After transforming into human form, the man landed gracefully and slowly raised one hand.
Immediately after, Feilian Bering which had just struggled back to its feet in the distance crashed down again with a loud thud, as if pressed beneath an invisible weight.
"ROAR!! ROAR!!"
Feilian Bering roared violently and struggled with everything it had, its limbs thrashing without cease.
Yet even though the ground around it was already pitted and scarred from its efforts, it couldn't break free in the slightest.
"ROAR——!!"
Suddenly, it unleashed an unprecedented roar. The energy contained within it was so immense that faint, almost imperceptible soundwaves took on visible form.
The man seemed to have anticipated this. He had already extended a layer of protection over the little girl behind him, shielding her from the blast.
Even so, the shockwave jolted her back to her senses, and she stood there trembling.
Sensing her frightened state, the man's gaze sharpened.
The next moment, the ground around Feilian Bering began to crack inch by inch.
"BOOM——!"
With a dull, heavy crash, that entire area caved in.
Feilian Bering's massive form was swallowed almost entirely by the collapse.
And if one looked closely, the sunken earth around it rippled with dense, distorted waves — the visible warping of space itself under inconceivable pressure.
A weight of ten thousand jun bore down on Feilian Bering, leaving it utterly powerless to resist.
Soon, with a final *bang*, its colossal body disintegrated into countless tiny specks of light and vanished.
In its place remained only fading, chaotic frequencies and a golden silhouette frozen in the posture it had held in life, lying motionless on the ground.
Witnessing this, the little girl's eyes went wide.
"...The Tacet Discord... is destroyed?"
Such a powerful Tacet Discord, yet in the immortal brother's hands, it had been annihilated as easily as an ant.
Watching his back, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of apprehension.
But just as she was trying to think of something to say, the man slowly turned around.
His pure, sapphire-like eyes met her gaze.
"Are you scared?"
The little girl was momentarily dazed.
Feeling his eyes on her, she shyly averted her gaze and lowered her head.
Then she nodded slightly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Immortal brother... did you turn from the little white rabbit...?"
Even though she had just witnessed it with her own eyes, she still found it difficult to believe.
If the immortal brother was the little white rabbit in disguise, then she had been holding him in her arms this whole time, and had done quite a few rather intimate things without realizing it...
*Ugh... how embarrassing...*
At the thought, the little girl's cheeks flushed crimson.
Hearing the question, Ruan was mildly surprised.
This child had a truly unique way of thinking. What concerned her most wasn't that she had nearly died, but rather his true form.
"Mm-hmm."
The little girl's thoughts stalled for a moment.
*So that's why the little white rabbit was so soft and fluffy...*
A tangle of secret joy, apprehension, and surprise welled up inside her all at once, too mixed to sort through.
"Then... then..."
She looked up at him again, full of anticipation.
"Immortal brother, was it you who saved me that day?"
"Mm-hmm."
Ruan nodded lightly.
He had indeed been the one to save her.
As for why he had chosen to remain in his rabbit form rather than approach her as a person — in his human form, despite his otherwise human appearance, he couldn't conceal the characteristic fluffy, spherical ears of his true nature. He had no experience raising a human child, and was concerned that such unusual ears might frighten her.
Beyond that, a few human acquaintances had once mentioned that his true form was extremely approachable and disarming — well-suited to winning the affection of children.
After weighing his options, he had decided to reveal his true form and observe her for a while before making any decisions.
He never expected this child to be so surprisingly principled that she would simply get up and leave the cabin on her own.
But it was precisely that well-behaved, sensible nature that had finally solidified his decision to take her in.
There was also the matter of responsibility. The fact that she had been surrounded by Tacet Discords and nearly killed was, in part, his doing.
The recent unrest among the Tacet Discords on Mount Chengsiao had been triggered by his arrival. Sensing his presence, they had grown agitated, flocking from all directions and converging in his wake.
Unconditional obedience and submission to higher-level beings of the same kind is a command ingrained in the resonant frequencies of all lower-tier Tacet Discord creatures.
Therefore, had he not arrived on Mount Chengsiao when he did, the little girl would most likely have been able to escape the area on her own.
Now, one might reasonably ask: if lower-level Tacet Discords unconditionally submit to higher-level ones, why couldn't he simply command Feilian Bering just now?
The answer is straightforward. A Tempest Mighty-level Tacet Discord is already considered a leader-class entity. Creatures of that tier do not carry this instinct in their frequencies. Only a Threnodian can issue commands they are bound to obey.
With that settled in his mind, Ruan slowly crouched down, bringing his eyes level with hers.
"Child, what is your name?"
"Um..."
The little girl lowered her head.
"I... I don't know. Mom and Dad were gone before they could give me one..."
She said it without any obvious shift in her tone.
There was only a faint, quiet loneliness to the words — as though she had long since made peace with that fact.
Hearing this, Ruan opened his mouth slightly, then closed it again, unsure what to say.
The look in his eyes softened.
"Well then... from now on, how about I become your family?"
*Huh?*
The little girl froze.
Was she dreaming?
Looking at the immortal brother so close before her, turning his words over in her mind, she couldn't quite distinguish reality from illusion.
In her eyes, simply being able to exchange a few words with someone as far beyond her reach as him was already more than she had ever dared to imagine. And now...
She glanced down at her tattered clothes and disheveled state. A wave of self-consciousness washed over her.
She lowered her head, afraid to respond.
But then, unexpectedly, a faint and pleasant warmth brushed past her — and she found herself enveloped in a gentle embrace.
"If you don't answer, I'll take it as agreement."
Ruan said it calmly, not waiting for her consent, and gathered her small form carefully into his arms.
Then he slowly stood up.
She had no home to return to. That much was settled. He would take her in and raise her himself.
As for the little girl now nestled against his chest — overwhelmed and unsure how to react — her whole body had gone somewhat stiff. She barely dared to move.
Yet immense warmth and wonder had enveloped her completely, leaving her feeling as though she might be dreaming.
Sensing the faint trembling of the small body in his arms, Ruan took a single step and vanished from the spot.
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A/N: I'm still an inexperienced translator, but I do have a Patreon! It might look a bit empty right now, but webnovel chapters will be posted daily 2 chapters every day and advanced chapters will be available on Patreon. It may not seem like much at the moment, but who knows what the future holds!
patreon.com/Vorzeichen