"Yes, it's you." Chen Yuan smiled as he patted Spark's little head.
The wild grasses here grew vigorously, often reaching a meter high. Using a sickle to cut them would be highly inefficient and surely time-consuming.
But what if you use fire?
Spark, as a Fire Attribute Extraordinary Creature, can spit fire.
And fire is indeed the greatest nemesis of plants.
"However, with Spark's current fire power, dealing with these wild grasses won't be easy." Chen Qi's eyes flickered as he contemplated quietly.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he remembered he still had an unused Source Point.
Chen Yuan had a thought, called up Spark's data panel, clicked the plus sign next to the [Flame Surge] skill, and the proficiency instantly changed to [1.1/3].
"With this, that originally weak flame should now work effectively."
Just as Chen Yuan was pondering, he saw Chen Weiyi staring at Spark for a while and suddenly speaking out, "Is this the Fire-breathing Bird from this morning?"
Xuanhe Village was small, and with the promotional efforts of the elderly folks, the events of the morning quickly spread throughout the village.
"Chirp."
Seeing the stern-faced Chen Weiyi, Spark fearfully shrank back, attempting to hide behind Chen Yuan's head.
Chen Yuan laughed, "Yes, this little Fire-breathing Bird can do the weeding."
After saying that, Chen Yuan turned to look at Spark and said, "Try using Flame Surge now."
"Chirp?"
Spark looked a bit puzzled but obediently followed its Beastmaster's command, opened its mouth, and abruptly spewed a scorching flame, the high temperature making Chen Yuan feel as if he were in a furnace.
Chen Yuan was secretly amazed, "Just a bit of proficiency and the power improves so much?"
"Chirp?!!"
Spark widened its eyes in surprise, instinctively flapping its wings, somewhat disbelieving that this was the flame it had actually spat out.
"I knew you could." Chen Yuan chuckled.
However, being able to spit fire is not enough; learning to control it is necessary as well. Otherwise, once the wild grasses catch fire, the flames could grow and spread out of control.
With this thought, Chen Yuan turned to Chen Weiyi and said, "Grandpa, hold on a moment."
Having said that, Chen Yuan retrieved a cardboard box from the farm warehouse and placed it in front of the Flame Cloud Falcon.
"Now, light it up with your fire."
After saying this, he noticed the bandage on its wing, pursed his lips, and changed his mind, "Forget it, let's wait until you're healed."
Unexpectedly, Spark was displeased upon hearing this. It quickly flapped its wings to indicate it was fine.
Chen Yuan glanced at it dubiously, "Really?"
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
Spark nodded vigorously, then began to flap its wings energetically, creating a gust, lifting itself into the air.
"Chirp～"
To further demonstrate its mostly recovered state, Spark even flew in circles above Chen Yuan and Chen Weiyi's heads before finally settling back on Chen Yuan's shoulder.
"Hahaha." Chen Weiyi, with a stern face, broke into a smile, the wrinkles around his face easing along with the laughter.
"Woof woof woof!" Cola on the ground barked anxiously, yet was helpless.
"Alright, then give it a try." Chen Yuan was somewhat surprised at Spark's recovery ability, but he nodded nonetheless.
Spark landed lightly in front of the cardboard box, puffed out its cheeks, and directed a hot flame at the box.
Instantly, the box first started sparking, then fully burst into flames as the fire continued to gush forth!
The fire raged increasingly fiercely, quickly engulfing the entire box, the flames reflected in Chen Yuan's eyes.
Chen Yuan said at the right moment, "Learn to retract those flames."
To control fire, one must not only be proficient in spewing it but also learn to retract it, attaining an effortless control.
"Chirp?"
For a moment, Spark looked puzzled, standing there dazed for a while before it opened its mouth and tried to retract the flames.
First, a small flame was inhaled like air into Spark's belly, a thrill of joy appearing on its face as if it found the trick.
Then, flame after flame was swallowed by Spark, leaving only weak sparks on the box's surface, swaying in the breeze.
Spark closed its mouth, inadvertently burping.
"Chirp..."
Perhaps realizing its faux pas, Spark quickly glanced at Chen Yuan, relaxing only when it saw his calm demeanor.
"Excellent performance."
Chen Yuan nodded, lavishly praising.
"Chirp chirp!"
Hearing Chen Yuan's praise, Spark instinctively puffed out its chest, flapped its wings, casting a sideways glance at Cola, looking quite smug.
"This little creature has some skills." Chen Weiyi murmured in wonder.
Chen Yuan nodded, "This little one is called Flame Cloud Falcon, a type of Extraordinary Creatures."
Then, Chen Yuan relayed the news Chen Wenhao had shared with him to Chen Weiyi, asking, "Grandpa, do you want to try Meditation?"
Chen Weiyi chuckled and waved his hand, "At my age, no point in fussing over these things."
Chen Yuan fell silent for a moment.
Though Grandpa made sense, becoming a Beastmaster had many benefits, possibly even prolonging life. He would have to find ways to persuade him more in the future.
"You all are old enough now, more capable than this old man, and better adapted to society," the old man said, looking straight at Chen Yuan, his tone slow and seasoned, "Handle things yourselves, you don't need to tell me everything."
He paused and added with a smile, "Just remember to think things through before taking action."
"I will." Chen Yuan nodded firmly.
Shortly afterward, due to the summer heat, Chen Weiyi went back inside to rest, while Chen Yuan stayed with Spark to continue practicing Flame Surge.
For the beginner Chen Yuan, Beast Taming was an unfamiliar and mysterious field, with no other experiences to draw upon, so caution was vital in every aspect.
The practice might be slow, the efficiency low, but unexpected incidents must be avoided.
The sun, high above, slowly moved towards the west, with its rampant rays forcing Cola to hide in the shadow of the eaves, watching intently the diligent practice of one man and his pet.
Its ears drooped, lying on the ground, filled with the anguish of having its owner taken away in its eyes.
Throughout the practice, Chen Yuan consistently monitored Spark's physical condition, recording its progress after each session.
After repeated practice sessions, Chen Yuan and Spark were both drenched in sweat, but the results were highly satisfactory.
Spark's ability to control its fire had visibly improved, its proficiency increased by 0.1, and its level rose to 2.
"Alright, now we can go clear the weeds." Chen Yuan said energetically.
"Chirp chirp chirp!"
Spark, full of fighting spirit, flew to Chen Yuan's shoulder, eyes bright.
"Woof woof."
Cola followed behind them, head down, casting a gloomy shadow on the ground.
A refreshing breeze whisked by, spiraling around its body, and Cola lifted its head, looking somewhat puzzled.
Just then, the old man leisurely walked out, observing the spirited man and bird, saying, "I must remind you, burning weeds in the yard is illegal behavior."
"Have you prepared to pay a fine?"
Chen Yuan: "?"