C3 You Are Not Worthy!

Everything unfolded in the blink of an eye.

The audience hadn't even processed what happened when the duel concluded.

The students in the stands were visibly shaken, their faces flushed and stinging as though they'd been slapped.

"What are you standing around for? Crawl already!" Han Feng snapped, clearly impatient.

Liu Yong's face cycled through shades of green and purple, his expression the epitome of mortification.

Proud as he was, crawling beneath a spiritual pet would be a fate worse than having a knife to his throat.

Yet, with everyone watching, failing to honor the bet would mean never living it down in front of his peers.

As he stood there, indecisive, a piercing voice cut through the tension.

"Why be so pushy and demeaning over a simple student's game?"

A man with a sly look, clad in tight jeans, made his way through the crowd.

His name was Xu Hu, a senior from Class C, and Liu Yong's relative.

"Cousin!" Liu Yong's face brightened at the sight, and he quickly scurried over to tattle.

"I don't care by what low means you won, this ends now," Xu Hu declared, looking down on Han Feng.

"Mind your own business, you're nothing but a meddler," Han Feng retorted with a dismissive glance, flipping Liu Yong the bird. "If you can't handle losing, go home and cry over your milk."

"You cocky little punk!"

Xu Hu, despite being a Class C student, couldn't resort to bullying in public, but Han Feng's lack of respect darkened his mood further. "Not satisfied yet? Maybe I should join in the fun."

"Let's do this: I'll spare Liu Yong the disgrace. He can slap himself ten times and leave. After that, we can settle our own score."

Xu Hu shot Liu Yong a knowing look.

After a moment's hesitation, Liu Yong slapped his own face, his neck reddening under the jeers as he exited the arena.

"Happy now?" Xu Hu produced a Spirit Ball. "I won't be accused of bullying. I'll challenge you with my weakest spiritual pet. If you win..."

"You're too hideous to be my opponent. Maybe after some plastic surgery, you can come back for a challenge."

Han Feng was no fool. Xu Hu was a formidable Class C student, and he wasn't fully prepared for such a challenge.

"You dare mock me? You're asking for it!"

Xu Hu, now livid, threw caution to the wind and unleashed his spiritual pet treasure.

A three-meter-long green-scaled python materialized.

The python hissed menacingly, ejecting a basketball-sized, dark bubble from its maw, hurtling like a missile towards the grass mud horse.

This was its "Explosive Poison" ability, a deadly attack that would explode on contact, releasing a potent poison that could maim or even kill.

Han Feng acted swiftly, his grass mud horse stooping low and emitting a cry incongruous with its appearance.

The sound, a mix between a dragon's bellow and a tiger's roar, was thunderous, pulverizing the leaves within a five-meter radius.

This was its second skill: Berserk Roar!

The toxic bubbles suspended mid-air burst prematurely under the assault of the sonic wave.

Xu Hu was taken aback. Realizing his move had failed, he extended a finger and commanded, "Cang Long Bind!"

In a blur of motion, the python raced to the grass mud horse and latched onto its leg with its tail, coiling around in an attempt to crush it to death right there and then.

Suddenly, Xu Hu's face contorted in shock.

The grass mud horse's fur bristled in an instant, turning a jet black and becoming as sharp as inverted spikes—lethal and formidable!

The python's constricting power turned laughable in the face of this transformation.

Straining too hard, the python's skin was punctured by the grass mud horse's spiky fur, eliciting a cry of agony.

The grass mud horse's protective aura not only shielded itself but also inflicted unexpected damage on its adversary.

"A dogshit snake dares to claim the title of Cang Long?" Han Feng couldn't help but burst into laughter at the sight of the grass mud horse's might.

Seething with rage, Xu Hu retracted the wounded python into his Spiritual Pet Treasure, his teeth clenched in fury, eyes brimming with malice.

But he wasn't ready to give up. The green-scaled python, the weakest of his three spiritual beasts, was supposed to be more than a match for Han Feng. Yet, he had capsized in the proverbial gutter.

The thought of a Grade C student losing to a Grade D intern leaking out was unbearable; it would ruin his reputation at the school.

In a fit of irrational anger and on the verge of summoning his strongest spiritual pet, the school guards arrived just in time.

Han Feng had attacked without provocation, a clear breach of school regulations, earning him a month of solitary confinement.

Before being led away, Xu Hu shot Han Feng a venomous glare.

Han Feng remained unfazed. After all, Xu Hu would need to get out before he could even think about retaliation.

He had toppled Liu Yong in a single day.

A month from now, Xu Hu would likely be no more than a shoeshiner to him!

Having made his statement, Han Feng requested leave, citing ill health.

Truth be told, he just couldn't be bothered with classes anymore.

The annual student assessment was a week away, and his prospects for advancement were solid.

Yet his aim was the exclusive Grade C Class A, accessible only to the elite.

With over ten thousand contenders and a mere thirty spots, the stakes were high.

Despite the grass mud horse's significant upgrade in quality and rank, it still wasn't up to par.

Considering the prodigies and freaks of nature among the candidates, carving a path to success would be no small feat.

Time was on his side, but the immediate priority was to sort out his living situation.

His current abode was intolerable—blindingly bright by day, leaky when it rained, cramped, damp, and unbearably noisy, with a long trek to the nearest restroom. It was the epitome of squalor.

Previously, he had no choice, but now, he aspired to live in luxury.

The quickest way to wealth was through the sale of Demonic Crystals.

Demonic Beasts, upon reaching maturity, would produce these crystals within their bodies. These life essences of the Demonic Beasts were highly versatile, commonly used to enhance spiritual pets, making them invaluable treasures.

The more powerful the Demonic Beast, the more potent the Demonic Crystal, and thus, the higher the price.

It's noteworthy that Demonic Beasts, while still juveniles, can be domesticated into spirit beasts through methods such as taming. However, once they reach maturity and produce Demonic Crystals, they develop a sense of autonomy, making any further attempts at taming as challenging as reaching the heavens.

After careful deliberation, Han Feng resolved to take a risk and venture beyond the city limits...