General Zhao had told him that the matter of the Special Beast Taming Forces was not to be spoken of to outsiders.

Although the two before him were not strangers, Old Zhao hadn't specified if *they* could be told.

The Special Beast Taming Forces were an absolute secret.

Every detail about these forces—from members to Breeders, instructors, and Pet Beasts, even down to the type of Pet Beast and the names of the forces—was not permitted to be divulged in the slightest.

Seeing Su Ping's troubled expression, Qin Erlong was also taken aback.

It was Liu Fuhai who asked, "You can't say it? Is it like that matter you told me about before?"

Su Ping nodded.

"Alright then," Liu Fuhai also nodded. "We won't ask. Legion matters are, after all, fraught with taboos, and it's better not to hear about them."

This time, it was Qin Erlong's turn to be suspicious. He turned to Liu Fuhai. "What did you and Su Ping talk about?"

Liu Fuhai shot him a glance. "Didn't I tell you? I can't say!"

"Can't you act like a human being?"

This time, Qin Erlong experienced the same maddening frustration Liu Fuhai must have felt when he himself was being cryptic earlier.

This agonizing curiosity made him shift his resentful gaze from Liu Fuhai to Su Ping.

"Uh, Old Liu," Su Ping touched his nose somewhat helplessly. "Didn't you say before that you could talk it over with Old Qin? There's no one else here now..."

Liu Fuhai hummed twice, and Qin Erlong immediately understood.

"A few days ago, Magic Capital sent me a package with a jin of Dragon Blood Tea..." Qin Erlong began.

Liu Fuhai's eyes lit up, and he looked at Qin Erlong eagerly. "What Dragon Blood?"

Qin Erlong shot the old coot—who wouldn't lift a finger unless there was something in it for him—a speechless glance. "What other Dragon Blood could it be? The best-tasting kind—Ice Dragon Blood..."

"Eight liang!"

"Nonsense! Three liang at most!"

"Deal."

Old Liu was utterly satisfied, feeling as though a heavy burden that had been weighing on his chest for some time had finally been lifted.

He felt thoroughly refreshed from head to toe.

"Alright now, spill it. What exactly happened? I saw you being all secretive at Old Zhao's place earlier."

Liu Fuhai paused for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, "At the end of the previous competition, that immense radiance emitted by the Wanmu Wolf, and its state of being enveloped in light—that was the initial combination of a nascent Super-Rank Skill's Skill Module!"

Wanmu Wolf, immense light, Super-Rank Skill, nascent...

The moment these four keywords connected in his mind, even with Qin Erlong's considerable composure, he couldn't help but blurt out, "What the fuck?!"

Perhaps because he wasn't a specialized Breeder, Qin Erlong didn't know much about certain aspects of Cultivation.

But as a powerful Beast Tamer, Qin Erlong was crystal clear about matters related to Pet Beast combat.

So naturally, he understood what Super-Rank Skills represented.

Qin Erlong looked at Su Ping, his eyes wide with a newfound worry.

Indeed, he was worried.

Because before this, he had thought that—concerns about his own old age aside—with his wife, their unfilial son, and Xiao Xue's own Talented Ability, Xiao Xue was certainly a good enough match for this rascal Su Ping, even if Su Ping only possessed a modicum of talent in Cultivation. In fact, from the standpoint of social standing, they weren't perfectly matched.

But if his granddaughter fancied him, that wasn't a major issue.

But now, it seemed things weren't quite so simple, were they?

How did this rascal keep shattering his perceptions time and again?

Is this reasonable?

Previously, his granddaughter Xiao Xue had used the example of the Master of the Holy Dragon to refute Sun Chaoju. And now? Had it turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy?

Although this kid will likely face enormous difficulties compared to that Master of the Holy Dragon in the future, starting off exactly the same way is still too much to handle!

At this moment, Qin Erlong understood why Old Liu had kept this matter under wraps.

"Indeed, this matter must be kept secret for now," Qin Erlong nodded after exhaling slowly. "At least until the Breeder Competition."

By then, Su Ping might enter the sights of certain influential people, and those who might want to resort to underhanded tactics wouldn't dare.

Old Liu shot him a disdainful look. "What nonsense are you spouting? Breeder Competition? It's still in its nascent stages. We haven't even confirmed the number of Skill Modules, and that burst from the Wanmu Wolf was just a flash in the pan. I even went to check afterward; there was hardly a trace."

"To prove achievements at the Breeder Competition, he must fully display a Super-Rank Skill. Do you think that's like you drinking tea? One slurp and it's done? It's incredibly difficult! Ultimately, there's only so much time before this Breeder Competition; whether he can complete it is still unknown. Next year's Breeder Competition, perhaps..."

"Just because you can't do it doesn't mean Su Ping can't, understand?" Qin Erlong, clearly feeling bold again, snorted coldly. "Do you think I was asking you? I'm talking to Su Ping! Who the hell was it that swore up and down to me that it was impossible to cultivate the Wanmu Wolf in a short time? And now you're here barking at me, flaunting your seniority as a Breeder?"

Indeed, this tirade made Liu Fuhai's face flush red, and he was left speechless.

Having regained the upper hand, Qin Erlong took out his phone and started scrolling through it.

"What are you doing?" Old Liu said. "Let me tell you, this matter cannot be leaked carelessly. No, seriously, can't you, an old coot like you, have some dignity? Why do you have to report every little thing to your wife? At your age..."

Qin Erlong sneered and ignored him. What does this old fool know?

Having my wife in on it will provide an extra layer of security for Su Ping, won't it?

Listening to the two bickering beside him, which was giving him a headache, Su Ping felt rather helpless and quickly changed the subject, "By the way, Old Liu, where is Breeder Yang?"

However, Su Ping hadn't expected this question to completely stump Liu Fuhai.

Only then did Old Liu recall that back at the Legion base, he seemed to have forgotten a student, hadn't he?

「Legion Base.」

Yang He watched the figures coming and going outside the spatial vortex; they were all Breeders departing.

He pursed his lips for a moment, looking around for any sign of his teacher.

But he couldn't find a hide nor hair of him.

Eventually, among all the Breeders coming and going outside the spatial vortex, only a solitary Yang He remained, looking around in bewilderment.

One of the returning Legion members recognized him.

"Huh? Breeder Yang? Why are you still here? Your teacher? You mean President Liu? He left with President Qin and Breeder Su a long time ago. I thought you'd left with them..."

Feeling the Jianghai weather, which was on the verge of winter—though not excessively cold by the coast—Yang He felt as if snowflakes were landing on his head, and a solitary winter plum was blooming beside him.

...

「Less than half an hour later」

Su Ping finally returned to Linzhou after being away for over two days.

Unfortunately, before he could even step into his house, Old Liu dragged him off to the Breeder Association to discuss the Wanmu Wolf's Cultivation and the progress of the Solar Formula.

Old Liu knew his limits and didn't probe too deeply.

Noticing Su Ping's exhaustion, he simply waved his hand, telling him to go back and rest first.

Then, just as Su Ping had stepped out of the gate, he was stopped by Sun Chaoju and others.

At this moment, Su Ping profoundly felt how fickle circumstances could be.

Just a few months ago, Sun Chaoju couldn't stand the sight of him, no matter how he looked at him. Now, he was practically ready to kneel and call him 'Dad'.

He was incredibly warm, and then, calling over his friends, insisted on throwing Su Ping a welcome-home banquet.

He'd only been gone a few hundred kilometers for a little over two days. What was there to give a welcome-home banquet for, or to 'dust him off' from?

Su Ping managed to decline only after considerable effort. By the time he was escorted back to Heart of Woods, the sun was setting, and the sky had already darkened.

Looking at his own front door, Su Ping felt an unprecedented warmth, like a young swallow returning to its nest, as he opened the door to Heart of Woods. Unfortunately, just as he had comfortably flopped onto his sofa and let out a groan of contentment, Old Guan appeared before him.

"Xiao Ping, you really are back!"

What's with the 'really'?

Su Ping suddenly had an uneasy premonition.

"A woman, who says she also came from the Legion, is here to see you about something!" Guan Qianshan informed him.

Filled with doubt, Su Ping went to the reception room in Heart of Woods and immediately saw the woman, still dressed in black.

Who else could it be but Rong Qiu, the Breeder from the Snow Wolf Group?

However, Su Ping had barely sat down, before he could even ask the purpose of her visit, when her first words left him utterly stunned.

"Xiao Ping, you don't mind if I call you that, do you? After all, your dad wanted you to recognize me as your godmother..."

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