Chapter 4 Red Fox

On the second floor, in the pet training room, various pet beasts were kept in separate rooms, each enclosed by a transparent glass door, allowing a clear view of the creatures inside.

As soon as Li Qingzhou approached the first room, his insight talent activated, displaying the pet's information.

[Name: Water Turtle]

[Attribute: Water]

[Level: Black Iron Level 4]

[Qualification: Black Iron]

[Skills: Riptide, Turtle Guard]

[Weakness: Electricity]

[Evolution Routes: 2]

[Description: A turtle that lives in freshwater. Its blue shell is hard, and it's skilled in defense.]

The two available evolution routes for the Water Turtle were the Black Water Turtle and the Anti-Armor Turtle, which increased either attack or defense. However, the potential of this beast was limited, and neither path was very impressive.

What caught Li Qingzhou's attention, though, was that this time, the evolution route text was black instead of gray. Under these two evolution routes, there was a black box with small transparent text reading: *Please formulate a new evolutionary route.*

**Create an evolution path?!**

Li Qingzhou's heart pounded with excitement, and he barely managed to contain his astonishment. This was an extraordinary discovery—an ability that bordered on divine power! He could now forge new evolutionary routes, something that would naturally take nature thousands of years to achieve.

He focused on the black box, and an idea formed in his mind.

[Name: Poisonous Water Turtle]

[Description: Can use water-based skills, infused with poison effects.]

Immediately, the words "Poisonous Water Turtle" appeared in the black box, followed by a list of necessary evolution materials. However, once Li Qingzhou shifted his consciousness away, the content vanished. It seemed he could not solidify an evolution path for a pet beast he hadn't yet contracted.

**This isn't just an F-level insight ability!** It was a god-tier beast-controlling talent, beyond anything anyone had ever encountered. Li Qingzhou decided to call it the **Divine Beast Maker**—a talent with powers that rivaled those of a creator.

He went on to observe several more pet beasts in the training room, some showing one black box for customization, while others had two, signaling more significant evolutionary potential. From his observations, he learned that unhatched eggs could not be customized, and there were some limitations to crafting evolutionary paths. For example, the evolution had to be somewhat related to the beast's original species. His attempt to turn a chinchilla into a fire dragon, for instance, failed.

Eventually, Li Qingzhou's eyes lit up as he came across another beast.

[Name: Red Fox (Mutation)]

[Attribute: Sand]

[Level: Black Iron Level 7]

[Qualification: Bronze]

[Skills: Sand Escape, False Sleep]

[Weakness: Wood]

[Evolution Routes: 1]

[Description: A red fox that inhabits deserts. Skilled in camouflage, its abilities improve in sandy environments.]

What excited Li Qingzhou the most was that beneath the evolution route, there were multiple black boxes, signifying the red fox's high evolutionary potential. The fact that it had undergone a natural mutation further boosted its possibilities.

Without hesitation, Li Qingzhou decided to contract the red fox. He couldn't risk someone else claiming it while he continued to observe other pets.

"Teacher, I want to contract this red fox," Li Qingzhou said, looking toward Zhou Ling, who stood nearby.

By this time, two of his classmates had already contracted their pets with the teacher's help. Zhang Huai, for instance, had contracted a Black Iron Level 7 Man Niu, and now he stood there, brimming with confidence, ready to challenge Li Qingzhou.

"Red Fox? You're choosing that weakling?" Zhang Huai sneered, familiar with the pet. He knew that its skills, like *Sand Escape*, didn't pack much of a punch.

Li Qingzhou ignored him, focusing instead on Teacher Zhou Ling.

Zhou Ling was surprised at first by Li Qingzhou's choice, but after closer inspection, her expression changed. This was no ordinary red fox—it was a mutated one. Mutations could drastically alter a pet beast's characteristics, making it difficult to gauge its true potential using standard criteria.

Still, with Li Qingzhou's low F-level beast-controlling talent, Zhou Ling worried about the difficulty he would face in successfully contracting the red fox.

Summoning her pet, a Green-Winged Bird, Zhou Ling ordered, "Green-Winged Bird, use wind pressure to suppress the red fox."

A gust of wind enveloped the red fox. The creature tried to flee, but it was too late—the wind pressed it firmly to the ground.

Contracting a pet beast often involved resistance, and the stronger the beast, the greater the resistance. Some pets, particularly docile ones, might not resist at all, but this red fox was not of that temperament. It raised its head defiantly, fighting against the wind pressure.

The harder the pet resisted, the more powerful it usually was.

Zhou Ling increased the wind pressure, and soon, the red fox was lying flat on the ground, its strength waning. Seeing this, Li Qingzhou quickly began his meditation, running the *Yun Ling Jue* technique to summon his beast control space.

In his mind, a vast, white world appeared, shapeless but endless.

Following the method ingrained in his memory, Li Qingzhou initiated the capture contract. A cyan light curtain appeared, slowly enveloping the red fox, shrinking inward until it covered the creature entirely. The fox shimmered under the light, and a moment later, it dissolved into points of light that vanished, entering Li Qingzhou's beast-controlling space.

The contract was complete.