At night, after Li Taixing's diligent efforts, his newly claimed cave was finally organized to his liking. The once rugged and unkempt interior had been transformed into a cozy and inviting space. The walls were now smooth, the ground had been leveled and covered with a wooden floor, and the cave was furnished with tables, chairs, a bed, and various daily necessities.
Although the bear spirit, now named Xiong Er, had been too clumsy to help with the heavy lifting, its unexpected gift had made up for its lack of skills. Li Taixing felt a sense of satisfaction as he looked at Xiong Er and said, "Little Xiong, I've decided to give you a proper name. From today on, you'll be called Xiong Er."
Xiong Er tilted its head in confusion.
"Xiong Er, I'm calling you," Li Taixing repeated with a smile.
Finally, Xiong Er nodded, a naive grin spreading across its face.
Suddenly, Li Taixing thought of the three Xiong brothers he knew back in Dulong Village, and how the second brother was also named Xiong Er. "Damn, it's the same name? No way. When I go back, I'll have to ask Xiong Er to change his name to Xiong Tai."
Satisfied with his day's work, Li Taixing sent Xiong Er to guard the cave's entrance and then settled down for a good night's sleep. As for the other bear spirits he had summoned, they were safely stored away in his newly unlocked pet space. However, he couldn't help but notice that these replicas lacked the sparkle and spirit of the original Xiong Er. But he didn't dwell on it too long before falling asleep.
The next morning, after waking up and completing his morning routine of brushing his teeth and washing his face, Li Taixing went to the entrance of the cave. There, he found Xiong Er sleeping soundly on the ground, clearly having neglected its duty.
"Is this idiot really guarding the door?" Li Taixing muttered in frustration before giving Xiong Er a light kick.
"Boom!"
"Roar?" Xiong Er jumped up, clutching its backside in pain, and turned to see who had dared to attack it. Upon realizing it was Li Taixing, the bear's face crumpled into a look of pure misery.
"Alright, don't give me that face. Just make sure you watch the cave properly while I'm gone," Li Taixing said, suppressing a chuckle.
Xiong Er nodded obediently, its earlier grievance forgotten. Li Taixing then left the cave, knowing he would need a secure base while he explored the forest.
"Master said this training is about gaining experience, so it must be about fighting the fierce beasts in this forest," Li Taixing mused as he wandered through the dense woods.
Before long, he found himself standing by a river. As he gazed at the flowing water, a giant crocodile surfaced, staring right back at him. Neither party had expected to encounter the other.
"Wow, a crocodile?" Li Taixing exclaimed in surprise.
The giant crocodile, startled at first, quickly became enraged. It opened its massive jaws and shot a powerful stream of water at Li Taixing, as sharp as an arrow.
Li Taixing nimbly dodged the attack, and the water jet hit a tree behind him, boring a hole the size of a fist through it. Li Taixing stared at the tree in shock. "Are all crocodiles this terrifying?"
At that moment, the system chimed in:
[Ding! Trigger the multiplier effect of tens of billions. The host's current Realm's dodge value is maxed out, allowing the host to dodge any attack from Foundation Establishment Realm and below. This effect will automatically enhance as the host's Realm increases.]
"Heh, this is awesome!" Li Taixing grinned. His initial shock turned to delight. He hooked his fingers at the giant crocodile, taunting it. "Is that all you've got, little one?"
The giant crocodile, enraged by the provocation, launched several more water jets at Li Taixing. But no matter how many times it attacked, Li Taixing danced around each one, avoiding them effortlessly. The trees behind him weren't so lucky, with some being completely uprooted by the force of the water jets.
"Hehe, that's it?" Li Taixing smirked, his confidence growing with every missed attack.
The giant crocodile, seething with fury, suddenly submerged itself. Li Taixing assumed it was retreating and scoffed, "Coward."
Just as he was about to turn away, the crocodile resurfaced, and this time, it wasn't alone.
"Come on, if you're still mad, come and bite me," Li Taixing taunted again, raising his middle finger at the creature.
The giant crocodile, though it couldn't understand the gesture, could certainly sense the contempt on Li Taixing's face. However, instead of lunging at him, it slapped its massive tail against the river, creating ripples that echoed through the forest.
Li Taixing, oblivious to what was coming, continued to mock it. "Yo, yo, don't get so mad! If you're not happy, come at me!"
Then, to his horror, dozens of giant crocodiles surfaced from the river, each one more massive than the last.
Li Taixing's smirk instantly vanished.
"Shhhhhh!" The crocodiles unleashed a barrage of water jets at Li Taixing. He had no choice but to run, zigzagging through the forest, avoiding the lethal streams. "You're not playing fair!"
The crocodiles chased him relentlessly, but thanks to his maxed-out dodge value, Li Taixing managed to evade every attack. However, the thrill of dodging soon wore off, and he began to realize that he needed a new strategy.
After several minutes of dodging, Li Taixing found himself perched on a high cliff, watching as the frustrated crocodiles returned to their watery domain. As he caught his breath, he started to assess the situation. "What's the value of these crocodiles?"
While he was thinking, a shadow loomed over him. Li Taixing looked up, only to find himself face-to-face with a massive bird monster, towering over five meters tall. To his dismay, he noticed that he was standing right next to its nest, which was home to several two-meter-tall birdlings, all staring at him with curious eyes.
"Chirp!" The birdlings began pecking at Li Taixing, forcing him to dodge frantically.
"Wow, wow, wow!" Li Taixing muttered, barely escaping their sharp beaks. His maxed-out dodge ability was the only thing saving him from being bird food.
Managing to escape the nest, Li Taixing huffed in frustration. "Damn, this forest is way too dangerous. I've only been out for a little while, and I've already run into so many life-threatening situations."
Looking up at the sky, he saw the massive bird monster circling, clearly searching for him. "This thing is huge," he muttered.
Then, an idea struck him. "Wait, both the giant crocodile and this bird monster... they can all become my pets, right?"
Li Taixing's frustration gave way to excitement as he realized the potential. "Hehe," he chuckled, eyes gleaming with mischief. With newfound determination, he floated up into the sky, exposing himself to the giant bird monster.
He pointed at it boldly and shouted, "Hey, little bird! If you know what's good for you, just surrender and give me your essence. Be my pet, and I'll treat you well!"
The giant bird monster, enraged by the diminutive human calling it a 'little bird,' let out a deafening screech.
"Babble!"
The bird flapped its wings furiously, creating a gust of wind that nearly blew Li Taixing out of the sky.
"Wow, talk about a bad temper, just like those crocodiles," Li Taixing said, trying to keep his balance. "But you're not going to summon a bunch of giant birds, are you?"
Just as he finished speaking, a chorus of bird cries echoed through the sky. Li Taixing's face paled as an ominous feeling washed over him.
Slowly, he turned his head, and his eyes widened in disbelief. "Damn, it can't be that bad, right?"