Cody was about to continue, but Yang Feng stopped her.
"Slow down, Cody. Tell me one thing first."
"What?" Cody asked.
"Is 100 liters really a small amount for you?" Yang Feng asked with raised eyebrows.
"Yes," Cody replied simply.
Yang Feng's lips twitched in disbelief. He turned to his mother, who looked back at him silently as if to say, Don't drag me into this—it's your problem.
"I… You—" Yang Feng struggled to find the words but eventually gave up.
"Just continue," he said helplessly.
Cody resumed as if nothing had happened. "In addition to the Ancestral Blood Pool, this mist can also speed up a creature's growth and help them evolve after staying in it for a long time."
Yang Feng interrupted again. "Wait."
"Now what?" Cody asked, annoyance creeping into her voice.
"Can my mom and her pet also evolve? Will their qualifications improve?" Yang Feng asked eagerly.
Cody hesitated, going quiet for a moment.
Yang Feng's mother patted his back and said gently, "I'm already old, Feng. I don't need to progress as a Beast Tamer. It's enough if you become stronger."
Yang Feng didn't respond, instead looking intently at Cody, waiting for her answer.
Cody sighed and replied telepathically, Yang boy, I… I don't think your mom or her pet need to evolve. Her tone carried an unusual note of uncertainty.
Yang Feng frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
Cody glanced nervously at Yang Feng's mother, who was now watching her with a warning glint in her eyes. Cody visibly shivered before quickly correcting herself. Nothing, nothing! She can totally evolve.
Yang Feng's gaze flicked between Cody and his mother, suspicion growing in his mind. Is Cody… afraid of Mom?
"It's decided—I won't stay inside Cody," Yang Feng's mother said firmly. Then, her tone softened. "Don't forget, you need to conserve energy for this world. When you reach the peak, Mom will do as you say. But for now, prioritize your pets and yourself."
Yang Feng nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Mother," he replied, feeling helpless.
After a moment of silence, a lingering question surfaced in Yang Feng's mind. "Cody, this small world is inside you, right?"
"Yes," Cody replied, unsure of what he was getting at.
"Then we're all inside you?"
"Yes."
"Then how can you also be here in front of us?"
Cody paused, struggling to respond.
"If the world is inside you, and you're here too, then where are we? Are you also inside yourself? Then where's the world?"
Cody began to sway slightly, as if her mind were spinning from the questions.
"If—" Yang Feng started again, but Cody cut him off.
"Stop," she said quickly, almost panicking.
Yang Feng blinked and waited expectantly for her answer.
"Space doesn't work like that," Cody explained after a pause. She seemed to gather her thoughts before continuing, "You'll understand in the future. I can't explain it now."
"But—" Yang Feng began again, only for Cody to interrupt in frustration.
"Stop asking why and how! Just focus on whether it works or not!"
Yang Feng opened his mouth again, but this time his mother stepped in.
"It's getting late. Let's go out," she said, glancing at her Star Watch.
Yang Feng sighed but nodded, still dissatisfied with Cody's vague explanation.
"How do we leave?" he asked.
"Just think about it," Cody replied. "This world is bound to you. You can control it with a thought. No need to summon a space door every time."
Yang Feng nodded. This is far more convenient, he thought.
With a single thought, everyone except Pearl, who was sleeping, vanished and reappeared in the summoning room.
Yang Feng took a deep breath, recalled Cody to his heart, and turned to his mother. "Mom, before we head back, I need to register my identity as a Beastmaster."
His mother nodded, and the two descended to the first floor.
At the Beastmaster Registration Counter, a girl with black hair tied in a ponytail sat filing her nails while chewing gum lazily.
"Hello, miss. I'd like to register my Beastmaster identity," Yang Feng said politely.
The girl glanced up, put down her nail file, and began typing on the computer. "Name?"
Yang Feng provided his details.
"Summoning certificate?" she asked without looking up.
"What's that?" Yang Feng asked, puzzled.
The girl stopped typing and looked at him. "It's a certificate issued by the Evolver who helped you summon your first beast."
Yang Feng froze. Teacher Sheng never gave me a certificate.
"Can you wait a moment?" he asked.
"Sure," she replied with a hint of suspicion.
Yang Feng opened his Star Watch and sent a message to Sheng Li:
Teacher Sheng, the receptionist is asking for a summoning certificate. You didn't give me one.
Five minutes later, Sheng Li replied:
Oh, about that—I forgot. I'll upload it to the Guild's database now.
Thank you, Yang Feng replied, relieved.
He returned to the counter. "The Evolver who helped me summon my pet has sent the certificate to the Guild's database."
The girl looked doubtful but checked the database. Finding the certificate, she completed the procedure.
She took out a sealed box, retrieved a device similar to a Star Watch, and connected it to the computer. After booting it up, she handed it to Yang Feng along with a couple of booklets.
"This is an advanced Star Watch. It's bound to your identity. It can change shape and transform into a pendant or brooch. The booklets explain the Beastmaster Guild's guidelines," she explained.
Yang Feng nodded, replaced his old watch with the advanced version, and left with his mother.
Night had fallen, but the streets were bustling. They hailed a cab and headed to the city's outskirts.
The cab stopped outside a run-down building. Yang Feng's apartment was on the third floor.
Inside, the apartment was modest—a single bedroom for his mother, with his bed in the living room, a small kitchen, and a bathroom.
Yang Feng looked at the home he had lived since childhood. He clenched his fists and thought. Now that I am an official Beastmaster, I have to give my mom a comfortable life. She had already sacrificed a lot for me.
"Freshen up quickly. I'll cook something," his mother said, taking the booklets from him.
"Okay, Mom," Yang Feng replied reluctantly. He didn't feel like showering but knew better than to argue.
After Yang Feng showered and changed into comfortable clothes.
When he came to dining table, her mom had already made a simple soup with white rice.
He complimented while eating, "Mom's cooking is still the best"
Yang Feng ate the food with relish. Despite the simple ingredients, his mother's cooking made it much more delicious.