Chapter 329: Chapter 299: A Bounden Duty

"...Don’t say that. Once your Golden Pearl Bud evolves into a Tidal Sea Spirit and you receive the evolutionary feedback, all the hidden injuries you’ve accumulated over the years should heal completely."

"When that happens..."

"..."

The Dream-eating Beast was eavesdropping, repeating the conversation between Elder Tie and Teacher Han Ke in the voice of a little girl.

But just as the relayed conversation reached a crucial point, it abruptly cut off.

"What, no more?" Li Qian’s interest had just been piqued. He was ready to settle in for some good gossip, so when it suddenly stopped, he couldn’t help but ask.

The Dream-eating Beast looked at its Beast Master, Irina, and spoke again in the little girl’s voice. "I... I’ve been discovered."

"We’re already so far away, and Mom still found us? I guess there’s nothing we can do, then?" Irina said, shrugging with a helpless look.

She took it for granted that her mother, Han Ke, had discovered them. After all, her mother’s Power Level had reached Mid-Tier Emperor. Elder Tie, on the other hand, was only at the peak of the Dominator Level; it would be impossible for him to detect them eavesdropping from two kilometers away.

That was Irina’s assumption. But in the next moment, what the Dream-eating Beast said completely stunned her.

"No. Your mother, Ms. Han Ke, did discover me, but Teacher Tie was the first to notice something was wrong," the Dream-eating Beast reported honestly.

Its words shocked not only Irina but also made Li Qian’s eyes go wide.

Keep in mind, Teacher Han Ke’s Power Level was Mid-Tier Emperor, and even she hadn’t immediately detected the Dream-eating Beast. Yet, Elder Tie had sensed it.

This meant Elder Tie’s Spiritual Power was terrifyingly high. It might not surpass Teacher Han Ke’s, but it had to be at least on par with it.

In other words, Elder Tie’s Spiritual Power Level had reached Mid-Tier Emperor at a minimum. As this thought struck him, Li Qian frowned slightly in surprise.

Not only had Elder Tie’s Spiritual Power broken through to the Emperor Level, but it had also reached Mid-Tier Emperor at the very least.

If his Pet Beasts could break through their Level restrictions, he would undoubtedly ascend to the Emperor Level in a single step.

This thought strengthened Li Qian’s resolve. He couldn’t make guarantees for other Pet Beasts, but he would ensure that the Golden Pearl Bud evolved into a Tidal Sea Spirit safely and without a hitch.

"So, what now?" Their eavesdropping was over, and now both Li Qian and Irina were at a loss for what to do.

Li Qian pointed to the street ahead. "Why don’t we take a walk around Outpost Nine? Who knows, maybe there’s some nice scenery?"

"Mhm." Irina nodded in agreement. There wasn’t anything else to do right now anyway.

And so, they began to wander, making small talk as they went.

Luckily, they had each other for company. Otherwise, it would have been incredibly boring. Outpost Nine had no scenery to speak of; you couldn’t even find a handful of trees.

"This place is really desolate." After walking for about half an hour, they had pretty much seen all of Outpost Nine.

Figuring Elder Tie and Teacher Han Ke were likely deep in conversation, they decided not to disturb them. Instead, they returned to the stone bench and started the boring wait.

After waiting for about two hours, they finally saw Elder Tie and Teacher Han Ke leaving the city wall, talking and laughing.

"Elder Tie, what were you and Teacher Han Ke chatting so excitedly about? Senior Sister Yilina and I have been waiting so long our feet are going numb," Li Qian teased as he saw the two approach.

Hearing this, a blush appeared on Teacher Han Ke’s youthful face.

Li Qian caught sight of this, and a strange expression crossed his face. ’They really do look a bit like father and daughter standing together.’

’Anyone who didn’t know better would probably get the wrong idea.’

Elder Tie shot Li Qian a sidelong glance and lied without batting an eye. "That herd of One-horned Rhinoceroses may have left, but there were so many of them, including a few Unihorn Tyrannosauruses. Who knows what kind of irreversible disaster they might cause? Your Teacher Han and I naturally had to keep watch."

Hearing this, Teacher Han Ke lowered her head in embarrassment. The excuse was utterly ridiculous.

Li Qian chuckled and said, "Oh." He then smoothly continued, "I think you have a point, Elder Tie. But just watching for two hours can’t completely eliminate the risk, right? Why don’t you and Teacher Han just stay on watch... all night..."

"COUGH, COUGH..." Elder Tie cut Li Qian off before he could finish.

’This kid is a real piece of work,’ the old man grumbled internally. ’He’ll say anything.’

’And the worst part is, he even came up with an excuse for me,’ leaving him at a loss for whether to laugh or cry.

"Ahem, they’ve retreated far enough. They probably won’t be back," Elder Tie said, hastily making up an excuse.

The four of them regrouped and walked straight toward a building in the outpost. If this building were on the Ancestral Star, it would be utterly unremarkable.

It was only three stories high with a footprint of about two hundred square meters.

A building like this was already considered "luxurious" here in Outpost Nine.

Elder Tie led them into the building. That’s right—this was Outpost Nine’s "Guardian Hall."

It was one of the highest seats of power at the outpost. Even the garrisoned army Beast Masters had to defer to its master’s opinion on certain decisions.

And without a doubt, its master was Elder Tie. After entering the Guardian Hall, the four of them chatted for a while.

When the mood felt right, Irina was the first to speak, cutting to the chase. She handed a custom Beast Taming Ball back to Elder Tie. "Teacher Tie, here’s your Golden Pearl Bud. Since Li Qian is here, you’ll have to handle the evolution yourself. I’ve already prepared all the necessary resources."

Elder Tie took the Beast Taming Ball containing the Golden Pearl Bud, his expression complex. "I never thought that in my old age, I’d have to rely on you two kids to worry about my affairs..."

"Elder Tie, you saved my life. Helping your Pet Beast evolve is the least I can do!" Li Qian declared, his tone firm and his face full of confidence.

Irina looked at Elder Tie and spoke six simple words: "Take good care of my mom."

Li Qian glanced around the room. "Elder Tie, space is a bit limited here. It doesn’t seem like a suitable place for a Pet Beast evolution..."

In fact, it wasn’t just this room. There was no suitable place for an evolution in all of Outpost Nine.

Once the Light of Evolution appeared, practically everyone in Outpost Nine would be able to see it. Li Qian had no desire to conduct the evolution under such public circumstances.

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