Bai Zian rose to his feet only after Bai Zhi had left.
Once fully dressed, he summoned his servants to swiftly tidy up his room. The Awakening Source Liquid in the glass jar was not spared either. Unfortunately, all that remained in the glass jar was a clear pool of water, indicating that Bai Zian had successfully absorbed all the medicinal power of the Awakening Source Liquid. This left him feeling a twinge of regret.
Originally, Bai Zian had contemplated the possibility of using the Awakening Source Liquid a second time after awakening his second beast mastering talent. He had considered allowing his pet beast to soak in it, hoping for a potential secondary awakening. Even a low-level talent would have been a significant gain. The concept was simple— if he feasted on meat, his pet should at least get a chance to sip the soup. However, observing the source of awakening reduced to clear water shattered Bai Zian's hopes, leaving him with no choice but to let the servants handle the remnants.
After a short while, Bai Zian's room was restored to its pristine state. He then summoned Angelica once again, but this time, instead of the ice beauty Bai Zhi, the female general Bai Shao appeared before him. The unexpected mix-up during the summoning had made Bai Zhi a bit embarrassed to face Bai Zian, prompting her to send Bai Shao as a temporary replacement.
"Sister Bai Zhi's matters can be discussed after the current business is concluded," Bai Zian stated. "Now, let's get down to business."
Bai Zian focused on testing the effects of his second beast-defying talent, the [Chain of Heavenly Dao]. He found that, as expected, he could use the Chain of Heaven's Path to link with other beast masters and share their talents. Bai Shao's beast-defying talent was successfully accessed using the Chain of Heavenly Dao, and distance proved to be no obstacle.
Delighted by the lack of distance limitation, Bai Zian pondered on the nature of the [Chain of Heavenly Dao]. He concluded that it was rightly called a rule-based talent as it manifested the chain of Heavenly Dao, behaving like a rule unaffected by external factors.
The [Chain of Heavenly Dao] not only allowed Bai Zian to share the talents of other beast masters without any distance constraints but also offered an additional advantage. Following the instructions of Tiandao, Bai Zian could link up to three beast masters simultaneously, acquiring three talents at once. This revelation excited Bai Zian, leading him to imagine the possibility of possessing four beast-fighting talents— one mythical talent and three SSS-level talents.
His research also unveiled three distinct characteristics of the [Chain of Heavenly Dao]: secrecy, coercion, and initiative. The secrecy aspect made the chain almost imperceptible, the coercion feature allowed Bai Zian to forcibly link with other beast masters, and the initiative characteristic granted him control over sharing his talents.
Bai Zian's joy knew no bounds. He believed that with his newly acquired talents—[Eye of Apocalypse] and [Chain of Heavenly Dao]—no one could rival him in the future. Reflecting on the fortunate decision to pursue the challenging path of refining the Awakening Source Liquid, Bai Zian felt a surge of gratitude. He regarded obtaining the SSS-level talent [Chain of Heavenly Dao] as a stroke of luck that validated his choices.
In high spirits, Bai Zian thanked Bai Shao for her assistance, though she remained perplexed about the nature of her involvement. Not comprehending the chain of events, Bai Shao found herself in a state of self-doubt. However, Bai Zian dismissed her concerns and instructed her to call Bai Zhi. If Bai Zhi failed to respond, Bai Zian vowed to seek her out personally, maintaining a mysterious air around the events that had transpired.
Bai Zian kept silent about the [Chain of Heaven's Path] and remained rather tight-lipped.
Later, he assigned Bai Shao a task before instructing her to summon Bai Zhi before leaving.
Bai Zian was well aware that Bai Zhi was currently living a secluded life due to social ostracism. To avoid any reluctance on her part, Bai Zian even issued a warning.
"If Bai Zhi doesn't come, I'll go to her myself," he emphasized.
Bai Shao, puzzled but dutiful, executed Bai Zian's instructions. In due time, the ethereal figure of Bai Zhi graced Bai Zian's door.
"Sister Bai Zhi, come in," Bai Zian's voice echoed from within.
Clearly, Bai Zian was already aware of Bai Zhi's impending arrival, thanks to the foresight granted by the [Eye of Apocalypse].
"I've seen Master Zi'an, but I'm uncertain of the reason for the summons," Bai Zhi bowed and spoke without meeting Bai Zian's eyes.
There was no immediate response from Bai Zian, leaving Bai Zhi hanging in anticipation. Eventually, curiosity overcoming her, she raised her eyes to find Bai Zian looking at her with an amused smile.
"Why avoid eye contact? Have you committed a transgression?" Bai Zian inquired playfully.
"I... It's not, Master Zi'an," Bai Zhi stammered, her face flushing.
Bai Zian didn't refute her words but continued to observe her with interest. Bai Zian found amusement in the rare sight of Angelica, typically an ice queen, displaying such vulnerability.
After a while, Bai Zian broke the silence. "The earlier misunderstanding was indeed my fault. However, given the chance, I hope it could become a reality. Unfortunately, I'm still young, and you'll have to wait a few years."
With a teasing tone, Bai Zian acknowledged the awkward situation.
Bai Zhi, blushing even more, managed to mumble, "It's not yet Master Zi'an..."
This time, Bai Zhi couldn't bear the embarrassment and hastily left the room.
Bai Zian, satisfied that his purpose was fulfilled, didn't chase after her. He wanted to clear the air with Bai Zhi and avoid potential misunderstandings.
With the crisis averted, Bai Zian couldn't help but smile. "The matter is finally resolved; now, I should continue my business."
The relieved atmosphere allowed Bai Zian to shift his focus back to his responsibilities. The recent breakthrough granted him the [Chain of Heaven's Path], opening new avenues for exploration.
"I must continue to study the [Chain of Heaven's Path]," Bai Zian muttered, realizing the talent held more potential than he initially understood.
He pondered the development of his mutant red-winged crow cubs, contemplated suitable evolutionary paths, and planned to enhance their strength.
Furthermore, Bai Zian contemplated the fate of an amethyst-level eagle spirit beast egg he had purchased earlier.
"Now that I've successfully contracted the mutant red-winged crow cub, the amethyst-level eagle spirit beast egg has no purpose. Should I give it to my father, Bai Chengzhi, or leave it to my grandfather, Bai Jingchong?" he pondered.
Bai Chengzhi, as a diamond-level beastmaster, could benefit from a stronger beast. On the other hand, Bai Jingchong faced a more complicated situation, making the decision less straightforward.
Bai Zian recognized the necessity of resolving his grandfather's predicament and focused on finding a solution.
"I need to think of a way to solve Grandpa's problem. It seems that Bai Jingchong's problem cannot be dragged on any longer, and a solution must be found," Bai Zian murmured, deep in thought.