Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Su Li and the Knights’ Intensive Breakthroughs
The Half Griffin does not mean they are only half Griffin by bloodline. In fact, they are just a subspecies of Griffins and share the same rank as the Tiger-striped Griffin flying in the sky.
They focus more on speed and agility in close combat. If a Griffin’s ability is to counterattack, then the ability of the Half Griffin is the Blazing Blood Counterattack, which allows them to preemptively retaliate before an opponent’s attack.
Due to their noble posture and fierce demeanor, Half Griffins have a highly dominant presence on the ground.
So when Frederick rode the Half Griffin to chase after them, he soon returned to the lakeside, elated, with four Fire Rabbits. This bountiful sight immediately aroused the excited cheers of the Knights.
Even the solemn expression on Frederick’s face couldn’t help but reveal a slight smile. He came before Su Li, deliberately dismounted from the Griffin, and respectfully bowed to Su Li, saying, "Young Master Suli, I am honored to have fulfilled my duty. I have captured all the Fire Rabbits. Two of them died, but two survived."
Su Li looked at the four plump rabbits in Frederick’s hands; they were indeed fine prey. These rabbits must weigh at least thirty pounds, nearly as big as a hyena. Truly worthy of being magical beasts with a special bloodline.
"Young Master Suli, there’s also good news. When I picked them up by their ears, I noticed that the two that survived are exactly one male and one female. The female seems to be pregnant."
Su Li’s eyes lit up. Raising Fire Rabbits is not easy; once caged, they might bash into a wall and die in a fit of rage. That’s why mostly elves, who can communicate with animals, occasionally raise and sell them. In the Human Empire, it’s rare for noble Territories to successfully cage magical beasts.
But while women are typically weak, as mothers, they become strong. Beasts too possess this human-like instinct, as humans are technically a form of animal. A pregnant female rabbit, for the sake of its offspring, usually won’t seek its own demise.
This might be an opportunity to domesticate this pair of Fire Rabbits.
Su Li then said, "Have the veterinarian in our group take good care of the surviving rabbit pair. As for the two that died, we’ll stew and eat them today, giving priority to the knights with Fire Attribute bloodlines!"
Frederick’s smile broadened even more. He and the knights of his clan all have the Fire Attribute bloodline, meaning his entire clan would benefit from this hunt.
The strength of a Knight Clan is primarily measured by the number of qualified knights within it, which even surpasses the importance of the clan’s land area and wealth.
Under the eager gaze of William and Sophie, Frederick the Knight was particularly proud. Every time he set up camp for discussions, he spoke with pride about how astute and wise he had been in recognizing and deciding to follow Young Master Suli the very first time he saw him, seeing in Su Li the appearance of a dragon or a phoenix and the brilliance of the sky, and then decisively choosing to lead his clan to join Su Li’s cause to support Young Master Suli in creating a great enterprise and crafting a romantic pioneering epic.
Indeed, back when the group had just set out, past events in Frederick’s mouth morphed into him proactively joining Su Li’s command. There was absolutely no compulsion involved.
This was the accomplishment he was most proud of; his son and daughter didn’t know the details, so they unanimously praised him, admiring their father’s sharp judgment and wise decisions.
And as the pot of fragrant Fire Rabbit meat was ready, the knights’ enthusiasm reached its peak.
In this world, cultivation relies heavily on bloodlines. Due to the randomness of bloodlines—noble, lowly, mixed, special—there are countless varieties. How many exactly, even the Divine Spirits might not know.
However, most bloodlines can be divided into nine major categories according to attributes: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth, Thunder, Light, Dark, and Wind.
Su Li’s group included a total of 7 Fire Attribute knights: Su Li, Frederick, William, Sophie, Stern, and two Apprentice Knights, Duncan and Lina, while there was nearly sixty pounds of rabbit meat. The Fire Attribute knights couldn’t finish all of it, so some soup and pieces of meat were shared among the other knights.
The magical beast meat was incredibly delicious. Even without special cooking, just a bit of salt and herbs made the hand-cooked meat taste exceptional.
The bonfire flickered in the camp, illuminating the excited, cheerful faces of the knights. Sitting beside them, Su Li impatiently stuffed a savory piece of rabbit meat into his mouth.
The meat glistened lightly, emitting an enticing aroma. With one bite, the tender juices burst in his mouth, and Su Li closed his eyes in enjoyment. This was truly exquisite! He loved beautiful women, fine food, high-flying eagles, galloping horses, and all other pleasures.
Inspired, the other knights too grabbed hunks of meat and chewed zestfully. Even Oerstein, a stern man, wore a satisfied smile, with shiny grease adorning his lips.
Sophie squinted her eyes contentedly, letting out a satisfied hum, "This flavor is utterly delectable! Spending 100 Gold Coins for this taste pleasure wouldn’t be a waste."
Su Li, not particularly known for his appetite, managed to eat 3 pounds of rabbit meat. With fine wine and food heavy in his stomach, warmth radiated throughout his body, every cell seemed to sigh contentedly.
When comfort invites carnal desires, he eagerly took Hilude off for some "knightly training."
Freed from the constraints of Bauhinia Castle, Hilude was entirely captivated by Su Li, resulting in training sessions progressing at thrice their normal pace.
At dawn the next day, as Su Li leisurely woke, he saw Hilude resting on his chest, her eyes alight with joy.
Seeing Su Li awake, Hilude eagerly shared her good news, "Young Master Suli, I’ve broken through again! I’ve successfully advanced to a High-Tier Apprentice Knight!"
Wow~
Such terrifying talent! Su Li remembered that Hilude has the Light Attribute bloodline. The Fire Rabbit’s effect on her was far less powerful compared to those with Fire Attribute bloodlines, yet she still broke through!
If she were to obtain some highly nourishing Light Attribute magical beast, wouldn’t she directly advance to Elite Knight?
Schwartz’s estimation that it would take her a month to break through to a Formal Knight might even underestimate her speed.
Su Li checked himself; in the previous night’s knightly "training," to enhance his firepower, critical hits, and attack speed, he had somewhat circulated his Breathing Technique a couple of times. After all, the Candle-Biting Breathing Technique is characterized by its long and resilient breath, fortifying all bodily functions.
Feeling his progress, he discovered an advancement in his cultivation, breaking through to the mid-stage of an Apprentice Knight.
In the cultivation system, an Initial Tier Apprentice Knight can only awaken the abilities of their bloodline at the heart level. At the Middle Tier, they can awaken their kidneys, and at the High Tier, their spinal cord and meridians. Upon reaching Formal Knight level, their entire body is integrated, allowing full usage of their bloodline’s abilities.
Though Su Li is accustomed to a laid-back approach and not too concerned with cultivation pace, achieving breakthroughs through pleasures certainly brought him joy.
Thus, he promptly dispatched Hilude to survey the breakthroughs from last night, while he himself lounged in the tent, continuing to enjoy life.
Soon, Hilude returned with uplifting news: "Young Master Suli, all our Fire Attribute knights broke through last night, and Stern Knight even advanced to the Elite Level! Besides the Fire Attribute knights, one other bloodline member, an Initial Tier knight, also broke through a level, reaching High-Tier Apprentice Knight."