Beast Taming: My System is Bugged

Chapter 169 - 167: Foundation Establishment Is Just the Beginning

ROAR—

Through his Pet Beast Contract, Gu Ming heard the roar of a dragon emanating from Cyan Treasure’s Foundation Establishment Platform, and his mind drifted into a trance.

He was just hearing a sound, yet his mind was filled with the chaotic sensation of inexplicably traveling through time, as if he had been plunged into the ancient era of the Dragon Race.

But Gu Ming didn’t even get to experience it for two seconds before everyone interrupted him.

"Don’t just stand there in a daze," Mrs. Gu urged. She had also just savored that draconic sound and wanted to hear more of it.

Gu Ming could only continue his lecture, but he still managed to divide his attention, listening to the draconic sound with one part of his mind.

Gu Ming couldn’t see the events happening on the system’s future timeline.

There were only simple text updates, which, in his eyes, were just a jumble of nonsense that didn’t align with reality.

But as the bug triggered and the draconic sound entered his mind, even Gu Ming was now having a little trouble distinguishing it from reality.

And Cyan Treasure was a Snake Pet. Logically, it shouldn’t be able to cultivate a Dragon Clan Daoist Skill.

As the Bronze Tripod continuously emitted the sound of the Dragon Race, a bold idea suddenly formed in Gu Ming’s mind.

’Rounding up, doesn’t this mean Cyan Treasure has learned a Dragon Clan Daoist Skill?’

The thought of turning fiction into fact flashed through Gu Ming’s mind.

However, turning a Snake Pet into a Dragon Pet was still far too fanciful. He didn’t know if Cyan Treasure could even evolve to that stage.

Gu Ming lectured again and again. The sun set and rose twice.

At the third sunrise, Ma Tianba suddenly spoke:

"Do you have to go to school today?"

Gu Ming hadn’t paid attention to the time and thought only one day had passed.

Hearing Ma Tianba’s reminder, he took out his phone to check the time. It was already Monday.

Only then did he realize that the two days of the weekend were already over.

For some reason, his current state was quite profound. He had even forgotten to eat, merely repeating the text from the system—the principles that Ma Tianba had summarized.

Teacher Zhang, meanwhile, was sensing Cyan Treasure’s condition, checking on its Foundation Establishment status. He said:

"Its Foundation Establishment progress is excellent right now. It has already entered the final Solid Foundation stage. Why don’t you take more time off from school?"

"Of course, I’ll help Lu You ask for leave as well," Teacher Zhang said.

During these two days of group Foundation Establishment, everyone had progressed very quickly.

There were occasional pitfalls where someone would injure their Dantian, but with Ma Tianba present, they could be healed and restored immediately, allowing them to steadily advance with the Dragon Pattern Tripod Foundation Establishment Method.

The most crucial part was the Sound of the Great Dao that Gu Ming imparted, which was like a bright lamp in the darkness, guiding them through eighty percent of the journey.

For the remaining two-tenths of the way, with the two pioneers Ma Tianba and Cyan Treasure scouting ahead, their cultivation also progressed rapidly.

Furthermore, the Foundation Establishment Method had an advantage.

Completing Foundation Establishment didn’t mean immediate Evolution.

Once the Foundation Establishment Platform was built, the Pet Beast could decide for itself when to evolve.

This was a major advantage of the Foundation Establishment Method, and also the principle Gu Ming had just been reciting.

Gu Ming didn’t want to give up his current Enlightenment State. Even though he himself didn’t feel it was anything special, everyone else’s progress was advancing at a tangibly rapid pace.

"Then I’ll ask for more leave, until the Foundation Establishment is complete," Gu Ming said.

And so, with Teacher Zhang and Ma Tianba’s planning, Gu Ming and Lu You both took leave from school.

Gu Ming watched Teacher Zhang leave, then turned his attention back to the system and continued his lecture.

It was also at this moment that Gu Ming noticed the system had updated with new text.

"Listening to Ma Tianba’s lecture, Cyan Treasure entered a Foundation Establishment Enlightenment State, and its experience has skyrocketed!"

"Foundation Establishment progress is advancing by a thousand miles a day. Ninety percent of the foundation work was completed in two days."

"Current Skill Level: Master Level!"

"Experience until next Skill Level: 0/1,000,000"

Huh? The Foundation Establishment Proficiency updated to Master Level?

In reality, Gu Ming was the one lecturing. Ma Tianba just exclaimed in admiration from time to time, finding it very useful, and took the opportunity to modify it for his own use, employing the Celestial Horse Race’s racial abilities to accelerate his Foundation Establishment.

As for Gu Ming, seeing the Foundation Establishment Proficiency rise to Master Level, he was suddenly confused.

’This thing has a proficiency bar to grind, too? If Foundation Establishment is completed, do I still need to grind out the million proficiency points later?’

Gu Ming sensed the Foundation Establishment Platform inside Cyan Treasure’s body. The form of the Dragon Pattern Bronze Tripod was already ninety percent complete. It stood in the center of the Dantian, its body a verdant green. The dragon images in its patterns seemed to have come alive, forming a blurry Ancient Dragon Illusion within the Dantian.

The Magic Power Inner Core was suspended above the center of the tripod, hovering a few centimeters away from it.

With just a glance, Gu Ming saw large amounts of Spiritual Mist flowing from the surface of the Magic Power Inner Core and falling into the tripod. The mist then overflowed along the tripod’s walls and spread across the surface of the Dantian, bringing with it a dense Life Energy.

Previously, when Cyan Treasure cultivated the Frozen Pill Method, no Skill Level had appeared.

But now the Foundation Establishment Method had a Skill Level, which made Gu Ming ponder.

’Could it be that Foundation Establishment is just the beginning? That I’ll have to do it every day from now on?’

Gu Ming followed this train of thought but quickly hit a dead end. After all, his knowledge was limited, making it difficult for him to see the path ahead.

Gu Ming looked up at Ma Tianba before him.

’Maybe I can use him to ask the future Ma Tianba what he thinks.’

"Ma Tianba, how much more time do you and Cyan Treasure need to complete your Foundation Establishment?"

"Hmm, probably in about two days," Ma Tianba estimated based on his feeling.

’Only two days?’

’No, if it’s only two days, there shouldn’t be a grindable Skill Level.’

’Could it be the concept of a Hundred Days Foundation Establishment?’

Gu Ming had read plenty of Cultivation Immortality novels and was aware of the common Hundred Days Foundation Establishment setting in them.

However, this was the Beast Taming Era, and the trend of Foundation Establishment came from the future, so Gu Ming could only use his imagination to find an answer.

Gu Ming communicated privately with Cyan Treasure, suggesting that after the initial Foundation Establishment was complete, it might have to continue the process, perhaps for a hundred days at a minimum.

Upon hearing its master’s inner voice, Cyan Treasure grew thoughtful, showing no sign of surprise or alarm.

After all, Cyan Treasure currently had Master Level Foundation Establishment Proficiency; it was experienced and brimming with inspiration.

Even though it was just its master’s Mental Suggestion, it was like a sudden enlightenment for Cyan Treasure, allowing it to grasp the step after the third stage, Solid Foundation—the Hundred Days Foundation Establishment!

However, this was just a flash of inspiration. It wasn’t completely certain yet and would have to wait until the Foundation Establishment Platform was fully constructed to know for sure.

A short while later, the repetitive process of the lecture resumed in the woods.

All the Pet Beasts present listening to the lecture were undergoing Foundation Establishment, but there was one exception on site: Gu Ming’s Fish Pet, Ah Kun.

Ah Kun was still in a Zero-star state, not yet evolved.

However, after many days of recuperation and Devouring, its body’s Attributes had already shot up significantly.

If before it had been in the state of an elderly fish,

now its body and spirit seemed much hardier, without that previous feeling of being on the verge of dying from old age.

Moreover, the baptism of Holy Light at the scene was extremely dense, and Ma Tianba was also extremely generous with the Holy Water he provided.

Gu Ming would occasionally take a bit of the Holy Water and ladle it into the Fish Tank, letting Ah Kun enjoy a Holy Water bath as well.

Soaking in the Holy Water bath, Ah Kun felt a pleasant warmth all over its body, as if its aging skin and decaying bones were being massaged.

Under the effects of the Kunpeng Secret Technique, it felt itself growing stronger every minute of every hour, becoming younger and more powerful with each passing day.

And now, its once-dead Dantian, which had lost all life potential, could feel the bitter winter within it starting to fade.

’Was its spring finally coming?’

’Could it be that it had a chance to evolve?’

It knew it was very old and had long since passed its window for Evolution.

But the reviving warmth in its Dantian told it that things weren’t so bleak.

At this thought, Ah Kun’s eyes couldn’t help but grow moist.

Ma Tianba wasn’t looking in its direction, but Gu Ming suddenly turned to look at it and saw its cloudy, teary eyes.

Yes, he had received a system notification and learned that after many days of Attribute point increases, Ah Kun’s Dantian had been revitalized.