C4 Old Friend, Fire Vine!

"Don't be nervous, just relax a bit," Zhao Sha Mo urged, his face softening as he regarded the slight girl standing on the sacrificial altar. He offered words of comfort to ease her tension.

"Mmm," the girl murmured, nodding obediently. She raised her right hand as her teacher had instructed and placed it upon the pillar.

A sharp pain shot through her palm the next moment, and a drop of blood welled up, spilling onto the altar.

Buzz!

The blood seeped into the stone, and the ancient runes on the dormant pet altar flared to life, glowing brightly. The stone transformed into a mirror-like surface bathed in golden light, and from it emerged a one-foot-long green snake with a budding horn on its forehead.

Beside the pillar, three stars illuminated.

A black iron three-star battle pet, the Single-Horned Green Snake. Several elite beast tamers in the Beast Tamer Association boasted such pets, known for their Bramble Bind skill, which required the use of Bramble Thorn Seeds to execute, and was quite powerful.

"Not bad at all," Zhao Sha Mo nodded, clearly pleased.

"Snake..." The petite girl from Class One, however, stared at the little green snake on the stone platform, her face drained of color. She was evidently terrified of snakes.

"This is your bonded battle pet. It's sentient and won't harm you," Zhao Sha Mo reassured her, his voice gentle. He remembered a summoning ceremony where a girl had fainted at the sight of a massive rock black spider she had called forth.

The little green snake then gracefully coiled around the girl's arm. As she felt the familiar presence of the snake and the connection that formed between them, she finally regained her composure and quickly stepped down from the altar.

The other three hundred or so students watched with envy, especially since the girl from Class One had secured a black iron three-star battle pet. After the summoning ceremony concluded, it would only be a matter of days before the academy reached out to her.

There would certainly be others.

This was an auspicious beginning for them all.

Subsequently, the students from Class One proceeded to the altar one after another, each face alight with hope and expectation.

Ultimately, out of the thirty-five students in Class One, thirty-one successfully summoned pets, and four had the qualifications for battle pets.

By that measure, across the nine classes, only about fifty students would have the chance to enter the Beast Tamer University with battle pet qualifications.

Certainly, many students had the opportunity to join various academies within Beast Tamer University.

Next up was Class Two.

Six individuals had battle pet qualifications, predominantly one or two stars, which left Zhao Sha Mo feeling a tinge of disappointment as he observed those with lower-tier black iron aptitudes. Improving their skills would be a challenging endeavor.

Then it was time for Class Three.

Symas, by virtue of his student number, was first in line.

Idod stood beside him, lost in thought.

Symas remained stoic, the unfolding events mirroring those of his past life. He expected no different for himself.

With a composed demeanor, he placed his hand upon the altar's pillar.

A sharp pain shot through his palm.

As his blood mingled with the altar, the golden mirror surfaced once again.

From it emerged a dark red vine bracelet.

The bracelet split open, transforming into a lively, nearly two-meter-long dark red vine that slithered like a serpent. Sensing Symas' familiar presence, it swiftly coiled in front of him.

"A fire-type plant battle pet!"

The Fire Vine, suitable for the small fire-type pet hive in the Void Territory, was an excellent match for him.

It would even accelerate his growth, eliminating the need to purchase additional nurturing materials.

At that moment, envious glances were cast from the stands by numerous students.

Battle pet quality.

Below.

Three stars now shone brightly.

"My old friend."

Symas gazed at the Fire Vine, now a dark red bracelet, and his lips curved into a smile. This battle pet had been his loyal companion for three years in his former life.

He tenderly caressed the dark red bracelet, which was still in its infancy as a pet.

Elevating its level and honing its skills were unique courses offered only at Beast Tamer University.

Buzz!

The Fire Vine on his wrist quivered, exuding a wave of goodwill.

Drawing near to Symas, it basked in the comforting aura emanating from him.

"The Fire Vine is quite impressive."

Zhao Sha Mo glanced at the Fire Vine, now coiled into a bracelet, and offered his commendation.

As a plant-type battle pet, the Fire Vine was exceptional. Unlike other plant types known for their sluggishness, it boasted the agility of snake-type pets, complete with fire attribute attacks. Its self-healing ability was the icing on the cake, making it exceedingly rare.

Symas settled back into his seat as his classmates from Class Three began to offer their congratulations.

"You've really outdone yourself, Symas. That Fire Vine Demon Wood evolving to elite level is no small feat. It's well-rounded in offense and defense, ranking above average in its class," they praised.

Idod snapped out of his reverie, his thoughts turning to Butler Austin's suspicious behavior. He resolved to have his father thoroughly investigate the matter and to station additional guards around him. It was a manageable situation.

Then came Idod's moment to shine. He presented an elite seven-star battle pet, the Ice Jade Butterfly—an ice attribute combatant.

The butterfly, pristine as white jade and palm-sized, radiated a chilling aura. As it perched on Idod's hand, it brought a refreshing coolness that banished the lingering heat from his skin.

"Hahaha, excellent!" the crowd cheered.

"An elite ice attribute battle pet like this is rare. Despite its lack of prowess in close combat, you can pair it with other melee-focused beasts to compensate. If you're looking to train your pet, come find me at the Beast Tamer Association. I'm there every Sunday," Zhao Sha Mo offered, his usually stoic face breaking into a smile.

"Thank you for the honor, senior," Idod replied with utmost respect. The dedication of the Beast Tamer Association's elite Demon Hunters to the base city was commendable and worthy of admiration.

Such elite students had the credentials to join the prestigious Farhaven Academy in the Trintis Dukedom—a hub for the gifted, lavishly supported by the Dukedom's resources.

Travel from Littlewell to Farhaven was convenient—a mere day's journey by high-speed train, or even half a day by flying demon. The distance was trivial.

Uncle Callahan's daughter, Jaylee, was a freshman at Farhaven's Battle Pet Academy. With her six-star black iron rating, she had placed in the top three in Littlewell the previous year.

A 5-star black iron rating was the minimum requirement for admission to Farhaven Academy. Without at least one student meeting this threshold in a base city, no one would have the opportunity to attend the esteemed institution that year.

In his past life, Symas had been admitted to another prestigious Beast Tamer University in Farhaven's base city, thanks to Jaylee's strong endorsement.

He later discovered that his admission was secured through an opportunity at a battle pet academy, which Jaylee had exchanged for an elite pet tempering stone she found in the ruins.

Such a pet tempering stone was capable of enhancing a pet's innate qualities and was exceedingly rare.

The classification of relics ranged from levels D to A, S, SS, and SSS.

This tier system was based on the danger level of the relics and the battle pet resources available, as well as the surrounding pet materials, which determined the grading.

At level D, only black iron battle pets were found, with all materials being of ordinary quality.

Level C would feature elite battle pets, accompanied by elite-level pet materials.

Level B occasionally boasted overlord-level battle pets.

From level A to SS, one could encounter overlord-level pets, while level SSS was reserved for divine-level star pets.

Presently, there are only two level SSS pet relics on Orithyia: one in the frigid Arctic and the other atop the summit of Mount Kunlun.