Monster Pet Evolution

by Stayrr

Three years ago, the animals and plants on Earth underwent crazy and unexplainable changes that included transformations, reversions, and the addition of otherworldly species. And it was the start of a brand-new type of profession in the new generation of humanity – Monster Trainers, people who specialized in taming monsters. On his 18th birthday, the protagonist of the story, Gao

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Chapter 521: Iron Dragon Tail

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Floating Light stretched the exoskeleton on its back, wind circulating between its gaps, then it glided down to the bottom of the deep valley.

The Dragon Slaying Chapter shone with an aura of invisible force. This force protected it while it was drifting to the bottom of the valley. With resistance from the invisible force, its speed down was rather slow.

Flamy ferried Xiao Cao, Dumby, and Gao Peng down. As they flew down, Gao Peng landed directly at the bottom of Dragon Death Valley without alarming any monsters.

The monsters that hid behind the strange rocks quietly sized up Gao Peng and his team. The monster had spikes on its gray exoskeleton, its overlapping blue compound eyes carefully observing Gao Peng's every move.

The most intelligent hunter in the jungle would never reveal its own prowess without confirming the ability of the enemy. When the enemy had been confirmed weak, they would reveal their ferocious, sandy… claws.

Flowing Light could suddenly be seen standing behind the Dragon Stone Beetle. It turned its head and gently licked the small green crystal on the blade of the knife. The monster core crystal was still stained with blood traces that weren't dry yet.

The Dragon Stone Beetle remained in its original position, its ash-gray exoskeleton looking exceptionally weak. A dark green crack as thin as a strand of hair stretched from its forehead all the way to its back.

Crack. The Dragon Stone Beetle broke into two—right down the middle. The center of the forehead was empty, and its monster core crystal was missing.

Ooh, ooh, ooh… The numerous curious heads retracted as the monsters became exceedingly serious. Even the trees that were growing on rocks became solemn.

Not to be trifled with. Not to be trifled with. The covetous looks disappeared.

Gao Peng couldn't be bothered with these low-level monsters. They were simply too low-level to interest him.

"Hmm… This isn't good." Gao Peng stopped in his tracks and rubbed his tummy, deep in thought.

Since Dumby had advanced to Emperor-tier, Gao Peng had been in a strange state. It was as though something had been brewing in his stomach, and this had lasted for over a month.

Gao Peng guessed that it might have been a special ability that would be revealed after he obtained his first Emperor-tier monster. Some of the supernatural abilities, like Elemental Barrier, Soul Chain, and Extraordinary Senses were revealed when he obtained his Chief-level, Lord-level, and King-tier monsters.

Although he was slightly fearful, Gao Peng continued to anticipate his new ability this time around. However, to uphold his prestige as a master, he hadn't told the other familiars. After all, to mention that something was growing in one's stomach would be too…

Without missing a beat, Gao Peng said, "Wait for me here. I need to be excused." Making a series of left and right turns, Gao Peng went behind a rock that blocked himself from everyone's view.

There was a warm heat flowing in Gao Peng's stomach, and since he didn't have legendary X-ray vision, he didn't know what was going on inside him.

Gao Peng closed his eyes, contemplating. If he really gave birth to something, he would need to consider his heroic reputation, and so later…he would claim that he had found it.

The thing that had been gestating in his belly suddenly broke open. It was as if an enclosed world had a seam opened. As fate would have it, the mystery of the situation was revealed in Gao Peng's mind. At this moment, Gao Peng's ability as an Emperor-level monster trainer was awakened. Gao Peng opened his eyes, surprised. While this was unbelievable, he was also secretly relieved.

Returning to Dumby's side, Gao Peng looked at Fourth Baby, bent over, used his palm to stroke the head of the Dragon Ant, then murmured in his heart, "Return."

As soon as he willed it, the body of Fourth Baby shimmered in red light and then disappeared.

Elder Baby, Second Baby, Third Baby, Fifth Baby, Sixth Baby, and Baldie, who were playing noisily, turned to look at Gao Peng in confusion.

"Is Master performing magic?"

Gao Peng closed his eyes, and there was a mysterious space in his body. This space was an abstract place that existed in Gao Peng's consciousness. The space was divided by many small boxes, and within one of the boxes lay a quiet Dragon Ant. Gao Peng counted a total of 100 boxes.

There was no concept of time in this space; it was in a special state of suspension. With a flick of his mind, the Fourth Baby disappeared from the space and reappeared by Gao Peng's feet.

Fourth Baby didn't seem to understand the situation and started circling around Gao Peng.

Gao Peng thought to himself, With this ability, I won't have to worry about not being able to carry more monsters around.

However, monsters that were kept within the space seemed to be in a daze without much awareness. However, this space was a different dimension from the outside world. Since monsters could only grow gradually in the outside world as they absorbed the various elements of heaven and earth, being kept in this space would limit their growth. Long-term storage would affect their growth even more.

Nonetheless, to have this ability to bring along one's own monsters could be wonderful at times, although currently, Gao Peng didn't know the limits of this ability and the size of monster that it could store.

Gao Peng had Flamy carry him out of the valley, and in front of a shocked Goldie, stored Stripey in the portable space. Stripey could be stored in one box, which also meant that it took up the same storage space as the Ant Dragon.

It seems that the elite team was more suited for me…

A stunned Goldie turned his head, eyes as big as a saucer, its mouth open wide enough to swallow an entire duck egg. With a wave of his hand, Stripey had disappeared?!

"Gao Peng, you're amazing!"

"Yup." Gao Peng nodded his head and proceeded to put Goldie into the space.

Now, only a bewildered Xiao Hua, Nan Ju, and Bei Zhi were left in front of Gao Peng, and few King-tier ghouls were standing alone by the side of the cliff. Unless he took them as his familiars, he wouldn't be able to put them in his space, but then again, it would be easy to release them if there were any accidents…

Despite considering it, he didn't intend to own these three creatures. One of them was Dumby's daughter, and the other two were just mascots. Those remaining were Dumby's resurrected bunch of subordinates.

Forget it.

Gao Peng released Stripey and the rest from the space and allowed them to wait at the cliff for him.

Taking Flamy once more to the valley, Gao Peng took White Paper, Xiao Cao, and the seven Dragon Ants into the space. Only Flowing Light, Dumby, and Flamy were left outside.

Walking deeper into the valley, poisonous mist gradually spread from the strange stone columns, and the soil beneath their feet slowly grew softer. There was a sudden shriek in the forest ahead.

A huge dark blonde monster dashed out from the side of the slope. Without looking down at Gao Peng and the team who were by its feet, it dashed towards the depths of the valley, leaving a strong stench and quickly disappearing from view.

[Monster Name: Dragon Ant

[Monster Level: Level 71 (Overlord-tier)

[Monster Grade: Excellent

[Monster Skills: Epic

[Special Characteristics: Iron Dragon Tail (Obtained part of the bloodline of the Iron Dragon, hence it has the awakened Iron Dragon Tail.

Passive Effect 1: The grown version of the Iron Dragon Tail is extremely hard and can be used as a weapon. The tail has strong immunity resistance to the elements.

Active Effect 1: Activating this will upgrade the hardness level of the Iron Dragon Tail for a short period and also upgrade the agility of the tail.)

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Chapter 522: Smoke Dragon

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

An Overlord-tier Dragon Ant went by Gao Peng and his familiars. Maybe it saw them, and maybe it didn't. Whether it noticed Gao Peng or not, the Overlord-tier Dragon Ant disregarded them.

"Come, let's catch up," Gao Peng said as he put Dumby into the space.

Could it have been that Dumby's Emperor-tier presence was too obvious, or was Floating Light and Flamy's King-tier presence easier to ignore…?

The Overlord-tier Dragon Ant was in such a hurry. What could have enticed it so?

Gao Peng's mind spun, as he knew that this Overlord-tier Dragon Ant may have been heading to the location of a dragon's corpse. He wasn't sure what attitude a Dragon Ant would have towards its own kind. Was it like that of the wolves, in which case, unless it was of the opposite gender, there could be only one leader?

Naturally, Gao Peng didn't believe that it existed in an ecological chain, like regular ants.

If a group of Emperor-tier and Overlord-tier Dragon Ants were to form an ant's nest, it would be truly terrifying. Gao Peng couldn't imagine the level of existence for this ant's nest. After thinking about it, that wasn't so crazy.

Nonetheless, the path taken by the Overlord-tier Dragon Ant was dead quiet, which saved Gao Peng quite a bit of trouble. Along the way, he hardly saw any monsters. Even if there were King-tier or Emperor-tier monsters, they ignored the presence of Gao Peng and his team.

"Squeak!"

"Hiss!" Shrieking sounds rose like a symphony from deep within the valley. A large creature revealed a scaly claw, its large body hidden in the white fog.

Gao Peng guessed that the fog in Dragon Death Valley had probably reaped many years of released essence from the corpses of dragons, which formed a powerful visual effect.

Amidst the fog, Gao Peng pretty much followed the sounds of the monster in order to determine what direction to go. Simply by listening, one could tell that there was more than one Dragon Ant in the deep valley, but he didn't hear them fighting among themselves.

Gao Peng's expression changed slightly. More than one Dragon Ant? Maybe Dragon Ants didn't habitually reject their own kind. It might even have been a social creature.

Rarrr!

Bang!

Sounds of monsters fighting could be heard in front of them. Gao Peng carefully crawled forward. His body close to the ground, elbows sunk into the soil, Gao Peng belly-crawled closer to the battleground.

Smack! The battle caused a clump of soil to land right beside Gao Peng's head. He remained calm.

Gao Peng was clear-minded and knew that he might not be safe; it might have been that these monsters already knew that he was present but chose to disregard him because he was seen as too weak to be a threat. But if he released Dumby, things would be different.

These fighting monsters could suddenly turn their attention to attack him. Although he was safe, that wasn't a reason to lower his guard.

There was the sound of a monster crawling beside him. Gao Peng turned to look and saw a gray insect, as large as a car, trying to move closer to the battleground. It seemed scared and didn't dare go too close.

A Lord-tier Dragon Stone Beetle. Floating Light had killed one just a moment before. Gao Peng recognized this beetle.

Time trickled by and this Dragon Stone Beetle saw Gao Peng but ignored him. It took a quick glance and seemed to decide that Gao Peng wasn't tasty, so it quickly gave up on him and chose to move closer to the battleground.

After half an hour of shadowing the butt of the Dragon Stone Beetle, Gao Peng finally saw what the group of monsters was fighting over in the middle of the battleground. At the heart of the battleground, a large body lay sprawled on the ground, a gray neck with layers of old skin and a long slender tail that transformed into a cloud of smoke at the end. With a white body that rolled on and on, this was a behemoth of a beast, like a Western dragon.

The air was filled with a vague stench, massive amounts of gas seeping out of the monster's corpse and mixing in the air. The fog was actually being emitted from the body of this monster!

Gao Peng was shocked. It was as though he was seeing a monster for the first time. This huge corpse seemed to have died recently.

[Item Name: Corpse of the Smoke Dragon

The corpse had a 'fresh' scent. The huge curled body stretched on and was at least a thousand feet long. This was Gao Peng's first time seeing a corpse of this creature. Could this dragon be the same one that had been shrieking at the valley earlier?

Around the dragon corpse, there were several monsters that were either fighting or staring angrily at each other. Among them were four Dragon Ants gathered in a small group. They were made up two Emperor-tier and two Overlord-tier Dragon Ants, all making sharp irritated sounds.

The four Dragon Ants clustered together, forming a circle, and squeezed themselves around the stomach of the Smoke Dragon. They ignored all the other monsters and focused on eating their food. It was only when another monster came close that they would stop eating, tilt their heads, and give the approaching monster a look of warning.

With this behavior, the Dragon Ants were able to hold on to a single position.

Gao Peng thought for a while. Maybe when they weren't paying attention, he could quietly release Fifth Baby, a little Dragon Ant.

Through his thoughts, he instructed Fifth Baby, "Remember to be careful and humble when you go over. You are of the same kind, so these adult Dragon Ants shouldn't bully you. Just act sweetly, head over, and address them as your uncles and aunties."

With Gao Peng's encouragement, a dazed Fifth Baby crawled over. The adult Dragon Ants were tearing apart the dragon meat when they heard footsteps. They turned their heads ferociously and glared at… Hey, where did this baby ant come from? From its size, it should be just out of the nest. Where's its family?

The adults Dragon Ants wore confused looks. This little fellow, this size… How could its family be so careless that it couldn't even watch over an infant and had allowed it to be here?

Dragon Ants were pack creatures, and every Dragon Ant who reached adulthood would leave the nest and set up their own nest independently, but they liked to live in areas near dragon graves, and when they found dragon corpses, they would band together and form an alliance to fight other enemies.

Fifth Baby ran over and looked longingly at the dragon corpse in front of it, almost salivating. Since this little Dragon Ant wasn't even as big as their feet, naturally these adult Dragon Ants didn't chase it away. Anyway, it didn't make a difference whether it was there or not.

Just like that, Fifth Baby got away with eating and drinking there…

Half an hour later, while the adult Dragon Ants were still devouring the smoke dragon, a full Fifth Baby secretly snuck away, half crawling, half rolling. His stomach was round and big, as though he was eight months pregnant.

A Dragon Ant retrieving the bloodline of a dragon corpse was an event that happened by chance. A Dragon Ant that ate a dragon corpse might not necessarily receive a bloodline. At times, even after a Dragon Ant had finished eating a few whole dragons, it might not have received a bloodline, but some that were lucky could receive a bloodline when they had only a few mouthfuls.

It was this uncertainty that made the Dragon Ants greedy to snatch up different dragon corpses, eating whatever they could…

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Chapter 523: Sixth Baby

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Two minutes later, another little Dragon Ant staggered over with its feelers waving happily on its head, large watery eyes filled with innocence.

One Adult Dragon Ant was confused, while another was just as stunned.

For humans, distinguishing the different types of monsters might have been difficult, but for a Dragon Ant, recognizing other Dragon Ants was akin to looking at a two or three-year-old child—it was extremely easy.

Where had this little fellow come from? One of the Dragon Ants even turned to scrutinize and sniff Fourth Baby. It was confused; this was the scent of an authentic Dragon Ant, not a pretense put up by other monsters.

Undeterred, Fourth Baby looked solemnly to the front, shifted its twelve legs in unison, and made a turn. It then bent its head and started chewing.

The other Dragon Ants took a sweeping glance and didn't pay further attention. Anyway, how much could a little Dragon Ant eat? If it was lucky enough to transform, then it was a good thing for all Dragon Ants. Dragon Ants were creatures that had a strong sense of identity. To their own kind, they had a great deal of patience and friendliness, but towards other monsters…

Whizz! The tail of the iron dragon tail rose up, and a strong gust of wind whipped out a prominent pale white arc of light.

Smack! A Level 71 Warrior Ape was whipped, blood gushing out of its flesh.

The Warrior Ape jumped back a couple of steps, frowning. It rubbed the bloodstain on its shoulder and shifted directions.

Since this Smoke Dragon was a thousand feet long, it ran to the back of the dragon, tore off a few pieces of meat, and jumped away.

The Dragon Ants were agreeable; it was only when other monsters tried to go near the stomach area that they occupied that they chose to attack.

Gao Peng noticed that aside from where the Dragon Ants were, the most important part of the smoke dragon, where the dragon crystal would be, was near its brain, an area that no monster dared to go near.

He was puzzled. Unless, these monsters didn't eat dragon crystals? Gao Peng was very tempted, but he was no fool. If the other monsters weren't going near that area, there must have been a problem. It would be silly to get into trouble just because one was careless.

Given the quick eating speed of the Dragon Ants, he might not have had time to wait for Fourth Baby to return before sending in the other little Dragon Ants.

But great things were only achieved if one took risks. Although he couldn't see the grade of this Smoke Dragon, Gao Peng's intuition told him that this might have been the strongest monster he had ever seen.

It would be a pity to miss something as good as this.

Opening his left hand, Sixth Baby appeared by his side. After landing on the grass patch, Sixth Baby's feelers waved excitedly, it didn't wait for Gao Peng's reminder but ran over impatiently.

The adult Dragon Ants who were eating the dragon meat sensed movement, turned, and saw a very happy little Dragon Ant running over.

The Adult Dragon Ants were dumbfounded. Something was amiss.

Bending its head, an infant Dragon Ant was chomping down on the meat enthusiastically like a puppy; if it'd had a tail, it would probably have been wagging it.

Right behind it, another infant Dragon Ant ran over excitedly, making gurgling sounds.

"What family does it belong to?"

"Could it be the Dragon Ant from the next mountain?"

"Nope, that Dragon Ant had a litter the year before last, and they were much bigger than this."

"The family from the cave to the east? They seemed to have given birth to a litter a while back."

"No, these look different from the ones in that family."

"How do you know?" The adult female Dragon Ant licked its claws and gave her male Dragon Ant companion a side-glance.

The adult Dragon Ant froze. It didn't have sweat glands, but at that moment, it felt a bit cold.

"I… I heard it from someone…"

"Just tell it to me straight; how many of that female's children are yours?"

"None… Listen to my explanation."

The adult male and female Dragon Ants weren't in the mood to pay attention to Sixth Baby. Upon hearing the adults' conversation, the two Emperor-tier Dragon Ants wisely chose to bury their heads and focus on eating the meat.

Both babies happily had their fill, then climbed up the valley, waving their heads.

Due to the fog, everyone's vision and senses were affected. This was why Gao Peng hadn't been discovered while hiding at the back of the slope.

After putting Fourth and Sixth Baby into his space, Gao Peng left, found a quiet crypt, and released Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Baby.

They were indeed from the same mother. All their stomachs were round and big.

That night, a striped yellow-tailed wolf returned to its hideout. When it put its head into the hole, a white claw reached out from deep within the cave and grabbed its head. The claw squashed the head and brain juice oozed out. The wolf became dinner for Gao Peng and his familiars.

Gao Peng rested in the cave for the next few days.

The three little Dragon Ants needed to digest the dragon meat. In the holding space, everything was suspended, including digestion. Therefore, to digest the meat, they needed to be outside.

Three days later, the three little Dragon Ants had digested the dragon meat and had different degrees of growth to their levels. For them, the dragon meat was extremely nutritious.

Fourth and Fifth Baby saw no changes, but were two sizes bigger.

Sixth Baby, who was originally pale blond, grew more than one size along with its other two siblings. Its pale blond shell exoskeleton sprouted some densely spaced holes. From those holes, fine pale white smoke emerged and lingered around its body.

[Monster Name: Dragon Ant (Infant stage)

[Monster Level: Level 31 (Commander)

[Monster Grade: Perfect/Epic

[Monster Attribute: Water

[Monster Skills: Hardened Shell Levell 1, Cloud Control

[Special Characteristics: Heart of Smoke Dragon (Mutation after eating the innards of the Smoke Dragon. On top of its original state, a new heart was formed.

Passive Effect 1: Able to absorb water elements and clouds and convert them into a hypnotic dragon fog and store it in the heart of the Smoke Dragon. The heart can increase the conversion rate by pumping vigorously.

Active Effect 1: Releasing hypnotic dragon fog in large quantities. The hypnotic fog can absorb Soul Perception, and to a certain degree, shield the six senses. A Dragon Ant within the hypnotic fog will have greater speed, and the negative effects of the hypnotic fog will not affect the host.)

[Requirements for Promotion in Grade: Eating different grades of dragon corpse. Growth depends on the grade, rarity, and level of the dragon corpse.

Unexpectedly, it was Sixth Baby that had evolved. Fourth Baby and Fifth Baby who went before it weren't as lucky, but according to the description, it was eating the Smoke Dragon's innards that had led to the mutation, so it was probable that when Fourth Baby and Fifth Baby had their chance, they were simply eating the flesh on the surface, and were full before reaching the innards.

But of course, this was simply Gao Peng's speculation.

Having Sixth Baby obtain the ability of the Smoke Dragon was already a pleasant surprise. When it reached a higher level and released hypnotic fog, its creation of the battle fog would allow for defense and offense.

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Chapter 524: Ancient Bloodrage Dragon

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Given the ability of the Smoke Dragon, once Sixth Baby obtained a higher grade, it might be of good help. Gao Peng and the rest could hide in the dragon fog to attack or defend. But as Sixth Baby's level was still very low, even at its best, the dragon fog could only reach 65 square feet. Even though Gao Peng's tracks could be covered in the dragon fog, in an empty space, an area of moving smoke spanning 65 square feet would simply be too obvious.

Though three Dragon Ants ate the dragon meat, only one obtained the abilities of the Smoke Dragon. Currently, it looked like there was a one in three chance. If all seven little Dragon Ants ate the dragon meat, then theoretically, two of the little Dragon Ants should have been able to inherit the abilities of the Smoke Dragon.

But Gao Peng wasn't certain of the attitude that the adult Dragon Ants had towards the little Dragon Ants. If they turned and stomped on them, it would be heartbreaking to see all seven little Dragon Ants dead, which was why Gao Peng had to test his theory out slowly. Only when one little Dragon Ant returned would a second and third head over.

He was slowly testing the threshold of the adult Dragon Ants, but it had to stop at some point. Three was already too risky. If the number continued to increase, Gao Peng couldn't be sure if the adult Dragon Ants would take drastic action or become curious and walk over.

He didn't need to bite off more than he could chew, as safety was key. Anyway, there was plenty of time. He wasn't in a hurry to head back. Grooming these little Dragon Ants here at Dragon Death Valley wasn't a bad choice.

The two little brothers told Gao Peng what the Adult Dragon Ants had said. From the conversation, it seemed like the number of Dragon Ants in Dragon Death Valley was quite significant. If this was the case, this golden opportunity should be seized. Gao Peng considered wisely.

It was a pity that these little Dragon Ants' levels were still low. Perhaps when they increased their levels, he could try to find a way to make them part of the enemy camp and do a quick attack from the inside.

It wasn't known if these Dragon Ants had a habit of adopting children. Otherwise, handing over these little Dragon Ants to adoptive parents wasn't a bad idea. He didn't mind if they had another adoptive parent.

Gao Peng wasn't able to find any opportunity to feed on any dragon meat in his next few days in the Dragon Death Valley. Although the place was called Dragon Death Valley, Gao Peng didn't find many dead dragons. He wasn't sure if it was because all of the corpses had already been eaten.

But there was something very strange. Why would these dragons come to Dragon Death Valley? This may have been the graveyard of the dragons, but there were also many monsters that devoured dragons living there.

They were like a group of hyenas lying in the grasslands, greedily guarding the basin, silently watching the lions enter their graves when they were old. This scene was odd and unsettling.

Gao Peng didn't dare to explore too far. As this was near the heart of Dragon Death Valley, the nearby monsters were of a very high level. King-tier creatures were everywhere, and there was no lack of Emperor and Overlord-tier monsters, either. It was truly an eye-opener for Gao Peng.

The outside world was unbelievable. Where he came from, a single Emperor-tier monster could be in power and control thousands of miles of land. There, they were at the top of the food chain. But in Dragon Death Valley, an Emperor or even an Overlord-level monster would all put aside their pride to gather and crowd this large valley.

Maybe it was the attraction of dragon meat.

The six brothers stood far away, divided into two different small groups, one with five monsters and another with just one.

As Seventh Baby, Baldie was a long-time follower of Flamy. It didn't have the best relationship with its six siblings, but at that moment, they all shared the same expression and emotion—envy.

Sixth Baby stood on empty land, the small holes on its back emitting a large amount of smoke. The smoke covered Sixth Baby's body and then gently released outwards. When the smoke was in the air, it was able to create different shapes. One moment, the smoke was the shape of Goldie, and the next, the shape of Gao Peng.

"I don't envy you. This smoke has no attacking power," Fifth Baby murmured.

"Yeah, and you even have nine holes on your back. It's too weird," Fourth Baby agreed with Fifth Baby.

Where the other Dragon Ants could be described as envious, these two could be described as jealous. Both of them had eaten the dragon meat, but they hadn't gained any skills.

"Argh—" A long dragon call echoed in the sky.

This time, it felt closer. Gao Peng and the team felt a strong sense of oppression. Above in the sky, a large flash of blood-red tore across the empty sky. A dark red light loomed over the air and ground, and the thick stench of blood spread throughout the valley. Suddenly, the valley was in a frenzy, with numerous monsters becoming agitated.

Gao Peng looked up and was astounded to see a blood-colored giant dragon descending from the sky over his head. Its blood-red wings covered the sun, and when its wings were spread out, they were as wide as a football field. Wait, they were wider than a football field. If an analogy needed to be made, the size of its body was like a floating stadium.

Its large shadow covered the daylight, and in the blink of an eye, it flew out of Gao Peng's sight and landed in the deeper end of the valley. Even a minute after this Epic-grade super dragon flew away, Gao Peng was still unable to stop thinking about this fierce and domineering blood-red dragon.

Its dark red eyes were like two burning suns. It had a dense set of thick white teeth, and its strong muscular dragon limbs were filled with strength. This giant dragon seemed to have a large cut across its stomach. One could see the flesh and blood shifting gruesomely in the wound. However, there was a striking purple ray that suppressed the wound, and any flesh or blood that oozed out of the wound would become a newly formed body part.

Drops of thick blood dripped from the wound. Gao Peng saw a drop of blood land on a tree nearby, and the leaves and branches corroded entirely.

[Monster Name: Ancient Bloodrage Dragon

[Monster Level: Level 91 (Quasi God)

[Deification Progress: Heart Deification

[Monster Grade: Legendary

[Monster Condition: Heavy injury (irritable)

[Monster Attribute: Blood

[Monster skills: Dragon Power Level 9, Strengthened Endurance Level 7, Heart of the Blood Dragon Level 9, Speed Healing Level 8, Blood Power Level 8, Blood Halo Level 7

[Special Characteristics: Blood Soul (A naturally astute control over blood, extreme sensitivity to blood, and the ability to be awoken by blood.

Passive Effect 1: The heavier the injury, the greater its strength and healing power will be.

Passive Effect 2: Each time it kills a unit, it will see an increase in physical fitness for a short period.

Note: The greater the increase from the Blood Soul, the stronger the kill will be.)

Blood Stomach: (A stomach full of blood will naturally hunger for the blood of enemies.

Passive Effect 1: When the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon devours an enemy, the blood of the enemy will stimulate the blood stomach and enhance its control of blood power.

Passive Effect 2: When an Ancient Bloodrage Dragon devours an enemy, the blood stomach will heal its wounds through the digestion of its enemy.)

[Introduction to Monster: Within the dragon race, the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon is known for its aggression. It loves violence, is cruel, and enjoys eating. Of the Dragon race, this group is one of those who loves fighting.

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Chapter 525: Deep Meditation

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Gao Peng was in a state of shock. The Ancient Bloodrage Dragon was a Quasi God. These descriptions were etched in Gao Peng's fragile heart.

Just two days before, he had said that the Overlord-tier Dragon Ant was the most powerful monster he had ever met, but in the blink of an eye, he had been proven wrong.

Even though the Blood Dragon was severely injured, in comparison, the Overlord-tier Dragon Ant was minuscule.

"Come, let's head over." Gao Peng took a few familiars to where the blood had dropped.

The branches of the tree were fully corroded. The blood was as thick as syrup that had melted on the leaves and branches and continued to flow into the soil under their feet, gradually eroding into a large hole.

The few little Dragon Ants were stirring, their feelers waving uncontrollably. This blood seemed to hold a great attraction for them.

At last, Elder Baby couldn't resist the temptation. "I'm the elder brother, so I am going to test the waters." Then he jumped in.

The other little Dragon Ants felt that something was wrong. Elder Baby began absorbing the liquid right after it jumped in, but the pale gold armor on its body started corroding when it came into contact with the dragon blood.

The blood started penetrating inward and corroded the surface of its armor, forming small holes. The more painful it became, the faster Elder Baby ate.

Flamy saw this scene, shook its head, and sighed. The few other little Dragon Ants who wanted to jump in saw this scene and decided against it. It looked painful.

The pungent smell of the blood also attracted other monsters. Footsteps were approaching from the opposite side, the soil beneath their feet moving as though something was waiting to emerge from underground.

Gao Peng frowned, but Flamy reacted even faster. Spreading its wings, it spewed a ray of flames with orange-green light from its mouth, and the powerful flame detonated everything it touched along the way.

Crack. Branches withered, rocks exploded, boom!

A blue barrier rose in the distance, and within the blue barrier, a giant cyan wolf roared angrily. The fire reacted violently when it came into contact with the barrier, but the barrier was suppressed when the flames touched it. Even if the barrier contained elements that were more powerful than the flame, unfortunately, the barrier was made of wood elements.

"Awooh!" The wolf stomped its claws on the ground, the rich wood elements transmitted into the deep earth. Two thick green vines emerged from the ground and wrapped Flamy from two different directions.

The vines were as thick as a fire hose, flexible and powerful, like two giant green pythons.

Flamy was unafraid. I'm a fire type, you're a wood type, and we're both King-tier monsters. Do you think you can outfight me?

Instead of retreating, Flamy started to attack. Its wings transformed into red barrels and shot out. Like missiles being fired from fighter jets, flaming feathers shot off its wings, sending dozens of red lights aimed accurately at the Vine Wood Wolf King.

The red feathers, like flying knives, broke through barriers and pierced the Vine Wood Wolf King. The red light exploded, and the flames of the sky consumed the wolf… When the flames dissipated, only a burnt and blackened corpse of a curled up wolf was left.

Flamy was pleased with having killed this Vine Wood Wolf King. Too bad Goldie the Baldy isn't here; it would have enjoyed this. I'm no pushover.

Although the temptation of this blood was great, this wasn't the only droplet that the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon had dripped when it flew over, so this drop of blood only attracted the monsters nearby.

Gao Peng didn't look for the other drops of blood. By the time Elder Baby fully absorbed the blood, it was likely that the other blood drops were gone. After absorbing the drop of blood, Elder Baby became drowsy, as if it was drunk.

Gao Peng looked at the depths of the valley and then at the sleeping Elder Baby. He hesitated for a moment but decided not to continue down the valley. For unknown reasons, Gao Peng's extraordinary senses allowed him to predict danger.

He hesitated for a while, then recalled the nature of the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon and decided to control his greed…

"Don't get into trouble, don't get into trouble…"

Deep in Dragon Death Valley, in the deepest part of the valley, lay a big open space. In the center of the space was a raised mound of sand. There was no grass on the mound, and there was no sight of anything green in 300 feet around it. Aside from its location, this was just a bald mound of sand.

The Ancient Bloodrage Dragon hovered in the sky for a while, refusing to land, its eyes filled with wariness.

"Deep Meditation, come out."

The small quiet mound suddenly shook, the layers of mud collapsing to reveal a dark skeleton. Two faint golden flames burned deep in a pair of awakened eyes.

"What's this racket, I need to sleep." Looking up at the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon, the dark-boned dragon crawled out from the middle of the valley and shook its head. "What are you doing here…? Oh, you're dying and intend to use your corpse to bring great honor to the Dragon race."

"Rubbish! I'm just seriously injured. I still have a long life!" roared the bloody dragon irritably. "I came to you so that you could help me heal, no for your sh*tty honor."

The dark ancient dragon stretched its body, and a massive black fog was released. The sky was filled with the release of the dead air, nearby plants withering and dying. Even the sun was darkened by the black air.

Still a distance away from the center of the valley, Gao Peng saw a cloud of black gas emerge from the center of the deep valley. The black fog seemed to cover the sky quickly. The forest was filled with gloomy darkness, the temperature lowered, and the faint sunlight struggled to shine in the valley, emitting but a weak glow.

Gao Peng's face stiffened. No wonder there was no Emperor-tier monster nearby. There was a big boss hidden in the valley.

"Don't you know the rules of the Dragon Death Valley? Only dying dragons can come back to nourish the dragons in the valley with the flesh and blood of their dead bodies. Didn't you know…." Deep Meditation tilted its head. Its spine made of bones shifted by 90 degrees, and it stared somberly at the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon.

"Don't give me that. I've known you for more than 10,000 years," the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon replied, its eyes big and vicious. "Help me cure my wounds. When I'm cured, I want to return to kill that demon in the abyss. How dare they shamelessly waylay me at the River of Blood."

"It was your own stupidity. When will you start using your brain?" Deep Meditation replied. It also murmured to itself, "So annoying. I've been waiting here for so long, can't you let me pretend?"

It shook his head after speaking. "I will cure you, but you must leave something for the monsters here. You know, they would be excited for a meal when they realize that you're here; after all, only dying or fallen dragons return to Dragon Death Valley. Even if you leave, you have to leave something."

The Ancient Bloodrage Dragon was stunned. "What are you talking about?"

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Chapter 526: Blood Rage

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Were my words not clear enough?" Deep Meditation glanced at it, the golden Soul Flame continuing to burn. "If you can't make this promise, then just return to your homeland and find another dragon to heal you."

The Ancient Bloodrage Dragon, though upset, finally agreed. If it went back to its homeland… it would be more tormenting for the dragon than actually dying. The dragon was there to see Deep Meditation because it didn't want to be mocked by those dragons when it returned to its homeland.

"All right. You've become more and more treacherous after guarding the Dragon Death Valley, just like the old white dragon," the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon said in a low voice.

There was no other way. All of those that it knew that could heal its injury were in its homeland, except for Deep Meditation.

The dragon with black bones pointed its right claw ahead. All of its bones were black, even its nails. A touch of dark black color embraced the tip of its nail. As though the nail was a hook, it hooked accurately onto the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon's wound, which was emitting a purple light. Like bait on a fish hook, the purple light was tempted and lured. Suddenly, the light flowed continuously into the tip of Deep Meditation's nail.

The purple light covered its dragon talon. From afar, it would appear that its talon was shining with mysterious purple-colored light, but in just a moment, the purple light was completely absorbed, like one eating fast food and wiping their mouth right after.

This old fellow has become stronger again… Soon it'll become godlike, thought the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon, feeling fearful and uncertain.

Amateurs had different curiosity than experts.

The only one who had a level on par with it could understand how horrifyingly strong Deep Meditation really was. Though the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon wasn't remarkably strong, it was strong enough to understand that.

"Not bad," said Deep Meditation nonchalantly.

Not bad??? The edge of the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon's mouth twitched.

The Ancient Bloodrage Dragon didn't add anything to the matter. After escaping the influence of the purple light, its wound started to heal quickly, while it glanced around its surroundings with its bloodshot eyes. Even if there were barriers, these monsters had nowhere to hide from its eyes.

Its gaze landed on Gao Peng for a millisecond. Human?

However, it ignored this frail human shortly after. All those monsters were tasty snacks in its eyes. Tasty, delicious snacks. Its wound would have soon healed had it eaten them.

Unfortunately, Deep Meditation is definitely not letting me eat them. The Ancient Bloodrage Dragon was upset, not only that it couldn't eat them for its recovery, but that it even needed to serve them some of its own meat.

That really made the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon extremely unhappy. It pinched its nose and scrape a large chunk of its flesh off of its body.

"Only this much meat? Why are you so stingy? No wonder you're nicknamed Miser, the most stingy Ancient Bloodrage Dragon in the Dragon Death Valley," Deep Meditation mocked.

Miser was shocked. Since when have I had this nickname?

It knew that Deep Meditation was doing this on purpose, but it still failed to hold itself back. "Hmph, here you go."

It opened its mouth and spat out a piece of its golden flesh, then flew away without looking back. However, it wasn't flying the way it had come, but instead, towards a place outside Dragon Death Valley.

I must regain my strength by eating after this severe injury…

Deep Meditation waited for it to fly far away. Deep Meditation, which was floating in the deeper part of the valley, looked at where Gao Peng stood thoughtfully. Then it flicked its talon.

A chill went down Gao Peng's spine for an unknown reason. The next moment, he saw a fleshy object land underneath his foot.

Thump. The fleshy object fell onto the ground. It looks a little like guts, but why is it still throbbing…? it keeps twitching in a regular rhythm. What is this?

The data continued to flow in front of Gao Peng's eyes as he analyzed it.

Elder Baby, who was lying beside them after it stomach was filled, rolled towards the flesh with all of its efforts. After several rolls, it finally reached the chunk of meat. Then it bit it. Blood spilled everywhere, as though it was a soup dumpling that had been bitten open.

Gao Peng watched as some of the blood from the meat spilled onto the grass and they withered, corroded by the blood.

A bold guess appeared in Gao Peng's mind suddenly. Is this the meat of the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon? Finally, the data refreshed.

[Material Name: Ancient Bloodrage Dragon Heart (Fragment)

[Material Description: The heart of the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon. It contains some godlike properties.

Elder Baby swallowed the heart fragment in a few bites. Gao Peng didn't know whether he was hallucinating, but he thought he saw the flesh chunk shining with a golden light when it was being swallowed.

Gao took a glimpse at the deeper part of the valley. The black fog there was gradually dissipating. He thought that this chunk of guts wasn't that simple. Gao Peng wouldn't believe that this was just pure luck.

However, currently, the mysterious being seemed to have no malicious intent. Even if it did, he could still handle it at the moment. In the next few days, Gao Peng needed to take care of Elder Baby.

Three days later, Elder Baby had completely absorbed it. In comparison to before its evolution, Elder Baby's form and size had changed significantly.

The most evident change was its size. Elder Baby's length was now three times its size before the evolution! It was currently more than twelve feet long, and its appearance had turned from harmless to extremely atrocious, not to mention the golden ant armor, bloodshot eyes, and humongous thick claws.

All twelve of its feet were extraordinarily strong and huge, so it didn't resemble an insect at all. In fact, it looked a little bit like a beast. Its feet, which were covered in scales, also had crimson red armor growing all over them.

[Monster Name: Dragon Ant

[Monster Level: Level 34 (Commander-tier)

[Monster Grade: Epic/Epic

[Monster Ability: Dragon Brutal Force Level 1, Hardened Dragon Scale Level 1, Blood Rage Level 1

[Monster Attributes: Blood Rage (An ability gained after consuming the Ancient Bloodrage Dragon's godlike guts, cultivated with the combination of the Dragon Ant's talent.

Passive Effect 1: The more severe the wound is, the stronger its strength and healing power.

Active Effect 1: Shortly after activating, the healing speed is significantly increased and at the same time, it loses any sense of pain.)

Gao Peng discovered Elder Baby's ability to awaken Blood Rage had some similarities to the Blood Soul, but they were also different in other ways.

If it was to say that the talent of the Bloodrage Dragons was more geared towards brutal fighting, then the talent of the Dragon Ant was geared more towards brutal tanking.

However, it wasn't bad to have a tank, as it could fill up the hole in his formation. Currently, there was no tank familiar under Gao Peng other than Stripey. The passive stacking attributes of Goldie failed to make it into a qualified front line tank.

However, Stripey couldn't be good for the front lines because of its size. When it was blocking enemies, it blocked its teammates, as well.

In the following period of time, Gao Peng settled down in the Dragon Death Valley temporarily. He was satisfied that his Dragon Ant had evolved after continuously consuming two dragon's corpses. It was so much easier than gathering the ingredients by himself.

Within that period of time, he found a chance to put Stripey and the rest inside his familiar space. He also took Xia Hua and the others inside. After spending some time becoming familiar with the Dragon Death Valley's environment, Gao Peng felt a lot safer there compared to the outside world.

However, for a total of three months, Gao Peng had yet to see any dragons, let alone dragon corpses. Just when Gao Peng was about to give up and leave the Dragon Death Valley, a small black dot was flying in the sky in the distance…

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Chapter 527: Eat My Eyes

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"What is that?" Gao Peng pulled down his black hood as the black spot gradually approached him from afar… As the black spot drew closer, it gradually descended.

"Retreat, go back into the cave!" Gao Peng's expression changed significantly.

As it came closer, Gao Peng could clearly see that it was a giant pure white dragon. It was about to land in the same place where he was standing.

"Sh*t." Gao Peng thought about many things, not just about the dragon, but also the disasters that would be brought about by it.

He immediately waved his hand and put most of his familiars into the familiar space, only leaving Sixth Baby outside. Gao Peng dragged Sixth Baby into the depths of the cave. Then, he crouched and hugged Sixth Baby.

"Quickly, release the Hypnotic Fog!" Gao Peng commanded Sixth Baby. The Hypnotic Fog unleashed from Sixth Baby's body and diffused inside the cave.

The depth of the cave was more than 100 feet. The path also extended downwards with twists and turns. One couldn't see the inside of the cave clearly from the outside unless he or she actually walked into the cave.

As commanded by Gao Peng, the Hypnotic Fog that spread from within the body of Sixth Baby had been limited to a 30-foot-radius, with Sixth Baby as the center of the circle.

With the Hypnotic Fog as their cover, no one from the outside would be able to discover them.

After half a minute of silence, a sudden loud noise reverberated from outside the cave. There were rock fragments falling down from the cave as it shook. Gao Peng embraced Sixth Baby without saying anything.

After a while, the activity outside ceased.

Gao Peng was incredibly excited. It was like having a treasure chest in front of one's house. The nearby neighbors would soon rush over with their axes and chainsaws to fight for what was inside the chest. They wouldn't mind hacking at him with an ax if they discovered him.

But… all of his keen neighbors had yet to show up. Should I go out now and steal something from the chest quietly?

Gao Peng was struggling.

The rational part of him was asking him to leave it, but his desire was like a greedy goblin that kept persuading him not to. It was extremely unpleasant for him.

"I'll just go out and take a look…" Gao Peng showed indecision on his face. "I'll just walk outside and take a look, no big deal."

He snuck outside with Sixth Baby. There was a giant white dragon lying on the ground just outside the cave. There was an enormous hole in its head, though the wound had dried out with no blood flowing out.

Its eyeballs were grayish-white, and they were laced with blood capillaries. They looked upset and in pain. As it heard the movement from within the cave, the giant white dragon turned its eyeballs to them.

When the giant white dragon saw a sneaky human crawling outside the entrance of the cave to look at it, it was startled. It seemed unable to react to what had happened. Did I fall onto the wrong place? Is this not the Dragonfall Valley?

The human was giving it a perfect smile, even waving at the dragon. The giant white dragon was speechless.

After a short bout of silence, it looked at the Dragon Ant beside the human. The Dragon Ant was ready to do something. Instantly, the dragon understood what was going on.

It glanced at Gao Peng with all its might. Then, the giant white dragon opened its mouth. "Come, eat me. Come and eat me so you can become stronger."

There wasn't a sign of doubt in the giant white dragon's tone. "Eat my eyes. I can see that there are other monsters approaching. There isn't much time left for you."

There were a lot of questions in Gao Peng's mind. However, he knew that time was precious at that moment. Immediately, he summoned Second Baby and sent it over.

The giant white dragon was lying on the ground. Its huge dragon eye was like a glass ball, shining with color that was absolutely magnificent.

Although Second Baby had eaten quite a few dragon carcasses, they were all carcasses, after all. Now, there was a live dragon standing right in front of it. Second Baby didn't dare to make a move simply due to fear. The formless but rich power of the dragon had startled it. Its body was rooted to the ground.

"Where should I eat?" Second Baby asked Gao Peng nervously. "Master, how can I eat it?"

The giant white dragon was severely injured, near the point of death. There was even a chain of negative statuses on it. Basically, everything on it was telling one that it would die soon. But it wasn't dead yet.

It was still a living dragon, after all, even at the edge of death.

Gao Peng was silent for a moment, looking right into the eyes of the giant white dragon. There was calmness in its eyes. It was a calmness that displayed the acceptance of its own demise.

"Listen to Mr. Dragon and go eat its eye."

When Second Baby didn't know what to do, it saw the giant white dragon in front of it nodding towards itself.

Then Second Baby shuddered violently as it nervously held the eyeball and began to chew on it.

"If there's a chance in the future, you can avenge me by killing some demons." The giant white dragon smiled as it said these words. It was at the end of its lifespan. Even if someone were willing to treat the fatal injury it had for a price, it would only live for a couple of months.

Instead of saving it at an unnecessarily high cost just for it to live for mere months, it was better to make use of the dragon before its death.

The trees from the forest in the distance shook. A Three-Headed Dragon Wolf appeared. It ran out while spitting out scorching flames and stinky acid. It crumbled huge chunks of branches into pieces, showing its Overlord-tier strength.

The first thing it locked its eyes on was Second Baby, which was consuming the giant white dragon's eyeball. Its eyes were showing a sign of monstrosity.

Two days earlier, it had been injured by a Dragon Ant as they were fighting for food. I couldn't kill the large one, but it shouldn't be any problem killing this small one.

From its point of view, the giant dragon the Dragon Ant was feeding on was completely dead. "Roar!" It plunged forward, the Three-Headed Dragon Wolf jumping over the giant white dragon.

The giant white dragon blinked its eyelid. With bloodstains on its dying body, its giant tail on the ground lifted. It whipped violently into the hip of the Three-Headed Dragon Wolf, which was the Dragon Wolf's weak spot.

The Three-Headed Dragon Wolf wasn't prepared for this whip. It hadn't been expecting that the giant white dragon would attack.

Immediately after landing on the ground, it began to roll. God only knew how much of its guts had been torn because of that whip. It didn't dare to stay and ran away with its tail between its legs the following instant. "Howl, howl, howl—"

After eating the left eye of the giant white dragon, a huge and horrifying hole was left in the left eye socket of the dragon. It looked appalling.

Second Baby got up and stood like a human. With both of its claws held together, it bowed to the giant white dragon several times.

The only eye left on the giant white dragon looked calm and gentle. "Go ahead and eat my other eye."

Second Baby, who was bending its body for the bow, kept its posture, stunned.

"There's no use for me to keep this eye after I die. Why don't you eat it?" The giant white dragon knew the talent of Dragon Ants. It looked around with the only eye it had left. After a period of silence, it plucked out the eyeball with its dragon talon and threw it to Gao Peng.

"You won't be able to leave if you don't go now."

Gao Peng embraced the bloody eyeball, which was warm and elastic. He didn't think much and summoned for Dumby to take the eyeball inside his space. Then, he took Second Baby with him and ran back into the cave.

After some time, there was a chewing noise coming from outside. Some monsters were fighting over the carcass of the giant white dragon.

Gao Peng sat in the cave with his back against the stone wall. He bent both of his legs and embraced them with nothing on his mind.

Just kill some demons to avenge me. A severely injured dragon. Dragon Death Valley. Breeding monsters in the Dragon Death Valley with its own body.

All the clues linked together in his mind like a pearl necklace. Gao Peng had a vague theory about all of this.

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Chapter 528: Diurnal Pupil!

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Gao Peng had stayed in the Dragon Death Valley for three months. In these three months, Gao Peng had never met a monster above Overlord-tier. They had met several Overlord-tier Monsters, but he only looked at them from afar.

They had never met a monster above Overlord-tier. This also led to Gao Peng's confusion about what the tier between Overlord and Quasi God was.

Gao Peng now lived in the central area of Dragon Death Valley, where at most, only Emperor-tier monsters visited. Overlord-tier monsters didn't dare to come near this area, except for the occasions when there was a dragon corpse around.

Gao Peng sometimes wondered if the monsters in Dragon Death Valley were at most Overlord-tier, or if there was a powerful monster of a very high rank maintaining Dragon Death Valley from the very center.

Everything there seemed chaotic, yet it was orderly. There was an invisible order maintaining the rules. First of all, it was incredible that such a small valley had so many Overlord-tier monsters without becoming a bloodbath. There had to be a strong presence here that was probably a dragon species.

The flesh that fell at his feet that day was likely that existence that had thrown it in front of him. Gao Peng thought in silence.

The Dragon Death Valley wasn't the graveyard of the dragons. Instead…

Gao Peng looked up at the sealed rock wall that seemed to be trapping him in a cage. This was supposed to be the dragon clan's maggot farm.

This may also have explained why, for so many years, there wasn't even a single monster that was above Overlord-tier. All the monsters that had grown above the Overlord-tier had already been taken away.

Second Baby squatted at his side while hugging the dragon eye and earing it without a word.

Gao Peng breathed a sigh of anxiety. If there was a monster willing to drill inside their cave, then everyone would be caught off guard…

Looking at Second Baby eating so well, Gao Peng smiled. He was still worried about whether there would be any monsters barging in, whereas Second Baby was enjoying its meal.

Considering the attributes of the white dragon just now and the eyes it had given Second Baby to eat, Gao Peng also had a little guess about Second Baby's imminent ability. He shook his head with a smile.

It had been a coincidence. Now, it seemed that he and these seven children had really formed a puzzling relationship. While Gao Peng was worrying, the monsters outside gradually left.

When these monsters had their fill, it was already evening. After the Overlord-tier monsters had their portions, the Emperor-tier monsters had their turn to eat. In the Dragon Death Valley, there were strict ranks. Under the chaotic order, rank was power, and the Overlord tier and Emperor tier were the best and the worst, respectively.

Gao Peng put Second Baby into the familiar space, bringing out Sixth Baby and Dumby and leaving quietly. He didn't fear these Emperor-tier monsters when Dumby was with him.

The reason why they left was that most wolves held grudges and wanted revenge. When the Three-Headed Dragon Wolf recovered, they would probably come to trouble them, so they took the chance to run away while it was healing its wounds.

A wolf's nose was very sensitive, so Gao Peng was very careful along the way to clean up the traces and smells he left behind.

Seven days later, Gao Peng let Second Baby out for a good rest. It was a good thing that the Three-Headed Dragon Wolf hadn't come after them in these seven days.

During the week, Second Baby had successfully digested the dragon meat. Its size didn't increase much, but the color of the shell on its back changed from light gold to platinum.

The ratio of its eyes to its body was several times greater than it originally had been. Now, it looked like a cute version of ants one saw in animations.

[Monster Name: Dragon Ant

[Monster Level: Level 32 (Commander-tier)

[Monster Grade: Epic

[Monster Attribute: Light

[Monster Weakness: Dark

[Monster Ability: Enhanced Eyesight Level 2

[Monster Attributes: Diurnal Pupil (Inheritance to the Diurnal Light Dragon's congenital pupil that can see through gloom and alleviate disasters.

Passive Effect 1: Pupil-type ability level is increased one level. It weakens the negative effects of fog, blindness, and hallucinations relative to the host's level.

Passive Effect 2: When Pupil-type ability reaches Level 5, it acquires the effect to see through. When Pupil-type ability reaches Level 7, it acquires immunity to light. Visuals can no longer be affected by light. When Pupil-type ability reaches Level 9, its visual distance increases greatly.

Passive Effect 3: ???

Tip: The effect to see through will be affected by the content of elements and other factors.)

The diurnal pupil sounded very powerful but had almost no lethality. However, in this foggy Dragon Death Valley, it had quite some uses. At least, the influence of the miasma on Gao Peng's vision had been significantly weakened.

It was worth mentioning that Second Baby's eyes were big and bright, but they never shone. This also reduced the possibility of exposing oneself in the dark.

So, Second Baby stayed outside for almost 24 hours to look out, like a super-small telescope scanning the perimeter.

In order to see farther from above, Gao Peng let Goldie place Second Baby on top of its head, just like it was holding a puppy, so its two clear eyes could scan the area like car lights. Any slight movement could be immediately detected by Second Baby like a mini radar.

Relying on Second Baby's ability, Gao Peng killed many King-tier monsters in the next few days. After decomposing, the King-tier monsters restored the quality of the lowest-ranked familiar.

Moreover, Gao Peng also found a very good method of grinding ability fruits!

Some, such as elemental control ability fruits, could be compared to chicken, but the others, like elemental resistance ability fruits, were very effective.

Abilities recovered from consuming the fruits could be overlapped, but the latter had to be of a higher level.

For example, Dumby took a Fire Resistance Level 3 fruit, then took a Fire Resistance Level 4 fruit. This overrode the Level 3 resistance one it had eaten earlier.

For some ability fruits, Gao Peng would also need to consider whether they would conflict with their existing abilities. However, with resistant fruit, there were no such concerns.

If conditions permitted it, Gao Peng would even grind all the resistant fruits and arrange one each for all his familiars.

After a month of peace, Gao Peng began to think of leaving. He had now seen that it depended on luck whether there were dying dragons returning to the Dragon Death Valley. If he was lucky, it was possible to have a few in a day; if not, there wouldn't be even one for several months.

There were no restrictions on the duration for familiars to stay in the familiar space, but everything in it was stagnant, including their growth. Move forward, or fall behind!

Although it made it easy to carry familiars around and there was no danger to it, their growth was also restricted.

But to take out all the familiars…

Gao Peng thought about the number of Overlord-tier and Emperor-tier monsters in the valley and considered the danger of exposure too great. He would be deeply distressed if he lost any of his monsters.

He could continue to search for opportunities in the Dragon Death Valley to stealthily improve the quality of the Dragon Ants, but this would affect the level of their other familiars.

He could also leave the Dragon Death Valley, although there would be fewer chances to improve the quality of the Dragon Ants. The Emperor-tier and Overlord-tier monsters outside weren't clustered in the Dragon Death Valley and didn't need to stay in the familiar space for a long time, so their growth rate was accelerated.

Gao Peng thought for a long time and finally came up with a way to achieve the best of both worlds.

Although this method had a certain failure rate, there were no other ideas…

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Chapter 529: Acknowledging Ant as Father

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

That day was a sunny day, clear and cloudless. Even in the Dragon Death valley, the accumulated smoke lessened, and the sun rays shone on the valley unexpectedly.

An adult male Dragon Ant laid lazily on the lawn at the house's entrance. It was so comfortable basking in the sun. Oh, what a beautiful day!

The adult male Dragon Ant looked up into the sky, gazing at the green leaves above it. The sunshine illuminated the green silhouettes above its head with a gentle breeze blowing. The weather that day was too pleasant to go hunting.

There was still prey it had already hunted left at home from the other day, so it would be all right to take a day off.

Shhh… A rustle of friction was heard as if something was approaching.

The Dragon Ant didn't care about it. Since it had been promoted to the Overlord tier, it had never worried about its natural enemies.

In this valley, all the monsters above the Overlord tier had been taken away, leaving behind, at most, the Overlord tier, and the Dragon Ants were the most powerful of all the monsters in the valley.

Who would dare to provoke it? It yawned lazily, slanting its eyes to cast a glance.

Four young little dragon ants moved closer and closer together in unison. The adult Dragon Ant was stunned.

What was going on?

For a moment, the Dragon Ant didn't think much about it. Then the four little Dragon Ants ran up to him, and their throats gave out choked sobbing sounds. The voice was low and mellow, causing those who heard it deep grief.

Two little Dragon Ants among the others came together to rub their heads against the back of its feet. It was a sign of expressing goodwill, especially when Dragon Ants' children treated their parents that way.

"Oh boys, you've mistaken me for your father… I'm not your father." The adult male Dragon Ant laughed while shaking its head. They were four naughty yet lovely little boys. The two little ones in my house were also so lovely when they were young.

But now that they had grown up and become more independent, it was almost time to separate and live apart. The adult male Dragon Ant was filled with emotions. At the same time, it was thinking that after the separation of the two grown-ups, it could suggest the old mother ant at home make a new nest of babies.

The four cute little Dragon Ant heard the adult male Dragon Ant telling them that it wasn't their father, causing them to fuss around at that instant and make more noise.

The adult male Dragon Ant's expression changed tremendously. If this was overheard by his other half at home…

"Please don't address me like that. I'm not your father."

The adult female Dragon Ant heard the noise outside, so it crawled out of the cave. It saw the male dragon ant shout at the little Dragon Ants, "Don't call me father, I'm not your father!"

"You don't want us anymore, Dad."

"Mom asked us to come to you before she left."

"Dad, we're very obedient. Please don't chase us away."

The adult male Dragon Ant's compound eye saw the female dragon ant walking out, its body turning stiff. "You have to listen to my explanation…"

The four little dragon ants turned their heads to face the female Dragon Ant. Then, they ran toward her at once, hugging her leg and crying piteously, "Mom, Mom."

The adult female Dragon Ant hesitated for a moment, then revealed a trace of tenderness in its eyes. When dealing with cute babies, a mother would always have a strong surge of patience and gentleness.

Of course, the premise was that the babies were of the same race. If it was a baby of another race, it would depend on whether it was hungry or not.

"Children, where are your parents?" The adult female Dragon Ant certainly didn't believe that her male counterpart could control the kids outside. After all, it still had this tinge of confidence in it.

Upon seeing the reaction of the two adult Dragon Ants, they thought of the plan B their owner gave them.

"We don't have parents," Third Baby cried aloud while acting dumb and confused.

"They abandoned us," Fourth Baby murmured.

Fifth Baby cried bitterly, hugging Baldie with desperate sadness.

The male Dragon Ant and female Dragon Ant snuck a glance at each other. The eyes of the female ant showed a sense of yearning. Now, there were only two adulting offspring in the nest, and there were no such young dragon ants in the nest.

They didn't mind adopting these Dragon Ant, but they were afraid that these four little Dragon Ants might still have had parents, and they snuck out without their parents' permission.

Children could be disobedient, but adults couldn't be ignorant. It would be extremely troublesome when their parents came to look for them. After all, they were the children of other families.

"Don't you have parents?" The female ant felt the urge.

"No," Third Baby answered confidently.

Gao Peng, who was hiding in the distance, raised his thumb secretly.

The female Dragon Ant pondered for a long time and finally decided to adopt the four brothers.

After seeing the four brothers be adopted, Gao Peng felt relieved, as though he had released a heavy burden. Although the adult Dragon Ants had decided to adopt his four Dragon Ants on their own, after all, it was a debt of gratitude. Therefore, he would make sure to repay these two adults when the time came.

As Gao Peng left the Dragon Death Valley, he released all his familiars. Gao Peng's dozen of familiars didn't look conspicuous at all in the open land of the southern region.

There was also a problem when it came to an increasing number of familiars. Gao Peng sighed, as he didn't know who to promote first.

Moving in the direction of their starting point, Gao Peng walked for approximately six miles to the north, surrounded by vast plains. Stripey sent a reminder to Gao Peng through the Blood Contract. "There are monsters in the soil on the right, Master."

Gao Peng nodded quietly. He only found out that all his familiars were big eaters after he was out. One's appetite was bigger than the next.

Fortunately, Stripey, with the greatest body size, could overcome its hunger problem by drawing from the earth's deep veins.

The earth veins contained very rich soil elements. Gao Peng had seen the veins being cut open before, like blood vessels growing in the soil, but unlike other blood vessels, the veins had no blood vessel walls, only a rough outline. The rich yellowish mist almost condensed into a liquid that wound across the whole land.

There were many soil elements in the soil, and these soil elements occupied all corners of the earth. The earth veins were formed naturally, and the earth elements would converge into rivers. As long as they weren't destroyed, the earth veins would become deeper and deeper over the years.

The areas with rich veins would have an increasing number of them. The increase in the number of veins would naturally attract the soil elements existing in nature, which was considered a good cycle.

Stripey's food was these veins, or rather, the rich soil elements in these veins.

With the help of the earth, Stripey could clearly perceive all the existing elements hidden in the soil around him, unless the other party's soil element attainment was higher than Stripey, which was able to hide its existence.

One of Stripey's legs stepped on the soil.

Bang! The land exploded like a firework. A Fire-Tail Mink Toad rolled out of the fireworks.

This was a strange creature like a toad with a fox's tail behind its butt. It had two attributes simultaneously, making it Fire-type and Soil-type.

The Fire-Tail Mink Toad that appeared during the earthquake was startled. How could I be found? Did I not hide in the soil?

In shock, the Fire-Tail Mink Toad blew up an unearthed yellow flame on its outer body and wrapped itself inside it.

"Flamy, swallow the fire," Gao Peng ordered Flamy as he looked at the Fire-Tail Mink Toad's Level 4 ability of the earth's flame.

Flamy took a breath and absorbed the yellowish flame into its mouth.The flame went into Flamy's stomach, and after only one turn, Flamy felt as if it had just eaten two tubs of ice cream, feeling cold in its heart.

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Chapter 530: A Sudden Impulse

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Appearing to be in discomfort, Flamy released a huge burp. The beginning of the act was very satisfying. However, it still hurt a little afterward…

Nevertheless, flame swallowing was a contemporary act that required advanced skills. Despite being highly resistant to fire, Flamy felt a slight discomfort while swallowing flames into its stomach.

"Pew—" A strange noise released from Flamy's buttocks.

Goldie, who was shocked, turned his head and looked at Flamy in disbelief. I didn't know you would also…

Flamy's chubby cheeks were flushed red. It glared at Goldie. "Old Baldie!"

Displeased, Goldie mumbled in denial, "I'm not Baldie! You can't address me however you like. Baldie is the name of another familiar."

"Of course, I know that you're not Baldie. You're old Baldie." Flamy grinned contemptuously.

"Old… old Baldie?" Goldie was speechless.

"Yes. There is a young Baldie, and you're the old Baldie."

Goldie went silent.

"Don't kill the mink toad," Gao Peng comforted the greatly annoyed Goldie. "The mink toad is still useful."

Flamy's ability was able to grow by absorbing other flames. The absorption of flames was unlike the absorption of DNA, which only required a minimal amount for the absorption to be effective. The absorption of flames, however, was a long-term process.

Besides its own flames, the flames that were released by the other wild monsters were also targeted by Flamy. The flames would be consumed by Flamy, then be fed to the dominant flame, which acted like a pet for Flamy.

"Fine." Goldie shot a glimpse at the Fire-Tail Mink Toad. It opened its mouth wide as it spat a blaze at Goldie. Before long, Goldie was surrounded by an ocean of flames. It was as though it was going to burn down the whole place, until… Thud!

With its mouth shut, Goldie retracted its right hand. "Close your mouth. Your breath stinks."

The Fire-Tail Mink Toad was eventually captured alive by Gao Peng and turned into a barely certified power bank.

The moment it regained its energy, it was immediately extracted in the form of fire. It didn't have any leftover strength to fight back. The fire that it strained to produce everyday was completely gone within seconds. It even had to receive a punishment if it failed to produce sufficient flames.

The Fire-Tail Mink Toad teared up every time it thought about its situation. Why did I choose to sleep there on that day?

"Oh, yes. We'll slaughter it and make it into a snack that can go with my wine if one day it can't produce fire anymore." Gao Peng, who was lying on the beach chair, spoke nonchalantly.

The Fire-Tail Mink Toad was taken aback. What are you saying, you demon?

Within the empty space, a tiny and carefree centipede was loitering. It had a long and smooth body, with twelve pairs of wings growing out of its back.

Its body was coated in golden purple and decorated with patterns of a maroon color.

"Why have I not seen any food recently?" Da Zi muttered as it ranted. The food in the empty space had been reducing since some time ago. It was too much for one to bear.

It had started two months ago when Da Zi regained consciousness. As it was starving, it went on a binge. It ate everything that came into its sight. Meanwhile, its appetite had become surprisingly good, and everything was delicious to it. It could basically consume everything in the space.

However, Da Zi had no intention to grow its strength, as it had never encountered any enemy in this space. Devil-may-care, it spent all its days eating and sleeping.

It had occasionally thought of Gao Peng during the beginning, but, eventually, it had almost completely forgotten about Gao Peng…

After flying for a while, a crack appeared within the atmosphere, right before its eyes. An indistinctive yet familiar scent wafted through the crack.

Briefly startled, Da Zi recomposed itself and flew towards the crack. Earth Star?

Da Zi intended to squeeze through the crack. However, the spatial rift, which appeared to have no layer of protection, was covered by a thick invisible wall, making Da Zi unable to break through, even if it broke its head.

"There's oppression in that world. As its ability is skyrocketing, it's not possible for one to go through right now." Conversation glided through the air.

"What should we do now? If it continues to stay here, the relieving of the world's oppression might not be able to meet the growth of its ability." The voice was filled with a slight disappointment.

"This young kid has a great appetite, but will it continue to stay here? It has been here for a considerably long time."

"Then, send it to another world."

"That's out of the rules…"

"Rules are rigid, but we're not."

After a few failed attempts, Da Zi stared at the spatial rift as it slowly vanished. With its face covered and shoulders vibrating, it burst out into tears. Shortly after the spatial rift disappeared before it, another spatial rift, once again, gradually showed up beside where the previous spatial rift was located.

Da Zi, who was still covering its face in despair, paused its actions before it raised its head to look at the new spatial rift in shock. After a short period of contemplation, it flew towards the spatial rift and studied it meticulously.

It extended its dragon finger and gently touched the crack. This time, with no obstruction, its finger successfully penetrated through the crack and reached the other side.

"Ah!" Da Zi widened its eyes in amusement. How did it go through? Isn't this the same crack as before?

After a long moment of hesitation, Da Zi cautiously peeked through the cracks. There was a clear blue ocean that seemed to have no boundary welcoming it with one wave after another.

"What if I drown in this enormous sea? It's better for me to stay here and wait for the day when I can return to the place I came from." Da Zi made up an excuse for itself. As it intended to remove its head from the crack, an abrupt yet powerful force of unknown origin landed on its buttocks.

"Hey!" Da Zi was kicked through the spatial rift. The moment Da Zi turned around to look at the spatial rift, the crack was completely gone in a blink of an eye.

"Damn it!" Da Zi was furious.

Strong waves, one after another, continuously rolled underneath its feet. The deep sea appeared to be full of danger as it saw a huge silhouette approaching it.

Boom! The waves erupted like a volcano as a gigantic silhouette broke out from the ocean.

Da Zi reacted instantly. Its reaction had improved tremendously from chasing the lightning monsters, which had run speedily in that space. It now had light-speed reactions.

It turned into a purple flash as it dodged and avoided the shark-like monster that came out of the ocean.

After successfully avoiding the ambush, Da Zi sneered before it opened up its twelve pairs of wings. The next second, lightning poured down from the sky like a waterfall.

It was literally a lightning waterfall, as the purple silhouettes intertwined, gluing all the lightning together and forming a ribbon that was falling like heavy rain. The deafening thunder echoed around the atmosphere!

Boom!

As it was surrounded by the curtain of lightning, the gigantic monster that came from the ocean had nowhere to run. It was hit directly by the lightning.

"Ouch," the monster cried. Attacked by the lightning, its every single bone and muscle was broken into pieces as its skin was charred by the electricity.

Thud.

The body of the monster fell into the ocean and created a splash that was taller than 30 feet. Da Zi gave out a contemptuous laugh. It didn't bother to stay for the monstrous fish that had been killed and decided to fly in a certain direction, hoping to leave this place.

The other monsters in the ocean were so frightened by Da Zi's power that they refused to appear.

Meanwhile, Gao Peng, who had captured his second rechargeable battery was overwhelmed by a strange feeling. The feeling was almost like a sudden impulse.

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Read Monster Pet Evolution Chapter 531 - The Winged Mountain Ape online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 531: The Winged Mountain Ape

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Gao Peng had no idea why he was feeling this way, but he figured there had to be a good reason behind it.

"Stripey, scout the area and see if any monsters are still lurking beneath you. Flamy, go up high and watch out for any other monsters in the vicinity. Let me know as soon as you spot something dangerous coming our way," ordered Gao Peng.

Upon receiving their orders, Flamy flew up into the sky and began surveying the ground below, while Stripey extended its power through the ground, alert to the slightest vibration beneath its feet. However, none of them found anything.

Gao Peng grew more anxious. "Has that three-headed dog finally caught up to us?"

His eyebrows furrowed. Sensing that something didn't seem right, he quickly called his familiars back. Once he was on Flamy's back, he ordered it to put as much distance between them and Dragon Death Valley as it could.

Suddenly, a huge crimson bird emerged from the clouds. Gao Peng and the others had been hiding in the clouds for half an hour. However, nothing seemed to be chasing after them. Still sitting on Flamy's back, Gao Peng wondered if he was seeing monsters where none existed. It was possible he was engaged in a battle of wits with the air itself.

What am I thinking right now? thought Gao Peng.

"Doesn't look like anything's coming after us, Gao Peng," said Flamy. They had been hiding in the clouds for a long time, yet there was no sign of anything coming after them from any direction.

"I suppose my brilliant plan worked. We were able to shake off our pursuer," muttered Gao Peng.

"Wow, Gao Peng, you're so awesome, which is probably why you were able to raise an equally awesome familiar such as me," praised Flamy, while still making sure to give itself praise, too.

Gao Peng couldn't help but laugh at this.

After a while, Gao Peng found a place to land, where he then let the others out from his familiar space.

The sea stretched to the east. Gao Peng was at first reluctant about going in that direction. However, he thought that it would be a waste of his time to go back the way they had come. He was already familiar with that route and all the monsters lurking there. It no longer held any surprises for him.

Gao Peng still had yet to visit the sea in the Black Fog World. He had no idea how it differed from its counterpart on Earth.

"Let's head east." He was holding a flat wooden plank in his hand, on which he had carved out a rough map of the Black Fog World. Labyrinths were the only thing of note in the south; there was nothing left for him to explore in that direction. It was just as well for him to venture to the east and visit the sea.

He could even try his hand at subduing a Water-type monster that lived in the waters of the Black Fog World. Gao Peng had always wanted a Water-type familiar of his own.

Now that he had awakened his Familiar Space ability, he didn't need to worry about having too many familiars in tow. Once he signed a Blood Contract with a potential familiar, all he had to do was pop it into his Familiar Space!

He could pull out any familiar from it in accordance with the situation in hand. Of course, he would first need to have a diverse team of familiars in order to adapt to any situation he might find himself in. Only now was Gao Peng able to appreciate the convenience of having a Familiar Space. Even though there were a number of downsides to it, one could safely say that the pros outweighed the cons.

In the past, Gao Peng had his qualms about taming a Water-type familiar, as it would be inconvenient to carry it around on dry land. Water-type familiars thrived in aquatic environments. However, on dry land, their capabilities were severely limited.

The Water-type familiars mentioned here were of the sort that lived exclusively in huge bodies of water, such as pre-Cataclysm whales and sharks, as opposed to their amphibious counterparts, such as frogs, toads, and newts.

Both types of creatures were usually Water-type familiars. Under normal circumstances, the former would naturally be better equipped to engage in aquatic combat. However, they were inferior to the latter when it came to ground combat.

Most human beings were land-dwellers, with the inhabitants of archipelagos being an exception to this rule. While an adequately resilient Water-type familiar could still survive on dry land, its powers would be greatly affected.

This was the reason why only a few trainers wanted to keep aquatic Water-type familiars back on Earth, save for those who lived close to the sea. The inconvenience of carrying aquatic Water-type familiars around and the limitations they would suffer on dry land contributed hugely to its lack of popularity among trainers.

Stripey's presence had made the whole journey all the more comfortable. It was excited to have all these people on its back and never bored, as it could be with its friends and master at all times. It was having the time of its life right then.

"I see you've brought back two blades of boxthorn grass. Good job," said Gao Peng, rubbing Moneymaker's head with his hand.

"Xiao Hua, come over here." He beckoned to Xiao Hua in the distance. It was carrying a schoolbag on its back and a palm-sized book in its hand while wearing a flower crown on its head.

Xiao Hua carefully put its book back inside its bag and skipped over to where Gao Peng stood. It knew who was in charge here and would always be on its best behavior when Gao Peng was around.

"Silly, bring me my tools," said Gao Peng. Silly produced a pile of bottles and a variety of experimental tools from its portable space.

Gao Peng began stripping the boxthorn grass that Moneymaker had brought him of its seeds, then proceeded to pound them into a fine paste.

Xiao Hua was currently Level 30, its present tier Elite. Among Commander-tier monsters, this was considered average.

Compared to Gao Peng's other familiars, Xiao Hua was at a stage where it posed no threat to either man or monster. Even Moneymaker, whom Goldie seemed to hold in disdain, was a full-fledged Lord-tier familiar. Even though it was a Mystic-type familiar that specialized in finding buried treasure, it could still beat Xiao Hua in mere seconds.

Gao Peng watched as Xiao Hua finished the concoction that he had prepared for it. Returning the empty bottle to Gao Peng, it sat on the ground cross-legged and gazed at Gao Peng, wide-eyed. It was propping itself upright with both hands on the ground.

"Chirp." Xiao Hua's nose twitched, then it felt a sharp pain coming from its back, nearly causing it to cry out.

Dumby quietly walked over and came to a stop five paces away from Xiao Hua, which was now writhing on the ground in anguish. It wanted to step forward and give its daughter a big hug if that was what it would take to alleviate its pain. However, after a moment's hesitation, it decided that it was best to simply watch over the younger familiar for now.

It knew that it couldn't shield Xiao Hua from harm for the rest of its life. Dumby began clenching and unclenching its fists anxiously…

The pain that had gripped Xiao Hua lasted for around five minutes. When it was finally over, Xiao Hua was brought to rest on Stripey's back. Suddenly, a pair of pink, fleshy wings sprouted from Xiao Hua's shoulder blades.

Its wings were about as big as a chicken wing one would normally find in a fried chicken restaurant. They were featherless and almost transparent enough that one could see the veins running through them.

After a while, Xiao Hua woke up, its fleshy wings trembling.

[Monster Name: Winged Mountain Ape

[Monster Tier: Level 31

[Monster Grade: Perfect

[Monster Attribute: Earth/Water

[Monster Ability: Power Walking Level 1

[Monster Weakness: Darkness

[Monster Description: Adapted to living in mountainous terrain, the Winged Mountain Ape is a gentle creature with a long lifespan. It likes to eat fruits. It is also fleet-footed, allowing it to traverse mountainous and swampy regions speedily.

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Chapter 532: The Bond between Master and Familiar

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Winged Mountain Ape seemed to have a longer lifespan than other monsters of the same grade. Gao Peng hadn't expected much from Xiao Hua in terms of combat power. Longevity is as good a trait as any for it, I guess, he thought.

They continued on their journey for the next ten or so days. Even though they couldn't see any sign of the sea in the distance, they could already smell the salt in the wind; they were getting closer to the sea.

Suddenly, an uneasy feeling welled up in him. Gao Peng had a feeling that something was about to happen. He looked around. Nothing stirred in the sky.

Am I imagining things? He shook his head. "Come on, let's keep on moving."

"Why are you chasing me? I only took one egg from you," shouted Da Zi. Its wings were beating so quickly that they had all but disappeared from sight. Thunder filled the air as it tore through the skies in the form of a faint purple shimmer.

Suddenly, a huge wave rose up from the ocean beneath Da Zi. A silver dorsal fin cut through its surface like a blade, leaving a trail of disturbed water in its wake.

It was swimming just as fast as Da Zi. A slender shadow could be seen moving beneath the waves. Fierce undercurrents swirled around it. When it had swam far enough, a number of whirlpools appeared in its wake.

"Stop chasing me! Didn't I already return your egg… yolk?" pleaded Da Zi.

The beast beneath the waves slowed down almost imperceptibly as if it couldn't believe what it had just heard. The ocean itself seemed to seethe with rage at that moment. In the next second, the surface of the water exploded as a silver shark-like dorsal fin erupted from it.

Boom! The water began to roil. In mere seconds, towering waves rose into the air.

Amid the towering waves, a silver 300-foot-long serpent let out a resounding roar, its back lined with spindly wings. It was as if a thousand-year-old ocean deity had emerged from the ocean, threatening to exact its vengeance upon the surface world for its mistreatment of the ocean.

Water spikes of varying thickness shot out from the waves. Each of them at least 16 feet long, they were tipped with a hook on one end and connected to the ocean's surface via a rope of water as thick as a human arm on the other.

Upon hitting their marks, these water spikes would latch on to them for as long as they remained in effect. Not even a dragon could pull them off. Despite being made of water, they were incredibly solid and resilient.

The water spikes crisscrossed the air, forming a nigh impenetrable mesh above the water. The silver-spined serpent continued its pursuit of Da Zi, propelled by the raging waves it had summoned around itself. Its rage was almost palpable.

Now fearing for its life, Da Zi began beating its wings faster than it ever had in its life, flashes of electricity growing more intense around its body. It was now flying a lot faster, narrowly dodging the incoming water spikes from behind.

Even a rabbit would bite someone when threatened, not to mention a centipede dragon.

As Da Zi beat its wings as hard as it could, it turned around to look at the silver serpent before delving into its mind through its Eye of the Heart ability.

A cold, deadly voice boomed in Da Zi's head, saying, "Must eat it! Must eat it!"

Da Zi blinked, livid. I am not food! There is nothing in this world that frightens me, and nothing I can't eat. I eat other people, not the other way around!

Through its Eye of the Heart ability, Da Zi could see that the silver serpent was swathed in crimson flames, which signified the rage it was currently feeling. To Da Zi, setting off the emotions of other monsters was as easy as taking candy from a baby.

It focused its attention on the serpent.

Boom!

The inferno raging around the serpent exploded. Its body shook violently and rolled around a few times before sinking back into the ocean alongside the towering waves it had surrounded itself with.

A calm fell over the water for a long while. Then, without warning, the serpent erupted from the depths and continued its pursuit with renewed vigor.

Da Zi had slowed down just a bit after landing an attack on its pursuer. It had no trouble flying forward at top speed; the only problem was that it was an extremely exhausting task. Just when it thought it could finally take a break, its tail suddenly stood on end. It turned around and saw that the silver serpent was on the chase once more.

Da Zi hastily turned back and propelled itself forward at top speed. Why is it getting closer?

Da Zi was now panicking. It let out a cry as it accelerated through the air, resuming its role of being hunted by the silver serpent. Da Zi had no intention of taking on its pursuer. The latter's power had far exceeded its expectations. It had never encountered anything so vicious, so deadly.

I swear, on all my meals for the next three days; this giant snake is definitely the most powerful creature I've ever met! thought Da Zi.

For the next three days, it was chased by the silver serpent without a moment's reprieve. It was forced to forgo all its meals during this time.

"Huh, I guess there's really no difference between the seas of the Black Fog World and our world." Standing on the beach, Gao Peng shook his head. He thought there would be at least a couple of mountains rising from the sea. He hadn't expected the water to be just as clear as the sea back on Earth.

However, the sea before him seemed to be giving off a faint red glow beneath the hazy red sunlight, making it slightly different from the sea back on Earth.

The water bulged and fell on the horizon. A couple of crabs crawled out of the sand, snapping their pincers menacingly in the air. Their faint blue shells were etched with white stripes. One of the nearest crabs dug up a handful of sand in its left pincer, then pulled it back and hurled the sand at Goldie.

Goldie glared at the crab.

Not at all intimidated by Goldie's glare, the crab scuttled over to the duck's feet and snapped one of its pincers at it!

Goldie was enraged. Now you've gone and done it! Grabbing the crab's pincer, Goldie squeezed it in its hand, instantly reducing it to a pulp.

Suddenly, a pitiful moan sounded in Gao Peng's head while he was taking in the scenery before him.

"Hungry… so hungry…"

Gao Peng hesitated for a moment. He began stroking the stubble that had covered his lower jaw. Am I missing Da Zi so much that I'm now hearing its voice wherever I go?

"Oh, where are you, Da Zi, you poor thing?" said Gao Peng, shaking his head and sighing.

"Don't be sad, Gao Peng. Da Zi's a lucky centipede. It should be all right," consoled Flamy as it patted Gao Peng's back with one wing.

"That's right. Da Zi's so stupi— Smart. It must be having the time of its life right now," boomed Goldie.

His familiars had varying opinions on the matter. Even though they were all loyal to Gao Peng, the same couldn't be said for Da Zi. After all, the latter was only an associate of theirs, while Gao Peng was their master. Just because Gao Peng had a good relationship with Da Zi didn't mean all of them had to have one, as well.

The only other people with whom Da Zi had close ties were Stripey and Silly. However, Silly, being the invertebrate that it was, never really cared for anything else other than its juice boxes.

"That damn Gao Peng. Why hasn't he come looking for me? The nerve of him to leave me out here all on my own…" said the voice in Gao Peng's head.

Gao Peng frowned, unsure what to make of this.

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Chapter 533: Reunion

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Da Zi had become accustomed to speaking its mind freely after being separated from Gao Peng for so long, like a child throwing a tantrum when no one was looking.

It's not like Gao Peng's around to hear me say these things about him…

Both masters and familiars could communicate with each other through a Blood Contract. The only downside to it was its limited communication range. Both parties needed to be within a certain distance in order to communicate through their Blood Contract.

Gao Peng narrowed his eyes. He was now hearing Da Zi's voice in his head. It had to be close. After much experimentation, he had discovered that different types of familiars had different communication ranges.

At first, he had assumed that this was largely decided by a familiar's power level. However, he had later realized that this wasn't necessarily the case.

One time, one of his familiars had been promoted to a new grade during an experiment, causing him to receive Spiritual Feedback. Later, Gao Peng had found out that the communication range between him and another unpromoted familiar had increased.

The spiritual fortitude of both master and familiar was the determining factor behind this increase in communication range.

After conducting his own experiments on the subject, Gao Peng was able to conclude that communication through a Blood Contract was carried out between the souls of a master and a familiar. The stronger both parties were spiritually, the more ground their mental wavelengths would be able to cover.

Blood Contract communication would be established only when the souls of both parties overlapped with each other. Simply put, the fact that he could now hear Da Zi's voice in his head meant that their Soul Powers were overlapping right then.

Gao Peng heaved a sigh of relief. Thank god it's still alive.

Da Zi was still continuing its rant through its Blood Contract. While it was going on about what a terrible master Gao Peng was, the latter suddenly spoke in its head. "Where are you?"

Da Zi stopped short in its rant.

Seconds passed in silence. Then, Da Zi started making odd quacking sounds in Gao Peng's head, as if it was being grabbed by the neck like a duck.

"Gao, Gao, Gao… Gao Peng?!" Da Zi shouted ecstatically, "Where are you, Gao Peng? I miss you so much!

"Come save me, Gao Peng! There's been this huge worm chasing after me for the past four days!" it said, sobbing.

Gao Peng didn't know how to react to this. "Are you out in the ocean right now?" he asked. In spite of its many, many flaws, there was no way Gao Peng would let Da Zi be put in harm's way.

"Yeah… I thought you were also stranded somewhere in the ocean like me," it said cheekily. "I didn't even know there was land here. Which direction should I fly in?"

Gao Peng pondered this for a moment. There were no noticeable landmarks out in the water, nor were there any mountains near the shore. He figured that since he still couldn't see Da Zi, this had to mean that it was still a long way from shore.

However, this didn't mean that he was completely out of options.

"Let me ask you something—how long have you been badmouthing me just now?" asked Gao Peng.

Da Zi seemed flustered by the question and began playing coy. "What? I wasn't talking behind your back just now. How could I? You must have heard wrong. Maybe it was Goldie you've been hearing in your head. What did it say about me while I was gone?"

"I'm not going to ask you again. Have you been badmouthing me for the past few days?" asked Gao Peng calmly.

A series of unintelligible sounds came from Da Zi's end. Then, like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, it said in a small voice, "Well, I wasn't badmouthing you all the time. Sometimes I took breaks from it, you know."

Gao Peng nodded. "Then just keep flying forward. You should see land soon. Your pursuer, what kind of monster is it? Flying-type? Water-type?"

"It's a Water-type! A gigantic silver worm!"

"A worm? In the sea?" Gao Peng muttered to himself.

"Then you better fly as fast as you can. Your pursuer's power level will be considerably limited on dry land. I imagine it won't be stupid enough to continue its pursuit onshore," he said to console Da Zi.

Da Zi was starting to feel anxious over the fact that it had been surrounded by nothing but water for the last couple of days with no place in sight to rest. Its wings were starting to feel sore. It had to come to a stop eventually.

Out here in the ocean, it had no chance of taking on its pursuer on its own. However, it might be able to turn the tables against the latter once it reached dry land. Da Zi was no longer as worried as before. Confident in its own speed, it began taunting the silver sea snake behind it.

It would change its speed erratically, at times lowering itself close to the water to do a little spin and dip its feet in the water like a dragonfly. This only made the silver snake angrier.

Gao Peng opened his eyes. Beside him, Stripey said in a low voice, "Master, is it Da Zi?"

"Yeah, it's Da Zi. We finally found it."

"That's great!" Stripey was sincerely happy for its master. "Then let's go get Da Zi," it said eagerly.

"Da Zi's still out in the ocean. I have no idea where it is right now, so I told it to keep flying straight, since it was able to enter my communication range from whatever direction it's been flying all this time. It's probably heading towards the shore. All of you, fan out. We'll find Da Zi quicker this way."

"Second Baby, keep your eyes peeled. You have the best eyesight out of all of us…" Gao Peng scratched his head. For some reason, this sentence sounded off to him. "In any case, just keep an eye out. You've never seen Da Zi before, but I'm sure you'll be able to recognize it instantly. Just imagine an overgrown centipede with a couple of wings growing out of its back."

Second Baby nodded. "How many pairs of wings does it have?"

"Er… Probably three," said Gao Peng uncertainly. "It may have grown a couple more while it was away."

Gao Peng knew what Da Zi's body was capable of. It wouldn't be strange if it had grown a few more pairs of wings at this point.

For the next half hour, Gao Peng maintained contact with Da Zi in order to keep it on the right track.

"Gao Peng, I can see the shoreline!" said Da Zi happily.

"Then come over here, quick," said Gao Peng. He ordered his familiars to look out for any sign of Da Zi, especially Second Baby.

Second Baby was perched atop Flamy's back as the latter soared through the air in search of Da Zi. Its front claws were gripping Flamy's wings tightly, while its eyes were wide like the headlights of a car.

"Master, I see it. On the right, there's a huge… snake flying in the air," said Second Baby. Why does it have so many wings on its back? It had no idea how many pairs of wings were growing out from its back. All it knew was that there were a lot of them, and they seemed to be bunched up in untidy clumps.

Flamy spat a huge ball of fire into the air. Da Zi turned around just in time to see Flamy behind an explosion of fire. It quickly flew towards Flamy.

Upon seeing the shoreline up ahead, the silver snake slowed down. It wasn't used to fighting on dry land. It could still continue its chase in the ocean, but on the shore…

While the silver snake was having second thoughts about continuing its chase onshore, Da Zi finally spotted its master near the beach. Emboldened by the sight of Gao Peng, it sent a cascade of lightning down to the sea with its wings, electrifying the water in a thousand-foot radius around it.

Da Zi's arrogant show of force only served to rekindle the silver snake's rage and desire to swallow Da Zi whole.

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Chapter 534: Command Lightning

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Gao Peng frowned at Da Zi. That snake would surely have given up its chase if Da Zi hadn't been so cheeky…

He looked up at Da Zi and was shocked at what he saw. How the hell did it manage to grow so many wings on its back in just six months? Gao Peng had to count them a few times in order to reach an exact number. Twelve pairs?

Gao Peng was immediately reminded of a twelve-winged seraph. However, to him, Da Zi's dragon wings looked a lot cooler than an angel's "pigeon wings."

"Wow, Da Zi! Where did you get all those wings from?" said Goldie, impressed.

"Oh, put a sock in it. I've been looking for Gao Peng for half a year. When I finally found my way out, I ended up right in the middle of the ocean. I didn't have a single decent meal while I was out there," said Da Zi, trying to sound as pitiful as possible in front of Gao Peng. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to fish for food from the ocean?"

"Watch out, Da Zi!" There was a loud boom as Stripey rose to its feet in order to shield Da Zi from something. It was now standing before Gao Peng and the others like a mountain, bearing the full brunt of the silver snake's onslaught with its body.

The sound of its heavy breathing filled the air. The dark clouds above its head swirled ominously as flames rained down on the beach from its mountainous body.

[Monster Name: Disaster Mountain Spider

[Monster Status: Lightly Injured

Gao Peng raised an eyebrow at this. It had been able to hurt Stripey with just one attack. Just how strong is this snake?

Stripey's body began expanding. Unable to bear the strain of its weight, the ground cracked audibly beneath its feet. The sea sloshed wildly around it. In an instant, Stripey's body encompassed the entire beach, immediately squashing the silver snake beneath it.

A noticeable crack could be seen on the snake's mountainous body. It was at least 100 feet deep and more than 300 feet wide. No monster could possibly survive such a wound. Even a normal-sized Stripey wouldn't have the luxury of ignoring an injury of this magnitude.

The silver snake thrashed about madly beneath the mountain that had suddenly fallen over it, causing the latter to tremble uncontrollably. As the silver snake writhed about in the water, the sea began to recede from the beach. Towering waves bulged up from the surface of the water, tapering off into 'hooks' as the waves reached as high as 2,000 feet into the air. The evening sun glinted off the waves that had surrounded the snake once more, giving them a hazy red tinge.

Gao Peng frowned. This snake has quite the temper. He could sense that there was an incredibly dense concentration of water in these waves. A monster equipped with an Elemental Mastery ability would have some degree of control over not only a certain element but any naturally-occurring substance related to it, as well.

"Gao Peng, this guy's really strong. I don't think I can hold it much longer," said Stripey through gritted teeth. "You guys hide behind me. I'll cover you."

Gao Peng quickly pulled some of his familiars back inside his Familiar Space before flying away on Flamy's back alongside those that couldn't fit inside his Familiar Space. Dumby and Stripey stepped forward to engage the snake in combat, with the Amorphic Hell Tree standing not too far behind them. The latter had let loose its aura, providing support for both familiars.

The snake's water hooks surged towards them, crisscrossing the sky above their heads.

Wham!!

Gao Peng watched as the hooks fell towards his familiars like a rake. They nearly split Stripey in half. That idiot centipede! Of all the monsters it could have pissed off, it decided to piss off this one! He could feel a vein popping out on his temple.

"Stripey, stop pressing down on the snake. Let it go," said Gao Peng.

He feared that if Stripey continued pinning the snake down with its body, it might actually be killed by the latter. The snake could even try to shield itself from Dumby's and Da Zi's attacks using Stripey's body.

In any case, he thought it would be best to first check the snake's stats before deciding on a course of action.

Stripey slowly pulled itself away from the snake, which erupted from the sand and into the air. Its body gleamed with a silver light. There were three shark-like dorsal fins on its back and three eyes on its face.

[Monster Name: Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake

[Monster Level: Level 74 (Overlord-tier)

[Monster Grade: Excellent/Epic

[Monster Attribute: Water

[Monster Ability: Hardened Scales Level 6, Explosive Muscle Growth Level 5, Water Mastery Level 7, Sharp Snake Fangs Level 5, Corrosive Stomach Lining Level 6

[Monster Trait: Iron Gut (Allows it to digest almost anything it eats.

Passive Effect 1: Digestion Level 1

Passive Effect 2: Its stomach's volume and elasticity will increase in order to consume prey larger than itself.)

[Monster Weakness: Earth

[Monster Description: A sea-dwelling monster with a violent temperament. It likes to swallow its prey whole.

Gao Peng's face fell as he read the snake's stats. Level 7 Water Mastery… no wonder it was able to hurt Stripey with its water attacks.

A monster equipped with an Elemental Mastery ability would be able to manipulate a certain element in nature. For instance, a monster with the Flame Mastery Ability could "enchant" any naturally occurring sources of fire by channeling its power into them. It could then easily burn through anything with the resulting enchanted fire.

The fact that the snake was a Level-74 Overlord-tier monster was enough to send a shiver down Gao Peng's spine.

He then turned to look at Da Zi. As it had been a while since he had last seen it, Gao Peng was curious to see how much it had grown.

[Monster Name: 24-Winged Lightning Sky Dragon

[Monster Level: Level 69 (Emperor-tier)

[Monster Grade: Mythical/Mythical

[Monster Ability: Lightning Mastery Level 7, Thunder Shell Level 6, Lightning Resistance Level 6

[Monster Trait: Thunder Wings (Omitted)

Eye of the Heart (Omitted)

Command Lightning (After consuming a certain divine artifact, it now has the ability to manipulate various types of Lightning energy without any issue.

Passive Effect 1: It can store a wide range of Lightning energies inside its wings. Every time it gains five more pairs of wings on its back, not only will it be able to store a new type of Lightning energy in them, but it will also have complete mastery over it.

Note: It now has complete mastery over four different types of electrical energy.

Mastered Lightning Energies: Silver Lightning, Howling Lightning, Explosive Lightning)

[Monster Description: A type of monster that once existed only in the realms of myth. There have been legends of sky dragons and earth dragons roaming the earth since ancient times, of worms transforming into earth dragons and centipedes into sky dragons. A centipede's ultimate form is that of a sky dragon. Lightning is usually described as unyielding like steel and radiant like the sun. The Lightning Sky Dragon is said to embody the radiant side of lightning.

After reading through Da Zi's stat sheet, Gao Peng rubbed his eyes. It was even more spectacular than the Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake. Even though the snake's power was greatly enhanced in the ocean, Da Zi shouldn't have had such a difficult time with it.

One could only attribute this sad state of affairs to Da Zi's lack of experience and the power boost the snake had received in the ocean.

Da Zi's twelve pairs of wings allowed it to store three times the amount of energy a typical Level-69 Mythical-grade monster could store inside itself. It was literally artillery with wings.

"You've grown strong, Da Zi. Now's your time to shine," said Gao Peng. "Haven't you mastered something called Explosive Lightning? Well, go blow up that snake with it."

"Ah, um…" Da Zi sounded nervous. Stripey was one of the strongest familiars it had ever known. If the snake was able to hurt Stripey, what chance did it have against it?

As Gao Peng had given out his orders, Da Zi had no choice but to take on its opponent, regardless of the consequences that could follow.

Spreading out its wings, it tore through the air towards the snake. Red streaks of lightning danced around the tips of its wings, rocking the air with bouts of thunder.

Red electricity began gathering on both sides of Da Zi like a pair of wings, visibly distorting the air around it…

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Chapter 535: Slaying a Snake

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

There was a flash of crimson lightning in the air, followed by a piercing cry. Boom!

Dread gripped Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake the moment the flash of lightning filled the world around it. Even though this strange-looking monster was only an Emperor-tier monster, the snake still felt threatened by it.

The last time something like this had happened was during its years as a young snake, when it had been hunted by monsters a lot stronger than it.

Instinctively, it raised a water barrier above its head Stained a shade of dark red, the layer of water above the snake's head should have been able to absorb its opponent's incoming attack. However, the crimson lightning fell upon it heavily, like a hammer, threatening to shatter it into pieces.

The water barrier shook violently upon impact. The snake groaned as if it were shouldering some incredible weight on its nonexistent shoulders. The water barrier it had erected overhead seemed as if it could break at any moment. The transparent layer of water suddenly turned solid, then exploded.

Lightly placing one foot before itself, Dumby stepped forth, silently taking on its wraith-like form.

Bam!

Still recovering from Da Zi's attack, the Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake turned around and rushed headlong at Dumby.

Dumby deftly sidestepped the snake's headbutt before landing a palm strike on the left side of its head.

The Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake immediately shut its eye. Sparks flew out from Dumby's palm as it grazed past the snake's eyelid.

The snake's scales suddenly stood up on end like jackknives, sweeping past Dumby as the snake lunged forward. Dumby shielded itself from them just in time by holding up its wrists in front of itself.

Dumby's black robe was torn to ribbons by the snake's scales, exposing its body. Its dark golden bones glistened ominously from beneath its robe. The snake's sudden attack was enough to push Dumby back, though each step it took backward left a huge crater on the sand.

However, the sand underfoot was soft. As soon as it was parted by Dumby's footsteps, it immediately flowed back around its feet.

A dark flame began burning around Dumby's body. It was coming from the mysterious white jade bone embedded in its body. Dumby rarely had the chance to use it in battle. Most of the time, it was able to finish off any monster with its other abilities, which it could use with greater finesse. On the other hand, Dumby's mastery over the dark flame was still lacking, as it hadn't been obtained via natural means.

At that moment, inspiration dawned on Dumby. It let the dark flame flow into its palm before slapping it on the three-eyed snake's body, leaving a dark burning palm print on it. Its flames began burning fiercely into the snake's scales.

At first, Gao Peng thought that Dumby's dark flame was burning the water elemental energy in the snake's body. However, looking closely, he saw that it was burning the seawater that was still clinging to the snake's scales.

Incredible. It can even burn saltwater, thought Gao Peng, impressed.

The Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake held its head up high. The flames were now causing it incredible pain.

Whoosh—

There was a ripping sound in the air as the water near the beach began to swirl, then a funnel-shaped pillar of water began to rise from the sea and into the air. Suddenly, countless water daggers flew out from the blood-red vortex, cutting through the rocks and sand on the beach. A deafening din broke out across the beach at that moment.

"It's trying to escape. Dumby, stop it," said Gao Peng, instantly knowing what the snake was trying to do.

The snake's whirlpool attack seemed impressive at first glance. In truth, it was all bark and no bite. The only thing terrifying about it was the fact that the snake intended to use it as a smokescreen in order to facilitate its escape from Dumby and Da Zi.

Gao Peng calmly summoned Goldie to his side. Upon being summoned, Goldie placed its muscular body in front of its master, shielding him from the snake's water daggers.

A couple of water daggers flew towards Goldie. As soon as they hit its body, they exploded, harmlessly splashing water across its face. The water daggers popped like water balloons, drenching Goldie's body from head to toe.

Goldie's water elemental resistance didn't exactly allow it to completely negate water attacks of this magnitude. The extent to which they could be negated was probably only somewhere between 80 and 90 percent…

Goldie was enraged when it took the snake's "attack" right in the face. It clenched its fists, raring to join the battle and smack the three-eyed snake senseless. It took Gao Peng quite a while to calm it down.

Sure enough, after spraying everyone on the beach with its water daggers, the Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-eyed Snake quickly turn around to slink back into the water. However, it was stopped by Dumby. In the air, Da Zi let out its Explosive Lightning, continually pounding the snake with it like a hammer. Every strike fell on the snake's scales with a resounding boom.

Da Zi's Explosive Lightning attack was as violent as it was relentless. It was able to immobilize its target through sheer force.

After being pummelled by Da Zi's lightning strikes a few more times, the Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake began to throw up blood. It was a few feet away from freedom when suddenly a mountain placed itself in front of the snake… Stripey was now standing between it and the sea, trapping it on the beach.

Stripey's face remained expressionless. I never said you could leave, buster.

The Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake had coiled itself up at the foot of the mountain. Its three eyes were narrowed into tiny slits as they coldly observed their surroundings. Blood was trickling down from its mouth. Its internal organs had been ravaged by Dumby's attacks.

Any other monster would have been dead by this point. However, the snake was a hardy creature. Despite being wounded so severely, it was still fiercely clinging to life.

However, Dumby and Stripey hadn't come out of this unscathed. Dumby's status had dropped to 'Moderately Injured,' whereas Stripey's had fallen to 'Severely Injured.' Only Da Zi, which had kept a great distance between itself and the ground this whole time, seemed relatively unharmed.

Da Zi was surprised by just how awesome it had been back then. It hadn't thought it would be able to beat its pursuer into submission… Who knew I would be this awesome?! It let out a sigh.

Dammit… The three-eyed snake hadn't completely resigned itself to its fate yet. It was still looking for a chance to escape.

However, it hadn't even been able to escape when it was still in its top form back then. What chance did it have of escaping now?

Dumby was able to see through the snake's smokescreen tactic. When it tried to make for the ocean, it received another palm strike to the face from its opponent.

The Overlord-tier snake let out a roar filled with rage and discontent before falling dead on the beach.

Upon seeing the Deep Sea Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Snake's lifeless body, Gao Peng realized that he had killed an Overlord-tier monster with the help of his familiars. Stunned by this revelation, Gao Peng came back to his senses moments later. His thumping heart began to slow down.

Of course, Da Zi had played a huge role in taking down the snake. If Da Zi hadn't been there, Dumby and the others wouldn't have been able to kill this Overlord-tier monster. They would have been forced to run for their lives.

Gao Peng didn't know what Da Zi had been through to undergo such a huge growth spurt. In just six months, it had become his most powerful familiar. It had also somehow attained the Mythical grade in that time.

The name Da Zi had assumed after its evolution wasn't listed in any of its Mythical evolutionary routes. Gao Peng took this to mean that Da Zi had been set on a new path by chance.

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As the fight dragged on, the difference in tier worried Gao Peng.

Da Zi was Mythical-grade, and although a Xuanhai Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Python could reach up to the Epic grade, this was merely Excellent grade.

Between the Excellent and Mythical grades, there were three levels—Perfect, Epic and Legendary. Mythical was four levels above Excellent.

Even then, the Xuanhai Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Python could only be killed with the help of Dumby and Stripey. Even though Da Zi didn't have much experience for this battle, this made Gao Peng aware of the need to pay attention to the gap between the grades of each level, especially in the later stages.

It would be difficult to collect the materials needed for the advancement of each grade, but if the effort in collecting was focused on improving the level of the monsters, the speed of growth would be faster than the former.

Gao Peng always felt a sense of urgency. Back when the ancient tribe returned, from the way Sang Tong killed the Cherry Sky Tree, one could tell that the people of the ancient tribe didn't regard themselves as compatriots to people like them who lived on the Earth Star.

It was similar to how the Europeans dealt with the Native Americans when they discovered the New World. Without the ability to protect one's self, everything was an illusion. Even these high-quality beasts of theirs could be stolen.

On one hand, Gao Peng would want to improve his monster's grade, because the Earth Star was restricted, and with a better grade, his monsters would have an advantage against others of the same tier.

But having the same tier was also important, as if there was a lag in tier, it would largely impact their strength. It would be easier to upgrade tiers than grades.

There was one thing yet to be verified. When one stored an Earth Star-restricted monster of a certain level within the space, was one then 'smuggling' the monster in? Loopholes like these were always exceptionally exciting.

As long as one brought them in, it didn't matter if one couldn't release them from the familiar space. Gao Peng sighed. He had been away for half a year…. he was beginning to miss home. But he knew that he couldn't return now.

As they said, "Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever." Since he had yet to be successful, what was the point of heading home?

In Gao Peng's opinion, he would need at least an Overlord-tier familiar, and a huge group of Emperor-tier monsters to be considered mildly successful.

The Sang Tong tribe had an Overlord-tier monster but was only considered a second-grade tribe. If he didn't even have one Overlord-tier monster, he wouldn't even be on par with a second-grade tribe. With this thought, Gao Peng's desire to return home was reduced.

Gao Peng took out the altar on Stripey's back and told Little Black Guy, "Go decompose this Overlord-tier monster. It would be good if you could find something good."

Even though Gao Peng tried to control his emotions, one could tell that he had a sense of satisfaction.

The little black guy, without any complaints, placed the Xuanhai Silver-Winged Three-Eyed Python on the altar like a tiny curled up silver snake. The little black guy didn't express any different emotions while decomposing the Overlord-tier monster, as if it was a fairly common affair.

"Sure. I'll do my best to decompose it better for you." The little guy nodded and rubbed its palms. "To think of it, it's been a while since I decomposed an Overlord-tier monster. I'm not sure if my skills have become rusty."

Gao Peng had a change in expression. "I don't think you have a name yet."

"I do have a name. It's the Great Altar Cutter, and I've mentioned this to you." The little guy was suddenly wary.

"Oh—" Gao Peng nodded in surprise. "But that's the name of the altar. Although you're one with the altar, you are, after all, an instrumental spirit of this altar. Calling you a Great Altar Cutter doesn't sound good. It feels like I am calling out to this altar."

The little guy was confused. "I am one with the altar. We are one, so you can just call me—"

"I will call you Dark Child!"

Dark Child was speechless. "No, what kind of person—"

"Good name!" Goldie slapped the top of the altar. "I thought Gao Peng would call you Darky. I didn't expect him to give you such a nice-sounding name!" Goldie continuously slapped the altar, causing it to creak incessantly.

Dark Child was dumbfounded. "Whatever makes you happy." Dark Child was too lazy to bother. What was in a name? Once upon a time, it'd had many names, so one more 'Dark Child' didn't make a difference.

All these names would eventually disappear in the long river of time. In a million years, ten million years, one hundred million years, or even longer, when the sea dried, when the mountain became a valley, even one's memory over an eternity would be blurred out.

A name, a title, a code name; who would remember?

Gao Peng's finger jabbed Dark Child's forehead, and Dark Child lost its balance, its butt landing on the altar. "Why are you daydreaming? Quickly, get to work," Gao Peng reprimanded.

Any thoughts of the river of time and eternity became a bubble burst by Gao Peng's finger. Dark Child glared at Gao Peng. It had been reminiscing but lost its train of thought. But it was too lazy to haggle with Gao Peng.

Once Dark Child started work, Gao Peng began to clean up Stripey's wound. Gao Peng hadn't had the chance to clean up the wound when the battle was still going on fiercely.

None of the monsters within the familiar space were injured. Stripey and Dumby were the only ones injured.

Between the two, Stripey's injury was more severe. Its original height of 2,600 feet was shortened by two layers, and he was left with 2,000 feet. At the same time, the surface of its body was covered with big and small potholes. There were several cracks that almost broke its body. As a King-tier monster, Stripey was proud to be part of this intense battle.

In battle, Stripey's size was a great advantage. Even though a large size had many inconveniences, nonetheless, the pros outweighed the cons overall. However, it would have been great to be able to flexibly change its size in battle.

Even though Xiao Cao had healing properties, its tier was too low, and Stripey didn't need it to heal its wound. Stripey walked a distance away from the sea, placed its butt on the ground, retracted its claws, closed its eyes, and started to sleep by the shore.

As Stripey slept, the potholes in its body began to heal.

Gao Peng felt the earth under his feet shake continuously. The earth cracked, and a steady stream of stone flowed from the depths of the earth into Stripey's body. These stones blended quickly into Stripey's body and hardened into a piece of stone armor.

At the other end, the Amorphic Hell Tree that was revived by Dumby and a few other King-tier ghouls knelt before Dumby. The cracking sound of bones was heard. From the cracks of the bones, a large number of Soul Flames seeped out and gathered, then entered Dumby's body.

As the Soul Flame engulfed Dumby, its bones also gradually began to heal.

With regards to healing wounds, it was similar to the Chinese Idiom about the eight immortals who were supposed to cross the sea. Each of them had their magic to cross the sea.

On the other side, Da Zi and Gao Peng, who had just been reunited, embraced each other and chatted. Gao Peng asked Dai Zi the details about its disappearance and its whereabouts for the past six months.

Da Zi didn't conceal anything and shared all the details with Gao Peng.

After hearing Dai Zi out, Gao Peng understood that Da Zi had gone through two different worlds. From Da Zi's indignant tone, he felt that Da Zi might have been kicked out, but this fool was unaware and thought that there had been a monster attacking it from behind.

Da Zi's experience was so coincidental that it seemed as though there was an invisible hand manipulating everything.

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Chapter 537: Deep Sea Island

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Stripey only fully recovered from its wounds after a month of recuperation. After the recovery, Gao Peng spent the next few months hunting by the sea.

As this place was connected to the sea and near the plains, the diversity of the monsters there was better than other places. It also helped the altar with decomposing, as the monster's corpses could be used fully.

It could have been that the sea monsters, or the monsters there that lived in the sea, had stronger resistance to water elements. Therefore, many water-resistant elements had been decomposed, and Gao Peng gave all his familiars the fruit of these water-resistant elements to eat.

In the past few months, the tiers of Gao Peng's familiars had increased at varying degrees.

The most obvious improvement in strength was Stripey. From Level 59 to Level 61, it was Gao Peng's third Emperor-tier monster. The lower the level of the monster, the greater the growth. However, Da Zi was already at Level 69. The environment wasn't very conducive for it to grow rapidly.

Gao Peng rested his hands behind him. Stubble had grown on his jaw, his eyebrows were thick, and his nose was sharp. His disposition now was much more imposing compared to a year earlier when he had first gone to the Black Fog World.

The other familiars had also seen some changes. The wilderness was the best place to train monsters. When masters held Blood Contracts over them, these monsters became familiars, but without the constrains of a Blood Contract, these were just primitive wild monsters.

The experience in the past half a year had simply been to activate their pre-existing animal instincts.

As the tides rose and fell, and the sound of the waves interweaved with the rolling waves, Goldie's strong body was bobbing with the waves. Between its strong arms, one could see a large struggling fish, the head clutched in a headlock with its elbow. Goldie slapped the skull of the big fish, and it stopped struggling.

"Gao Peng, we have dinner." Goldie pulled out a Ming Emperor Fish from the sea with its wet bare arms and strode toward the meteor.

"You, young fellow… are so eager to try out your newly acquired skill," Gao Peng jokingly reprimanded. "Fine, we'll have this tonight. Go clean up the fish and slice it."

Yesterday, a newly captured monster had decomposed. From its body, a tough Level 4 outer skin ability fruit was cultivated. As Goldie was hairless and scaleless, it was suitable for this ability. It was just yesterday that Goldie had been given the fruit. That day, the creature had already gone to into the sea to kill monsters.

The past six months had been filled with endless killing and decomposing monsters. The altar had a major role to play in the growth of Goldie and the other familiars, but Gao Peng had always wanted to have a water familiar. It wasn't that he didn't see any King-tier water monsters. In fact, he had even seen an Emperor-tier monster. Unfortunately, the Emperor-tier one was only of the Normal grade, and its abilities weren't impressive, so Gao Peng was too lazy to try and capture it. He watched it from afar and let it swim off.

Gao Peng certainly didn't want to have a Water-type monster and then have to painfully continue grooming it. Ideally, to save time, the monster would be in good fighting form immediately after signing the contract.

With the increasing levels and grades of his familiars, Gao Peng's remaining Soul Power was barely sufficient to sign on an Emperor-tier monster, even if the level wasn't too high. At most, Level 62 or 63 would be acceptable.

But this was just the coast, and it was already rare to see King-tier monsters. If one wanted to meet a high-quality Emperor-tier monster, they would probably have to go deep into the sea.

Now, Gao Peng was just considering just that. To go into the sea, most of the familiars would have to be kept into the space, and this would delay their progress, but if he didn't go out to sea, he would likely have to wait until the end of time to meet the right monster in the shallow waters.

As the Earth Star was 70% water, it was necessary to sign a high combat power water familiar. Many a time, having a familiar that was good at naval warfare would make things much easier.

Since it's decided… let's just do it!

Gao Peng was very decisive. After dinner, he kept the familiars in the space, then sat on Da Zi and flew towards the deep sea.

Gao Peng hadn't been idle for the past half a year. He had familiarized himself with the surrounding terrain thoroughly, with the exception of the deep sea, and that was because there was no point of reference, making it too difficult to record.

Gao Peng remembered flying with Da Zi once and seeing a black spot far away. It seemed to be an island, but when he went back later, he couldn't find the island. He thought he might have misremembered it.

Their flight lasted for half a day. Never before had it taken them so long to get somewhere. Land had disappeared from sight ten minutes into the trip, and now there was a boundless stretch of ocean all around. Occasionally, some monsters jumped out of the water and set off turbulent waves.

Gao Peng saw a black dot far away in front of him and to the right. Gao Peng patted Da Zi's head. "Let's check that out."

When Gao Peng was closer, he could see that it was a rock island that existed in the middle of the ocean. The water level in this area was very shallow. From the sky, one could see the seabed and large reefs at the bottom. At the back was an island about a thousand square feet wide. The island didn't have many plants and was filled almost completely with bare rocks.

There were some birds on the island nesting. In the sky, a white bird was hovering. It swept across the sea and caught a fish.

Gao Peng was very careful. Only after he had observed the island and confirmed that it was just an ordinary rock island did he allow Da Zi to land. When Da Zi landed on the island, the white birds on the island made threatening sounds, and without any fear, attacked Da Zi.

A big white bird with blue light on its beak dashed towards Da Zi like a cannonball. Da Zi swept it away with its big purple tail, but behind it were many more white birds fearlessly rushing forward.

"Aren't they afraid of dying?" Da Zi frowned.

Gao Peng took a glance at the eggs in the nests on the rocks, paused for a moment, and said, "They should be afraid of death… Come on, let's land slightly more to the south."

After landing on the island, the big white birds on the other side kept jumping and making threatening sounds. Upon seeing that Gao Peng didn't come any closer, the shrieks of the big white birds eased quite a bit.

Da Zi stomped its feet to test the strength of the rocks under it. The rocks looked hard, but they were actually brittle, so Gao Peng couldn't release Stripey.

Gao Peng looked towards the big white birds and suddenly exclaimed softly. He had actually spotted an Epic-grade white bird.

[Monster Name: Qingbai Wind Bird

[Monster Grade: Epic

[Monster Level: Level 45

[Special Characteristics: Roaring Wind (It can swallow wind, spit waves, and create a strong wind and tough grass.

Passive Effect 1: Each time the wind element is used, its speed will increase, and the speed of the wind element will also increase. There is a maximum of up to nine layers that can be stacked.

Passive Effect 2: When using the wind element, it will be easier to break through the water's surface.)

It was truly rare that he hadn't met an Epic-grade water monster along the way, but instead saw an Epic-grade white bird.

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Chapter 538: Underwater Cave

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

This Qingbai Wind Bird had a very high position within the flock, with many of the birds quite afraid of it.

For the next few days, Gao Peng lived on the island and became neighbors with this flock of white birds. The birds were originally afraid of Gao Peng and his familiars and guarded against them. However, over time, they relaxed their vigilance. As long as Gao Peng wasn't near, they weren't too bothered.

Gao Peng discovered that this Epic-grade Qingbai Wind Bird worked like a horse. It basically never stopped from morning to night. Aside from eating and sleeping, it was always around.

It didn't need to hunt for food. Every day, a large group of Qingbai Wind Birds would painstakingly fish in the sea and give the captured food to this Epic-grade Qingbai Wind Bird.

In the dead of night, most of the Qingbai Wind Birds were asleep, with a scattered few on guard on the reef.

Gao Peng saw this Epic-grade Qingbai Wind Bird standing on a rock, gazing silently towards the sea, looking very pensive.

"This loser is actually pretending to be deep in thought," Goldie spat disdainfully.

After a while, the Epic-grade Qingbai Wind Bird turned and walked down, circled around a few times, then went into a cave.

Floating Light told him that in the next consecutive days, the Epic-grade bird would enter the cave at night and leave the cave in the early morning. It couldn't have been that it went inside to sleep, because this Qingbai Wind Bird had a nest on the outside, and when it came out early in the morning, it looked tired and would head to the nest to sleep.

As time went by, Gao Peng suspected that the Qingbai Wind Bird had hidden something in the cave. Could the cave have been his treasure hideout?

Another day passed with the Qingbai Wing Birds on the islands competing for mating rights with the Epic-grade Qingbai Wind Bird, which was male. After seeing Goldie looking slightly envious, Gao Peng said to it, "You aren't getting any younger. Would you like me to find you a female duck?"

Goldie's old face reddened, but the skin of its face was too thick for the redness to show. "I-I don't want that," Goldie stuttered. "This ambitionless life is so low-level."

"Hmph." Flamy took a cold glance at the female Qingbai Wing Birds in the distance fighting for mating rights. It proudly said, "These shameless birds are an embarrassment to all of us birds."

After hearing Goldie's words, Flamy couldn't help but say sarcastically, "You look pretty envious. Couldn't tell from your big eyebrows and big eyes, but it turns out you just like that white horse."

Flamy's temper was exceptionally bad that day. Even after mocking Goldie and the Epic-grade Qingbai Wind Bird several times, its anger didn't subside. It looked at those birds doing sleazy things in broad daylight, opened its mouth, and shot out a series of fireballs.

A flock of birds fled off in fright. Even the Epic-grade Qinbai Wind Bird hurriedly flew off the reef.

After Flamy left and was a distance away, Goldie secretly returned, went up to Gao Peng's ear, and whispered, "Master, why did that fat bird get so angry?"

Gao Peng looked at Goldie and said in surprise, "You don't know?"

Goldie was stunned and scratched its head. "I know? What would I know? Unless… it's jealous that I'm slimmer than it is… ?" As Goldie thought about the likelihood of this possibility, it couldn't stop shaking its head. "It can't help that its physique is the type that becomes fat even when it's simply breathing. At most, I'll stop saying that it's fat."

"You, ah…" Gao Peng glanced at Goldie and sighed. This silly monster was single for good reason. Even he could tell that something was amiss, but this dumb duck couldn't.

Though Gao Peng had many familiars, who had Flamy looked for a chat with? At every chance, Flamy would mention Goldie. It was always "little Baldie,""silly Baldie," and "what's Goldie doing today?"

"Maybe other people just like your stupidity. Anyway, I won't get involved," Gao Peng said resignedly. Then he beckoned, "Goldie come over here. Let's go check out what the Qingbai Wind Bird is hiding in the cave, and sneaking out to see every night."

The cave wasn't big. In fact, it was slightly short. Goldie had to bend over to enter. If one continued in deeper, it led downwards. While it was slightly damp, there was no water seeping in. Gao Peng bent over and proceeded inside.

The deeper they went into the cave, the more spacious the cave became. Very quickly, they arrived at the bottom, which was wide and clean. There were dense bubbles growing on the rock wall.

The bubbles were large, at an average width of three feet. Each bubble contained strange objects, such as octopus feet, crab claws, fish scales, and kelp—all ocean items.

Goldie was very curious and stretched out its fingers, almost bursting open a bubble near it. Gao Peng stopped it. One wasn't supposed to touch things that one wasn't familiar with. Goldie grunted in agreement, then stood behind Gao Peng without moving. Its eyes would still shift around, appearing very curious.

Burble. A very distinct snoring sound was heard in the cave, as though something was blowing bubbles.

Gao Peng vigilantly scanned his surroundings. Aside from the bubbles, there was nothing else. In the dark, he asked Goldie if it had seen anything. Goldie hadn't noticed anything, either.

If Goldie couldn't detect it, it probably meant that the thing in the dark was well hidden. Gao Peng couldn't help but frown. Although Goldie didn't have a high level, it had a decent grade. Goldie wasn't smart, but it had a strong intuition. This was probably what people were referring to when they said that when God closed a door, a window opened.

Gao Peng wanted to retreat. The ocean was indeed mysterious. He was about to curb his curiosity and turned to leave when there was a bang behind him.

A bubble had exploded.

When Gao Peng turned back, he saw a transparent bubble blasting open. Inside was a bunch of dark seaweed. When the bubble exploded, the seaweed was also suddenly exposed to the air—this was not an illusion.

A rich salty taste filled in the air. Gao Peng was shocked. The exposed seaweed suddenly rose up in the air!

It swayed wildly, like a lock of dark dense hair, and started expanding. With every breath, its volume doubled. The plant was almost touching the other bubbles when it seemed to consciously avoid them and move inward, following the airspace, moving towards Gao Peng.

[Monster Name: Mutated Seaweed Monster

[Monster Level: Level 56 (King-tier)

[Monster Grade: Perfect/Perfect

[Monster Attribute: Water

[Monster Skills: Tough Twine-Wrap Level 4, Flame Resistance Level 3

[Monster Weakness: Fire

[Monster Description: Mutant seaweed with strong vitality, it's good at strangling enemies and then injecting its roots into the enemy body to decompose them. Originally it was afraid of fire, but in the process of mutation, it was given flame resistance ability, so its only weakness has been compensated for.

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Chapter 539: Burning Cave

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The seaweed lay close to the black rocks, reaching outwards like countless snakes huffing and puffing. At a glance, the thick black hair seemed to be expanding at an exponential speed.

Hundreds of strands of seaweed wrapped themselves around Goldie's arms; it looked like brown hair that was alive. Goldie tugged hard, the seaweed unexpectedly tough. As Goldie struggled, it continued to tighten.

Because it was attacking with strangulation, Goldie's passive effect wasn't triggered. As time went by, its strength grew greater, and the mutated seaweed gradually tightened and left marks on Goldie's skin.

Goldie made a choking sound and struggled left and right several times, to no avail. As it wiggled its shoulders left and right, the seaweed became tighter and tighter.

It was now in a frustrating situation. It had power but was unable to release it. The seaweed wasn't exactly hard, but it was very resilient. As hard as Goldie tried, it couldn't break free.

Goldie's passive effect couldn't be activated, which meant that it couldn't increase its strength. Goldie saw the surrounding seaweed at its feet move toward Gao Peng. It stomped on it with its right foot. The cluster of weeds under Goldie's feet continued to shake and wind around Goldie's legs. "Gao Peng, run, quickly. I'll stop the weeds," Goldie shouted while dashing towards Gao Peng.

Gao Peng couldn't help but frown.

This kind of restrictive monster would be effective in restraining Goldie, because Goldie could only activate its passive effect when injured. A lockdown and restrictive ability like this wouldn't give Goldie the chance to trigger the passive effect, but only force it to sit out the battle. This was also one of Goldie's weaknesses.

"Doesn't a baldie like you usually like to rush ahead?" Flamy's voice was heard behind Gao Peng. Flamy bent over and entered the cave behind him.

It faced the weaving seaweed that was headed towards Gao Peng and spat out a bolt of flames. The flames burned along the ground, and the seaweed howled and wiggled in the flames.

Gao Peng wasn't surprised. Although this mutated seaweed had flame resistance, its resistance level was only Level 3. It might have been able to resist a regular fire, but if the fire was too lethal, it could also be damaged.

The flames pushed the seaweed backward, the entire plant was covered in flames. Since the seaweed had wrapped around Goldie, Goldie was also covered in flames.

Goldie squatted silently, without saying a word. It only stood up with an unhappy look when the seaweed around it was fully burnt to ashes.

Gao Peng knew that it was unhappy because it had looked like a fool in front of Flamy. As the flames continued to spread, Gao Peng seemed to recall something, his face changing.

"Not good. Flamy, quickly control the fire. You don't want it to continue burning inside."

Flamy opened its mouth and swallowed the bolt of fire, the flames reduced into a line of flames in its mouth. But it was too late. Gao Peng could hear a symphony of bursting bubbles.

Pop, pop, pop— A strange inexplicable ambiance was released from the depths of the cave.

From the simmering light of the fire, one could see the twisted shadow of the rocks in the cave. From the depths of the shadows, huge black shadows woke up…

"Flamy, full attack towards the depths of the cave!" Gao Peng ordered.

Flamy nodded cautiously. There were… quite a lot of monsters inside. Taking a deep breath, the red fluff on the sides of Flamy's cheeks fluttered slightly. The red feathers on its body swayed violently, the heat waves rose, and the air became contorted.

The flames leaped outwards, and a horrible heat filled the caves. Even the water on the ground evaporated into steam.

Bam! Like a fire dragon, flames swept up the entire cave, and the red flames cooked the rocks until they were red hot. Deep within the cave came the screams of monsters being burned by flames.

A green helmeted blue-headed crab general dashed out of the inferno, waving its big claws. The surface of its body shimmered with a faint blue light, but at this moment, the blue light had scalded its shell into many holes. Part of his cyan shell was transparent and red.

A half-cooked state made one the craziest. As it jumped aggressively forward, it smashed a large piece of red-hot rock. Its claws released sparks as they rubbed against the rock wall, moving forward with an air of hostility.

Goldie coldly grunted. I wasn't able to use my strength with the seaweed, but do you think I'll be afraid of a half-cooked crab?!

Seeing a kick coming towards its face, the crab general used its pincer to block the attack. A webbed foot stepped on it, and the crab general felt a huge force. Its pincer fell off, and it almost fell on its back. It had no choice but to retreat.

Behind the crab general, another group of monsters who were dashing out became stuck because of the swollen body of the crab general. The situation eased slightly.

In the pervasive flames, these monsters were in trouble. With fire and high temperatures, the place was a natural steamer. Whenever there was a monster who wanted to rush out, Goldie would run forward and enthusiastically "block" them. With its magic resistance, Goldie was used to being burned by Flamy, so it wasn't afraid of this fire.

After half an hour of burning, all the fish, prawn, and seaweed monsters were thoroughly burnt. The air was filled with a strange seafood fragrance.

"Gao Peng! You're eating good food behind my back!" Da Zi entered the cave and shouted loudly, like a husky who saw its owner keeping the good food for himself. Oh no, it was going to make a fuss.

Da Zi kept pushing its head in. The stones near the top of its head fell, and Gao Peng, who noticed the situation, had a change of expression. "Hush! Get out right now!"

"I won't! You're eating delicious food behind my back and still want me to leave." Da Zi's eyes turned red.

What… Gao Peng's expression darkened. "I won't eat secretly. I'll bring it out for you."

Da Zi retracted its head resentfully after hearing this.

When we were killing monsters, you were nowhere to be found. But after smelling the fragrance of food, you run faster than anyone else. Gao Peng had Goldie drag the bodies of these monsters out of the cave. Some of the monsters were too big for the entrance of the cave and were stuck. Gao Peng had to smash open the cave entrance before pulling out the bodies of these monsters.

Gao Peng only realized Flamy's lethality after noticing that every monster was a King-tier.

"Ugh." When Goldie was dragging the corpse of a shell-like monster, a grunt came from it. As soon as Goldie slowed down, the sound inside disappeared, as if it had just been an illusion.

Gao Peng and Goldie looked at each other. Goldie lowered its head and put its hands on the upper and lower edges of the shell, then pried it opened forcefully.

Crack, crack. The shell made a crisp sound while cracks appeared. The shell had lost its toughness and become brittle after being burnt.

Pop—

There was a loud sound, and the shells burst into pieces. A blue figure emerged from the shell and began to flee.

Gao Peng extended his left foot and tripped it as it passed. It rolled several times on the ground, only stopping when it finally slammed into Floating Light with a bang.

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Chapter 540: Big Fat Sea

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

When Gao Peng looked back, he saw a confused fat blue… fish tumbling on the ground. This white-headed, blue-bodied creature with small alert eyes the size of pearls and two circles of blush on its face was a fat fish.

Sitting on the ground, the fat fish was dizzy. It laid its head down and made a strange sound with its mouth. "Goo goo."

"Hey, five hundred." Goldie came over and lifted the fat fish's tail. The fat fish tried desperately to wiggle away.

The fat fish suddenly stopped struggling and stared at Goldie with its set of dead fish eyes. The evil gaze gave Goldie the chills. "This fish… looks to be worth more than five hundred dollars."

"You stupid, disgusting duck with an underdeveloped brain. Quickly put me back into the sea, or I will give you a taste of pain, bald duck." The fat fish clearly articulated every single word.

Gao Peng was listening silently on the side. Though this fat fish seemed to be speaking to Goldie, the words should have been addressed to him. Otherwise, why would he use Mandarin Chinese to speak to Goldie?

Smack! Goldie's face changed, and it slapped the fat fish on top of its head. The fat fish wiggled in its hands. "You dare to scold me?"

The fat fish looked coldly at Goldie, but it seemed that the slap had been a painful one, because it didn't continue speaking.

Goldie cupped his hands to Gao Peng's ear and said softly, "Gao Peng, this fat fish can speak, so it's definitely worth more than five hundred dollars."

Upon hearing Goldie's words, the fat fish, who wasn't supposed to speak, couldn't help but laugh harshly. "Do you know who I am? You actually dare to treat me like this? You will face the wrath of the ocean, and you will be punished by the storms, you stupid mortal creatures."

After, Gao Peng looked at the fish's attributes and started developing a little interest in this creature. "Hey, fat fish—"

[Monster Name: Sea…

[Monster Level: Level 50

[Monster Grade: Excellent/???

[Monster Attribute: Water

[Monster Skills: Legendary Body Level 4, Son of the Sea Level 4

[Special Characteristics: Corrosive Abnormality (Powerful and vigorous ocean power that gives it superb vitality in the sea, this unique powerful vitality enables it to erode and mutate marine life.

Active Effect 1: Strong vitality allows it to mutate marine life.

Active Effect 2: ???

[Monster Description: An unknown monster with strong and unique vitality, able to infect and mutate other organisms.

It was a monster whose information couldn't be seen.

Gao Peng had a strange glint in his eyes. Up to that point, there had been very few creatures that had question marks in his data frame. Moreover, this question mark seemed to involve a mysterious rule. As long as it involved rules, he had his own question marks about it.

If it had been another person without his ability, even if they saw this fat fish, they would have regarded it as a regular talking monster simply because it had no combat power. Maybe, its only merit was its resilience while being beaten up.

Gao Peng's look made the fat fish's hair stand on end. It couldn't resist scolding, "You cheap lowly mortal, just try to look at me, your father, once more, and I'll hammer your eyes."

Smack. Goldie gave it another slap. The fat fish spun seven to eight times like a spinning top in its hand.

"Don't you take that tone with my brother," Goldie said faintly. Goldie swung around its nimble wrist and occasionally slapped the fat fish. The fish was like a little punching bag spinning around in its palm.

The fat fish had a bad temper, so the more Goldie hit it, the more it lashed out. It even used new words each time, and all the vicious words tempted Goldie to beat it to death.

Gao Peng suddenly stopped Goldie. "Don't kill it."

Gao Peng looked down at this fat fish, the fat fish fearlessly staring back.

Gao Peng rubbed his beard and murmured, "I have a feeling that this fat fish is trying to agitate you on purpose in the hopes that you'll be reckless."

He suddenly bent over and looked into the eyes of the fat fish. Gao Peng furrowed his eyebrows. "I came to the sea to look for a water monster to make a contract with, but this fat fish looks so weak and has no combat power. It's useless."

The fat fish rolled its eyes upwards, then kept looking down.

"But this fat fish looks really cute. It's not a bad idea to keep it as a familiar."

"Cute… You banana skin. I, your father, am ferocious and evil. I kill people with no remorse," the fat fish suddenly cursed loudly.

"That's great. I was just looking for a ferocious and evil familiar." Gao Peng looked like he was going to laugh.

The fat fish was stunned. This human was so cunning.

Gao Peng let Goldie take the fat fish out to have a heart-to-heart and ponder about life, but with the instructions to control himself and not kill it.

If it had been another monster, Gao Peng wouldn't have dared to use this method, but this fish looked smart, and the more it pretended to be ferocious, the more it indicated that it was worried about being weak.

That night, the Qingbai Wind Birds that had been scared away returned. They carefully circled the reef, then checked their eggs on the island. They were greatly relieved when they found their eggs safe.

In the quiet of the night, when all the Qingbai Wind Birds were asleep, the one that was several sizes bigger than the rest stood up and sneakily went to the cave. When it saw the damaged entrance, the Qingbai Wind Bird panicked and hopped in quickly.

Ten minutes later, the Qingbai Wind Bird came up from the cave. It turned to look at Gao Peng and his familiars, its eyes filled with very complex human-like emotions. It then lowered its head and let out a melancholy cry.

It was like it had lost something important. Though obviously angry, it didn't dare to go near Gao Peng's group.

Bending over with a drooping shoulder, it slowly made its way back to the flock. This Epic-grade Qingbai Wind Bird lay in its nest and looked stonily towards the sky.

Three days had passed, and Gao Peng realized that the fat fish was truly stubborn. It refused to become Gao Peng's familiar. As a compliment to its stubborn spirit, Gao Peng affectionally called it "Big Fat Sea."

Since its monster name had 'sea' in it, and it was a big fat fish, it was given the dignified name Fat Big Sea—although it didn't really like it.

"Why must you insist on a big fat fish like me? If you want a monster with a high grade, I can help you with that." Big Fat Sea was finally speechless. It had never seen a scoundrel like Gao Peng.

"I only want you, Big Fat Sea."

"What do you see in me? I can change that." Fat Big Sea stared angrily.

"I'm seeing in you that you're a fish." Gao Peng lifted his eyebrows.

Big Fat Sea was stunned by his response.

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Read Monster Pet Evolution Chapter 541 - A Fair Contract online for free - AllNovelFull

Chapter 541: A Fair Contract

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"I know where some of the very highest grade ocean monsters are located… Why not make a deal with me? If you're not satisfied with yours, you can find yourself another one and only sign the contract when you're happy with it. Sound good?" Big Fat Fish was too tired to argue with Gao Peng anymore, as Gao Peng was unbelievably brazen. I had been firm with my stand. Yet, you insisted on a Blood Contract.

Should I say you have no shame or… have good taste?

Gao Peng, who had been holding Big Fat Fish, found a reef and rested on it.

"To be frank, I can understand why you refuse to sign a Blood Contract with me. An outstanding Big Fat Fish like you would definitely refuse to be owned by anyone as a familiar. Am I right?" Gao Peng said in a sincere tone.

Big Fat Fish rolled its eyes but didn't reply Gao Peng's question. However, its thoughts were clearly spoken.

"Do you not wish to recover your ability?" Gao Peng pinched its big round head. "It's not easy for you to recover your quality, right? Otherwise, you would have reached the Excellent grade again a long time ago.

"How about this? There's absolutely no way for me to release you after I've got my hands on you. But, I can provide you an easier way to regain your grade. I won't kill you even if you don't agree to these terms. I'll keep you by my side, then bury you inside a hole. I'm positive that you'll be able to live for another eight to ten years inside that hole," said Gao Peng genuinely.

Gao Peng's words were true and unhypocritical. Big Fat Fish was speechless. It stared at Gao Peng in silence and thought, I've never seen someone like him.

Gao Peng rested his palm on the forehead of Big Fat Fish as he intended to communicate with it via Soul Power to persuade it to sign the Blood Contract.

He utilized Soul Perception to enter Big Fat Fish's consciousness space and penetrated through the completely dark fog. When he relaxed his soul the next second, a borderless world of consciousness appeared before him.

A boundless ocean came into sight. At that moment, it was extremely calm. There wasn't even a slight movement on the surface of the sea, making it resemble a gigantic mirror. It was as though the sea in the consciousness space had already died and had zero energy.

Gao Peng lowered his head to look at a small area of the water underneath his feet that was still 'alive.' Occasionally, the surface bubbled and rippled.

Thud!

Blue lightning shot out from the sky towards the surface of the ocean, as though it was trying to break the sea into half. Abruptly, the dead ocean was awakened.

One after another, angry waves ran across the ocean. The foggy sky was covered by the lights as two dim yellow clouds of light shone from the deepest part of the sea. The size of the light clouds was enormous, to the extent that they were greater than an island.

With a straight face, Gao Peng said in an even tone, "What are you doing, Big Fat Fish? Your childish tricks are so disappointing."

"How dare you! A petty commoner—"

"Do you want to try hitting me with lightning?" Gao Peng interrupted.

Gao Peng was very clear that it was merely Level 50 and hadn't even reached King tier. For now, it barely reached the Excellent tier. In fact, Gao Peng might have had stronger Soul Power if they were to compare them.

Nonetheless, he had signed two Emperor-tier familiars that had achieved Legendary grade or above. Hence, his Soul Power was definitely close to Emperor-tier. Therefore, he had nothing to be afraid of. If they were left with no choice but to battle, he wouldn't have the lower hand.

Unstirred, the two yellow light clouds that were buried deep inside the ocean shone right at Gao Peng. Abruptly, Gao Peng had a vision. He felt as though he was watching a storm that was about to sweep out the whole world, accompanied by a huge wave that was coming towards him, about to swallow him alive.

The huge wave and the storm went past him, leaving him without harming him. It was only an illusion.

"Are you done considering? What's your decision? The Blood Contract is only insurance. I'm always lenient with my familiars, and we all work as peers. Besides, I'll respect your decision, too."

"So, you were saying that you could help me to recover my grade?" Big Fat Fish asked all of a sudden.

"Yes… How about this? If you don't believe me, I can help you regain your Perfect-grade status now, but you can't bargain with me after that's done."

"That's not necessary. I have my own ways to make you suffer if you dare to lie to me," said Big Fat Fish in a spine-chilling tone.

A beaming red contract that looked as though it was drenched in blood appeared in thin air. What caught their eyes were the blue stripes in the middle of the contract, and the perimeter of it was shimmering in mysterious blue light.

"Do you dare to sign it?" Big Fat Fish asked.

Frowning, Gao Peng looked at the contract before him. It looked considerably similar to a Blood Contract in terms of its appearance and pattern. However, the Blood Contract was named that because it required the signees to make a cut and bleed from their fingers. This was only done when a monster trainer wasn't powerful enough. When a monster trainer had gained sufficient Soul Power, he or she could communicate directly with the monster to seal the Blood Contract.

It was named a Blood Contract mainly because of its bright red color. It resembled a scroll that had been soaked inside a pool of fresh blood for months, but there were blue symbols on the Blood Contract that had been summoned by Big Fat Fish. The symbols reminded Gao Peng of the ocean and storms when he saw it. It didn't look like a proper contract.

"This is also a Blood Contract with a few amendments on the terms," Big Fat Fish said nonchalantly.

Gao Peng extended his consciousness towards the contract. Before long, he had successfully perceived the contents of the contract. He examined the contract meticulously with his eyes closed.

This was a fair contract, stating that Big Fat Fish would assist Gao Peng in his battles to the best of its ability. In the meantime, Gao Peng was required to do his best to help Big Fat Fish with its grade advancement.

Furthermore, the contract came with a time limit, as well. If Gao Peng failed to follow the timeline to help Big Fat Fish recover its grade in ten years, a hundred years, three hundred years, five hundred years, and a thousand years, respectively, then the Blood Contract would be dismissed automatically. Simultaneously, Gao Peng would suffer from Soul Antiphasic.

Big Fat Fish threw a glimpse at Gao Peng, trying to challenge Gao Peng. "Do you dare to sign this Blood Contract?"

Gao Peng calmly extended his right hand and pressed it against the Blood Contract. Immediately, the Blood Contract exploded into a golden beam and vanished into Gao Peng and Big Fat Fish's bodies.

A thousand years? Ridiculous. Even if I can't fulfill the contract, it will still last for a thousand years.

Gao Peng exited Big Fat Fish's consciousness space after they sealed the contract. After he opened his eyes, he patted Big Fat Fish's big round head, saying, "Didn't you say that you know the location of the highest grade sea monsters? Since you're my familiar now, we're comrades. C'mon, guide me there."

When Gao Peng revisited Big Fat Fish's attributes, he noticed some attributes that had been hidden earlier. It might have been proof of their closer bond after they had sealed a Blood Contract.

[Requirements for Promotion to Perfect Grade: Five Hearts of a Snake-Dragon Monster, 100 tons of Deep Sea Giant Kelp, 10 tons of Back Bone of King-Kong Palpus Shark, etc…

Are you an idiot??? Gao Peng was stunned by the variety of the required materials. After a detailed calculation, the total materials weighed a few hundred tons, but the Big Fat Fish barely weighed 33 kilograms even after it stuffed itself.

Big Fat Fish's instincts told it that it had been cheated by Gao Peng. Yet, it couldn't tell what had gone wrong. "Fine, I'll bring you there later."

"Oh, yes! Do you know where can I find a Snake-Dragon Monster, Deep Sea Giant Kelp, and King-Kong Palpus Shark?"

Big Fat Fish squinted its eyes as it pondered before it eventually listed a few locations. "I have to make this clear. I may not know about the monsters on earth, but I know every single monster that lives in the ocean.

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Yuzhou, Earth Star.

It had been a full three years since Gao Peng had left Earth Star. It required a long time for one to grow his or her popularity, from a nobody to a person who was able to influence the world. However, most people forgot that Gao Peng had only needed three months.

Three years had passed, and it had been eight years since the metamorphosis of Earth Star. Back then, everyone would be reminded of this man once someone mentioned him, but now, no one discussed him anymore.

This was similar to the situation before the Cataclysm, when the celebrities from the Country of Goryeo were able to attract a lot of fans in Huaxia region. However, due to their unique military regulations, most of the well-known stars failed to escape from the military service and were enrolled in base camp. A major number of the fans swore their faithfulness towards their favorite celebrities. "We will definitely wait for you, Oppa!" Yet, when the celebrities were finally discharged from the military, the fans had shifted their interest to someone else.

Armenian Street was a famous pub street in Yuzhou. At the beginning of the Cataclysm, many monster trainers had left the city to hunt for monsters. As they were risking their lives all the time, they needed a place to vent their overflowing energy and passion.

Coincidentally, a stable spatial rift had appeared at this region. The appearance of the spatial rift brought the popularity of Armenian Street in the Baiye District of Yuzhou City to a new peak.

"Hey, who do you think the best monster trainer on earth is now?"

"I think it must be the Sun King from the Great Britain region."

"The Sun King? Didn't he get beaten up by Dark Asura from Hua Lun?" A fat boy in a blue T-shirt who was standing beside him let out a contemptuous laugh.

"The Sun King was ambushed by him back then. That's the reason Hua Lun is being hunted down right now." The white-shirted boy with a sleeve tattoo who spoke earlier lifted his beer mug and emptied it before he continued, "In my opinion, I think Sun King is the most powerful."

A few people beside him were confused. "Why do you think it's the Sun King? Despite being exceptionally famous in Great Britain, his popularity is limited only to the west. There's Young Master Qingluan from the east and the Northern Ice King. They're both top-notch monster trainers."

"Don't you think the Sun King looks very sexy?" The tattooed man with a full sleeve was extremely furious when someone insulted his dream lover.

"I heard that the Sun King is a man…" an unidentified voice mumbled.

A few others changed their expressions instantly as they heard these words. Then they shifted their arguments discreetly.

"But, come to think of it… Almost all the top monster trainers originated from the ancient tribe. Will we even have a place to stand in the future? Are we destined to be lower class? Rumors say that the World Allied Government is ready to propose a new plan, and I heard that it involves the ancient tribe," said the man as he heaved a sigh of despair. A hint of sorrow wafted through the atmosphere.

"What is wrong with you? You're boosting your opponent's confidence while diminishing your own reputation. I'm upset just listening to your words," A muscular man who was sitting at the table beside them, stood up furiously. "It's unfair to say that Earth Star has no elite monster trainers. There are already two marvelous monster trainers in Yuzhou, not to mention the rest of them who are spread across the world. We're yet to develop and merely started a couple of years ago. In a few years, billions of people from Earth Star will be able to wipe the floor with them!"

The man with a Herculean build had a loud voice. At his table sat another ten or so men. A few people on the other side exchanged gazes with each other. Vexxed, the sleeve-tattooed man rebuked, "So, who are the two marvelous monster trainers you are talking about?"

"Ji Hanwu and Gao Peng from the Southern Sky Group," the sturdy man said as he glared at the tattooed man and continued, "They're Earth Star's very own seasoned King-tier monster trainers. Three years ago, Gao Peng was even given the title of 'strongest man.'"

The tattooed man sniggered as he raised the corner of his lips. I've been waiting for you to make this statement. He replied, "I second your comment regarding Ji Hanwu, but I will not acknowledge what you said about Gao Peng. He left the people and ran to the Black Fog World when he heard that the people from the ancient tribe were coming. Whether he's alive or not, no one has heard of his whereabouts since then. A coward like him doesn't deserve to be called the strongest man."

The muscular man remained silent. The friends of the tattooed man nudged him with their elbows. It's fine if you speak about this somewhere else or in private, but we're in public… Worse, we're in Yuzhou now.

Everyone in town knew that three points of Armenian Street weer under the surveillance of the Southern Sky Security Company. The guards who were on duty shifted their gazes towards the group as their discussion went on.

Despite being slightly intoxicated by the alcoholic drinks, the tattooed man wasn't utterly dull-witted. As he saw the unfriendly, almost hostile looks from the guards, he quivered, waking up a bit from his drunken stupor. Then, he sourly left the pub with his company quietly.

"That was my bad, Young Master. I'll send my people to throw them into the Jialing River right away." Wang Zhao, who appeared to be somewhat embarrassed, spoke as he bowed to the young man in a tracksuit beside him.

"Forget about it. We can't control what others say. They have their freedom of speech, so let them be." Gao Peng waved his hand, looking unbothered.

"You're so understanding, Young Master," Wang Zhao responded immediately.

Gao Peng replied with a faint smile, "You're too young and impulsive. You have to learn about patience."

"Understood. Thanks for the lesson, Principal." Wang Zhao nodded his head firmly.

Wang Zhao was from the first batch of graduates from Tiange Academy. He had joined Southern Sky Group after his graduation and was assigned to manage Armenian Street. He was completely in charge of the management of Armenian Street.

The next moment, Gao Peng ordered Xiao Cao discreetly via Blood Contract, "Place a curse on that group of people. Make them sick for a few days."

Gao Peng squinted his eyes. It's fine for you to speak poorly of me as long as you do it behind my back. Now that you've done it in front of me, you have to face the consequences.

Xiao Cao shook its head. A few black fluffs quietly disappeared into the dark as they blew with the wind and chased after the group of men.

Gao Peng retracted his gaze. Subsequently, he scanned the surroundings with a grin. "Fine. You go ahead and arrange transportation for me. I don't need a big car. A small off-road vehicle will do."

All his spare clothes were worn out after staying in the Black Fog World for three whole years. Gao Peng didn't head home directly after he arrived at Earth Star. Instead, he sent out his people to research the current situation at home beforehand.

Grandpa had been doing well. He was served with good food every day and had been very healthy. However, Grandpa had rarely worked ever since Gao Peng had left Earth Star. If there were any problems, Grandpa would send out the 'labor workers' of the White Dragon Tribe. It was a mutual deal, as they desired fame, while Grandpa could save his efforts.

Three years had passed in the blink of an eye. As Grandpa hadn't been working, and Gao Peng had left Earth Star, the Southern Sky Group was no longer as famous as before.

Criticism came along with popularity. After a three-year hiatus, the Southern Sky Group had moved away from the limelight. This had been within Gao Peng's expectations when he had planned to leave Earth Star.

"I didn't expect that the suppression of Earth Star has yet to be removed. The strongest monsters that can survive on Earth Star now are still the top-ranked King-tier monsters. But, there's also good news. Now, we can bring home our familiars by carrying them in our own familiar space…"

Gao Peng turned to look at the well-built white homo habilis that was standing behind him. The homo habilis had arms that were so long that they could reach below its knees. On its back, it carried a pair of wings. It had green eyes and red lips. It was moving its tail actively. Despite its drastic change of appearance, Xiao Hua's features were faintly recognizable.

"Let's go. We'll head home and check things out." Gao Peng left the pub

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Chapter 543: Meeting Again After a Long Time

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The car window opened. Gao Peng narrowed his eyes against the cold breeze blowing inside. Wrapped around his shoulder, Xiao Cao stuck its head outside the window, its black and white striped crown becoming messed up due to the wind.

At first, he had thought that in the three years that had passed since the suppression of Earth Star, he would have advanced to Emperor-tier, but he had never expected to still remain in the King-tier.

Gao Peng was finally returning to Earth Star after spending too long in the Black Fog World. His return was mainly because his grandfather was getting older, and he wanted to spend time with him, though it was also an excuse for him to see if there were any threats surrounding the Southern Sky Group.

However, Gao Peng had been forced to leave most of his monsters in either his familiar space or the Black Fog World. Only Xiao Cao, Nan Ju, Bei Zhi, Xiao Hua, and Moneymaker had followed him to Earth Star.

Even Silly, who could only yell "666" during battles and served as a backdrop, had recently found a two-ton Spatial Spirit Stone in the Windstorm Sea, and when Gao Peng had left, it had been trying to break through to Emperor-tier, though he didn't know whether it had succeeded or not.

That big-headed fish was a spy through and through, because it always came back with news from the grapevine. It made Gao Peng feel like the sea was his backyard, and it took Gao Peng around the vast seas picking up scraps. Gao Peng's monsters could advance so quickly largely due to the Big Fat Fish. Though Gao Peng could no longer remember the exact amount, he knew Big Fat Fish had also helped with the ten percent recovery of the Great Altar Cutter.

"This is the entrance to the group?" Gao Peng couldn't believe what he was seeing—it was a 300-foot-tall grand gate made with white columns and blue tiles. It looked like the entrance to a palace, and three gleaming words were carved above the gate—Southern Sky Gate.

There was a huge white python the size of a water tank winding itself around a column. Its white scales were elegant and realistic, and it was even flicking its tongue out.

The factories had been moved. Now, this area contained the headquarters, employees' residences, and a training center. There were people in battle suits speed walking with their monsters, and there were also people in casual outfits strolling and chatting with their children.

No one knew that Gao Peng, who had been overseas for three years, would return that day. Only Ji Hanwu had been informed beforehand, and he was waiting for him at home.

From afar, Gao Peng saw a tall man waiting by the door. Though his hair had turned gray, he was still bright and cheerful.

"You're back." Gao Peng's grandfather smiled, the edges of his eyes wrinkling. He took hold of his grandson's elbow and looked at him. "You've lost some weight, but you look more energetic now."

Ji Hanwu pulled Gao Peng into the house. "You haven't been eating well there, have you? Faster, come in. I've made your favorite kelp rib soup."

Once inside the mansion, Gao Peng glanced towards the hall. On a couch next to the windows sat a lady in a white linen shirt and light blue jeans. The warm light shined onto her long black hair, making her look like she had a golden halo, and there was a slight smile on her fair face.

Upon seeing Gao Peng, Bei Qing Yan looked utterly shocked, but immediately, she withdrew her gaze, stood up, and closed her book, preparing to leave.

Grandfather asked her to stay. "Just stay for dinner. Little Peng just came back today, and after all, you do know each other."

Bei Qing Yan considered this before nodding. "All right."

During the meal, Grandfather couldn't contain his joy and kept putting food on Gao Peng and Bei Qing Yan's plates while telling Gao Peng what had happened since he had left three years earlier.

He also told Gao Peng the reason Bei Qing Yan was there. Since Gao Peng's last return from the Arctic, the Southern Sky Group provided an "airdrop" to the Arctic once a month. Inside the airdrop were delicious snacks and frozen ingredients. This continued for a year, until the Northern Frost Tribe came back to Earth Star. Due to her status, it was awkward for Bei Qing Yan to stay there.

Her social status was high, as she was practically a living ancestor. It would have been strange for the leaders of the Northern Frost Tribe to suddenly have to be subservient to someone else.

It was an awkward situation for all of them, so Bei Qing Yan decided to leave for the south with the Frozen Asura Knight. When she passed by Yuzhou, the female Magnetic Beast in her lap sensed the male Magnetic Beast that Gao Peng had placed in the mansion. Since she was in the area, it would be rude not to pay them a visit. When she realized Gao Peng wasn't there, she wanted to leave, but Ji Hanwu tricked her into staying at the Southern Sky Group, where she was treated with care.

Bei Qing Yan felt uneasy about the kindness she had received, which was why she persuaded her monsters to help Ji Hanwu solve some tasks. Thus, the Frozen Asura Knight became the official fighter of the Southern Sky Group.

Ji Hanwu treated her like his granddaughter-in-law and often invited her to join him for meals, even building a mansion for her next to the lake.

After a while, Ji Hanwu declared that he was full and slowly got up to go upstairs, saying, "Continue without me. I'm going to sleep. An old man like me needs his beauty sleep."

Only Gao Peng and Bei Qing Yan were left at the dining table. The atmosphere was strange and awkward. "It's been a while. Have you gotten used to Yuzhou? Our food is a little spicy." Gao Peng broke the awkward atmosphere.

"I like the food here. It's better than what we had last time," Bei Qing Yan replied.

Then they fell into silence again.

"Oh, I can see that you like the food here. Your face has become round," Gao Peng hastily said, trying to alleviate the awkwardness between them.

Bei Qing Yan was speechless. She wiped the edges of her mouth with a napkin from the table, and after setting down her chopsticks, said coolly, "I'm full. Enjoy the rest of your meal." Then she left the mansion.

Gao Peng felt like he had said something wrong but… her face really had become round!

The next day, Gao Peng was woken up by noise from outside the window. He rose from his bed and walked towards the balcony in his slippers before glancing down from the second floor to the field, which was packed with countless people.

Gao Peng recognized a familiar face in the crowd and finally placed the person after some consideration: it was a teacher from his school. He glanced over to the crowd again and finally realized that those youngsters standing must have been the students of Tiange Academy.

He went to the bathroom to wash up, then changed before heading out. "It's been a while, Mr. Liu," Gao Peng said, waving to a bespectacled teacher with a smile.

The middle-aged man whom Gao Peng had addressed as Mr. Liu turned around and was stunned to see Gao Peng, but his lips soon turned up into a bright smile.

"Oh, Principal! You're back! When did you come back?" Mr. Liu gathered his students to greet Gao Peng.

These students didn't know who Gao Peng was, because it had been three years, and the previous students had already graduated. These were all new students.

"Who is this? He looks only slightly older than us."

"Didn't you hear Mr. Liu call him the principal? Have you forgotten about the photo hanging above the blackboard?"

"Oh, they do seem to be the same person."

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Chapter 544: The National College League

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Mr. Liu, what are you doing here?" Gao Peng smiled as he said teasingly, "Did you come here because you knew beforehand of my return?"

Teacher Liu smiled obsequiously and said, "If I had known of your return, not only me but the vice-principal and heads of each department would definitely have been present. We're getting ready to participate in the college league. The preliminary round will be held in Yuzhou, and Chairman Ji wanted to let all the participating students come here to boost their spirits."

"Oh, I see." Gao Peng nodded, though in reality, he didn't know anything about the college league.

He had been unable to continue holding the post of principal after he left Earth Star, so he had asked Grandfather to replace him as the principal of Tiange Academy to help him manage the school. He couldn't trust others to take his post, so he'd had no choice but to trouble his grandfather.

Grandpa walked towards him from behind and threw him a glare. He felt irritated just thinking about the conversation he had overheard between Gao Peng and Miss Bei the night before.

How could he be so foolish? I was way better when I wooed his grandmother. His father was quite cunning, too, when he wooed my daughter. Why is he so inarticulate? I don't even know when I'll get a great-grandson.

Ji Hanwu walked over and the students who had been whispering immediately stopped talking and looked at the principal obediently.

"The second National College League will be held this year. You placed eighth last year, which wasn't satisfactory, but your efforts were acknowledged. I hope you can work hard and strive for a better placement this year," said Ji Han Wu solemnly.

"If you achieve a better result than last year, each participant will be rewarded a Commander-tier familiar of perfect quality. If you get into the top three, each participant can choose a Commander-tier familiar, including familiars of the Epic grade, depending on your foresight," Ji Han Wu said with a meaningful look.

The students started breathing heavily when they heard the principal's promise.

Ep-Epic-grade!! They all knew what this meant. It meant bright prospects and a promising future.

"Sir, what if we get first place?" one of the students mustered the courage to ask.

Ji Hanwu shifted his gaze to that student. The student's courage almost collapsed under his sharp gaze. "If you win, I will reward you all with an Epic-grade familiar. The old principal will customize them himself." Ji Han Wu suddenly pointed to Gao Peng, who was standing beside him.

Gao Peng was innocently dragged into the topic. He looked at the excited students and nodded. "All right. If you win, I will customize anything you want, be it a lion, tiger, wolf, or roe deer."

"Quick, thank the principal." Teacher Liu was just as excited as the students. He knew the godlike abilities of the principal. Even he was envious of the students. It was such a great opportunity to have the old principal to customize a familiar for them. Naturally, winning first place was also extremely hard. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was incredibly hard.

He sighed. He could only hope that the students would grasp this chance.

It was getting late. Teacher Liu bid goodbye to Gao Peng and Ji Hanwu and left with the students and their familiars in a huge truck.

"Grandpa, what is the National College League? This is the first time I'm hearing about it," Gao Peng asked Grandfather after they had left.

"College League this, College League that, that's the only thing on your mind!" Ji Hanwu grew angry while looking at his sloppy grandson, but after all, it was his only grandson… His expression brightened after a few seconds of Gao Peng's shameless behavior.

He glared at Gao Peng and said softly, "Bei Qing Yan is a good girl. She's kind-hearted and has big hips, so she can carry children. You better get married quickly, but if you really don't have feelings for her, then don't waste her time."

"Ahh." Gao Peng was stunned. "Th-this is so sudden…"

Gao Peng hadn't even thought about getting into a relationship before this. Was it because the familiars weren't interesting, or hunting monsters wasn't thrilling enough?

"Grandpa, this… Monster trainers' lives are prolonged, so I think it's still too early to consider these matters now," Gao Peng said as he forced a smile. "And even if I had feelings for her, she might not feel the same way about me. If she rejects my proposal, things would become awkward between us, and our friendship might be affected."

"She doesn't have feelings for you… Nonsense! Feelings don't come out of nowhere! Do you think you're handsome or rich?" Ji Hanwu paused, then looked at his grandson as he snorted. "It's the inside that counts!"

"I've never wooed a girl before, and I'm afraid that I might mess things up and annoy her." Gao Peng, who wouldn't even be frightened in a battle with King-tier monsters, suddenly turned timid.

Ji Han Wu was silent for a moment, then said, "Just be sincere. Her heart will feel it if you treat her well."

He patted Gao Peng's shoulder, then changed the topic. "Ah, Tong Xiang and Tong Ling that you left at home were taken away by their tribe in exchange for news about a Real Dragon Fruit."

Real Dragon Fruit?

Gao Peng was dazed. In reality, Gao Peng had prepared the Real Dragon Fruit for Grandpa. The ingredients needed for Da Zi's evolution included Real Dragon Fruit, but it was just a supplementary ingredient, and moreover, Da Zi had leveled up to the Mythical grade, so the Real Dragon Fruit was no longer necessary.

Instead, it was Grandpa's White Dragon that would need it to level up to a Legendary-grade Five Clawed White Dragon.

"Where's the Real Dragon Fruit?" Gao Peng was interested. His casual words actually brought back valuable news; it could be considered making use of waste.

In fact, Gao Peng wasn't planning to kill Tong Xiang and Tong Ling. If he killed them, too, he would definitely become the mortal enemy of the Sang Tong tribe, but if he only killed two and released the other two, it would cause trouble for the Sang Tong tribe.

Actually Gao Peng knew that Tong Xiang wasn't as rough as he looked. Gao Peng even knew that Tong Mo had killed the cherry blossom tree because he had been bewitched by Tong Xiang.

Killing top-tier monsters from another world recklessly before having a clear grasp of the situation would be a silly move and not one that someone who was even a bit cautious would make. Tong Mo had been provoked by Tong Xiang to kill the cherry blossom tree. That, along with the fact that Tong Xiang was the son of the great priest, while Tong Mo was the son of the tribe leader, meant that both parties held the greatest power in the tribe, so there was constantly competition caused by their power struggle.

The leader of the Sang Tong tribe was not a hereditary position; the most outstanding person among the younger generation would take charge as tribe leader. The son of the clan leader had died, but the son of the great priest had returned. Just the internal strife within the tribe would consume most of their energy.

"The Real Dragon Fruit can be found in a world of legacies. That world hasn't been activated yet, and will only activate once in a century. There are two more years left before its next activation," said Ji Hanwu.

"Great. I'll definitely figure out a way to get the fruit by that time." Gao Peng nodded.

"Grandpa, we were eighth place at last year's National College Cup?" Gao Peng hadn't said this in front of the students, but he almost couldn't believe it. The Southern Sky Group nurtured a lot of familiars, and he had also left behind many orders before he left. Additionally, Tiange Academy was a private school and could be said to be under the management of the Southern Sky Group, and yet still they had only been eighth place. Were high school students at that time that impressive?

"I know what you're trying to say. The group didn't provide a lot of assistance to the school. They were given full support in terms of educational resources, but they weren't given familiars wantonly." Ji Han Wu smiled and shook his head. "We can provide them with familiars anytime, but we don't merely want a good ranking. We have to cultivate more outstanding monster trainers through this method. After we've trained the people adequately, familiars can be granted at any time."

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Gao Peng nodded approvingly. Indeed, Grandfather was astute and cautious.

It was getting late. Grandpa was the chairman of the Southern Sky Group, the director of The Explorer's Union, and the principal of Tiange Academy, so he was extremely busy every day.

While getting ready to leave for work, Grandfather suddenly thought of something. He stopped and told Gao Peng, "Right, that Teacher Guan in the school made a Blood Contract with a student."

Gao Peng was stunned. A student had actually signed Teacher Guan. This… He had never thought his old joke would actually turn into a fact.

A myriad of thoughts flooded his heart. Gao Peng thought for a while, then said, "Which student was it?"

Grandfather certainly wouldn't remember the names of most students, but the student who had managed to sign Teacher Guan, the legend, had caused quite a stir, and furthermore, he was currently working for him. "Li Junzong."

Li Junzong. A blurry face emerged in Gao Peng's mind. On the edge of the training ground in the Southern Sky division of the Baiye District, a small, dirty, and unkempt figure would burrow through a corner of the wall to train secretly, then clean the training ground every time he finished his training.

"That's the guy." Gao Peng nodded. "Did he manage to sign the Blood Contract with Teacher Guan on the first try?" Gao Peng was a bit curious, as a lot of Soul Power was required to sign Teacher Guan. After all, this was a powerful Lord-tier monster.

"It would definitely be impossible to do so under normal circumstances, but Teacher Guan was the first familiar that he signed. This can be considered a loophole. It was just enough for him to sign it in the end, but this also allows us to know that there's such a loophole, that the requirement of Soul Power for signing one's first familiar is much lower. So far, it seems that the limit for signing one's first familiar is the Lord tier," said Grandfather. "This will enhance our speed in developing forces. Those who are able to sign on Lord-tier familiars are the minority. The majority can merely sign on Commander-tier monsters at most the first time. Li Junzong is quite gifted."

"Then what's his position in the group now?" Gao Peng asked.

"He holds the post of captain in the Department of Law Enforcement."

Gao Peng nodded. Teacher Guan was upright and righteous, best suited for this position.

"I'll visit him when I have the time." Gao Peng understood what Grandfather was trying to say. Grandfather wanted him to cultivate disciples. He had brought Xiao Nuoyan out from the Baiye District, and besides, Gao Peng was his old principal. In a sense, Xiao Nuoyan had been labeled Gao Peng's disciple, unless he himself declared loyalty to another person in public.

After Grandfather went to the group's tower, Gao Peng walked towards the foot of the mountain along with Xiao Hua and the others.

Moneymaker's body was much bigger than it had been three years ago when it was first brought out. Its body length was almost three feet, not counting its tail, but with the tail, it would be a total of six feet. It had golden scales surrounding its whole body, and even its eyeballs were a yellowish-orange amber. There were silver tiger stripes on its back. After three years of trials, Moneymaker was no longer as timid as before, when it would look left and right as it was walking while flicking its tail, making people think it was a cat.

Along the way, they encountered some monster trainers with their familiars. There was a trace of disdain in Moneymaker's eyes. It had, after all, survived the turbulence in the Black Fog World, so it felt a sense of superiority when it looked at these familiars from Earth Star.

Two girls dressed casually walked over from the right, one of them wearing a red dress and the other a white low-cut top with short sleeves and light blue jeans. They were followed by two big cats the size of leopards, one black and the other white. Their green eyes were eerily cold. The White Phosphorus Leopard Cat on the left looked at Moneymaker mockingly, eagerly anticipating Moneymaker making a fool of itself.

Who knew that Moneymaker would remain calm and simply yawn, letting its imposing manner slip for just a split second.

"Meow." The White Phosphorus Leopard Cat whined fearfully and ran away with its tail straight in the air.

"Meow, meow, meow," The Black Phosphorus Leopard on the right made even more of a fool out of itself. It immediately sat and laid down, straightened its paws, and started rolling on the floor, moving further and further away.

"Da Bai," the girl in the red dress exclaimed. The girl in the white low-cut top glanced at Gao Peng and turned to look at the familiar who had slipped away like a toy racecar, then couldn't help but blush out of embarrassment.

After the girls had walked away, Gao Peng looked down and berated Moneymaker. "You're a King-tier and yet you still went and intimidated two Commander-tier cats. Shame on you."

Moneymaker laid down meekly on the floor after Gao Peng's scolding. It hugged its head with its two paws and looked to the front with dull eyes, making no attempt to retort.

"Calm down, Master. Eat some oranges to cool off." Bei Zhi, who was six feet tall and as skinny as a beanpole, quickly peeled an orange and handed it to Gao Peng.

Gao Peng blocked the orange that was handed to him, "Oranges can cause excessive internal heat. The two of you go off and play."

Bei Zhi smiled, took back the orange, and put it into its mouth. It looked even slimmer standing next to Nan Ju, who was tall and robust.

"Move. Stop playing dead." Gao Peng kicked Moneymaker's butt, causing him to follow them joyfully.

They came to the riverside, where a shipyard had been constructed. The ships were made ashore and put into the river through rails. The fire was going full blast in the shipyard, and black exhaust fumes were discharged through a chimney. Strong and robust dark-skinned Minotaurs carried reinforced steel weighing several tons from the east factory to the west factory.

Gao Peng watched for a while, then headed upstream, and along the way, the number of people became fewer and fewer. The riverside was full of dense water plants, and he could see movements of monsters beneath the water plants from time to time.

Although the human population was constantly expanding, monsters were reproducing madly, as well. Some of them were integrating into the human world via a special method. For instance, Gao Peng saw that there were monster trainers supervising the Minotaurs.

Gao Peng stood by the river for a while. The water in front of him gradually bubbled, and monsters emerged from the water, calling Gao Peng "Grandpa" excitedly.

The water in front of him rose up, coagulating into a water person whose whole body was composed of water. "Master," The water man transmitted its voice to Gao Peng's mind through Soul Resonance.

"Hmph, Master, this fellow didn't even use its real body to see you, just its doppelganger," Moneymaker slandered.

The water man turned to look at Moneymaker, then withdrew its gaze. "Master, my real body isn't around, it's downstream… It's rushing over now, but for the time being, I can only use this method to see you. Please forgive me, Master."

"It's fine. Your real body doesn't have to come. I'm only here to see your progress in taking over the river."

[Monster Name: Growing Brain (Doppelganger)

[Monster Grade: Perfect

[Monster Attributes: Psychic

[Special Characteristic: String of Thoughts

(Active Effect 1: Take over thought processes.

Passive Effect 1: Extraordinary liveliness.

Hint: Current takeover of river, 65% done)

Many of its attributes couldn't be seen, as it was merely a doppelganger, but the progress of taking over the river had reached 65%, which was far beyond Gao Peng's expectations. This illustrated that the Growing Brain was progressing successfully, and its level had increased greatly, otherwise its progress wouldn't have been so fast.

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Chapter 546: The Door God Combo

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Master, I've only managed to take control of half of the Yangtze River. I'll need at least a year to complete the mission you've trusted me with," said the Growing Brain solemnly.

"Good work. Keep it up," said Gao Peng, nodding. He then asked the Growing Brain what had happened while he was away, as the Growing Brain had been on Earth all this time. Thanks to its soul-snatching ability, it was able to absorb the memories of those who had drowned or were drowned by it.

It began sharing its memories with Gao Peng, who watched as everything that had happened on Earth for the last three years unfolded before him like a silent film.

The Earth had changed a lot in his absence. In the first year, the ancient clan had begun their exodus back to the planet, which was an earth-shattering development. As they gradually adapted to their new home, skirmishes occurred between the ancient clan and the native Earthlings, with the former coming out victorious in the end. The name 'ancient clan' now hung over everyone's heads like a huge mountain.

The next two years saw the conflict between the people of Earth and the ancient clan and the gradual assimilation of the former. A portion of Earthlings had become representatives of the ancient clan, while other powers were wiped out in the conflict. A number of new powers had popped up to take their place. This wasn't unlike the power struggle that had occurred during the Five Hegemons in ancient China, where several political parties rose to contend for power.

Various tribes sent their representatives over, each of them vying for supremacy on Earth. Even the Southern Sky Group's influence had dropped drastically. No longer was it at the top of the Huaxia region.

To some people, the Southern Sky Group had devolved into a large-scale organization, the influence of which seemed to be limited to the southwestern side of the region. Even though it still retained its influence, a couple of organizations whose reputations rivaled that of the Southern Sky Group had appeared in the Huaxia region in the past three years.

Gao Peng's eyes lit up at the thought of this. Competition is always good for the company, I suppose. He also understood what the national high school championship was all about; it was a huge event held in the Huaxia region organized by the Huaxia government and various other powerful entities. Naturally, the Southern Sky Group was also part of the event's organizing committee.

The high school championship was held for the first time the prior year, when Huaxia Junwu High School had come out on top. Huaxia Junwu High School, also known as Huawu High School, was backed by the Huaxia region's military and the Northern Ridge Hushan Group.

Gao Peng had never heard of the Northern Ridge Hushan Group before. He only knew information that was already available to the public. No one knew who the Northern Ridge Hushan Group was, only that it had suddenly become one of the rising stars in the region overnight. It also seemed to have a close relationship with the military.

Gao Peng had also never heard of the schools who had come in second and third place in last year's event until that day. They were also private schools that were backed by several influential entities in the region.

He couldn't help but feel like something was off about this.

Back in the Southern Sky Group, Gao Peng summoned Li Junzong into his office. No longer the naive boy he had been three years earlier, Li Junzong now stood before him as a mature young man.

His body had grown stockier, and he now wore his hair in a ponytail. His eyes were filled with energy.

Behind him stood Teacher Guan. Now standing 30 feet tall, the latter had grown quite a bit shorter since the last time Gao Peng had seen him. His eyes were squinting slightly, and the wrinkles on his face, robe, and sword seemed to have become even more pronounced.

"Young Master," said Li Junzong, evidently excited at the sight of Gao Peng.

Gao Peng nodded at him. "Long time no see. You've grown a lot."

Li Junzong nodded furiously. Ever since he had signed a Blood Contract with the Guan Yu statue, he had received offers for it from various entities: other groups, the military, and even people from other countries. However, he had declined all of them. He wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for a certain someone. There was only one person in this world who deserved his unquestioning loyalty.

"So, how have you been? Have you gotten used to working here? Just tell me if there's been any trouble."

Li Junzong hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "No, sir, everything's all right. Thank you for your concern, Young Master."

"Good. I'll give you a raise and a promotion as long as you keep up the good work. I always make it a point to treat my best employees well."

Li Junzong glanced at Gao Peng, opening and closing his mouth a few times as if trying to say something.

"What is it?" asked Gao Peng.

Li Junzong said abashedly, "Young Master, I've already signed Blood Contracts with a Venomblood Rodent and Teacher Guan… I don't really know how to tell you this, but Teacher Qin has also decided to become my familiar."

Gao Peng looked Li Junzong in the eye. Just when Li Junzong thought the former was going to object, Gao Peng smiled and said, "Sure, why not? Looks like you've got two guarding gods on your team now."

Li Junzong gave him a stupid grin.

"It's all right. Since they've agreed to follow you, I can't really say no, can I? I have a good grasp of the school's situation. Don't worry about the school's security. I can always send a couple of Lord-tier familiars over to take care of it."

"Thank you, Young Master," said Li Junzong, bowing to Gao Peng a few times.

When noon came, Gao Peng invited Li Junzong to lunch. In the afternoon, he turned on the television. The first thing that came on was a live broadcast of the Yuzhou base city's high school championship.

The host was explaining what was going on in the field over the crowd's excitement. "We're now in the second round of the semifinals, with Yuzhou's Bazhong High School and Yuzhou's Public Military School facing off against each other to see who will advance to the finals and challenge last year's semifinalist, one of the eight strongest schools in the country—Tiange Academy!" The host made sure to yell the school's name as loudly as possible.

The background music was played as the camera swept across the auditorium, where not a single seat was left empty. A deafening roar rose from the audience.

They're already in the semifinals. Looks like Tiange Academy has safely advanced to the finals.

Gao Peng wasn't too surprised by this. Even though the Southern Sky Group didn't provide any of its familiars to the school's students, the school was still under the group. Under the condition that the students remained loyal to the school, there was no way a private school backed by a large-scale organization like the Southern Sky Group could ever be beaten by a public school.

This didn't mean that public schools were inferior to private schools, but unlike the Southern Sky Group, which only needed to channel its resources into one school, the government had to provide funding and resources for public schools throughout the region.

What he wanted from his school was quality. What the Allied Government wanted was quantity. This had always been the case when it came to education. Some of the top schools also seemed to be backed by huge organizations and people from the ancient tribes.

Gao Peng lay down on the sofa and closed his eyes.

Nan Ju walked up to Gao Peng's sofa and began massaging his shoulders, while Bei Zhi knelt down on the ground to massage his legs.

After thinking for a while, Gao Peng took out his phone and called his grandfather. "Grandpa, I'll be leading the school's team in this year's championship."

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Chapter 547: Five Little Ones

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the end, Yuzhou's Public Military School and Tiange Academy were the last two schools to advance to the finals.

While the field in the auditorium was cleaned up, butterfly-like creatures surrounded the field, erecting a barrier between the audience and the action by emanating a golden light from their bodies.

To the left stood the young men and women Gao Peng had met that morning. They seemed a lot more confident than before.

Beside them stood an Ironbone Sabretooth Tiger, a Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster, a Monster Sunflower, a Tang Dynasty Mystic Snuff Bottle, and an Iron-Winged Armored Paladin.

The rules stated that every team had to be comprised of five monsters and, at most, five trainers. One-man teams were also allowed to participate, as long as the participants were confident in the abilities of all five familiars they had been able to sign Blood Contracts with.

However, there had been no such cases in last year's event. The team with the lowest number of members still had three.

All of the participants were high school students. As one could only sign their first Blood Contract at the age of 18, these students had only had their familiars for, at most, two years. The event's age limit was 20 years old.

All of them had given their all to raise their familiars in such a short span of time, ensuring that their familiars received the highest possible power boost. Since one participant was allowed one familiar, most schools decided to send teams of five into the championship.

The Ironbone Sabretooth Tiger was a huge, bulky creature that had somehow regressed to a more primal form. It was currently Level 36. With its thick body and impressive regenerative ability, it acted as the team's frontline and meaty shield.

The Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster was a formless mass of vines. One could even liken it to an almost human entity made of living vines. It would drag its vine-covered arms on the ground as it lumbered about, and a black eyeball peeked out from where its eyes should have been. This was the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster's only weakness.

The Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster could strangle its victims with its vines. It was in charge of crowd control in the team, limiting its opponents' movements while making sure that the rest of the team had more leeway to go on the offensive. It was Level-40, the highest among the five familiars in the team.

The Level-35 Monster Sunflower was in charge of healing. It was noteworthy that not many trainers were fond of the idea of raising Healer-type monsters.

The Monster Sunflower was equipped with the ability to heal others. It had an extremely huge face that was surrounded by layers of bright yellow petals. This made its face look even more enormous.

It was also quite ubiquitous these days. Of course, its popularity didn't equate to weakness. Rather, it was the convenience of its healing ability that made it so popular among trainers. The Monster Sunflower could heal others in two different ways.

First, it could provide targeted healing by shining healing rays of sunlight from its body on a single target. Second, it could open up its petals and extend an area of sunlight around itself. Anyone inside the area would immediately receive its healing. However, the healing effects that could be obtained this way would be a lot weaker than that provided by its single-target healing.

As the Monster Sunflower's area-of-effect healing ability could heal both friend and foe alike, the dexterity with which it could alternate between both of its healing abilities in combat was usually taken as a clear sign of how well it had been trained.

As for the Tang Dynasty Mystic Snuff Bottle… Gao Peng didn't remember there being any snuff bottles during the Tang Dynasty. It's probably a fake, he thought. However, this wasn't important. What was important was the fact that it had evolved into a living, breathing monster.

On the surface, it looked like a three-foot-wide bottle. It could spew out large amounts of white smoke from its mouth, but this was no ordinary smoke. The bottle monster could confuse its opponent's senses with it. It was a true counter to monsters equipped with sight-related powers. However, Second Baby's ability probably wouldn't have been affected by it.

Last but not least was the Level-38 Iron-Winged Armor Paladin, a seven-foot-tall creature that seemed to be made of living metal plates. It could execute lightning-fast attacks by extending its metal plates explosively from its body. The Iron-Winged Armor Paladin was the team's main source of burst damage.

However, its weaknesses were quite obvious. For instance, the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster was the perfect counter to it. Also, while the Iron-Winged Armor Paladin's armor plates were capable of inflicting piercing damage, they wouldn't work well against an opponent with strong defenses.

Most schools would pick five strong candidates among their students, then assign their familiars to either the frontline or backline before sending them off into battle. Most of the participating familiars there were Commander-tier. However, a familiar like the Tang Dynasty Snuff Bottle would have a tough time putting its abilities to good use on the field.

Not counting the Monster Sunflower, Tiange Academy only had three damage dealers. This was quite a bold combination of familiars.

The students of Yuzhou's Public Military School stood before them. They attended a public school backed by both the military and the region's government, and their team was also composed of Commander-tier familiars above Level 35.

When the bell rang, the Tang Dynasty Snuff Bottle began spewing out white smoke from its mouth, engulfing the entire field with it.

"Someone has left a comment on our forums stating that all of Tiange Academy's matches have been all but unwatchable. I have to agree with him or her there," said the host.

"Yeah, the field is covered in white smoke every time. Even our infrared feed comes out blurry. I suppose this is the school's way of saving the good stuff for last," said one of the guest speakers sitting beside the host.

"That's right. I heard that Tiange Academy has prepared themselves quite well this year. They just might enter the semifinals."

"I think they could just skip straight to the finals," said the guest speaker in an attempt to boost views by raising a controversial topic.

"I don't think it would be that easy. A lot of people weren't satisfied with last year's results. Some of the participants from last year have returned to set the record straight once and for all. You can tell that most of the participating schools have put a lot of effort into training their students for this year's event."

"Yes, I have noticed that. Some are even saying that this year's winner will be either last year's champion, Huawu High School, or last year's runner-up, Jiangnan First High School."

"Huawu High School and Jiangnan First High School…"

The host and his guest speaker continued babbling on the television.

Gathering his thoughts, Gao Peng remembered that there were three top tribes in the ancient clan: the White Dragon Tribe, the Green God tribe, and the Mysterious Serenity Tribe.

He had personally met some of the people in the White Dragon tribe. Even though his grandfather had refused to join them, he had told Gao Peng that the tribe had taken the Southern Sky Group under its wing in order to safeguard them against other tribes.

The Jiangnan region was now under the control of the Freedom Alliance. Even though the Freedom Alliance had declared its independence, it hadn't officially adopted an isolationist policy. On the contrary, it still maintained its relations with the outside world and even offered various privileges to draw people in.

Now a shell of its former self, the Alliance Government had decided to return every region's right to autonomous rule. Those who didn't agree to this had no choice but to accept the Alliance Government's decision.

Gao Peng suddenly remembered something his grandfather had said the day before.

"I could become mayor any time I want. While the Yuzhou region still hasn't adopted the Ji surname, I already have people out there trying to guess what I'm going to eat tomorrow from the smell of my farts."

The High School Championship might just have been another manifestation of the power struggle between the various existing powers in the world. It just so happened that Jiangnan First High School belonged to the Freedom Alliance.

What have I gotten myself into? Gao Peng rubbed his face in frustration.

Since he had agreed to lead the school's team, he figured there was no point crying over spilled milk.

I'm just going to be leading the team from the sidelines. I don't have to do anything!

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Chapter 548: Uncle Liu the Gatekeeper

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

When his grandfather came back that night, the first thing he said was, "Since you're back, I can finally give you back your place as principal. I'm way too old to be doing this." Gao Peng's grandfather unceremoniously dumped his role as principal of Tiange Academy back to Gao Peng, and he wasn't taking no for an answer.

"By the way, Grandpa, do we have any combatants in the group who were discharged due to injuries or some other reason that would like to be transferred from the frontlines? I would prefer it if they have a Lord or King-tier familiar with them," asked Gao Peng.

His grandfather looked at him strangely. "Of course we do. You even know him."

Gao Peng frowned. Do I know someone who fits that description? A name suddenly popped into his mind.

Uncle Liu! Liu Shaotang, who once lived next door!

"The only thing old Liu does these days is garden. He sometimes walks around the park a few times when he's feeling bored. He even went ballroom dancing once." Ji Hanwu shook his head. His friend sure was making the most of his life these days.

"What about his familiars?"

"Oh, he just lets them roam around the place," said Ji Hanwu casually.

Gao Peng was speechless.

"He hunts for his own food in the wild. Every time his familiars are hurt, he takes them to the group's infirmary to be treated. He doesn't have to worry about training them. All of his familiars are quite smart and diligent."

Gao Peng was stunned. I wish my familiars were just as smart and diligent, he thought.

After dinner, Gao Peng went over to Uncle Liu's place, which wasn't too far away. There were two trees standing in front of his house, a jujube tree and a parasol tree.

When Gao Peng entered the front yard, he could see Uncle Liu sitting on a reclining chair under the shade of an orange tree in the garden. A yellow light fell on his face from the paper windows on the front of his house that resembled the soft glow of evening sunlight.

"Is that you, Gao Peng?" asked Uncle Liu. He didn't look too surprised to see Gao Peng. Waving at him, Uncle Liu said, "Have you eaten? I'll cook something up for you if you haven't."

"I've already eaten, thanks." As Gao Peng drew closer, he could see a huge shadow curled up beside Uncle Liu. A pair of blue eyes glinted from it and stared at Gao Peng intently.

"Hi, Softy," said Gao Peng, smiling at the large black cat.

"Meow—" It mewled in acknowledgment. Uncle Liu smiled as he watched Gao Peng play with his cat. Then Gao Peng began kneading its soft, cottony face into various shapes.

"Meow!" Tired of being treated like Play-Doh, Softy pulled its face irritably out of Gao Peng's hands. With a few light steps, it disappeared into the shadows nearby.

"Uncle, don't you feel bored sometimes?" asked Gao Peng while smiling.

Giving Gao Peng a sideways look, Uncle Liu shook his head and chuckled. "If you're trying to tell me something, just spill it."

"We have a lot of cute little students attending our school, but the sad truth is that external forces threaten our school almost every day. I would like to invite you to work as the school's gatekeeper. It's not a demanding job; you could just let your familiars take shifts there. I could also build a small villa for you if you're interested in living nearby."

After giving it much thought, Uncle Liu said, "Fine. It's not like I have anything better to do anyway. Watching over the young ones would probably do me some good."

He fell silent as he summoned one his familiars to him. After a while, heavy breathing could be heard from the sky.

Gao Peng saw a huge black form slowly descend from the clouds. Boom! The ground shook, and Gao Peng could feel the black form's hot breath on his ear.

"Long time no see," said the Blood Eye Bearded Vulture.

Gao Peng blinked at it. "Wow, you've reached Epic grade. That's impressive."

The Blood Eye Bearded Vulture held its right wing across its chest and gave Gao Peng a bow. "It's all thanks to you. There's no need for courtesy among gentlemen like ourselves. If there's anything I can help you with, I'm always at your disposal."

Gao Peng took a closer look at the Blood Eye Bearded Vulture. If it had been wearing a suit and a bow tie right then, it would definitely have looked like a gentleman.

The Blood Eye Bearded Vulture hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Has Goldie come back? I haven't seen him for quite some time now. I hear the Black Fog World doesn't have a limit. I wonder how much Goldie has grown."

From its tone, Gao Peng could tell that the Blood Eye Bearded Vulture also wanted to visit the Black Fog World for itself.

Uncle Liu, who had returned to his chair beneath the orange tree, interjected, "You damn bird, just because I didn't let you go to the Black Fog World doesn't mean you have to bring it up all the time."

The Blood Eye Bearded Vulture fell silent before giving Uncle Liu a deep bow.

Its current level was Level 59, the highest level the planet could accommodate at that moment. However, Gao Peng sensed that the vulture's body was bursting with power as if it contained an active volcano on the verge of erupting. Dangerous levels of power were coursing through its veins like boiling hot lava.

Even though there was a level limit in this world, this didn't mean that a familiar would stop growing once it reached its limit. It would still continue to amass power bit by bit in its body. On the day said level limit was removed, this power would burst forth from its body like a geyser. Should the world's level limiter be removed, the Blood Eye Beard Vulture would probably gain two or three levels in an instant.

Just like that, Uncle Liu's appointment as the school's gatekeeper was settled. The next day, Gao Peng returned to his school to resume his position as principal and make Uncle Liu's appointment official.

Some of the staff members were aware of Uncle Liu's identity. After Gao Peng announced his decision to the faculty, a couple of people went over to greet the new gatekeeper.

Some of those who didn't know who Uncle Liu was soon learned of his history from those who did… Uncle Liu was the one who had watched over the principal's rise to glory. Not only did he have a close relationship with the Southern Sky Group's chairman, but his son also headed one of the group's departments, not to mention the fact that he was a powerful King-tier trainer in his own right.

Upon learning who the old man was, everyone else in the school now knew better than to harass him. Even if Uncle Liu didn't show up for work, they wouldn't dare dock his pay.

Gao Peng was later informed of the results of Yuzhou's high school championship. To nobody's surprise, Tiange Academy had emerged victorious. At the start of the battle, the Tang Dynasty Mystic Snuff Bottle was able to sow discord in the opposing team with its smoke.

Taking advantage of the confusion, the Ironbone Sabretooth Tiger had leapt into the fray, disrupting the opposing team's formation. Next, the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster had held the opposing familiars in place with its vines, allowing the Steel-Winged Paladin and the tiger to take them down one by one.

Just like that, Tiange Academy's team managed to secure victory almost effortlessly.

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Chapter 549: The Stormcloud Sparrow

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Tiange Academy was victorious in its last match, just as Gao Peng had predicted. In fact, everyone had expected Tiange Academy to win. Many eyebrows would have been raised if it had been defeated. If his school actually lost that match, Gao Peng would probably have rewatched every piece of footage in order to find any signs of foul play.

Tiange Academy's victory was not at all surprising, since it had won eighth place the year before, while Bazhong High school had ended up in 27th place. The latter had simply been out of Tiange Academy's league to begin with.

As he had only just returned from the Black Fog World, he was still unclear as to how the championship was held. "So these five will be representing our school in this year's event?" he had asked the vice principal.

Gao Peng had watched the footage of last year's event beforehand. The teams who had managed to advance to the quarterfinals all had at least one Lord-tier trainer. Tiange Academy had also had one Lord-tier trainer. Gao Peng had personally met him a few days ago. His name was Li Junzong.

Even last year, Tiange Academy had been in a position to enter the semifinals.

Teacher Guan had been especially fearsome, its entire body as tough as steel. It could cut down almost anything with one swing of its crescent blade. If Tiange Academy hadn't been matched with who would eventually be the champions, Huawu High School, it would have secured a spot in the semifinals.

Not only had Teacher Guan been defeated by Huawu's seeded participant, Chen Zhantang, and his familiar, the Mystic-Eyed Kong, it'd had its limbs brutally torn off by the latter.

Despite receiving treatment from a Healer-type familiar after its loss, Teacher Guan didn't completely recover from its physical and psychological injuries. This resulted in a drop in its performance for the remainder of the event.

Gao Peng was somewhat impressed by all of this. Some of these people already had their own Lord-tier familiars, which was a huge improvement compared to him at that age.

Back then, there wasn't a single Lord-tier trainer in the Huaxia region. Now, Lord-tier trainers seemed to have popped up everywhere. Last year saw the number of Lord-tier trainers approaching double digits, with the total number of Lord-tier familiars at a solid nine. Whether there would be more of them this year was anybody's guess.

Gao Peng wondered if all the other schools back then were simply biding their time until one of their students was able to raise a proper Lord-tier familiar. This would be a sensible decision on their part, as they would be in a better position to take on their competition with at least one Lord-tier trainer on their team.

In the latter half of the event, the real battles would be fought by the students' Lord-tier familiars, the trump cards of their respective teams. It was never wise to reveal them early in the event, as that would give other participants enough time to formulate strategies against them later on. The longer the students could keep their ace familiars under wraps, the longer they would be able to maintain the element of surprise.

"We have an extremely talented student this year, Principal Gao. Her name is Cao Huan. Not only is she the trainer of a Lord-tier familiar from our school, she also has the Monster Sunflower as a familiar."

Gao Peng wouldn't have known that there was such a problematic student in his own school if the dean hadn't said anything to him.

Cao Huan was a student with a problematic past. She was an orphan who had been taken in by the school's admission officer from the Tibet region. She was found in the middle of a city ravaged by monsters. The admission officer had brought back the city's remaining survivors with him, the adults brought to recruitment agencies in the city, while the children were admitted into Tiange Academy.

Cao Huan had inherited the straightforwardness that was inherent in most Tibetans. She responded to every deed and misdeed that was done to her in kind. As she felt indebted to the Southern Sky Group for taking her in, she rarely, if ever, lashed out at her teachers in school. Cao Huan was extremely diligent in her studies, even more so when it came to her monster training lessons, possibly due to the fact that she had personally witnessed the destruction of her home by monsters.

However, Cao Huan was a lone wolf. Her quiet nature didn't earn her many friends. She would always be seen coming to and leaving school by herself.

Cao Huan of Class 6 was called into the office one day, where Gao Peng met the "problem" student for the first time. She had a short stature, with black hair falling to her shoulders. Her red face gave Gao Peng the impression of a tomato.

Clad in a form-fitting uniform, she stood before the principal of the school, head drooped low as if she had no intention of speaking to anyone at that moment.

"Cao Huan, may I take a look at your familiars?" Before meeting Cao Huan in person, Gao Peng'd had no idea that she was a girl. Her name hadn't given any indication of her gender.

Cao Huan timidly raised her head before letting it drop back down again.

A sound like the buzzing of a fly seemed to be coming out of her nostrils. If Gao Peng hadn't been paying close attention to her, he wouldn't have heard it at all.

They then walked to the mountain at the back of the school. This was where the students' familiars were kept. Cao Huan seemed to be quite familiar with this side of the school.

At the peak of the mountain, Gao Peng finally saw Cao Huan's Lord-tier familiar—the Stormcloud Sparrow.

Standing 16 feet tall, it had a rather round body, with a yellow abdomen and white cloud-shaped marks across its wings.

[Monster Name: Stormcloud Sparrow

[Monster Tier: Level 42

[Monster Grade: Excellent/Perfect

[Monster Attribute: Cloud

[Monster Ability: Cloud Control Level 1, Steel Feathers Level 1

[Monster Weakness: Fire/Wind

[Monster Description: A monster that can usually be found in the cold highlands. A fierce creature, it prefers eating its prey alive. Its favorite food is the Tundra Ermine. It hates high temperatures.

[Advancement to Epic Grade: 1. Sky Sparrow 2. Nine-headed Hellsparrow 3. Lion-hearted Silversparrow

Gao Peng looked at the Stormcloud Sparrow closely. The corners of his mouth curved upwards in a smile. It seemed almost pleasant to touch. Its spherical body reminded Gao Peng of a puffy cloud with wings attached to it. Before his fingers reached the bird, Cao Huan whispered to him, "Mr. Principal, she doesn't like to be touched. She has a bit of a temper…"

Her voice trailed off as she watched Gao Peng place his hand on the Stormcloud Sparrow's body.

Although it tried, the Stormcloud Sparrow couldn't wriggle its way out from under Gao Peng's hand, which seemed to weigh down on it like a mountain.

Cao Huan stared at Gao Peng's hand for a moment, before redirecting her attention to his face.

She wanted to ask Gao Peng how he was keeping her familiar restrained with just one hand. As her quiet nature forbade her from asking too many questions, she simply kept as quiet as a mouse beside him.

Gao Peng kept his hand pressed down on the bird while waiting for any questions Cao Huan had for him. When he received none, he pulled his hand back, somewhat disappointed.

"You're probably wondering how I was able to keep your familiar pressed down with just one hand. It's quite simple. Some of my familiars, they like to let me hug them. What I'm trying to say here is, intimate contact is one way into your familiar's heart."

After ruminating on Gao Peng's words for a while, Cao Huan said, "So what you're saying is, I should try to hug it as much as I can."

"No, I'm saying you'll be able to do that once your familiar reaches a high enough level."

Cao Huan raised an eyebrow.

When she finally understood what Gao Peng meant, she raised her head and said softly, "Mr. Principal… I heard that you were the number one monster trainer in the world back then."

Gao Peng looked at her strangely. "What about it?"

"Some of the students and teachers said that you were the best."

Gao Peng casually replied, "I wouldn't say the best. I know my own limitations. You must never forget that there will always be someone out there who's better than you and that you should always do everything you can to be the best possible version of yourself."

He then asked Cao Huan, "What kind of sparrows do you like? White, black, or silver with a lion's mane?"

Cao Huan thought about this for a moment. She eventually replied, "White. I like the kind of white you see in clouds."

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Chapter 550: Ambush from the Shadows

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Okay," said Gao Peng, nodding. He called up Xu Qingzhi to have her prepare a couple of ingredients for him.

Back in the Southern Sky Group's laboratory, Xu Qingzhi hung up her phone and stopped whatever she was doing, then ordered her assistant to retrieve the ingredients that Gao Peng had requested from storage.

Cao Huan was standing in the corner without a sound, staring curiously at her principal.

"Come to my lab later in the afternoon, and bring along your familiar." After saying this, Gao Peng turned around and left the place, leaving behind him an even more confused Cao Huan.

Back in school, Cao Huan later found out from one of her classmates that the school's principal was also a famous monster breeder. In the afternoon, she went to Gao Peng's lab alongside her Stormcloud Sparrow. She left the place with her Stormcloud Sparrow's appearance drastically changed. It was now a lot smaller than before, standing ten feet tall from tip to tail. Its wings had grown longer, and its plumage was now a pristine white.

When night fell, Gao Peng told the five students who were participating in this year's high school championship to stay back after class. "Try not to stress yourself out too much, and just remember to do your best out there," said Gao Peng, smiling at all five of them.

"Mr. Principal, do you think we have any chance of winning this year?" asked Wei Gongfan with a smile.

Some of the students tended to act a bit too freely in Gao Peng's presence, possibly due to the fact that he didn't seem older than them.

"You squirts are still aiming for first place? I think you're overestimating your own skill just a smidge here. I've seen the performances of the other schools in this year's event. Consider yourself lucky that you're able to enter the semifinals," said Gao Peng bluntly.

"Ah." Save for Cao Huan, the other four seemed offended by his response. They exchanged glances at each other before turning around to look at Cao Huan in unison… Cao Huan was sitting at the back of the classroom, reading a book with an impassive expression.

Gao Peng didn't say much else to the students. He had no intention of intervening in the students' preparations. Even if he were to help them win first place in this year's championship, it wouldn't do him or them much good. If anything, it would only draw unwanted attention to Tiange Academy. As the saying went, the higher one climbed, the harder one fell.

As his grandfather had put it, the purpose of these events was to train and mold these students into better trainers. There was simply no intrinsic value in rankings and titles.

To Gao Peng, the high school championship was nothing more than a venue for these children to play pretend. The only things that mattered were what they could get out of it: experience and personal growth as an aspiring monster trainer.

"Mr. Principal, I think that we were just unlucky to be matched against last year's champion. If luck is on our side this year, I believe we can easily win a spot in the top four positions," said Zhang Leda.

"Do the rest of you think that as well?" Gao Peng asked the other three.

Wang Jiujiu, Mo Yingming, and Jia Zhengjing nodded like little chicks pecking on grains of rice on the ground.

"You guys sure are confident," said Gao Peng, laughing out loud.

He couldn't be bothered with bringing down their spirits at this point. I guess being this confident in your own abilities isn't such a bad thing. Let's hope they surprise me out there.

Suddenly, Gao Peng sensed that they were being watched, and he turned to look at the window. The sky had grown dark, with the moon peeking out from behind a couple of clouds. He couldn't see much from where he was sitting, other than the streetlights shining a pale white light on the school's facade.

Gao Peng rose from his chair and walked to the window. Nothing stirred outside. Most of the students had already gone home, though some had stayed behind in the library to finish their homework and assignments. The school building opposite their classroom laid dark and empty.

He then looked out into the distance. The mountain behind the school was submerged in darkness, its outline merging completely with the night sky. Gao Peng furrowed his brow. He could feel his stalker's eyes boring into him. This sensation… it's starting to piss me off.

The five students were now looking at their principal strangely, wondering why he had suddenly walked over to the window. Being the most adventurous of the bunch, Wei Gongfan got up from his desk to try and peek out of the window on the left side of the classroom.

"Stay where you are," said Gao Peng, his tone sharp.

Wei Gongfan stopped in his tracks, wondering if he had done something wrong.

Hum— A sudden streak of white light pierced through the air from the shadows outside.

"Get back!" shouted Gao Peng. He then kicked at the wall in front of him, causing it to explode. Blam! Bricks flew out into the air, forming a somewhat flimsy line of defense against the oncoming attack.

However, they were instantly reduced to dust by the air pressure around the streak of light.

Gao Peng managed to sidestep the attack by a hair. An almost imperceptible whistle sounded close to his ear.

He was now looking straight at a huge translucent spider that was sitting quietly in the shadows. It had unleashed its attack by swinging out one of its front appendages at Gao Peng. Realizing that it had missed its target, the spider pulled its other appendage back, ready to unleash another attack on Gao Peng.

Gao Peng had no intention of taking this spider head-on. No matter how strong he was, there was no way he could survive its attacks.

Whir… A cold, metallic sound rang out in the air. In the next second, a dark form pounced on the spider from the shadows. Streaks of fluid sprayed out from the spider's back.

Two huge figures could be seen glaring at each other outside the school building. To the left stood a dark feline creature, its fur soft like cotton.

To the right stood the white translucent spider. Its innards lay exposed on the surface of its body, white blood flowing profusely from its injuries.

[Monster Name: Moonshadow Spider

[Monster Level: Level 55

[Monster Grade: Perfect/Perfect

[Monster Ability: Shadow Mastery Level 4, Moonlight Agility Level 3, Sharp Spider Claws Level 3

[Monster Attribute: Shadow

[Monster Weakness: Holy

[Monster Description: A cold, calculating monster that usually lives in underground burrows. It likes to feast on the brains of other monsters. It does not like intense lights.

The forms of the two Shadow-type monsters stirred slightly before melting into the shadows around them.

Gao Peng called his students over to him before exiting the classroom in order to inspect the scene below.

"Chirrup." Upon hearing the commotion outside, Moneymaker climbed out from a wall in the corridor and stared at its master inquisitively. "Master, what are your orders?"

"Find the spider's trainer. He or she is probably hiding nearby," said Gao Peng calmly before continuing down the corridor alongside his students.

Sensing that Gao Peng wasn't in a good mood, Moneymaker quickly ran down the stairs, sniffing the air for any unusual smell. Its sense of smell was second to none. However, it was its instincts that made it an exceptional familiar. Moneymaker tore through the empty corridors swiftly and silently.

"Here? No…

"Close… very close…"

Its eyes lit up when it picked up an unusually strong scent up ahead. Found you!

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Chapter 551: Captured Alive

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"It's such a pity. Just a little more, and I would have killed that guy." In the woods, a man in a black shirt and pants tightened his fists, indignant feelings lingering in the bottom of his heart.

Just a little bit more… If he hadn't dodged the first attack, he would be dead for sure! Tong Cheng shook his head with a sigh. Just a little more and he would have killed someone who used to be a legend.

Since he had already been discovered, it was time to forget it. This was the Southern Sky Group's territory, and Tong Cheng knew it wasn't suitable for him to stay for too long.

At that moment, he was getting ready to turn around and leave. He patted the back of the Shadow Leopard beside him and waited until he was a distance before retrieving the Moonshadow Spider again. It would be a bad idea to retrieve the Moonshadow Spider now and allow people who were on its trail to catch up with him.

Swoosh! The Shadow Leopard watched the grass vigilantly. It was so close that it had already picked up Moneymaker's scent.

Subsequently, a group of black shadows came rushing out from the grass and knocked frantically into Tong Cheng's waist.

Even though the Shadow Leopard could vaguely feel that the monster before its eyes wasn't a low-level one, it didn't harbor any notion of abandoning its master or escaping. It roared angrily and leapt towards Moneymaker with its claws and teeth enfolded in the elemental darkness.

Boom! The Shadow Leopard flew back at an even faster speed than it had pounced at and knocked over a tree noisily. There was a long, thin crack in its waist that was so deep that its bones could be seen. It was practically about to be dismembered from its lower half.

Moneymaker flew forward while staying close to the ground and arrived before Tong Cheng before he could even blink. Tong Cheng's face was pale. Of his two familiars, one wasn't by his side, and the other had been defeated from the start. What should I do now?

In the next moment, the dark elemental shield that had just appeared to bond back together was easily torn apart by a pair of sharp claws and disappeared.

The Moonshadow Spider that was currently fighting with the Nightshadow Cat suddenly became very violent, and impatient screams emerged from its throat. Several active attacks on its side were unable to make the Nightshadow Cat move back even half a step.

The Moonshadow Spider's body shook. Under the moonlight, its body became very dreamy and hazy, as if the moonlight had covered it with a white veil. Immediately following that, long, silver apparitions were pulled out from its body, and they jumped up and down to escape from the academy. The Nightshadow Cat took advantage of its chance and pounced forward as a group of apparitions!

The Moonshadow Spider's footsteps halted. A strange lush green color appeared in its eyes, and it turned around 180 degrees. Its two sickle-shaped limbs were like two sinister and treacherous shadows as a horrifying destructive power erupted from them.

The Nightshadow Cat revealed the trace of a sneer. Its body, which was in mid-motion, suddenly melted into a shadow of ink that stretched as far as the eye could see. Two blades sliced through the air and penetrated through the ground, but they also ended up getting stuck there.

The Moonshadow Spider's body stiffened. It heard a strong gust of wind coming towards it the moment it lifted his head, and this was also the last sight it ever saw.

Boom!! It was as if a magnitude 7 earthquake had happened in the open space outside the academy. The earth began dispersing towards the outside like a wave as ripples tore the grass apart. The entire academy heard this sound.

The people from the security department were held back by Gao Peng before they could run over with their familiars. Gao Peng put them in charge of blocking students who had come down to see a good show.

The Blood Eyed Bearded Vulture squatted on the ground and pulled out its wings from the earth. Its wings were covered in a thick, translucent white liquid. The boiling blood vaporized the fluids on its wings and caused black smoke to be emitted.

It flapped its wings and shook off the fluid still clinging to them. The liquid landed on the ground and eroded it until a small pit had surfaced.

Gao Peng walked over and saw a badly disfigured Moonshadow Spider lying in the depths of the pit. He saw that it was already suffering from fatal injuries. Fatal injuries were equivalent to being on the brink of death; if there were no miracles and nobody to treat it, the Moonshadow Spider was bound to die.

Gao Peng took a look at it and then bent down to pick up a stone. He tossed it. Dink! The Moonshadow Spider reluctantly looked at Gao Peng with its crushed eyes, which were brimming with indignation. With a convulsion, its breath was finally gone…

"Gao Peng, I caught it." Moneymaker came running over from a distance away with a man in its mouth. As it had short legs, it stumbled a lot while running over, and the person in its mouth was dragged along the ground, creating friction.

Within a short time, the line between the man's flesh and blood had been blurred. It was beyond pathetic.

Gao Peng stepped on the man's buttocks and the latter, who was sprawled on the ground, rolled around to reveal his bloody face. The skin on his face had been ripped off. However, these were all superficial injuries and hadn't harmed his core.

Gao Peng retrieved a small wooden box from the pocket of his trousers. The box was filled with a significant amount of white fluff. He cautiously picked a piece up and placed it on the man. The man's visible injuries made a quick recovery before their eyes.

"Big brother, you're awake," Gao Peng said with smiling eyes.

Tong Chen, who woke up on the ground, glanced at Gao Peng and said nothing.

"It's all right as long as you're awake. Now, let's talk about who instructed you to assassinate me. There should be no one who knows about the news of my return, so how did you know that I was in the academy?" Gao Peng's eyes were sparkling with danger.

When Gao Peng saw that the man lying on the ground still had his teeth clenched and was saying nothing after one minute, he couldn't help but grow bored. "Xiao Cao, you follow him and resuscitate him if he tries to kill himself. Bring him down first," he said.

After the familiars left, the captain of the academy's security department came running over. "Principal, this is our responsibility. We didn't fulfill the academy security measures," he said.

This man, who was in his forties, had anxiety and regret written all over his face. It hadn't been easy for him to find this job and, with the addition of two children in his family recently, everyone relied on his job for survival.

Gao Peng waved his hand. "It doesn't have anything to do with you. This is a King-tier familiar. It would be of no use even if you had stood in front of him."

When the forty-year-old security department captain heard Gao Peng say that this didn't have anything to do with him, he let out a sigh of relief and looked gratefully at the principal.

"Oh, right, you have to do a good job when it comes to safety among the students. I don't want this to affect the academy's normal learning schedule. And as for these broken walls, bring people with you to investigate them. Don't leave any hidden dangers; fix them early," Gao Peng said.

"All right, principal." The security department captain nodded repeatedly.

When Gao Peng saw strands of white hair on the security captain's head, he paused for a moment. "Don't overwork yourself. Spend more time with your family."

"Thank you for your concern, principal." The security department captain smiled brightly.

Gao Peng didn't say anything further. His identity had determined that it would be hard for him to continue no matter what he said.

There was, naturally, no interrogation room in the Tiange Academy. Why would an academy set up something like an interrogation room? Gao Peng found a vacant warehouse in the woods and shut the door. There were no students within 330 feet.

Tong Cheng took a deep breath and stared at the closed doors and windows. The light in the warehouse had become dim, and an ominous feeling arose in his heart. "What do you want? Lynching is illegal," he said.

"You're already so grown up. Why do you still say such childish things?" Gao Peng sneered.

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Chapter 552: I Want You Guys to Win the Championship

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"If you tell me everything honestly, I'll give you an easy time. If you don't, I can only resort to other methods." Gao Peng felt that his temper now was much better than last time. If he had still been his old self, there was no way he would have been so amiable or used such a mild method to resolve the problem.

Tong Cheng opened his mouth and said, "Assassinating you has nothing to do with other people. It's my personal behavior. I'm only here to explore what is real and what is false."

To explore what is real and what is false here… The more Gao Peng thought about it, the more it didn't sit right with him. He lifted Tong Cheng, who was lying on the ground. "Since you're here to investigate what's real and what's false, how did assassinating me suddenly come into the picture?"

Tong Cheng glanced at Gao Peng. He smiled but didn't reply. His attitude and refusal to answer made Gao Peng very unhappy.

"Remove his shoes." Moneymaker tore off the shoes on Tong Cheng's feet in one bite. Instantly, there was an indescribable smell in the air.

"Use your tail to tickle him." There were a few gold pale fluffs on the end of Moneymaker's tail. His flexible tail circled in the air and then brushed Tong Cheng's feet as if they were dexterous fingers.

Tong Cheng's body trembled, and the expression on his face would have looked strange to anyone.

"Hurry up and laugh. You're not allowed to hold it in," Gao Peng berated him.

The expression on Tong Cheng's face swiftly became strange and unbearable. He glared resentfully at Gao Peng as his facial features began to twist, and his entire body started trembling like jelly.

He glared hatefully at Gao Peng. "Oh… I will absolutely never… oh… tell you… Hahaha you're the devil! Hahaha…"

Twenty minutes later… Tong Cheng's face was flushed, and his hair was matted to his forehead as if by glue. He oozed beads of perspiration as big as beans, his chest undulated violently, and his eyes gazed vacantly at the ceiling.

"So, to be clear, you're a member of the Hushan Group, and the reason why you came here this time was to investigate the depth of our academy representatives?" Gao Peng paced up and down the warehouse with his hands behind his back.

Tong Cheng didn't speak. His heart was presently filled with remorse, but he didn't expect himself to ultimately be unable to survive this devil's coerced confession.

"And then you coincidentally saw me, so you wanted to handle me, as well?" Gao Peng tilted his neck. He still felt like something was off. So I was just to be eliminated because it was convenient?

"However, back to the topic, our academy only reached eighth place last time. Why did the Hushan Group come and monitor a weak group like us?" Gao Peng mumbled to himself and suddenly recalled something. One of the leading groups backing Huawu High academy was the Hushan Group! And Chen Zhantang of Huawu High academy defeated Li Junzhong in the previous competition. Theoretically, as long as the outcome was already decided, the blows shouldn't have been too cruel. After all, there's no deep-seated hatred, and only during the most important round will there be a need to resort to unscrupulous means. Tiange Academy was eliminated last time, and he's coming for us again? Does he really regard Tiange Academy as an enemy?

"Tell me who the high-level experts in the Hushan Group are." Gao Peng stared into Tong Cheng's eyes.

"I won't reveal anything again. Just kill me," Tong Cheng shouted furiously.

Gao Peng nodded. "All right, I'll grant you your wish."

After those words, he picked Tong Cheng up and made use of the darkness to walk to the foot of the mountain. Halfway through, Gao Peng felt that this was too slow and sat down on Moneymaker's back. Perhaps it was because of its short body, but not much swaying from Moneymaker's movements could be felt.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the Yangtze River. Tong Cheng watched as the water in the river took the shape of a human figure before his eyes and extended a hand to him… Immediately after that, he lost all awareness.

"Master, this is what I retrieved from his memory." The Growing Brain handed the memory to Gao Peng. Gao Peng shut his eyes and started reading the piece of memory that the Growing Brain had given to him.

After a long time, Gao Peng opened his eyes.

This rascal had indeed lied. He was from the Hushan Group, but the reason why he was sent here was not so that he could find out news—he was there to cripple or kill the familiars of the five chosen competitors of Tiange Academy. The most important task was to eliminate the Stormcloud Sparrow of the Tiange Academy.

"There's a spy on the inside." Gao Peng's face gradually turned gloomy. Not many people knew about the existence of the Stormcloud Sparrow. Moreover, his grandfather and the academy's top management had also ordered that it was strictly forbidden for them to tell outsiders about this. The fact that the Hushan Group knew about the Stormcloud Sparrow was something worth pondering.

Moreover, Tong Chen was very well aware of the divisions of the familiars in the mountain behind the academy. This was confidential news.

Having an internal spy within the academy was something that had been predicted long ago, because the Southern Sky Group had also planted spies in forces, but for something like this to really happen, it was a very unpleasant feeling.

Gao Peng shut his eyes and inhaled a deep breath. He let it out after a long time. This silent and long sigh seemed to allow him to spit out all the pain in his heart. This time, all I wanted to do was bring the students there to look. I wasn't even preparing to clinch the championship, but why do you guys always have to force me?

Can't we have a fair and honest competition? Even if we lose, it just means that the students aren't the best learners, and I'll be sincerely convinced and ready to concede. This is just like having someone pour water on me during a fair play.

Don't you know that this is very important? Don't you know that this will mess up my running rhythm?

"Forget it. If I play dirty as well just because these people do, what makes me different from them?" Gao Peng shook his head. Even if I want to win, I must defeat them on the competition grounds, fair and square. I must turn the iron fist of kingly justice into a rolling wheel to crush all spirits and devils!

Then I shall set a target and obtain the first place in this high school championship—that will serve as a harsh slap for these despicable villains in the competition.

This time, the Huaxia High School Championship wasn't being conducted in Mo Du. The venue was chosen to be in the eastern part of the Huaxia region. It was ironic that Didu was a territory of the Freedom Alliance, which also meant that this competition was being held in the large base city of the Freedom Alliance.

There was one week until the national competition. One week's worth of time… It's enough.

Gao Peng looked at the sky and saw that it was getting late, so he didn't return to the academy. He would look for the five student representatives tomorrow.

The next day, the sky had just turned bright when Gao Peng summoned the five students and had them bring their familiars with them. After experiencing last night's incident, there was still lingering fear on the faces of the five.

Even though it wasn't like they had never seen King-tier monsters, it was the first time they had witnessed a battle as fierce as that one.

When they woke up this morning and walked past the academy buildings, they saw leftover traces of the malevolent fighting. Large wall tiles were damaged, and they had heard that several classrooms closer to the exterior of the school had been sealed. There were many cracks on the walls.

They drove along a winding path on the mountain, and after half an hour, they arrived before a flat and unusual mountain peak.

A clicking sound was accompanied by slight trembling as the mountain peak before them started to slowly move towards either side and open. Gao Peng, who was dressed in a white lab coat and wearing a mask, stood at the door and watched these five students calmly. "Come on in," he said.

Wang Jiujiu, Cao Huan, and the rest walked into the secret lab hidden in the mountain with their necks stretched out as if they were Granny Liu visiting the Grand View Gardens.

Gao Peng was leading them in front, his voice calm. "Initially, all I wanted was for you guys to gain some experience from the high school championship, but now I've changed my mind. I want you guys to win the championship!"

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Chapter 553: Competitive Players

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

When they heard the principal's words, the eyes of all five students standing behind him lit up. The principal's performance yesterday had made them all delighted and sincerely willing to work harder.

That domineering kick had smashed one of the walls in the classroom. They had heard that it was the principal's kick that had caused the most damage in the battle. If they put themselves in the principal's shoes and stood where he had been, they were afraid that they would have been killed instantly.

"I have to say something that you guys won't like to hear—expecting to win the championship with the familiars that you guys have now is nothing more than a dream," Gao Peng said mercilessly.

Gao Peng had been too lazy to attack them the day before, because he had wanted to instill confidence in them. However, since they were preparing to win the championship now, he had to make them aware of the gap between their dreams and reality.

It was a good thing to have ambition. However, it should never become an illusion. One had to know what one was lacking compared to other people before he or she could enter a battle with a modest heart.

"What, not convinced?" Gao Peng took in their expressions. "How about this; let's learn by interaction. I won't use my familiars either. I'll use the subordinate parasitic beast on one of my familiars to fight with you. What do you think?"

The subordinate parasitic beast on one of his familiars… That doesn't sound very impressive.

"All right." Cao Huan accepted the challenge. Even though Cao Huan was an enigma in the group, her familiar's ability had made her someone in the group who couldn't be neglected.

Since Cao Huan had accepted the challenge… They could only harden their resolve. Furthermore, after the challenge had been accepted, these five individuals were actually rather eager to give it a try. Anyway, it was just for the sake of learning, not a battle of life and death. The five students grew a little agitated the moment they thought of that.

"If we can beat the principal, we can brag about it for the rest of our lives," Wei Gongfan shouted, his eyebrows dancing.

"Come on in." Gao Peng led them into a special room.

The room had been constructed with special materials. Only the presence of a King-tier monster inside the room could destroy it. Monsters beneath that tier couldn't even inflict damage amounting to a crack.

A total of seven familiars entered the room, Cao Huan's familiars included. Besides that, Bei Zhi was also present. The tall and skinny Bei Zhi looked extremely delicate at first glance, like a gust of wind would be enough to blow it down.

"This is the subordinate parasitic beast from the body of the principal's familiar that he was talking about?" Mo Yingming scratched his head. He had a feeling that something was wrong.

"Isn't this parasitic beast a little too big? How can it be ten feet tall?" Wang Jiujiu gestured. "I thought the biggest they could grow to is a foot and a half. Moreover, it looks like a tree demon. Is it a parasitic tree demon…?"

The five students were all at a loss. What's a tree parasitic monster? These trees grow on mountain peaks. Could it be that the principal has a familiar as big as a mountain? This notion tickled their funny bones. They thought that they really had rich imaginations.

"The level of this familiar is very low, at only Level 50," Gao Peng said calmly. "Moreover, it isn't a familiar that's good at fighting. If you guys can defeat it, you'll be qualified to participate in the championship's challenge."

Its level is 'so' low and it's only at Level 50? Then what does that make us…?!

"Roar!" The Ironbone Sabretooth Tiger pounced forward and bit down on the Bei Zhi's arm.

Bei Zhi lifted its left arm and waved it away gently. Whoosh!

The Ironbone Sabretooth Tiger flew through the air. This slap caused it to fly 40 feet and smash against the wall. It then rebounded from the impact and promptly passed out.

On the other side, the Iron-Winged Armored Paladin was just about to turn towards the corner when Bei Zhi lifted its wooden right arm. Its hand closed into a fist, and countless long and thin branches extended along its fist, stretching towards the Iron-Winged Armored Paladin.

The Iron-Winged Armored Paladin rolled backward in retreat. Its armor, comprised of iron pieces, elongated and chopped off the branch nearest to it to annihilate the threat.

The iron sword made a dull and low sound when it landed on the branches. The blade was stuck in the branch, and the remaining branches were as flexible as pythons as they coiled around the Iron-Winged Armored Paladin until it was thoroughly surrounded. Some small branches slipped into the gap of the armor and surrounded it like a dumpling wrapper over its filling.

On the other side, the ability of the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster was similar to that of the Bei Zhi. However, the difference between the two was 10 whole levels. Moreover, as the two main sources of combat power in the team had been instantly eliminated, it didn't dare to go forward and display its slight skill before an expert.

Gao Peng turned his gaze to Cao Huan. The only chance of victory in this battle from start to end would be her Sky Sparrow.

Cao Huan was silent for a second. "I admit defeat," she said.

"Ah! Why won't you fight?"

"Why did you admit defeat before even trying?" The other four individuals were extremely shocked.

Gao Peng was also rather surprised at Cao Huan's decision. "Even though your Sky Sparrow's level is slightly lower than my familiar's, its grade isn't too low. It's not like there isn't any chance of victory. Why did you admit defeat?"

"My familiar's grade was raised by you, principal. Whether I fight or not is no longer important." Cao Huan shook her head.

Gao Peng took a good look at her before he turned to the other four. "That works, too. Anyway, through this battle, I wanted to tell you guys about the importance of levels. Any tactics or kinds of cooperation are all fabricated. You guys have tactics, and so do your opponents. This isn't a form of insurance, and using strength to crush your opponent is the most important.

"As such, I have prepared to spend six days here to conduct intense training. What I want is for all of you to be able to rise to the Lord tier before you head to Mo Du."

Every single one of them had alarm written on their faces.

After Gao Peng said those words, he turned around and left the room. He came back in again after a while with five transparent plastic bags in his hands. He handed one plastic bag to every individual in order.

Before they could take a clear look at what they were holding in their hands, their familiars had already grown agitated and restless. Nobody knew when the previously passed out Ironbone Sabretooth Tiger had regained consciousness.

Wang Jiujiu was instantly knocked over by it. The huge fifteen-foot-long tiger was like a little kitty staring at her pitifully at this moment. It was just short of purring.

"Is this a monster core crystal?" Wei Gongfan snorted and lifted the plastic bag before his eyes. The plastic bag contained a transparent crystal the size of an egg. Its shape was very familiar. They had seen it many times, and it looked just like a monster core crystal.

They only wondered why this monster core crystal looked so big.

"Yes, these are King-tier monster core crystals. Let your familiars consume them," Gao Peng said casually.

It was said that when an individual suffered too many surprises within a short period of time, they would enter a state of numbness.

"Principal, are these really for us?!"

"You'll have to return them to me if you guys continue to talk nonsense."

The five of them didn't dare to say anything further as they silently fed the monster core crystals to their familiars. The five Commander-grade familiars swallowed the monster core crystals and glittered with vitality all over the place. Looking at their exuberant appearances… Perhaps they shouldn't even expect to get any sleep that night.

In the following days, they really understood what it meant to be competitive players. The training method that the principal gave their familiars consisted of a variety of high-intensity battles, and aside from the fighting, they also swallowed numerous nourishing pills that looked very expensive. In their eyes, these weren't pills; they were bottle after bottle of confidence.

With the help of a large number of pills and King-tier monster core crystals, the five familiars improved tremendously in a short period of time. Apart from the Monster Sunflower who had only reached Level 40, as its previous grade of Level 35 was too low, the other four familiars had advanced to the Lord tier.

Despite that, it wasn't as if the Monster Sunflower didn't gain anything. It had swallowed a large number of nourishing pills and had successfully undergone a major transformation. The Monster Sunflower had grown into a Canine Flower, which was a little stronger than the Monster Sunflower.

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Chapter 554: Canine Flower

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Cao Huan was still protesting the name of her familiar even when they boarded the plane. "Principal, why do you have to call my familiar Canine Flower after it evolved from a Monster Sunflower? This name is too bad." Cao Huan, who was usually reticent, took the initiative to approach Gao Peng for the first time ever that day.

"Is it a fact that an evolved Canine Flower is more powerful than a Monster Sunflower?" Gao Peng asked.

"It's… It's a fact," Cao Huan replied.

"Then let me ask you again; is the term 'canine' more outstanding?" Gao Peng asked.

"Then why not just call it Sunflower!" Cao Huan was a bit angry.

"Sister Cao… I feel that the principal wasn't completely unreasonable in naming your familiar the Canine Flower…" Wei Gongfan said cautiously.

Cao Huan directed her cold gaze at him. "Then you tell me the reason behind it."

"Look at it yourself." Wei Gongfan pointed at the Canine Flower which was standing to the side.

A golden flower was standing in front of the mirror and looking left and right. It used its leaves to gently brush the mirror as if it was attracted to the beauty inside it. A smaller flower had bloomed among the petals in the upper right-hand corner of this flower. This was another way the Canine Flower was different. There was an ingenious little sunflower in its upper right-hand corner.

The two flowers, one smaller than the other, were overlapping. The additional flower at the upper right-hand corner was what caused it to become the Canine Flower.

Cao Huan's eyes twitched. She had never enjoyed talking, and right then, the best thing to do was shut her eyes. "Then let's call it the Canine Flower."

"Actually, your familiar's ability is very strong. It's a lot stronger than the Monster Sunflower," Gao Peng said to Cao Huan. Cao Huan tilted her head to look over.

Gao Peng laughed mildly, turned his head, and said to the Canine Flower, "Canine Flower, you look beautiful today."

The Canine Flower turned its head curiously when it heard Gao Peng calling its name. Its flowers and leaves trembled slightly.

"I said, you look very beautiful today," Gao Peng repeated.

The Canine Flower was evidently very happy after hearing Gao Peng's compliment. The small flower in the upper right-hand corner couldn't help but tremble slightly. The sunlight streaming in through the plane window landed on the face of the small flower, and it instantly emitted rays of light. Then a continuous stream of golden suns floated out from the petals of the small flower and gathered to form a small golden ball of light.

In addition to Cao Huan, the four other people present were dumbfounded by this sight. It actually has such an ability?! It spat out a ball of light just by being complimented. Is it really feeling that over the moon?

[Monster Name: Canine Flower

[Monster Level: Level 40

[Monster Grade: Perfect/Perfect

[Monster Skills: Sunlight Treatment Level 1, Light Absorption Level 1

[Special Characteristics: Double Flowers (a main flower and a side flower that grows on top of its head). When it receives praise and feels happy, the side flower on its head will produce healing suns.

Active Effect 1: This group of healing suns will be maintained for a period of time. The treatment effect is equivalent to level 1 of sunlight treatment, and there will at most be one group of healing suns at the same time.

[Monster Attribute: Light

[Monster Weakness: Fire

[Monster Description: The Canine Flower that evolved from the Monster Sunflower is stronger than its previous form. It is naturally narcissistic and likes to listen to compliments from other people. What it hates most is when people say mean things behind its back.

The monster characteristic was able to develop even though its grade was only Perfect. This was considered an extremely rare ability with great potential. Even though this ability looked quite tasteless, it was still a monster characteristic, after all.

The remaining time on the plane became time for childish games. The five boys and girls were acting like they had found a very fun toy, taking turns to tug at the Canine Flower and complimenting it endlessly. This made the Canine Flower exceptionally happy, and a group of healing suns streamed out from its head continuously.

They're already so old, but they're just like a group of children. Gao Peng shook his head while watching them.

The plane slowly landed on the runway of the private airport. The cabin door opened, revealing Gao Peng, who walked at the forefront, and the five students who had come to participate in the competition following behind him. At the end of the line, Xiao Hua was leading a group of familiars forth.

In fact, the news of Gao Peng's return couldn't be hidden from people who were interested. He hadn't tried to cover his footsteps, either. Of course, compared to Gao Peng, most people were more interested in his familiar. After all, Gao Peng was just a monster trainer, and people were more interested in knowing how strong his familiars had become.

However, the familiars accompanying Gao Peng during his return this time made them feel a little perplexed.

Why is there not even a familiar face to be seen?! Where is the skeleton? Where's the giant crab that's like a mountain spirit? And where is that bald duck? And the little white lion?

They didn't see any of the important familiars they had recorded in their notebooks. None of them were there, not even the centipede. It was surprising, as they had even sent people to the Baiye district and Yuzhou City to check and ascertain that those were the familiars that were by Gao Peng's side when he emerged from the Spatial Rift that day.

In a hotel in Mo Du, Tong Xiang, who was standing before a window, turned around rather excitedly to ask Tong Ling behind him, "Could it be that all of Gao Peng's familiars are dead, and the only ones left by his side are these small shrimps?"

Tong Ling's face was expressionless. She walked to the window and gazed at the bustling city beneath her feet. "I'd suggest that you don't continue to provoke him."

A hint of indignance appeared on Tong Xiang's simple and honest face. "There are barely any familiars left by his side. He's crippled! He's a piece of junk right now! A piece of junk! Have you forgotten what he did to us back then? He locked the two of us in that room and then allowed over ten men to take turns talking to us! Endlessly!" Tong Xiang growled as he said this.

"In order to learn our language, he did something so demented to us. Do you know how I managed to pull through during that time?! They made me repeat 'good morning' over one thousand times!" As he spoke, Tong Xiang was reminded of the unbearable memories from three years ago and therefore found himself hating Gao Peng even more. "Don't stop me. I must get revenge on Gao Peng," he said.

Tong Ling said calmly, "How do you know that his familiars are dead? What if it's because there was a problem with their grades, causing them to be restricted and forcing them to remain in the Black Fog World?"

Tong Xiang paused for a moment before he muttered, "That would mean that they're trapped in the Black Fog World and he can't summon them. At most, I won't kill him then, I'll just beat him up. Anyway, I won't feel good about it if I don't get to beat him up."

"Suit yourself. This is your personal matter. Don't drag me into it when the time comes," Tong Ling said mildly.

Compared to three years ago, Tong Ling's aura felt more mature. There were more curves in her figure, as well. Her hair was set behind her head with gold-rimmed glasses. She couldn't be bothered to continue talking about such nonsense with Tong Xiang, who was as stubborn as a bull. "Anyway, I've said all that I should. I'm too lazy to stop you if you're seeking death. According to my observations… Gao Peng is a cautious person."

"Tell me… If he's such a cautious person, what gave him enough courage to stand beneath the sunlight? Is he stupid, or are you?" Tong Xiang asked.

Tong Ling laughed lightly in response as she shook her head and walked out of the room. Tong Xiang's heart jerked sharply as he remained frozen to the ground.

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Chapter 555: Gift

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The airport was divided into two areas; one was a private airport, and the other was public. This was different from before the Cataclysm. After the Cataclysm, there were even fewer people who could fly in private planes. People couldn't get private planes just by having money; they needed to have corresponding ability or power as well. This was also considered an unspoken rule.

As they moved through the airport, they saw several large trucks parked in front of the exit, blocking it. Gao Peng looked at them and adjusted his direction slightly while continuing to walk out. He didn't shout for anyone to fetch him.

Upon seeing Gao Peng avoid them, an individual broke away from the crowd in front of the big truck and walked over. The remaining people in the group quickly ran after said individual after a short clamor.

"Hahaha, nephew, it's been a long time." The individual at the forefront quickened his pace and laughed loudly.

"Mayor He." Gao Peng replied, purely to socialize.

"Mayor He is now president of the Freedom Alliance." A man who was dressed in a western suit and standing behind He Wei coughed. When he saw Gao Peng looking over, a very professional smile appeared on his face. He also nodded slightly to indicate his greeting.

"Be it president or mayor, they're all just false reputations to serve the people. If you don't mind, call me Uncle He." He Wei's smile was clear and bright.

Since he had already said that, Gao Peng could only harden his resolve and call out "Uncle He."

"Haha, it's been a long time since I saw you, my nephew. I had my people prepare a feast in the villa. It's not far away from the airport. I bet there was nothing nice to eat on the plane. Let's go and eat, since it's been a long time since we saw each other, too."

This was Mo Du, a territory that belonged to the Freedom Alliance. Gao Peng naturally didn't disagree.

"Then let's go." Gao Peng gestured for the five students to follow the same path.

The truck drove out of the airport and arrived at a villa in the suburbs half an hour later. The villa was built on top of a hill, and at the foot of the hill was a small lake. There was a spacious stone path leading up to the summit from the foot of the hill.

As Gao Peng walked past the lake, he felt something inside it watching him. He turned around and saw two eyes rising from the surface of the lake to observe this group of people.

"This is the familiar that the bodyguards keep in the lake. After all, this is the suburbs. Sometimes wild monsters will run in, and it becomes rather annoying," He Wei explained when he saw Gao Peng looking at the monster in the lake.

"Hmm." Gao Peng nodded and retracted his gaze.

After arriving at the villa, they saw that the villa was divided into the front yard and the backyard. The people who came along with He Wei were arranged to dine in the front yard, whereas the backyard was open only to He Wei, Gao Peng, and his five students, along with logistic staff such as waiters and chefs.

"Come, don't be reserved. Treat this place like your home," He Wei said to Gao Peng's students. That was what he said, but how could they maintain a sense of normalcy when a big-shot who often appeared on television was sitting before them right now? In the past three years, the Freedom Alliance had often released news and gained popularity quickly.

"No need, no need…" He Wei continued.

"Thank you, president," the students replied.

After eating, Cao Huan and the rest dared not disturb the conversation between the two leaders. As such, they took the initiative to shift to the other table in order to give Gao Peng and He Wei some privacy.

Gao Peng retracted his gaze and said calmly, "President, if there's anything going on, let me know and don't hold back."

He Wei laughed loudly. "I heard that your Southern Sky Group has business here among the Freedom Alliance. Right, you still remember the Crocodile Spirit Swamp, don't you?"

Gao Peng was only reminded of the Crocodile Spirit Swamp when He Wei mentioned it. However, it wasn't that the former was forgetful, either. Ever since the Freedom Alliance had been established, the Southern Sky Group's business there had been almost completely eliminated.

Under such circumstances, it was only natural that Gao Peng didn't give much thought to the Crocodile Spirit Swamp. Because of the Freedom Alliance's establishment, many people who had followed them before they rose to power enjoyed similar benefits throughout the process.

These people were the first batch of people who had followed He Wei. As for how much help they had provided throughout the process, Gao Peng couldn't be sure. But regardless of how useful they were, He Wei would definitely not treat them in an undeserving manner, be it because he wanted to win their hearts or draw talented people to his side.

The territory of the Freedom Alliance couldn't exactly be considered large. Compared to the entire Huaxia district, it was about the size of the Jiangnan area, but it wasn't exactly considered small, either. If they were to place it in the outside world, the Jiangnan area was bigger than many countries, and these countries weren't small ones.

The Crocodile Spirit Swamp was an industry that had already been developed. It was integrated with hunting, capturing prey, and breeding. There were many monsters in it, and most of them were amphibious, coupled with numerous flying monsters, as well.

Gao Peng didn't believe that there was anyone who wasn't greedy for such a big slice of cake.

"Someone begged me to hand the Crocodile Spirit Swamp to him." He Wei picked up a slice of raw fish and dipped it in wasabi and soy sauce before placing it in his mouth. "But I rejected him." He Wei's eyes narrowed into slits. He looked just like a big tiger that was laughing with his mouth wide open.

He placed the chopsticks on the table and looked into Gao Peng's eyes seriously. "Because I know that this is my nephew's industry. Since you call me 'uncle,' then as an uncle, I cannot touch what belongs to my nephew."

"Thank you, Uncle He. Here's a toast to you." Gao Peng rose to make his toast. He sighed internally. This is really troublesome… He wasn't afraid of seeing blades and guns—what he feared the most was this sort of soft and fluffy situation.

"I've received accurate news that there are people who intend to kill you in Mo Du, and it's not just one group," He Wei said.

Gao Peng nodded without expression. It was simply too difficult for him to feign fear.

He Wei was a little disappointed when he didn't see any other expression on Gao Peng's face. However, whatever expression he wanted to see had surfaced for only a second for Gao Peng to see before it was suppressed.

"But don't worry, Mo Du is a territory that belongs to the Freedom Alliance. As your uncle, I'll never allow anything to happen to you on my territory."

Gao Peng could hear what He Wei was saying between the lines. The same cannot be said for the students that I brought along… Of course, he didn't fear danger, and he wasn't afraid even if there really were assassins.

However, Gao Peng couldn't deny that he might not be able to protect the safety of all five of his students by himself. After all, killing someone was easier than protecting them.

After a moment of silence, Gao Peng said to He Wei, "Uncle He, I would like to ask for a favor."

"Oh? What is it?"

"I hope that Uncle He can protect all five of my students. As for my safety, Uncle He, you needn't worry about it. To repay this favor, I'll donate the Crocodile Spirit Swamp. I know that Uncle He must have gone through much trouble to help me retain the Crocodile Spirit Swamp, but I had better not make things difficult for you." Gao Peng laughed while he spoke.

He Wei studied Gao Peng closely before he shook his head and laughed. "What do you mean, make things difficult for me? Jiangnan isn't exactly small, either. Whoever wants the monster breeding ground can open one him or herself!"

He Wei waved heroically. "All right, it's been decided then. As long as your five students are in the Freedom Alliance's territory, nothing will happen to them! Otherwise, it'd be equivalent to giving me a slap in the face! I don't really care about the Crocodile Spirit Swamp. Moreover, it belonged to you in the first place."

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Chapter 556: Mo Du Stadium

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Gao Peng burst into laughter. It seemed like the chairman would be repulsed if he insisted on rejecting him.

"Thank you, Chairman." Gao Peng raised his glass.

Having finished his meal and drinks, He Wei called for a servant. "Make the arrangements to put Crocodile Spirit Swamp under my nephew's name."

The servant paused and nodded afterward. "Yes, sir."

Crocodile Spirit Swamp was frequently mistaken for the Evil Spirit Swamp due to their similarities. Therefore, a large stone monument had been erected outside the swamp. The words 'Crocodile Spirit Swamp' were written on it.

Of course, only non-locals would make this kind of mistake. The locals almost never said the name of the Crocodile Spirit Swamp wrong.

A cashier was set up at the entrance, and those who wanted to enter Crocodile Spirit Swamp had to make a payment before they entered. The profits gained from the swamp belonged to the monster trainers.

However, a limit was enforced in the swamp. Only 3,000 monster trainers were allowed to enter the swamp each day, and catching monsters was allowed only within the swamp. Also, a monster trainer could only be rewarded with monsters caught by his or herself. Besides, only one monster was allowed to be kept by each person, regardless of whether it was dead or alive. Extra payments had to be made to have more familiars.

Aside from capturing familiars, murdering monsters with bad intent was strictly forbidden in the swamp. If such an action was caught, a heavy penalty would be imposed, and the wrongdoer would be blacklisted.

Crocodile Spirit Swamp closed at 3:30 pm every day. A yellow "do not enter" tape was stretched around the entrance. Many equipped guards patrolled with familiars outside the swamp to prohibit trespassers.

A black vehicle stopped at the swamp's entrance after a short while. The back door opened, and a middle-aged man climbed out of the vehicle with a somber expression.

One of the guards who was wearing a uniform walked towards him and said with a deep voice, "Welcome back, Director. Your son is in the room."

"Don't tell the others about this for now," the middle-aged man said solemnly.

With the secretary and others waiting outside, he entered the room. A wailing 20-year-old pounced on the middle-aged man's leg. "Father! Lock all of them up! How dare they capture me…"

Slap! A hard slap landed on his face. The youngster was confused. Shaken, he stared at his own father while he held his face.

"You idiot!" The middle-aged man was enraged. It was his fault for spoiling his son, but he hadn't expected that he would do something so foolish. "Tell me! Who made you do that?"

Zhou Xiao held his face and mumbled, "No one. I just couldn't stand that Gao guy."

The middle-aged man laughed sardonically. "You couldn't stand him? Even if you had half of the others' achievements and this was a dream, I'd be laughing when I woke up. Where did you get the confidence to look down on others, student Zhou? Young Master Zhou?!

"Just tell me. The pocket money I gave you wouldn't have been enough for you to hire those people. Also, I know you well enough to know that you wouldn't be courageous enough to do such a thing without someone egging you on from the side. Who is that person?"

Zhou Xiao inhaled deeply. "It was my own idea!"

"Heh." The middle-aged man nodded. His finger, which was pointed towards his son, was shaking. "Good. You're still being stubborn.

"If you tell me the truth, I can still find ways to deal with it. If you don't, you'll go to jail."

At the mention of jail, Zhou Xiao panicked. "I have to go to jail?"

"If you weren't my only son, I'd be happy to take your life." The middle-aged man snorted. "You thought that you were taking your revenge on Gao Peng, but did it ever occur to you that your act was actually a slap on the Director's face?

"You sent people to kill off almost every monster in the Crocodile Spirit Swamp right after the Director said that the swamp would be put under another's name. Aren't you destroying his gift to another person?"

Zhou Xiao's face paled. "Then… Then what am I supposed to do, Father? I never meant to do that. It was Situ Guang. He was the one who incited me to do so; even the men were sent by him. Father, go get him and let him go to jail. It's not my business."

Although Zhou Xiao was arrogant, he wasn't stupid. Knowing that he had made a stupid mistake, he couldn't have cared less about friendship and loyalty any longer. He told his father everything in detail.

"Did you record it?" Zhou Tianxiong asked uncertainly.

Zhou Xiao was dumbfounded. Record it? Where the heck would I get a recording?

"Forget it." Looking at his own cowardly son, Zhou Tianxiong was pissed off. Why do I have such a son? I'm going to ask my wife to have another child when I get back!

"If someone asks you about this, just say that it's not related to you at all. Don't say anything if they ask you about it. You were tricked, but you're the one dealing with the consequences, you fool." Looking at his idiot son's silly expression, Zhou Tianxong wanted to hit him. He raised his right hand but held it back after. "Go home! And you're grounded for a month!"

"Situ Guang?" He Wei was resting in the boss' chair while smoking a cigar, relaxed. He opened his eyes and exhaled a smoke ring when he heard the name Zhou Tianxiong mentioned.

"Old Situ is still restless." He Wei smiled and shook his head. "I watched Zhou Xiao grow up, and I knew that he wouldn't do such a daring thing. You should go back. When it comes to educating your kid, you can't just hit him all the time, you have to reason with him. All right, you can go back now. I'll settle things with Little Peng."

"Yes, Director." Zhou Tianxiong bowed and left the room.

After Zhou Tianxiong left, He Wei knocked on his desk. A secretary wearing a white blouse, black stockings, and heels entered the room. "Purchase some monsters and place them in Crocodile Spirit Swamp. Try to recover the ecology there and be low-key about it," He Wei said faintly.

"Yes, Director."

On the next day at sunrise, Gao Peng picked up his five students and headed towards the venue of the High School Championship, Mo Du Stadium, by bus.

After the Cataclysm, Mo Du Stadium was expanded to almost three times larger than its original size. Not just the size of the site changed; the internal structure was also reconstructed to be safer.

The stadium had become the venue for many monster trainer competitions and exchange activities. Two King-tier monster trainers had competed against each other over the air of the stadium two years earlier.

The Huaxia High School Championship the previous year had also been held in this stadium. These events caused the reputation of the Mo Du Stadium to skyrocket.

The stadium was already crowded at eight o'clock in the morning as countless vendors and onlookers flooded the stadium.

Flying familiars were seen passing over the sky, the wind caused by the flapping of their wings mixed in with the noise from the crowd. The presence of the ferocious familiars in a concrete city brought a feeling that was both barbaric and modern.

The live broadcast was shown on an extremely huge screen outside the stadium. In the stadium, there were no empty seats. All the seats were occupied, as the spectators had already taken their seats earlier.

"Hello to all CTV viewers. This is the live broadcast of the Huaxia High School Championship. I'm currently in Mo Du Stadium, and all the seats are already full. We're all waiting for the teams from the different base cities in the Huaxia region to march into the arena. There are only five minutes left!"

"Hello to all viewers from the base city of Yuzhou. We are currently at…"

Many reporters were broadcasting while holding microphones in front of cameras.

After all, for many of them, in this era filled with humans and familiars, all news related to familiars could grab the attention of many.

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Chapter 557: The Mysterious Power from Yuzhou

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"As you can see, the teams from different base cities are entering the arena. The first in line is Huawu High School. As they won the championship last year, three teams from the base city of Didu participated this year, and Didu is the only base city with three teams.

"At the forefront now is Huawu High School, last year's champion!"

Along with the impassioned voice of the host, ear-piercing screams and shouts of excitement rose in the stadium.

"Zhu Tianle, I want to give you a monkey!"

"Zhu Tianle, you're the best!!"

At the edges of the arena, the crowd screamed and cheered madly.

Gao Peng, who was still in the passageway, folded his hands in front of his chest and said calmly, "See? This is the treatment that the best get."

The five kids who were standing behind him looked out from the narrow passageway. The team was walking in, their golden uniforms dazzling under the sun.

"Only the strongest deserve cheers and screams." Gao Peng pointed towards the team. "If you win the championship this year, your next class of juniors will be treated like this next year, too."

The five kids were out of breath, eager to try. They wished that they could rush out now and defeat the Huawu High School team to prove their abilities. Ever since their familiars had advanced to the Lord tier, save for Cao Huan, the other four had grown a little arrogant.

"Principal, I heard that Zhu Tianle is Chen Zhantang's cousin and is known as the 'double king' by his fans. He's only a Lord-tier monster trainer, so how dare he call himself a king? He's such a jerk!" Wei Gongfan snorted.

"Wei Gongfan, don't be so rude." Wang Jiujiu frowned.

Wei Gongfan rolled his eyes. I'm not afraid of anything, aside from the principal.

"A true man should be like that, sooner or later…" Mo Yingming muttered to himself.

"Stop talking about being a true man. You guys are just a bunch of immature kids. Just become the champions and go back to prepare for your monthly test!" Gao Peng struck them with his merciless words.

The kids' burning enthusiasm was instantly extinguished, as if with cold water. We still have a monthly test…

"Look, Principal, since we're here to bring glory for the school and are striving for honor, can't we be excluded from the test?" Wei Gongfan asked carefully. His results in all subjects other than familiars were very poor. Hence, monthly tests were like a nightmare to him. Every time his results were released, he would be scolded by his mother.

Gao Peng looked at Wei Gongfan with an expression that said, 'Are you kidding me?'

Wei Gongfan ducked, embarrassed.

Another team that wasn't far from them couldn't help but burst into laughter after listening to their conversation. On the left, a girl with a black ponytail withdrew her gaze while trying not to laugh. Her shoulders trembled slightly.

"What are you laughing at?" Jia Zhengjing asked her unhappily.

Wei Gongfan poked Jia Zhengjing's waist and whispered in his ear, "Come on, she's a girl. Why quarrel with her?"

"So what?! She's laughing at us!" Jia Zhengjing was unconvinced.

Wei Gongfan was dumbfounded.

The girl with the ponytail was pretty. Several boys on her team had been watching her from the side. They seemed to be her admirers or something of the like. Her admirers couldn't bear Jia Zhengjing's words and stood up. "You guys only got eighth place last year. Don't be so arrogant."

"An eighth-place finisher wants to challenge the first-place finisher. Where did you get your confidence from?"

Wei Gongfan, who was persuading Jia Zhengjing, was triggered immediately. "Do you think you're that great with seventh place? Last year, if it hadn't been for Senior Li Junzong's familiar getting mauled by that guy, you wouldn't have even won seventh place."

The two sides were at odds for a moment. Gao Peng watched the scene in silence without stopping or encouraging them. To him, it was just a funny fight between a bunch of kids. Once, I was like them too…

As they became noisier, crews started to approach them. Gao Peng coughed. "Enough. Prepare yourselves to enter the arena."

Gao Peng's voice cut through the noise of the people who were arguing. His voice wasn't loud but clear enough for everyone to get the message.

With inexplicable trembles, these little boys and girls shut their mouths. The crew that was approaching stopped after seeing that they had settled down.

Half a minute later, the team that quarreled with them left the passageway and entered the arena. Before leaving, some of the boys turned around to provoke Wei Gongfan and the team silently.

"Enough. When did I teach you to compete using your tongues? It'll be worth more than ten thousand words to beat them in the arena," Gao Peng said calmly.

It was their turn to walk into the arena. There were almost no cheers on both sides of the arena, and only sparse applause was heard. After all, the entrance order was based on the ranking of the previous year, from first to eighth place. The audience's throats had gone hoarse after shouting for so long.

Gao Peng noticed that someone was watching him. He turned his head to see a man in his thirties in a blue suit staring at him from the team in the front. He had rough but simple facial features. A person wouldn't remember his face after a single glance. Only those dead fish-like eyes of his were memorable.

He reminded Gao Peng of Fatty Big Sea, but not really. Fatty Big Sea was far cuter than him.

The draw came next. The rules of the Huaxia High School Championship were simple but crude; the teams competed one-on-one based on their draw to determine their opponents. Winners would enter the next round, and losers would be eliminated. The eliminated group would compete among themselves in another venue to determine their ranking. Therefore, only two groups would be competing in Mo Du Stadium—the uncontested and the winning teams.

The pairings would be all randomized so, in theory, the champion from the previous year could be facing the runner-up in the first round.

Many teams were praying silently not to face strong teams. In many of their eyes, Tiange Academy was also a strong team.

Digits flashed on the screen above their heads and stopped. 37-1.

Gasps were heard around all the teams.

Many people were relieved. Although they knew that they would face Huawu High School sooner or later if they kept winning, they hoped for a better ranking by facing them at a later time.

At the same time, they mourned in silence for the team that was 37th place last year, for as the saying went, 'to let others die was better than to let themselves die.'

According to rumors, three Lord-tier familiars from Huawu High School would be competing this year. This led to a result that many despaired.

Three Lord-tier familiars! Were they even high school students? Even adults that had entered society for a long time wouldn't have this strength. They were already advanced monster trainers by reaching the Lord tier!

Many small base cities had only one or two Lord-tier monster trainers at most.

The drawing continued quickly, and finally, Gao Peng saw Tiange Academy's number on the screen. 8 -7.

The audience gasped. This was the only time two single-digit teams had been chosen so far.

"Heh." Jia Zhengjing couldn't help but snort while raising his eyebrows. "What kind of fate is this?"

Both Mo Yingming and Wei Gongfan smiled.

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Chapter 558: Light-Dark Wolf Pair

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Compared to the five kids who were eager to try, Luoyang Shenhua High School's team wasn't happy. The two students who had been the loudest in the fight were a little flustered.

Their quarrel aside, they clearly knew that they lacked strength, just like Wei Gongfan had said. If Li Junzong's familiar hadn't been beaten by Chen Zhantang's familiar in the last championship, they might not have even placed seventh.

Looking at Wei Gongfan and his team's provocative expressions, Fu Sicheng's expression turned cold. He had been one of the most vocal in the quarrel.

"What are you afraid of? Li Junzong was on their team last year. This year, none of their members are famous. We defeated them last year, and we can do it again."

The drawing session was finally over after ten minutes, and Gao Peng couldn't have cared less about the rest of the draw orders. Staying with his team, he closed his eyes with earbuds in and started tapping his feet to the rhythm of the music.

A camera moved slowly towards the crowd from the side of the arena. The bearded photographer noticed something suddenly, and his eyes lit up. He stopped his movement and zoomed in on someone in the crowd. The person's face was becoming bigger and clearer, almost filling the whole shot.

"Huh?"

"Honey, look, isn't that…?"

"He's back?!"

"Sh*t, it can't be him. There was a rumor on the Internet that he was dead. It's all lies! I'll never believe in the words of social media influencers again."

The audience rating of that channel increased sharply within a short time.

Of course, the news of Gao Peng's return had already been circulating around some social circles. However, this was the first time he was being exposed to the public. The relationship between Gao Peng and Tiange Academy was also exposed. He was the first Principal of Tiange Academy.

The Internet was abuzz.

"No wonder he wanted to come back. I don't think that Gao Peng was satisfied with last year's results."

"Master Gao left Earth Star only to get stronger and return like a king. Those who said that he ran away, be careful tonight."

"Open the door immediately! We're here for inspection."

After the end of the draw session, the High School Championship officially began. The first round was the battle between Huawu High School and Qingmen First High School.

Compared to the relaxed atmosphere of Huawu High School, Qingmen First High School was very tense, and the members were stressed out. Qingmen First High School's team was in an uproar when they saw that Huawu High School's team had sent only two familiars onto the field.

Several members glared at Huawu High School's team. This is too insulting!

One of the Qingmen First High School's teachers' expression changed slightly. He trotted towards the referee and whispered something to him. After a while, he walked back calmly.

"Teacher Zhang, they're insulting us. They only sent out two players," one of the students complained.

"They've gone too far."

"How can they insult people like that?"

"Enough. Just get into the arena. Pride comes before a fall, and their pride is their own business. It's better to think of strategies to defeat them while they're overwhelmed with pride than to complain here." Although Teacher Zhang was also angry, he knew that he shouldn't join in the chaos, because he was their teacher. If he joined them, his own team was certainly going to be chaotic, too. Anyone could vent their discontent except him.

Teacher Zhang's words had a calming effect on the students' anxiety, and they turned their anger into fighting spirit.

The five familiars were arranged in different positions in the arena. All of them had fierce looks and shining eyes. Sensing their master's emotions, they were also filled with fighting spirit.

On the opposite side stood a pair of black and white wolves with slender, streamlined figures. Gao Peng took a glance at their attributes. They were a Level-40 Epic-grade Light-Dark Wolf Pair.

[Monster Name: Light Wolf/Dark Wolf

[Monster Tier: Level 40

[Monster Grade: Epic/Epic

[Monster attributes: Light/Dark

[Monster Skills: …

[Special Characteristic: Tides of Light/Tides of Darkness

Their exotic fur gave them each powerful combat power.

(Passive Effect 1: Each manipulation of the radiant/dark element makes the radiant/dark element in the air more dynamic, enabling them to activate more of the element in the air the next time it is manipulated.)

[Monster Description: The Light Wolf and Dark Wolf grew up in the Jiuli Wilderness and belong to the same species. The male offspring of the two wolves is a Light Wolf, while the female is a Dark Wolf. However, unlike other wolf monsters, they don't like to live in groups or with any other adult wolves except for their mate and offspring.

The Jiuli Wilderness didn't sound like it was from Earth Star. The wolves were probably monsters from another world.

Gao Peng's eyes narrowed. Since the Hushan Group and the Huaxia region's Military Department were supporters of Huawu High School, these two familiars could be theirs.

The five kids were having a discussion about whether Huawu High School or Qingmen First High School would win. After all, Huawu High School looked arrogant this time, because in previous battles, Lord-tier familiars would at least enter the battlefield, even if they didn't fight. This was because according to the rules of the championship, it was impossible to enter the battlefield once the match had started.

Once the bell rang, each wolf from the Light-Dark Wolf Pair went in a separate direction! Their black and white fur was plastered to their streamlined bodies against the wind. Two strong black and white lights coalesced in their mouths and intensified.

This is the tide of light/darkness. They're using the power of the tides. Gao Peng could sense the elemental light in the wolves' mouths moving at high speed.

The effect of the light-dark tides was that every time they manipulated light or dark elements, the elements would become more active. Therefore, the next time they manipulated a light or dark element, more elements could be manipulated. Like ocean waves, every rise and fall of the tides gathered more energy.

The Light-Dark Wolf Pair didn't run towards each other directly. Instead, they ran in a zigzag motion with each other through the arena, forming two S-shaped lines.

A raging bald red-furred ape hammered harshly on the earth, causing an explosion. Dust and gravel sputtered. Boom—

The elements in the mouths of the Light-Dark Wolf Pair roared, and a ray erupted. From the spectators' view, it seemed like two black and white lightsabers had burst into brilliant lights like a pair of scissors closing at the center of the arena.

Bam!! Since light and dark elements were opposite to each other, a horrible explosion occurred the moment the two elements made their final contact. Blood and flesh flew. Out of the five familiars on the opposing team, only two highly agile familiars were able to escape in time. The other three familiars were cut in half on the spot!

The extreme violence caused the audience to fall into silence for a moment before they burst into cheers. This was the popularity and charm of familiars in this era. Together, this Light-Dark Wolf Pair could be a good opponent for a low-grade Lord-tier monster.

The winner and loser were decisively and vividly obvious at this moment. Huawu High School earned raucous cheers from the audience. As for the defeated, Qingmen First High School had no one's attention.

Gao Peng applauded leisurely while rising from his seat. He seemed to be in a good mood. "Not bad. I thought this competition would be a one-sided crush without a doubt, but it seems like you have a strong enemy now. Till then, you must not lose. I can't afford to be embarrassed by you kids. I've invested so much in you, so don't get defeated."

The five kids remained silent. Why does the principal look like a villain right now?

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Chapter 559: Strangle · Vine Ocean

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After six consecutive matches, it was finally Tiange Academy's turn to enter the scene.

"Principal, why don't we follow Huawu University, who sent only two Lord-tier Monsters?" Wei Gongfan was excited to give it a try.

Gao Peng looked at him with caring eyes. "I will break your leg if you dare to do so. What's the point of competing if you can't even show basic respect to your opponent?"

This sentence sounded like it made sense. However, the thought of the principal's actions felt so strange… Gods may do what cattle may not.

Upon seeing five pairs of doubtful eyes, Gao Peng coughed and said, "All right, since you all want to beat Huawu University. First of all, you must do better than Huawu University in performance and also in other aspects; only in this way we can take over the title of champions from Huawu University, who were champion last year."

The five little ones suddenly realized that the principal was up to no good.

"Cao Huan, you take the Sky Sparrow to the arena. Do not take Canine Flower." Gao Peng knew for sure that someone was aware that Tiange Academy's Lord-tier monster was Storm Sparrow. It would rouse suspicion for sure if they didn't take Storm Sparrow out to play.

"Don't expose your real power after you go into the arena. Hold back the Lord-tier aura first. If the opponent has a Lord-tier monster, then send Sky Sparrow… use Storm Sparrow to impede. Let the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster use vines to remotely strangle the opponent if the Lord-tier monster isn't in the arena."

Mo Yingming smiled. "Understood, principal. Just hide our real ability; we get it."

"Audience and friends, next up is Tiange Academy and Luoyang University."

They were the only two teams with odd numbers that had been brought forward in the draw for the first round of the competition. Moreover, their rankings were very close to each other, as in the previous competition, one of them had ranked seventh, while the other ranked eighth!

They were only one rank apart. Thus, it was believed that this would be a cutthroat competition, just like a fight between a dragon and a tiger.

In one of the deluxe villas of the Freedom Alliance, a luxurious leather sofa occupied almost the entire living room, the dull brown animal skin spanning dozens of square yards, its thick hair as dense as a waterfall. After going through a special treatment, one could gently lean back and sit in it, their butt fitting perfectly into the sofa.

On the sofa, a middle-aged man with dark hair and light wrinkles at the corners of his eyes asked firmly, "Who do you think will win?"

Beside him was a man of a similar age wearing a black jacket. His head was leaning against the sofa, and while slowly swinging his legs, he said, "As long as there are no accidents, sure enough, Tiange Academy will win. After all, isn't that little kid back? So we'll see how they'll win."

"What you did a few days ago was a bit stingy." The middle-aged man who had been talking earlier took a glance at his little brother. "Gao Peng hasn't decided which team to stand for, and you were pushing him to side with He Wei."

The man in the black jacket looked at his brother and yawned. "All right, I'll be more careful to not reveal my intentions next time." He stood up from the sofa after he finished talking.

When the middle-aged man was about to continue lecturing, the black-jacketed man suddenly turned his head almost 180 degrees, just like an owl turning its head, and glared at his brother, who was sitting on the sofa.

"Don't forget about the rules of the Situ family; you are the eldest brother. You have been the master of the family since you were born, and you have enjoyed all the dignity, but I'm just a dog raised in the dark by the Situ family! I'm merely a dog, and you still expect me to understand human language?"

The smile on the black-jacketed man's face slowly became hideous. "Let me tell you, when a dog goes mad… it will bite anyone, no matter who! Don't act like you did when you were little, always giving attitude and lecturing me!" He then waved his hand, turned around, and left the villa without even looking back.

Watching his brother's back disappear around the corner, the Situ family member's facial expression slowly pieced back together as his state of mind quieted down.

A student from Luoyang University mumbled to himself, "Huh, I'm not sure whether this is just a mistake, but the Tiange Academy familiar opposite us is giving me a strange feeling."

"What feeling?" someone beside him asked.

"A strange, heavy feeling." The student who had started talking first smiled. "Maybe it's wrong. It could be me being too nervous."

On the other side, the teacher leading Huawu University asked a bald-headed man beside him, "Have you found anything?"

The bald-headed man shook his head. "No. There haven't been any changes to the familiars. They're still the same familiars that we have information for."

"Oh, like I said, why do you need to pay so much attention to a person who escaped three years ago?" The teacher in charge of Huawu University laughed at himself. "That Ji Hanwu is still considered a somebody, whereas Gao Peng, at most, is just lucky enough to have a good grandpa."

The legs of Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster, which was made up of vines, were wriggling non-stop as it carried them while walking slowly to the front.

"Be careful; the combat level of the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster across us is very high. It won second place in the in-campus qualifying competition at Tiange Academy. A Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster that isn't good at direct combat but could still get such a high ranking must certainly be excellent. Be more careful later. Don't fail miserably at such an easy task," said the leader of Luoyang University to his team.

"Okay. Don't worry, leader. We understand." The rest of the team members all nodded.

The body of the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster slowly descended. Lower and lower, the compressed vines from its body were spreading out continuously, and the huge amount of vines from inside plastered onto the ground as they expanded to fill the entire stadium.

Luoyang University's team didn't rush to take action, since they didn't know whether there were any traps, but they let their fire familiars blow out some Fire Snakes, intending to block the vines outside. However, these vines passed through the Fire Snakes without any hesitation, and the vines that were on fire continued to extend forward.

"Huh?" A monster trainer with good insight noticed that something wasn't right. This Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster must have already broken through the Lord tier! A Commander-tier Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster couldn't release this many vines.

"Thousand-Leaf Mantis, go and cut off the vines," ordered the same monster trainer.

An emerald green mantis with the height of a human being stepped out from the side, and a pair of thin and transparent wings opened all of a sudden. Under the sun, the transparent wings on the emerald green skeleton emitted a metallic luster.

"Good job. The Thousand-Leaf Mantis is valuable with its wings. The wings of this Thousand-Leaf Mantis are thin yet strong. The quality is also perfect," praised another monster trainer.

The Thousand-Leaf Mantis raised its two large saw-like knives in the shape of a cross. The next moment, its wings were vibrating at high speed, then it disappeared, leaving a blurred shadow in the air.

A few vines that were expanding in their direction had been cut off the moment the shadow flashed by. It could be seen that the speed of the Thousand-Leaf Mantis had slowed down. Obviously, the vines were resistant.

The face of the Thousand-Leaf Mantis' monster trainer turned a shade darker. "These vines are very strong. It'll require great effort for the Thousand-Leaf Mantis to cut them."

"How could that be possible? It's a piece of cake for the Thousand-Leaf Mantis to cut off the vines of a Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster when their level difference isn't big." A man at the side shook his head. This was a well-known fact.

"Then… could it be that the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster across us has already advanced to the Lord tier?" said someone suddenly.

The facial expression of a few other people changed. "This isn't good." But at this point, the vines of the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster had already completed a layout.

A huge amount of vines had thickly wrapped them in the trap as countless vines packed together, encircled into a high wall that was continuously winding upwards. It seemed like the vines were going to form a big ball, trapping them inside.

"It can't be like this… how could this be possible? The information we had clearly said that the Lord-tier Familiar of Tiange Academy was a Storm Sparrow. How could it have suddenly changed to a Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster?"

In the beginning, they had been prepared for the Storm Sparrow.

"Seems like we don't need to bother you anymore. The battle is over." Wei Gongfan laughed. He was the monster trainer of the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster.

"Last time, I wondered if the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster could develop this amazing skill. Before this, it couldn't be developed due to a lack of ability, but a few days ago, I secretly tested it for a long time after it advanced to Lord-tier… So I'm going to broaden your horizons today."

The vines inside the body of the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster were almost completely gone, the vines on its back and four limbs had become sparse, and the vines on its legs were almost gone, too. High up in the air, nearly all of the vines had flown out from inside of its body.

The air had been temporarily solidified. Countless vines were crazily fluttering in the air like crazy dancing anacondas.

"Strangle—Vine Ocean!"

The air screamed, and the crazily twining vines burst into their ultimate speed, squeezing inward. The huge space had shrunk to a very small one in a moment.

A large puff of air was emptied out as a huge white cloud burst outside the ball of vines. Boom—

The screams from the bursting clouds echoed through the whole stadium.

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Chapter 560: The Youhu Tribe

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"This skill of yours is quite advanced," said Mo Yingming.

"This is a must. Whether you're strong or not is temporary, but whether you're cool or not, that's something that lasts forever." Wei Gongfan's voice was calm with a hint of repressed tremors. Obviously, this act had made him very happy today.

"Wait, don't tell me that you're going to kill all their familiars?" Mo Yingming suddenly thought of something. Although life and death were conceited in the ring, the power of this skill seemed to be terrifying. Wouldn't it ruin the whole Luoyang University team…?

"We surrender," the candidate from Luoyang University said quickly.

After receiving the request to surrender, the referee announced the end of the battle and rang the bell. The vines retreated back into the body of the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster just like tidewater into the sea.

A group of what looked like meatballs that had been squeezed into irregularly large balls fell on the ground as thick blood seeped into the floor.

Following a purring sound, an earthy yellow monster that looked like mud released its grip on the familiar it had been protecting. Wood types had always been a counter against earth types, plus this Lord-tier Swampy Yellow Mud Monster had been caught off guard, causing it to suffer a serious injury.

In a situation where a familiar's attribute was at a disadvantage, not to mention it was taking the first hit… plus there was a high chance that the opponent had another Lord-tier familiar, and the other familiars in the team had lost their combat power, it was better to treat the conservation of the remaining combat power as the first priority.

"I never imagined that the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster had already advanced to Lord-tier. It happened during the same time Gao Peng came…"

When the Devil Vine Mountain Climbing Monster had advanced to Lord-tier in one shot, it led to Luoyang University increasing their respect, but also to everyone taking Tiange Academy seriously. Tiange Academy had now officially become their favorite to win the championship.

Of course, these matters weren't what Gao Peng was concerned about. After the battle, Gao Peng took the five little ones out of the stadium. He Wei had sent someone to bring the five little ones to a specific place to stay. He had invited Gao Peng to come along but was rejected.

Looking at the five children leaving, Gao Peng shook his shoulders to relax his muscles.

Looking around him, Gao Peng found his direction and left. He felt the weight of eyes from the darkness. It was just like a thorn hidden in the dark, dangerous yet everywhere.

Gao Peng yawned. After taking a glance at the bustling hotels near him, Gao Peng hailed a spacious taxi and said, "Find me a quiet hotel with a great atmosphere."

Xiao Hua and the others boarded the truck, while Gao Peng sat down in the backseat of the car.

The radio in the taxi was playing the broadcast. "Szzz—according to the latest report, the scientists have noticed that the Earth is constantly changing. In the coming days, there might be continuous spatial turmoil happening in certain areas.

"Today at seven in the morning, Didu time, a new King-tier monster that hadn't yet been discovered was found in the South Sea area. Temporarily, it has been named the Corrosive Crude Whale. Some scholars have publicly expressed that the mutation of the Corrosive Crude Whale might have been caused by the oil spill that led to the destruction of the sea's ecological environment before the Cataclysm.

"Yesterday at nine p.m. Didu time, Jinsha region's government and the Sky River Tribe from another world came to an agreement on both countries' familiars' cultural reproduction and close cooperation for the Jinsha region's security."

Gao Peng sat in the backseat by the window and was looking out of the window quietly. There were adults holding their children's hands on the street, and familiars were almost everywhere.

For example, Gao Peng saw a Yangtze River Short-Furred Bear with a blue visor handing out flyers on the street. It was wearing an extra-large short-sleeved top, but it looked like a tight shirt on the bear.

There were also people who had opened stalls on the street. In front of the stalls was a Hundred Faces Parrot acting cute and making fun of the passing pedestrians. In the beak of the parrot dangled a stainless steel bowl. Every time someone threw money into the bowl, the parrot would put it down and rush toward those people to praise them as a handsome guy or beautiful girl.

At the early stage of Cataclysm, these monsters were fierce beasts that ordinary people avoided, but now, they had fallen to this point… Gao Peng could only feel that human's adapting capabilities were strong.

Perhaps this was the reason for the return of the ancient clan tribes. Originally, humans were scared of the Earth's King and Lord-tier monsters, but because of the return of the ancient clan tribes, humans no longer worried about the human-populated city being attacked by a large swarm of King and Lord-tier monsters.

In these three years, the growth of the human race was much faster than in the previous five years. Perhaps it was because they had found the confidence in being the top of the food chain again.

Gao Peng was the only one who had seen countless monsters in the mountains and rivers of the Black Fog World. He knew the dark history of why the ancient clan tribes had been expelled from the Black Fog World.

Were the ancient clan tribes really as 'omnipotent' as they imagined? If they were really omnipotent, then why did they want to leave Earth back in that year? After all, this was their homeland!

Gao Peng was too lazy to continue thinking, so he closed his eyes in a meditative manner while the cool wind blew at him.

The taxi driver turned his head around and said to Gao Peng, "Brother, we've arrived. The hotel with a nice and quiet environment that you were looking for."

Gao Peng opened his eyes as the vague sound of tides came to his ears. He looked out the window and could see the distant horizon. Next to them was a summer resort. The summer resort was very huge, built from the foot of the mountain to the top. But of course, this mountain wasn't very high, only about 650 feet, and it was said to be a mountain, but in fact, it was just a big hill.

"How is it? Satisfied?" said the taxi driver with a smile.

Gao Peng took a glance at him and then shook his head. "You aren't a taxi driver."

The taxi driver didn't deny this, but instead asked curiously, "Oh? How can you tell?"

"If you're a taxi driver, why don't you have cervical spondylosis and lumbar disc herniation?"

The taxi driver was stunned for a while, then laughed heartily. "Impressive!"

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Yin You. I welcome you to join the Youhu Tribe."

"Does your tribe recruit people that casually? It feels like a multi-level marketing organization," said Gao Peng with a faint smile on his face.

The expression on Yin You's face became stiff for a while, but very soon, it was back to normal again. "It's full of potential. Actually, our Youhu Tribe has been on Earth for three years already. We arrived on Earth just after you left. We, the Youhu Tribe, are cooperating with the military of your Huaxia region now.

"In fact, I've researched most of the monster trainers from Earth. Some tribal people turned up their noses at you all, but I'm different. The population of Earth is large, and those who are able to stand out in such a large population are the real geniuses. Compared to us, what you guys are lacking is time.

"I'm also not simply recruiting anyone. Only talented geniuses are allowed to join our Youhu Tribe."

"Your Youhu Tribe is the type that's not doing very well among all the tribes?" said Gao Peng all of a sudden.

Yin You froze, and then the smile on his face slowly faded. "What do you mean by this?"

"If not, why would you even take in Tong Cheng, someone at such a level? So desperate. Is it because there's some defect in your genetics, so you need us humans from Earth to help you all improve the genes of your descendants?" Gao Peng sighed.

Yin You thought he had already given Gao Peng the proper respect, but he didn't expect that he could still be so insensible. "Do you know that not only you but also the Southern Sky Group and your family will pay for your words today?"

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