C36 Qualification Competition

The servant departed, promising to deliver the message to the uncle.

Chen Wu hailed from the Nuo Family of Flame City.

Flame City was a realm far grander than Green-mount Town. As a true imperial stronghold, it governed numerous towns and small cities within a two-thousand-mile radius.

The sheer number of formidable individuals there was truly staggering. In contrast, Green-mount Town had fewer than a hundred Demonic Pet Masters, but in Flame City, at least one-third of the people you'd encounter on the streets were Demonic Pet Masters, both locals and those from afar.

Moreover, Flame City boasted a Primary Demonic Pet Academy established by the empire, contributing to its thriving prosperity.

The families in Flame City were as plentiful as strands of hair on a cow, with each one rivaling or surpassing those in Green-mount Town!

Yet, amidst this bustling metropolis stood five towering families, unlike the smaller ones with mere centuries of history. Each of these five had legacies spanning over a thousand years.

A family with a hundred years of history is noteworthy, but those with a millennium of continuous prosperity earn the title of Millennium Family!

Such a family was far beyond Chen Wu's means to provoke.

Additionally, Chen Wu had no desire to incur the animosity or disdain of anyone from this family over a mere spot. With the strength and confidence to secure a spot from Green-mount Town, why should he expend favors to trouble a relative?

The most crucial reason, however, was Chen Wu's significant secret. The existence of his system was what propelled his rapid advancement. Going there now would be akin to handing his life over to someone else. Who would enjoy being under constant surveillance?

Under such conditions, how could Chen Wu grow stronger? Any inexplicable increase in his abilities would only fuel suspicion.

Chen Wu couldn't be certain of the uncle's benevolence. Given that his father had entrusted him to a man with no blood ties, how could Chen Wu risk exposing his secret?

His plan was to lay low in Green-mount Town, quietly building his strength. Once he possessed the power to withstand the covetous gaze of others, he could confidently make his presence known.

It took Chen Wu an entire day to successfully imprint the Earth Listening Art as a Psychic Technique. Following that, he set about training his two Demonic Pets.

Blood Rain's strength was rapidly increasing. Already a Grade 4 Demonic Beast, it required little effort from Chen Wu. However, Chen Wu's main concern was the Little Flame Firefox he had recently tamed.

The Little Flame Firefox scampered around, full of energy after eating and drinking, playfully chasing a butterfly. Its tiny, sharp claws lunged at the butterfly, always missing the mark, yet the little fox was thoroughly enjoying itself.

Chen Wu grabbed the Little Flame Firefox's head, tugging at its fuzzy ears, and said sternly, "Little guy, starting today, we're going to begin intensive training. You're my Demonic Pet, and you need to keep up. Simply following your parents won't cut it. Without facing challenges, you'll never grow into a strong Demonic Pet."

"If you're ready, raise your little paw!"

The little fox gazed into Chen Wu's earnest eyes, a mix of curiosity and bewilderment in its own, but it obediently lifted its red and white paw.

"Good, then let's kick off our first lesson today!"

The Little Flame Firefox's claws were still tender, and there was only one method to rapidly enhance a Demonic Pet's Strength: relentless training or combat. A Demonic Pet could gain experience and increase its strength through battle and practice.

Chen Wu pointed to a large rock in the distance and commanded, "Little Flame Firefox, use your claws!"

The Little Flame Firefox dashed forward and fiercely clawed at the massive stone.

Yet, it only managed to leave a faint white scratch...

There was no helping it; the Little Flame Firefox was newly born and still quite young, its strength hovering between that of a wild beast and a Grade 1 Demonic Beast. To boost its power, it needed to make its attacks forceful.

"Again!"

The Little Flame Firefox clawed once more, but again, only a white scratch appeared.

"Again!"

"Again!"

...

After numerous attempts, the Little Flame Firefox's claws were worn raw, bloodied from the effort. In pain, the Little Flame Firefox turned back to look at Chen Wu with a pitiful, aggrieved expression.

Chen Wu sighed and said, "Come back and rest a bit. We can't slack off today. You must master a certain level of Attack Power!"

He treated the Little Flame Firefox's claws with some ointment. Roughly ten minutes later, thanks to the Demonic Beast's remarkable healing capabilities, the claws were as good as new. Chen Wu immediately ordered the Little Flame Firefox to resume its clawing exercises on the rock.

"Come on, Little Flame Firefox, you can do it!" Chen Wu cheered.

The Little Flame Firefox psyched itself up with determination. Whenever its claws bled from the effort, it would immediately stop, apply medicine, and rest before resuming its training. Throughout the morning, both master and servant engaged in this rigorous practice. With each healing, the Little Flame Firefox's claws grew stronger, and its power increased significantly.

With a fierce "Rip!" the Little Flame Firefox's claws finally left two half-finger deep gashes in the rock! Its aura was now more stable, and it exuded a newfound ferocity that had been absent just hours before.

"Very good! You've got a great handle on those claws!" Chen Wu praised.

"Come on, have some food!" He offered the Demonic Food he had exchanged to the Little Flame Firefox. Mealtime had arrived, and the creature pounced on the food with excitement, devouring it voraciously and displaying an expression of pure bliss. It had worked hard and was rightfully exhausted.

The half-day's efforts were fruitful. The Little Flame Firefox had transitioned from cluelessness to mastering its natural combat instincts, with its claws now boasting the strength of a Grade 1 Demonic Beast. Although not yet of much use to Chen Wu, its progress was swift. In just two days, it might grow into a Grade 1 Demonic Pet fit for battle.

Perched leisurely atop a tree, Blood Rain watched Chen Wu's training session with the Little Flame Firefox, a look of sympathy on its face. The selection competition was just two days away, and Blood Rain's strength was unmatched unless it ventured deep into Phoenix Nest Mountain. Chen Wu, of course, had no time for such an excursion and would have to make do.

Blood Rain, however, was far from idle. At Chen Wu's command, it ventured alone to the outskirts of Phoenix Nest Mountain near Chen Village to hunt Demonic Beasts. It didn't matter the level; any slain Demonic Pet would earn Chen Wu Exchange Points.

[Ding! Your Demonic Pet Iron-feather Eagle has killed a Grade 2 Demonic Beast. You have earned 2 Exchange Points.]

[Ding! Your Demonic Beast Iron-feather Eagle has killed a Grade 3 Demonic Beast. You have earned 3 Exchange Points.]

Chen Wu's prowess had long eclipsed that of Hu Wang. His Grade 4 Blood Rain technique was powerful enough to annihilate a Grade 3 Demonic Beast with ease.

And so, time swiftly progressed to the long-anticipated selection competition in Green-mount Town. On this day, families both large and small from the quaint town converged at the green stone square, each accompanied by their offspring. The square, unlike in days past, was now nearly impenetrable.

Family patriarchs sat just below the stage, flanked by their household guards. The crowd was kept at a distance of ten meters.

The most captivating sight on the stage was the trio seated side by side on an elevated platform at the back. In the center was Shan Liyuan, the mayor of Green-mount Town. To his left sat the enigmatic Zhifazhe, clad in a black mask, and to his right, a benevolent, slender old man with piercing eyes.

The selection competition, being a significant event, was not only presided over by the mayor but also conducted under the watchful eye of instructors from Flame City. Even the most hopeful patriarchs wouldn't dare to interfere, knowing their children's chances depended on fair play.

In addition to them, virtually every Demonic Pet Master in Green-mount Town was present, blending into the crowd or representing the interests of their respective families.

Chen Wu was there too, surveying the family contingents from below the stage. Year after year, the competition's participants were primarily the progeny of these smaller families. For the average person, the chance to become a Demonic Pet Master was exceedingly slim, given the exorbitant cost of a Bloodline Spirit Talisman in the marketplace. In Green-mount Town, any available talisman would be snapped up instantly by the major families.

This reality left very few young Demonic Pet Masters like Chen Wu, who lacked significant backing or resources, in the running.