In most beast-taming worlds, raising a powerful companion is an expensive and time-consuming process.
Rare bloodlines are difficult to obtain, talented spirit beasts are fought over by major clans, and even maintaining an ordinary companion can drain a family’s resources. A beastmaster’s future is often decided long before they ever reach adulthood, simply because some people begin with advantages others can never hope to match.
Lin Bai knows exactly what that feels like.
For years, he is the kind of person nobody expects much from. There are no famous ancestors standing behind him, no extraordinary talent waiting to be discovered, and no reason for anyone to believe he will accomplish anything noteworthy. By the time he finally receives an opportunity to change his situation, he has already spent long enough listening to people explain why success is out of reach.
The world itself offers two well-established roads to power. Some cultivate martial arts and pursue strength through their own bodies. Others choose spirit beasts, growing alongside contracted companions whose potential can sometimes exceed that of their masters. Neither path is particularly easy, especially for someone starting with limited resources.
Lin Bai’s circumstances begin improving after he acquires an unusual ability connected to his spirit beasts.
At first, the benefits seem straightforward enough. The more effort he invests into his companions, the more value he receives in return. Simple in theory, surprisingly effective in practice.
The real fun comes from watching that advantage interact with creatures most people have already written off.
A spirit beast dismissed as ordinary by everyone else may possess possibilities that only become apparent much later. Bloodlines considered dormant do not always stay dormant. Some evolutions appear impossible until somebody accidentally proves otherwise. Lin Bai spends a surprising amount of time looking at things other people consider worthless and wondering whether they have been underestimated.
As his collection of companions grows, so does the scale of the challenges surrounding him. Rival beastmasters, influential clans, cultivation resources, and increasingly rare spirit beasts all become part of the picture.
For Lin Bai, however, the goal rarely changes.
If others are searching for legendary beasts, he is usually busy trying to figure out how much potential an ordinary one might still be hiding.
