C10 There Were a Total of Five Stages in the Assessment of the Superior Grade.

When Xie Yang's eyes fluttered open once more, he found himself standing in the midst of a brightly illuminated square. Towering walls encircled him, and the dense rows of spectator seats stretched out in every direction. The stands were deserted, a sea of empty chairs under the glow of the lights. Some twenty meters ahead, a massive iron gate loomed.

"Is this what lies within the Void Realm of the Stone Tablet of Origin? It has the air of a gladiatorial arena," Xie Yang mused, his gaze sweeping the surroundings with keen interest. He stretched and moved his body, struck by the tangible realism of the place. It felt as though he was still firmly grounded in reality.

Yet Xie Yang was aware that it was all an illusion. His physical self remained outside, while only his consciousness had entered this Land of Nothingness. Here, any harm that befell him would leave no mark upon his real-world self. This held true even for the death of his pet; should it perish within this realm, it would be resurrected back in reality without any cost to him.

"It's quite wondrous," Xie Yang remarked, a sense of wonder in his voice as he conjured the Ice Crystal Soul with a casual gesture. "Now, let's see your performance."

The Ice Crystal Soul seemed to grasp Xie Yang's intent, exuding an aura of brimming confidence. Then, a chilling voice echoed from the void, "The assessment will now commence."

"Prepare for five challenges at the superior grade level," the voice continued. "The assessment begins now!"

With that, the distant iron gate creaked open. A colossal lizard, its skin a fiery crimson and its body stretching over two meters in length, emerged with a slow crawl. "Fire Lizard," Xie Yang identified the creature instantly. A pet of the fire element, its power could reach the seventh layer of the first rank upon reaching maturity.

"Truly worthy of superior grade difficulty; my first challenge is against a first rank, seventh layer pet." But fear did not touch Xie Yang. With a mere flicker of his will, the Ice Crystal Soul glided forward to meet the challenge.

Provoked by the sight of its prey daring to advance, the Fire Lizard erupted in fury, bellowing as it lunged. Mid-charge, it unleashed a gaping maw and expelled a torrent of conical flames. Undeterred, the Ice Crystal Soul countered with a blast of its own, a frigid white mist billowing forth.

Ice Breathing!

In the heart of the arena, the crimson inferno and the frosty haze met with a violent crash.

A ferocious shockwave erupted, transforming into a gale that swept across the area.

In less than half a second, the ice fog aggressively overpowered the flames and shattered them. Without pause, the ice fog then engulfed the Fire Lizard.

The crisp sound of freezing echoed one after another.

The Fire Lizard didn't even have a chance to cry out before it was turned into an ice sculpture.

The battle was over!

An icy mechanical voice resonated from the void.

"You have passed the first stage. The challenge continues!"

Xie Yang remained unfazed.

The power of the Ice Crystal Soul had completely overwhelmed the Fire Lizard. Victory was expected and hardly a cause for celebration.

Four more stages remained.

The massive iron door swung open once again.

A creature resembling a skeleton, wrapped in gray-white bandages, slowly drifted out.

It hovered about half a meter off the ground, its lower body missing, with only several bandages trailing beneath.

This was the Bandage Ghost, a pet with a spectre attribute. At full maturity, its strength could reach the ninth layer of the first rank.

It specialized in attacking with its corrosive bandages.

Details about the Bandage Ghost swiftly filled Xie Yang's mind as he commanded the Ice Crystal Soul to launch an offensive.

Inside the Stone Tablet Room.

Qin Ai and Shui Zhongzhen were glued to the light screen.

The recent interruption had shifted their focus entirely to Xie Yang's assessment.

Watching the Ice Crystal Soul dispatch the Fire Lizard in a single strike, they were both taken aback.

Qin Ai expressed his surprise, "He's quite strong. No wonder he's up for the superior grade challenge."

Shui Zhongzhen, with an impassive face, remarked, "Ice attributes counter fire attributes. His pet had the upper hand."

Unconvinced, Qin Ai chuckled, "Even so, his pet's ability to one-shot the Fire Lizard suggests it's at the ninth layer of the first rank, possibly even at the second rank. He'd be the trump card at any high school."

This time, Shui Zhongzhen didn't argue, apparently concurring with Qin Ai's assessment.

But then he shook his head.

"What does it matter? The outcome remains the same. Over the years, many trump card students have failed at the superior grade level."

This time, Qin Ai fell silent.

Indeed, even a trump card student couldn't be sure of passing the Super Level Difficulty Assessment.

Qin Ai vividly recalled a prodigy from the previous year who possessed a second rank, third layer pet. Rumor had it he was the top student at his high school. During the Apprentice Assessment, he boldly opted to take on the super level challenge.

As it turned out, his failure was not at all surprising.

Consequently, he had no choice but to spend an additional year studying. Only in the following year did he manage to earn his apprentice qualifications and apply to the Beastmaster Academy.

Meanwhile, many of his less gifted peers had overtaken him.

The student deeply regretted his decision.

Qin Ai had been the examiner back then.

Having witnessed that event firsthand, he had just tried to dissuade Xie Yang from making the same mistake.

Regrettably, Xie Yang wasn't heeding his advice.

Qin Ai let out a sigh and refocused on the screen.

The battle between the Ice Crystal Soul and the Bandage Ghost was underway.

The fight had barely started when a barrage of icicles hurtled toward the Bandage Ghost.

Once the icicles cleared, the Bandage Ghost was gone, leaving only a scattering of ice shards.

Qin Ai and Shui Zhongzhen's expressions shifted subtly.

"It looks like you were right. His pet truly is of the second rank," Qin Ai remarked.

Shui Zhongzhen gave a slight nod, his gaze softening considerably as he looked at Xie Yang.

An average student attempting the superior grade test was biting off more than they could chew.

But for a young talent with a second rank pet, it was a case of excessive confidence rather than capability.

The implications were vastly different.

In that moment, Shui Zhongzhen's perception of Xie Yang shifted significantly.

Still, he maintained his original stance, believing Xie Yang's attempt was doomed to fail.

Qin Ai's mood darkened as he contemplated Xie Yang's situation.

Such a remarkable talent was on the verge of squandering a whole year, which was truly regrettable.

While they were lost in their thoughts, the assessment's third checkpoint commenced.

This time, from behind the iron gate emerged a creature bristling with spikes, resembling a humanoid shrub standing upright.

Its head was shrouded beneath withered branches, with eyes ablaze like flickering flames peeking through.

This creature was a Wilted Beast, a pet beast of the plant variety.

Upon reaching maturity, its power level could ascend to the first layer of the second rank.

"Is it a second-rank pet beast? That won't be easy to handle."

Qin Ai murmured to himself.

But before he could finish his thought, the Ice Crystal Soul on the screen gestured with a wave of its hand.

A multitude of icicles formed and hurtled forward, slaying the Wilted Beast in an instant.

Qin Ai was left dumbfounded.

Shui Zhongzhen, standing next to him, was equally taken aback.

They gazed at the screen, their eyes wide with disbelief, questioning whether they were experiencing an illusion.