"King Level Demonic Beast!" Seraphina shrieked in pure horror. Her legs instantly gave way, and she collapsed onto the ground, the familiar dampness spreading as fear overwhelmed her once again.
Within the group, Seraphina, Cempaka, Viola, and Carla were unaware of Lapin's existence. His sudden, powerful presence shook them to their core. The typically emotionless Cempaka immediately moved, positioning herself protectively in front of Anda. She was ready to defend her mistress at any cost, even though she was acutely aware that her current strength was no match for a single attack from a King-Level Demonic Beast.
The others, except for Anda, Tamina, Barcas, and Livana who had met Lapin before, had only ever heard his voice. They now stared with intense curiosity, examining his unique features: the long, expressive ears, the prominent buck teeth, and the fluffy tail protruding from his pants.
"Hahaha! You are here. I have been waiting for you, Senior Lapin. I thought you had changed your mind," Leyvi laughed, greeting the rabbit after he had thoroughly memorized his appearance.
"Kekeke. There is no better alternative. How could I change my mind?" Lapin replied with disarming honesty.
Hearing this casual exchange, Cempaka glanced at the relaxed expressions of her companions and realized the King Level Demonic Beast was a known acquaintance. She slowly lowered her defensive stance, though a hint of wariness remained in her eyes.
Leyvi had been wondering when Senior Lapin would arrive to become his temporary Spirit Beast, and now the moment was finally here. It made perfect sense. If not now, then when? They were nearing the colossal tree, and since Lapin feared getting any closer, this was the logical time to proceed.
With his spiritual sense, Leyvi detected a Mistletoe plant resting in the center of the cloud. It seemed Miss Misty had accompanied Senior Lapin. However, this Mistletoe was far more majestic and several times larger than the one he had seen before. Deep within its body was a small, gleaming crystal, her demonic heart, where her consciousness resided. From this magnificent plant, Leyvi sensed a powerful presence, a stark contrast to the previous one.
Is this Miss Misty's real body? An Elder Stage Demonic Plant? he wondered. For demonic plants, that stage was equivalent to a Soul Formation Realm cultivator or a General Level Demonic Beast.
He recalled that Senior Lapin had invited Miss Misty to escape this world with them. Her presence here likely meant she had accepted the offer. Did that mean he was supposed to plant a Spiritual Imprint inside her as well?
It was not just Leyvi. The others also noticed the majestic mistletoe resting upon the celestial cloud, its presence both beautiful and imposing.
In the next moment, Leyvi heard a mystical voice, a communication the others could not perceive.
"Mister Lapin! That human girl! That silver-haired human girl with the biggest bust! Who is she?" Miss Misty asked, her voice filled with an urgent, almost frantic excitement.
Huh? Is she talking about Lilian? Leyvi thought.
"Miss Misty. That is Human Lilian," Lapin replied calmly, keeping his voice low. "Why? Are you interested in her? Let me remind you, although you are my friend, I will not allow you to harm any of them."
As Lilian's secretly appointed guardian, he would never permit any threat to reach her. If Misty harbored such intentions, their friendship would mean nothing. He would eliminate her without hesitation.
"You jest, Mister Lapin. Why would I harm her?" Her tone was dismissive, as if she were rolling her eyes.
"That girl has an aura that feels the most intimate to a plant like me. It makes me feel like worshipping her. Can I stay with her? I have a feeling my hope to reach the next evolution lies with her. Please, help me ask her, Mister Lapin. I am willing to devote my life to serving her." The leaves of the mistletoe rustled impatiently, as if she were afraid this incredible opportunity would slip through her branches.
Leyvi was left utterly dumbfounded. An Elder Stage Demonic Plant wanted to follow Lilian? He had not seen it with his own eyes, but he had heard the stories of how terrifying Lilian's army of demonic plants had become. Now, if she were to gain an Elder Stage Demonic Plant as a devoted follower, would she not be nearly invincible?
Lapin was also taken aback. He had never seen Miss Misty so agitated. It had required significant effort to convince her to leave this world with him, and now she was suddenly willing to pledge her service to Lilian with such ease. He did not know much about Lilian beyond the fact that she was a wood elemental cultivator with a passion for gardening. That alone should not have been enough to provoke such a profound reaction from Miss Misty. He felt there was a crucial detail he was forgetting.
Wait, I remember now, he thought, a memory surfacing. That time when I was eavesdropping, the goddess mentioned that Lilian had obtained her Divine Garden! So Misty must have sensed the aura of that Divine Garden on Lilian. That is why she wants to follow her. The logic was undeniable. A Divine Garden made by a goddess would, of course, be the ultimate paradise for a plant-based life form, offering unimaginable benefits for its growth and evolution.
He had forgotten this detail because it had been overshadowed by the more startling revelation that followed. The only part that had truly stuck in his mind was the goddess accepting Lilian as an apprentice because they shared the same, impressively ample bust size, which he found to be a weird reason to take an apprentice.
Seeing that Senior Lapin seemed to be deep in discussion on the cloud, the others on the ground waited patiently, respecting the moment.
"Human Leyvi and Human Lilian, can you two come up here?" Lapin called out, inviting them onto the celestial cloud.
"Me?" Lilian was surprised, pointing to herself. She wondered why she was being summoned specifically. But her curiosity about the majestic mistletoe was strong, so she nodded in agreement.
Leyvi, already aware of the situation, did not say a word. He simply scooped Lilian up in a princess carry and leaped gracefully onto the cloud.
"Alright, everyone. Let us wait until they are done with their business," Anda announced to the group. She then turned to Carla, who seemed to have a torrent of questions brewing behind her eyes.
On the cloud, now that they were much closer, both Leyvi and Lilian could feel the immense power contained within Senior Lapin and Miss Misty, even though both beings were restraining their auras. The pressure from Lapin was especially profound. It made Leyvi wonder just what kind of existence the colossal tree was, to instill such deep fear in a powerhouse of his level.
Meanwhile, Miss Misty's rustling grew more and more intense. She trembled visibly, her leaves shaking with pure excitement at Lilian's proximity.
"Goddess! My name is Mistletoe Misty..." Miss Misty introduced herself to Lilian directly, using her telepathic power. During her time accompanying Lapin, she had mastered the human language completely, so she no longer needed the celestial cloud to act as an intermediary.
She proceeded to tell Lilian about her background and fervently expressed her desire to serve her. Hearing this, Lilian was naturally overjoyed. A demonic plant, especially one at the Elder Stage, was voluntarily asking to follow her. How could she not be thrilled?
After a brief but earnest conversation, an agreement was reached. With a wave of Lilian's hand and a thought, she welcomed Miss Misty into her Divine Garden. The majestic mistletoe vanished from the cloud in an instant.
Leyvi and Lapin, who had been watching the entire exchange, were left utterly dumbfounded. Just like that? What about the necessary precautions like a Spiritual Imprint?
"Lilian, is it fine to just let her enter the garden like that?" Leyvi asked, his voice laced with concern. "Can you control her? You should have let me imprint my Spiritual Imprint in her first."
After all, Lilian was only a Core Formation Realm cultivator. Her power was far below that of an Elder Stage Demonic Plant. He was certain that her own Spiritual Imprint would not be strong enough to restrain Miss Misty if she turned hostile, which was why he had intended to use his own, more powerful imprint to help. He never imagined Lilian would simply allow the plant entry without any such safeguard.
Still brimming with happiness, Lilian came over and hugged Leyvi's arm, nestling it comfortably within her deep cleavage. "Do not worry. My garden has leveled up now. Any demonic plants that enter my garden will automatically be loyal to me. I do not need any spiritual imprint." She paused, then added cheerfully, "Ah, but I cannot force them though. They have to be willing to enter."
"What?" Leyvi was shocked. Isn't that ability far too powerful? A thought crossed his mind, that it might not be impossible for his wife to conquer the world with an army of plants in the future.
This thought had crossed his mind a few times in the past, but now it seemed more and more likely.