Chapter 13: Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills by the Hundred Bottles!

“One thing first: I have a refined palate. I won’t eat ordinary stuff!”

Xiao Hei raised his head and laid down his conditions. Lin Yang opened the spirit pet development page, and several explanations appeared.

【Spirit pet development has three aspects: level, attributes, and grade!】

【Level: Spirit pets may cultivate independently or consume Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills to gain growth experience rapidly!】

【Levels range from tier one, level 1 through tier one, level 10, followed by tier two, level 1, and so on!】

【Attributes: Spirit pets can increase strength, physique, agility, and soul through combat, killing demonic beasts, and consuming their inner cores!】

【Grades: Common, high-grade, rare, epic, legendary, and divine!】

【Each grade has ten stars. Upon reaching ten stars, a pet can advance to the next grade!】

【Special spirit pets have different methods of gaining stars!】

【Mountain-Melting Scarlet Hound star advancement method: Consume weapons!】

Lin Yang understood. Spirit-Nurturing Pills could only raise Xiao Hei’s level. To improve Xiao Hei’s attributes, Lin Yang would have to take him out to fight, so Xiao Hei could kill demonic beasts and eat their cores. Grade determined Xiao Hei’s growth ceiling and the strength of his talent. He was currently epic, one star. By consuming weapons, he could gradually rise to epic ten-star and then advance to legendary!

“Eat weapons?”

Lin Yang looked at the Pure Yang Sword in his inventory. The tier-one epic sword could no longer keep up with his realm. It would only sit there anyway, so he might as well feed it to the dog!

“Would you eat this?”

He took it out. The chamber’s temperature rose as soon as the red-gold sword appeared, pure yang sword qi flowing across its blade. One look and drool ran from Xiao Hei’s mouth.

“A tier-one epic weapon! You’re really willing to let me eat it?”

“I’ve already taken it out. Would I tease you?”

“Then let go!”

Afraid Lin Yang might change his mind, Xiao Hei bit down. Crack! He easily tore a large chunk from the hard epic sword as though biting a biscuit. Crack! Crack! Before long, the whole Pure Yang Sword was in his stomach, hilt and all.

Red-gold flames erupted from Xiao Hei’s body, and dark red markings appeared in his black fur.

【Mountain-Melting Scarlet Hound has successfully consumed a tier-one epic weapon!】

【A large amount of grade advancement energy obtained!】

【Grade increased: Epic one-star → epic two-star!】

【Overall rating greatly increased!】

Xiao Hei burped, breathing a wisp of red-gold flame. “Tastes all right, though it’s a little hard on the teeth. Got any more?”

Lin Yang glanced at him. “Didn’t you just say you wouldn’t eat ordinary things?”

“That was epic, wasn’t it?” Xiao Hei licked his lips. “Epic is barely acceptable. Anything worse, I certainly wouldn’t eat!”

That dog was good at talking tough. He hadn’t looked reluctant at all while hugging and gnawing the sword.

With his grade improved, level was next. Lin Yang searched the shop for pet experience pills. A great many pills designed for spirit pets appeared. In the Immortal Realm, they were called Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills.

【Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pill!】

【Effect: Grants spirit pets large amounts of growth experience and rapidly raises their level!】

【These pills only raise level. They cannot replace the attribute growth gained through combat and consuming demonic beast cores!】

“That makes sense. The shop can level Xiao Hei quickly, but for stronger attributes, he still has to go out and kill demonic beasts.”

He selected tier-one epic quality.

【Tier-One Epic Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills!】

【Original price: 100,000 low-grade spirit stones per bottle!】

【Discounted price: 0.0001 low-grade spirit stones per bottle!】

“A hundred bottles to start. Let’s see how they work!”

【Purchase successful!】

A hundred red jade bottles appeared in neat rows. Xiao Hei had still been savoring the taste of the Pure Yang Sword, but at the smell of pills, he whipped around.

“Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills?”

He rushed over and opened several bottles with his paws. When he saw they were all epic quality, his eyes nearly popped out.

“You have this many? And they’re all epic!”

Xiao Hei had spent millions of years in the Ancient City of Origin and had seen the world. But beast-taming sects usually reserved these pills for their core spirit beasts, and epic quality was exceptionally rare. Lin Yang had produced a hundred bottles at once!

“Never mind where they came from. Are you eating them?”

“Yes!”

Xiao Hei immediately picked up a bottle. “I’ve only just begun my second life and need nourishment. These pills aren’t top quality, but I suppose I can make do.”

He poured them into his mouth. One bottle, ten, thirty! He ate faster and faster, eventually using both front paws while his mouth never stopped.

【Mountain-Melting Scarlet Hound has gained a large amount of growth experience!】

【Current level: Tier one, level 2!】

【Current level: Tier one, level 5!】

【Current level: Tier one, level 9!】

【Current level: Tier one, level 10!】

【Congratulations! Spirit pet has advanced in tier!】

【Current level: Tier two, level 1!】

By the time all hundred bottles were empty, Xiao Hei had reached tier two, level 3. He licked the bottom of a bottle and looked up at Lin Yang.

“Where’s the rest?”

“Didn’t you say you could barely make do with them?”

“Exactly. A hundred bottles were just enough to make do.” Xiao Hei showed no shame. “I’ve eaten things a hundred times better, but conditions are difficult now. I can’t be too picky. If you have more, you can bring out a few bottles.”

Lin Yang checked Xiao Hei’s level. Tier two, level 3: seven levels short of tier-two perfection.

“Then another four hundred bottles of tier-two epic Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills!”

【Purchase successful!】

Four hundred red jade bottles instantly formed a small mountain. Xiao Hei stared up at it, speechless. A hundred bottles of tier-one epic pills had been frightening enough, and now Lin Yang had produced four hundred bottles of tier-two epic pills!

“How many of these do you have?”

“I’ll buy this much for now. If it’s not enough, we’ll see.”

“You can buy more if it’s not enough?”

Xiao Hei felt his millions of years had been wasted. Even the great powers of the Ancient City of Origin didn’t feed their heir divine beasts like this! He threw himself into the pile.

“They’re all mine! Nobody gets any!”

The two of them were alone in the room. Nobody was competing with him, but Xiao Hei still pinned dozens of bottles beneath his body, afraid Lin Yang would take them back.

For the next two hours he lay in the pile and ate.

【Current level: Tier two, level 4!】

【Current level: Tier two, level 6!】

【Current level: Tier two, level 9!】

As the last few dozen bottles were consumed, a huge phantom of a lava hound rose behind Xiao Hei. Dark red flames rapidly filled the chamber. At last he reached tier two, level 10!

【Congratulations! Spirit pet level increased successfully!】

【Current level: Tier two, level 10!】

【Current state: Tier-two perfection!】

【Current grade: Epic two-star!】

【Notice: Increased level does not directly replace attribute growth!】

【For stronger combat attributes, have the spirit pet fight, kill demonic beasts, or consume their inner cores!】

Xiao Hei stretched. “A few hundred bottles of epic Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills worked reasonably well. But back in my day—”

“Enough bragging,” Lin Yang interrupted. “You guarded a pile of pills like someone was going to steal your dinner, and now you’re showing off?”

Xiao Hei turned his head away. “I’d just regained my level and my mind was a little affected. It had nothing to do with greed!”

Lin Yang couldn’t be bothered exposing the excuse. At the same time, a hidden quest notification appeared.

【Congratulations! Player has completed the first quest in the hidden series: Restore Level!】

【Obtained: One fragment of the Ancient City of Origin treasure map!】

【Pet-Exclusive Shop unlocked!】

A palm-sized golden map fragment appeared in Lin Yang’s hand. It showed only a mountain whose location was impossible to identify. To complete the treasure map, he would have to continue the quests.

【Second quest in the hidden series unlocked!】

【Objective: Raise the Mountain-Melting Scarlet Hound to tier three, level 10!】

【Reward: One fragment of the Ancient City of Origin treasure map!】

Lin Yang opened the Pet-Exclusive Shop. To enter tier three, Xiao Hei needed a breakthrough pill, but it could only be bought with high-grade spirit stones. The shop also sold the tier-three epic Myriad Beast Spirit-Nurturing Pills he would need afterward, but those too required high-grade stones. Lin Yang didn’t have a single one. To raise Xiao Hei to tier three, level 10, he had to go out and make money first!

Raising Xiao Hei’s epic star grade, however, wasn’t restricted by level. As long as Lin Yang had weapons, he could keep feeding him. Lin Yang took out the tier-two epic weapon selection chest he’d received earlier.

“Open!”

Hundreds of tier-two epic weapons appeared. He looked through them and chose another Pure Yang Sword.

【Congratulations! Player has obtained a tier-two epic weapon: Pure Yang Sword!】

A stronger red-gold sword appeared in his hand. Xiao Hei smelled it and immediately approached.

“A tier-two epic weapon? Is that one for me too?”

Lin Yang hurriedly raised the sword. “Don’t get ideas. I don’t have another suitable weapon yet, so I need to keep this one for myself.”

Xiao Hei looked disappointed. “Aren’t you rich? Just get another.”

“Once I have a tier-three weapon, you can eat this one. It should raise you a few more stars.”

Xiao Hei brightened. He circled Lin Yang twice, then spotted the wooden box containing the Verdant Wood Radiance Sword.

“Don’t you have another sword? Tier-one rare quality is a bit poor, but it would still give me some grade advancement energy. I don’t mind; it’d make a good dessert.”

As Xiao Hei approached the box, Lin Yang picked Xiao Hei up. “Not that one.”

“Why?”

“A friend gave it to me.”

Xiao Hei looked from the Verdant Wood Radiance Sword to the tier-two Pure Yang Sword. “You won’t give me a tier-one rare weapon, but you promised me a tier-two epic one later. Is that sword more precious than an epic weapon?”

He narrowed his eyes, eager for gossip. “So, did your girlfriend give it to you?”

“No. Just a friend.”

“An ordinary friend gave you a rare weapon worth five hundred spirit stones?” Xiao Hei plainly didn’t believe him. “And I only asked once. Why did you explain so quickly?”

Lin Yang tossed him aside. “Why are you such a nosy dog?”