Beast Taming: The Beginning of Hatching an Ancient Dragon

Chapter 14: Results Announcement and Pet Beast Acquisition

The specific effects of the Crimson Lotus Breath remained unclear to Li Chang’an. He dared not let Mao Mao use it, fearing damage to his courtyard and harm to Mao Mao’s foundation. After all, this was a high-level skill, challenging even for elite-level pet beasts, let alone a juvenile in the awakening phase.

Thus, the Talent Awakening Ceremony concluded… Oh wait, Li Chang’an hadn’t checked his own panel yet. Reminded by Mao Mao, he finally remembered to review the inherited abilities. Upon examining himself, he realized the significant boost from the inheritance ritual.

First, his physical strength had improved. The excruciating experiences weren’t in vain. He could now effortlessly lift Mao Mao with one hand. Next, his curse power and mental strength had surged. Good news: his 500-cubic pet beast space was 90% full. Bad news: it had expanded to 1000 cubic units. The struggle continues; more effort is needed.

Li Chang’an looked skyward, acknowledging the benefits of an expanded pet beast space—greater curse power capacity than peers, ability to handle stronger beasts, and a solid foundation for future pet beast world development. However, the downside was that a breakthrough that should have taken a week was now delayed by half a year—a significant setback.

Moreover, his mental strength had also improved remarkably, possibly from witnessing the entirety of the Azure Star. His perception, detection range, and mental solidity had greatly increased. He intuited that he might have surpassed the 20-token mental strength standard required for a Level 2 Beastmaster.

Lastly, the ability inherited from Mao Mao surprised him—it was [Prison Shadow]. This ability increased abnormal state resistance by 50%, agility by 50%, and added a double strike effect to all attacks, effectively doubling the attack power.

The final piece of Mao Mao’s talent evolution puzzle was actually within him! But if inherited from Mao Mao, shouldn’t Mao Mao’s talent be fully evolved? Why wasn’t it? The gift from the mother planet wasn’t theft but replication and sharing. Li Chang’an recalled the shadowy figure from his vision—was that the [Prison Shadow] ability? First, the Hunting Notes, now this inexplicable talent. He felt targeted by some entity.

Seeing Li Chang’an frown, Mao Mao thought it had inherited a poor ability and apologized, “Meow~ (Sorry, Chang’an, is my skill too weak?)” Li Chang’an chuckled, reassuring Mao Mao, “No, your ability is powerful. I’m just overthinking.”

He explained the [Prison Shadow] to Mao Mao, who excitedly exclaimed, “Meow! Meow! Meow~! (Chang’an, that! That! That!)” Puzzled, Li Chang’an asked, “What?” Mao Mao excitedly shouted, “Meow~! (Chang’an, your talent!)” Which talent? Dexterity? Ancient Dragon Heart? Wait, Ancient Dragon Heart!

Li Chang’an understood Mao Mao’s excitement. The Ancient Dragon Heart talent, with its perfect compatibility with ancient dragons and pet beast resonance, could potentially allow Mao Mao’s talent to evolve fully if Li Chang’an could withstand 100% perfect resonance. He realized that the shadowy figure might have bestowed the [Prison Shadow] to achieve this ideal outcome.

Li Chang’an grinned, ruffling Mao Mao’s mane, “You’re amazing, Mao Mao, figuring it out so quickly.” Mao Mao, praised, shyly nuzzled Li Chang’an’s chest, giggling in their soul contract.

The duo played in the courtyard, with Mao Mao shrinking to kitten size and perching on Li Chang’an’s shoulder. Despite Li Chang’an’s enhanced physique, his head couldn’t support Mao Mao’s current weight, so the shoulder was the next best spot.

Given Mao Mao’s persistent hunger, Li Chang’an prepared five low-level lava meals, satisfying Mao Mao’s increased appetite post-talent awakening. This was normal, though its appetite hadn’t quintupled—just tripled. Not much… ’

For Mao Mao’s future, Li Chang’an began practicing mid-level lava meals. Shortly after Mao Mao’s talent awakening, Red Rock High announced the semester exam results. As expected, Li Chang’an remained top, with Wen Miaohua close behind.

The next day, qualified students were summoned to the school gate. Those who failed would retake exams a week later, joining the last batch of students from Red Rock City’s high schools to choose pet beasts—a minor penalty. Those who failed the retake would lose their chance to become Beastmasters, reassigned to ordinary classes in senior year to learn other life skills, as failing basic high school subjects disqualified them from scientific paths. They would attend vocational colleges, ensuring they acquired practical skills.

Red Rock High arranged buses to transport students to the Ecological Research Institute. Not all buses carried students; some were reserved for the return trip, accommodating larger pet beasts and their masters. As students who had just completed soul contracts without developed pet beast spaces, these arrangements were necessary.

Li Chang’an, however, had no such worries. His spacious pet beast space eliminated concerns about overcrowding. Currently, his head rested on Wen Miaohua’s shoulder as he slept soundly. He had pulled all-nighters since Mao Mao’s awakening, primarily due to the [Prison Shadow] ability. He discovered that the “shadow” in [Prison Shadow] was literal—his shadow also trained during cultivation. Enhanced by the mother planet’s life energy, his curse power cultivation talent had improved, now doubled, making cultivation exhilarating. The visible growth in curse power captivated him, leading to sleepless nights of training. At this rate, the initially projected six months could shrink to two.

Wen Miaohua’s ears flushed with shyness, but she leaned slightly towards Li Chang’an to make him more comfortable. Eventually, she too fell asleep, their heads resting together. They might have missed their stop if not for the driver’s reminder.

“How did you fall asleep too?” Li Chang’an asked, puzzled, knowing Wen Miaohua’s strict sleep schedule. Wen Miaohua couldn’t admit she was lulled by Li Chang’an’s warmth. Instead, she said, “I stayed up late training.” Li Chang’an eyed her skeptically—he didn’t buy it. The young girl buried her shyness deep within, unwilling to reveal her true feelings.