The Modu Illusion Demon Zoo is a popular internet sensation in Modu City, known for its incredibly intelligent animals.

As the zoo describes, every wild animal here has undergone professional training and masters at least three different skills. The internet is filled with short clips about the Illusion Demon Zoo. When visiting Modu City, it's a must-see attraction.

The Illusion Demon Zoo welcomes up to thirty thousand visitors daily, and this number could double during holidays. Although Wang Lan came today to take Xie Sisi for a visit, it was also his first time here.

Unlike other wildlife parks, the animals here are all kept in separate, isolated areas, with their every move visible through thick tempered glass.

But if it were just that, the Illusion Demon Zoo wouldn't have become an internet sensation. The animals here respond exceptionally well to visitors, able to follow commands and perform actions.

For instance, upon entering the monkey area, a row of golden monkeys stood neatly on bamboo poles in their cage, playing rock-paper-scissors with a group of kids outside. If you lost, they gave you a grin; if you won, you owed them something to eat.

This scene immediately piqued Xie Sisi's interest. She grabbed Wang Lan's hand and happily ran toward it.

"Wang Lan, hurry, monkeys that can play rock-paper-scissors..."

"It's not just rock-paper-scissors-playing monkeys. Here you have parrots that can sing in chorus, gorillas that know martial arts, cranes and peacocks that can dance, and even elephants that can play musical instruments. Sisi, don't push too hard. It's too crowded."

"I've never seen such things," Xie Sisi said coquettishly. Not only was Wang Lan unable to resist her, but several people nearby almost melted at the same time.

The Illusion Demon Zoo really was crowded, with people shoulder to shoulder and toe to heel. Wang Lan and Xie Sisi had no choice but to follow the crowd, slowly inching forward.

Normally, if you go to a place so packed it could suffocate you, any good mood quickly dissipates, leaving only irritability behind.

But this time was different. Even Wang Lan was full of interest. Holding Xie Sisi in his arms, her warmth against him, he stayed alert for any unwelcome groping hands, while watching the almost human-like performances of the animals behind the glass, which was quite enjoyable indeed.

Animals' understanding and volition cannot be comprehended through human interpretation. Even the most intelligent mammals lack the concept of "I."

Those claims that smart animals have the intelligence of a three or four-year-old child? That's nonsense. A child of that age can already speak, so can you have a meaningful conversation with an animal? Some children can recite poetry at three and are well-versed in classics by the age of five. How about an animal giving that a try?

Animals may only reach the level of a three or four-year-old child in certain aspects, whereas a child of that age can cover all bases.

Because of these cognitive limitations, training animals to act as if they can understand human speech and to sing, dance, and make funny faces is quite a challenge.

"Silverback Gorillas, wrestling performance—" A shout of excitement came from afar, and the slowly moving crowd stopped in its tracks.

The people who happened to reach the Silverback Gorilla wrestling area stopped to watch the performance, naturally blocking those behind from passing. Curses and complaints suddenly filled the air.

"Wrestling Silverback Gorillas? Wang Lan, I want to see it, let's squeeze through," Xie Sisi excitedly exclaimed.

But they could only wedge through about ten steps and had to hang back behind the crowd. Though both were powerful Star Martial Warriors who could force their way through the crowd without using Star Martial Skills, merely with their raw strength...

But... the education they had received did not condone such behavior. Star Martial Warriors had no right to swagger in front of ordinary people.

"There are too many people in front, blocking my view," Xie Sisi complained, standing on tiptoes.

"How about this, I'll carry you."

"Ah? How will you carry me?"

"You sit on my shoulders. Look, isn't that what they're doing over there?"

"Stop that! That's for little girls to do with their fathers. Plus, I'm wearing a dress today."

"Don't be coy! What haven't I seen or touched before? Come on up."

In the end, Xie Sisi bravely mounted Wang Lan's shoulders, which gave her a clear view. At first, she was a little embarrassed, but then she noticed more and more couples imitating them.

Girls were riding on their boyfriends' shoulders, laughing merrily, while their male companions' resentments were tangibly directed at Wang Lan.

The two Silverback Gorillas' moves were amusing and interesting, truly resembling wrestling athletes as they bent and swayed, then suddenly clutched and tumbled together.

But compared to the wrestlers, the gorillas possessed a more powerful presence, their muscular arms displaying explosive strength, easily lifting and slamming each other.

The spectacular performance had the audience clapping and cheering. But for Xie Sisi, a Star Martial Warrior, the initial excitement soon faded, and she climbed down from Wang Lan's shoulders after a few rounds.

"What's the matter? Didn't you like it?"

"I was just thinking, is it too cruel for these two gorillas to wrestle just for the applause of the audience outside?"

"For all animals other than humans, just being alive is the greatest happiness."

BOOM—

The moment Wang Lan's words landed, a sudden loud bang erupted. A Silverback Gorilla that had been squatting in the corner went berserk. It charged out, smashing through the twenty-centimeter-thick tempered glass with a punch, and burst into the viewing area.

"AAAH—" Screams erupted instantaneously.

In the crowded observation corridor, what kind of terrible harm would a frenzied gorilla cause if it plunged into the crowd? Almost instantaneously, Wang Lan's body dispersed into a dance of Nether Butterflies.

The Nether Butterflies blinked into existence, appearing next to the Silverback Gorilla as it broke through the glass wall. In an instant, Wang Lan materialized.

The Silverback Gorilla suddenly charged toward a couple in the crowd, its hands almost touching the middle-aged man's face. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the Silverback Gorilla's strong arm.

"Extreme Wall of Water, Pushing Waves—" a delicate shout rang out. Instantaneously, the surrounding crowd was pushed away by Xie Sisi's Star Martial Skill, leaving a four to five-meter empty area where the Silverback Gorilla had charged.

BOOM— A loud noise followed as Wang Lan slammed the Silverback Gorilla hard onto the ground. Although Wang Lan had held back, he still knocked the Silverback Gorilla senseless.

Wang Lan turned towards the glass wall and immediately inhaled sharply. Even though he knew that Silverback Gorillas were powerhouses capable of flipping cars bare-handed, the fact that it shattered the twenty-centimeter-thick bulletproof tempered glass with a single punch was terrifying. Even Star Shine Stage Star Martial Warriors couldn't break such a glass wall; it would take at least a Star Cloud level single-target output Star Martial Skill to do so.

With that assessment in mind, he turned his gaze back to the Silverback Gorilla. The Silverback Gorilla shook its head, slowly standing up. But this time, it did not continue its frenzied attack. Instead, it started to dance with its hands and feet in the open space, facing Wang Lan.

Watching this scene, many visitors who had been scared earlier laughed. Animals were still animals, after all, and sudden frenzies were normal. Animals' tempers came quickly and went just as fast. With the adorable dance and the silly movements it was making now, where was the trace of its ferocity from moments ago?

SWOOSH—

A tranquilizer dart instantly hit the Silverback Gorilla's nape. Soon after, the Silverback Gorilla collapsed powerlessly. Four young men dressed in security uniforms squeezed through the crowd, swiftly cuffing the Silverback Gorilla's hands and feet. The surrounding crowd also began to be evacuated in an orderly fashion.

"Sir, I'm Sean Tao, manager of the business department of the Illusion Demon Zoo. Are you a Star Martial Warrior?"

"Yes, I came here to visit with my girlfriend today."

"We are very grateful for your intervention. If you hadn't been here, the consequences of this accident could have been unimaginable."

"It was the least I could do! What's the deal with this gorilla?"

"This is a female gorilla. She might be in her estrus period, which made her temperamental."

"The Silverback Gorilla broke the glass wall with one punch. It seems like your security measures are not up to standard here."

"We will rectify this immediately. Sir Star Martial Warrior, would it be convenient for you to join us for a meal later? We'd like to express our gratitude."

"No need. It was just a small effort."

Wang Lan waved his hand. Xie Sisi, clinging to Wang Lan's arm, suddenly felt a bit down. "Wang Lan, let's go back."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't feel like continuing."

"Alright!"

Leaving the zoo with Xie Sisi and getting back in the car, she still looked downcast. Wang Lan laughed and comforted her, "Sisi, you're a Star Martial Warrior, after all. Being so sentimental won't do. It's not like any harm was done today, so what's there to be upset about?"

"I just saw that gorilla crying, staring directly at you, begging for help. At that moment, her heart must have been so desperate... It might not all be her fault."

"You're overthinking it. She went berserk and almost hurt people—how is that not her fault? If an animal can't control its own emotions, it can't survive in a zoo."

"Why do we have to capture them? If they were in the forests of nature..."

"'It might be even worse than it is now. To live is, in itself, a luxury. Although animals in the zoo have to go through strict training and perform to win the applause of the audience, at least they don't have to worry about food and drink. But out in the wild, they could starve to death.

"'Moreover, under the ravages of Exotic Beasts, is it only humans who suffer? In recent centuries, how many animals have gone extinct? On the African savannas, we can no longer see the majestic lions, nor the speeding gazelles."

"Yes, you're right. Survival is just that. If they don't perform diligently to earn their food, which zoo would be willing to keep them?"

"Where to next?"

"Let's go home. It's almost noon. Shall I cook for you? Didn't you say yesterday that we're almost out of groceries? Let's go shopping."

"Sure!" Wang Lan responded with a smile, starting the car and heading to the commercial district.

After filling up the car with groceries, the two returned to their home in Phoenix Plaza.

Wang Lan had a certain talent for cooking, which he later developed to level two when experimenting with system exploits at the academy. As long as the dish was in a recipe, Wang Lan could effortlessly whip it up. And Xie Sisi's cooking skills were genuinely inherited from her brother.

Working together in the kitchen with perfect harmony, in just an hour, they processed the ingredients and completed over a dozen dishes, ready to be served.

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