Xiao Rou, her eyes brimming with tears, continued reading the diary. But when she reached the last part, she instantly forgot her sorrow—replaced instead by a rising, inexplicable fury.
What nonsense was this? On that so-called Blue Star, rabbits could mature in half a year? And reproduce six to eight litters a year, each with six to eight kits?
The diary's author even dared to wonder aloud if she and Xiao Wu were the same? What kind of sick joke was that? How could she possibly be that kind of rabbit?
She had only ever given birth to one child—Xiao Wu. And Xiao Wu was a pure, untouched maiden in every sense.
This diary author was blatantly slandering the chastity of her and her daughter! For heaven's sake, if you're going to say things like that, at least show some proof!
They were Soft-Boned Charming Rabbits who had cultivated for one hundred thousand years—not some ancestral rabbit line, and certainly not some degenerate rabbit breed.
If the Soft-Boned Charming Rabbit species was really that fertile, then after a hundred thousand years, forget the Star Dou Great Forest—even the whole Douluo Continent would've been overrun by them, devouring everything in their path like locusts.
How could the author of this diary not understand such a simple truth?
Right now, if that author appeared in front of her, Xiao Rou swore she'd use her clan's most brutal technique—Exploding Eight-Part Slam—to thoroughly help him "relax his muscles and bones."
She was so angry her entire body was trembling. She leapt down from the tree and released her spirit, her soul power erupting in an instant. At this moment, she imagined every apple hanging on the tree as that diary author.
She had to vent the fury burning in her chest—along with the grief of losing her mate.
With a powerful jump from the tree trunk, her figure began to flash from place to place, sending apples flying off the branches with every strike.
Like Xiao Wu, and even Jiang Nannan from the original series' sequel, her third soul skill was teleportation—and with a decent range. In no time, she had kicked every last apple off the tree.
Many apples were damaged, some smashed into pieces as they hit the ground.
Only once the tree stood bare did she finally land beneath it, feeling as if the grief and rage within her had eased.
Now calm, she noticed that the diary replica still hovered half a meter before her eyes.
Frowning slightly, she tried to will it shut—no need for it to keep bothering her.
As she thought this, the diary replica closed on its own. Two lines of text appeared on the diary's panel:
[First-level Reward: +30 years lifespan, -10% aging speed. Reward unlocked, about to be granted.]
[Second-level Reward: +50 years lifespan, +10% cultivation aptitude. Reward unlocked, about to be granted.]
At that moment, Ah Yin saw two streams of radiant light spill from the diary's cover and enter her body, making her feel warm all over, as though soaking in a hot spring.
She could feel her lifespan being extended invisibly, her cultivation aptitude improving by 10%, and even her aging slowed by 10%.
It made her feel as though she had become more than ten years younger—like she had returned to her maiden days.
Her eyes widened in surprise and joy. Today, she had gone from great sorrow, to rage, to immense joy.
Now, she didn't even know how to feel if she were to meet the diary's author face to face.
This person had, through the diary, told her of her mate's death at the jaws of a ferocious beast, effectively quashing her intention to venture into that deadly place in search of him—saving her life in the process.
With her life spared, she could now safely remain with her daughter, and Xiao Wu wouldn't have to grow up as a parentless orphan.
And on top of that, this person had gifted her an additional 80 years of life, improved her cultivation talent by 10%, and even slowed her aging by 10%.
That meant she now had more possibilities, and more time to accompany her daughter as she grew.
Considering all these benefits, Xiao Rou figured maybe she could forgive the author's earlier offense. Maybe he just didn't know her or Xiao Wu very well.
When the time came, she'd make sure he got to know them properly.
As for his suggestion about taking her and Xiao Wu away from the Star Dou Great Forest—she'd have to give that careful thought.
After all, going to the human world came with both benefits and risks. Her daughter hadn't even taken human form yet—was it really appropriate to bring her there?
Most importantly: who exactly was this diary author? Could he just be a human coveting the soul rings and bones of her and her daughter?
But then again, perhaps she was overthinking things.
After all, this was someone who could casually gift her 80 years of life and enhance her talents—an incredible existence. The earlier parts of the diary even suggested that his strength might be comparable to a Rank 98 or 99 Limit Douluo.
Would someone like that really covet her or her daughter's soul rings or bones? Probably not…
As she squatted down to gather the edible apples scattered on the ground, her mind wandered.
By the time her basket was full, she looked at the many apples that had been smashed to pieces and felt a pang of regret.
She had finally found such a good apple tree, only to ruin the fruits herself. What a waste.
Shaking her head, she hoisted the basket and made her way back toward her little house—still debating whether to tell her daughter about her father's death.
She ultimately decided against it. Xiao Wu was still "young" and might not be able to handle such a blow.
When she arrived at the small house and opened the door, she saw Xiao Wu leap into her arms like a bunny springing forward.
Her daughter's bright red eyes were full of tears, and Xiao Rou immediately had a bad feeling.
She tentatively asked, "Xiao Wu, do you… already know?"
She wanted to continue, but found herself unable to speak—she couldn't bring herself to say the words aloud. It left her feeling torn.
But Xiao Wu, already nearing the 100,000-year mark, had long developed full intelligence—no different from an ordinary human. Seeing her mother open her mouth repeatedly without speaking, she nodded gently.
"I know. I know everything, Mama. Please… don't leave Xiao Wu."
Hearing this, Xiao Rou instantly realized: her daughter had received the Zhao Ling Diary replica even earlier than she had. Of course she already knew.
She immediately embraced Xiao Wu tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Xiao Wu, Mama will never leave you again. I'll always stay by your side. I'll never let you be alone…"
Mother and daughter held each other tightly, their tears soaking through their clothes (or fur), unable to stop for a long, long time…