Liu Yi said, "It's probably because they saw how well I raised my first contracted pet."
She paused, reaching out to rub Ziyue's ear. "Ziyue started as an Ice Fox and evolved into a Silver Snow Fox, a completely new evolution of the Ice Fox. The Blazing Lions saw Ziyue's condition and felt it would be fine to entrust their tribe's young to me for a contract."
Helian Hua's gaze fell upon Ziyue, scrutinizing her from head to tail.
She walked back to the opposite side of the long table, sat down in a chair, picked up the tablet computer Wu Sheng had left on the table, and rapidly swiped her fingers across the screen.
"I've heard some things about your achievements," she said, still looking at the tablet. "Contracting a newly discovered Dragon-type pet, cultivating a completely new evolutionary form of the Ice Fox."
She put down the tablet and looked at Liu Yi. "Your resume is impressive enough."
Liu Yi remained silent.
"However," Helian Hua's tone shifted, "this is the Glorious Domain, not the Longwu Region. Here, the status of Blaze Lions cannot be compared to ordinary pets. They are the symbol of Saint Candle, the pride of the Glorious Domain."
"Student Liu Yi," her voice softened slightly, "do you know what a Radiance Shift individual Blaze Lion means in the Glorious Domain?"
Just as Liu Yi was about to speak, Wei Xiuyu suddenly stood up from her chair.
The chair legs scraped lightly against the floor, a small sound, but enough to draw everyone's attention to her.
"Excuse me for interrupting your conversation," Wei Xiuyu said calmly, "but Vice President Helian, there's something I'd like to tell you."
Helian Hua tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on Wei Xiuyu.
"Liu Yi has already contracted Jinyao."
Silence fell over the VIP room for a moment.
"And she's only a first-year," Wei Xiuyu added. "Do you understand?"
Her words landed in the VIP room like a stone dropped into a calm lake.
Helian Hua's expression changed.
"A first-year?"
"You mean, this child—"
She turned to Liu Yi, her gaze lingering on her face for a moment before shifting to Wei Xiuyu.
"Her Beast Taming Space development progress has already reached 30%?"
Wei Xiuyu didn't answer, merely nodded slightly.
Helian Hua was silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh.
"30%," she repeated the number. "I've worked at the Beast Tamer Association for decades and seen many geniuses, but someone like you is truly rare."
She paused, her gaze falling on Jinyao. "This Radiance Shift Blaze Lion following you certainly isn't a waste of its potential."
Helian Hua tapped her fingers lightly on the long table twice, seemingly lost in thought.
"Although you've already contracted Jinyao, according to procedure, we still need to confirm this with the Blaze Lion tribe."
She paused, explaining, "It's not to question your qualifications, but the Blaze Lion tribe has the right to know. They have the right to know who contracted their young."
"Furthermore," she looked at Jinyao, "the situation with a Radiance Shift individual is even more special. If the tribe learns that a Radiance Shift cub has been contracted, they will want to know the detailed circumstances."
Liu Yi nodded. "I understand."
Helian Hua turned to Wu Sheng. "Contact the Blaze Lion tribe and ask them to send a representative."
Wu Sheng hesitated. "Vice President Helian, the Blaze Lion tribe..."
"Just tell them there's something to discuss regarding the Blaze Lions in the Myriad Realm Secret Realm," Helian Hua interrupted him. "They will send a representative."
Wu Sheng nodded and quickly exited the VIP room.
The room fell silent.
Time passed, minute by minute.
About thirty minutes later, the VIP room door was pushed open.
Wu Sheng entered first, stepping aside to make space.
A figure followed behind him, slowly entering the room.
It was a massive lion.
A Blazing Lion.
Liu Yi recognized it.
It was the same Blazing Lion that had allowed her to pass the trial back in the Myriad Realm Secret Realm.
The Blazing Lion's gaze swept around the room, finally landing on Liu Yi and stopping.
It stared at Liu Yi for a few seconds, its ears twitching slightly.
Then its gaze shifted from her to Ziyue, then from Ziyue to Chiying, and finally rested on Jinyao in her arms.
In that instant, the Blazing Lion's body stiffened slightly.
It stood rooted to the spot, the flames on its mane suddenly flaring up a bit, then slowly receding.
The Blazing Lion's eyes scanned Jinyao, from its fluffy fur to its mane, from its mane to its eyes, from its eyes to its tail, observing its golden fur, its golden-red mane, and that touch of fiery red at the tip of its tail.
The Blazing Lion's eyes widened abruptly.
Then, it turned to Liu Yi.
"Zhuoyan?"
Is that you?
Liu Yi nodded slightly at the Blazing Lion. "We meet again."
The Blazing Lion slowly approached, each step taken with a carefulness, as if fearing to disturb something.
It stopped before Liu Yi, lowering its head to look at the small golden lion sleeping on the human's lap.
Jinyao twitched its ears in its sleep, burying its face deeper into Liu Yi's arm.
The Blazing Lion watched for a few seconds, then raised its head, its amber eyes looking directly at Liu Yi.
"Zhuoyan, Zhuoyan?"
This is... the egg from our tribe? It hatched?
Liu Yi looked into the Blazing Lion's amber eyes and nodded.
"Yes, it hatched. Jinyao, a Radiance Shift individual."
The Blazing Lion's pupils contracted slightly, and the flames on its mane flared up a bit higher again.
Its gaze lingered on Jinyao for a moment, then shifted back to Liu Yi.
"Zhuoyan, Zhuoyan, Zhuoyan?"
When did you contract it? Didn't you only have two contract slots then? It's only been two months, and you've already broken through 30%?
"That's right," Liu Yi nodded. "I just broke through a while ago."
The Blazing Lion fell silent for a moment.
It lowered its head and gently nudged Jinyao's head with its nose.
Jinyao twitched its ears in its sleep when it was nudged, but didn't wake up.
The Blazing Lion's tail swayed gently, and it raised its head, its eyes holding a complex light.
"Zhuoyan."
It's truly beautiful.
Ziyue tilted her head from beside them and let out a cry.
"Bingbing?"
Are you praising it?
The Blazing Lion turned its head and glanced at Ziyue.
"Zhuoyan."
I mean, it looks different from the little ones in our tribe. It's golden, very rare.
Ziyue's tail swayed gently.
"Bingbing."
It's a Radiance Shift.
The Blazing Lion snorted a puff of hot air from its nostrils.
"Zhuoyan."
Of course, I know.
Jinyao was still asleep, completely oblivious to everything happening around it.
The Blazing Lion stared at Liu Yi for several more seconds, then let out a low sigh.
"Zhuoyan..."
As expected of me, my judgment is simply excellent...
It looked at Jinyao again, a flicker of satisfaction in its eyes.
"Zhuoyan, Zhuoyan."
Jinyao is in excellent condition, and its potential is also very good.
The Blazing Lion paced two steps in the room, its tail swaying gently behind it.
In its mind, it was already calculating how to report this matter to the tribe's elder when it returned.
The elder would surely be surprised, and perhaps even reward it with a long vacation, so it wouldn't have to return to guard the Myriad Realm Secret Realm, letting another of its kin go instead.
Rate on N.U.
