"..."
However, Ouyang Wei couldn't possibly know what Lin Guang was thinking.
His eyebrows furrowed slightly, seeming to have misunderstood something, and he spoke, "You wouldn't be thinking of contracting...that one, would you?"
Lin Guang didn't understand, "Which one?"
Ouyang Wei stared at him for a full ten seconds, as if confirming his thoughts.
"The one you're talking about, what is it?"
"Ahem...it's nothing, forget it."
Ouyang Wei coughed twice, first signing a leave slip casually, then extending his hand to retrieve a simple black wallet from the inside of his faded jacket, and handed a silver card with a metallic feel to Lin Guang.
"Take it, and remember to return it to me in class on Monday."
Lin Guang smiled as he reached out to take it; it had some weight to it, seemingly made from some special metal.
"Thank you, Mr. Ouyang. I'll take my leave now; I'm afraid it'll close if I'm late."
Watching Lin Guang close the door, Ouyang Wei sighed.
Just now, he actually thought of a kind of "spirit beast."
They wouldn't appear in breeding bases or legal spirit beast stores, only possibly in the underground black market, and contracting that kind of "spirit beast" nearly didn't require what's called compatibility. Even though Lin Guang's talent is quite exclusive, he should be able to contract successfully.
But...that would be the worst choice.
Because contracting that kind of "spirit beast" is said to either bring no more progress in the future at best or lead to mental issues and madness at worst.
Lin Guang is a student he thinks highly of—not only talented but also a diligent student who is always the last to leave the meditation room. Even if he couldn't contract a spirit beast, he could become a researcher. Ouyang Wei even mentioned Lin Guang several times in front of Dr. Kevin, preparing to take Lin Guang to see her at some point.
So, even if the probability is very slim, he doesn't want Lin Guang to risk ending up in such a situation.
"I hope you don't make the wrong choice."
...
Zhen Sheng Experimental School is located on Tongfa Road in Xili, not exactly a bustling central area, yet the sight before Lin Guang still made his heart race.
The street was divided into three parts: the widest was the spirit beast lane, followed by the car lane, and the narrowest was the sidewalk.
Tame house turtles, carrying a family of four, with a thick shell whose upper part could transform into glass-like moonlight crystal, absorbing lunar essence overnight, could travel a hundred kilometers after an hour of charging. Its six huge feet gave it a decent speed.
But this speed paled in comparison to that of the Wind Speed Wolf, whose silvery fur shone under the sun. On its broad back, it could carry two or three adult males, and if it weren't momentarily stopped by a house turtle blocking the road, ordinary people's eyes could hardly catch its silhouette as they raced through the streets carrying packages like a courier.
In the sky, Messenger Pelicans holding various takeouts in their beaks flapped their wings leisurely, occasionally casting disdainful glances at the Wind Speed Wolves below—since the Messenger Pelican's evolutionary path was deciphered by a Spirit Beast Doctor, the Wind Speed Wolf had lost business.
On the car lane were various modern vehicles in stark contrast with the ancient and fantastical appearance of the spirit beast lane. Cars were sleek and tech-driven, with occasional hovercars gliding lightly in the air, blending in the power of mechanical spirit beasts instead of mere "technology."
On the sidewalk, Golden Birch Trees were planted every few meters, the most common tree in Zhen Sheng City and its surroundings, almost a city symbol and spectacle. Pedestrians strolled leisurely with spirit beasts of various kinds hanging from them.
Alongside the street were peculiar shops like Martial Arts Monkey Bone Setting Shop, Blind Worm Massage Shop, Teapot Milk Tea, Battle Top Experience Store, along with ordinary food stalls. The Mediterranean shop owner holding a huge pot kicked a lazy flamingo that lay curled at his feet hard, and it let out a deep yawn, a thousand-degree orange flame whooshing from its orange-yellow fur.
Standing by the roadside, Lin Guang took a deep breath, watching the familiar yet strange street scene, a flash of excitement and emotion unintelligible to anyone gleamed in his dark pupils.
This was the world of spirit beasts, an extraordinary world!
For the sixteen years "Lin Guang" had spent in mundane daily life, this truly was a miracle he never dared imagine!
Exhaling a deep breath, Lin Guang calmed his emotions, walked to the bus stop, and waited. Despite his wish to ride a spirit beast, he's still in the starting stage, and money needed to be spent wisely.
The Hualong Spirit Beast Market is located in the northern part of Hualong District. Though called a market, it spanned as much as four to five square kilometers, with shops and amusement facilities in abundance, resembling a spirit beast-themed amusement park, extremely popular, with buses arriving every five minutes.
An hour and a half later, the bus arrived at the Hualong Spirit Beast Market, with three forks leading to the fresh food area, spirit beast area, and entertainment area.
After scanning a code to rent a shared electric scooter, Lin Guang headed towards the spirit beast area.
Zhen Sheng City is located at the mouth of the Pearl River estuary, and naturally, a variety of water spirit beasts greeted him.
Gray-level fish-type spirit beasts lined up in various large and small reinforced glass tanks in colors more beautiful than the most colorful tropical fish of the past life, with a human-like intelligence; he saw quite a few children throwing tantrums on the ground, while their parents, experienced, swiped their phones nearby, only those especially indulgent asked the prices.
White and green-level spirit beasts were beyond ornamental value, already excellent picks for spirit masters aspiring to follow the combat path, even though roadside shops generally had nothing good. Lin Guang caught sight of a good-looking Kela Giant Crocodile, not only huge but also with six sturdy legs, drawing a crowd's attention, soon bought for half a million Daxia Coins.
Gradually, along the way, Lin Guang got a deeper understanding of this world. Price-wise, it was not much different from the game, with familiar species as well.
Continuing onward, he saw spirit beasts unique to other states, such as the myriad poison centipede from Linshen City (green excellent grade), and even an Iron-eating Beast from the Mountain City performing handstand pee tricks. If not for having tried a similar spirit beast (bear family + earth attribute) at the breeding base, he would have stopped.
After a half-hour ride, with the "admission ticket" in his chest pocket warming slightly, he followed its guidance and stopped in front of a large seven-story building. Carved on top were the words "Afu Premium Spirit Beast Shop," or rather, a huge department store, filled with a stream of customers coming and going.