"Thirty-two years later, the physical education teacher, Zhang Yunpeng, is very surprised to see you again.
"He didn't expect that you, at fifty years old, would still be repeating your studies and training."
"He senses your unyielding spirit that refuses to grow old, and that of your Pet with Sub-dragon Bloodline whose time is nearly up. Cyan Treasure's body is so old it can't even lift its head, yet it continues to train."
"He is moved by your efforts."
"Originally, Teacher Zhang had been worn down by the school and the general attitudes of society. But in this moment, he decides to seriously teach Cyan Treasure how to train its body, to take a gamble on its chances of a Dragon Pet Evolution.
"'Ordinary Evolution is no longer an option. Your dragon is too old—its muscles have atrophied, its bones are brittle, its kidneys are failing, and it's riddled with gastrointestinal problems…'"
"'Look, I just poked your Dragon Pet's abdomen, and it's trembling all over in pain. This is a clear sign that its lifespan has reached its limit.'"
"'It could die tomorrow. You have to stop its training. You can't use this sit-up routine that wrings out every last drop of its potential.'"
"You fall into a state of anxiety. If you don't learn this method, what else is there?"
"You desperately want to tell Teacher Zhang that it has a Time Talent that can lock its lifespan, so there's no need to be so cautious."
"Before you can speak, Teacher Zhang offers another plan, but he has his reservations and doesn't finish explaining."
"For the past few decades, Zhang Yunpeng has been continuously refining his Breathing Technique for training Snake Species."
"He advocates for using Natural Medicinal Herbs to brew remedies for slow, chronic conditioning of the body. He uses a gentle Breathing Technique to mobilize the body's muscles to consume energy, slowly building up muscle strength step by step before starting rhythmic sit-ups."
"You listen in a complete daze. After all, you're fifty years old and have been out of touch with the times for too long to understand the knowledge behind the teacher's Cultivation Technique."
"However, you vaguely recall that when you first enrolled in school, Teacher Zhang was already researching this Cultivation Technique.
"It was just that it was designed for Snake Species Pet Beasts. Back then, your Pet Beast was an Iron Gall Lone Dragon, so you had no use for this Cultivation Technique."
"Now, your Time Dragon is seen by outsiders as a Grass and Wood Flood Dragon with a Sub-dragon Bloodline.
"Although the body of a Flood Dragon is very different from a Snake Pet, it's not impossible for it to learn if you force the issue."
The text above was the long segment of plot that Gu Ming triggered after interacting with Teacher Zhang.
After Gu Ming finished reading the entire plot segment, he rubbed his temples.
'That's a ton of information!'
Gu Ming let Cyan Treasure rest quietly. He sat to the side and stroked the little snake's head, seemingly comforting it, but his attention was actually focused on the system's history log.
Based on the information revealed by the system, Teacher Zhang was his physical education teacher when he was eighteen and possessed a "Breathing Technique for training Snake Species"... 'That's what it's called, right?'
Gu Ming had browsed through so many research papers on raising a Little Cyan Snake, but he had never heard of a training method having the extra word "Breathing" in its name.
Besides, he couldn't understand most of the training methods online. They were full of professional jargon, and most of the training techniques required abilities he didn't currently possess.
For example, when training a Snake Pet's core, one could use electrotherapy to stimulate the muscles. This achieved the same effect of potential development and was simple and fast, but its drawback was that it required help from an electric-type pet.
But back to the main point.
The system had provided this huge string of information, which seemed to be no less than what he got from Shop Manager Ruan Jing. This meant there was something to be gained from Teacher Zhang.
Perhaps it was Cultivation Resources, or the Snake Pet training Breathing Technique noted by the system.
Regardless of which it was, since this person was marked by the system, Gu Ming's interaction with him was equivalent to interacting with the Teacher Zhang from thirty-two years in the future.
'Beastmasters from the future timeline probably all use Spirit Stones, right?'
If he traded for anything from Teacher Zhang, there was a high probability he'd get Spirit Stones or high-quality Cultivation Resources in return.
Thinking of this, he discovered another one of Teacher Zhang's merits—he belonged to the rational faction that advocated for using Natural Medicinal Herbs in conjunction with Cultivation Methods, not the pay-to-win faction that just forced down Synthetic Elixirs.
As for the Ascetic Monk Faction, it was already outdated in this era.
Even monstrously talented individuals in this day and age had to learn how to concoct potions to speed up their Cultivation.
Otherwise, by the time they reached university, others would have two or even three Pet Beasts to fight your one. How could you win a three-on-one?
Gu Ming looked at Teacher Zhang, who was training the Fiery Monkey nearby. After a moment of thought, he picked up the resting Cyan Treasure and walked over to him.
Teacher Zhang was counting for the Fiery Monkey—one punch, two punches—muttering the rhythm under his breath.
The Fiery Monkey was a Pet Beast with Four-star Potential, though it was currently only at the Three-star Realm. It stood upright like a human, its body covered in black fur from the neck down, while the fur on its head was a brilliant, flame-like red.
It wore two boxing gloves and alternately struck a punching bag, creating loud thuds that sounded like firecrackers going off.
That was punching power far more terrifying than Cyan Treasure's. Just by standing nearby, Gu Ming could feel the wind from the punches hitting his face, making his cheeks sting slightly.
He instinctively shielded Cyan Treasure with his hand and took two steps back.
Teacher Zhang glanced at Gu Ming and nodded. He didn't start a conversation but instead remained focused on the Fiery Monkey's training.
Seeing this, Gu Ming didn't disturb him and just stood quietly to the side, observing Teacher Zhang's training session.
According to the system, Teacher Zhang had created that training Breathing Technique decades ago and had been modifying it ever since.
'In other words, this Cultivation Technique already exists.'
'But where is his Snake Pet? Logically, a Beastmaster who researches Cultivation Techniques for snakes should have a Snake Species Pet, right? Is it hidden in his Beast Taming Space?'
Gu Ming waited for twenty minutes.
Third-year high school students gradually started entering the training room to train their pets, and the room grew lively.
At that moment, Teacher Zhang ended the training session. He draped a towel over the Fiery Monkey and let it wipe its own sweat.
He turned his head and looked at Gu Ming. "What is it? Do you need something?"
Gu Ming asked humbly:
"Teacher, I was just thinking about it. Cyan Treasure definitely can't handle that training method.
"Its Physical Ability is congenitally weak, and its muscle strength isn't enough to support the intensity of standard sit-ups. Its Mana can't be used to replenish its muscles to sustain that intensity either.
"Is there a Cultivation Technique that can guarantee results while being less strenuous... I mean, I don't mind if the training Speed is slower. I'm willing to trade time for results."
Gu Ming had spent the last twenty minutes thinking, repeatedly analyzing the system's "fifty-year-old Old Deng" plotline and extracting the key elements.
As soon as Gu Ming spoke, every point he made struck a chord with Teacher Zhang Yunpeng. Seeing this, his expression softened as he said:
"If you were to ask anyone else, the answer would definitely be no."
"In a society where the philosophy of Cultivation is all about speed, a Pet Beast with poor aptitude that can't meet the standard has to rely on elixirs for its Cultivation.
"On the other hand, if you're willing to sacrifice efficiency for training results to save a Pet Beast with poor physical Talent, that line of thinking does have some merit."
"Just some merit?" Gu Ming asked.
Teacher Zhang had already walked out of the training room. He clearly had an idea, but he hesitated internally and shook his head.
"No, I can't lead you astray. That Cultivation Technique isn't fully researched yet. I've only completed the general framework. The pathways for breathing and cultivating the technique are still being researched."
"Is it the Breathing Technique for Snake Pets? Can I take a look at it?" Gu Ming's eyes lit up as he asked.
Teacher Zhang stopped in his tracks. He had never seen such an eager student. This was an unfinished Cultivation Technique, after all.
In reality, for Gu Ming, the system's plot was developing along a different path.
"Teacher Zhang is worried, as this Cultivation Technique has never been tested on any Pet Beast other than a snake species."
"You move Teacher Zhang with your sincerity. Plus, Cyan Treasure truly doesn't have many days left to live.
"He tells you seriously that you can learn it, but you must know that this is an unfinished Cultivation Technique. It differs from the current era's mainstream methods and has only been tested on Snake Pets.
"If you insist on having a Flood Dragon with Sub-dragon Bloodline use a Snake Pet Cultivation Method, it is highly likely to lead to unknown, negative consequences."
"Your choice is..."