Initial Pet Beast

"Eep." The Cold Jade Snake, which had originally been squinting, suddenly straightened its body and let out a clear, pleasant cry.

The next moment, it shook its head. The adorable ice crystal atop its head bloomed with intertwined blue-and-white light, directly dispersing the glowing blue rune array on its forehead.

"Eeya, eeya."

The sudden change in the contract situation, coupled with the backlash from the failed contract, made Yu Xiumin's face turn pale. Though she could not understand the meaning of the Cold Jade Snake's cries, she could clearly sense its aloofness and rejection.

She stood there and smiled helplessly, suppressing the disappointment in her heart before turning and leaving with a calm expression.

Seeing Yu Xiumin leave, the Cold Jade Snake lifted its head, its gaze seeming to reveal a trace of disdain. Then it lazily curled back up on the magic core to rest.

"Ah, even the genius from First High failed!"

"I told you, this simply isn't a pet beast that Beast Taming Apprentices can contract!"

"Forget it, I'd better choose another pet beast. The chances of success feel hopelessly slim—I can't waste one of my opportunities here."

Amid the discussions, several students in the queue gave up and quickly left the line. Seeing people leave, many others wavered as well, and another five or six students departed.

"Next." The staff member, whose expression had not changed from beginning to end, called out, as though everything that had happened that morning was perfectly ordinary.

Hearing this, Chen Wei clenched his fists, suppressing the nervousness in his heart as he held his head high and strode into the valley.

"While it's still absorbing the magic core, give it your all. You have to succeed!" Yu Xiumin, who had just walked out of the valley, tilted her head and smiled encouragingly.

"Okay." Chen Wei returned her smile.

Only after entering the snow-white valley did Chen Wei discover that it was somewhat warmer inside than outside. While waiting in line for the contract, he had expended mental energy to observe and learn about the three jade-like little snakes with [Appraisal], and had already chosen his target.

The slightly smaller Cold Jade Snake hatchling coiled around the magic core possessed the most outstanding talent and potential among the three Cold Jade Snakes.

In addition to its racial skills, it also possessed an inherited psychic-type skill, [Telekinesis], and its strength had reached Level Seven Infant Stage.

[Telekinesis]: A third-tier psychic-type skill that could control and move objects or living beings through thought.

Chen Wei walked over to the staff member. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the name written on the work badge on the man's chest: Tang Mingjun.

After handing him the application card for a stamp, Chen Wei pointed at the Cold Jade Snake that was separated from the group and asked softly, "Can I get a little closer to it?"

"Of course, but be careful. Once it raises its upper body, you can't get any closer!" Tang Mingjun replied indifferently, as if it did not matter.

Having witnessed a whole morning of failed contracts, Tang Mingjun clearly did not believe Chen Wei could succeed.

Chen Wei took several deep breaths to ease his nervous excitement. Then, lightening his footsteps, he slowly approached it according to plan while using [Dragon Taming Power].

His powerful mental strength, combined with [Dragon Power], gave Chen Wei absolute confidence in approaching the Cold Jade Snake.

He walked until he was only one step away from the Cold Jade Snake, yet there was still no sign of it opening its eyes. It ignored Chen Wei's approach, remaining curled up without the slightest reaction, as though it had not sensed any threat.

Holding his breath, Chen Wei crouched down and, under the astonished gaze of the staff member, placed his right hand on the Cold Jade Snake's head.

The sensation in his hand was like touching warm, beautiful jade—smooth and mellow. Then he immediately gave it a full massage with [Dragon Power].

"He actually managed to touch the Cold Jade Snake? How is that possible? Even I can't get too close to it, or this little fellow will give me a mouthful of frost breath!" A trace of confusion flashed through Tang Mingjun's eyes, his expression shocked as he thought to himself.

Cries of surprise also rose from the surrounding spectators.

"Eep." The Cold Jade Snake, which had been sleeping soundly, felt its body being violated and instinctively turned its head, wanting to spit out a mouthful of frost breath. Yet it suddenly felt streams of energy flowing from the palm on its head, making it feel incredibly pleased and comfortable.

The Cold Jade Snake's mouth opened slightly, but it did not continue with the motion of exhaling frost breath. Perhaps it could not bear to leave that warm palm.

Seeing the comfortable expression on the Cold Jade Snake's face, Chen Wei laughed inwardly. Sure enough, no pet beast could escape the temptation of Dragon Power.

A minute later, the little fellow, having enjoyed the petting, opened its eyes. Its large eyes curiously met Chen Wei's, and its tiny body actually released the magic core before lightly coiling around Chen Wei's right hand.

"Eeya, eeya."

Looking at the unbearably adorable little cutie around his wrist, Chen Wei could not help opening his palm and watching it crawl step by step into the center of his hand.

He gently held up and stroked the Cold Jade Snake, meeting its gaze as his left hand stroked it and gave it another burst of Dragon Power.

"Eep." As Chen Wei stroked it and strengthened the effect with [Dragon Taming Power], the little fellow revealed an expression of enjoyment, and a faint fragrance even wafted from its body.

Its pair of beautiful, adorable eyes stared straight at Chen Wei, making it seem even more dazedly cute and delicate.

"Are you willing to contract with me?" Chen Wei's hand paused slightly as he stroked the little fellow, feeling the smooth warmth beneath his fingers.

"Eeya." The Cold Jade Snake looked at Chen Wei in confusion, then haughtily tapped his skin up and down with the tip of its tongue before shaking its head in puzzlement.

"Will you? If we contract, you can have this kind of massage every day." As he spoke, Chen Wei used Dragon Power with his left hand for another massage.

After a year of training by nurturing the dragon crystal, Chen Wei's number of [Dragon Power] uses had risen from two at the start to five now.

Therefore, at this crucial moment of contracting a pet beast today, he did not begrudge the expenditure of stamina at all, using [Dragon Power] repeatedly to enhance the effect.

"Eep, eep." A drop of saliva dripped uncontrollably from the corner of the Cold Jade Snake's mouth. It rubbed against Chen Wei's palm and seemed to sense things with its mind for a while. Only after a long time did it nod, letting out a proud cry.

Seeing the Cold Jade Snake hatchling nod in agreement, Chen Wei smiled in satisfaction. Then he closed his eyes and meditated, communicating with the Origin Star in his mind.

Through his thoughts, he had the light flowing from the blue pentagram rune array envelop the Cold Jade Snake's head.

Wrapped in blue light, it was as though telepathy linked Chen Wei's mind with that of the Cold Jade Snake.

As Chen Wei sensed its curiosity toward him and a trace of hesitation, the Cold Jade Snake also sensed Chen Wei's affection for it.

Before long, blue lines spread from the Cold Jade Snake's forehead across its entire body. With a thought from Chen Wei, it did not resist, directly turning into a streak of blue light and vanishing from the outside world as it entered the star ring on Chen Wei's right hand.

The star ring was a low-tier standard Origin Artifact gifted by the school to every student who successfully awakened a Beast Taming talent.

The inner space of a refined Star Ring could be used to house its owner's pet beasts. The one on Chen Wei's hand was only the lowest-grade Star Ring, with very limited space.

Once the contract was completed, waves of energy surged. Feeling the warm current from the completed contract flow through his entire body and Source Star, Chen Wei excitedly discovered that his Source Star had naturally broken through from the first rank to the second. His strength and physique had also improved considerably.

"Congratulations. You're the first student in six years at Water Mountain Breeding Base to successfully contract a Cold Jade Snake."

"This is the Cold Jade Snake's breeding guide, along with some of its food. If you want to buy more food, I suggest you first register as a Beastmaster, then use your phone to order from the Beastmaster Mall app." Tang Mingjun spoke enviously as he handed Chen Wei a bag.

"Alright, thank you." Chen Wei nodded excitedly and accepted the bag he handed over.

He had originally thought the Source Star in his mind would need another ten-odd days of cultivation before breaking through its bottleneck. He never expected that after successfully forming the contract, the breakthrough would come as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

At that moment, waves of envious discussion drifted in from outside the valley.

"Do you guys know who that fellow is? He actually managed to form a contract."

"Judging by his uniform, he's from Second High's Beastmaster Class. But aside from Wang Hongshuo and Xu Hongxin, I've never heard of anyone noteworthy from Second High."

"With such a powerful initial pet beast, we'll probably learn his details soon enough."