Wei Xiuyu's gaze shifted from her book to the small golden lion on the bed.
Jinyao tilted its head.
“Yanyan?”
It chirped, its voice tinged with clear curiosity.
Wei Xiuyu didn't reply.
Leaning back against the sofa, she lightly tapped the edge of the book with her fingers, her gaze still on Jinyao.
“It's quite normal,” she said, her tone flat. “The Blazing Lion tribe isn't found in pet breeding bases. Besides encountering them in the Myriad Realm Secret Realm, you can only see them in the Glorious Domain.”
Jinyao tilted its head, its golden eyes blinking, clearly not understanding.
Wei Xiuyu didn't mind and continued, “Not everyone can enter the Myriad Realm Secret Realm. And even if the Blazing Lion tribe belongs to the Glorious Domain, it's not easy for locals there to contract a Blazing Lion.”
She paused, her gaze resting on Jinyao's golden eyes. “So it's normal that she doesn't know.”
“Yanyan?”
It chirped again, this time with a hint of probing in its voice.
Wei Xiuyu looked down at the small golden lion walking towards her, not moving.
Jinyao reached her feet, looked up, and stared at her with its golden eyes for a few seconds.
“Paradox.”
A voice emerged from the air, low and calm, as if seeping from the void.
Jinyao's ears suddenly perked up, its entire body tensing. It quickly retreated two steps, its golden eyes scanning its surroundings warily, its tail hanging stiffly behind it.
It was searching for the source of the voice.
But it saw nothing.
Wei Xiuyu chuckled, watching Jinyao's alert, battle-ready posture.
“Paradox.”
The voice sounded again, this time with a hint of amusement.
It's looking for me.
Jinyao's ears twitched, finally pinpointing the direction of the voice. It looked up, towards the empty air beside Wei Xiuyu.
Reflected in its golden eyes were the room's lights, the floating island landscape painting on the wall, and Wei Xiuyu's arm resting on the sofa's armrest.
But it couldn't see the invisible pet.
“Yanyan!”
Jinyao chirped, its voice clearly indignant.
Come out!
“Paradox.”
The voice chuckled.
I won't come out.
Jinyao turned to Wei Xiuyu, its golden eyes full of appeal.
Wei Xiuyu couldn't help but let out a soft laugh, seeing its expression.
“It won't come out,” she said. “And you can't see it. That's just how it is.”
Jinyao tilted its head, its eyes full of confusion.
“Yanyan?”
What does 'that's just how it is' mean?
Wei Xiuyu didn't explain. She closed the book, placed it on the coffee table, leaned slightly forward, hands clasped on her knees, and her gaze fell upon Jinyao.
“Paradox, Paradox.”
The voice sounded again, this time with a slightly more serious tone.
If your student can push her Beast Taming Space development progress past 30% and contract a Blazing Lion, and have it participate in matches before the end of the upcoming National High School League, I wonder what the people of the Glorious Domain will react like.
Wei Xiuyu lightly tapped her fingers on her knee twice.
In the Glorious Domain, the Blazing Lion holds a very special status.
It's a sacred land for Fighting-type and Fire-type pets, and as one of the representatives of Fire-type pets, the Blazing Lion has deep cultural roots there.
Locals know from a young age that contracting a Blazing Lion isn't something achieved by strength alone; it depends entirely on the Blazing Lion tribe's disposition and fate.
As for Radiance Shift individuals—within the Blazing Lion tribe, the conditions for a Radiance Shift are even more unique.
Other pets' Radiance Shifts are random and uncontrollable, but the Blazing Lion's Radiance Shift is different.
It requires the Blazing Lion, while still in its pet egg, to have a high degree of recognition, trust, and affection for the Beast Tamer who will soon contract it.
However, this also results in a lower chance of a Blazing Lion undergoing a Radiance Shift compared to other pets.
Firstly, the Blazing Lion tribe wouldn't normally entrust a pet egg directly to a Beast Tamer. Secondly, how does one gain the recognition, trust, and affection of a pet that can't yet speak or express preferences? Who could possibly know how to cater to its desires?
And these conditions are clearer to the locals of the Glorious Domain than to anyone else.
So, when they see a Radiance Shift Blazing Lion appear beside someone who isn't a local of the Glorious Domain, their reaction is sure to be interesting.
Thinking of this, Wei Xiuyu chuckled softly. “It's quite something to look forward to.”
“Paradox.”
The voice also chuckled.
Indeed.
Jinyao squatted by Wei Xiuyu's feet, looking up, its golden eyes darting back and forth between Wei Xiuyu and the empty air beside her several times.
“Yanyan.”
It chirped, its voice carrying a hint of displeasure.
What are you talking about?
Wei Xiuyu looked down at it.
“We're talking about you,” she said.
“Yanyan?”
It tilted its head, a flicker of wariness in its golden eyes.
Talking about what?
“We're saying you're a Radiance Shift individual,” Wei Xiuyu said. “Very rare.”
Jinyao's tail curled even higher.
“Yanyan!”
It chirped, its voice full of obvious pride.
Of course!
“Paradox.”
The voice sounded again, this time with a hint of teasing.
It's quite easily pleased.
Hearing the voice, Jinyao turned to look at the empty air beside Wei Xiuyu, its golden eyes full of indignation.
“Yanyan! Yanyan!”
It chirped twice in a row, its voice growing louder.
I am not!
“Paradox.”
Hahahaha.
Jinyao turned to Wei Xiuyu.
“Yanyan.”
It chirped, its voice carrying a hint of grievance.
It's bullying me.
Wei Xiuyu's lips curved slightly upwards, seeing Jinyao's wronged expression.
“It's not bullying you,” she said. “It's praising you.”
Jinyao tilted its head, its golden eyes full of doubt.
“Yanyan?”
Really?
“Really,” Wei Xiuyu affirmed.
Jinyao tilted its head, its golden eyes still showing suspicion.
It watched Wei Xiuyu for a few seconds, then the empty air beside her for a few more, before lowering its head and pawing at the bedsheet.
“Yanyan...”
It chirped softly, as if to itself.
Wei Xiuyu said nothing more, picking up the book from the coffee table and opening it again.
The room fell silent, save for the faint rustle of turning pages and Jinyao's occasional shifting on the bed.
Jinyao lay on the bed for a while, then sat up, lay down again, and then rolled over.
It rolled from the head of the bed to the foot, then back from the foot to the head.
Wei Xiuyu's gaze remained on the pages, not looking up.
After rolling a few times, Jinyao finally stopped.
It lay in the center of the bed, chin resting on its front paws, its golden eyes fixed on Wei Xiuyu for a long while.
Then it jumped off the bed, walked to Wei Xiuyu's feet, and looked up at her.
“Yanyan.”
It chirped.
Wei Xiuyu looked down at it. “What is it?”
“Yanyan.”
Jinyao chirped again, then gently tugged at Wei Xiuyu's pant leg with its mouth, pulling backward slightly.
Rate on N.U.
