The crowd nodded in unison, relief and delight washing over their faces. They inwardly sighed that Kainee was so understanding, truly worthy of the Commander's affection!

Kainee then picked up one of the stones from the ground. After a moment of silence, she remarked, "For ordinary people, perhaps this stone is an incredibly valuable treasure, but for Xiao Xiu, it doesn't serve much purpose."

Everyone silently repeated Kainee's words, a dawning understanding beginning to settle among them!

They had witnessed Zhong Shenxiu's strength firsthand; the sheer breadth of his abilities was breathtaking. The variety of strange and wonderful artifacts he possessed was dazzling. Things that were garbage in others' eyes became treasures in Zhong Shenxiu's, and conversely, what others deemed priceless might be worthless to him. Thinking this way, they suddenly grasped why he had spoken as he did!

A flood of emotion washed over them. Xibeier, in particular, was frozen, her expression unreadable as she drifted into her thoughts.

"Belle, what are you thinking about?" Just as Xibeier was lost in contemplation, Kainee’s voice, carrying a hint of intimacy, reached her ear. Xibeier startled, as if her secret thoughts had been exposed, nearly crying out. Her heart hammered against her ribs for no discernible reason!

"Nothing," Xibeier replied, avoiding Kainee’s gaze, sensing that those eyes possessed the ability to pry open the thoughts within someone’s mind.

"If you have something weighing on your mind, feel free to share it with me. I will do my utmost to help you!" Kainee offered a kind smile, one that seemed deeply knowing, as if she already understood Xibeier’s inner turmoil.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Xibeier’s eyes, then she quickly said, "I should go over there first!"

With that, she rejoined the others in picking up the stones scattered on the ground. However, she kept glancing toward Kainee out of the corner of her eye, her heart beating even faster!

Such a dishonest child, just like Angelia! Kainee thought to herself, her smile deepening.

Although she didn't know how Zhong Shenxiu had convinced Xibeier to join them in the first place, after so long together, Kainee had noticed the peculiar way Xibeier looked at him—the same way Angelia looked at Zhong Shenxiu. As someone with experience, she knew exactly what that look implied. Her little test just now only confirmed her suspicions, but she held her tongue out of respect for Xibeier’s feelings. Perhaps one day she would speak with her privately!

Setting that aside for the moment, the others, once they grasped the potential uses of these ground stones, were spurred on with an unprecedented surge of enthusiasm!

While these stones might be useless to Zhong Shenxiu, for them—mere mortals—they held infinite utility, especially for the mages like Elaina. They were profoundly attractive!

As everyone knew, the crystal cores of magic beasts were prime materials for crafting magical equipment, possessing the ability to amplify spells. The higher the core’s rank, the greater the amplification. Moreover, cores could be used independently without being forged into equipment!

The two cores Zhong Shenxiu had crafted were equivalent to at least Rank Ten magic beast cores. The purity of the magical essence within them far surpassed that of genuine beast cores. If a mage possessed such a core, it could boost their spell power by at least double!

(A small clarification: Mages can only use cores of their matching element. That black, artificially created core, for instance, could only be used by a Necromancer like Faraday!)

The day passed quickly amidst the stone gathering. Even as dusk settled, everyone’s energy remained high, and each person returned with a substantial haul. By this time, although Chiffon and the others were drenched in perspiration, they were still genuinely happy, proving the old adage: Tired, but happy!

The activity only ceased when Zhong Shenxiu and Robin finally returned.

Although all the collected stones were eventually handed over to Zhong Shenxiu, no one felt the slightest regret. They knew the stones would only truly manifest their power in his hands, and they were certain he would eventually transform them all into elemental cores and distribute some among them!

Zhong Shenxiu certainly upheld a clear system of reward and punishment. Seeing how diligently everyone had worked, he did not treat them poorly. Before sleeping that night, he gifted each person five cores already imbued with stored magical essence, tailoring the nature of the cores to their individual circumstances.

Elaina gazed rapturously at the five "Lightning Element Cores" in her hand. She was overwhelmed with excitement because Lightning Element beasts—let alone their cores—were exceedingly rare in this world. With these five cores, her strength could increase by at least fifty percent, and by absorbing the essence within, the pace of her growth would undergo a qualitative leap!

She felt increasingly blessed by the choices she had made. Since following Zhong Shenxiu, her horizons had broadened immeasurably, especially her comprehension of Lightning Magic, which had reached an unbelievable level.

Beyond that, her greatest reward was a technique Zhong Shenxiu had taught her, called Thunder Cut. Though she hadn't even mastered the first layer of the cultivation method, she could now effortlessly take down ten Poisonous Gold Swordsmen in close combat! She firmly believed that once she mastered the entire technique, easily defeating a dozen Sword Gods wouldn't be out of the question!

What an astonishing prospect! The mere thought made her blood boil. While achieving this dream was still a long way off, it was certainly not impossible!

Meanwhile, Xibeier stared blankly at the five "Water Element Cores" in her hand. Then, she covertly glanced at Zhong Shenxiu, who was currently instructing Yale and Andrew. Her expression was noticeably less icy now, as if her frozen exterior was beginning to melt.

However, when Kainee looked toward her, she hastily averted her gaze and retreated to her hut, feigning nonchalance!

Such a dishonest child! Kainee smiled knowingly but did not follow her.

For the following days, everyone continued similar tasks. It seemed they found an endless supply of treasures every day.

They stayed there for nearly another month. The group never grumbled about their work, for every day brought new enlightenment. It gave them all a single overriding feeling: this world didn't lack treasures; it lacked people capable of recognizing them!

On this day, the group was finally set to move on. Their destination: the "Splendid Kingdom"!

After traversing the "Rocky Forest," they found themselves on a wide avenue. Although mountains flanked the road on both sides, scattered villages could still be seen distributed unevenly.

They proceeded this way, moving and stopping intermittently for five or six days. The villages along the road grew scarcer, replaced by numerous unknown tribal settlements.

At this point, Charlotte could barely contain the excitement churning within her. She knew she would soon see her own people. How were the two of them doing these past few years? Had Little Tiger grown into a big boy? Were her parents safe all this time? Question after question flashed through her mind, making her appear absentminded!

"Charlotte, are we almost at your home?" Kainee approached and gently nudged Charlotte, who was lost in her reverie.

Charlotte had informed everyone several days ago that her home lay just ahead, and they would pass right by it.

"Yes! We're almost there!" Looking at the familiar scenery along the roadside, Charlotte seemed about to sink back into her memories.

"When we arrive, you'll have to play the gracious host!" Kainee teased playfully. "Do you have any local specialties?"

"Yes, lots!" Charlotte laughed along, clearly happy to discuss this topic with Kainee.

"You’d better be prepared," Kainee joked again. "We are a pack of hungry wolves; if there isn't enough good food, it won't be enough to go around—especially Robin, you need to treat him well!"

Charlotte managed an awkward smile, thinking of the bottomless pit that was Robin, and truly felt a bit of sweat break out!

After walking for a few more hours, Charlotte's eyes suddenly brightened. Pointing ahead, she called out to the group, "Look! That’s my tribe!"

The others followed her gaze and saw several people dressed in strange attire tending to livestock.

"Uncle Gemu, your health is still so robust!" Charlotte waved excitedly.

An old man tending his flock stopped and strained to look in the direction of Charlotte and the others. Perhaps due to his age, his eyesight wasn't sharp, as he continued gazing intently into the distance!

By now, Charlotte had already run ahead, and the old man finally saw her clearly.

"Little Wild Girl? Is that you, Little Wild Girl?" The old man sounded deeply moved, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Uncle Gemu, are you still herding sheep?" Charlotte asked with a smile. The feeling of meeting a loved one was overwhelming her.

"It really is Little Wild Girl!" The old man’s voice trembled slightly as he scrutinized Charlotte from head to toe.

(When Charlotte was young, she was exceptionally mischievous, even more so than the boys, so the adults nicknamed her 'Little Wild Girl'! Sigh!)

"Uncle Gemu, how are my father and mother?" Charlotte couldn't help but ask. This question had been on her mind constantly.

"They are well, all well, they often speak of you," the old man's eyes misted over.

Afterward, through Charlotte’s introduction, the group learned that this Uncle Gemu was Charlotte’s first teacher—the one who taught her to read, write, and handle other matters. He held high prestige in the tribe, though age had dimmed the vigor of his former days.

Then, the group helped Uncle Gemu herd the sheep back to the settlement.

Charlotte was now desperate to get home and led the others toward her family’s dwelling.

"Little Tiger!" Charlotte suddenly stopped as they walked, calling out to a boy who was looking in their direction.

The boy paused, then ran over, shouting, "Sister, you're back!"

But before Charlotte could speak, the boy’s second sentence left her completely speechless:

"Huh? Sister, you already have a child?"