Cherry was stunned for a moment, then grasped Zhong Shenxiu's meaning. Daring not to ask further, she began the purification of the four skeletal roosters on the ground.

After the light faded, the skeletal roosters on the ground indeed began to regenerate at a visible rate, and in moments, they had fully recovered their original form.

This was utterly marvelous; Zhong Shenxiu’s eyes shone brightly! Beside him, Angeliya and Robin both wore expressions of astonishment. Only Cherry looked somewhat dejected, appearing deeply disheartened.

(One must sympathize with her; that feeling of gloom is akin to a defender on a football pitch, intending only to clear the ball, only to boot it directly into their own net! Then, the opposing fans cheer, "Brilliant shot! Do another one!")

Though Zhong Shenxiu remained silent, his expression clearly conveyed: Well done, keep it up!

One can only imagine how Cherry felt!

Zhong Shenxiu paid no mind to Cherry's gloom, instead focusing his intent on probing the four skeletal roosters. Indeed, the strength of these four creatures had nearly doubled compared to before. This increase wasn't just reflected in their agility, but also in aspects like stamina, power, and defense—a comprehensive enhancement of their overall quality.

Amidst his joy and excitement, Zhong Shenxiu fell into deep contemplation. What exactly caused this transformation? After pondering for a long time, he found no clue. It seemed the only way to unravel this mystery would be through extensive "clinical trials"!

"Continue!" Zhong Shenxiu suddenly commanded Cherry.

Cherry immediately adopted a look of 'you're the boss, you decide,' and resumed purifying the skeletal roosters.

As Cherry performed the purification again and again, the skeletal roosters grew stronger and stronger. By now, ordinary Tier One or Tier Two magical beasts would likely be no match for them. Their claws, hard as steel, could easily gouge pits into the brick-paved floor, and their arrow-tip-like beaks possessed an indestructible force!

This couldn't help but elicit admiration: Skeletal Roosters—the fighter jets among fowl, oh yeah~~~!!!

While Zhong Shenxiu still couldn't fully articulate the profound secret, he had gained some initial insight. But first, he needed to organize the thoughts in his head and conduct a series of laboratory analyses on these skeletal roosters.

After all this activity, the sky had darkened. Zhong Shenxiu understood the principle that haste makes waste, so he called a halt to Cherry’s work.

"That’s enough purification for today; we stop here." Zhong Shenxiu then shifted his gaze to Robin. "Robin, take the two of them to prepare dinner. No work, no food for anyone!"

With that, Zhong Shenxiu took the four skeletal roosters into the room, presumably to conduct further research. The remaining Cherry and Angeliya exchanged glances, momentarily unsure of what to do.

Cherry's mood had relaxed considerably. The terrifying scenarios she had imagined had not materialized; Zhong Shenxiu had no intention of abusing her. If his requests were limited to tasks like "purification" that were within her capability, she could accept them!

"You chop the wood!" Robin instructed Angeliya, then turned back to Cherry. "You start the fire!"

"What?" Both women seemed to roll their eyes.

Angeliya was somewhat better off; as a swordswoman, she was accustomed to hardship. But Cherry was different. She had been pampered since childhood, accustomed to having everything handed to her. Not only had she never cooked, but she hadn't done any rough work. The thought of being told to start a fire was naturally shocking to her!

Robin’s expression was impassive; he repeated his instructions to the two women.

Angeliya asked no more questions and walked to the corner to begin chopping wood. Cherry hesitated for a long time, but finally, fearing Robin’s impatience, she dutifully went to build the fire.

Evidently, Cherry possessed zero experience. Although starting a fire wasn't a complex chore, under her ministrations, it became overly complicated. After countless attempts, she hadn't managed to ignite the kindling, only producing a thick plume of acrid smoke—a veritable fire hazard scene.

"What are you doing?" Zhong Shenxiu, forced out of the room by the smoke wafting inside, asked crossly as soon as he emerged.

"Building... building the fire!" Cherry stammered timidly.

What made the situation almost laughable was that Cherry’s small face was smeared into a messy pattern by the soot, and coupled with her aggrieved expression, she looked precisely like a stray beggar girl!

Zhong Shenxiu immediately showed a look of defeat. He turned to Robin, who was busy chopping vegetables, and said, "Robin, go teach her!"

Seeing Robin approach, Cherry quickly rose, adopting an expression that said, "I didn't mean to."

"You are the second most clueless person I have ever met!" Robin offered Cherry as his assessment.

While feeling wronged, Cherry also felt a flicker of curiosity, wanting to know who the first clueless person was.

She failed to notice that Angeliya, nearby chopping wood, nearly threw her back out upon hearing Robin's statement, immediately mirroring an expression of deep chagrin.

Under Robin's guidance, Cherry finally mastered the skill of "fire-starting" and was so delighted that she began to gesticulate enthusiastically, leaving even the usually taciturn Robin momentarily speechless.

Before long, tantalizing aromas drifted out, making the fire-tending Cherry constantly peek into the pot. Even Angeliya, occupied with chopping wood, appeared somewhat distracted!

Finally, it was time to eat.

At the dinner table, the initial nervousness of Cherry and Angeliya had vanished. Their eyes darted incessantly between the dishes. If Zhong Shenxiu and Robin hadn't been present, the two women might have already reverted to their primal hunger!

"Let's eat," Zhong Shenxiu said quietly.

The moment his words ended, Cherry snatched her chopsticks with the speed of "lightning covering an invisible distance" and launched a thunderous assault on the food.

Watching Cherry rapidly piling food into her bowl, Zhong Shenxiu was momentarily stunned, slow to recover.

Damn, is this woman possessed by a ghost!?

Cherry noticed everyone staring and realized her impropriety. She quickly asked timidly, "Didn't you say we could eat?"

Zhong Shenxiu was nearly overwhelmed. He had encountered countless people in his life, but never one who left him so utterly speechless!

Eat, eat then. No matter how much she eats, she can’t possibly out-eat Robin!

"Ah, this is delicious!" Cherry exclaimed uncontrollably after taking a bite.

Angeliya, after tasting the food, also displayed an expression of profound shock. That lingering fragrance in her mouth, that indescribable texture... she was utterly captivated, unable to contain herself!

In the end, both she and Cherry ate until they were stuffed, sitting immobile!

The meal was over, and the next question was who would clean up the wreckage.

"Hey, little girl!" Zhong Shenxiu fixed his eyes on Cherry.

Cherry started, unsure why Zhong Shenxiu was addressing her.

"Do you know how to wash dishes?" Zhong Shenxiu's intent was perfectly clear: the cleanup task was now assigned to her.

However—

Cherry gently shook her head!

In that instant, Zhong Shenxiu felt an urge to strangle her...