Since the coming rounds would take place outdoors, Wen Ruxue took the opportunity to suggest, "Teacher Liao said the fourth stage would be a team battle. Why don't the four of us form a team?"
The moment teams were mentioned, Chubby perked up and became the first to raise both hands in approval. "Absolutely! I'm a defensive type, Hao is a ranged attacker, Qianxun fights up close, and Ruxue provides support. We're a match made in heaven!"
Gongsun Qianxun scoffed. "Who's your match made in heaven? If you can't talk properly, shut up. I haven't agreed yet."
As Chubby's brother, Jiang Hao naturally had to back him up this time. He teased, "Classmate Gongsun, if the four of us become teammates, you can challenge me whenever you like. That'll help us coordinate too, right? Besides, once we enter Wu Ji Mountain, it'll be too late to look for reliable teammates. Are you planning to get through the second and third stages all by yourself? Especially the third-are you going to climb Wuji Peak alone? Come on. At least we can support one another if we go together, wouldn't you say?"
Gongsun Qianxun suddenly flashed her two rows of pearly white teeth and smiled. "Since you're being so sincere, wouldn't I be snubbing you if I refused? Fine. Even if you hadn't said anything, I'd have agreed anyway, since it was Ruxue's suggestion."
Well...
Why did I feel like I'd just been played?
The food arrived: four dishes and a soup, three with meat and two vegetarian. To make a good impression on Gongsun Qianxun, Chubby did his best to restrain his appetite. Even so, he still ate four bowls of rice.
Once they had eaten and drunk their fill, they began discussing preparations for the tournament. Since the Referee Panel had given them two days to prepare, they needed to consider every angle when deciding what to bring.
Wen Ruxue said, "Snow Spirit Fish are incredibly vicious and fiercely reject other species. Their only food source is the leaves of the Snow Spirit Tree in the middle of Snow Spirit Lake. Without those leaves, catching them will be extremely difficult."
Gongsun Qianxun said, "Since the rules were announced in advance, everyone will probably be scrambling to buy whatever Snow Spirit Tree leaves are on the market. The prices will rise like boats on a rising tide. Do any of you have a good plan?"
Chubby knew his chance to shine had arrived. He thumped his chest and promised, "Don't worry. Leave this to me."
Gongsun Qianxun glanced at him skeptically. "You? Can you handle it?"
"A man never says he can't!" Jiang Hao and Chubby said almost in unison. They exchanged a glance and laughed, everything passing between them without another word.
Jiang Hao said, "Besides bait and fishing gear, we can't forget the other essentials. We'll be spending more than three months in the Wuji Mountains, so don't forget tents, sleeping bags, warm clothes, and so on. If you end up freezing like dogs, don't say I didn't warn you."
All three nodded. Jiang Hao had hit the nail on the head. As girls, Wen Ruxue and Gongsun Qianxun already had constitutions inclined toward yin. A few days in that world of ice and snow would surely be more than they could withstand, forcing them to withdraw early.
After discussing the remaining details, they each went home.
When Jiang Hao returned to Dragonkeep, he was surprised to find an outsider in the main sitting room. Dragonkeep never received outsiders.
The woman had her back to the doorway, but the curves of her silhouette made it clear that she was young and beautiful. Yet despite her youth, she had a head of silver hair. Silver hair was a hallmark of royalty. Could she be...
"Hao, come here. Let me introduce you. This is Princess Han Qing. Your Highness, this is my son, Jiang Hao. He'll also be participating in the Beast Pet Tournament, though you're in different divisions. Otherwise, you could have formed a team."
Jiang Hao was startled. She really was someone of exalted status, no ordinary person.
He hurriedly bowed. "Greetings, Your Highness."
The woman turned around. Her innocent features and soul-stealing violet eyes made her the most beautiful woman Jiang Hao had ever seen. Liao Yunxiao, Wen Ruxue, Gongsun Qianxun, and the others all paled before her.
Not to mention her innate air of nobility. Even looking at her a moment longer felt like a desecration.
She gave him a faint nod, then turned back to continue speaking with Dragon Venerable. Jiang Hao could no longer take in what they were saying. All he knew was that if he stayed any longer, he would lose control of his wandering thoughts.
He did not interrupt their conversation, instead quietly passing by to one side. Before leaving, he even remembered to draw a deep breath of the air.
Back in his room, Han Qing's face kept lingering in Jiang Hao's mind. At that moment, he seemed to understand a little of why Chubby looked at Gongsun Qianxun that way.
Was this love?
He unconsciously pressed a hand to his chest. His pounding heart was so restless.
Stop thinking about it. Find something to do and distract yourself.
Jiang Hao tried entering the Simulation Game, but soon backed out again. He would watch some videos instead; the tournament came first. Before long, he found fishing videos from Earth in a parallel world on the Survival Simulator. The wide variety of equipment in them gave him plenty of inspiration.
By dinner, Han Qing had already left. Jiang Hao felt a little disappointed, but the news Dragon Venerable announced soon caught his attention.
Dragon Venerable said, "Yunxiao, I may have to return to the battlefield. The situation in the City of Eternity is grim. With their Saint holding the line, the North Sea Army's morale is soaring. Yun is nearly at the breaking point."
Liao Yunxiao said, "Father, I'll go with you. With three Transcendent Masters holding the line, we'll surely be able to keep Xiao Lin in check."
But Dragon Venerable shook his head. "No. How can we put all our eggs in one basket? You should continue overseeing the Beast Pet Tournament. I've already discussed it with Her Highness. Prince Han Mo will go with me. With your eldest brother there as well, Xiao Lin shouldn't dare act rashly."
Liao Yunxiao wanted to say more, but Dragon Venerable stopped her.
The meal was unusually oppressive, like the hush before a storm.
As the younger generation, Jiang Hao, Luo En, and Luo Su did not dare interrupt at all.
That night, in Dragon Venerable's study.
For Dragon Venerable to summon Liao Yunxiao so late, he must have had something important to tell her. Sure enough, when she saw the three marriage contracts neatly laid out on the desk, she could not hold back her tears. Was he already making arrangements for after his death?
The three marriage contracts were for Jiang Hao and the other two youngsters. Her father was personally arranging even this. Did he not intend to return?
Dragon Venerable raised a hand to wipe away her tears. His loving gaze was more than Liao Yunxiao dared meet; she feared she would break down on the spot. Her father's instructions sounded in her ears. "Yunxiao, you and Yun were the first to follow me. You've grown up and have minds of your own now, and that gives me great comfort. Defending our homes and country is every soldier's duty. As the former marshal of the Shenzhou Army, I have even less reason to shrink back. But what worries me most is your three younger siblings. They're still young and understand nothing. So after I leave, I'll entrust their care to you."
He picked up the three marriage contracts and handed them to Liao Yunxiao, then continued, "These are the paths of retreat I've secured for the three of them. Her Highness agreed to them as part of the terms for my return to service."
Liao Yunxiao put away the marriage contracts, her gaze resolute. "Rest assured, Father. I'll take good care of my younger siblings!"
She did not want Dragon Venerable to have any lingering worries. They were already at a disadvantage. If they still failed to give it their all...
Early the next morning, Jiang Hao left Dragonkeep to buy supplies, unaware that his future had already been laid out for him. Tents, sleeping bags, fishing gear-he bought everything he could think of. Most important was the golden thread. With his points reset to zero, he intended to go all out, so he bought two large spools. It was exceptionally tough and flexible; the Snow Spirit Fish probably would not bite through it anytime soon.
He also bought a Multi-Function Folding Axe. Besides chopping, it came with a saw and a small knife: three tools in one axe.
Finally, Jiang Hao bought a generous supply of salt, chili powder, and other seasonings. Even out in the wild, he was not going to shortchange himself when it came to food.
Once he was finished, good grief, the entire backpack weighed more than fifty jin. Thinking of climbing Wuji Peak with such a burden, he could already picture himself worn out like a dog.
It was already afternoon when he returned home.
Jiang Hao planned to make one final push with the day he had left and see whether he could raise Big Hen to the Golden Body Realm. Strength was the most important guarantee of safety, so he was going to unlock another new mode.
The map for extreme difficulty was called Dreammist Swamp. Even its weakest monsters, the Death God War Generals, were level 55, a full seventeen levels above Big Hen.
He felt he must have gone mad to dare bring Big Hen into the game to court death.
There was another issue: the higher Big Hen's level rose, the harder it became to level up. Previously, he had spent nearly an entire month grinding on the Gobi Map just to reach level 39. That had already been the limit.
The monsters in Dreammist Swamp were packed just as densely, which was actually a good thing. He resumed his old monster-kiting strategy, using Wind Orb to grind them down in groups. Though it was slow, taking over ten minutes to kill ten monsters, the rewards were still considerable. After a day of grinding, he finally gained half a level. At this rate, another night would let Big Hen enter the Golden Body Realm tomorrow.
This time, he did not dare recklessly provoke the bosses. Their names were all black; one glance told him they were not to be trifled with.
After a full day and night of hard work, Jiang Hao finally achieved his wish and raised Big Hen to the Golden Body Realm.
Whenever Big Hen entered a new realm, she underwent some changes. Her feathers became smoother and more beautiful, and her body in particular grew a whole size larger. He allocated her attribute and skill points.
Beast pet owner: Jiang Hao Beast pet: Ice Crystal Phoenix (hen) Realm: Golden Body (level 40) Rapport: 90 Combat power: 401 Attribute points: 0 Skill points: 0 Strength: 244 Endurance: 13 Defense: 13 Agility: 30 Critical hit rate: 0 Decisive strike: 0 Skills: Hen and Eggs in Ruin (passive), Shadowless Clone (passive), Thorn Armor (level 1 passive), Fireball (level 2.52), Lure (level 1), Wind Orb (level 1.72), Eagle Strikes the Sky (level 1).
The city lord's residence, Primordial City.
City Lord Guo was delighted that his son had advanced to the tournament's second stage.
"Dundun, I watched your match. You did well, but don't become arrogant or complacent. I hear your deskmate is that Jiang Hao, right? I looked into him. Make sure you build a good relationship with him. He might become your benefactor someday."
A thoroughly heavyweight fat man sat in the luxurious sitting room. He was Guo Mingzhi, the city lord of Primordial City and Guo Dundun's father.
Guo Dundun asked curiously, "Father, Jiang Hao is Jiang Hao. Whether he has status or a powerful background, he's still my good brother."
"Are you stupid? Personal connections are complicated. Handle them well, and you'll have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Understand?"
Chubby shook his head, his face full of resentment. "Father, don't use your officialdom nonsense to describe my relationship with Hao. If you really had my best interests at heart, why did you casually find me some beast pet back then instead of one with better potential?"
At the mention of this, Guo Mingzhi looked embarrassed too. He defended himself. "If I'd known you could become a Beast Tamer, never mind a brown bear-I'd have plucked the moon out of the sky for you to keep as a beast pet!"
Before you continue