Free Web NovelChapter 276: Chapter 176: Surprising New Reward (2)
The heavy mesh partition gate connecting the two enclosures was slowly slid open, creating a narrow gap.
The sound was faint, but in the silence of the carnivore house, it seemed exceptionally clear.
Dawei, who had been lying about listlessly, instantly pricked up his ears in alarm.
It snapped its head up, its tiger eyes glinting as it stared fixedly in the direction of the sound.
Its nostrils flared, twitching rapidly as it focused intently on every subtle change in the air.
The partition gate slid open to a gap of about ten centimeters, then stopped.
This width was enough to let scents and sounds pass through unimpeded, while ensuring the animals on either side could not make direct contact.
The very next second after the gap appeared—
An unmistakably familiar scent drifted on the air currents into Dawei’s den.
At the same time, the soft, happy yelps of two tiger cubs roughhousing drifted in clearly.
"Awooo~"
Dawei’s massive body trembled, and he opened his mouth to let out a roar.
The roar was filled with joy and excitement.
He shot up from the platform. The movement was so abrupt he even staggered for a moment, but he paid it no mind.
Eyes wide, he stared at the gap where the light, sounds, and smells were coming from, a deep rumble emanating from his throat.
Then, he began to pace excitedly back and forth in the den. Every so often, he would approach the gap and sniff vigorously, his ears ramrod straight, catching every sound the cubs made.
When he once again clearly heard one of the cubs let out a soft, kitten-like "awoo," he could no longer hold back. In response, he let out a soft "chuff," a sound that completely belied his majestic appearance.
He then used his front paws to gently paw at the mesh partition, trying to get a better look, yet not daring to use too much force for fear of scaring the little ones on the other side.
On the monitor, the scene played out.
The two roughhousing cubs also heard Dawei’s roar and soft chuffing.
They immediately stopped playing, curiously pricking up their small ears and peering in the direction of the scent and sound.
The bolder of the two even took a few tentative steps toward the mesh partition on its short legs. It tilted its little head and let out a confused "mewl."
Seeing this, Dawei’s whole body tensed up. His tail shot high into the air, its tip twitching with excitement.
He let out another series of gentle chuffs.
The little tiger responded with a couple of curious mews of its own.
Outside the observation window.
The crowd watched the scene unfold, their eyes wide and unblinking.
Lu Gangsheng’s eyes lit up as he whispered, "It actually worked!"
The chief veterinarian and the other vets from Yongcheng Zoo also had looks of joy spread across their faces.
Just by observation and deduction, he had pinpointed the root cause of a "sickness of the heart" that no instrument could detect. And the verification process had yielded such immediate, deeply moving, and positive results.
If that didn’t make him an Animal Expert, what would?
As for Yu Xiulian...
The expression on the face of the Nanling Zoo’s Vice Director, who had been skeptical and critical from the very start, was now complex.
Her initial doubt and coldness had long since vanished, replaced by astonishment and a trace of gentle emotion from being so moved.
She had witnessed with her own eyes Dawei’s complete transformation from listless and moribund to bursting with vitality in an instant.
She saw a look in the fierce beast’s eyes no different from that of a human parent.
She saw its clumsy yet tender affection as it tried to get closer, terrified of startling its cubs.
All of this was perfect validation of Yang Qi’s judgment.
He wasn’t just right; he was frighteningly precise.
The young man who had previously muttered that "just anyone can call themselves an expert" now stood with his mouth agape, his face burning with astonishment and disbelief.
He instinctively glanced at his vice director, only to see Vice Director Yu staring intently at the tender interaction inside the den, her gaze profound.
Seeing Dawei’s uncontainable excitement, Yang Qi also breathed an inward sigh of relief.
Then, he spoke softly into the intercom next to the observation window. "Dawei, your cubs are back. They’re doing great. Very healthy."
Dawei, who was immersed in joy, snapped his head around at the sound of Yang Qi’s voice, looking toward the speaker.
He gave an almost imperceptible nod with his massive head and let out a low rumble from his throat.
The others couldn’t understand it, but Yang Qi did.
’Dawei was thanking him.’
[Task Complete]
[Reward: Cloud Plate Enchanting Array]
’Cloud Plate Enchanting Array?’
Yang Qi processed the new information that flooded his mind.
The Array rewarded this time was different from the Five Elements Spirit Gathering Array and the Hundred Trees Nourishing Body Array.
This reward included a complete schematic of the array, nine array flags corresponding to different cardinal directions, and an Octagonal Array Plate to serve as the Array’s core and control hub.
The entire Array set was of a high grade, and its setup requirements were quite demanding.
First, it required a relatively isolated area with a specific geographical configuration—ideally, one set against a mountain and near water, or with undulating terrain—to serve as the foundation for the array.
Second, it required nine Spirit Stones containing wind-attribute energy and nine Spirit Stones containing thunder-attribute energy—eighteen in total—to serve as the foundational power source for activating and maintaining the Array.
The Wind and Thunder Spirit Stones had to be embedded into the array flags and the Array Plate in specific positions. Once activated, the Wind and Thunder Power would intertwine, forming an enchanting, mind-bewitching mist that could envelop an entire area.
’Nine Wind Spirit Stones, nine Thunder Spirit Stones...’
Yang Qi thought of the Wind and Thunder Spirit Stone in his Hundred Pouches Belt.
When he had previously won those two variant-attribute Spirit Stones in a lottery, he’d thought they would be useless.
’I can’t believe they’re being put to a crucial use so soon!’
’It’s just... I’m still short eight of each...’
