Sensei gave the core from the gecko, serpent, and green-spotted pumas to the remaining four rodents who he simply numbered from 'One to Four'.
Sensei named the first rodent he turned; 'One' and gave him the serpent's core, whilst he randomly gave the other cores to the rest.
"Perhaps, if you are all lucky enough, your bloodlines would be able to evolve and obtain one of these cores' abilities." He added before returning to Ji Qing who was still out cold.
---
"Now time to stage a very believable story."
Sensei muttered to himself as he began to reshape the damages around the battle area in a way that will support and verify the story he was about to have Ji Min tell Ji Tang, in a way that wouldn't be too suspicious.
After all, no one would believe that Ji Min alone could defeat the serpent, lizard, and gecko; defeat the rodents, and still emerge with enough strength to kill the two green-furred wolves.
These were feats that would even be difficult for an expert in the 5-Star Lord Stage, not to talk of Ji Min who is believed to still be in the Commander Stage.
Thus, Sensei knew he had to cook up and stage a very good story that was convincing enough to help Ji Min escape suspicion.
After he was done with it, he told Little White and the gang to leave the scene but stay at a reasonable distance to protect them from any attacks as they lay on the ground and await Ji Tang's arrival.
It didn't even take three minutes for the air in the area to begin to hum and vibrate.
They buzzed with greater intensity until a spark of electric current morphed to life; and the moment the spark came alive, Ji Tang appeared out of thin air.
"Oh no; Min'er! Qing'er!" Ji Tang cried out anxiously in hopes of getting any response whatsoever, but the bodies of his grandchildren simply lay there, motionless.
"No way; was I too late?" He muttered as he rushed over to Ji Min's position.
Upon doing a quick check, he found a very faint pulse, and with a very heavy but relieving sigh, Ji Tang flashed over to Ji Qing's position, and after another quick check, he felt an even stronger pulse than he felt from Ji Min.
Ji Tang heaved two successive sighs; it was like he was trying to get something really heavy out of his chest.
He flicked one hand and all the dirt and rubbles around the duo were swept clean by a powerful yet gentle gust of wind.
He flicked his other wrists and two white blankets embroidered with gold floated over the duo, shielding them from the forest's harsh atmosphere.
After ensuring his grandchildren were comfortable, Ji Tang then looked around the area and began to read the battle scene.
He walked around the area, checking the claw marks and scorched grounds that littered the whole area.
"These claw marks are definitely from those rodent species native to this part of the forest; from the intensity of this scorched area, a flaming lizard must have been present as well." Ji Tang began.
"Such fighting scale should be a difficult face-off against a 3 Star Lord Stage expert which neither Ji Min nor Ji Qing can muster, even if they combined their strengths."
Then taking this goo and these petrified leaves into the equation, then they must have run into the Abyss Medusa, but the gecko isn't a native of this part of the forest, so why was it here?
In the face of such a lineup, even 3-Star Lord Stage experts would be forced to flee for their lives, which further cancels the possibility of it being these kids.
The Spotted Scavenger Pumas shouldn't be far from such a scene in hopes of nabbing one or two distracted beasts, but I can't even find anything that points to their presence here.
Perhaps, they had taken their fill and left during the chaos...
From my battle against the flaming lizard on my way here, it is easily a Peak Commander Stage beast whose bloodlines have been awakened due to the extent of this scorched area.
It would have been able to break into the Lord Stage with little effort.
The Abyss Nedusa are seclusive beats and would only venture out of their caves when they have enough strength to defend themselves, thus it shouldn't be too far-fetched to think it had crossed into the Lord Stage."
Ji Tang kept muttering to himself as he went from one part of the clearing to the other, picking up the type of beasts present during the battle from the slightest hints.
Sensei, on the other hand, kept feigning unconsciousness as he listened to Ji Tang's ramblings in a bid to cook up a better lie.
The moment he heard the hum in the atmosphere, he commanded Little White and his gang to flee from the scene and try to gather as many herbs or fruits as they could get from within the forest area.
"So, three beasts potentially in the Lord Stage, two beasts at the Peak of Commander Stage, and several dozens of rodents within the 4- to 8-Star Commander Stage.
Such a lineup can draw out the seriousness within a 5- or even 6-Star Lord Stage expert." Ji Tang continued to muse, looking around as he read the battle scene.
Moments later, Ji Tang snapped his finger in realization as a strong wave of mental energy burst forth from his body, spreading in all directions and covering an entire kilometer in radius.
"To think an expert of such prowess has been lurking around our borders and I didn't detect him?"
Ji Tang murmured as he shut his eyes and focused his mind, allowing his consciousness to float out of his body and cover every inch within his mental range.
He searched every nook and cranny of the one-kilometer forest area, sensing about five different auras that were enough to make him curse his fortune and another one that he didn't dare probe.
They were unmoving, and it was almost like they were hibernating as he breathed a sigh of relief.
"If the commotion had disturbed them and they got involved in this chaos, I'm afraid I might have lost these little ones today." Ji Tang heaved a sigh of relief as he continued his search.
Afterward, he caught sight of another three which he was confident he and his sworn brothers could handle, whilst the rest didn't seem like they could pose much of a problem as long as one of the three of them was present.