Su Ping became interested. Xiao Qing was very young, but the Talent it had already displayed was enough to surprise even Su Ping! Originally, he thought he would have to wait for Xiao Qing to grow a little older and, after its Level increased, purchase some Poison Type resources for it to consume. Xiao Qing would then be able to master this mutated Poison Type Ability, but now it seemed he had greatly underestimated Xiao Qing's Talent!
"Well done!"
He rubbed Xiao Qing's proudly raised head, and his gaze shifted to the other Forest Wolves. It quickly fixated on the youngest of them all. This Forest Wolf was also the weakest among these ordinary ones, and its Level was only one rank higher than Xiao Qing's—merely a common Third Rank.
Before, Su Ping had not really considered Xiao Qing's combat ability at this time. But now, since Xiao Qing had comprehended a Skill, he wanted to see how effective and powerful Poison Vine Strangulation was.
He glanced at Old Sha and said, "Old Sha, let that little guy battle Xiao Qing!"
Only by growing in battle would one become more adept at using Skills. And Su Ping wanted to see just how potent the Poison Vine Strangulation that Xiao Qing had just learned truly was.
"AWOO!"
The tiny Forest Wolf singled out by Old Sha stepped forward cautiously, eyeing both Su Ping and the proud little wolf beside Su Ping's trouser leg. Obviously, this Little Forest Wolf, too, had been born recently, and its Talents were relatively average. Even now, though it was one rank higher than Xiao Qing, it hadn't comprehended the Skill Vine Strangling.
In the face of its opponent, Xiao Qing did not show the affection it had for Su Ping but displayed a hint of disdain, and a somewhat childish howl sounded.
The eyes of the Little Forest Wolf flashed fiercely, and it pounced straight at Xiao Qing. However, before it could get close, vines that appeared out of nowhere had already tightly wrapped it up. The delicate purple-green vines looked non-threatening, but having entered a tier, their strength far exceeded that of an ordinary human.
"WHINE..."
The Little Forest Wolf howled, struggling to break free, but Su Ping keenly noted that the Little Forest Wolf's power at this moment had significantly weakened compared to usual! And the wounds seemed swollen. This poison is strong!
Through the soul connection, Su Ping signaled Xiao Qing to stop. The battered Little Forest Wolf was finally rescued from the Poison Vine Strangulation, but it seemed as though all its strength had been drained. It couldn't even stand.
Xiao Qing's Poison Vine Strangulation was mainly based on a toxin that paralyzed through the blood. If it were to face a life-and-death enemy in reality, the enemy might not even feel pain from the poison vines but would lose all Ability to resist and die.
Happy for Xiao Qing, Su Ping quickly scooped up the powerless Little Forest Wolf. He followed Old Sha to the medical room, administered an antidote, and only relaxed a little when he saw it starting to recover. The Little Forest Wolf's eyes opened. It gazed at Xiao Qing, who was perched triumphantly on Su Ping's shoulder, a hint of loss in its own eyes.
Su Ping stopped in his tracks, thought for a moment, and slowly squatted down, rubbing the similarly thirty-centimeter-tall Little Forest Wolf's head, smiling and said, "It's okay, you'll grow stronger too. As long as you're in Heart of Woods, I won't give up on any little guy! Keep it up!"
"AWOO!"
Before the Little Forest Wolf could speak, Xiao Qing, who was on Su Ping's shoulder, let out a jealous cry. It leaped lightly beside Su Ping and nipped at his trouser leg with its nascent sharp teeth.
Then, Xiao Qing looked at its defeated rival with a somewhat unfriendly gaze. This guy actually thought of such a method to vie for our master's affection! How despicable!
Just as it bared its teeth, Su Ping gently tapped it on the head. When dealing with wolves and any other Pet Beast, besides fostering closeness, one must also make them aware of who the true master is. Xiao Qing felt a little aggrieved.
"Heart of Woods is one big family. From now on, you must not bully your companions; you should help and support each other! Understand?"
Xiao Qing hugged its head with its two immature paws but still let out an "AWOO," clearly responding.
Surprisingly, the frail Little Forest Wolf looked at Su Ping with some astonishment, then glanced at the slightly different Little Forest Wolf beside him, and a determined look appeared in its eyes. Afterward, it forced itself to stand up on its still-shaky legs and let out an equally immature howl.
"AWOO!" it howled, as if to prove that it wasn't as bad as it seemed.
"Good! Very spirited!"
Su Ping smiled with satisfaction, set it down on the ground, and then brought over some ointment to help soothe the wounds that were rapidly healing.
Old Sha, who was standing outside the medical room, watched Su Ping's silhouette in the morning sunlight as he crouched on the ground. Beside that silhouette were two equally small ones. One weak but resolute, the other proud but discontent, yet they showed no resistance toward Su Ping.
Seeing this, a smile also flitted across Old Sha's eyes. It didn't understand how the medicine that the young master made could awaken the Skills and power of the Heart of Woods after it was consumed. It also didn't understand how the young master had the courage to make such claims. But at this moment, Su Ping's figure standing in the dawn's light truly made Old Sha believe that this young master, who had just become a Beast Tamer, might indeed make this little Pet Beast Breeding Base fundamentally different. Perhaps in the future, he might even become a greater Beast Tamer than his grandfather.
At that moment, Su Ping was also suddenly taken aback.
A new prompt appeared on the record log of the Forest Wolf Catalog in his mind:
[Encountered and interacted with a common Forest Wolf, intimacy met the requirement, Catalog Level experience +10!]
[This Forest Wolf has a common bloodline; subsequent daily interactions will yield Catalog Experience +1!]
The experience wasn't much; whether it was the experience gained for meeting the intimacy requirement or the Catalog Experience from daily interactions, both were modest. But this was enough to surprise and delight Su Ping.
Indeed, dealing with Pet Beasts was actually much simpler than interacting with people. Pet Beasts had sharper senses than humans; they could feel who had good intentions. Therefore, when dealing with Pet Beasts, only two words were needed: 'sincerity'!
Realizing this, Su Ping stood up and waved his hand, declaring, "Little guys, don't worry, starting now, our Heart of Woods initiates the Rapid Advancement Plan! Let every Forest Wolf awaken the Heart of Woods Skills! Starting with you and Xiao Qing!"
"AWOO..."
"AWOO..."
The two immature wolf howls sounded almost in celebration of their master's bold ambitions.
Only Old Sha, who had been smiling at the doorway, felt its expression slump. Does this mean the young master is going to start making that... thing again? it thought. Although Old Sha had now experienced the benefits of that concoction, its odor was just too memorable for a wolf. What a daunting determination indeed.