Unable to Cultivate, I Can Only Raise Soul Pets Chapter 497
497 Firefly Dream Spirit’s Log
“Let me take a look.”
Wang Che accepted the icy egg. It felt frigid to the touch.
The instant his fingers made contact, his divine sense intertwined with the latent life force within the egg.
The life force pulsed with exceptional vigor, resembling a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption.
It certainly gave the impression of impending birth.
However...
Each time his divine sense attempted to delve deeper, an intangible barrier repelled it, preventing any clear perception of the specific life form within.
Consequently, Wang Che had no inkling of what was to emerge.
Furthermore, each of his soul pets had experienced distinct sensations upon touching it.
When the Little Caterpillar embraced the ice egg, it harbored the expectation of an ice-attributed caterpillar.
The Little Sword envisioned the birth of an ice sword.
The Bear Treasure anticipated an ice bear.
...
Obviously, none of these premonitions were accurate.
“Aside from normal life force, I sense no other energy... What became of the power of time?”
Wang Che held the ice egg close.
Beep...
The ice egg gave a gentle jolt.
“It truly is nearing its birth, yet it seems to be missing something,” Wang Che surmised.
“Eh?” The Firefly Dream Spirit tilted its head, sensing the imminent emergence of the creature within.
“There’s still a little time... Perhaps in the next couple of days,” Wang Che mused. “I shall keep watch for these two days. There might be some unforeseen developments.”
“Wu! Wu! Wu!” The Firefly Dream Spirit emitted two more cries.
“Hmm? You’re suggesting it exhibits different reactions depending on the location?” Wang Che pondered. “Is its birth somehow tied to its surroundings? Then let us experiment with various locales.”
The Firefly Dream Spirit nodded in agreement.
Following this, Wang Che descended the mountain with the ice egg and, accompanied by the Firefly Dream Spirit, explored several distinctive locales within the Eastern Polar Region.
Just as the Firefly Dream Spirit had indicated, the ice egg’s pulsations varied in frequency across these different environments.
“Does it desire to select a specific location for its emergence? How particular,” Wang Che mused.
“Hmm... This little one originated from that Frost Palace. It thrives in a perpetually frigid environment. It should be considerably easier for it to be born within a snowy locale, shouldn’t it?”
Wang Che and the Firefly Dream Spirit journeyed through the night, heading towards the Southern Frost Region, one of the five great domains.
This region bore a resemblance to both the north and south poles, characterized by endless ice mountains and snow.
Yet, a key distinction was the presence of cold-tolerant soil capable of sustaining numerous rare flora. Abundant high-level soul plants and even unique treasures were known to emerge here.
Snow Ginseng, Snow Lotus, and Snow Lingzhi were commonplace, alongside various precious minerals and a unique cold air source deep within the earth.
While the temperature here was not as conducive or inviting as in the Eastern Polar Region, and the terrain less varied, the resources it yielded were remarkably diverse.
“Without the vitality of soul beasts, the Southern Frost Region resembles a silent graveyard.”
Gazing upon the expansive ice mountains of the Southern Frost Region from a distance, one could perceive a certain austere beauty. However, upon closer inspection, the profound silence pervading this world was palpable.
Even the soul plants that managed to grow here served more as somber decorations than vibrant additions.
It fell far short of the Eastern Extreme Region’s splendor, with its diverse terrains and vividly colored soul plants.
“Ssss...”
The Firefly Dream Spirit burrowed into Wang Che’s embrace, peeking out its head. It shivered, curling inwards, revealing only its watchful eyes.
Prolonged exposure to this environment induced an unsettling sensation.
“It should fare much better once soul beasts inhabit this place.”
“The environment here is likely quite similar to the Northern Ice Fields.”
“It’s simply the absence of soul beasts that makes the difference.”
Wang Che retrieved the ice egg, cradling it in his palm.
The ice egg’s life force surged with accelerated intensity, even leaping from Wang Che’s hand as though it relished this location.
“You must have brought it here previously, correct?” Wang Che inquired.
The Firefly Dream Spirit blinked and nodded affirmatively.
It had indeed visited this region before.
Prior to the Southern Frost Region's development, icebergs and frigid soil were scarce; it was an ice-choked river world.
Following reconstruction, the cold soil and ice mountains materialized. The Ancient Fiend had condensed the cold soil using the Life Earth Power inherent to this place.
Later, the Divine Light Whale introduced the river's flow, utilizing the power of Origin Water to merge with the ice, solidifying into icebergs that became the genesis of the five great regions.
“Then its hatching must occur here.”
Wang Che observed intently.
Yet, the ice egg merely bounced gleefully upon the frozen ground, creating shallow depressions.
There were no apparent signs of an impending hatching.
It appeared to be... playing?
No, that wasn't quite right.
The ice egg struck the ice, rapidly gouging out a considerable indentation.
Wang Che approached, a slight frown creasing his brow.
The Firefly Dream Spirit also seemed perplexed.
What was this behavior?
Judging by seniority, this little companion seemed to be a tad restless.
“What is this...?”
Wang Che cast his gaze upon it. The ice egg had carved out a deep, rectangular chasm in the ice.
Hmm, the ice egg possessed considerable hardness, smashing itself into the ground.
“A Transcendent soul pet egg... could it possess some ice-controlling abilities even before hatching?”
Wang Che knitted his brows. It was, in fact, striking itself.
Seeing this, Wang Che sensed that something was amiss.
Admittedly, the ice egg was built quite tough; it remained entirely uncracked.
Wang Che mused inwardly.
After its self-inflicted impact, the ice egg then hopped into the ice pit, giving it a couple of thumps.
The frost fragments within the icy hollow began to envelop the egg.
“...”
“...” The Firefly Dream Spirit.
Wang Che and the Firefly Dream Spirit exchanged glances.
So, this little creature intended to hatch itself amidst the snow?
It was putting on quite a display!
Wang Che sat down and contemplated for a moment. He used his hand to push the ice fragments back into the ice pit, then walked over. He stepped on it twice, leveling the surface.
The Firefly Dream Spirit was dumbfounded.
‘Never mind the unreliable soul pet, why does my Contract Soul Master also seem a bit unreliable?’
“Perhaps this is its unique hatching method,” Wang Che explained. “Since it has its own instinctive way of hatching, let’s adhere to its cues.”
“Soul pets are not like simple mammals... Egg birth is merely one method of unlocking life forms.”
“Not all of them break out of shells. Some soul pets have distinctive hatching processes.”
“Like you.”
Wang Che gave the Firefly Dream Spirit’s head a gentle poke.
“Wuwuwuwu!” The Firefly Dream Spirit immediately let out a cry.
“When you hatched, you consumed a great deal of valuable nourishment,” Wang Che remarked.
The Firefly Dream Spirit swayed its tail and pouted. It turned its head away, but after a short while, it spun back around and settled onto Wang Che’s shoulder.
“I need to remain here and observe. You possess spatial travel; over the next few days, assist me by monitoring the changes across the major regions of Black Jade Star. Record these observations in a log,” Wang Che instructed.
The Firefly Dream Spirit's cultivation had already surpassed ten thousand years, and its spatial travel capabilities were exceptionally proficient.
Truly befitting an expert at evasion from ancient times. Furthermore, it was small and consumed minimal energy, enabling extensive space travel and utilizing the star charts it had compiled. Without Wang Che's guidance, it could traverse Black Jade Star several times over.
“Ah, right. When you go to observe those soul beasts, transform into Bear Treasure. This way, you can oversee the cultivation of those soul beasts. We’ll reassess the situation once they begin to recognize the truth,” Wang Che added.
The ten-thousand-year Firefly Dream Spirit had already mastered the ten-thousand-year soul skill, Myriad Transformation.
It possessed its own unique soul skill.
It could assume the form of a soul pet it was familiar with or other entities for camouflage.
Whether its disguise would be detected depended on the observer’s mental strength.
With the Firefly Dream Spirit's mental prowess, these soul beasts would be unable to perceive it.
Simultaneously, this would also benefit the Firefly Dream Spirit in cultivating its soul skills and grant Bear Treasure some respite.
The Firefly Dream Spirit nodded. After lingering with Wang Che for a brief period, it departed from the Southern Frost Region.
And so, Wang Che temporarily resided in the Southern Frost Region. While sensing the ice egg nestled in the ice pit, he also kept abreast of the developments on Black Jade Star through the Firefly Dream Spirit's reports.
The ice egg, which he had anticipated would hatch within a few days, showed no signs of change whatsoever.
After burying itself within the ice pit, there was complete stillness.
On several occasions, Wang Che felt the urge to excavate the ice pit and ascertain the circumstances.
He reconsidered and decided against it.
At this juncture, Wang Che discovered another advantage: the Firefly Dream Spirit's management abilities were simply exceptional...
Black Jade Star Log:
“June 6th, as Little Eggy was on the verge of hatching, my Contract Soul Master brought it to an ice pit in the Southern Frost Region for incubation. Wu... hehe, but now I can become Fourth Brother!”
“June 8th, in the Eastern Extreme Domain, several mutated Purple Leaf Spirit Trees emerged on the Green Leaf Spirit Wood of the Spirit Sea Mountain Range. This is a delicacy Third Brother greatly enjoys, so I collected some. I then adopted Third Brother’s appearance and sampled it. Wu... It’s so raw and not tasty at all. Why does Third Brother like to eat this...”
“June 9th, I reached Peace Valley in the Eastern Pole Region and detected a soul beast undergoing cultivation. It was the younger sibling of the Water Demon Beast. The reason for its concealment here was that after cultivating, it felt its progress was agonizingly slow and suffered from inadequacy. I took a look, and it had already achieved a thousand years of cultivation... Wu... It had only been cultivating for a few days! This is truly excessive!”
June 11th. A splendid morning. If my memory serves me right, a harvest of resources from the Six Pool Soul Leaf in the Northern Desert Region is imminent. It's time for gathering... What a slow and arduous task. Thus, I adopted the guise of Third Brother and sought out the Truth Suppression Lord located here in the Northern Desert Region. I requested its assistance in this harvest... this gathering...
June 12th. Harvesting continues in the Northern Desert... *Hehe*, Third Brother's persona is remarkably effective. These soul beasts are so compliant! (*^?^*)
June 13th. Harvesting...
...
June 15th. My proficiency with Myriad Transformations has improved! I can now utilize some of Third Brother's inherent abilities! The Truth Suppression Lord is truly formidable. With a mere stomp of its hoof, ores buried deep within the earth were dislodged!
June 16th. The Truth Suppression Lord's power continues to escalate. The cultivation technique it practices is exceptionally potent. With my assistance, it has already unearthed three soul crystal mines, one essence crystal mine, and a single mystic crystal mine...
Log entry: The 180th soul crystal mine contains soul crystals of above-average quality. In total, there are 12 essence crystal mines, with essence crystals of below-average quality. The second unearthed mine is a mystic crystal mine. Ah, excellent, another mystic crystal mine! It was mentioned that mystic crystal ore is the primary material required for Second Brother's engine modification!
June 17th. Mining operations...
June 18th. Mining operations...
...
June 19th. The Truth Suppression Lord has achieved a breakthrough, advancing its cultivation by five thousand years. *Wu...* This pace is astounding. Their cultivation speed is unbelievable, even surpassing my own! Why... The Truth Suppression Lord claims to have encountered a bottleneck. Recording this...
June 28th. I find myself reminiscing about Contract Soul Masters. I've gathered an abundance of materials... The Truth Suppression Lord has indicated it experienced a surge of inspiration and has completed a thorough exploration of the underground.
June 30th. I have collected a grand total of 57 high-level soul plants, amounting to 18,500 individuals, along with numerous low-level soul plants. Rare soul plants number only 580, but I've found ten mutated soul plants that have achieved treasure-grade rarity. Hooray! Upon my return to the Northern Desert, I anticipate gathering even more! Big Brother Caterpillar is absent. If it were here, it could surely refine many delectable items, couldn't it? I'm quite hungry!
July 1st. After bidding farewell to the Truth Suppression Lord, I have arrived in the Flame Cloud Region. Upon ascending, I spotted a magnificent large, red Flame Spirit Fruit on the Red Flame Plain. I resisted the urge to consume it secretly... While on the Red Flame Plain, I encountered a Divine Flame Beast partaking in its consumption. The audacity! I hadn't even secretly taken a bite, and it presumes to? I immediately transformed into Third Brother and delivered a stern lesson! It was so terrified that it even regurgitated the fruit core, *hehe*! Afterward, I located the Candle Flame Crow and had it carry me, commencing the resource collection!
July 2nd. Resource collection...
July 3rd. While engaged in resource collection... I stumbled upon a mutated Flying Smoke Soul Fruit. What joy!
July 4th. Resource collection...
...
July 18th. The Candle Flame Crow seems to sense something amiss with me. Could it have discerned that I am impersonating Third Brother? *Hoho*, it appears not. Its suspicion was directed at how I managed to acquire so many resources. *Hehe*... It remains unaware, doesn't it? I possess a Divine Will Space and a colossal spatial medallion, both capable of storing vast quantities. Of course, Third Brother possesses neither!
July 20th. A delightful surprise. A fire crystal mine has been discovered! The future fire soul beasts are in for good fortune!
...
July 30th. *Wow*, the temperature within the Flame Cloud Realm is truly intense! Third Brother must have a substantial amount of fur. Doesn't it feel uncomfortable during its training sessions? This heat is oppressive! Its cultivation has surged! It's nearing twenty thousand years of cultivation! Honestly, my own progress isn't slow either! The Candle Flame Crow's body is engulfed in flames, yet it seems unaffected by the heat. How peculiar! Speaking of which, Big Brother Caterpillar can also manipulate flames. Big Brother Caterpillar would likely find sitting by flames more comfortable than the Candle Flame Crow, wouldn't it?
August 1st. The abundance of resources in the Flame Cloud Region surpasses even that of the Northern Desert Region! I wonder if the Candle Flame Crow's presence here has had any impact? It shouldn't have. The Candle Flame Crow's cultivation level is comparable to that of the Truth Suppression Lord; it's unlikely to influence the entirety of the Flame Cloud Region.
August 2nd. I have finally reached the Cloud Sea Region. The atmosphere here is incredibly refreshing... My favorite Soul Tempering Grass Fruit is found here! Every visit, I can't resist secretly indulging in one or two!
“August 4th. I discovered the Mustard Mountain Dragon! It was concealed between two enormous peaks. Hmph, I nearly made a mistake. This Mustard Mountain Dragon is truly colossal. Perched atop it, I feel as though I could treat it as a tiny dwelling! My Third Brother’s status is indeed quite advantageous!”
“August 6th. Gathering resources…”
“...”
“...”
The patrol log from the Firefly Dream Spirit’s Black Jade Star journey was periodically forwarded to Wang Che.
Occasionally, when the distance became too great, the Firefly Dream Spirit would personally return, staying by Wang Che’s side for a couple of days.
It appeared to relish the dual process of patrolling and cultivating concurrently.
“It’s quite the planetary management expert…” Wang Che mused aloud, “It should be capable of pairing with the little caterpillar in the future.”
Within the log entries, the Firefly Dream Spirit documented the systematic cultivation of each second-generation soul beast.
It meticulously recorded their developmental stages, their cultivation progress, and the gradual emergence of their individual personalities. Furthermore, it utilized Bear Treasure’s persona to assess their diverse abilities and categorize them. The documentation was, by all accounts, exceptionally thorough.
Concurrently, the creature gathered resources and meticulously logged all encountered data.
Essentially, every single observation was recorded in detail.
When confronted with an unfamiliar situation, it would swiftly return to seek assistance from Wang Che, the Ancient Fiend, or the Divine Light Whale. It also faithfully observed and recorded the conditions of the Ancient Fiend and the Divine Light Whale.
This diligent work significantly alleviated Wang Che’s burden.
As the Firefly Dream Spirit traversed the landscape, completing a circuit of the five major regions and assessing the resource points on Black Jade Star, it took approximately five months.
Had there been a greater number of soul beasts, the pace would undoubtedly have been considerably swifter.
In the initial phases, only second-generation soul beasts were dispersed across the five vast regions; their numbers were too sparse, making their mobilization and consolidation a slow process.
Moreover, the resource consumption of the second-generation soul beasts was merely a drop in the ocean compared to the numerous regional resource nodes Wang Che had established and those naturally occurring on Black Jade Star.
However, following the Firefly Dream Spirit’s extensive patrol, Wang Che, who had been stationed in the Northern Frost Region for five months, finally detected a faint tremor emanating from the ice pit…