Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1
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When Qiao Sang clicked on the trending topic, a video popped up, showing the moment Lubao evolved after being attacked by ice spikes.
The poster had written a lengthy caption:
"As everyone knows, for Ice Qiya to evolve into Ice Xilu, one of the conditions is to experience an unprecedented level of happiness."
"Today, at the Haicheng Pet Battle Arena, the much-talked-about Ice Qiya evolved! Everyone saw it, it evolved while being attacked!"
"Its opponent was the advanced pet Ice Sea Lion from the Lianke region, known for its powerful attacks. Yet, it evolved!"
"This means that while it was under attack, it felt an unparalleled sense of joy!"
"Yes, this Ice Qiya is actually a masochist!"
"I hope our region's Water Luriana Research and Conservation Center takes this news seriously!""Why is the evolution rate of Ice Qiya in the Guwu region so low every year? It’s because you haven’t fully understood their personalities and preferences!"
"Everyone who saw the video knows what happened. Still, I must point out that this Ice Qiya evolved twice in one year, from Water Luriana to Ice Xilu!"
"When I first heard that Ice Qiya was contracted by a high school student from the Yuhua region, I was worried."
"But she’s raised it better than any Ice Qiya at our research center!"
"She knows what kind of pets Water Luriana likes and even helped it recover from heartbreak. She also figured out what makes Ice Qiya happy, enabling its evolution."
"Why are the researchers at our Water Luriana Research and Conservation Center being outdone by a high school student from another region?"
"Is it because you’re not paying enough attention?"
"[@Water Luriana Research and Conservation Center]"
The comments section had already exceeded 10,000, with most people criticizing the center for neglecting its duties:
"I don’t get it. How hard can it be to figure out what Ice Qiya likes and make it happy?"
"Honestly, unless you really understand Ice Qiya, there’s no way you’d notice its masochistic tendencies. But Qiao Sang figured it out and did a better job than the researchers!"
"How embarrassing! Someone from another region is better at nurturing our endangered pets than we are."
"I looked it up, last year, the evolution rate for Ice Qiya was 7%. That’s pathetic. What are the researchers even doing?"
"Can we convince Qiao Sang to stay in the Guwu region?"
"Agreed. She should work at the Water Luriana Research and Conservation Center!"
"What does the research center staff even do all day?"
Lubao evolved because she was so happy after being attacked? And now she’s a masochist?
Qiao Sang didn’t know whether to appreciate their enthusiasm for Lubao or criticize their wild imaginations.
"Good thing Lubao can’t read, or she would be fuming…"
After thinking for a while, Qiao Sang decided to log into her account to clear up the misunderstanding.
Although public opinion wasn’t important, she couldn’t tolerate baseless rumors tarnishing Lubao’s name.
Luckily, she had a photo of Lubao and the Emerald Python on her phone.
While Emerald Pythons weren’t common in the Guwu region, they weren’t rare enough to draw too much attention. Unless a pet was exceptionally distinctive within its species, or its tamer publicly identified it, it was almost impossible for others to trace its owner from a single photo.
Even if someone managed to dig up the Emerald Python’s origins, as long as the involved parties didn’t issue a statement, most people would dismiss it as gossip.
Without overthinking, Qiao Sang uploaded the photo of Lubao and the Emerald Python to her social media with the caption:
"Thanks to my old friend the Emerald Python for making Lubao so happy she evolved."
Her account, which had several million followers, received comments almost instantly:
"Wow! What’s this blue pet called? It’s so beautiful!"
"Qiao Sang finally remembered she has an account..."
"What about Blazing Star Canine? Show us pictures of Blazing Star Canine!"
"Does Qiao Sang have two advanced pets now?!"
Most of her followers were from the Yuhua region and weren’t paying much attention to the situation in the Guwu region. To them, Qiao Sang and Blazing Star Canine were far more intriguing than Ice Xilu.
After all, the former were considered unparalleled talents of their region, while the latter was a rare evolution whose mechanisms remained a mystery.
After skimming through the comments, Qiao Sang quietly turned off her screen.
Although the current responses were from Yuhua residents, the interconnectedness of the internet meant it was only a matter of time before people from Guwu stumbled upon and shared her post.
---
At the Water Luriana Research and Conservation Center.
"Dr. Jiang, are you really restarting this machine? Shouldn’t you think it over again?" A young man asked hesitantly.
"It’s clear I didn’t fully understand Ice Qiya before." Replied Dr. Jiang, a middle-aged man in a white lab coat.
Sitting before a half-human-height machine, he continued, "Pets’ preferences aren’t always conventional. We must acknowledge their diverse inclinations."
"But Ice Qiyas strongly resisted this machine before. Don’t you remember how they collectively protested against it?"
"That only proves the machine’s necessity." Dr. Jiang said.
"The stronger their reaction, the more likely it is that it’s uncovering secrets they don’t want us to know. It’s a matter of evolution versus pride. If they don’t evolve, they won’t live past 20 years. Whether they like it or not, every Ice Qiya must undergo this analysis!"
"If a high school student can figure out her Ice Qiya is a masochist, then so can we!"
The young man glanced at the white, screen-equipped machine, visibly uneasy.
The Pet Analysis Device was designed to deduce a pet’s habits based on its physical condition, offering clues about its preferences. However, its accuracy was reportedly less than 50%.
In its initial trial, the machine analyzed an Ice Qiya with a broken claw and concluded it had a nail-biting habit linked to anxiety, recommending relaxation exercises. The result had enraged the Ice Qiya, which retaliated with a water blast.
Recalling past incidents, the young man sighed, convinced the machine was better at annoying Ice Qiya than helping them.
But with Dr. Jiang’s insistence, the tests proceeded.
Before long, a hesitant Ice Qiya was coaxed into the room by a blue, egg-shaped pet.
Seeing the analysis machine, the Ice Qiya appeared conflicted.
"Lyall." The egg-shaped pet cooed, sending soothing waves toward the Ice Qiya.
Gradually, Ice Qiya relaxed.
Dr. Jiang seized the moment, playing the viral evolution video while speaking earnestly:
"This Ice Qiya evolved because it embraced its hidden preferences. Some interests may even be unknown to you. That’s where this analysis comes in. Trust me, I’ll uncover them for you!"
"Lu."
Looking at the evolved Ice Qiya in the video, the conflicted Ice Qiya hesitated no longer and nodded.
Dr. Jiang smiled and aimed the scanner at its forehead.
A red laser swept over its surface.
The machine’s robotic voice announced:
"Analyzing… Fur thinning detected. Likely enjoys frequent grooming and vanity. Suggest limiting scratching to prevent further hair loss."
The young man: …
The Ice Qiya froze in shock.
Dr. Jiang dutifully noted the results.
Just then, a woman in black-rimmed glasses rushed in, holding her phone.
"It’s wrong! It’s all wrong! Ice Qiya isn’t a masochist or anything unusual! Qiao Sang posted that it evolved after seeing an old friend!"
"Lu!"
Before anyone could react, the center’s Ice Qiya blasted Dr. Jiang squarely with a water cannon.
The woman stood there, dumbfounded. What just happened?
The young man sighed, muttering under his breath, "I told you to reconsider…"
---
Deep Sea Mantis Hotel.
Room 2088
Qiao Sang lay on the soft bed, her consciousness delving into the Beast Master’s Codex. She quickly flipped to the page about Lubao.
Name: Ice Xilu (Lubao)
Attributes: Water, Ice
Level: Advanced (11,000/100,000)+
Traits:
1. Melting Water
Level: B (1,872/2,000)+
Status: Effective
Description: Allows cellular transformation to merge with water.
2. Swift Swimmer
Level: C (79/1,000)+
Status: Usable
Description: Doubles speed during rainy weather.
3. Rain Sense
Level: C (823/1,000)+
Status: Usable
Description: Senses impending rain through ear and tail absorption of atmospheric moisture.
Skills:
Healing Light (Mastery: 10,202/20,000)+ Water Gun (Proficient: 644/2,000)+ Bubble Beam (Advanced: 389/500)+ Water Tail (Expert: 3,996/5,000)+ Mist (Proficient: 1,781/2,000)+ Water Stream Jet (Flawless: 7,956/10,000)+ Icy Wind (Advanced: 288/500)+ Gentle Snow (Proficient: 903/2,000)+ Ice Claw (Advanced: 106/500)+ Healing Soundwave (Proficient: 681/2,000)+ Rain Prayer (Advanced: 189/500)+ Snowfall (Advanced: 466/500)+ Ice Flower Seal (Expert: 2,001/5,000)+ Ice Spike Shield (Beginner: 2/100)+ Hail (Beginner: 1/100)+ Aurora Veil (Beginner: 1/100)+
Points: 3,980
Ice Spike Shield, Hail, Aurora Veil...
Luckily, Lubao learned Ice Flower Seal. Otherwise, becoming an offensive powerhouse would’ve been a pipe dream. Qiao Sang examined the newly acquired skills with a wry thought.
Ice Spike Shield: A mid-tier defensive ice skill; counters physical attacks with ice spikes upon being hit.
Hail: A high-tier weather-based ice skill that summons hail.
Aurora Veil: A high-tier defensive ice skill that halves damage for a set time but requires snowfall or hail to activate.
Considering Lubao already had Healing Light, the utility of Aurora Veil was limited. Hail caused discomfort but couldn’t defeat opponents outright. Meanwhile, Ice Spike Shield, though defensive and counter-attacking, was ineffective against non-physical attacks...
Thankfully, there was Ice Flower Seal. Qiao Sang sighed again in relief.
---
The Next Morning.
Bright and early, Jiang Xiu arrived with heavy dark circles under his eyes, delivering an energy pellet.
Qiao Sang accepted it and asked, "Professor Jiang, did you not sleep well last night?"
Jiang Xiu gave a tired smile.
"Since Lubao evolved into Ice Xilu, the old formula for its energy pellets became obsolete. I stayed up all night creating a new batch for it."
Staying up all night to make energy pellets... Qiao Sang was both moved and astonished. She turned and called out, "Lubao."
There was no need for Qiao Sang to elaborate. Lubao immediately understood.
A blue light enveloped Jiang Xiu, who emerged looking completely revitalized, his dark circles gone.
Healing Light... they actually used Healing Light on me... just for losing one night's sleep?! Jiang Xiu stared at Qiao Sang in stunned disbelief.
This is way too extravagant!
---
Nightfall.
The sun had just dipped below the horizon.
The normally quiet Haicheng Pet Battle Arena was bustling with activity.
“Ladies and gentlemen! It’s 6:26 PM, Guwu District time! Welcome to the regional qualifiers of the National Campus Beast Mastering League!” Yi Ao stood on a blue square platform, microphone in hand, speaking energetically.
Qiao Sang sat in the audience holding Yabao, with Little Treasure perched on her head.
Xu Yixuan glanced at Little Treasure for a long time before leaning in and whispering, “Is your Treasure-Seeking Demon obsessed with milk? It’s already on its sixth bottle.”
Qiao Sang sighed.
“It’s been feeling insecure.”
Ever since witnessing Lubao’s evolution yesterday, Little Treasure had been acting strangely.
Qiao Sang knew her pet well enough to understand he wasn’t content being ranked third in their team. He wanted to reclaim second place.
“Xun... hic~” Little Treasure hiccupped as he guzzled another bottle.
The commercials said milk is nutritious and helps pets grow stronger faster! I need more milk to get stronger!
“Oh, right.” Xu Yixuan shifted the topic.
“Was the post you made yesterday true?”
“Of course.” Qiao Sang nodded.
Xu Yixuan sighed.
“If it hadn’t been such a huge topic on social media, I’d never have guessed Ice Qiyas had such bizarre evolution conditions. Happiness alone isn’t enough, it also depends on the weather!”
“What if they’re suddenly thrilled by something unexpected? No Beastmaster can watch them 24/7, and it doesn’t snow every day.”
Summing up her thoughts, she added, “No wonder they became an endangered species.”
It’s not just Ice Qiyas, it’s every stage of their evolution chain that has absurd requirements, Qiao Sang silently retorted.
Xu Yixuan continued, “By the way, how come I didn’t notice so many Emerald Pythons in the audience yesterday?”
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