Demon Attribute, Baishi Gets "Motivated"

The Shadow Witch Cat before them was in poor shape, lying listlessly on the floor.

Its fur had once been entirely black, but now it was turning pink. For the moment, black still predominated, giving it a strangely bewitching look.

Most amusing of all, its wizard hat, formed from condensed energy, had turned pinkish purple too.

Even its amber eyes were veiled in a pinkish-purple haze.

Surrounded by clusters of Purple Star Vine in the hall, it looked surprisingly at home.

"Sigh. I gave him a Tranquil Heart Fruit this morning, and only then did he settle down. Otherwise, exhausted or not, he'd probably have turned your house upside down."

Chen Xuanbai looked troubled.

"Teacher, let me sense his emotions and compare his current condition with what I read in that paper. There should be a solution," Lin Yuan said.

Chen Xuanbai nodded, a trace of hope creeping into his eyes.

A panel for the Shadow Witch Cat appeared before Lin Yuan.

[Shadow Witch Cat]

[Attributes]: Dark, Demon (awakening)

[Quality]: Transcendent High-Grade

[Sex]: Male

[Level]: Transcendent Level 10

[Traits]: [Dark Claw], [Dark Shadow] (mutating)

[Personality]: Flirtatious, loves excitement

[Status]: A year's worth of pent-up desire was rapidly satisfied, producing side effects that have left his body beyond his control. However, the dormant Demon Attribute within him has also begun to awaken, and his [Dark Shadow] trait is transforming into [Phantom Shadow].

Before the change in his attributes reaches equilibrium, his mating drive must be brought under control. Excessive desire harms the body. Recommended materials: Transcendent Low-Grade [Demon-Control Fruit], [Awakening Dew], [Spirit Clarity Pill], and others.

At the same time, continue using the Transcendent Mid-Grade materials [Demon Shadow Dew] or [Dark Charm Dew]. Add one drop to water for a daily medicinal bath until the attribute has fully awakened. Estimated time remaining: one month.

[Evolution Paths]

[Evolution Path One: Black Nether Witch Cat, quality: High-Grade Commander, compatibility: 5%]

[Evolution Path Two: Nether Shadow Spirit Charm Cat, quality: Monarch Low-Grade, compatibility: 75%]

[Hidden Evolution Path One unlocks after his physical and mental condition recovers.]

Compared with the panel he had seen last time, this one was plainly more specific.

Lin Yuan now understood what had caused the cat's condition.

Sure enough, the root cause matched his guess from last night: Teacher Chen had probably "spoiled" him by buying him far too many female cats.

But that had awakened an attribute and a trait hidden in his bloodline.

In Lin Yuan's eyes, that was a good thing.

With the right treatment, the cat would gradually recover.

What truly amazed Lin Yuan was the second evolution path.

This was the first time he had seen a Monarch-quality beast on a panel.

He couldn't help taking another look.

Among the Little Black Cat's publicly known evolution paths, the Black Nether Witch Cat was the final form, widely considered the upper limit of the species.

The recently discovered mutation into the Sunshadow Spirit Cat had already caused quite a stir.

Yet the Monarch-quality Nether Shadow Spirit Charm Cat had, in fact, already appeared in this world of beast tamers!

As for the unrevealed hidden path, Lin Yuan had no idea what quality it might reach.

Little Black Cats had an initial quality of only Ordinary High-Grade and were generally contracted as a first beast.

Lin Yuan knew this cat was Chen Xuanbai's third.

By rights, someone choosing a third beast would at least contract one whose initial quality was Transcendent.

This cat must have a special history and significance to Chen Xuanbai.

Lin Yuan spent so long looking at Xiao Ying that Chen Xuanbai began to panic.

Can't he sense anything either?

But Lin Yuan appeared to be thinking. He was probably searching his memory for the relevant passage in that paper.

Lin Yuan slowly drew his gaze away from the Shadow Witch Cat.

Then he kept up his "deep thought" a little longer.

After all, he couldn't glance at the cat a few times and immediately recite the contents of that supposed "paper" by heart.

He had started the act, so he might as well see it through.

After another moment, Lin Yuan frowned and finally said, "Teacher, through Living Creature Affinity, I sensed the Shadow Witch Cat's condition. He seems caught between desire and restraint."

"That reminded me: Shadow Witch Cats with lively personalities and strong desires can have a dormant Demon Attribute within them."

"That's the root cause of their change in personality."

"From what I can tell, yours went through something unusual that awakened his dormant Demon Attribute."

Lin Yuan thought for another moment.

"I remember the paper saying that, early in its awakening, the Demon Attribute brings out a Shadow Witch Cat's desire and obsessive side. That's why he keeps giving in to desire and becomes unusually agitated."

"The solution is to suppress his desire. You were right to use a Tranquil Heart Fruit, Teacher, but it has a Wood Attribute. You need something with a Demon Attribute to bring the problem under control at its source."

"Also, I remember the paper mentioning that, for a Shadow Witch Cat's Demon Attribute to awaken fully, you need to keep his Dark Attribute in balance."

"So the best approach is a medicinal bath using a spirit liquid that combines both attributes, diluted in water."

Lin Yuan rubbed his chin and paused. "I think it was called Demon Something Dew, or Dark Something Dew."

As Chen Xuanbai listened, his eyes lit up.

That's it!

It fits—the Demon Attribute!

How did I not think of that?

What had happened to Xiao Ying these past few days closely resembled an abnormal Demon Attribute eruption he had read about before.

That case involved a Monarch High-Grade eagle-type beast whose dormant Demon Attribute had apparently been triggered under extreme circumstances.

The condition had been discovered too late, and the beast could not be saved.

He had been sharp his whole life, only to miss the obvious now. The main reason was that he had recently learned of a Little Black Cat mutating to gain a Yang Attribute. It had never occurred to him that such an ordinary beast might mutate in another way too.

What was more, he knew something about the treatment materials Lin Yuan had mentioned.

He was quite familiar with Demon-Control Fruit, a material used to suppress the Demon Attribute.

As for the medicinal-bath ingredient, he recalled one called Demon Shadow Dew. He just needed to confirm it.

"Good! Lin Yuan, thank goodness you're here." Chen Xuanbai was visibly energized. "I'll take Xiao Ying back, check a few cases of Demon Attribute mutation, and buy the appropriate treatment materials."

"Once Xiao Ying's condition stabilizes, I'll come by personally to thank you properly. Sorry about today—I rushed over here, and now I have to rush off again."

"Teacher, there's no need to thank me so much. I only told you what I remembered reading. I'm glad if it helps."

Lin Yuan answered modestly.

Chen Xuanbai recalled the Shadow Witch Cat, nodded to Lin Yuan, and left.

Lin Yuan smiled.

Chen Xuanbai taught general studies at the best beast-taming high school in Lin Hua City. His knowledge of beast cases and beast-related products far exceeded Lin Yuan's.

So Lin Yuan only needed to offer a few vague details, and Chen Xuanbai could make the connections himself.

That meant his performance about the "paper" had reached a fitting end.

Lin Yuan felt rather accomplished.

For one thing, the information on the panel had helped Chen Xuanbai, who had always looked out for him.

For another, if the Shadow Witch Cat successfully awakened his Demon Attribute, Lin Yuan would count as the "chief contributor."

Just then, Lin Yuan heard a meow.

It came from Baishi.

He pushed the door open and found him unusually worked up.

His little paws flailed furiously, as though he had boundless strength to spare.

Even when Lin Yuan appeared, he neither hid nor acted shy. It was as if the only word in his mind was "training."

What's gotten into him?

Lin Yuan checked his status.

He couldn't help smiling.

[Status]: The presence of another powerful cat has brought out his wild side. His [Heart Frenzy] trait has also activated, putting him into a state of intense focus on training.

Baishi was also afraid that, just after he had found a new home, his new master might get another cat-type beast and replace him. He had to work hard to prove himself, because he liked it here, even though he had only been here two days.

Seeing Baishi so determined, Lin Yuan felt a little reassured.

It seemed Baishi thought quite highly of him.

Lin Yuan left Baishi to his training. To restore his quality, he needed not only the Lionbright Fruit but also a considerable improvement in his physical fitness.

Once the Lionbright Fruit arrived that afternoon,

Lin Yuan would give him a little surprise...