7: Chapter 7 Practice with a stick before practicing with a gun

[Beast: White Fox]

[Potential: Good-Grade]

[Element: None]

[Level: 4 (Low-Tier)]

[Ability: Spirituality]

[Bloodline: Fox-Type (95%), Dog-Type (5%)]

[Evolution Path Fox-Type: 1-1123]

[Evolution Path Dog-Type: Requires Dog-Type bloodline to reach 10%]

[Potential Enhancement: Can only be viewed after completing evolution at Level 11]

[Introduction: The higher the Spirituality of a White Fox, the more likely it is to awaken the Mental element during its first evolution. If supplemented with certain Mental-type spiritual items, the probability is even higher.]

Upon seeing the White Fox's index, Qin Ding was momentarily surprised because the White Fox's introduction stated that the higher the Spirituality of a White Fox, the more likely it was to awaken the Mental element after evolution.

Coincidentally, this White Fox's ability was Spirituality... Was it just a coincidence?

After all, Bai Muxue and Qin Ding had come home from school together and hadn't had time to go to the beast shop to choose a suitable beast, so it was no wonder he thought that way.

While Qin Ding was looking at the White Fox, the White Fox was also curiously looking at Qin Ding, but when the White Fox's beast eyes met Qin Ding's eyes, it froze.

Pitch black, deep, devoid of any emotion.

Why would a human have such eyes? In the White Fox's understanding, such a gaze was only possessed by powerful beasts.

The White Fox was puzzled, just like its ability, Spirituality, so after being brought home by Aunt Zhao, it accepted Bai Muxue as its master.

But the more this was the case, the more puzzled it was as to why a human's gaze could be so calm and deep.

Bai Muxue didn't notice the change in the White Fox in her arms, as if thinking of something.

"Qin Ding, when choosing an elective cold weapon, why did you choose the staff? Isn't the spear better? Or... the sword?"

Qin Ding was very surprised to hear this. After focusing his gaze on Bai Muxue's face, he pondered for a few seconds and suddenly asked.

"During the cold weapon instruction class, I saw that most people chose the sword, but with a thing like a sword, you can't achieve anything without a few years of practice."

"Not to mention the halberd. Just talking about three months, with one class a week, how much can the others learn of weapons like swords and halberds that require years to master? Are they all that self-disciplined to practice every day in private?"

"Except for the staff, only the blade is easy to practice, followed by the spear."

"And if I want to get that 200,000 class monitor scholarship, the staff is a very good choice. Simple, easy to pick up, and it has long reach. Why not?"

Hearing this, a light of realization flashed in Bai Muxue's eyes. That's right, one instruction class a week for three months is only twelve instruction classes.

At the end of the day, everyone has just turned eighteen, an age where they are young, vigorous, and eager to show off.

"So that's it... Blades, spears, swords, and halberds require good proficiency to achieve good results."

"Even with a certain boost from Mental Energy, three months isn't enough to master the basics of blades or spears. The younger they are, the more pretentious they are. But the staff is different; it's easy to understand and pick up, and once learned, it's a great foundation for practicing the spear!"

At the end of her sentence, a look of recollection flashed in Bai Muxue's eyes, and she whispered.

"No wonder you mentioned it to me back then, but I didn't think about it in detail at the time."

For current high school seniors, learning blades or spears for three months, those who practice diligently in private can learn the basic usage and perform a coherent set of moves.

As for the sword, it would be good if they could just swing it properly in three months.

As for the halberd, don't even think about it. Not to mention the harsh strength requirements, just the time needed to use this thing properly to kill an enemy would take years, and that's in actual combat.

Only practicing the staff is different.

To put it bluntly, for blades, spears, swords, and halberds, you need to start from scratch, adapt, and meet different requirements, but with a staff, there's no such thing as an entry or adaptation period; you just know how to use it the moment you pick it up.

And what Qin Ding wanted was this effect, the effect that could help him increase his win rate. He wanted to win, not spend these three months on something flashy with high costs and low returns.

This was the reason why Qin Ding chose to practice the staff first. There would be no problem switching to the spear after getting that 200,000, because practicing the staff itself is an excellent foundation for practicing the spear.

Practicing the staff before the spear, easy before hard, building a foundation—that's the logic.

The only difference is that the advanced techniques of the spear require more time, and the control needs to be more precise and accurate.

And now, he had another layer of security.

That was having the money to buy cultivation fluid to quickly raise Da Hei's level, thereby obtaining more beast feedback.

Whether it's the staff or the spear, one's own strength is an indispensable and important factor.

The two chatted for a while longer, and then Qin Ding saw Bai Muxue off. Thinking of the notes Bai Muxue had given him yesterday, he furrowed his brows.

"So, was Mu Xue's choice the Life and Death Contract from the very beginning?"

Qin Ding sat in his chair, pondering, when the doorbell suddenly rang. He immediately got up and opened the front door.

Standing at the door was a middle-aged man wearing the Breeder Association uniform and glasses, holding a bag in his hand, staring at him unblinkingly.

"Mr. Qin? The two tubes of advanced cultivation fluid you ordered are here. One last reminder: the advanced cultivation fluid only works on beasts at level 10 and below. For beasts at level 11 and above, you need elemental cultivation fluid."

"Are you clear on this?"

Qin Ding, who was buying this kind of thing online for the first time, was stunned after hearing this formal, standardized speech, but nodded firmly a few seconds later.

"Clear."

"Good, then I wish you a pleasant life, Mr. Qin."

Without any hesitation, after conveying the words and the items to Qin Ding, he turned and left decisively.

Back inside, Qin Ding took a wooden box out of the bag and opened it; two tubes of white-blue cultivation fluid were lying in the foam grooves inside the wooden box.

Looking at these two little green things, a flash of pain for his wallet crossed Qin Ding's eyes, but it was only for an instant.

"Earth Dog, come here, drink some sweet water."

Da Hei, whose mind was still on the White Fox, came back to his senses at Qin Ding's affectionate call and walked out of the doghouse.

"Woof?"

[Sweet water? Boss, didn't you say that drinking too much of this stuff doesn't make me gain weight?]

"Why so much nonsense? Do you think I can poison you to death? Open your mouth."

Under Qin Ding's coercion, Da Hei willingly opened its dog mouth. Qin Ding raised an eyebrow, unplugged the stopper of one tube of cultivation fluid, and stuffed it directly into Da Hei's throat.

In just an instant, before the discomfort, came the extreme bitterness. It was so bitter that Da Hei felt its throat drying up, and tears streamed from the corners of its eyes, but it didn't dare to move.

Just because it saw the determination and decisiveness in Qin Ding's eyes.

[Da Hei: Betrayed, does the Boss still want to kill me for meat?]

Qin Ding, who was feeding the cultivation fluid, twitched his brow.

"Stop muttering to yourself, you dead dog. This is good stuff; it's for raising your level."

Good stuff? Raising level?

Wait, how could the Boss hear what I was thinking? What's going on?

With one tube of cultivation fluid in its stomach, looking at the confused and bewildered Da Hei, Qin Ding didn't intend to explain. Mainly, there was nothing to explain; in the current situation, adaptation was more useful than explanation.

Thinking of the descriptions in novels where things melt upon entering the mouth and warm currents rush through the limbs and bones, a hint of curiosity appeared in Qin Ding's eyes.

"How is it? Do you feel your stomach warming up?"

Da Hei felt it carefully.

"Woof woof."

[A little, but not much. It feels a bit like when I used to drink hot water.]

Qin Ding: ...

Official products, although expensive, are guaranteed to be genuine and effective. Not long after Da Hei finished speaking, it felt sleepy and consciously crawled into the doghouse to sleep.

Looking at Da Hei, who had fallen into a deep sleep and was still snoring, Qin Ding said with emotion.

"It's just that I don't know how many tubes of advanced cultivation fluid it will take for Da Hei's inferior potential..."