The next morning, Zhang Sanfeng found himself utterly bored. He sat talking with Gai, the little Earth Bear.

“Hey, Gai, wouldn’t it be great if we could sneak out and visit your dragon friend?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. The idea of seeing the dragon’s treasure was irresistible. Ever since he learned Gai had a dragon friend, he’d been thinking of ways to make that visit a reality. Ah, how shameful, Zhang Sanfeng thought to himself. I’m a cultivator, and yet I’m acting so materialistic. Perhaps the cultivation of my past life’s mindset left me when I was reborn. Should I embrace the identity of Zhang Sanfeng again, or continue being this new 'Dragon Qingtian'? What path should I take to find my Athena? In that moment, he felt a wave of uncertainty.

“Hey! Wake up!” Gai’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

“Huh? What did you say?” Zhang Sanfeng snapped back to reality. He decided to take his time with these thoughts. After all, he was only three years old.

“I was asking if you still had that thing we used last time,” Gai continued.

“It’s gone,” Zhang Sanfeng replied cautiously. “Why do you need it?”

“Ah, well, never mind then,” Gai sighed, disappointed.

“You’re an adult now. Why would you still need it to boost your magic power? That’s just wasteful,” Zhang Sanfeng scoffed.

“Well, adulthood doesn’t mean the same for everyone. I can’t even cast a 12th-level Forbidden Spell yet,” Gai explained, sounding a little down.

“What? You’re planning to use a Forbidden Spell?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, incredulity in his voice. “You’re powerful enough as it is! Are you planning on slaying dragons or something?”

“Well, didn’t you say you wanted to visit my friend?” Gai replied, almost nonchalantly.

“That’s got nothing to do with you casting Forbidden Spells,” Zhang Sanfeng retorted.

“We Earth Bears have a 12th-level Forbidden Spell called ‘Space Gate.’ I left a coordinate at my friend’s house, and we agreed that when I’m able to cast ‘Space Gate,’ we’ll go visit them. Originally, I thought it would take hundreds of years, but now it looks like we can make it in a few decades.”

“You’re not messing with me, are you? I’ve never heard of Earth Bears having that kind of power,” Zhang Sanfeng said, skeptical.

“Why would I mess with you? How would you humans know what Earth Bears are capable of?” Gai huffed.

“So, this ‘Space Gate’ means you can go anywhere?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, still trying to wrap his head around the idea.

“Not quite. We have to set the magical coordinates beforehand. It’s different from teleportation magic,” Gai explained.

“Okay, so how many do you need to use this ‘Space Gate’?” Zhang Sanfeng asked.

“How many do you have?” Gai asked eagerly.

“Not many,” Zhang Sanfeng answered, then sighed, realizing he would have to share some of his stock.

“Heh, I just need 20 more to make it work!” Gai grinned.

“Are you robbing me? I only have two left! Fine, fine, I’ll give you two, but 20? You’re crazy! With 20, you could probably slay a Dragon King. Don’t you worry about eating yourself to death?”

“Three. At least three,” Gai insisted.

“Alright, fine. Three it is,” Zhang Sanfeng said, rolling his eyes. “But I swear, if you cause a scene like last time, I’ll make boots out of your hide!”

“Don’t worry. It won’t be anything like the coming-of-age ceremony. I won’t get caught, I promise,” Gai assured him.

Zhang Sanfeng pulled out the Earth Spirit Pills from his spatial ring, remembering that he hadn’t had time to put them back in the Golden Lotus last time. It was so convenient to have them in the ring now. He handed Gai three pills. “This stuff won’t be good for you in the long run. It’ll boost your power, but it’ll affect your growth later on. Are you sure about this?”

“I’m sure. We beasts just need power. Growth is about power, too. I’m not worried,” Gai replied confidently.

Zhang Sanfeng shook his head in disbelief at Gai’s simplicity but handed him the pills. “Just don’t make a scene. I’ll be watching you.”

Gai grinned and took the pills. “I’ll take a nap while I absorb this. You wait for me, alright?”

“How long is that going to take?” Zhang Sanfeng asked.

“Not long, just a few days,” Gai said as he flopped onto the floor, lying still like a dead pig, oblivious to the world.

Zhang Sanfeng couldn’t help but sigh.

Days passed, and Zhang Sanfeng had been cooped up in the Elven Capital, his mother and aunt busy with their own affairs, and his grandmother and the elders occupied with examining his condition. After several days of being poked and prodded, they still hadn’t come to any useful conclusions. Finally, his grandmother had to visit the Elven Queen, which gave Zhang Sanfeng some freedom to roam the city.

Though beautiful, the Elven Capital began to feel monotonous after a few days. He was confined to the city and had no desire to play with other three-year-olds. At last, on a sunny morning, Gai woke up, bouncing around with unrestrained energy. He was practically vibrating with excitement, as if he’d taken a stimulant.

“Did you absorb everything?” Zhang Sanfeng asked.

“Yes, I feel amazing!” Gai answered, practically glowing with energy.

“So, can you open the ‘Space Gate’ now?”

“Of course! Ready to go?”

“Sure, we have some free time. Just remember to keep the magic low-key, okay?”

“I’ll do my best, but such strong magic waves are hard to hide,” Gai grumbled.

“As long as it’s not too strong, we’ll be fine. Let’s find a quiet place. Follow me!” Zhang Sanfeng said as he led Gai to a rarely used storage room in the palace.

“Make the magic mark here. We’ll use it when we come back,” Zhang Sanfeng instructed.

Gai let out a low growl, and a beam of yellow light shot from his mouth. As it hit the ground, a strange magic circle appeared, glowing briefly before sinking into the earth and disappearing.

“Alright, I’m opening the Space Gate now,” Gai said. His body was enveloped in golden light, and he started chanting something in a strained voice. For half a minute, he struggled, and then, with a final roar, he finished the spell. A glowing, two-meter-tall Space Gate appeared before them. It was an oval shape, radiating brilliant golden light. Zhang Sanfeng was about to study it further, but Gai was having none of it.

“Hurry up and go through! I can’t hold it much longer!” Gai urged, sounding increasingly desperate.

Not wanting to delay any further, Zhang Sanfeng stepped through the gate. But as soon as he crossed, he was hit by a freezing gust of wind that made him stumble. Looking around, he realized he was standing at the peak of a snow-covered mountain.

“Damn! I’m going to freeze to death!” Zhang Sanfeng cursed. He had come here wearing only light summer clothes. Panicking, he tried to turn back, but Gai had already followed him through. The moment Gai stepped through, the Space Gate vanished.

“Idiot! Give me a Earth Shield! The high-level one!” Zhang Sanfeng shouted.

“Roar!” Gai responded quickly, casting the Earth Shield. A sturdy, eggshell-like barrier surrounded Zhang Sanfeng, blocking the icy wind. After activating his own magical techniques, Zhang Sanfeng began to warm up. He then glared at Gai. “What’s wrong with you? Are you a bear or a pig? Trying to freeze me to death?”

“Hey, hey, that was a mistake! I forgot you humans are so fragile!” Gai replied sheepishly, clearly embarrassed.

“You... you are the worst!” Zhang Sanfeng grumbled. Despite his irritation, he had no choice but to accept the situation. He still needed Gai’s help. “Where’s your friend?”

“Inside the cave behind you,” Gai answered.

Zhang Sanfeng turned around and indeed saw a large cave behind him. They had arrived on the mountainside, not the summit as he had thought at first. He climbed onto Gai’s back. “Let’s go!”

Gai’s back was surprisingly warm, and they trotted off. After about ten minutes and rounding a bend, they arrived at the cave. There, in the center of a large hoard of gold, lay a giant ice dragon.

The dragon was resting elegantly atop a pile of coins, just as legends described. It was about a meter high, with a vast treasure trove surrounding it, including gold coins, intricate silverware, and various weapons and armor. The dragon itself was a stunning shade of cyan, its scales reflecting the golden glow from the treasure. The cave was brightly lit by magical items, casting a dreamy, ethereal light over everything.

“Old friend, I’ve come to see you!” Gai called out warmly.

The dragon raised its head in surprise. “Oh, it’s you! How are you, old friend? And why do you have a human riding on your back?” the dragon asked, clearly curious.

“Well... it’s a long story. This human saved my life, so I promised to be his pet,” Gai explained awkwardly.

“A human?” the dragon asked, its tone now more serious. “Can you tell me how exactly you saved him?”

Zhang Sanfeng stepped forward with calm assurance. “Of course. But before I explain, may I ask you a question first?”

“Go ahead, little one,” the dragon replied with a hint of amusement.

“Why can you speak human language?” Zhang Sanfeng asked, his curiosity piqued.

“Ah, that’s because most highly intelligent beings can understand human language. As for dragons, we can also use the 'Sound Mimicry' technique to communicate directly with humans,” the dragon explained.

“I see,” Zhang Sanfeng said thoughtfully. “I also thought you might be a ‘lady’ dragon?”

“Indeed, I am a lady of the dragon clan,” the dragon confirmed with a dignified nod.

“Then, I’ll explain. Gai here was cornered by a grown nine-headed hydra in the swamp. The situation was dire, so I used a special potion to enhance his power, allowing him to defeat the hydra and survive,” Zhang Sanfeng said, his tone level and calm.

“Is that true?” the dragon turned to Gai for confirmation.

Gai nodded, affirming the story.

“Even if you saved him, that doesn’t give you the right to make him your pet. Don’t you understand the importance of freedom?” the dragon roared, the sheer force of its voice causing the ground to tremble slightly. It seemed ready to take action to defend Gai’s honor.

“Don’t be angry! I didn’t force him into servitude. I won him over through a bet,” Zhang Sanfeng quickly explained, not wanting to escalate the situation. “We formed a spiritual contract, but I haven’t made him do anything against his will.”

The dragon’s anger seemed to subside somewhat, but it still eyed Zhang Sanfeng warily.

“Is that so?” the dragon asked, its voice softer. “Gai, you’re saying this human has treated you well?”

“Yes, he has. In fact, he even helped me become stronger. Now, I can use the Space Gate,” Gai added, his voice filled with gratitude.

The dragon seemed taken aback. “You can use the Space Gate already? You should have at least a few hundred years of training before you can master such a technique! How could you improve so quickly?”

Zhang Sanfeng, unable to suppress his pride, smiled and replied, “Well, what do you think brought us here?”