Wang Mu's trip to the Secret Realm ended after just two steps.The first step: entering the Secret Realm.The second step: exiting the Secret Realm.
He returned with three Strange Mushrooms in his arms.
Shen Yu, who had been lazily preparing to find a quiet corner for a nap, was startled when the teleportation gate lit up so soon. At first, she worried there had been an accident. Instead, she found herself staring at three mushroom-like creatures nestled against Wang Mu's chest. Tiny eyes peeked from under their domed caps, darting curiously in every direction.
Strange Mushrooms. She recognized them instantly.
Weren't these the reclusive types that lived deep in caves all year round, only emerging once a year to bask briefly in sunlight before going dormant again? How had he found them so quickly?
Still smiling with practiced professionalism, Shen Yu took out her recording device.
"Congratulations, sir, on acquiring your chosen Spirit Beasts. I'll go ahead and register them for you now."
After taking their photos and confirming the details with Wang Mu, she began arranging the necessary cultivation materials. If not for the funds left in his account and next month's income already on the way, Wang Mu would not have dared to raise this trio of high-maintenance little guys.
In the natural world, Spirit Beasts like the Strange Mushrooms could only grow in areas where Earth Spirit energy concentration exceeded ten. The city's ambient level was just one. Even the Breeder's Institute only maintained a concentration of five. To make up the difference, he would need to purchase Earth-attribute ores and energy stones to simulate a high-energy habitat.
Their reproduction requirements were even more troublesome.
Despite their cute, bobbing appearance, Strange Mushrooms were terrifying during breeding season. They would seek out and kill high-level prey, infect the corpse with Parasitic Spores, and cultivate the remains into a fungal nursery. Once matured, this nursery would release special inheritance spores that developed into Momo Mushrooms.
Momo Mushrooms were immobile. They absorbed energy from their growth medium, surviving a fragile month before evolving into full Strange Mushrooms.
Wang Mu already had a preliminary cultivation plan. First, he needed to ensure a steady supply of culture medium. During the Momo Mushroom phase, he would also share certain skills to stimulate mutation and evolution. If successful, the new generation could inherit stronger bloodlines.
Most Lord-level Spirit Beasts naturally comprehended at least one intermediate spell upon reaching maturity. That alone was exciting. But if the Momo Mushrooms received intermediate-tier skills during development, how much stronger could their evolved forms become?
This was the heart of a Breeder's craft — selective cultivation over generations. Wang Mu's Talent made the process stable. What he lacked was time. Fortunately, both the Green Wood Sprite and the Strange Mushrooms were known for their long lifespans. As long as they reached the fourth tier, Wang Mu himself could live for over four hundred years.
That was more than enough.
After driving home, Wang Mu noticed that the Breeder's Institute was still bustling. Guided by smart assistants, visitors wandered through displays of primary Spirit Beasts. Over twenty people had already booked the second batch of Spirit Butterflies.
As expected, Silver Butterflies remained popular with intermediate Beast Masters. Green Jade Butterflies, possessing Lord-level Talent, were sought out by parents looking to enhance their children's potential through early bonding.
Ordinary families still preferred the more affordable Spirit Beasts displayed in the main hall. These were lower-risk, practical choices that didn't exhaust a family's savings all at once.
This was by design. Coming from an ordinary background himself, Wang Mu understood how difficult it was for common families to raise a Beast Master. That was why he offered affordable and reliable options.
And they were still profitable. Once his breeding operations stabilized, he would release evolved forms for both Silver and Green Jade Butterflies. The Poison Powder Butterfly could wait, he had yet to find a suitable Poison-attribute spell for that line.
On a different note, the name "Momo Mushroom" had reminded Wang Mu of a turn-based monster battle game from his previous life. He had never played it, only watched the anime, but some of the tactics stuck in his memory. Some were impractical, but others might work in reality.
He recalled one involving poison, stalling, defense, and substitution. With the right spells, even a powerful Lord-tier Demon Beast could be whittled down and defeated.
For example, the tactic used by Bulbasaur — combining Leech Seed and Root. This world had similar spells. However, to pull it off, the Spirit Beast needed a way to immobilize the enemy or prevent escape. Otherwise, using Root and becoming immobile yourself just meant the opponent would flee and leave you stuck.
Wang Mu was not overconfident in his own strategies. He trusted the accumulated wisdom of Beast Masters who had fought and survived real battles. Entire combat systems had already been developed. He only needed to study them and adapt.
With more spell options in the future, cultivating a powerful Spirit Beast with a complete skillset would be entirely feasible.
It was a little embarrassing, but Wang Mu had spent most of his time studying Breeder knowledge, not combat styles. Fortunately, he had a strong foundation. He still remembered many spells and the "unbeatable combinations" his classmates used to boast about.
The problem, of course, was that some Spirit Beasts simply could not learn those ideal spells.
Right now, Wang Mu knew that the shared skill levels ranged from 1 to 5, with one skill maxed at a time. Beyond that, no advanced techniques had been discovered. For instance, the Root spell could not be taught to a Phoenix-Eye Butterfly.
Still, if future breakthroughs allowed more freedom, many theoretical strategies could become viable.
During the Green Leaf Worm's first metamorphosis phase, Wang Mu had looked up several spell combinations to experiment with.
The first was the Wood-type Control Set: binding spells, energy drain techniques, poison effects, and weakening spells. There was no fixed combination. Any spell with a suitable function could fit.
The second was a Wind-type Movement Set: acceleration skills, spell-power enhancement, debuffs, and field control spells.
The third was the Utility Set: detection, illumination, flight, environmental control, and ideally, healing. Healing spells were rare, especially those that could be used on others.
He skipped Spirit-type builds. His father was a Spirit Beast Master, so he already knew that Spirit spells specialized in long-range stealth attacks. Combined with concealment spells, they made for deadly ambush tactics.
Wang Mu browsed casually. He would decide more concretely after his credits came in and he could afford more spell crystals or new Spirit Beasts.
By the time the Strange Mushrooms arrived at the Breeder's Institute, they had settled into the garden space. They took a liking to the Lord-level Green Wood Sprite — a rare and incredibly valuable Spirit Beast. Its true strength lay not in battle, but in its ability to shape an environment ideal for Spirit Beast cultivation.
Green Sprite was still young. It had only been at the Institute for a short time, and its ecological influence was minimal. In another year or so, that would change.
Seeing the new additions adapt so quickly, Wang Mu reviewed their shared attributes.
Strange Mushroom (Juvenile): 2Bloodline: LordTalent: Wood (Intermediate Middle), Earth (Intermediate Middle)Innate Spells: Parasitic Spores (Entry-level), Earth Escape (Entry-level), Solid Wall (Entry-level), Stone Lance (Entry-level)Inherited Spells: Earth Guard (Entry-level)
Wang Mu inhaled sharply. He was incredibly lucky. One of the three had inherited Earth Guard and Earth Escape — both extremely rare and powerful spells.
Earth Guard increased recovery speed while generating a Spirit Power shield. As long as the shield wasn't destroyed in one blow, it would continuously regenerate by drawing from the Earth's energy.
Combined with Earth Escape and Stone Lance, this Strange Mushroom had superb survivability and solid offense. It could function as a living fortress. Without question, this one would be raised as a core team member.
The second one was something else entirely.
Strange Mushroom (Juvenile): 1Bloodline: LordTalent: Wood (Intermediate Middle), Poison (Intermediate Low)Innate Spells: Hallucinogenic Spores (Entry-level), Parasitic Spores (Entry-level), Poison Spores (Entry-level)Inherited Spells: Hypnosis (Entry-level), Root (Proficient)
Wang Mu almost burst out laughing. This was a pure support-control build, dirty and underhanded in the best way.
But the third was even more sinister.
Strange Mushroom (Juvenile): 1Bloodline: LordTalent: Poison (Intermediate Middle), Dark (Intermediate Middle), Wood (Intermediate Low)Innate Spells: Poison Spores (Entry-level), Weakness Spores (Entry-level), Hallucinogenic Spores (Entry-level)Inherited Spells: Weakness (Entry-level), Dark Bind (Entry-level), Energy Drain (Entry-level)
All three had shared skill levels of 1. They would need time to be raised and bonded properly. But even now, their potential was clear. If these three were not so freshly hatched, they could already be contracted as battle-ready Spirit Beasts.
Still, this was better. Once Wang Mu raised them to adulthood, he could begin breeding the next generation. With care, he might produce something truly exceptional.
He had plenty of experience with Green Leaf Butterflies. Having raised them from infancy, he understood them thoroughly. Strange Mushrooms, however, were a different challenge. As Lord-level Spirit Beasts, most of their advanced traits were not publicly documented.
No one openly shared how to raise them, their optimal habitats, or their ideal nutrient mixtures. Wang Mu would have to figure all of that out himself.
He used to resent how secretive other Breeders were. But as he matured, he came to understand. Spirit Beasts were like nuclear weapons. Their cultivation methods represented strategic resources, even lifelines for families.
In a world like this, power had to be protected. Breeders often passed down techniques only within their own bloodlines. Growth meant stepping on the toes of others. Making too much knowledge public would only invite exploitation.
Wang Mu was lucky to live in a relatively peaceful time. But that didn't mean the world was without shadows.
After a routine inspection of the Green Leaf Worms, night had already fallen. Wang Mu was ready to rest. Someone would come tomorrow to install the Strange Mushrooms' underground habitat. For now, they would have to endure a temporary lack of comfort.
To his surprise, all three little guys trailed behind Green Sprite into the house. Without a hint of fuss, they burrowed into the soil near its roots.
Under the moonlight, the Green Sprite stood still like an ancient banyan tree, and the Strange Mushrooms rested quietly beside it. The night breeze was gentle, and they looked like nothing more than ordinary forest growth.
But across the city, sleep was far away for many. The new Beast Masters who had contracted Spirit Butterflies today were busy — preparing food, adjusting temperatures, arranging living spaces.
Raise, train, utilize. These were the three core subjects every Beast Master had to master.
And tonight marked the first true step.
Raise.