A group of adorable girls with fluffy tanuki ears and large baskets on their backs peeked in, looking around curiously.
Standing beside them was a group of Moon Rabbit Clan girls with snow-white rabbit ears, wearing cloth dresses and letting their long ears droop.
Qimeng asked curiously,
“How did they end up coming back with you?”
Xiaomi explained,
“Although the Treasure Tanuki girls are great at finding treasure and ore, they don't know how to cook. They eat wild fruits and vegetables every day, and when they can't find food, they gnaw on magic stones. When I ran into them, they had eaten so many magic stones that they were completely mana-intoxicated and almost fainted! I saved them with honey.”
“As for the Moon Rabbit Clan, they are excellent at cooking and weaving, but their combat power is too weak, so they're always getting bullied by wild magical beasts...”
“I felt sorry for them, so I beat up the magical beasts that were bullying them and told them that my Lord is super gentle and would definitely protect everyone, and even provide more than enough delicious fruit! So they followed me back!”
Listening to Xiaomi's description, Qimeng thought about how she was just worrying about the lack of a cook in the Tree Court!
This was perfect!
Now she would have people to cook delicious meals and sew all kinds of comfortable little dresses for her!
A treasure-hunting squad, domestic stewards, plus the heavy stone guards outside...
“Xiaomi, you did a great job!”
All three of these races were very honest and straightforward, requiring no force to subdue, making the recruitment process incredibly simple.
Qimeng immediately waved her delicate hand, bestowing the Tree Lord spirit marks upon the Treasure Tanuki girls, the Moon Rabbit Clan, and the Stone Giants.
As the spirit marks merged into them, the magic power of the Tree Court enveloped the entire hall, filling all the newly joined members with an unprecedented sense of security.
“Alright, now that you have received the spirit marks, you are all members of the Tree Court!”
Qimeng instructed with a smile.
“Morona, Xiaomi, take everyone down to get settled first. The Moon Rabbit Clan will handle the kitchen and clothing, the Tanuki girls can rest for now, and since the Stone Giants can't fit into the tree houses, have them camp around the outer perimeter!”
“As you command, My Lord/Mother!”
Under the guidance of Morona and Xiaomi, the newly joined foreign girls headed to their respective designated areas.
Qimeng sat back down on her throne, looking at the hall full of spoils. She smiled sweetly and kicked her legs.
When she had sent Xiaomi out before, she thought the most the girl would do was broaden her horizons and build up some courage. Who would have expected her to bring back such a massive surprise?
Especially those mutated magic stones—she had collected a massive quantity, and they were now piled all the way to the ceiling in the corner of the hall!
The Stone Giants had probably helped her harvest them.
Although these mutated magic stones were also magic crystals, they were very different from ordinary magic stones.
Qimeng shut herself in her alchemy room for a few days to study them. She discovered that the internal magic structure of these stones was highly unusual, possibly having some connection to biological evolution!
If utilized properly, they might even allow the vassals of her territory to unlock mutated combat forms!
No sooner said than done!
Relying on the powerful analytical capabilities of 【All-Things Deconstruction】, Qimeng worked tirelessly for three days and three nights, successfully refining a brand-new, top-tier result.
【Mutated Magic Fruit】!
“I succeeded, but... the effects are still unknown. Who should I find to test this on?”
Qimeng rested her chin in her hand, lightly tapping the armrest.
Suddenly, she thought of the White Feather Clan far away in the Wind-Thunder Mountains.
Yes! The drug-testing clan, summon them!
Not long after.
Ninike arrived with a squad of White Feather Clan elites in response to the summons, while Feifeier was left behind to guard the clan.
“Whoa! Master, is this your territory? It's so beautiful! It's so close to nature!”
The moment Ninike entered the Tree Court territory, she looked around in wonder, sighing in admiration at the fresh and comfortable forest environment.
Aside from the magic concentration being slightly lower than that of the Wind-Thunder Mountains, it was so comfortable that one wouldn't ever want to leave!
“Slave Ninike, come here and eat this.”
Qimeng smiled warmly as she took out several fruits that radiated a strange light.
“Eh? You called us all this way just to eat this? I thought you had some top-secret, grand mission for us!”
Ninike mumbled under her breath.
“Why so many complaints? If you don't listen, do you believe I'll hang you from a tree to blow in the wind?”
Qimeng pretended to be angry.
Ninike quickly covered her mouth and let out a dry laugh.
“Ah! My big mouth! Alright, alright, I'll eat it! Please don't be angry, My Lord!”
“I'm not angry. Hurry up and eat. One for each of you.”
“Oh...”
Ninike and the other White Feather Clan girls exchanged looks. Steeling their hearts, they closed their eyes and swallowed the 【Mutated Magic Fruit】.
The moment the fruit entered their stomachs, a sudden mutation occurred!
Boom!
Several dazzling beams of light suddenly erupted, illuminating the entire hall!
The appearances of the White Feather Clan girls underwent earth-shattering changes!
“Whoa! I-I've generated the power of lightning inside me?!” one of the White Feather girls cried out in shock.
“Oh my god! My wings have become half-golden wind wings and half-purple-black lightning wings! Dual-attribute wings!!”
“I... how did I grow four wings?!” Another girl had suddenly sprouted an extra pair of wings out of thin air.
Sitting on her throne, Qimeng stared in utter daze.
The evolutionary paths of these White Feather girls were actually completely different?!
Yet each had their own strengths, and without exception, they had all gained incredibly powerful new strength!
But the one who had changed the most was undoubtedly Ninike!
Ninike was enveloped in a sacred, inviolable glow. Her original wind-attribute magic faded away, replaced by a radiant power of light!
Her long blue hair fluttered in the wind, and a pair of massive wings of light unfolded behind her back. Floating out of thin air above her head was a shimmering, golden halo!
This was... an angel-like being with the light attribute?!
Weren't those Phantasmal Beasts?
“She actually changed her magic attribute directly?!” Qimeng gasped.
In this world, light and darkness were not common elemental attributes. Instead, like ghost, dragon, space-time, and space, they belonged to a rare category of independent attributes!
Ninike had actually mutated directly from an elemental attribute to a rare, independent light attribute!
This miracle of breaking biological traits stemmed from the 【Mutated Magic Fruit】 that Qimeng had purified. Fortunately, it manifested as a positive, controllable change!
Boom!
The aura radiating from Ninike skyrocketed, her strength crossing the Extraordinary Rank in one breath and unbelievably surging all the way to the Dominator Rank!
The radiant pressure spread out, shocking everyone in the hall!
However, Ninike, the person in question, had absolutely no idea she had become stronger.
Feeling the illusory, bright halo on her head, she paled in terror and threw herself before the throne, crying.
“Lord Qimeng! What's happening to me?! Am I going to die?! I even have a halo now! I'm going to ascend to heaven! Waaah!!”
“Uh... you won't die. Probably.”
Qimeng let out a dry laugh and looked away.
“What do you mean 'probably'?! What should I do? How do I get rid of this?! I don't want to die!!”
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