235: Heading to the North, the fairy lingzhi flower
Knowing that its master was working hard for its evolution,
the Slime's body glowed faintly, letting out a very soft and gentle "gu."
Su Ningyu glanced down at it, smiled, and continued writing something in his notebook.
He flipped through the previous pages.
The page for Coal Ball.
"Slaughter Evolution"—he traced the circle beneath those words again in his mind.
It was time to make a decision.
Gloomy Forest, Lava Canyon, Thunderous Highlands, Forgotten Cave—these four options had been sitting in his notebook for too long; he could not delay any further.
He picked up his pen and drew a checkmark next to "Gloomy Forest."
Gloomy Forest.
A primeval forest in the northern region of Yunmeng Star.
It covered an area of over three thousand square kilometers.
The interior of the forest was shrouded in thick fog year-round, with insufficient sunlight and low visibility.
The beast populations there were quite diverse, with Ranks ranging from bronze rank to gold-rank. Mid-to-high-tier silver rank beasts were the most numerous, which perfectly suited Coal Ball's Rank.
The forest's terrain was complex, featuring swamps, caves, and underground rivers; the environment itself was full of danger and uncertainty.
Fighting there meant facing not only the threat of beasts but also the trials of the natural environment.
This was exactly what Su Ningyu needed.
A real battle with no rules and no way out.
Su Ningyu wrote a line of small text beneath the words "Gloomy Forest."
"Departure time: Tomorrow."
Then he closed the notebook, placed it next to his pillow, and lay down.
...
The next day, Su Ningyu boarded an airship heading for the North.
This time, there were no accidents in the air.
No Truth Society attacks, no Secret Realms suddenly opening.
The airship passed smoothly through the clouds.
Sunlight poured through the portholes, dyeing the entire cabin a warm gold.
Su Ningyu leaned back in his window seat, watching the online course he had purchased on his phone.
"Introduction to the Art of Dance."
It contained step-by-step breakdowns of various dance movements.
The margins were filled with notes on key points and precautions.
As he watched, he simulated the power application and body postures of those movements in his mind.
Occasionally, he would gesture with his hands, drawing curious looks from the passengers next to him.
Little Bell's evolution conditions were set; he had to learn it whether he wanted to or not.
Fortunately, his current physical flexibility and coordination far exceeded that of ordinary people.
The tempering from the Stellar Breathing Technique had made his muscles and bones considerably flexible.
Although he was still far from being a "Dancer," he could at least perform the movements correctly.
He was confident that he could choreograph this dance before Coal Ball finished its evolution.
The airship descended slowly, the view outside changing from a sea of clouds to rolling mountain ranges, and then from mountains to vast grasslands.
Su Ningyu put away his phone and looked out the window.
He had arrived in the North.
The style was completely different from East County.
East County's architecture was exquisite and elegant, with clean, orderly streets that exuded a gentle atmosphere everywhere.
But the North...
It was rugged, bold, and wild.
Most buildings were constructed from giant stones and logs, with sharp angles and no superfluous decoration.
The streets were wide enough for four carriages to drive side-by-side, paved with unpolished blue stone slabs, with stubborn weeds growing in the cracks.
What impressed Su Ningyu the most were the Beast Tamers here.
Almost everyone was followed by a massive beast.
Someone was riding an Armored Rhino covered in thick scales, its hoofbeats heavy like drumbeats.
Someone stood on the back of a Giant Eagle with a wingspan of over ten meters, circling at a low altitude.
Another person was accompanied by a Giant Wolf larger than an adult bull, its fangs bared and its gaze fierce.
"When will I be able to ride my own beast?"
Su Ningyu watched the Beast Tamers coming and going on their beasts and couldn't help but sigh.
He thought about his current beasts.
Little Bell was a flower; impossible to ride.
Lucky Frog was a toad; even if it evolved into a Fortune Golden Toad, it wouldn't be big enough.
Coal Ball was a cat; although its dual tails were impressive, riding a cat? The mental image was too much.
Slime was a puddle of jelly; he'd probably sink right into it.
Ballot?
Su Ningyu imagined the scene of himself riding on the back of that black Dragon.
Ballot would probably be very excited.
It might even lower itself voluntarily for him to climb on.
But once the size of that black Dragon appeared in the public eye, the entire Star Net would explode.
Headlines like "mythical-rank Black Dragon Appears on Yunmeng Star, Identity of Rider a Mystery"—just thinking about it gave him a headache.
Su Ningyu shook his head, tossing those unrealistic thoughts out of his mind.
He shouldered his backpack and walked toward the Gloomy Forest in the North.
The entrance to the Gloomy Forest was different from what he had imagined.
He had thought it would be a desolate place frequented only by adventurers, but the scene before him was more like a bustling marketplace.
Simple but sturdy shops were set up on both sides of the entrance, selling survival gear, beast eggs, potions, and dry rations, with a few stalls just laying a cloth on the ground to display various strange items.
Shouts, bargaining, and the cries of beasts intertwined, making it noisy and vibrant.
What surprised Su Ningyu even more was that a lot of people were gathered at the entrance.
Not just one or two, but hundreds or even thousands, clustered in groups of two or three, seemingly waiting for someone or forming teams.
Their equipment was uneven—some were fully armed, while others only carried a worn-out bag—but everyone's face wore the same expression.
Anticipation.
"What's going on?" Su Ningyu frowned slightly.
He had checked the records; although the Gloomy Forest was dangerous, there wouldn't normally be so many people entering at the same time.
Unless something special had appeared in the forest.
"Are you also here for the fairy lingzhi flower?"
A voice came from behind him, sounding clearly excited.
Su Ningyu turned around.
A young man was walking toward him.
He didn't look much older than Su Ningyu.
He looked to be in his early twenties, not very tall, with bright eyes.
He wore dark green exploration gear, carried a bulging backpack, and had a short knife and several potion bottles at his waist; he looked well-prepared.
"fairy lingzhi flower?" Su Ningyu repeated the name.
As a Breeder, he naturally knew what a fairy lingzhi flower was.
It was an extremely rare Heaven And Earth Treasure.
Its effect was simple and direct.
Upon consumption, a Beast Tamer would receive the "Blessing of the Hundred Flower Fairy," gaining a protection similar to a talent.
Immunity to all poisons, natural affinity, and even the ability to perform simple mental communication with plants.
Legend has it that the fairy lingzhi flower is a spiritual item of heaven and earth nurtured by the blood of the mythical-rank beast, the Hundred-Flower Fairy, after her fall.
Of course, this was just a legend; no one could confirm it.
But one thing was universally acknowledged.
The blessing of the fairy lingzhi flower was equivalent to giving a Beast Tamer an extra talent.
Su Ningyu's gaze became serious.
He knew better than anyone what having an extra talent meant.
His two beast taming codexes had brought him multiple talents, allowing him to reach where he was today.