Purple Star Vine's "Pilgrimage," Linghuan's "Illness"

[Purple Star Vine] began growing and winding around everything, nearly packing the plant room so tightly that not even water could pass through.

Yet not a single [Purple Star Vine] grew within half a meter of Zilan.

[Purple Star Vine] was not a graded pet beast. They were merely ordinary plants, but they made excellent food for many herbivorous pet beasts.

Since they were not pet beasts and had very little intelligence, Lin Yuan could not see their panels. Still, through [Living Creature Affinity], he sensed their emotions—

Celebration and joy.

The relationship between [Purple Ghost Orchid] and [Purple Star Vine] was somewhat like that of a saint and worshippers.

The former bestowed the energy needed for growth upon the latter, allowing them to flourish.

The latter's growth, in turn, revealed something of the former's strength, quality, and condition.

Lin Yuan had read in a research paper that there had once been cases of [Purple Star Vine] mutating into [Purple Ghost Orchid] and becoming a pet beast.

This evolution was also a type of exceptional evolution, known as Leader Effect Evolution.

But there were very few recorded cases, and no one knew exactly what conditions had to be met.

Judging by the growth of the [Purple Star Vine], Zilan had already taken her first successful step along the path of evolution.

At that moment, a faint purple glow surrounded Zilan.

Her two flower buds trembled slightly, as though forming some strange resonance with the materials and energy inside them.

A very thin mist drifted out of the buds.

Before long, it enveloped the area around Zilan, extending roughly half a meter from her.

According to the records, the time required for a pet beast to evolve varied.

Under normal circumstances, evolving from ordinary quality to Transcendent quality took about one to three days.

Many factors affected this, including the quality of the evolution materials, the pet beast's condition during evolution, and the space where the evolution took place.

There were also certain [Beastmaster Arts] that beastmasters could learn to shorten the process and improve the chances of successful evolution.

Yes, not every evolution had a hundred percent chance of success.

So Lin Yuan still felt somewhat anxious.

However, the information on the panel before him eased his worries a little.

[Purple Ghost Orchid]

[Evolution path]: evolving into [Purple Spirit Treasure Orchid], progress: 1%

He would let Zilan slowly digest the energy. All Lin Yuan could do now was trust her.

He took out the scissors he had prepared in advance and began cutting down the [Purple Star Vine] that was "blocking the way."

Their appearance and quality were the best Lin Yuan had seen in all these years.

This was good news for Yuanming Pet Food Shop, too.

Twenty minutes later.

Lin Yuan walked out of the plant room.

Quite a bit of [Purple Star Vine] also grew in the second-floor hall, and it had clearly been affected by the energy Zilan had just released.

Linghuan was already tending to the fully grown [Purple Star Vine] in the hall.

Linghuan had her own room as well, right next to the plant room.

Keeping the house clean and orderly had been her unwavering "creed" ever since she came to this home.

At that moment, she sensed Lin Yuan approaching.

She merely turned her head, smiled with narrowed eyes, then continued her work.

Lin Yuan set the basket crammed with [Purple Star Vine] leaves and stems beside her. "Linghuan, I've already taken care of the ones in the plant room."

"At today's awakening ceremony, I awakened a talent that can help pet beasts evolve. Just now, I helped Zilan take her first step."

"Starting today, our [Purple Star Vine] might grow much faster than before. Thank you for all the extra work you'll be doing."

Hearing this, Linghuan displayed a rare flicker of joy. The red glow on her tail shone more brightly, and the [Purple Star Vine] shoots around her became even fresher and more tender.

Lin Yuan could sense Linghuan's emotions.

This Housekeeping Beast had a very typical Housekeeping Beast personality: she kept house and looked after others.

However, Linghuan seemed to have an almost "compulsive" fixation on this.

In many situations, she suppressed all her emotions, only allowing herself to think and express her feelings after finishing everything that needed doing.

So now, too, she only briefly expressed her joy at hearing that her young master's awakening had succeeded before immersing herself in work again.

Lin Yuan was used to it.

His parents had purchased this Housekeeping Beast six years ago.

Their health had been steadily declining, leaving them unable to do much physical labor.

Three years ago, when they realized their bodies might not hold out much longer, they had hired a breeder to help her evolve.

Unlike Zilan, Linghuan had evolved successfully on the first attempt.

She had evolved from a [Spirit Raccoon] into a [Spirit-Tailed Raccoon].

This was also the most common evolution path for this type of pet beast.

But in Lin Yuan's memories, before her evolution, she had not placed nearly as much importance on housework as she did now.

Lin Yuan did not know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing.

He simply felt as though the distance between them had grown a little.

Even though they lived under the same roof, Lin Yuan rarely saw her during the day.

Perhaps this was the "sense of distance" that pet beasts gradually developed as they grew.

He looked at Linghuan's panel again.

[Spirit-Tailed Raccoon]

[Attribute]: spirit

[Quality]: lower Transcendent

[Sex]: female

[Level]: Transcendent level 3

[Traits]: [Crafty Heart], [Spirit Tail]

[Personality]: hardworking, fretful, orderly

[Status]: joyful, but the incomplete development of [Spirit Tail] during her previous evolution has caused her body's instincts to suppress her emotional expression. Whenever her emotions fluctuate significantly, she experiences a degree of physical pain.

This also makes it difficult for her level to increase and suppresses her overall growth.

This condition can be cured completely using Transcendent-quality [Red Spirit Tail]. Grind it into powder and add it to Transcendent-quality [Spirit Red Bright Liquid], then drink it over fifteen days.

[Evolution paths]:

[Evolution path one: Red Spirit Raccoon, quality: Low-Grade Commander, compatibility: 2%]

[Hidden evolution path one: unlocks after her physical and mental condition is restored.]

[Hidden evolution path two: unlocks after her physical and mental condition is restored.]

Lin Yuan read this.

His eyes immediately went wide.

Before he awakened [Eye of All Spirits], the status section he could see had essentially shown only simple descriptions of emotions.

After his awakening, the statuses of Zilan and the [Courier Bird] he had checked today had been much the same.

He had originally thought the panel's only change was that the evolution paths had finally lit up.

Now, it seemed that was not entirely true.

Under certain circumstances, the [Status] section could also display more information!

Linghuan's emotional expression had just been suppressed because her previous evolution had been incomplete, and the reason was written there in plain sight.

Not only that, even the solution was clearly provided.

Transcendent-quality [Red Spirit Tail] had been one of the materials required for her first evolution.

Lin Yuan did not know why Linghuan's first evolution had been incomplete.

But he finally understood the root cause of the "strangeness" he had sensed in Linghuan over the years after her evolution.

He also understood why Linghuan's tail would glow red uncontrollably whenever her emotions fluctuated.

And at this moment.

Even the [Evolution paths] no longer seemed so important.

First, cure Linghuan's "illness"!

Lin Yuan did not rush to offer Linghuan hope or promises. Her situation was different from Zilan's. Zilan had been wearing herself down inside, lacking confidence because of her past, so she needed a shot of encouragement.

With Linghuan, however, what he needed to avoid now was causing her emotions to fluctuate.

Back in his room.

Lin Yuan immediately looked up the cost of the treatment materials.

Transcendent-quality [Red Spirit Tail] was not expensive, costing between fifteen thousand and twenty thousand Alliance Coins.

But Transcendent-quality [Spirit Red Bright Liquid] was far less affordable. It cost between eighty thousand and a hundred thousand, beyond his current means.

At that moment, he could not help grumbling. If only the breeder who had helped Linghuan evolve had been a little more professional and had not left her with this lingering ailment.

Then he thought of the two breeders who had put Zilan through the "wrong" evolutions.

Lin Yuan found himself reflecting on many things.

A breeder's job was not merely to help pet beasts evolve.

They also needed to understand the beasts' personalities and emotions, and discern the state of their physical and mental health.

Even when an evolution was complete, that did not mean the job was "over." They still needed to check afterward for any flaws that might have arisen during the process.

But he felt those three breeders probably represented the majority of breeders in this world.

He, however, possessed [Living Creature Affinity] and [Eye of All Spirits].

He could absolutely walk a path with a much more distinctive "Lin Yuan" touch!

He shut down the computer.

Exhausted, he lay down on his bed.

He had to admit that preparing evolution materials was hard work.

Especially when his mind had been stretched taut the entire time.

Now, he was utterly worn out.

Time to rest.

Tomorrow, I'll go to the Breeding Center and first take a look at the three pet beasts Teacher Chen recommended.

The night deepened.

Lost in thought, Lin Yuan fell asleep.

The fresh air drifting from the plant room next door, along with its faint floral fragrance, slowly eased his mental exhaustion and physical fatigue.

Tomorrow would be another new day...