Experimenting with His Talent

Chen Wei had no idea that while he was unconscious, the innocent Color Spirit had somehow completed her own emotional conquest and greatly increased her favorability toward him.

In the bright, cozy room, atop the soft and tidy bed, an adorable little snake blinked her crystal-like eyes. Her pitiful gaze seemed to carry a trace of worry and anxiety.

Her petite, slender tail swayed slightly along with Chen Wei's breathing, gently wiping away the fine beads of sweat on his face.

For the first time, Chen Wei felt that his eyelids were so heavy. Frowning, he laboriously opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Color Spirit's clear, crystalline gaze.

A thought instantly sprang to mind. "Did I pass out from exhaustion?!" Chen Wei suddenly came to his senses.

"Yiyi!" You're awake!

Seeing her Beastmaster awaken, Color Spirit excitedly raised her head high.

Chen Wei's heart warmed at the sight. He could not help but grin, gazing fondly at the excited Color Spirit, not even having the chance to look at the Dragon Crystal clenched tightly in his hand.

As if sensing Chen Wei's gaze, Color Spirit's body stiffened slightly. Realizing what was happening, she swiftly curled herself into a ball.

"Alright, stop hiding it. I never expected you to care about me this much!"

"Ya!" I don't!

Color Spirit's eyes immediately filled with panic as she looked at Chen Wei. Seemingly unsure how to face him, she simply stopped making any sound, buried her head beneath the blanket, and turned her back to him like an ostrich.

What an unstraightforward child. She only acts spoiled with me when she's being strengthened. Chen Wei sighed helplessly inwardly.

Though he understood perfectly well, Chen Wei did not continue exposing Color Spirit's words being at odds with her heart.

After all, Color Spirit looked exhausted. She had probably watched over him all night, so it was better to let her get some proper rest now.

Gently rubbing his still-aching forehead with his fingers and feeling the soreness radiating from every muscle in his body, Chen Wei gave a bitter smile. Had his stamina really been completely drained?

Raising his left hand, Chen Wei stared at the rice-grain-sized low-grade Dragon Crystal in his palm, his brows furrowing as his heart filled with confusion.

"Why did making a Dragon Crystal last night consume so much stamina? I deliberately set aside enough energy for one strengthening session."

The faint pain still lingering in his brain made Chen Wei abandon any further thought. Shaking his head, he casually placed the Dragon Crystal into the jade box hidden close to his body. Then, unable to withstand the surging exhaustion, he closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

That nap lasted straight through until evening that day.

If his ravenous stomach had not awakened him, Chen Wei felt he could have slept for another day and night.

Once he had recovered somewhat, Chen Wei first filled his own stomach before feeding Color Spirit as well.

After eating, Chen Wei did not begin cultivating. He planned to study his second talent first.

Last night's accident could only happen once. He had no desire to repeat the same mistake when making Dragon Crystals in the future.

It would not take much—if it happened one more time, it could cost him more than half his life.

"Color Spirit, come here for a moment."

Holding a notebook and carefully recording last night's Dragon Crystal-making process, Chen Wei called out to Color Spirit, who was watching television intently.

"Yi." Hearing him, Color Spirit exerted force through her tail and instantly sprang to Chen Wei's side.

Using a ballpoint pen to scrawl the writing from his previous life, Chen Wei stroked Color Spirit's curious head as she leaned closer. Looking at the data he had finished recording, he frowned slightly.

When he awakened his talent, making his first Dragon Crystal had taken one minute and consumed nearly half his stamina. The subsequent Dragon Crystal strengthening had also taken one minute and used up all his remaining stamina.

Over the past year, day after day of Dragon Crystal strengthening had continuously improved Chen Wei's physical condition. The number of times he could strengthen in a day had risen from two to five, for a total duration of five minutes.

Especially after advancing to the second rank of Origin Star, the effects of Dragon Taming Power had increased considerably. Unfortunately, with his current stamina, he could still only maintain strengthening for five minutes. It seemed that the physical energy he gained upon advancing had all gone toward offsetting the increased consumption caused by Dragon Taming Power's enhanced effects.

Chen Wei shook his head. There had not been the slightest change in last night's Dragon Crystal-making process. Practice was the sole criterion of truth; it seemed he could only make another Dragon Crystal.

However, before condensing a Dragon Crystal, he needed to strengthen Color Spirit once as a reference. That way, he could clearly determine how much stamina making a Dragon Crystal currently consumed.

Chen Wei gently stroked Color Spirit's body. With a thought, he directly activated his talent.

Feeling her strength gradually increase, Color Spirit contentedly parted her mouth slightly.

After the strengthening was complete, Chen Wei closed his eyes and carefully checked his own stamina expenditure.

Once he confirmed that he still had sufficient stamina, he began making a Dragon Crystal again.

One minute later, Chen Wei stared fixedly at the lustrous low-grade Dragon Crystal in his palm, his face carrying both confusion and surprise.

"Everything is normal. Could last night really have been an accident?"

Chen Wei took a deep breath, trying to calm the turbulence in his heart. After all, the Dragon Crystal before him was only the third one he had made; it did not prove anything.

Comparing the Dragon Crystal he had just made with the one from last night, both were the size of rice grains. The only difference was that the latter was slightly duller in color.

Still unwilling to accept it, Chen Wei used his Appraisal talent. His eyes were full of confusion as he looked at the effects of the two appraised low-grade Dragon Crystals. There was almost no difference.

If he absolutely had to name a difference between the two Dragon Crystals, perhaps the duller one could strengthen once more?

Chen Wei scratched his head. Filled with doubt, he chose to continue making Dragon Crystals. He would not rest until he solved this problem today.

Three minutes later, Chen Wei, feeling as though his stamina had been drained dry, stared blankly at the four clear, crystalline low-grade Dragon Crystals before him.

Making Dragon Crystals tonight had gone incredibly smoothly—so smoothly that he could hardly believe it.

At that moment, Chen Wei, whose brain was overloaded like a pig's, had no idea that Color Spirit was staring at him with her watery eyes wide open, her gaze shocked as she watched him produce one Dragon Crystal after another as though making them were as easy as drinking water.

"???"

Color Spirit's eyes were filled with astonishment. She unconsciously raised her upper body, her snake mouth slightly agape. Her tiny head seemed to be hiding an enormous question mark, and her expression was full of disbelief.

Last night, just to make one tasty meal, the Beastmaster before her had exhausted himself so badly that he fainted for an entire day. So how had he suddenly managed to make three tasty meals so easily tonight? Was this what humans called becoming stronger?

Having failed to find the reason, Chen Wei let out a helpless sigh. He shook his head, only for his gaze to land on Color Spirit, who was standing upright.

His pupils suddenly contracted as he remembered that, in order to test his talent tonight, Color Spirit's enhancement had only been completed once.

With no other choice, the currently willing-but-powerless Chen Wei could only give Color Spirit a guilty smile.

"There are still three enhancements left for today. How about I owe you for now?"

"Yiya!" No!

Color Spirit immediately fixed Chen Wei with an unfriendly stare, her imagination running wild.

This Beastmaster was dangerous. Today, he could abandon their enhancement agreement; tomorrow, he could abandon their Beastmaster contract!

"Yiya, yiyiyi-ya!" No, absolutely not!