With the end of the battle, Ming Dandan sent her beast to the Storage Treasure then returned to Lin Mu with a skip in her step.
She was very excited and knew that the help of Lin Mu had been critical in her win. Without that there was a good chance that she might have lost.
"Thank you brother Mu Lin." Ming Dandan said with gratitude.
"It's nothing." Lin Mu replied. "Though I think your tamed beast can also grow better." He added.
"It can?" She asked.
"Indeed. It is versed in the Swamp Dao and can further improve for sure. Plus if you learn about the Swamp Dao more too, you will be able to better coordinate with it." Lin Mu explained.
"Is that so, I never thought about it." Ming Dandan replied.
While she had received formal training in Beast Taming from her master, it didn't really cover this aspect of training. Understanding the Dao of their tamed beast wasn't something that was possible for everyone.
After all, the tamed beast could very well have a Dao that was opposite to one's own or a Dao that they had no talent in.
This was actually one of the factors that was considered when one picked their tamed beast. Of course, even this was a luxury as most people simply took whatever beast they could tame.
Not everyone had the luxury or time to go and search for a specific beast to tame. Only in sects and larger powers could something like this be possible. It also showed the reach of the Blue Mountain Palace with how they could do this.
"Hmm… Your affinity is with the water element right?" Lin Mu questioned.
"Yes! How did you know?" Ming Dandan was surprised.
"I could sense it." Lin Mu replied.
While he himself didn't have an affinity with the water element, Lin Mu had seen several people who had a very high innate affinity to water: The Haima Tribe. Not just that, but he had seen them overcome the Variant Immortal Tribulation of water too.
Thus Lin Mu had seen the Dao Traces of water in quite a lot of detail. Then there was also Lanbao who was able to control the Water around the Deep Sapphire City due to her being a formation spirit.
The density of the Water Dao Traces as well as Dao Insights was very high in Deep Sapphire City. For obvious reasons too.
Thus it wasn't difficult for Lin Mu to sense Ming Dandan's affinity with the Water Dao.
"Though, you haven't formed a Dao Embryo that is of the Water Dao, have you?" Lin Mu asked next.
"No… my Dao embryo is different." Ming Dandan shook her head.
Lin Mu didn't want to pry too much, as this was something that could be considered private. But just her confirming that it wasn't a Water Dao embryo was good enough.
"Hmm, it can still work." Lin Mu spoke.
"How so?" Ming Dandan was interested.
The others also listened in, especially Ming Aolian since she was also a beast tamer. The Daos were something all immortals were fascinated with. After all it was the foundational base of their power and further growth.
A person who had a high cultivation base but a weak understanding of the Dao would be like a castle standing on one pillar. One needed thorough understanding of the Dao in order to have a stable foundation. is the owner.
Lin Mu noticed that the others were interested too and decided to just turn it into a lesson.
"I think we should go to a more private place for now." Lin Mu replied. "Let's head to the Spring Valley restaurant." He suggested.
"Will that be fine?" Qian Wen didn't want to impose.
"Yeah, we can still go to the tea house." Lu Xu spoke.
"It's fine. The formation arrays at the Spring Valley Restaurant will also allow us to keep up with the news." Lin Mu replied.
It was one of the advantages of the VIP rooms. They could regularly update the information about who won and who lost. Plus Lin Mu and the others would have a better place to discuss and talk.
Even if the tea house was private, it wasn't on the level of the Spring valley restaurant.
"If you say so then, Brother Mu Lin." Ming Aolian decided to join in.
They left for the Spring Valley Restaurant and Lin Mu also called Luo Liqin along. The man had been at the betting pavilion all this time and had gathered sufficient information for them.
Plus Lin Mu didn't want the man to miss out on the lesson too. He was intrigued by the different understandings everyone had and wanted to see what Luo Liqin's perspective would be like.
After all, he used to be a body cultivator too, thus there was bound to be something different about him.
Soon enough, the entire group was gathered at the restaurant.
"Welcome Sir Mu Lin!" The attendants were ready this time.
They had already been instructed by the Countess and there was no way they were going to mistake a VIP now. Even if Lin Mu had brought several people with him, it wasn't an issue to them.
Plus now that Lin Mu had shown his ability to pay last time, they had nothing to worry about.
Instead they were eager and hoped that Lin Mu could stay longer now. They wanted to serve him to the best of their abilities. After all, those that served would get a part of the sales too.
"Please come this way, honored guests." One of the servants brought Lin Mu upstairs. "The Countess is not at the establishment rights now, though if you wish I can inform her." He asked after bringing them to the Second Spring Room.
"It's fine. You don't need to bother her." Lin Mu shook his head. "Though I do thank the countess for her hospitality." He added.
"As you wish, sir." The servant said. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask us. In the mean time, I'll send some tea for all of you."
"That would be great." Lin Mu said before letting the servant go.
By now the others had already taken their seats and looked rather eager to listen. Luo Liqin was the only one that seemed a bit confused.
"Uhh… what are we doing?" he asked.
"Brother Mu Lin will be teaching us." Lu Xu replied.
"He will be? I thought we were going to discuss the matches." Luo Liqin said in doubt.
"Of course we are. This is part of it." Ming Aolian replied in Lin Mu's stead.
Lin Mu taught using examples, which came from none other than the contestants, thus it was a two pronged approach. Not only did they get to further their own knowledge base, they also learned more about their opponents.
"Can you give me the information you've gathered?" Lin Mu asked.
"Sure." Luo Liqin handed Lin Mu a jade slip.
Lin Mu looked through the information for a few minutes before nodding his head.
"This'll be good enough." Lin Mu said before looking at Ming Dandan. "Let's start from where I left off then. The Daos."
"Yes!" Ming Dandan looked eager.
'Brother Mu Lin is teaching about Dao?!' Luo Liqin had not expected this.
"Like I said before, Ming Dandan has an affinity with the Water element, but has not formed a Dao Embryo belonging to it. Her tamed beast on the other hand, the Mulch Crawl Eater Beast innately has an understanding of the Swamp Dao.
The Swamp Dao is a subset of the Water and Earth Daos and combined the aspects of both in different ways. The fluidity of water is combined with the fullness of earth to make the mud which can slow and trap the enemy.
At the same time it can show nurture life and let plants grow, thereby promoting the effects of Wood Elemental abilities. On the counter side it can restrain the fire element better and allow one to suppress it." Lin Mu began his lesson.
It included his own understanding of the elements within it as well as the theories he had learned. The others listened with deep focus, not wanting to miss out on anything.
"Since you already have an affinity with the water element, you simply need to apply the aspects that you naturally know." Lin Mu instructed Ming Dandan. "Even if you don't have an affinity with the earth, it is still fine since you simply need to complement your beast.
After all, the way you fight in the tournament is different than outside. You aren't going to let your beast fight all your battles,, would you?" he asked.
"Of course not. I will be participating and coordinating too." Ming Dandan nodded her head.
"Exactly. Which makes me thing that you might be able to learn some simple Water Elemental techniques that can compliment your Tamed beast." Lin Mu suggested. "And to further enhance this, if you can obtain another beast that is of the Wood Element, the synergy will be further improved." He added.