The wavy-haired Master Gao stood in the hall of the three-story building.
She looked at Li Qian, her fine lips parting as she spoke. "You're Sister Ying's son?"
"Hello, Master Gao. My name is Li Qian. I'm a third-year student at Lingshui Beast Taming High School."
Li Qian spoke with a calm and steady voice, "I hope to become a Breeder in the future."
He didn't waste any time and directly stated his purpose for coming to the Cultivation Base.
"Lately, I've been researching the evolution method for the Koi Carp. I've encountered a problem that I don't think I can solve with my current knowledge and abilities. That's why I've made a special trip here, hoping to get Master Gao's guidance."
"Pondering the evolution method for the Koi Carp..."
After hearing Li Qian's words, a flicker of shock crossed the wavy-haired woman's delicate features, quickly followed by a playful curiosity.
As if wanting to test Li Qian, the wavy-haired woman continued, "So, what have you figured out?"
"I've read a lot of documents and literature about the Koi Carp and the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon, and I've also asked my Breeding class teacher some questions."
Li Qian said in a serious tone, "I wouldn't say I've made any major breakthroughs, but I do have a few ideas."
"First, I believe there is definitely a fixed evolutionary path between the Koi Carp and the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon."
Li Qian began to lay out his deductions. "However, the evolutionary conditions are quite demanding and rather obscure."
"Like most of the speculation online, I also believe the Koi Carp's evolution is undoubtedly linked to its Racial Skill, Fish Jump."
Li Qian looked at the wavy-haired woman, his expression solemn and earnest.
"I suspect that having the Koi Carp's Racial Skill, Fish Jump, reach the Perfection realm is just one of the conditions. In fact, the requirements might be even more stringent."
"I'd like to ask you, Master Gao, is Perfection the ceiling for Skill Levels? Or are there Skill Levels beyond Perfection?"
'Through his Golden Finger, Li Qian could already confirm that a fixed evolutionary path definitely existed between the Koi Carp and the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon.'
'Otherwise, the research quest couldn't have been established in the first place.'
'Furthermore, Skill Levels definitely didn't stop at Perfection.'
'But he couldn't just come out and say the latter; he could only confirm it by asking for her guidance.'
'Besides, he also wanted to know what exactly the Skill Level beyond Perfection was called.'
"'Does the Koi Carp's evolution require a Skill Level beyond Perfection...?'"
The wavy-haired woman mulled over Li Qian's words, a flash of interest in her eyes.
"'Now that's a rather novel perspective...'"
"Just as you've guessed, Skill Levels don't stop at Perfection."
The woman didn't keep him in suspense; she directly answered his question.
"The Skill Level beyond Perfection is called 'Limit Breaker.' As the name implies, it means to break through a limit. It's almost never seen in wild Pet Beasts, and even among Pet Beasts contracted by humans, it's exceedingly rare."
"'So it really exists...'"
Hearing the wavy-haired woman's answer, Li Qian couldn't help but mutter to himself before immediately asking, "Then how can a Pet Beast's skill reach the Breakthrough Level?"
"There are three ways to achieve a Breakthrough Level skill, and none of them are easy to accomplish."
The wavy-haired woman held up three fingers. "First, an extremely small number of exceptionally talented Pet Beasts can achieve it through thousands upon thousands of repetitions."
"Second, the Beast Taming Talent of a very few Beast Masters can help their Pet Beasts master skills of this level."
"And last, which is also the relatively easiest way, is to use a Limit-Breaking Stone."
"'A Limit-Breaking Stone...'"
Upon hearing this, Li Qian's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Besides that, do you have any other theories?" the wavy-haired woman nodded, then asked.
Li Qian answered truthfully, "Although the Koi Carp possesses a Dragon Bloodline, it's so diluted it's almost negligible. To activate it and reach the point of evolution, it must be supplemented with a potion that can stimulate the bloodline."
"Not bad. To be able to come up with so many theories just from the internet and the information channels available to you... your temperament and your way of thinking are both excellent. You're prime material for a Breeder."
Casting an appreciative glance at Li Qian, the wavy-haired woman changed the subject. "You must have just awakened, right?"
"Yes!" Li Qian nodded.
"Which Beast Taming University are you planning to apply to?" the wavy-haired woman continued to ask.
"Jiangnan Beast Taming University," Li Qian replied after a moment of thought.
"I hope you successfully get into Jiangnan Beast Taming University. If you do, I'll have a new junior," the wavy-haired woman said with a smile.
Li Qian was taken aback for a second, but he quickly understood. "Master Gao, you graduated from Jiangnan Beast Taming University too?"
"Yes. My student days... those were truly wonderful times," the wavy-haired woman said wistfully.
"By the way, my name is Gao Yaxin. You can just call me 'Sister Gao.' No need to be so formal with 'Master Gao.'"
'He could tell that Gao Yaxin, this Intermediate Breeder, had a pretty good impression of him.'
"Alright, Sister Gao." Li Qian was quick to adapt.
'Having lived two lives, he knew very well that connections were a vital resource in any society.'
"Researching the Koi Carp's evolution is a good direction, but don't get completely absorbed by it."
Gao Yaxin advised, "It's a huge pitfall. Countless Intermediate Breeders, Advanced Breeders, and even Cultivation Masters have stumbled in this field."
"For you right now, building a solid foundation is the most important thing."
Gao Yaxin spoke from experience, "Oh, right, give me your email. I'll organize some materials and send them to you later."
"With your current status, there's a lot of classified information you can't access. In that regard, I happen to be able to give you some help."
Gao Yaxin's advice was very pertinent, making Li Qian smile wryly to himself.
'There was no help for it. He had already established the research quest; he was already in the pit.'
'It was too late to back out now.'
'He could only see it through to the end.'
Though he was smiling wryly on the inside, on the surface, Li Qian still offered his thanks respectfully. "Thank you, Sister Gao."
'Whether it was due to his mother, Han Yuqing, her own good impression of him, or perhaps an early investment in a potential future student of Jiangnan Beast Taming University, Li Qian knew that Gao Yaxin's answers and the materials she promised would be a tremendous help.'
He didn't ask any more questions. Besides, Li Qian could see that Gao Yaxin was quite busy at the moment.
After thanking her once more, he left the three-story building.
After leaving the three-story building and saying goodbye to his mother, he headed straight out of the Cultivation Base.
Looking back at the main gate of the Cultivation Base, a faint smile touched the corners of his lips.
[Research Quest: The Koi Carp's Evolution Method]
[Current Quest Progress: 80%]
Looking at the quest progress on the system panel, Li Qian's heart filled with confidence.
Although there was still a 20% gap, he was sure that the day he completely deciphered the Koi Carp's evolution method was not far off...