395: Chapter 279 Earth Mother 395: Chapter 279 Earth Mother The development of events was somewhat unexpected.
When Zhang Xiaomanâs mental fluctuation reached the snail, he, who was initially just trying his luck, suddenly froze because the latter immediately responded.
âHas the contract been successfully establishedâŠ?â
Somewhat incredulously, he raised his hand to look, and then Zhang Xiaoman scrutinized the snail back and forth for a moment; indeed, he could now see its attribute panel.
[Earth Mother]
Contracted
Master: Zhang Xiaoman
Dark Energy: 120/400
ââââââ
When he saw this fellowâs attribute interface, Zhang Xiaoman was utterly astonished; he had not imagined that this unremarkable snail was the renowned Earth Mother from the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
Zhang Xiaoman truly hadnât expected this; he initially thought the snail was gentle and harmless, tough-skinned, and highly durable, which was why he had planned to keep it for the time being.
Even signing the contract was merely a casual attempt.
But who could have thought that it would be successfully established right away, and that this creature was not just any snail, but an Exotic Beast from the Classic of Mountains and Seas!
âEarth Mother, Earth MotherâŠ
It seems that people in ancient times had already seen you or perhaps, your kindâŠâ
He muttered, looking at the creature before him.
Although the Earth Mother was not as famous as Kunpeng, Taotie, or Xiang Liu, those Great Demons, it was indeed a creature that existed in the Classic of Mountains and Seas.
Zhang Xiaoman had been interested in these things for a while, so he had specifically learned about them; he clearly remembered such a creature.
Earth Mother, also known as Ying Mu, or Pu Lei.
Its nature is gentle, averse to fighting, with defensive power incredibly strong, almost invincible within the Three Realms.
The Earth Mother had a massive, mountain-like figure, with creatures thriving on it, forming its own realm; the renowned Queen Mother of the West once resided on it for some time.
Legend has it that there is a Spiritual Spring on it, called Earth Mother Spirit Liquid, that replenishes every thousand years; consuming it could resurrect the dead and ascend one to immortality.
This information was all that Zhang Xiaoman had learned; beyond that, he knew nothing.
After all, with so many Exotic Beasts in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, he had initially just casually browsed through it out of curiosity, and remembering this much was already quite remarkable.
âSo does this mean that many of the Exotic Beasts recorded in ancient texts might actually existâŠ?â
âMaybe, in the context of the Great Fusion, they could either be Alien Species from another universe or native Extraordinary Creatures.
These possibilities arenât beyond the realm of possibilityâŠâ
As he thought of this, an even stranger expression appeared on his face.
It now seems that the impact of the Sect Establishment Order on this world was far more complex than he initially thought.
Or perhaps, it wasnât all just the work of the Ultimate Item; maybe, this world itself had these incredible presences all along.
âNo wonder you can take a hit, it turns out youâre the legendary Earth Mother.
It looks like Iâve stumbled upon a treasure,â
Zhang Xiaoman closely examined this fellow from all sides.
Although it still looked just like an ordinary snail, knowing its true identity made him feel as if there was something extraordinary about it.
He thought about the legends he had read and carefully inspected the snailâs back, curious about the Earth Mother Spirit Liquid.
However, this guy was clearly still a youngster; thereâs no way it could have such a thing on it.
The snail, probably due to the contract, wasnât as guarded against Zhang Xiaoman and quietly stretched out its head, locking eyes with him.
âHmm, not afraid of me anymore?â
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaoman slowly reached out his hand and placed it atop the snailâs head, stroking it as if petting a cat.
The texture he felt was different from what he had initially thought.
It wasnât slimy at all but rather soft and cool, much like touching a piece of jelly.
At first, the snail was a bit fearful but gradually let down its guard as time passed, its round, bulging eyes narrowing in enjoyment.
âHmm, now that youâre my little buddy, calling you âsnailâ all the time doesnât sound nice.
Letâs give you a new nameâŠâ
Zhang Xiaoman scratched his chin and then said,
âEarth Mother, Earth MotherâŠ
Since the Classic of Mountains and Seas refers to you as the Earth Mother, Iâll call youâŠ
Da Niu!â
He nodded his head, quite satisfied with the name he had come up with.
Da Niuâit was simple and easy to remember, without any superfluous letters, way better than those names like âNicholas Cowâ or whatever.
The snailânow to be called Da Niuâwatched his new master mutter to himself, seemingly unsure if it understood, completely without any say in its new name.
Zhang Xiaoman also realized that this guy might not be able to speak.
Although it had a mouth, he had never heard it make a sound.
If it couldnât talk, how was he supposed to communicate with it?
Even owning the Communication Skill wouldnât help much; after all, it required the other party to speak first before he could understand their language.
Shaking his head, he decided not to think about these things for now.
Having completed the contract, and after a day of intense mental stress, drowsiness crept upon him, and he prepared to head back to sleep.
As for Da Niu, he planned to keep it in the Original Realm Space for now, although he knew its identity and understood it was probably harmless.
But it was still an Extraordinary Creature, and his knowledge about it was very limited.
Releasing it into the wild without proper understanding could lead to accidents, and he, the Star Lord, would be responsible.
Thus, Zhang Xiaoman decided it was better to keep it confined to the Original Realm when he was not on Rebirth Island and wait until he understood it well enough before letting it roam freely.
With a wave of his hand, he activated Unlimited Teleportation and quickly returned home.
He was very pleased with this newly-acquired villa.
His mother had chosen it carefully.
The lot was not very large, only 80 square meters per floor, but it was tall enough, comprising six floors in total.
Two floors below ground, four above, plus a small garden and an attached underground garage, the space was utilized very well, devoid of any cramped or crowded sensation as soon as one walked in.
Zhang Xiaomanâs bedroom was on the fourth floor.
By the time he got home, it was near midnight, and his mother was already asleep.
PS: This Earth Mother is not that Earth Queen.