Uncle Pi Qiu, Sun Hongyi—also known as Pink Memory—listened to Li Qian speak and sensed the pride in his heart. The interest on his face grew stronger.
He quite liked Li Qian’s confidence and pride, because deep down, he was the same kind of person.
Furthermore, he believed this was a necessary trait for any Breeder; without it, one could never produce any truly noteworthy achievements.
Even if they managed to succeed once or twice, it would only be a matter of luck.
"Even if it’s not perfect, the evolution method from Golden Pearl Bud to Tidal Sea Spirit is already quite advanced. I’ve already completed multiple temporary evolutions."
Uncle Pi Qiu looked at Li Qian and spoke with assurance.
He continued, "Since you’ve read that article, you should know that the Tidal Sea Spirit is a Pet Beast with Tier One Emperor Potential. What can you offer me in this exchange?"
Since it was an exchange, it had to be a two-way street.
If he wanted to obtain the evolution method from Golden Pearl Bud to Tidal Sea Spirit, he had to give something in return.
And theoretically, what he offered should be of equal value to Sun Hongyi’s contribution; otherwise, it couldn’t be called an exchange.
To put it bluntly, this "exchange" was really a trade of equal value. Otherwise, on what grounds would someone let you into a research project that was already yielding results, allowing you to just waltz in and reap the rewards?
Li Qian understood this completely.
He didn’t waste any time. He took a sip of tea and said directly, "Professor Sun, since you know of me and have looked into me, then you should also know what I can offer."
"The evolution method for the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon, or the Frostfire Salamander?" Sun Hongyi knew Li Qian, so he naturally knew what the young man could offer in trade. Thus, he asked teasingly.
"Yes." Li Qian nodded, full of confidence. Both the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon and the Frostfire Salamander were evolution paths with immense potential.
The Frostfire Salamander, if the right conditions were met, could even evolve into an Ice and Fire Giant Dragon in the future. It wasn’t impossible.
Li Qian believed that many Breeders would be extremely interested in this.
After all, that was a Saint Spirit Level Pet Beast, and an actual example already existed.
Beyond that, Li Qian also had his own speculations about the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon. He suspected it also had a subsequent, even more powerful Evolutionary Form.
And there was a very high probability that it too would be a Saint Spirit Level Pet Beast.
Therefore, Li Qian was very clear about the value of the evolution methods for both the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon and the Frostfire Salamander.
"Not enough!" Seeing Li Qian nod with confidence, Sun Hongyi didn’t even have to think, uttering the two words lightly.
Without pausing, he glanced at Li Qian and continued, "Unless you package both evolution methods and exchange them with me together."
"No, the value isn’t equivalent." A faint smile touched the corners of Li Qian’s lips. He didn’t agree to the condition immediately, instead shaking his head with a firm gaze.
"Oh?" Sun Hongyi wasn’t surprised by Li Qian’s reaction. He looked the young man up and down, then adopted a posture of listening intently.
"The Golden Pearl Bud evolves from the Pearl Bud. Even if it evolves again into the Tidal Sea Spirit, that would already be its second evolution." Li Qian didn’t hesitate. He organized his thoughts for a moment before stating his reasoning.
A smile played on his lips, his composure unshaken. He showed no fear at all in the face of a Beast Taming University professor as he spoke eloquently, "In the future, it would be practically impossible for the Golden Pearl Bud to undergo a third evolution to become a higher-level Extraordinary Creature."
His thoughts were clear and his logic organized as he continued, "But my Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon and Frostfire Salamander are different. They have only undergone their first evolution. Their future potential is definitely higher than the Golden Pearl Bud’s."
At the end, he added, "What’s more, the evolution method from Golden Pearl Bud to Tidal Sea Spirit isn’t even perfected yet. Strictly speaking, the research isn’t fully complete. That’s another key difference."
After hearing this, Uncle Pi Qiu, Sun Hongyi, replied with no change in his tone. He shook his head slightly and countered Li Qian’s argument, "No, that calculation is unscientific. Theoretically, all Pet Beasts possess the potential for infinite evolution."
"Professor Sun, you and I both know that’s just a theory. In practice, as Breeders, we know better than anyone that for a Pet Beast, the more times it evolves, the harder subsequent evolutions become." Li Qian wasn’t in a hurry at all, prepared to go back and forth with Sun Hongyi. He had plenty of time to drag this out.
’If this Uncle Pi Qiu in front of me really thinks he can treat me like some clueless kid and just fob me off, then worst-case scenario, I’ll just give up on this ’exchange’.’
Li Qian wanted to help Elder Tie advance to the Emperor rank. From the current situation, the Golden Pearl Bud was the most obvious breakthrough point, but it wasn’t the only option.
If this Uncle Pi Qiu insisted on making such an exorbitant demand for both evolution methods, Li Qian wouldn’t mind switching targets.
Even if switching targets increased the difficulty, it didn’t matter. Besides, whether it was the Wind Thunder Lion, the Purgatory Viper, or the Four-Winged Mantis, as long as they completed their Second-stage Evolution, their potential would easily blow the Tidal Sea Spirit’s out of the water.
Most importantly, he couldn’t even start a new task before completing his two current ones. So, while the evolution method from Golden Pearl Bud to Tidal Sea Spirit was certainly important to him, it wasn’t urgent.
At this thought, his expression became even more relaxed. He looked at the corpulent Sun Hongyi and continued at a measured pace, "Therefore, even if I could complete the evolution from Golden Pearl Bud to Tidal Sea Spirit, that would likely be the end of the line. It would be practically impossible to research a higher-level Evolutionary Form beyond that."
According to common logic, this was the truth. In the future, not even a Cultivation Grandmaster could guarantee they could achieve it. But Li Qian was different. He was a man with a Golden Finger; his future achievements were truly uncertain.
With these thoughts solidifying his position, Li Qian delivered his firm response, "Based on this, if Professor Sun is sincerely willing to ’exchange,’ then either the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon or the Frostfire Salamander can be the bargaining chip. But if you want to bundle both evolution methods, that’s basically impossible."
"But I’m very interested in the evolution methods for both the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon and the Frostfire Salamander." Uncle Pi Qiu, Sun Hongyi’s expression still didn’t change. He looked at Li Qian and spoke at his leisure.
Hearing this, Li Qian stroked his chin, took another sip of tea, and then replied, equally unhurried, "It’s not impossible. But just the evolution method from Golden Pearl Bud to Tidal Sea Spirit definitely won’t be enough..."
At this point, Li Qian paused abruptly. A moment later, he deliberately slowed his speech and said, "If Professor Sun wants to obtain the evolution methods for both the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon and the Frostfire Salamander, I’m afraid... you’ll have to up the ante."