As for what it had to do with himself, Wang Chuan thought for a moment and explained it in terms Wang Lie could understand.
"As for what it has to do with it...
Grandpa, you know that when our clan hunts for Spirit Rings, we always try to hunt dragon-type Spirit Beasts.
That is because the more suitable a Spirit Beast's Spirit Ring is for our Martial Spirits, the more it can unlock their potential.
And I've noticed that although some people, like Yu Xiaogang, have absorbed dragon-type Spirit Rings...
Because their attributes were incompatible, the soul skills they gained might not have been as disgusting as farting, but their effects definitely weren't good either. They could even affect their cultivation."
Wang Lie nodded at this. It was basic common knowledge among Spirit Masters.
The most obvious example was that a water-type Martial Spirit would never hunt a fire-type Spirit Beast for its Spirit Ring, because their attributes fundamentally conflicted.
By now, Wang Lie had vaguely guessed why Wang Chuan was saying all this. He simply did not want to end up like Yu Xiaogang and choose a Spirit Ring that clashed with his Martial Spirit's attributes.
Once he understood that, Wang Lie's eyes filled with shock.
If things were truly as he imagined, and Wang Chuan had found a way to search for Spirit Rings compatible with one's own attributes, it would be a groundbreaking discovery that could make his name famous across the continent.
Although a Spirit Master's Mental Power underwent a qualitative transformation after breaking through to the Spirit King realm, allowing them to examine the various values of the human body...
There had always been no effective way to determine the attributes of a Martial Spirit.
Some Martial Spirits had obvious attributes at a glance, while others showed no clues at all in the beginning.
Otherwise, Yu Xiaogang, the son of a sect master, would not have randomly absorbed a Spirit Ring and ended up with a farting soul skill.
At that moment, Wang Chuan summoned Golden Scale.
The moment it emerged, Golden Scale stood there blankly for a while, as though the energy-rich environment of Sunset Forest had challenged its understanding of the world.
Then, Golden Scale visibly became more lively. It sniffed here and there, looking exactly like an excited puppy setting out to explore after leaving home for the first time.
Watching Golden Scale, Wang Lie asked, "Xiaochuan, do you have a way to verify your Martial Spirit's attributes? Is that why you said we should leave it to fate?"
Wang Chuan was stunned as well. He had not expected Wang Lie to bring that up.
Having already learned all the Spirit Master knowledge currently available on the market, Wang Chuan immediately guessed why Wang Lie had asked.
But Wang Chuan shook his head.
Wang Chuan, who had read Douluo 2, did indeed have some ideas in that regard, but unfortunately, that was not it.
Wang Chuan pointed at the frolicking Golden Scale.
"Grandpa, the reason I said to leave it to fate is because I have another line of thought.
There are other detached Martial Spirits on Douluo Continent as well.
But with your experience, you should be able to tell that there probably aren't any as spirited as Golden Scale, right?"
Having failed to get the answer he wanted, Wang Lie was somewhat disappointed. Still, after glancing at Golden Scale, he nodded slightly.
"That's right. There are countless kinds of Martial Spirits on Douluo Continent.
But in more than seventy years of life, I have only seen this sort of spirit in Luo Sanpao and Golden Scale.
In fact, if one did not look carefully, someone might truly mistake these two little fellows for Spirit Beasts."
"Exactly. Golden Scale is just like a real Spirit Beast."
Wang Chuan spoke with a proud smile, then shifted the topic.
"So I really treat Golden Scale as a genuine Spirit Beast, rather than a Martial Spirit that simply attaches itself to my body like yours.
And after years of cultivation and observation, I've found that Golden Scale truly possesses some traits of a Spirit Beast. For example, it can eat with me, and its sense of smell is extremely sharp.
Functions that should have appeared in me have now appeared in Golden Scale instead.
So I boldly assumed: why can't Golden Scale be like a real Spirit Beast?
Grandpa, when you traveled far and wide in your youth, you must have seen animals licking stones, right?"
Wang Lie did not know why Wang Chuan had brought this up, but he nodded and casually said, "That does happen. I just don't know what's so good about licking those stones."
The corner of Wang Chuan's smiling mouth twitched. He had not expected his seemingly venerable god-grandfather to be nothing more than a brute.
But thinking about it, that made sense.
Spirit Masters of this era hardly engaged in production. Once they acquired Spirit Rings, they were basically financially free. Why would they pay attention to such ordinary knowledge?
But since he had already brought it up, Wang Chuan could not be bothered to come up with another reason, so he explained why wild animals licked stones.
Put simply, it was a primitive way to replenish salt in their bodies. People would become weak without salt, and beasts were no different.
Wang Chuan then added that even wounded wild animals would seek out and eat certain plants to treat their injuries.
Wang Lie was greatly astonished after hearing this. He sighed in amazement again and again, as though his entire worldview had been rearranged, before praising Wang Chuan for being so clever and learned.
Having explained all that, Wang Chuan finally got to the point.
"So, Grandpa, I think Golden Scale should retain this instinct as well.
Now that it has reached its level-ten bottleneck, it should have instinctively sensed what it lacks.
Then, if it encounters a corresponding Spirit Beast, even if I don't know whether its attributes match Golden Scale's...
As long as Golden Scale desires it, it must be something it lacks. Absorbing it can't be wrong!"
After fully understanding Wang Chuan's logic for hunting Spirit Beasts, Wang Lie looked at him with a complicated expression before smiling in relief.
He then patted Wang Chuan on the shoulder.
"Good child. Tao Ge'er has a fine grandson, hahaha! This leaving it to fate is good—wonderful, even!
Come on, Xiaochuan. Let's see what kind of Spirit Beast Golden Scale chooses in the end."
Looking at Wang Lie, who had suddenly become so high-spirited, Wang Chuan felt his own blood stir. Together, they strode toward the depths of Sunset Forest.
Over the next half month, just as Wang Lie had said, they found Sub-Dragons with water, fire, and wind attributes deep within the forest.
But unfortunately, through his emotional connection with Golden Scale, Wang Chuan could sense only vigilance from it, without the slightest trace of desire.
This meant that none of the three was what Golden Scale needed.
After living rough for half a month, not only could Wang Chuan, a young man, barely endure it, but even Wang Lie, a powerhouse with the strength of a Soul Saint, was starting to struggle.
Besides, if they ventured any deeper...
According to Wang Lie's experience, they would reach the Mixed Zone of Sunset Forest.
There were no shortage of powerful ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts at the Soul Saint level there.
So Wang Lie planned to take Wang Chuan in another direction, to see whether they could find a Spirit Beast that interested Golden Scale in another area. They could also leave Sunset Forest through a different exit and rest for a while.
Wang Chuan had no objections. Although the Mixed Zone certainly contained rarer Spirit Beasts, and quite possibly the Spirit Beast he needed as well...
He had no desire to risk both their lives for it.
Before you continue