C50 The Ranking List on the Stone Tablet

"It looks like when I battle opponents of the same or higher level, the boost to my Growth Points is significantly more pronounced."

Xie Yang's eyes twinkled briefly.

Regaining his focus, he continued to peruse the information on the panel.

Once Jennie's Growth Points surpassed 50%, she unlocked a new skill.

Ice Crystal Mirror: An advanced defensive skill derived from Ice Shield. Upon activation, the pet can manipulate the ice element to create a reflective ice barrier that not only blocks attacks but also rebounds some of the damage. Unlocking it requires 50% Growth Points and 300 achievement points.

Without hesitation, Xie Yang unlocked this skill.

Name: Snow Girl

Type: Ice

Level: Fourth Rank, Seventh Layer

Growth Points: 58%

Skills: Ice Waterfall, Sigh of Snow Girl, Extreme Ice Chain, Ice Crystal Mirror, Frost Nova

Queen's Route: Next evolutionary form is Frost Blue Girl. Evolution prerequisites: 100% Growth Points, Superior Ice Element Essence x30, Ice Blue Tear x1

In comparison, Rock Ghost still had some catching up to do.

Among its new skills, the one with the lowest requirement also needed 50% Growth Points.

Name: Rock Ghost

Type: Earth

Level: Fourth Rank, Seventh Layer

Growth Points: 31%

Skills: Earth Thorn, Rock Bullet Projection, Clay Bomb

Divinity Path: Next evolutionary form is Earth Spirit. Evolution prerequisites: 100% Growth Points, Superior Earth Essence x30, Spirit Accumulation Stone x3

Both pets had successfully advanced to the seventh layer of the fourth rank.

"I've gained even more strength!"

Xie Yang watched the panel, his face breaking into a joyful grin.

"With this trend, Jennie and Rock Ghost should reach the fifth rank before maxing out their Growth Points."

"Then, I'll be eligible to take the Bronze Beastmaster qualification assessment."

"Until then, I'll focus on increasing my Growth Points while earning money."

Xie Yang had estimated that gathering the necessary materials for both pets' evolution would cost tens of millions of Credit Points.

Currently, he had just over five million Credit Points, needing nearly five million more.

He needed to figure out how to accumulate the remaining Credit Points before the pets reached their evolutionary milestones.

"Besides bounty missions, what other quick ways are there to make money?"

Xie Yang murmured to himself, lost in contemplation.

The next morning, having finished breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Xie Yang, Bai Tian, and their companions headed out to Nightbay Academy.

Unsurprisingly, from the moment they stepped out of their hotel room, Xie Yang drew countless gazes.

These looks were filled with a mix of astonishment, envy, jealousy, and admiration.

Throughout their journey, numerous students eagerly approached, with some girls even blushing as they asked for Xie Yang's contact details.

Xie Yang found these encounters quite tiresome.

Bai Tian and the other two girls were displeased as well—particularly with the girls seeking Xie Yang's contact information.

They didn't escape this attention until they arrived at the gates of Nightbay Academy.

A long line had already formed at the academy's registration desk, where upperclassmen with armbands on their right arms were busy at work.

They were registering new students while keeping the scene orderly.

Every so often, Xie Yang and his group spotted upperclassmen escorting clusters of freshmen into the academy.

As they were about to join the queue, a voice called out from the side.

"Hey, good morning, Junior Brother Xie Yang."

Turning, Xie Yang saw Luh Qiu approaching with a cheery smile.

"Luh Qiu."

Xie Yang nodded in greeting, noticing the armband on Luh Qiu's right arm, signaling his role in welcoming the new students.

Bai Tian and the others quickly followed suit with their greetings.

Luh Qiu returned the smiles and gestured for them to come along, saying, "No need to queue up, just follow me."

Noticing the puzzled looks from Xie Yang and his friends, he added, "This is per Mr. Jiang's instructions. He's asked me to give you a tour of the academy and go over some important details."

"This is a privilege reserved for the seat of honour!"

Xie Yang surveyed his surroundings.

He observed that typically, a sophomore was guiding a group of about ten to twenty freshmen.

Yet, it was just Xie Yang and the three girls being escorted by a sophomore.

This was indeed a special privilege.

Acknowledging this, Xie Yang expressed his gratitude and accepted the offer.

Together, they passed through the grand, historic gates and made their way into the academy.

Xie Yang gazed upon an expansive plaza, even larger than the one used for the previous day's recruitment exam. The ground, paved with granite, was neatly adorned with stone chairs and plants, and there was even a fountain to complete the charming layout. Yet, the most striking feature was the four massive stone tablets standing at the plaza's center.

"This is the central plaza. Straight ahead is the teaching area, and to the right is the dormitory area," Luh Qiu explained as they strolled, pointing out the various buildings.

Moo Shuqin, curiosity piqued, gestured towards the stone tablets in the distance. "Luh, what are those?" They had entered Nightbay Academy through a different entrance the day before and had missed seeing these tablets.

Xie Yang and Bai Tian shared her curiosity. In the Beastmaster community, stone tablets, especially those like the Stone Tablet of Origin, held significant meaning. Now, confronted with the plaza's tablets, the group couldn't help but be intrigued.

With a discreet hand signal, Luh Qiu beckoned everyone closer. Upon approaching, they realized that these were not stone tablets at all, but giant electronic screens designed to mimic their appearance. The screens displayed a list of names and ranks in small, crisp black text, with Xie Yang's name prominently at the very top of the first screen.

"First place, Xie Yang."

"These screens show the rankings, from left to right, for students across all four grades," Luh Qiu clarified.

Moo Shuqin was taken aback. "The school displays the rankings so openly, right where everyone can see them as soon as they enter?"

Luh Qiu gave a nonchalant shrug. "It's meant to motivate students to excel."

"And what's your ranking, Senior Luh?" Moo Shuqin inquired.

Luh Qiu pointed towards the upper middle section of the second screen, where his name was listed. "Two hundred fifty-sixth place, Luh Qiu."

"Two hundred fifty-sixth? Senior Luh, that's impressive!" Zou Xinrui couldn't help but exclaim. Her own ranking fell somewhere between four hundred and five hundred, making Luh Qiu's achievement seem all the more remarkable.

Yet, Luh Qiu could only offer a wry smile in response.

"Stop ribbing me. The person next to you is in first place, after all."

Bai Tian and Moo Shuqin giggled behind their hands.

Xie Yang gave a resigned smile and kept searching the sophomore electronic screen for rankings.

Before long, he located the standings for Moo Yaoyao and Luo Tu.

"Number 188, Moo Yaoyao."

"98th place, Luo Tu."

Bai Tian quickly took note of the rankings and expressed her amazement, "Senior Sister Moo Yaoyao and Luo Tu are incredibly impressive too."

Mid-sentence, Bai Tian had an epiphany and her gaze shot up to Xie Yang.

If Luo Tu, ranked at ninety-eight, had been bested by Xie Yang, didn't that imply Xie Yang's abilities now placed him comfortably within the top one hundred sophomores?

Moo Shuqin and Zou Xinrui also realized the significance and looked at Xie Yang with newfound respect.