Back in the elegant courtyard on the Forget-Worry Grassland, Lu Fei began his barrage of questions.
"Handsome fellow, how did you know I was in danger?"
The drunkard raised his wine gourd. "You have to thank the [Mischievous Monkey]; it came back and told me."
Lu Fei let out an "oh" of realization, thinking he must properly reward the monkey tomorrow, even though he had specifically instructed Iron Head Kid to beat it up a month ago before he left.
It had been his fault for constantly throwing stones at him for a month.
"Oh, and also, how did this [Twin Blade Mantis] suddenly become so strong? I remember it could only fight Iron Head Kid to a draw."
The drunkard smiled without answering.
Lu Fei chuckled and went behind him, patting his back with his small fists.
The drunkard then retorted, "What do you think determines the strength of a contracted beast?"
"Hmm, let me think." Lu Fei pondered for a moment, recalling what he had learned from books.
"The contracted beast's level, then its skills and skill proficiency, and oh, the most important thing, the contracted beast's rarity."
The drunkard nodded slightly.
"What you've said is good, but you've overlooked the most crucial point."
Lu Fei racked his brain, trying to figure out what he had missed. Soon, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something.
At the same time, the drunkard continued, "The most important thing is the Beast Tamer himself."
Lu Fei nodded in agreement, having just realized he had missed that point.
He then said:
"So, you mean that as long as the Beast Tamer is powerful enough, the contracted beast can break through its own limitations and ignore the original rules of its abilities?"
Hearing Lu Fei's words, the drunkard showed a rare hint of surprise, but it was fleeting.
He said calmly, "You're partly right."
"But it's not that the contracted beast becomes stronger just because the Beast Tamer is powerful."
Lu Fei humbly asked for clarification.
"Why is that?"
The drunkard continued, "It's because when a Beast Tamer's ability reaches a certain level, they develop their own understanding of beast taming. They know exactly how to cultivate different contracted beasts."
Lu Fei frowned slightly. Even so, that wasn't a reason for the [Twin Blade Mantis] to suddenly become so much stronger in just a few days.
Seeing Lu Fei's obvious confusion, the drunkard sighed.
"Kid, did you just arrive in this world?"
Lu Fei replied in his mind, "Yes, yes, how did you know."
He scratched his head and asked, "I understand what you're saying, but why did the [Twin Blade Mantis]'s strength increase so much all of a sudden? I can't understand that."
"It's very simple, it's because of the benefits brought by the Beast Taming Scroll."
Lu Fei was surprised.
"Beast Taming Scrolls have such functions? How come I didn't know?"
The drunkard gave him a sideways glance. "With your 'noob' level, of course you wouldn't know!"
Lu Fei pouted. "Then what's your strength? Tell me so I can give up!"
Then, the drunkard held up one finger.
Lu Fei frowned and guessed, "Beginner Beast Tamer?"
The drunkard's expression instantly turned displeased.
He said angrily, "I could crush you with just one finger."
Lu Fei meekly shut his mouth.
After a moment of silence, the drunkard suddenly said, "Your Sword Guard seems a bit different."
Lu Fei blinked, looking at Iron Head Kid, who was feasting beside him.
He asked doubtfully, "How is it different?"
The drunkard said somewhat uncertainly, "Its offensive capabilities are outstanding, but its defensive capabilities are practically non-existent."
Lu Fei looked at the drunkard in surprise. Just as he had suspected, Iron Head Kid's current defensive ability was indeed negligible. Since he had subdued Iron Head Kid, Lu Fei had checked its attribute values.
At only level sixteen, its physical attack stat was an astonishing full 30! However, its defense stat was only 1!
Lu Fei knew this was due to [Unstable Evolution]. It was like the Stubborn Snake, where all its stats were focused on support, with almost zero offensive capability.
But this was Lu Fei's most important secret, one he couldn't reveal to anyone in this world. He feigned astonishment and said,
"Yes, I find it strange too. It doesn't seem to like defending; it only knows how to attack."
The drunkard didn't dwell on the matter, casting a look of approval at Iron Head Kid.
"This little guy's level is improving very quickly, and its comprehension is good."
Lu Fei smiled, happy for Iron Head Kid. Iron Head Kid also happily uttered a "Wei," as if it was no longer as cold as a block of ice since being subdued, and had gained some warmth.
The drunkard continued, "However, you'll need to pay more attention to its growth in the future. Sword Guards are strange contracted beasts; if their path deviates, it can be very dangerous."
Lu Fei's expression changed. He remembered that the owner of the contracted beast shop had also mentioned that Sword Guards were extremely dangerous contracted beasts. Even though their rarity reached A-rank, very few people were willing to tame them.
"I heard the shop owner mention this before, but he only said that Sword Guards could no longer evolve and were violent by nature, easily hurting people." He paused, then looked at the drunkard with a solemn expression.
"Do you know any other secrets about Sword Guard-type contracted beasts?"
The drunkard sighed. "You truly know nothing about danger."
Lu Fei gave an awkward chuckle and listened quietly as the drunkard continued.
"That shop owner was indeed right. Sword Guards are indeed very difficult to evolve, but do you know why?"
Lu Fei shook his head, puzzled.
The drunkard continued, "It's because the conditions for a Sword Guard's evolution are extremely harsh. Even during the peak period of this type of contracted beast, only one in a hundred could meet the final evolution conditions."
"These contracted beasts are naturally warlike. Over time, internal conflicts within the species have completely depleted the already scarce bloodline."
Lu Fei frowned.
"Then what are the conditions for a Sword Guard's evolution?"
The drunkard mused.
"If I recall correctly, for a Sword Guard to evolve, it must obtain its own fated sword."
"Fated sword?"
The drunkard chuckled.
"Speaking of which, the evolved form of Sword Guards is quite unique among all contracted beasts."
Lu Fei turned his head, anticipating his explanation.
"The evolved form of a Sword Guard is not fixed. What form they evolve into depends on their fated sword. In other words, for every form of a Sword Guard's fated sword, there is a corresponding evolved form of the Sword Guard!"
Lu Fei was stunned, his mouth agape as if he had discovered a new world.
Immediately, his expression turned expectant. "Then, according to you, there's still a possibility of evolution, right? As long as they obtain a fated sword!"
The drunkard chuckled.
"You're thinking too much. Once a Sword Guard leaves its birthplace, it can never return. And those who obtain a fated sword and successfully evolve into Sword Demons can never leave that place for their entire lives."
"Why?"
"Because that place is sealed."
Lu Fei's expression froze.
"What is that place called?"
The drunkard took a deep breath.
"The Sword Demon Ruins."