Chapter 154: Version Update, Pet Shop

[Challenger Notification (All Channels): The game is about to undergo a version update. Upon completion, a new functional building will be added to Emperor Tomb Village: the Pet Shop.]

Update Content One: Pet Shop (Functional Building):

Location: Emperor Tomb Village Space, East District, Coordinates: 1328.2832 (Open the Map function to see the functional building icon).

Function Introduction: Players can visit the Pet Shop to spend Sacrificial Power to purchase initial pets for cultivation. Each type of initial pet masters unique skills; players can spend Sacrificial Power to increase the pet's level and enhance the effects of its special abilities.

Update Content Two: Pet Space.

Function Introduction: Players can spend 1500 Sacrificial Power to create a mobile pet space for housing growth-type pets.

Update Content Three: Free Pet Purification Function.

Function Introduction: Creatures from the Monster World captured by players controlling their Soul Souls can undergo purification via the Pet function panel by spending Sacrificial Power. Pets that complete purification can be brought back to the Novice Village space.

Note: Freely captured pets cannot be cultivated or leveled up, and cannot be resurrected upon death.

(This update is an online update; players do not need to log off and wait.)

In this update, Qi Sheng specifically emphasized that freely captured pets cannot be resurrected.

After all, free pets are not connected to the Challenger System; they were never part of the Challenger System to begin with, so they cannot be reshaped in the underground layers of Emperor Tomb Village like players can.

To achieve this, one would need to initialize the life structure of free pets and connect them to the Challenger System.

To restore a free pet's combat rank at a 1:1 ratio, the amount of Sacrificial Power required is simply beyond what players at the current stage can afford.

This is especially true for those free pets whose combat ranks far exceed those of the players.

Secondly, some special free pets simply cannot be created through reshaping alone.

For example, the Book-Speech Warriors require a bottom-layer framework driven by three rules: Execution, Pen, and Book.

Without the corresponding rules, special pets like the Book-Speech Warriors cannot be initialized and reshaped at all.

Another reason is that, in his eyes, free pets hold little significance.

Although they can assist in the growth and construction of the player legions, they cannot become part of the core system; he will not allow players to expend vast amounts of Sacrificial Power on cultivating free pets.

As the Challenger notification echoed across all channels,

the Emperor Tomb Village space trembled, and a new building rose from the ground.

Players in the Emperor Tomb Village space could open their maps to see a new icon of a miniature ancient tree in the East District; touching it with their consciousness would reveal detailed information about the new building.

The launch of this new functional building immediately attracted a massive number of players.

Curious players currently outside even voluntarily entered the Little Black Room to isolate themselves, hoping to take a shortcut home by returning their souls to Di Zhao, just to experience the new functions as soon as possible.

However, more players currently outside chose to wait for the forum's strategy experts to provide detailed introductions and reviews of the new functions.

This was the experience of veteran players.

For matters requiring the expenditure of Sacrificial Power, it was best to wait until the forum had detailed explanatory guides before taking action.

Just like during the previous launch of the Armed Vehicle function.

A large number of players spent time and effort assembling weapons and vehicles themselves, only to find the results inferior to simply downloading popular templates from the forum and copying them for use.

With that prior experience, the vast majority of players this time waited for review results before choosing their desired pets based on the review introductions.

Earth, Yelan City.

"Xiao Yun, time to eat!"

After his mother's call, a series of hurried footsteps approached from afar.

Sitting down at the dining table, Pei Yun looked up at his mother, who was busy working in the kitchen.

The setting sun's afterglow streamed through the window, casting light upon his mother's busy figure; she wore an apron that was slightly faded from washing yet remained clean and tidy, skillfully chopping vegetables on the cutting board, the cleaver striking the board with a rhythmic sound.

Drip, drip, drip, whoosh.

Flames leaped up from the stove, licking the bottom of the wok; oil splattered, emitting a faint "sizzle."

Before long, the final delicious dish was ready, and his mother carried it to the dining table.

Braised pork ribs, steamed sea bass, tomato and egg soup... the table was already laden with a sumptuous feast.

His mother reached out to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead, scanned the dishes, and then looked at Pei Yun with a satisfied smile:

"Try your old mom's cooking to see if my skills have declined."

"Mm."

Ever since his mother's genetic damage disease had miraculously healed, her condition had improved day by day.

During this period, she underwent multiple hospital check-ups, and her body showed no further signs of deterioration.

After this morning's check-up confirmed her complete recovery, his mother, full of enthusiasm, wanted to cook a meal for him.

To this, Pei Yun naturally agreed without hesitation.

Having not eaten his mother's cooking for a long time, he immediately picked up his chopsticks, grabbed a piece of braised pork, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The moment the braised pork touched his tongue, Pei Yun couldn't help but frown, yet he still forced the meat into his mouth.

Chewing carefully, a strange taste spread throughout his oral cavity.

The texture of the meat was as rough as chewing sandpaper; every bite felt like a difficult tug-of-war, the food stubbornly resisting between his teeth, refusing to be easily crushed. The dry meat sucked all the moisture from his mouth, his throat instinctively resisting the swallow, as if an invisible force was preventing the food from reaching his stomach.

"Isn't it delicious?" Noticing Pei Yun's unusual expression, his mother picked up her own chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, and put it in her mouth.

After chewing, his mother looked extremely puzzled:

"There's no problem; this braised pork tastes quite good."

Hearing this, Pei Yun sighed helplessly:

"It's not that you have a problem, Mom; it's me who has a problem."

He naturally knew where the problem lay.

Recently, having eaten too many delicious spiritual foods in the Monster World, his taste buds had become like a spoiled child, becoming incredibly picky.

The taste experience brought by food imbued with spirituality fell into two categories: one was an extreme taste bud experience, and the other was a strong feedback on the mental level.

After spiritual food was swallowed, it felt as though every cell in his body was scrambling for the delicious substances; every bite was an all-around enjoyment from the taste buds to the soul, even generating an indescribable sense of happiness.

Compared to that, food in reality had no characteristics whatsoever, even making him feel it was difficult to swallow.

Looking at the simple home-cooked dishes on the table, Pei Yun could no longer muster the slightest interest.

The "taste of mother" that he had loved most before this now seemed to have lost all its color in his eyes.

Slightly unwilling, Pei Yun shifted his target, picking up a vegetable and putting it in his mouth, but the result was still bland and tasteless, like chewing on dry grass.

"Mom, I can't eat anymore." Forcing himself to eat several bites, Pei Yun put down his chopsticks.

Seeing the disappointment on his mother's Iron Face, he quickly spoke up to explain the reason:

"Mom, your cooking is definitely fine, but my sense of taste has a problem. You know I've been playing a virtual game recently; the food feedback inside is incredibly delicious, causing issues with my taste bud experience..."

After listening to Pei Yun's explanation, his mother couldn't help but sigh:

"So are you going to rely on nutrient fluids to get by from now on?"

"That's not impossible; from the perspective of meeting human bodily needs, nutrient fluids are healthier for the human body. Satisfying the desire for food within the game is also fine; perhaps doing this will allow me to live longer."

"You just have a glib tongue, always able to find a bunch of excuses."

"This has a scientific basis; let me find some data for you."

Saying this, Pei Yun pulled his phone from his pocket, preparing to look up some information to substantiate his claim for his old mother.

The moment he woke the screen, he saw a string of notification messages.

Many were messages sent by friends from within the game.

Among them was a custom special-effect SMS, purchased at a high price, automatically pinned to the top:

God King: Brother Black Night, the pet function has gone live. I noticed you weren't online, so I specifically logged off to remind you. Hurry up and post a strategy guide; I need to design a team battle Cultivation Mode integrating the pet function in advance. The tip has already been prepared for you; get busy quickly, get to work!

Realizing that a new function had launched in the game, Pei Yun immediately became interested; he turned to look at his mother, who was eating:

"Mom, I'm going to play the game."

His mother, holding her rice bowl, rolled her eyes at him and said testily:

"Go ahead, after all, you'll be relying on this game to make your living in the future."

"Mom, remember to grab the game qualification on time; I've already transferred the money to your account. Once you secure the qualification for the Dark Lands, you can come play the game too. Didn't you say you liked scenery? Become a scenery-focused player in the game; the landscapes inside are beautiful."

Without waiting for his mother's reply, Pei Yun quickly stood up and walked toward his room.

Returning to his room, Pei Yun decisively changed into his game suit and climbed into the game pod.

Before long, he logged into the Misty Coast space.

Traveling via the teleportation array to the Emperor Tomb Village space, he found the area packed with people.

Ever since a massive influx of novice players had surged in, the Emperor Tomb Village space had become extremely congested, forming a sharp contrast with the desolate scene when he first entered the game.

His gaze swept across the area.

Sky-Feather Tribe players soaring with spread wings, Giant Python Tribe players nearly three meters tall, blue-skinned Abyssal Fish Tribe players with slender figures... it was as if he had instantly traveled to another world inhabited by a mix of alien races.

Various bizarre vehicles crisscrossed the area, making the art style of the novice village appear exceptionally abstract.

Summoning the map function, he saw a new surface building icon had appeared in the city's East District.

He immediately summoned his unicycle, manipulating it with his consciousness to drive toward the new functional building.

Before long, he arrived at the marked location.

The Pet Shop at the end of his line of sight was structured overall like a sturdy old tree, with its entrance carved into the trunk, its surface covered in moss and vines.

The tree crown resembled a giant green umbrella, with lush branches and leaves spreading out in all directions, layer upon layer, shrouding the nearby scene; hanging fruits shimmered with colorful light like lanterns.

A ring of green grassy land surrounded the ancient tree, covered in blooming flowers of various colors, while a faint fragrance permeated the air.

This was precisely the newly launched functional building: the Pet Shop.

A large number of players nearby had gathered and were entering the new building one after another, creating an incredibly congested scene.

Stowing his vehicle, Pei Yun followed the crowd forward until he entered the black hole located within the tree trunk.

Spending 2 points of Sacrificial Power, the scene shifted.

After entering the new function building, one similarly found themselves in a layered, independent space.

Once his vision cleared, a warm shop bathed in soft light came into view.

The shop floor was paved with polished, colorful stone slabs, each imprinted with cute animal patterns; the surrounding walls were crafted from an unknown wood emitting a faint woody fragrance, and these walls were hung with various exquisite pet portraits, ranging from majestic dragons to the petite and delicate Fat Peach, every portrait so lifelike it seemed the pets would leap out of the paintings at any moment.

Rows of uniquely shaped pet cages and display stands were arranged inside the store, but it was basically certain these were merely decorations; the method of acquiring pets was obviously not by selecting them here.

In the center of the shop stood a circular stone platform, upon which rested a huge crystal ball, inside which clouds and mist swirled, rapidly cycling through various pet appearances.

"Guide, how does one select a pet here?"

When in doubt, ask the Guide; Pei Yun immediately turned to look at the Guide's water sphere hovering beside him, its expression lazy.

[Touch the crystal ball in the center of the shop; either physical contact or mental contact will allow entry into the pet selection interface.]

Following the Guide's prompt, Pei Yun walked onto the stone platform and stopped before the crystal ball.

The instant his hand touched the crystal ball, a virtual interface popped up in his mind.

The first thing to appear in his mind was a cute, rabbit-shaped white cotton candy, lying contentedly on the green grass by a lakeside with its eyes squinted, basking in the sun.

[Fat Peach (Growth-type Pet)]:

Initial Level: 1 (0/10 Sacrificial Power)

Pet Type: Resource-type

Personality Preferences: Lazy, Foodie, Sleeping

Pet Ability Introduction: Consumes nutrients to produce a special resource: Peach Stone (can be listed on the Trading Row or sacrificed to Emperor Tomb).

Adoption Price: 2350 Sacrificial Power.

In the bottom right corner of the scene demonstration screen, one could try using the pet's ability.

Pei Yun used his consciousness to tap the demonstration, and instantly, a pile of spiritual plants refreshed beside the Fat Peach in the demo scene.

The Fat Peach, resembling cotton candy, twitched its nose, flipped over, and leaped up, devouring the spiritual plants placed beside it in large mouthfuls; its two ears crossed alternately like a metronome keeping time with its eating rhythm, while time accelerated during this process.

Before long, the Fat Peach suddenly shook its body and excreted two pink conglomerates.

Analysis information automatically activated:

[Peach Stone]:

Resource Introduction: A special resource produced by the Fat Peach, usable for making spiritual medicines; direct consumption grants Body Tempering experience.

After reading the analysis introduction, Pei Yun couldn't help but bare his teeth.

He would pass on this Body Tempering experience.

Summoning the attribute panel and checking the conversion ratio, Pei Yun understood this pet's function.

At its initial level, the Fat Peach could eat four meals a day; the total input resources converted to Sacrificial Power amounted to about 3 points, and the ratio of input resources to output resources per meal was 1:1.66.

In other words, a Fat Peach at its initial level could generate a profit of around 2 points of Sacrificial Power per day.

This profit would increase along with the Fat Peach's level rise, as its food intake and resource conversion speed grew.

Therefore, this was a resource-type pet, equivalent to a portable money-printing machine.

The detailed attribute panel also explained the Fat Peach's weakness: its combat power was weak, and it lacked any desire to fight, so it could not serve as a combat pet.

However, given the freedom of the Monster World, making the Fat Peach fight was obviously not a problem if one really wanted to, but death would require consuming Sacrificial Power to resurrect, and like players, there was a one-hour cooldown waiting period.

With a wave of his hand, the scene shifted to the second scenario.

This was a dense forest; the trees growing here were tall, their trunks covered in moss flashing with a dim glow, as if draped in a magical cloak, while branches twisted and wound around each other, forming natural green domes.

At this moment in the scene, a creature resembling a squirrel was darting and maneuvering among the trees.

It possessed a coat of blue fur, a pair of large ears, and atop its head bloomed a vibrant orange flower with layers of petals unfurled; a delicate crown was embedded on its forehead, and its eyes were large and bright, like two clear gems, hiding curiosity and agility within, occasionally stopping to look around at the surrounding environment.

Its small orange nose twitched continuously, seemingly searching for food.

Around its neck hung a necklace composed of golden rings and blue gems.

Introduction information then floated into Pei Yun's mind.

[Treasure-Hunting Rat]:

Initial Level: 1

Pet Type: Perception-type

Personality Preferences: Collecting, Exercise, Spiritual Ornaments, Timid

Pet Introduction: Possesses an extremely keen sense of smell, capable of searching the nearby environment based on scent to precisely locate resources imbued with spirituality, including spiritual plants, spiritual ores, spiritual essences, and more; possesses primary intelligence, allowing for simple communication, or commands can be issued directly via consciousness (the Treasure-Hunting Rat's search coverage is affected by the pet's level; Sacrificial Power can be consumed to raise the pet's level).

Adoption Price: 3500 points of Sacrificial Power.

After reading the pet introduction, Pei Yun realized this was another pet leaning towards resource production.

Compared to the Fat Peach's stable daily output of Sacrificial Power, the Treasure-Hunting Rat leaned more towards luck-based yields, making its returns highly unstable.

It might bring high profits, or it might yield nothing for several days.

He tapped the skill demonstration with his consciousness.

Instantly, the Treasure-Hunting Rat in the scene sharply raised its head, twitched its nose repeatedly, then leaped back and forth among the treetops before landing and stopping before an ancient tree, where it began digging frantically with both hands, excavating deep into the earth.

Before long, the Treasure-Hunting Rat dug a pit several meters deep, then leaped out of the hole, carrying a glowing energy spirit stone in its mouth.

The joy of the harvest made the Treasure-Hunting Rat excitedly run in circles on the spot; it then held the gem high above its head, using the sunlight to inspect it closely with one eye, followed by another bout of frantic spinning in place.

After understanding the Treasure-Hunting Rat's abilities and tendencies, Pei Yun waved his hand forward again, shifting the scene to the demonstration scenario of the third pet.

Presented before his eyes was a lush valley, where a crystal-clear stream wound its way; by the stream, wild flowers bloomed profusely and green grass was like a carpet.

A small bird with brilliant colors spread its wings, shuttling through the forest; its back feathers were emerald green, like tender leaves in early summer, the edges of its pale blue wings were trimmed with fine gold lines, and whenever it flapped its wings, its orange-red belly rose and fell with its breath, while its slender, clear eyes sparkled with agility.

Finally, it landed by the stream and began cleaning its feathers.

It lightly dipped its beak into the water surface, smearing water droplets evenly onto its feathers.

This process was repeated many times until every feather was covered in water droplets; with a shake, the droplets slid down the feather textures, carrying away dust and impurities adhering to its body, restoring the feathers' original luster and fluffiness.

Analysis information automatically appeared.

[Light Spirit Feather]:

Initial Level: 1

Pet Type: Functional Support.

Pet Introduction: Can gather heavenly and earthly energy by consuming vitality, then trace and generate a healing light to connect with a target, continuously healing the target's injuries (the higher the Light Spirit Feather's level, the stronger the healing effect and the faster its own health recovery); it has born primary intelligence, allowing for relatively complex communication, or commands can be issued directly via consciousness, automatically translated into content the Light Spirit Feather can understand.

Pet Personality: Brave, Gentle, Quiet, Clean Freak.

Adoption Price: 7800 points of Sacrificial Power.

After reading the introduction content of the third pet, Pei Yun immediately realized this pet would inevitably become the first choice for a large number of players.

The healing skill inherent to the Light Spirit Feather was the ability players most desired at the current stage.

It was equivalent to a free, mobile blood pack.

Although the price was expensive, long-term companionship could save a huge amount of potion expenses and significantly enhance the comprehensive strength of a squad.

He tapped the demonstration function in the scene with his consciousness.

A player model covered entirely in injuries appeared within the scene; the Light Spirit Feather flapped its wings, flew into the sky, emitted a green fluorescent glow from its body, which shot out from its surface to connect with the injured player.

Instantly, the injuries on the player's body scabbed over and fell off at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the health bar displayed in the pop-up quickly refilled.

Although it was unclear what level the Light Spirit Feather in the demonstration scene was, this powerful single-target connection healing ability allowed Pei Yun to see the pet's potential.

Flight plus healing; combining these two features, the strength of this pet went without saying.

This also aroused his strong interest in the subsequent pets.

Compared to health recovery, as a magic-system player, what he wanted more was a mana-recovery type pet.

If such a functional pet type truly existed, he could modify his Star Vein combination to achieve the spell turret Cultivation Mode he had envisioned.

Swiping the scene, the fourth scenario was set on a vast plain.

On the plain lived a large number of blue, peculiar lifeforms resembling slimes; their shapes were jelly-like, their bodies semi-liquid, moving forward by wriggling.

Analysis information appeared at this time.

[Colorful Fruit]:

Initial Level: 1

Pet Type: Functional Support

Pet Introduction: A parasitic lifeform that can combine with a player to enhance the player's physical quality intensity (vitality intensity) or mental strength intensity; one can choose single-Cultivation Mode cultivation or dual-Cultivation Mode cultivation.

Cultivation Cultivation Mode 1: Blood · Colorful Fruit.

Introduction: Cultivated with vitality as the core attribute; after fusion, it primarily enhances the host's vitality intensity, along with a slight increase in mental strength intensity.

Cultivation Cultivation Mode 2: Magic · Colorful Fruit.

Introduction: Cultivated with mental strength intensity as the core attribute; after fusion, it primarily enhances the host's mental strength intensity, along with a slight increase in vitality intensity.

Pet Personality: None (has not born intelligence; commands can be issued directly via consciousness)

Adoption Price: 12500 Sacrificial Power.

(Note: After fusing with the Colorful Fruit, damage taken by the player can be shared with the Colorful Fruit, or set to be borne solely by the player; the damage-sharing ratio is adjustable. If the Colorful Fruit dies, the attribute amplification effect disappears.)

Tapping the demonstration with consciousness, a template player generated in the scene, and the Colorful Fruit quickly wriggled closer to the player.

Upon contacting the player's heel, it merged into the body through the pores.

Instantly, a blood-colored mark formed on the player's forehead, and the numerical values on the displayed attribute panel received an amplification.

The demonstration was performed twice.

The first time was fusing with the Blood Colorful Fruit, gaining an attribute amplification in physical strength; the other time fused with the Magic Colorful Fruit, after which a blue mark would form on the player's forehead, granting an amplification in mental strength attributes.

After viewing the introduction and demonstration scenes, Pei Yun realized this was an attribute-amplification type pet, just like a piece of portable equipment.

But judging from the introduction, the Colorful Fruit also had a powerful attribute: damage sharing.

Whether for squishy magic-type players or damage-soaking melee-build players, a pet capable of sharing damage is extremely valuable.

If a magic-type player chooses the Blood-Colored Fruit, it is effectively like gaining an extra life at a critical moment.

Swiping through the scenes, the fifth demonstration scene takes place in a Gobi environment.

As far as the eye can see lies a boundless sea of sand and an ocean of gravel, spreading wantonly with the wind, stretching continuously to the horizon.

Appearing in the scene is a pet resembling a scorpion with two massive claws; its body is encased in a layer of bronze-colored carapace, segmented and tightly connected, gleaming with a metallic luster, while its huge head pincers are not made of ordinary keratin but of dark, You -black crystal material, with complex patterns on the tips that look like two sharp blades when raised.

Analysis information floated up accordingly.

[Filth]:

Initial Rank: 1

Pet Type: Aura Domain.

Pet Introduction: After using its ability, it can generate an area-of-effect Filth Domain; all life within the domain suffers continuous corruption, inflicting dual damage effects on spirit and vitality.

Pet Personality: Quiet, Gluttonous, Alert.

Adoption Price: 9500 Sacrificial Power.

The fifth pet reminded Pei Yun of the plague-type units of the terrifying Black Black Tide.

This is also one of the system-type units that gives players the most headache when resisting the Black Black Tide; upon encountering them, one must focus fire and kill them as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, they will continuously deal damage to the tank-type players holding the front line, even weakening the defense of front-row players, greatly reducing their damage-soaking capability.

As the consciousness touch demonstration began, the spirit runes on Filth's body lit up, and black smoke spewed and diffused from its surface.

Plants refreshing around it withered rapidly, small animals fell down one after another poisoned, their bodies plated with a layer of black substance, dying within moments.

After fully understanding the five pets initially presented, Pei Yun watched the demonstration scenes again, conducting more detailed pet ability tests by modifying the attributes of the template players refreshing in the scene.

What was certain was that raising pets would definitely be a considerable expense.

Purchasing them required paying a high amount of Sacrificial Power, and subsequent cultivation was even more of a bottomless pit.

Pei Yun even felt that the consumption required for pet cultivation was more severe than that for armed vehicles.

Armed vehicles only need to be sufficient; there is no need to pursue fancy top-tier configurations.

But the pet system was different.

Since one chose to raise a pet, the pet's abilities had to keep pace with the player's growth progress, requiring constant investment of resources.

It could be understood that choosing to cultivate a pet meant adding a new channel for Sacrificial Power consumption on top of the two major expenditures of Star Vein and Body Tempering.

Glancing at his inventory of Sacrificial Power, Pei Yun decisively chose to acquire Fat Peach, priced at 2350 points, which was also the cheapest among the five growth-type pets.

Although Fat Peach possessed no combat abilities, it could continuously generate returns.

The continuous returns it would bring in the future could completely cover the cultivation expenses.

After the Sacrificial Power was deducted, the Challenger Prompt sounded in his mind, and Pei Yun exited the simulation interface at that moment.

He saw the glass cabinet not far away open, and a pink-and-white cotton candy shot toward him; Pei Yun subconsciously reached out to catch it.

Bang!

Fat Peach collided into his embrace, rolling around in his arms, then lifted its head, looking at him with large, watery eyes.

Chirp!

Meeting gazes, Fat Peach let out an excited cry, then pressed its head against his chest and rubbed continuously, making Pei Yun burst into hearty laughter.

[Challenger Prompt: Do you wish to rename the pet, or adopt the pet species name?]

After a brief moment of thought, Pei Yun gave his pet a new name: Cotton Candy.

After adopting the pet, Pei Yun followed the guidance prompts to create a pet space 2.5 meters long, 2 meters wide, and 2 meters high.

This expense required 1500 points of Sacrificial Power, and the interior of the space would automatically be set to an environment suitable for the pet's survival.

Regarding this, Pei Yun also asked the Guidance why pets could not be placed into the personal space inventory slots.

The Guidance replied that the inventory space contained no energy elements or various world substances, and a pet inside would not even be able to breathe.

But the pet space was different; it was an independent space connected to the outside world, capable of drawing material energy from the exterior.

This ensured that the pet could survive and grow within it.

Although this expense was a one-time consumption, it still made Pei Yun feel extremely pained.

As a commoner player, the Sacrificial Power earned was barely enough to improve strength; the Sacrificial Power painstakingly saved up hadn't even been used to open new Star Vein slots, yet after the new features went online, it was nearly spent again.

The only thing worth being happy about was that Cotton Candy's future output was sufficient to cover this expense and bring continuous, stable Sacrificial Power returns.

Having completed the pet adoption, Pei Yun did not rush to leave.

Summoning the Forum function, he began writing a pet cultivation strategy guide, during which he also needed to check the pet demonstration scenes to detail the pros and cons of each pet.

This was his hobby, and also a way for him to earn Sacrificial Power.

Every time he published a strategy post, players would give tips, making it a case of earning money and having fun without conflict.

Several hours later, Pei Yun finished writing the strategy post, read it over carefully twice, and after confirming there were no errors, chose to publish it.

As soon as his new post went online, it attracted a large number of players to click, leaving comments one after another below the post.

[Arrived late, a strategic evaluation of the pet function, along with personal thoughts and analysis]:

Poster: Night Is Coming

Content:

First, let me put on some armor; the following viewpoints represent only my personal thoughts. If you have different opinions, feel free to leave a comment.

If my viewpoints contain errors, I will edit and modify them.

Now, let's get to the main topic; I will introduce in detail the ability characteristics and growth directions of the first batch of pets, rating them based on four dimensions players care about most: Combat Power, Functional Support Strength, Economic Returns, and Appearance, with a full score being 10 stars.

First Pet: Fat Peach.

This one's design is extremely cute; its appearance is absolutely maxed out. Everyone can understand this pet as a financial product; aside from the initial investment requiring 3850 Sacrificial Power (adoption + space), it can stably generate returns in the later stages.

I recommend that every player who cannot afford powerful pets get one; after all, everyone is preparing to retire in this game and will never switch games in this lifetime, so just treat it as investing early in a pension fund. It's a guaranteed profit with no loss, producing pocket money every day.

Just imagine, when you get older, collecting a large pension from Fat Peach every day, wouldn't that be awesome?

Combat Power: One star.

Functional Support: 0.

Economic Returns: 5 stars.

Appearance: 10 stars (based solely on my own aesthetics).

Recommended Group: All players.

Second Pet: Treasure-Hunting Rat.

This pet's design is also very cute, and its function is similar to Fat Peach, capable of continuously generating returns.

The specific effect is perceiving nearby spiritual substances through smell, then precisely locating valuable items nearby; the search range is related to the Treasure-Hunting Rat's rank.

But this kind of return is very unstable, purely depending on luck; in comparison, I recommend Fat Peach more, as its output is stable and its price is lower.

Players who like surprises can also try the Treasure-Hunting Rat; who knows, you might truly get rich in one go.

Combat Power: 3 stars.

Functional Support: 0.

Economic Returns: 0-10 stars.

Appearance: 10 stars.

Recommended Group: Exploration-faction players (If you are an exploration-faction player, do not hesitate, lock onto the Treasure-Hunting Rat immediately; it will continuously bring you surprises during your long journey, making every step of your future exploration full of expectation.)

Third Pet: Light Spirit Feather.

A must-have pet for fixed teams and lone-wolf players; it can release a continuous healing light strip connected to the target, Kancheng a mobile blood pack; its healing skill has no cooldown, mainly consuming vitality to maintain, but the Light Spirit Feather can automatically recover the consumed vitality energy.

The key point is that this is a flying pet with high mobility, capable of moving on the battlefield to heal; I recommend that melee players who have the conditions must cultivate one.

The appearance of the Light Spirit Feather also fills a shortcoming in our player faction; high-rank Light Spirit Feathers can completely be used as healers, providing the team with continuous combat sustainability.

If one must mention a drawback, there is only one: the price is too expensive; one Light Spirit Feather can buy three Fat Peaches.

Combat Power: 2 stars (If you chose a Light Spirit Feather, using it for combat would be too ridiculous; the combat power value can be ignored).

Functional Support: 10 stars.

Economic Returns: 7 stars (Although cultivation is expensive, it can save a large sum of expenses on buying recovery potions from the Mall).

Appearance: 8 stars.

Recommended Group: Fixed teams, Guild Warbands, Functional Support, Melee-build (Especially for large teams, multiple Light Spirit Feathers must be equipped to form a Light Spirit Feather healer squadron).

Fourth Pet: Colored Fruit.

Among the five types opened in the first batch, this is the only pet possessing two cultivation modes.

They are the Magic Colored Fruit and the Blood Colored Fruit, which increase spirit strength and vitality strength respectively.

I presume that in the games everyone has played before, there are basically settings for enchanting weapons and equipment; the Colored Fruit can be understood as human body enchantment, and after completing fusion, it can significantly enhance the primary attribute of the cultivation direction.

But this is not the main point; the main point is that after the Colored Fruit fuses with the body, it can also help the player soak damage.

It is equivalent to extending the health bar by a large margin; its functionality is very strong, it's just that the cost-performance ratio is a bit low, the price is the highest among the five pets, and it has no economic returns whatsoever.

Combat Power: 0.

Functional Support: 10 stars.

Economic Returns: 0.

Appearance: 1 star.

Recommended Group: Melee-build players (Blood Colored Fruit), Magic-type, Functional Support players (Magic Colored Fruit).

One complaint: The selling price of 12500 is too expensive; this is just the purchase price, and later stages still require investing a large sum of Sacrificial Power for cultivation, Kancheng a gold-swallowing beast; if your family doesn't have a mine, cultivation is not recommended, as it is purely negative economic returns.

Fifth Pet: Filth.

The pet's appearance resembles a scorpion with demonic runes branded on its surface; its ability effect is releasing an area-of-effect aura, dealing continuous corrosion damage to all life within the covered range; its performance is somewhat like the plague-type units of the Black Black Tide, possessing high defense and a large health bar itself, and can also serve as a tank.

I do not recommend this pet for fixed parties or solo players; from the perspectives of yield and combat power, it is meaningless.

It is better suited for large teams engaging in war Cultivation Mode, providing effects such as area damage, damage over time, defense penetration, and crowd control.

Combat Power: 10 stars.

Functional Support: 7 stars.

Economic Yield: 0.

Appearance: 2 stars.

Recommended Groups: Large societies, large warbands.

Final summary.

Recommended for common players: Fat Peach, Treasure-Hunting Rat, Light Spirit Feather.

Recommended for paying players: Light Spirit Feather, Colorful Fruit.

Recommended for team Cultivation Mode: Light Spirit Feather, Filth.

The above is my detailed evaluation of this pet function; if you have other thoughts, please leave a message in the comments section.

A small tip at the end of the post: after consulting the Guidance, I learned that the trait of the rule "Gathering Crowds" can also be attached to pet functions.

In other words, the more players who choose a pet, the stronger the additional amplification effect from Gathering Crowds becomes.

Comments section:

Floating Sea Leopard: As an exploration-faction player, I instantly chose the Treasure-Hunting Rat. Brother Hei Ye makes a valid point; with this pet, every step taken while exploring outdoors will be filled with anticipation. Who knows when a sudden wealth opportunity might come knocking? This isn't just a pet; it's a walking God of Wealth.

Eight Branches and a Half: I declare the winner of the first Pet Evaluation Competition to be "Light Spirit Feather." This is the core need of us players. No other pet holds as much value for the entire player camp as Light Spirit Feather. Personally, I have no interest in treasure hunting or financial management; I only know that during fights, Light Spirit Feather can heal me, improve my sustained combat capability, and save me a huge amount of potion expenses.

Last Freedom: Why is there no combat-type pet that I want? I want to raise a pet capable of area damage output to work hard and earn Sacrificial Power for me while I handle remote command. Where is the promised boon for lazy people? (Eating dirt and slamming the table.jpg).

Immortal Legend: Sacrificial Power expenses are growing; I can barely afford to open my Star Vein slots. Now everyone is improving their strength, so very few players are selling Sacrificial Power. The current situation is that the officials are tightly restricting Sacrificial Power output. Where are players supposed to get extra Sacrificial Power to raise pets? My suggestion is to raise Fat Peach for financial management. If we all raise them, we can increase the yield benefits from Fat Peach.

Divine King: Filth is excellent; it comes with an inherent negative aura, making it essential for team battles. Everyone should raise one quickly; the more people who use it, the fiercer the extra attribute enhancement effect becomes. I strongly suggest everyone get one, mainly because I really want one.

Strategist Xu Sheng: I must point out an error in Brother Hei Ye's strategy post. Although Colorful Fruit has an expensive selling price, its cost-performance ratio is truly not low. Damage absorption acts like a special skill, and coupled with attribute amplification, I think it is very suitable for lone wolf players, greatly improving combat fault tolerance. However, the price is indeed on the high side.

Regarding the newly launched pet function, players are engaging in heated discussion on the forum.

It is evident that players are very interested in the pet function.

Pets can serve as companions carrying emotional weight, while also providing various supportive abilities, making them highly practical.

However, players also have grievances.

For instance, the setting mentioned in this update regarding free pets being returnable to the Novice Village space after purification.

Players possessing the ability to manipulate Soul Souls feel delighted by this.

But the problem is that this update lacks the setting they desire: allowing captured free pets to be resurrected. This means that manipulated captured pets remain single-use consumables and cannot be reused like growth-type pets.

This leaves players who worked hard to catch free pets deeply heartbroken.

It implies that their good brothers in hand could depart from them at any moment.

Secondly, another function consuming Sacrificial Power has been added to the game, yet the officials have still not opened any additional Sacrificial Power output functions.

Players often protest this issue on the forum, but those dog officials show no intention of increasing Sacrificial Power output.

Such malicious conduct is shameful.

But apart from complaining, players have no means to counter the officials.

Game qualifications were hard-won; if they don't play, plenty of others will.

In fact, players are all clear that the Eclipse Clan distributing qualifications externally is more akin to a form of support; they do not care about the foreign exchange revenue brought by the various races.

This results in a complete imbalance of speaking rights between the players and the officials.

Apart from complaining, there is no other way.

And the cold attitude of those dog officials, who have never paid attention to player demands, seems to say in their eyes:

Play if you love it, or get out if you don't.

(End of Chapter)