Pet Beast: Color Spirit

"Second-order Source Star... Looks like this year's Water Mountain City college entrance exam top scorer is already in the bag. I might even have a shot at competing for Hanyang Province's top scorer."

Riding in the vehicle back to the base entrance, Chen Wei wore an expectant look.

"Yi, yi?" At that moment, the Cold Jade Snake's confusion and curiosity came through the Source Star in his mind, interrupting Chen Wei's fantasies about the future.

With a thought, a cyan contract sigil array appeared before him. He extended his left hand beneath it, and the tiny Cold Jade Snake landed in his palm.

Having just emerged from the Star Ring, the Cold Jade Snake lazily stretched its body, then gazed at Chen Wei, who had summoned it, with satisfaction.

The Beast Taming Contract allowed a Beast Tamer and pet beast to convey their thoughts and emotions through spiritual power and the Source Star.

This spiritual connection was more intimate and swift than verbal communication, allowing Beast Tamers and pet beasts to communicate without barriers.

Feeling the affection and satisfaction conveyed by the Cold Jade Snake, Chen Wei looked at its tiny body, less than twenty centimeters long, coiled in his palm.

Chen Wei happily stroked it, then used another burst of [Dragon Power] to strengthen it.

Smiling, he watched as the snow-white, jade-like scales on the Cold Jade Snake's belly reflected the sunlight, giving off a faint rainbow glow.

Chen Wei suddenly recalled something and said, "From now on, we'll have to work hard together. How about I give you a nickname?"

"Yiyi." (It has to be a nice name!) the Cold Jade Snake cried in a babyish voice.

"Color Scale? Color Spirit? I think both suit you very well!"

"Then let's go with Color Spirit. Dazzling and beautiful, with a voice as crisp and ethereal as a bell!" Chen Wei said sincerely as he looked into its eyes.

"Yi." (It'll do.) Color Spirit wrapped itself around Chen Wei's finger and rubbed its cheek against his face.

"Alright, alright, that tickles. From now on, we'll grow stronger together."

Though Chen Wei said this, his joyful gaze never left Color Spirit, and the corners of his lips curled upward.

[Pet Beast Name]: Color Spirit

[Pet Beast Age]: One month

[Pet Beast Attributes]: Ice, Psychic

[Race Level]: High Earth-Tier Transcendent

[Strength Level]: Level 8 Juvenile

[Race Skills]: Cold Breath, Ice Spike, Ice Armor, Ice Concealment, Charm, Telekinesis

[Pet Beast Potential]: Top-grade Earth-Tier

Looking over the attributes he had appraised again, Chen Wei smiled in satisfaction. "Color Spirit, go rest in the Star Ring for a while. Get more used to the space inside."

Color Spirit nodded. Then, cyan light flashed, and its figure vanished from Chen Wei's palm.

It seemed that after the contract was completed, Color Spirit had also gained considerable benefits from [Dragon Power] and the power fed back through the contract.

It had directly advanced from Level 7 Juvenile to Level 8 Juvenile. It would probably leave the juvenile stage very soon.

Two hours later, outside the Beast Tamer Hall of the Water Mountain Breeding Base, a dense sea of people was lining up to handle procedures.

Looks like I'll be going home late today. Chen Wei glanced at the bustling hall and sighed helplessly before walking straight to the end of the line at Window No. 2.

"Hey, did you succeed in making your contract?"

Feeling someone pat his shoulder, Chen Wei frowned and turned around. It was his chubby deskmate, Huang Zhicheng.

"Of course I succeeded. Wasn't it a simple matter for me? You're grinning so brightly—did you succeed too?"

"Oh-ho, can I compare to you? Showing off now, are you? I never expected you to hide yourself so deeply, Brother Wei. We agreed that the two of us would work hard together, but you secretly took off into the sky."

When he saw Color Spirit appear amid the cyan glow from Chen Wei's right hand, Huang Zhicheng's face was filled with envy.

After all, an entry-level Beast Tamer's strength depended on the initial pet beast they contracted.

Among people their age in Water Mountain City, anyone capable of contracting a High Earth-Tier Transcendent initial pet beast was already among the best of the best.

What was more, the cyan sigil array flashing around Chen Wei's Star Ring showed that his Source Star had already been cultivated to the second order. At this rate, perhaps next year's Water Mountain City college entrance exam top scorer would be Chen Wei.

Huang Zhicheng had only been fortunate enough to contract a High Yellow-Tier Transcendent Thorn Fish at the breeding base after spending money on Water of Life.

Yet Chen Wei had not only successfully contracted a Cold Jade Snake, but his Source Star had also broken through to the second order. Such formidable cultivation talent left Huang Zhicheng endlessly envious.

"The Thorn Fish is pretty good too. It has multiple evolutionary paths, and the Beast Tamer Association recently discovered a new special evolution form for it," Chen Wei praised.

Chen Wei and Huang Zhicheng chatted from time to time as they lined up, and the time passed quickly. Before they knew it, an hour had gone by.

Finally, it was his turn. Watching the smiling boy before him open the door and leave, Chen Wei saw the light sign to the left of Door No. 2 switch from red, indicating busy status, to green.

Chen Wei immediately pushed open the door and entered, then sat directly in the chair as instructed.

First, his identity was verified through an iris scan. Then he handed Qi Yunmeng the information on his contracted pet beast and his certification card.

After a while, having reviewed the documents, Qi Yunmeng said in surprise, "As is customary, you'll need to show me your pet beast, the [Cold Jade Snake], so I can confirm the contractual relationship."

A pale cyan sigil array instantly appeared on the Star Ring, and Color Spirit landed steadily in Chen Wei's palm. It cutely tilted its head, as if it had not yet reacted.

Then light flickered, and Color Spirit turned into a streak of cyan light before disappearing again, returning to the Star Ring.

"A second-order Source Star?" Qi Yunmeng could not help swallowing as she said in astonishment.

Chen Wei kept a polite smile and said confidently, "Maybe it's because I usually work hard, plus that tiny bit of talent I have, so my cultivation speed is relatively fast."

Being able to contract a Cold Jade Snake during the novice stage and cultivate his Source Star to the second rank showed that his spiritual power was very high. Yet his talent was [Appraisal]. Perhaps his talent had undergone some beneficial mutation related to the spiritual aspect.

Handing Chen Wei an exquisite badge with a star engraved on its metal surface, representing his status as a beginner Beastmaster, Qi Yunmeng pondered thoughtfully.

"The Beast Taming Guide can be downloaded directly from the mobile app store using the Beastmaster identity chip inside the badge."

"You previously applied for a pet beast loan contract. This is the contract for purchasing the Cold Jade Snake—you can look over the details." Qi Yunmeng placed a stack of documents on the counter.

Carefully reading the loan documents before him, Chen Wei frowned, his expression tinged with confusion.

"Hello, I remember that in Star Calendar Year 1024, the price of contracting and adopting a Cold Jade Snake in Hanyang Province was 3 million. With the official discount and the martyr subsidy, it should have been 1.5 million. Why is my price now 2.5 million?"

Chen Wei was somewhat bewildered. The sudden additional financial pressure of one million instantly shattered his plans for the future.

"That was the price two years ago. For the past two years, the price has been 5 million. Since you chose the Cold Jade Snake, I assume you know about its evolved form, the transcendent ruler [Frost Jade Spirit Python]."

"Starting in 1025, when Dr. Wu from Hanyang University's research department discovered its top-tier evolution path that crossed ranks, the Cold Jade Snake's value kept rising. It was only because no one at the Water Mountain Breeding Base had successfully contracted one these past two years that the price was never publicly announced."

Qi Yunmeng said flatly, "If you still have questions about the price, you can log into the Beastmaster Association's official website on your phone to check the details."

"Alright." His hand trembling slightly as he signed the contract, Chen Wei quietly thanked her, then turned and left with a heavy heart.