Chapter 527: Weather Domain

"Then, what are your plans for the future?"

Instructor Wen sighed inwardly, looking at his student, Fang Xing, as if seeing his own younger self.

"I intend to apply for graduation, then head out to capture other Heart Beasts, complete my team, and embark on a journey to temper myself..."

Fang Xing stated the path taken by most Battle-type Tamers.

This road was naturally fraught with danger, but for him, it was an excellent opportunity for growth.

Having endured three years in the academy, he was eager for action, and now was the time to unleash his potential.

"Be careful out in the wild... and beware of other Tamers."

Wen Lun warned him solemnly, then added, "Student Fang Xing, I have already inspected your Bonded Heart Beast; it meets the graduation standards perfectly, and I would even call it an excellent graduation."

He walked into his study and, after a moment, returned holding a bronze-colored tome.

"This is... a Heart Phase Scripture?"

Fang Xing was surprised. "A bronze-grade one at that; isn't this a bit too precious?"

The "Heart Phase Scripture" originated from the "Heart Sanctuary" and, in Fang Xing's view, was essentially a Poké Ball of this world.

However, the capacity differed!

A black-iron grade Heart Phase Scripture had a storage space of only three pages, meaning it could hold at most three wild Heart Beasts.

A bronze-grade one, however, had six pages of space—double the capacity!

Furthermore, it possessed functions for querying and recording the status of Heart Beasts.

It was said that some higher-grade scriptures not only made Heart Beasts more comfortable but could even accelerate their growth.

Of course, such high-grade scriptures would never be given away as a mere favor.

"Thank you, Teacher."

Fang Xing showed a look of gratitude as he accepted the heavy bronze brick.

*It seems this is the result of three years of social cultivation, as well as a small investment from him... This Instructor Wen seems to see his own shadow in me; otherwise, he wouldn't have added extra resources on top of the Black Flame Crystal... *

*However, the Heart Sanctuary releasing such scriptures... heh, there might be backdoors; I'll need to inspect it thoroughly. *

Not to mention, if every Heart Beast's status were recorded, should a Tamer be lucky enough to discover a King-grade Heart Beast cub in the wild, they might face the risk of being murdered for their treasure.

Although this might be Fang Xing being overly cynical, he would never entrust his safety to the unknown or the goodwill of others.

*In this light, the benefits of a Bonded Heart Beast are even greater... it can stay within my own body, never exposing any information... *

*Almost all Tamers pour their greatest efforts into cultivating their Bonded Heart Beast... *

"Well then, I wish you a bright future."

Wen Lun watched Fang Xing leave, sighing.

He knew that such expectations for a Tamer with a bronze-grade Bonded Heart Beast were perhaps too high.

The "Heart Tower" in the Heart Capital, the headquarters of the Heart Sanctuary, was the most prestigious place in the world, where the top Tamers were ranked.

Those who cleared the seventh floor of the "Heart Tower" were conferred the title of "Heavenly King," an honor pursued by countless Tamers!

Of course, this was difficult—extremely difficult!

Even Monarch-grade Tamers couldn't guarantee clearing the seventh floor.

Only by becoming a "Heavenly King" would one's name be permanently inscribed, to be praised for centuries or millennia!

This showed the weight of Wen Lun's expectation, though it might just have been a polite well-wish.

It was like saying "have a bright future"—whoever takes that literally loses.

"I will."

Fang Xing laughed and took his leave.

Wen Lun watched Fang Xing depart, sighing once more.

He knew that for a student with a bronze-grade bond, such a path was far too steep.

Mount Mount Mount Qinglong.

This was a massive mountain range near Green Forest City, stretching for ten thousand miles, filled with treacherous terrain and primeval forests inhabited by numerous wild beasts and Heart Beast tribes!

It could be said to be a paradise for Tamers from nearby cities.

As for ordinary hunters? They wouldn't dare venture more than a hundred miles in, lest they meet a gruesome end.

On this day.

A youth carrying a bamboo basket and wearing a conical hat strode directly into the Mount Mount Mount Qinglong range.

"Killing Fox Pass... once past this mountain pass, one truly enters the savage lands, where danger and opportunity coexist."

Fang Xing checked the Heart Phase Scripture in his hand, confirmed his bearings, and nodded.

"This time, I must capture a few more Heart Beasts and scavenge some rare resources, or I'll go bankrupt..."

The Fang family was, after all, just a local squire family; they could support some Soldier-grade dog food, but that was about it.

Since the Black Fire Dog would soon advance to General-grade and he would need to capture more Heart Beasts, he had to venture out to make his own fortune.

Such was the sorrow of many impoverished Tamers.

"Come out, Erha!"

Fang Xing called out softly, and a stream of light flew out, taking the form of the Black Fire Dog.

It held its head high with dignity, its body wreathed in wisps of black flame. Seeing the wild environment, it appeared incredibly excited, as if eager to run off and frolic.

"It's time to rely on you."

Fang Xing took out several strips of cloth and tossed them over. "Remember these scents, then find them..." These strips naturally contained the scents he had painstakingly collected.

They included the scents of precious herbs, minerals, and the Heart Beasts he intended to capture.

"The outskirts of Mount Mount Mount Qinglong are a paradise for Soldier and General-grade Heart Beasts..."

"As long as they are bronze-grade Heart Beasts or higher, even if I can't use them, selling them will be a significant fortune..."

Over the past three years, Fang Xing had already made his plans.

He had come to this world primarily to complete his comprehension of the Law of Destruction, which naturally depended on Erha.

The rest was mainly the Law of Force.

"Heart Beasts are the manifestation of Laws. I need a Heart Beast that follows the path of pure force... Titan Apes or Force God Ants would be perfect, but their grades are too high; I might not be able to capture them successfully even if I encountered them..."

"If all else fails, Violence Apes or Force King Ants will do. I'll test their effectiveness first; I can always swap them out later..."

"Beyond that, I need to form a battle team to challenge the 'Heart Tower.' Clearing even one or two floors offers generous rewards... I'll definitely try that in the future."

"Erha, let's go!"

Fang Xing broke into a light jog, and Erha followed, frolicking.

Not long after entering the pass, he encountered a sea of golden flowers.

Numerous golden blossoms shimmered beautifully in the sunlight.

"Woof woof... Awoo!"

Erha, having spent this time pretending to be a Black Fire Dog, had mastered dog-speak. Although it sounded a bit off, the ten years of cultivation it displayed immediately forced a glimmer of spiritual light out of the flower sea.

Within the light, a golden plant-type Heart Beast emerged.

"Sun Flower... a plant-type Heart Beast, black-iron grade... about six years of cultivation!"

"It mainly absorbs sunlight to replenish energy... if cultivated well, it has some healing capabilities..."

His solid foundation allowed Fang Xing to make an immediate judgment: "If I wanted to open a flower shop, I might capture it, but for now, there's no need..."

With a thought, he signaled Erha to turn away.

Seeing him turn, the Sun Flower didn't pursue, instead continuing to hide within the flower sea.

*Plant-type Heart Beasts are not only too docile in temperament, but their mobility is also a major issue... even if I wanted a defender or a controller, I'd prefer 'Man-eating Flowers' or 'Thousand-vine Trees'... *

Fang Xing shook his head, though he felt Erha was quite good.

At the very least, a dog's nose could find a Heart Beast in a sea of flowers!

"Don't get distracted by the flowers; find what I'm actually looking for."

He scolded it, lost in thought.

*A Battle-type Tamer's team generally consists of five Heart Beasts, because Heart Tower battles are either five-on-five team fights or five-on-five relay matches... *

*Generally speaking, besides a strong attacker and a defender, a team also needs mobility, healing, support, and crowd control... *

Tamers need to survive in the wild for long periods, so their Heart Beasts must satisfy these requirements.

*My Destruction Demon Wolf is, of course, an undisputed attacker... *

*As for crowd control? Maybe I should build a 'Weather Team' instead... *

Fang Xing stroked his chin, watching Erha, who was frolicking along, bullying bugs and birds by the roadside, and mused to himself.

So-called "Weather Teams" were teams that utilized the environment to achieve team-wide buffs or strong crowd control, which already had prototypes among "Agricultural Tamers."

Fang Xing naturally wouldn't copy them, but in his view, the Destruction Demon Wolf had great potential as a weather-setter.

Once the Destruction Demon Wolf matured, it would likely awaken a "Destruction Domain."

With the power of a domain, its buffs and control would only be superior to weather control.

*So, the Destruction Demon Wolf is the absolute core attacker and weather-setter, and then I'll just pick a few companions that aren't too useless to pair with it... *

*Small fry can probably be dealt with before Erha even needs to act. *

*When truly facing a strong enemy, it'll likely come down to Erha carrying the team... *

Fang Xing knew clearly that with Erha's growth rate, it would be difficult for any companions to keep up.

*Rustle! *

Just then, Erha, who had been venturing deeper, suddenly stopped, its dog face turning dignified.

Ahead, in the woods, shadows emerged, followed by pairs of emerald-green, bloodthirsty eyes.

"A wolf pack?"

Fang Xing mused, watching the grey wolves appear: "A pack of this size, the Alpha must definitely reach the Heart Beast standard..."

Not long after, he saw a large grey wolf appear, twice the size of the others.

It had one blind eye, while the other glowed with a cruel, bloodthirsty light, staring at Erha.

Erha, however, held its head high with pride.

"Awoo!"

The next moment, a terrifying aura of majesty erupted, causing the grey wolves to tuck their tails and whimper.

—King's Aura!

This was a special aura unique to King-grade Heart Beasts, also known as the "Majesty of the King"!

(End of Chapter)

This is the special aura that only King-quality Heart Beasts possess, also known as "King's Majesty"!

(End of chapter)