C5 Triggered the Highlevel Mission!

"Ding! Congratulations on slaying your first Demonic Beast! Since this is your first victory, you've earned a special first-win reward, which won't be available in the future."

"Ding! You've received a bottle of Advanced Healing Potion as your first victory reward!"

"By defeating the Bronze Grade 1 Wood Monkey, your Demonic Pet has gained +30 experience points! To view the leveling progress, please open the Demonic Pet's attribute interface and check the experience progress bar."

Chen Wu's mind buzzed with three consecutive notifications, reigniting his excitement that had just settled.

Advanced Healing Potion: A universal item for all Demonic Pet attributes, capable of healing any injury for Demonic Pets below the Silver Level.

Chen Wu's eyes sparkled with delight.

This potion could heal even a Bronze Grade 9 Demonic Beast, making Chen Wu hesitant to use such a valuable item.

"But what in the world is this progress bar?"

Chen Wu accessed the system panel and navigated to the [My Demonic Pet] interface. There, he saw only one Demonic Pet's portrait, which was Blood Rain. Beneath Blood Rain's portrait was a long energy tube representing the experience bar, which currently read 30 points. He needed a total of 200 to advance to the next stage!

"Incredible. It must be because the Iron-feather Eagle hasn't seen much combat. This is a perfect opportunity to train Blood Rain. I'll aim to elevate it to Bronze Grade 3 before I return home!"

Chen Wu then allowed Blood Rain, still brimming with vigor, to soar through the skies while he himself trekked through the underbrush, on the lookout for Demonic Beasts. He was cautious, though, ready to evade any creature with a stronger presence than Blood Rain.

Before long, they stumbled upon another wild Demonic Beast, the Umbrella Cabrite!

The Umbrella Cabrite was massive, with a bloated head encircled by a bone membrane resembling a fan. In combat, its bone spurs would erect, forming a circular umbrella shield.

This shield was originally meant to help the Umbrella Cabrite glide when leaping from heights, but it also provided substantial protection against head injuries during fights.

Blood Rain's Feather Arrows struggled to inflict damage, forcing it to continuously circle and bide its time before launching a swift and fierce attack, using its Iron Claw to rip through the flesh on the creature's back.

It was undoubtedly a perilous encounter. The Umbrella Cabrite, at Grade 2 strength, was quick to react. Its massive tail had struck the Iron-feather twice, nearly causing the Iron-feather to plummet to the ground and giving Chen Wu a serious scare. If Blood Rain had fallen, it would likely have been shredded by the Umbrella Cabrite. Thankfully, the Talent Skill, The Hawk Strike Force, kicked in, boosting Blood Rain's speed in a critical moment and allowing it to narrowly escape danger.

"Blood Rain, you need to master the art of feinting. Against such a tough opponent, you must bait them into exposing their vulnerabilities!" Chen Wu advised while observing Blood Rain's combat and maintaining communication.

Blood Rain conveyed a sense of confusion.

"Conserve your energy, circle around it. Your greatest advantage is your aerial agility. Tire it out, make it wary of letting its guard down!" Chen Wu instructed.

Acknowledging the command, Blood Rain began to soar above the Umbrella Cabrite, forcing the cumbersome creature to spin in place, tracking Blood Rain's movements with frustrated vigilance, powerless to launch any long-range attacks.

"Dive now, Blood Rain!" Chen Wu called out.

Without a moment's delay, Blood Rain swooped down! The Umbrella Cabrite, sensing imminent danger, reared up on its hind legs. As they closed to within five meters, the Umbrella Cabrite sprang up, its maw gaping wide, and the umbrella-like structure on its head unfurled, its spikes poised to wound its prey.

"Pull up! Use The Hawk Strike Force and veer left!" Chen Wu commanded in a low growl.

Blood Rain, demonstrating its intelligence, halted midair as a gust swirled through its feathers. It swiftly banked to the side, causing the Umbrella Cabrite to lunge at empty air. Then, with its Iron Claw, Blood Rain seized the creature's nape and viciously tore through skin and flesh, down to the bone.

The Umbrella Cabrite let out a thunderous roar, severely wounded. The gash on the back of its neck gushed blood as it writhed in agony on the ground.

"Excellent work, Blood Rain. It's hurt. Finish it with Feather Arrow!" Chen Wu praised.

With a piercing cry, Blood Rain unleashed a barrage of Feather Arrows, peppering the Umbrella Cabrite until it resembled a sieve.

"Ding! By defeating the prey, your Beast Pet has gained +77 experience!"

The acquisition of experience depended not only on the strength of the opponent but also on the learning ability of the Beast Pet. During the fight, Blood Rain recognized the importance of its own speed and agility, mastering the art of feinting, which naturally resulted in higher experience gains.

After slaying the Umbrella Cabrite, Blood Rain was completely spent. The battle had taken a significant toll on its stamina, and more critically, executing skills had drained its Spiritual Energy. Having used The Hawk Strike Force three times, Blood Rain was utterly depleted.

Chen Wu said with satisfaction, "Come back, Blood Rain. Time for a rest in the Demonic Pet Space!"

With that, Chen Wu deftly severed the head of the Umbrella Cabrite, extracting a yellow Crystal Core. This Bronze Grade 2 Demonic Crystal, a Beast-type, was a precious crystallization of the Demonic Beast's power, an essential item for any Demonic Pet Master. It could be used to nourish a Demonic Pet or sold as currency.

So far, he had slain four Demonic Beasts, acquiring two Grade 1 Demonic Crystals, one Grade 3, and this Grade 2 Demonic Crystal. Yet, these were merely common Demonic Crystals; those imbued with Elemental Power were the truly valuable ones.

Chen Wu fed the Demonic Crystal to Blood Rain and stored it away.

"We should be nearing the edge of the mountains."

At the moment, Chen Wu was eager to return home and delve into the Eternal Nirvana Lotus Technique, its level still unknown to him. Many Demonic Pet Masters practiced basic Spirit Cultivation Techniques, and only those from noble families might have access to Middle Grade techniques. Spirit Cultivation Techniques were categorized into low, middle, high, and supreme grades, with Middle Grade considered a top-tier technique in Green-mount Town.

The quality of the cultivation technique directly influenced the speed of Spiritual Energy development, significantly impacting a Demonic Pet Master's future success.

After all, quicker cultivation meant faster Soul Sense growth.

Approaching noon, Chen Wu had made it to the forest's edge, with less than four kilometers to go before he would be out of the Phoenix Nest Mountain range.

The system, which had been silent until now, suddenly chimed in with a notification:

[Ding! A high-grade task has been triggered. A High-grade Demonic Pet Master is near death in the vicinity of the host. Choosing to save the Demonic Pet Master will result in a System Reward, though it comes with a certain level of risk. If the host decides to leave, the mission will be void. This mission is not compulsory.]

This was only the second mission the system had issued, the first being the capture of his initial Demonic Pet. But this time, the term "high-grade" was included, highlighting the significance and likely difficulty of the task.

"High-grade? Then the mission reward must be substantial, right?"

Chen Wu's spirits lifted. Gaining additional System Rewards would enable him to significantly enhance his abilities. This was not just about seeking revenge sooner; he also didn't want to miss out on this year's enrollment competition at the Flame City Demonic Pet Academy.

The Demonic Pet Academy, found in every major city within the Sky-feather Empire, aimed to cultivate a new generation of formidable Demonic Pet Masters. The power of an empire was intrinsically linked to its systems and the number of emerging powerhouses.

Despite possessing the system, Chen Wu's knowledge of this world was limited, akin to his past life's experience. Regardless of one's high school education, it couldn't compare to the broader perspective and life-shaping values that university education could offer. Moreover, the platforms and resources were incomparable. Chen Wu could perhaps leave his small town behind by cultivating at home with the system's help, but the timeframe was uncertain.

Hence, having the right platform was crucial. Without any hesitation, Chen Wu declared, "I'll take on the mission!"