https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-923-Burrowing-Mouse-and-Leaf-Stone/13456284/
Chapter 924: Evolution Night
Chapter 924: Evolution Night (Merged Chapter)
A commotion arose from below, and Qiao Sang reined in her thoughts.
She saw a dozen or so Grass-Type Companion Beasts guarding the Leaf Stone fragments, none of them willing to yield, as if they were about to start fighting.
Qiao Sang gave Treasure Seeker a meaningful look: Move.
Although the Leaf Stone had been cut in half and could no longer facilitate a Grass-Type Companion Beast’s evolution, that didn’t mean the beasts couldn’t consume it.
“Xunxun…”
Treasure Seeker, who had been watching the spectacle, picked up on its Beastmaster’s gaze and reluctantly displayed a piteous expression. However, it still obediently made its eyes glow with blue light.
In the next second, the Leaf Stone fragments below vanished.
The various Grass-Type Companion Beasts were initially stunned, then they grew furious, each believing that one of the surrounding beasts had taken the Leaf Stone fragments when they weren't paying attention. They quickly began using their Skills and started fighting.
“Go 500 meters away,” Qiao Sang said in a low voice, holding the transferred Leaf Stone fragment and pointing in the direction.
Treasure Seeker’s eyes glowed blue again, and it began to set the coordinates.
A few seconds later, the three of them appeared 500 meters away on the ground.
Qiao Sang repeated her tactic, placing the Leaf Stone fragment and having Qingbao use the wind to spread the energy over a wide area. She, Xu Gehong, and Guo Ruiqi hid in the nearby grass to observe the Grass-Type Companion Beasts drawn to the energy.
“This Leaf Stone fragment won’t last long,” Migala said, watching the wild beasts being attracted.
With the Evolution Stone broken into fragments, it had become a defective item, and the energy inside would continuously dissipate.
Qiao Sang was aware: “It should last about half a month.”
If not for deliberately having Qingbao spread the energy with the wind, the energy loss would be much slower.
“What if Great Joy hasn’t found it by then?” Guo Ruiqi asked, worried.
“No problem, I have more Leaf Stones,” Qiao Sang said confidently.
Back when she had taken advantage of the Unlimited Credit Card’s final deadline, she had stockpiled as many as she could. While Leaf Stones might be valuable to ordinary Beastmasters, they weren’t much to her.
Moreover, the Leaf Stones available for purchase without a reservation were at most A-Class, and not particularly valuable.
Guo Ruiqi’s heart settled at this: “No matter how many I use, I will pay you back when we return.”
Just as she spoke, the grass where they were hiding rustled, and two little legs emerged, scampering toward the location of the Leaf Stone.
Qiao Sang: “!!”
Guo Ruiqi: “!!”
“Fang!”
Fangy bristled, its eyes wide with shock.
What, it hadn’t even noticed the familiar presence just now?!
This cry immediately drew the attention of the Grass-Type Companion Beasts gathered around the Leaf Stone fragment.
“Ye Ye!”
“Shuai!”
“Mo Mo!”
The Grass-Type Companion Beasts all looked wary and called out in unison.
Skills like Leaf Blade, Vine Whip, and Magic Leaf immediately appeared, aimed at Qiao Sang’s location.
“Fang!”
Fangy jumped out of its Beastmaster’s arms, its eyes glowing blue.
All the Skills were suddenly held in place, frozen mid-air as if controlled by some unseen force.
“Xunxun!”
Treasure Seeker appeared before them, its eyes cold and its expression stern, exuding a dominant aura.
A powerful oppressive aura descended.
The Grass-Type Companion Beasts trembled, stiffened, and then their eyes glazed over as they closed and fell to the ground.
“Xunxun~”
Seeing this, Treasure Seeker’s stern expression softened. It floated over, picked up the Leaf Stone fragment, and brought it back to its Beastmaster.
"Who would have thought that the grass patch was actually a familiar..." Guo Ruiqi looked at the familiar lying on the ground not far away, which still resembled a patch of grass. Reflecting on it now, he still felt a bit frightened.
I didn't expect it either... Qiao Sang thought to himself.
Guo Ruiqi then seemed to think of something, his expression relaxed, and he continued, "But, Senior Qiao, you must have noticed it long ago."
No, I didn't... Qiao Sang said with a poker face, "Blade Grass remains motionless for 20 out of 24 hours, perfectly camouflaged as grass. Even if someone steps on it, it won't reveal itself. I didn't expect the fragments of the Leaf Stone to lure it out."
It was only after the Blade Grass revealed its two small legs that she recognized it.
The camouflage was top-notch, at least...
"This just goes to show how the energy inside the Leaf Stone attracts Grass-Type Companion Beasts", Guo Ruiqi quickly added.
I almost thought you didn't recognize the Blade Grass, but you were just assuming it would stay camouflaged... Migala slowly said, "Don't underestimate the Leaf Stone's attraction to Grass-Type Companion Beasts, even in its fragmented form."
Qiao Sang looked at her and suddenly asked, "Have you ever been a teacher before?"
Migala immediately became alert, "No, why do you ask?"
"Nothing", Qiao Sang replied, turning his gaze away, "Just that sometimes the way you speak reminds me of a teacher who taught me."
Migala: "!!!"
...
In the following time, Qiao Sang placed a fragment of the Leaf Stone every 500 meters.
Without waiting for the Happy Seed to appear, he had the Treasure Seeker retrieve the fragment and move to the next spot.
This method significantly increased their speed and efficiency, and also avoided battles with wild Companion Beasts, saving them a lot of time.
Soon, night fell, and the temperature dropped sharply.
Guo Ruiqi put on a thick down jacket and cautiously moved closer to Fangy, trying to keep warm.
Qiao Sang hid in the tree canopy, observing the gathering of Grass-Type Companion Beasts below.
Thanks to the Treasure Seeker's enhancement, she could see clearly even in the dark.
"If you can't see clearly, use your senses", Qiao Sang whispered.
"Understood", Guo Ruiqi nodded.
The cold night made the Grass-Type Companion Beasts move more slowly than during the day, when they would rush over at the slightest scent.
As Qiao Sang observed below, he casually asked, "Xu Gehong, why are you so quiet?"
I'm afraid you'll think I sound like a teacher... Migala, maintaining her character, replied, "I don't know what to say."
Qiao Sang said, "You could talk about your Stealthy Shield..."
Before he finished speaking, Guo Ruiqi, looking down, whispered in surprise, "Icetrot!"
Qiao Sang followed his gaze.
A small familiar, about 15 centimeters in size, with an ice-blue body and two leaves on its head, was happily running over.
Icetrot is a rare Ice-Type and Grass-Type dual-type familiar. The leaves on its head are a favorite ingredient for Alchemists, who dry them in the sun and boil them to effectively remove damp cold from the body.
"Who would have thought we'd encounter an Icetrot, but still haven't found a single Happy Seed", Guo Ruiqi thought of his Great Joy and couldn't help feeling disappointed.
"Don't worry, we'll find it eventually", Qiao Sang reassured him.
To be honest, even she felt unsure after searching for so long.
This Hidden Realm was simply too vast. Even the known areas hadn't been fully explored yet, let alone the unknown ones.
As these thoughts raced through her mind, a brown root suddenly shot out from the ground where the Leaf Stone fragment was placed, wrapping it and dragging it underground.
Qiao Ruiqi's thoughts came to an abrupt halt, and she shouted, "Fangy!"
"Ya!"
Fangy let out a cry, opened its mouth, and a scorching spiral of flame shot toward the spot where the Leaf Stone fragment had disappeared.
With a loud bang, sand and gravel scattered everywhere, and Flame darted around in a panic.
A familiar covered in withered leaves screamed as it exploded out of the Underground.
The surrounding Grass-Type Companion Beasts were frightened and fled in all directions.
A gust of wind swept up the Leaf Stone fragments that had been blasted out, carrying them over to Qiao Sang. Wind Transformation transformed the fragments into Qingbao.
Before Qiao Sang could speak, a strange noise suddenly came from below the Underground.
Then, a green Vine Whip shot out of the ground, aiming precisely at Qingbao.
"Fangy!"
Fangy's eyes glowed with Blue Light.
The green Vine Whip was halted mid-air by an invisible force.
Qiao Sang suddenly sensed something and turned her head, her pupils narrowing.
Several green Vine Whips were coming from behind, heading straight for Qingbao!
"Steel Treasure!" Qiao Sang called out loudly.
"Steel Blade!"
Steel Treasure, who had been circling in the air, flapped its wings downward. Dozens of Air Blades instantly descended, slicing each Vine Whip into pieces.
However, at that moment, a Vine Whip emerged from the foliage of a tree and accurately bound Qingbao!
"Qingbao!" Qiao Sang was startled.
"Qingqing."
Qingbao showed no fear. It glanced down at the Vine Whip binding it, and Wind Transformation disappeared.
The Vine Whip, now without a target, retracted.
Qiao Sang silently breathed a sigh of relief.
This Hidden Realm was too dangerous. Qingbao was still a Junior, and she had almost forgotten that Qingbao had some self-defense capabilities.
Migala watched everything silently, serving as a backdrop.
Guo Ruiqi remained calm even when the Vine Whip bound Qingbao. After these forty days, he had enough confidence in Senior Qiao's abilities.
"Let's go!" Qiao Sang decided firmly.
Unlike before, when she moved on the ground to avoid disrupting her direction with random Spatial Shifts, she now had a different plan for finding the Happy Seed. She could transfer within a 500-meter range without issue.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker had already completed the positioning when it put down the Leaf Stone fragments. Its eyes glowed with Blue Light, and the group vanished from the spot.
Not long after they left, the tree where they had been hiding opened its eyes.
...
By nightfall, Migala and Guo Ruiqi were lying in their sleeping bags.
Qiao Sang stood guard nearby, pulling out her mobile phone to check the time.
From her previous Hidden Realm trips, she had learned to be smarter. Even without a chargeable Electric Beast, she had a Power Bank that could charge at any time.
Although such devices as Power Banks were no longer popular in the Beast Trainer Society, not everyone had a chargeable Electric Beast, so they still had a market.
Before entering the Hidden Realm, she had bought ten Power Banks to have on hand in case of emergencies.
With a charged mobile phone, she knew the exact time.
23:44... The time was almost up... Qiao Sang put away her mobile phone and surveyed the surroundings.
The area was a flat expanse of overgrown grass, with a narrow path ahead.
The entrance to this path was exceptionally narrow, making it difficult for large familiars to pass through, so there was no need to worry about powerful familiars suddenly appearing.
Occasionally, wild Beast Companions would emerge, but they were mostly Intermediate, so there was no major concern.
After observing for a while, Qiao Sang gently shook the sleeping Qingbao and whispered:
"Qingbao, wake up."
"Qingqing..."
Qingbao, unlike Fangy, woke up at the slightest shake, rubbing its eyes.
"Get ready, you're about to Evolve", Qiao Sang said in a low voice.
Hearing this, Qingbao instantly became fully awake:
"Qingqing?!"
Really?!
"Of course, it's true", Qiao Sang said.
In the Beastmaster Codex, the page about Qingbao indicated that he was just three points away from evolving to the next stage.
Three points—Qingbao could naturally reach them even without consuming Energy Pills or energy-infused familiar food.
"Qingqing!"
Qingbao floated up, his face beaming with surprise.
"Xunxun~"
Treasure Seeker floated over, looking at Qingbao with a satisfied expression.
The stronger Fifth One became, the more powerful the backing he would have when he took him as a Little Brother.
At that moment, a voice broke the silence.
"Qingqing is about to evolve?"
Qiao Sang looked up to see Xu Gehong had opened his eyes and was now looking over.
"Still awake?" Qiao Sang asked.
Migala nodded, then repeated her question.
"Qingqing is about to evolve?"
Qiao Sang nodded. "Yes."
Migala wasn’t particularly surprised that Qiao Sang knew Qingqing was about to evolve. When outside, Beastmasters would regularly conduct comprehensive checks on their familiars to estimate their evolution times. For those with a deep bond or C-Class familiars, Beastmasters could often sense when their familiars were close to evolving, even without checks.
"I’ll help keep watch", Migala said, emerging from her sleeping bag, clearly concerned.
Qiao Sang wasn’t surprised. Qingqing was a legendary familiar from the Hollow Plains, and Migala, being from the same place, naturally cared more.
"Thanks."
"No trouble at all."
The atmosphere grew silent for a moment.
After a few seconds, Qiao Sang asked, "Aren’t you going to wake up Sleepy Bird?"
Migala replied, "It’s fine. I don’t just have Sleepy Bird."
Pausing, she added, "My Stealthy Shield is still awake."
She then nodded toward the air beside her.
A brief silence followed, and a voice spoke up, "Ying Gou..."
Qiao Sang immediately recalled something. "Why did your Stealthy Shield say 'spray' back then?"
Migala’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said without missing a beat, "It rarely speaks. It was just warming up its voice."
Does any familiar warm up its voice by saying 'spray'? Do you expect me to believe that? Qiao Sang didn’t voice his doubts. What mattered most right now was Qingbao’s evolution.
It was pointless to press on about something Migala clearly didn’t want to discuss.
Migala breathed a sigh of relief when Qiao Sang didn’t pursue the topic further. To avoid any more awkward conversations, she remained silent, only quietly observing her surroundings.
Time passed.
It was soon 11:57 PM.
Qiao Sang put down his phone and nodded at Treasure Seeker.
"Xunxun~"
Treasure Seeker understood his Beastmaster’s meaning. He took off the Ring and pulled out a Fairy Heart as large as a pomegranate. Its dazzling light almost blinded Migala in the darkness.
She stared at the Fairy Heart, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
How could the Fairy Heart be so big?!
It shouldn’t be!
She clearly remembered that the Fairy Heart the Hollow Plains people had sent was less than half this size!
Migala wanted to ask but held back, not wanting to overstep her bounds.
"Qingbao, are you ready?" Qiao Sang asked solemnly.
"Qingqing!"
Qingbao nodded with the same solemnity.
11:59:58.
11:59:59.
Qiao Sang handed the pomegranate-sized Fairy Heart to Qingbao. Qingbao extended his claws to touch it. Instantly, a brilliant white light filled the room. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
