《Beast Taming: The Beginning of Hatching an Ancient Dragon》 Chapter 1 - The Birth of the Ancient Dragon Chapter 1: The Birth of the Ancient Dragon In the residential area of the Ecological Research Institute in Red Rock City, Z Province, Eastern Glory Country, Blue Star Alliance, a black-haired, brown-eyed boy sat on his bed, staring intently at a small red kitten with a serious expression. Beside the bed stood a one-meter-tall incubator, its upper half round and scattered with large pieces of red and black eggshells. The boy, named Li Chang¡¯an, was a transmigrator from the Heavenly Dynasty¡­ no, a reincarnated individual from the Heavenly Dynasty. The small kitten before him was not a cat but an Ancient Dragon, known as the Infernal Flame Dragon. And now, this seemingly cute but terrifying little kitten had attached itself to him. This is how the story unfolded, beginning just a day ago. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories from his past life had not yet awakened; he was just an ordinary high school student in Eastern Glory Country, Blue Star. Although his family was wealthy and his father held significant power, he was still a novice. Well¡­ to be precise, he was a novice in the field of beast taming. In Eastern Glory Country, young people who wished to register as official beast tamers with the Beast Taming Association needed excellent academic performance. The high school final exams were of utmost importance. As the final exams approached, he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to contract a beast, so he ventured into an unofficial second-hand market. At a gambling egg shop, he spent all his savings of 1.2 million, accumulated over more than a decade, on a giant egg of unknown origin. The vendor boasted that it might hatch a dragon species, and the foolishly naive young Chang¡¯an believed him. After buying the egg, he rushed home excitedly and tested it with an instrument from his father¡¯s study. Lo and behold, it was a dead egg! Having never experienced the harshness of society, young Chang¡¯an was immediately enraged, and his intense emotions triggered the awakening of his innate talent. The talent that was supposed to awaken through a unified ritual after the second-year final exams went out of control. Unable to control the energy of his runaway talent, his consciousness was shattered by this power. Then, the memories of Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s past life awakened, and the personality and consciousness of his over thirty years of previous life absorbed and merged with the fragmented memories of young Chang¡¯an. Thus, the current Li Chang¡¯an came into being, along with the Ancient Dragon kitten that appeared by his side upon waking. After suddenly recalling a bit of young Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories, Li Chang¡¯an was devastated, not only by the unfortunate impression of his previous death but also by the cute creature before him. In his past life, Li Chang¡¯an had a six-figure income, a sister, a house, and both parents. He died during a company vacation from a blue-ringed octopus mixed into a grilled octopus dish. And the first thing he saw upon waking was what could be called a doomsday calamity. This left Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind in a daze. Young Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories flooded in like a tide. The world he was in now was called Blue Star, similar to the name of the protagonist in an action game he played in his previous life. Blue Star was originally a planet with a development history similar to Earth. Until 570 years ago, humans around the world almost simultaneously discovered similar ancient ruins. But with it came the opening of void passages worldwide, leading to various ancient and terrifying creatures. Thus, the Great Cataclysm of Blue Star began. At first, the technological weapons of Blue Star¡¯s humans could not harm these ancient creatures, until humans discovered the method of contracting in the ruins. By combining technology with the power of tamed beasts, humans gained the ability to fight back. The era of the Great Cataclysm officially began. After 200 years of bloody struggle, humans finally managed to defend their homeland, even though it was now unrecognizable. Due to humanity¡¯s initial victory, the worlds on the other side of the passages briefly fell, and these worlds merged into Blue Star, causing the planet to expand hundreds of times its original size. At this point, the danger level of Blue Star was countless times more terrifying than during the Great Cataclysm. As the worlds from other dimensions continued to merge, humans realized that with their current strength and population, they could no longer hold such vast territories. The contraction of living spaces was inevitable. After the Great Migration was completed, many previously inhabited areas became forbidden zones, with unstable order, inconvenient transportation, and chaos seemingly imminent. Soon, the alliances of Blue Star¡¯s nations established the Hunter Guild and the Blue Star Council, and more and more beast tamers became hunters, venturing out to reclaim new homelands for humanity. At this moment, the era of the Great Cataclysm ended, and the era of hunters began. After 300 years of continuous hunting and expansion, humans once again gained a firm foothold on this new mother planet. With the improvement of social conditions, the population needed replenishment, and humans seemed no longer in need of frequent reclamation; they needed time to rest. Thus, fewer hunters were needed. After a long period of social stability, the era of hunters gradually ended, and a new era of beast taming emerged. The Beast Taming Association, established 50 years ago, replaced many functions of the Hunter Guild and became a symbol of the new era. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. But the Hunter Guild did not disappear; it still existed because there were many places in this world where human footsteps had yet to tread. As mentioned before, they also needed rest; humans needed to digest these living areas that had expanded dozens of times. Once they caught their breath, human expansion would begin anew, as recorded in history. Thirty years after the establishment of the Beast Taming Association, Eastern Glory Country completed the initial popularization of beast taming education. Now, 50 years after the establishment of the Beast Taming Association, after 20 years of filling in the gaps, beast tamers have become a common profession in Eastern Glory Country. Almost every Eastern Glory citizen contracts a tamed beast, and the older generation also keeps a weak tamed beast as a pet through a beast-binding ring. Nowadays, the simplest way for young people in Eastern Glory Country to become registered official beast tamers is through education. Passing the final exams of three years of high school and meeting the strength requirements of the tamed beast allows one to register as an official beast tamer with the Beast Taming Association. The first-year exams cover basic beast taming knowledge and beast nurturing, with internships during the summer to determine the second-year curriculum. The second-year exams include Chinese, mathematics, three beast languages, geography, and comprehensive biology, with a practical exam of preparing a basic beast food. Upon passing the exams, the school issues a probationary beast tamer qualification. Regardless of wealth, everyone heads to the Ecological Research Institute, where Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s father works, at the start of the summer to receive their initial tamed beast. Those who do not wish to participate must apply three days in advance. Born into a wealthy beast taming family but unable to get a head start, what torment! This is why young Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t resist buying an egg before the second-year final exams. Along with the memories of the world¡¯s background came the identity of the small kitten before him. The Infernal Flame Dragon, the creator of Red Rock City¡¯s name, a member of the Ancient Dragon clan. The so-called Ancient Dragons are actually a commonly accepted term for a species of ancient beasts; they are not dragons. It¡¯s just that many Ancient Dragons have dragon horns, dragon scales, and other features, hence they are called ¡°dragons.¡± Ancient Dragons are beings that surpass the ecological niche of high-level pure-blood dragons, wielding the authority of nature, incarnating as natural disasters, sweeping across the land. Thus, they are also known as calamity beasts. The elite of the Ancient Dragon lineage can easily alter the natural environment of a large country within a month. These beings truly deserve the name of natural disasters. For example, the predecessor of the Infernal Flame Dragon before him, a calamity beast known as the ¡°Flame King.¡± Eastern Glory Country sacrificed a saint, three guardians, and numerous legendary beast tamers to finally bring down this Flame King. The city built on the site of the Flame King¡¯s fall is Red Rock City, where Li Chang¡¯an resides. The blood of the Ancient Dragon stained the earth red, and the soil of Red Rock City is different from other places, bright as blood but very fertile. This place is rich in fire-attribute tamed beasts, and outside Red Rock City lies a range of volcanic mountains. ¡°Meow?¡± The red kitten tilted its head, looking at Li Chang¡¯an with a pitiful expression, as if asking why he was ignoring it! For some reason, Li Chang¡¯an could sense the kitten¡¯s emotions. Suddenly, a bold idea emerged in his mind. Perhaps¡­ Chapter 2 - Contract and Talent Awakening! Chapter 2: Contract and Talent Awakening! Why not try contracting this Ancient Dragon? Li Chang¡¯an searched through young Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories. It seemed there was no precedent for contracting an Ancient Dragon. Similarly, there was no mention of humans being unable to contract Ancient Dragons. At least, none of the numerous books in his father¡¯s study said it was impossible. Why not give it a try? There are two major challenges in contracting a beast: compatibility and spiritual power. In Eastern Glory Country, the standard unit for measuring spiritual power is called a ¡°Fu,¡± named after the divine measuring talisman used to gauge spiritual energy. An average adult without specialized training has a spiritual power of 1 Fu. To construct a soul contract, one needs at least 5 Fu. Young Chang¡¯an attended Red Rock First High School, where students underwent a physical examination every semester. According to the latest report, young Chang¡¯an¡¯s spiritual power was 9.5 Fu. Li Chang¡¯an and young Chang¡¯an shared the same soul, though their personalities differed. The personality from his past life had taken over the fragmented personality of this life, so constructing a soul contract was entirely possible. The second challenge was compatibility. If the compatibility between a human and a beast exceeded 10%, the success rate of the contract was 20%. For every 10% increase in compatibility, the success rate also rose by 10%. Higher compatibility not only increased the success rate but also enhanced the benefits of nurturing the beast in the future. For some reason, Li Chang¡¯an felt that his compatibility with the little creature before him was not low¡ªin fact, it might be very high. Was it because he had hatched it? Or something else? Watching the kitten affectionately nuzzle against him, Li Chang¡¯an gritted his teeth and picked up the clingy little creature. He looked into its large eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to construct a soul contract. Don¡¯t resist.¡± The kitten seemed to understand his words. Its less-than-20-centimeter body obediently squatted in his hands. It let out an intelligent meow, ¡°Meow~! (Okay!)¡± Li Chang¡¯an inexplicably sensed the kitten¡¯s meaning, further confirming that his compatibility with this little creature was indeed high. He then dug through his fragmented memories and retrieved the part where young Chang¡¯an had practiced constructing soul contracts. After familiarizing himself with the process, Li Chang¡¯an and the kitten sat facing each other on the room¡¯s cartoon cat carpet. Following his body¡¯s instincts, Li Chang¡¯an channeled his spiritual power and began constructing a complex contract formation in his mind space¡ªthe Star Engraving Formation. This formation, derived from the exploration of ancient ruins, was the first choice for most beast tamers on Blue Star. When the Star Engraving Formation in his mind space was fully formed, Li Chang¡¯an suddenly opened his eyes and extended his index finger toward the kitten. The little creature cooperatively stretched out its soft paw and touched his finger. The power of the Star Engraving Formation flowed through his finger into the kitten¡¯s body. The kitten tilted its head, as if it had just realized something. () Li Chang¡¯an waited for a while but received no feedback from the contract formation. A sense of unease crept into his heart. His spiritual power wouldn¡¯t last much longer. The kitten¡¯s claws pressed slightly harder, piercing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s index finger. A drop of blood, red as jade, flowed from the cat¡¯s claw into its body. Li Chang¡¯an felt the strange sensation in his finger and his first thought was that he had been tricked by this adorable creature. Almost immediately, his spiritual power began to dissipate. The Star Engraving Formation in his mind space flickered, becoming highly unstable. In an instant, a dark red shadow emerged from Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s heart and stepped onto the Star Engraving Formation. The flickering formation stabilized instantly. At the center of the formation, a star mark extended into a sharp starburst, solidifying completely. The dark red shadow roared toward the sky, and Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind space was filled with a apocalyptic scene. Volcanoes erupted, the earth split, and countless flames from hell shot into the sky, burning the heavens. The scene ended with a planet turning to ash. Thump~ Thump~ Thump! Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s heart pounded like an ancient war drum. A sense of innate killing intent and indifference surged from within. ¡°What the hell is this emotion? Am I really this irritable?¡± The culture ingrained in him from his past life in the Heavenly Dynasty, the virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness accumulated over five thousand years, along with the basic morals instilled by nine years of good education, gradually suppressed this inexplicable emotion. By the time he fully suppressed it, the drumming of his heart reached its climax. A trace of ancient and noble aura flowed through the soul contract, affecting the kitten. In that moment, the kitten¡¯s eyes gained a spark of intelligence. The hidden pride in its noble bloodline was forever marked by the name Li Chang¡¯an. Li Chang¡¯an opened his eyes, then collapsed. The last thing he saw was the kitten¡¯s panicked expression and a familiar feeling. ¡°Damn, it¡¯s a plant!¡± It was a talent awakening! A second talent awakening! The kitten circled Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s fallen body a few times, then lifted its head to sense the soul contract with him. Realizing Li Chang¡¯an was unharmed, it let out a human-like sigh of relief. It smoothed the fur on the carpet with its paw, found a comfortable spot near Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s head, yawned, revealing its pink tongue, curled up into a ball, and quietly fell asleep. Li Chang¡¯an dreamed he was in a desert, caught in a sandstorm. Without a mask, his nose felt unbearably itchy. Just as he was about to sneeze, he woke up. What greeted him was a small red cat covered in red scales. Li Chang¡¯an sat up abruptly, his heart pounding. He touched his chest. Was he okay? What about the contract? Li Chang¡¯an calmed himself and focused. A magnificent Star Engraving Formation floated in his mind space. At its center was a simple one-star mark, but the edges were adorned with intricate patterns that made him dizzy. Did the successful Star Engraving Formation in the textbooks look like this? Whatever, surviving was what mattered. A belated surge of excitement filled his nerves. I successfully contracted my first beast! And it¡¯s an Ancient Dragon! The sense of unfamiliarity with this world that Li Chang¡¯an had felt since waking up dissipated significantly. The feeling of being connected through the soul was indescribable¡ªlike finding a companion and water in a barren desert, bringing forth joy and relief. Oh, right, there was also the suddenly awakened talent. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Chang¡¯an suddenly remembered that he had awakened a talent before passing out. He immediately used the soul contract to check his status. [Name: Li Chang¡¯an Race: Human Strength Level: 0 Talents: Dexterity, Heart of the Ancient Dragon.]. Dexterity was the talent young Chang¡¯an had awakened, while his own awakened talent was the Heart of the Ancient Dragon. [Dexterity]: Allows for nimble use of hand movements.[Heart of the Ancient Dragon]: Maximizes affinity with Ancient Dragons, achieving 100% compatibility. Seeing the description of the Heart of the Ancient Dragon, Li Chang¡¯an finally understood why he had survived. With 100% compatibility, failure was impossible! And the sky-high affinity explained why the little creature was so affectionate toward him. As for the other talent, he couldn¡¯t find anything remarkable about it yet. It didn¡¯t seem particularly important. Oh, and there was also the little creature¡¯s status panel. After successfully contracting a beast, the soul contract could perfectly reflect most of the beast¡¯s information, functioning like an all-seeing eye. Of course, this only applied to one¡¯s own contracted beasts. Chapter 3 - True Name: Lyon Discator! Chapter 3: True Name: Lyon Discator! Li Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t wait to check the little creature¡¯s status panel. [Name: Lyon Discator Race: Infernal Flame Dragon Attribute: ?? Level: Infant Stage Potential: ??? Abilities: ???? Low-tier Skills: Infernal Flame (Contact Level), Flame Claw (Contact Level) Mid-tier Skill: Flame Spirit Coil (Contact Level) Status: Asleep.]. Three skills? And one of them is a mid-tier skill! With all of young Chang¡¯an¡¯s knowledge, Li Chang¡¯an was shocked. He knew what this meant. Beast companions weren¡¯t like Pok¨¦mon from his past life. Infant-stage beasts usually didn¡¯t have powerful skills at birth. Most only had skills like ¡°Howl¡± or ¡°Tackle,¡± which were either used to loudly remind their caretakers to feed them or to physically nudge them for food. But this little creature was different. It was born with three attack skills, one of which was a mid-tier skill typically only learned by elite-tier beasts. It was practically screaming ¡°I¡¯m combat-ready¡± from the start. Moreover, unlike ordinary beasts, this little one had a true name. This was similar to high-level pure-blood dragons and other mythical races. Li Chang¡¯an lowered his head in thought. Indeed, he should give the little one a name, just in case. According to young Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories, true names didn¡¯t hold power but were tied to causality. This was especially true for humans and high-level races. If someone with ill intentions used a beast with special attributes to perform a curse ritual, a beast that had its true name revealed would be at a significant disadvantage¡ªpossibly even life-threatening. Forget it. He¡¯d wait until the little one woke up and ask for its opinion. Li Chang¡¯an carefully lifted the kitten and placed it on his bed, gently covering it with a small blanket. Then he left the room, went to his mother¡¯s studio to fetch some milk, and returned to his room to use his computer to look up more information about this world. After briefly browsing the web and combining it with the memories in his mind, Li Chang¡¯an felt somewhat reassured. There were no major events happening in Eastern Glory Country recently, so his life was secure. However, a fragment of memory caught his attention. While life was secure, his academic performance might not be. Li Chang¡¯an groaned and slapped his forehead. There was a final exam this Monday! With young Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories as a foundation, he wasn¡¯t worried about subjects like language, math, geography, or biology. Beast food preparation was also fine¡ªyoung Chang¡¯an had practiced it many times, and it was now second nature to him. The only problem was the beast language course. This was a real challenge for an otherworldly visitor like him. Even young Chang¡¯an, a top student, had struggled with this subject, let alone him. The beast language course in Eastern Glory Country¡¯s high schools included three major beast languages: Del, Slu, and Dragon. These came from three races that had formed eternal alliances with Eastern Glory Country. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Del originated from the Ailu race, Slu from the Yalie race, and Dragon from the Divine Dragon race. The Ailu were a small beast-human race, resembling upright cats but with intelligence comparable to adult humans. They were now found throughout Eastern Glory Country. For example, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mother¡¯s teahouse had an Ailu cat working as a pastry chef. The Yalie race wasn¡¯t as intelligent as the Ailu, typically having the mental capacity of a seven- or eight-year-old child, with occasional variant individuals reaching human-level intelligence¡ªthough these were rare. The Yalie were a medium-sized beast-human race, divided into quadrupedal hunting dogs and bipedal dog-headed humanoids. Most Yalie were the former, while the latter were variant individuals. Both could be contracted by humans. Adult Yalie could grow up to two meters tall, with variant individuals reaching over four meters. The current record was six meters and three centimeters. Unlike the Ailu, who provided life assistance to humans, the Yalie excelled in hunting and combat. They were invaluable allies to human beast tamers. A beast tamer with a Yalie companion was in a completely different league from one without. Finally, there was Dragon, the most difficult of the three beast languages. It originated from Eastern Glory Country¡¯s ally, the Sky Dragon Island. Although dragon language had many variants, only three had practical power: the Divine Dragon language of Eastern Glory¡¯s Divine Dragon race, the Dragon language of the Golden Orchid Empire, and the Ancient Beast language of the Ancient Dragon race. ¡°Practical power¡± referred to the ability to manifest effects through speech¡ªa language imbued with power. In high school beast language courses, Dragon language wasn¡¯t heavily emphasized. It was mostly used as a final exam question to filter those with an affinity for dragon-kind. With such little time, Li Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t adapt to any of these languages. Just as he was groaning in despair, the little creature woke up, roused by the scent of the thermos on the computer desk. ¡°Meow! (I¡¯m hungry!)¡± A soft, childlike voice suddenly echoed in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind, clear and slightly groggy. His first thought was that the house was haunted, but he quickly realized¡ªoh, the little one was awake. Li Chang¡¯an turned around and saw the kitten struggling to stand up, then deftly climbing up his pant leg. Its small body skillfully flipped onto the computer desk, unscrewed the thermos, and began gulping down the warm milk. Li Chang¡¯an blinked. Why did this scene feel both unusual and yet perfectly normal? A newborn Ancient Dragon using a thermos so skillfully, and even drinking it by holding it? Weren¡¯t feline-like creatures supposed to lap up their drinks? ¡°Lyon, how do you know how to use a thermos?¡± The little creature finished the milk in one go, licking the white milk stains around its mouth. It then loudly declared, ¡°Meow! (Another cup!)¡± Li Chang¡¯an chuckled and took the thermos from the kitten, fetching more warm milk from his mother¡¯s room. After downing two thermoses of milk, the kitten finally let out a milk burp. ¡°Meow? (Chang¡¯an, what were you saying earlier?)¡± Li Chang¡¯an: ¡°¡­¡± After explaining his suspicions to the little one, the kitten responded matter-of-factly: ¡°Meow, meow! (I¡¯m Chang¡¯an¡¯s partner. Isn¡¯t it normal for me to know these things?)¡± Li Chang¡¯an was taken aback. Memories flashed through his mind, eventually settling on a lecture he had attended. The lecture was about the effects of soul contracts. A beautiful lecturer from the province, dressed in office attire with sheer black stockings and black high heels, meticulously explained the intricacies of soul contracts. While most of his classmates were distracted by her appearance, young Chang¡¯an, the beast enthusiast, was completely absorbed in the knowledge. ¡°Hmm, she looked decent, but her figure was too slim to truly showcase the beauty of a pencil skirt,¡± Li Chang¡¯an objectively evaluated the memory. The lecturer had said, ¡°A soul contract isn¡¯t a master-servant contract. Although it carries a hierarchical nature, it¡¯s closer to an equal partnership. This means the soul contract is bidirectional. Especially for initial beast companions, young beasts are influenced by their tamer¡¯s personality and memories, making them more attuned to human society. Humans, too, are influenced by the bloodline hidden within their beasts. The higher the beast¡¯s tier, the greater the influence.¡± ¡°Many beast tamers who recklessly contract numerous beasts undergo drastic personality changes, even developing split personalities. This has led to the emergence of many distorted, insane, and anti-social superhumans.¡± ¡°The original evil God cult was to be led by such individuals. Therefore, every beast contract must be carefully considered. It¡¯s not just about compatibility¡ªtemperament, personality, and race must also be taken into account. Otherwise, I don¡¯t want to see your names on the Beast Taming Association¡¯s most-wanted list someday.¡± Recalling this, Li Chang¡¯an remembered the surge of causing massacre he had felt earlier. It must have come from the Infernal Flame Dragon¡¯s bloodline. He sighed in relief, glad he had suppressed it. Otherwise, his life in this new world would have taken a dark turn before it even began. No wonder schools advised students not to hastily contract their initial beasts. A bunch of emotionally immature kids encountering such influences would likely collapse and develop self-destructive tendencies, shouting, ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s wrong, but the world!¡± Cases like his, where the influence was successfully suppressed, were exceedingly rare. Chapter 4 - Opening the Beast Taming Space! Chapter 4: Opening the Beast Taming Space! Li Chang¡¯an knew that the little creature hadn¡¯t lied earlier, and its peculiar behavior could be explained by the influence of the soul contract. So why didn¡¯t he have any memories of the ancient dragon itself? ¡°Meow! (I temporarily blocked them!)¡± Li Chang¡¯an looked at the little one yawning repeatedly in his arms, feeling quite puzzled. ¡°Meow. (Some memories don¡¯t align well with human perspectives and could cause trouble, so I blocked them.)¡± Oh~! Li Chang¡¯an suddenly understood. Indeed, just based on the earlier killing aura, he could get a glimpse of the situation. The inherited memories of the Inferno Dragon were probably not very friendly. ¡°Can you sort out some of your dietary preferences and information about magical beasts?¡± Magical beasts referred to those creatures that hadn¡¯t been contracted by humans and remained wild and untamed. Those contracted by humans were called pet beasts, while those not contracted were called magical beasts. This fully reflected the moral standards of humans. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The little one finally gave a dizzy-eyed look and said, ¡°Meow. (Sure thing.)¡± Then it promptly fell asleep in his arms again. Li Chang¡¯an originally wanted to discuss a nickname for it, but the little one was just too tired. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to disturb it. No matter the species, young creatures are like this¡ªeating and sleeping, with very little time spent awake. Li Chang¡¯an placed the little one on the bed and initially planned to go downstairs to find some food. Suddenly, a stream of memories appeared in his mind, and this memory was continuously growing. It was information transmitted by the little creature! Li Chang¡¯an glanced affectionately at the sleeping kitten. Truly, my cat¡ªno, my dragon¡ªcan even work while sleeping. Based on the information from the little one, Li Chang¡¯an preliminarily sorted out three main categories: food-related materials, magical beast information, and language. Especially the language part, Li Chang¡¯an was pleasantly surprised to find that it included the three beast languages that would be tested in the final exam. Since it was a memory infusion, Li Chang¡¯an now had a firm grasp of the exam content, and the burden on his shoulders instantly lightened. Regarding the little one¡¯s future diet, Li Chang¡¯an fully realized the martial prowess of the Inferno Dragon clan. After birth, Inferno Dragon hatchlings consume nutritious mother¡¯s milk and high-quality volcanic rock. Even in the early stages of life, Inferno Dragon parents begin training their offspring¡¯s digestive abilities, using high-quality volcanic rock as the training material. Once the hatchling outgrows the infant stage and enters the awakening phase, during the racial talent awakening period, it must wean off milk and start consuming fire-attribute ores and meat. After leaving the awakening phase and officially entering the transcendent stage, the diet shifts to a mix of ores, meat, and some plants. At the elite stage, they consume Inferno Stones, which cost 10,000 Donghuang coins each, as daily food. Subsequent items like Crimson Lotus Stones, Dusk Stones, and even more outrageous things made Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s heart sink. Even for his family, such food expenses would be hard to bear. Li Chang¡¯an felt like crying but had no tears. To have the strength of an ancient dragon, one must first afford its food expenses. Fortunately, the early stages were manageable. Later, when the little one reaches the transcendent level and registers for a Beast Tamer qualification certificate, they can head to hunting grounds to gather resources, achieving initial self-sufficiency. Li Chang¡¯an sighed. He remembered that his family still had reserves of high-quality volcanic rock. His father, Li Mingxuan¡¯s main pet was a Crimson Flame Red Dragon, which also required high-quality volcanic rock in its diet. Although his father¡¯s pet usually ate at the research institute, funded by the state, there were still rest days. So, his mother, Mu Qingqing, always kept some in her studio. Li Chang¡¯an found a portion of reddish soil in the material box. This was high-quality volcanic rock collected from the volcanic groups of Red Rock City. Its fire-attribute energy was even more concentrated than low-grade fire crystals. When the little one woke up in the evening, Li Chang¡¯an added this high-quality volcanic rock to the warm milk. The little one happily squinted its eyes. ¡°Maomao, how does the volcanic rock taste?¡± Maomao was the nickname they had agreed upon. Originally, Li Chang¡¯an wanted to call it Red Fur, but considering the potential for an unfortunate old age, he opted for a more affectionate name. Maomao¡¯s cheeks puffed up as it crunched and chewed. ¡°Meow. (Tastes like restaurant food.)¡± A few black lines appeared on Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s forehead. He noticed that Maomao loved using internet slang from his memories. It seemed that the Li family¡¯s early education needed to be arranged promptly. After the little one finished dinner, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s frozen dumplings were ready. Under Maomao¡¯s expectant gaze, he reluctantly gave up half of his dinner and then painfully cooked another pack of instant noodles. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s parents were usually very busy¡ªone occupied with experimental projects, the other with business. Li Chang¡¯an spent most of his time alone, so he learned to prepare his own breakfast and dinner from a young age. Now, as he ate his instant noodles, with Maomao engrossed in pork and cabbage dumplings beside him, it felt like the home had gained a bit more warmth. This was quite nice. After dinner, Maomao perched on Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s head. The little one had initially stayed on his shoulder but then moved to his head, feeling it had found the best spot. It liked to stay there without moving. Li Chang¡¯an had no choice but to let it be. He took a few Void Stones from his father¡¯s office and returned to his room to prepare. Void Stones were ores containing faint spatial energy, used by Beast Tamers to open Beast Taming Spaces. Yes, it was that commonplace Beast Taming Space from the novels of his previous life. On Azure Star, opening a Beast Taming Space was no simple task. It required a lengthy and intricate process to succeed. If one tried to force it open with brute strength, a staggering 80% injury rate awaited, along with a 40% chance of permanent disability. Therefore, every Beast Tamer needed extensive learning and knowledge to ensure they took each step carefully in their progress, avoiding unnecessary loss of life. The method Li Chang¡¯an learned was the sixth edition revised by the Donghuang Nation. The initial success rate was as high as 76%, a high rate that represented the experiences of countless Beast Tamers who had sacrificed their futures. In Donghuang, this was a common secret technique, but in other countries, it was exceptionally precious. Thanks to all the sages! Li Chang¡¯an silently expressed his gratitude and began preparing for the opening of the Beast Taming Space. A quiet space, Void Stones, an energy diversion array, and the smooth execution of the third set of national radio exercises were needed. Yes, radio exercises. In this world, radio exercises helped Beast Tamers activate their spiritual energy, allowing them to be more meticulous when opening Beast Taming Spaces, reducing the likelihood of failure. A basic energy diversion array cost ten Donghuang coins. The one Li Chang¡¯an held was the deluxe plus version, with three adjustable levels, priced at a discounted 9,996 Donghuang coins. It guided more life energy and was more stable. Originally, Little Chang¡¯an had bought it with his pocket money, just for this moment. After preparing, Li Chang¡¯an went to his backyard and activated the protective array of the yard. This array was a standard feature in the research institute¡¯s residential area, ensuring safety. Setting up the energy diversion array in the yard, Li Chang¡¯an activated the first level of the array and smoothly performed a set of national primary and secondary school radio exercises. Once the spiritual energy in his brain domain became active, he activated the second level of the array and instructed Maomao to keep watch outside. Li Chang¡¯an operated the basic meditation and guiding techniques taught at school. Strands of invisible energy threads slowly gathered around him. The opening of the Beast Taming Space had begun! Chapter 5 - The Golden Finger Makes Its First Appearance Chapter 5: The Golden Finger Makes Its First Appearance A vast amount of life energy was drawn from the void into Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s body through the array. Following his meridians, it gradually gathered at the space between his eyebrows. When the life energy condensed into a small sun, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyebrows twitched. It was time to absorb spatial energy. The spiritual energy in his brain domain guided the Void Stones placed on his thighs. Silver-gray energy collided fiercely with the glowing white life energy. The irregular energy surges caused sharp pain in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s temples, but he endured it, forcing the two energies to merge. After about two and a half minutes, the spatial energy and life energy initially fused. The glowing mass, mixed with silver light, seemed to be nurturing life, as if something was about to burst forth. It seemed like this step could be concluded here. But Li Chang¡¯an knew the hardest part was just beginning. He needed to combine the soul contract with this fused energy. Only then could he summon his pet beast through the array at any time, and the soul contract would ensure the pet wouldn¡¯t get lost in the void while in the Beast Taming Space. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s spiritual energy slowly dragged the Star Engraving Contract Array, merging it with the fused energy mass. The moment they touched, a loud boom echoed! In Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s brain domain, a white sun seemed to rise, akin to the Big Bang of the universe. A black singularity formed in his brain domain. Control it! Li Chang¡¯an clenched his teeth, using all his remaining spiritual energy to control the expansion of the black singularity. Finally, the Star Engraving Array scattered tiny starlights, assisting his spiritual energy in stabilizing the singularity. In the end, Li Chang¡¯an imprinted the Star Engraving Array onto the fused energy mass. Instantly, the fused energy mass expanded violently, and the black singularity continuously contracted. In this expansion and contraction, an illusory space was thus formed. ¡°Not enough energy!¡± This thought flashed through Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind, and immediately, the concentration of life energy around him increased another notch. It turned out that Maomao, outside the array, had activated the third level of the array for Li Chang¡¯an. Nice! Maomao, well done! Li Chang¡¯an greedily absorbed all the life energy and the spatial energy from the Void Stones. Half an hour later, the illusory world had completely taken shape transforming into a radiant crystal sphere, with the Star Engraving Array reflected on its surface. A surge of energy rich with life essence flowed from Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s glabella (Between the eyebrows) spreading throughout his body. The Exclusive energy of a Beast Tamer¡ªCurse Force¡ªwas born! The Beast Taming Space was successfully opened! Li Chang¡¯an opened his eyes, his excitement evident. He had finally become a Level 1 Beast Tamer. Not one of those half-baked pretenders, but a true Beast Tamer with a Beast Taming Space. Maomao also let out a cry, transforming into a red shadow and slipping into the newly formed Beast Taming Space. Li Chang¡¯an was left baffled, standing there in a daze. Wasn¡¯t the Beast Taming Space supposed to only allow entry to pet beasts with the Beast Tamer¡¯s permission? What was going on with Maomao? S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before he could react, Maomao had slipped in effortlessly. Could it be? Li Chang¡¯an remembered his talent, [Ancient Dragon¡¯s Heart], which made him 100% compatible with ancient dragons. Combined with the mutual influence of the soul contract, this meant Maomao was also 100% compatible with him. Entering his Beast Taming Space was like returning home. Fine, let it be. Li Chang¡¯an sighed helplessly. What could he do? The contract was already made, and breaking it was out of the question. He could only spoil this little creature. After opening the Beast Taming Space, Li Chang¡¯an still intended to call Maomao out. There was one more thing to do today¡ªdetermine the effects of Maomao¡¯s skills. Before Li Chang¡¯an could call Maomao out, his vision twisted. The courtyard scenery transformed into a blood-red thorn garden. As if guided by an unseen force, Li Chang¡¯an reached out his hand, and a booklet imprinted with blood-red thorn flowers appeared in his palm. The contract was complete! ¡°Oddity [Hunting Notebook] has confirmed the host¡¯s identity. Holder status: Temporary Holder.¡± ¡°Detecting the temporary holder¡¯s characteristics, the first page of [Hunting Notebook] is unlocked.¡± The booklet imprinted with blood-red thorn flowers automatically flipped open to the first page. The yellowish paper appeared somewhat ancient, and on the blank page, a heart-shaped pattern emerged. ¡°First function [Hunting Instinct] activated. The temporary holder can, by hunting supernatural creatures, potentially depriving their abilities or attributes to enhance themselves.¡± As soon as Hunting Instinct activated, Li Chang¡¯an felt his blood boiling, as if something had been deeply engraved into his very being. Yet, he remained unaware of this at the moment. ¡°Detecting that the temporary holder possesses calamitous power, satisfying the desires of the Hunting Notebook, the second page is unlocked.¡± Subsequently, the second page of the Manual slowly opened. Unlike the first page, only the top of the second page displayed a room¡¯s pattern. Most of the page was blank, except for a small Dark red phantom that appeared at the beginning. ¡°Second function [Thorn Collection Room] activated. The temporary holder can store information about supernatural creatures they kill, plunder, or possess into the collection room.¡± ¡°The temporary holder can freely deploy this information, with a limit of ten times per day.¡± Then, the scene of the blood-red thorn garden disappeared from Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s sight, and he returned to his home courtyard. ¡°What just happened to me?¡± Li Chang¡¯an shook his head, suddenly noticing a blood-red thorn flower mark on the back of his left hand, which flashed and then vanished. Memories of the thorn garden flooded back. He realized he had been marked by something. The appearance of the Hunting Notebook was something that had accompanied Little Chang¡¯an for many years. It was a trinket Little Chang¡¯an had bought at a night market as a child, then forgotten about and never looked for again. It seemed it wasn¡¯t lost but had been inside him all along. ¡°Meow. (Chang¡¯an, that thing is not good.)¡± Maomao¡¯s warning echoed in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind. Of course, he knew the Hunting Notebook was no benevolent entity. Especially with phrases like ¡°satisfying¡± and ¡°possessing calamitous power,¡± it might as well have stamped ¡°Evil Faction¡± on its cover. But he had signed a contract with it. He vaguely sensed that if he told anyone about it, his fate would not be pleasant. For now, he would observe the situation. Li Chang¡¯an sorted through the information the Hunting Notebook had provided him. After browsing through it, his lips twitched. Fortunately, he hadn¡¯t told his parents about this thing¡¯s existence. Before him, the Hunting Notebook had seven holders, all of whom had perished. Two of them died because they leaked its secrets . The Hunting Notebook had ten pages in total. Unlocking all ten would make one its true master. Unfortunately, the most impressive holder only unlocked seven pages before being caught in a war of destruction and dying. The Hunting Notebook also contained many warnings left by previous holders. The most common advice was not to rely too much on the Hunting Notebook, not to let it influence one¡¯s emotions, and to always act according to one¡¯s true heart. Li Chang¡¯an initially thought there was some profound meaning or a twisted story behind these warnings. That was until he sat on the grass, pondering, and casually plucked a white flower from the yard. ¡°Skill Stone [Ambush Technique] +1. Can be granted to: Li Chang¡¯an, Maomao.¡± Li Chang¡¯an: ??! The white flower was a supernatural plant, possessing the rank of a supernatural being but lacking any lethal power, harmless to humans. Originally, it was an ornamental plant introduced to Red Rock City from the wild. However, after being bullied by other spiritual plants outside the city, the white flower, once inside the city, became uncontrollable. It easily encroached on the living space of ordinary plants, becoming a successful example of invasive species. Naturally, such invasive spiritual plants were common in the Li family¡¯s yard. Thus, this scene unfolded. ¡°So, the plundering of Hunting Instinct means stealing skills from supernatural creatures?¡± ¡°And the Hunting Notebook¡¯s abilities are limited. At least, Maomao¡¯s true name wasn¡¯t revealed, only the name I gave it.¡± Li Chang¡¯an slightly relaxed, feeling that this ability wasn¡¯t particularly tempting. In Donghuang Nation, it was well-known that skills not only had rank differences but also proficiency levels. The levels of skill proficiency he knew were: Beginner, Apprentice, Skilled, Master, and Perfect. The gap between a Beginner-level skill and a Perfect-level one was even greater than that between low-tier and mid-tier skills. Having a skill without proficiency was like flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water¡ªa futile effort. That was until he plucked a few more white flowers, and the second page of the Hunting Notebook slowly opened. New chat¡­ Chapter 6 - The Malice of the Golden Finger Chapter 6: The Malice of the Golden Finger ¡°Ah! Does the collection room also handle attribute upgrades?¡± On the second page of the hunting notebook, a small white flower mark appeared on the collection room. The mark was glowing, completely filled. ¡°Skill Stone [Stealth Technique] +1.¡± ¡°Skill Stone [Stealth Technique] +1.¡± ¡°Health Points +1.¡± A dozen white herbs contributed these three gains, with a slightly higher drop rate than the gacha game¡¯s up pool. The moment that bit of health entered Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s body, the weakness he felt after opening the beast taming space tonight was greatly alleviated. The first Stealth Technique was voluntarily experienced by Mao Mao, and unexpectedly, it turned out to be a precious aura-concealing skill. After delivering the other two skill stones to Mao Mao, according to human society¡¯s grading, Mao Mao¡¯s [Stealth Technique] had reached the mastery level. Only then did Li Chang¡¯an understand the true value of the words left by those predecessors. Which beast tamer could resist this! Wait, I must not be tempted. Li Chang¡¯an forcibly suppressed the spreading temptation in his heart, as if a devil was constantly whispering in his ear. Use it, use it. Using it would allow you to reach the pinnacle of the world! It took Li Chang¡¯an more than a quarter of an hour to suppress this temptation. He somewhat understood how those predecessors had met their end. Once trapped in the allure of enhancing abilities, it¡¯s hard to extricate oneself. Death is not far off then, as the holder is constantly urged by their desires to take risks, hunt stronger beings, and gain more attributes and stronger abilities. But doing this often, walking by the river, one is bound to get wet. They would eventually encounter a terrifying opponent beyond their capabilities, and then it¡¯s game over! That¡¯s how the previous holders died. Li Chang¡¯an lowered his eyes, his gaze filled with struggle. Use it, and fear falling into depravity. Don¡¯t use it, and feel unwilling. At that moment, Mao Mao¡¯s clear voice sounded, ¡°Meow? (Chang¡¯an, what¡¯s wrong?)¡± Li Chang¡¯an shuddered, and the struggle instantly dissipated. His first words were, ¡°Mao Mao, you¡¯re not affected?¡± Mao Mao tilted its head, puzzled, ¡°Meow meow? (Affected by what?)¡± Li Chang¡¯an blinked a few times, his eyes suddenly brightening. Right, he¡¯s a beast tamer! He¡¯s not some ancient emperor or great power with immense strength, just a small beast tamer. Most of his strength lies in his beast. If he can¡¯t control himself, he can transfer some of the pressure to his beast! Mao Mao is a perfect candidate. What¡¯s stronger, what attributes? Ancient dragon species are naturally at the top, overlooking all beings. The so-called pinnacle of the world is within their reach just by growing up. With a bit of effort, they can even become star-traveling behemoths. They are born in the palaces of ancient Rome. Such temptations mean nothing to them. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes grew brighter; he seemed to have found a bug in the hunting notebook¡¯s influence on emotions. Just resonate emotionally with Mao Mao. Coincidentally, beast tamers have a skill called Beast Resonance, which they can attempt to learn when breaking through to the intermediate level. Li Chang¡¯an thought it feasible; although his strength was insufficient, the basic conditions were met. Beast Resonance is a technique used by intermediate beast tamers to enhance their beasts. It requires the beast tamer to have sufficient curse power, mental strength, and a high level of intimacy with the beast. At least to the level where the beast is willing to open its soul to the tamer. And curse power isn¡¯t lacking either. The amount of curse power is related to the beast taming space. The larger the beast taming space, the more curse power it can hold. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s initial beast taming space was 500 cubic meters. He had checked the data; most intermediate beast tamers¡¯ spaces are between 400-600 cubic meters, so he met the condition. This means he only needs to fill this level of beast taming space with curse power to attempt Beast Resonance with Mao Mao. After all, his intimacy with Mao Mao is very high, with a 100% compatibility rate. Having lived two lives and awakened his past memories, Li Chang¡¯an felt his mental strength had increased significantly. Although not surpassing the ceiling of low-level beast tamers, he was among the top. Moreover, in Beast Resonance, mental strength doesn¡¯t play a huge role. If curse power is the power source and intimacy is the start button, then mental strength is the software program. The amount of mental strength merely determines how long the software can run. He only needs to clear the negative emotions brought by the hunting notebook, which won¡¯t take long. Having decided, Li Chang¡¯an explained the situation and reasons to Mao Mao. Since they were going to perform Beast Resonance, it was better to be upfront than to hide it. To avoid any rift between them. Upon hearing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s plan, Mao Mao showed no resentment but seemed quite interested in the effects of the hunting notebook. Li Chang¡¯an twitched his mouth; as expected of the ancient dragon lineage, even their interests are unique. Beast Resonance is simple; both parties open their souls, and the beast tamer enhances with curse power. That¡¯s all. The hard part is the step where both parties open their souls without defense; the rest can be easily done even by a novice beast tamer. Thanks to the Ancient Dragon Heart talent, Li Chang¡¯an and Mao Mao¡¯s intimacy was high, easily achieving Beast Resonance. Then, Li Chang¡¯an and Mao Mao began their initial attempts, choosing to first use skills to adapt. Under Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s guidance, Mao Mao gradually completed the intermediate skill [Flame Spirit Coil]. [Flame Spirit Coil] is a skill that converts energy into a physical form to enhance physical attributes. They chose this because Mao Mao sensed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s concerns through their soul contract. The exposure of their ancient dragon identity would put them in great danger, so hiding their identity was crucial. While the forward use of Flame Spirit Coil converts energy into a physical form, its reverse use can achieve the effect of converting physical forms back into energy. The ability to use it in reverse is also because the Prison Flame Dragon is inherently the emperor that suppresses flames; partial body elementalization is just a basic operation for it. After a long adjustment period between Li Chang¡¯an and Mao Mao, its pair of red wooden dragon horns turned into two dark red hairs hidden within the red mane on its head. The pair of dragon wings transformed into golden patterns embedded in the scales on its body. The scales on its tail completely turned into red fur. Only the scales on its torso still proclaimed its dragon lineage. Paired with the newly acquired aura-concealing skill [Stealth Technique]. ¡°You now look like a red-maned lion that has just awakened its dragon bloodline.¡± Li Chang¡¯an chuckled lightly; Mao Mao didn¡¯t mind, as long as it had Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s approval. Others¡¯ evaluations meant less to it than the harassment of a magma dragonfly. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Chang¡¯an then had Mao Mao try out Prison Flame and Flame Claw; Prison Flame is a dark red flame, exclusive to the Prison Flame Dragon. Its rank increases with the Prison Flame Dragon¡¯s strength; currently a low-level skill, it will become an intermediate skill once Mao Mao advances to the elite level. And so on. Most importantly, after skill advancement, the skill proficiency only drops by one level. Quite user-friendly, a testament to the Prison Flame Dragon lineage¡¯s innate stubbornness.[Flame Claw] is essentially the Prison Flame Dragon¡¯s version of Flame Claw, just with more destructive Prison Flame entwining around its claws. Not worth mentioning! (`¤Ø¡ä)¥Î! ¡°Mao Mao, are you ready?¡± ¡°Meow! (Ready!)¡± Mao Mao emerged from the beast taming space, standing face to face with Li Chang¡¯an. ¡°Alright, Beast Resonance!¡± As soon as the words fell, dark red flames erupted from Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s body, and Mao Mao¡¯s red fur now resembled flames. Radiating intense heat, swaying with the wind. In an instant, Li Chang¡¯an terminated the Beast Resonance. Not due to insufficient mental strength or curse power, but because his body couldn¡¯t handle it. His state was like driving a sports car for the first time, unaware of its horsepower, and flooring the accelerator. The initial speed was fast, but the car was about to fall apart. Because he and Mao Mao were interconnected, his strength was easily bearable for Mao Mao, but the power flowing back from Mao Mao was overwhelming. Once the Beast Resonance compatibility exceeded 50%, he felt a near-death sensation and immediately canceled the resonance. All distracting thoughts in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind vanished, replaced by the shock of nearly being overwhelmed. But this bug-exploiting method works! Chapter 7 - Family Chapter 7: Family To verify the sustainability of this bug, Li Chang¡¯an stayed up all night on this Saturday. Utilizing Mao Mao¡¯s night vision ability, he uprooted most of the white flowers from the green belts and lawns in the neighborhood. Through a shallow beast resonance, he elevated Mao Mao¡¯s newly learned Stealth Technique to perfection. With this perfected technique, Mao Mao now resembled a red-maned lion with awakened dragon blood, temporarily devoid of the awe-inspiring majesty of an ancient dragon. According to Mao Mao¡¯s own perception, its aura now fell within the realm of a hybrid dragon species. Despite pulling an all-nighter, Li Chang¡¯an felt little fatigue. The life force he gained last night, though not substantial, expanded his physical stamina. By six in the morning, he was still full of energy. In preparation for the next day¡¯s exam, while sorting through Xiao Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories, Li Chang¡¯an also prepared a vegetable salad for Mao Mao. This salad was intended for the practical exam on pet food preparation. Under Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s expectant gaze, Mao Mao reluctantly swallowed this wood-attribute vegetable salad. Mao Mao thought, ¡°Although I do consume plants like gunpowder grass and flame flowers, a full wood-attribute vegetable set is not my usual diet.¡± Fortunately, Li Chang¡¯an later compensated Mao Mao with three servings of warm milk and high-quality volcanic rock, which finally allowed the little cat to curl up on the bed and fall into a deep sleep. That day, Li Chang¡¯an took a short nap but otherwise remained active. In the evening, just as he was about to prepare dinner, he heard the sound of the door unlocking. Tap, tap, tap. Li Chang¡¯an recognized the familiar sound of high heels and the rustling of someone changing shoes at the entrance. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°Xiao An, have you eaten yet?¡± A gentle voice came from the entrance. ¡°Not yet, I was just about to start cooking!¡± ¡°Let me see my son¡¯s culinary skills.¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mao Mao, perched on the dining table, curiously looked towards the entrance. Is this Chang¡¯an¡¯s mother? She seems impressive! As a ancient dragon species, Mao Mao keenly sensed the hidden power of this mysterious woman. Through their soul contract, Li Chang¡¯an explained to Mao Mao, ¡°Both of my parents are King-level Beast Masters, corresponding to monarch-level beasts.¡± Mao Mao suddenly understood. Although monarch-level was nothing significant in its view, it was quite impressive from a human perspective. From the knowledge Mao Mao gained from Li Chang¡¯an, human Beast Masters are ranked from low to high as: Low-level Beast Master (Levels 1-3), Mid-level Beast Master (Levels 4-6), High-level Beast Master (Levels 7-9), and King-level/Legendary Beast Master. Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t know the ranks above that, but Mao Mao was aware of the beast levels beyond monarch-level. ¡°Wow, what a cute little cat,¡± said a woman in a red dress, attempting to pick up Mao Mao, who deftly dodged her. Mao Mao jumped onto the top of a nearby shelf, looking down at this elegant-faced woman. ¡°Meow, meow. (Even if you are Chang¡¯an¡¯s mother, I won¡¯t let you touch me. Only Chang¡¯an can hold me.)¡± Li Chang¡¯an put down the kitchen knife and walked out of the kitchen, saying helplessly, ¡°Mom, stop playing around, come and help.¡± The elegant woman, slightly disappointed, tied on an apron and entered the kitchen. This young and beautiful woman is Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mother, Mu Qingqing. She runs a high-end tea house and a tea shop. Due to her identity as a King-level Beast Master and the convenience it brings, Mu Qingqing¡¯s tea house has always been in a leading position in Hongyan City. Consequently, like Li¡¯s father, Li Mingxuan, she is often busy with work and has little time to spend with Xiao Chang¡¯an. Unlike his former self, Li Chang¡¯an does not resent his parents. As someone who has experienced much, he deeply understands that many things in this world are difficult to balance. Although Mu Qingqing was nearly forty, time had left no trace on her face. When facing her only son, Li Chang¡¯an, she occasionally revealed a mischievous side reminiscent of her youth. ¡°Oh, Xiao An, is that little cat outside something you brought home? I remember our family doesn¡¯t allow strays,¡± Mu Qingqing said, her phoenix eyes narrowing like a thousand-year-old vixen eyeing something of interest. Li Chang¡¯an remained calm, knowing that any sign of discomfort or timidity would only encourage her to tease him more. Ever since Xiao Chang¡¯an could remember, Mu Qingqing had been like this. He replied indifferently, ¡°Mao Mao¡¯s birth was just an accident.¡± ¡°From that dead egg you bought?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°A miracle!¡± Mu Qingqing smiled slightly while chopping vegetables, ¡°And how did you manage to complete the contract and beast space?¡± Li Chang¡¯an evenly placed the chopped cabbage and meat slices on a clay pot, adding small pieces of tofu, mushrooms, and several prepared fresh shrimps. He poured over the pre-prepared sauce, covered the pot, and let it simmer on high heat for half an hour. He explained, ¡°I couldn¡¯t just let a dragon species with ancient dragon blood roam around the house, could I?¡± This time, it was Mu Qingqing¡¯s turn to be unsettled. Ancient dragon blood? Could other magical beasts inherit that? Wait, she seemed to recall her husband mentioning that a few lucky ones could inherit a trace of ancient dragon blood, but these were even rarer than the ancient dragons themselves. And her own son had encountered one. Controlling her surprise, Mu Qingqing casually asked, ¡°Which ancient dragon¡¯s bloodline is it?¡± ¡°Which else? The Infernal Dragon.¡± Mu Qingqing drew out her response, ¡°Oh~.¡± Li Chang¡¯an, unable to stand the atmosphere, faced Mu Qingqing directly, ¡°Ms. Mu, has Comrade Li Mingxuan ever told you that your acting skills are quite poor?¡± Mu Qingqing burst out laughing but then, holding back her laughter, pretended to recall, ¡°Since I¡¯ve known him, probably not.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was speechless, ¡°The husband¡¯s discipline is lax!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Your father has learned his three obediences and four virtues well, I am quite pleased.¡± Li Chang¡¯an: ¡­ After some playful banter between mother and son, they served a pot of stewed cabbage with tofu and a pot of boiled meat slices. The boiled meat slices were prepared by Mu Qingqing, who, with a lifespan of up to five hundred years, wasn¡¯t concerned about acne. Seeing the meal ready, Mao Mao jumped down from the top of the cabinet, scurried onto Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s lap, and eyed the spicy boiled meat slices eagerly. It pointed with its little paw, ¡°Meow! (Chang¡¯an, I want that!)¡± Ms. Mu Qingqing proudly placed her hands on her hips, ¡°Mao Mao, you have good taste, recognizing at a glance that this is my dish.¡± She had already learned from the kitchen that Li Chang¡¯an had named the little cat Mao Mao, and she was very curious about it. That¡¯s why she made the second dish a boiled meat slice, adding flame chili, a spiritual plant supplement. It definitely wasn¡¯t because she was craving something spicy. Li Chang¡¯an chose to ignore his mischievous mother, picking out a few slices of meat and bean sprouts and placing them on a small plate prepared for Mao Mao. ¡°Remember to eat the bean sprouts.¡± Mao Mao was somewhat reluctant, but as it ate the bean sprouts, a surge of heat emanated from them. The little creature couldn¡¯t resist and began to devour the food heartily. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes showed a look of realization as he picked up some of his own stewed cabbage with tofu. Mu Qingqing also showed a hint of regret; her child had grown up and was no longer easily fooled. The young Xiao An would have eagerly run over to taste a bite from her chopsticks, only to cry from the spiciness. Li Chang¡¯an caught the expression on Mu Qingqing¡¯s face from the corner of his eye and twitched his mouth slightly. How old are you? So childish! The pot of boiled meat slices was finished by both Mu Qingqing and Mao Mao. After washing the dishes, Mu Qingqing called Li Chang¡¯an into her studio. The first thing Li Chang¡¯an said was, ¡°The pure fragrant milk and high-quality volcanic rock are for Mao Mao.¡± Mu Qingqing waved her hand, ¡°I¡¯m not here to argue about that.¡± She stared intently at Li Chang¡¯an, as if suppressing something, and asked, ¡°Xiao An, have you awakened your talent?¡± Chapter 8 - Initial Analysis of Talent Chapter 8: Initial Analysis of Talent Li Chang¡¯an nodded noncommittally; he had already awakened twice. Mu Qingqing¡¯s face showed a trace of sorrow as she pulled Li Chang¡¯an into her arms. Choking back tears, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Xiao An. Your father and I have been too busy, leaving you to face this alone.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was initially bewildered by his mother¡¯s sudden emotional shift. But a memory from little Chang¡¯an reminded him of a class about talent awakening. The class had mentioned that spontaneous talent awakening was not uncommon in the current Donghuang Kingdom. However, the unbearable pain during the awakening process led most children to choose to end their lives. Therefore, surviving a spontaneous awakening and maintaining an optimistic disposition was rarer than winning the lottery. Usually, such individuals awakened with powerful talents, a kind of compensation for their suffering. He understood Mu Qingqing¡¯s feelings now¡ªa mother¡¯s heartache upon learning that her child had faced life and death without her knowledge. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mu Qingqing was sobbing uncontrollably, and Li Chang¡¯an had no choice but to wrap his arms around her waist and pat her back. The child who most wanted to hear these words was no longer here, and his memories were those of an adult. Although spontaneous talent awakening was painful, it wasn¡¯t enough to break him. After all, he had experienced death before, so he was somewhat accustomed to it. Once Mu Qingqing¡¯s emotions stabilized, Li Chang¡¯an asked, ¡°Mom, how did you know I had awakened my talent?¡± Mu Qingqing clung tightly to Li Chang¡¯an, unwilling to let go, and after a while, she said, ¡°You used to cut potatoes so slowly, but today you sliced meat so quickly and thinly, even more skillfully than a restaurant chef.¡± ¡°What else could it be but your talent?¡± Li Chang¡¯an raised an eyebrow. So that¡¯s where he had slipped up. He really shouldn¡¯t underestimate others. Seeing the subtle details, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s remaining pride as a reincarnator completely vanished. Mu Qingqing asked, ¡°Xiao An, what is your talent?¡± ¡°Manual dexterity¡ªit improves the agility of my hands.¡± Mu Qingqing¡¯s emotions had fully stabilized, and she began to draw on her experience and knowledge as a King-level Beastmaster. ¡°What do you understand about the operational mechanism of your talent? For example, when you were cutting vegetables, did you feel confident before holding the knife, or did your hands become more agile after holding it for a while?¡± Li Chang¡¯an grasped the key point. His mother wanted to know whether his dexterity led to mental clarity or if mental clarity enhanced his dexterity. The sequence was important. The former was just an ordinary strengthening talent, while the latter involved the mysterious realm of the mind. Li Chang¡¯an recalled the feeling he had while cooking. Although he had prior experience from his past life, it was only after he picked up the kitchen knife that he felt a sense of mastery. It was as if cutting vegetables was completely within his control, and his proficiency increased as he continued. It was like practicing a skill. Hmm? Practicing a skill? Skill proficiency! Li Chang¡¯an suddenly realized that this seemingly ordinary talent could bring him such a significant surprise. Seeing the look of surprise in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes, Mu Qingqing knew her child had grasped the key point. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve understood what I mean. This is the initial development and expansion of your talent, a required course at Beastmaster University.¡± ¡°Even the simplest physical enhancement has thousands of research papers dedicated to understanding it at the university level, let alone a talent like yours that awakened spontaneously.¡± Li Chang¡¯an sighed inwardly. He really couldn¡¯t measure the professional expertise that Beastmasters had accumulated over centuries with his past life¡¯s experience of reading novels. With this in mind, Li Chang¡¯an became even more humble. He explained to Mu Qingqing the details of his talent, Manual Dexterity. ¡°Xiao An, your talent is much more powerful than I imagined. It¡¯s not about sequence or causation, but symbiosis.¡± ¡°Because your hand holds the knife, it stimulates your mental power, and the presence of mental power allows your hand to hold the knife better. The two reinforce each other, achieving an effect similar to accelerated thinking.¡± As Mu Qingqing spoke, her tone grew more excited. She could already imagine the glorious achievements her child would attain in the future. Li Chang¡¯an listened carefully, memorizing every word. These were the insights of a King-level Beastmaster, invaluable knowledge that couldn¡¯t be bought. Then Mu Qingqing asked, ¡°I can think of two paths that would suit you well. One is the Harmonizer path, and the other is the Hunter path. Which one do you want to choose?¡± Harmonizer? Hunter? Li Chang¡¯an recalled the descriptions of these two professions. Harmonizers were professionals who blended supernatural materials. Some focused on potions, others on weapons and ammunition, and some on cooking spiritual food. It was a profession aimed at harmonizing all things. Hunters were the most glorious profession of the previous era, equivalent to today¡¯s Beastmasters. They concentrated immense power within themselves, their skills bordering on the divine. A significant portion of the Donghuang Kingdom¡¯s territory had been claimed by Hunters. It could be said that without Hunters, the stable lives of the Donghuang people today would not exist. Since Mu Qingqing was also a master of cooking spiritual food, Li Chang¡¯an was quite familiar with the Harmonizer path. As for the famous Hunters, aside from the descriptions in books, he knew nothing else. ¡°Mom, can you tell me more about the Hunter path?¡± Seeing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s cautious yet expectant expression, Mu Qingqing¡¯s low spirits lifted slightly. ¡°The Hunter profession has evolved significantly from what it was a hundred years ago, so the things you¡¯re worried about have likely been phased out by Hunters long ago.¡± ¡°Modern Hunters are allowed to have beast companions, not just allowed¡ªthey¡¯ve developed many techniques for coordinated attacks with their beasts.¡± ¡°It can be said that the new generation of Hunters is more open and powerful than you might imagine.¡± ¡°What you should worry about isn¡¯t outdated customs, but the Hunter Guild¡¯s assessments.¡± Mu Qingqing¡¯s slender willow-leaf eyebrows rose slightly. ¡°The Hunter Guild isn¡¯t as lenient as the Beastmaster Association. Their assessments are very strict.¡± ¡°Not only does your beast companion¡¯s strength need to pass, but your own skills must also be proficient.¡± Li Chang¡¯an realized that this was essentially the Beastmaster version of a special forces soldier! A one-man army¡ªspecial edition for Canglan Star! If what Mu Qingqing said was true, then joining the Hunter Guild was indeed no simple task. Li Chang¡¯an said seriously to Mu Qingqing, ¡°Mom, I want both!¡± Only children make choices; adults take everything. Mu Qingqing: ¡­ Of course, real-life decisions aren¡¯t as simple as Li Chang¡¯an saying ¡°I want both.¡± Mu Qingqing gave an on-the-spot lesson, teaching Li Chang¡¯an a new low-tier fire-attribute spiritual dish¡ª[Flame Bud Milk Soup]. Although this dish was low-tier, its preparation process wasn¡¯t much simpler than some mid-tier spiritual dishes. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The main purpose was to see just how far Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s talent could go. Then, within two hours, Mu Qingqing¡¯s expression went through a rapid series of changes¡ªfrowning, seriousness, surprise, disbelief, and finally numbness. Li Chang¡¯an wiped the sweat from his forehead. On the dining table, Mao Mao was lying there, completely stuffed. Mao Mao: Help me up, I can still eat! In those two hours, he had made eight servings of Flame Bud Milk Soup. From stumbling at the beginning to becoming proficient later, he even managed to operate two pots simultaneously, producing two high-quality servings at once. Mu Qingqing truly recognized her son¡¯s extraordinary talent. This wasn¡¯t just accelerated thinking anymore; it was enlightenment, a state of unity between heaven and man. The first attempt was still within the realm of accelerated thinking, but by the second attempt, Mu Qingqing saw sparks of enlightenment in a 16-year-old. By the third and fourth attempts, the harmonious unity with the pots and pans reminded her that this was the state of unity between heaven and man that Harmonizers dreamed of. It seemed necessary to discuss the child¡¯s future with Old Li. Mu Qingqing covered her darkened eyes and told Li Chang¡¯an to go rest well, preparing for tomorrow¡¯s exam. Chapter 9 - Wen Miaohua Chapter 9: Wen Miaohua The next day, Mu Qingqing did not continue teaching Li Chang¡¯an. The two days were the final exams for high school, crucial for the children¡¯s future, so academic priorities came first. There would be plenty of time later to discuss future paths. ¡°Read the questions carefully, don¡¯t rush, and double-check your answers after finishing. Be thorough,¡± Mu Qingqing repeated several times to Li Chang¡¯an, just like most parents, as she dropped him off at school. If someone hadn¡¯t pulled him away, Li Chang¡¯an would still be stuck in Mu Qingqing¡¯sßë߶. This savior was a girl, dressed in a white summer shirt and a yellow-and-black plaid skirt. Her legs were clad in pristine knee-high socks, with a hint of pink showing through at the knees. The socks left a subtle indentation on her thighs, contrasting beautifully with the smooth, porcelain-like skin above. This girl was Wen Miaohua, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s only childhood friend. Similarly, Li Chang¡¯an was her only childhood companion. The two had known each other since birth, as Wen Miaohua¡¯s mother, Tang Xinyao, was Mu Qingqing¡¯s college best friend. Thus, the two families were very close. Although many classmates had been in the same class as Wen Miaohua since childhood, Li Chang¡¯an was the only one who stayed close to her. This wasn¡¯t just because of their family ties but also because Li Chang¡¯an was the only one who didn¡¯t find Wen Miaohua off-putting. Wen Miaohua was an ice-cold beauty, both literally and figuratively. ¡°Meow! Meow! (Oh~! Chang¡¯an, there¡¯s something interesting inside this person.)¡± Li Chang¡¯an had once thought Wen Miaohua had awakened some bloodline or talent, but now it seemed she had inherited a troublesome pet beast ability. Inheriting a pet beast ability means that after a new beast tamer contracts their initial pet beast, they might gain one of the pet¡¯s skills or talents. Researchers in Donghuang Country found that if a beast tamer contracts a pet beast before its awakening period, they are guaranteed to inherit one of the pet¡¯s abilities when it breaks through to the awakening stage. This is why the prices of popular pet beast eggs skyrocket every summer. ¡°Today, you seem a bit different,¡± Wen Miaohua said, her clear eyes fixed on Li Chang¡¯an. Her words flowed like a clear spring from a high mountain, crisp and distant. Li Chang¡¯an noticed a hint of curiosity in Wen Miaohua¡¯s eyes, something absent from Little Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories. In those memories, Wen Miaohua was cold and repressed, with only sweet cakes able to elicit any change in her. ¡°I just contracted my initial pet beast,¡± Li Chang¡¯an said, recalling the unknown attribute on his status panel. He hesitated, ¡°It should be fire-type.¡± Should? Wen Miaohua caught the key point but didn¡¯t press further. She didn¡¯t want to lose the only peer who could stay by her side. So, she simply responded with one word, ¡°Oh.¡± Li Chang¡¯an looked at the girl, who was like a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains, in surprise. It seemed he couldn¡¯t fully trust Little Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories. For instance, Wen Miaohua, in his perception, was emotionally delicate yet humble. This delicacy was hidden beneath her clear, spring-like eyes, untouched by worldly concerns. Her humility was concealed under her icy demeanor, almost imperceptible. Li Chang¡¯an instinctively pulled out an orange-flavored candy. Just as he wondered when this candy had ended up in his school uniform, Wen Miaohua¡¯s cool little hand had already taken it from him. She skillfully unwrapped it, the candy forming a small bump on her delicate face as she savored the sweet taste, her eyes narrowing like a contented hamster. Li Chang¡¯an could clearly sense Wen Miaohua¡¯s joy, albeit faintly. Having just accepted a mental-type talent, he could still perceive it. When they entered the classroom, the previously noisy room fell silent the moment Wen Miaohua stepped in. All the students dutifully began preparing their exam stationery and then filed out of the classroom. Li Chang¡¯an took the opportunity to gently touch Wen Miaohua¡¯s jet-black hair. Her ability combined both chilling air and pressure, which was indeed too much for a group of underage high schoolers. ¡°Let¡¯s go, get your things ready. I checked; we should be in the same exam room,¡± Li Chang¡¯an said. The gloom in Wen Miaohua¡¯s eyes was replaced by Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s smile. She didn¡¯t know why her childhood friend had changed so much, but she lowered her head, a faint, cold yet warm smile tugging at her lips. This scene was witnessed by the classmates who hadn¡¯t left the classroom yet, and they all had one thought: Li, the top student, is truly a real man! The morning exams were Chinese and Math, which were no challenge for Li Chang¡¯an. Little Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories had already taken care of most of his academic concerns. By lunchtime, Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua found a quiet corner in the cafeteria to sit and eat. As a newly minted Level 1 Beast Tamer, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s senses were sharp, and he easily overheard the energetic high schoolers¡¯ chatter. ¡°Hey, did you hear? Class Monitor Wen got her head patted this morning!¡± ¡°Which Class Monitor Wen?¡± ¡°The ice queen from Class 3, Grade 2.¡± ¡°Oh, her! Who was the brave soul?¡± ¡°Who else? Li Chang¡¯an!¡± ¡°That Li Chang¡¯an who, along with Wen Miaohua, dominates Grade 2?¡± ¡°Yep, that¡¯s him.¡± ¡°Your Grade 2 life sounds tough. Has anyone ever outscored those two?¡± A bespectacled boy with short hair proudly replied, ¡°Nope.¡± Everyone groaned. Li Chang¡¯an noticed Wen Miaohua¡¯s ears turning slightly red¡ªwell, pink. Sometimes having excellent hearing wasn¡¯t such a good thing. ¡°Meow. (Chang¡¯an, I want to eat too!)¡± sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Chang¡¯an suddenly remembered he wasn¡¯t alone anymore; he had a family to take care of now. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll get it ready for you.¡± Li Chang¡¯an took out a thermal lunchbox from his bag and placed it on the seat beside him. Inside was a large portion of Fire Sprout Milk Soup, made by Mu Qingqing that morning. A contract array flashed under Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s feet, and a small, dragon-scaled kitten appeared in his arms. He gauged its weight¡ªMao Mao was at least three times heavier than when it was born. At such a young age, it already showed the potential to be a heavyweight. The scene of Li Chang¡¯an summoning his pet beast caught many eyes, eliciting gasps. A girl who had just walked past their table shuddered and quickly fled. ¡°Whoa, a fire-type pet beast.¡± In Donghuang Country, novice Beast Tamers didn¡¯t contract flashy lightning, fire, or ice-type pet beasts right off the bat like in TV dramas, then ride off into the sunset. In this world, when choosing a pet beast, Beast Tamers had to consider compatibility, intimacy, and the pet beast¡¯s inherent traits. For example, a Flame Tail Dog, with its fiery tail, could accidentally burn its tamer or set the house on fire with a casual wag. Flame Tail Dogs were relatively mild; many fire-type pet beasts were temperamental and prone to attacking, leading to numerous injuries. Then there were lightning-type pet beasts with their risk of electric shocks, and poison-type pet beasts with their risk of poisoning. A Beast Tamer could easily end up in the hospital¡ªor worse¡ªif they weren¡¯t careful. And that¡¯s not even mentioning other special attribute pet beasts. Light and dark-type pet beasts were not only more eccentric but also posed higher risks. Soul, death, life, and dragon-type pet beasts required precautions that underage high schoolers couldn¡¯t handle. After all, to build intimacy with a pet beast, you couldn¡¯t wear an insulated suit to approach a lightning-type pet beast, or go gloveless to handle a poison-type pet beast, right? Thus, most novice Beast Tamers opted for gentler water, wood, and earth-type pet beasts. They were safer and easier to raise. After all, they could always contract more powerful pet beasts later; there was no need to rush. Wen Miaohua curiously eyed the red kitten quietly resting in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s hands. ¡°It seems very obedient to you, unlike most fire-type pet beasts.¡± Li Chang¡¯an smiled, ¡°Mao Mao is indeed well-behaved, but only with me.¡± Wen Miaohua nodded in agreement, ¡°Mine is the same.¡± Chapter 10 - Final Exams Chapter 10: Final Exams Although Wen Miaohua was quite enamored with Mao Mao¡¯s fluffy head, she clearly understood that it was an impossible dream. After all, her own lazy pet, who slept all day, still refused to let her mother or anyone else touch it. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Mao Mao¡¯s well-behaved eating habits attracted the attention of many high school students in their adolescence. The girls were captivated by Mao Mao¡¯s adorable demeanor, while the boys were more interested in its fire-based attributes. However, no one dared to approach for a closer look¡ªWen Miaohua was still there! After eating its fill, Mao Mao obediently returned to the Beast Taming Space. This time, more students witnessed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s contract formation being summoned and retracted, eliciting either bitter smiles or looks of admiration. Overall, they had fallen far behind the duo from Hongyan No. 1 High School, not just in academic performance but also in achievements within the Beast Taming field. Establishing a soul contract and opening a Beast Taming Space were both monumental challenges that stood as barriers to becoming a true Beast Tamer. Missing either meant one couldn¡¯t be considered a genuine Beast Tamer. Unintentionally, Li Chang¡¯an had shown off his prowess, though he himself was unaware of it. To him, forming a contract and opening the space weren¡¯t particularly difficult and hadn¡¯t posed any significant obstacles. Instead, it was the sudden appearance of the Hunting Notebook, with its deeply soul-corrupting allure, that had kept him on edge for several days. The second-year students watched as the formidable duo left, their meals tasting like cardboard in their mouths. Rumors spread that many students had cried after the afternoon geography and Beast Language exams, their morale shattered. Part of the reason was that this year¡¯s Beast Language exam was particularly challenging. Of course, this had nothing to do with Li Chang¡¯an¡ªMao Mao was simply part of his strength. The first day of finals concluded, and upon returning home, Li Chang¡¯an was treated to a lavish meal by his mother, Mu Qingqing, as a reward for his efforts. ¡°Your father will be back the day after tomorrow. We¡¯ll discuss your matters then,¡± she said. Li Chang¡¯an nodded in acknowledgment. Today, Mu Qingqing didn¡¯t teach him anything new, so he spent his time in the kitchen reviewing the basics of pet food preparation for the next day¡¯s exam. The second-year practical final exam required each student to prepare a basic pet food, which would be graded based on its quality and effectiveness. Students at Hongyan No. 1 High School had already chosen their specialization during their summer internship after the first year. This choice was crucial because, upon passing the exam, the Hongyan Ecological Research Institute would assign students to select a pet of the corresponding attribute. For example, if a student chose to make water-based food, they would be assigned a water-based initial pet. Some might wonder what would happen if a student awakened a fire-based talent during the awakening ceremony in the first semester of their third year but had chosen a water-based initial pet. The answer, as provided by Xiao Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories, was simple: it didn¡¯t matter. The initial pet wasn¡¯t chosen for its powerful attributes but for the practical abilities it could pass on to the Beast Tamer. Before reaching the King-level, only the initial pet could provide a 100% inheritance of its abilities. Thus, pets with single, practical skills and good racial talents during their awakening period became highly sought after. Take, for instance, the water-based Bubble Turtle. During its awakening period, it was most likely to possess a single skill: [Clear Water Healing]. Its racial talents included a high probability of [Water Therapy] or a rare chance of [Turtle¡¯s Breath]. The [Water Therapy] talent provided continuous healing effects in water-based environments, while [Turtle¡¯s Breath] was even more extraordinary¡ªit slowed the passage of time, effectively extending the user¡¯s lifespan by 100 to 150 years. As a result, Bubble Turtles were several times more expensive than some dragon-type pet eggs. There were many such examples. Many novice Beast Tamers from influential backgrounds weren¡¯t after powerful initial pets but sought abilities that, while mediocre on the pet, could shine brilliantly when inherited by a human. It was common for fire-based Beast Tamers to have water-based initial pets. Originally, Xiao Chang¡¯an had planned to contract a wood-based pet, preferably one with a plant-affinity talent. Unfortunately, that plan was no longer feasible. Li Chang¡¯an had chosen Mao Mao as his initial pet, and the ancient dragon¡¯s power far surpassed any other formidable abilities. Moreover, what if he inherited one of the ancient dragon¡¯s unique abilities? The benefits were numerous. Still, Li Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued by the pets offered by the Ecological Research Institute. As the son of the institute¡¯s deputy director, he knew just how unique those pets were. Even if he couldn¡¯t inherit their abilities, contracting a wood-based pet with healing capabilities would still be a great choice. On Tuesday morning, the biology comprehensive exam concluded, and in the afternoon, the pet food preparation exam began. Second-year students gathered at the gymnasium entrance, entering in batches to take the exam. The sports field was occupied by third-year students, as it was also their day for mock combat exams. In a few days, they would face the real battle¡ªthe college entrance exams. For those pursuing the Beast Tamer path, the combat exam was of utmost importance. Li Chang¡¯an was in the third batch of students to enter the exam hall, while Wen Miaohua was luckily in the first batch. By the time the girl finished her exam, Li Chang¡¯an was already inside the gymnasium, waiting for his turn. When the second batch of students completed their exams, he moved to the station assigned to him by the draw. ¡°The basic pet food preparation exam is about to begin. All students, please¡­¡± After the teacher finished explaining the exam rules, which took about ten minutes, the exam bell rang, and all students, including Li Chang¡¯an, began their preparations in earnest. Li Chang¡¯an had three sets of ingredients for [Fresh Salad] laid out in front of him, as did everyone else. Each student had three attempts. Successfully preparing one dish earned 20 points, and only by completing all three dishes could a student achieve the passing score of 60. The prepared dishes would then be sent to a testing machine, which evaluated factors such as life energy, elemental content, and ingredient fusion to assign a score. Each dish could earn up to 10 points, totaling 30 points. The final 10 points were based on the speed of preparation. Completing a dish within ten minutes guaranteed at least 5 points. Li Chang¡¯an worked quickly. While others took ten minutes to prepare one dish, he finished all three in the same amount of time. His simultaneous preparation of three [Fresh Salads] left the patrolling invigilators stunned. Was this even allowed? At 9 minutes and 10 seconds on the gymnasium¡¯s overhead timer, a crisp bell rang out in the quiet hall. ¡°Candidate No. 33 has completed all preparations.¡± Li Chang¡¯an pressed the bell on his workstation, and after the invigilator confirmed his completion, the three [Fresh Salads] were collected and promptly sent to the testing machine. Due to the importance of food freshness, this was the only exam where results were announced on the spot. ¡°9.6 points.¡± ¡°9.7 points.¡± ¡°9.7 points.¡± ¡°With a preparation time score of 9 points, Candidate No. 33¡¯s final score is 98 points.¡± The mechanical voice announced Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s results, sending a ripple of shock through the students below. Even the invigilators were taken aback¡ªnone of them had seen such a high score in their years of teaching at Hongyan No. 1 High School. One invigilator, slightly dazed, turned to his colleague and asked, ¡°Old Ji, you¡¯re the history teacher. Has our school ever seen such a high score in this subject before?¡± The middle-aged, balding teacher named Ji pondered for a moment before replying hoarsely, ¡°No. The highest score since the school¡¯s founding was 96.8 points. The last time someone scored above 95 was twenty years ago.¡± In other words, they had just witnessed history. Some sharp-eared students overheard the teachers¡¯ conversation, and their hands faltered, nearly ruining their dishes. Fortunately, they managed to recover in time. The gap between people could sometimes be wider than that between humans and dogs. Many students silently thought to themselves, ¡°Li Shen is a legend!¡± Chapter 11 - Dominance Level Chapter 11: Dominance Level After two days of final exams, Li Chang¡¯an spent his time peacefully weeding in the neighborhood and occasionally training Mao Mao¡¯s skill, [Flame Spirit Entanglement], in the yard. He hadn¡¯t yet obtained his¼ûÏ°ÓùÊÞʦ (Apprentice Beastmaster) qualification, so he didn¡¯t even have access to the most basic training grounds and had to stay idle at home. Since it was summer vacation, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mindset was much more relaxed. Not only did he thoroughly weed the white-flower grass in his own neighborhood, but he also contributed to the neighboring community. Finally, as the sun was about to set, the mark of the white-flower grass in the Thorn Collection Room lit up again. ¡°As expected, breaking through to the Mastery level requires 32 identical skill stones,¡± Li Chang¡¯an thought, his face filled with excitement. He was thrilled not only because he had confirmed the cost of breaking through the Mastery level but also because he had discovered that the skill¡¯s upper limit was not the Mastery level. From the breakthrough requirements of the [Hidden Ambush Technique], he knew that to advance a skill from the Beginner level to the Apprentice level, 2 identical skill stones were needed. Advancing from Apprentice to Skilled required 4 stones, from Skilled to Proficient required 8 stones, and from Proficient to Mastery required 16 stones. Now, he had confirmed that breaking through the Mastery level required 32 stones. Li Chang¡¯an and Mao Mao exchanged a glance and seamlessly entered a 10% Beastmaster Resonance state. With a mental command from Li Chang¡¯an, the mark of the white-flower grass in the Thorn Collection Room quickly dimmed and turned gray. A small whirlwind began to swirl around Mao Mao. ¡°Meow! (Oh, this feels so good! Life energy is pouring in!)¡± Mao Mao¡¯s excited voice made Li Chang¡¯an a bit worried, fearing that the Hunting Notes might have corrupted Mao Mao. However, after the phenomenon ended, Mao Mao seemed fine and even asked Li Chang¡¯an what was for dinner. Clearly, Mao Mao¡¯s appetite was currently more important than the Hunting Notes. Relieved, Li Chang¡¯an immediately checked Mao Mao¡¯s status through their soul contract. [Name: Lion Discator (Mao Mao) Race: Prison Flame Dragon Attributes: ?? Level: Juvenile Potential: ??? Talent Abilities: ???? Low-tier Skills: Prison Flame (Beginner), Flame Claw (Beginner), Hidden Ambush Technique (Dominance Level) Mid-tier Skills: Flame Spirit Entanglement (Apprentice Level) Status: A little hungry.]. Dominance Level! Above the Mastery level was the Dominance Level! Li Chang¡¯an immediately asked Mao Mao, ¡°What¡¯s special about the Hidden Ambush Technique now?¡± Mao Mao paused for a moment to feel it out, then said, ¡°Meow. (There is a big change.)¡± Immediately after, Mao Mao¡¯s aura fluctuated three times between that of a pure-blood dragon, a half-blood dragon, and a mixed-blood dragon. At that moment, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes lit up with understanding. Dominance¡ªthis was what it meant! The ability to freely control the intensity of a skill. For Li Chang¡¯an and Mao Mao, this discovery was of great significance. It was a simple principle. If you ask someone who is tone-deaf to sing, it¡¯s easy to make them go from sounding terrible to just slightly less terrible. But if you ask a skilled singer or a singing champion to sing like they¡¯re tone-deaf, it¡¯s extremely difficult. Even if they manage to do it, the result will feel forced and lack the natural ¡°charm¡± of someone who is genuinely tone-deaf. The Dominance Level, however, allows a top-performing beast to become a ¡°straight-A student¡± who can control their performance at will. Li Chang¡¯an was very satisfied with this effect. In many battles, it¡¯s necessary to adjust your strategy based on your opponent. Against ordinary beasts, the pressure of a mixed-blood dragon is enough to make them back off. But if you encounter a stronger beast, Mao Mao would normally only be able to release its full aura, and it would be difficult to release a slightly weaker aura. Adjusting this would take time, which is impractical in battle. Now, Mao Mao could freely switch between different levels of pressure without needing any time to adjust. In battle, an enemy facing the pressure of a mixed-blood dragon might suddenly be hit with the pressure of a half-blood dragon at a critical moment. Li Chang¡¯an could already imagine the constipated expressions on the faces of the opposing Beastmasters or magical beasts. This was a skill that could create a guaranteed winning opportunity. Li Chang¡¯an was very satisfied with today¡¯s gains. On the way back, he pulled out a few more ¡°leftover¡± weeds and was lucky enough to find another Hidden Ambush Technique skill stone. However, his relaxed steps suddenly paused as he looked up at the unpolluted night sky of the Blue Planet. It turned out that there were levels above the Dominance Level. The mark of the white-flower grass in the Thorn Collection Room was still glowing faintly, indicating that there was still room for improvement. Li Chang¡¯an clenched his fist. It seemed that he was destined to become the White-Flower Grass King of Red Rock City! Mao Mao looked puzzled. Why had Chang¡¯an suddenly become so passionate? Oh, I know! This must be that symptom human cubs often have called ¡°Chuunibyou¡± (Middle School Syndrome)! Mao Mao suddenly understood, but then heard Li Chang¡¯an say solemnly, ¡°Mao Mao, I just felt that my pure personality was corrupted by the Hunting Notes. I need to use Beastmaster Resonance to calm down.¡± Mao Mao: ¡°¡­Guess not.¡± After a round of Beastmaster Resonance, Li Chang¡¯an felt refreshed and canceled his plan to become the White-Flower Grass King. When he returned home, he found a young man in the living room. He was slightly less handsome than Li Chang¡¯an but had a more mature aura. This was Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s father, Li Mingxuan, the deputy director of the Red Rock City Ecological Research Institute, a pillar of the Li family, a frequent user of the Thorn Crab-brand washboard, a loyal supporter of Hundred Birds instant coffee, and an angel investor in the Tianshan sleeping bag brand. Li Mingxuan was drinking tea brewed by Mu Qingqing, and as soon as Li Chang¡¯an entered, his gaze locked onto Mao Mao on Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s head. His intense gaze was unwavering, refusing to look away. Li Chang¡¯an calmly put Mao Mao back into his Beast Space, not even glancing at Li Mingxuan, and went straight into the kitchen to help Mu Qingqing prepare dinner. ¡°Meow? (Chang¡¯an, don¡¯t you like your father?)¡± Mao Mao asked through their soul connection. Li Chang¡¯an replied helplessly, ¡°He¡¯s probably thinking about how to study you, a rare species.¡± Mao Mao, curled up in the Beast Space, shrank its head and said softly, ¡°Meow. (Well, I don¡¯t like him either.)¡± The atmosphere at the Li family dinner was quite tense. Due to Little Chang¡¯an¡¯s memories, Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t have much goodwill toward Li Mingxuan, far less than he had for Mu Qingqing. Mu Qingqing was happy to watch the drama unfold; she wouldn¡¯t help her husband speak because he was indeed in the wrong. Unable to bear the silence, Li Mingxuan spoke up, ¡°I heard your initial beast is called Mao Mao?¡± Li Chang¡¯an picked up some food and responded indifferently, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What skills does it have?¡± Li Chang¡¯an slowly drank a bowl of soup, exhaled, and then calmly said, ¡°Prison Flame, Flame Claw, Flame Spirit Entanglement, and a stealth skill.¡± sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°That many?¡± Li Mingxuan¡¯s eyebrows raised. Father and son had similar reactions at times. Aside from Prison Flame, the other skills weren¡¯t particularly special. Flame Claw and Flame Spirit Entanglement could be found in the skill lists of other beast species. ¡°Prison Flame! The records left in Red Rock City mention that this is a growth-type skill. It can advance to a top-tier skill as the beast¡¯s strength grows. Make sure Mao Mao practices this skill well; it¡¯s very important.¡± Li Chang¡¯an nodded slightly but didn¡¯t respond further. Li Mingxuan opened his mouth, countless words stuck in his throat, and finally handed Li Chang¡¯an a business card. ¡°This is the phone number of the director of the Red Rock City Hunters¡¯ Guild. I¡¯ve already spoken to him. You can go directly to him when you¡¯re ready.¡± Li Chang¡¯an took the card and asked, ¡°So, you agree?¡± Li Mingxuan smiled, ¡°You¡¯re willing to strive for better opportunities. I¡¯m happy for you. Why wouldn¡¯t I agree?¡± Seeing the atmosphere ease a bit, Li Mingxuan asked, ¡°A week from now, are you still willing to go to the Ecological Park to get your second beast?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°The second beast isn¡¯t like the initial one. You can¡¯t just ignore its species and attributes. I see you¡¯ve chosen a wood-type beast. Do you have any specific one in mind?¡± Li Chang¡¯an swallowed his food and said seriously, ¡°Preferably a wood-type beast with healing skills.¡± Li Mingxuan nodded in satisfaction, not because of Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s choice but because of his serious attitude. Many Beastmasters had gone astray, only pursuing high-potential, strong-bloodline beasts. They didn¡¯t realize that the bond between humans and beasts was the strongest and most precious thing. Many geniuses only realized this when they were on the verge of breaking through to the King-level Beastmaster, and by then, it was too late. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s attitude made him very happy. ¡°Recently, I heard from Xiao Wang that the casualties from beast fights in the Wood-type Zone C have decreased significantly.¡± After saying this, Li Mingxuan left the table. Li Chang¡¯an smirked. Even at home, he¡¯s still pulling this kind of act. Zone C, huh¡­ Chapter 12 - The Master of Spiritual Cuisine Chapter 12: The Master of Spiritual Cuisine The final exam results were released a week later. Taking advantage of this period, Li Chang¡¯an devoted himself to meditation and cultivation, hoping to advance to the level of a Tier 2 Beast Master within the week. Unfortunately, progress in cultivation couldn¡¯t be rushed, especially since Li Chang¡¯an had only recently become a Tier 1 Beast Master. Without the aid of potions or Void Stones, his cultivation results were less than satisfactory. According to Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s estimation, given his talent, it would take him three months to fill his 500-cubic Beast Space withÖäÁ¦ (zh¨°u l¨¬, or ¡°curse power¡±). While working in Mu Qingqing¡¯s studio, Li Chang¡¯an used a simple spiritual power tester to measure his current spiritual power, which was around 16 ¡°·û¡± (f¨², a unit of measurement for spiritual power). This was still some distance from the 20 f¨² required to reach the threshold of a Tier 2 Beast Master. This increase in spiritual power was largely due to his constant resonance with his beast companion, Mao Mao, which indirectly trained his spiritual power. As for spell energy, the situation wasn¡¯t as favorable. Old Man Li had specifically warned him that low-tier Beast Masters (Tiers 1-3) should avoid using potions to aid their cultivation. Doing so could affect the purity of their spell energy and reduce their sensitivity to life energy. Only after advancing to the mid-tier Beast Master level, where the body undergoes a significant transformation and develops³¬·²Æ÷¹Ù (ch¨¡o f¨¢n q¨¬ gu¨¡n, or ¡°supernatural organs¡±), could one begin using potions. At that stage, the body gains the ability to resist and metabolize impurities in the potions, provided the impurity content isn¡¯t too high. High-tier Beast Masters have even more flexibility, as long as they don¡¯t overuse potions. Therefore, low-tier Beast Masters like Li Chang¡¯an should avoid relying on potions for cultivation, as it could harm their bodies. Since spell energy cultivation showed no immediate results, Li Chang¡¯an decided to focus on Mao Mao. By nurturing Mao Mao to the awakening stage and unlocking its racial talents, Li Chang¡¯an could receive energy feedback through their soul contract and inherit new abilities. This would allow him to complete most of his Tier 1 Beast Master cultivation. After that, a few weeks of focused training would be enough to break through to Tier 2. To achieve this, Li Chang¡¯an spent his time learning new fire-attribute spiritual cuisine recipes from his mother, Mu Qingqing. Initially, Mu Qingqing was surprised and hoped that Li Chang¡¯an would master the basic recipes before moving on to more advanced ones. However, when she learned that the new recipes were tailored to Mao Mao¡¯s inherited memories and would help create the most suitable food for the beast, her enthusiasm ignited. Crafting a custom diet for a beast with ancient dragon bloodline might provide her with new insights and help her overcome a bottleneck in her spiritual cuisine skills. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Before each meal, Mu Qingqing and Li Chang¡¯an experimented with new spiritual cuisine recipes. Mu Qingqing took the lead, while Li Chang¡¯an acted as a messenger, relaying Mao Mao¡¯s feedback to her. Sometimes, he offered suggestions from the perspective of a human Beast Master. After five days of experimentation, they finally created a new spiritual cuisine set called the ¡°Lava Set.¡± This set could be upgraded to high-tier spiritual cuisine, but it wasn¡¯t the limit of the series. Due to time constraints and Mu Qingqing¡¯s newfound inspiration, the series hadn¡¯t yet reached the king-tier level. According to Mu Qingqing, who jokingly referred to herself as ¡°forever eighteen,¡± she needed some time to fully digest her inspiration and complete the king-tier version of the Lava Set. Watching his mother hurry off to her tea house research lab, Li Chang¡¯an realized that this recipe development had greatly inspired her. Perhaps soon, their family would have a second-tier Spiritual Cuisine Master. The ranks of Spiritual Cuisine Masters and other types ofµ÷ºÍʦ (ti¨¢o h¨¦ sh¨©, or ¡°harmonizers¡±) are similar to those of Beast Masters. They are divided into low-tier, mid-tier, and high-tier harmonizers, corresponding to the ranks of Beast Masters. Upon reaching the king-tier Beast Master level and creating a king-tier spiritual cuisine set, one could be called a Spiritual Cuisine Master. Note that it had to be a complete set, not just a single king-tier dish. Therefore, the assessment for master-level harmonizers at the king-tier was particularly strict, requiring the ability to independently create a full king-tier spiritual cuisine set. Mu Qingqing was a first-tier Spiritual Cuisine Master. Thanks to his conversations with Mu Qingqing during this period, Li Chang¡¯an finally learned about the realms beyond the king-tier Beast Master level. After the king-tier came the Throne-tier and Celestial King-tier Beast Masters, corresponding to second-tier and third-tier Spiritual Cuisine Masters, respectively. The skill progression of harmonizers was much slower than that of Beast Masters, so it was common for first-tier harmonizers to have Throne-tier strength, surpassing their skill level. Cases like Mu Qingqing¡¯s, where strength and skill matched, were rare and belonged to the realm of geniuses. If Mu Qingqing succeeded, her status and position would be among the top in the entire Z Province. Having a harmonizer master in the family was undoubtedly a great advantage! As Li Chang¡¯an marveled at his mother¡¯s illustrious career, he exchanged a sly smile with Mao Mao. Thanks to the constant feeding of fire-attribute spiritual cuisine, Mao Mao was now on the verge of breaking through to the awakening stage. Unlike ordinary beasts, which required time to digest and grow, theÓüÑ×Áú (Y¨´ Y¨¢n L¨®ng, or ¡°Prison Flame Dragon¡±) grew rapidly in its early stages. As long as it received sufficient energy, the Prison Flame Dragon could rely on its formidable digestive abilities and its unique body condition during its juvenile stage¡ªsomewhere between an elemental and a flesh-and-blood form¡ªto quickly grow out of its vulnerable infancy and awakening stages, ensuring its survival in the wild. This was exactly what was happening with Mao Mao. To prepare for the upcoming awakening stage, Li Chang¡¯an let Mao Mao rest for a day to grow peacefully. As he stroked the sleeping Mao Mao, Li Chang¡¯an felt a tinge of regret. This rapid growth only occurred during the juvenile stage of the Prison Flame Dragon. Once it reached the³¬·²¼¶ (ch¨¡o f¨¢n j¨ª, or ¡°transcendent level¡±) and entered its growth stage, its body would stabilize into a flesh-and-blood form, and its elemental transformation ability would only be achievable through skills. It would no longer be able to use the gap between its elemental and flesh-and-blood forms to achieve rapid growth. This was likely an evolutionary ability developed by ancient dragons to reduce the mortality rate of their young. After a day of rest, Li Chang¡¯an woke up early and prepared five servings of the low-tier Lava Set. The low-tier Lava Set consisted of only two items: the main dish, ¡°Lava Jelly,¡± and the drink, ¡°Fire Essence Liquid.¡± The Lava Jelly was made by combining liquefied low-tier fire crystals with magma fruit to create a jelly-like food. The translucent red jelly was sprinkled with finely ground, caramelized high-quality volcanic rock, which added essential minerals and improved the texture. The Fire Essence Liquid was simpler, made from the extracts of fire essence grass and crystal peach, with a bit of sugar added for flavor. Five servings of the Lava Set were enough to push Mao Mao into the awakening stage twice. Li Chang¡¯an donned a high-temperature protective suit and went to the courtyard, where he activated a protective formation. To avoid alarming others, he set the formation to its highest level, which included optical camouflage, scent masking, and soundproofing. Everything was ready; all that was needed was for Mao Mao to begin. Under Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s guidance, Mao Mao consumed two servings of the Lava Set. Ten minutes later, dark red prison flames began to emanate from Mao Mao¡¯s body, distorting the air with their terrifying heat. At this point, Mao Mao seemed to have a doppelg?nger, as a distorted figure appeared to hover over its body. As the surrounding temperature continued to rise, Li Chang¡¯an retreated to a safety barrier three meters away and activated a temperature isolation shield. Once the shield was up, he felt a wave of cool relief. Mao Mao let out a low, pained growl, as if something inside its body was hindering its progress into the awakening stage. Li Chang¡¯an frowned. According to Mao Mao¡¯s inherited memories, the awakening stage for a Prison Flame Dragon shouldn¡¯t be this difficult or painful. Could it be that, compared to wild Prison Flame Dragons, Mao Mao was missing something? ¡°Meow. (Chang¡¯an, I still need energy.)¡± Startled, Li Chang¡¯an decisively opened the temperature isolation shield and delivered two more servings of the Lava Set to Mao Mao. He also activated an energy-draining formation he had used once before. This formation, which cost 10,000 yuan and could only be used three times, was a rip-off! By the time Li Chang¡¯an exited the formation, his protective suit was already showing signs of melting, a testament to the terrifying heat of the prison flames. If he had stayed any longer, the suit would have been completely destroyed. After consuming the additional servings of the Lava Set, Mao Mao let out a loud roar, and the surrounding prison flames converged around it, enveloping its body. The awakening had begun! Chapter 13 - Awakening Period, Abilities Revealed! Chapter 13: Awakening Period, Abilities Revealed! The main task hasn¡¯t been tackled yet! Mao Mao naturally knew what the urgent matter was and immediately moved her body off Li Chang¡¯an. Ever since humans on Canglan Star gained the ability to contract with beast companions, whenever a new beastmaster nurtured their initial beast to the awakening period, Canglan Star, as the mother planet, would provide a special life energy known as ¡°Mother¡¯s Gift.¡± This energy deepens the bond between the beastmaster and their beast, significantly increasing the likelihood of the beastmaster gaining abilities from their beast. This is why, after nurturing the initial beast to the awakening period, the beastmaster can acquire the beast¡¯s abilities. Since the soul contract is bidirectional, the beast also receives a gift. Beasts with potential below the elite tier will have their potential raised to the elite tier. Beasts with potential equal to or above the elite tier can choose to enhance one of the following: racial talent, basic physical attributes, or a racial-specific skill. This has led to higher prices for those beast species whose racial skills or talents greatly benefit humans. Mao Mao sat obediently to the side while Li Chang¡¯an sat cross-legged, immersing his mind into the cerebral space. He continuously stimulated the soul contract imprinted in the beast space with incantation power. Finally, under the activation of a large amount of incantation power, the soul contract began to emit a faint starlight. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s consciousness was also drawn into a mysterious space by the starlight. In this space, Li Chang¡¯an looked around but saw only darkness, nothing else. Until he looked down and saw a verdant planet continuously enlarging in his view. The vast, ancient, and vibrant aura filled his thoughts until his vision caught a majestic figure whose face was unclear. This majestic figure seemed to be separated from him by countless ages. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A gentle, benevolent hum reached him, and a fleeting shadow appeared before Li Chang¡¯an, marking the end of his journey. The scenery of the courtyard returned to his view, followed by a stinging pain throughout his body, which gradually escalated into a storm of agony. In the next second, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s fair skin turned as red as if it had been boiled. Having experienced life and death twice, he miraculously endured this sudden intense pain, feeling his bones undergoing repeated transformations. It was as if a steamroller was continuously crushing his bones, only for them to be reassembled by some force and then crushed again. His heart in his chest beat violently, no less intense than during the awakening of the Ancient Dragon¡¯s Heart talent. Li Chang¡¯an was engulfed in a tsunami of despairing pain, and Mao Mao wasn¡¯t faring much better. The newly born talent within her body also suffered repeated crushing. Both were in too much pain to even cry out, lying on the ground gasping for breath, letting fluids flow from their mouths and eyes. Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t know how long it had been when his vacant gaze caught the starlight descending in the night. Oh, it¡¯s evening. Then it hit him¡ªit¡¯s evening! Li Chang¡¯an quickly got up, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and looked around. He found that Mao Mao had already woken up and was munching on lava jelly. ¡°How are you, Mao Mao?¡± ¡°Meow. (Not bad, no one¡¯s home, they haven¡¯t returned, I was hungry, so I ate first.)¡± Li Chang¡¯an: I was asking about your condition¡­ But Li Chang¡¯an still breathed a sigh of relief and calmly checked the gains from this experience. [Name: Lyon Discator (Mao Mao) Race: Prison Flame Dragon Attribute: Purgatory Level: Awakening Period Potential: ??? Talent Ability: Purgatory Core Low-tier Skills: Prison Flame (Proficient Level), Purgatory Claw (Contact Level), Ambush Technique (Dominance Level) Mid-tier Skills: (Flame Spirit Entanglement) ¡ú Scorching Prison Flame Mark (Mastery Level) High-tier Skills: Crimson Lotus Breath (Contact Level) Status: Hungry.]. Mao Mao¡¯s panel had undergone a dramatic change, starting with the appearance of a new attribute¡ª¡±Purgatory.¡± An attribute never seen before; generally, the Prison Flame Dragon¡¯s attribute is fire-based. Even in Mao Mao¡¯s inherited memories, going back ten generations, this attribute was unheard of. Finally, according to Mao Mao, it traced back to the lineage starting from the original Prison Flame Dragon and found only fragments of information about the Purgatory attribute. Simply put, Mao Mao had reverted to her ancestral roots. Originally a Ancient Dragon, Mao Mao¡¯s reversion to her ancestral form truly makes one marvel at the wonders of the world. As for the Purgatory attribute, even Mao Mao didn¡¯t know the specifics, leaving it up to Li Chang¡¯an and her to explore in the future. The second change was the emergence of a talent ability, which, unexpectedly, was indeed unexpected. The Prison Flame Dragon has three major talents: Prison Heart, Prison Blood, and Prison Shadow. But there was no Purgatory Core. Li Chang¡¯an speculated that the Purgatory Core might be a talent of the original Prison Flame Dragon¡¯s third-generation descendants. Because Mao Mao felt that this talent had the potential to advance further, perhaps to the unique racial talent of the original Prison Flame Dragon. The effect of the Purgatory Core is simple: it combines all the advantages of Prison Heart and Prison Blood, along with high resistance and damage reduction. [Purgatory Core]: Purgatory-type skill power and energy recovery +500%, all attribute resistance and damage reduction +100%, own energy storage limit increased tenfold, any attack has a chance to attach a Crimson Lotus Mark. (¡°Crimson Lotus Mark¡± analysis: Engraves a Crimson Lotus Mark on the enemy, providing vulnerability and healing reduction debuffs.) Li Chang¡¯an exclaimed at its overpowered nature; the damage boost and mark attachment of Prison Blood, along with the recovery and energy limit increase of Prison Heart, were all elevated to a new level. And with the noble resistance and damage reduction, the already ridiculously high resistance of the Ancient Dragon was further enhanced. He could already imagine future opponents¡¯ beasts attacking, only to find they couldn¡¯t even leave a mark on Mao Mao¡¯s scales. How utterly shocking that would be for them. As for Mao Mao¡¯s mention of further advancement, Li Chang¡¯an speculated it might be due to the lack of integration with the final talent, Prison Shadow. Although it¡¯s a pity, Li Chang¡¯an was still self-aware; awakening the [Purgatory Core] was already a great fortune. Lastly, there were changes in Mao Mao¡¯s skills. The proficiency of the [Prison Flame] skill directly reached the proficient level. Mao Mao demonstrated the Prison Flame, which could now curve in mid-air. The skill [Flame Claw] was transformed into [Purgatory Claw] due to the influence of the Purgatory Core, with its tier unchanged but now more suited to Mao Mao. Similarly, [Flame Spirit Entanglement] was transformed into [Scorching Prison Flame Mark] due to the influence of the Purgatory Core, with its tier and proficiency unchanged. The effect is better than Flame Spirit Entanglement. [Scorching Prison Flame Mark]: Materializes a special Prison Flame, imprinting it on the Purgatory body in the form of flame marks, enhancing the power of the Prison Flame and body strength. Added an effect to increase the power of the Prison Flame, and it can also be used in reverse; Mao Mao can continue to disguise herself, and her size can revert to the previous kitten state. Of course, her weight remains unchanged. As for the high-tier skill [Crimson Lotus Breath], there¡¯s nothing special about it; it¡¯s just a high-power, wide-range spray of Prison Flame, with an increased chance to attach a Crimson Lotus Mark. Chapter 14 - Results Announcement and Pet Beast Acquisition Chapter 14: Results Announcement and Pet Beast Acquisition The specific effects of the Crimson Lotus Breath remained unclear to Li Chang¡¯an. He dared not let Mao Mao use it, fearing damage to his courtyard and harm to Mao Mao¡¯s foundation. After all, this was a high-level skill, challenging even for elite-level pet beasts, let alone a juvenile in the awakening phase. Thus, the Talent Awakening Ceremony concluded¡­ Oh wait, Li Chang¡¯an hadn¡¯t checked his own panel yet. Reminded by Mao Mao, he finally remembered to review the inherited abilities. Upon examining himself, he realized the significant boost from the inheritance ritual. First, his physical strength had improved. The excruciating experiences weren¡¯t in vain. He could now effortlessly lift Mao Mao with one hand. Next, his curse power and mental strength had surged. Good news: his 500-cubic pet beast space was 90% full. Bad news: it had expanded to 1000 cubic units. The struggle continues; more effort is needed. Li Chang¡¯an looked skyward, acknowledging the benefits of an expanded pet beast space¡ªgreater curse power capacity than peers, ability to handle stronger beasts, and a solid foundation for future pet beast world development. However, the downside was that a breakthrough that should have taken a week was now delayed by half a year¡ªa significant setback. Moreover, his mental strength had also improved remarkably, possibly from witnessing the entirety of the Azure Star. His perception, detection range, and mental solidity had greatly increased. He intuited that he might have surpassed the 20-token mental strength standard required for a Level 2 Beastmaster. Lastly, the ability inherited from Mao Mao surprised him¡ªit was [Prison Shadow]. This ability increased abnormal state resistance by 50%, agility by 50%, and added a double strike effect to all attacks, effectively doubling the attack power. The final piece of Mao Mao¡¯s talent evolution puzzle was actually within him! But if inherited from Mao Mao, shouldn¡¯t Mao Mao¡¯s talent be fully evolved? Why wasn¡¯t it? The gift from the mother planet wasn¡¯t theft but replication and sharing. Li Chang¡¯an recalled the shadowy figure from his vision¡ªwas that the [Prison Shadow] ability? First, the Hunting Notes, now this inexplicable talent. He felt targeted by some entity. Seeing Li Chang¡¯an frown, Mao Mao thought it had inherited a poor ability and apologized, ¡°Meow~ (Sorry, Chang¡¯an, is my skill too weak?)¡± Li Chang¡¯an chuckled, reassuring Mao Mao, ¡°No, your ability is powerful. I¡¯m just overthinking.¡± He explained the [Prison Shadow] to Mao Mao, who excitedly exclaimed, ¡°Meow! Meow! Meow~! (Chang¡¯an, that! That! That!)¡± Puzzled, Li Chang¡¯an asked, ¡°What?¡± Mao Mao excitedly shouted, ¡°Meow~! (Chang¡¯an, your talent!)¡± Which talent? Dexterity? Ancient Dragon Heart? Wait, Ancient Dragon Heart! Li Chang¡¯an understood Mao Mao¡¯s excitement. The Ancient Dragon Heart talent, with its perfect compatibility with ancient dragons and pet beast resonance, could potentially allow Mao Mao¡¯s talent to evolve fully if Li Chang¡¯an could withstand 100% perfect resonance. He realized that the shadowy figure might have bestowed the [Prison Shadow] to achieve this ideal outcome. Li Chang¡¯an grinned, ruffling Mao Mao¡¯s mane, ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Mao Mao, figuring it out so quickly.¡± Mao Mao, praised, shyly nuzzled Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s chest, giggling in their soul contract. The duo played in the courtyard, with Mao Mao shrinking to kitten size and perching on Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s shoulder. Despite Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s enhanced physique, his head couldn¡¯t support Mao Mao¡¯s current weight, so the shoulder was the next best spot. Given Mao Mao¡¯s persistent hunger, Li Chang¡¯an prepared five low-level lava meals, satisfying Mao Mao¡¯s increased appetite post-talent awakening. This was normal, though its appetite hadn¡¯t quintupled¡ªjust tripled. Not much¡­ ¡¯ For Mao Mao¡¯s future, Li Chang¡¯an began practicing mid-level lava meals. Shortly after Mao Mao¡¯s talent awakening, Red Rock High announced the semester exam results. As expected, Li Chang¡¯an remained top, with Wen Miaohua close behind. The next day, qualified students were summoned to the school gate. Those who failed would retake exams a week later, joining the last batch of students from Red Rock City¡¯s high schools to choose pet beasts¡ªa minor penalty. Those who failed the retake would lose their chance to become Beastmasters, reassigned to ordinary classes in senior year to learn other life skills, as failing basic high school subjects disqualified them from scientific paths. They would attend vocational colleges, ensuring they acquired practical skills. Red Rock High arranged buses to transport students to the Ecological Research Institute. Not all buses carried students; some were reserved for the return trip, accommodating larger pet beasts and their masters. As students who had just completed soul contracts without developed pet beast spaces, these arrangements were necessary. Li Chang¡¯an, however, had no such worries. His spacious pet beast space eliminated concerns about overcrowding. Currently, his head rested on Wen Miaohua¡¯s shoulder as he slept soundly. He had pulled all-nighters since Mao Mao¡¯s awakening, primarily due to the [Prison Shadow] ability. He discovered that the ¡°shadow¡± in [Prison Shadow] was literal¡ªhis shadow also trained during cultivation. Enhanced by the mother planet¡¯s life energy, his curse power cultivation talent had improved, now doubled, making cultivation exhilarating. The visible growth in curse power captivated him, leading to sleepless nights of training. At this rate, the initially projected six months could shrink to two. Wen Miaohua¡¯s ears flushed with shyness, but she leaned slightly towards Li Chang¡¯an to make him more comfortable. Eventually, she too fell asleep, their heads resting together. They might have missed their stop if not for the driver¡¯s reminder. ¡°How did you fall asleep too?¡± Li Chang¡¯an asked, puzzled, knowing Wen Miaohua¡¯s strict sleep schedule. Wen Miaohua couldn¡¯t admit she was lulled by Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s warmth. Instead, she said, ¡°I stayed up late training.¡± Li Chang¡¯an eyed her skeptically¡ªhe didn¡¯t buy it. The young girl buried her shyness deep within, unwilling to reveal her true feelings. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Chapter 15 - The Ecological Park Chapter 15: The Ecological Park ¡°Students who have chosen the Wood element, come over here!¡± ¡°Water element students, gather here!¡± ¡­ Research institute staff, holding signs, called out loudly. Once the numbers were sufficient, they checked off names from their lists one by one. Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua had chosen different elements¡ªone Wood, the other Ice¡ªso they wouldn¡¯t meet in the ecological park. After confirming the attendance, two lead teachers and three research staff for each element led their respective student groups to an altar. The altar was inscribed with a silver array. A staff member explained, ¡°This is a short-distance spatial teleportation array. The ecological park covers 500 square kilometers. Without the teleportation array, it would take a whole day to walk across.¡± S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Now, does anyone have a history of spatial energy allergies?¡± All the students shook their heads. If someone were allergic to spatial energy, they wouldn¡¯t be able to open a Beast Taming Space. Without a Beast Taming Space, there would be no place to store large amounts of magical energy, and they would remain a Level 1 Beast Tamer for life. In that case, why even pursue being a Beast Tamer? It would be better to switch majors while there¡¯s still time. After repeatedly confirming, the staff confidently activated the spatial teleportation array. After several rounds of teleportation, everyone arrived at a serene valley. The valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, with lush trees and an endless plain in the distance. On the plain, scattered black dots moved about. The staff took out a large bag from their backpack and distributed a special smart wristband to each student. ¡°This is a specially designed smart wristband, monitored uniformly by the Mechanical-type beasts in the institute. It comes with a protective energy shield that activates when your life is in danger. At the same time, rescue teams will quickly arrive at the coordinates sent by the wristband.¡± ¡°Additionally, it is strictly forbidden to use force when selecting beasts, unless the beast initiates a challenge. Otherwise, your selection qualification will be revoked.¡± ¡°After that, you¡¯ll probably have to buy beast eggs at your own expense.¡± The lead staff member showed a strange smile and said, ¡°Of course, I know some of you aren¡¯t short of money, but I still have to remind you.¡± ¡°If the above situation is deemed serious, it will be recorded in your file. You should know what that means.¡± Hearing this, some students who had initially been indifferent stuck out their tongues. This was indeed a price they couldn¡¯t afford. Having a blemish on their record would make it nearly impossible to get into a top university. Rich kids might have money, but they weren¡¯t foolish enough to risk their future by bullying young beasts. Seeing the threat had its effect, the staff shouted, ¡°Now, dismiss! Return here by 5 PM. If you get lost, use the smart wristband¡¯s markers to guide you.¡± As soon as the words were spoken, the two school teachers nodded, and over a hundred students scattered like birds and beasts, running toward the distant forest and plain. As for the risks of the wild, Donghuang Kingdom had been teaching wilderness survival training since middle school. Those who couldn¡¯t overcome this hurdle should give up on the idea of adventuring outside the city. Li Chang¡¯an headed straight for the Wood Element Zone C. With his father¡¯s connections, why would he dawdle? Seeing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s clear goal, the staff¡¯s eyelids twitched. As expected of the vice director¡¯s son, his sense of purpose was clear! Along the way, Li Chang¡¯an encountered no danger. In fact, it seemed as if the dangers were consciously avoiding him. What was going on? Li Chang¡¯an was puzzled. Mao Mao, through soul communication, said, ¡°Meow? Could it be because Chang¡¯an hasn¡¯t suppressed his aura?¡± Suppressed his aura? What aura do I have? Thinking about it, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s expression grew serious. He did seem to have such an ability¡ªthe Prison Flame Dragon¡¯s talent, Shadow of the Prison. Even though it only affected him, it was still an ancient dragon¡¯s talent. Now, he was like a half-blood ancient dragon walking freely through the forest. How could the magical beasts living in the ecological park dare to provoke him? Realizing this, Li Chang¡¯an felt truly helpless. He had considered using the Hunting Notes to learn a stealth skill, but Mao Mao could ignore the soul contamination when adding skill points through the Hunting Notes. He, however, couldn¡¯t. As an adult who had experienced the complexities of society, the only thing Li Chang¡¯an had learned was self-awareness. Adding skills to himself was like an addict taking drugs¡ªonce you start, it¡¯s hard to stop. The soul messages left in the Hunting Notes all warned against over-reliance on the Hunting Notes. While attribute plundering was unavoidable in the process of becoming stronger, adding skill points to oneself should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. If you do use it, be prepared to be enslaved. Therefore, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s initial excitement about his second beast dwindled. Compared to the second beast, he was more concerned about his own future. Forget it, let¡¯s just take a walk. Maybe I¡¯ll encounter a little guy who isn¡¯t afraid of me. Li Chang¡¯an completely relaxed and wandered leisurely through the Wood Element Zone. Although the beasts were avoiding him, thanks to his decent physical fitness, he still managed to see many rare Wood-type beasts. ¡°Hmm, there¡¯s even a Flower Vine Snake here.¡± The Flower Vine Snake was a pure Wood-type, non-venomous beast. Its scales were covered in moss, and it had a flower on its head. The type of flower varied depending on the environment where the snake was born. The Flower Vine Snake was highly sought after for its instant recovery and shedding abilities. These two abilities were also its talents. When the Flower Vine Snake received a fatal attack, it would use its slippery moss-covered scales to shed its skin and evade the attack. When it was on the verge of death, it would absorb the flower on its head, extracting the stored energy to achieve instant recovery. Both abilities were highly prized by humans. ¡°I wonder who this timid little guy will end up with.¡± Li Chang¡¯an circled around the trembling little snake in the cave and continued toward the plain. Along the way, he encountered a herd of Four Seasons Deer. These beautiful creatures were leisurely grazing. These deer were uncommon and classified as protected beasts. Only during this special period of selecting initial beasts was there a chance to contract them. For others, without sufficient authority, these treasures were out of reach. The Four Seasons Deer were also Wood-type beasts. Depending on their birth season, they were divided into Spring Antler, Summer Antler, Autumn Antler, and Winter Antler Deer. The evolved forms of the four types also had different attributes, all with the potential to surpass the Elite level and reach Commander level. The evolved form of the Spring Antler Deer, the Spring Flower Deer, was a pure Wood-type. Its light green fur was covered in flowers, hence its name. The Spring Flower Deer had strong healing abilities, and a few individuals with powerful life force could accelerate plant growth. The evolved form of the Summer Antler Deer, the Summer Flame Deer, was a dual Wood and Fire-type. Its fiery red fur made it more temperamental than other evolved forms. Its antlers, which would normally shed, became flame antlers that were extremely difficult to shed. This made the flame antlers highly valuable in the herbal medicine market. The evolved form of the Autumn Antler Deer, the Autumn Fruit Deer, was a dual Earth and Wood-type. Its pale yellow body had antlers that periodically bore fruits. The type of fruit depended on the spiritual fruit materials the deer consumed during evolution, making it a rare resource-type beast. Beast Tamers who were often short on funds could consider raising one, provided they had enough contributions. Finally, the rarest was the Winter Antler Deer. Since few fawns were born in winter, this type of beast was extremely scarce. Although the Four Seasons Deer were a supernatural species, their breeding season was in summer and autumn. Winter-born individuals were one in ten thousand exceptions. In Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s memory, only five Winter Antler Deer had been born in the ecological research institute in the past twenty years. Not only were they rare, but their strength was also among the best of the Four Seasons Deer. Their evolved forms were of two types¡ªWinter Crystal Deer and Winter Wood Deer. The former was a dual Wood and Ice-type, known for its powerful strength. The latter remained a Wood-type beast but had a powerful Monarch-level evolved form¡ªthe Blizzard Giant Wood Deer. This was the only Four Seasons Deer capable of evolving to the Monarch level, with the potential to reach High Monarch level. The conditions for evolving into a Blizzard Giant Wood Deer were harsh, and only a few successful cases existed. One of them was in the hands of Lin Feiya, one of the Eight Pillars of Donghuang, known as ¡°Snow-Filled Bow.¡± ¡°Meow. Chang¡¯an, we¡¯ve got a lead. Those antlered deer were chatting about a pair of very special beasts up ahead.¡± Mao Mao, who shared Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s soul vision, reminded him. Li Chang¡¯an: You even understand deer language! Mao Mao: o()q! Chapter 16 - The Mighty Little Rabbit Chapter 16: The Mighty Little Rabbit Like other magical beasts, the Four Seasons Deer herd also stopped grazing when they saw Li Chang¡¯an approaching. However, since there was an evolved leader-level deer in the herd, the younger deer did not immediately flee. Li Chang¡¯an left a few low-level wood elemental crystals as a token of gratitude before heading toward the location he had heard about. Only after Li Chang¡¯an had traveled ten miles away did the Four Seasons Deer herd resume their grazing. The leader of the herd, the Summer Flame Deer, picked up the wood elemental crystals Li Chang¡¯an had left with its mouth and placed them near a few newly born fawns. It then glanced in the direction Li Chang¡¯an had departed. After walking for half an hour, Li Chang¡¯an encountered many peculiar wood elemental magical beasts, but he still hadn¡¯t found the wooden house mentioned by the Four Seasons Deer. After another ten miles, he finally spotted a giant tree in the distance, surrounded by numerous ordinary trees. Although this small grove wasn¡¯t large, it was quite troublesome. The trees themselves weren¡¯t the problem¡ªit was the thick underbrush of thorny shrubs covering the ground. Li Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t let Mao Mao use its prison flames to clear a path, as the smoke would likely draw attention, and he¡¯d end up sitting on a metal bench with his smart bracelet seamlessly switching to silver. Just as Li Chang¡¯an was at a loss, a burst of fire shot from behind him, opening a small path leading into the grove. Turning around, he caught a glimpse of a Summer Flame Deer disappearing into the distance. With a sigh of admiration, Li Chang¡¯an walked along the path the Summer Flame Deer had cleared, extinguishing several embers along the way. When he reached the base of the giant tree, he found a hole large enough for a magical beast twice his height to pass through. Nearby, there was a pool of clear spring water. ¡°There¡¯s indeed a Thorn Bear in its awakening phase inside the tree hollow, but unfortunately, it seems unable to resist the aura emanating from its own body,¡± Li Chang¡¯an muttered with a deep sigh. If even he couldn¡¯t withstand the aura, there was no way he could fight alongside Mao Mao. Just as he was about to turn back, his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a white figure. It was a rabbit with snow-white fur and emerald-green limbs, holding a wooden ladle and fetching water from the spring. The rabbit¡¯s ears were particularly unique¡ªshaped like leaves. Li Chang¡¯an pondered for a moment. Leaf-shaped ears were a characteristic of the transcendent-level magical beast, the Double-Leaf Rabbit. However, the Double-Leaf Rabbit¡¯s fur was entirely emerald-green, whereas this rabbit only had green limbs. The thought crossed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind. The little rabbit didn¡¯t seem frightened by his aura. More importantly, it displayed high intelligence, even using a wooden ladle to fetch water. Li Chang¡¯an quietly approached the rabbit. After finishing its task, the rabbit turned around and saw a large shadow looming over it. With the sun behind him and his faint aura, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s face was cast in deep shadow. The rabbit: ¦²(¨‘¨Œ¨‘¡±a! Li Chang¡¯an: (£þ¦á£þ). The rabbit kicked its legs and tried to run, but Li Chang¡¯an was quick. He grabbed the rabbit by the scruff of its neck and lifted it into the air. Despite being suspended, the little creature didn¡¯t cower. Instead, it fiercely beat Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s arm with its small wooden ladle. Unfortunately, after his physical enhancements, Li Chang¡¯an only felt the rabbit¡¯s attacks as light and gentle taps. Seeing the rabbit being captured, the Thorn Bear inside the tree hollow rushed out, baring its teeth and growling, seemingly threatening Li Chang¡¯an to release the rabbit. In response, Li Chang¡¯an summoned Mao Mao. The mixed-blood dragon¡¯s aura overwhelmed the Thorn Bear, causing it to faint on the spot. The little rabbit, however, performed much better than the clumsy Thorn Bear. Although Li Chang¡¯an could clearly feel its body trembling, the rabbit¡¯s eyes remained fixed on him. Li Chang¡¯an set the rabbit down and had Mao Mao act as a translator. Mao Mao, a noble ancient dragon, never expected that after forming a contract with Li Chang¡¯an, its most frequent role wouldn¡¯t be in battle but as a translator. With its inherited memories, Mao Mao was essentially an encyclopedia of magical beasts, and for Li Chang¡¯an, its knowledge was far more valuable than its combat abilities. With Mao Mao¡¯s translation, Li Chang¡¯an successfully struck up a conversation with the rabbit. This mutated Double-Leaf Rabbit had been raised by the Thorn Bear¡¯s mother and considered the Thorn Bear its sibling. Perhaps because this lineage of Thorn Bears was herbivorous, it was gentler but also more timid compared to its kin. The thorny shrubs outside the grove had been planted by this Thorn Bear. Although it had lost the robust physique typical of its species, it had gained stronger control over wood elemental energy, effectively transitioning from a close-combat fighter to a forest shaman. The little rabbit was responsible for finding food for the timid Thorn Bear and occasionally prepared rough spirit food, which had honed its dexterity in using its forelimbs. Hearing this, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes lit up. He then explained his intentions to the rabbit. Unsurprisingly, the rabbit refused, citing concerns that the Thorn Bear might starve to death if it left. Li Chang¡¯an pondered this. Based on the rabbit¡¯s description of the Thorn Bear as a ¡°useless lump,¡± such a scenario was indeed possible. The Ecological Research Institute didn¡¯t interfere much with the ecological park, focusing more on observation and recording. The magical beasts¡¯ mix of trust and fear toward humans was the result of generations of researchers balancing discipline and rewards. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°So, if I find a suitable caretaker for this big oaf, you¡¯re willing to come with me, right?¡± After Mao Mao relayed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s words, the rabbit thought for a moment and nodded. Seeing this, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s estimation of the rabbit¡¯s intelligence rose another notch. ¡°Mao Mao, go wake up that Thorn Bear pretending to be dead.¡± Following Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s order, Mao Mao approached the Thorn Bear and delivered two swift punches, startling the bear so much that it leaped three feet into the air! It was hard to imagine such a tall, clumsy bear could jump so high. Mao Mao growled, signaling the Thorn Bear to follow. The Thorn Bear, acting like a wronged wife, reluctantly shuffled over to Li Chang¡¯an. In the gazes of both the rabbit and the Thorn Bear, Li Chang¡¯an detected frustration and resentment from the rabbit and grievance from the bear. The intelligence of these two magical beasts far exceeded that of ordinary awakening-phase beasts. Only the leader-level Summer Flame Deer he had encountered earlier could rival them. Li Chang¡¯an addressed the Thorn Bear, ¡°Show me all your abilities.¡± Mao Mao growled twice, and though the Thorn Bear shivered, it complied under Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s calm gaze. A yellow beam of light, green specks, and a slowly growing thorny vine appeared in sequence before the Thorn Bear. ¡°Solar Beam, Slow Catalysis, and this¡­¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes sparkled with amazement. If not for the Thorn Bear¡¯s timidity, he would have considered taking it home. He sensed an amplifying effect from the slowly growing thorny vine. This was an aura skill that could enhance the attack power of nearby allies. Who would have thought this big, clumsy bear had the potential to be a forest shaman? The Thorn Bear¡¯s awakened talent was [Totem Amplification], which enhanced the effects of aura skills. The best-case scenario for a contractor would be inheriting the Thorn Bear¡¯s talent, allowing for dual amplification with the bear in the future. At the very least, they could gain Solar Beam as an additional attack method. [Slow Catalysis] was one of the most suitable abilities for students looking for good job prospects in the future. However, finding the right candidate to take care of the Thorn Bear was no easy task. An ordinary person would waste its potential. Slowly, the image of a cheerful young man surfaced in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind. Chapter 17 - The Next Home for the Thorn Bear Chapter 17: The Next Home for the Thorn Bear After deciding on the candidate, Li Chang¡¯an still needed to see what skills this little rabbit had. After all, it was hard to find a suitable pet beast for him these days. The fact that this clever little rabbit could withstand Mao Mao¡¯s aura during its awakening period was enough for Li Chang¡¯an to take it seriously. ¡°Let me see what skills you have,¡± Li Chang¡¯an said. Upon receiving Mao Mao¡¯s message, the little rabbit willingly displayed its abilities. Two wood-type energy blades cut through the nearby weeds, and a refreshing herbal scent rushed straight to Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s brain, instantly easing his mind. ¡°Leaf Blade, Grass Blessing,¡± Li Chang¡¯an finally understood why the Thorn Bear¡¯s mother had adopted this little rabbit. Grass Blessing¡ªa mid-tier wood-type skill, but its effects rivaled those of high-tier skills! It was one of the favorite support skills for artillery-type pet beasts and harmonizers. [Grass Blessing]: Reduces fatigue and enhances mental recovery. No wonder this Thorn Bear, with only its awakening period strength, had managed to plant a circle of thorny protective bushes around the forest. It turned out the little rabbit¡¯s Grass Blessing had been assisting it. With this skill alone, Li Chang¡¯an felt that using a contract slot on the rabbit was worth it. After demonstrating these two skills, the little rabbit began to showcase its talent. It picked up a small wooden spoon, crushed some berries and grass in a stone pit, mixed them a few times, and finally sprinkled some spring water on top. A miraculous scene unfolded before Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes. He could actually sense a harmonious aura emanating from the mixture, as if these seemingly ordinary ingredients were meant to be combined in this way. Although Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t know what this talent was called, he knew he had stumbled upon a treasure. However, he maintained a calm demeanor on the surface. He dipped his finger into the mixture, tasted it, and said to the little rabbit, ¡°Not bad.¡± Hearing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s praise, the little rabbit shyly pulled down its leafy ears with its front paws, covering half of its face. Mao Mao, who shared a mental connection with Li Chang¡¯an, knew exactly how excited he had been moments ago. Seeing Li Chang¡¯an now pretending to be indifferent, a rare flicker of emotion appeared in Mao Mao¡¯s sky-blue eyes. Mao Mao imitated Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s demeanor, slightly tilting its head and nodding at the little rabbit, as if giving its approval. It seemed that the master and pet were cut from the same cloth¡ªeven the proud ancient dragon had been tainted by human cunning. After the discussion, Li Chang¡¯an left the forest with Mao Mao perched on his shoulder, the little rabbit in his arms, and the Thorn Bear following behind. The siblings rarely ventured out, so their tree hole didn¡¯t contain anything of value. The Thorn Bear wanted to bring along some ¡°treasures,¡± but Mao Mao ¡°persuaded¡± it to leave them behind. On the way back, Li Chang¡¯an gave all the wood-type crystals he had to the Four Seasons Deer herd and left behind two servings of [Fresh Salad]. The Summer Flame Deer nodded at him and even offered him a shed antler, but Li Chang¡¯an declined. Students weren¡¯t allowed to take anything from the ecological park except for their contracted beasts. Reluctantly, Li Chang¡¯an turned down this ¡°small treasure¡± and continued on his way. During the journey, the Thorn Bear devoured two of the remaining three servings of Fresh Salad, while the little rabbit, after finishing its portion, eagerly asked Li Chang¡¯an to teach it how to make the dish. Li Chang¡¯an promised to teach it once they returned. He also learned that this Thorn Bear was the 23rd generation of its lineage. Its mother had warned it before her death to only go out and ¡°have fun¡± after it had offspring. This was why the big, clumsy bear was so afraid of death. Li Chang¡¯an once again underestimated the Thorn Bear¡¯s intelligence. The fact that its mother had such a strong sense of continuing the family line showed that the Thorn Bear family possessed wisdom comparable to that of mature humans¡ªa rarity among Thorn Bears, whose brains were only the size of walnuts. Fortunately, there was signal in the ecological park. Li Chang¡¯an used his phone to privately message the chosen candidate. ¡°Old Li, you owe me for wasting my time! You made me wait here for an hour¡ªthat¡¯s not cool! At the very least, you owe me three barbecue meals,¡± said a muscular, dark-skinned teenager, slinging his arm around Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s neck and holding up three fingers. This teenager, who was a head taller than Li Chang¡¯an, was named Bai Wenshan. His family ran a ranch, and he was known for his cheerful and enthusiastic personality. Li Chang¡¯an and he got along quite well. ¡°Nonsense! I recommended this guy to you. You should be treating me to five barbecue meals, and it has to be from Old Wang¡¯s Barbecue on Wuhuan Street,¡± Li Chang¡¯an retorted, slapping Bai Wenshan¡¯s hand away and holding up five fingers. Bai Wenshan chuckled and said, ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have to see just how amazing this pet beast you recommended is!¡± Li Chang¡¯an smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly amazing, but it¡¯s definitely something you won¡¯t be able to resist.¡± Bai Wenshan¡¯s eyes sparkled with a hint of anticipation. He knew Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s personality well¡ªhe never spoke without reason. Moreover, given Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s family background, his judgment on pet beasts was unlikely to be off. Li Chang¡¯an pointed behind him. ¡°There, that¡¯s the pet beast I recommended.¡± Bai Wenshan: ¡°¡­¡± Thorn Bears were decent, but aside from their lack of brains, they were strong in other areas. However, Bai Wenshan least wanted this type of pet beast. The dark-skinned teenager¡¯s face showed a hint of helplessness. ¡°Is this a joke?¡± Li Chang¡¯an smiled casually and commented, ¡°It knows how to play dead.¡± Bai Wenshan¡¯s expression turned serious. A ferocious bear that usually fought without regard for its own life actually knew how to play dead. This meant that even in battle, it retained a shred of rationality, unlike others of its kind. Thorn Bears had decent evolutionary potential, with two king-level evolutions, each being a battlefield meat grinder. However, they all shared one flaw: they were prone to losing their rationality. A rational battlefield meat grinder was a terrifying prospect. Bai Wenshan slightly adjusted his stubborn prejudice. This bear wasn¡¯t entirely unsuitable for a contract. Li Chang¡¯an, sensing the teenager¡¯s emotional shift through his mental energy, secretly smiled. Then, Li Chang¡¯an signaled the Thorn Bear to demonstrate its [Thorn Totem] skill. A green thorn slowly grew from the ground, emitting a faint green light within a three-meter radius. Bai Wenshan¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. He grabbed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s shoulder and said eagerly, ¡°Old Li, you must let me contract this Thorn Bear! I¡¯ll treat you to five¡ªno, ten meals at Old Wang¡¯s Barbecue!¡± Li Chang¡¯an had known that once the Thorn Bear displayed its [Thorn Totem] skill, Bai Wenshan would be hooked. Bai Wenshan came from the Bai family, a prominent beast-taming family with close ties to the military. The Bai family was known for producing shaman-type pet beasts, and many military units in Z Province had at least one or two Bai family members. Although the Bai family was rich in shaman-type pet beasts, with so many descendants, it was already a stroke of luck for each person to get one. Bai Wenshan¡¯s father was a live-in son-in-law, but his mother was the sister of a core elder in the Bai family, so Bai Wenshan had a quota for a shaman-type pet beast. However, as a Bai family member, who wouldn¡¯t want an extra shaman-type pet beast in their team? Li Chang¡¯an wore a faint smile, while Bai Wenshan¡¯s excited expression faltered, like a wilted flower. ¡°Go easy on me,¡± Bai Wenshan said. Li Chang¡¯an chuckled. ¡°Just provide it with food and shelter, and find it a few wives in the future to break its family¡¯s 23-generation single-line curse.¡± S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Bai Wenshan blinked. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Of course. With the few coins in your pocket, you don¡¯t even have a fraction of my monthly allowance.¡± Bai Wenshan looked embarrassed. Although his mother was wealthy, it didn¡¯t mean he was. He was indeed quite poor. The Bai family followed a military-style upbringing, adhering to the tradition of raising sons frugally and daughters lavishly. Bai Wenshan was so broke that being able to afford five barbecue meals was already the sum of his ¡°savings¡± over the years. Bai Wenshan grinned and punched Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s chest. ¡°I owe you one.¡± Li Chang¡¯an rolled his eyes in response. With Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s permission, Bai Wenshan eagerly approached the Thorn Bear, touching it all over like a creep. The big, clumsy bear retreated in fear, hiding behind Li Chang¡¯an. It wasn¡¯t until Bai Wenshan took out some low-tier spirit food from his bag that the Thorn Bear reluctantly allowed him to touch it. Chapter 18 - Troubles Chapter 18: Troubles After finding a suitable home for the Thorn Bear, it was already around one or two in the afternoon. Li Chang¡¯an and Bai Wenshan returned to the vicinity of the spatial teleportation array, where many students had already returned with their desired spirit beasts. The valley was now filled with noise and vitality. However, as soon as Li Chang¡¯an laid out his sitting mat, took out his lunch, and released Mao Mao to eat, the noisy valley suddenly fell silent. Except for the Thorn Bear and the little rabbit, which were prepared, all the other spirit beasts chosen by the students were lying on the ground, trembling as if they had seen some terrifying demon king. Bai Wenshan couldn¡¯t help but curse, ¡°Holy crap, when did you contract your initial spirit beast? Is that a dragon-type spirit beast? And you¡¯ve already opened a beast taming space?¡± Li Chang¡¯an calmly fed the lava jelly to Mao Mao, took a bite of his sandwich, and said, ¡°Your information is way out of date! Quite a few people already know that I¡¯ve contracted a spirit beast.¡± The surrounding students, upon hearing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s complaint, felt their mouths go dry. They knew about it, but they hadn¡¯t been beast tamers before and didn¡¯t have spirit beasts. How could they have sensed the terrifying pressure Mao Mao exerted on ordinary spirit beasts? At this stage, a dragon-type spirit beast that could exert such pressure on humans had to be at the level of a sub-dragon species. Ordinary dragon species only gained such majesty after reaching the monarch level. Mao Mao had been keeping its aura suppressed, so these people hadn¡¯t felt anything¡ªexcept for the spirit beasts. Only now, through their contracted spirit beasts, did some students feel Mao Mao¡¯s overwhelming presence. Bai Wenshan gave Li Chang¡¯an a deep look, swallowing the words that had been on the tip of his tongue. He also scrutinized the little rabbit Li Chang¡¯an was holding a few times, and his earlier excitement about obtaining the Thorn Bear instantly dissipated. He was certain that this little rabbit was even more special than the Thorn Bear; otherwise, the usually picky Li Chang¡¯an wouldn¡¯t treasure it so much. But as Li Chang¡¯an had said earlier, what¡¯s suitable is what¡¯s best. Getting the Thorn Bear was already a stroke of luck for Bai Wenshan. There was no need to dwell on what-ifs. So, Bai Wenshan pushed aside his distracting thoughts and chatted enthusiastically with Li Chang¡¯an. After finishing three servings of the lava meal, Mao Mao yawned and voluntarily returned to the beast taming space. It was still in its awakening period, so energy replenishment and plenty of sleep were essential. As soon as Mao Mao disappeared, the surrounding small spirit beasts let out a collective sigh of relief. They glanced fearfully in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s direction before running to their tamers, whimpering for comfort. Some students looked utterly defeated. They had contracted large spirit beasts like the Thorn Bear, which, even in their awakening period, were not small. Rather than the spirit beasts seeking comfort in their arms, it was more like the spirit beasts were picking them up to use as tissues to wipe away tears. Bai Wenshan asked curiously, ¡°Old Li, haven¡¯t you reached level 2 yet?¡± Now it was Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s turn to look defeated. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll take another two months.¡± Bai Wenshan was shocked. ¡°That long?¡± After opening a beast taming space, the transition from a level 1 to a level 2 beast tamer was usually quick¡ªsome took a week, while others took up to a month. Two months was indeed a bit long. Li Chang¡¯an said with a troubled expression, ¡°My beast taming space is a bit too big.¡± Bai Wenshan: ¡°¡­¡± He wished he could have that problem tomorrow. Today was the day for contracting initial spirit beasts, and tomorrow the school would organize the official opening of the beast taming space. A researcher who had just walked over heard Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s complaint and took a few deep breaths to calm his fluctuating emotions. As a master¡¯s student from a top university, his perspective wasn¡¯t as narrow as Bai Wenshan¡¯s. For a novice beast tamer to take two months to break through to level 2, the size of their beast taming space had to be at least 400 cubic meters. Over 80% of novices opened beast taming spaces smaller than 100 cubic meters. To be precise, the range was usually between 25 and 70 cubic meters, still far from 100. Those who could open an initial beast taming space exceeding 100 cubic meters were considered talents worth nurturing, making up about 15% of the population. Less than 5% were prodigies who could exceed 200 cubic meters. And a very small handful of freaks could open an initial beast taming space surpassing 300 cubic meters. Unfortunately, he had just encountered one of Donghuang Kingdom¡¯s freaks complaining about his talent. Only those who had been through the trials of adulthood could understand the complexity of this situation. So, to balance his own emotions, the researcher sent a message to his research institute¡¯s group chat. [Don¡¯t Go Bald]: Sharing is caring! Just heard a student complaining that it¡¯ll take him two months to break through to level 2 beast tamer.[Autumn Wind]: At first glance, fake![Old Monk Uses Coolness]: Let me see which clueless kid is bragging![Don¡¯t Go Bald]: Photo of Li Chang¡¯an.JPG[Old Monk Uses Coolness] retracted a message.[Old Monk Uses Coolness]: Director, I was wrong![Autumn Wind]: At first glance, confirmed! ¡°Old Monk Uses Coolness¡± has been muted by the administrator ¡°Full-Time Housewife¡± for 72 hours. The researcher smiled contentedly, put away his phone, and walked briskly toward the spatial array. He gathered the students and sent them back to the research institute. Li Mingxuan sat in his office, having unexpectedly learned a piece of gossip about his son. Half of his face was immersed in shadow, making the other half appear particularly gloomy. Thud! Thud~! Thud! The darkness seemed to be consuming him. ¡­ Li Mingxuan sighed and said to someone behind him, ¡°Xiao Lin, stop playing music while I¡¯m thinking. And open the curtains. The office is already stuffy, and with them closed, it¡¯s even worse.¡± A humanoid spirit beast wearing an apron and headphones covered its mouth to stifle a laugh, turned off the stereo, and opened the tightly drawn curtains. The afternoon summer sunlight streamed into the stuffy office. This was a rare soul-type spirit beast, the Melodic Muse. ¡°Na Na? (Is this about Xiao An?)¡± Li Mingxuan rubbed his temples, looking weary as he replied, ¡°Partly. I just found out why Xiao An came to ask about auxiliary potions a while ago.¡± S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The Melodic Muse gently massaged Li Mingxuan¡¯s temples and asked, ¡°Na? (What¡¯s wrong?)¡± ¡°Xiao An needs two months to advance to level 2 beast tamer, which means his initial beast taming space is at least 400 cubic meters.¡± The Melodic Muse covered its mouth in surprise. ¡°Na! (400 cubic meters?!)¡± It understood what 400 cubic meters meant. Spirit beasts would not only live more comfortably in such a space, but the vast amount of energy or aura would also provide a better cultivation environment. Additionally, a large beast taming space meant that Xiao An could later learn some spatial-type beast taming abilities, greatly enhancing his strength and survivability. From what it had heard from its predecessors, Li Mingxuan¡¯s initial beast taming space was only 230 cubic meters, yet he had already been taken under the wing of a powerful mentor. With Xiao An surpassing him by almost double, what kind of future awaited him? Come to think of it, it had been a while since it last saw Xiao An. The Melodic Muse¡¯s eyes softened. Compared to Li Mingxuan and Mu Qingqing, it had been the one who had spent the most time with Li Chang¡¯an. With both parents busy with work, it had been taking care of Li Chang¡¯an since elementary school. Li Mingxuan patted the Melodic Muse¡¯s arm and said softly, ¡°Once we get through this period, you¡¯ll be able to see Xiao An again. He¡¯ll surely be surprised.¡± The Melodic Muse, thinking of the future scene, let out a clear, melodious laugh. Meanwhile, Li Chang¡¯an returned to the research institute, familiarly moving tables and chairs from the neighboring lab to sit with a few teachers and quietly watch the show. The first task for these students returning from the ecological park was to sign soul contracts with their initial spirit beasts. There was no safer place than the ecological research institute for this. Even if something went wrong, the best doctors were here, and they were the closest. Chapter 19 - Yaoyao Chapter 19: Yaoyao Students who could obtain the Apprentice Beastmaster qualification from the school had to have a spiritual power exceeding 5 Fu. However, the world was never short of surprises. In the one hour Li Chang¡¯an spent watching the spectacle, over a dozen students had already failed in their contract attempts. One unlucky individual even suffered a spiritual backlash during the contract process. Even with medical treatment, they would need a day or two of rest before attempting another contract. During this time, Li Chang¡¯an named the little rabbit Li Yao, affectionately called Yaoyao. Yaoyao remained very calm in his arms, only showing a hint of tension when the Thorny Bear and Bai Wenshan were forming their contract. Her small, emerald-green claws clung tightly to Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s arm. It wasn¡¯t until the Thorny Bear was successfully contracted that she finally relaxed. ¡°Guji! (Will it be this risky when I form a contract with you in the future?)¡± After Mao Mao translated, Li Chang¡¯an explained, ¡°Only the first time is like this. I¡¯ve already formed a contract with Mao Mao, so when it¡¯s your turn, it will be much easier.¡± Yaoyao let out a sigh of relief and quietly continued to watch the spectacle from Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s arm. After a while, Li Chang¡¯an noticed that Yaoyao had unknowingly fallen asleep. Despite her mature demeanor, Yaoyao was still a young beast in the awakening stage. After all she had been through, she was utterly exhausted. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. After informing a few of the leading teachers, Li Chang¡¯an carried Yaoyao to the rest room in the research institute. At this hour, most researchers were already at work, so the rest room was naturally empty. This suited Li Chang¡¯an just fine. Not long after, another figure entered the rest room¡ªWen Miaohua. ¡°You¡¯re sure enough here,¡± she said. As someone with connections to Li Chang¡¯an, Wen Miaohua was very familiar with the ecological research institute and knew Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s usual haunts. ¡°What beast did you choose to contract?¡± Li Chang¡¯an gestured to Yaoyao on the table. Wen Miaohua¡¯s gaze lingered on Yaoyao¡¯s snow-white fur for a moment before asking, ¡°A mutant?¡± Li Chang¡¯an nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m more inclined to think it¡¯s a hybrid.¡± ¡°A hybrid?¡± Wen Miaohua¡¯s eyebrows raised, her eyes sparkling. If Li Chang¡¯an had taken a liking to it, it must be a hybrid of a powerful rabbit-type magical beast. ¡°Any clues?¡± she asked. Li Chang¡¯an shrugged, spreading his hands. ¡°Obviously not. Yaoyao¡¯s abilities are quite complex. She has the Leaf Blade of the Double-Leaf Rabbit and the Grass Blessing of the Lucky Grass Rabbit. That talent of hers is also quite extraordinary. With just a few simple fruits, some grass, and a bit of spring water, she managed to create a rudimentary spirit food.¡± Wen Miaohua was already amazed when she heard that Yaoyao could use Grass Blessing. But when she heard the last part, even she was at a loss for words. Yaoyao seemed tailor-made for the profession of a spirit food harmonizer. Even if she didn¡¯t have healing abilities, she could still ensure the logistics of an entire team of beasts. She was a logistics-type beast that was truly rare and hard to come by. As for Yaoyao¡¯s current potential, which was only at the low-level extraordinary tier, it wasn¡¯t much of an issue given Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s family background. Moreover, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s father, Li Mingxuan, was a seasoned research expert. Customizing a suitable evolution ritual for Yaoyao wouldn¡¯t be too difficult. What mattered most were Yaoyao¡¯s talents and skills. Many high-level beasts were just that¡ªhigh-level. Without awakening key skills, their value was far inferior to low-tier beasts that had awakened core skills early on. Racial potential was something that humans believed could be changed, as long as you were willing to pay the price. The research community had a saying: ¡°The evolution of beasts is limitless; we just haven¡¯t found the right method yet.¡± ¡°Congratulations on finding a beast with such extraordinary potential,¡± Wen Miaohua said, her voice tinged with envy. Li Chang¡¯an countered, ¡°What about you, Hua? What did you choose for your second beast?¡± Wen Miaohua looked somewhat embarrassed. Compared to Yaoyao, her second beast was somewhat underwhelming. An ice-blue contract formation appeared at her feet, and a round figure materialized in her palm¡ªa Snowball, an ice-type beast. The color of a Beastmaster¡¯s contract formation wasn¡¯t related to their level but to the beasts they had contracted. It was usually a shimmering white. However, if one beast far surpassed the others, or if most of the beasts were of the same attribute, the contract formation would take on the color of that attribute. Clearly, Wen Miaohua¡¯s mysterious initial beast was ice-type. What caught Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s attention the most was that Wen Miaohua¡¯s star-mark formation had extended into three star swords, indicating that this serene young girl was a Level 3 Beastmaster¡ªjust one step away from advancing to the mid-tier Beastmaster rank. Good grief, so she was the hidden ace of Red Rock First High School! A 16-year-old Level 3 Beastmaster! If nothing went wrong, once this Snowball caught up, Wen Miaohua might be able to break through to the mid-tier Beastmaster realm through contract feedback, leaving the average populace far behind. Wen Miaohua noticed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s astonishment and nervously rubbed her knees, which were covered by white knee-high socks. ¡°I just started cultivating a few years earlier than you. It¡¯s not fast at all. Look how long it took me to reach Level 3 Beastmaster,¡± she said, even downplaying herself at the end. Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t know what to say. Wen Miaohua¡¯s parents would never let her start cultivating many years early¡ªit would have a very negative impact on a child¡¯s physical development. At most, Wen Miaohua had started cultivating two years earlier, no more than that. Could he say that the last sentence was unnecessary? No. The young girl would only become more anxious. So, Li Chang¡¯an decided to make Wen Miaohua even more uneasy. He suddenly moved closer to her, staring into her ethereal eyes for a long time, as if savoring their unique clarity. Wen Miaohua felt Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s warm breath and instantly short-circuited. Before she could lower her head, she felt Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s fingers pinch her cheek. ¡°Sure enough, the feel of that bit of flesh on your face is quite nice.¡± A pink steam seemed to rise from the girl¡¯s head as she lowered it, refusing to look at Li Chang¡¯an anymore. The Snowball in Wen Miaohua¡¯s palm loudly protested at Li Chang¡¯an, as if strongly condemning him for bullying its master. As soon as Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s gaze fell on the Snowball, the intangible pressure emanating from him made the little white ball shrink back into Wen Miaohua¡¯s palm, whimpering for comfort. The Snowball¡¯s bully-the-weak, fear-the-strong personality reminded Li Chang¡¯an of a past-life Teddy dog. Just as the weird uncle was about to tease the young girl some more, he received a message. Li Chang¡¯an frowned¡ªOld Li was actually looking for him at this hour! Reluctantly, Li Chang¡¯an had to abandon his original plan. After saying goodbye to Wen Miaohua, he headed to Li Mingxuan¡¯s office. Wen Miaohua watched Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s retreating figure, her mind caught in a dilemma. Why had Chang¡¯an become so proactive lately? Did the initial beast have such a big influence? However, Wen Miaohua happily cupped her cheeks, giggling to herself as her black little leather shoes swung back and forth in the air. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. ¡°Is anyone in there?¡± Wen Miaohua immediately calmed down, responding coldly, ¡°What is it?¡± The person outside was surprised. ¡°Huh? That voice¡ªis that the class monitor? Oh, never mind, I¡¯ll just go.¡± The unattainable flower of Red Rock First High School only showed other expressions to the person she fancied. Li Chang¡¯an turned left and right, arriving at an ordinary office door. The nameplate bore Li Mingxuan¡¯s photo and job title. ¡°Li Mingxuan, it¡¯s me!¡± Li Mingxuan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Call me Dad!¡± Li Chang¡¯an: ¡°¡­¡± Although you have a point, I feel like you¡¯re subtly mocking me. ¡°Dad, open the door!¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Li Chang¡¯an opened the door and walked in, glancing around the room. ¡°Is Sister Ling not here?¡± Li Mingxuan tidied up his desk, pulling a small box from a drawer. ¡°Xiao Ling is still busy with something.¡± ¡°I feel like you¡¯re doing something shady with Sister Ling. Don¡¯t deny it¡ªyou have a track record.¡± Li Mingxuan looked at his rebellious son with a pained expression. His stomach hurt even more now. He really should have had another daughter with Qingqing back then. This rebellious son was going to be the death of him. Li Mingxuan casually asked, ¡°How big is your Beastmaster space, Xiao An?¡± Li Chang¡¯an gave a moderate answer. ¡°500 cubic meters.¡± Li Mingxuan¡¯s hand, holding the small box, paused for a moment. Then, maintaining a cold expression, he handed the box to Li Chang¡¯an. ¡°Not bad. This is for you. It will help with curse power cultivation.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that low-tier Beastmasters shouldn¡¯t use assistance potions for cultivation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct for ordinary people who haven¡¯t even opened up 100 cubic meters,¡± Li Mingxuan said, putting on his suit and straightening his attire. ¡°But for those with over 300 cubic meters, the process of filling the curse power void is too torturous.¡± ¡°Besides, what¡¯s inside this box isn¡¯t a potion. The specific usage instructions are inside. Read them yourself. I have things to do, so I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Without giving Li Chang¡¯an a chance to ask more questions, Li Mingxuan opened and closed the door in one swift motion. Li Chang¡¯an felt that Old Li didn¡¯t seem like he had things to do¡ªmore like he was fleeing. Li Mingxuan walked out of the office, found an empty corner, and excitedly punched the air. ¡°Yes! My son is a once-in-a-generation genius!¡± ¡­¡­ Chapter 20 - Mutation, Suppression! Chapter 20: Mutation, Suppression! Li Chang¡¯an came inexplicably and left just as inexplicably. He returned to the rest room, where Wen Miaohua was still playing with Snowball. ¡°Did your uncle let you go so quickly?¡± As soon as Snowball saw Li Chang¡¯an, it immediately snuggled into Wen Miaohua¡¯s palm. Li Chang¡¯an shook the box in his hand and said, ¡°He just gave me this.¡± Wen Miaohua looked over curiously. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll find out when I open it.¡± Li Chang¡¯an sat back on the stool and opened the box Li Mingxuan had given him. Inside, a crystal shard glowing with a seven-colored light lay quietly in the center, with a piece of paper tucked beside it. When Wen Miaohua saw the crystal shard, a look of understanding appeared on her face. ¡°Chang¡¯an, is your beast space very large?¡± Li Chang¡¯an opened the piece of paper without looking up. ¡°Yes, 500 cubic meters.¡± The girl¡¯s moist lips parted slightly as she took a few quick breaths, then fell silent. ¡°This is a fragment of a Life Crystal. It contains pure life energy and a trace of spatial energy. It¡¯s perfect for beastmasters to accumulate curse power and stabilize their beast space.¡± Combining the note and Wen Miaohua¡¯s explanation, Li Chang¡¯an confirmed that this was indeed a Life Crystal fragment. ¡°So, this is why I never heard of it before?¡± Wen Miaohua explained, ¡°First, Life Crystals are extremely rare. They can only be mined in a few veins in Donghuang Country or deep within life-forbidden zones.¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Second, Life Crystals were originally meant to assist king-level beastmasters in their cultivation. They¡¯re not suitable for beastmasters at levels 1 to 9.¡± ¡°Even as fragments, only geniuses with larger initial beast spaces can use them. Ordinary people risk exploding their beast spaces if they try.¡± A hint of realization flashed in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes. No wonder Li Mingxuan hadn¡¯t given him this before. There were strict requirements regarding beast space. As soon as Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s fingertip touched the surface of the Life Crystal fragment, a pulling force emerged from the depths of his soul. The bloodthorn emblem of the Hunting Notebook appeared, and in an instant, the Life Crystal fragment at his fingertip turned to dust. A rich surge of life energy flowed through his body and into the Hunting Notebook. Li Chang¡¯an could clearly sense the Hunting Notebook¡¯s growing desire. ¡°Kill that girl. She has more on her!¡± The darkness in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes grew colder. The more the Hunting Notebook tempted and urged him, the calmer his anger became. What kind of thing dares to appear so blatantly? It has no finesse at all! Indeed, the mysterious darkness of the Hunting Notebook had completely shattered in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes. Not only had the Hunting Notebook stolen the life energy that belonged to him, but it also offered no benefits in return. In one sentence¡ª¡±It¡¯s utterly useless!¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s lips moved slightly, and a shadow of dark red flames appeared around him. As time passed, the flame shadows grew clearer, carving patterns of prison scales on his exposed skin. A brown eye gradually transformed into a sky-blue dragon pupil. A wild, furious, and ancient aura filled the rest room. Snowball let out a whimper and fainted gracefully in Wen Miaohua¡¯s palm. Wen Miaohua quickly recalled Snowball, and a frosty lotus bloomed behind her. A single horn appeared, isolating the surrounding aura from her. ¡°Xiao Bai, what¡¯s happening to Chang¡¯an?¡± ¡°Neigh! (He has killing intent toward you!)¡± Wen Miaohua said firmly, ¡°Impossible. Chang¡¯an would never do that.¡± ¡°Neigh, neigh. (The killing intent is coming from within his body. He and that monster are busy suppressing it.)¡± Wen Miaohua nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Xiao Bai: ¡°¡­¡± At this moment, the sleeping Yaoyao was also startled awake, but Wen Miaohua protected her. In the beast space, Maomao released its battle form, and the Infernal Core within its body began to spin wildly. The beast resonance soared to the 50% threshold, entering a state of deep resonance. Crossing this threshold, the Prison Shadow ability hidden in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s soul and Maomao¡¯s Infernal Core began to resonate. An intangible, profound force emerged, shattering the bloodthorn emblem on the Hunting Notebook. The blood-colored patterns on the Hunting Notebook¡¯s cover instantly dimmed, and it was forced to fall silent. But this profound force wasn¡¯t about to let it go. It seemed determined to make the Hunting Notebook pay for its insolence. The Hunting Notebook let out an unwilling roar, like a mournful wail that chilled the soul. Li Chang¡¯an and Maomao¡¯s beast resonance nearly broke under this piercing soul cry, but the profound force directly shattered all the blood-colored light on the Hunting Notebook. A dim bloodthorn emblem floated out from the Hunting Notebook and imprinted itself on the star-carved array in the beast space. In an instant, the star-carved array underwent a dramatic change. Intricate patterns of thorns appeared around the edges of the array, and the star at the center shrank, now cradled by a bloodthorn flower at its core, like a shining pearl. The star sword, representing the beastmaster¡¯s level, transformed into a black crack, appearing above the star pearl, both divine and demonic. The moment the star-carved array completed its transformation, Li Chang¡¯an and Maomao released their beast resonance. If not for the earlier physical enhancements, this deep resonance would have been enough to take Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s life. ¡°Is it over?¡± Li Chang¡¯an weakly slumped into the chair in the rest room, murmuring. The aura filling the rest room gradually dissipated as the beast resonance ended. Wen Miaohua, concerned, helped Li Chang¡¯an up. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Li Chang¡¯an waved his hand to indicate he was fine and apologized to Wen Miaohua. ¡°I need some quiet. Please take care of Yaoyao for me.¡± With that, he entered a state of deep meditation. Wen Miaohua and Yaoyao exchanged a glance, and Xiao Bai took over Maomao¡¯s role, translating Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s words for Yaoyao. Yaoyao, well-behaved, quietly rested on the chair next to Wen Miaohua, her gaze fixed on Li Chang¡¯an. As soon as Li Chang¡¯an entered deep meditation, he began to restore his curse power. The earlier outburst had not only battered his body but also nearly drained his curse power. He needed to recover. No wonder his beast space had expanded again after Maomao awakened its talent. With the kind of power output he had just experienced, he truly wouldn¡¯t have survived without the support of a 1000-cubic-meter beast space. After restoring some curse power, Li Chang¡¯an began to study the changes in his contract array. The conclusion was that he found nothing unusual for now. The only discovery was that his ability to absorb life energy and refine curse power had become faster. In other words, his cultivation talent had improved slightly. Suppressing his excitement, Li Chang¡¯an carefully probed the source of this mutation¡ªthe Hunting Notebook. At this moment, the Hunting Notebook seemed like an ordinary book. The bloodthorn flower on its cover was dim, lacking its usual vibrancy. When Li Chang¡¯an opened the Hunting Notebook, the bloodthorn star-carved array emitted a beam of blood-colored light. A piece of information appeared in his mind. ¡°Status change: from temporary holder to holder. The conditions for becoming the master have been halved. Activating five pages of functions will make you the true master of the Hunting Notebook.¡± Such good fortune? Li Chang¡¯an was both surprised and suspicious. He didn¡¯t quite believe in such windfalls. ¡°Then again, it¡¯s not exactly a windfall. It¡¯s the result of Maomao and I fighting tooth and nail.¡± Because the Hunting Notebook had relinquished half of its emblem, the conditions for mastery had been revised. At the same time, the Life Crystal fragment it had swallowed became the catalyst for activating the third page¡¯s function. The third function of the Hunting Notebook, ¡°Chaos Blood Feast,¡± was activated! Chapter 21 - The Chaotic Blood Feast Chapter 21: The Chaotic Blood Feast ¡¾Chaotic Blood Feast¡¿£º Devour all that is inedible, returning to the origin. ¡ª The feast has begun, indulge in the consumption! Compared to the previous two functions, this newly activated one was evidently more potent and sinister. According to the explanation of this function, Li Chang¡¯an could choose to acquire skills or attributes upon killing a supernatural creature, or plunder the life essence of the opponent, transforming it into the most primal life energy to replenish himself. There was only one soul message on the third page, left by the only one among the seven predecessors who activated the hunting notes to the seventh page. It read, ¡°Do not indulge in the pleasure of devouring life energy.¡± It seemed that this was how the predecessor met his end. Li Chang¡¯an initially thought of utilizing this vampiric-like function in the future, but this message served as a warning. Before becoming the true master of the hunting notes, it¡¯s best not to do so. Master? In an instant, a flash of insight crossed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind. He wondered if this function belonged to the seventh page, and perhaps the middle five pages were destroyed by him, hence only the remaining three pages needed activation. But the hunting notes still remind him of the existence of ten pages, which might mean he can create his own five pages of abilities! Thinking of this, Li Chang¡¯an felt a surge of motivation. But he also reminded himself that the abilities of the hunting notes are bizarre, and each use brings negative emotions. It¡¯s like cross-dressing; there¡¯s only zero times and countless times. Once he tries it for the first time, Li Chang¡¯an isn¡¯t sure if he can control himself. Without true confidence, it¡¯s best not to risk it. Leave it all to Mao Mao! I¡¯m such a genius! Mao Mao: I¡¯m not human, but you¡¯re really a dog! Li Chang¡¯an exited his meditative state and apologetically said to Wen Miaohua, ¡°Sorry for worrying you.¡± Wen Miaohua, still concerned, said, ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Maybe you should see a doctor.¡± Li Chang¡¯an refused, holding Yao Yao and explaining, ¡°It was just a surge of one of my abilities. Each time I use it, there¡¯s a lot of negative emotions.¡± Hidden behind Wen Miaohua, Xiao Bai¡¯s eyelids twitched violently, Hey hey! You looked like you were about to stab me with a knife just now. Remember, I was in the beast space earlier, and the killing intent that penetrated the beast space isn¡¯t something that can be explained by just a large degree! Wen Miaohua¡¯s face showed even more worry, ¡°Maybe let Uncle Li find a doctor in Yujing; they can solve even the most troublesome abilities.¡± ¡°No need, I¡¯ve already found a way.¡± Wen Miaohua and Xiao Bai looked puzzled, and Li Chang¡¯an smiled warmly, ¡°Facing malice, crush it with even greater malice.¡± Upon hearing this, Xiao Bai¡¯s face twitched, but considering his speculation, there¡¯s really no flaw in this kid¡¯s words. After all, the greatest malice in the world is not recognizing one¡¯s own malice and calling it ¡°kindness.¡± Coincidentally, there¡¯s a group of ¡°unconscious¡± powerful monsters in the world. If it weren¡¯t for the pure malice on this kid, he would have thought that Li Chang¡¯an had already embraced the evil gods. Wen Miaohua was somewhat confused by Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s method; it sounded reasonable. But something felt off. Xiao Bai rolled his eyes, almost laughing in frustration. Our cabbage has been taken from the root, and expecting this girl to notice anything abnormal, is like hoping Li Chang¡¯an will behave in the future. Xiao Bai concluded that ¡°this kid is fine¡± and returned to the beast space to sleep. Li Chang¡¯an checked the time and realized over two hours had passed, so he took Wen Miaohua back to the room where the students were gathered. Fortunately, it was work hours earlier, and there weren¡¯t many people near the rest area, otherwise, the aura emanating from Li Chang¡¯an would have put the research institute on high alert. Returning to the institute¡¯s hall used for press conferences, as it¡¯s spacious, it¡¯s most suitable for accommodating students during this period. ¡°Teacher Lin, Teacher Fu, what are you doing?¡± As Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua walked in, they saw two teachers commanding their beasts to suppress a red-eyed white-armored rhinoceros. The younger Teacher Lin, seeing the two geniuses of the senior year return, kindly explained, ¡°Ding Jia¡¯s beast entered an awakening period after the contract and unexpectedly awakened its bloodline.¡± Another Teacher Fu added, ¡°Ding Jia can¡¯t control it, so we¡¯re suppressing this white-armored rhinoceros until it finishes awakening and regains its senses.¡± Entering the awakening period and awakening its bloodline? Such a joyous¡­ event is rare! Li Chang¡¯an remembered Ding Jia, a girl from a boxing family, hence quite tomboyish. She¡¯s quite popular among the senior girls, known as ¡°Brother Ding.¡± If it weren¡¯t for her slight sobbing now, with her flat chest, one might think a young master was being bullied. Wen Miaohua also peeked out from behind Li Chang¡¯an, her straight and rounded white silk legs taking a step forward, her chest heaving. It looked as if Wen Miaohua¡¯s head was resting on Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s shoulder, appearing very intimate. Noticing the arrival of Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua, Ding Jia¡¯s pitiful expression stiffened. Clearly noticing the difference between herself and Wen Miaohua. The white-armored rhinoceros, with its enhanced bloodline, struggled again, causing headaches for the two beasts suppressing it. They couldn¡¯t hurt this robust young beast, nor let it escape. What a hassle! Li Chang¡¯an brought two chairs and shared the specially brought spiced melon seeds with Wen Miaohua. Unfortunately, Wen Miaohua didn¡¯t eat them; she usually prefers light food, like stir-fried shrimp. Li Chang¡¯an enjoyed this essential snack for watching dramas. The sound of cracking melon seeds echoed in the quiet hall. The fragrance of the spiced melon seeds made Teachers Lin and Fu join in the cracking. Seeing this, the white-armored rhinoceros became even angrier, its limited young beast intelligence and the inflated sense of power made it think you¡¯re disrespecting me. Come on, dare to mess with me! The white-armored rhinoceros glared, accidentally meeting Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s gaze. The little rhinoceros instantly fell into an endless bloody black tide. What kind of feeling was that? S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The purest malice and the most chaotic killing intent were like two distinct spheres, mixed together without any aesthetic, yet this chaos harmoniously merged in one person. And it was directing malice at this person. The bloodline awakening within the white-armored rhinoceros immediately stopped, then receded at an even faster pace. Damn it, seeking death isn¡¯t done like this! The so-called bloodline awakening is essentially acquiring a strong spiritual memory of an ancestor, leaving that ancestor¡¯s time within oneself. The ancestral will within the white-armored rhinoceros dissipated at the fastest speed upon touching the two auras lingering on Li Chang¡¯an. It feared that the two wills behind Li Chang¡¯an would track it down and kill it offline. The white-armored rhinoceros¡¯s red eyes became clear instantly; without the power from bloodline awakening, the little rhinoceros didn¡¯t even have the courage to look at Li Chang¡¯an. Curling up under the protection of its forelimbs, shivering. Teacher Lin put the melon seeds in his pocket, with a hint of regret, ¡°It seems the bloodline awakening failed.¡± Ding Jia, still grieving, was dumbfounded, failed? My big dragon-blooded white-armored rhinoceros is gone? A woman¡¯s intuition told her that the failure of the white-armored rhinoceros was related to Li Chang¡¯an. Noticing the direction the white rhinoceros was avoiding and where Li Chang¡¯an was sitting, Ding Jia was even more convinced that Li Chang¡¯an was behind it. Instantly, a surge of anger rushed to the tomboy¡¯s heart, breaking her already limited rationality. Ding Jia wiped the tears off her face and angrily shouted at Li Chang¡¯an, ¡°Li Chang¡¯an, was it you who did this!¡± ¡°Are you jealous of me getting a powerful beast, afraid that my Xiao Guai will affect your status, so you sabotaged its bloodline awakening!¡± Ding Jia¡¯s voice was loud, drawing the attention of all the students in the hall. Li Chang¡¯an: Huh? Did this tomboy¡¯s brain get waterlogged by the Blue Lake Dog¡¯s water gun? Chapter 22 - Lost in Madness Chapter 22: Lost in Madness The most outstanding individuals should be Ding Jia, Ji Mo, Lou Haisheng, and Bai Xue. The two boys, Ji Mo and Lou Haisheng, were not interested in anything else, completely absorbed in playing cards. Meanwhile, the girls Ding Jia and Bai Xue each formed their own small groups, named ¡°The Female Fist Group¡± and ¡°The White Flower Society,¡± respectively. Without Wen Miaohua, these two groups might have developed well. However, the presence of the more outstanding Wen Miaohua overshadowed them, surpassing the high school girls represented by Ding Jia in strength, and outshining the clean and beautiful Bai Xue by a mile in looks and temperament. The problem arose because Wen Miaohua did not form any small group, making Ding Jia and Bai Xue appear awkward. Capable individuals do not engage in underhanded tactics, which made Ding Jia and Bai Xue seem like they were putting on airs¡ªlike inserting green onions into a pig¡¯s nose to pretend to be garlic. There are many magnanimous girls, but few who are both capable and magnanimous. Ding Jia and Bai Xue clearly did not fall into this category. Therefore, Li Chang¡¯an, who was close to Wen Miaohua, was considered the only member of Wen Miaohua¡¯s small team. Li Chang¡¯an was an innocent bystander, while Ding Jia and Bai Xue were self-comforting and imagining things. This led to the scene of Ding Jia¡¯s emotional outburst. Li Chang¡¯an noticed many onlookers and thought of a popular phrase from his past life: ¡°I¡¯ve become the joke!¡± The watchers eventually get watched. Li Chang¡¯an took out a pair of earphones from his bag and put them on Yao Yao, as the following conversation would not be suitable for a child. He then shook off the melon seed shells from his clothes and calmly said, ¡°Evidence?¡± sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Ding Jia bit her lip tightly. She had already lost her rationality, and the usual gossip was tormenting her heart. Following the failure of the White Armored Rhinoceros, this emotion burst forth. ¡°It¡¯s you, it¡¯s you! What evidence is needed? My little darling doesn¡¯t even dare to look at you, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Li Chang¡¯an spread his hands and looked at the little delinquent in front of him, who was acting like a shrew, and said, ¡°So, there¡¯s no evidence then?¡± Ding Jia became frantic, ¡°My little darling is scared out of its wits, isn¡¯t that evidence?¡± Hearing this, many students watching couldn¡¯t help but chuckle softly. Having not yet entered society, this was the first time they had heard such a reason. It was an eye-opener. Li Chang¡¯an appeared very patient, as all the negative emotions had been exhausted earlier. At this moment, he was like a teacher earnestly instructing, ¡°Ask your little darling if it dares to look at Wen Miaohua?¡± This sentence automatically turned into ¡°Do you know who¡¯s backing me?¡± in Ding Jia¡¯s mind. Ding Jia became so angry that she started to speak recklessly, ¡°What are you so proud of? You¡¯re just Wen Miaohua¡¯s pretty boy, her lapdog!¡± This statement didn¡¯t faze Li Chang¡¯an, but it angered Wen Miaohua beside him. A chilling aura broke through the teachers¡¯ blockade and heavily pressed down on Ding Jia. The temperature in the hall dropped several degrees, and the young beasts held by the students whimpered, hiding in their owners¡¯ arms and trembling. Several teachers quickly used their spiritual energy to block Wen Miaohua¡¯s aura, preventing a disaster of the young beasts defecating and urinating in fear. Li Chang¡¯an held Wen Miaohua¡¯s hand, and the warmth of his palm made Wen Miaohua unconsciously dissipate the cold pressure. Her jade-like earlobes took on a pink crystal hue. The momentary deathly chill restored some of Ding Jia¡¯s rationality. She had actually insulted Li Chang¡¯an in front of Wen Miaohua. She was done for! Wen Miaohua¡¯s dominance in Hongyan No. 1 High School was never due to her looks but her absolute strength that mercilessly crushed her peers. Li Chang¡¯an asked again, ¡°Since you say it was me, then what vicious method did I use?¡± Ding Jia shook her head. If she knew, she would have reported it long ago. Li Chang¡¯an turned to the surrounding teachers and asked, ¡°Teacher Lin and Teacher Fu, did I use spiritual energy when the White Armored Rhinoceros was awakening its bloodline?¡± Teacher Lin spoke up, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mental energy?¡± ¡°I did not detect any mental energy fluctuations.¡± ¡°What about the energy fluctuations of the beast?¡± Teacher Lin shook his head. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s kind gaze fell on Ding Jia, ¡°Thus, it can be seen that I did not carry out the vicious plan you spoke of.¡± Ding Jia trembled all over. Suddenly, she remembered a rumor and immediately said, ¡°You still have your initial beast, maybe it has some strange ability.¡± The smile on Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s face grew even warmer. The blood-red contract formation under his feet flashed quickly, and a lazy little cat appeared on his shoulder. The red kitten yawned, seemingly displeased at being called out at this time by Li Chang¡¯an. Instantly, the young beasts that had just recovered from the fright fell into deeper fear. The moment Mao Mao appeared, even the beasts of Teacher Lin and Teacher Fu inadvertently trembled. Not to mention Ding Jia and the White Armored Rhinoceros, who were closer. ¡°Sub¡­ dragon¡­ species.¡± Ding Jia reacted, displaying the knowledge level expected of a top student at Hongyan No. 1 High School. This kitten did not have the characteristics of a pure-blood dragon species, but it had dragon scales, and its aura could affect humans. It could only be a sub-dragon species. Indeed, before Mao Mao appeared, Li Chang¡¯an had specifically instructed Mao Mao to adjust its aura to the level of a sub-dragon species. In a flash of light, Mao Mao was taken back by Li Chang¡¯an. Teacher Lin and Teacher Fu, the high-level beast tamers leading the team, gave Li Chang¡¯an a deep look. Good kid, you¡¯ve hidden it well. The people in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, but many of the initial beasts still wet their pants, and some even left a fresh pile of excrement. Ding Jia¡¯s mind was blank. She now understood what Li Chang¡¯an meant when he mentioned Wen Miaohua earlier. Your beast doesn¡¯t even dare to look at Wen Miaohua, how dare it look at mine! The last bit of youthful dignity made her stubbornly say, ¡°Your contract formation is blood-red, maybe you¡¯ve come into contact with something you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Hearing this, Li Chang¡¯an said, speechless, ¡°I really doubt how you achieved the fifth rank in your grade. I don¡¯t need to say more about the description on page 27, paragraph three of ¡®The Basics of Beast Tamer Knowledge Summary,¡¯ do I?¡± Li Chang¡¯an fully utilized his top student persona, using precise textual references to completely shatter Ding Jia¡¯s excuses. Many students who had forgotten what they learned after exams checked their phones, and some even deliberately read aloud, ¡°The color of a beast tamer¡¯s contract formation is related to the beast¡¯s strength, quantity, and attributes, specifically divided into¡­.¡± Every word was knowledge Ding Jia had once learned, but now it was being used as a tool for others to mock her. Teacher Lin and Teacher Fu, leading the team, remained expressionless. If only she had known better earlier! A level 1 beast tamer openly attacking your beast? Are you underestimating the strength of us high-level beast tamers? As for this farce, Teacher Lin, who was responsible for recording, had already made a judgment on Ding Jia in his heart. However, the specific records still needed to be discussed with the research institute¡¯s record-keeping personnel and the principal. But Ding Jia, who caused a scene, would inevitably receive a comment in her record about her poor psychological resilience and unstable mental state. Even if Ding Jia were to get into a top university, those popular majors would have nothing to do with her. In more severe cases, Ding Jia¡¯s life would be completely ruined, with no chance of attending university. After ending this farce, the leading teachers gathered the students and prepared to leave. As they lined up to walk out of the research institute, many students whispered, and Teacher Lin and Teacher Fu overheard clearly. One student said, ¡°Ding Jia is in trouble now. After making such a scene, she¡¯ll probably get criticized when she goes back. But her family is rich, so she doesn¡¯t need to worry about her future.¡± Another student shook his head and said, ¡°Getting criticized, and her future? That¡¯s just the beginning! Ding Jia is finished.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°You know our qualification assessment this time is composed of two parties, right? The school and the research institute.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then do you know the name of the deputy director of the ecological research institute?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± ¡°Professor Li Mingxuan, and Li Chang¡¯an is his only son.¡± ¡°Ah, so impressive? Why haven¡¯t I heard of him before?¡± The student sneered, ¡°You know Wen Miaohua¡¯s family is very rich, but do you know what her family does?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The student pointed at the despondent Ding Jia and said, ¡°This is the difference between the nouveau riche and the true elite families. The true rich second generation are very low-key!¡± ¡°Oh~! I see!¡± Teacher Lin: ¡­ He seemed to have heard some incredible gossip. Teacher Lin and Teacher Fu exchanged glances. If this were true, then Ding Jia, this student, was indeed finished. The vast city of Hongyan would no longer have a place for her family. To falsely accuse and insult the only son of the deputy director of the Hongyan Ecological Research Institute in front of him. Really brave! It seems we need to confirm this before writing the report. Among the student group, a dark-skinned student chuckled softly, hiding his achievements and reputation. Chapter 23 - Hunter Registration Chapter 23: Hunter Registration In the office of the deputy director of the Ecological Research Institute, Li Mingxuan watched the surveillance footage provided by his subordinate with a grave expression. The subject of the video was none other than his son, Li Chang¡¯an. However, what concerned him wasn¡¯t the girl named Ding Jia, but the aura Li Chang¡¯an exuded the moment he summoned Mao Mao. This sense of indifference to everything plunged the young and capable deputy director into a wave of memories. He remembered this kind of aura from a university internship when he participated in a professor¡¯s project. A being with a similar presence appeared before them, and just by passing by, it took half the lives in their team. It wasn¡¯t about good or evil; it was simply a casual act, like taking a stroll after a meal, yet it was a weight most living beings couldn¡¯t bear. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Mingxuan recalled Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s introduction of Mao Mao: ¡°Mao Mao is just a lion cub with the bloodline of the Prison Flame Dragon.¡± Could this really not be an ancient dragon in disguise? Li Mingxuan picked up a drawing of Mao Mao and compared it to a photo of the Prison Flame Dragon. Hmm, if you add dragon horns, wings, and a tail, it looks quite similar! Ling Jie, who was making tea for Li Mingxuan, rolled her eyes at him¡ªit looked like a snake¡¯s head! These features weren¡¯t something an elemental lifeform could mimic; they were derived from the flesh and blood of the Prison Flame Dragon. How could a cub and a novice beastmaster possibly fake that? Li Mingxuan sighed. He knew all too well that this was just his wild imagination, with no scientific basis. The Prison Flame Dragon was a flesh-and-blood creature, a conclusion drawn from the Eastern Empire¡¯s several successful hunts and dissections of the ¡°Flame King.¡± Li Mingxuan pushed this speculation aside and returned to his research. However, he failed to notice that while the Eastern Empire¡¯s elites had gone to great lengths to kill a few Prison Flame Dragons, they had never obtained the corpse of a juvenile Prison Flame Dragon. There was also no detailed information about the dragon¡¯s early life stages, so its unique characteristics during infancy remained unknown. As for Ding Jia, Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t care, and neither did Li Mingxuan. He symbolically told the subordinate in charge to ¡°handle it leniently¡± before diving back into his own projects. In the principal¡¯s office of Hongyan No. 1 High School, the gray-haired principal reviewed the report sent by the research institute on his computer and nodded with a knowing expression. He then turned to Teacher Lin and Teacher Fu and said, ¡°The report from the institute is here. The evaluation is quite objective; the other party acted with restraint.¡± This statement effectively put the matter to rest. The two teachers exchanged glances, and the principal asked, ¡°What kind of evaluation are you planning to write for Ding Jia?¡± Teacher Lin pulled out his concluding remarks from the bottom of the report. ¡°Psychological resilience needs improvement, significant room for growth, impulsive temperament.¡± The principal chuckled and said, ¡°You¡¯re quite good at being diplomatic. Add a ¡®must correct¡¯ at the end.¡± Thus, Ding Jia¡¯s evaluation became: ¡°Psychological resilience needs improvement, significant room for growth, impulsive temperament, must correct.¡± As the two teachers left the principal¡¯s office, Teacher Lin remarked, ¡°Ding Jia¡¯s future is pretty much over.¡± Teacher Fu nodded in agreement. The last line of the evaluation was quite severe. The word ¡°must¡± rarely appeared in high school student records. University admissions offices would surely be curious about the reason behind it. Once they saw the surveillance footage provided by the research institute, well, which university would dare admit her? As for Ding Jia¡¯s parents, they would be too busy figuring out which street they¡¯d be sleeping on tomorrow. The company founded by Wen Miaohua¡¯s parents was a leading enterprise in Province Z. The Ding family¡¯s small, rundown business dared to indirectly insult the young lady of the Wen family? Being blacklisted from the industry was the least of their worries. Li Chang¡¯an had no idea about the turmoil in the Ding family, but his own situation was quite distressing. The day after receiving his beast, Feng Sisi, Wen Miaohua¡¯s mother, brought her daughter to visit his home. To make matters worse, Mu Qingqing, who had claimed to be in seclusion, was actually at home. The two best friends began discussing Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua¡¯s relationship, triggering Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s PTSD from his past life¡¯s memories of being relentlessly pressured to marry. In a panic, Li Chang¡¯an took Wen Miaohua and fled the Li household. Feng Sisi and Mu Qingqing watched them leave with knowing smiles. Wen Miaohua asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡± Li Chang¡¯an was equally clueless. Right, where to? He had left in such a hurry that he forgot both his brain and Yao Yao at home. Mao Mao, in the beast space, reminded him, ¡°Meow (Chang¡¯an, the note).¡± What note? A bolt of lightning seemed to strike Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s mind. Right! The business card his father had given him! Li Chang¡¯an finally remembered that Li Mingxuan had recently given him a business card for the Hunter Guild¡¯s manager. How could he have forgotten about it? Li Chang¡¯an took out his phone; he had taken a photo of the card. ¡°Hua, are you interested in the Hunter Guild?¡± Wen Miaohua was curious. Due to certain reasons, she had never had the chance to interact with the Hunter Guild. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m curious, but I¡¯ve never been.¡± Li Chang¡¯an made a decision. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go check out the Hunter Guild.¡± Xiao Bai: ¡­ This was the first time it had seen someone take a girl on a date to the Hunter Guild. When the two arrived near the Hunter Guild via subway and followed the map to its entrance, they were stunned. This was the Hunter Guild? Before Li Chang¡¯an stood a small shop no larger than 20 square meters, its old wooden door creaking in the wind. Wen Miaohua was equally shocked. The legendary Hunter Guild looked like this? Quite an artistic taste. Just then, a burly man over two meters tall appeared behind them and heartily slapped Li Chang¡¯an on the shoulder. Even with Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s enhanced physique, he nearly stumbled forward. ¡°Hahaha, surprised, aren¡¯t you? The Hunter Guild looks like this!¡± Wen Miaohua glanced back at the giant. Yep, a standard hunter¡¯s build¡ªbroad shoulders, thick waist, arms sturdy enough to race horses on. Li Chang¡¯an grunted and also noticed the man behind him. The giant laughed loudly. ¡°Not bad, kid! You¡¯ve got some decent physical strength! Just need to work on your balance!¡± Li Chang¡¯an was startled. This man could instantly gauge his physical strength, even though he had never displayed it before. Hearing the latter part of the comment, he could only smile wryly. Although he was a Level 1 beastmaster, he was still an ordinary person without professional training. In the eyes of a professional, he was no different from a chicken waiting to be slaughtered. ¡°Excuse me, sir, how do I register for the Hunter Guild?¡± The giant scrutinized Li Chang¡¯an, rubbing his chin with his fingers. ¡°The guild¡¯s tests are much harder than the Beastmaster Association¡¯s.¡± Li Chang¡¯an replied, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of difficulty.¡± The giant waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not about difficulty or effort. It¡¯s about talent, understand? Talent for skills is much rarer than talent for beastmastery.¡± Li Chang¡¯an said firmly, ¡°I want to give it a try.¡± The giant tilted his head forward, pushed open the creaky wooden door, and gestured for Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua to follow. Inside the shop, Li Chang¡¯an found only a young man in a green leather uniform dozing off at the front desk. Further inside was a black wooden door wide enough for two people to pass through. The giant slammed his hand on the wooden table, creating a loud bang. The young man jolted awake, leaping up from his chair. When he saw the giant¡¯s face, he cursed, ¡°Damn you, Duan Ben! Why do you always hit so hard? This table¡¯s been around for over a hundred years, and it¡¯s going to be ruined by you brutes!¡± Li Chang¡¯an noted the name: Duan Ben. Duan Ben, seemingly unfazed by the young man¡¯s scolding, laughed heartily. ¡°If it breaks, just ask the guild leader to replace it!¡± The young man¡¯s face turned red with anger. ¡°Replace, replace, replace! Is that all you know? If replacing things solved problems, that door you just replaced last month wouldn¡¯t be in such a state!¡± Li Chang¡¯an glanced back at the creaking wooden door. This was a new door that had only been installed a month ago? Duan Ben shrugged. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the guild leader just use an alloy door? Those can¡¯t be broken!¡± Seeing Duan Ben¡¯s indifference, the young man slumped back onto the table, exhausted. ¡°If you dare, go tell the guild leader. If she says replace it, then we¡¯ll replace it.¡± At the mention of the guild leader, Duan Ben quickly changed the subject. ¡°Alright, back to work. Register the new guy.¡± The young man glanced at Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua at the door. ¡°Name? ID number?¡± ¡°Li Chang¡¯an, ID number is *****************.¡± The young man entered the name and number into the computer. Seeing the file that popped up, he remarked without surprise, ¡°Oh, another rich kid looking for thrills.¡± He then printed out a document and handed it to Li Chang¡¯an. ¡°Ten yuan fee.¡± Li Chang¡¯an looked at Duan Ben, who nodded. Li Chang¡¯an understood this was the registration fee. After paying, the young man turned to Wen Miaohua. ¡°Name?¡± Wen Miaohua coldly declined, ¡°I¡¯m not joining the Hunter Guild.¡± The young man added, ¡°Miss, having a Beastmaster Association identity doesn¡¯t conflict with the Hunter Guild.¡± Wen Miaohua replied seriously, ¡°It does conflict.¡± The young man stood up solemnly, took a photo of Wen Miaohua, and searched her file. Seeing the access requirements on the computer, his eyelids twitched. ¡°As expected.¡± He took out a temporary pass and handed it to Wen Miaohua. ¡°You can¡¯t go to the second floor or the storage room, but you¡¯re free to look around elsewhere.¡± Wen Miaohua took the pass, and she and Li Chang¡¯an walked through the black wooden door inside the shop. Li Chang¡¯an noticed his sleeve being tugged and saw Wen Miaohua¡¯s cautious expression. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you now, but you¡¯ll find out later.¡± Li Chang¡¯an grabbed her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Since his parents hadn¡¯t cut ties with the Wen family, it meant there was no issue. Duan Ben, watching the two young ones holding hands, rubbed his empty stomach. Damn, I¡¯m full. Chapter 24 - Registration Chapter 24: Registration After passing through the black wooden door, the space inside was a stark contrast to the shabby exterior. The area inside was at least a thousand square meters, with a several-hundred-square-meter open tavern directly opposite the entrance. To the left of the wooden door was a reception hall, and to the right was a pair of ten-meter-high doors, only one of which was open. Through the door, Li Chang¡¯an seemed to see an even more expansive space. Duan Ben patted Li Chang¡¯an on the shoulder and laughed, ¡°How do you like our hunter¡¯s tavern?¡± Li Chang¡¯an looked at the drunkards sprawled on the benches across the tavern and fell silent. Duan Ben coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like this every day, with people drinking until dawn.¡± Seeing that the two were somewhat disillusioned with the Hunter Guild, Duan Ben quickly changed the subject. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll take you to register as a hunter trainee,¡± he said, pulling Li Chang¡¯an towards the reception hall. Li Chang¡¯an asked, ¡°Hunter trainee?¡± Duan Ben explained, ¡°Becoming a hunter isn¡¯t something that happens overnight. You need to start as a hunter trainee, practicing skills and familiarizing yourself with various ecological knowledge. Then, after passing the graduation exam, you become a probationary hunter. After completing a bronze 1-star hunting mission, you can become a full-fledged hunter.¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes showed a glimmer of understanding. No wonder his father said becoming a hunter wasn¡¯t easy; there were so many steps involved. ¡°What does that bronze 1-star hunting mission mean?¡± Taking advantage of the time they had, Duan Ben patiently explained, ¡°Bronze represents the hunter¡¯s rank, and 1-star represents the difficulty of the mission. Bronze 1-9 stars correspond to levels 1-9 beastmasters, silver stars correspond to elite hunters above king-level beastmasters, and above that are gold-star master hunters.¡± Got it! Li Chang¡¯an temporarily understood the hierarchy of hunters. Before Li Chang¡¯an officially registered, Duan Ben kindly reminded him, ¡°The work of a hunter isn¡¯t as easy as you might think. Do you know why the benefits of hunters far exceed those of the Beastmaster Association?¡± Li Chang¡¯an shook his head, not knowing. ¡°Let me put it this way. If registering as a full-fledged beastmaster in the Beastmaster Association requires defeating a transcendent 1-star beast, then hunters face not one, not a few, but a whole group! Every hunter must have the strength to defeat a group of magical beasts of the same level.¡± Hearing this, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes lit up, and he eagerly asked, ¡°So, the tasks of the Hunter Guild are mostly about hunting groups of magical beasts?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Duan Ben was a bit confused by Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s reaction. Normally, wouldn¡¯t someone feel uneasy or fearful upon learning they had to face an entire group of magical beasts? Why did this kid look excited, as if he wanted to roll up his sleeves and get to work? ¡°Not all tasks involve eliminating a group of magical beasts; there are also missions to hunt lord magical beasts. Since you¡¯re a student of Red Rock High School, you should know the difference between lord magical beasts and ordinary ones.¡± Li Chang¡¯an nodded. The difference between lord magical beasts and ordinary ones was like the difference between a shadow tiger and a ground-tooth rat. The former required a hunting team composed of experienced beastmasters to take down, while the latter could be handled by a novice beastmaster just starting out. Duan Ben added, ¡°Let me give you a heads-up. For a bronze hunter to advance to 7 stars or above, they must have multiple records of hunting lord magical beasts.¡± Duan Ben chuckled and patted Li Chang¡¯an on the back, ¡°Good luck, rookie!¡± While Li Chang¡¯an was chatting, the receptionist at the front desk had already entered his basic information. The blue-haired receptionist asked in a very formal manner, ¡°What is your beastmaster level?¡± Li Chang¡¯an truthfully replied, ¡°Level 1.¡± ¡°Initial beast space size?¡± ¡°Do you need this information?¡± The receptionist explained to avoid misunderstanding, ¡°Every hunter needs to provide this information, but it only needs to be recorded once. The Hunter Guild is different from the Beastmaster Association; the requirements are stricter, like the difference between a full-time employee and a contract worker. Similarly, the benefits for hunters are also better.¡± Hearing this, Li Chang¡¯an understood¡ªit was the difference between being inside and outside the system. ¡°500 cubic meters.¡± The receptionist¡¯s fingers trembled slightly as she typed, and Duan Ben, who had just returned with a drink, almost spat out his drink. Xiao Bai inside Wen Miaohua snorted, ¡°Too small! This kid underreported his beast space! With his curse power density, can 500 cubic meters even hold it?¡± The receptionist took out a cylindrical detection device and said, ¡°It¡¯s routine. Please cooperate by channeling your curse power into this device.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was curious. He hadn¡¯t seen this kind of device at the research institute. Was it some kind of black tech from the Hunter Guild? ¡°What is this?¡± Before the receptionist could answer, Duan Ben said, ¡°It¡¯s a device to measure the size of your beast space. It determines the size based on the output of curse power over a period of time. It¡¯s like a lung capacity test during a physical exam. This device has several color zones: white for less than 100 cubic meters, blue for less than 200, green for less than 300, purple for less than 400, orange for less than 500, and gold for 500 or more.¡± With that explanation, Li Chang¡¯an understood. He took the test port of the device, and a large amount of curse power surged from his hand. The colors on the cylindrical detector changed rapidly. White¡­ blue¡­ green flashed by. The purple zone slowed down slightly but was still easily surpassed. Finally, the orange light gradually deepened, and under the astonished gazes of the receptionist and Duan Ben, a faint golden light appeared. Li Chang¡¯an quickly put down the test port, pretending to be out of breath. Duan Ben smacked his lips. Well, it really was 500 cubic meters! Old Duan had seen something today. The receptionist¡¯s formulaic face showed a hint of emotion. ¡°Alright, your beast space has been tested. Please summon your initial beast. Also, every time you contract a new beast, you need to update your information at the guild. Otherwise, the hunting ground detection device might not let you in.¡± Li Chang¡¯an summoned Mao Mao, letting it release a faint draconic aura. Duan Ben was already numb. What kind of setup was this? An initial beast that was a draconic species! Xiao Bai in Wen Miaohua¡¯s beast space snorted, ¡°Putting on airs! Only these ignorant humans would believe this monster is a draconic species.¡± Wen Miaohua mentally reminded, ¡°Xiao Bai.¡± Xiao Bai responded unhappily, ¡°Alright, I got it. I won¡¯t say anymore.¡± Wen Miaohua: ¡°And don¡¯t tell anyone else.¡± Xiao Bai: ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Alright, your registration is complete. Here is your trainee card, please keep it safe. You can access the training grounds through the door at the back. There¡¯s a school near the training grounds; classes start at 9 AM and end at 12 PM. The rest of the time is free.¡± After the receptionist finished listing the things to note, Duan Ben took Li Chang¡¯an to the training grounds to familiarize himself with the environment. Passing through the massive wooden door, they entered a bustling street market. The stone-paved road was lined with shops bustling with people, the most distinctive being the steaming forges. Duan Ben proudly introduced to Li Chang¡¯an, ¡°This is Hunter¡¯s Path, a place created using spatial expansion technology. You can apply to forge talismans here or buy rare resources from the outside. By the way, the quality of resources here is a notch above what the Beastmaster Association offers.¡± Hearing this, Li Chang¡¯an wasn¡¯t surprised. Hunters were elite units, facing either groups or elite magical beasts, so the resources they encountered were naturally of high quality. Plus, from the hints in Duan Ben¡¯s words, it wasn¡¯t hard to see that hunters were more like lone wolves. Compared to the hunting teams of the Beastmaster Association, hunters had more personal wealth and were more casual about disposing of unneeded resources. This led to Hunter¡¯s Path having better and rarer items, with all sorts of strange things available. After passing through Hunter¡¯s Path, they arrived at a vast square. The edges of the square were lined with weapon racks holding unsharpened iron weapons. ¡°This is the training ground. That large flat building is the school where trainees attend classes.¡± Then Duan Ben excitedly rubbed his hands and said to Li Chang¡¯an, ¡°Let¡¯s see which weapon suits you best.¡± S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Duan Ben¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the hunters around were no ordinary folk. They focused their attention on Li Chang¡¯an. Watching a rookie choose a weapon was always entertaining! Li Chang¡¯an felt a slight unease. Surely nothing would go wrong, right? Chapter 25 - Choosing a Weapon, Breakthrough! Chapter 25: Choosing a Weapon, Breakthrough! On the spacious training ground, many burly men clad in talisman armor had already gathered. More or less, they all wore expressions of interest as they gazed at the scene from a distance. A few black lines hung down Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s forehead as he said, ¡°Are all you hunters this idle?¡± Duan Ben laughed heartily and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, there¡¯s no ill intent. It¡¯s just that this branch of the Hunter¡¯s Guild hasn¡¯t seen a newcomer in a long time.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was surprised. This was the Hunter¡¯s Guild, after all. How could there be no new members? A trace of melancholy appeared on Duan Ben¡¯s hearty smile as he said, ¡°There¡¯s no helping it. Life has been much more peaceful these past years. Many parents are unwilling to let their children face danger.¡± ¡°You know, hunters face far more dangers than beast tamer hunting groups.¡± ¡°Where hunting groups go, hunters go; where hunting groups dare not go, hunters still go. There are times when someone must deliver information back to the city.¡± Li Chang¡¯an understood. In times of peace, people think of danger, but now there is only peace, and little thought of danger. This was also why the Hunter¡¯s Guild was facing a shortage of new blood. ¡°I see. So how do I choose a weapon that suits me?¡± Duan Ben returned to his boisterous self and pushed out a beast puppet over four meters tall from a small hut by the training ground. ¡°This is the selection method. Only in dangerous situations can one¡¯s potential be unleashed. The same goes for hunters. We¡¯ll see how long you can last with a weapon against this puppet.¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s face stiffened as he asked, ¡°Can I use my beast?¡± Duan Ben showed a somewhat ¡°wicked¡± smile, ¡°What do you think?¡± Fortunately, Li Chang¡¯an wasn¡¯t sent into the test completely unprepared. Duan Ben handed him a bracelet. The bracelet had about a dozen switchable light points. ¡°This is a temporary memory projection bracelet. Each switchable key represents a type of weapon. After switching, your mind will temporarily be filled with the basics of using that weapon.¡± ¡°Then go up and test it. Go by your feeling and how long you can last. I¡¯ll be watching from the side.¡± ¡°Of course, a reminder: don¡¯t think about using this bracelet to cheat in skill. Although it¡¯s standard basic skill, everyone¡¯s body and habits are different. You need to adjust it to the skill that best suits you during training.¡± Li Chang¡¯an nodded in understanding. He glanced at the types of weapons on the bracelet. Close-range heavy weapons included greatswords, war hammers, battle axes, and spears. Close-range light weapons included katanas, single-handed swords, dual blades, and long staffs. Ranged weapons included heavy crossbows, light crossbows, and hunting bows. Li Chang¡¯an started with the greatsword, easily picking up an iron greatsword the size of a door and two fingers thick. He swung it once and nearly threw out his back. Duan Ben promptly took the greatsword from his hands, saying regretfully, ¡°It seems you don¡¯t have a talent for heavy weapons.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was puzzled. Duan Ben pointed at himself and then at Li Chang¡¯an, explaining, ¡°See the difference between you and me?¡± Li Chang¡¯an slightly looked up at Duan Ben¡¯s head. Being as intelligent as he was, he immediately understood the reason. He had the strength, but the difference in size was too great. He was 1.7 meters tall, while Duan Ben was 2.1 meters. Though not exactly a beanpole, compared to the hunters, he could be considered slender. Compared to Duan Ben, his center of gravity was unstable with the greatsword, easily being dragged around by it and risking injury. Duan Ben pointed to another weapon rack next to the heavy weapons, ¡°Try the close-range light weapons.¡± Li Chang¡¯an picked up a katana. Even though it was a light weapon, the size of this katana was vastly different from what he remembered in his past life. The length of this katana, when stood upright, was taller than him! The other light weapons weren¡¯t much better. The single-handed sword was about the size of a two-handed sword from his past life. According to Duan Ben, dual blades came in the most varieties, but most were sword-like. When Li Chang¡¯an heard the name ¡°dual blades,¡± he thought of two daggers, but they turned out to be two single-handed swords the size of those from his past life. Truly, the hunters¡¯ weapons emphasized one word: big! Li Chang¡¯an gripped the katana, activated the temporary memory projection function of the bracelet, and the basics of using the katana appeared in his mind. Duan Ben started the beast puppet, which creaked and slowly began to move. Suddenly, a stream of water shot out from the puppet¡¯s mouth. Li Chang¡¯an quickly dodged, the water stream cutting off a few strands of his hair. Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes widened. You call this a newcomer test? Before he could think further, the puppet¡¯s next attack came. A tail swipe! There was a wind-up, not too fast, but heavy and powerful. If hit, even with the help of a healing beast, he might end up bedridden for a few days. Li Chang¡¯an hurriedly blocked with his sword, taking the hit head-on. With a clang, the sword vibrated violently, numbing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s hand, nearly making him drop the katana. This couldn¡¯t go on. Li Chang¡¯an dodged another charge from the puppet and began to use the basic techniques of the katana. Vertical slash, upward slash, diagonal slashes (left and right), and thrust. With each slash Li Chang¡¯an used to dodge the puppet¡¯s attacks, he gained more insights. His grip on the sword became steadier, his strikes faster. Duan Ben, watching from the side, felt his scalp tingle. What kind of monster was this?! From Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s initial performance, it was clear he had no prior professional training. His footwork was unsteady, his strikes chaotic. But his rapid progress was undeniable! In such a short time, his strikes had already taken form, his footwork was orderly, and he had clearly grasped the basics. How many times had Duan Ben been beaten when he was choosing his weapon? Duan Ben sighed to the heavens. The gap between people in this world was just too vast. Not only Duan Ben felt this way, but the surrounding hunters shared the same sentiment. As Li Chang¡¯an deepened his insights, a burgeoning force seemed to be accumulating within him, eager to break free. Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t know what to do. The memory projection didn¡¯t cover this, and the pent-up feeling grew more uncomfortable with each strike. Some sharp-eyed hunters noticed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s state and advised, ¡°Focus your mind, channel it into the blade, then release it.¡± Li Chang¡¯an took the advice but didn¡¯t know exactly how to do it. He could only repeatedly try to channel that force into his katana based on feeling. With each failure, his accumulated insights grew. Finally, during a stepping vertical slash, a white light burst from the katana¡¯s blade. Following the slash, it left a shallow mark on the beast puppet¡¯s steel-like body. Then, two follow-up strikes fell from the void onto the beast puppet. Blade Breaker! The double strike of Prison¡¯s Shadow! The training ground fell silent. Duan Ben stood with his mouth agape, staring in disbelief at Li Chang¡¯an, who stood there looking exhilarated. A hunter whispered, ¡°Does the memory projector teach Blade Breaker?¡± ¡°Impossible, that¡¯s advanced technique. Instructors don¡¯t teach it until you¡¯ve mastered the basics of the katana.¡± The hunter who had advised Li Chang¡¯an was also amazed. It had been a long time since he¡¯d seen a newcomer with such talent. With just a hint, he had figured out how to use the advanced technique, Blade Breaker. Duan Ben quickly stopped the beast puppet and gave Li Chang¡¯an a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re something else, old Duan is no match for you. It seems there¡¯s no need to test further; the katana suits you.¡± Li Chang¡¯an still refused the suggestion. He had now understood why his parents had so strongly recommended he become a hunter. The talent of being dexterous and clever was incredibly useful! As long as it was something he could get his hands on, Li Chang¡¯an could continuously gain insights through training. When these insights accumulated to a certain point, there would be an eruption, akin to an epiphany. The earlier strike was the result of such an inspiration burst. Moreover, because of this epiphany, his spiritual power had increased significantly. The life energy around him was gathering towards him, and the accumulation of curse power far exceeded his usual meditation practice. At this rate, with two more epiphanies, he could break through to a Level 2 Beast Tamer. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t pass up the chance to try other light weapons! Seeing the bright determination in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes, Duan Ben couldn¡¯t refuse and let him continue testing. He tried the single-handed sword, dual blades, and long staff, all with decent results. Then, right in front of Duan Ben, Li Chang¡¯an sat down cross-legged. Life energy gathered around him in large amounts from the void, stirring up gusts of wind. He was on the verge of a breakthrough. Now, not only was Duan Ben stunned, but all the onlookers were as well. They had seen people break through in battle, but those were high-level beast tamers. They had never seen a Level 1 Beast Tamer start breaking through after just handling a few weapons. As life energy merged with spiritual power in the beast taming space, Life, void, and mind intersected, and a large amount of curse power continuously poured out, filling the vast beast taming space. Drip! S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. A sound like a water droplet echoed in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s heart. A dark crack appeared once again on the Star Pearl in his soul contract. The beast taming space rapidly expanded, 1100 cubic meters¡­ 1200 cubic meters¡­ 1500 cubic meters¡­ until it reached 2000 cubic meters before the spatial transformation stopped. Level 2 Beast Tamer achieved! Chapter 26 - You Need to Supplement Calcium Chapter 26: You Need to Supplement Calcium He really broke through! Everyone was amazed once again. Wen Miaohua¡¯s face showed a rare smile of surprise, her ethereal eyes filled with confusion. In her beast space, Xiao Bai said, ¡°His talent can induce an epiphany, which is why this kid can accumulate curse power so quickly in a short time, thus breaking through his realm.¡± ¡°Tsk, although this kid is like a black-hearted maggot, it must be said that his talent is indeed top-notch.¡± ¡°He¡¯s destined to walk the path of a hunter.¡± Only then did Wen Miaohua understand why the previously mentioned two-month breakthrough time had inexplicably turned into two hours. It was all due to his talent. Wait, Wen Miaohua realized, what kind of talent could achieve the effect of an epiphany! The girl knew this had touched Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s bottom line, so she buried this thought deep in her heart. Xiao Bai: ¡°What are you worried about? It¡¯s not like no one can see it. This kid dared to break through in front of everyone, which means he doesn¡¯t care about exposing this talent.¡± ¡°The things he truly cares about, he wouldn¡¯t reveal. This kid is shrewd!¡± Wen Miaohua suddenly felt a subtle sensation, how come Xiao Bai understands Li Chang¡¯an better than she does, even though she knew him first! When Li Chang¡¯an broke through, Mao Mao also brought good news. Taking advantage of the life energy vortex brought by Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s breakthrough, Mao Mao received feedback and officially advanced to the Transcendent level, gaining the legal qualification to fight in Donghuang Country. Mao Mao: ¡°Oh~! Chang¡¯an, I broke through! Transcendent 1 Star, and I gained an additional skill.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was overjoyed. Normally, Mao Mao, who had just recently broken through the Awakening period, would most likely not gain another skill. Unexpectedly, there was an additional surprise this time! Following Mao Mao¡¯s breakthrough, a large amount of life energy also fed back to Li Chang¡¯an, enhancing his curse power and his most concerned physical strength. Under the mutual promotion of the master and pet, they took a solid step forward in the realm of Level 2 Beast Master and Transcendent 1 Star. Judging from Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s current cultivation speed, this synergistic breakthrough saved him half a year of cultivation time. He only needs to work hard for another year and a half to level up again and become a Level 3 Beast Master. Of course, this is just normal cultivation. Now that Li Chang¡¯an has the path of skill epiphany, the time to break through to Level 3 Beast Master will be much faster than imagined. ¡°The initial beast inside his body also took the opportunity to break through. A dual breakthrough, this kid¡¯s luck is really good, saving a lot of effort!¡± The surrounding hunters marveled. They had seen master-pet synergistic breakthroughs before, but combined with Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s previous feats, it was somewhat frightening. The commotion here still attracted people from further away. For example, the semi-unemployed instructor near the training area was drawn over. Seeing the beast puppet beside Li Chang¡¯an, the scholarly middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but exclaim, ¡°Damn, a new student!¡± As soon as Li Chang¡¯an finished his breakthrough, the scholar grabbed him and took him into the school. Wen Miaohua also followed. The hunters looked at each other, none daring to step forward to stop them, mainly because the memories of past make-up exams were too vivid. Big men who could stop a dragon with their swords didn¡¯t dare to move. ¡°My name is Zhuo Xueyi, the theoretical instructor of the Hunter Academy. You can call me Teacher Zhuo.¡± Zhuo Xueyi saw Wen Miaohua come in and nodded for her to find a seat. Li Chang¡¯an greeted politely, ¡°Hello, Teacher Zhuo.¡± Zhuo Xueyi nodded with satisfaction, finally a well-mannered good student. ¡°Then let¡¯s get straight to the point, first a placement test to see your foundation.¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s face twitched, he didn¡¯t expect to have an exam during summer vacation, but he still honestly completed the test paper. Wen Miaohua didn¡¯t write, she just gave Zhuo Xueyi a badge. After seeing it, Zhuo Xueyi just smiled politely and didn¡¯t mention the exam. After breaking through to Level 2 Beast Master, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s physical fitness and mental power greatly improved. He finished the test paper in just ten minutes. Zhuo Xueyi picked up the paper and quickly scanned it, huh, all correct? Looked again, correct. This was a test paper for graduate students! Full marks! Zhuo Xueyi looked at Li Chang¡¯an with a complicated expression and asked, ¡°What is your background, and what is your relationship with the girl behind you?¡± Li Chang¡¯an honestly replied, ¡°My father is Li Mingxuan, and the one behind is my friend.¡± S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Understood. The middle-aged scholar completely understood. He thought he had a promising good student, but it turned out to be a shallow-water shark. Alright, Zhuo Xueyi took out a piece of paper from his drawer, wrote a few lines, stamped it, and handed it to Li Chang¡¯an. ¡°You¡¯ve graduated in theory. If you want to learn more, you can borrow books from the reading room on the second floor.¡± After Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua left, Zhuo Xueyi lay back in his chair and lit a cigarette. Amidst the swirling smoke, Zhuo Xueyi stared blankly at the ceiling. Why does teaching this student feel so empty? When Li Chang¡¯an came out of the school with his graduation certificate, he happened to meet Duan Ben who was planning to go back for a drink. ¡°Ah? Teacher Zhuo let you back so soon?¡± Li Chang¡¯an shook the graduation certificate in his hand, and Duan Ben instantly froze. That was the graduation certificate for the theory course?! The burly man was in disarray in the wind, thinking of all the effort he had spent to pass. And this guy finished it in just over ten minutes! Duan Ben¡¯s mood instantly dropped, ¡°You¡¯re going to the practical instructor, right? I¡¯ll take you there.¡± With Duan Ben¡¯s kind guidance, Li Chang¡¯an and the others were naturally happy to follow. The practical course instructor was similar to the theory course instructor, also semi-unemployed, but the practical course instructor was still a hunter, so his days weren¡¯t too leisurely. Li Chang¡¯an came to a small house, behind which was a small yard, just enough for a few people to train. The surroundings were also filled with bamboo, making it particularly cool in the summer. ¡°Old Mu, we¡¯re at the academy!¡± Duan Ben¡¯s loud voice made the bamboo leaves tremble, and a somewhat gray-haired old man came out of the house. Grumbling, ¡°What are you shouting for! I¡¯m not deaf!¡± Old Mu immediately saw Li Chang¡¯an behind Duan Ben and understood his purpose. ¡°Oh, what time is it? Old Zhuo is willing to let people go?¡± Duan Ben proudly said, ¡°This little brother passed the graduation exam in just ten minutes.¡± His tone made it seem as if he was the one who passed the exam so quickly. Old Mu looked at Li Chang¡¯an with some surprise, ¡°With this talent, he should be a scholar, not a hunter!¡± Duan Ben didn¡¯t waste words, succinctly saying, ¡°Excellent talent in close combat light weapons, without training, just a reminder, he can self-learn Blade Breaker.¡± Old Mu asked in surprise, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Why would I lie? Many people saw it at the training ground, you can ask around and you¡¯ll know.¡± Old Mu nodded, believing about seventy to eighty percent. He also knew these hunters liked to see newcomers make fools of themselves. Just like university seniors always like to hold ice cola and watch freshmen during military training at the start of the school year. With sinister intentions, their psychology is quite ¡°twisted¡±! Old Mu grabbed Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s arm and, under his horrified gaze, felt all over his body. ¡°Have you been breaking through continuously recently?¡± Li Chang¡¯an nodded. Old Mu continued, ¡°Breaking through too frequently, your physical fitness seems to improve quickly, but the foundation won¡¯t be solid. Also, you¡¯re lacking calcium!¡± Li Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He, lacking calcium? Impossible, absolutely impossible. He always ate well. Old Mu saw Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s disbelief and explained, ¡°From an ordinary person¡¯s perspective, you¡¯re not lacking calcium.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re a hunter, and hunters have strict requirements for their bodies. In my eyes, you¡¯re severely lacking calcium. Before you go back, buy calcium tablets and nutrition bars at the Hunter¡¯s Path store.¡± ¡°If you can afford it, buy dragon bone calcium tablets; if not, ordinary bone powder calcium tablets will do. If you have difficulties, apply for hardship assistance at the reception.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no requirement for energy bars. By the way, how big is your beast space?¡± ¡°It was 500 cubic meters, now it¡¯s 1000 cubic meters.¡± Li Chang¡¯an, being a Chinese, especially likes to compromise. Old Mu and Duan Ben: ¡­. Wen Miaohua covered her mouth and chuckled. She particularly liked Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s expressionless face when he said something shocking. Old Mu: ¡­¡­. What kind of genius haven¡¯t I seen? It¡¯s just 500 cubic meters doubled. I really haven¡¯t seen such a beast. Do young people¡¯s beast spaces break through by doubling now? Aren¡¯t low-level beast masters supposed to increase by tens of cubic meters? Old Mu felt he must have been out of touch with ordinary people¡¯s lives for too long. Yes, that must be it. Chapter 27 - Inheritance of Skills Chapter 27: Inheritance of Skills Old Mu quickly adjusted his mindset and recommended a B-grade nutrition bar to Li Chang¡¯an. Above B-grade, there are A-grade and S-grade options. For additional nutrition, one could only opt for the hunter¡¯s spiritual food (set meal) provided by the tavern. ¡°What weapon have you been most accustomed to using before?¡± Old Mu asked Li Chang¡¯an. Li Chang¡¯an truthfully replied, ¡°The tachi, followed by the single-handed sword, dual blades, and finally the long staff.¡± Old Mu promptly picked up two wooden tachi and tossed one to Li Chang¡¯an. ¡°Then practice the tachi, and don¡¯t think about anything else. When facing formidable enemies, mastering one weapon is far more effective than being a jack-of-all-trades.¡± ¡°Moreover, the derivative skills for each weapon are as numerous as the stars in the sky; it¡¯s impossible to learn them all.¡± Li Chang¡¯an showed great interest in the subsequent derivative skills and asked, ¡°Are there many of these derivative skills?¡± Old Mu gave Li Chang¡¯an a deep look. Past experiences had taught him that not informing these curious students about these matters and their drawbacks could lead to problems in subsequent training. ¡°All weapons have basic and advanced techniques. After learning these, you can exchange merits at the guild for the inheritance of hunting skills.¡± ¡°Hunting skills can be divided into low, medium, and high-tier inheritances, and above these, there is the king-tier inheritance.¡± ¡°However, it¡¯s best to create your own king-tier skill before inheriting a king-tier hunting skill. Consider this advice from someone who¡¯s been through it.¡± Li Chang¡¯an nodded seriously. He had a virtue of never challenging others¡¯ expertise with his own conjectures. Seeing the newcomer so sensible, Old Mu¡¯s enthusiasm for teaching grew even stronger. He picked up the tachi and began instructing Li Chang¡¯an on the basic techniques of the tachi. ¡°The foundation of the tachi is the slash, whether it¡¯s an upward slash, a diagonal slash, or other advanced techniques, they all derive from this.¡± ¡°As for thrusting, it¡¯s merely the icing on the cake. If you really want to learn thrusting, you might as well switch to learning the spear.¡± Old Mu meticulously explained the key points of the tachi basics to Li Chang¡¯an, who listened attentively and his movements became more standardized. In no time, he got into the groove, with his¡¾Dexterity¡¿talent continuously operating and exerting its effects. The more Old Mu taught, the more astonished he became. What¡¯s going on with this student? He picks it up immediately, masters it in a while, and after a bit longer, hey, it becomes his own. This level of talent made Old Mu¡¯s eyelids twitch violently; it was too abnormal. So he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What¡¯s with your learning speed? Are there any side effects?¡± Li Chang¡¯an didn¡¯t mind explaining his talent, so he said, ¡°This is my talent¡¾Dexterity¡¿.¡± ¡°Based on my practice, I can quickly master any skill I get my hands on, and then I gain some insights, which accumulate over time, making me learn faster.¡± Old Mu and the onlooking Duan Ben had only four words in their hearts: too unfair! And is that what you call accumulating over time? That¡¯s mastering the basic skills in just over ten minutes, and becoming proficient as well. Xiao Bai said in Wen Miaohua¡¯s heart, ¡°Hehe, I guessed it was a mental-type talent. Generally, such passives that enhance comprehension are mostly top-tier talents from the mental domain.¡± Wen Miaohua asked, ¡°Not the soul domain?¡± Xiao Bai: ¡°Although the soul domain also has talents that enhance comprehension, they¡¯re not as exaggerated as those in the mental domain. Talents in the mental domain are all about absolute intuition, taking one look and feeling that this is the right way to do it.¡± ¡°While talents in the soul domain are about detailed perception, seeing the big picture from a small detail. But the byword for mental domain talents is the unreasonable ¡®unfair¡¯.¡± Wen Miaohua: ()! So that¡¯s how it is. Xiao Bai also thought: The upper limit for possessors of such talents is very high, but without good protective measures in the early stages, they die faster than ordinary talent holders. It¡¯s better to strengthen the talent! But¡­ Xiao Bai thought of the cute little kitten Li Chang¡¯an had contracted. This time it¡¯s different; there are few creatures in this world that can bypass the protection of that monster. If necessary, when it grows up, it could even shatter hell! Knowing Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s unreasonable talent, Old Mu let loose and didn¡¯t mention mastery anymore. He also taught Li Chang¡¯an the advanced techniques of the tachi. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°The advanced techniques of the tachi are the Spirit Blade Slash and Shattering Blade Slash. As for the subsequent Spirit Blade Burst and Shattering Blade Combo, wait until you¡¯re proficient with the momentum before learning them.¡± Li Chang¡¯an also learned that the realm of skills is different from the proficiency of pet skills. The realm of skills is divided into: attaining form, entering subtlety, understanding intent, and seeing the divine. Mastering a skill belongs to the ¡°attaining form¡± realm. What Old Mu referred to as proficiency is the ¡°entering subtlety¡± realm. Transforming the skill into one¡¯s own, with one¡¯s own flavor, is ¡°understanding intent.¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s tachi basics are at this realm. The final ¡°seeing the divine¡± is sublimation, a miracle, breaking through the hunter¡¯s limits. According to Old Mu, if the basic tachi skills reach the seeing the divine realm, Their power is no less than any medium-tier hunting skill at the entering subtlety level, and it greatly benefits hunters in learning high-tier hunting skills later on. Old Mu specifically instructed Li Chang¡¯an to practice the tachi basics well, striving to reach the seeing the divine realm. If he reaches the seeing the divine realm before the end of the summer vacation, Old Mu would give Li Chang¡¯an a set of gifts. Li Chang¡¯an agreed. Then Li Chang¡¯an bid farewell to Old Mu. At this stage, he had learned all he needed to, and the rest was just continuous practice. Duan Ben, having witnessed incredible scenes continuously today, generously treated Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua to a meal. It was ¡°Braised Dragon Loin,¡± taken from the loin area of the Commander-level Rare Blood Dragon Species, the ¡°Bee-Eye Wyvern.¡± The dragon loin was not tough but very springy, and with the thin layer of fat, it greatly whetted the appetites of Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua. In the end, two large pots of braised dragon loin were completely devoured, and Duan Ben laughed heartily. After exchanging contact numbers with Li Chang¡¯an, Duan Ben took on a mission after the meal and left. Li Chang¡¯an and Wen Miaohua also hurried home. Any later, and their mothers might have started cooking red bean rice. However, before returning, he still bought nutrition bars and calcium tablets at the guild¡¯s logistics department. Upon arriving home, Li Chang¡¯an opened the door to find Yao Yao lifelessly nestled in Mrs. Mu Qingqing¡¯s arms, being freely kneaded. As soon as she saw Li Chang¡¯an return, Yao Yao immediately broke free from Mrs. Mu Qingqing¡¯s grasp, hopping and jumping into his arms. She tearfully accused Mrs. Mu Qingqing of her tyranny. Li Chang¡¯an looked guilty, glaring at his irresponsible mother, Mrs. Mu Qingqing, who was unperturbed, even winking at Li Chang¡¯an, as if daring him to do something about it. It made him very weary. So Li Chang¡¯an said to Yao Yao, ¡°Open your mind, don¡¯t resist.¡± He pointed at Yao Yao¡¯s forehead, and the blood thorn array instantly unfolded, immediately drawing Yao Yao into the pet space. Mrs. Mu Qingqing was stunned, not quite reacting, and said, ¡°Son, have you broken through to a level 2 beastmaster?¡± Li Chang¡¯an was still checking Yao Yao¡¯s information, and Wen Miaohua spoke up for him, explaining many things that had happened today. Feng Sisi¡¯s eyes grew brighter as she listened, looking at Li Chang¡¯an with increasing satisfaction. Mrs. Mu Qingqing hadn¡¯t expected to have underestimated Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s talent before, not realizing her son¡¯s talent was so formidable. We must not waste Xiao An¡¯s talent! Mrs. Mu Qingqing first thought of this issue. Although the instructors at the Hunter¡¯s Guild are qualified, they are only suitable for ordinary geniuses. For someone of Xiao An¡¯s caliber, it¡¯s somewhat of a waste. It seems we need to use her husband¡¯s connections to find a renowned teacher for Xiao An. Li Chang¡¯an not only looked at Yao Yao¡¯s talent but also checked out the new skills Mao Mao had acquired. Mao Mao¡¯s skill proficiency hadn¡¯t changed much, but the new skill was a high-tier skill¡¾Lava Field¡¿. Just by the name, one could tell it was a field skill, increasing Mao Mao¡¯sÓüÑ× power by thirty percent and also imposing a slight suppression effect on opponents. As for Yao Yao¡¯s panel, it somewhat didn¡¯t meet the standards of an ordinary pet. ¡¾Name: Yao Yao Race: Twin-Leaf Rabbit Attribute: Wood Level: Awakening Period Potential: Elite Low Grade Talent Abilities: Moonlight Affinity, Medicine Pounding Low-tier Skill: Leaf Blade (Proficient Level) Mid-tier Skill: Grass Blessing (Skilled Level) Status: Fearful, Confused.¡¿ Dual talents, potential that doesn¡¯t match the Twin-Leaf Rabbit¡¯s×ÊÖÊ, and those two skill proficiencies also exceed ninety-nine percent of awakening period cubs. Yao Yao is indeed the illegitimate child of that high-tier magical beast. Seeing Yao Yao¡¯s status, Li Chang¡¯an immediately knew that Yao Yao had probably accidentally come into contact with Mao Mao in a relaxed state. But she didn¡¯t faint, hmm, there¡¯s progress. Li Chang¡¯an immediately summoned Yao Yao out. The little one was still in a state of shock, trembling as if she had been frightened by something. While comforting Yao Yao, Li Chang¡¯an asked Mrs. Mu Qingqing, ¡°What type of talent is Medicine Pounding?¡± In an instant, the lively conversation between Mrs. Mu Qingqing and Feng Sisi came to an abrupt halt, and the entire Li household fell into a deathly silence. Chapter 28 - Medicine Grinding Chapter 28: Medicine Grinding Mu Qingqing¡¯s face stiffened as she asked, ¡°Xiao An, what did you just ask? I think I heard something quite extraordinary.¡± ¡°What kind of talent is Medicine Grinding?¡± Mu Qingqing¡¯s expression immediately turned serious. ¡°Where did you hear about Medicine Grinding?¡± Li Chang¡¯an pointed at Yaoyao and said, ¡°Yaoyao¡¯s talent.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Yaoyao a mutated Double-leaf Rabbit?¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± Mother and son fell into silence. After a while, Mu Qingqing was the first to break the silence. ¡°Medicine Grinding is a unique talent of the Medicine Grinding Rabbit clan.¡± ¡°Why haven¡¯t I heard of the Medicine Grinding Rabbit before?¡± ¡°The Medicine Grinding Rabbit clan is strictly regulated by the Donghuang Kingdom, so ordinary people naturally wouldn¡¯t have access to them. Moreover, the evolution of Medicine Grinding Rabbits is related to mythical clans, which is why textbooks don¡¯t mention them.¡± Li Chang¡¯an suddenly understood. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Mu Qingqing asked again, ¡°Are you sure Yaoyao has the Medicine Grinding talent?¡± Li Chang¡¯an dropped another bombshell. ¡°Yes, not only does Yaoyao have the Medicine Grinding talent, but she also has an affinity for moonlight.¡± This statement completely convinced Mu Qingqing that Yaoyao¡¯s bloodline was undoubtedly that of a Medicine Grinding Rabbit, as the evolution of Medicine Grinding Rabbits is indeed related to the moon. Tsk, her son¡¯s luck was something she couldn¡¯t help but envy. Yaoyao was obtained from the Ecological Research Institute. If Li Mingxuan heard about this, he might just have a heart attack. As a researcher, he hadn¡¯t noticed Yaoyao¡¯s uniqueness. Thinking of that scene, Mu Qingqing¡¯s rosy smile grew even brighter. Li Chang¡¯an knew better than to interrupt his mother¡¯s reverie at this moment, or else he would be the one to suffer the consequences. Xiao Bai, upon hearing about Yaoyao¡¯s uniqueness from Wen Miaohua, was also greatly surprised. Xiao Bai: ¡°Holy crap, moonlight affinity plus Medicine Grinding? This little rabbit is destined to evolve into a Jade Rabbit of the Moon. In human terms, it¡¯s one of the strongest harmonizer clans.¡± Moreover, Xiao Bai urged Wen Miaohua to get along well with Yaoyao, hoping that in the future, she could help make some Moon Toad Osmanthus Cake and maybe some Jade Rabbit Osmanthus Dew. That stuff, in its inherited memories, was absolutely divine! Wen Miaohua ignored Xiao Bai¡¯s rambling and instead noted down in her little notebook that Xiao Bai had cursed today. So even divine beasts curse! Xiao Bai: ¡­ After chatting with Mu Qingqing for a while, Feng Sisi and Wen Miaohua bid farewell and left. After they left, Mu Qingqing grabbed Li Chang¡¯an and took him to the family¡¯s workshop. While guiding Li Chang¡¯an on the shortcomings of the intermediate Lava Set, she also focused on teaching Yaoyao the basics of harmonization. According to Mu Qingqing¡¯s explanation of the [Medicine Grinding] talent, this skill not only increases the success rate of harmonization but, when developed deeply, can also enhance the quality of harmonized items, allowing them to break through their own limitations. Li Chang¡¯an compared this with the explanation of [Medicine Grinding] in the soul contract and realized that Mu Qingqing¡¯s understanding was too limited. There was no need for development. Yaoyao¡¯s Medicine Grinding talent already had the effect of enhancing harmonized items from the start. [Medicine Grinding]: Increases harmonization success rate by 10%, with a 0.1% chance to enhance the quality of harmonized items. Does the probability seem low? Not at all. Considering this is the talent effect of a young one in the awakening period, it¡¯s quite impressive. A pet¡¯s talent will continuously improve with advancement and personal development. Yaoyao¡¯s probability is already quite good. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Especially the enhancement effect. Often, the difficulty of going from 0 to 1 is much greater than from 1 to 99. Yaoyao has already completed the 0 to 1 transformation. Upon learning that Yaoyao¡¯s talent already included the effect of enhancing quality, Mu Qingqing¡¯s envy and jealousy were almost overflowing. When she heard that Yaoyao also mastered [Grass Blessing], a harmonizer divine skill, Mu Qingqing was completely crazy. What kind of divine pet is this! She didn¡¯t even have one yet! So the petty Mu Qingqing kicked Li Chang¡¯an out of the workshop, claiming she was going to live with Yaoyao. Li Chang¡¯an could only smile wryly, but it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. With Mu Qingqing¡¯s dedicated guidance, Yaoyao would be of greater help to Li Chang¡¯an in the future. Li Chang¡¯an finally understood that his mother was paving the way for his future. Mu Qingqing had put aside her precious seclusion time for advancement to second-level harmonization master to personally guide his pet in the basics. Ask yourself, would someone about to break through to second-level harmonization master lack top-tier harmonization pet assistants? The heart of a parent is truly pitiful, and Li Chang¡¯an felt a warm feeling in his heart. But Mu Qingqing¡¯s answer was yes, she was damn lacking! While guiding Yaoyao, Mu Qingqing saw Yaoyao accidentally trigger the process of enhancing spiritual food quality. This process was very rare. Without a contract with the Medicine Grinding Rabbit clan, one could only see it when a harmonization master went all out. Not to mention watching the entire process up close. This had a profound impact on Mu Qingqing. That night, she created a second-level spiritual food set in the workshop and conveniently upgraded Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s Lava Set to the king-tier limit. Mu Qingqing, originally from Tianheng City, Z Province, became the youngest second-level harmonization master in Z Province at the age of 39 in July 5531 of the Donghuang calendar. The next day, Li Chang¡¯an heard the good news and sincerely congratulated his mother. Mu Qingqing was beaming with joy today and specially prepared a big meal for Li Chang¡¯an and his pets like Maomao. After handing Li Chang¡¯an a large food box and a ring, she hugged Yaoyao and kicked Li Chang¡¯an out of the house. Li Chang¡¯an, carrying the food box with Maomao perched on his shoulder, looked helplessly at the closed door of the Li family. Maomao didn¡¯t mind. With its ancient memories, its thoughts were similar to Xiao Bai¡¯s. Hurry up and train Yaoyao well, and in the future, they could eat and drink well. Envy all those lonely clan members. Li Chang¡¯an had no choice but to head to the Hunter¡¯s Guild training ground to practice his memory and take advantage of the guild¡¯s energy diversion array. Especially near the school and Old Mu¡¯s cabin, the life energy was incredibly dense. On the subway ride, Li Chang¡¯an discovered that the ring Mu Qingqing gave him was actually a spatial storage device. A space ring, as often seen in novels, not too big, about twenty cubic meters. Similar spatial storage devices weren¡¯t rare on Canglan Star, as among the beast tamer community with average spatial affinity, creating a small space wasn¡¯t too difficult for king-tier beast tamers. High-tier beast tamers could also create spatial storage equipment with the help of pets and instruments. Although not rare, space rings were still expensive, at least a luxury Li Chang¡¯an couldn¡¯t afford with over a decade of pocket money. After getting off, he found an empty restroom, used his mental power to bind the space ring, stored the food box inside, and then walked lightly towards the Hunter¡¯s Guild. The young man guarding the Hunter¡¯s Guild entrance had been replaced by a bespectacled cute girl. According to her, the front desk position was on rotation, and today it happened to be her turn. Passing through the black gate, Li Chang¡¯an first went to the second-floor reading room to look up information on hunters and hunting skills. He gained a lot, finding many seniors¡¯ opinions and¡­ jokes. The latter was something he couldn¡¯t learn, as it wasn¡¯t in his character, but it was good for expanding his knowledge. Besides these, Li Chang¡¯an also borrowed books on ancient dragons. To his surprise, information on ancient dragons, which was strictly blocked outside, could be freely read here. No defenses at all. Then the book¡¯s opinion page answered Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s question. It turned out that compared to beast tamers, hunters had a much higher chance of encountering ancient dragons. Therefore, to increase hunters¡¯ survival rate, some unnecessary blocked ancient dragon information was naturally disclosed here. Of course, it couldn¡¯t be leaked. The contract Li Chang¡¯an signed had confidentiality clauses. Besides the four ancient dragons in Xiao Chang¡¯an¡¯s memory, Li Chang¡¯an learned about ten more from the book. It was eye-opening. The master of the sea controlling tsunamis, ¡°Phantom Light Crying Sea Dragon,¡± The sacred life walking through the rainforest, ¡°Fairy Banyan Dragon,¡± The raging axe roaming the desert, ¡°Xun Sand Axe Mountain Dragon,¡± ¡­ The four ancient dragons in Xiao Chang¡¯an¡¯s memory were actually known to everyone in Donghuang. Every spring, every Donghuang citizen would hear the thunder of the Purple Thunder Lord ¡°Yu Dian Xiang Long,¡± Every summer, the Blue Wind Lord ¡°Rainbow Dragon¡± represents the arrival of typhoons, Every autumn, the God of Harvest ¡°Six-winged Golden Dream Dragon¡± sprinkles golden dreams in the sky, And in winter, the stunning existence ¡°Jade Scale Dragon¡± blows cold wind from the Tianzhu Mountain. They were all closely related to people¡¯s lives, impossible to hide. Seeing Li Chang¡¯an so fascinated by ancient dragons, Maomao was also anxious. ¡°Meow! Meow! (Chang¡¯an, look at me! I¡¯m also very powerful. When I grow up, none of these can beat me!)¡± Li Chang¡¯an chuckled and lovingly hugged Maomao, saying, ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re the most powerful. You¡¯re the future Primordial Dragon!¡± Hearing this, Maomao happily rolled around in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s arms. Li Chang¡¯an knew Maomao wasn¡¯t boasting, as the ancient dragons recorded here weren¡¯t Primordial Dragons, but Maomao indeed had a high probability of becoming the Primordial Inferno Dragon in the future. He still remembered the scene of that shadow incinerating a planet. That was Maomao¡¯s future! Chapter 29 - Exploiting Loopholes Chapter 29: Exploiting Loopholes After leaving the reading room, Li Chang¡¯an headed straight to the training ground to begin his daily practice. At the edge of the training ground, he picked up a tachi from the weapon rack. He first practiced the basic techniques a few times, and after gaining some insights, he moved on to the advanced techniques. The basic techniques of the tachi in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s hands leaned towards quickly accumulating sword momentum. According to the books in the reading room, an average tachi user needed about fifteen to twenty effective strikes to accumulate one full layer of momentum. Li Chang¡¯an, however, required fewer strikes, needing only ten to fill one layer. This trait was not uncommon in the history of hunters, but what truly set them apart was the realm of ¡°Seeing the Divine.¡± The realm of Seeing the Divine was essentially a leap beyond the existing foundation, achieving effects that were otherwise impossible. For example, in the ¡°Mingyi¡± realm, similar to Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s, some hunters could accumulate a full layer of sword momentum with just one strike, while others could seamlessly switch between rapid momentum accumulation and blade-breaking strikes, cycling through them effortlessly. Li Chang¡¯an was still unsure of his future path. Currently, he was a complete novice among novices. Having seen too little and lacking experience as a hunter, even with his natural talent, it was difficult for him to reach the realm of Seeing the Divine in a short time. Therefore, he focused his daily efforts on practicing advanced techniques. The advanced techniques of the tachi included the ¡°Blade-Breaking Strike¡± and the ¡°Spirit Blade Slash,¡± corresponding to the two aspects of momentum: release and accumulation. The ¡°Blade-Breaking Strike¡± involved releasing all the accumulated sword momentum in one go, dealing significant damage. Li Chang¡¯an had witnessed its effects firsthand¡ªit was incredibly powerful. Even with an unsharpened tachi, it left a clear slash mark on a steel-like puppet. No, three marks, including two follow-up attacks that also left traces. The ¡°Spirit Blade Slash¡± continuously consumed the accumulated sword momentum, but during the process, it refined the user¡¯s sword momentum, making it purer and sharper. After the consumption, the user¡¯s sword momentum would start accumulating again from a higher baseline. This baseline momentum was formidable, visible to the naked eye as a faint white glow on the tachi¡¯s blade. After the second refinement, the momentum would appear as a yellow glow. Finally, after the last refinement, the tachi would transform into a crimson blade, earning tachi users the nickname ¡°Blood-Blade Wielding Madmen.¡± In the crimson blade state, whether it was a basic strike or a Blade-Breaking Strike, the power was terrifying. It was said to be capable of piercing the scales of a pure-blooded dragon of the same level. It¡¯s worth noting that while dragon bloodlines appeared to increase linearly, their power actually surged exponentially. Pure-blooded dragons were exceptionally fearsome. Dragon bloodlines could be categorized from highest to lowest as pure-blooded, sub-dragon, hybrid, mixed-blood, rare-blood, and at the bottom, dragon beasts. At the same level, each bloodline had absolute dominance over the ones below. For example, a rare-blood dragon stood no chance against a mixed-blood dragon of the same level unless a beast tamer used a beast resonance to assist the rare-blood dragon against a wild, ownerless mixed-blood dragon. Otherwise, there were no exceptions. The fact that a tachi user¡¯s attack could break through a pure-blooded dragon¡¯s defense spoke volumes about the tachi¡¯s offensive power. However, mastering the crimson blade technique required a high level of proficiency in controlling sword momentum. Although Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s advanced techniques had reached the ¡°Ruwei¡± realm, theoretically allowing him to stack up to the second-level yellow blade state, he had only just managed to condense a white blade using the Spirit Blade Slash technique before exhausting himself, nearly losing control of the white blade¡¯s momentum. After several attempts with the same result, Li Chang¡¯an decided to ask Old Mu for advice. Upon learning of Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s predicament, Old Mu laughed heartily and said, ¡°The accumulation of sword momentum is different from skill. Even if your skills are divine, without the baptism of real combat, they are nothing more than flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water. How can the momentum you condense be solid? For example, compared to a formal tachi user¡¯s white blade, yours is like cotton¡ªpretty but useless. A tachi user who has experienced bloody battles has momentum condensed into a single strand of white steel. If you clash with them, you¡¯ll shatter instantly. How can they be the same?¡± ¡°To achieve success in sword momentum, you need not only refined skills but also killing intent, murderous aura, and an absolute will to face death without fear.¡± Li Chang¡¯an sighed deeply. He was just a student and didn¡¯t qualify for hunting missions. How could he engage in real combat? Old Mu, aware of Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s dilemma, tapped Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s head with his smoking pipe. ¡°Ouch!¡± Li Chang¡¯an exclaimed in pain. Old Mu took a puff of his pipe and said, ¡°You¡¯re so rigid! Just because you¡¯re not qualified in the Hunter¡¯s Guild doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re not qualified in the Beast Taming Association! Didn¡¯t you know? Hunters from the Hunter¡¯s Guild can also register as formal beast tamers in the Beast Taming Association. Your level and your pet¡¯s strength should meet the requirements. Go take the formal beast tamer exam at the Beast Taming Association, and then you can take on missions.¡± S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. ¡°Others use their pets to fight, but you can just go in with your tachi. The Beast Taming Association doesn¡¯t care how you complete the mission, as long as it¡¯s legal.¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes lit up. That¡¯s right, there was this loophole! He also remembered the young receptionist mentioning that the Hunter¡¯s Guild and the Beast Taming Association identities didn¡¯t conflict. His pet, Mao Mao, had already reached the 1-star transcendent (supernatural) level, which was enough to pass the formal beast tamer exam. Li Chang¡¯an thanked Old Mu, promising to bring some good wine next time. Old Mu pretended not to care, but his eyes showed satisfaction. Before Li Chang¡¯an left excitedly, Old Mu reminded him, ¡°Remember to use a wooden sword. An iron sword will kill too quickly and won¡¯t provide any training value.¡± Li Chang¡¯an waved without looking back, shouting, ¡°Got it!¡± At the Hunter¡¯s Guild¡¯s logistics department, Li Chang¡¯an bought ten wooden training tachis and stored them in his spatial ring. The receptionist glanced at Li Chang¡¯an, who still had a look of anticipation on his face, and pointed to a potion name on the purchase list. ¡°Buy some healing potions too. Better safe than sorry. Even if you¡¯re confident, you should still be prepared.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was surprised because he sensed that the receptionist wasn¡¯t trying to upsell him. Then he heard the receptionist add, ¡°I¡¯ve seen countless young people like you over the years. Sigh, forget it. The regulations between the two organizations do have some loopholes. But I must remind you, many students have lost their lives due to carelessness. You¡¯d better be mentally prepared.¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s expression turned serious, and he immediately ordered ten healing potions, spending all his monthly allowance. The receptionist handed him ten light green healing potions, saying, ¡°They can be used externally or internally. If there¡¯s infection or pus, make sure to treat the wound before applying the potion.¡± Li Chang¡¯an thanked the receptionist, who had worked there for over a decade. The Beast Taming Association wasn¡¯t far from the Hunter¡¯s Guild. After leaving the Hunter¡¯s Guild, Li Chang¡¯an took the No. 11 bus and arrived at the Beast Taming Association after a few stops. Compared to the Hunter¡¯s Guild¡¯s old wooden doors, the Beast Taming Association was much more impressive, with tall gates and white walls. The polished floors alone surpassed the Hunter¡¯s Guild¡¯s stone bricks, and the place was bustling with activity. People and pets of various kinds moved in and out of the gates¡ªBlue Lake Dogs, White Electric Cats, Heavenly Orchids, and more. Li Chang¡¯an even spotted a rare Dark-Scale Horse, its owner seemingly a high school student. He could only admire such daring individuals who would contract a dark-type pet as their first. Without the right talent to resist it, the dark element¡¯s corruption would weaken the body, and over time, it could shorten one¡¯s lifespan. How much lifespan was lost depended on whether one¡¯s cultivation progressed faster or their lifespan depleted quicker. As long as one reached the King-level beast tamer before their lifespan ran out, the dark element¡¯s corruption would no longer be a concern. The same applied to light-type pets, except the side effect was emotional excitement instead of lifespan reduction. Due to the light element¡¯s purifying effect, the beast tamer¡¯s body would remain awake for long periods, essentially forcing them into a 007 work schedule or worse. Over time, the risk of sudden death was extremely high, even more so than with dark elements. Li Chang¡¯an dared not take such a life-draining path¡ªit was even more dangerous than being a hunter. This was why schools always emphasized not to covet powerful attribute pets, as they could literally kill you. Li Chang¡¯an took a number and waited for a long time before his turn came. A well-dressed receptionist asked, ¡°Sir, what service are you looking for?¡± Chapter 30 - Accepting the Mission Chapter 30: Accepting the Mission ¡°Registering for the official Beast Tamer qualification.¡± The receptionist dutifully explained the requirements and precautions for registering as an official Beast Tamer to Li Chang¡¯an. After completing his registration, Li Chang¡¯an took the examination form and headed to the examination site within the Beast Tamer Association, following the address provided. The examination site was quite large, though slightly smaller than the training grounds of the Hunter¡¯s Guild. It could accommodate three apprentice Beast Tamers simultaneously. Given that high school students had just gone on vacation, a significant portion of the examinees were students. Ahead of Li Chang¡¯an were nine people¡ªsix students and three working adults, the latter exuding a strong sense of corporate drudgery. The Beast Tamer Association¡¯s examination criteria were straightforward: use your initial beast to defeat the beast released by the examiner. That was it. As for the written test, holding an apprentice Beast Tamer certificate already signified that your academic performance was up to par. The association naturally wouldn¡¯t waste resources on a redundant written exam. While waiting, Li Chang¡¯an noticed that the beasts released by the examiners were carefully chosen. For instance, if an examinee¡¯s beast was a relatively weak Earthfang Rat, the examiner would release a slightly stronger Digging Rabbit. If the examinee¡¯s beast was stronger, like a Blue Lake Hound, the examiner would release an even more formidable Chrysanthemum Sprite. As long as you could command your beast to defeat a stronger opponent, you would pass. Throughout the examination, the examiner would not issue any commands. This was what hunters referred to as the ¡°Baby Test.¡± It was relatively simple. Li Chang¡¯an breathed a sigh of relief. If it had been any harder, with his rudimentary command skills, he might have had to rely on Mao Mao¡¯s instincts to pass. Two and a half hours later, the nine people ahead of Li Chang¡¯an finally completed their examinations. During the wait, more than ten additional examinees had joined the queue behind him. It seemed the Beast Tamer Association¡¯s examination services were quite busy at this time. ¡°Examinee number 63, please step forward.¡± Li Chang¡¯an walked up to the command platform and, following the rules, summoned Mao Mao first. The Thorny Star Contract Array beneath his feet flashed quickly, and Mao Mao, in his kitten form, appeared on the battlefield, exuding the aura of a hybrid dragon. This was something Li Chang¡¯an had specifically instructed. Unfortunately, the proficiency of his Concealment Technique could only suppress the aura to this extent. Of course, the Concealment Technique was just a low-level skill, and achieving this much already made it an exceptional low-level skill. The examiner, sensing the dragon-like aura emanating from Mao Mao, twitched his lips. ¡°Well, well, a dragon-type beast right off the bat. Judging by the aura, it¡¯s at least a hybrid dragon. Which young master is taking the exam today?¡± Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The examiner took a deep breath. The association¡¯s provided beasts didn¡¯t include anything of this caliber, so he had no choice but to release the strongest beast available¡ªa Shadow Leopard with purple-black spots, a powerful dark-type beast in the early stages. The moment the Shadow Leopard was released, its elegant demeanor immediately faltered. Its calm gaze fixed intently on the small cat ten meters away, its body lowering, teeth bared, ready to pounce. Mao Mao yawned, shifting from a crouching position to a standing one, as if giving the little cat across from him some face. ¡°Mao Mao, Hellfire.¡± Upon receiving the command, Mao Mao opened his mouth and spat out a dark red Hellfire ball, which shot toward the Shadow Leopard at high speed. The Shadow Leopard¡¯s pupils contracted to pinpoints. Just as it was about to use its racial ability to dive into the shadows, a terrifying pressure interrupted its movement, leaving it frozen in place for two seconds. Those two seconds decided the outcome. The Hellfire struck the Shadow Leopard, a beast with high attack but low defense, rendering it unconscious instantly. Mao Mao retracted the Hellfire burning on the Shadow Leopard to prevent it from killing the fragile creature. After all, Li Chang¡¯an had warned that accidentally killing an examination beast would cost him a month¡¯s worth of food. For a glutton like Mao Mao, that was unbearable, so he reluctantly dispelled the Hellfire¡¯s burning effect, sparing the Shadow Leopard. The scene of the Shadow Leopard being instantly defeated left the examinees behind Li Chang¡¯an swallowing hard. A one-hit KO! And against a Shadow Leopard, known for its speed. They realized just how powerful the young man on the command platform was. However, not everyone was impressed. One person muttered under his breath, ¡°He¡¯s just relying on his family¡¯s wealth to buy a strong initial beast. If I had that kind of background, I could do the same.¡± The examinees near him immediately distanced themselves. ¡°Are you out of your mind? Knowing he¡¯s from a powerful family, and you still dare to say that? Aren¡¯t you afraid of retaliation later?¡± Li Chang¡¯an, with his sharp hearing, naturally caught the envious remark. He never expected that the treatment usually reserved for villainous young masters in novels would one day fall upon him. Life was truly full of surprises. But so what? Li Chang¡¯an hugged Mao Mao, who had pounced on him seeking praise, and gently stroked the soft mane on the little guy¡¯s head, continuously praising its performance through their soul contract. The examiner, witnessing this scene, was momentarily stunned, and his earlier assumptions were dispelled. A young man who could be so close with a dragon-type beast couldn¡¯t possibly be a bad person. The man who had muttered enviously earlier was now being criticized by someone behind him. ¡°What are you so proud of? Look at your Shield Crab and how you treat it. You rarely interact with it, don¡¯t you? Look at how close he is with his beast¡ªit puts you to shame.¡± The man retorted, ¡°If I had a dragon-type beast, I¡¯d interact with it all the time too.¡± Hearing such shameless nonsense, someone else chimed in sarcastically, ¡°With that face of yours, even if you licked a dragon-type beast¡¯s rear, it wouldn¡¯t give you the time of day.¡± The man was furious, but the others simply sneered. A scumbag who didn¡¯t even cherish his own beast wouldn¡¯t be worth a glance from a pure-blood dragon¡¯s offspring, even if one appeared before him. High school teachers had made it clear: the higher the rank of a beast¡¯s offspring, the more sensitive their perception. They could easily sense human emotions, and some could even discern a person¡¯s character. That was why forming contracts with these high-ranking beasts was so difficult. It wasn¡¯t just you choosing the beast¡ªthe beast was also choosing you. If you weren¡¯t up to par, they wouldn¡¯t give you the time of day, let alone someone like this envious man. Li Chang¡¯an paid no attention to the commotion. After receiving his qualification certificate, he headed straight to the reception hall to register as an official Beast Tamer. With his Beast Tamer badge in hand, he made his way to the mission hall. The mission hall had a futuristic design, with all operations handled by intelligent systems. The only human staff were engineers maintaining the smart mission boards and volunteers guiding new Beast Tamers on how to use the equipment. Beast Tamers could use their badges to select and accept suitable missions on the smart mission boards. Once a mission was accepted, the badge would project a detailed mission description. Li Chang¡¯an easily found a mission to eliminate Blackfang Boars. Unlike the Hunter¡¯s Guild, solo hunting missions here were rarely taken by new Beast Tamers, who mostly opted for gathering missions or group hunting missions. Although the latter paid less, they were safer. In today¡¯s society, young people weren¡¯t foolish. Few would recklessly choose dangerous solo combat missions like in novels. Losing your life meant it was over¡ªteaming up was the optimal choice. But Li Chang¡¯an was an exception. He had come to the Beast Tamer Association precisely for combat. This solo combat mission involved eliminating several Blackfang Boars, rated at Transcendent 1-Star, with a generous reward. Each Blackfang Boar offered a 5,000 credit reward¡ªnearly a month¡¯s salary for an average worker¡ªnot to mention the additional income from harvesting the boar¡¯s meat and tusks. All in all, killing one Blackfang Boar could net around 7,000 to 8,000 Donghuang Credits. Completing the entire mission efficiently could earn you 30,000 to 40,000 credits in a single day. This was why Beast Tamer families were never short on money¡ªBeast Tamers earned too easily. However, they also bore greater risks. For instance, the Blackfang Boar mission Li Chang¡¯an accepted involved a pack of these beasts, which typically traveled in groups of five or six. Most new Beast Tamers couldn¡¯t handle these tough-skinned, high-damage creatures. Although the mission was rated for Level 1 Beast Tamers, it was usually taken by those at Level 3 or higher. When Li Chang¡¯an accepted the mission, a volunteer kindly reminded him, ¡°This mission is too dangerous. Maybe you should pick something else?¡± Li Chang¡¯an grinned. ¡°No problem. Danger is exactly what I¡¯m looking for.¡± The volunteer: ¡°???¡± Chapter 31 - Black Tusked Boars Chapter 31: Black Tusked Boars After Li Chang¡¯an left, the volunteer returned to his post in a daze. Seeing his state, a companion couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What did that new Beast Tamer do to make you look like this?¡± The volunteer explained the situation, and his companion nodded in understanding. ¡°Ah, I see. Well, people like that show up from time to time.¡± The volunteer was even more confused. ¡°There are still such reckless fools these days?¡± His companion chuckled and asked, ¡°Did that Beast Tamer seem a bit different from the other newcomers?¡± The volunteer nodded. ¡°Yes, he seemed more¡­ seasoned.¡± His companion clapped his hands together and smiled. ¡°That makes sense. You haven¡¯t been here long, so you wouldn¡¯t know. That young man is from the Hunter¡¯s Guild.¡± ¡°The Hunter¡¯s Guild? Why would someone from the Hunter¡¯s Guild come here?¡± The companion explained some of the loopholes and workarounds that existed between the two organizations, leaving the volunteer speechless. ¡°The Hunter¡¯s Guild¡¯s exams are really that difficult? No wonder some hunter trainees come here to train.¡± The volunteer¡¯s complaint reminded his companion of something from the past. He murmured, ¡°But it¡¯s precisely because of these rules that hunters become so strong, allowing us to live in peace, isn¡¯t it?¡± The volunteer didn¡¯t catch what he said and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± His companion smiled. ¡°Nothing. Just keep an eye on that young man in the future. Recommend some challenging tasks to him, but filter out the ones that are too difficult.¡± The volunteer nodded thoughtfully. After accepting the mission, Li Chang¡¯an quickly used a map app on his phone to locate the mission site and find the fastest route. ¡°Head east for sixty miles from Red Rock City to Anyang Village in the neighboring county-level city.¡± Red Rock City was large, a prefecture-level city. The entire Donghuang Kingdom was vast, with Red Rock City alone being about one-third the size of the entire northwest region from his previous life. Province Z was several times larger than Europe from his past life. Given the distance, taking a taxi to the mission site wasn¡¯t feasible. Instead, Li Chang¡¯an opted for an air taxi. The air taxi industry in Donghuang was highly developed, and long-distance flights were even cheaper than taking a cab. Fortunately, there was an air taxi service right next to the Beast Tamer Association. After paying a little over 500 credits, Li Chang¡¯an booked a round-trip air taxi package. A pilot flew a car-sized aircraft and took Li Chang¡¯an to the mission site. ¡°How long do you need?¡± the pilot asked. Li Chang¡¯an checked the time¡ª12:15 PM. ¡°Come pick me up at 5:00 PM sharp.¡± The pilot acknowledged and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be here at five. If you need to leave earlier, contact the service number on your badge, and they¡¯ll let me know.¡± With that, the pilot left. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Li Chang¡¯an went to the village committee and showed the village chief his Beast Tamer badge, using its projection function to display the proof of his accepted mission. The middle-aged village chief, after seeing the proof, said, ¡°I¡¯m Ma Jun, the village chief of Anyang Village. Young man, are you sure you want to take on this mission? It¡¯s really dangerous.¡± The worry and distrust on Chief Ma¡¯s face were evident. Li Chang¡¯an understood his concerns. If something happened to him, the village would also be affected. So Li Chang¡¯an took out his Hunter Trainee certificate and said, ¡°I¡¯m also a Hunter Trainee. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± Seeing this, Chief Ma felt slightly reassured. The older generation still held a great deal of trust in hunters. However, Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s age was still a concern, so Chief Ma decided to accompany him. The two arrived at the vegetable field where the Black Tusked Boars frequently appeared. Li Chang¡¯an took out his wooden katana. Chief Ma¡¯s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw the wooden katana. ¡°What the¡­ it¡¯s made of wood? This is a joke, right?¡± Just as Chief Ma was about to protest, a commotion erupted from the forest across the field. ¡°Young man, run!¡± Chief Ma tried to pull Li Chang¡¯an back, but Li Chang¡¯an dodged his grasp. Seeing this, Chief Ma could only stomp his foot in frustration and hide behind a tree. ¡°If something happens to this kid, at least I can collect his body for his parents.¡± Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s gaze was fixed on the direction of the noise, his right hand already gripping the hilt of his katana. A one-meter-tall Black Tusked Boar emerged from the bushes, followed by four others of similar size. They charged toward the field, ready to feast. Li Chang¡¯an drew his katana. Facing these massive creatures, the man who had once been afraid to even kill a chicken in his past life felt not a trace of fear. Only boiling blood and a cold heart. Step and slash! Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s blade struck the forehead of the leading Black Tusked Boar. The boar let out a pained squeal and retreated, whimpering in agony. The other boars reacted and charged at Li Chang¡¯an with their tusks aimed forward. Cross-slash! Using the cross-slash¡¯s ability to slightly alter his position, Li Chang¡¯an deftly dodged the boars¡¯ charges. The cross-slash¡¯s diagonal cutting motion also allowed him to build up most of his blade¡¯s momentum. By now, the leading boar had recovered. Its half-meter-long black tusks glowed with a yellowish light. It was preparing to use a skill! While dodging, Li Chang¡¯an caught the boar¡¯s movements out of the corner of his eye. Earth Spikes! A dozen thirty-centimeter-long spikes of earth shot up from the ground beneath Li Chang¡¯an. Using the length of his katana, Li Chang¡¯an slashed downward at one of the boars, using the recoil to propel himself out of the range of the spikes. His blade¡¯s momentum was fully charged. The other boars began to mimic their leader, some gathering yellow energy around their tusks, others glowing white all over. Earth Tusks! Charge! Li Chang¡¯an wasn¡¯t about to let them unleash their skills. Take them down one by one! Spirit Slash! Li Chang¡¯an swung his katana in a wide arc, performing a large horizontal slash. The intimidating aura around him rapidly dissipated. ¡°The Spirit Slash is troublesome because the movements are too big. If you¡¯re not careful, the enemy can exploit your openings and catch you off guard,¡± Li Chang¡¯an thought to himself. However, with his strong mental focus and innate talent for sensing, he was quite adept at timing his attacks. Three consecutive Spirit Slashes interrupted the boar gathering Earth Tusks. Then, with a spinning slash, he used the recoil to sidestep another boar¡¯s charge. The white blade was fully charged. The thrilling scene left Chief Ma, who was watching from afar, utterly stunned. ¡°Good heavens! This kid is amazing. Even the eldest son of the second family, who¡¯s in college, isn¡¯t this skilled!¡± The other three boars joined the fray, charging again and again. The boars had realized that gathering their skills took too long, leaving them vulnerable to interruption. It was better to rely on their powerful bodies and use their most effective skill: charging. Li Chang¡¯an noticed this, but his white blade was already fully charged. This attack wasn¡¯t just going to hurt¡ªit was going to be devastating. One boar left itself open, and Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s blade cleanly severed its left foreleg. The boar, now missing a leg, skidded across the ground, leaving a deep, long gouge. The other boars, seeing this, redoubled their efforts, charging even more frequently. The pressure on Li Chang¡¯an increased, but so did the sharpness of his blade¡¯s momentum. What had once required time to prepare was now becoming as easy as a basic attack. His [Dexterous Mind] talent was operating at full capacity, countless inspirations flooding his mind. Slash! Slash! In a casual swing, Li Chang¡¯an decapitated one of the boars, and his wooden katana showed no signs of damage. The white light on the blade had grown much brighter, almost blinding. ¡°Strength +2.¡± The Hunting Notes delivered good news. Li Chang¡¯an felt the muscles in his arms tighten and grow stronger. Chief Ma, seeing the glowing blade, was transported back to his childhood. Back then, Anyang Village was newly established, and it was frequently harassed by magical beasts. Once, while urinating in the fields, he had been attacked by a black snake-like beast. A group of passing hunters had saved him. Chief Ma vividly remembered that one of the hunters wielded a weapon similar to Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s¡ªa large, long blade that glowed with the same blinding white light. ¡°So this kid really is a hunter!¡± Chief Ma muttered in disbelief from behind the tree. Chapter 32 - The Fierce Battle in the Grove Chapter 32: The Fierce Battle in the Grove The remaining four Black-Tusked Boars were startled upon seeing their companion decapitated. Their innate fear of stronger beings urged them to flee. The leading boar instinctively stepped back, while the less intelligent ones charged forward. Li Chang¡¯an swung his sword, the blade drawing a graceful white arc in the air. With a horizontal slash, he severed all four limbs of one boar, causing blood to spurt everywhere. The boar soon bled to death. Unfortunately, there was no attribute gain from this kill. Overwhelmed by fear, the leading boar and two others with broken front legs turned to run. But Li Chang¡¯an wasn¡¯t about to let them escape. Knowing that boar-type magical beasts reproduce quickly and could overrun the mountains with offspring in a few years, and being somewhat intelligent, they could easily seek revenge on the villagers after he left. To prevent future trouble, he decided to eliminate them all. Li Chang¡¯an released Mao Mao, shouting, ¡°Mao Mao, stop the leading boar!¡± He could still catch up to the two limping boars, but the uninjured leader, with its four powerful legs, was too fast, especially in the mountainous terrain. This task was for Mao Mao. Mao Mao let out an excited meow, spreading its fiery dragon wings and flying into the forest. Li Chang¡¯an worried silently, ¡°Please don¡¯t set the forest on fire, or I¡¯ll have to face the consequences.¡± Under the despairing gazes of the two injured boars, Li Chang¡¯an swiftly beheaded them. Thud! Thud! The heavy sounds of their bodies hitting the ground echoed. ¡°Strength +2.¡± ¡°Strength +2.¡± Li Chang¡¯an stood before the two boar corpses, his two-meter-long sword gleaming with white light, his pants stained with fresh blood. This scene shocked Village Chief Ma, who had come to check on the situation. ¡°This, this¡­¡± stammered Chief Ma. Li Chang¡¯an smiled apologetically, ¡°Chief, there¡¯s still one more. I¡¯ll go after it!¡± Without waiting for Chief Ma¡¯s response, Li Chang¡¯an dashed off, quickly disappearing from sight. Following Mao Mao¡¯s soul message, Li Chang¡¯an arrived at the last location of the leading boar. Mao Mao was lazily perched on the boar¡¯s body, its skull crushed. Judging by the aroma from the wound, Mao Mao had killed it with its Infernal Claw. ¡°Earth Spike Skill Stone +1.¡± Li Chang¡¯an was surprised. Even though he didn¡¯t kill it, he still gained loot. Then he realized that his perfect compatibility and soul contract with Mao Mao, along with the hunting notes¡¯ imprint on his contract formation, made this possible. Mao Mao¡¯s limbs ignited with infernal flames, burning away the filth from its claws, then leaped lightly onto Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s shoulder. Li Chang¡¯an tilted slightly, thinking, ¡°Has Mao Mao gained weight?¡± But he asked instead, ¡°Mao Mao, sense if there are any more Black-Tusked Boars around.¡± Mao Mao nuzzled Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s ear, saying, ¡°Meow, (A group of boars is heading this way.)¡± Li Chang¡¯an was startled. Boars coming to aid their kin were likely stronger and smarter. ¡°How long until they arrive?¡± ¡°Meow. (Now.)¡± S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. As soon as Mao Mao finished, nine Black-Tusked Boars appeared before Li Chang¡¯an. The leader stood three meters tall and five meters long, with black tusks over a meter long, translucent like black onyx. ¡°Damn, the Black-Tusked Boar King!¡± A Transcendent 3-star boar leader! Even Li Chang¡¯an, confident as he was, didn¡¯t believe he could kill this boar king, especially with a wooden sword. If it were a steel sword, he might stand a chance. ¡°Mao Mao, you take the leader! I¡¯ll handle the rest!¡± Li Chang¡¯an quickly assigned the battlefield. The remaining eight boars were his to deal with, which was no easier than fighting the boar king, as two of them were Transcendent 2-star, matching his level. Mao Mao, eager for battle, jumped down and reverted to its one-meter-tall combat form. It had been longing for a good fight, and with Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s permission, its Infernal Dragon bloodline was boiling with excitement. Seeing the fiery Mao Mao, the boar king¡¯s bloodline trembled violently, as if facing an insurmountable foe. Mao Mao roared and charged at the boar king. The boar king shook its head, regaining its composure. Mao Mao had only used its mixed-blood dragon aura, not wanting to overwhelm its opponent too quickly, as that would be no fun. The boar king¡¯s translucent black tusks glowed with dark energy. It was on the verge of evolving into a Dark-Tusked Boar, an elite high-potential beast. Shadow Tooth Charge! Facing the boar king¡¯s counterattack, Mao Mao¡¯s eyes showed disdain. If a pure-blood Transcendent 3-star dragon used this move, it might dodge. But now? No need! Mao Mao collided head-on with the boar king. Despite the boar king¡¯s massive size, Mao Mao¡¯s one-meter frame held its ground. Crack! The boar king¡¯s tusks snapped. Fear filled its eyes. What kind of monster is this? Run! Seeing the situation turn dire, the boar king fled. Mao Mao, not about to let its prey escape, began a cat-and-mouse game. The boar king¡¯s escape indirectly affected Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s battle. The two Transcendent 2-star boars, now panicked, disrupted the formation, creating openings. Seizing the opportunity, Li Chang¡¯an swiftly killed two Transcendent 1-star boars. ¡°Constitution +2.¡± Only one loot dropped from the two boars. The increase in constitution strengthened Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s bones and enhanced the connection between his muscles and blood, effectively increasing his health pool. With two boars down, the remaining ones¡¯ attacks became more disorganized. Li Chang¡¯an continued to strike, taking down a 1-star boar every three slashes. Perhaps due to the boars¡¯ loss of morale, he didn¡¯t gain any more attribute rewards. Instead, his sword¡¯s aura grew heavier, and he sensed the possibility of forming a Yellow Blade. In a flash, Li Chang¡¯an used consecutive Air Slashes to kill the remaining 1-star boars. The sharp aura dissipated, only to be replaced by an even fiercer blade aura, as if capable of cutting through anything. The advanced technique of the sword, ¡°Air Slash,¡± had reached the stage of understanding. At this stage, some choose resistance to interruption, some the weight of the blade, and others the speed of the Air Slash. Li Chang¡¯an chose to make his blade sharper. With enough sharpness, a single slash could decapitate, rendering any fancy moves useless. If his blade hit, the opponent would either die or be severely injured. This was the insight Li Chang¡¯an gained from the chaotic battle, thanks to the boars¡¯ thick hides. As he sheathed his sword, a yellow light flashed in Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s eyes. When he drew it again, the wooden blade was now adorned with a brilliant yellow aura. Yellow Blade activated! Li Chang¡¯an pointed his sword at the two panicked 2-star boars. One, unable to bear the fear, turned and fled. The other seemed frozen in place. Thrust! Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s body bent like a fully drawn bow, then shot forward like an arrow. A horizontal slash beheaded the stationary boar. ¡°Earth Affinity +2.¡± Useless attribute! Li Chang¡¯an cursed inwardly, as he didn¡¯t specialize in earth magic. Without slowing down, Li Chang¡¯an chased after the fleeing boar. With the Yellow Blade active, his physical abilities were greatly enhanced, surpassing many support-type magical beasts. He quickly caught up to the boar. Blade Break. The yellow aura shot from his sword, striking the boar¡¯s rear. Splat! The sound of a blade cutting through rubber echoed as the boar was split open. Two invisible attacks from the void then tore the boar in half. Infernal Shadow: Double Strike! This boar met the most gruesome end of all, proving that deserters fare no better and yield no loot. Simultaneously, ¡°Stamina +4.¡± Mao Mao: ¡°Chang¡¯an, I¡¯m done.¡± Mao Mao¡¯s victory granted Li Chang¡¯an 4 stamina points, alleviating half of his accumulated fatigue. The Black-Tusked Boar King was truly a good guy! Chapter 33 - Mission Settlement Chapter 33: Mission Settlement The jungle was filled with the scent of blood, yet no predators dared to appear here. Mao Mao was still crouched on the corpse of the Black-Tusked Boar King, calm and composed, with the prison flames still burning on its body. The death of the boar king beneath it was too gruesome to bear, too tragic! It was likely that Mao Mao had tortured it to death. Fortunately, the pair of black crystal tusks were still intact and could fetch a good price. When Li Chang¡¯an saw Mao Mao, its originally excited expression immediately cracked. ¡°Meow. (Chang¡¯an, can you please disperse that aura? It¡¯s very dangerous.)¡± Li Chang¡¯an was very surprised. Could the Mingyi realm he had comprehended actually threaten a lower-level ancient dragon? Mao Mao responded with certainty, ¡°Meow! Meow! (No! But it would be very uncomfortable if you got hit.)¡± Very uncomfortable? Could it be that I can now cut through souls? Mao Mao then explained the reason: it wasn¡¯t about cutting the soul, but rather, if accidentally touched by Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s blade aura, it would feel very uncomfortable. Li Chang¡¯an never expected that this ¡°uncomfortable¡± was meant literally! After much deliberation, he still couldn¡¯t figure out why his blade aura had become like this. Perhaps it was related to his mental-type talent. He decided to ask Old Mu when he got back! Just as he finished collecting the corpses of the nine Black-Tusked Boars, he heard Village Chief Ma calling from outside. ¡°Mr. Li, where are you?¡± There were many voices calling out, and Li Chang¡¯an followed the sound to find Village Chief Ma and others. Accompanying Village Chief Ma were several young people, with the leader having a Giant Mushroom Pig in front. The Giant Mushroom Pig is an evolved form of the Mushroom Pig, with elite low-level potential and relatively low combat power, but the mushrooms it produces can fetch a good price. The other young people were similar, all with evolved forms of Mushroom Pigs, but none of their pets had reached the elite level. Upon seeing the Giant Mushroom Pig, Li Chang¡¯an instantly understood why Anyang Village, despite having beastmasters, still needed to post tasks at the Beastmaster Association. ¡°Not everyone chooses combat-type pets,¡± Li Chang¡¯an murmured. He had previously misunderstood that most people would choose combat-type pets because he was at Hongyan No. 1 High School. In the best high school in Hongyan City, even if students chose resource-type pets, they would still consider combat power. But in reality, students from other high schools mostly don¡¯t consider the talent and abilities of their initial pets. They just need a pet that can bring them profits in the early stages, so they can have the capital to consider the combat power of their second pet. Li Chang¡¯an walked towards Village Chief Ma and the others, waving his hand, ¡°Village Chief Ma, I¡¯m here!¡± When Village Chief Ma and the others saw Li Chang¡¯an approaching, they quickly came forward to ask if he was okay. ¡°Are you injured?¡± Li Chang¡¯an shook his head, indicating he was fine, and took out one of the boar king¡¯s black crystal tusks, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve killed all the nearby Black-Tusked Boars. You shouldn¡¯t have to worry about them for the next few years.¡± Seeing the black crystal tusk, the young college students were shocked. ¡°Am I seeing this right? That¡¯s the tusk of a Black-Tusked Boar King.¡± ¡°Look at the color and the energy fluctuations. This boar king was about to evolve on its own. With its elite-level strength by then¡­¡± The students looked at each other, a hint of fear in their eyes. They had earned enough money through their Giant Mushroom Pigs to contract decent second pets, but it would take time to train them to a combat-ready state. Village Chief Ma, stroking his nearly bald head, exclaimed, ¡°My goodness, it¡¯s actually the head of the black boars. This is incredible!¡± While Village Chief Ma was marveling, the young people expressed their gratitude. ¡°Thank you, classmate, for helping our village eliminate this menace.¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really amazing. I feel like even our school team might not be a match for you.¡± Li Chang¡¯an wasn¡¯t swayed by these superficial compliments. On the other hand, the college students¡¯ flattery skills were too poor to have any effect on him. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The five Black-Tusked Boars outside were collected by the villagers, overseen by an elderly man. This old man, upon hearing that these were the hunter¡¯s spoils, insisted on guarding them to prevent any troublemakers from causing trouble. Li Chang¡¯an thanked the old man for his kindness and gave the boar king and the half-cut Black-Tusked Boar to the villagers as a token of appreciation for helping him collect the corpses. Of course, he kept the most valuable tusks. Only the pork was given to the villagers. The people of Anyang Village were shocked by the three-meter-tall, five-meter-long boar king. They originally planned to have their best chef prepare a feast for Li Chang¡¯an, but he was eager to complete the mission and politely declined, only accepting a large bag of dried mushrooms from Village Chief Ma. These were said to be a specialty of Anyang Village, containing various delicious mushrooms produced by different Mushroom Pigs. It was precisely because Anyang Village had just started on the path to prosperity by raising pigs and selling mushrooms that they hadn¡¯t had time to train their own beastmasters, leading to the bullying by the Black-Tusked Boars. However, after this incident, the college students¡¯ second pets would reach a level capable of protecting the village in a couple of years. By then, Anyang Village would truly stand firm. Li Chang¡¯an sincerely wished these hospitable villagers the best. The aircraft pilot, seeing Li Chang¡¯an leisurely drinking tea at the village entrance with several village elders, and then looking at his own dark circles from exhaustion in the rearview mirror, was baffled. What on earth happened in these two hours? The change was too drastic. Li Chang¡¯an bid farewell to the reluctant village elders and boarded the aircraft. Noticing the pilot¡¯s newly acquired dark circles, he asked in surprise, ¡°Did you go for a spa treatment?¡± The pilot was speechless. This high school student seemed more worldly than he was. But he honestly replied, ¡°No, before picking you up, I had a troublesome client with a dark-type pet.¡± Li Chang¡¯an nodded, with an expression that said, ¡°Whatever you say.¡± The pilot, feeling a bit stifled, asked on the way back, ¡°Is the Anyang Village problem solved?¡± Li Chang¡¯an, engrossed in browsing the Beastmaster Badge¡¯s functions, replied without looking up, ¡°Yes, I also took care of the boar king. Even if there are any remaining Black-Tusked Boars, they¡¯ll behave for the next few years.¡± The pilot didn¡¯t believe it. How could a high school student who just became a beastmaster possibly kill a Transcendent 3-star Black-Tusked Boar King? Those struggling at the bottom of the beastmaster hierarchy knew all too well the vast power gap between pet star levels. Defeating a higher-level opponent only existed in the novels they heard about. The two remained silent for the rest of the journey. Upon returning to the Beastmaster Association, Li Chang¡¯an went to the reception to submit the mission. The receptionist, with a professional smile, said, ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve received confirmation from Anyang Village. Your mission is confirmed completed. Do you need any other services?¡± Li Chang¡¯an asked, ¡°Where can I sell monster corpses and materials?¡± The receptionist glanced behind Li Chang¡¯an, seeing no packages, but her gaze caught the ring on his left middle finger. Her smile faltered, and her tone became more sincere, ¡°Certainly, sir. The material processing area is in the warehouse on the first floor. The specific location is¡­¡± ¡°Welcome to visit us again.¡± Following the receptionist¡¯s directions, Li Chang¡¯an passed through the reception hall and a long corridor, arriving at a tightly shut alloy door. Swiping his Beastmaster Badge, the door beeped and automatically opened, revealing a thin blue protective film. Passing through the film, a strong stench hit him, almost knocking him out. The environment was akin to a meat market. ¡°The conditions here are much worse than Hunter¡¯s Path. No wonder they use a barrier to isolate it. The smell alone is enough to make one dizzy.¡± Arriving at the material processing warehouse, a man in a black leather apron was sharpening a knife while directing his subordinates to move things. Li Chang¡¯an approached the man and asked, ¡°Can I sell monster corpses here?¡± The man stopped sharpening his knife, scrutinizing the young man before him, and replied, ¡°Yes, you can. Do you have monster corpses to sell?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a staff member over there for weighing. Go there.¡± Li Chang¡¯an thanked him and went to the weighing station. He took out all the Black-Tusked Boar corpses from his spatial ring and placed them on the scale. After counting the 12 Black-Tusked Boar corpses, the staff quoted a price. ¡°We¡¯ll buy them at 20% below market price, totaling 133,700 Donghuang coins. Any questions?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Alright, please keep the receipt and collect your payment at the cashier over there.¡± Shaking the receipt in his hand, Li Chang¡¯an once again marveled at the value of being a beastmaster. Or rather, a combat-type beastmaster. Earning 130,000 in a single day, a six-figure monthly income would be easy, and this was just the income of a low-level beastmaster. Although the two Transcendent 2-star Black-Tusked Boars contributed significantly, even the 10 one-star boars could fetch around 80,000 to 90,000. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s hard to imagine how much more lucrative being a hunter could be.¡± In fact, Li Chang¡¯an was already enjoying the benefits of a hunter. Ordinary beastmasters couldn¡¯t solo a Black-Tusked Boar group; they needed teamwork. Teamwork meant splitting the earnings, and there were also post-battle medical expenses, so it was impossible for one person to take home 130,000. Suddenly, someone spoke up, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. Their pockets are all empty.¡± Damn! Chapter 34 - Apprentice License Chapter 34: Apprentice License Li Chang¡¯an was startled and turned towards the source of the voice. It was a burly man, similar in build to Duan Ben, wearing armor stained with purple blood that emitted dark energy. A hunter! sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The moment Li Chang¡¯an saw the man, he knew his identity. Before Li Chang¡¯an could speak, the man introduced himself, ¡°I¡¯m Wang Xiang, as you can see, I¡¯m a hunter. I¡¯ve heard about you from my companions, the genius swordsman.¡± Li Chang¡¯an scratched his head sheepishly, ¡°Not really a genius, just the seniors¡¯ praise.¡± Wang Xiang¡¯s eye twitched slightly, ¡°Hunters don¡¯t need such formalities. Next time, before being modest, remember to disperse your sword aura first, it would be more effective.¡± Sword aura? Li Chang¡¯an looked down at himself, ¡°I already released the Blade Breaker, how is there still some? Is it obvious?¡± Wang Xiang was stunned, realizing the young man wasn¡¯t pretending. ¡°Didn¡¯t Old Mu teach you the hunter¡¯s breath-concealing technique?¡± ¡°No, after teaching me advanced sword techniques, he just let me practice on my own.¡± In front of the guild cabin, Old Mu, holding a pipe, suddenly sneezed. ¡°Achoo!¡± Rubbing his nose, he felt someone was talking about him. ¡°I feel like I forgot something, never mind.¡± Wang Xiang was speechless, wondering if Old Mu had forgotten how to teach. He patiently explained, ¡°For ordinary beast masters, the residual sword aura on you isn¡¯t very noticeable, just a bit unusual. But to those with advanced skills or sensitive beasts, your sword aura is quite sharp. If you encounter a powerful beast beyond your capability during a mission, it would be really dangerous.¡± Li Chang¡¯an understood and curiously asked, ¡°Are there powerful beasts in the city?¡± Wang Xiang saw through Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s thoughts and warned, ¡°Generally no, but there are exceptions. Like the powerful beings that merged into Donghuang¡¯s territory during the early days of the cataclysm and have been sleeping in secret realms. Or the massive earthquake in Suhe City, S Province, fifty years ago.¡± ¡°Was that earthquake caused by a beast?¡± Li Chang¡¯an was shocked, as the event had significantly altered the terrain of S Province and neighboring areas. Officially, it was just a regular earthquake, but it was actually triggered by a beast. Wang Xiang gravely said, ¡°It was caused by an ancient dragon. Donghuang¡¯s research bureau detected traces of an unknown ancient dragon underground and named it ¡®Zhenyuan Dragon¡¯.¡± Li Chang¡¯an: ¡°Is it appropriate to tell me such secrets?¡± Wang Xiang resumed his elder brother demeanor, ¡°It¡¯s not really a secret among hunters, don¡¯t worry too much. By the way, what did you encounter to develop such a sharp sword aura?¡± Li Chang¡¯an pointed to the unbutchered Black-Tusked Boar behind him, ¡°That, the Black-Tusked Boar and the Boar King.¡± Wang Xiang was surprised, ¡°You killed them? You¡¯re only a level 2 beast master, and the Boar King is at least a 3-star transcendent level.¡± Transcendent 1-3 stars correspond to low-level beast masters levels 1-3, and elite 1-3 stars correspond to mid-level beast masters levels 4-6. Hence, Wang Xiang was amazed that Li Chang¡¯an, a novice, could fight above his level. Li Chang¡¯an explained, ¡°The Boar King was killed by my pet beast, the others by me.¡± Wang Xiang: ¡°Is there a difference?¡± ¡°That¡¯s still impressive. Using an unengraved iron sword to cut through such tough beasts is quite hard.¡± Li Chang¡¯an scratched his head, ¡°Ah? I used a wooden sword.¡± Wang Xiang was utterly silent, ¡°A wooden sword? Did you follow Old Mu¡¯s misleading advice?¡± ¡°Was that misleading?¡± Now it was Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s turn to be shocked. Wang Xiang patted Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s shoulder, reminiscing about unpleasant memories, ¡°Listen to me, train as you will, but next time carry an iron sword, just in case.¡± Then he quickly ran off. Li Chang¡¯an wanted to ask more, but seeing Wang Xiang¡¯s retreating figure, his outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air. ¡°Tsk, why run so fast, kid? I won¡¯t eat you,¡± said an old man appearing beside Li Chang¡¯an, with white hair but a robust build surpassing most young men present. Li Chang¡¯an quickly stepped back, maintaining a ten-meter distance. The old man said, ¡°Kid, don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯m not a bad guy.¡± Li Chang¡¯an thought, ¡°Would a bad guy admit to being one?¡± The old man sighed, took out a hunter badge with three silver stars, indicating he was a 3-star elite hunter, stronger than Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s father. After verifying the badge¡¯s number and matching the old man¡¯s appearance on the hunter website, Li Chang¡¯an relaxed. ¡°Sorry, Mr. L¨¹ Fengmao, I was too impulsive,¡± Li Chang¡¯an apologized. L¨¹ Fengmao waved it off, ¡°Stay cautious, you¡¯ll live long.¡± Li Chang¡¯an cautiously asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡± A 3-star elite hunter was a big deal even in Z Province, let alone in the small city of Hongyan. L¨¹ Fengmao explained he was there to give Li Chang¡¯an a surprise, not to reprimand him. He detailed the tradition of senior hunters mentoring novices without revealing themselves, ensuring both training effectiveness and safety. This tradition had significantly reduced casualties and increased the number of graduates. L¨¹ Fengmao was protecting Li Chang¡¯an, partly due to the lack of new blood in Hongyan and the elders¡¯ idleness, leading to elite hunters guarding novices. L¨¹ Fengmao noted, ¡°You¡¯re honest, using a wooden sword throughout. If not for your pet beast, you might have ended up as pig feed.¡± Li Chang¡¯an explained, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to carry an iron sword; it wouldn¡¯t give me enough pressure. The Boar King¡¯s appearance was within my expectations.¡± His pet, Mao Mao, was his final safeguard. L¨¹ Fengmao paused, recalling Li Chang¡¯an¡¯s battle, realizing it was true. ¡°You¡¯re quite the daredevil. Anyway, with your current strength, low-level tasks in the city aren¡¯t challenging if you don¡¯t take risks. Remember to carry an iron sword next time, and gather materials. After passing the assessment, go to Old Qin to craft equipment, saving time. Don¡¯t worry about the initial hunter set materials; the guild will provide. Your task is to upgrade your initial gear to low-tier superior talisman quality upon becoming a hunter.¡± Low-tier superior talisman quality?!