The overlord of the gods is interrogating the alien female spy.

　But Qilin's confident demeanor made Theresa feel uneasy.

　Did she really not wipe it clean?

　But... she used to do it the same way... pretty much...

　A breeze rustled through the branches, bringing a cool touch that made the juicy peaches tremble slightly.

　Chen Lingxu picked the plumpest peach from the branch, broke it open, turned it over and over, and carefully examined it to see if it had any dust on it.

　"Um……"

　A long, drawn-out sigh made Theresa's heart leap into her throat.

　If, if it's true... the fruit picked... isn't clean... will she, the fruit farmer, get a beating?

　It definitely will... it definitely will...

　"Master...ah!"

　Theresa turned her head and watched as the peach was washed in the Qilin's hand, swirling around in a handful of water.

　The bright sunlight shone down, and a few drops of water remained on the plump peaches after washing. With a flick of Chen Lingxu's hand, these water droplets were shaken off and fell to the ground, sticking together with countless specks of dust.

　"Now that's what I call clean."

　Chen Lingxu took a satisfied bite of the peach, savoring its sweetness, and made a request to his little slave to wash the fruit.

　"From now on, wash them thoroughly with water."

　"Ah... yes."

　Theresa, who was picking up her black stockings, immediately agreed when she saw him glance at her.

　But then she realized, she couldn't... Could it be that she had to... like this time... bring the peaches she picked herself to him and let him wash them clean every time?

　"Owner……"

　"what happened again?"

　"I...I don't know...I don't know the magic you just used..."

　Theresa clutched her skirt

　He explained cautiously.

　"Little trash."

　“Ugh… Yes, yes… I am… a useless little good-for-nothing Theresia… Please, please, Master…”

　Suddenly, the Qilin Overlord's golden eyes collided with Theresa's trembling peach blossom eyes.

　“Slave. I don’t have that much time to waste on you.”

　"Yes……"

　She knew... so what was she going to do? Should she bring an extra jar of water?

　Theresa was thinking, but what Qilin said next disrupted her thoughts, making her head spin as if she had been hit by a coconut.

　"Therefore, I will teach you how to use that spell."

　"Ugh?!"

　What did she hear?

　He'll teach her magic?!

　That means... she can also improve her skills... and even in the future...

　"Ha, do you think you can escape or rebel against me just because you've learned some tricks? Even if you can stir up an ocean, it's just a bath for me."

　Seeing those eyes ignite instantly like sparks flying into a burning ember, Chen Lingxu delivered a timely blow.

　"No, no... Master. How could I... escape from your grasp?"

　A bitter feeling welled up in Theresa's heart.

　Yes, even if she learned magic, she still couldn't defeat this wretched monster.

　But... thinking about it from another angle, now that she can learn magic... she can use magic to help others in the future, which is a good thing!

　Thinking about these things, Theresa suddenly felt that this was another good thing to celebrate.

　"You slave, the only thing that's respectable about you is your attitude. Alright, take your things, let's talk as we walk."

　"It's...master."

　Theresa picked up the basket and followed Qilin, looking left and right before whispering a question.

　"Where did that...Agnese... lady go?"

　"Agnese?"

　Chen Lingxu waved his hand, and the little she-wolf appeared at his feet.

　“I’ve always been here, little Sarkaz. I’m everywhere.”

　Agnese felt that even if he explained the Beast Lord's abilities to her, she might not understand, so he resorted to mysterious intimidation to let her know how powerful he was.

　"Amazing."

　It's also terrible.

　Theresa thought that if she had her abilities, she could probably escape from Qilin.

　"So-so. My meager skills are nothing compared to His Majesty the Celestial. The opportunity you have to learn from His Majesty the Celestial is a tremendous chance for a Sarkaz like you, so don't waste it."

　Agnese didn't forget to flatter his old master.

　That's true. I was completely overwhelmed last night, surrendering without even exchanging a single blow.

　Theresa nodded inwardly, but didn't say it aloud; she simply thanked her quietly for the reminder.

　"Alright, listen up, Theresa."

　Although Chen Lingxu usually refers to aliens and uses trashy language, when it comes to doing serious things, such as teaching people knowledge and skills, he will put aside his airs and strive to be a good teacher.

　"Although we don't know what kind of system the current spells are, since your ancestors were Tikkaz, you can learn these spells."

　In the era of Chen Lingxu, the magic of the gods was mostly a manifestation of their own bloodline, such as the dragons' ability to summon wind and rain and wield lightning, the Pegasus's source of light, and the Drak's flames. The Tikkaz, on the other hand, developed a system of 'witchcraft' based on their own bloodline, such as the Cyclops' prophecy, the banshee's soul-capturing shriek, the blood worm's blood control, and the fire demon's fire magic.

　But who is Chen Lingxu?

　He is the Primordial Celestial Venerable, the Benevolent Dark Emperor, and also a Qilin, a Qilin Overlord with immense power and magic.

　Based on his years of research and development, he designed a set of "Celestial Arts Foundation" before the Great Expedition to allow the people of the gods to better utilize their own power. After Kal'tsit joined and investigated and experimented with the witchcraft of the Tikkaz, Chen Lingxu expanded the Celestial Arts Foundation, integrated the strengths of various schools, and researched and developed a complete book of spells. He planned to spread it to the beastmen after unifying Terra, so that the ancestors could also master spells and start an era of universal cultivation.

　As for Tikkaz... he wasn't part of his 'nationwide cultivation' plan at the time.

　Now, Theresa, a Sarkaz, has become the first test subject of Chen Lingxu's new immortal technique base.

　"Do you understand?"

　After explaining the principles of the spell to her, Chen Lingxu saw her blank look and knew that she didn't understand anything at all.

　"Very well. I shouldn't have expected a foolish little slave like you to understand all this knowledge in one go."

　"Waaah... I'm sorry... Master..."

　Theresa felt as if she had returned to the time when she first learned sewing techniques from that old tailor. Every sentence was full of nouns, and she knew nothing about them.

　"I will try my best to learn!"

　But she couldn't give up.

　This is her only chance... No matter what this monster wants to do, she must seize this opportunity to become stronger and better.

　"Hmph. Quite the fighting spirit. Alright, if there's anything you don't understand, ask away. I'll try my best to teach you in terms your walnut-headed brain can comprehend."

　"Yes!"

　Chapter Twenty-Three: The Gifted Little Tailor

　Wow. That's amazing magic!

　It's hard to learn.

　It's not at all the same level of difficulty as sewing techniques.

　Theresa spent the morning learning the basics and barely grasped the principles of spellcasting. But no matter what she did, even straining her face until she turned red while staring at the jar of water, she couldn't make the water budge an inch. Tailoring, on the other hand, involved actually pricking her fingers with a needle; she could clearly feel whether it hurt or not.

　"Oh, I can't give up, I have to try again."

　She has a pretty good grasp of the principles; the biggest progress will be if she can actually use it.

　"..."

　The wind rustled through the woods.

　A strand of pinkish-white hair fell across the Sarkaz girl's forehead, and a ripple suddenly appeared on the surface of the water in the jar.

　"Huh? It...it worked?!"

　Theresa hurriedly looked into the jar, but the Qilin beside her burst into laughter.

　"Fool, those are just ripples caused by the wind."

　"This, this is it..."

　Theresa touched her head, feeling a little discouraged.

　Anese appeared out of nowhere and squatted down next to the Qilin, watching Theresa practice for quite a while.

　“Heavenly Venerable One. Nowadays, sorcerers, or spellcasters, basically all carry staffs when they go out. Perhaps it would be easier for her to have a staff.”

　Anese was certain that Chen Lingxu genuinely wanted to teach this Sarkaz something and wasn't just teasing her, so after careful consideration, she offered a suggestion.

　"No matter what you use, if you can't even cast the simplest spell, carrying ten staves won't help. 0 is 0, it can't become 1."

　“Master is right… I will continue to work hard… Thank you, Ms. Agnese…”

　"..."

　Chen Lingxu sat on a large rock, leaning against a tree behind him, seemingly not taking Anesse's words to heart.

　He glanced at Theresa, who was still staring wide-eyed at the water jug, and grinned silently.

　The little she-wolf caught a glimpse of his expression and knew that her master was testing the young Sarkaz's patience. She remembered her first day learning wolf-mouth swords; the instructors had told them that even if their bodies were torn apart by aliens, they must bite their weapons to death. So, they trained all day under the scorching sun, biting on iron swords. The sun made the swords scalding hot, but not a single wolf warrior dropped their weapon.

　"what……"

　Theresa had been pondering the 'qi' that the Qilin had told her about, which was the key to casting spells. Only by finding that 'qi' could she open the connection between her body and her magic.

　But where exactly is that vital energy?

　She felt a little dizzy, and if she continued to sulk over the water jug, she might faint...

　Can……

　Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the Qilin staring at her.

　Although Theresa lacked worldly experience, her intuition told her that if she couldn't persevere this time... the monster would never bring it up again. Just like how, if she had given up simply because the needle would prick her finger, she wouldn't have been taken in as a student by that kind-hearted tailor.

　Only what you can grasp yourself is an opportunity.

　"Woo..."

　Water… Her head was spinning more and more. The water jug ​​in front of her seemed to have grown countless times larger, like an indestructible city wall, mocking her, this overconfident Sarkaz.

　"..."

　A gust of wind blew by and hit her forehead.

　The water should have been cold, but after sitting here for half a day, it had become quite warm.

　Theresa thought to herself, her outstretched hand seemed to touch a patch of warm water...

　"It actually...success?"

　Agnese blinked. Could he learn the magic of controlling water by simply gagging at a jar?

　The little she-wolf glanced at the Qilin Overlord beside her.

　His expression showed slight surprise, as if he hadn't expected the Sarkaz in front of him to learn so quickly.

　"Amazing talent."

　Chen Lingxu was indeed surprised. Even if his magical theories were the most basic, they were not something a beginner could learn in a few hours... especially not from a Sarkaz village girl who had never been exposed to magic before.