Nine Astra Skies

"Master Apothecary, have you found out what this is?" Great Emperor Mingwu asked.

"This octopus truly has a rather strange appearance. Its body is so soft. Could it be the legendary Dusk Octopus?" Master Apothecary Xuanyi read out from an illustrated handbook in astonishment. "The Dusk Octopus usually lives in the deep-sea and has an extensive lifespan. It's said that it can live for millions of years and even swim to Lake Inferno. It's extremely difficult for the Dusk Octopus to reproduce, so they're very rare. The quality of their flesh changes according to time as well, becoming incomparably precious. An average Dusk Octopus' flesh appears pink for fifty thousand years. In this period, their meat is tough, stringy, and highly toxic. Anyone who eats it will bleed from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth to the point of death. After two hundred thousand years, it'll slowly turn black and its toxicity will reach its most alarming stage. Anyone who eats it then will be reduced to a bloody puddle. After five hundred thousand years, it'll turn green. Only at this point can it be consumed, being a miraculous natural treasure. A mouthful of its flesh will extend one's life by five hundred years."

Ye Chen looked at the pink octopus and said, "Which means that its flesh still can't be consumed now?"

"That's right." Master Apothecary Xuanyi nodded in disappointment.

Everyone was somewhat disappointed. They had caught an octopus after great effort but discovered that it could not be eaten.

"As the Dusk Octopus can't reproduce easily, they have very formidable self-preservation abilities. Other than its toxicity, their body is so soft that they don't fear attacks from sharp weapons. They can also use a special method of their suckers to easily rip off a mystical beast's flesh. In the deep sea, any mystical beast that encounters the Dusk Octopus would hide far away. The flesh of a Dusk Octopus is the best when it has grown for five hundred thousand years, but at that point, it would be very fearsome. Its body would be gigantic and even the massive deep-sea mystical beasts would become their prey," Master Apothecary Xuanyi continued to read out loud. An adult Dusk Octopus was not something one could fish for.

Ye Chen's gaze fell upon this tiny octopus, thinking that it would become so powerful after it grew up. Even so, five hundred thousand years were a really long time. At that time, Ye Chen's remains would already have become dust.

This Dusk Octopus was also a type of mystical beast. Ye Chen wondered if he could tame it.

Little Wingsy stroked the Dusk Octopus' head and looked at Ye Chen pleadingly. "Big Brother Ye Chen, since it's poisonous and we can't eat it, we shouldn't kill it then?"

"Mmm." Ye Chen nodded and glanced at Little Tanuki, noticing that she wore an excited expression, just like when they had first met Little Wingsy. Ye Chen laughed. Little Tanuki was thinking the same thing as him.

Ye Chen looked toward Master Apothecary Xuanyi and Great Emperor Mingwu, saying, "Since this octopus can't be consumed, give it to me then."

"What will you do with it?" Master Apothecary Xuanyi warned, "You'd better be careful. Its flesh has deadly toxins. Even a bit of it is fatal!"

"Master, be rest assured. I'll take note of that." Ye Chen nodded.

Great Emperor Mingwu bobbed his head in agreement. Anyway, this Dusk Octopus was caught by Ye Chen, so it was up to Ye Chen how he wanted to deal with it.

Little Wingsy was delighted and fetched a bucket filled with water. He released the Dusk Octopus in the bucket and knelt by its rim. "Little Squido, Big Brother Ye Chen said that we won't kill you. Rest first in this bucket."

The Dusk Octopus seemed to understand and waited silently in the bucket.

"It's an octopus, not a squid!" Ye Chen laughed.

"Is there a difference between octopuses and squids?" Little Wingsy looked up and glanced at Ye Chen, puzzled. "I love eating fried squid. Little Squido is a little bigger but other than that, isn't it the same as a squid?"

The Dusk Octopus, as if understanding Little Wingsy's words, widened its eyes abruptly and started to struggle furiously. The bucket was clanking and shaking.

"Little Squido, don't panic. I only said that you look like a squid. You're poisonous, so we won't eat you." Little Wingsy carefully patted the Dusk Octopus' head with his small hand, and the Dusk Octopus finally calmed down.

Ye Chen could not point out the difference between a squid and an octopus. Was one bigger than the other? In this world, generalizations like this would not hold up.

"Even if it's an octopus, I like calling it Little Squido." Little Wingsy giggled.

"Then, we'll call it Little Squido." Ye Chen grinned. After all, it was just a name. There was no need to be so serious.

It turned out that Ye Chen and Little Wingsy were like young children, wanting to keep this Dusk Octopus as a pet. Master Apothecary Xuanyi and Great Emperor Mingwu exchanged a smile.

What Master Apothecary Xuanyi and Great Emperor Mingwu did not know was that, at the moment, Ye Chen had released his Astral Body. After his Astral Body had entered the Dusk Octopus' mind and attached a trace of its Psyche, he withdrew his Astral Body. This Dusk Octopus was now tamed by Ye Chen. He only had to direct his thoughts for the Dusk Octopus to act according to his orders.

They fished for a while longer but did not catch any particularly precious species. When evening approached and the sky darkened slowly, Ye Chen and the rest returned to the imperial lodgings by the side of Lake Nekros.

After dinner, Ye Chen brought Little Wingsy and Little Tanuki to where he was staying, which was in a side courtyard.

They went deep into the courtyard where there were five buildings. Before the buildings, there was a lotus pond with a perimeter of dozens of meters, and there were a few pavilions built on the lotus pond.

Ye Chen and Little Tanuki cultivated in a pavilion whereas Little Wingsy carried Little Squido with him and played happily.

"Little Squido, shall I place you in the water? Don't swim too far!" Little Wingsy knew that Little Squido was tamed by Ye Chen, so it was fine to release it into the lotus pond.

Little Squido joyfully blinked its eyes. Although it would not die out of water for a few months, it still preferred the water compared to the land.

Little Wingsy released Little Squido into the lotus pond. Little Squido floated on the water and slapped the water with its tentacles, splashing up small waves.

"Little Squido, is that the biggest you can become? I can become much, much bigger!" Little Wingsy stretched out his arms widely and said proudly.

In the lotus pond, Little Squido grew in size with a "whoosh". It was now around two or three meters long, which was massive. Nonetheless, it could not compare to Little Wingsy's actual form.

"Heh heh, I'm much bigger, but Big Brother Ye Chen said that I mustn't simply transform, so I can't show you." Little Wingsy was somewhat gloomy.

Little Squido looked rather disappointed and resumed its initial size, swimming across the water's surface.

"Little Squido, do you want something to eat? I have many delicious food." Little Wingsy gave it some thought, then took out a Purple-gold Divine Pill from his Heaven-Earth Pouch. Currently, he only had six Purple-gold Divine Pills left in his Heaven-Earth Pouch. Although he was a little reluctant, he steeled his resolve and took out a Purple-gold Divine Pill.

When Little Wingsy took out the Purple-gold Divine Pill, Little Squido seemed to smell something and fixed its round eyes on the Purple-gold Divine Pill Little Wingsy was holding. It gazed at Little Wingsy impatiently with a greedy look.

"This is a Purple-gold Divine Pill made from the Purple-gold Divine Fish that we caught from that lake. Little Squido, do you know the Purple-gold Divine Fish? It shared the same lake as you," Little Wingsy said.

Little Squido nodded energetically. Although they had been in the same lake, it was not able to catch the Purple-gold Divine Fish and had never tasted its flesh.

"Here, eat this." Little Wingsy handed the Purple-gold Divine Pill to Little Squido. Little Squido's tentacle curled around the Purple-gold Divine Pill and stuffed it into its mouth. The pill was soon devoured.

After finishing the Purple-gold Divine Pill, Little Squido happily flopped around in the water.

"Delicious, right?" Little Wingsy asked with a grin.

Little Squido hurriedly nodded, staring at Little Wingsy with wide eyes.

"You're such a chowhound. I don't have any more with me." Little Wingsy spread out his hands, thinking secretly, 'As if I'll tell Little Squido that I still have five Purple-gold Divine Pills in my Heaven-Earth Pouch. I'd better eat those Purple-gold Divine Pills secretly.'

When Ye Chen's Astral Body overheard Little Wingsy's words, he could not help laughing. Little Wingsy had the nerve to call someone else a chowhound. Who else could compare to Little Wingsy in terms of eating?

Little Squido looked at Little Wingsy pitifully. After eating the Purple-gold Divine Pill, its skin shone with a faint, red luster as if some changes had taken place. Ye Chen was rather taken aback. Could medicinal pills like the Purple-gold Divine Pill advance the growth of Little Squido? After Ye Chen had retracted his Astral Body, he was absorbed once more in his cultivation.

When Little Wingsy noticed Little Squido's expression, he felt a little sheepish.

"Little Squido, don't look at me like that. I'll give you some Soul-amassing Pills and Soul-consolidating Pills to eat," Little Wingsy said after some thought.

Soul-amassing Pills and Soul-consolidating Pills? Little Squido was at a loss but upon hearing the word "eat", it still nodded quickly.

Little Wingsy took out some Soul-amassing Pills and Soul-consolidating Pills from his Heaven-Earth Pouch then opened his hand.

An enticing smell drifted over, causing Little Squido's gaze to land on Little Wingsy's hand without moving away. These medicinal pills were the bait that had caused Little Squido to be caught by Ye Chen from Lake Nekros, but it truly found it difficult to resist this temptation.

Little Squido stretched out a tentacle and swept up these pills, stuffing them all into its mouth. Eleven Soul-amassing Pills and six Soul-consolidating Pills disappeared down its gullet in a flash.

"Big Brother Ye Chen said that we mustn't eat too many of these pills at a time. That's your quota for today." Little Wingsy patted Little Squido's head.

Little Squido flopped around joyfully in the water.

"Little Squido, shall we play kickball?" Little Wingsy looked at Little Squido's round body and was suddenly inspired.

Kickball? Little Squido was bewildered once again. What did kickball mean?

As Little Wingsy spoke, he plucked out Little Squido from the water.

"Little Squido, curl up into a ball," Little Wingsy said.

Little Squido promptly pulled in all its tentacles. Little Wingsy placed it on the ground, got off to a running start, and kicked swiftly. With a "whoosh", Little Squido flew up and away over dozens of meters. It bounced off the wall, landed on the ground, and continued rolling for a few meters.

Little Wingsy rushed over, clapping and excitedly exclaiming, "Little Squido, you're wonderful!"

Little Squido opened its eyes and nodded rapidly. It beamed until its eyes curved up into a thin line.

"Let's continue playing."

Thud, thud, thud. Little Squido flew from one side to the other, and back again.

No matter how hard Little Wingsy kicked, Little Squido would not be hurt. Both fellows played in great merriment.