A destined bond, unexpectedly swift progress

"Senior Liu Xing, you said you thought that special [Mist Spirit Spider] was worthy of me." Lin Yuan spoke calmly and unhurriedly. "But I think you, the first person to discover what made it special, are the one with the strongest destined bond with it."

"My suggestion is that, since you already planned to buy it, you might as well take it home today."

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

"We both know that a spider with a metal-attribute mutation is completely unsuited to the publicly available evolution path for the [Mist Spirit Stealth Spider]."

"Besides, it isn't comfortable in that environment. Metal-attribute pet beasts are crisp and sharp by nature. They need a clean environment with metal energy. If it stays here another week or two, its condition will probably get worse."

"You're a two-star breeder. You have every legitimate reason to buy it, as well as the ability and financial means to give it a better environment."

"So letting it leave with you now is the right choice. Teacher Chen always tells us that destined bonds are wondrous beyond words, and that we should cherish the moment they arrive. If we miss them, all we may have left is regret."

As Liu Xing listened, his eyes began to shine.

As an intern at the breeding center, he had always had a mental hurdle—these young beasts should be left for people who had yet to contract their first pet beast. He couldn't simply want to take them home whenever he spotted their potential.

But he had overlooked something too: not every "rookie" beast tamer possessed Lin Yuan's ability and insight.

Special individual pet beasts could actually realize their potential only in the hands of stronger beast tamers and breeders with better resources behind them.

Lin Yuan was right. If a destined bond had arrived, 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 actually helped me see things clearly."

"Teacher Chen sent me to help you, but why does it feel like you're the one giving me a lesson today?"

"Now I feel as though I haven't helped you at all. I owe you a favor. If you ever need my help, just send me a message."

Lin Yuan waved a hand and said with a smile, "You've already helped me plenty, Senior."

He took off the glasses. "I probably won't need these glasses from here on, so I'll return them to you. They really did keep the [Spirit]-attribute pet beasts from affecting me over the past few hours. I enjoyed the entire observation process."

"Don't even think about it. I told you at the start that they were a little gift." Liu Xing stepped back twice. "Keep this up and I'll get angry. How could I, Liu Xing, take back something I've given away? Are you trying to add another embarrassing stain to my internship?"

Seeing his solemn, earnest expression, Lin Yuan stopped trying to refuse.

"Then I'll be leaving with the [Still Spirit Cat], Senior. Thank you for your time and your gift. If you ever have any questions about pet beasts, you can ask me anytime too."

Liu Xing nodded. "Mm."

Although he had only properly gotten to know Lin Yuan over the past few hours, and an incoming freshman at a prestigious university asking a second-year high school student questions certainly didn't seem very logical, there was something else to it.

He felt that all of this made perfect sense.

For some reason, Lin Yuan... gave him the feeling of a "teacher." Unlike Teacher Chen, Lin Yuan's composure, clear insight, steadiness, and independent judgment all made him feel that he could learn something from him.

If only he had met him sooner. Perhaps he would have placed first in the entire school in this year's college entrance exams?

Carrying the cat carrier containing the [Still Spirit Cat], Lin Yuan paid without any trouble, then took it out through the breeding base's gates.

Just as when he had arrived, a light breeze still stirred, passersby remained sparse, and the sky was still just as blue.

Yet Lin Yuan felt that something had changed.

His [Eye of All Spirits], combined with [Living Creature Affinity], seemed to have granted him an ability, in a sense—the power to change a pet beast's fate.

Yesterday at home, helping Zilan evolve, identifying the cause of Linghuan's illness, and making plans had all been instinctive actions. To Lin Yuan, they were more like family. Using his abilities to help them was a duty he could not shirk.

But today, from that metal-attribute [Mist Spirit Spider] to the [Still Spirit Cat] with lion blood that he had ultimately purchased, these two pet beasts he had never met before had both given him that feeling of "peering into fate."

For now, that feeling was very new to him.

But with two lifetimes of experience, he immediately understood that he needed to treat this ability of his with greater caution...

At that moment.

Inside the breeding center.

Liu Xing swiped two cards at the front desk.

He had just purchased 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 pondering why the butterfly had completely ignored him despite his wearing the same glasses, yet had behaved entirely differently toward Lin Yuan.

His sensitivity as a breeder told him that this pet beast had something behind it too.

Lin Yuan had untied the knot in his heart, helping him understand that when he encountered a suitable pet beast, he should simply buy it. After all, he had enough money and knew how to raise pet beasts. He wouldn't give them a bad life.

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

Yuanming Pet Food Shop.

"Yuan, you're back!" Qin Bailing beamed, in excellent spirits. "The [Purple Star Vine] sold incredibly well today."

"The customers all said the quality was better than before, and we've received more advance orders too. Our sales today, excluding Zilan's floral dew, were higher than all of last week's combined!"

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

"I went to look in the plant room. Zilan seems to be evolving! Wonderful! Ailing used to talk about helping Zilan evolve all the time. She even invited experts over twice, but neither attempt worked."

"Your talent only awakened yesterday, and now Zilan's done it! Wonderful!"

Lin Yuan rarely heard Qin Bailing so excited. Although he had worked at Yuanming Pet Food Shop for many years, he was more often considered family—before Lin Yuan was even born, he had already been there as something like an elder relative to Lin Yuan's parents.

So anything that benefited Yuanming Pet Food Shop was enough to make him happy.

"Yes, Grandpa Qin. Our pet food shop is going to get better, little by little!" Lin Yuan said no more, nor did he explain why Zilan was evolving.

Qin Bailing wasn't a beast tamer, just an utterly ordinary man over sixty. Lin Yuan felt that all he needed to give him was good news.

"Hey, you really did get something out of this trip to the breeding center!" Qin Bailing immediately noticed the [Still Spirit Cat] in the glass carrier. "A clean little white cat with its fur all puffed up. It looks fierce and cute at the same time."

"How could you come to our pet food shop without getting a welcome gift? You might become a new member of our family someday! Come on, Grandpa will pick out some tasty things for you. My treat!"

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

The [Still Spirit Cat] looked up. Rather than feeling disturbed, it saw the kindly old man and responded with a gentle "meow."

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

Watching the scene between them, Lin Yuan couldn't help smiling too.

Qin Bailing treated pet beasts very well, whether it was Zilan, Linghuan, or his parents' other former pet beasts.

That was also why Lin Yuan had always respected him so much.

Half an hour later.

After eating its fill, the [Still Spirit Cat] returned to its glass carrier.

There was no helping it. Given its "checkered past" of sneaking away six times in seven days, Lin Yuan still didn't feel comfortable letting it roam freely before they formed a contract or a genuine emotional bond.

But there was no rush. He had time.

During that time, Linghuan came downstairs again. Seeing the little white cat, Linghuan was all smiles, brimming with delight.

Only to return to work mode again very soon.

That made Lin Yuan's heart ache once more.

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

Lin Yuan was slightly surprised by the sight before him.

By now, the mist around Zilan had grown even denser, almost preventing him from seeing what lay hidden within.

He could only see purple light shining out intermittently, along with a hazy, pagoda-shaped outline.

Zilan's evolution was progressing smoothly.

He immediately checked the panel.

Under [Evolution path], he saw the latest information:

[Purple Ghost Orchid]

[Evolution route]: evolving into [Purple Spirit Treasure Orchid], progress 61%

Lin Yuan's breathing quickened a little. This was progressing far faster than he had expected.

After all, she was evolving into a plant pet beast of upper-grade transcendent quality!

Judging by the time, Zilan would probably complete her evolution tonight!