Back at the shore of Heavenly Lake, Eddie was greatly surprised to find that Grey Wolf had regressed from Silver Level 4 to Bronze Level 3.
It used to have two heads, but now it had only one, covered in wounds and appearing barely alive. This left him in shock.
While other people's spirit beasts usually grew stronger and ascended in levels, Grey Wolf seemed to have gone in the opposite direction, falling from Silver to Bronze.
Looking at the lifeless body of the Giant Executioner Mang, lying in front of Grey Wolf, it seemed that Mang had fled here and engaged in a fierce battle with Grey Wolf, resulting in his powerful "Mountain-Breaking Earth Devil" getting defeated.
"Did this Mang fellow do this to you?" Eddie was somewhat surprised, as the severely wounded Grey Wolf did not seem like it could have defeated such a formidable opponent.
Grey Wolf's body was covered in numerous injuries, some fresh and some old. It appeared to have been through more than one battle.
Furthermore, Eddie had instructed Grey Wolf to stay at the foot of the mountain to protect the Three-Tailed Snow Fox. When did it manage to come all the way up here? Eddie became concerned and asked, "Where's Laura's snow fox?"
Upon hearing Eddie inquire about the Three-Tailed Snow Fox, Grey Wolf hung its head in shame.
Eddie felt a cold sweat forming on his forehead. Could it be that the Three-Tailed Snow Fox had perished? If that were the case, it would be a disaster. How would he explain this to Laura when she woke up?
Limping, Grey Wolf approached Eddie, appearing to prepare itself for a furious scolding. Eddie saw its pitiful expression and decided to spare it from a reprimand. He gently placed his hand on Grey Wolf's body and infused it with his own True Qi, helping it quickly recover from its injuries.
Grey Wolf was touched by this gesture, nearly howling in gratitude towards its master.
As Eddie was channeling his True Qi into Grey Wolf's body, he suddenly made a new discovery. He found that there were faint golden and white runic patterns appearing on his hand.
Could this be a unique phenomenon of Innate Level 1?
Eddie was baffled by this inexplicable development. What was even stranger was that the runic patterns on his arm were moving freely, changing their shape and runes intermittently, leaving Eddie puzzled.
The most astonishing part was that Eddie sensed that these runic patterns had a special effect when his True Qi flowed through them. It seemed to enhance the healing power of his True Qi by at least tenfold.
Grey Wolf felt incredibly comfortable, unable to contain its excitement, and let out a joyful howl.
Its forehead displayed dark golden runes, and its eyes began to flash with the same changing runic patterns that were on Eddie's arm. A burst of golden light emanated from it, startling Eddie.
He was amazed to discover that Grey Wolf had not only hidden its true strength but had also secretly advanced to Gold Level 5.
Its appearance remained that of a Bronze Level 3, and he wouldn't have noticed if it weren't for the enhanced healing effect of the runic patterns.
Even with his Third-Level Insight, Eddie doubted whether an ordinary warrior could discern that Grey Wolf was a Gold Level 5 demonic wolf in disguise.
Had Grey Wolf become cunning over time and learned to mimic him?
"What's going on with this dog?" Princess Jean, the swordswoman, was also curious. However, her curiosity was not about its transformation but the runes on Grey Wolf's forehead.
Princess Jean knew that Grey Wolf had been at the foot of the mountain, where it couldn't have acquired runes. It had not formed a contract with Eddie, so how could it have summoning runes?
Eddie, thinking that Princess Jean was referring to Grey Wolf's transformation from Bronze Level 3 to Gold Level 5, explained.
"I'm not sure either, but Grey Wolf originally was a Silver Level 4. Perhaps it underwent a breakthrough and reached Gold Level 5. I suspect it learned a new skill that allows it to hide its true level and appearance as Bronze Level 3. I don't know the specifics, and since Grey Wolf can't speak, we can't know the truth for now."
Princess Jean, upon hearing this, was puzzled and said, "Idiot, advanced spirit beasts with higher intelligence often conceal their true strength. The smarter they are, the better they are at hiding it. There's nothing strange about that. However, your big dog isn't hiding its strength; those runes are secretly helping it to disguise its power."
Eddie was shocked. "Oh, it has runes? Grey Wolf, did someone form a contract with you?" He asked in surprise.
"Woof!" Grey Wolf hurriedly denied it, trying to appear loyal.
"You can't even distinguish between a contract and runes? These are ancient summoning runes left behind by our ancestors. Just like spirit beasts, they can enhance the power of the user. Don't you also have ancient runes on your body?" Princess Jean couldn't help but think that Eddie must have been studying at the academy for a hundred years, or else he wouldn't make such a ridiculous mistake.
"Hey, don't compare me to it; I'm its master, after all!" Eddie felt that compared to Grey Wolf, he might be wrongly labeled as a pervert.
"It's just a dumb dog, and you're a pervert; you're all the same..."
As expected, Princess Jean classified Eddie as a pervert, which made him quite disheartened. He crouched down in a corner, looking very dejected.
With this level of caution and defense, it seemed difficult to seduce the swordswoman.
According to Qu Yuan, "The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will seek the truth."
Eddie thought, when would he be able to say, "The temptation is irresistible, and I will explore every corner"?
It was too challenging! But wooing women was a skill.
Besides considering timing, location, and people, there were also techniques involved. Eddie couldn't believe that he would fail to conquer Princess Jean, with her captivating tiger-like eyes, even after applying the "Thirty-Six Strategies for Wooing Women" and the "One Hundred and Eight Methods for Picking Flowers" from Earth.
But then again, what was a princess? Princesses were born to be conquered by someone like him in this world... Eddie fantasized wildly.
In the distance, a shadow flashed, and Eddie saw a streak of silver approaching at an incredible speed. It moved as swiftly as a comet, and even with his Third-Level Insight, he could barely make out that something was approaching. In an instant, it was right in front of Eddie.
The silver light transitioned from extreme movement to a halt in less than a second.
Upon closer inspection, Eddie realized it was Laura's three-tailed snow fox; it hadn't died after all. He happily picked up the little creature and was about to throw it in the air and celebrate. Suddenly, he felt it become lighter, and the snow fox had already leaped onto Princess Jean's back. It gently swept its small tail across her cheek, displaying great affection and intimacy.
Grey Wolf hurriedly tried to learn this technique to please its owner and ran over to Eddie, sweeping its large tail wildly, shattering the frost into pieces, and sending snow flying.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Eddie couldn't stand it and kicked Grey Wolf ten meters away.
"Woof!" Grey Wolf finally understood; it was born to be beaten, with insufficient inherent conditions and no luck in being intimate with its owner.
Moreover, its tail, harder than an iron broom, sweeping against its owner would undoubtedly be uncomfortable. Compared to the soft, gentle tail of the snow fox, there was a world of difference. Grey Wolf quickly lowered its head, pretending to be obedient.
In the evening, Laura finally woke up. The three-tailed snow fox brought a bunch of flowers blooming on the high cliff for her. Laura happily stroked its little head, feeling extremely delighted.
Grey Wolf saw this and thought it could also please its owner with a similar gesture.
It searched around for a while but couldn't find any flowers. Instead, it discovered a tuft of unkempt dogtail grass. Excitedly, it brought it back to Eddie.
Eddie was annoyed and immediately scolded it, "Get lost, go far away!"
At this moment, Grey Wolf finally understood that its owner had no interest in flowers or plants, unlike the owner of the three-tailed snow fox. Observing its actions, Princess Jean couldn't help but burst into laughter. She gave Eddie a thumbs-up and said, "The kind of owner you have determines the kind of dog you are. It's true!"
Eddie, angered by her words, retorted, "What did you just say, Tiger Girl?"
Princess Jean laughed heartily, "Nothing, I just said your dog is very clever. Perhaps it's not far from evolving into a Sacred Beast if you take it through all twelve houses of the Zodiac and gain the wisdom bestowed by the Laws. Who knows, it might evolve into a Sacred Beast..."
"Twelve Houses of the Zodiac?" Eddie's heart raced.
The city lord and Princess Jean had both advanced the levels of their summoning grimoires and had high-level titles. They had surpassed Level Five several years ago. However, Eddie, who wasn't used to summoning grimoires for combat, was still only a Level Two Warrior.
If he completed all twelve houses of the Zodiac, not only Grey Wolf but Little Thorny Witch might also evolve into Sacred Beasts. As for the Bloody Queen, Eddie was no longer worried.
Since she could already speak, she wasn't far from becoming a Sacred Beast. Eddie's goal was to train the Bloody Queen into a mythical beast capable of forming a contract with a grimoire.
"This trip was exhausting, and I need to rest when we return, but the gains have been quite substantial." The city lord separated a strand of starry blue grass from a jade box and gently placed it into a smaller jade box, then tucked it into Eddie's arms. She looked at Eddie, her eyes shining with a warmth that made him feel like howling like a wolf. Although she didn't say it aloud, that warmth was very tender.
While Eddie was bathing in the Tianchi and checking for the presence of the Tianchi Water Monster, Princess Jean told the city lord about Eddie's previous clumsy attempt to save her. It was because she had heard about Eddie's awkward actions that the city lord's eyes gradually brightened, showing a gentle light. Although she didn't say anything, that light was filled with tenderness.
"Wanna say goodbye with a kiss, huh? You don't need to look at me!" Princess Jean turned her head away, pretending to give Eddie and the city lord some space for a farewell kiss.
"You, Jean..." The city lord blushed intensely, her cheeks flushing.
Deep down, Eddie actually wanted to kiss Laura. If it weren't for Princess Jean's interference, he would have tried to take advantage of the good atmosphere and push Laura down. But now that she had brought it up, everything was ruined. He couldn't enjoy his dinner or even drink his soup.
Eddie was furious with Princess Jean, who seemed to thrive on causing trouble, and he secretly wished he could kick her into the Tianchi Lake.
Laura, the city lord, appeared to want to hug Eddie to express her gratitude, but upon hearing Princess Jean's comments, she felt embarrassed.
Unfurling a teleportation scroll, she lightly waved her jade hand towards Eddie, saying, "I'm leaving!"
Eddie's heart was breaking.
The farewell kiss was ruined by Princess Jean's words. She must have done it on purpose. Eddie decided that after Laura left, he would kiss her passionately a hundred times to make up for it. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.
Just before entering the teleportation portal, Laura suddenly reached out, and her jade-like finger lightly touched Eddie's lips, either intentionally or unintentionally.
An electric shock sensation coursed through Eddie's body immediately.
His heart rate shot up threefold.
The wolf's blood within him began to boil, and he nearly let out a wolf howl to the sky.
Indeed, friction could generate electricity. Eddie found that his entire body was tingling with an electrifying sensation. It was both uncomfortable and exhilarating, an indescribable feeling of bliss, as if he were suffocating in happiness.
"It's just a finger touching the lips, look at you, such a pitiful look. Come on, this princess will give you more friction than just a finger, even more than you can handle," Princess Jean said, observing Eddie's blissful expression with a tinge of envy. She decided to take off her shoes and raise her flawless little foot, preparing to kick Eddie's face to wipe that smug look off him.
"Hey, I knew you had malicious intentions!" Eddie, quick on his feet, grabbed Princess Jean's ankle as she attempted her flying kick.
He exerted force to lift her, planning to pin her against the mountain wall and tease her a bit. Little did he know that Sophia's clothing, worn by Princess Jean, wasn't a perfect fit. As he lifted her, there was a sharp tearing sound, and her pants ripped open at the crotch, exposing a large expanse of snowy-white skin.
Both of them were caught completely off guard and stood there, dumbfounded.
Eddie and Princess Jean stared at each other for a long time, not knowing how to react.