C14 'is He Crazy?'

When Huang Long mentioned that Xu Hu wouldn't let him off the hook, Han Feng instantly understood the earlier hostile glare. Having beaten Liu Yong and affronted Xu Hu, Han Feng figured this guy was likely Xu Hu's lackey, thinking he'd found an opportunity to prove himself against Han Feng. What he hadn't anticipated was Han Feng's rapid progress; he'd not only significantly boosted the grass mud horse's level in a short time but also evolved it up a notch.

Now, Han Feng wasn't just out of reach for these underlings; even Xu Hu himself might not be a match for him.

After breezing through two battles, Han Feng was riding high on confidence. The Demonic Beasts he'd previously faced in the forest, with their fierce combat instincts, had left him somewhat traumatized. But now, fighting a Beastmaster felt like a walk in the park. Demonic Beasts fought ruthlessly for survival, often targeting Beastmasters directly, which was considered a dirty trick. However, during assessments, the aim was to compete, not to engage in such underhanded tactics.

At present, the grass mud horse was at level 19 and had evolved into a premium-grade creature, making it nearly unbeatable in the D class. With the enhancement from the Ironbone Grass, its combat power had skyrocketed. Han Feng might concede when it came to battling a Beastmaster, but with spiritual pets, he feared no one in the D class.

After about an hour's wait, Han Feng's name was called once more.

His opponent this time was a neatly dressed young man whom Han Feng recognized for his notable reputation among the D class students.

This was Huang Tianyi, a prodigy and a student in the A class of the D level. Young, at around fourteen, the same age as Lin Xiaoxiao, Huang Tianyi's spiritual pet was a level 19 top-grade Golden Stone Tiger. Had it reached level 20, Huang Tianyi would have already advanced to the C class.

Frankly, Han Feng was both taken aback and slightly panicked at the prospect of facing him.

"Just give up," Huang Tianyi said, exuding arrogance despite his youth. He gave Han Feng and the grass mud horse a dismissive look and spoke with chilling indifference.

"Hiss! Are kids these days really this brash?" Han Feng was visibly puzzled.

Lin Xiaoxiao had a similar attitude, and Huang Tianyi was no different, albeit far more formidable. The old Han Feng might have been petrified by now.

But times had changed. Now equipped with the Demonic Pet System, the idea of Han Feng cowering into submission was laughable.

"Kid, didn't anyone teach you to be humble? You're already asking for my surrender before the fight's even begun. Got a screw loose?" Han Feng retorted.

"I'd rather not waste my spiritual pet's energy or my own," Huang Tianyi replied, unyielding. "Since you're being so obstinate, I'll have no choice but to take you down."

Huang Tianyi's declaration was filled with unapologetic dominance.

"Come forth, Golden Stone Tiger!"

The Golden Stone Tiger was a formidable beast, dwarfing three grass mud horses put together. True to its name, it shimmered with a golden radiance, resembling a colossal gold nugget. In the sunlight, it was positively blinding.

Han Feng learned from the Demonic Pet System that the Golden Stone Tiger boasted four skills!

Spiritual pets had a limited capacity for skills. Ordinary ones could learn up to five, premium ones six, and Martial King pets seven, with the number increasing by one with each evolution. The highest-tier, the King-level spiritual pets, could master ten skills!

The breadth of a spiritual pet's skills greatly influenced its combat prowess. More skills meant better damage output and control, giving them an edge in battle.

Typically, a Golden Stone Tiger could awaken a maximum of three skills, but this one had four. This indicated that the fourth skill came from a skill book, not natural awakening!

Skill books were extraordinary items created by the author of Heaven's Will, who sealed skills into special paper with his formidable spiritual energy. If the attributes matched, the skill could be taught to a spiritual pet.

Crafting skill books required the personal touch of the Heaven's Will author and rare materials, making them expensive. Even the most basic, first-grade skill book was beyond Han Feng's wildest dreams, hinting at the extraordinary nature of Huang Tianyi's backing family.

The Golden Stone Tiger's quartet of skills included: Strengthening, Roaring Tiger, Golden Claw, and Barbaric Charge.

The grass mud horse, with only three skills, seemed at a disadvantage. But Han Feng was no quitter. He dismounted and rallied his pet with enthusiasm.

"Bro, give it your all! If you win, I'll find you a gorgeous alpaca mate!"

The grass mud horse perked up at the promise, nudging Han Feng aside with a look that said, "Step back and watch the show!"

Accustomed to easy victories with the Demonic Pet System, Han Feng didn't mind the spectators' opinions and took his place in the arena's corner.

Bolstered by Han Feng's vow, the grass mud horse was electrified with excitement.

It grinned, bristling with energy, and charged fearlessly at the Golden Stone Tiger.

Huang Tianyi was a standout talent in the D class, drawing the attention of many C class mentors.

This battle was under the scrutiny of numerous mentors.

"This alpaca seems to be a few bales short of a full load, daring to take on the Golden Stone Tiger directly."

"It's not just the alpaca that's not all there; its Beastmaster must have had his head slammed in a door. Doesn't he know the Golden Stone Tiger's hide is as tough as metal, making it the melee overlord of its class?"

The observing mentors dismissed both the grass mud horse and Han Feng with a shake of their heads as the pet charged headlong at the Golden Stone Tiger.

But did they have the full picture? Had they known about the Ironbone Grass the grass mud horse had consumed, they might have held their tongues.

The Golden Stone Tiger looked on with scorn as the grass mud horse approached and swiped a claw at it.

"Clang!"

Contrary to expectations, the grass mud horse wasn't the least bit phased by the blow. Instead of being injured, the sound of metal striking metal rang out as the Golden Stone Tiger's formidable claw met the grass mud horse's iron-hard body.

After an ineffective first strike, the Golden Stone Tiger finally started to take this little one seriously. With a thunderous roar, it activated its primary skill: Strengthening.

Once empowered, the Golden Stone Tiger's strength surged by 15%, elevating its already formidable power to new heights.

In its enhanced state, the Golden Stone Tiger aggressively launched an attack on the grass mud horse.

Despite the grass mud horse's enhanced resilience from the Ironbone Grass modification, it couldn't negate the sheer mass and strength it was up against. Each encounter left it unscathed but pushed back, and over time, it began to feel increasingly overpowered.