Chapter 508 - 332: The Tigers and the Elephant Herd Take Their Places
Chapter 508: Chapter 332: The Tigers and the Elephant Herd Take Their Places
Li Xiang and Jiang Cai’Er spent a week on their honeymoon, island-hopping. They sought out beautiful little islands in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, where they were inseparable day and night. With the Sea-Stepping Spirit Whale Ship, touring the ocean floor was a simple matter.
They had a special fondness for islands because they had both grown up in the mountains. Their families had been poor, so they’d never had the opportunity to travel. As a result, neither of them had ever seen the ocean before.
Seeing it on TV didn’t count, of course; they’d never experienced it firsthand.
Although they were the only two people on the islands, they never felt lonely; on the contrary, they were overjoyed. The only downside was that Jiang Cai’Er was pregnant and couldn’t engage in Dual Cultivation with Li Xiang, so he had to endure being pent-up.
After reaching Saint Tier, Li Xiang had an excess of energy, making his abstinence extremely difficult.
"It’s about time. I need to get back to school to prepare my dissertation and defense," Jiang Cai’Er said, planning her return. In less than two years of enrollment, she had already completed doctoral courses for three majors and master’s courses for five, earning all the necessary credits. On top of that, she had published nine SCI papers, four of which were in top-tier journals. Including review articles, her total came to seventeen publications. Her cumulative impact factor had already broken eight hundred; she was, without a doubt, an academic Superman.
On campus, the rumors about her status as a "research-type Extraordinary Being" grew ever more fantastic.
"You’re incredible, babe!" Li Xiang exclaimed, pulling Jiang Cai’Er into a hug and showering her with kisses, making her giggle.
"Let me come with you while you prepare for your dissertation and defense," Li Xiang offered.
"No!" Jiang Cai’Er refused.
Li Xiang asked, "Does ’no’ mean ’yes’?"
"I really mean it. You’ll only be a distraction." ’Jiang Cai’Er felt a pang of guilt. She saw how much Li Xiang was struggling to restrain himself around her, but it really wasn’t convenient during her pregnancy.’
"Besides, I’m a Tier Sixteen Extraordinary Being, and my baby bump isn’t even that noticeable yet. I’ll be fine. I can take care of myself," Jiang Cai’Er said. At school, the cafeteria had plenty of food, and her home was stocked with snacks and fruit, so she wouldn’t want for anything. And as a Tier Sixteen Extraordinary Being, no one could hurt her anyway.
So Li Xiang took her back to their house in Tsinghua Garden and restocked her Space Gem Ring with Spiritual Medicine. He shamelessly stayed the night and only left the next morning, reluctantly, at Jiang Cai’er’s insistence.
As soon as Li Xiang was gone, Jiang Cai’Er slung her laptop bag over her shoulder and headed to the library to start on her dissertations. She was a perfectionist and naturally intended to graduate with the highest possible distinction.
She wasn’t just writing one, but three doctoral dissertations and five master’s theses. If they were all approved, she would earn three doctorates and five master’s degrees this summer, before the great flood arrived.
In another two or three years, she expected to earn even more. Even on the campus of Tsinghua University, a place teeming with geniuses, she was a living legend.
She would surely leave a significant mark in the history of Tsinghua.
The reason Jiang Cai’Er was in such a rush was because she definitely couldn’t stay at the university during the great flood. She planned to return to Li Family Village to carry the baby to term. By the time the flood was over, she would likely give birth, and then she would need maternity leave, postpartum recovery, and time to care for the newborn. All told, she would be set back by at least a year.
Given how brilliant Jiang Cai’Er was, a faculty position at the university was naturally already reserved for her. The deans of nearly every department related to her fields of study had personally invited her to dinner and extended an offer.
...
Now that Li Xiang was in the Imperial Capital, it was only natural for him to pay some visits. With his current status, he had unrestricted access to many of its most secure departments.
"There are two things I need your support with," Li Xiang said after meeting with the leader.
"Oh? And what might that be? Feel free to ask for anything."
Li Xiang didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately told him that he was raising two groups of Exotic Beasts out in the wild: a herd of elephants and a group of five tigers.
"I’d like to bring them back to Li Family Village and settle them in the nearby mountains. Don’t worry, they are highly Spiritual and won’t harm humans. I’ll also build high walls to contain them."
The leader mulled it over for a moment before finally agreeing. "I’ll notify the relevant departments to give you the green light."
"Thank you."
"I’m very glad you came to me. You did a beautiful job dredging the waterways."
After a few more pleasantries, Li Xiang took his leave, as the other man was very busy.
He first headed to Siberia. At his speed, it didn’t take long for him to find the tiger family.
The Tiger Mother was a Snow Demon Tiger with Tier Seventeen potential, currently at Tier Five. Little Fenghu, a Red-Striped Phoenix-Winged Tiger, shared its mother’s Tier Seventeen potential and was also at Tier Five. Little Golden Tiger, on the other hand, was a Wind Thunder Golden Tiger with Tier Twenty-second potential and had already reached Tier Seven.
However, even though Little Golden Tiger was now stronger than its mother, the family was still led by the matriarch.
There were two other tigers in the group. Although they were ordinary Mortal Tigers, years spent with their Extraordinary mother and siblings had imbued them with a touch of the Spiritual, making them far more intelligent than average tigers.
In fact, tigers are very intelligent animals to begin with.
The Tiger Mother had gained sentience and couldn’t bear to drive her children away, so she kept the two Mortal Tigers with her despite their ordinary potential. In her eyes, they would live longer and more comfortably by her side than if they were to strike out on their own.
As for mating, they could always go out and find other tigers of the opposite sex later, either ’marrying’ them or having them ’marry into’ the family.
Yep, the family tree of this tiger clan would begin with the Tiger Mother.
When they saw Li Xiang arrive, the tigers bounded about energetically. Li Xiang mounted the Tiger Mother’s back and activated Beast Taming: Azure Qilin Guide, forming contracts with the Tiger Mother, Little Fenghu, and Little Golden Tiger one by one.