Beast Taming: the More the Better

Chapter 608: Chapter 281: The Shed Exuviae! Xiao Qing’s Flickering Evolutionary Light!

Six Papermen, under Qian Yi’s control, rapidly floated over from the pond. They firmly held down their respective golden stone slabs, preventing even the slightest waft of what was inside—or even a hint of its aura—from leaking out. Then, they slowly dragged them to the shore.

Xing Chen’s brows lifted slightly. He had seen very clearly: the Papermen Su Ping had summoned just now grasped nothing but a withered branch. There wasn’t even the tiniest bit of escaping Energy; evidently, no Energy was contained within. It was just an ordinary piece of deadwood. Is such an item really worth such serious precaution? Xing Chen didn’t understand. However, this young ancestor’s thought processes were clearly different from those of a normal person. All he could do was watch patiently and see what Su Ping was up to.

Su Ping ignored Xing Chen’s gaze. He walked directly to the golden chest and put on a pair of Golden Gloves he had prepared in advance. Then, he opened it and pressed down firmly. A Legendary Level resource! No amount of caution was excessive. Moreover, according to the Breeder Association’s backend information—which was very clear and distinct—the Biyao Chunshen possessed a certain level of intelligence and could use various means to escape at any time. According to Master Zhu’s previous words, the only thing that restrained it was this gold. Only special metallic resources could imprison this thing. Perhaps it’s due to the principle of the Five Elements’ interdependence and restraint?

However, there was no violent resistance as Su Ping had expected, nor any display of special abilities. The branch just lay there, as calm as if it genuinely were just an ordinary piece of wood, with nothing suspicious about it.

What in the world is this? Su Ping was taken aback.

SNAP.

The sound of him gripping the branch was incredibly crisp. Even wearing the Golden Gloves, Su Ping could feel from its texture that it seemed to be just an ordinary branch.

And indeed, it was.

Su Ping yanked the thing out fiercely, relying on the hazy light from the sky above and the surrounding flashlights. It was just a branch. From beginning to end, there wasn’t even a hint of change. Even when Su Ping held it in his hand, there was no movement!

What in the world is this? Su Ping blinked, looking at the object in his hand, then shook it. Withered bark, yellowed branches and leaves—from any angle, it all proved his observations had been correct.

Su Ping turned his head and looked doubtfully at Xiao Qing, who also appeared somewhat baffled. Is this little thing sure that what we found is really the so-called Biyao Chunshen? His meaning was clear.

Xiao Qing was also stunned for a moment, then let out a soft "AWOO" and moved closer to Su Ping’s hand. Its bloodline sensation, the source of its Mutation, constantly told it that the thing before it was the one that had triggered a corresponding call with its bloodline! There’s no mistake!

Then what is going on?

Su Ping also furrowed his brow. Watching Xiao Qing pick up the branch in its mouth without any reaction, he finally confirmed that something really wasn’t right.

Taking advantage of the moment, Su Ping thought for a bit, then took out his cell phone again. With Feifei around, he didn’t need to worry about a lack of signal. He entered the Breeder Association’s backend once more and opened the search results and description for the Biyao Chunshen he had viewed earlier.

[Biyao Chunshen: A Legendary Level wood and poison dual-Attribute resource, possessing a certain degree of self-awareness. It is unable to naturally persist for extended periods in a Secret Realm or Beast Taming Space.

It has the special Ability ’Green Demon Avatar,’ capable of transforming into any plant body. Some Legendary Beast Tamers and even the majority of Pet Beasts at that Level fail to discern the real from the fake. As such, the Biyao Chunshen is very difficult to discover.

Even when discovered, the Biyao Chunshen can abandon its transformed body at any time and escape in its true form, making it impossible to constrain by most methods.

Currently known Abilities and effects of the Biyao Chunshen:...]

Looking at the description of the Biyao Chunshen, Su Ping slightly narrowed his eyes. He glanced again at the branch Xiao Qing held horizontally in its mouth, feeling somewhat speechless.

He finally understood. This thing might indeed have been the Biyao Chunshen before. But now, it isn’t anymore. This completely ordinary branch might have been what the true Biyao Chunshen transformed into at some prior point. However, at some time—perhaps the Biyao Chunshen encountered danger, or perhaps it simply no longer wanted to maintain such a lousy form—it abandoned it and fled. Therefore, in Xiao Qing’s perception, this branch might still retain the Biyao Chunshen’s aura, but in essence, it isn’t the Legendary Level resource at all. It’s merely a ’shed skin’ of the Biyao Chunshen.

Damn it! After realizing this, all the excitement Su Ping had felt turned into annoyance and speechlessness. But he knew that if Legendary Level resources were so easy to catch, they wouldn’t be so rare. Xiao Qing’s perception was one aspect, but in the vast expanse of Heavenly Mountain, luck also played a part.

However, thinking about the brighter side, it seems there have been some gains, right? For instance, it’s a great consolation that I can now be absolutely certain the Biyao Chunshen is indeed within the bounds of Heavenly Mountain. As long as I persist, I’ll find it one day!

With this thought, Su Ping reaffirmed his determination. He looked at Xiao Qing, who was still somewhat confused, and asked via Soul Contract and Psychic Communication, "Xiao Qing, could you clearly sense this branch from a distance?"

"AWOO?" Xiao Qing tilted its head, thought for a moment, then nodded. Then, it shook its head again.

Su Ping’s eyebrows raised slightly. "You mean you can sense it, but not from very far? Probably only a few dozen miles? And the sensation isn’t that strong?"

"AWOO!" Xiao Qing nodded.

Su Ping pondered for a while before he understood. Indeed, the main body of the Biyao Chunshen and its shed skin are somewhat different. A strong sensation might indicate the main body or its relatively close presence. A weak sensation would mean a situation like this one—just a piece of shed skin, abandoned by the Biyao Chunshen who knows when.

Su Ping nodded. If that’s the case, then let’s search!

With that thought, he turned to Xing Chen. "Brother Xing, over the next period, I might have to trouble you to follow me and put in some hard work!"

Xing Chen laughed and shook his head. "If wandering around Heavenly Mountain is considered hard work, then what about training in the Legion? Wouldn’t that be like descending into hell?"

Su Ping smiled. That’s true. The people who can follow Leng Ye are hardly average individuals, right?

However, it’s obviously different for the likes of Rong Mang and the Rong Family’s guard team.

Just as Su Ping was about to call over the scattered Rong Family guards and his somewhat estranged older cousin, Xiao Qing let out another Wolf Howl, a questioning "AWOO?"

Su Ping turned his head to look at the little guy.

Xiao Qing’s meaning was simple: although it hadn’t found the Biyao Chunshen yet, what should be done with the thing in its mouth?

Looking at the useless twig still held in Xiao Qing’s mouth, Su Ping felt somewhat helpless. He simply waved his hand and communicated via Psychic Communication, You decide.

His Psychic Communication had barely ended when Xiao Qing opened its mouth. Its jaw muscles tensed, and its sharp teeth snapped the dry twig in half. Then, under Su Ping’s speechless gaze, it quickly devoured the twig as if it were a piece of dried wood, leaving nothing behind in seconds.

"You little guy, that wasn’t even the real thing. Why were you in such a hurry to eat—"

Su Ping stopped mid-sentence, all his movements ceasing as he stared intently at Xiao Qing.

That was right. Just after Xiao Qing swallowed the piece of the Biyao Chunshen’s shed twig, something happened to its body.

It was a flash of light.

The light was so brief that if Su Ping hadn’t been constantly watching Xiao Qing, he might not have noticed it at all. But Su Ping not only noticed it, he saw it very clearly and distinctly. This light was familiar to him. He had seen it countless times during the Cultivation of Pet Beasts. Yet, almost every time it appeared, Su Ping’s spirits would surge with excitement, filled with invigoration.

Because that light was the Light of Evolution!

Indeed, after Xiao Qing swallowed the twig from the Biyao Chunshen’s shed skin, a faint Light of Evolution flickered on its body. Even though it was feeble and disappeared in less than a second—and even though Su Ping continued to watch for a full ten minutes, and the light didn’t flicker again on Xiao Qing—he was still one hundred percent certain he hadn’t been mistaken.

In the process of Pet Beast Cultivation, the best way to identify a new Evolution path is to observe the reaction of the Light of Evolution on the Pet Beast’s body during the Cultivation steps. As long as there was a reaction, that Cultivation method indicated that an Evolution was possible. This was most clearly and undeniably demonstrated during Qian Yi’s Evolution.

And now, it had finally appeared on Xiao Qing.

Although it wasn’t like Qian Yi’s situation, where the Light of Evolution flickered constantly at the threshold, almost every few seconds, this single act of consuming the Biyao Chunshen’s shed skin indicated something significant. It means that Xiao Qing, which mutated due to the Biyao Chunshen’s power, will also evolve when it consumes the residual aura and power from the Biyao Chunshen’s discarded parts!

This undoubtedly made Su Ping’s eyes shine. He had previously considered enhancing Xiao Qing’s Poison and Wood Attributes to promote Evolution. But now it seemed that Xiao Qing’s Evolution, at the very root of its Mutation, already had a clear path. And it might even be the best path! The Biyao Chunshen, a Legendary Level resource with dual Wood and Poison Attributes—what else could give Xiao Qing a more tremendous boost than the essence and aura of this very being!?

While this shed skin of the Biyao Chunshen wasn’t the real thing, it obviously contained the Biyao Chunshen’s aura. When ingested by Xiao Qing, it clearly had a significant benefit. Perhaps, if I can find enough of the Biyao Chunshen’s shed skins, and Xiao Qing ingests enough of its essence, it could push Xiao Qing to the threshold of Evolution?

Search! In the days that follow, even if it means going without food or drink, and even if I can’t find the true Biyao Chunshen, I must find all similar shed skins!

Suddenly, under the gradually darkening sky, both Su Ping’s and Xiao Qing’s eyes practically glowed green with eagerness.