Jiang Xing's four hypothesized conditions—three of them had already been met by the Golden-Patterned Koi.
Only [Dragon-type energy] and [Dragon-type moves] remained.
So Jiang Xing made a trip to the fruit market and purchased twenty Dragon-Scale Lychees.
The Dragon-Scale Lychee looked similar to a regular lychee. It was a derivative fruit that grew on the back of a Dragon-type Pet Beast known as the Grass Lychee Dragon. Because it absorbed the Grass Lychee Dragon's energy during its growth, it contained a trace of Dragon-type energy.
Compared to other Dragon-type resources, the energy it contained was relatively small, and its yield was high—yet its price was still extremely expensive.
A single Dragon-Scale Lychee cost as much as five thousand yuan!
When Jiang Xing scanned the code to pay, his hands were trembling.
He thought about how the Grass Lychee Dragon was monopolized by a certain Dragon Tamer family. Each one could produce several hundred Dragon-Scale Lychees on its back, and they would continue regenerating…
Damn it, why did someone else get to own such a money-printing machine!?
One day, Jiang Xing would also develop—and monopolize—at least one resource-type Pet Beast. He wanted to print money at home too!
With tears in his eyes, he paid the hundred thousand yuan and returned to the school with the Dragon-Scale Lychees. Following the move data sent by Senior Su, he added other resource fruits as supplementary ingredients.
In the end, he produced 240 golden energy cubes.
'The energy value of a single cube is no less than a Dragon-Scale Lychee, and its consumption value is even higher…'
'If I sold all of them, getting around a million shouldn't be a problem.'
Jiang Xing marveled. As expected, processing industries were more profitable—just by processing raw materials, the price could increase tenfold.
If he ever ran short on research funds, he could consider selling some energy cubes to recover.
For now, though, it was better to focus on nurturing his Pet Beasts.
After all, he only had one Berry Blender. Processing took time, and the profit had an upper limit.
If he could achieve valuable research results—that would be the real source of endless wealth!
Just like Senior Su. She had once been poor as well, yet through research achievements, her net worth had skyrocketed in just a few years. Not only had she built an independent research institute, but she had also nurtured many powerful Pet Beasts.
That was how a scholar should make money.
Jiang Xing prepared the materials and extended his right hand.
A flash of white light appeared, and the Pet Beast phantom in his palm transformed into a golden-patterned, white-bodied koi, dropping into the laboratory pool.
The Golden-Patterned Koi swam around, observing its surroundings and the others of its kind. Soon, it poked its head out of the water and let out a cry.
"Ying!"
Though it sounded similar to a dolphin's call—
Jiang Xing understood its meaning.
Dragon!
It was urging him.
'The contract actually allows the Beast Tamer and the Pet Beast to understand each other… how incredible…'
Jiang Xing sighed in amazement and said to the Golden-Patterned Koi: "Don't rush. Let me tell you a story first—"
Jiang Xing slowly narrated the ancient legend of carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.
This process was, in fact, [nurturing]!
According to the theories of the Beast Taming world, a Pet Beast's own thoughts could influence its evolutionary form.
For example, a Pet Beast might meet the conditions to evolve into both a Water-type and a Fire-type. But because it preferred water and wanted to become a Water-type Pet Beast, it would evolve into a Water-type.
This was the well-known [Mind Selection Theory].
Of course, the Mind Selection Theory had more complex foundations and derivative papers—it was an entire research field.
Jiang Xing was simply borrowing this theory to plant a seed of [Dragon Transformation] deep within the Golden-Patterned Koi's heart.
After all, if the Golden-Patterned Koi itself didn't know what a "dragon" was, didn't understand how to become one, how could it find the direction for its evolution?
Now, Jiang Xing had given it an answer—and even paved the path for it!
He told it—
Leap over that Dragon Gate!
And at the moment it exhausted all its strength and leaped past the Dragon Gate, its intense will would drive a qualitative change in its power, allowing it to transform into a dragon!
Just like the Golden-Patterned Koi. At first, it had been rather ignorant, not understanding what it meant to become a dragon. It had only possessed an instinctive desire to grow stronger, which was why it accepted the contract.
Now, as Jiang Xing spoke, its eyes grew brighter, and the images in its mind became clearer and clearer.
Hundreds of carp swimming, competing—leaping the gate and transforming into dragons!
"Ying!!"
Dragon!!!
The Golden-Patterned Koi excitedly slapped its tail against the water, splashing droplets everywhere.
It was as if it had leaped over the Dragon Gate alongside the protagonist of the story, becoming a true dragon.
Seeing its excitement, Jiang Xing made a solemn promise.
"Although this is just a story, I believe the path to becoming a dragon lies within it."
"So I will help you find the legendary Dragon Gate, and give you the chance to change your fate…"
"But for now, you must train diligently to prepare for leaping over the Dragon Gate."
With a splash, the Golden-Patterned Koi suddenly leaped up, touched the ceiling, and fell back into the water with a loud plop, letting out an excited cry.
"Ying!"
Training!
Seeing its enthusiasm, Jiang Xing revealed a satisfied smile.
The preparations were complete—now it was time to begin training.
The training content was Dragon-type moves.
The material Senior Su had sent was a move called [Dragon Ritual Dance].
According to the data, this move was a dance created by ancient Beast Tamers to worship the legendary Pet Beast Azure Dragon.
Because its creation involved observing the Azure Dragon's movements, it contained a trace of Dragon-type power, thus becoming a Dragon-type move.
After using this move, one could receive the blessing of the Azure Dragon, temporarily enhancing strength and speed.
The move itself was not complicated and had no fixed choreography. The key lay in a short recorded video of the Azure Dragon in flight.
By observing the video, Water-type, Dragon-type, and Flying-type Pet Beasts had a chance to comprehend a trace of the Azure Dragon's essence and thereby learn the Dragon Ritual Dance.
Thus, Jiang Xing simply opened the video and placed it beside the pool, letting all the Golden-Patterned Koi watch and practice the Dragon Ritual Dance together.
In the pool, the Golden-Patterned Koi kept jumping around wildly, like a chaotic dance of demons.
When they grew tired, he fed them fish food. And when feeding the Fish King, he gave it an extra portion—Dragon Lychee Cubes.
"Little fish, it's not that I'm playing favorites… I'm just too poor to afford anything else."
"When I have money, I'll make sure all of you get the good stuff."
Pet Beasts were simply too spiritual. When Jiang Xing gave the Fish King extra food, the other fish stared at him with watery eyes, making him feel oddly guilty, as if he had done something wrong.
He quickly finished feeding and retreated to a corner of the laboratory, forcing his attention onto his phone.
The Golden-Patterned Koi's training had already been arranged.
If he wanted to achieve perfect evolution, he needed to find something that the Golden-Patterned Koi would truly recognize from the bottom of their hearts—something that could challenge them, elevate their spirits…
A [Dragon Gate]!
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