Eight Months, Mutated Summoned Beast

"So that's how it is."

Lin Yu Xin understood, but she still pushed the 'token of gratitude' back, saying, "No matter what, you still saved Yun Er. You must accept this."

"And Xin Xia, big sister truly didn't know the full story... Don't worry, I'll definitely—"

"It's fine, Sister Yu Xin."

Ye Xin Xia gave a gentle smile, cutting her off. "Yun Er often helps me at school. If anything, I should be the one thanking her."

"That's one thing, and this is another."

"As her older sister, I have to thank you both."

Lin Yu Xin's tone was firm.

"Alright." Qin Yuan raised a hand to stop her, chuckling lightly. "If it's just about thanks, that's simple."

"Just have Lin Yun Er look after Xin Xia a bit more at school from now on. That way, I can rest easier."

"Mm-hmm!"

Lin Yun Er agreed quickly.

Lin Yu Xin gave a slight nod, setting the 'token' on the table as if she'd accepted, but in her heart, she still planned to thank Ye Xin Xia tomorrow.

To Qin Yuan, this was just a 'small favor.'

But that was relative. Qin Yuan's 'small favor' had saved her only 'family.' This debt of gratitude was beyond repayment—she could only chip away at it bit by bit.

Qin Yuan and Ye Xin Xia were kind-hearted enough to refuse and not ask for anything.

But she couldn't afford not to give. That was the bare minimum.

Sensing the silence growing awkward, Lin Yu Xin broke it by asking, "Qin Yuan, you're a student at Tianlan Magic High School, right?"

"Yeah, third year."

"To have such strength in your third year... it looks like Bocheng's Earth Sacred Spring spot next year is as good as yours."

"I don't need the Earth Sacred Spring."

Qin Yuan shook his head.

"Don't need it?" Lin Yu Xin was taken aback, asking instinctively, "Why?"

The Earth Sacred Spring was Bocheng's greatest treasure.

A mage at Primary Level Completion could use the Earth Sacred Spring's power to break through to the Intermediate Level—a dream for countless Beginner Magic mages.

"In a year, I can break through to Intermediate on my own."

"Instead of giving me the Earth Sacred Spring spot, it's better to give it to those Primary Level Completion mages who truly need it, so they can break through and contribute to Bocheng."

Qin Yuan didn't reveal that he was already an Intermediate mage. Instead, he put on a show of 'big-picture thinking.'

Just as he expected.

Hearing this, Lin Yu Xin's eyes filled with admiration. She sighed, "Your vision really is something."

Qin Yuan was good-looking, exceptionally talented, and had a fine character—no wonder Lin Yun Er liked him.

Not just Lin Yun Er—even she found herself quite fond of Qin Yuan.

Too bad he already had a girlfriend.

"Big vision? Maybe."

Qin Yuan smiled faintly.

Lin Yu Xin kept her smile. In her eyes, Qin Yuan was truly a perfect man—no, a perfect young man.

They chatted a bit more before the Lin sisters finally left.

But before she went, Lin Yun Er specifically asked Qin Yuan for his contact info, under the pretense of 'If Xin Xia has an emergency, I can reach you.'

Qin Yuan thought it over and didn't see anything wrong, so he gave her his private contact.

What he didn't know was that the moment the Lin sisters left the neighborhood, Lin Yu Xin swiped his contact info from Lin Yun Er's phone.

Maybe fate would bring them together, maybe not.

Eight months later.

Snow Peak Mountain.

Qin Yuan moved with agility, weaving freely through the encirclement of dozens of One-eyed Demonic Wolves.

His speed was like a gust of wind, appearing and vanishing without a trace.

Thunderclap Blade in hand, he unleashed 'Lightning Slash' in rapid succession, and three One-eyed Demonic Wolves fell to the ground.

After three Lightning Slashes, Qin Yuan clenched his right fist and drove it straight into a One-eyed Demonic Wolf's head.

Boom!

The One-eyed Demonic Wolf fell.

"Extreme Cold—Ice Lock—Ice Chain!"

Qin Yuan let out a clear shout as a dazzling Ice Blue Star Chart wove together, the immense energy within it radiating outward in all directions.

"Crack, crack!"

The frozen ground suddenly split apart.

From the fissures, accompanied by a series of clanking sounds, ice chains as thick as bowl rims shot up one after another.

These chains were formed by sturdy interlocking links, coiling around Qin Yuan like icy serpents, hanging aloofly in the air.

"Puchi!"

"Crack!"

"Bang, bang!"

Under Qin Yuan's control, the chains of ice shot toward the surrounding One-eyed Demonic Wolves, piercing, shattering, and lashing out.

One by one, the One-eyed Demonic Wolves collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

Qin Yuan withdrew the ice chains, and everything fell silent.

"System, check in."

[Ding, detected that Master has checked in for 90 days. Conducting quarterly check-in.]

[Ding, congratulations Master for obtaining Lightning Element Spirit Seed Fragment X10.]

"Spirit Seed fragments again. Last time I tried to smelt them and failed. I wonder if it'll work this time."

Qin Yuan rubbed his smooth chin, thinking to himself.

A few months ago, he had gathered ten Lightning Element Spirit Seed Fragments and added some auxiliary materials, but in the end, the smelting still failed.

"Hope it works this time. Save me the cost of buying a Spirit Seed."

Qin Yuan tossed the ten Spirit Seed Fragments into the System Space, then began sorting through his gains over the past eight months.

"System, open my panel."

[Ding, Master's information panel is as follows.]

[Master: Qin Yuan]

[Age: 19]

[Cultivation: Intermediate Mage]

[Spiritual Power: Second Realm Peak]

[Magic Elements: Ice (Intermediate Level 1), Lightning (Elementary Level 3), Summoning (Elementary)]

[Summoned Creature: Mutated Flame Wolf (Advanced Servant Grade)]

[Talents: Innate Spirit Seed (3x Extreme Cold), Pure Yang Spirit Body (Minor Achievement)]

[Cultivation Art: Pure Yang Divine Art]

[Items: Spirit-grade White Tiger Vessel, Mind Stone, Lightning Element Spirit Seed Fragments, Thunderclap Blade, Crimson Flame Spear, Rock Army Demon Armor, Water Raging Shield, 120 million Huaxia Coins...]

In eight months, Qin Yuan had made tremendous progress.

He had fully mastered the Intermediate Level 1 Ice magic, Ice Lock.

His Lightning element had reached Elementary Level 3, and for the Summoning element, he had obtained his own Summoned Creature—a mutated Flame Wolf.

Qin Yuan had originally wanted to pick a flying Summoned Creature, but as luck would have it, he encountered a Flame Wolf instead—and an incredibly rare variant at that.

His Flame Wolf could not only control flames but also absorb fire energy to form Blazing Flame Armor, boosting survivability while enhancing its attributes.

That was precisely why Qin Yuan had chosen her.

"Time to head back."

Qin Yuan glanced at the time on his phone, then summoned his Summoned Creature. "Xiao Yan."

"Crack!"

A dimensional rift opened, and a Flame Wolf, a size larger than the One-eyed Demonic Wolves, stepped out.

Its fur was pitch-black, with bright yellow patterns on its belly like flowing magma, and crimson flame-like hair atop its head, giving it a somewhat noble air.

Its eyes burned like restless lava, its claws tipped in red as if they could tear through anything, and its body exuded a chilling, ferocious aura.

By human aesthetic standards, the Flame Wolf was quite striking, radiating a unique wild beauty.

Originally, Qin Yuan wanted to name it 'Little Red,' but since it was fairly intelligent and dissatisfied with that name, after some consideration, he settled on 'Xiao Yan.'

"Xiao Yan, let's go."

Qin Yuan swung himself onto the Flame Wolf's back.

"Awoo!"

The Flame Wolf stretched its long body, let out a roar to the sky, and then dashed swiftly toward Bocheng.

From a distance, it looked like a streak of blazing fire racing across the land.