There was no reproductive isolation between the evolutionary forms of the Greenleaf Butterflies. Countless scholars had studied the three Elite-grade spirit beasts, one male and two females, and concluded that the female's innate talent and aptitude had a greater influence on their offspring.
Wang Mu only needed to confirm that the Greenjade Butterfly was female. He had no plans to sell any of the three. Instead, they would serve as breeding stock for his facility. After laying eggs two or three times, they would simply live there, free to do as they pleased.
These spirit beasts laid over a hundred eggs at a time, more than enough for Wang Mu to conduct experiments for several years.
Just as Wang Mu was thinking about this, he suddenly noticed that the Silver Butterfly was already mating with the Greenjade Butterfly.
Wang Mu: "..."
Although he knew this was simply the nature of insect-type spirit beasts, did they really have to be this eager?
Okay, it was instinct, it had nothing to do with eagerness.
Wang Mu calmly took out a Greenjade Bamboo leaf and placed it nearby to hold their eggs. Once the breeding facility's renovations were complete, he would put the eggs in a cryogenic chamber, only taking them out when needed for incubation. That way, he would not have to worry about them hatching on their own.
With three Elite-grade spirit beasts, Wang Mu was confident his assessment was secure. He resumed studying as usual. The Breeders' Association had released a vast trove of knowledge for the Breeder stage, and he had only gotten through a little over half of it. Although he felt the material was becoming increasingly homogenized as he read, there were still some new ideas worth noting.
Wang Mu mused that the Breeders' Association had long since published the core knowledge for breeders. No wonder they were not afraid of high-level breeders forming monopolies. There were so many evolutionary paths for spirit beasts that as long as new people continued entering the field, innovation would never stop.
They also were not worried about no one becoming a breeder. With such generous welfare benefits, someone would always be tempted.
The next day, his parents told Wang Mu that the breeding facility had been completely renovated and he could move in anytime. Wang Mu immediately picked up the flowerpot and set off, the three spirit butterflies resting among the leaves.
Wang Mu noticed Jiang Meiqin glancing at the Greenjade Butterfly several times and made a mental note. Among the three spirit butterflies, the Greenjade Butterfly was the most beautiful. Its entire body shimmered with a green jade-like luster, accented by dark green patterns. When still, it looked like a carved jade artwork.
On the way, Wang Lingfeng and his wife also gave Wang Mu the red envelopes they had collected on his behalf. The largest one, as expected, was from Xue Yun, who had given a direct gift of 660,000. Most people would not even dare to accept such a sum, and in truth, no one else would have offered so much anyway.
Wang Mu accepted it. After tomorrow's assessment, money would no longer be a major issue for him. He would not lack small amounts, but it was the large sums that mattered now.
The house Wang Lingfeng had bought was in the northern part of the city, which was not very expensive. It took an hour to drive to the Qing Mu Breeding Facility in the west, not counting traffic. Given how busy breeders were, Wang Mu was certain he would rarely go home in the future.
This seemed to be the common way of life. Children and parents spent more time apart than together throughout their lives. To change this situation, one needed capital.
Wang Mu pondered. In at most ten years, he would truly establish himself. No one would underestimate the influence of a Master Breeder.
Over an hour later, they arrived outside the breeding facility. To their surprise, there were several flower baskets and a red ribbon blocking the entrance. As they got out of the car, Jiang Meiqin handed Wang Mu a pair of scissors and said, "Cut the ribbon. Some of your relatives were originally planning to come, but you know their character, so we did not invite them."
Wang Mu walked towards the ribbon. With a snip, the red ribbon fell to the ground.
He turned around and said, "It does not matter if they are not here. It is good that you are."
Unfortunately, Teacher Zhu Tao could not make it. He had not replied to Wang Mu's message last night, so he was likely buried in research again.
As for Wang Mu, with the core of an adult and his outstanding performance, he naturally did not have many friends his own age and did not need to invite anyone. For days like this, having just family was enough.
After entering, Wang Mu looked around at the large building. It was three kilometers long and two kilometers wide, covering an area of six square kilometers. This was the standard size for a breeding facility, suitable only for cultivating spirit beasts in the early stages. From the intermediate stage onward, it would require integrating secret realm fragments to create a secret realm world.
The walls of the breeding facility were covered in a pale blue light film, which acted as an energy shield and also prevented spying. After entering, there was a garden first, with two paths. The left side led to the storefront, and the right side to the VIP room.
Beyond that was the main body of the breeding facility, including a pond, a hillside grove, and caves.
Further back were the living quarters and laboratories.
The Spirit Gathering Array inside was already activated, and the spiritual energy was abundant. After Wang Mu put down the flowerpot, Green Spirit made its way to the small garden next to the living quarters and rooted itself there. The soil there was special, favored by plant-type spirit beasts.
After looking around, Jiang Meiqin asked, "How is it? If you are satisfied, we can finalize the order with them."
Wang Mu nodded. Looking at it with a professional eye, he could not find any flaws or omissions. This was an official team; they would not leave loopholes.
Then Jiang Meiqin added, "This is a newly expanded urban area with few residents and no commercial district. You can order food or go home for meals."
"But I think you will find it a waste of time. I have already gotten you business cards for nearby restaurants and put them on your desk. Take a look when you get back."
Wang Lingfeng also said, "We have taken a few days off, but we need to go back to work. Call us if you need anything. Our phones will always be on."
Wang Mu smiled and said, "Do not worry, I can take care of myself. As for you two, did you not say you would have a little sister for me? I have waited so many years and have not seen one."
The parents exchanged glances and fell silent for a moment. Although their age was not considered old in this world, they had not considered it before, focused as they were on saving money for Wang Mu. Now that Wang Mu was just starting out, it did not seem appropriate either. Wang Lingfeng laughed it off and said, "Well, Uncle Li and the others are waiting for me to leave. I will go first. Take care of yourself."
Wang Mu sighed helplessly and waved goodbye. "You two be careful too. I will message you after I pass the assessment."
After everyone left, the courtyard became exceptionally quiet. Wang Mu's goal was clear. He went to Green Spirit's side and shared its talent with himself.
In an instant, spiritual energy surged, forming a vortex centered on Wang Mu. His body was tempered in a short time. He could clearly feel that he could now cast Wood-type spells faster.
With a wave of his hand, a Leaf Blade in the shape of a willow leaf shot out, directly creating a mark over a meter deep in the ground. Before, he could only leave a mark about thirty centimeters deep.
Wang Mu squatted down and wiped the mark. The soil surged and repaired itself as before. This was the power of talent, directly increasing the spell's strength.
Next, Wang Mu also shared Rooting. It did not mean he grew roots, but that he could extend illusory roots, anchoring himself to the ground for rapid recovery. During this time, he could not move. He already knew Whip.
For the final skill, Energy Beam, Wang Mu used the testing device. An emerald green beam flashed by, and the display showed a "2," meaning the spell's power was very strong and could damage Tier 2 spirit beasts.
Wang Mu was a little curious about how powerful the Green Wood Sprite Ancestor in the Mountains and Seas Realm was, but he was confident that his Green Spirit would only grow stronger in the future.
With confidence, Wang Mu returned to the garden. This time, he could clearly sense Green Spirit's emotions. There was a feeling of peace and a brief moment of joy when Wang Mu arrived.
Wang Mu stroked Green Spirit's trunk and said, "I will teach you some fun things."
At that moment, Wang Mu sensed the ability information he could share:
Talents: Wood (Intermediate Mid-grade), Earth (Intermediate Low-grade), Others (Unranked)
Talent Ability: Share (Unique)
Intermediate Spells: Energy Beam (Beginner)
Basic Spells: Psionic Burst (Proficient), Psionics (Proficient), Mental Pierce/Blade (Proficient), Leaf Blade (Mastered), Rooting (Proficient), Whip (Proficient), Mental Enhancement (Proficient)
Wang Mu shared all of them with Green Spirit. After a moment, he felt very quiet. Then he "heard" the flow of spiritual energy and the convergence of various elements. When he opened his eyes, he saw a thick mist enveloping Green Spirit.
Green Spirit radiated clear joy. Its consciousness had grown significantly after gaining several mental-attribute spells, and it kept experimenting like a child.
The soil flew up and fell down or suddenly exploded. As its canopy swayed, over a dozen Leaf Blades flew out, leaving the grass in ruins. However, within the mist, the grass grew wildly, recovering almost instantly.
Wang Mu had anticipated that Green Spirit would cause a stir after gaining shared abilities, but he had not expected it to be this dramatic. It was a good thing he had held back at home and waited until reaching the breeding facility to experiment.
When he had bred Psionic Butterflies before, they had only managed to mess up a room at most.
Although the commotion was large, Wang Mu was very excited. The three spirit butterflies were startled, but not afraid. Instead, they eagerly absorbed the mist. After the Greenjade Butterfly's aura flickered, it broke through to Tier 1.
This was characteristic of insect-type spirit beasts. Their growth speed was extremely fast. Once obtained, a little cultivation was enough to make them qualified combat power.
With the increase in strength, Wang Mu gained a better understanding of the Wood and Earth attributes. His inspiration surged, and he had many new ideas, but he was not in a hurry. After Green Spirit calmed down, he went to the cryogenic room and found some preserved insect eggs.
There were ten Greenleaf Butterfly eggs, each marked with the parents' level and species. They were all offspring of Leader-grade spirit beasts, with excellent innate aptitude. Wang Mu did not even open the protective box. He would take them directly to the assessment tomorrow. With the association's protective box, they would not require rechecking.
In addition, Wang Mu found the two skill crystals he needed and a box of dormant seeds.
This was an Excellent-grade plant-type spirit beast, the Snake-shaped Vine. It had a thick body and great strength, capable of strangling spirit beasts of the same level. It could also split its attacks. Since it relied on its body rather than spells, it was not a perfect fit for Wang Mu, but it could assist in planting and produced heart-shaped fruits that were decent-quality materials, making it unexpectedly useful.
In terms of combat, the Snake-shaped Vine had obvious weaknesses. It was afraid of large spirit beasts, had enough burst damage but poor sustained fighting ability. Giving it the Rooting skill would help, and the Mental Pierce skill would allow it to attack an enemy's mind from a distance first. While the enemy was stunned, it could go in for a strangle, rooting itself at the same time to continuously wear down its opponent.
This way, the auxiliary Snake-shaped Vine could also serve as a main attacker.
As the saying goes, before reaching a certain level of strength, support remains constant while output is variable. In a team, the position of a support is often more important than the output.
Especially the Mental Scan skill. A spirit beast with this skill, even if it was otherwise useless, could scan the surrounding environment within five hundred meters once it reached Tier 3. It was extremely useful.
After the Greenjade Butterfly advanced, the Share level reached 4. The Silver Butterfly was also on the verge of advancing. Wang Mu gave the Mental Scan spell crystal to the Silver Butterfly. This kind of crystal had a strong attraction to spirit beasts of the same attribute, almost immediately occupying its mind.
Afterward, Wang Mu gave the Leaf Storm crystal to Green Spirit. Since he had already learned Leaf Blade and could release multiple blades at once, he believed Green Spirit could master it quickly.