Celestial Beast Taming

A single meal brought Zhao Kai, Zhong Ling, and Zhong Chenghuai much closer.

Zhong Ling and Zhong Chenghuai knew that Zhao Kai would be staying at the Evolution Shop, and that he was also a Creator.

Both of them proactively tried to build a good relationship with Zhao Kai.

After noticing Zhong Yi’s attitude toward Zhong Chenghuai and Zhong Ling, Zhao Kai understood that they were very close to him.

Therefore, his attitude toward them was also extremely friendly.

When she learned that Zhao Kai was interested in the street food, Zhong Ling made plans to explore the snack street with him that evening.

She would act as a local guide and show Zhao Kai the best delicacies the street had to offer.

Zhong Chenghuai, on the other hand, planned to get a good night’s sleep after the meal.

While anxiously waiting for news about Zhong Yi and Zhong Ling, Zhong Chenghuai had been able to fight off his exhaustion.

Now that he knew Zhong Yi was safe and he’d had a full meal, a wave of drowsiness swept over him, making him yawn repeatedly at the dinner table.

Zhong Yi wasn’t in a hurry to treat Zhong Chenghuai’s Lifebound Guardian Beast, deciding to wait until after he had woken up.

For all these years, it was less that Zhong Chenghuai and Zhong Ling had been taking care of Zhong Yi, and more that Zhong Chenghuai had been taking care of them both by himself.

Zhong Ling was only thirteen, and she had only been able to start helping Zhong Chenghuai in the last year or two.

Although the Origin of Zhong Chenghuai’s Lifebound Guardian Beast had been damaged long ago, that didn’t stop him from being able to form a Contract with a new Guardian Beast.

For years, Zhong Chenghuai had remained true to his role as a Servant. Even when this body’s previous owner—before Zhong Yi transmigrated—was dull-witted and simple, Zhong Chenghuai had still dutifully managed the Evolution Shop.

He had always saved up the money he earned, never using it for himself.

From now on, Zhao Kai, a Four-finger Creator, would be staying in the shop. Despite Zhong Chenghuai’s advanced age, Zhong Yi was still willing to invest resources in him.

After helping Zhong Chenghuai heal the damaged Origin of his Lifebound Guardian Beast, he would have Zhao Kai cultivate a new, suitable Guardian Beast for him.

Zhong Yi knew Lin Zhuo must have come at this hour to discuss something important with him.

Zhong Yi’s Evolution Shop didn’t yet have a proper reception room, so after closing for the day, he simply led Lin Zhuo into the front hall.

Lin Zhuo glanced around the interior of the Guardian Beast Shop and said.

"Xiaoyi, I forgot to tell you before, but all Celestial Destiny Seekers are given a dedicated residence in the Central District."

"Even if you don’t want to live in your residence in the Central District, you can also live in the Star Frost Tower."

"Wen Tao and I find it very comfortable living in the Star Frost Tower. In a little while, when the other Celestial Destiny Seekers from our Starlight City return, they’ll all gather there too."

"Whether you decide to live there or not, you should go to the Central District and pick out a residence when you have time."

"Star Night and Cold Day asked me to give these to you. They’re much stronger than Wen Tao and I are."

"With their Instant Jades protecting you, I won’t have to worry about your safety anymore!"

Zhong Yi saw two Jade Pendants lying in the palm Lin Zhuo held out to him.

Both Jade Pendants had been thoughtfully tied with knots, ready to be hung on a cord.

The appearance of these two Instant Jades was completely different from the ones Lin Zhuo and Wen Tao had given him. They weren’t carved into any particular shape; instead, each had a simple phrase plainly carved on it.

One read, "Congratulations and Prosperity," and the other, "So what?".

The patterns inside the two translucent Instant Jades were densely packed, overlapping to the point that even after staring for a long time, Zhong Yi couldn’t make out what kind of Guardian Beast was engraved within.

Zhong Yi was already incredibly grateful to Lin Zhuo and Wen Tao for giving him their Instant Jades as life-saving trump cards.

As the one who had compiled the world’s lore, Zhong Yi knew very well that a Celestial Destiny Seeker could only create one Instant Jade at a time.

And now, two more Celestial Destiny Seekers had given him their Instant Jades. Moreover, Star Night was no ordinary Celestial Destiny Seeker.

He was one of the Three Emperors of the Xin Xia Federation!

Although the name Frost Day was not among the Three Emperors, Four Venerables, and Five Monarchs—the twelve Strongest individuals in the Xin Xia Federation.

It was said that Frost Day was simply too indifferent and disliked competing, and that he cared about nonsensical things completely different from other Celestial Destiny Seekers.

He was also a Defense Element Celestial Destiny Seeker, which was why he wasn’t included in their ranks.

When Zhong Yi had been designing the game’s settings, he had mainly focused on the Guardian Beast and Rule designs.

Many of the character profiles, for example, were completed with the help of an AI.

Otherwise, forget two years—even in ten years, it would have been impossible for him to map out all the meticulous details of the vast game world by himself.

When he first transmigrated into this world, Zhong Yi had always felt like an outsider.

But now, in addition to Zhong Chenghuai and Zhong Ling making him feel like he had a family, this was not the first time he had received help from the powerful experts of Starlight City.

Zhong Yi hadn’t originally felt any sense of belonging to Starlight City, but now his mindset and feelings were quietly starting to change.

As for this Guardian Beast Shop at the South Cross Street Intersection, Zhong Yi had never intended to keep it running forever, not since the day he arrived in this world.

A Guardian Beast Shop located at the border of the Upper and Lower City Districts could hardly bring him much wealth.

However, both the Flowing Soul Soil secreted by the Soul-Controlling Flower and Zhao Kai, a Four-finger Peak Creator, had the ability to cultivate outstanding Guardian Beasts.

The exceptional Guardian Beasts and the high-end materials from Production-type Guardian Beasts were not suited for sale at this location.

Moreover, for a Four-finger Peak Creator like Zhao Kai to advance to a Five-finger Creator, or even reach the level of a Six-finger, he needed to constantly concoct Potions to enhance his soul’s sensitivity and fine control.

This meant Zhao Kai would be constantly producing Potions.

Even if Lin Zhuo hadn’t told him that Celestial Destiny Seekers could choose a residence in the Central District, Zhong Yi had already been planning to buy a plot of land and move the Evolution Shop there.

Once in the Central District, no matter how he designed his Evolution Shop—even if he turned it into a secluded paradise—Zhong Yi could use the Shelter he obtained from exploring a Secret Realm to pack up the entire shop and move it anytime.

As for the Guardian Beast Shop on South Cross Street, it was his starting point in this world, and he had no intention of selling it.

Instead, just as Zhao Kai had sealed up Xuke Studio, he would temporarily close this Guardian Beast Shop.

Perhaps this storefront, situated on the border of the Upper and Lower City Districts, would have other uses in the future.

Seeing Zhong Yi hang the Instant Jades from Star Night and Cold Day around his neck alongside hers and Wen Tao’s, Lin Zhuo said with a smile.

"Xiaoyi, besides giving you these two Instant Jades, I also came to tell you about the potential rating that Starlight City reported for you."

"Your potential rating is a little... special. You should prepare yourself."

As Zhong Yi listened to Lin Zhuo talk about his potential rating, his expression was calm at first.

But it quickly turned strange.

’What! I just split in two for no reason!?’

’The potential rating somehow turned me from one person into two Celestial Destiny Seekers!’