For a moment, she imagined having the same bloodline power herself. She could create an army of cloud pandas and live freely in the sky with Leyvi!
However, her expression shifted slightly when she saw the item in Lapin's hand. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously.
"Kekeke! Don't look at me like that, human Anda. This is fate. A funny coincidence. Here, eat it," Lapin said, his laughter echoing through the room.
Anda took the medicinal plant and scrutinized it carefully. Normally, this type of plant had a pungent smell, but this one had a sweet, soothing aroma. Just inhaling its fragrance made her mind feel more relaxed.
The medicinal plant Lapin had given her was a bamboo shoot. Judging from its effect, it seemed like a genuine coincidence. For a moment, she had thought Lapin was teasing her about her panda heritage.
"How is it? Feeling better already, right? Kekeke," Lapin said, his ears twitching with amusement.
Anda smiled and nodded. "Senior Lapin, can I have another one?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
Lapin was dumbfounded. You haven't even eaten the first one yet, and you're already asking for more? he thought. As expected of a panda. It could match my craving for carrot tops.
"Human Anda, I don't have that many of these. It's one of the best medicinal plants in this world, after all, so I can only give you one more. Unfortunately, the enhancing effect diminishes greatly after the first one, so it would be a waste if you eat it again unless you eat it for its healing effect. However, don't worry. If you want other kinds of bamboo shoots, I can give you as many as you want. They don't have amazing effects though. Kekeke!" Lapin explained, pulling out another bamboo shoot from his cloud and handing it to her.
"Hehe. It's fine. This one is great enough," Anda said, her smile turning mischievous. She planned to eat one to heal her sea of consciousness, but the other bamboo shoot was, of course, for Lilian. Once she grew this, the Leyan Family would have a monopoly on one of the best medicinal plants in this world. She wouldn't mind having a bamboo garden near their mansion either, both for practical use and personal enjoyment. If a single bamboo shoot can give out a nice, relaxing aroma, imagine an entire garden of them. It would be a heaven of peace!
"Well, okay then. I'll go back to my abode. After you've healed yourself, feel free to explore the sky island. I've brought up many things from the exterminated human civilization, so you can take a look at them just around here. If you want to go down and explore again with human Tamina, that's fine as well. You can check the world map," Lapin said.
His long ears suddenly straightened, and a cloud appeared—the same version of celestial cloud as the ten thousand he had sent out a few days ago.
"Take this. It's a better version of my celestial clouds. If I find your husband, I can inform you through this. You can also contact me using this cloud. Kekeke! Enjoy the bamboo shoot. I'm out," Lapin said, vanishing like a dispersing cloud.
Anda blinked for a few seconds, then grabbed the celestial cloud, feeling its texture. "Hmm... it feels and looks the same as the others," she muttered.
She quickly reshaped it into a boat with a different design so she wouldn't confuse it with the other celestial clouds in her possession.
Anda then sat in a meditative position, took a deep breath, and began eating the bamboo shoot. "Mmm... it tastes delicious!" she exclaimed, savoring the flavor as she finished it. She then waited for the healing effects to take hold.
Anda closed her eyes, focusing on the warmth spreading through her body as the medicinal properties of the bamboo shoot took effect. The sweet, soothing energy flowed directly to her sea of consciousness, mending the cracks and fractures caused by the backlash. It felt like a cool, gentle breeze sweeping through a parched landscape, revitalizing every corner of her mind. The sharp, lingering pain began to fade, replaced by a comforting clarity. She could feel her sea of consciousness growing stronger, more stable, as if the injury had never occurred. By the time the healing process was complete, her sea of consciousness felt not only restored but also slightly enhanced.
While her eyes were still shut, Anda spread her spiritual sense, letting it flow out of the open window and expand further. This time, there was no lingering sharp pain—only a smooth, effortless extension of her awareness. She felt a wave of relief wash over her. Not only had her injury healed, but her spiritual sense had also been enhanced. Previously, her range had been around 3.7 kilometers, but now it stretched to an impressive 4.5 kilometers. The improvement was so significant that she couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
She thought back to the Spiritual Sense Enhancing Pill she had painstakingly crafted—a tier-4 alchemy product that had required immense effort and resources. That pill had only added an extra 300 meters to her range. Yet, this raw bamboo shoot, unrefined and unprocessed, had far surpassed it. The difference was staggering. No wonder it's considered one of the best medicinal plants in this world, she mused, her mind already racing with possibilities. Perhaps she could incorporate the bamboo shoot into her alchemy formula for the Spiritual Sense Enhancing Pill, creating an even more potent version.
Anda opened her eyes, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. The healing had been more effective than she had anticipated, and the boost to her spiritual sense was an unexpected bonus. She felt rejuvenated, ready to explore the Mystic Realm again until Lapin found Leyvi.
As she took in her surroundings, her smile faltered slightly. "Eh? Where am I? This isn't the cloud garden anymore," she muttered, glancing around. The room she was in was part of a cluster of cloud buildings, their soft, shimmering walls glowing faintly in the sunlight. She stepped outside, her eyes immediately drawn to a massive cloud dome nearby. Above its wide entrance, glowing letters formed the words: Lapin's Museum.
"Is that where he said he put the remains of the exterminated human civilization in this world?" Anda murmured, her curiosity piqued as she approached the dome.
Inside, the museum was a treasure trove of artifacts—ancient tools, fragments of pottery, and intricate carvings, all preserved within the ethereal walls of the dome. At the center of the space, surrounded by clusters of cloud chairs, sat Tamina. She was engrossed in an old, weathered book, her expression a mix of fascination and concentration.
After Anda entered the dome, she realized that the interior wasn't made of clouds. The walls and floor were crafted from ceramics, their surfaces adorned with intricate patterns and textures. "So it's just covered by clouds on the outside. Is this dome a remnant too?" Anda mumbled, running her fingers along the smooth, cool surface of the wall.
As she walked across the ceramic floor, the faint sound of her footsteps caught Tamina's attention. Tamina looked up from the book she was reading, her face lighting up with relief.
"Anda! You're awake!" She stood up quickly and approached Anda, her expression a mix of concern and curiosity. "How do you feel?"
"Hehe. I'm better already. Senior Lapin gave me something really good," Anda replied, her smile wide and genuine.
"Really? What was it?" Tamina asked, tilting her head.
"A bamboo shoot," Anda said, her tone casual.
Tamina blinked, her eyebrows rising in surprise. "Are you sure he wasn't making fun of you?"
"Hehe. That's what I thought at first too. But it's a real medicinal plant. My sea of consciousness is fully recovered," Anda explained, her voice tinged with satisfaction.
"That's great. I was really worried when you fainted," Tamina said, her shoulders relaxing. "So... what do we do now? Do we continue pandaploring again? You know, if we go pandaploring this time, we've got a map. I found it here in this place. There are a few nice locations nearby that we could check out," Tamina said, her excitement bubbling over.
"Great pandas think alike! That's exactly what I was planning too. But first, let's check everything in this museum," Anda replied, her eyes scanning the room filled with artifacts and relics.
Tamina nodded enthusiastically. "Alright, no problem. I also want to finish reading this first," she said, holding up the thick, weathered book in her hands.
"What book is that?" Anda asked, her curiosity piqued.
"This records the history of this world. There's a lot of interesting stuff in here," Tamina said, tapping the book twice with a grin.
"History of this world? That sounds fascinating," Anda said, her eyes brightening with interest.
"Hihi. I can summarize what I've learned so far. Let's take a seat first," Tamina said, gesturing toward the cloud chairs. Anda nodded, and the two ladies settled into the soft, fluffy seats, making themselves comfortable.
"In the history book, it says that around two million years ago, two human civilizations began to grow. One was located near that colossal tree and was called the Holy Alchemy Civilization. The other had a nomadic lifestyle and was known as the World Explorer Civilization—they traveled constantly, staying in one place for years before moving on to another part of the world."
"Well, we don't know exactly when the humans were wiped out, so these two civilizations must have been around far longer than that. The author of this history book was from the nomadic civilization. He described how the cultures of the two civilizations were vastly different," Tamina explained, her tone animated.