Astral Pet Store (WN)

Chapter 574 Star Student

“That’s the Dragon Tower.”

With Han Yuxiang leading the way, the party soon went past several boulevards and passed some areas with restricted access, finally arriving at the foot of the mountain, which was considered a sacred cultivation site.

Standing at the center of the plaza was a great peak.

That magnificent peak had a strange shape, bent toward a side, much like the number 17.” Aside from the moss which was densely dotting its surface, the peak was entangled in many dark iron chains as well.

Many students were gathered in the nearby plaza at the moment, discussing some matters.

Boom!

The Inferno Dragon arrived. That tremor alerted the students. They turned around and were stunned by the sight of the Inferno Dragon.

Riding on large battle pets was forbidden on campus. That was the regulation.

Some of the students with better sight soon noticed that Han Yuxiang was flying in front of the Inferno Dragon.

“The Vice Principal!”

“Is that his battle pet?”

“I don’t think so. I think there is someone on top of the dragon. Don’t you think this dragon is kind of like an Inferno Dragon?”

“A little bit. But this one doesn’t look like the ones in the pictures. The scales are larger and the dragon is larger.” The students conversed to exchange doubts and questions.

Han Yuxiang approached the students soon after.

“Nice to meet you, sir.” “Nice to meet you, sir.”

All the students immediately saluted as they stepped to the sides. They sized up the Inferno Dragon and Su Ping with curiosity, including the other two people standing on the dragon’s shoulder.

“So, this is the Dragon Tower.”

Su Ping stared at that crooked peak with eyebrows tied in a frown. Somehow, he was getting a bad feeling from that crooked summit; it was as if he were standing in front of some perilous thing.

He was very sensitive when it came to potential dangers; he had developed that instinct after dying so many times in the cultivation sites.

“Yes, that is the Dragon Tower, a sacred place for cultivation. It is somewhat similar to the dragon bone tower in the Longtai Mountain. But we didn’t build this tower by copying that one. This is all nature’s work.” Han Yuxiang continued, “Your sister went missing after she went inside the tower. We suspect that she went into the deeper parts and got trapped inside. I sent the most talented student we have to search inside but to no avail. So, I don’t think she’s there.”

“Why did you find a student to do so? Is there something not allowing you to go inside?” Su Ping asked.

Han Yuxiang produced a forced smile. “Mr. Su, you’re not wrong. The Dragon Tower is quite strange. Its mysterious power dictates that people older than 24 cannot go in, regardless of rank. We found out about that after countless tests. Anyone beyond that age, no matter the method used, can’t get inside.”

“Age limit?”

That’s a strange rule.

Mysterious power?

He thought of a possibility.

Nature’s law!

Only the powerful creatures at the Star Rank could have established a nature’s law!

Once the rules were set for a specific location, anything within that area would have to follow those rules.

But…

What did that have to do with this Dragon Tower?

Is it some artifact left behind by someone at the Star Rank?

Su Ping stared at the peak with knitted eyebrows. He was finding the peak more and more familiar, like getting a déjà vu sense. He couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong with the peak nor why he found it familiar.

He didn’t bother about such matters. The most important thing was to find Su Lingyue.

“I’ll go in and have a look,” Su Ping said. He hopped down from the Inferno Dragon, taking Xu Kuang with him.

Mo Fengping followed suit and left the Inferno Dragon. He used some sort of special skill to ensure his safety since he didn’t have the ability to fly.

Su Ping didn’t look back, but a swirl was appearing next to the Inferno Dragon.

Not waiting for Su Ping’s instructions, the Inferno Dragon jumped into the swirl by itself.

Han Yuxiang seemed to be scared, given that Su Ping wanted to enter the Dragon Tower. “Mr. Su, I’m telling you the truth. There isn’t a single lie in what I said.”

“I understand.”

“Eh…” Han Yuxiang wanted to ask why he would still go in.

Han Yuxiang believed that Su Ping was way past 24 years of age. How else could he reach such a high rank?

There was a small commotion.

“Senior Fei is coming out!” “He has been in there for a long time. I believe he must have broken the record again.”

“Look at the stenographer. The result is coming out!”

The students seemed to be thrilled. They had shifted their attention away from Han Yuxiang and the Inferno Dragon.

A handsome young man was walking out of the peak, with a straight face and with hands clasped behind his back.

Standing next to him was a young man wearing a white top hat and a strange uniform. That young man held a bronze book; he walked to reach a dark tablet by the peak under everyone’s stares.

The young man pushed the bronze book into the opening on the tablet; it was a perfect fit. Soon, a ray of light rose from the tablet, climbing up and up before it stopped.

There was a column that said “level.” The number changed from 17 to 18. “’18!!”

“Oh, my god!”

“Is he even a person? That is unbelievable. His combat strength is comparable to the peak of the titled rank!” the students exclaimed and some gasped.

The person ranked second as shown on the tablet had merely reached level 16; it was a difference of two levels!

The digits might sound small but one had to know that the difficulty would vary tremendously with each level!

The students gazed at that handsome young man as if he were a monster. That young man was the most talented of the Subcontinent District!

Those other so-called talents out there were all losers compared to him. Han Yuxiang noticed that as well. The change in the number startled him. “Senior Fei is amazing!”

“Senior Fei, can I work for you after I graduate?”

“Senior Fei, I will forever be your follower!”

The students gathered around the young man. The girls were charmed by him and even the boys would smile fawningly at him.

All those students belonged to influential families; their statuses could rise in the future if they could befriend that super talent. As long as Senior Fei stayed away from any fatal misfortunes, there was no telling how promising his future would be. After all, he was already considered to be one of the best students the academy had ever had!

“Step away,” said the young man. His voice was low but his words carried power.

The students immediately stepped aside. Their shower of compliments stopped.

They wanted to befriend him, but that didn’t mean they would be sycophants. “Sir.”

The young man approached Han Yuxiang directly; he didn’t even pay attention to Su Ping. The young man merely nodded to Mo Fengping so as to not appear too impolite. “Sir, are you here for me? I have just finished my close-door training and gained some insights. I thought I could come here and test my progress.”

The young man sounded neither humble nor pushy.

Han Yuxiang would have allowed himself to drown the young man with praises and to laugh, if it were another time or place. Soon, every student would be amazed by the fact that the young man had reached the 18th level.

That was an important sign!

It meant that the young man’s combat strength was approaching the peak of the titled rank!

But Fei Tianyi—the name of the young manwas just a student who was less than 24 years old; he had tremendous potential. It was very likely that he would become a legendary battle pet warrior in the future!

The academy could even recommend Fei Tianyi to the Tower so he could learn and train with other legendary battle pet warriors, increasing the likelihood of him reaching that rank!

“Tianyi, well done.” Han Yuxiang nodded. He refrained from showing his joy; he didn’t even offer a sincere smile.

Fei Tianyi was confused. That was not the reaction he had expected.

Han Yuxiang should have been stunned and overjoyed.

Fei Tianyi didn’t allow himself to waste too much time on that confusion. He had greater expectations for himself; the academy was merely a stepping stone for him. He had already become famous elsewhere. Even though he was still a student, his fame was greater than that of Venerable the Blade and Han Yuxiang.

Fei Tianyi was sure that the academy would treat him well as they would a star student. He would later join the Tower and reach the legendary rank.

But that wasn’t the ultimate goal for him. There were weak and powerful legendary battle pet warriors; he wanted to be the most powerful graduate there had ever been in the academy.

Han Yuxiang had once been his guide but he was no longer able to provide further instructions. Han Yuxiang himself wasn’t going to reach the legendary rank.

“Sir, I will go back and continue my cultivation, if that is all right with you,” Fei Tianyi said.

Han Yuxiang nodded. “Sure. Good luck.” “Wait,” Su Ping said all of a sudden.

Fei Tianyi was surprised. He turned to look at Su Ping with a displeased frown.

Su Ping was asking Han Yuxiang. “Is he your student? Is he the guy you sent into the Dragon Tower to look for my sister?”

“Yes, it’s Tianyi. He’s not only my student but the best student we have. Also, from the record he just set, we can tell that he is the most talented student we’ve had in a century,” Han Yuxiang explained at once. He would have prided himself by saying those words, but he was going about gingerly this day, afraid he would say the wrong words.

Su Ping nodded. “Which level can my sister reach?”

“I’ve seen her record. I think it should be the 14th level.”

“You think?”

“No, no, I am sure. It was the 14th level.”

Han Yuxiang was panicking. Su Ping had told him to look after Su Lingyue and he agreed. He had already lost her. He would face a tirade of problems if Su Ping thought he didn’t look after her at all.

Su Ping glared at him before he said to Fei Tianyi, “Did you find any clues when you were inside the Dragon Tower looking for my sister?

“?”

Fei Tianyi looked at Su Ping with a cloudy face.

The frown was answering the question for him: why would I tell you?

“Tianyi, watch your attitude,” Han Yuxiang cautioned him at once, “Now, tell him. Spare no details.”