Refining and absorbing the Stone Jade would take a considerable amount of time. Yang Qi didn’t swallow it right away, instead storing it safely in his Hundred Pouches Belt.

Then, he turned off all the mosquito-killing devices in the backyard and brought them inside. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Although the contribution points from the mosquitoes were tempting, leaving the lights and electric grids on during the day was too conspicuous. It wasn’t too late to turn them on again at night.

After tidying up, he went out as usual to the logistics warehouse to pick up the various meats, fruits, and vegetables needed for the day. He then fed the Gray Wolf, the little raccoon, and the lynx.

Once the feeding work was done, he had a simple breakfast at the cafeteria, returned to his dorm to get Ta Xue, and headed to the back mountain again.

Finding the mother clouded leopard, Caiyun, Yang Qi handed Ta Xue over to her and prepared to leave.

"Awoo~" Ta Xue suddenly called out to him.

Yang Qi turned around. "What is it?"

"Awoo~"

[You don’t need to come pick me up tonight.]

Ta Xue looked at Yang Qi, its eyes filled with determination.

"You want to spend the night in the mountains?" Yang Qi was slightly taken aback.

Ta Xue nodded.

"Awoo~"

[I want to become strong, learn to hunt sooner, so I can protect myself, and protect you.]

Seeing the little one’s serious expression, Yang Qi felt a surge of warmth and gratification.

He crouched down, ruffled Ta Xue’s fluffy little head, and said with a smile,

"Alright! That’s the spirit!"

With its current physique, nourished by daily Spirit Rice Porridge and the occasional bit of Strengthening Pill, Ta Xue had little to fear from the common cold or dampness.

This back mountain and the connected peaks had no other large predators besides Caiyun, so its safety was more or less guaranteed.

Most importantly, a "Spirit Seed" had been planted inside Ta Xue, allowing Yang Qi to vaguely sense its condition and general location at any time. If there was real danger, he would be the first to know.

As for Ta Xue’s talent, Yang Qi also knew about it through the "Spirit Seed" connection.

The talent of a Lightning Leopard—Shadowless Swiftness!

A powerful talent related to speed and stealth.

However, the talent also required Spiritual Power to be fully activated.

"Go on, learn well from your mother, and be safe."

Yang Qi added as a final reminder.

He watched Ta Xue follow Caiyun and disappear deep into the dense forest before turning to head back to the Zoo.

...

Back at the Zoo, Yang Qi first cleaned the enclosures for the little raccoon and the lynx, then returned to his dorm.

After closing the door and giving instructions to Bai Wan and Xiaojiu, Yang Qi went upstairs. He took out the "Stone Jade," sat cross-legged on the Meditation Cushion, placed it in his mouth, and began circulating the Great Derivation Spirit-Controlling Technique to slowly refine and absorb it.

The Stone Jade wasn’t hard in his mouth; instead, it had a warm, smooth texture. As he circulated the Cultivation Technique, threads of pure, heavy Earth Attribute energy were slowly drawn out. They fused into Yang Qi’s meridians, tempering his body and resonating with some latent quality within him.

It was a slow and continuous process.

A little after one in the afternoon, Yang Qi finished his cultivation session, feeling as if his physical body had become slightly more solid.

As for any improvement in his Spiritual Root aptitude, he still couldn’t feel it.

He had a simple lunch.

Yang Qi took Bai Wan to the mountain behind the dorms to start a new round of training.

After this period of training, Bai Wan’s comprehension and execution had become astonishingly good; it could now quickly grasp even complex commands.

Just as the training was getting intense, the phone in his pocket began to vibrate.

Yang Qi took out his phone and saw it was a message from the "Zoo Family" work group chat.

The Minister of Operations, He Ling, had tagged everyone.

"Attention, colleagues. We’ve just received a request for help from a visitor who has lost a long, brown wallet. It contains important documents and items. Please keep an eye out in your respective work areas. If you find it, please contact me or the nearest manager immediately! Thank you!"

"Roger."

Yang Qi replied casually and muttered to himself.

’Who even carries such a big wallet around these days?’

But he didn’t pay it much mind, put his phone away, and continued training Bai Wan.

A little after four in the afternoon, Yang Qi was in the backyard giving a bath to a sweat-soaked Bai Wan. He was drying it with a towel when his phone vibrated again.

Wiping his hands, he unlocked the screen. It was the work group chat again. This time, the message was from Mei Ying, and her tone was more urgent than before.

"Urgent notice: The wallet reported lost by a visitor, which Minister He announced earlier, has still not been found. The owner is extremely anxious."

"We’re asking all colleagues who are not currently busy and can temporarily leave their posts to please help conduct a thorough search in the park’s public areas, along the roadsides, near trash cans, and so on."

"The search area should focus on where the owner was this morning: the Primate Zone, the Bird Forest, and the central plaza area. Whoever finds it, contact me or Minister He! Thank you!"

"..."

’Looks like this visitor who lost their wallet isn’t just anybody.’

Yang Qi grumbled to himself, finished drying Bai Wan, and then prepared to go out and help with the search.

He had only taken a few steps out of his yard when he suddenly turned back. He looked at the spirited Bai Wan, and an idea struck him.

"Let’s go, Bai Wan!"

Yang Qi called out.

"WOOF!"

Bai Wan immediately trotted after him, its tail wagging.

Taking Bai Wan with him, Yang Qi went directly to find the Minister of Operations, He Ling, who was anxiously directing staff members in their search near the Primate Zone.

He Ling was in her forties. Her brows were tightly furrowed, and beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead.

"Minister He," Yang Qi said as he walked over.

"Xiao Yang?"

Seeing Yang Qi, He Ling managed to force a smile. "You came to help search too? Thanks. This wallet..."

"Minister He, Bai Wan might be able to help," Yang Qi said, patting the head of the dog beside him.

"Use a dog to search?"

He Ling was stunned for a moment, then it dawned on her, and her eyes lit up. "Right! A dog’s sense of smell is sharp! It might really be able to pick up the scent! Why didn’t I think of that!"

Her spirits lifted immediately.

"Come on, Xiao Yang, the owner is in the visitor lounge nearby. I’ll take you there."

He Ling led Yang Qi and Bai Wan, quickly walking to a small, nearby lounge for visitors.

She pushed the door open. Inside, a female visitor was sitting on the sofa.

She looked to be in her early thirties, dressed in a stylish and well-fitting off-white suit. Her aura was striking, and you could tell she had a tall figure even while seated.

She wore a pair of brown-tinted sunglasses that covered most of her face, but her exposed jawline was elegant, and there was a small, rather charming mole near the corner of her mouth.

"Manager Xie!"

He Ling hurried forward, a professional smile plastered on her face. "This is one of our Zoo’s outstanding employees, Yang Qi. He has a very smart dog that might be able to help find the wallet!"

Hearing this, the female visitor known as Manager Xie raised her head slightly, her gaze from behind the sunglasses falling on Yang Qi.

When she got a clear look at Yang Qi’s face, her movements paused noticeably.

Then, she took off her sunglasses, revealing a pair of rather beautiful phoenix eyes.

She then stood up, her gaze fixed intently on Yang Qi, and her red lips parted slightly.

"So you’re Yang Qi? The ’Druid’?"

"I am Yang Qi. Hello, Manager Xie," Yang Qi nodded. "As for ’Druid,’ that’s just a joke my colleagues make."

"Is that so."

Xie Hongzhuang sized up Yang Qi, her gaze lingering on his clear, flawless skin. She suddenly broke into a radiant smile, her tone laced with a hint of playfulness and curiosity.

’He really is handsome...’ "Huh, how do you take care of your skin?"

As she spoke, she took two steps forward, extending a well-manicured hand with exquisitely painted nails toward Yang Qi’s cheek.

?

Yang Qi stepped back.

He spoke quickly, "Uh, Manager Xie, finding the wallet is the priority right now. Could you let Bai Wan sniff the pocket where you kept the wallet today, as well as the hand you usually hold it with?"

"Right, right."

He Ling also chimed in, smoothing things over with a placating smile. "Manager Xie, finding the wallet is what’s important. Xiao Yang’s dog is very smart, it might really be able to help!"

Xie Hongzhuang’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air, but showing no embarrassment, she naturally retracted it.

Her gaze shifted to Bai Wan, who stood by Yang Qi’s feet with its head held high and a sharp look in its eyes. She raised an eyebrow, a hint of doubt in her expression.

"I know dogs can find things, but you think yours can find a wallet just by sniffing a pocket? Are you sure?"