Yan Rui’s round face, smiling with small dimples, appeared. When he first arrived at the Chengtian Sect, he was so deeply affected by past traumas that he was silent and withdrawn, rarely interacting with others.
It was Yan Rui, the little girl with the bun hairstyle, who would come to play with him every day. She would ask him about the scenery in Taocheng, whether there was a rain of peach blossoms in the spring and if the autumn was filled with peaches ready to be plucked at will.
Gradually, Luo Yunfei came out of his shell, smiling once more and stepping out of the darkness.
All of this was because of the Yan Rui who was like a little sun.
Naturally, Luo Yunfei thought of Yan Rui everywhere and wanted to be good to her.
The little animals on the stumps saw the people approaching and began to hop joyfully. Some ran around the feet of those they liked, playing in circles, while others tugged at the hems of those with whom they felt a bond, pulling them towards the stumps. The cultivators couldn’t help but laugh, squatting down to pet the small animals.
Luo Yunfei was contemplative. Among the more than twenty people here, it seemed everyone was favored by the small animals. No, to be precise, it seemed these cultivators all had a fondness for the animals and were kind towards them.
Is this the key to passing the first test?
At Luo Yunfei’s feet, a tiny, pure white cat was circling, mewing softly.
Luo Yunfei picked up the small white cat and smiled, "Would you like to come with me? I have a very cute little junior sister. Hmm, how cute is she? Just as cute as you. Do you want to be friends with her?"
The small white cat responded with a series of meows, then extended its little front paw to hug Luo Yunfei’s hand.
"So that means you agree," Luo Yunfei laughed and held the small white cat in his arms.
Then he looked around and saw that the cultivators were all playing with the small animals.
Some had already accepted the small animals’ invitation to drink the liquid from the bamboo tubes. After drinking, they exclaimed, "It feels like the impurities have been cleansed from my body. What kind of water is this?"
Upon hearing this, many others began drinking from the bamboo tubes as well, each becoming extraordinarily surprised.
"I guess this is the reward for passing the first test," someone speculated aloud.
"It should be!" Another agreed.
Luo Yunfei, holding the kitten, looked off into the distance at Luo Yunyi, only to see that he had no small animals around him, standing there unmoving instead.