Dastan recalled his grandfather telling him that achieving a Dao Heart elevates one's Sea of Consciousness to an entirely new level. And since Spiritual Cultivators focus on cultivating the Sea of Consciousness, it was no wonder Leyvi's talent in this field was so astronomically high.
But this led to the next, even more perplexing question. How had Leyvi attained the Dao Heart? And he had done so at such a young age. Did he even know what he had accomplished?
The crown prince shook his head. This is Leyvi we are talking about. A certified country bumpkin. This prince can guarantee he knows nothing about this.
The spectators below began discussing the Golden Spiritual Imprint in hushed, excited tones. Aside from Dastan, who had insider knowledge from his royal lineage, the rest were utterly baffled, wondering how such a thing was possible.
"Senior Lapin, I am done. I did the best I could," Leyvi said, opening his eyes.
His Spiritual Imprint hovered before him, pulsating with a steady, brilliant golden light.
"Kekeke! A Golden Spiritual Imprint? It looks most impressive. This should work perfectly," Lapin praised, his long ears twitching with evident satisfaction. He was genuinely happy with the result.
He felt confident that Leyvi's Spiritual Imprint would be strong enough to allow him to act freely, perhaps even letting him use his bloodline power without putting any strain on the connection. This was the best case scenario he had dared to hope for.
If the Spiritual Imprint had been only marginally strong enough to survive, he would have had to constantly restrain himself until they escaped this world, a tedious and limiting prospect.
Hearing the praise, Leyvi smiled. "Hahaha! If that is the case, please do not guard your mind, Senior Lapin. I will send it in now."
With an approving nod from Lapin, the Golden Spiritual Imprint in front of Leyvi shrank to a pinpoint of light and shot toward the rabbit man, entering his glabella seamlessly. Meeting no resistance, the imprint traveled into his Sea of Consciousness and quickly settled into a stable position at its very center.
Immediately, through the newly formed connection, Leyvi could feel the immense depth and power of Lapin's Sea of Consciousness. The fundamental difference compared to his other Spirit Beasts was staggering. It felt like the crushing pressure of being deep underwater. He could now understand, with visceral clarity, why a weaker Spiritual Imprint would collapse instantly in such an environment.
At the same time, a profound shock ran through Lapin.
WHAT??
He was absolutely stunned. It was only after the Spiritual Imprint had settled within his Sea of Consciousness that he could feel its true power. The Golden Spiritual Imprint radiated an immense, dominating energy and exerted a level of control he had never imagined possible. This was unbelievable and completely outside his expectations.
How is this possible? What exactly is this Golden Spiritual Imprint? Lapin secretly panicked. He tried to exert a force against it, but the energy simply vanished without a trace. He tried again and again, but the result was always the same.
A chilling realization dawned on him. He had no power to destroy the imprint. This meant that if Leyvi later decided to enslave him permanently and refused to release him, he would have no choice but to obey, with no means of escape.
Lapin was utterly confounded. His primary concern had always been that the Spiritual Imprint would be too fragile to withstand the power of his Sea of Consciousness. It had never once occurred to him that the opposite could happen, that the imprint would be so overwhelmingly strong that he would be powerless against it. The concept was simply unthinkable.
With a heavy internal sigh, Lapin accepted his new reality for the time being. He would have to address this issue after his plan to escape this world succeeded. Despite having meticulously planned everything from the beginning, he now felt as though he had been somehow tricked. His only recourse now was to hope that Leyvi was a man of his word, and that he would honor his promise to release the Spiritual Imprint when the time came.
Now that Leyvi's Spiritual Imprint was lodged comfortably within Lapin's Sea of Consciousness, their mental connection was fully established. This connection immediately made Leyvi aware of the distressed and conflicted feelings emanating from Lapin. He also sensed that his Spiritual Imprint was being subjected to some form of attack.
What is wrong with Senior Lapin? Why is he feeling like this? Leyvi wondered, growing concerned.
"Senior Lapin, are you alright? Is my Spiritual Imprint too weak?" Leyvi asked aloud.
He theorized that this might be the reason. The sensation of being attacked could be because his Spiritual Imprint was too fragile, buckling under the immense pressure of Lapin's powerful Sea of Consciousness. This, in turn, would cause Lapin distress as he tried and failed to protect it.
The corner of Lapin's mouth twitched. Too weak? Now I wish it were too weak.
"Kekeke! Your Spiritual Imprint is completely fine. It is not weak at all. In fact, I do not have to restrain myself in any way," Lapin replied, carefully masking his true feelings.
"I was just worried that my presence might be discovered by that tree. So you must make sure to hide my aura with your Qi later." He offered this plausible explanation, knowing full well that Leyvi could sense his turbulent emotions through their mental link.
Leyvi's smile returned, reassured. "Then everything went according to plan, right? Great! Alright, Senior Lapin, you can try entering this Spirit Beast Bag now." Leyvi took out a Spirit Beast Bag from his storage ring.
It was a new bag he had obtained from the group that intruded upon the island. It seemed one of them had been a Beast Tamer, but like everyone else, his Spirit Beasts had been scattered by the random teleportation.
The quality of this Spirit Beast Bag was much better than his first, cheapest available bag, though it was not as luxurious as the new one currently in Anda's possession, which housed the seven pandas. Overall, it was a comfortable and spacious environment for a Spirit Beast.
Although Leyvi, as the master, could now force Lapin to enter the Spirit Beast Bag, doing so would be deeply disrespectful to a powerhouse of his status. Instead, he politely offered the bag, allowing Lapin to enter of his own volition.
"So this is what becoming a Spirit Beast feels like huh? Congratulations on obtaining a King Level Spirit Beast! Human Lord Leyvi, please take care of this Celestial Cloud Rabbit from now on. Kekeke!" As soon as Lapin said that, his body shrank and he slipped into the Spirit Beast Bag.
Leyvi could only offer a wry smile. "Senior Lapin, please don't call me that. My heart couldn't take it."
Human Lord Leyvi. The title felt far too grandiose and weighty for a simple country bumpkin like him to bear, especially when it came from a being as powerful and ancient as Lapin, even if it was meant in jest.
"Kekeke!" The familiar, cheerful laugh emanated once more from the bag.
"Also," Lapin's voice continued, now taking on a more serious tone, "don't expect me to do anything once we arrive at the tree. I must keep a very low profile. Human Lilian, you must not bring out Miss Misty either. Keep her safely within your garden. If you don't, the consequences could be disastrous."
Leyvi and Lilian both nodded in understanding. Lilian, in particular, nodded more vigorously, her expression one of solemn commitment. She understood the gravity of the warning completely.
If this had happened before, Lilian might have remained oblivious to the underlying dangers. But after meeting her Divine Mentor and learning of Leyvi's true identity, she had become far more attentive, striving to understand the world around her so she could offer meaningful help.
"Don't worry," Lapin's voice reassured them from within the bag. "I might not be able to take direct action, but I can still control all of my clouds out here. If anything happens, or if new people approach, I can inform you immediately. I will also test the waters, bit by bit, to see if I can use more of my abilities without alerting the tree. Alright, I want to decorate this place a bit now. You may continue your journey. Kekeke!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the celestial cloud carrying Leyvi and Lilian abruptly shrank and was sucked into the Spirit Beast Bag, leaving the two of them in a sudden free fall. However, from their current height and with their cultivation levels, the drop was insignificant. They landed safely and gracefully on the ground below.
"Hahaha! It is all settled," Leyvi announced, clapping his hands together.
"Everyone, sorry for the delay. Please welcome aboard the Leyvi Express, and we will continue our journey." He gestured with a flourish toward the three modified carriages.
The people who had just been admiring his incredible feat moments before could not help but roll their eyes in unison. They knew all too well that "Leyvi Express" was a playful term Leyvi and Anda used for when he carried her around personally.
Don't get the rest of us involved in your weird husband and wife bonding, okay? The collective thought seemed to hang in the air.
After everyone had settled into their respective carriages, Leyvi attached the three vehicles together. He then moved behind the main handle, took a firm grip, and burst forward, pulling the entire linked convoy along with him as he began their overland trek.