Chapter 8: The Supreme Mother River, Pact with the Pet Beast!

“Uncle Zhou, I choose the Dreamweaving Spider!”

Lu Yu was not one to hesitate; he made his decision promptly.

Zhou Cheng could see the fiery determination in Lu Yu’s eyes and knew he would surely pick the Dreamweaving Spider, but he couldn’t help but ask one more time to make sure:

“Are you certain?”

“Yes, I’ve made my choice. After my parents passed, the nightmares about the sun have haunted me, and seeing numerous psychologists hasn’t helped. The Dreamweaving Spider can weave beautiful dreams for me, steadying my mind. Once I reach the Silver Rank, I’ll choose some powerful combat-oriented pet beasts.”

Lu Yu’s reason was quite sufficient; after all, many saw him as a madman, so choosing a dream-type pet beast to regulate his spirit was only to be expected.

Zhou Cheng couldn’t help but feel a tinge of guilt.

If it hadn’t been for that mission, his parents wouldn’t have died, and Lu Yu wouldn’t have had to suffer such a severe blow that led to hallucinations.

The Divine Nectar Wine was also a particular item he had brought, just to take extra care of the descendants of his former comrades. But what pained him more was that the mission was still incomplete, and failure could trigger a massive crisis…

However, with the current escalation of events, he could only qualify to be involved if he successfully advanced to the Morning Star.

With this thought, a shadow briefly crossed Zhou Cheng’s eyes but was quickly concealed as he comforted:

“That makes sense. Moreover, this is the last relic of the Dream-Eating Cult that perished a millennium ago. Perhaps yours is a sacred beast they nurtured. Just remember to carefully consider the spiritual puzzle of the dream realm.”

Great, I’ll take that reason!

Lu Yu scratched his head, a hint of “youthful” shyness on his face, but in his mind, he was already planning to blame any changes in the Dreamweaving Spider on the Dream-Eating Cult and the “Master of the Eternal Dreamland” once he unlocked the Secret Food Heritage. This would serve as a logical loop for his future empowerment, as after all, no one could confront him directly.

However, Lu Yu didn’t rush to fetch the Dreamweaving Spider but turned to inquire:

“Uncle Zhou, what is a spiritual puzzle?”

Zhou Cheng frequently mentioned this term with a hint of implication, signifying its importance.

Finally, he asked!

A cunning smile appeared on Zhou Cheng’s face as he spoke righteously: “Under normal circumstances, you would learn the secrets of spiritual puzzles only when you become a Golden Beast Master. However, since you’re here to exchange the Golden Medallion, the warden must answer your queries during the process, which is also in accordance with the rules.”

This was naturally his intentional guidance. Emphasizing the spiritual puzzle was his way of revealing some hidden knowledge to Lu Yu. As the acting warden, he couldn’t disclose it actively but could respond passively.

Zhou Cheng asked Lu Yu, “Do you know why the Pet Beast Space can accelerate the growth of beasts?”

“Because of the Supreme Mother River. Humans’ Pet Beast Space is connected to the Mother River, which can draw primitive spirituality and transform it, nurturing pet beasts. The stronger one is, the faster the conversion efficiency, a gift uniquely bestowed to our human race.”

Lu Yu responded without a second thought as these were basics in the Beast Master curriculum.

“I’m glad you’re aware of the Supreme Mother River. Among countless worlds and myriad dimensional rules, all are but grains of sand within the Mother River, differing only in size. She is the origin of all spirituality, and our human’s Pet Beast Space is a miracle gifted by the Mother River.”

Zhou Cheng organized his words before continuing:

“If the Mother River is akin to the ocean, then we humans are like dwellers on a small island called ‘ignorance’ in the dark ocean. This ocean is vast and holds infinite secrets, but it also harbors endless dangers. If you dive in directly, nothing awaits but drowning. Therefore, you need a ship to help navigate.”

“A ship?” Lu Yu seemed to realize something and exclaimed in surprise, “Can humans enter the Mother River?”

“Very smart!”

With an expression suggesting he found a teachable moment, Zhou Cheng glanced at the unastonished Red Moon Dream and continued:

“I’ll tell you, to advance to the Morning Star Rank, you must enter the Mother River. And a spiritual puzzle is akin to a ship that aids in navigation. The quality of your puzzle decides the reach of your journey, and most critically, it helps conceal you, preventing unknown entities from discovering you…”

Hearing this, Lu Yu muttered to himself, “The dark forest theory…”

Zhou Cheng asked, puzzled, “A dark forest? What does that mean?”

“It’s something I read in a book once…”

Lu Yu didn’t keep it to himself, after all, the world they lived in also had a sky full of stars above it. Even if the existence of the universe was unknown, the terminology wasn’t too difficult to understand, so he gave a simple explanation.

Red Moon Dream’s expression remained serene, yet the ripples in her eyes proved she wasn’t as calm as she appeared.

After listening, even Zhou Cheng, who usually maintained a calm demeanor, showed a hint of surprise and couldn’t help but admire:

“This author is remarkable, likening the universe to a dark forest where every civilization is a gunman, creeping through the woods like ghosts, carefully moving aside the branches and striving not to make a sound, even with their breathing. It seems to be about hunting but actually reflects the plunder of resources between civilizations and the chain of suspicion. This individual truly has boundless imagination. He must have entered the Mother River as one of the top powerhouses. I can’t help but want to take a look at this book. What’s its name?”

“I’ve forgotten the name, I’ll look for it when I get back and tell you later.”

Lu Yu lightly evaded the question with a casual remark; after all, in his previous life, he only read some explanations and could not replicate Liu’s work from a few scattered segments.

Zhou Cheng didn’t pursue the matter further and instead spoke:

“Let’s not worry about the Mother River for now; you should consider it when you attain the Golden Spirit. I want to talk about another ability of the puzzle: balance.”

“You probably know that humans drawing spirituality can lead to deformities, which is actually because humans are too close to the Mother River, resulting in absorption of knowledge that they can’t comprehend. Using pet beasts is akin to installing a filter. However…

Even a filter has its limits, like a water purifier that filters clean water but can become completely contaminated one day, turning the output into polluted water.

The same logic applies to pet beasts. Daily use and care are fine, akin to a lake that can self-purify. But with high-frequency battle usage and spiritual overdraft, it eventually blackens the ‘filter’, which can corrupt the pet beasts—a mild change in nature or, in worse cases, deformities that backlash against humans. But pet beasts can’t be discarded like ordinary filters, so what should be done then?”

Lu Yu pondered, and Red Moon Dream beside him provided the answer:

“Upgrade it!”

Zhou Cheng nodded in satisfaction and continued: “Indeed, the solution is an upgrade. If the original filter isn’t durable enough, then a new pet beast must be utilized to carry the burden and establish a new balance. It can’t be chosen randomly either; it needs to match the attributes of the first one.

For example, your little girlfriend’s first pet is from the Abyssal category, so her other choices will either be Abyssal or other negative attribute beasts like darkness or undead. If you forcibly choose a holy light type, it might conflict, leading to constant rejection and eventual ‘bursting of the plumbing.’ Of course, there have been successes where individuals have managed to control multiple extreme attributes and become strong, but those are exceptions.

The spiritual puzzles of talented individuals from large families have been experimented with over countless years and passed down—the monopolization of related pet beasts not only shields them from high-frequency combat mental strains but also perfects the combat coordination between beasts, dramatically boosting their strength. Some prodigies even manage to nurture laws ahead of time…

Anyway, I’m digressing. If you choose a dream realm type, your next pet beasts should be chosen to avoid conflict, ensuring a balance of spirituality between them.”

Despite the teasing tone used for ‘little girlfriend’, Red Moon Dream’s pupils silently rippled with hearts, flooding with a sentiment named joy.

Lu Yu failed to notice the reaction of the girl beside him, absorbing the precious knowledge like a sponge, and couldn’t help but marvel inwardly:

A single phrase from the truth outvalues endless pages of false scriptures.

This conversation alone could save him countless detours.

With that in mind, Lu Yu sincerely expressed his gratitude: “Uncle Zhou, thank you!”

“Scram, no need for such a cheesy act between men!” Zhou Cheng joked, then manipulated the roots of the Dungeon Fairy Flower to bring the Dreamweaving Spider’s egg from the cave and handed it to Lu Yu.

It wasn’t as sticky as imagined; instead, it felt like touching the finest silk, extremely smooth.

Faintly, he could sense the feeble throbbing of life within.

Before departing, Zhou Cheng left Lu Yu with a meaningful remark:

“Don’t think you’re crazy. You’ll find out that all Beast Masters are freaking mad!”

He finished, leaving behind a piece of paper with his contact information, and left with panache.

Lu Yu chuckled to himself. The old man who loved to pose wasn’t as optimistic as he seemed.

Since there was no turning back, he might as well tread the thorny path to see the view from the summit.

After registering the information for the pet beast receipt, and since he was in a hurry to unlock the new heritage of the Eye of Truth, Lu Yu told Red Moon Dream they would have dinner together in a few days. She remained silent.

“So, that means…”

“Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings)!”

Lu Yu thought she might look down on a meal from him and was about to let it go when he heard Red Moon Dream utter those words.

Looking down, her expression was still calm, but he could sense anticipation.

He didn’t quite understand why Red Moon Dream, a young lady of her status, would fancy such street food, but since she liked it and it would also save him some money, why not?

“Sure!”

Lu Yu nodded in agreement. At that moment, the bus arrived. He boarded with his monthly pass, waving goodbye.

Red Moon Dream watched him silently. Her near-perfect features drew the attention of every passenger on the bus.

Only when the bus vanished from sight did she retract her gaze and took out her phone—it was a screenshot of a chat.

[Wolf: The xiaolongbao by my house is quite tasty, I’ll treat you to it sometime.]

Red Moon Dream’s gaze was profound as she whispered:

“I want to try…”

……………………………………

Meanwhile, Lu Yu returned home and quickly locked the doors and windows, drew the curtains, and used the method taught in textbooks to draw the Pet Beast Array. He placed the Dreamweaving Spider egg in the center and dropped a drop of blood on it.

Hum!

With a soft chant!

The Pact Glyph spun, dozens of nodes lit up in succession, and points of light, dazzling like stars, rose from the array, rapidly filling the entire room.

The starlight swirled, establishing an invisible bond between him and the Dreamweaving Spider egg before him.

Lu Yu felt his soul weigh down with extra heft, and a yearning emotion transmitted over, eager for birth.

First Pet Beast

Pact complete!