Chapter 85: Chapter 72: Soul Bond, Ah Long’s Evolution (Part 2)
So they all instinctively gathered with Liu Changfeng, their gazes once again fixed on the nearby woods.
Just like last time, it wasn’t long before the silvery-white Light of Evolution began to shine.
The silvery-white Light of Evolution grew brighter and brighter, eventually forming a pillar of light nearly a hundred meters tall. The whole process lasted for about three minutes before it dimmed and vanished, just like the time before.
"It has to undergo three infusions of Energy. I really have no idea how he developed this kind of evolution method." Despite having witnessed it once before, Zhou Chubin was still awestruck.
"He’s truly a genius in the field of nurturing," Xue Huaiyu agreed with a nod.
Yesterday, she had already spoken with the senior leadership of Shazhou Beast Taming University.
The contents of their discussion had sent shockwaves through the university’s entire senior leadership.
They immediately convened an emergency meeting, and after some discussion, they determined the terms of their offer to recruit Li Qian.
That was why she had come today, filled with confidence.
However, after seeing the undisguised admiration in Zhou Chubin’s eyes, her certainty began to waver.
Fortunately, she had an ace up her sleeve that she believed would be enough to sway Li Qian.
Ai Xiaolian from Mizhou Beast Taming University had also returned, armed with an equally sincere and significant offer.
At this moment, the three of them were lost in their own thoughts, each harboring their own plans and plotting their next negotiation strategies. As they watched the Light of Evolution shine through the trees, their minds were elsewhere.
Li Qian, however, was completely focused. He didn’t let his guard down just because the Pet Beast wasn’t his own. Moreover, having done this once before, he found the process much smoother and easier to control.
Before long, the first two Energy surges had passed without incident.
The blood-red Light of Evolution flared once more. Li Qian could clearly sense Ah Long’s agony; its entire body was twitching and writhing unnaturally.
Yet, a moment later, it grew unnervingly still, as if a Calming Technique had been cast upon it and its pain was receding.
At first, Li Qian wasn’t sure what was happening, but after a moment of thought, he began to understand.
’It must be Liu Changfeng’s Soul Bond Talent at work, sharing a portion of Ah Long’s pain and allowing it to endure.’
And that was indeed the case. At the very moment Ah Long grew quiet, Liu Changfeng, who was standing silently on the other side of the woods, suddenly shuddered, and beads of cold sweat broke out on his skin.
Seeing this, Zhou Chubin and the others exchanged confused glances. Just as they were about to ask what was wrong, Liu Changfeng spoke up. "Don’t worry, I’m fine."
Ai Xiaolian looked at Liu Changfeng, her face full of doubt. ’In your state?’ she thought. ’You look like you’re about to collapse. How is that ’fine’?’
Zhou Chubin stared for a moment, then seemed to realize something. "Is the Frostfire Salamander evolving in there your Pet Beast?" he asked.
Liu Changfeng was resisting waves of agony that seemed to emanate from the depths of his soul. Unable to speak, he could only nod.
Upon seeing this, a look of sudden realization dawned on Zhou Chubin’s face. He now completely understood what was happening.
Zhou Chubin’s question made Ai Xiaolian and Xue Huaiyu realize it too. The only person still in the dark was Han Yuqing.
Not that she minded. ’I can just ask my son about it later anyway.’
With the help of Liu Changfeng’s Soul Bond Talent, the glowing blood-red Light of Evolution once again formed a massive pillar, signifying that the evolution was a success.
Within the blood-red pillar of light, the silhouette of a giant beast—ten meters long and four meters tall—slowly emerged.
"ROOOAR..." An excited and savage roar echoed out from the small woods.
Outside the woods, Liu Changfeng’s body suddenly went slack. He let out a long breath, followed by a wave of unparalleled, euphoric relief.
Clearly, after enduring his share of the transformative pain, it was time to reap the rewards of the evolutionary feedback.
Even though he was already a Commander Level Beast Master, the feedback he received from Ah Long’s successful evolution left Liu Changfeng greatly pleased.
His physical constitution had soared, and he could even feel his life force itself had undergone a sort of sublimation.
If he were to have his genes tested right now, Liu Changfeng would likely find that his lifespan had even been extended.
As expected of a Pet Beast with a Potential of Tier Nine Dominator. Even the feedback from its First-stage Evolution far surpassed that of other Pet Beasts.
On the other side of the small woods, Li Qian also let out a long sigh of relief upon seeing the successful evolution.
’Mission accomplished.’
Although Ah Long had requested this itself, and Liu Changfeng had consented, logically, even if the evolution had failed, Li Qian couldn’t have been blamed.
After all, he had stated beforehand that there was a fifty-fifty chance of failure.
But when the time for the evolution actually came, Li Qian found himself being extremely cautious, dreading the possibility of failure.
"Captain Liu, you can come in now." With the evolution complete, Li Qian didn’t waste any time and sent a message directly to Liu Changfeng.
Upon receiving the message, Liu Changfeng immediately set off, not wasting a second. His pace was quick, and he broke into a jog, taking long strides.
Beside him, Zhou Chubin and the other three spectators saw this, hesitated for a moment, and then followed.
’Since Liu Changfeng, the Pet Beast’s owner, had been summoned, privacy was likely no longer a concern. Their presence probably wouldn’t be an issue.’ Besides, Han Yuqing didn’t stop them.
Liu Changfeng led the way to the Evolutionary Ground. The moment he emerged from the woods, he was greeted by the sight of a massive, awe-inspiring figure.
It was Ah Long, now evolved into a Frostfire Salamander.
He could feel the Soul Contract that invisibly bound him to Ah Long, and the sense of intimacy it carried was unmistakable.
The moment he saw the Frostfire Salamander in its majestic and powerful new form, Liu Changfeng felt that all the sacrifice and pain had been worth it.
He stepped forward, and as if drawn by their unseen contract, Ah Long moved toward him as well.
Man and beast walked toward each other, and when they met, Ah Long lowered its head and affectionately nuzzled Liu Changfeng’s palm.
Liu Changfeng smiled with deep understanding, stroking Ah Long’s rough Scale Armor. His heart swelled with pride and ambition.
Not far away, Zhou Chubin and the other three watched the scene unfold, their eyes filled with undisguised envy.
Even for them, instructors from the Eight Great Universities, obtaining a Pet Beast with Dominator Level Potential was no easy feat and often required a hefty price.
What’s more, the Frostfire Salamander wasn’t just any Pet Beast with Dominator Level Potential. Its Potential reached Tier Nine Dominator. With the help of some precious resources, it even had a chance to break through to the Emperor Level.
A Pet Beast’s Potential was just that—potential. It didn’t represent an absolute ceiling on its strength.
If nurtured properly or given rare resources, it was possible for them to break through their Racial Potential Limit.
Of course, such breakthroughs couldn’t be too outrageous or game-breaking. Exceeding the limit by one or two minor tiers was quite common, but breaking through by more than three was exceedingly rare.
Exceeding it by five was practically unheard of.
The Frostfire Salamander’s Racial Potential was already at Tier Nine Dominator. While the Emperor Level was a major tier above, strictly speaking, the gap was only one minor tier.
However, this particular gap was wider than that between normal minor tiers—equivalent to about three—but bridging it was not entirely hopeless.
After recalling Ah Long to his Beast Taming Space, Liu Changfeng approached Li Qian and thanked him solemnly. "Thank you, Li Qian!"
"Brother Liu, there’s no need to be so formal," Li Qian said with a faint smile, patting Liu Changfeng’s shoulder. "I’ve always respected the officers of the Security Bureau. Helping Ah Long evolve is just my small contribution to the Federation’s security."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Li Qian’s gaze fell upon the three university representatives standing behind Liu Changfeng, and his eyes flickered.
’I’ve made them wait for two days, and I’ve spent two days thinking. It’s time to make a decision about which Beast Taming University to choose.’
「A short while later」
In a reception room in Building One, the first person Li Qian met with was, once again, Zhou Chubin from Jiangnan Beast Taming University.
This time, the offer was significantly more generous. Zhou Chubin had sweetened the deal considerably, offering perks such as the choice to join any of the university’s top ten nurturing labs and access to over ninety-five percent of the university’s archives, including some confidential materials...
