Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, and savory.

It was as if the sour and pungent elements collaborated seamlessly.

Their harmonious explosion on his taste buds a delightful surprise.

Upon careful reflection, he discerned that beyond the mere sourness and pungency, there were notes of numbing, spiciness, freshness, and fragrance, a complex symphony of flavors.

As he chewed the fish to its conclusion, it released an exquisite aroma, a knowledge he had once learned manifesting itself in an entirely new form.

This was a stimulating taste he had never before experienced, captivating Ling Urchang's senses.

Was this what the divine world referred to as deliciousness? He continued to devour bite after bite.

Unable to restrain himself, although it was his first encounter with this dish, his tolerance for spice exceeded that of Ling Pipi, who was still relishing the initial piece.

Ling Erang had already begun on his second bite, and at this moment, he no longer found the creature s appearance odd.

He simply reveled in its dectible flavor.

Once they had finished the fish, Ling Erang, still hissing with pleasure, inquired about its origins.

He had never realized such exquisite flavors existed within the divine realm.

Hiss hiss.

I don't even know what this is called.

I found it by the tree, took a bite, and discovered it was delicious, so I rushed to tell you.

Ling Pipi replied, still hissing from spiciness.

As for its origins, Ling Pipi had conducted some research.

It comes from here.

He pointed at the edge of the lake.

Look here.

Its body leaned forward and the void of darkness rippled as a translucent pale blue membrane emerged.

A crystallin barrier of the divine realm.

Beyond this ethereal veil lay a golden script barrier composed of rows of Chinese characters, serving as a novicees protective shield established by the system.

The two little sprites were oblivious to such intricacies, merely perceiving it as an inherent structure of the divine realm.

In the direction pointed out by Ling Pip, this pre-existing structure exhibited a flaw, which was the source of its designation as a whole.

They observed that the script was missing half of its form.

The barrier, the barrier, the field of the barrier.

Ling urch, having studied the divine script, quickly discerned the anomaly.

Among the incessantly repeated characters, one particular character for barrier was missing its lower half, leaving behind only a square.

At that juncture, the blue membrane had formed a breach that was slowly healing.

Upon discovering this delectible find, it began to search nearby and stumbled upon the breach, which likely originated from the outside world.

Ling Erang approached the hole situated at the edge of a stone and crouched down to flatten itself, thereby locating the breach.

It sniffed the air, scrutinizing the surroundings.

The golden barrier appeared intact, but at the front of the hole, half of a character was missing, showing signs of being nawed at by some entity.

From beyond the breach, a breeze wafted through, imbued with a pungent aroma.

It inhaled deeply, causing its mouth to salivate involuntarily.

After swallowing the saliva, it turned to Ling Pip and inquired, "Is it a creature from the outside?" "Yes, yes," replied Ling Pip.

"Did you witness how it met its demise?" Ling Pip glanced upward, occasionally fixating on the luminous, weeping willow above, speaking in a somewhat dazed manner.

"It just just died on its own.

I found it lifeless.

" As the glowing willow swayed, the rustling of its branches filled the air and one branch.

Stripped of most of its leaves, stood stark and bare.

Ling urch something a miss in Ling Pip's demeanor, but dismissed it as both of them were of similar intellect, not particularly astute.

This matter must be reported to the divine lord, declared Ling Xang with gravity.

Even if there are delectable treats outside, we cannot conceal this occurrence.

But the divine lord is away on campaign, not at home, Ling Pip interjected.

How about I first bring the divine lord here to enjoy the delicacies? Ling urch pondered Ling Pip's words.

Indeed, the divine lord was away.

Each campaign could last from 3 months to several years.

Should this matter be delayed for such an extended period? Thus, it was decided to wait for the divine lords return to address the issue.

In the meantime, it would be prudent to have Pip remain here and catch fish to eat.

However, what if there were similar breaches elsewhere, and this fish, while alive, caused havoc in the divine realm? The more Ling Erang contemplated, the greater its headache became, for it was not adept at pondering such complexities.

Pip, you stay here and guard this place.

I shall summon Jing Jing and Dau.

They are undoubtedly more intelligent and will have a solution.

It conceived a brilliant strategy.

Entrusting the matter to the wise spirits for resolution.

Ah, but Jing Jing will scold me, hyped up Ling Pip.

Ling Pipi felt a shiver run through its body, causing its form to shrink slightly.

This place was its secret sanctuary where it often spent time sleeping, playing, and evading the tasks assigned by Defu.

After all, if it could not be found, it could not be commanded to work.

Were Ling Jing Jing to discover that it sought refuge at top a stone in the center of the endless lake to sherk its duties, it would undoubtedly scold it.

For Jing Jing had instilled the value of diligence as a virtue.

Labor was a noble endeavor, a means of realizing one selforth.

Although Ling Pipi had a thick skin and was unperturbed by reprimands, the prospect of incessantly toiling was exhausting.

Alas, it was inherently disincined towards work and found it challenging to derive joy from labor.

It cherished knowledge but loathed attending classes.

However, not attending did not equate to a lack of learning, as it had its own methods of acquiring wisdom.

It enjoyed undertaking tasks, yet resented being assigned work.

Lulu remarked that its nest was exquisitly woven.

It could accomplish many things, but only those it found pleasurable akin to play.

At times it struggled to comprehend why.

As a spritly spirit born of the cosmos, it should conform to the constraints that bound others.

Nonetheless, it lacked the means to articulate this sentiment to its companions, resorting instead to skipping classes or hiding to evade Doo's assignments to fulfill its desires.

Papipi, I believe Jing Jing would not chastise you.

Every spirit possesses its own personality.

I do not deem your inclination towards leisure as something deserving of reproach.

It is your chosen way of life.

As long as you understand what you desire, you can freely determine your lifestyle.

Be brave and express your thoughts.

I will clarify this matter with the fu and jing as well.

You see, due to your unique way of living, you were the first to discover the cave and identify the potential hazards at the borders of the divine realm.

even daring to explore and savor new delights.

Your value lies within your liberated existence.

Ling urch spoke at length.

In truth, it did not fully grasp these concepts.

But having heard Jing Jing and a fu utter such phrases repeatedly, it could articulate them somewhat, encouraging its peers to find their own paths without succumbing to internal conflict.

The two spirits often urged it to seek the meaning of its existence.

Ling Jing Jing through contemplation had found a vocation and attained the role of a spirit teacher.

Ling defu through reflection discerned its aspirations and chose to become the foremost servant of the divine assisting in the management of divine affairs and fostering a more prosperous civilization for the spirits.

Ling urchang however preferred not to ponder.

It felt that life sometimes required no grand purpose.

Merely eating, drinking, sleeping, and performing tasks as assigned by Defu to aid others was sufficient.

Contemplation was a source of distress, and it believed life was long enough to avoid such turmoil.

I understand now.

Thank you, Erang.

Ling Capip first shimmerred with an even brighter luster, as if its entire being were undergoing a transformation.

Chapter 47.

The sixth day of internal testing.

Well, I shall take my leave now.