Zilan's Evolution, Gift of All Spirits

The hours from afternoon to evening passed.

Lin Yuan kept himself busy.

First, he looked for the material he needed to restore Still Spirit Cat's quality: a Transcendent-quality Lionbright Fruit.

Lion-type pet beasts were among the strongest flesh-and-blood pets, so materials associated with them never came cheap.

The fruit was no exception. Like the Transcendent-quality Spirit Red Bright Liquid Linghuan needed, it cost around a hundred thousand Alliance Coins.

Fortunately, Lin Yuan could at least find both in the pet beast marketplace.

That meant everything was still going according to plan.

Before awakening his talent, Lin Yuan might have had a splitting headache over two hundred thousand Alliance Coins.

But now that it had awakened, and with Zilan's evolution close at hand, Lin Yuan felt he could earn the money in a few days if things went well. Even if they did not, he was confident he could manage it within a week.

Of course, that depended on the new traits Zilan developed after evolving, as well as the quality and effects of the specialty product she could produce.

While he waited for her evolution, though, he had already harvested the Purple Star Vine several more times.

Ever since Zilan began evolving yesterday, the plant had been growing at this unreasonable speed.

Lin Yuan had heard of this phenomenon. It was the Spirit Energy Burst that occurred when a pet beast evolved.

The traits associated with its evolution would be amplified. That was why pet beasts with certain attributes, such as fire or water, had to evolve somewhere safe. Otherwise, disasters like fires or floods could strike the house.

Once Zilan finished evolving, the Purple Star Vine would no longer grow at such an absurd pace, though it would certainly grow much faster than before.

Lin Yuan was also enjoying the air in the house. It was not merely fresh; it carried an energy that left him feeling utterly invigorated.

There was one more thing: Still Spirit Cat seemed to have adapted quickly to its new home.

Perhaps that was because it had changed homes so many times.

It seemed quite pleased with this one, too. After all, the Spirit Energy Burst from Zilan's evolution carried gentle wood-attribute energy, which could help heal pet beasts with old injuries.

Throughout its life, it had never encountered energy so gentle and yet so rich.

So it spent most of its time in the Plant Room.

Lin Yuan also noticed that it genuinely liked its new home.

According to its status panel, it could romp around and howl to its heart's content here, with no one stopping it.

Being free to be itself felt exhilarating.

During that time, Lin Yuan gave it a name.

Baishi.

The character for "shi" in its name sounded the same as the word for "lion." It was Lin Yuan's promise to the cat.

The name also meant it could let its nature run free, without having to hide or hold itself back in its own home.

When Lin Yuan explained the name, Baishi only half understood.

But it was pleased all the same.

For the first time since its birth, after changing homes so many times, someone had given it a name.

His bond with Baishi was developing smoothly.

But one afternoon could not erase the wounds the past six months had left on its heart.

Lin Yuan's aim was simply to make it comfortable enough that it would not want to run away.

Judging by its status panel, everything was going well so far.

At that moment, Lin Yuan was keeping watch beside Zilan.

According to her panel, her evolution had reached 99%.

She could complete it at any moment and reveal her new form.

Lin Yuan waited eagerly. The Purple Star Vine around him seemed to have reached the final stage of its "pilgrimage" as well.

It was no longer growing outward. Instead, it grew wider and thicker, as though preparing to welcome its new "sacred sovereign" in its sturdiest, most devout form.

About five minutes later, the mist before Lin Yuan's eyes rushed back into Zilan's body as if being drawn home, leaving the room filled with fragrance.

Zilan's new form gradually appeared before him.

Although he had seen what Purple Spirit Treasure Orchid looked like on the panel, seeing Zilan's true form delighted him even more.

She resembled a three-tiered pagoda.

The four blossoms on the lowest tier nestled together without looking crowded. The two on the second tier were slightly larger, with a bud tucked between them that looked ready to bloom at any moment.

At the top, the main flower was the largest. Its petals were a paler purple than those on the tiers below, giving it an air of freshness and otherworldly grace.

Pale-purple dew clung to every blossom. Lin Yuan had already prepared a new flowerpot.

The moment the drops fell, fragrance burst through the room: faintly sweet, but more than that, like an embrace that refreshed him to the depths of his heart.

She had evolved!

She had really evolved!

Compared with the "sample" shown on the panel, she had more flowers, looked stronger, and possessed even more ethereal grace.

After her evolution succeeded, the first person Zilan noticed was Lin Yuan.

Her evolved form suited her so perfectly that she, too, felt exhilarated.

Without hesitation, she flicked her petals and sent six drops of dew to Lin Yuan's lips.

Lin Yuan drank them at once. First came a faint coolness, then fragrance filled his mouth. It flowed through every channel in his body, letting him feel what it meant to be nourished from head to toe.

The old dew had been sweet, but its main effects were restoring energy and spirits, healing injuries, and serving as a basic nutrient for cultivating certain plant pet beasts.

The new dew's effects were clearly stronger. To know precisely what they were, though, Lin Yuan would have to see Zilan's new traits.

Baishi had been dozing in the Plant Room, but the energy surging out at the instant of Zilan's evolution was so powerful that it woke with a start.

Noticing the newcomer, Zilan politely flicked a drop of dew to its lips as well.

Her two former owners had always been warm and hospitable, and she had picked up the habit from them.

Baishi licked the drop. Its eyes narrowed in comfort, and a "meow" escaped it before it knew it.

Linghuan, who had been busy in the main room, appeared in the doorway just then.

His illness usually made his urge to work overshadow any show of emotion. But now he had clearly pushed through the pain to see how his old companion of many years looked after evolving—and to congratulate her.

When Zilan saw Linghuan, she generously sent five drops of dew to his lips.

Linghuan knew how important the dew was to the pet food shop and surely wanted to refuse. But before his body could move, his tongue darted out on its own. The lapse flustered him.

Soon, however, the comfort flooding his entire body left him no room for self-reproach.

Just as Baishi had meowed, Linghuan could not stop himself from letting out a soft whimper. Lin Yuan was startled—he had only heard Linghuan make that sound before his evolution.

Back when Linghuan could still express his feelings freely.

Lin Yuan realized at once that the dew had remarkable effects on pet beasts, especially injured ones!

And Zilan's gifts after evolving were not yet finished.

Of course, she had not forgotten the Purple Star Vine that had grown beside her day and night, her loyal supporter.

This time was different. She seemed to tremble slightly, and the ethereal mist she had drawn in spread outward like a thin veil, where the Purple Star Vine absorbed it.

A faint purple haze rose around the vines in answer, as though the two were shining in harmony.

For the first time, Lin Yuan sensed such jubilation from the Purple Star Vine in his home.

The vines were happy for Zilan, and happy for themselves as well.

Lin Yuan looked at Zilan's latest panel.

[Purple Spirit Treasure Orchid]

[Attribute]: Wood

[Quality]: Transcendent High-Grade

[Sex]: Female

[Level]: Transcendent Level 1

[Traits]: [Spirit Dew LV1], [Treasure Mist LV1]

[Spirit Dew LV1]: Produces Transcendent High-Grade [Spirit Dew]. Rapidly restores energy, heals long-standing injuries, suppresses the worsening of wounds and illness, and slowly removes impurities from the body.

[Treasure Mist LV1]: Can freely draw [Treasure Mist] into and out of her body. Plants affected by [Treasure Mist] grow significantly faster and have a very small chance of mutating.

[Personality]: Protective of her home, giving, sensitive

[Status]: Overwhelmed by mixed emotions. Joyful and excited after evolving, but also moved and full of longing. If only her former owners were here too.

Lin Yuan nodded when he saw Zilan's new traits. They matched what she had just demonstrated.

This remarkably effective dew was called Spirit Dew, and it was far better than the Purple Dew Zilan used to produce.

As for Treasure Mist, Lin Yuan felt he would have to test its approximate range over time.

Seeing Zilan's status, Lin Yuan could not help feeling moved.

Yes. She had truly evolved.

She had evolved into the form that suited her best.

It was the best possible outcome: his mother's old wish, and the freedom Zilan had pursued in her dreams.

"I'm still here, Zilan."

As he always had, Lin Yuan gently touched her petals and comforted her in the softest voice he could muster.

Beside him, Linghuan's eyes had grown moist too.

Baishi, meanwhile, was a little bewildered. It had never felt or even seen such warmth between a person and pet beasts.

But it seemed wonderful!

The Plant Room fell quiet for a while, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

After a moment, Lin Yuan remembered the blurry, flickering symbols and words beside [Evolution Path]. They had seemed to be rearranging themselves into something.

He turned his attention back to them, and his eyes widened slightly.

[Evolution Path]: Evolved into Purple Spirit Treasure Orchid with 100% compatibility. May claim one freely chosen Gift of All Spirits.

Three clusters of light in different colors rested in three positions along that line, as though waiting obediently for him to pluck one...