Fate and Unexpected Progress

"Liu Xing, you said you thought that special Mist Spirit Spider was worthy of me," Lin Yuan said steadily. "But I think you, the first person to notice what made it special, are the one it was meant to meet."

"My advice is this: since you already planned to buy it, why not take it home today?"

"If you wait until your internship ends, someone who doesn't know how to raise it might buy it first. That would probably ruin its future."

"We both know a spider with a metal-attribute mutation is completely unsuited to the publicly known Mist Spirit Stealth Spider Evolution Path."

"Besides, it isn't comfortable in that environment. Metal-attribute pet beasts are direct and sharp. They need a clean environment with the metal attribute. If it stays here another week or two, I'm afraid its condition will only get worse."

"You're a Two-Star Beast Breeder. You have every reason to buy it, along with the skills and money to give it a better home."

"So the right thing is for it to leave with you now. Teacher Chen always tells us that fate works in wondrous ways, and we should treasure the moment it arrives. If we let it pass, we may have nothing left but regret."

As Liu Xing listened, his eyes lit up.

As an intern at the Breeding Center, he had always had a mental block: the cubs here should be left for people who had yet to contract their first pet beast. He couldn't simply spot their potential and decide to take them for himself.

But he had overlooked something. Not every rookie Beast Tamer had Lin Yuan's skill and insight.

Special pet beasts could reach their potential in the hands of stronger Beast Tamers and Beast Breeders with better resources.

Lin Yuan was right. When fate came knocking, there was no need to hem and haw.

He would take that Mist Spirit Spider home today!

"All right, Lin Yuan!" Liu Xing nodded with a smile. "I wasn't looking at the whole picture before. You've talked some sense into me."

"Teacher Chen sent me to help you, but now it feels like you're the one teaching me."

"I almost feel like I haven't helped you at all. I owe you one. If you ever need my help, just send me a message."

Lin Yuan waved a hand and smiled. "You've already helped me plenty."

He took off the glasses. "I shouldn't need these anymore, so here you go. They really did protect me from the effects of spirit-attribute pet beasts these past few hours. I enjoyed the whole observation process."

"No, no. I told you they were a little gift from the start." Liu Xing stepped back twice. "Now you're going to make me angry. How could I, Liu Xing, take back something I've given away? Are you trying to add a dark chapter to my internship?"

Seeing how solemn and earnest he looked, Lin Yuan stopped insisting.

"Then I'll take the Still Spirit Cat and be on my way. Thanks for your time and the gift. If you ever have questions about pet beasts, you can ask me anytime too."

Liu Xing nodded. "Sure."

He had only known Lin Yuan for a few hours. And it hardly made sense for someone about to enter a prestigious university to ask a second-year high school student for advice.

Yet somehow, it felt perfectly reasonable.

Lin Yuan... Liu Xing couldn't say why, but he had the air of a teacher. Not like Teacher Chen. There was something about Lin Yuan's composure, clarity, steadiness, and conviction that made Liu Xing feel he could learn from him.

If only I'd met him sooner. Maybe I could've ranked first in the school on this year's College Entrance Exam.

Lin Yuan carried the Still Spirit Cat in its carrier, paid the fee without a hitch, then walked out through the breeding base's gates.

Just as when he had arrived, a light breeze stirred. Pedestrians were still few and far between, and the sky was still just as blue.

Yet Lin Yuan felt that something had changed.

Combined with Living Creature Affinity, his Eye of All Spirits seemed to give him an ability of sorts: the power to change a pet beast's fate.

Yesterday at home, he had helped Zilan evolve, identified the cause of Linghuan's illness, and made a plan for it, all almost without thinking. To Lin Yuan, they were more like family. Using his abilities to help them was only natural.

But today, from that metal-attribute Mist Spirit Spider to the Still Spirit Cat with lion blood that he had ultimately bought, these two pet beasts he had never met before had given him the sense that he was peering into their fates.

For now, that feeling was entirely new to him.

But with the experience of two lifetimes behind him, he immediately understood that he needed to treat this ability with greater care...

Meanwhile.

Inside the Breeding Center.

Liu Xing swiped two cards at the front desk.

He had just bought two pet beasts.

One was the little spider he had been longing for over the past two weeks. The other was the purple Illusion Dream Butterfly he had only noticed today.

Yes, he was still wondering why the butterfly had ignored him completely when he wore the same kind of glasses, yet had behaved so differently toward Lin Yuan.

His Beast Breeder's instincts told him there was more to this pet beast than met the eye.

Lin Yuan had untied the knot in his heart and helped him understand that when he met the right pet beast, he could simply buy it. He had enough money and knew how to care for pet beasts. He wouldn't let them live poorly.

His goal for the days ahead was to evolve the little spider and pry open the little butterfly's "secret"...

Yuanming Pet Food Shop.

"Little Yuan, you're back!" Qin Bailing beamed, clearly in high spirits. "The Purple Star Vine sold incredibly well today."

"Customers said the quality was even better than before, and we got more preorders too. Not counting Zilan's floral dew, today's sales alone were higher than all of last week's put together!"

"And the Purple Star Vine at home is still growing! Linghuan has already made ten trips up and down in the past few hours."

"I went to check the plant room, and it looks like Zilan's evolving! This is wonderful. Ailing used to talk about helping her evolve all the time. She even invited experts over twice, but neither visit worked."

"Your talent awakened just yesterday, and now Zilan's made it! Wonderful!"

Lin Yuan rarely heard Qin Bailing this excited. Although he had worked at Yuanming Pet Food Shop for years, he was more like family. Even before Lin Yuan was born, he had been a close elder to Lin Yuan's parents.

Anything good for Yuanming Pet Food Shop was enough to make him happy.

"That's right, Grandpa Qin. Our shop's going to keep getting better!" Lin Yuan said nothing more and did not explain why Zilan was evolving.

Qin Bailing was not a Beast Tamer, just an ordinary man over sixty. Lin Yuan felt it was enough to share the good news with him.

"Well, you really did come back from the Breeding Center with something!" Qin Bailing immediately noticed the Still Spirit Cat in the glass carrier. "A clean little white cat with its fur all puffed up. Looks fierce and adorable at the same time."

"How could it come to the shop without a welcome gift? It might be our newest family member one day! Come on, Grandpa will pick out something tasty for you. My treat!"

Qin Bailing bent to look at the Still Spirit Cat, smiling as he gently stroked the glass carrier with his palm.

The Still Spirit Cat looked up. Far from feeling disturbed, it saw the kindly old man and answered with a docile "meow."

"Oh, what a good little thing. Grandpa will give you two extra cans."

Watching them together, Lin Yuan found himself smiling too.

Qin Bailing had always treated pet beasts well, whether Zilan, Linghuan, or the other pet beasts Lin Yuan's parents had once owned.

That was one reason Lin Yuan had always respected him.

Half an hour later.

After a hearty meal, the Still Spirit Cat went back into its glass carrier.

Lin Yuan couldn't help it. Given its dubious record of sneaking away six times in seven days, he wasn't comfortable letting it roam free before they formed a contract or a genuine bond.

But there was no rush. He had time.

Linghuan came downstairs once more during that time. At the sight of the little white cat, Linghuan's face lit up with a delighted smile.

Linghuan soon slipped back into work mode, though.

Lin Yuan's heart ached for Linghuan all over again.

Carrying the cat carrier, he went up to the plant room on the second floor.

The sight before him took Lin Yuan slightly by surprise.

The mist around Zilan had grown so dense that Lin Yuan could barely see what it concealed.

All he could make out were intermittent flashes of purple light and the hazy outline of a pagoda.

Zilan's evolution was going smoothly.

He immediately checked the panel.

Under Evolution Path, he saw the latest information:

[Purple Ghost Orchid]

[Evolution Path]: Evolving into [Purple Spirit Treasure Orchid], progress: 61%

Lin Yuan's breath quickened slightly. The progress was far faster than he had expected.

After all, she was evolving into a Transcendent High-Grade plant pet beast!

At this rate, Zilan would probably finish evolving tonight!