Dongmei took a deep breath before turning around. Under the encouraging gazes of her new friends, she bravely stepped forth. As soon as her hand touched the bubble, she was instantly teleported outwards.

Closing her eyes the old lady savored the environment for a moment. The damp jungle smell entered her nose, reminding her of home. Soft ground and rustling leaves could be felt as she took a step forward.

Just as Dogmei took out her guqin from the magical storage, a massive roar shocked her surroundings. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, focusing on the beast which had suddenly appeared.

A massive bear angrily punched the tree which was the center of this trial. A slimly liquid dropped from his greedy maw as his body rattled the trees.

All other animals shivered in fear. The cat on top of the tree suddenly stood on all fours, hissing loudly, her fur resembling a hedgehog’s.

The sudden change in the situation startled Dongmei. Her brows furrowed as she angrily glared at the goblin emperor:

“Youngster! What is going on here? Where did this bear suddenly come from?”

“Isn’t this a dog?”, mumbled a confused Olivia.

Martina shook her head, but Zotrahn’gra’s answer astounded her:

“Your right. This is a brown demon dog. It is naturally part of the trial.”

“Dad! That’s unfair!”, complained Tarun’gra.

Meanwhile, Dongmei only rolled her eyes at the emperor’s shameless answer:

“How is this unfair? The trial stated to save a cat from a tree. But without anything to save it from, what would be the point?”

Focusing on the dog, Dongmei sank into thoughts. Since the beast didn’t attack her, it shouldn’t affect her plans too much. She was only worried as the dog was making too much noise.

Inside the bubble, Tarun’gra on the other hand was anything but calm. The young girl stomped her foot angrily. She pouted as she turned away from her dad.

Suddenly the young goblin girl remembered something. Wasn’t she supposed to be a helper during this trial? That’s right! She needed to find a way to help granny Dongmei.

Turning her head left and right the young goblin’s mind was working at high speeds. Her small forehead was wrinkled, her lips pressed together tightly. After a few seconds the goblin girl was almost ready to steal her father’s scepter, when she finally noticed the device in her own hands.

Her eyes lit up brightly. How could she forget about her Slowmoinator?

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Joyfully Tarun’gra focused on the demon dog. She raised her hands.

Suddenly the emperor’s eyes widened as he noticed his daughter’s actions. He shouted in panic:

“No, Tarun’gra! I haven’t tested it yet!”

Unfortunately, the emperor was too slow. Energy erupted from the Slowmoinator. A thick beam shot out, instantly hitting the demon dog. Meanwhile, some of it escaped from the weapon’s control. Tarun’gra’s eyes opened widely as the energy quickly engulfed her before spreading throughout the bubble.

The emperor quickly raised his hand towards his daughter. Or at least he tried. Everyone saw as his arms moved at a snail’s pace. His shocked eyes blinked like an old man falling asleep any second.

His mouth opened slowly, ready to reprimand his daughter:

“Whaaat haaave yoouuu doooneee?”

For a second Tarun’gra felt incredibly guilty, but her father’s movements were just too comical. She erupted in laughter, but because of her slowly moving belly it resembled a train leaving its station. This only amused the goblin girl even more as she let herself fall to the floor, laughing.

Martina and Olivia blinked in amazement as even Tarun’gra’s fall was in slow motion.

Outside the bubble Dongmei also watched the affected demon dog. Its movements had slowed down suddenly. Observing it clime the tree, Dongmei judged that it would at least need an hour until it reached the top. At the same time some monkey beasts also noticed the strange situation.

The mischievous beasts began to swing around in front of the demon dog, not fearing its sharp claws anymore.

Dongmei praised Tarun’gra inwardly while she placed down her guqin. She tenderly caressed the beautiful instrument, remembering her youth. She was once one of the top guqin players in existence, traveling the whole world and giving concerts everywhere.

Sadly, this time was long gone. She exchanged her career for her family. Back then many people advised her to continue touring, but she didn’t regret her decision. Since then, she had only played for her husband, son, and grandchild.

With a melancholic smile on her face Dongmei carefully plucked the first string. A full, melodious tone sounded out, captivating the jungle.

The monkeys turned towards her in interest. The snakes started to swing rhythmically. The people inside the bubble were carried away by emotions. The demon dog’s ferocity was suppressed. The cat beast looked down in interest.

Dongmei didn’t notice all of those. As soon as she was playing, she was back in her own world. In her world of music and memories. All those longing emotions burst out.

The old lady plucked string after string, a grand melody soon caressing everyone’s ears.

After a few seconds a mouse suddenly stuck out its head from the ground. Following the beautiful sounds, it carefully got closer to Dongmei before peacefully sitting down next to her.

Next some birds glided down, quietly sitting on the floor. The monkeys hurried up to get some good seats. The snakes hung their bodies down from the surrounding trees, swaying in the wind. The demon dog lost interest in the cat beast, sitting down on the floor.

Finally, after a minute or so the surrounding foliage shook. The cat beast had forgotten its fear of height. Its courage boosted by the gorgeous sound, it jumped from branch to branch. Ignoring even the demon dog, it finally reached the ground, purring cutely as it sat next to Dongmei.

An incredible scene could thus be seen in this jungle. An old lady played her guqin to the most unique audience she ever had. She was reveling in memories, oblivious to her surroundings.

Within the bubble everyone was listening reverently. Even Tarun’gra had stopped laughing. Her small mouth opened slowly, impressed by granny Dongmei.

After a few minutes the melody was sadly over. A single teardrop fell from Dongmei’s eyes. She sighed melancholically.

A golden light engulfed the jungle. Everyone was finally able to move normally again, as a majestic voice shook all the trees:

“Congratulations, mortal, for passing the second trial!”