Lin Chuan ignored Lin Lao Deng, who was still in the throes of his chuunibyo, and returned with two Flower Leaf Leaves in his arms.
Because they had just passed their infancy, these two Flower Leaf Leaves could not leave their soil environment for long periods, at least not for about 8 hours like an entire night, otherwise, it would be detrimental to their growth.
However, there was a way, and it was very simple, just like transplanting plants: wrap half of the Flower Leaf Leaf’s body with a cloth and stuff some soil into it.
Lin Chuan wrapped the two Flower Leaf Leaves with soil-filled cloths, exposing their short, chubby limbs, as if they were wearing clothes.
He then tied a beautiful bow to secure the wraps so they wouldn't fall off, and only then did he dust off the soil from his hands.
“Very cute.”
Lin Chuan couldn’t utter Lin Lao Deng’s outrageous and awkward assertion that “Flower Leaf Leaves are the cutest in the world,” but he could offer sincere, though simple, praise.
Hearing Lin Chuan praise their cuteness, the two Flower Leaf Leaves immediately chirped and squeaked, bouncing on the table, and finally leaping into Lin Chuan’s embrace.
Clearly, they were overjoyed.
The two Flower Leaf Leaves were so genuinely happy and pure, but Lin Chuan felt a little troubled in his heart.
Left side, right side.
Guoguo, Sakura.
Which one should I choose?
Sighing inwardly, Lin Chuan shook his head.
No longer thinking about it, Lin Chuan went to wash up and changed into his home pajamas, then returned to place the two Flower Leaf Leaves on his lap, holding one in each hand, and snuggling with them while watching a Spirit Beast TV show.
At 10 PM, Lin Chuan returned to his room, turned off the lights, and went to bed for Sleeping.
As for Sleeping with two Flower Leaf Leaves in his arms, that was just talk; it wasn’t suitable, not for any strange reasons, but simply because it was not good for the Flower Leaf Leaves’ health.
Because humans sleep lying down—at least Lin Chuan couldn’t sleep standing or sitting—while Flower Leaf Leaves are planted in the ground, meaning they hibernate vertically.
If they lay down for even a slightly extended period, the flowers on top of the Flower Leaf Leaves’ heads would be pressed down by natural gravity and grow crooked.
If they were like his mother’s spirit pet, Xiao Yue, or the Fluffy mentioned in the class group chat, a spirit beast formed from an animated doll, or Flower Spirit, which is a more humanoid evolution of the Flower Leaf Leaf resembling a three-year-old human girl, then Lin Chuan would definitely embrace them and sleep under the same blanket.
The two Flower Leaf Leaves were placed by Lin Chuan in exquisite small flower pots with cute cartoon patterns on their exteriors, positioned on the left and right bedside tables.
Lin Chuan lay down and had just closed his eyes.
Yi ya yi ya ~
Yi ying ying ying ~
The two Flower Leaf Leaves emitted soft, ethereal, and prolonged sounds, like whispering or humming a song.
Some mothers sing lullabies to coax their children to sleep, while others might light a dim, fragrant sandalwood incense; these are all methods to aid sleep.
The whispering and humming of the two Flower Leaf Leaves at this moment were also a sleep aid, a Wood Attribute skill called Grass Flute, which has the effect of making others fall into a deep sleep.
All Flower Leaf Leaves on the farm know this skill.
Lin Lao Deng’s cultivation plan included regularly playing soothing music for the Flower Leaf Leaves during their infancy, and over time, even without active learning, they would passively acquire the skill through their natural instincts as Wood Attribute spirit beasts.
Both Flower Leaf Leaves had just emerged from their infancy and had not undergone specialized skill training, so the Grass Flute they performed did not contain Wood Attribute energy.
It only contained emotion; the Grass Flute they performed could not be used for combat, at most for aiding sleep.
Indeed, the sleep-inducing effect was excellent!
In less than half a minute, Lin Chuan, with his eyes closed, fell asleep.
From his stable body posture, slightly rising and falling chest, and long, rhythmic breathing, it could be judged that his sleep quality was exceptionally good!
…
A week passed in a flash.
Tianshang Town First Beast Taming High School, Class Three, Section Seven.
The classroom was noisy, and everyone was beaming, unable to suppress their excitement and anticipation.
This week of holiday and rest had clearly been very effective.
Previously, during their studies, they not only had many cultural classes and assignments related to spirit beast knowledge but also had to take care of the school's spirit beasts, including brushing fur, trimming claws, scooping poop, and feeding, which often left most students looking fatigued and drained.
However, such a situation was completely absent now; everyone in the class was vibrant and full of energy!
Among them, Lin Chuan, sitting in the second-to-last row on the left side by the window, was particularly outstanding.
Lin Chuan was radiant; his originally wheat-colored skin even seemed to subtly glow, better than the effects of any high-end skincare product.
The reason, of course, was the two Flower Leaf Leaves: they brought him joy and good spirits during the day, and at night, they gave him baby-like sleep quality.
The classroom was abuzz with chatter, everyone discussing the impending Awakening Ceremony.
One by one, they imagined what kind of Beast Taming Talent they would awaken: King’s Might, Heart of Molten Fire, Immortal Spirit Eye, as if various powerful Beast Taming Talents were small commodities sold at a street stall, allowing them to choose freely.
Many students, while chatting and fantasizing, let out lecherous snickers.
Just then, a male teacher, approximately in his early thirties, with a short-cropped haircut and a slightly plump build, slowly entered the classroom.
He was the homeroom teacher of Class Three, Section Seven, the Teacher Liu who had sent messages in the class group chat, full name Liu Qi Zheng, known in the “jianghu” as Little Fatty Liu!
This nickname was given by a few mischievous students in the class, and because it was very apt, it spread, and even Liu Qi Zheng himself tacitly accepted it.
The noisy classroom instantly quieted down, and everyone collectively looked at Liu Qi Zheng as he walked to the podium.
“Little Fatty, you look handsome today~”
Zhang Yue, the king of mischief in the class, whistled and teased.
Other students also joined in the commotion, including Lin Chuan, who was sitting in the second-to-last row, inner side, by the window.
Usually dressed casually, even a bit sloppily, today Liu Qi Zheng was dressed very formally in a suit and tie, and had even specifically groomed himself.
Honestly, in this suit-and-tie attire, he looked completely like a handsome little fatty!
Without joking and chatting with the students as usual, and without the customary punishment of making Zhang Yue stand guard at the door, Liu Qi Zheng tapped the podium, and the class instantly fell silent.
“There’s a lot I want to say, but it’s too much, so I’ll omit it.”
Liu Qi Zheng spoke, and a chorus of boos rose from below; he smiled.
“The Awakening Ceremony will begin in half an hour.”
“At that time, all of you will awaken your Beast Taming Talents, become glorious Beast Masters, and contract your own spirit beasts.”
“Here, I first wish you all to awaken powerful Beast Taming Talents, contract beloved and suitable spirit beasts, and may your path as a Beast Master be smooth…”
Before Liu Qi Zheng could finish, the students spontaneously began to applaud, the applause enthusiastic and fervent.
“I wish everyone, good luck and prosperity!”
At this point, Liu Qi Zheng finally stopped.
The applause grew even more enthusiastic.
Liu Qi Zheng did not immediately stop it, because this applause was not only a response to him but also a blessing from the students present to themselves and to each other.
Half a minute later, Liu Qi Zheng raised his hand to signal them to stop.
The applause ceased, and the classroom became quiet again.
“Those kind words and blessings just now, just listen to them; of course, those words were sincere.”
Liu Qi Zheng said again in a joking tone, and then his expression gradually turned solemn, making the students feel a bit uneasy.
Thump, thump, thump, Liu Qi Zheng tapped the podium table, his voice prolonged and low-pitched, and he continued.
“But reality! Often does not go as one wishes.”
“Ninety percent of people will awaken a first-tier Beast Taming Talent, and its effects and abilities will be very mediocre, even useless.
I’m sure most of you will be like this.”
As Liu Qi Zheng spoke, many students in the class lowered their heads, biting their lips, their expressions complex.
Liu Qi Zheng’s gaze flickered; he wasn’t saying these things at this moment to undermine the students’ self-confidence.
This was a rhetorical technique, a technique of suppression before elevation; the previous words were suppression, but too much suppression would not be good.
One had to grasp the right degree to elevate better.
Tapping the table again, Liu Qi Zheng drew everyone’s attention back.
“Alright, here, I will give you your last lesson.
No textbooks, no note-taking, I’ll just ask you a few questions.”
“About Beast Taming Talent!”
“Who can tell me what Beast Taming Talent is, how it comes about, and is Beast Taming Talent unchangeable? Can it be improved?”
Liu Qi Zheng asked in a calm tone.
After a moment of silence, a buzzing of quiet discussion began below.
The students looked at each other, wondering what this Fatty Liu was up to?
Eventually, many students raised their hands.
Liu Qi Zheng looked around and chose a female student to answer, a girl with an ordinary appearance and glasses.
Huang Shuya, the top student in the class who consistently held the first place on the academic performance list, was an internal competition king; even within the entire school, her test scores could rank among the top three.
Standing up, she briefly organized her thoughts and formulated her words before Huang Shuya spoke:
"Beast Taming Talent is the extraordinary ability of humans to directly or indirectly cultivate, assist, and command spirit beasts. Some can temporarily enhance various abilities of spirit beasts in combat, while others can improve the growth efficiency of spirit beasts during daily cultivation. Depending on the type and strength of the Beast Taming Talent, Beast Masters will consume varying amounts of physical strength, mental energy, or other more mysterious things when using their Beast Taming Talent."
"Beast Taming Talent, similar to the strength levels of spirit beasts, is tiered. Low-tier talents will have significantly reduced effects on high-level spirit beasts."
"For example, Immense Strength, this is a Beast Taming Talent that can temporarily boost a spirit beast's strength."
"Based on the talent's strength, Immense Strength has First-tier Immense Strength, Second-tier Immense Strength, Third-tier Immense Strength, and so on."
"First-tier Immense Strength provides a boost to a First-tier spirit beast, allowing its original strength of 1 to temporarily become 1.5. However, the boosting effect of First-tier Immense Strength on a Second-tier spirit beast will be weaker, and the higher the tier, the more the effect decreases exponentially."
"Conversely, if Second-tier Immense Strength is used to boost a First-tier spirit beast, then its original strength of 1 will temporarily become 3. The higher the tier of the talent, the stronger the boosting effect on lower-tier spirit beasts, with specific values also increasing exponentially. However, there is also a limit to this boost, which is the maximum that the spirit beast's body or mind can withstand."
"And then, regarding the origin of Beast Taming Talent, we must start from the earliest humans."
"Humans, in the very beginning, did not possess what is called Beast Taming Talent; even their physical strength was much weaker than that of humans today."
"From ancient times to the middle ages and then to recent history, they experienced the War of Dragons and Phoenixes, enduring countless hardships and trials, weathering storms and turbulence."
"As history continuously progressed, humans improved and perfected the contract."
"Establishing a contract with a spirit beast, becoming a Beast Master, then cultivating the spirit beast, growing and living together with the spirit beast, fighting side by side. During this period, as the spirit beast grows stronger, its level increases, and it evolves by breaking through bloodline shackles, it will provide a certain degree of feedback to the Beast Master, leaving extraordinary factors corresponding to attributes and racial abilities on the Beast Master's body. These factors will eventually merge into the Beast Master's blood, even genes, and the depths of their soul."
"Finally, with the reproduction of humans, demonic spirit beasts that originally had reproductive isolation and could not produce offspring, and bloodlines that originally could not intermingle, their attribute powers, racial characteristics, and other extraordinary factors intermingled, collided, and fused within humans, giving birth to new factors that could be controlled by humans."
"This is the origin of Beast Taming Talent!"
At this point, Huang Shuya paused, speaking so much in one breath inevitably made her breathless.
After a short rest and a couple of gulps, Huang Shuya continued:
"Beast Taming Talent can be improved! Just like how the earliest humans went from nothing to something."
"As long as you choose the right spirit beast to contract and continuously work hard."
"For example, a Beast Master with a Fire Attribute-related Beast Taming Talent chooses to contract one, two, or even more Fire Attribute spirit beasts, and then cultivates them persistently. As the spirit beasts grow, break through, and evolve again and again, the Fire Attribute extraordinary factors given to the Beast Master continuously accumulate, reaching a point where quantitative change leads to qualitative change, and the Beast Taming Talent will then improve or even transform. From First-tier to Second-tier, Third-tier, Fourth-tier…"
By this point, Huang Shuya had answered all of Liu Qi Zheng's questions, and her answers were quite perfect.
Liu Qi Zheng gave Huang Shuya a timely look of appreciation and affirmation, and motioned for her to sit down.
However, perhaps due to vanity, and to make a grand impression in this final lesson and showcase her academic prowess, Huang Shuya hesitated slightly, then her lips moved, and she continued to speak, revealing a secret that even ordinary people and common Beast Masters did not know.
"Our Star Rock Federation has Three Sects, Five Families, and Eight Academies."
"Among them, the Five Families refer to the Beast Taming families with the surnames Li, Song, Wang, Qian, and Nangong."
"These five Beast Taming families were formed through the accumulation of cultivating spirit beasts of the same attribute and same racial category, accumulated over generations, hundreds to thousands of years."
"Anyone who emerges from these five great families possesses exceptionally powerful Beast Taming Talent."
"They are born at least Fourth-tier, averaging Fifth-tier, with the top ones being Sixth-tier. There are even those born with Seventh-tier Beast Taming Talent, comparable to or even surpassing a Heavenly King Beast Master. Such existences are the most likely to break through and become Eighth-tier Beast Masters, known as…"
Before Huang Shuya could finish speaking, Liu Qi Zheng raised his hand, his forehead beaded with cold sweat, to stop her.
"Alright, that's enough, Huang Shuya, you can sit down now."
He intended to use a rhetorical technique of first suppressing and then uplifting to motivate the students, but he did not want to further discourage them.
If Huang Shuya continued speaking and let the other students know about the vast, chasm-like talent gap between them and those from Beast Taming families, they might fall into despair.
Previously, he thought Huang Shuya, this studious and obedient student, was good in every way. But now, Liu Qi Zheng expressed that he had a headache!
What had already been said could not be taken back by Huang Shuya, nor could he tell the other students not to care, as this would only make them more curious and concerned.
So, what to do?
Liu Qi Zheng stated that he was not flustered; there was still room for maneuver. Having been a teacher for over ten years, his rhetorical skills were quite good. At this moment, he needed to shift the focus of the topic.
"Huang Shuya spoke very well and correctly. She said so much, helping everyone review and learn new things."
"Hmm, I'm sure classmates are curious why I would bring up these questions again right before the awakening ceremony."
"I want to tell everyone that even if you awaken a low-tier, ordinary Beast Taming Talent, do not be too disappointed, and even more, do not give up on yourself and go down the wrong path."
"If you still have the dream of becoming a Professional Beastmaster, then persevere!"
"Low talent? It's fine, it just means a slower start, that's all."
"Believe in your future contracted spirit beasts, cherish them, cultivate them diligently, never abandon, never give up, and believe that one day, the spirit beasts will repay you."
"Huang Shuya spoke of the five great families. The talent gap between you and them is indeed immense, but! That is the result of the efforts of their ancestors and generations of predecessors. You are not inferior to them; it merely means your ancestors and predecessors did not work as hard as theirs. It does not mean you are inferior to them."
"As long as you work hard, persevere, and never give up, perhaps you will be slower than them, much slower, and the path of a Beast Master will be more difficult and arduous, but you may still reach that stage! You may still become a Sealed Title Heavenly King!"
"Who knows, you might even become the one who establishes a family lineage! The one whose portrait future generations will kneel and bow before, offering incense and respectfully calling 'Ancestor'!"
The situation was turned around by Liu Qi Zheng.
The classroom, which had been somewhat stifled by Huang Shuya's words, now felt as if it were a pot about to boil over.
Liu Qi Zheng, as a teacher, was clearly qualified, even excellent.
If not for his words, after the awakening ceremony, many might have been disappointed by their inferior Beast Taming Talent, or even given up on themselves and gone astray. But now, the students in the class felt that nothing was an issue; they only felt their blood surge and their passion ignite.
So what if the awakened Beast Taming Talent is inferior?!
It just means a slower start, that's all! Beast Taming Talent isn't something that can't be improved!
As long as they persevere, never give up, and never abandon, one day the spirit beasts will repay them!
Even an ordinary flower can bloom with unparalleled beauty!