Chapter 59: Emerald Bloodworm
Masterchef Liao’s expression was a sight to behold. It was an amalgamation of shock and relief. He looked like he wanted to say something, but after the longest time, he gulped his words down and asked another question, “Lin Jin, where did you get this chicken from?”
…
This chicken, Goldy, had quite a personality. Back then he had followed Lin Jin back to Maple City all the way from Everlasting Town. To Lin Jin, he was another free-range chicken, something which wasn’t worth him thinking about. He was allowed to roam freely because this chicken acted exactly like a dog, he knew where home was and he’d always come back on time.
On the surface, it was impossible to tell if Goldy had any unique traits. Only Lin Jin was able to tell how awesome a bloodline this Mr. Goldy had.
“Blood of a Golden Crow?” Upon hearing Lin Jin’s elaboration, Liao Gu seemed startled. Although he was a chef, Liao Gu was a knowledgeable man so he had naturally heard of the legendary Golden Crow’s bloodline before. It was from the Golden Sun Bird, a creature found in ancient times during the age of immortals.
Long long ago, the sun in the sky was a reincarnation of the Golden Crow. Some of the books on immortals stated that the Golden Crow was to be treated as the Golden Sun Bird.
This was a testament to how amazing the Golden Crow’s bloodline was.
Liao Gu was now looking at Lin Jin differently. The lad had brought over a seemingly random chicken that turned out to be a part of the Golden Crow’s bloodline. No wonder it could catch that worm they were talking about. Had he known about it, Liao Gu would have asked Lin Jin to bring it over sooner.
Suddenly, Lin Jin recalled something. He went over to where Goldy had chewed up the worm and looked around. Extending his hand, he touched the remnants of whatever juice was left on the floor.
The Museum of Deadly Beasts was instantly triggered.
“Emerald bloodworm. Rank 1. Rare breed…”
So it was true.
After a closer look at the emerald bloodworm’s description, feelings of regret welled up within Lin Jin’s heart. Had he known this worm was so rare, he would have s.n.a.t.c.hed it from Goldy’s beak earlier.
The emerald bloodworm had a hidden bloodline that gave it the ability to melt metals. It also had above-average potential, and most importantly, this worm was a rare medicinal ingredient that couldn’t be found just anywhere.
But it was too late for regrets. Goldy already scoffed it down and no amount of coaxing could bring it back.
Just then, Lin Jin turned to look at Goldy who was sitting in the vegetable farm sunbathing, and immediately, he noticed something strange.
Goldy’s body seemed to be emitting heat.
And the heat was getting stronger and stronger.
Lin Jin’s eyes instantly lit up.
Born as a Rank 2, Goldy was an amazingly rare breed of chicken. Lin Jin barely paid any attention to the bird but now that he was, he noticed that Goldy was showing obvious signs of evolution.
He swiftly hurried over, and the moment he got close, Lin Jin felt a wave of heat wrap around his body. Reaching out a hand to touch Goldy, his suspicion was confirmed.
After carefully reading through, one of the methods to help Goldy evolve was for it to consume another rare beast of the same attribute. This would give him a certain percentage to trigger signs of evolution.
Of course, evolution was not guaranteed by the mere presence of these signs. But if Lin Jin were to give him a hand right now, things would be different.
Without second thoughts, Lin Jin instructed, “Han Dong, Xiaoyun, go and get me some medicinal ingredients, make it quick.”
As he spoke, Lin Jin scribbled the prescription on paper before handing it to them. He sent them off at once, as time was of the essence.
“Masterchef Liao, throw away every bit of water you have. Don’t leave even a drop of water in the tank. Zhao Ying, help him out.” Lin Jin had no time to explain.
It was great luck that Goldy showed signs of evolution so Lin Jin had to grasp this opportunity. Otherwise, there was no saying when these signs would reappear in the future.
Liao Gu noticed that the rooster was about to evolve as well so he didn’t dawdle but instead, turned the water tank over with Zhao Ying’s help.
“Xiao Huo, keep an eye on Goldy. Don’t let him drink water and don’t let him leave the yard,” Lin Jin shouted at Xiao Huo.
Once a pet beast reaches Rank 3, not only would its strength increase sharply, it could also communicate telepathically with its owner.
Xiao Huo understood Lin Jin’s intention. He quickly bared his might and went over to guard the chicken.
Back to Goldy, the heat in his body was reaching a boiling point. Like the lid of a steamer being lifted up, there were thick clouds of steam rising from his body. It was evident that Goldy was oblivious to what was happening. He only felt dizzy from the scorching heat both inside and outside of his body and it felt really uncomfortable.
The heat was unbearable.
That emerald bloodworm he had eaten earlier had already unleashed its trump card. It felt like the blazing heat was setting its body on fire.
He was thirsty.
He desperately needed water.
Flapping its wings, Goldy was about to search for a water source. But he had merely taken one step before he was forced back by Xiao Huo.
Goldy got annoyed.
The flames wrapping around its body were surging and its feathers were ruffled. Its crest was blazing red and Goldy flapped his wings violently, all while taking an aggressive stance. Xiao Huo wouldn’t just let himself be provoked like this. While Goldy was fierce, Xiao Huo was still one rank above him. The fire wolf’s body immediately grew larger as flames enveloped his being. Baring its fangs, he let out a low growl to keep Goldy restrained.
With this, the wolf and chicken were ready for a showdown. Both were pet beasts with fire attributes. As their flames clashes, the yard became searing hot. The vegetables on the farm were the first to suffer as they were instantly carbonized from the heat. The earth sizzled dry while Lin Jin and the others took a few steps back to avoid the blazing heat.
As the flames around its body grew, the thirstier he felt.
However, Xiao Huo was guarding him carefully, and despite Goldy’s numerous attempts to escape, Xiao Huo would always find a way to stop him. Both pet beasts were clas.h.i.+ng head-to-head with each other. As neither were willing to give in, they engaged in combat.
Lin Jin was now grateful for the fact that Xiao Huo was a Rank 3 beast. Otherwise, he might not be able to subdue Goldy. Despite Goldy’s aloofness with its tendency to venture off alone like a curious little rooster, when it got angry, most Rank 2 pet beasts couldn’t even put up a fight against him.
If they couldn’t stop Goldy from drinking water right now, the evolution would be a total failure.
It was merely a coincidence that Goldy was showing signs of evolution. Although it wasn’t a perfect evolution, the effects were close enough mainly because he consumed the emerald bloodworm.
Not only was the worm compatible with Goldy due to its attribute, but more importantly, it could also awaken the Golden Crow’s bloodline in Goldy.
In other words, the stimulant for Goldy’s evolution wasn’t the emerald bloodworm itself. Instead, it was the bloodline hidden within the bird all this while that triggered such symptoms to arise.
Triggering even a tiny bit of the almighty Golden Crow’s bloodline was more than enough to help Goldy evolve. The most vital part of this process was to bring out the powers of this bloodline, and Goldy would suffer greatly as a result. However, they had no choice. For him to evolve, he must endure the pain. And if he drank or came in contact with water, all would have been for naught.
“Goldy, I’m doing this for your own good,” Lin Jin shouted from the sidelines.
Goldy and Xiao Huo were currently engaged in an intense brawl. Goldy’s crest became a ball of flames. Its claws grew larger and sharper, also enveloped in fire. As he flapped his wings, one could feel the scorching heat as hot air swept through the area.
From the looks of it, once Goldy evolves into a Rank 3 pet beast, with a flap of his wings, he could send out a jet of flames.
The clock continued to tick.
Han Dong and Lu Xiaoyun returned with the required ingredients. Without another word, Lin Jin began boiling the medicine as they were racing against time.
Goldy was getting fiercer and fiercer but Xiao Huo still had the upper-hand. However, it was quickly becoming apparent how they were bridging the power gap that once existed between them.
And Goldy was still just a Rank 2 pet beast.