Fires burned everywhere, reflecting off the scorched earth.

“Sorry about that, looks like you and I aren’t meant to be…”

Bai Wushang looked deeply at the Ghost Vine, and held a poison spear, intending to completely ruin its bud.

Until the contract was completed, the relationship between transcendent creatures and humans would always be that of hunter and prey, living and dying, and losing and winning, each living according to their ability.

Now Bai Wushang had no better way to repel the fat white-haired man and the others, and staying here in a stalemate was even more of a waste of time, so he simply chose to actively give up.

However, Bai Wushang wasn’t going to easily let the fat white-haired man take this bargain.

He was ready to strike down the prey that was rightfully his.

Rare species?

It would have to be alive!

Just a few seconds before Bai Wushang was two or three meters away from the bud and about to raise his arm and strike, Shi Balong shouted, “Little Xi!”

The pink-haired little girl, who was silently eating her roast on the side, finally looked up to take a glance at the situation.

She licked her fingers, and softly called out, “Blackie, come out!”

Bai Wushang only saw a black shadow moving quickly from his peripheral, and before he realized, he found a large black dog stopped between himself and the bud, showing its teeth viciously towards him.

[Name]: Toothhound (Contract)

[Race]:Demon Beast Realm – Beast Type – Toothhound Race

[Life Level]: Late youth form

[Bloodline Quality]: Mortal Bone level, 5 stars

[Status]: Extreme Alert

[Intelligence]: Medium

[Characteristics]: Loyalty/Sensitive Smell

[Skills]: Intimidation, Bite, Pursuit, Surprise Attack, Vicious Hound’s Teeth

[Gourmet Cell]: 15

Hiding a pet beast? They’ve really come prepared…

Bai Wushang stopped his hand. There was no way he could cross the Toothhound to attack the bud. The slightest movement would be met by the Toothhound baring its teeth in warning.

And the dog was very smart, not barking or actively attacking, and just stopping him from advancing.

The pink-haired lolita named Ye Xiaoxi blinked towards Bai Wushang, and said in a slightly cute and naive manner, “I have a pet too. Don’t underestimate me!”

“Fellow classmate, why bother…”

Shi Balong sighed in relief. He wasn’t angry but still smiling.

“I know, what was in hand is now gone, you must be uncomfortable in your heart, but you can’t blame me. The trial rules are clearly written. There doesn’t seem to be any rule that doesn’t allow snatching a pet, right?”

Bai Wushang glanced at him coldly, then swept over the tall, sturdy man and the pink-haired lolita’s face, convinced that he had no more chances to strike, and slowly stepped backwards without further ado.

He did not act recklessly out of anger, and likewise did not rant incompetently and leave any threatening words, but merely silently engraved the matter in his mind.

Looking at the gradually distant figure of Bai Wushang, the pink-haired lolita suddenly lowered her head and spoke in a small voice, “Boss, that guy just now, he’s an autonomous awakener.”

The taut, fierce face of the other tall, strong man turned sour as well, frowning as he said, “Yes, Boss. You helped us catch our pets, so we definitely trust you and follow you, but offending the autonomous awakener… I don’t think it’s worth it. It might cause a lot of trouble!”

Shi Balong withdrew that frivolous attitude, and put his hands behind his back as he gazed languidly at Ghost Vine.

After a few dozen seconds of silence, he took a hard breath, and said in a firm voice, “People die for money, birds die for food. This Ghost Vine, it’s important to me!

“As long as I can contract it, even if I’m eliminated now, I’ll accept it.

“Put it this way, when I collect the Ghost Vine and the three of us combine our strength, how many others in this trial ground can match us? Are the autonomous awakeners necessarily stronger than us?”

***

On the other hand, Bai Wushang was far away from where the Ghost Vine was, and sought out a secluded hole in the ground.

After setting up traps around the perimeter for vigilance, he started a campfire in the hole in the ground.

While simmering the medicinal soup, he gave himself a full body check, applying medicine, bandaging, and treating the injuries in whatever way was conducive to recovery.

When Bai Wushang was done with that, he rested his cheeks and stared at the campfire, frozen and lost in thought.

This is a lesson I need to reflect on…

Bai Wushang began to recall every single thing he had experienced in the two days since he entered the mystic realm until just now, constantly reflecting and asking himself, was it right to do that, was it possible to do better, and how should he fix it if he started over?

It was a good habit to review and learn from one’s experiences.

Bai Wushang could tolerate his temporary weakness, but could not accept his stupidity, and he didn’t want to make a mistake again in the future on something similar.

With three more days to go, I still have a chance to capture the right pet.

Musing, Bai Wushang suddenly turned his gaze and paused on the golden sword and silver fork pattern on the back of his hand.

I never had much of a chance before, but now that I’ve settled in, it’s time for me to do a second draw…

With his thought, a darkness and then a brightness appeared before his eyes, and his consciousness appeared at the altar of the Gourmand.

Looking around, the broken stone pillars, the blackened statues, the ancient bronze square cauldron… nothing had changed.

Without wasting any time, Bai Wushang walked directly to the bronze square cauldron, and pressed his right hand on top of it.

Seven-colored flames erupted along with it, and everything around him became streams of light.

[Accumulated 124 gourmet cells, do you want to redeem the First Tier Gourmand Treasure Chest?]

“Yes,” Bai Wushang said silently.

A white porcelain treasure chest emerged from the seven-colored flames, exquisitely small and shaped like a precious makeup box.

Bai Wushang opened the treasure chest, and this time, instead of yellowish parchment, it was a palm-sized blank card.

“What is this?”

[Congratulations to the host for drawing a one percent probability Gourmand prop.]

[Hint: This item is called Universal Recipe Exchange Voucher, and can be used to customize a recipe for any youth level transcendent creature of your choice.]

[How to use the Universal Recipe Exchange Voucher—make sure the target is within 10 meters of you, and say it silently in your mind.]

“Tailor-made?” The first thought that came to Bai Wushang’s mind as he opened his mouth was “I wonder if I could use it for Milky Way, and customize a recipe with evolutionary features”.

It just so happens that I can’t figure out what kind of existence the Twin Moonrabbit is, so if I can use this exchange voucher to aid in evolution, that would be great!

Thoughts ran through his mind, and at the thought of that cute little rabbit, Bai Wushang’s mouth curled up into a smile, just like a ray of sunshine dispelling the gloom in his heart.

I haven’t seen Milky Way in two days, I kind of miss her…

When I finish the trial, I’ll be sure to have a good time with her all day…

***

There were only two hints at the altar for the introduction of the exchange voucher, and nothing more.

Unable to figure it out, Bai Wushang simply withdrew from the Gourmand’s altar.

At this time, it was already late into the night, and after two days of intense labor and a lot of injuries, even as an autonomous awakener, Bai Wushang felt endlessly exhausted.

He didn’t choose to stay up. There was a new round of adventures starting tomorrow, and he had to get in shape as soon as possible.

After confirming that the surrounding guard traps were intact, Bai Wushang leaned against the corner with his clothes on and closed his eyes.