The news of the Lin Family Boutique's success hit the city like a localized earthquake. By the second day, the queue of injured beasts stretched three blocks, winding past the gleaming, glass-fronted clinics of the Iron-Claw Corporation. The contrast was humiliating for the conglomerate: while their high-priced doctors struggled with complex surgeries, a young man with a "trash" caterpillar was performing miracles for a fraction of the cost.
Inside the shop, the atmosphere was a frantic, organized chaos. Lin Yue had recruited two retired breeders to help manage the front desk, while Lin Chen was practically vibrating with scientific fervor. She had discovered that the silk discarded by the Moon-Glow Larva after a healing session could be processed into a "Spirit-Suturing Thread" that was stronger than steel and pulsed with life-force.
Lin Feng, meanwhile, sat on the roof of the boutique, her Wind-Blade Panther prowling the perimeter. She had already intercepted three groups of corporate saboteurs attempting to plant "Stink-Bombs" or "Rage-Powder" in the ventilation system. Her boots were stained with the dust of the scuffles, but her eyes were fixed on the street, her heart swelling with a fierce pride for her brother.
Lin Xuan, however, was in the back room with Sect Master Hua.
"You're taking a massive risk," Hua whispered, watching him meticulously prepare a specialized nutrient broth. "Iron-Claw isn't just a business; it's a subsidiary of the Blue-Dragon Tamer Union. If you bankrupt their local branch, you're slapping the face of a 7-star Hegemon."
"Then I'll slap him so hard his ancestors feel it," Lin Xuan said, his voice flat and devoid of fear. He looked at the system panel floating in his peripheral vision.
[Current Reputation: Rising Star]
[System Reward: Unlocked 2nd Taming Slot - 'The Ghost-Ant Egg' Location.]
[Target: The Iron-Claw Private Vault.]
Lin Xuan's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Sect Master, you said your Sect deals in information and hidden movements. I need a distraction. Tonight, Iron-Claw is moving their quarterly 'Spirit-Stone' shipment to the central bank. I want you to make them think the Hidden Petal Sect is hijacking that shipment."
Hua stiffened. "You want me to bait a 7-star organization? For what? Why do you need them distracted?"
"Because," Lin Xuan said, tapping the Moon-Glow Larva on his shoulder, "they have something in their private vault that doesn't belong to them. A fossilized egg of a Void-Stalking Ant. To them, it's a useless rock. To me, it's the second commander of my army."
Hua stared at him. She had met many ambitious geniuses, but Lin Xuan operated on a level of calculated insanity that terrified her. "You're going to rob a conglomerate vault while they're on high alert?"
"I'm not robbing them," Lin Xuan corrected, his eyes glowing with a violet hue. "I'm reclaiming a lost heritage. Besides, they owe me for the 'free sample' I gave their manager's boar."
Midnight in the industrial district was a landscape of shadows and steam. The Iron-Claw headquarters was a fortress of reinforced concrete and spiritual wards. Usually, the security was impenetrable, but tonight, the sound of explosions and the fluttering of black-winged butterflies miles away had drawn the elite guards toward the Spirit-Stone transport route.
Lin Xuan stood in the alleyway behind the vault, dressed in a simple black hood. He didn't use a lockpick. He didn't use explosives.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial of concentrated Lunar-Silk Acid—a byproduct of the larva's recent evolution.
"Go, Xiao Yue," he whispered.
The jade caterpillar crawled onto the reinforced steel door. Instead of glowing, it turned a dull, matte grey, blending into the metal. It began to secrete a shimmering, corrosive silk that didn't burn through the door, but rather dissolved the spiritual signature of the locks. It was like a virus eating through a computer's firewall.
[Warning: Spiritual Alarm Intercepted. System Masking Engaged.]
The heavy door swung open with a hiss.
Inside, the vault was a treasure trove of gold, high-grade crystals, and preserved beast eggs. Lin Xuan ignored the wealth. He walked straight to a dusty, neglected corner where a jagged, black stone sat on a velvet pedestal. It looked like a piece of burnt coal.
[Target Confirmed: Void-Stalking Ant Egg (Dormant).]
[Attribute: Space / Insect / Ghost]
[Potential: Forbidden Grade.]
As Lin Xuan's hand closed around the cold stone, a voice boomed from the doorway.
"I knew you were arrogant, Lin Xuan, but I didn't think you were suicidal."
Zhao Kun, the manager, stood there. But he wasn't alone. Beside him stood a man in red robes, a 5-star Blaze-Hawk circling above his head. The heat in the room rose instantly to 40°C.
"That's the 'Flame-Judge' of Iron-Claw," Zhao Kun sneered, his face twisted in a manic grin. "We knew someone was hitting the transport, so we left a little bait in the vault. You're caught red-handed, 'Sovereign'. Not even your sisters can save you from an execution for theft."
Lin Xuan didn't look panicked. He didn't even turn around fully. He tucked the egg into his satchel and sighed.
"Zhao Kun, you keep making the same mistake," Lin Xuan said softly. "You think my strength comes from what I can show you."
"Kill him!" Zhao Kun screamed.
The Flame-Judge pointed a finger, and the Blaze-Hawk dived, its talons wreathed in white-hot fire capable of melting iron.
"Xiao Yue," Lin Xuan commanded. "Path 4: Mirror-Silk Cocoon."
The Moon-Glow Larva erupted in a blinding flash. In a microsecond, a dome of shimmering, iridescent silk encased Lin Xuan. When the hawk struck, there was no explosion. Instead, the bird's own fire was absorbed into the silk, turning the white threads into a glowing orange.
Then, the silk refracted.
A beam of concentrated heat, ten times more powerful than the hawk's initial dive, shot back at the Flame-Judge. The man barely had time to summon a shield before he was blown backward through the vault wall, his robes charred and his beast screeching in agony.
Zhao Kun fell to his knees, the heat of the refraction singeing his eyebrows. "How... how can a 2-star bug reflect a 5-star attack?!"
Lin Xuan walked toward him, the silk dome dissolving into a fine mist. He knelt down, looking into the manager's terrified eyes.
"It's simple math, Zhao Kun," Lin Xuan whispered. "Your beast uses energy. Mine understands it. Tell your superiors that the Lin family is no longer accepting mergers. We are only accepting surrenders."
Lin Xuan vanished into the shadows just as the backup sirens began to wail. He had the egg, he had humiliated their judge, and most importantly, he had the first taste of the Void-Path energy he needed to unlock the next level of the System.
As he walked back toward the manor, the Moon-Glow Larva chirped on his shoulder.
"Don't worry," Lin Xuan smiled, patting his bag. "Tomorrow, we hatch you a little brother. And then, we truly start the war."