Mind-Calming Bell, Light Nourishment Art

"Don't worry, Grandpa Qin. I've already made arrangements," Lin Yuan said with a smile.

He had discussed it with Liu Xing and Huo Yu at Liu Xing's home a few days earlier.

He had also asked Huang Tao for advice the day before yesterday.

Their pet food shop was in the suburbs, and quite a few storefronts on the same block were still vacant.

They could even expand and renovate his current shop with a Construction Duck crew, which was in high demand, once they obtained the necessary approvals from the Pet Beast Alliance.

Huo Yu and Huang Tao had even given Lin Yuan contact information for people skilled at handling such matters.

As long as he had the money, it wouldn't be difficult.

"Xiao Yuan, these past two years really have been... hard on you," Qin Bailing said with a sigh. "You've kept up with your studies while handling so many things without a hitch."

"It's a shame I can't do more. All I can do is help look after the shop..."

"Grandpa Qin, don't talk nonsense. Count how many dinners you've made me over the past two years," Lin Yuan said with a smile.

"Haha, all right, all right. I won't get sentimental. I'll look forward to it!" Qin Bailing continued. "I'll get back to the accounts. You've probably had a tiring first day of school, so get some rest."

"Mm."

Lin Yuan went up to the second floor.

He first checked on Zilan in the plant room.

Ever since she had received the Life-Soul Pendant, Zilan had been giving it her all.

After only a few days, he could already see how much better she was growing.

Lin Yuan took a look. Sure enough, her level had risen from Transcendent Level 2 to Transcendent Level 3.

She had accumulated energy for more than a decade. After evolving, with the push from high-quality Beast Gear, Zilan's progress had risen like a boat on a swelling tide.

Only the information under [Evolution Path] still hadn't refreshed.

After chatting briefly with Zilan and being made to drink a drop of Spirit Dew, he surveyed the plant room.

He would have to expand this place too. Then he could bring in more Purple Ghost Orchids and Purple Star Vines.

These plants weren't especially difficult to cultivate.

As he worked through the plans in his head, he kept an eye on the Purple Star Vines around him.

Then he suddenly noticed that the purple flowers on one vine looked different from all the others.

They were darker and had a more striking air.

He immediately recalled the records stating that a Purple Star Vine could break through to become a Purple Ghost Orchid.

After comparing it carefully, he found that this one was indeed developing in that direction!

Zilan's Treasure Mist trait could promote the growth of nearby plants and increase their chances of mutation.

He hadn't expected signs of it to appear after only a few days.

"Zilan, you've done well." Lin Yuan returned to her side and stroked her petals.

Back in his room.

Lin Yuan took the prize for placing first in today's Beast Tamer Resources assessment out of his Spirit Cage Ring.

He opened the box.

He sorted the materials by type, then turned his attention to the Beast Gear before him.

He recognized it, of course: a low-grade Transcendent Mind-Calming Bell.

It was one of the easiest pieces of Beast Gear to make at Transcendent quality, yet its market price was still fairly high, around a hundred thousand Alliance Coins.

So as the prize for placing first in this assessment, it had already exceeded Lin Yuan's expectations.

Clearly, after they entered Senior Year 2, the school had spared no expense in investing in the Kindling Class.

The Mind-Calming Bell's effect was simple: it helped a pet beast enter training without distractions, automatically screening out some external pressures and negative influences.

For Baishi, who was about to begin "specialized training" under Sun Xingtian, it was icing on the cake.

He summoned Baishi and placed the Mind-Calming Bell against his neck. It immediately clung fast, like a magnet snapping to metal.

Baishi tilted his head, puzzled.

What good thing has my Beast Tamer given me this time?

I've gotten so much lately!

Any more, and I'll be drowning in guilt!

But now that it's on, why does even the air around me seem to smell sweeter?

Baishi narrowed his eyes in pleasure. He liked it.

Mm. I'll just have to work even harder to repay my Beast Tamer!

Lin Yuan looked at Baishi and smiled a little helplessly.

Baishi's life this past week had been worlds apart from everything he had known before.

Right now, he had trouble feeling he deserved any of it.

To most Beast Tamers, giving their contracted pet beasts the best, most suitable things was only natural.

But habits like that couldn't change overnight. Fortunately, Baishi was still young, and his outlook could still be nurtured.

Baishi bounded out with his "new toy."

Lin Yuan didn't know whether he had gone to find Zilan or to train.

But he was glad Baishi could let himself go completely and live without a care in their little home.

Lin Yuan still had plenty to do himself.

An hour later.

He finished updating the online shop's information.

Then he began searching for information on Beast-Taming Arts and Nourishment Arts.

Compared with his knowledge of pet beasts and basic Beast Gear, Lin Yuan was a complete novice when it came to arts.

If Zilan's evolution and the Bonded Enlightenment Art she had received from the Gift of All Spirits hadn't opened his eyes, his understanding would still have been entirely superficial.

He had Zhao Liang's class tomorrow.

Zhao Liang would teach the students their first lesson in arts for Senior Year 2.

Afterward, Lin Yuan could claim the reward Zhao Liang had promised him: the chance to choose a Beast-Taming Art or Nourishment Art he wanted to study further.

His current Nourishment Art was as basic as they came. If he could choose a better one, his spirit power could grow much faster for some time to come.

But he also had his eye on certain special Beast-Taming Arts.

The next day.

The Kindling Class of Senior Year 2, Class 1.

Zhao Liang stood before the lectern, still dressed in a sharp suit and his scholarly glasses, with nothing else to carry.

With a wave of his hand, a line of text appeared on the screen.

[Nourishment Art] — [Light Nourishment Art]

"Students, as the teacher responsible for Beast Tamer Competency, I'll keep this brief. My job from here on is to teach you Beast-Taming Arts and Nourishment Arts."

"My primary goal is for every one of you to reach a Spirit Value of 100 before the end of the second semester of Senior Year 2."

"You've all awakened your talents and contracted your first pet beast. Your Spiritual Worlds have expanded, and you can now learn better Nourishment Arts."

"Back in Senior Year 1, you all learned a little of the Night Nether Art."

"That one's simple. Anyone with hands can learn it."

At that, the students below couldn't help raising their eyebrows...

Was it really that simple? Even Lin Yuan, the fastest in their entire year, had taken a month to learn it.

But Zhao Liang looked so stern that the students only grumbled inwardly. None dared make a sound.

"The Night Nether Art is gentle. While you sleep at night, it lets you draw a trace of spirit power from the energy of heaven and earth, helping your spirit power grow."

"But it's far too inefficient. If that's all you know, forget the second semester of Senior Year 2—you won't reach 100 Spirit Value even by the second semester of Senior Year 3."

"I know some of you come from well-off families. Your parents may have prepared suitable Nourishment Arts for you once your talents awakened."

"What you learn in private is none of my business. But you must learn today's Light Nourishment Art, and you'll need to devote more effort to it throughout Senior Year 2."

"To nourish with light means to seek out the light between heaven and earth, from the sun and moon overhead to the tiny glow of a firefly."

"Using that light, you connect with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and draw energy into your Spiritual Worlds."

"This Nourishment Art embraces a hundred rivers like the sea. It can complement every other Nourishment Art you've learned, are learning, or will learn in the future."

"Your Spiritual Worlds need light."

His voice was soft, yet its rises and falls sent a tremor through every student's heart.

Lin Yuan began to look forward to it too.

Half an hour later.

"All right. I've taught you the basic method and principles."

"Step one: guide light into spirit. Use your spirit power to forge a connection with different kinds of light."

"Step two: bring spirit into the Spirit Urn. Draw that light into your Spiritual World."

"Step three: turn light into spirit. The longer you can keep that light in your Spiritual World, the more spiritual energy you can gain from heaven and earth, and the faster your spirit power will grow."

"Now, look out the window and feel the sunlight."

"You need to find the pull of that light."

"The first step is the easiest. Let's see if any of you can complete it here in class today."