Chapter 116: The Second Option

“It’s a Pyroderivative Elixir. Don’t worry, it’s good for fire-type beasts.” Liu Yao said with a smile.

Qiao Sang almost screamed.

It was precisely because it was good for fire-type beasts that she was worried!

“Do you remember when I mentioned that your Fire Fang Dog’s energy value has exceeded the normal range, but it hasn’t evolved yet?” Liu Yao asked.

Qiao Sang felt a surge of panic but still answered, “Its physical energy hasn’t reached saturation.”

“Correct.” Liu Yao nodded.

“A beast’s energy value increases through combat, natural growth, and corresponding resources.”

“However, even with resources, it’s not always possible to increase energy at will.”

“Beasts with high talent grow and absorb resources quickly, while those with low talent grow slowly and can’t absorb energy-boosting fruits like the Flaming Fruit, even if you give it to them.”

“Some beastmasters, eager for their beasts to evolve quickly, inject them with all sorts of energy elixirs, disregarding whether the beast can handle it. That’s inadvisable.”

“Your Fire Fang Dog’s energy value surpasses the norm, which means it has great talent. The reason it hasn’t reached saturation might be that it’s hit a bottleneck or lacks the necessary energy to absorb.”

“So, I gave it a bit of the Flaming Fruit to test it. If it was the former, it would feel full after eating just one. But it finished an entire plate.”

Liu Yao looked at the Fire Fang Dog with a smile. “This means your Fire Fang Dog has no problem absorbing energy.”

“Its itchy teeth earlier show that its energy is nearing saturation. The Pyroderivative Elixir works similarly to a Fire Evolution Stone, but it’s gentler.”

“The Evolution Stone forces the beast to evolve, even if its energy isn’t fully saturated. But the Pyroderivative Elixir only works when the beast’s energy can no longer increase.”

“If all goes well, your Fire Fang Dog should perfectly absorb the Pyroderivative Elixir within half a day.”

Upon hearing that, Qiao Sang felt faint and nearly lost her balance.

Half a day? Evolution?

The next shoot is in half a month, right?

Does this mean...

she’s breaching her contract?!

“Yap!”

Yabao’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he listened to the conversation.

Evolution!

He could finally evolve!

Doesn’t that mean he's about to get stronger?

“Yap!”

Yabao immediately turned to Qiao Sang, eager to share his joy.

But when he saw his beastmaster’s expression, he paused. His once excited heart was now filled with confusion.

Why did his beastmaster not seem happy about his evolution?

Liu Yao noticed Qiao Sang’s expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Sang forced a smile, tears welling up in her eyes. “I... I’m just too excited.”

“Don’t worry about it. This is what teachers are supposed to do. You just need to focus on learning and not waste your talent. If you have any problems, just let me know, and I’ll help you solve them.” Liu Yao reassured her with a smile.

Qiao Sang laughed awkwardly, “I’d like to live off-campus.”

Liu Yao: ...

“I also want to bring my phone to school.”

“...”

After Qiao Sang left, Liu Yao sat in his chair, feeling puzzled. “Old Xian, I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I feel like Qiao Sang didn’t seem too happy earlier.”

Xian, the Sky Bat, flapped its wings.

It wasn’t just a feeling. She clearly wasn’t happy when she heard the Fire Fang Dog was about to evolve.

But why?

Who would refuse evolution?

It didn’t understand either.

---

Back in her dorm, Qiao Sang closed the door and collapsed onto her bed.

After hearing that her Yabao was going to evolve in half a day, she had no motivation to participate in today’s training.

Although the vice principal didn’t agree to her request to live off-campus or bring her phone, he did allow her to skip today’s afternoon training.

Lying on her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, Qiao Sang thought,

Breach of contract...

How much would she have to pay in compensation?

When she signed the six-month contract, she thought she had planned well enough, but life always has a way of catching you off guard...

“Yap.”

Yabao looked at his beastmaster and no longer felt the excitement of knowing he was about to evolve.

With his head hung low, he sat by the bed, lost in thought.

Little Treasure glanced between his beastmaster and Yabao before removing his ring and pulling out a carton of milk. He first floated the milk over to his beastmaster.

“Xun~”

“Xun Xun~”

Qiao Sang, still lost in thoughts of the breach penalty, saw the milk and instinctively took it.

Little Treasure’s eyes curved into crescents as he floated to Yabao, offering him a bottle of milk as well.

“Xun~”

“Xun Xun~”

Yabao looked up, his watery eyes shifting between the milk and his beastmaster, who was still in a daze.

“Yap.”

He shook his head and lowered it again.

“Xun.”

“Xun Xun.”

Little Treasure floated to the other side of Yabao and nudged the milk closer.

“Yap.”

Yabao rejected it again and retreated to a corner of the room, sitting down with his head still hung low.

Little Treasure blinked, then followed him.

He placed the milk on the floor, floated to where Yabao could see, and began making silly faces.

Yabao didn’t respond.

Undeterred, Little Treasure continued changing faces, trying to cheer him up.

“Xun~”

“Xun.”

“Xun...”

Finally, Qiao Sang noticed the commotion.

She snapped out of her thoughts and glanced toward the corner of the room. When she saw Yabao’s dejected state, she paused.

Quickly, she got off the bed and rushed over to pick up Yabao, her voice filled with concern.

“Yabao, are you okay?”

It was Yabao’s first evolution, and Qiao Sang had never experienced something like this before.

Seeing his unusual behavior, she immediately worried something was wrong.

Yabao was startled when he was suddenly picked up. He looked at his beastmaster’s anxious expression, and his eyes welled up with tears as he buried his head in her arms.

“Yap.”

He shook his head, holding back his tears.

“Xun!”

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure floated in front of his beastmaster, gesturing wildly.

Something was definitely wrong!

Qiao Sang knew her Yabao very well. After watching Little Treasure’s gestures and recalling the events that had just transpired, she quickly realized what the problem was.

Yabao had always been proud and ambitious. He must have been ecstatic to learn that he could evolve.

But seeing her looking all gloomy, he probably thought she didn’t want him to evolve.

Qiao Sang sighed and lifted Yabao above her head. She looked into his eyes and explained, “I’m actually really happy you can evolve. I was just thinking about the endorsement.”

“Do you remember the endorsement deal? The one for the sunglasses? You have to shoot another ad in two weeks in your current form, or we’ll breach the contract and have to pay a penalty.”

She hadn’t planned on telling him this, just like when she tricked it last time about the Condensed Flame Pearl.

In her view, her beast should just focus on doing what it loves—training, eating, playing—and not worry about anything else.

Human affairs were too complicated for beasts. Plus, this was her responsibility.

But now, Yabao clearly misunderstood, and she didn’t want him to stay confused.

“Yap.”

Yabao stared at her, unsure of what to think.

“It’s not a big deal. Don’t worry, just focus on your evolution,” Qiao Sang reassured it softly.

“Do you remember the guy we caught on the mountain last time? We made five million from that, which is more than enough to cover the breach penalty. There will even be plenty left over.”

Yabao gazed at her intently.

“To be honest, I’m actually really excited to see you evolve into a Blaze Dog. Have you seen your evolved form? It’s super cool!”

Qiao Sang had meant to reassure Yabao, but she ended up convincing herself.

That’s right, she had five million.

What’s the big deal about evolution? It’s not like they couldn’t afford it!

Qiao Sang put Yabao on the bed and pulled out her phone, searching for pictures of Blaze Dogs.

“Look, isn’t it awesome?” She asked with a smile, showing Yabao her phone.

Yabao didn’t look at the phone. Instead, he stared at his beastmaster, remembering the moments they had shared since forming their bond.

He remembered the TV, the wall, the strength tester, and the broken vase. Every time, his beastmaster had suffered for his sake.

Now, because he had carelessly consumed something and was evolving early, his beastmaster was going to suffer again.

Although his Beast Master was clearly unhappy, she forced herself to become cheerful for its sake.

He could feel that now, she was truly happy.

No one knew that at that moment, the page in Qiao Sang's Beastmaster Codex corresponding to Fire Gang Dog began to glow faintly. A new evolution option had appeared next to its name.

There were two options, but the second one was barely visible. Sometimes the first option shimmered with light, and at other times, the second option also flickered.

However, it was clear that the first option shone more brightly.

In the next second, Yabao's body emitted a dazzling white light.

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