Is This Mushroom Legitimate?

"This mushroom… it's not poisonous, is it?" Zhou Lu asked hesitantly, looking at the mushroom in Wu Xiaoqing's hand.

He had been tricked by Wu Xiaoqing before.

"It's fine! It's fine!" Wu Xiaoqing assured him, her chest heaving, "Even though it was a Class A toxin at Tier 1, I've tested it thoroughly after its evolution. There were no signs of poisoning during the animal trials."

"…"

While Zhou Lu was silent, Xiao Xi had already come over.

She curiously examined the mushroom in Wu Xiaoqing's hand and asked, "Is this the mushroom you applied for?"

"Yes, it's specifically prepared for exploring Secret Realm S2933."

Secret Realm S2933 is the latest Spirit Beast secret realm discovered by humans. It's said to be an endless desert, and the exploration teams have yet to successfully traverse it.

As Wu Xiaoqing spoke, she began to proudly detail the mushroom's advantages.

"Even after being digested and excreted, its undigested parts can regrow in extremely harsh environments," Wu Xiaoqing said proudly. "In a sense, this is an infinitely regenerating food!"

Once such food was created, she, Wu Xiaoqing, would surely become a saint in this world!

"Come, come!" Thinking of this, Wu Xiaoqing's enthusiasm grew even higher. She took out a pile of seasonings and placed them in front of Zhou Lu. "Quick, help me make stir-fried mushrooms!"

Although Wu Xiaoqing was a single woman, her cooking skills were truly hard to describe compared to her ability to verbally attack others. At least, it had left a very deep impression on Zhou Lu.

Looking at the mushroom in his hands, Zhou Lu thought it lived up to its definition as a Tier 2 Spirit Beast. Even after being picked and separated from its wooden attachment, the mushroom on the plate stubbornly wriggled its body.

Was this mushroom even normal?

Zhou Lu was a little afraid that if he swung his knife down, the mushroom might fight back.

This was a damn Tier 2 Spirit Beast!

But Wu Xiaoqing repeatedly assured him that there was absolutely no problem.

Zhou Lu had no choice but to trust this generous older sister.

The preparation process went more smoothly than Zhou Lu had imagined.

However, during the preparation, Zhou Lu couldn't help but want to complain countless times: Is it really appropriate to use laboratory equipment to prepare dishes in a laboratory?

"Don't worry, Xiao Lu!" Wu Xiaoqing said, giving him a thumbs-up. "Cooking in the lab is also something that the Breeding Academy has to experience."

The breeding discipline is divided into Combat Breeding and Civilian Breeding.

The former specializes in cultivating suitable combat Spirit Beasts, and researching the evolutionary paths and unique evolutionary paths of Spirit Beasts is their forte.

Civilian Breeding, on the other hand, focuses more on developing the application of Spirit Beasts in civilian fields, such as transportation, traffic, energy, and medicine, which naturally includes food.

Wu Xiaoqing was a postgraduate student specializing in Civilian Breeding.

However, Zhou Lu doubted her professionalism.

It had to be admitted that Wu Xiaoqing's achievement this time was impeccable, at least from the appearance of the finished dish.

The stir-fried mushroom was crystal clear and even faintly glowed.

The enticing aroma quickly spread throughout the laboratory with the rising steam.

"It looks delicious!" Wu Xiaoqing's appetite was whetted, and she happily patted Zhou Lu on the shoulder. "It's no wonder I snatched the chili from my senior."

"Huh? Snatched…"

"Of course. Recently, the Flying Jade Bees from their side have been frequently disappearing, and they actually suspect me. They won't even give me a chance to get close to their vegetable patch." Wu Xiaoqing said indignantly.

However, the deliciousness before her greatly soothed Wu Xiaoqing's mood, and she eagerly picked up her chopsticks.

"Xiaoqing Jie, not yet…"

Before Zhou Lu could finish speaking, he saw Wu Xiaoqing take a big bite with great satisfaction.

"Are you okay?" Zhou Lu asked cautiously.

"I'm fine!"

The next second, Wu Xiaoqing collapsed onto the table.

Seeing Wu Xiaoqing's state, Xiao Xi exclaimed in surprise, "Is it that delicious?"

Was that how delicious food looked?

"It's a shame my clothes didn't explode," Xiao Xi said with disappointment.

"Now is not the time to worry about that!" Zhou Lu pointed at Wu Xiaoqing and said, "Mushrooms are growing all over her!"

On Wu Xiaoqing's body, beautiful white mushrooms were growing wildly.

It's over. My future guide is probably going to die here—because she ate a mushroom indiscriminately.

Just as Zhou Lu despaired, a card flew out from Wu Xiaoqing's body. The card then unleashed a giant, strangely shaped toad in the laboratory.

This was Wu Xiaoqing's initial Spirit Beast: the Curse Toad.

The Curse Toad skillfully flicked out its tongue, rolled up Wu Xiaoqing from the ground, and swallowed her into its mouth, followed by a chewing sound.

At that very moment, the system's voice sounded in Zhou Lu's ears.

[Ding! Mission failed.]

[You nearly killed Wu Xiaoqing, but failed at the last moment.]

[Although the mission failed, your decisiveness and bravery are commendable.]

[You have received 90% of the mission reward. Please check your inventory.]

[The system has reset this mission. Please try again.]

While Zhou Lu was still stunned, the Curse Toad had finished its work.

Opening its mouth, the wet Wu Xiaoqing, covered in transparent mucus, rolled onto the ground and tumbled to Zhou Lu's feet with a series of gurgles.

"Eee~"

Wu Xiaoqing mumbled as she opened her eyes.

Zhou Lu silently took a step back. "Are you alright?"

Wu Xiaoqing rubbed her head and sat up. "I think I just saw heaven..."

Shaking her head, she seemed to regain some clarity. She looked up and saw Zhou Lu's strange expression.

As if remembering something, Wu Xiaoqing smiled at Zhou Lu and said, "Don't worry! My little froggy is a girl, I wasn't defiled."

Damn it, that's not what I'm worried about at all!

"Mhm," Wu Xiaoqing said, pulling out evidence to convince Zhou Lu. "The seniors next door often ask me for my froggy's mucus to verify if their Spirit Beasts are pregnant."

"..." Zhou Lu was completely speechless.

"It seems the experiment failed," Xiao Xi flew in front of Wu Xiaoqing and said. "Although it passed the animal trials, it possesses a powerful lethality towards humans. Hmm... judging from what just happened, it's among the most potent even within Class A toxins. If it weren't for your Curse Toad, you probably would have died here."

Wu Xiaoqing also sighed, but she wasn't discouraged. "It's okay. At least, besides being poisonous, its other traits already meet the requirements."

"Oh, right!" Speaking of this, Wu Xiaoqing seemed to remember something and looked at Zhou Lu. "You should be preparing for your exams, right?"

Unlike Wu Xiaoqing's Breeding Department, Zhou Lu was enrolled in the Combat Department of Xin'an Beast Taming Academy.

Beast Tamers in the Combat Department generally had two career paths.

One was the competitive route, where they would battle other Beast Tamers with their cultivated Spirit Beasts, earning prize money and fame.

The other was the adventurous route, which primarily involved exploring uncharted territories with their Spirit Beasts in Secret Realms to obtain rare materials and official rewards. They could also trade information gained from exploration with Knowledge Fairies.

The former was safe, stable, and easy to gain fame, becoming a highly admired celebrity. The latter, however, was extremely dangerous; even in Secret Realms pioneered by the Pioneer Army, one could lose their life with a single mistake, and the rewards were highly unstable. Consequently, many students in the Combat Department now leaned more towards the competitive route.

If it weren't for this system, Zhou Lu would have also chosen the former.

Of course, with a plant as his initial Spirit Beast, he didn't expect to achieve much in competitions. He just planned to participate in a few matches, then retire and become a Beast Taming teacher in a remote town. With the insurance payout from his father's accidental death, he could live a stable life.

"Here! This is for you." After receiving Zhou Lu's affirmative reply, Wu Xiaoqing made some operations on her phone.

Zhou Lu's phone vibrated. He looked down and saw that Wu Xiaoqing had transferred a few Fairy Coins to him.

Fairy Coins were currency obtained through trading with Knowledge Fairies. They could be used to purchase skills and knowledge from Knowledge Fairies, and also in transactions with other Beast Tamers, making them extremely valuable resources.

"Take these and buy some skills," Wu Xiaoqing said with a smile. "The exams are very difficult."

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