As someone in sequence 001, I also want to give up today.

Perhaps it was the good fortune brought by the harvest of "ability ingredients", or perhaps Li Xian finally found the right area.

Shortly after leaving Lin Mo and Xiao Lu's training location, he discovered a small group of "Moon Deer" drinking water by a secluded mountain stream.

This is a B+ grade alien beast, entirely silver-white, with an elegant physique.

The antlers on their heads emit a soft halo under moonlight (or in a specific energy environment).

But it would be a big mistake to underestimate them because of their appearance.

Don't be fooled by their gentle appearance; they are actually extremely ferocious.

They used illusions to confuse their opponents, then trampled them mercilessly with iron hooves.

Although it doesn't like eating meat, it enjoys killing and is a terrifying beast.

Their flesh is known for being "tender and juicy, containing gentle lunar energy".

In Li Xian's personal recipe collection, it belongs to the category of "must not miss if you come across it occasionally".

"Luck has returned."

Li Xian was in a good mood. He didn't even need much skill to deal with this herd of deer, which was known for its agility and illusion abilities.

The consciousness-splitting process spread silently, precisely targeting the central nervous systems of several of the strongest male deer simultaneously, causing them to instantly "fall asleep" while indulging in the comfort of the clear mountain spring water, without any pain.

He easily created a temporary, miniature subspace entrance by folding the newly acquired space, and stored several processed moon deer inside.

This new capability is incredibly convenient to use, consumes almost no resources, has stable storage, and allows for easy access. It's infinitely more convenient than any high-end refrigerator or freezer truck.

"This is life."

With a sigh, Li Xian completely forgot about the incident in the forest clearing and set off on his way home, completely satisfied.

It was already evening when I got home.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, bathing the living room in a warm golden hue.

The chubby orange cat was curled up on its favorite windowsill cushion, dozing off, its tail tip occasionally swaying contentedly.

Lingdang sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the sofa, with a children's picture book with basic mental guidance patterns that Li Xian had bought for her a few days ago spread out in front of her.

His small face was serious, his brows furrowed, as if he were struggling with those abstract lines and dots of light.

Her golden cat ears trembled slightly with her "efforts".

Hearing the door open, she immediately looked up.

Upon seeing that it was Li Xian, and especially sensing the energy fluctuations of high-grade ingredients emanating from his "empty" pockets, they realized that he was the one who had been exposed to the virus.

Although she didn't understand the specific principles, she could vaguely sense that "the delicious food is there!" and her golden eyes instantly lit up.

"Old Deng! You're back! What's good to eat today?"

She sprang up from the ground with a "whoosh" and rushed to Li Xian's side like a small cannonball, circling around him, trying to use her weak spiritual power to "probe" the invisible "pocket".

"Moonlight Deer, B+ grade, not bad luck."

Li Xian casually and effortlessly dismantled a portion of the subspace folds.

Several pieces of venison, cleaned thoroughly and glistening with an enticing sheen, appeared out of nowhere on the kitchen counter.

"Roasted venison chops and venison bone soup for dinner."

Wow! Grilled venison chops!

Lingdang almost drooled, but then remembered something, and tried to straighten her little face, attempting to regain some "authority".

"Hmph, you're smart enough to know that I'm about to start school and need to replenish my energy to prepare for the future... uh, academic challenges!"

"Yes, yes, yes, the future 'Ruler'."

Li Xian gave a perfunctory answer and began preparing dinner.

With the addition of folding space, handling ingredients becomes much smoother and more efficient.

With a slight thought, he could precisely switch between subspace and reality to retrieve knives and spice bottles.

The meat pieces that need to be marinated are directly placed into a miniature subspace corner where the flow of time is almost still, and the marinating is completed instantly.

He cleverly used the folded space beneath the casserole to guide the heat, creating a uniform and gentle enveloping heating effect, eliminating the hassle of watching the fire.

The bell followed like a little tail at the kitchen door, watching Li Xian's seemingly casual movements, which actually contained an indescribable and exquisite control.

Besides the desire for food, there was also a hint of curiosity and resentment in his eyes.

"Old Deng, what you're using... doesn't seem to be ordinary telekinesis?"

She tilted her head, trying to sense the subtle spatial fluctuations.

"A new tip I learned that makes cooking easier."

Without turning his head, Li Xian vaguely perceived the short-term causal relationship between the cooking temperature of the roasted venison and its final deliciousness using causal substitution.

Then, the "cause" of the heat distribution inside the oven was fine-tuned in order to achieve a more perfect result of "crispy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside".

Yes, the optimized causal ability, when used in something as trivial as cooking, has almost negligible backlash, yet the effect is immediate.

"A little trick?"

The bell jingled.

"That looks amazing... I want to learn too!"

"Take control of your 'mental amplification' first."

Li Xian dealt a merciless blow.

"How was your 'practice' at home this afternoon? Did you understand the picture book?"

Mentioning this, Bell immediately wilted, her ears drooping: "Those circles and lines are so difficult... They keep moving around! I ordered them to line up, but they won't listen!"

I imagined the bell baring its teeth at the enlightenment picture book, trying to "violently suppress" those gentle guiding patterns with its fissioned spiritual power.

Li Xian's lips twitched.

"...That's for you to feel and align with the flow of spiritual energy, not for you to go to war. It seems that the basic courses at school are indeed very necessary for you."

"Hmph! Once I go to school, I'll learn it quickly! And then..."

Lingdang's eyes darted around, and she saw Li Xian using his telekinesis (actually a sophisticated manipulation that combined spatial folding) to apply a secret sauce to the deer ribs. The sauce was applied so evenly that it looked as if it had been machine-sprayed.

Suddenly seized by a playful impulse, she secretly condensed her 13 points of basic mental energy into a thin needle and stealthily stabbed the jar of honey beside Li Xian.

She wanted it to "accidentally" tip over, adding an "unexpected" sweetness to the venison steak (she has a sweet tooth).

However, as soon as her mental needles approached the honey jar, they seemed to hit an invisible barrier that was slippery yet indestructible.

Not only that, the barrier also sent a gentle but irresistible rebound force, returning her pitiful mental energy to its original path and gently "poking" her own brow.

"Ouch!"

Lingdang covered her forehead; although it didn't hurt, she was startled.

Li Xian slowly flipped the venison over, as if nothing had happened.

"A sneak attack? Your tactical awareness has improved, but your execution and stealth are zero. You're punished by eating one less venison steak tonight."

"What?! That's not fair!"

The bell immediately bristled.

Forgetting all pretense, she jumped up and down on the spot, her face flushed red as she faced Li Xian.

It made a weak, intimidating "Ha!" sound, like a irritated kitten, coming from its throat.

It was also accompanied by a grinning emoji.

"Old Deng, you're cheating! You must have used some weird trick again! You're bullying a kid! Ha—!"

Fat Orange was awakened by the commotion and lifted its eyelids to take a look.

Unfazed, it shifted its position and continued sleeping, lazily flicking its tail as if to say, "Here we go again."

Li Xian finally turned his head and looked at the "kitten" in front of him that was "hissing".

A hint of a smile flashed in his eyes, but his face remained lazy.

"What? You're allowed to launch sneak attacks, but I'm not allowed to defend? What kind of logic is that, future ruler?"

"I...I was just testing the waters!"

The bell is arguing illogically.

He let out another "Ha—!" This time, he added a funny face that he thought was fierce but was actually incredibly cute.

"And if you're going to defend, then defend! Why retaliate?! And you even deducted my deer chops! Tyranny! Dictatorship! Ha—!"

"The rebound was automatic, which means you have very poor control, your attack intentions are obvious, and your energy is too 'rushed,' like a small firecracker."

Li Xian was talking nonsense in a serious manner (in fact, the rebound was an automatic defense mechanism he set up using consciousness cutting, which also had a bit of an educational purpose).

"As for deducting the venison steak, it's to remind you that you should concentrate on eating, and it's unethical to sneak up on the chef. If you breathe on it again, half of the pudding will be deducted too."

"you……!"

Lingdang was furious, her big golden eyes filled with "I dare not speak out against my anger," and her cheeks were puffed out like a little pufferfish.

She wanted to continue her protest by exhaling, but when she heard that the pudding might not survive, she had to forcefully hold her breath back.

Her face flushed even redder, and in the end she could only let out a heavy "humph!" and turn her head away.

He turned the back of his head toward Li Xian, expressing a silent protest.

But the slightly trembling ear tips beneath the disguise and the occasional glances at the stag ribs completely betrayed her.

Li Xian suppressed a laugh, stopped teasing her, and focused on preparing dinner.

Soon, the rich, caramelized aroma of roasted venison ribs, mixed with the savory flavor of venison bone broth, filled the entire room.

Bell's little temper crumbled quickly in the face of the irresistible temptation of delicious food.

Like a kitten led by the nose by the aroma, she unconsciously sidled back to the kitchen doorway, gazing longingly into the distance.

Dinner was served in a chaotic mess, just like before.

The Moonlight Deer Ribs truly lived up to their name; the meat was tender and juicy, carrying a subtle, invigorating lunar energy.

The deer bone soup was simmered until it turned milky white and was exceptionally delicious.

Even the stir-fried vegetables that were served with it looked exceptionally fresh and crisp because Li Xian used the space folding technique to instantly lock in freshness and precisely control the temperature.

Lingdang ate with such gusto that she temporarily forgot the "deep-seated hatred" of having her venison steak withheld, her little face beaming with happiness.

Fat Orange also enjoyed its special portion of tender venison, purring contentedly.

After the meal, Li Xian observed again and found that Lingdang's mental strength had indeed increased slightly naturally. Combined with the accumulation of the previous few days, her mental strength had successfully broken through from 13 points to 14 points.

It seems that high-quality exotic animal ingredients, especially those with gentle energy like those from the Moon Deer, have a sustained and significant nourishing effect on her growth-oriented talent.

The bell, overflowing with energy, was ready to pounce again.

This time, she set her sights on the half-person-tall, adorable ceramic lucky cat figurine in the living room.

It was won by Li Xian in a lottery (he was too lazy to claim it, so Li Yu brought it back), and it had been sitting in the corner of the TV cabinet ever since.

"Old Deng, look!"

The bell pointed at the lucky cat, looking very serious.

"I feel it lacks something... a kingly aura! Let it move, and bring me wealth! No, I mean, recruit future subordinates!"

As she spoke, she focused her mental energy, trying to use her telekinesis to control the constantly swinging arms of the lucky cat, wanting it to swing more vigorously, even... wave it in the air?

The result can be imagined.

She did "lift" the lucky cat's arm a little, but the next second she lost control.

With a "snap," a tiny crack appeared at the fixed, purely decorative arm joint!

Although it wasn't broken, it was clearly damaged.

"Ah! I didn't mean to!"

The bell was startled and quickly withdrew its mental energy.

"Li, Xiao, Ling".

Li Xian's voice came from the direction of the sofa, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"I'll pay! I'll pay with my allowance!"

Lingdang quickly expressed her opinion (although her "pocket money" was given by Li Xian, and it was mostly used to stock up on snacks).

"Pocket money?"

Li Xian raised an eyebrow.

"Where do you get your allowance? Isn't it all pre-paid snack money?"

"Then...then I'll wash the dishes for you! I'll wash the dishes for a month!"

Lingdang was determined to do it, even though she absolutely hated washing dishes.

"You know how to wash dishes? Don't smash all my bowls."

Li Xian exposed him without any mercy.

"Fine, I'll let it go since you're 'courageous enough to admit your mistake' (even if you'll do it again next time)..."

Bell's eyes lit up, thinking there was a chance for things to turn around.

"...You're punished by having to truly understand the first chapter of the Mental Energy Awakening Picture Book tonight, and be able to steadily guide your own mental energy through three small cycles according to the pictures. If you can't do it, your snacks will be halved starting tomorrow until you enroll in school."

Li Xian announced slowly and deliberately.

"What?!"

The bell was struck dumb; looking at picture books was more painful than washing dishes!

"Old Deng, this is abuse! This is oppression! This is... this is hindering the growth of future strong individuals! Ha—! Ha—!"

She was both angry and anxious, and yelled "ha" several times in a row, like a helpless kitten whose tail had been stepped on, pacing restlessly in the living room.

"Protest invalid."

Li Xian remained calm and composed, even using his newly acquired spatial folding device to retrieve a bag of potato chips from his subspace.

They started eating with gusto, making Lingdang even more envious and anxious.

Ultimately, under the enormous threat of "half the snacks," Bell could only reluctantly and sadly crawl back onto the carpet.

Facing that picture book that gave her a headache, she began her real and arduous "training".

During this time, due to frustration and setbacks, he couldn't help but breathe out into the air several times, muttering harsh words like "bad old man," "stinky dad," and "wait until I'm number one in the rankings and I'll teach you a lesson" (a completely intimidating version).

While eating potato chips, Li Xian secretly used causal substitution to restore the lucky cat that had just been broken by the bell.

As night deepened, Lingdang finally completed the three small cycles of spiritual energy guidance, stumbling and sweating profusely, and collapsed onto the carpet with a sigh of relief.

Li Xian had already tidied up the kitchen, washed up, and was ready to go back to his room.

"Old Deng..."

The bell rang weakly.

"Um?"

"I...I did it."

His voice carried a hint of pride, but mostly weariness.

"I saw it."

Li Xian stood at the doorway and glanced back at her.

"Not bad, not completely stupid. Go take a shower and go to bed. The admission notice will probably come in a few days."

"Oh……"

Bell got up and wobbled towards the bathroom. Halfway there, she turned back and whispered, "Um... the venison chops were delicious. Thank you."

Then he quickly slipped into the bathroom and closed the door.

Li Xian stood there for two seconds, shook his head, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile.

Raising children is troublesome, but occasionally, there seem to be moments when it's not so troublesome.

He returned to his room, but instead of going to sleep immediately, he began experimenting with his two newly acquired abilities.

With a thought, the space next to the desk slightly distorted, and a stable personal subspace of about one cubic meter was created.

He stores some frequently used books, tools, and even spare snacks and drinks in it, and accessing them is as easy as a thought.

He even tried "short-distance folding jump," his figure instantly disappearing from the room and reappearing behind the living room sofa.

The distance was short, but it was completely silent, and the mental energy consumption was negligible.

"I won't have to walk around to get the remote control anymore."

Li Xian was very satisfied.

Next, he tried causal substitution.

He picked up an apple from the table, focused his mind on the "cause" (the apple's current state) and the "effect" (the apple's state ten minutes ago before it was oxidized), and activated his ability.

The apple in my hand became fresher and more vibrant in color at a speed visible to the naked eye, as if time had slightly reversed on it.

The mental energy consumed was negligible, and the backlash was barely perceptible.

"Great, excellent preservation effect. Let's try something else..."

He looked at a shirt on the clothes rack outside the window; it had gotten a little wet yesterday and wasn't completely dry.

He pinpointed the cause of the "slightly damp shirt" and tried to replace it with the effect of the "completely dry shirt".

This time I felt a slight blockage, and my mental energy was also more depleted, but it was still within an easily bearable range.

A few seconds later, the shirt was noticeably dry and crisp.

"It seems feasible and cost-effective to make small substitutions or fine adjustments to the 'cause and effect' of inanimate objects and simple states."

Li Xian had a plan in mind.

"If it involves living beings, complex wills, or major changes, the backlash would be hard to predict. However, for everyday use, it's perfect for dealing with leftovers, wrinkled clothes, or getting water to boil faster."

He increasingly felt that this trip to the misty forest was a huge success.

Not only did it replenish high-quality ingredients, but it also granted such a practical life skill.

As for the potential attention that the flamboyant man in purple and his space-manipulation apprentice might bring?

"Just don't bother me."

Li Xian yawned and decided to stop thinking about it.

When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it; if all else fails...

Isn't there also the causal substitution we just learned that can slightly "influence" other people's thoughts or the course of events?

While it shouldn't be abused, it should be fine to keep yourself calm and collected in critical moments.

With endless daydreams about the practical applications of the new ability (mainly how to be lazier), the salted fish boss, sequence 001, peacefully drifted off to sleep.