Beast Taming: Invincible Breeder-Chapter 37 - 12: Yellow Seed Gourd

Chapter 37: Chapter 12: Yellow Seed Gourd
In the Beast Master battles, pet beasts can carry one weapon and one item into the battle arena.
Items are versatile in use and can effectively enhance the combat power of pet beasts.
Item levels are categorized as: item—treasured artifact—Imperial artifact.
Imperial artifacts not only greatly enhance the strength of pet beasts, but some can even defy fate.
Imperial artifacts are rare and cannot be sought deliberately; their total number is fixed at forty-nine worldwide.
Why does the Huangzi Gourd cause the whole city to become excited? Because the Huangzi Gourd is not an ordinary treasured artifact; it is a split-off from the Imperial artifact Seven-seed Gourd, making it more powerful than regular treasured artifacts.
Rumor has it that if one can gather seven seed gourds, one can reassemble the ancient Seven-seed Gourd.
Whether true or false, Li Cunxu does not know.
No one successfully assembled the seven seed gourds in the past life.
When Li Cunxu arrived in the city, his first action was not to enter the sewers, but to buy a gas mask.
Why suffer if you can avoid it?
However, Li Cunxu underestimated one thing, thinking he was not the only one buying a gas mask.
At the store entrance, a long line formed.
Li Cunxu didn’t join the queue because even if he did, he couldn’t buy a gas mask.
With so many people buying, Li Cunxu didn’t believe the store’s supply of gas masks was sufficient.
Perhaps halfway through, the masks would be sold out.
So, waiting in line was a waste of time and had no other purpose.
As for why Li Cunxu didn’t buy the masks in advance?
During this period, the game had just launched, and players weren’t aware that defeating the Evilized Red-tailed Poison Scorpion would reward them with a Huangzi Gourd.
Even if they were aware, it wouldn’t help; at this time, players couldn’t defeat the Evilized Red-tailed Poison Scorpion; their awareness was purely due to the first server-generated event.
In fact, even if Li Cunxu knew the reward was a Huangzi Gourd, he wouldn’t buy a gas mask in advance.
Imagine, if you killed the Evilized Red-tailed Poison Scorpion and others found out you had bought a gas mask earlier and had an abundance of Garbage Slime at home capable of cleaning up, what would they think?
They would wonder if you knew ahead of time and even suspect the event itself was your doing.
Creating this event, then cleaning up the mess to intentionally gain favor from the higher-ups.
Your intentions are dubious.
Coincidence?
Smart people never believe in coincidence unless it truly is one.
Li Cunxu donned five layers of masks, feeling suffocated, he removed two layers.
Even three layers couldn’t block the accumulated stench of the sewer.
He took out a flashlight to search in the sewers.
Along the way, he encountered many other Beast Masters using flashlights like himself.
Li Cunxu wasn’t particularly worried that others would find the Evilized Red-tailed Poison Scorpion before him because he had two key pieces of intel unknown to others.
First: The Evilized Red-tailed Poison Scorpion primarily appears within the sewers of the Holy Lotus District.
Second: The scorpion possesses a rare skill, "Mimicry," allowing it to transform into other pet beasts.
Now, it is likely it has become a Slime, hiding somewhere.
However, the scorpion has a flaw; while other Slimes are black or black-purple, the color it mimics is reddish-black.
This isn’t due to lack of skill but to its evilized nature; perfect mimicry requires its skill to surpass limitations several times.
Li Cunxu searched for three days without success, enduring the stench.
The number of searchers dwindled over the days.
One reason being the harsh sewer environment and overwhelming stench.
Another being Tongdu is vast, with extensive sewers, making the search overwhelming.
Some began suspecting the scorpion might have fled the city considering the length and lack of findings.
A fourth reason was online spreading of opinions that obtaining the Huangzi Gourd was useless.
"You think the mayor is generous enough to give you a treasured artifact for free? Don’t dream; even if you get the Huangzi Gourd, it’s in seed form, and you need to cultivate it to use it. How you cultivate it varies per person; some may use ordinary soil, others may need Nine Heavens Heavy Water.
The reason the mayor offers it as a reward is because even he couldn’t cultivate it, and the seed form can’t be held long-term; after a year, you must either discard or gift it, or it will consume your fortune."
Reading these opinions, people’s desire for the Huangzi Gourd diminished greatly.
On the fourth day.
Li Cunxu’s flashlight shone upon a Slime of reddish-black in the dim sewer light, indistinguishable from others without close inspection; even if noticed, it would be mistaken for a variant Slime.
Variant pet beasts are rare but their value depends on the species, like Slimes and Mud Monsters, are worthless even as variants.
Moreover, Mud Monsters cannot be sold; they are either worthless or priceless beasts, with Mud Monsters clearly the former.
Feigning continued movement, Li Cunxu suddenly activated the powerful launcher made by Hunter, shooting the Forbidden Spirit Nail from his sleeve, which embedded into the mimicked Mud Monster form.
Mimicry can disguise as other beasts, but has a flaw: it mimics their weaknesses too.
The Mud Monster’s weakness is its low defense, allowing easy penetration of the Forbidden Spirit Nail.
The Forbidden Spirit Nail restricts Spiritual Energy, severely weakening the scorpion.
At the moment of activating the launcher, Li Cunxu summoned Xiaoruan.
Xiaoruan immediately spat multiple water balls, dissipating the Mud Monster form and revealing its true body.
The scorpion retaliated, swiftly releasing venomous scorpion needles.
"Throw mud."
Xiaoruan hurled mud, blocking most of the needles but some still flew through.
Crafty, the scorpion aimed not at beasts but at Li Cunxu, understanding the principle of capturing the leader first.
Li Cunxu tried to use water balls to block but they were inadequate against the needle’s pinpoint attacks, penetrating Li Cunxu’s arm.
He immediately chewed the antidote and Scorpion Poison Treatment Pill and ran, enduring pain while pulling out the slender red needle from his arm.
Ignoring all else, the scorpion pursued Li Cunxu fiercely; he feigned panic while Xiaoruan seized the chance to launch mud attacks.
Its speed was formidable; within breaths, it was upon him; Li Cunxu suddenly turned and threw a prepared flash grenade from his waist.
Flash grenades aren’t particularly effective in the bright outdoors; but here, in the dark confined sewer, they worked effectively.