Return to Fenlai City

At the edge of the Magical Beasts Mountain Range.

Wang Xun, the Mutant Velocidragon, strode on his two enormous feet, speeding through the Magical Beasts Mountain Range.

Haoyue sat cross-legged on his back, his eyes half closed as he felt the changes within him.

After breaking through to become a level six warrior, his entire state was different. Battle-qi surged through his meridians, more than twice as abundant as before. The vortex in his dantian rotated steadily, giving off a faint pressure.

His spiritual power was quietly changing too.

Haoyue carefully sensed the process.

In the games he had played in his previous life, breakthroughs in spiritual power were often accompanied by some kind of sudden enlightenment. That was just how he felt now-his meditation, which had been somewhat obstructed, suddenly became completely smooth.

His spiritual power rose sharply, leaping straight to the sixth level.

Then his magic power in all three elements grew in tandem.

Water, fire, and earth energy flowed joyfully through his body.

He had broken through.

Level six!

Haoyue opened his eyes, a smile curling his lips.

A fifteen-year-old sixth-level magus who cultivated three elements. If word got out, the entire Yulan Continent would be shaken.

"We're going home, Wang Xun." He patted the Velocidragon's scales beneath him.

"Roar-"

Wang Xun let out an excited roar and abruptly picked up speed.

Fenlai City.

Outside Martha's little shop, she was tidying the goods on the shelves.

It had been half a year.

Her son had been in the Magical Beasts Mountain Range for half a year. Though he sent word through others at intervals to let her know he was safe, how could a mother stop worrying?

"Martha, has your Haoyue still not come back?" The woman who owned the fabric shop next door leaned over and asked.

"Soon, soon," Martha answered with a smile. "His letter said it'd be in the next few days."

"My, your Haoyue has really made something of himself. I hear he's one of the best at the institute?"

"Oh, no, it's all thanks to the teachers at the institute."

Martha was modest in her words, but inwardly she was delighted.

Her son was doing well. How could she not be happy as his mother?

Just then, a slight tremor came through the ground.

Martha froze.

The tremors grew closer and stronger, as though some enormous creature were approaching.

She raised her head and looked toward the end of the street.

Then her eyes went wide.

A gigantic... dragon? It was coming this way.

The dragon was a full four meters long, its body covered in heavy scales and its tail thick and powerful. Every step made the ground tremble.

"Heavens..." People all around cried out and scattered.

Martha instinctively took two steps back as well.

Then she saw the person on the dragon's back.

"Haoyue?"

Haoyue jumped down from Wang Xun's back and hurried over to Martha.

"Mom, I'm home."

Martha's eyes reddened at once.

"You child..." She raised a hand and gave her son a couple of pats. "Coming back on something that big! You scared me to death!"

Haoyue grinned. "Mom, this is Wang Xun, my new magical beast. Don't worry, he doesn't bite."

Wang Xun obligingly crouched down and brought his head close to Martha, letting out a low whine as though trying to please her.

Martha was startled, but when she saw the smile in her son's eyes, she gradually relaxed.

"This... what level of magical beast is he?"

"An eighth-level magical beast." Haoyue told her the truth. "But Wang Xun is special. He can transform and shrink. I'll have him stay in this form normally, so there won't be any trouble."

Martha opened her mouth, at a loss for words.

An eighth-level magical beast?

Her son had only been gone for half a year, and he'd already taken an eighth-level magical beast as a pet?

She looked at her son, who stood a head taller than her, and suddenly felt he was somewhat unfamiliar.

In the six months since she'd seen him, he had grown quite a bit taller. His once youthful face had gained a touch of determination, and his gaze was steadier than before.

But the eyes looking at her were as clear as ever.

"My son..."

Martha could hold back no longer and pulled Haoyue into an embrace.

"You've gotten thin, so much thinner..." she said, wiping away her tears. "How much hardship did you suffer out there?"

"Mom, it wasn't hard." Haoyue gently patted his mother's back. "Your son is really capable now. A sixth-level magus and a level six warrior. You won't find many like me in the whole Ernst Institute."

"Really?"

"Why would I lie to you?"

Martha laughed through her tears and gave Haoyue a thump on the shoulder. "All you know how to do is brag."

Haoyue smiled without answering.

Wang Xun swaggered down the streets of Fenlai City.

The people around them had long since retreated far away, only daring to peek from behind their windows.

The pressure of an eighth-level magical beast was a nightmare to ordinary people.

But Wang Xun knew his limits. He completely restrained his pressure and walked as lightly as he could, afraid of frightening passersby.

Haoyue was very pleased with him.

The Ernst Institute lay ahead.

The institute's guards spotted the enormous creature from afar and were so frightened they nearly turned and ran.

But when they saw the person on the dragon's back, they froze.

"Is... is that senior Haoyue?"

"I think so?"

"Didn't he go to the Magical Beasts Mountain Range? How come he came back riding a dragon?"

"Heavens, isn't that a Velocidragon, a seventh-level magical beast?"

"Quick, go tell the vice dean!"

In no time, the entire institute was in an uproar.

The vice dean's office at the Ernst Institute.

"What? Haoyue Bolei came back riding an eighth-level magical beast?"

Delante, a middle-aged man, put down the quill in his hand, his face full of disbelief.

"Y-yes, Dean." The instructor delivering the report swallowed. "I went to take a look at the beast. It's no ordinary Velocidragon-it's a Mutant Velocidragon, covered in scales, with the strength of at least an eighth-level beast."

"An eighth-level mutant magical beast?" Delante frowned. "How did he tame it?"

"I... I don't know. But that dragon obeys his every command, so they must have signed a contract."

Delante fell silent for a moment, then stood up. "Come on, let's go take a look."

A crowd had already gathered at the entrance to the Ernst Institute.

Students, instructors, and even some elders from the Radiant Church had come, all craning their necks to look toward the entrance.

Haoyue jumped down from Wang Xun's back and beamed at the crowd.

"Seniors, please make way. I need to get inside."

"How... how did you tame that magical beast?" one senior couldn't help asking.

"I got lucky," Haoyue answered casually.

"Lucky?" The people around him exchanged looks, disbelief written on their faces.

A Velocidragon was a seventh-level magical beast! Was that something luck could explain?

But Haoyue clearly didn't want to say more, so they couldn't press him.

Haoyue was about to head inside when he suddenly heard a voice.

"Brother Haoyue!!!"

A figure burst out of the crowd and threw himself straight at Haoyue.

It was Luo'en.

After six months apart, the fellow was still as carefree as ever, though he had gotten a little fatter.

"Brother Haoyue, you're so cool!" Luo'en's eyes shone. "Can you let me ride that dragon of yours? Just once!"

"Don't even think about it." Haoyue refused without hesitation.

"Wang Xun is still young. It's not suitable for outsiders to ride him. We'll talk about it if there's a chance later."

"Young?" Luo'en looked at the four-meter-long giant, his mouth twitching. "You call that young?"

Nearby, Kaluo and Lei'en walked over as well.

Kaluo was still as burly as ever, but there was a little more maturity in his eyes. "You're back."

Lei'en was as taciturn as ever and merely nodded.

"I'm back." Haoyue smiled and greeted them. "It's been half a year. Have you all been well?"

"Not bad." Kaluo scratched his head. "We've all reached level four. Lei'en's even more monstrous-he's already a level five mage."

"Not bad," Lei'en said, as brief as ever.

Haoyue nodded.

Going from level four to level five in the past few years was no slow pace. Lei'en in particular, with his exceptional talent for the Water Element and his diligence, was bound to achieve great things in time.

"Haoyue Bolei!"

A commanding voice came from behind the crowd.

Everyone moved aside to clear a path.

Dean Delante strode over, followed by several white-robed instructors.

Everyone's eyes turned toward them.

"Vice Dean." Haoyue bowed slightly.

Delante looked him over, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

After six months apart, the young man's aura was far stronger than when he had left.

"You broke through?"

"I'm a sixth-level magus," Haoyue admitted frankly. "I cultivate the Fire, Water, and Earth Elements. All three have reached level six."

His words caused an uproar.

A fifteen-year-old mage who had reached level six in three elements?

"He's reached level six so young. There must be an elder guiding him..."

"He reached level six cultivating three elements. His family definitely isn't ordinary."

"Maybe he's a disciple of some reclusive clan."

Discussion rose all around. No one considered any other possibility-after all, with such a fast cultivation speed, and his ability to tame a magical beast so much stronger than himself, who would believe he didn't have an elder helping him?

Delante gave Haoyue a long look but said nothing more.

"Come on, let's talk in my office."