Chapter 226: The Master

Chapter 226: The Master

In the Lingnan region, a bus journeyed deep into the mountains. A young man, accompanied by a goblin and cradling a pup, sat by the window, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery with a mix of bewilderment and anticipation.

His expression revealed a mix of emotions. Bewilderment stemmed from his uncertainty about his future, while anticipation shone through as he knew his destination.

The place he was heading to was an exploration-type Mystic Realm called the Maw of the Demon.

These exploration-type Mystic Realms were uncharted territories, places where humans had yet to establish complete control.

For summoners, these were the true Mystic Realms, brimming with opportunities and challenges. Countless strong individuals had risen to prominence through these realms.

However, they also harbored dangers.

Five years ago, the young man's parents had ventured into this very realm and never returned.

Now, five years later, he had arrived.

The bus came to a halt at a campsite deep in the mountains.

At that moment, the young man on the bus hesitated, took out his smartphone, and sent a text message.

Then, with the pup in his arms and the goblin by his side, he disembarked from the bus.

They headed towards the campsite nestled deep in the mountains.

...

In Jiangnan, at Lu Wu's home...

Lu Wu woke up early and called Lin Jianying, but the call didn't go through.

"He told me he'd go back to visit and pay respects to Grandma, and then he'd be back. It's been days, and not only has he not returned, but his phone is also unreachable. What's that guy up to?" Lu Wu was growing concerned.

"Do you think he went there?"

This guy had always been fixated on saving his parents. His desire to become a professional summoner stemmed from this very reason. It wasn't impossible that he had gone to rescue them during his recent outings.

"But it's been five years. What could he possibly find? Two skeletons?" Lu Wu's casual complaint caught the attention of the little skeleton beside him.

Obedient (Lu Wu, are you calling me?)



"Yeah!"

Lu Wu didn't hesitate and took the smartphone from the little skeleton's hand.

The little skeleton was not pleased.

Angry (The little skeleton's phone is not for Lu Wu. Lu Wu is naughty and might break the phone!)



"Get lost! What do you mean, your phone, my phone?

You're my skeleton, so your phone is mine!

I'm confiscating your phone today. Go and train!"

Furious (The little skeleton doesn't need training. The little skeleton is super strong and wants to play with the phone!)



"You? Super strong? You're full of yourself! Do you believe that Little Goldfish could beat you with ten little skeletons right now? And that's on land. If it were in the sea, even a hundred little skeletons wouldn't be enough for Little Goldfish to beat! See that Dragon Tooth? I got it for you to train your Bone Tooth. When can you train your Bone Tooth to become a Dragon Tooth, then come and ask for your phone!"

The little skeleton was ultimately subdued by Lu Wu.

He could only reluctantly carry the Dragon Tooth he had obtained from Jiangnan University the day before and head to the training grounds.

After dealing with the little skeleton, Lu Wu hesitated and made a call to his wealthy wife.

It was because of Lin Jianying that Lu Wu was concerned about the boy's solo trip. The exploration-type Mystic Realm was too challenging for Lin Jianying, and Lu Wu wanted someone to keep an eye on him.

The wealthy wife was quite understanding and agreed to send someone.

With her assurance, Lu Wu breathed a sigh of relief.

"With someone from the wealthy wife's side watching, there shouldn't be any problems."

Lu Wu temporarily set aside his concerns about Lin Jianying and focused on the tasks at hand.

Lu Wu didn't have much on his plate.

With the team captain secured and the university league competition nearly a year away, he had time to prepare. The launch of the Steel Armor Boar into the market wasn't on Lu Wu's immediate agenda.

On one hand, the ranch's production capacity couldn't keep up.

Additionally, the Steel Armor Boar is a second-generation evolved summoned beast, and its customers are professional summoners. Launching it would have a significant impact on the market, affecting the interests of some."

Those who thrived in the professional summoner domain were formidable entities, and their influence was proportional to their capabilities.

Lu Wu knew he couldn't compete with them at this point.

Even his own company might not have gotten off the ground without the wealthy wife's support.

If he rushed the Steel Armor Boar's market launch and something went wrong, the wealthy wife might not be able to protect his company.

The wealthy wife had warned him about this.

Thus, Lu Wu wasn't in a hurry to release the Steel Armor Boar and decided to wait.

With this decision, Lu Wu's most pressing concern became his own strength enhancement.

As a summoner, his power was directly tied to the strength of his summoned beasts.

Fortunately, the summoned beasts under his command, Little Goldfish and the little skeleton, were relatively low-maintenance.

Little Goldfish could be left to its own devices. In fact, it had already grown stronger.

It now possessed the strength of a 3-star leader (having gained another star recently). Its Ocean's Child talent could boost its power by a major tier, and its Leader of Aquatic Creatures talent further elevated its capabilities.

It now resides in the ocean, a powerful being akin to a Lairlord in its own right.

In terms of skills, it can comprehend them on its own, learning new ones at will. Whether it's happy or not, it can grasp them without Lu Wu's training. In front of it, Lu Wu, as a summoner, feels utterly useless.

The only thing Lu Wu can do is provide some nutritional supplements for Little Goldfish, spending money to no avail.

As for Hahah, its cultivation doesn't require Lu Wu's assistance either.

It's as simple as fighting.

It gets captured, beaten up, and then given some items. With Green Cub's healing, its strength and quality improve. Lu Wu can only design some tactics for it, which Hahah doesn't even like.

Hahah believes that as a bird, it should face its opponents head-on. Utilizing speed advantages, flying into the sky, or combining skills are all useless in its eyes.

Direct confrontation is the way to go.

It either gets knocked down by its opponents or knocks them down itself. That's what battles mean to this bird—a simple and thrilling affair.

Thus, among Lu Wu's summoned beasts, it is only in Little Skeleton that he finds his worth as a summoner.

Every time he looks at Little Skeleton, Lu Wu feels a surge of pride.

He recalls how he nurtured Little Skeleton from a flawed Golden Finger, with its flaws and imperfections, and how he diligently cultivated it step by step to its current state.

This time, Lu Wu's ego inflated. He believed he was incredibly capable.

Naturally, when it came to enhancing strength, Lu Wu dedicated all his efforts to Little Skeleton.

He aimed to resolve Little Skeleton's evolution issue.

Only by solving this problem could Little Skeleton's strength improve further.

However, Lu Wu had no clue about its evolution.

After all, Lu Wu was the first to cultivate Little Skeleton to the Leader level.

There was no precedent for a second evolution of Little Skeleton, so Lu Wu couldn't learn from others' experiences. He could only seek inspiration from other Bone Series summoned beasts.

These other Bone Series beasts did provide Lu Wu with some inspiration, sparking ideas for alternative evolution methods, such as the Boar Knight. Still, Lu Wu felt they weren't suitable for Little Skeleton.

Currently, Lu Wu focused on improving Little Skeleton's smartphone and quality, planning to awaken its latent talents before considering its evolution.

To this end, Lu Wu retrieved his previous research plan for Little Skeleton's smartphone.

He immersed himself in research, expanding his knowledge and upgrading the plan.

In this regard, Lu Wu's talent and ability were unquestionable.

Moreover, he had a smartphone that granted him access to the Jiangnan University's electronic library and the intranet, for which he had spent over ten thousand.

With his capabilities and this 'cheat,' Lu Wu's research progressed swiftly.

Within a week, the plan was almost complete.

However, just as Lu Wu was about to finalize the plan, a complication arose.

One issue was inherent in the plan itself.

After incorporating the Dragon Tooth into the plan, Lu Wu realized that the original framework couldn't support this new element.

He had two options: remove the Dragon Tooth or upgrade the plan's architecture.

Lu Wu couldn't bear to part with the Dragon Tooth, and his current knowledge wasn't sufficient for the latter option.

The knowledge from the Jiangnan University library and the intranet had limitations.

It was restricted to professional-level information, and Lu Wu's access didn't extend beyond that.

Unless Lu Wu obtained a Master title, higher-level knowledge would remain inaccessible.

As Lu Wu pondered this dilemma, Zhang Wentao brought him good news.

The advancement plan for Little Skeleton that Lu Wu had uploaded half a year ago had been successfully verified. The scheme for Little Skeleton's evolution into a mage was feasible.

Upon hearing this, Lu Wu wasn't overly excited.

Success was success; at most, he'd earn a few hundred or a thousand merit reward for the verified research plan.

Lu Wu, now earning tens of thousands a day, no longer valued such rewards.

What Lu Wu didn't anticipate was another piece of good news that came with the verification of Little Skeleton's evolution into a mage.

"Additionally, your Master title application has been approved."

"What?" Lu Wu was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. After a while, he realized, "So, I'm already a Master Breeder?"

This news left Lu Wu feeling a bit lonely.

He recalled that he hadn't received his professional certification yet. Unexpectedly, he obtained the Master certification before the professional one.

"The Capital City has confirmed your Master certification. You just need to go there to receive it, and you'll officially be a genuine Master."

"Zhang Wentao was thrilled, but Lu Wu, upon hearing that he had to make a trip to the Capital City, immediately furrowed his brows.]



'Do I have to go to the Capital City to claim it? Can't they send someone to deliver it, or find someone to accompany me? I'm in a critical phase of my research right now.'

'I'm afraid that's not possible. The awarding of the Master Breeding Master Certification is a serious and solemn matter, and you must be present in person.

Additionally, there are rewards for the ceremony. As the youngest Master Breeding Master, your reward will likely be substantial!

You might even gain access to the Capital Breeding Center's Treasury."

It was clear that Zhang Wentao knew exactly how to motivate Lu Wu.

With just a few words, Lu Wu's spirits were lifted.

'When do we leave? Can we go now?'

Upon hearing about the rewards, Lu Wu was more eager than anyone. He immediately sent Little Skeleton to retrieve Little Goldfish, while he and Dudu packed their belongings for the trip.

As Lu Wu finished packing, Zhao Kaiming and Zhang Wentao arrived.

Lu Wu was heading to the Capital City, and they decided to accompany him.

One was there to support Lu Wu, and the other didn't want to miss this opportunity to boost their reputation.

...

In the depths of the Maw of the Demon Mystic Realm, a team of summoners traveled with laughter and conversation.

This team consisted of four members, led by a middle-aged man named Wu Yong, whose summoned beasts were a Golem Warrior and a Goblin Warrior.

To his left was a middle-aged woman in her thirties, exuding a gentle charm and a warm smile. Her summoned beast was a harmless-looking Yeti.

She was Wu Yong's wife, Li Jing.

The other member was a young woman in her early twenties, possessing a youthful and vibrant beauty.

This young lady, Wu Mei, was Wu Yong's daughter.

This team was a typical family summoning squad, and the only outsider was Lin Jianying, positioned in the middle.

Despite being the only outsider, Lin Jianying was not ostracized by the family. Wu Yong, Li Jing, and Wu Mei all treated him with warmth and care, ensuring his well-being.

Wu Yong would frequently check on Lin Jianying's condition.

'Little Lin, are you tired? Do you need a rest?'

'Uncle Wu, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me.'

Even after spending several days together, Lin Jianying remained a bit shy around Uncle Wu.

'Don't be formal with your uncle. If you're tired or need anything, just let me know. You're like a son to me, and it's my duty to take care of you.

Besides, your father once asked my husband to promise to marry Wu Mei to you.

And he agreed...'

'Mom!'

Wu Mei, standing nearby, pouted in playful protest.

Lin Jianying's gaze was drawn to Wu Mei's blushing face, and his heart, awakening to new emotions, began to pound.

He quickly averted his eyes, focusing on his feet.

Meanwhile, Wu Yong's Goblin stared intently at Wu Mei.

In the Goblin's eyes, Wu Mei was also a strange one, with her chest puffed up and making its master's face turn red.

The Goblin thought she was worse than the weirdo in the big house who loved giving injections.

Speaking of the weirdo in the big house, the Goblin missed that place and its companions, Little Skeleton and the others. It wondered when its master would take it back.

As the Goblin reminisced about the big house, Lin Jianying also felt it was time to leave this team.

He had encountered this squad on his second day in the Maw of the Demon Mystic Realm. To be precise, they had found him in the morning, and after hearing his story, they sought him out.

Initially, Lin Jianying was cautious about this sudden appearance of a supposed uncle, but as an adult, he couldn't just accept anyone claiming to be his relative, even though he desperately wanted news of his parents.

However, after chatting with Wu Yong's family, Lin Jianying realized they were indeed acquaintances of his parents, and he had even heard his parents mention them.

The following days, Wu Yong's family took excellent care of Lin Jianying, leading him to fully accept them.

After his parents' disappearance, aside from Lu Wu, this was the family that had treated him so well.

In just a few days of interaction, this family had earned a special place in Lin Jianying's heart.

But this very fact made Lin Jianying feel he couldn't stay with them for long.

He was well aware of his unique situation and knew that having friends wasn't suitable for him at the moment.

After much hesitation, Lin Jianying finally decided to part ways with them.

'Uncle Wu, my school is starting soon, so I plan to return tomorrow.'

As soon as Lin Jianying spoke, the once lively Wu Yong family fell silent...

...

Adding the previous 3000, the total is 7600, with 3400 remaining!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end