Ada was one of the girls adopted by Nicole and her companions from the orphanage. She was still a minor at the time of her adoption, a Chinese girl they had taken in as their own.
Perhaps life in the orphanage had been difficult, as the young girl appeared much younger than her actual age. Among the crowd, she was an unnoticed, awkward duckling. Her skin tone made her life in the orphanage harder than the others; it was a more challenging experience for her than for most of the children.
The hardships of life had only made her stronger, and that was why Nicole and her companions had chosen her.
Now, after nearly six months of living here, Ada had undergone a dramatic transformation. Her stature had shot up like a sapling given adequate nourishment. From the unnoticed, awkward duckling, she had blossomed into a graceful swan. Though her figure remained rather flat, she looked very different from the girl she had been before. Even her old friends from the orphanage wouldn't necessarily recognize her now.
During these six months, she had not wasted any time. She had taken the initiative to learn new skills and undergo vocational training. She was naturally gifted in these areas and was already making impressive progress.
Nicole and the others had asked her to stay here for a while to get accustomed to the surroundings.
As for the medicinal concoction, it was simply spring water taken from the divine kingdom, mixed with certain herbs to create a remedy for bruises and sprains. The formulation was not complex; its main ingredient was the spring water itself.
Of course, the herbs were special—grown within the divine kingdom by Zhao Lun himself, potent with medicinal strength. The effects of the medicine were powerful, and Ada had benefited greatly from it. She knew these potions were not only highly effective but also expensive, with only a select few being able to afford them. Those who had used them, like her, praised their extraordinary results.
"By the way, Ada, why didn't you go with Nicole and the others today?" Zhao Lun asked, somewhat puzzled.
Ada enjoyed high status and wasn't bound by strict rules, so she was allowed to go out and play. However, her mature demeanor made her unwilling to waste time. Even after arriving here, she had continued her studies. She trained diligently and spent her free time reading.
"I don't want to make movies like they do. Alright, boss, that's enough for today," Ada replied, clapping her hands as the massage came to an end.
"Is that so? What a pity," Zhao Lun said, rising and stretching his arms, feeling revitalized.
"Not at all a pity," Ada shot him a glance before heading off to wash her hands, needing to cleanse the herbal scent from the medicinal water.
After taking a shower, Zhao Lun donned his clothes, full of energy once more. He picked up his bow and arrows and headed to the shooting range, continuing his practice until Maria and the others returned.
"Brother!"
Maria's voice called from a distance. Her small figure sprinted toward him, her hands waving excitedly as she approached.
She was so overjoyed that even Ivy and the other dogs joined in, barking happily.
Zhao Lun, seeing her enthusiasm, stopped aiming his arrow and smiled as he waited for her to reach him.
Maria was fast; within seconds, she was in front of him, leaping into his arms and clinging to his neck, reluctant to let go. Even after all this time, she still had the same affection for him, missing him whenever they were apart, even for a moment.
"Look at you, all sweaty, your hair's a mess, and your clothes are torn. What happened?" Zhao Lun gently combed her messy hair and wiped away the sweat.
Maria was lively and increasingly mischievous, often doing things that worried him. She liked climbing trees, poking into bird nests, or staying up late to look for ghosts or things only she could see.
He wasn't too concerned about the climbing trees or disturbing bird nests, but he worried about her wandering out at night and encountering something terrifying. So, he kept a watchful eye on her during the evenings, ensuring she didn't wander outside. After all, even invisible dangers were something he had to take seriously.
Of course, Zhao Lun understood why Maria behaved this way. She wanted to capture his attention with her playful antics, hoping he would focus more on her. Zhao Lun understood this well; he had done the same when he was a child, though his attempts had been far less successful.
"Huh? My clothes are torn? Hmph! It must have been Ivy. I'll make her skip dinner tonight," Maria said with a mischievous smile.
"You and your constant teasing of Ivy," Zhao Lun chuckled.
Ivy and the others were obedient, well-behaved dogs, so Zhao Lun didn't believe they had torn up his clothes. It was probably Maria's own doing.
The dinner that evening was particularly hearty, with a variety of dishes beyond just Western cuisine, including a selection of noodles made to suit individual tastes, much to everyone's satisfaction.
At the dinner table, Ada joined them.
Nicole and the others were discussing the film they had shot that day, and Zhao Lun and Hodal occasionally chimed in, asking questions or offering comments. Laughter occasionally rang out from the dining room, creating a lively atmosphere.
Finally, Zhao Lun turned to Nicole and asked, "When will it be finished?"
"Five more days, and in about a month and a half, it'll be ready for the audience," Nicole replied.
"So soon? I thought you said it would take almost half a year. Did something go wrong?" Zhao Lun was puzzled.
"No, everything's fine, boss. The six months were calculated based on the slowest timeline. Under normal circumstances, as long as there are no major setbacks, the timeline can be shortened," Nicole said, giving him a playful look. "You really don't care about our movie, do you?"
"Alright, I'll definitely watch it when it's out," Zhao Lun said eagerly.
"You definitely will," Monica winked and leaned in, adding her own encouragement.
"I'll prepare a celebration banquet for you all when it's finished," Zhao Lun promised.
After dinner, Zhao Lun and Maria took the dogs for a walk to help with digestion before doing some boxing exercises. As the night grew deeper, Zhao Lun was just about to wash up and sleep when a strange sound from the divine kingdom caught his attention.
Zhao Lun immediately returned to his room, locked the door, and swiftly entered the divine kingdom.
The divine kingdom had expanded from the size of a soccer field to three times that, and now it was shaking as if the world were ending. Just as Zhao Lun entered, a small, fragrant object zipped toward him and quickly burrowed into his clothes.
"What is that?" Zhao Lun was momentarily confused, but before he could figure it out, the shaking of the divine kingdom almost knocked him off his feet. In the nick of time, he floated up, unaffected by the tremors.
A golden-red streak flashed by.
Zhao Lun froze for a moment, then realized what was happening.
He soared upward like a fish in water. The sensation was extraordinary, as natural as breathing. He could move freely, as though his body was simply following his will. Mesmerized by this newfound ability, he flew through the air until he felt the small object wriggling in his clothes, which brought him back to his senses.
Reaching inside, he pulled out the little creature.
"Hey, bad girl! You hurt me!" a familiar voice called softly.
"Aiya? Is that you, little one? You really shouldn't sneak into other people's clothes."
Zhao Lun scolded lightly, then set her aside.
To his surprise, the small creature flew back to him, clinging to his collar for dear life. It seemed frightened, finding safety only in Zhao Lun's presence. This time, Zhao Lun didn't scare her, and the little creature, looking like a scared fawn, snuggled into his clothes, staring up with wide, innocent eyes.
At that moment, Zhao Lun immersed himself in the information the divine kingdom had transmitted into his mind.
The divine kingdom was growing stronger, and as its master, Zhao Lun was gaining immense power from it.
According to legend, within the divine kingdom, the god was invincible, and as long as the kingdom remained intact, the god could achieve anything. Now, Zhao Lun was tapping into the kingdom's power, gaining incredible abilities.
This growth had granted him the ability to walk freely within the divine kingdom, moving through the void with no limitations, as though walking normally. He could also stop anywhere he desired.
The control he had over the divine kingdom's forces made him invincible here.
Suddenly, a flame appeared out of nowhere in the void, swirling and expanding until it formed a fireball that glowed brightly.
"Is that... the Sun?" Zhao Lun was taken aback.
"Whoosh!" A mysterious object sliced through the void and headed straight for the "sun". Upon closer inspection, it was the egg that had been set aside since it was retrieved. Unexpectedly, it was now moving toward the fireball. As Zhao Lun tried to stop it, a piece of information flashed into his mind, halting his actions.
The information told him that the egg needed to remain in the fire for incubation.
"Whoosh!" After reading the message, Zhao Lun immediately flew toward the fireball to observe. As for Aiya, she was still clinging to his collar, afraid to let go due to the continued disturbances in the divine kingdom.
The fire looked small, but its temperature was incredibly high. The surrounding void twisted from the heat. Zhao Lun was already sweating before getting close, and Aiya frantically burrowed deeper into his clothes. Zhao Lun quickly used his power to isolate the heat and approached the fireball.
The flames were scorching, dazzling to the eyes. Zhao Lun had to use his power to shield his vision before he could see clearly.
Inside the fireball, a small egg, the size of a chicken egg, was spinning and absorbing the flame. The egg glowed red like a gem, and through the shell, he could see the faint movement of a tiny life struggling, as though it were about to hatch.
The divine kingdom's message informed him that the egg needed to remain in the flames for a month in order to hatch.
4o mini