CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 61: GAMBLERS

"Thank you for your hard work, Elder Mo."

Lin Jing glanced at the list after receiving it and just couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer depth the Beast Taming Sect has in terms of rare and magical creatures.

Any of these three would make a fine Foundation Establishment pet beast, he thought.

The Sky Feather Crane, suitable as a flying mount, offering travel convenience.

The Dragon Lion, a large demon beast, appears more majestic than the Pine Squirrel.

The Long-armed Fire Monkey... Lin Jing’s eyes flickered, isn’t that Brother Monkey?

After pondering for a while, Lin Jing felt stuck in indecision and asked, "There’s not much information here, does Elder Mo have any recommendations?"

"Ahem." Elder Mo cleared his throat and said, "All three are good, but they each have their small issues. Let me explain, and you can decide for yourself."

"For instance, the Sky Feather Crane, it’s arrogant and stubborn, doesn’t like to be ridden."

"Doesn’t like to be ridden? What’s the point of a contract if not for riding?" Lin Jing frowned.

"The Dragon Lion, not being raised in the sect since youth, lacks a strong sense of belonging to the sect, always likes to ’negotiate Spirit Stones’ whenever tasked."

"I prefer pet beasts with a spirit of dedication." Lin Jing glanced at the snoozing Pine Squirrel by the bed.

With the Pine Squirrel’s precedent of ’bringing its own resources,’ this Dragon Lion instantly lost its appeal.

"Could it be Brother Monkey, after all?" Lin Jing pondered.

Unexpectedly, Elder Mo added, "This Long-armed Fire Monkey, due to its special status, has been somewhat pampered, very fond of comfort... it might need some stern training."

Lin Jing: ???

"Elder... doesn’t our sect have any more ’normal’ pet beasts? It seems none of these on the list are easy to handle."

At this point, the Pine Squirrel opened its eyes and awakened, and Lin Jing found it increasingly pleasing to the eye.

"There are plenty of normally-behaved pet beasts... but the issue isn’t whether it has both Dragon Blood and the fire attribute. Are these conditions too restricting?" Elder Mo chuckled and said, "Choosing a pet beast is akin to mortals choosing a spouse; there’s no such thing as perfect, you just make do and get along. Over time, you become more in tune."

Lin Jing still wasn’t satisfied: "Is it just these three?"

Elder Mo hesitated for a moment, then said, "Not exactly."

"These three are selected based on talent and potential, most suitable for you."

"From Elder Jiang, who oversees the sect’s myriad beasts, I learned there’s actually another fire attribute demon beast with Dragon Blood, it’s just..."

"Just that it’s a bit unusual, it’s a Dragon Carp from Nine Dragon Peak, mutated into a fire attribute carp!"

"Due to the mutation of its attribute, it... isn’t good at swimming, preferring to laze like a salty fish in hot springs rather than swim in water."

"As such, it’s even less likely to utilize the ’Nine Dragon Waterfall,’ the extraordinary waterfall, as a ’Carp Leaping the Dragon Gate’ to complete its bloodline transformation."

"..." Lin Jing completely gave up on the idea of selecting a Dragon Blood fire pet from within the sect.

"Elder, since I’m still far from the Foundation Establishment Stage, I’ll wait until I go to the Hidden Dragon Academy to see if there’s a suitable Dragon Blood fire pet out there." Lin Jing planned to look for a battle-loving stone monkey.

"Actually..." Elder Mo suddenly paused and said, "If you value the pet’s character more, choosing this Dragon Carp would be great."

"Compared to the other three, this Dragon Carp hasn’t developed intelligence, doesn’t remember anything, is like a blank slate, and is more suitable for a Beast Master to cultivate."

"You can train it in any direction you desire!"

"If you’re also concerned about potential... looking at it from a different perspective, it’s not bad either."

"Dragon Carp is an ancient Dragon Blood demon beast, almost entirely of the water attribute. The sudden appearance of a mutant indicates that it must have an exceedingly formidable fire-attributed dragon ancestor. Otherwise, how could it overpower water after so many generations?"

"At least within the Beast Taming Sect, nobody has tried to crossbreed Dragon Carp and fire-attributed demon beasts, meaning its ancestral bloodline probably wasn’t influenced by the sect, making this highly possible."

"In a grander sense, its ancestor could be a Flame True Dragon, betting on its extraordinary bloodline. Given its circumstance, although hard to achieve ’Carp Leaping the Dragon Gate,’ it’s not impossible to accomplish a similar evolution effect and complete a bloodline transformation with the training of the Hidden Dragon Secret Technique."

"If the bet succeeds, you might end up with a dragon pet whose bloodline potential surpasses the other three!"

Geez, gamblers!

Hearing Elder Mo’s words, Lin Jing fell silent, recalling the matter of gambling on a pet beast mutation with special constitutions.

It truly is... fond of trying their luck.

It’s not really a healthy practice.

"So, what do you think, care to gamble?" Elder Mo asked with a mysterious smile.

Lin Jing grinned and said, "Actually, there’s another benefit to raising a Dragon Carp."

"What is it?" Elder Mo asked, startled.

"Compared to the exceptionally noble Sky Feather Crane, the Long-armed Fire Monkey, and the Spirit Stone-haggling Dragon Lion... it’s much easier to raise."

"I just like pet beasts that seem easy to raise!"

"Elder Mo, I’ll gamble! Do you want to place a bet as well?" Lin Jing had no choice; indeed, this Dragon Carp seemed to have more potential.

Moreover... he also wanted to personally raise a pet beast capable of ’Carp Leaping the Dragon Gate’ to see its transformation.

Elder Mo breathed heavily and said, "As expected of my disciple!"

Beside them, the Pine Squirrel fell silent, two gamblers! Though its Glazed Immortal Pupil... seemed to be a result of gambling as well.

...

Once Lin Jing made his decision on a pet beast, Elder Mo helped fetch it.

If choosing the Sky Feather Crane, Dragon Lion, or Long-armed Fire Monkey, Lin Jing might have to talk a lot before forming a contract with them.

But regarding this mutated Flame Dragon Carp mentioned by Elder Mo, it was only at Qi Cultivation Third Layer, its cultivation wasn’t even as high as Lin Jing’s, not even having developed intelligence yet, so the sect could handle it however desired, the Dragon Carp had no opinion at all.

On that day, Elder Mo brought this Flame Dragon Carp over.

Using mana, he levitated a circular glazed fish tank by his side, within which the Dragon Carp resided.

The Flame Dragon Carp, true to its name, was entirely fiery red and remarkably splendid, but its dull eyes made Lin Jing certain that it indeed hadn’t developed intelligence.

"Elder, why does it smell so good?" Lin Jing asked, watching as Elder Mo placed the fish tank down, bubbles gurgling inside.

It seemed the Flame Dragon Carp was spewing fire within the water.

"Elder Jiang said this fellow still couldn’t control its flame power well, always nearly cooking itself, so naturally, the water turns into fish soup."

Lin Jing: ???

Damn it, it’s not just unintelligent, it’s idiotic.

Upon forming a contract, won’t it end up like the legendary ’Hundred Fragrance Rabbit,’ mutating into the treasure beast ’Poached Fish’?

Elder Mo said, "Watch over the Pine Squirrel and don’t let it sip this, and you shouldn’t either. In our Beast Taming Sect, consuming fellow disciples is a grave taboo! Don’t treat it as a backup food supply."

"That’s the conduct of a demonic sect!"

Lin Jing replied, "We certainly won’t sip it. We aren’t that hungry yet."