C16 Ability! Mental Communication!

"Watch out, girl!" Chu Yuan exclaimed, rushing toward the cage to rescue her. But just as he reached the entrance, a single look from Soong Xueling stopped him in his tracks.

Though still worried, Chu Yuan had no choice but to halt. He trusted Soong Xueling implicitly; it was almost instinctual. Yet, he remained at the cage door, ready to act if the beast made any sudden moves. Despite its rarity, he was prepared to end its life in an instant if necessary.

After a brief glance at Chu Yuan, Soong Xueling turned back to the massive tiger. It had fully risen to its feet, and as she approached, she realized she was shorter than its front legs. It was a humbling moment. With a sigh, she looked up at the giant tiger and thought, "Couldn't you just lie down again?"

Amazingly, the tiger seemed to understand her. It lay back down, even stepping back a couple of paces first, as if to avoid crushing her. This unexpected behavior left Soong Xueling a bit surprised, and she wondered silently, "Can you hear my thoughts?"

"My thoughts? Is that the voice I just heard?" The tiger's mouth hadn't moved, yet Soong Xueling heard the response clearly.

Whoever said only Spirit Beasts had intelligence was clearly wrong. This creature was obviously smart enough to communicate with her through thoughts.

"Do you have a name of your own?" Xueling continued to cheerfully communicate with the giant tiger through her thoughts.

The giant tiger seemed puzzled. "A name? What's that?"

"A name is like a label for a person, making it easier for others to refer to you," Xueling quickly explained, regretting her question. To prevent the confused tiger from asking more trivial questions, she swiftly continued, "But that's not important. What's important is whether you're willing to fight alongside someone."

"Fight alongside someone? Why would I do that?" The giant tiger tilted its massive head.

Xueling instinctively tilted her head as well. "Maybe because someone needs your help?"

Unbeknownst to her, this small, unconscious gesture nearly made Yuan, who was watching, rush in with excitement.

"Someone needs me?" The giant tiger tilted its head again.

"With your help, their strength can increase, allowing them to go further. So, would you be willing to help someone who needs you?" Xueling asked, tilting her head once more.

The giant tiger pondered for a moment, then asked a question that tugged at the heartstrings, "Would they hurt me?"

"No, you can choose a companion who would never harm you. That shouldn't be too hard for you, right?" Xueling reassured.

The massive tiger agreed without hesitation, "Alright."

"Do you have any other requests?" Xueling was pleased with the tiger's response. But does this mean the taming is successful? Or would it only be complete once the tiger finds a suitable companion?

The tiger shook its enormous head. "No more."

"Then stay here for now. I'll go inform them of your request." Xueling patted the tiger's head as a farewell gesture, then turned and walked out of the cage.

Chu Yuan hurried over, full of concern. "Hey, how are you feeling? That beast didn't hurt you, did it? Are you tired? Thirsty? Hungry?"

"Your Highness, the tiger has agreed to let you help find it a companion. Its only condition is that the companion must not harm it. You can manage that, right?" Xueling resisted the urge to roll her eyes, focusing on the task at hand.

Chu Yuan was taken aback. "Wait, what did you just say?"

"I said the tiger's requirement is to find a companion that won't harm it," Xueling repeated.

Chu Yuan shook his head repeatedly, his tone shifting. "No, no, I meant, how did you know that's what the tiger wanted?"

"It told me itself," Xueling replied, puzzled by Chu Yuan's strange reaction.

"Did it really suggest that on its own?" Chu Yuan's eyes widened, his voice growing increasingly excited.

Soong Xueling suddenly remembered that her recent communication with the giant tiger had been through thoughts, which Chu Yuan couldn't hear. She explained, "I did communicate with the giant tiger, but it wasn't verbal. It was through a kind of mental connection."

Chu Yuan stared at Soong Xueling, his eyes practically sparkling. This made Xueling even more puzzled. Was he enchanted or something? Why was his reaction getting stranger?

Then, Chu Yuan suddenly broke into a wide grin, his smile dazzling. "Wow, I think I've just stumbled upon a real treasure here."