Beast Taming: My System is Bugged-Chapter 39 - 38: Mana Evolution

Gu Ming’s consciousness plunged into a sea of Chaos, and before his eyes, the Dantian Realm of an unknown Pet Beast appeared.

Raging Spiritual Fire roasted the Mana within the Pet Beast’s body. A conjured giant hand continuously kneaded it, gathering the Mana to form a Pill.

Besides consolidating the Mana, the essence of the Pet Beast’s Blood Qi and the residual components of the Evolution Elixir within its body were also drawn by the Qi Mechanism, converging in the Pet Beast’s Dantian to be baked by the Spiritual Fire and become part of the Pet Beast’s Inner Core.

This was the mainstream Evolution method of the modern era. It involved Solidifying a Pill using Alchemy techniques. The core concept of this Evolution was "the body is a furnace, refine and forge a Pill."

During the Evolution period, a Pet Beast could be supplemented with various Evolution Elixir components to guide its body’s development toward a desired standard.

Of course, these Evolution Elixirs were all consumed in advance, not right at the moment of Evolution. They needed a certain amount of time to settle within the body.

Determining which medicines to take and how to formulate them was the primary job of a Cultivation Element Beastmaster.

Gu Ming perceived the semi-realistic Illusion Technique transmitted by the Illusory Spirit Butterfly and synchronized it for Cyan Treasure to watch as well.

Meanwhile, Gu Ming perceived a new era’s Illusion Technique from the future Illusory Spirit Butterfly. This was the Illusory Spirit Butterfly from a future timeline; it had already advanced to Five-star, no longer at the Four-star level.

Because of this, the Illusion Technique it transmitted was more impactful and realistic, as if he were truly there.

Both Illusion Techniques depicted the Dantian Realm inside a Pet Beast, but the preparatory work for the Mana Evolution was completely different.

In the Illusion of the future, the Pet Beast had consumed some unknown medicine, causing the meridians inside its Dantian to become as transparent as glass pipes.

Gu Ming observed closely and discovered that what flowed through them wasn’t blood, but Mana carrying glowing particles.

These glowing particles were a future Spirit Medicine. After being consumed, it allowed the Mana inside the Pet Beast to be clearly displayed, making it perceptible via Spiritual Techniques.

Being able to clearly see the flow of Mana within the body before the Pet Beast had condensed its Divine Sense would undoubtedly improve the precision of Solidifying the Pill.

The core of Mana Evolution was to further stack Mana and break through its limits.

Forming an Inner Core wasn’t a Pet Beast’s limit; it could be compressed further to increase its density.

The old method was simple Alchemy; the firing process was too crude, missing many details that could have been further refined.

The New Technique was to channel Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into a hammer, use the Dantian as an anvil, and directly strike the Mana Pill, forging Elixir Patterns. At the same time, this would cause the Inner Core to spin further, compressing the Mana.

With each additional turn and each reduction in size, the quality of the Magic Power Inner Core would increase by ten percent.

Nine Turns was the limit for a Magic Power Inner Core. At that point, a qualitative change would occur within, and it would no longer be an ordinary One-star Pet Beast Inner Core.

At this stage, only the Inner Core inside the Pet Beast had completed its Evolution; the physical body had not yet evolved.

However, the Pet Beast would have already entered the One-star Realm. It could then use its powerful Inner Core to condition its body, gradually consuming Elixirs it couldn’t handle before, furiously refining them to enhance its physical form in turn.

This was an evolutionary path of ’overtaking on the curve’ in the domain of Mana, then coming back to ’renovate the house’.

In the future, this line of evolutionary thinking gradually became mainstream, considered within the scope of normal Evolution.

Even new Spirit Medicines on the market had their efficacy tied to Mana enhancement to some degree; otherwise, they wouldn’t sell well.

At this point in his learning, the Illusion Technique receded like a tide, and Gu Ming’s mind cleared.

’So that’s the mainstream Evolution of the future. No wonder the standards for physical strength can be lowered.’

As for Cyan Treasure, its eyes were wide open. It sensed its master’s state of mind. ’Why are there two versions of the Illusion Technique he’s sending me? How strange. One is the method of Solidifying a Pill that everyone already knew, while the other is an unheard-of concept: continuing to cultivate upward after one’s Mana has already reached its limit.’

Cyan Treasure shook its head. Its brain wasn’t as sharp as its master’s; it couldn’t figure out all these convoluted ideas.

’Better to let Master worry about it.’

After class ended, a short break began.

Gu Ming stretched out his finger and did finger exercises with Cyan Treasure. When they got tired, they practiced breathing, alternating between activity and rest.

The next two periods were basic academic subjects, unrelated to Beast Taming.

Gu Ming took the opportunity to review the system’s messages and digest the new knowledge about Evolution he had just learned.

Without a doubt, Gu Ming wanted to try the future’s method of Mana Evolution.

’Times are always changing, and a New Technique from the future isn’t necessarily better than the current one. But for it to be included in the Evolution textbooks of schools nationwide, the New Technique is clearly superior.’

After studying it, Gu Ming began teaching it to Cyan Treasure, bit by bit, unafraid that it wouldn’t understand.

"When you breathe, don’t exercise your whole body yet. Guide the Spiritual Qi into your Dantian, shape it into a hammer, and strike your Mana," Gu Ming instructed mentally.

Cyan Treasure nodded, hid in a dark corner of the desk drawer, and began its secret Cultivation.

Blocked by a book, it was hidden from view. Wang Teng glanced in that direction before looking away.

Inside its body, where its Mana had already been cultivated to its limit, Cyan Treasure subconsciously breathed, guiding Spiritual Qi into its Dantian and then trying to shape it into a hammer.

Unfortunately, it failed at this step.

It was easier said than done.

This required a fine degree of control over Spiritual Qi from the Cultivation Method. A mere Entry Level Cultivation Method was not precise enough to achieve Condensing Qi into a Hammer.

HISS HISS HISS—

Cyan Treasure poked its head out of the drawer and shook it at its master.

’It’s too hard.’

Gu Ming understood immediately. ’It seems the Breathing Technique needs to reach the Master Level.’

Currently, Cyan Treasure’s Breathing Technique was at 1,800 Skill Level, another 1,200 short of what was needed.

Gu Ming still had ten days’ worth of Dream Realm Cultivation Time on hand. If he used it all at once, he could naturally get Cyan Treasure’s Breathing Technique directly to the Master Level.

However, he wanted to wait until he got home to use it, so that Ah Kun could also enjoy the Dream Realm Cultivation.

「In the blink of an eye, it was noon, and school let out.」

Teacher Zhang was waiting for Gu Ming in the cafeteria on purpose. He knew Gu Ming hadn’t given up his volunteer work and would leave right after eating, so Teacher Zhang had no choice but to use the mealtime to talk.

To be frank, his family didn’t lack for that little bit of money; there was no need for Gu Ming to have a part-time job. Teacher Zhang planned to talk to Gu Ming about it in a moment.

While Gu Ming went to get their food, Teacher Zhang examined Cyan Treasure’s Mana levels and muscle strength at the table.

After his inspection, a look of delight appeared on Teacher Zhang’s face.

"It really reached one hundred Circulations. Those Great Dao Insights are amazing! That saved three or four weeks’ worth of effort all at once," Teacher Zhang said, clucking his tongue in approval.

With a THUD, Gu Ming set down two trays of food. Cyan Treasure flicked its tongue and rushed toward its hundred-yuan meal, digging in with gusto.

Watching Cyan Treasure’s eating Speed, Teacher Zhang knew that its progress with the Snake Swallowing Elephant Technique was fast; it had basically reached the Entry Level.

"You have to practice the Snake Swallowing Elephant Technique every day. Once you reach the Master Level, it will be able to eat more. Without a strong body, it can’t evolve.

"I have a little snack here. It’s very hard to digest. After your Cyan Treasure finishes its meal, have it swallow this indigestible fruit pit. Let it constantly work on refining it to practice the Skill Level of its Snake Swallowing Elephant Technique."

As Teacher Zhang spoke, he took out a green fruit pit, overflowing with a rich Grass Attribute.

Cyan Treasure looked up, and its gaze fixed on it, wanting very much to eat it.

Just as Gu Ming was about to thank him, Teacher Zhang, who hadn’t finished speaking, waved his hand and added, "Gu Ming, let me sponsor you. Can you quit your part-time job?"

Gu Ming didn’t feel happy; his first reaction was confusion.

’Why is Teacher being so nice? A little too nice.’

’Could it be because of the innovative Cultivation Technique?’