Chapter 73: Spirit Stealing Peach [2-in-1]
Ge Bai was a bit surprised. She hadn’t expected it to go so smoothly. Little Peach just thought for a moment and actually said she had it?
The System displayed Golden Powder Peach – Beginner (0/100). This meant Little Peach hadn’t mastered this skill at all.
Back when she had just contracted with Big Willow, she clearly knew it had the Willow Whip skill, but Ge Bai and Big Willow had fumbled around together for a long time.
Now, how did Little Peach suddenly have a breakthrough on her own? True prodigies really couldn’t be judged by common sense.
“Ah? What kind of fruit is that? Little Peach, can you condense one? Let’s take a look.”
At this moment, Ge Bai felt the words she said were so sickly sweet it was cloying. If this kept up, she could probably take the preschool teacher certification exam in her spare time.
“Uh uh, it’s not a good fruit. Bai Bai can’t eat it.”
Little Peach tilted her head and looked up at Ge Bai.
Hmm? Something’s off. How could it not be a good fruit? From the description, Golden Powder Peach was a divine item.
Hearing Little Peach say that, Ge Bai grew even more curious.
“Okay! I’ll just look, not eat.”
Ge Bai agreed readily. As long as the fruit condensed, it meant the skill was mastered, and she could just check the System skill description.
“Mm!”
Little Peach set down the nutrient solution she was holding and jumped out of Ge Bai’s arms.
Standing on the grass, she closed her eyes in concentration and circulated spiritual power.
The process of condensing this fruit wasn’t much different from condensing a Spirit Recovery Peach.
Soon, a fruit that looked identical to a Spirit Recovery Peach in appearance, smell, and even spiritual power fluctuation grew from Little Peach’s branch.
Little Peach extended the branch with the fruit toward Ge Bai, who plucked it off with some confusion.
Looking up at Little Peach, the spiritual power consumption was about the same as for a Spirit Recovery Peach. Was this one in her hand really not a Spirit Recovery Peach?
Ge Bai carefully examined the fruit in her hand and dubiously opened the Spirit Plant Cultivation Atlas.
Hey, this really wasn’t a Spirit Recovery Peach.
[Type: Golden Powder Peach Demon Tree (Commander Bloodline)]
[Skills: Spirit Stealing Peach – Beginner (5/100); Skill Level: Advanced Level, Skill Description: The grown fruit peach, when eaten, causes the eater to rapidly lose a certain amount of spiritual power value, which is gained by the Golden Powder Peach Demon Tree’s designee.]
Little Peach wasn’t wrong; this fruit really couldn’t be eaten.
Ge Bai held the fruit and asked Little Peach, “Do you know what this fruit does?”
“I know. It’s for bad people to eat. After bad people eat it, they lose spiritual power, and good people gain spiritual power.”
Though Little Peach’s words were childish, the meaning was expressed clearly.
This made Ge Bai unable to resist asking a couple more questions.
“Little Peach, is this your first time condensing this kind of Spirit Stealing Peach? How did you know you could condense a fruit with this effect?”
Little Peach tilted her head and thought, taking quite a while this time, her little face scrunched up.
“Just.”
It seemed like this was hard for her to express.
“One day I suddenly thought of it, and I knew I could condense it. Bai Bai, is this fruit called Spirit Stealing Peach? So fitting.”
This really was everything Little Peach knew, but this answer would leave anyone speechless, not just Ge Bai.
Suddenly thinking of it meant she could do it? Just like that, she got an Advanced Skill?
So learning skills could be this simple? Ge Bai suddenly felt she didn’t need to worry about Little Peach anymore.
Heaven-chosen peach. Winning by lying down relied on heaven granting the meal.
Putting away Little Peach’s Spirit Stealing Peach, Ge Bai patted Little Peach’s head. “Go play. If you’re tired, tell me, and I’ll send you back to the spiritual consciousness space to sleep.”
“Peach.”
Little Peach bounced and jumped off to find Qian Dai. Lately, she had gotten familiar with Qian Dai and loved pestering her to use spatial teleportation.
Seeing Little Peach coming, Qian Dai used spatial teleportation on her mid-practice of Thousand Generations Sword. Little Peach appeared in midair, laughing with giggles.
“Qian Dai, Qian Dai, play more.”
Qian Dai glanced at Big Willow, seeing its Willow Whip whipping fiercely, and had no intention of stopping Thousand Generations Sword practice to play with Little Peach specifically. She just squeezed in another spatial teleportation for her, multitasking.
“Ge Bai, heard you came back early today. We guessed you’d be here.”
Wu Da Mi’s voice was very distinctive. He and Liu Hao were still climbing the mountain from afar, and upon spotting Ge Bai’s figure, he shouted loudly.
Ge Bai walked over and pulled them up as they stepped onto a big step.
“Why are you guys here? You’ve been busy lately too, right?”
Ever since leaving school, Ge Bai had been going out early and returning late every day, and it had been a long time since she’d seen these two childhood playmates.
“We haven’t seen a trace of you every day. Teacher Xiaolu said you were back today, so we came specifically to find you.”
Wu Da Mi was still his usual sloppy chatterbox self. “Ge Bai, you’re really amazing now! We’ve seen you and Weeping Ancient Willow on the hot search twice.”
“In the Spirit Planter Forum, any topic related to you is definitely highlighted, pinned, and explodes in popularity!”
“Can I take a photo with Big Willow and Thousand Generations Spring Sword Orchid later? And signatures. Sign a stack for me first; I’ll sell them on the forum later.”
Wu Da Mi eyed Big Willow and Qian Dai not far away, his eyes rolling.
Hearing him get more outrageous, Liu Hao couldn’t help pushing him. “Can you do something reliable for once?”
Wu Da Mi stumbled from the push, then steadied himself and scratched his head embarrassedly.
Seeing her two playmates just like before, Ge Bai burst out laughing and joined in the teasing.
“Sign, sign, sign. However many you say, I’ll sign that many. We’ll split the profits three ways when you sell them.”
Liu Hao shook his head with a helpless smile. “You two just keep messing around.”
“Right, how have you been lately? Recruitment season going smoothly?” Ge Bai asked about her little friends’ recent situations.
“I got a job at a commodity spirit plant fruit cultivation base, specializing in tending the Black Card Fruit orchard. I can cultivate my own Black Card Fruit on the side.” Wu Da Mi chimed in eagerly. “Look at my little Blackie; it’s growing pretty well too.
With that, Wu Da Mi summoned his own Spirit Plant, and a tiny Black Card Fruit tree sapling appeared before everyone.
Little Black had just solidified its form when it sensed the complex Spiritual Power Fluctuations around it and instinctively hid behind Wu Da Mi.
“Black Card.”
The Black Card Fruit tree sapling, poking out half a branch, called out softly.
Ge Bai understood it. Little Black was protesting, saying Big Willow and Qian Dai were so fierce, and he wanted to return to the Spiritual Consciousness Space.
Wu Da Mi, being so straightforward, hadn’t paid attention to what Little Black was saying and was just standing there grinning foolishly.
“Alright, alright, hurry and take your Little Black back into the Spiritual Consciousness Space. He seems a bit shy.”
Ge Bai quickly spoke up; she couldn’t stand to see a Spirit Plant uncomfortable, whether it was her Contracted Spirit Plant or not.
Hearing Ge Bai say this, Wu Da Mi carefully examined his Little Black and saw it was looking wilted, so he readily followed Ge Bai’s suggestion.
While recalling the Black Card Fruit tree, he kept talking.
“Hao Zi just got hired as a salesperson at Lian Wan Jia Company.”
Ge Bai was a bit puzzled and looked at Liu Hao. Even for a job, he had plenty of choices, right?
Meeting Ge Bai’s gaze, Liu Hao smiled openly. “It’s pretty good. Flexible working hours, decent commission, more work means more pay.”
Liu Hao didn’t say much, but it was all to the point. Ge Bai knew he hadn’t given up on the professional Beast Tamer path; he planned to work while Cultivating his Pet Beast, so this job was indeed the most suitable for his current stage.
“Hao Zi, don’t rush it. Take it slow. When your Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is about to Advance, tell me, and I’ll find you some good Advancement routes.”
Ge Bai said it sincerely.
She didn’t need to worry about Wu Da Mi. Since he was at the commercial Spirit Plant Fruit Cultivation base responsible for tending Black Card Fruits, getting the optimal Advancement route for Black Card Fruit wouldn’t be difficult.
Actually, Cultivating a Pet Beast is no simple matter. It not only requires time and Resources but also, each time the Pet Beast Advances, there are multiple Advancement routes to choose from.
Even for the most ordinary Advancement route of a common Pet Beast, to master the detailed Advancement precautions, one needs to pay a fee to the Alliance Beast Taming Center or Alliance Spirit Plant Center.
If the Advancement fails, it’s a big setback for the Pet Beast, so if there’s a proven Advancement route, few Beast Tamers are willing to gamble.
To get an Advancement route with greater potential, the cost is even higher.
Some longstanding Martial Arts Schools hold exclusive Advancement routes for certain Pet Beasts that money alone might not buy.
Like the Martial Arts School of Ran Cai Jiao’s family, which has a Silver Armor Vajra Advancement route that results in impressive combat power after Advancing—this is one of the main reasons their Martial Arts School has thrived for so long.
As the Highest Level talent at the Jinggang Spirit Plant Research Institute, Ge Bai can now query all detailed Spirit Plant Advancement paths held by the Alliance in the database, as well as brief Spirit Beast Advancement paths.
Lu Nan said that once she becomes an official member of Y Bureau, detailed Spirit Beast Advancement paths will also be open to her.
According to Lu Nan, although Spirit Planters don’t need detailed Spirit Beast Advancement paths, knowing oneself and one’s enemy guarantees victory in a hundred battles. Moreover, geniuses always Contract new Spirit Plants and need to figure out Advancement paths themselves; looking at more other Spirit Plant and Spirit Beast Advancement paths is beneficial for geniuses too.
The above are all Lu Nan’s words.
Ge Bai agreed with figuring out Advancement paths, but she really couldn’t bring herself to call herself a genius as shamelessly as Lu Nan.
By the time the Sichuan Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is about to Advance, she should be able to get official member qualification at Y Bureau—no problem.
Ge Bai had already planned it in her mind; it wasn’t a difficult thing for her at all, but Liu Hao was deeply moved.
This greatly eased his mind. Cultivating a Pet Beast is already expensive, and just thinking about spending a fortune later to get Jin Rui’s Advancement path gave him a headache.
Ge Bai had truly solved his big problem.
Liu Hao looked deeply at Ge Bai. He didn’t want to say thanks; it felt like those two words were too light, and Ge Bai probably didn’t want to hear them either.
“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you.”
Liu Hao suppressed his emotions, kept this favor in his heart, and gave Ge Bai a big smile.
Ge Bai was actually afraid of Liu Hao being polite with her. Seeing him accept it openly, she let out a long sigh of relief.
Suddenly, Ge Bai remembered something.
“Hey, Hao Zi, perfect timing.” Ge Bai slapped her thigh. “I’m planning to rent a house. Help me find one. I’m at ease with you, it’s convenient, and it counts as your performance—great, right?”
Liu Hao readily took it on. “No problem. What are the requirements? I’ll find the most suitable one and won’t charge you an agency fee.”
Ge Bai quickly waved her hands.
“No, no, no. I got Support from the Jinggang Spirit Plant Research Institute, um.”
Pausing, Ge Bai swallowed back the word “bonus” that was on the tip of her tongue.
“Support from the Jinggang Spirit Plant Research Institute, yes, Support.”
“They reimburse the rent. You should earn what you should. Don’t think about saving me money. Just go by market price.”
Ge Bai knew that if she directly told Liu Hao that the Jinggang Research Institute had already transferred the Special Funds to her, even if she told him she had 10 million, with his personality, he’d tell her to save it well and wouldn’t take a single cent in agency fee.
He was also stubbornly persistent. Only by saying it this way would he listen properly.
Sure enough, hearing Ge Bai explain it this way, Liu Hao nodded half-believingly.
“The house requirements are actually quite a few.”
When it came to business, Ge Bai was straightforward.
“First, the location. It needs to be not far from Jinggang No. 1 Middle School; convenience for school in the next few years is very important. Plus, I expect to often go to the Martial Arts School district, Arena Competition Venue, and such places.”
Ge Bai felt sorting out the Jinggang No. 1 Middle School Special Recruitment wouldn’t be a problem. Even if, worst case, something went wrong, she could afford the Tuition Fee now.
Liu Hao listened without speaking, nodding seriously.
At the same time, he took out his Mobile Terminal, opened the map directly, marked a few points, and drew a circle.
“As for the house requirements, I have no demands on the living environment—quieter is better, no need for particularly luxurious renovations.”
“But one thing: the place needs to be big, preferably with a renovated professional Training Ground, best if it’s a multi-functional Training Ground, even better with multiple Training Grounds above and below.”
Ge Bai was renting a house mainly to make it convenient for Big Willow, Qian Dai, and the others to Train.
“There are some. Near Jinggang No. 1 Middle School, there are a few high-end residential communities built specifically for professional Beast Tamers. Generally, the standalone Villas in such communities would meet your needs.”
Hearing Ge Bai’s requirements, Liu Hao knew what she meant. Though he hadn’t been on the job long, he was proficient in the business.
“Wait for me to check the vacancy situation there when I get back. I’ll give you a definite answer tomorrow at the latest the day after.”
When it came to getting things done, Liu Hao was quite reliable.
Ge Bai nodded gratefully. With this matter handed to Liu Hao, she could finally relax completely.
“Ah, Ge Bai, you’re even preparing to live in a standalone villa! I’m so envious.” Wu Da Mi rarely shut up for a bit and listened obediently on the side.
Seeing that the two had nearly finished discussing the main matter, they immediately chimed in.
Having settled a major issue, Ge Bai was in a good mood. “Come on, live together, I don’t mind.”
Wu Da Mi thought for a moment, then shook their head.
“No, the commute is too far, it’s inconvenient. I live in the cultivation base dormitory just fine, and Little Blackie likes it there too.”
The employee dormitory at the commercial spirit plants fruit cultivation base had only average conditions, but the specially arranged environment held high appeal for certain fruit tree spirit plants.
Despite Wu Da Mi’s rough and tumble nature, they cared a lot for Little Blackie too.
