Encounter (33)

"Why is that?"

Even though Huohuo was his Spirit Pet, Zhou Lu couldn't help but feel this doubt when Huohuo produced over a dozen Thunder Pattern Saffron Fruits.

It took others one to two years of exploring in the Secret Realm to find even a single Thunder Pattern Saffron Fruit, which directly led to the high prices of the fruit on the market.

It had even been priced as high as 500,000 each at one point.

In modern Beast Taming, the biggest fear wasn't high prices, but rather the inability to find an item even if you were willing to pay a premium.

The Thunder Pattern Saffron Fruit was a prime example of this.

Its rarity had even directly led to the decline of several Electric-type Spirit Beasts that used it as an evolution material.

Given how easily Huohuo had obtained so many fruits, Zhou Lu even suspected it had been scammed.

Or that someone was trying to scam him.

"How did you get them?" Zhou Lu crouched down and asked, patting Huohuo's pot.

Huohuo tilted its pot in confusion, then pulled a mushroom out of it: "I traded this for them!"

A Purple Lightning Spray Mushroom.

Zhou Lu's mind quickly flashed back to Wu Xiaoqing's explanation at the time.

It couldn't be eaten, and could be used as a stun gun in emergencies, but it would also stun oneself.

"Xiao Xi said this seems to be the main material for some Electric-type Spirit Beasts to evolve to the third tier. The original species is already extinct, and I didn't expect to actually create it through Special Evolution," Wu Xiaoqing had said back then.

Special Evolution allowed Spirit Beasts to change their species.

Sometimes it was a completely new species, and sometimes it could be an existing species.

If it was an existing species, it meant the original species existed.

Huohuo's Special Evolution was the same. The target of Huohuo's Special Evolution, the Nine Lives Immortal Grass, had an original species, but it was extinct.

It was precisely because of the extinction of the Nine Lives Immortal Grass that the ancient immortals had worked hard to figure out alternative methods, which led to the evolutionary path of the Dream Rain Flower's Special Evolution.

But then again... the materials Huohuo needed for Special Evolution were clearly very precious. It was likely for this reason that it hadn't become widespread in the end.

It seemed that the Purple Lightning Spray Mushroom Huohuo had given away was the main material for the Thunder Pattern Saffron Tree's evolution, which was why it had given Huohuo so many fruits in return.

Sister Xiaoqing, you truly live up to being my future guide.

Zhou Lu sighed inwardly.

The Thunder Pattern Saffron Fruits were just an unexpected gain. After telling Huohuo to put them away, Zhou Lu continued on his way.

Jade Snails generally lived near flowing water.

In the safe zone, the only flowing water was the stream that came down from Xinbai Mountain.

Although the path was always changing due to the activity of Plant Spirit Beasts, after determining the direction, he quickly found the location of the stream.

Bang!

Bang!

As Zhou Lu approached the stream, he immediately heard crashing sounds mixed with the flow of water, and he could faintly hear the commands of Beast Tamers.

Someone had arrived first.

Zhou Lu immediately became vigilant.

Although everyone active in the safe zone were students, they weren't necessarily from the same academy.

As an area under the jurisdiction of the Pioneer Army, students from any Beast Taming Academy could enter with their student IDs.

Furthermore, even classmates from the same school were in competition once they entered the safe zone, otherwise there wouldn't be so many arguments on the forums.

Through the gaps in the trees, Zhou Lu saw two Beast Tamers operating by the stream.

Judging by the school badges on their chests, they were not students from Xin'an Beast Taming Academy.

The two were commanding their respective Spirit Pets, slaughtering Jade Snails by the stream.

Behind them, piles of snail shells and Red Jade Orbs had already accumulated.

Zhou Lu frowned, but didn't say anything. Although he hadn't intended to go on a killing spree, he wasn't much nobler than these people, having come for the Jade Snail shells and Red Jade Orbs.

He hadn't wanted any complications...

Zhou Lu took a deep breath and walked out from the woods.

Seeing a stranger appear, the two who were operating immediately stopped their actions.

"Two seniors," Zhou Lu said as politely as possible, "I need a Jade Snail shell. Could you do me a favor?"

In the safe zone, there was more than one population of Jade Snails, but Zhou Lu didn't want to waste too much time on this.

He was still thinking about collecting some other materials to earn back his academic credits for this trip.

Uh, I guess the Thunder Pattern Saffron Fruits already covered the cost...

"From Xin'an Beast Taming Academy?" The other party glanced at Zhou Lu's school badge, their expression turning unfriendly.

Zhou Lu finally got a clear look at their school badges this time.

Linzhou Beast Taming Academy.

Damn it! I've run into my arch-nemesis!

The two sides were notorious rivals in the Beast Taming Academy League.

If Zhou Lu remembered correctly, Linzhou Beast Taming Academy's decade-long championship drought was thanks to Xin'an Beast Taming Academy.

"From the school team?" The other person glanced at Huohuo beside Zhou Lu, their expression immediately turning arrogant.

"I have no plans to join the school team." Zhou Lu silently gave Huohuo the command to prepare for battle.

"Junior. It's not that we seniors aren't helping you." One of them smirked. "It's just that in the Secret Realm, the strong always take all."

Zhou Lu frowned slightly. The Beast Tamer Code required Beast Tamers to help each other in the Secret Realm.

Of course, he didn't expect everyone to abide by the code.

"I've never heard of that rule."

"Well, you have now!"

As the person finished speaking, they waved their right hand upwards, and the Water Leap Frog beside them spat out a water cannon, heading straight for Zhou Lu's face.

The senior from the school team had been defeated by the Xin'an Beast Taming Academy's school team in a previous match, and he took his frustrations out on newcomers like them during team training every day.

The two of them had been holding a lot of pent-up anger, and they happened to stumble upon a student from Xin'an.

A Plant Spirit Pet, and only a first-tier one at that. They weren't sure how he passed the exploration permit exam.

But no matter what trump cards you had, it was two against one now, and the advantage was theirs!

There was no reason not to fight! Injuring a Xin'an student might even earn them some credit with the senior!

Attacking the Beast Tamer first was clearly aimed at severely injuring him.

He hadn't wanted to fight.

Zhou Lu felt frustrated; he just didn't want to give them what they wanted.

But these guys were clearly trying to toy with him, and Zhou Lu naturally wouldn't back down.

A vine erupted from the ground in front of Zhou Lu, and then countless vines rapidly intertwined, forming a shield before him.

This was a variant application of [Entangling Vines] by Huohuo.

Although, at first, it had been used as a fly swatter to swat insects.

The vine shield blocked the opponent's water cannon, and at the same time, Huohuo pulled out several white mushrooms from its flowerpot and hurled them towards the other side.

Seeing the five or six mushrooms floating over lightly, the opponent revealed a mocking smile. "Heh, is that all you've got?"

Throwing things to attack?

Even kids don't fight like this anymore!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The moment the white mushrooms hit the ground, smoke billowed out from the explosions.

When the smoke completely cleared, six tall and muscular mushrooms appeared before the two of them.

Mutated Enlarged Delicious Mushroom.

Effective upon landing, Explorer Corps custom edition.

The Enlarged Delicious Mushrooms' sturdy muscles gleamed in the sunlight filtering through the gaps in the rainforest.

"Two seniors," Zhou Lu's voice came from the other side. "I originally only wanted a snail shell, but now I've changed my mind."

"You're right, the strong take all in the Secret Realm."

With that, Zhou Lu flashed a smile at the two of them:

"Now... I want all of your things!"

Hmm... they seem to have forgotten that I changed my name... Oh well, whatever happens, happens. I can't think of a good name anyway.

Third update complete, continuing tomorrow!

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