Chapter 118

Having witnessed the evolution of the Vengeful Spirit Doll firsthand, many in the audience fell into deep thought.

The low-level elite species of Little Skeleton, the small cloud dog with the core skill of “Howl,” the hard-to-evolve Night Bell, and the Vengeful Spirit Doll, which had never been observed to have a controllable evolution—none of these were the types of pets that people favored. Few ambitious Beast Tamers would choose to form a contract with such creatures.

However, in this new evolution theory, all of them showed evolution potential that surpassed their own limits, becoming the focus of attention as Monarch races, and even reaching the threshold of Imperial races.

It is true that the research results currently announced are limited to dark attribute pets, who are particularly sensitive to emotional resonance, but everyone in this presentation saw the dawn of breakthroughs in other attributes.

Countless low-tier extraordinary creatures, especially dark-type pets, which were previously overlooked, will now be re-evaluated for their potential limits.

The nature of the contract between humans and extraordinary creatures has different answers from Professor Xie Qingwei’s Dark Attribute Research Group and Professor Yuan Xin’s Thunder Attribute Research Group.

One side strengthens the Beast Tamer’s deterrence to overcome their inherent “weaknesses” and better express their own characteristics.

On the other hand, the pets themselves, as the leaders of emotional resonance and rituals, break through the limits of their core talents and complete their evolution through this energy.

The unique [contract] granted to humans and extraordinary creatures by the primordial spirit at the beginning—what does it truly mean? Those who watched the lecture all had their own thoughts about it in their hearts.

Feng Le on the stage looked happily at the evolved puppet, who stood alongside Mu Huiyue at the front, slightly bowing to the audience in gratitude.

“Our lecture ends here. Thank you all for watching.”

An unprecedentedly enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.

Professor Xie Qingwei, sitting among them, also smiled and clapped, her gaze full of satisfaction.

She still remembered how Feng Le looked when he first learned he was assigned to the Dark Attribute Research Institute—surprised and anxious. He was afraid he wouldn’t do well, so he always worked harder than his peers.

Even though he was troubled by his childhood experiences, he still resolutely chose to contract with the vengeful spirit puppet.

This contract marked the beginning of his journey to face and accept himself, and it was also the source of the emotional power that allowed the vengeful spirit puppet to evolve today.

Next came the Q&A session, where the three industry authorities focused their questions on measuring the [contract entropy] threshold and the production of resonance crystals.

Feng Le answered one by one, explaining that currently, resonance crystals are difficult to produce on a large scale and will need to be further refined in subsequent research. The Kyoto University Dark Attribute Research Institute is considering collaborating with high-tech companies that possess the necessary technology to develop it.

In the end, the panel gave the project an unprecedented perfect score of [30/30].

Both the academic breakthroughs and the future applications and follow-up research are full of promise.

Feng Le and Mu Huiyue successfully completed their presentation and returned to their seats beside Professor Xie.

“You both did an excellent job,” Professor Xie Qingwei said, pulling her students over and patting their heads, one hand for each.

Feng Le shyly scratched his cheek. He could finally relax, feeling as though he was almost exhausted.

Pets were not allowed to be released in the exhibition hall. Although there were many curious gazes around, Feng Le still returned the evolved puppet to his Beastmaster space.

The two sat down next to their mentor, ready to watch the next presentation.

Professor Xie Qingwei’s phone vibrated. She took it out and saw an unread message from someone saved as [Old Wang].

The person she called Old Wang was Professor Wang Yu from the Wood Research Institute, and also Lin Lin’s mentor. He was a wood attribute researcher who developed the special skill [Inverted Space].

Xie Qingwei opened the message, and her screen was immediately flooded with a countless number of exclamation marks.

【Xie Qingwei, what kind of amazing thing have you created and didn’t even tell me!!!!!!】

【I’m ordering a resonance crystal from you, don’t come up with excuses to refuse!!】

【Oh my God, even if the wood system isn’t feasible right now, contracting a pet with both dark and wood attributes has a chance, right? Cultivating a pet with the core skill Inverted Space as a talent!!】

Xie Qingwei smiled softly. It seemed that Old Wang was indeed tortured by his bottleneck. Upon seeing a potential breakthrough, his level of calmness was no better than her students’.

She casually replied to the message.

【It’s hard to trigger emotional resonance when you approach a contract with such clear utilitarian intent.】

Professor Wang Yu replied quickly.

【Emotional resonance can also be directed in a specific way. Take Inverted Space, for example. If there’s a pet with a weak species level but dreams of defeating a strong enemy and is willing to put in all its efforts to achieve it, wouldn’t it be perfect for a contract with me?】

【Discovering and cultivating these pets with strong emotions but lacking talent, and giving them the opportunity to grow alongside a human Beastmaster—this is one of the reasons you research the theory of contract evolution, right?】

Upon seeing the message, Xie Qingwei smiled.

Although they didn’t always see eye to eye on academic research, Professor Wang Yu really understood her.

【The resonance crystal you wanted will be mailed to the Wood Research Institute later.】

The speed at which Professor Wang Yu sent the message made it seem as if one could almost see her fingers flying across the phone keys.

【I was waiting for you to say that, Xie Qingwei. I’ll also share the subsequent experimental data with you.】

Professor Xie put down her phone and looked toward the podium.

The exchange conference had not yet ended, and the next research team was already prepared to take the stage for their presentation.

However, with such an explosive topic like [the breakthrough evolution method for core talent skills] already presented, the upcoming displays seemed a bit less captivating.

Several presentations passed, and the audience could still be heard quietly discussing contract evolution.

The fifteenth presentation finally caught the audience’s attention.

It was from the Intelligence Attribute Research Team of Xingzhou University, showcasing the research that had made a splash in the national competition and helped the university’s team win the championship—the [Armor Attachment-type] Intelligence Attribute pet.

This was one of the collaborative projects between Xingzhou University and universities in the Nova region, and there seemed to be a connection to ZH Zenith Supercontrol Technology Co., Ltd.

The [Armor Attachment-type] was developed by the “Edge” laboratory under Zenith Supercontrol Technology, and it was a type of intelligence attribute pet that could participate in Beastmaster battles.

They can attach to different types of pets, enhancing their physical attributes and skill power across the board, altering or adding to the pet’s own attributes, thereby avoiding weaknesses caused by attribute weaknesses.

The [Armor Attachment-type] can even produce an effect where one plus one equals more than two in double battles, allowing the pet it attaches to experience a temporary evolution-like leap in life stages, transforming into a stronger, new form.

More importantly, compared to previous purely supportive [System-type] intelligence attribute pets, the method of contracting [Armor Attachment-type] pets has changed, allowing them to be contracted without using up a precious contract slot.

This means all Beastmasters can contract an [Armor Attachment-type] intelligence attribute pet in addition to the pets they’ve already nurtured, significantly enhancing their own strength.

A murmur of discussion rose from the audience, and Mu Huiyue, sitting among them, was also attentively learning about the [Armor Attachment-type] intelligence attribute pet.

She instinctively began to think about how to deal with an opponent who had contracted an [Armor Attachment-type] pet in a battle.

The feature of a pet that doesn’t consume a contract slot was indeed very appealing.

For example, in the case of modern Beastmasters, when they level up in even-numbered levels, their contract slots also increase. A level 4 Beastmaster has three contract slots, a level 6 Beastmaster has four contract slots, which is already the level of achievement most Beastmasters can reach in their lifetime.

Reaching level 7 as a Beastmaster means the ability to contract fully evolved pets, demonstrating the strength to challenge the title of Master-level. Among the over 200 million awakened Beastmasters in Dayan, only a little over a million have registered as Master-level Beastmasters.

Level 8 Beastmasters, who can contract ultimate form pets and possess five contract slots, and Level 9 Beastmasters, who challenge the Legendary-level title, are far out of reach for most people in their lifetime.

Apart from Beastmasters with rare space talents like [Beastmaster Space Enhancement], most people only have 3-4 contract slots. If they can add an [Armor Attachment-type] intelligence attribute pet, their strength will increase to a new level.

The explanation for this feature, according to the Xingzhou University research team, stems from the first intelligence attribute pet born in the Nova region—[01].

The source intelligence creature [01] provides binary energy support to all of its kind, without needing to consume energy from the Beastmaster space to maintain the contract.

Without the influence of the [Contract Evolution Theory], the release of [Armor Attachment-type] would still be an astonishing new achievement.

The Xingzhou University research team will continue its collaboration with universities in the Nova region and has already included [Weapon-type] intelligence attribute pets, which are purely used for offensive skills, and [Guardian-type] intelligence attribute pets, which are purely for defensive healing, in their upcoming development list.

In the end, [Armor Attachment-type] received a high score of [27/30].

The three judges unanimously gave it a score of [9/10], with the reason they didn’t give a perfect score being precisely the most attractive feature of the [Armor Attachment-type]—it doesn’t consume the Beastmaster’s contract slot.

Professor Wan Ling expressed concern about the existence model of the source intelligence creature [01].

The contract that reduces energy consumption to maintain, in contrast to [01], which continuously provides an energy source to all its kind, may bring certain hidden risks.

Using the [Thunderous Fruit] as a foundation to enhance the Beastmaster’s deterrence will expand the influence of the contract, but it is not truly an effective cultivation method.

But can a contract formed after energy reduction, like the [Armor Attachment-type], really be considered a contracted pet?

At least the [Armor Attachment-type] doesn’t have the potential to form a strong emotional resonance with its Beastmaster, like dark attribute pets, to complete [Contract Evolution].

…

…

After all thirty project presentations were completed, the Attribute Research Exchange Conference finally came to a successful conclusion.

The [Contract Evolution Theory] from the Dark Attribute Research Institute of Jingzhou University unquestionably took first place.

The [Armor Attachment-type] pet from the Intelligence Attribute Research Institute of Xingzhou University and the special skill [Inverted Space] from the Original Wood Research Institute of Yunzhou University earned second and third places, respectively.

This year’s Attribute Research Exchange Conference saw numerous groundbreaking technologies and theories, and once publicly published, it is certain to spark a new wave of academic research.

Professor Xie Qingwei walked up to the award podium with her two students and received the excellent achievement trophy from the judges.

The judge responsible for presenting the awards was Kang Yao, the president of the Beastmaster Association of Jingjiang City, a legendary Beastmaster.

Compared to the other two academic judges in specialized fields, his academic background wasn’t as strong, but he represented the official stance of the association, highlighting their importance in this exchange conference.

When he walked past Mu Huiyue, President Kang paused and exchanged a few words with her.

He remembered the impressive performance of this extraordinarily talented young woman during the national ranking competition. To his surprise, she was equally gifted in academic research, even producing evolutionary results that surpassed those of her predecessors.

Such a brilliant talent was exactly the kind of individual that the Dayan Beastmaster Association should nurture.

With time, she would surely shine on the national stage and even in the World Championship for Origin Spirits, representing Dayan’s Beastmasters.

The first-place research outcome in the exchange conference would receive subsequent research funding and rare extraordinary resources provided by the Beastmaster Association.

After a brief conversation, President Kang instructed the members of the Dark Attribute Research Group to visit the headquarters of the Capital Beastmaster Association afterward to apply for extraordinary resources to support their ongoing research.

The association would also provide additional special resources for cultivating beast companions.