Breeders only need to sell spirit beasts, but Beastmasters have much more to consider.
Owning a spirit beast with a high-level bloodline is like holding a ticket to power. But before one becomes strong, both the Beastmaster and their spirit beast must survive.
Training and feeding spirit beasts usually go hand in hand. In the early stages, they hunt first-tier demon beasts, and there are also herbs and other resources in the wild that supplement the nutrition of young spirit beasts.
As they advance, they challenge second-tier beasts, and so on.
Spirit beasts sold by breeding facilities naturally come with care instructions. Silver Butterflies, being mental-type spirit beasts with keen perception, need a quiet environment to rest. They feed on the petals of Mist Flowers, which cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands per petal.
Green Jade Butterflies must perch on plants and require a certain concentration of wood spiritual energy. They feed on the sap of wood-type plants, typically costing a few hundred.
Poison Powder Butterflies also possess telekinetic attributes and require a combination of both environments. They feed on the pollen of poisonous flowers.
Generally, breeding facilities sell packaged supplies. Wang Mu only provided a three-day starter pack; after that, further supplies need to be purchased separately.
The plants he had bought back then grew well. In areas where the Green Wood Demons resided, herbs grew freely without the need for supervision.
No one can resist the charm of Madam Flower—unless they're a pragmatist. Wang Mu's initial choice of the Green Wood Sprite had been for the sake of creating a suitable "environment."
Early in the morning, when Wang Mu woke up, Green Sprite had already moved outside and taken root. The three little mushrooms followed. There was no soil on the ground—Green Sprite would clear it away with telekinesis.
After breakfast, Wang Mu was just doing his usual check on the metamorphosing Green Leaf Worms when he found something unexpected. The Water Mist Butterflies that had consumed Mistified Ancient Tree Essence were undergoing evolution in their pupal stage. And those Green Leaf Worms that had consumed the same essence were showing unusual changes during their first metamorphosis, with mist gathering in the air around them.
Wang Mu reflected. He had been too frugal, a habit from his past. But now he had his own breeding facility and enough funds. Why should he keep using the most basic materials? This wasn't like living in an apartment building anymore, where one had to worry about mishaps.
Attribute jades and essences were all valuable. The latter was more expensive but also too conventional, too stable.
Stability isn't a bad thing, but both breeders and Beastmasters grow through exploration and risk-taking. He needed to be bolder.
Materials from demon beasts were especially suitable. Even if there were unexpected effects, he could manage them.
Materials from ordinary demon beasts, at least those below the fifth tier weren't particularly valuable. The problem wasn't cost, but convenience. Most breeders didn't bother collecting them because it was troublesome. Instead, they posted collection tasks, offering money or points to have Beastmasters gather them.
Money was straightforward. Points, on the other hand, were used through the association's system to exchange for various qualifications at breeding facilities. These facilities usually had tiered VIP levels. Occasionally, when a rare spirit beast was bred, only qualified individuals were notified for an auction.
Auctions weren't just about making money. In reality, Beastmasters should feel fortunate just to be given the chance to spend money.
Breeders weren't lacking in funds. Auctions were about building relationships.
Wang Mu considered this. He could start doing the same. He had been an outsider once, looking at things through a haze and thinking breeding facilities were overly extravagant. But now that he was part of the system, he found it incredibly satisfying to just copy what already worked.
Without further delay, after tending to the spirit beasts, he downloaded templates and had the intelligent robots apply them directly. Although previous customers had left their contact information, Wang Mu stayed cautious. He didn't send out notifications. There was still time for follow-ups.
Even though he had decided to make changes, this second batch of spirit beasts was still in progress. There was no rush.
Next, he went to the hatchery and incubated another five hundred Green Leaf Butterfly eggs. A few hundred wasn't enough for testing. With a combined total of one thousand, he finally had a workable sample size.
The first step in cultivation couldn't be altered. Green Leaf Worms were delicate and would die easily without care. Only after applying Skill Sharing and Strengthening Base Liquid could other materials be introduced.
The second step, the stage after the first metamorphosis, seemed ideal for testing. This batch of eggs came from Commander-level parents, meaning higher potential and stronger endurance, allowing the "Adaptability" trait to shine.
Wang Mu excitedly picked out a pupa that was definitely going to evolve into a Green Leaf Butterfly and shared a few basic wood-type skills with it—Whip, Leaf Blade, and Entangle. Three was the limit.
He picked another and only shared Leaf Storm.
There were subtle individual differences. Wang Mu tried different combinations and possibilities. To his surprise, one Green Leaf Worm was able to endure the sharing of two intermediate-level skills during its first metamorphosis. He immediately set it aside for special care.
At the same time, he replaced the leaves of ordinary Green Jade Bamboo with Wood Spiritual Energy Essence and added the tender shoots of second-tier Green Jade Bamboo. Two days later, the Green Leaf Worm that reached its second metamorphosis also reached the Elite bloodline level.
That was understandable. With so many resources invested, it was equal to the cost of two or three Elite-level Green Jade Butterflies.
But Wang Mu didn't mind. The demon beast materials being delivered were fed directly to the Green Jade Butterflies.
Spirit beast evolution is a discipline. Generally, they are most susceptible to induced evolution during their youth and growth stages. For instance, when a Green Leaf Worm evolves into a Green Leaf Butterfly, it goes through three metamorphoses. If the timing is right, cultivating them to the Commander level isn't difficult.
Most breeders can manage that. But designing a stable evolutionary route and quantifying materials, that's the real challenge.
Once a spirit beast reaches adulthood, it can only evolve further by using materials at the time of advancement to push its bloodline upward.
The Silver Butterflies and Green Jade Butterflies Wang Mu had first evolved were currently mostly first-tier. As insect-type spirit beasts, there's no bottleneck between tiers 1 and 3; with sufficient energy, they could advance.
Bloodline upgrades only needed to be considered once they reached the third tier.
The same applied to Green Sprite. As a Commander-level spirit beast with a high-level bloodline, the first three tiers weren't a problem. Advancement materials would be used when it advanced from the third to the fourth tier.
It currently had a high chance of evolving into a Green Wood Spirit, and Wang Mu intended to deduce new forms as well.
Time passed. One by one, spirit butterflies emerged from their pupae. To Wang Mu's surprise, out of the thousand spirit butterflies, aside from the seven that died in accidents, none reached the Commander level. Not even the one that had endured two intermediate-level skills and been fed rare resources.
That unusual spirit beast seemed to burn up all its accumulated resources during pupation, transforming it into the foundation of its bloodline. Even if it had possessed all the mental-type and wood-type skills, once it emerged, everything was reset. Only one skill remained "Leaf Blade," at the Control level.
Green Leaf Butterfly (Adult): 0Bloodline: EliteTalent: Wood (Intermediate Low)Innate Skill: Leaf Blade (Control)Sharing Level: 5
It was different, but not drastically so. Its talent reached the Commander level, and its sharing level was two levels higher but that was likely due to Wang Mu's interactions, not the materials.
Wang Mu pondered. "So it really is the original Green Leaf Butterfly. Was the Adaptability trait triggered?"
Over the past month, the ecological zone had filled with all kinds of spirit herbs and flowers. Thirty Red Leaf Mulberry trees had taken root in a corner, and naturally hatched Green Leaf Worms gathered there.
Blue Leaf Mist Flowers bloomed among the Green Jade Bamboo forest. Two pairs had survived and were about to flower.
Green Sprite had taken root in the center of the ecological zone. A faint white mist, atomized spiritual energy, emanated from its surroundings.
Nearby, one red and two blue mushrooms were nestled in the grass. They remained still, typical of plant-type spirit beasts that lack a strong desire to move or fight.
Serpent Vines had also made their home there. They bore heart-shaped fruits that mental-type butterflies fed on, and they preyed on Green Leaf Worms.
A simple ecological chain had formed.
The contract was in effect, and Wang Mu started receiving points. But this time, he didn't rush to purchase new spirit beasts. Instead, he focused on the Green Leaf Butterfly. It hadn't shown anything unusual after emerging from the pupa. But a few days later, when Wang Mu saw it being courted by a crowd of opposite-sex spirit butterflies, he realized something was different.
Before spirit beasts gain obvious intelligence, they follow instinct. This Green Leaf Butterfly was clearly weaker than the Green Jade or Silver Butterflies, yet it was the most popular. That alone showed its uniqueness.
Wang Mu observed closely. On the first day, it mated. On the second, it laid three eggs in the bamboo forest. The male Green Jade Butterfly that had mated with it died immediately afterward. Usually, spirit butterflies find a mate once and don't seek another, but none had ever died right after.
Lab analysis confirmed it, the male's origin was depleted. Its lifespan had ended.
Wang Mu frowned and continued watching. The Green Leaf Butterfly looked extremely weak after laying only three eggs. They were small, green, and appeared ordinary.
Then something happened that astonished Wang Mu. All the spirit butterflies he had previously bred flew in from across the ecological zone, drove away the Serpent Vines, and guarded the bamboo forest. Only then did the Green Leaf Butterfly relax and die.
Wang Mu's eyes fell on the three eggs resting on the bamboo leaves. Two Elite-level spirit beasts had died for them. Given the usual reproductive capacity, over a hundred eggs, three was far too few.
Recalling the breeding process and materials used, Wang Mu found the answer. "After discovering the Green Leaf Butterfly's trait, even top breeders used more precious materials, but with no results."
"The only unique thing I gave it was a skill, Control-level Leaf Blade."
What is Control?
Wang Mu's heart stirred. A willow leaf hovered in his hand, poised for use. The Leaf Blade skill didn't start this way. Before reaching Proficient, it had to be released immediately after forming.
At Mastery level, the release speed increased, and spiritual energy could be channeled into the blade to hold it for one second.
But at Control level, Wang Mu could form multiple Leaf Blades and store them for later.
Control-level skills clearly had a profound influence on the evolution of spirit beasts.