"That's highly unlikely. It's much harder to upgrade a silver contract book to gold than it is from bronze to silver. The school doesn't have that many resources."

The dean slowly shook his head. "A treasure that can help upgrade your contract book to two-stars is more likely."

"Teacher, do you think we're so gullible? The school hasn't scored well in the five schools' joint entrance examination for several years and hasn't even obtained any high scores, so the number of students recruited is fewer each year.

"We won first place and will surely score high in next year's exam. Plus, we're members of the city's juvenile team. This resounding reputation of our school will definitely help in admissions.

"Is being first place worth so little? At the very least, you should give us one treasure which can upgrade our contract book to three-stars, including an ordinary summoner skill.

"This way, we can guarantee winning first place," said Su Bai slowly.

Chen Rouxue nodded in agreement, indicating that she was on the same page as he was.

"Student Su, the school—"

The dean was about to say something when Su Bai directly raised his hand and interrupted him. "It's also very difficult for us. Our achievements today are the result of us risking our lives in the wild.

"For the school's honor, my requirements aren't too excessive, are they? After all, when we risked our lives back then, the school didn't help us much, did it?

"Now that the school wants us to help it gain honor, it should naturally compensate accordingly. My request is the bottomline, and downward bargaining won't be accepted."

The dean was completely speechless now. Indeed, if it were other schools, such a favored student like this boy would have obtained a certain subsidy a long time ago, but Fourth High School had not done anything.

It might be because they had no money, but that was still no excuse.

"You're right. As long as you obtain first and second place in the five schools' joint exam, we will issue the award you mentioned."

This time, it was the principal who spoke. He had been sitting behind silently all this while.

The boy's performance had convinced him.

Su Bai was very mature and did not give up the benefits he deserved just because of their identity or loyalty to the school.

He was just like an adult.

"Thank you." Su Bai and Chen Rouxue thanked him.

"Okay, you can go back now. I hope that you'll work harder and put your heart and soul into learning and cultivating your pets. Strive to enter the top pet university; it'll be good for you and the school."

The dean waved them off.

Su Bai nodded and turned to leave.

"Wow, good job."

After leaving the Academic Affairs Office, Chen Rouxue patted her boyfriend on the shoulder and praised.

"It's nothing, but the school is relatively poor, so it's really difficult for them to obtain materials to upgrade our contract book to gold. Otherwise, I wouldn't have given in." Su Bai chuckled.

"Weren't you scared at all? All those school leaders were present. Didn't you even feel anxious that they'd ask us about our relationship?" she asked. All the five or six school leaders had made her feel a little scared.

"Don't worry; they can't do that. It's not good for the school.

"Plus, we neither kiss nor hold hands in school; we only chat often. What evidence do they have to pin us down?

"Also, we're now the school's only hope, so they can only draw us in. They only invited so many school leaders to put pressure on us, making us give in out of fear."

He touched her head reassuringly.

"Wow, you're so courageous! You deserve to be my chosen boyfriend."

Chen Rouxue laughed.

She admired Su Bai very much. Although she understood such principles, she would still be cornered under such circumstances. On the other hand, he was not timid in the least bit and was truly deserving to be her chosen guy.

The corners of Su Bai's mouth curled into a smirk and he remained silent.

Back in the classroom, Wang Wenyi was standing outside. She saw them and asked with a smile, "How was it? What did they decide on?"

"The school will issue a treasure to help upgrade our contract book to three-star silver, including ordinary summoner skill," Chen Rouxue responded with a smile.

"That's great! Who managed to convince them?" Wang Wenyi asked, quite surprised. The result was much better than she initially imagined.

"Su Bai." Chen Rouxue pointed to him.

"Good job."

Wang Wenyi praised and continued. "I feel like Student Su awakened after contracting a pet. You've completely lost your previous cynicism."

"Haha! Maybe I understood some things."

Su Bai laughed.

They returned to the classroom after chatting for a while.

He previously had a wish to become the student, whom his teacher would boast about to others even after retiring, saying that he was proud of cultivating such a talent.

In the past, he felt this was just wistful thinking, but now he felt he had a chance to realize this wish.

…

On Sunday of September 20, Su Bai and Chen Rouxue came to the Blue Moon Cultivation House.

"Teacher Hou, we're here."

They came in and greeted Hou Jie.

"Are you going to play for a while or directly look for materials?" Their teacher looked up at them.

"We'll look for materials now," replied Su Bai.

"Okay, then. Wait a minute for me to finish my work."

Hou Jie smiled at them.

She was actually very busy running such a large incubation house and typed on the computer for a while.

After about ten minutes, she finished her work at hand and got up. "Let's go; I'll bring you over."

Today, Hou Jie was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and a pair of denim shorts. Her straight and slender snowy-white legs were exposed. With a pair of black laced high heels, her beauty and sex appeal was undoubtedly strong.

She entered the room beside the office and handed two packages to them. "Here are the things you wanted."

"Thank you, Sister Hou. How much for these?" asked Chen Rouxue with a smile.

"A total of 4.8 million yuan," replied Hou Jie with a smile.

Nodding, Su Bai took out his phone to transfer the money to her.

His package only had a few items, including two skill cards, some materials, and several ores.

The two skill cards contained Pet Tamer skills, Internal Breath and Shield.

The former could allow him not to breathe and use the contract book as a medium in expanding his inner breath. To put it bluntly, it provided energy such that he would not die despite not breathing.

This skill could be regarded as a basic skill of a Pet Tamer. In the wilderness, be it underground, underwater, or in other places like the alternate world, there was no oxygen. At that time, Internal Breath would be necessary.

Shield would form a shield outside his body upon activation, producing a sort of isolation defense. Its strength was linked to the level of a Pet Tamer's contract book.

Su Bai summoned his contract book and put the two skill cards inside. They quickly turned into rune energy inside.

The two skills were then engraved on the contract book.

He tried activating Shield first, and soon, a green spiritual shield appeared beside him.

He tried activating Internal Breath next and found that he felt no discomfort despite obviously not breathing.

"Oxygen is poisonous. Do you think we can live forever without breathing oxygen if we use this skill?" he asked curiously.

"No way. How could this skill cost only one million if that were the case?" Hou Jie glanced sideways at him.

"Haha! I was just kidding." Su Bai laughed.

Chen Rouxue's package contained the same Internal Breath and Shield skill cards. In addition, an extra kawaii bear space backpack was inside.

He had prepared these for the monster wilderness. Previously, he had no money to afford these basic summoner skills.

Now that he had some money, he decided to purchase these basic Pet Tamer skills so that it would be safer to venture into the monster wilderness.

"Looking at you two, I can see how determined you are to win the five schools' joint examination this time."

Hou Jie laughed.

"The school has promised us another reward, after all."

Su Bai nodded.

"Haha! That's such an easy matter for you," remarked Hou Jie.

The two played for a while after collecting the things before leaving.

"Why don't you hang out at my place for some time before going home? Let's enjoy the bubble fish spa."

Back in town, Su Bai pulled on Chen Rouxue's hand and asked.

"Next time. If I go to your house so often, your mother may warn me not to distract you from getting first place."

The girl blinked.

"It's not like you haven't met my mother; what are you afraid of?"

He laughed.

"I have to go back soon to help my grandma; I'll come find you another time."

Chen Rouxue coaxed him.

"Okay, then. Be careful."

He nodded.

"Okay~"

…

Back home, the cub was holding a hose to water some flower seeds on the Azure Dragon Mound. It trotted over happily upon seeing him.

"Wow, you're amazing! These flower seedlings will bloom in a short time."

Su Bai walked over and told it with a smile. He had not touched these flowers, and the cub had fully taken care of them itself. These flower seedlings grew to be very strong and most had already produced flower bones which would bloom in a few days.

"Howl! (๑oั╰╯oั๑)"

Of course, it had stayed away from games for a month in order to plant these flowers.

The cub raised its head arrogantly.

"Then can I bring the others to see the flowers you planted?" Su Bai asked again.

"Howl! ー( ̄~ ̄)ξ"

No, the flowers I planted can only be shown to Ah Bai on the first day. The others can see these next time.

Purple Jade flatly rejected his idea.

Feeling inexplicably moved upon hearing this, he walked over and caressed its head. "Okay, you call the shots, buddy."

Time passed by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the twenty-eighth.

Su Bai woke up early in the morning to prepare medicinal cakes for his pets.

Today, the cub did not grow as slowly as before. After swallowing the medicinal cake, the breath on its body suddenly reached the peak state.

"Howl!"

Ah Bai, look; I'll evolve today!

It looked at him with its head held high before striding out.

Su Bai hurriedly followed. The three pets exchanged glances, feeling that this critical moment could not be missed. They trotted to the balcony with their rice bowls, looking at the cub while eating.

It was still early in the morning, and the sun had yet to rise. Su Bai wore short sleeves and stood outside in the whizzing cool wind.

The ground was full of dew, and the thick fog in the distance obscured his vision.

The cub squatted among the flowers and unleashed its Forest's Rhythm. A green wave of spiritual power rippled and shrouded the entire forest.

Time passed, and the sun slowly rose. The dew turned into wisps of white mist and disappeared, while the leaves of the flowers in the garden gradually unfolded.

All of this happened under the cub's perception. As the sun gradually shone on the flower field, a purple tulip took the lead to open its flower bones and slowly bloom.

Immediately afterward, other flowers started slowly opening. When the sun was fully up, eighty percent of the flowers in the entire flower field had bloomed. The colorful and charming flowers exuded refreshing faint fragrances.

The three pets watched on the balcony after finishing their breakfast. They lay down for a long time with Su Bai, all waiting quietly without moving.

Time passed in silence for more than ten minutes, and the cub suddenly burst forth with a dark green spiritual vortex, which was a full ten meters in diameter.

Its aura then rose rapidly in the spiritual vortex, and finally, the vortex disappeared into its body. The cub had officially broken through to a high-level warlord.

However, it did not evolve into a Sanctuary Wood Spirit.

"Howl! ⊙〈⊙"

The cub froze in place and dared not to look at Su Bai or the other pets.

It was afraid of his disappointed face and of the other pets' ridicule.

"It's okay, buddy. Actually, I already knew that you wouldn't evolve, but I thought that you could help me plant a flower field for free. I didn't expect that you'd actually get promoted; you've really surprised me."

Su Bai rolled his eyes and told it with a smile.

"Howl! (▼ヘ▼#)"

Upon hearing this, the cub instantly became furious. It rushed across the flower field and bit his wrist.

"Haha! don't be angry. I really didn't expect you to advance like this. It's because you're really too powerful, okay?"

Su Bai laughed and reached out to caress the cub's head gently.

"Howl! (▼ヘ▼#)"

I'll bite you to death! Ah Bai is so bad; Ah Bai is the worst!

Even if it could not bite him due to the contract, it could still act fiercely.

However, after venting on him, the cub realized that this development was actually not so embarrassing. Its siblings all seemed surprised that it had actually been promoted while standing there and had no intention of ridiculing it. In fact, they all viewed the cub as their big sister.

Purple Jade's heart suddenly dropped, and it took a deep breath, determined to evolve as soon as possible.

Su Bai also sighed. Although he was bitten by the cub, he had finally achieved his goal.