Chapter 308 — Great Harvest After Returning to Donghuang

In the end, Feng Jin could only press a hand to his forehead in exasperation and say, "Your Ginseng Baby must have combined the Chrono Fruit with the self-destruct effect of Moon Burst, hasn't it?"

"Yes." Shi Jin nodded.

"Just as I thought... But to think it could actually slay a Monarch—I underestimated the power of that combination skill..." Feng Jin sighed.

Shi Jin and the Gem Cat: "..."

Perhaps he hadn't underestimated it. It was just that stuffing Ginseng Baby into someone's mouth first and then detonating it—that was a trick no clean-hearted Beast Tamer could ever pull off. It was far more devastating than a direct self-destruct...

A Taboo Weapon going off at your side and one going off inside your mouth—could the effects possibly be the same?

"Still, you probably won't be able to use that move again anytime soon," Feng Jin said.

"That's right..." Shi Jin nodded. He had no idea how long it would take Ginseng Baby to condense the next Time Imprint, but it certainly wouldn't take a year—so it wouldn't keep him from blowing up Monarchs at the World Tournament. In any case, he had already resolved to stay put in Donghuang and grind for the coming year, so he shouldn't run into any danger.

"Then don't go running off for a while. Stay put in Donghuang. You've already signed up for the Sequence Contest, haven't you? Grinding your ranking wouldn't be a bad idea—the top few even get Legendary resources as rewards." Feng Jin was dangling a carrot before Shi Jin; he had no wish to see him wander off again.

"What?! Legendary resources?!" Shi Jin took the bait at once.

"After all, we're going to fight the Totem Nation for the World Tree's blessing. The nation will surely pour everything into nurturing the best of the contestants—if the World Tree's blessing can produce a Legendary Beast Tamer, then even sinking a dozen or so Legendary resources into it would be worth it. For the World Tournament, the country has staked its blood and treasure."

"Teacher Ying, please don't indulge Shi Jin and let him run around everywhere. Make him stay put for a while," Feng Jin said with a bitter smile.

"Understood, understood. Even if he wants to stir up trouble, I won't be tagging along for a while." The Gem Cat smiled faintly. "I'm going into seclusion to cultivate for a time."

Shi Jin shrugged. He didn't care—as long as they didn't forget the collectibles they'd agreed on.

Still, it didn't feel like enough.

If he wanted Eleven and the others to achieve perfect breakthroughs in the future and become perfect Monarch-level... that would still be tricky. After all, the Gem Cat had saved for a hundred years and only scraped together enough for a single Legendary resource.

And he had five beasts at present...

Saving up probably wouldn't cut it. He'd have to find another channel—like the Sequence Contest, where he could freeload Legendary resources.

"By the way, are you going to report this battle record of yours to the Sequence Contest Committee?" Feng Jin said to Shi Jin. "Actually, my advice is not to—or rather, even if you do, it'll only cause complications when they tally everything up. Better to keep it as a hidden trump card."

"Hm?"

"True, a record of slaying two Monarchs could put you in the top five of the Sequence rankings—maybe even the top three. But could you replicate that feat anytime soon? And even if you could, could you use it freely in the Sequence Contest?"

"Uh." Shi Jin: "Not likely..."

First, it couldn't be revived again; second, in a contest between fellow countrymen, a self-destruct was simply too vicious.

"By the time you reach the top five or top three, you'll face endless challenges. You may not be able to hold that position right now—the Beast Tamers at that level all possess true Monarch-level combat power."

"Take Gao Xuan. He can apply for the use of small-scale Taboo Weapons, but such weapons aren't permitted in the Sequence Contest. So his record with small-scale Taboo Weapons—as long as he can't manufacture them himself and use them at will—is basically not counted toward the Sequence rankings. That's why his overall rank is only 22. Your Ginseng Baby's feat this time is actually very similar."

"So my advice is: don't announce it—or wait until you can command the strength to match that ranking, and announce it then."

"The initial Sequence Contest rankings are out?" Shi Jin caught the crucial detail.

Feng Jin blinked. "You didn't know?"

Shi Jin: "...I really didn't notice. Let me see."

He quickly pulled out his phone, logged into the Sequence Contest's official site, and checked the rankings. Ignoring the names at the top, he soon found his own position... 81st.

That's low.

Shi Jin looked up the list, and sure enough, there was Gao Xuan at 22nd—and Xiao Qin at 29th.

Still, this ranking had probably been compiled "long" ago, back when Red Eye, Buggy, and Ginseng Baby had yet to break through to Commander level. As things stood now, Shi Jin figured he could easily take a spot in the top 20.

If he went all out regardless of the consequences, getting close to the top ten wasn't impossible either.

As for the top five—that really did seem beyond his reach. The top four were all Legendary Beast Tamers with true Monarch-level combat power!

Shi Jin's expression turned grave at once. It seemed getting Legendary resources from the Sequence Contest wouldn't be so easy after all.

After all, even Ginseng Baby's self-destruct hadn't killed the Black Ape Monarch outright—and the Black Ape Monarch was a wild Monarch without a Beast Tamer.

"Then I'll do as you say. Climbing up step by step is fine too," said Shi Jin.

He might not even need to fight deliberately. Once the National Tournament ended and he managed to beat Gao Xuan, his ranking would probably rise high enough.

"But Feng Jin, joining the First Bureau and being allotted a Legendary resource isn't too much to ask, is it?" Shi Jin said suddenly.

Feng Jin: !!!

"After all, even ten Legendary resources might not be enough to nurture a single Totem." Shi Jin glanced at the Gem Cat, thinking that as the First Bureau's combat mainstay among the Thirteen Bureaus, being allotted one Legendary resource wasn't unreasonable.

"I don't think it's unreasonable either—two would be even better. Becoming Donghuang's new guardian deity, getting a Legendary gem isn't too much to ask, is it?" The Gem Cat was already scheming for its own future. Breaking through to Totem was all about drawing a bigger salary!

Feng Jin's mouth twitched. "It's not a question of whether it's unreasonable. Legendary resources in this country are strategic assets—each one can only be deployed for a strict and necessary purpose."

"Such as fighting for the World Tree's blessing, for instance."

Shi Li said, "Befriending the Azure Sea Sprites—you don't call that strategic?"

Feng Jin realized he could not out-argue Shi Jin, so he said, "Fine, fine. It isn't mine to give anyway. I'll put in the application for you."

And truth be told, considering what Shi Jin had cobbled together so far—the Iron-eating Beast evolution chain, the Green Worm Cocoon evolution chain, a Totem Cat conjured out of thin air, and a friendship struck with the Azure Sea Sprites—even Feng Jin himself felt that allotting Shi Shuo a legendary-grade resource hardly seemed excessive.

Still, a matter like this would take a good while to get approved, he reckoned. Legendary-grade resources were being drawn on everywhere lately, and they were desperately scarce.

"I don't know the situation with legendary-grade resources, but there is one Grade-Eight resource I'm fairly sure I can get approved for you." Something had just occurred to Feng Jin.

"What?" Shi Shuo was startled.

"Burning Gold." Feng Jin smiled faintly.

Burning Gold...

Shi Shuo froze, failing to react for a moment; but soon his expression began to shift through a whole range of feelings.

"Burning Gold?"

"Burning Gold!"