Free Web NovelChapter 417: Chapter 404: Valley of Meteorology
Seeing that Mo Ying had grasped the basics, Gu Ming had it move to the side to practice on its own.
Taking this opportunity, he steered the conversation toward the ethereal and elusive concept of "Qi Refining Evolution."
In reality, Teacher Tang had, of course, never heard of "Qi Refining Evolution."
Even though he had heard through the company’s internal channels that Gu Ming had sparked a major discussion at school about Qi Refining Evolution.
But until there were actual results, everyone was taking a wait-and-see approach.
At best, they treated it as a curious anecdote, not something to be investigated seriously.
Now, Gu Ming presented his theory of "Qi Refining Evolution."
He proposed breaking down and refining two Pet Beast Inner Cores to condense them into three new ones.
And from this process, refine the so-called "Innate Qi."
This theory sounded like something a Beastmaster who had lost their mind during cultivation would come up with—an attempt to "destroy in order to rebuild," pursuing a higher limit through extreme measures.
The "Innate Qi" Gu Ming spoke of did, in fact, exist.
But it didn’t originate from some "Qi Refining Evolution."
Instead, it was a power that some Thunder Element Pet Beasts, born in unique meteorological environments, could naturally wield to a small extent.
Researchers in the Beast Taming Community considered it a special, high-purity form of Spiritual Qi.
An intermediate state between Spiritual Qi and Mana.
Currently, academic research on the subject was still quite limited.
Therefore, when Gu Ming brought it up, Teacher Tang could only respond based on existing research papers:
"I’ve heard of the ’Innate Qi’ you’re talking about.
"It’s mentioned in papers on Weather Pet Beasts. You can look them up.
"That said, if you’re determined to go down this path, you’ll have to create an entirely new development plan.
"Different Evolution paths require completely different resources."
Teacher Tang said.
Gu Ming nodded and assured him,
"Don’t worry, Teacher Tang. I’ve already made a list of the medicinal ingredients needed for Cyan Treasure’s future development.
"As for the special resources required, I’ve already arranged trades with several leading figures in the Beast Taming Community.
"It won’t be a problem to draw from their stockpiles of ingredients, so you can rest easy."
Gu Ming was referring to the High Tier Beastmasters he had rescued from the Yichuan Ruins.
The connections he’d built from that life-saving favor were proving to be extremely useful, at least in the short term.
They were at least enough to support a few of his Pet Beasts in their advancement to the Three-star Level.
As for whether they could guarantee his path to the Four-star Level and beyond, that was another matter.
Hearing this, Teacher Tang nodded. Seeing that Gu Ming already had a plan, he said,
"Write up a first draft on Mo Ying’s new Skill. Give it to me, and I’ll submit it to my superiors for review.
"You can submit it as a progress report first. No need to reveal everything at once."
...
「It is difficult for a Pet Beast that has not experienced Innate Qi to condense it after breaking down two Pet Beast Inner Cores.」
「Teacher Tang points you toward the correct path: go to the Valley of Meteorology to observe the combat and daily Cultivation of Weather Pet Beasts up close.」
「This will be of great help to your Pet Beast in refining Innate Qi.」
Another clue!
Gu Ming’s spirits lifted slightly. He took his Pet Beasts back to the villa to focus on his Cultivation.
「Two days later.」
Gu Ming returned to the company to submit his progress report.
Soon after, he received a notice that his proposal was approved, granting him permission to proceed with the next phase of development.
This meant he needed to raise Mo Ying’s Skill Level for the ability to "Entry Level," after which it would be inspected by the company. The deadline was approximately two weeks.
For any other team, a deadline like this would typically be compressed to a week or less.
However, considering Gu Ming was still a student and wasn’t at the company most of the time, and that Teacher Tang was responsible for most of Mo Ying’s actual training.
Gu Ming was mainly in charge of the development direction and core methods for the Combat Skills. Once Mo Ying grasped the essentials, it would just be a matter of continuous practice.
Therefore, two weeks was considered a reasonable timeframe.
After getting a leave of absence from school, Gu Ming brought Lu You and his five Pet Beasts with him to the Valley of Meteorology, intending to observe the Cultivation patterns of the Weather Pet Beasts there.
The Valley of Meteorology, a massive natural valley, was located in the central region of the Great Zhou.
Due to the anomalous weather in the area, the surroundings were almost completely uninhabited by humans.
Gu Ming had been warned that the journey would be dangerous. Exploring such a desolate and uninhabited wilderness meant he could run into Loose Cultivators of unknown origin, and some of them might even be Evil Cultivators.
Evil Cultivators were known for not playing by the rules.
They would rather kill a Beastmaster outright than engage in an honorable Pet Beast battle.
That’s why, when exploring the untamed wilds, a Beastmaster’s top priority has to be self-preservation.
This was a true test of a Pet Beast’s ability to protect its master.
To ensure the research trip went smoothly, he invited several classmates who were also interested in "Qi Refining Evolution" to come along.
With a larger group, they would naturally need a faculty advisor to supervise the trip.
When the president of the Outdoor Adventure Club heard about this, he initially wanted to ask his club’s own advisor for help.
Unexpectedly, Elder Huo swooped in and offered to lead the expedition and guide Gu Ming personally.
He too was quite interested in Gu Ming’s new "Qi Refining Evolution" theory.
When the Ruan Family learned that Elder Huo was involved, they said no more, merely sending one or two club members to accompany the group.
...
Inside the valley, a vast expanse of clouds churned like a giant vortex, yet it was held in place by an invisible force, never once spilling beyond the valley’s rim.
The weather within the valley was in constant flux. One moment, it was a torrential downpour; the next, fierce gales howled as lightning ripped across the sky and thunder boomed deafeningly.
To survive in the surface environment here meant enduring survival pressure pushed to its absolute limit.
Any Pet Beast capable of surviving in such a harsh environment possessed incredible adaptability and a tenacious Life Force.
There were Grass Element Pet Beasts whose deep root systems resembled ancient, towering trees, their leaves and vines stretching for dozens of meters.
There were Wind Element Pet Beasts that could ride the gales, soaring against the heart of the storm.
There were even Thunder Element creatures that dwelled directly within the thunderclouds, making their homes among the lightning.
Pet Beasts of all kinds displayed their full might here. None of their clans were below the Three-star Level, making it a veritable battleground for the strong.
Any Spirit Beast that failed to adapt had long since turned to bleached bone, becoming dust and nutrients for the land.
Although Gu Ming himself possessed the Cultivation of a Three-star Spiritual Power, his Pet Beasts were all still at the Two-star Level.
In terms of actual combat power, he was at the bottom of the food chain in this valley.
He turned to look at Elder Huo, who was accompanying them. The old man was in high spirits, also watching the clouds billow and unfurl across the sky.
The elder’s Pet Beast was nowhere to be seen, but Gu Ming’s Divine Sense could feel a powerful presence protecting them all from the shadows, which was reassuring.
Gu Ming followed his gaze upward. A vast, boundless vortex of clouds hovered over the valley, rotating slowly as waves of clouds billowed and surged.
It looked like a magnificent, giant rose, inverted and floating in the sky—a truly spectacular sight.
Down in the valley itself, rain poured in sheets while thick bolts of lightning, like swords of divine punishment, struck the ground repeatedly, erupting in blinding flashes of light. The scene was one of majestic, raging power.
Gu Ming couldn’t help but hold his breath, the hair on his arms standing on end. The sheer, violent power of the weather here was truly awe-inspiring.
