Gu Xing's move to choose a Guardian Beast from the defective products section left the staff momentarily stunned.
"E-excuse me, are you talking about that Angel Guardian Beast?"
"Yes. How much is it?"
Gu Xing repeated his question.
The staff member nervously wrung his hands. "I'm sorry, sir, I can't make that decision..."
He quickly contacted his supervisor and soon received a reply.
"All it takes is 10,000 Longxia Coins, and you can take this Guardian Beast."
"Although it's a defective product, it is still Epic Quality…"
Gu Xing paid decisively and without hesitation.
Soon, the two of them arrived at the Contract Room.
Liu Li stood at the edge of the Contract Array, her silver hair hanging down, hiding her slightly trembling shoulders.
Was this really going to be a contract?
Her fingertips unconsciously twisted the edge of her clothes, the fabric bunching tightly in her palm.
A Guardian Beast like herself...
Liu Li bit her lower lip, her amber eyes clouded with tears.
"I'm sorry! I can't make a contract with you. I am an incomplete Guardian Beast."
Her voice was choked with sobs, sounding like a hurt little animal.
Gu Xing, who was preparing the Contract Array, looked up in surprise.
Seeing Liu Li's tear-streaked face, only then did he realize he had ignored the Guardian Beast's feelings.
"Don't put yourself down. You are an incredibly outstanding Guardian Beast."
Gu Xing looked at Liu Li with determination, trying to pass on some faith to this despairing girl.
"No, I'm not..."
Liu Li broke down, covering her face. "I can't even do the most basic Leveling Up!"
"I know what your problem is."
Gu Xing stepped forward, holding her trembling shoulders in both hands. "But I have a way to fix it."
"R-really?"
Liu Li froze for a moment, looking up at him through her tears.
"If I wasn't confident, why would I choose you?"
Gu Xing pointed at the calendar on the wall. "The assessment is in ten days. No one would gamble their future."
Just as Gu Xing finished speaking, there was a knock at the door.
The staff came in with the materials he had just ordered...almost completely wiping out his entire 20 million!
"I've got the materials. Want to try?"
Upon hearing this, the little angel's body trembled slightly, her heartbeat suddenly accelerating.
Although she knew the chances of recovering from her injuries were incredibly slim...
But still...
What if?
Under Gu Xing's encouraging gaze, Liu Li followed his instructions and used all three materials one by one.
The next moment...
A dense violet light suddenly erupted from Liu Li's wounds.
This glow was even deeper than what he had seen when summoning the Succubus on the altar—almost solid, as if about to swallow up the whole room.
And, even more astonishing—
In the surging violet light, there was a faint trace of brilliant golden radiance!
"This is..."
Gu Xing's pupils shrank, but before he could think further, that gold spread like wildfire!
Gold… Legendary Talent!
"How is that possible?!"
Gu Xing's breath caught in his chest.
The system's materials were clearly for healing injuries, so why did it trigger a Talent Evolution?
Unless...
Liu Li's wounds themselves were the shackles limiting her potential!
As that thought flashed through his mind, the golden light completely filled the room.
From Liu Li's back, a pair of pure white wings unfurled—
Pure as snow, spotless and pristine.
The wings gently folded in, softly wrapping around Liu Li, finally transforming into a huge Light Cocoon.
"Boom—!"
An invisible energy shockwave erupted, piercing through the roof and shooting straight into the sky!
Inside the City Lord's Mansion
City Lord of Lin Yuan, Xia Xiu, was reclining in a sandalwood chair, his fingertips tapping the rim of a cup, savoring a rare moment of leisure.
On days without Alternate Space invasions, even the tea tasted fresher and crisper.
Yet, in the next second—
"Clatter!"
The porcelain teacup suddenly slipped from his fingers, shattering on the stone floor!
Xia Xiu didn't even notice, his pupils contracting in an instant as he shot to his feet and looked out the window!
Just now, he had felt a vast, abyssal aura descend from the heavens, covering the entire Lin Yuan City!
That aura was sacred and majestic, like a god's downward glance—yet it vanished as swiftly as it appeared.
"Someone!"
Xia Xiu's voice turned sharp. "Immediately investigate all nearby Alternate Space rifts!"
The guards hurried off to carry out the order, but Xia Xiu's brows only furrowed deeper.
There were only two things that could trigger such a phenomenon—
Either the barriers of Alternate Space had weakened, letting out a terrifying aura;
Or... a Legendary Talent Guardian Beast had been born!
"As for a Legendary Talent Guardian Beast, heh, how could that possibly…"
Xia Xiu shook his head in self-mockery, dismissing the second possibility outright.
In a border city like Lin Yuan, even Guardian Beasts with Epic Talent were treasured like pearls, let alone those of Legendary status!
....
But what he did not know was that right now, inside the Contract Room of the Beast Taming Shop...
Gu Xing stared dumbfounded at the light-screen before him, his throat rolling involuntarily.
[Holy Angel (Liu Li)]
[Status: Not Contracted]
[Talent: Legendary One Star]
[Level: Tier Zero]
[Skills: Judgment (deals bonus damage to Demon Race creatures), Divine Protection (immune to one fatal attack), Blazing Angel Form (All Attributes increased by 200%), Song of the End (forces the angel into slumber after use)]
[Cultivation Suggestions: Use Light Crystal, Holy Spirit Marrow Liquid...]
Legendary Level…
It really succeeded!
Gu Xing took a deep breath, trying to calm his wildly pounding heart.
Legendary Level and Epic Level are entirely different things!
But if this angel turned out like that Succubus before… then…
A trace of coldness flashed in Gu Xing's eyes.
The only reason he dared spend 20 million to heal this angel's wounds was that the Beast Taming Shop had means of preventing Guardian Beasts from betraying their master.
However…
"Swish!"
A silver-white figure suddenly dropped to one knee, wings half spread, scattering fragments of light beneath the lamp.
Liu Li looked up, pure amber pupils filled with unshakable resolve.
"Holy Angel Liu Li, requests to become your Guardian Beast!"
As that firm voice rang out, Gu Xing finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
He slowly curved his lips, a smile spreading from the bottom of his eyes.
Utter relief!
After all, not all Guardian Beasts in this world were as cold and callous as that Succubus.
The girl kneeling on one knee raised her head, pure white wings shimmering with pearly luster under the light, golden eyes brimming with determination tinged with cautious hopefulness.
Watching the girl, nerves tense and heart full of expectation for his answer, he took a slow breath and solemnly extended his hand.
"Liu Li, welcome to being my very first Guardian Beast!"
As Gu Xing spoke, a single crystalline teardrop silently slid down the girl's porcelain cheek.
This moment, she had waited for so, so long.
For countless days and nights, she curled up in the cold corners of the shop, ears echoing with "defective product", "worthless reject", "failure with crippled wings"...
But now, at last, she had waited long enough.
All those lonely, unspoken pains, the despair nobody knew...
At this very moment, they all became the most precious gifts.
It turns out, the gods truly do pity an angel forgotten by the world.
...
...