Three weeks later, an exhausted Rao Wu collapsed on the platform with Ju Tu and Xian Da, the trio panting hard as they struggled to calm their breath. Rao Wu, too tired to open his eyes, heaved as he painfully asked, “Hey, what was our time?”

The golem opened its eyes and looked at the sweating youth. “Congratulations, Rao Wu. With a time of 27 hours, 43 minutes, and 14 seconds, you successfully beat the previous record of 26 hours, 40 minutes, and 43 seconds.

“Yes!” Rao Wu shouted but then exploded in a fit of coughs as he struggled to catch his breath. When he finally got himself under control, Rao Wu forced himself to sit up and then grinned at Ju Tu and Xian Da. “Hear that, guys! We finally did it!”

“Yaay~” Ju Tu, planted facedown on the ground, weakly raised its right arm to acknowledge the achievement.

“Ruwu~” Xian Da, laying on the ground with its tongue out, lazily glanced at Rao Wu. “I’m tired. Let me sleep.”

Rao Wu chuckled at his companions’ lazy demeanor. He didn’t blame them because he completely understood.

The fourth test had been immensely difficult!

On its own, the obstacle course was already three times more deadly and dangerous than the second test. Rao Wu, Ju Tu, and Xian Da nearly lost their lives on numerous occasions despite being ultra-careful.

But then, the test decided the course was not enough. It actually sent in numerous soul monsters to disrupt Rao Wu’s path. The soul monsters ranged from powerhouses like an Ice Leopard to the seemingly harmless Bungee Bug.

Strangely, though, Rao Wu’s party found the powerhouses easier to deal with than the ‘harmless’ monsters. That was because battles against the powerhouses were straightforward fights that tested their strength, cunning, and strategy. The harmless monsters, however, focused on tripping them up while they navigated the obstacle courses.

On one incredibly close call, a Bungee Bug smashed into Xian Da while it jumped between two suspended platforms. The impact knocked Xian Da off-course, and it would have fallen into a boiling spring below if Rao Wu did not recall it on time.

That was not to say the path was without injuries. On the contrary, Rao Wu, Xian Da, and Ju Tu each had their fair share of breaching the pearly gates—especially during the first run. Fortunately, the Eternal Spring Water was always on hand to save their lives.

To increase their chances of survival, Rao Wu smartly tied one jug to Ju Tu and Xian Da so that the Eternal Spring Water was always available for healing no matter who got injured.

Of course, after Ju Tu accidentally smashed its own, Rao Wu reduced the quantity in the jugs to less than a cupful since that was enough to buy time to bring out the larger quantities from his spatial ring.

Rao Wu sighed as he took note of their progress over the past three weeks. Stimulated by the constant life and death-struggles, Xian Da and Ju Tu both progressed one stage to 2nd Phase-Stage Seven and 2nd Phase-Stage Eight, respectively.

Three weeks to grow by a single stage was slow by Rao Wu’s standards, but he knew it was inevitable. Soul Monsters grew exponentially faster during the first and second phases of their lives. Afterward, it could take weeks or even months to increase a stage—mostly because soul cores and crystals were not as freely available in the outside world as they were in the test chamber.

Due to his monsters’ ‘slow’ growth, Rao Wu’s soul did not grow much either. He was currently a Third Stage Soul Student, unlocking space for a new soul pet.

Fortunately, though Rao Wu’s soul did not grow, there was one area that did see a vast improvement in the last few weeks, and that was his cultivation of the Trickster manual. The manual boosted his physical state to 1st Phase Stage Seven. Not only was Rao Wu much stronger, but he also unlocked a new skill at the Sixth Stage.

Vwoosh!

Rao Wu opened his palm and grinned at the floating blue ball that appeared. According to the manual, the strange, ethereal blue ball was called a ‘fox-fire.’ Its applications were immeasurable, but for now, it served as a ‘teleportation hub.’

Rao Wu could manipulate the fox-fire freely with his mind, and then appear wherever it was. The ability especially came in handy toward the end when Noble-ranked soul monsters began to appear as it virtually granted him one free strike before the enemy learned to be wary of it.

Finally, Rao Wu had made vast improvements in his Foundational Spear and Foundational Dagger techniques. Battle techniques mastery was commonly broken into Small Success, Large Success, and Perfection.

Rao Wu had just crossed Small Success. Achieving Small Success in three weeks was not exactly genius-level, but Rao Wu had never formally practiced before, so it took him quite some time to get rid of many bad habits.

After taking stock of his improvements, Rao Wu checked in on Lu Lin. The Dryad was still fast asleep like three weeks ago. However, she was encased in a plant bulb that blocked her from his direct sight. Rao Wu would have been concerned, but her steady connection with his soul helped allay his fears.

“Rao Wu. Would you like to complete the test, or do you want to improve your time?”

The golem’s question drew Rao Wu out of his thoughts, and he turned to look at the statue. “Are there any added benefits to improving my time?”

“None, except personal pride.”

“Ah. I don’t have time for that.” Rao Wu waved his hand and then asked, “How many Chaos Points did I earn this time?”

“Calculating Score:”

Test Objective: Complete the Obstacle Course and Return to the Platform

Objective Completion Rate: Full [160,000 Chaos Points Awarded]

Bonus Rewards:

Soul Monsters Slain: Numerous Species and Ranks. Chaos Points Awarded – [80,000 CP] (Candidate can opt for a full breakdown)

Total Chaos Points Awarded: [240,000 CP]

New Time Record Multiplier (x3): [720,000 CP]

Infernal Difficulty Multiplier (x4): [2,840,000 CP]

Candidate’s Total Chaos Points: [2,858,428 CP]

Rao Wu’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw the score. What in the hell!? That much!? “I’m clearing all the time records!” Rao Wu made a staunch resolution when he saw the final score. The obstacle courses were far more effective ways of earning Chaos Points than the ‘story’ tests.

Initially, Rao Wu wanted to target the Administrator’s Favor to get more free items (he would not need to worry about Chaos Points), but the previous test showed they were not a given. In that case, he had to find effective ways to farm massive Chaos Points without turning into a soulless murderer.

Rao Wu had finally seen the light. His eyes sparkled as he immediately looked at the special items. “How much for information on Raijin’s Drum?”

“One Million Chaos Points.” The golem poured cold water on Rao Wu’s excitement.

“Urk.” Rao Wu nearly choked when he heard cost. Why was the disparity between 6th and Fifth so high? Fearing the worst, the youth gritted his teeth and asked, “What about the rest?”

“Information on Frozen Tears is worth three million Chaos Points. Information on Sun Wukong’s Inheritance is worth seven million Chaos Points. Information on Heart of the Immortal Supernova Phoenix is worth two million Chaos Points, and information on Ragnarok’s Blood Essence is worth ten—”

“Million!? That’s Madne—"

“Billion Chaos Points. Information on Ragnarok’s Blood Essence is worth Ten Billion Chaos Points.”

Rao Wu’s soul nearly left his body if not for Ju Tu forcing it back. The youth stared at the golem in stark disbelief and then glared at Fen, who was sleeping on the log. “Are you crazy? How is anyone supposed to afford that? And why is the information more expensive than the items? Does that even make sense?”

“The prices are fairy calculated based on the rarity of the information. The top five items pertain to ancient secrets unavailable in even the most comprehensive history books. The items themselves pale in comparison to their stories.”

Rao Wu frustratedly rubbed his head but knew he could not argue with the golem. So far, it had proven honest and trustworthy. There was no point doubting it now. More importantly, Rao Wu had a feeling the creators fixed the rewards’ prices to prevent candidates from sweeping through every item. Instead, they had to make their choices carefully.

“Fine. Give me information on the egg.” Rao Wu chose to save the bulk of his points and try again after the next test.

“5,000 CP deducted.” The golem then explained the egg after a short pause. “Information on the Egg of Unkown Origins is scarce, but there are three confirmed factors: First, it houses a soul pet with great potential—minimum noble level—but an unknown force sealed its true potential. The soul monster will need to unlock the seals as it grows. Secondly, the unknown entity placed the egg in hibernation. It will hatch once a soul trainer establishes a soul pact with the pet. On its own, the egg is estimated at over two million chaos points, but the admin lowered the evaluation due to the fact there is no guarantee the monster will ever break its seals.”

Rao Wu was surprised by the revelation. “Woah. So, wait. Does that mean that when the egg hatches, the soul monster will be a noble at the very least?”

“No.” The golem corrected Rao Wu. “Its latent potential is noble-rank at the very least. However, due to the seals, there is a possibility it could hatch as even a servant-rank monster.”

“Oh, well. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy.” Rao Wu chuckled as he scratched his head. “Fine, then. I’ll just get it and see what happens.” He then added as he glanced at the sleeping administrator, “I wonder what kind of evil bastard put seals on a baby.”

Unknown to Rao Wu, a ghost of a smile crept up the corner of the ‘sleeping’ administrator’s lips.

The golem confirmed Rao Wu’s order one more time to be sure and then summoned the egg from a raised platform. “250,000 Chaos Points deducted.”

The egg on the platform was surprisingly tiny, roughly about the size of a tennis ball. However, its black exterior and crisscrossed purple patterns belied its mysterious nature. Rao Wu reached out to the egg, but a heavy shock zapped his hand, causing him to reel back in surprise.

“Rao Wu!” Ju Tu and Xian Da shouted in shock as they rushed to the child’s side with worry. Fortunately, Rao Wu wasn’t severely injured, but his spiked, smokey hair made for a comical sight.

Xian Da, not seeing the humor in Rao Wu’s injury, glared at the egg in anger. It raised its paw and barked, “Let’s smash this stupid thing!”

As if incensed by Xian Da’s audacity, several electric arcs sparked out from the egg and created a powerful barrier.

Xian Da, unfazed, continued with its attack, but fortunately for the egg, Rao Wu intervened, grabbing Xian Da from behind before it could complete its attack.

After a few months, Xian Da had grown taller than Rao Wu, but it still obediently held back when it felt the child’s arms around its neck.

Rao Wu heaved a sigh of relief and then patted the Dusklight Wolf’s fur. “Don’t get angry, Xian Da. It's been held here for who-knows-how-long. I don’t blame it for being a little angry.”

Rao Wu then walked forward and stopped in front of the egg. “I don’t know if you can understand me, but I don’t want to hurt you.” He gently smiled as he continued in a warm voice, “I get why you’re scared. I would be too if I were trapped for so long. But, as it stands, I’m the only way you can ever get freed. I don’t know if you know this, but someone sealed you so you can’t hatch without forging a soul contract.”

Rao Wu paused to draw his breath, and then continued, “I can free you by forging a soul contract, and I promise to help you regain your strength and do my best to break your seals. I will also help you achieve whatever dream you have—whether it's revenge or otherwise.” Rao Wu closed his eyes and then said, “Finally, you can leave whenever you want. All my soul pets have the same deal. I won’t keep anyone against their will. What do you say?”

Bzzt.

The egg buzzed and trembled slightly. Then after a few minutes, the electric arcs receded, and Rao Wu felt a tentative connection in his soul space.

“You won’t regret this!” Rao Wu promised as he completed the soul contract.

Immediately they complected the contract, the egg disappeared into Rao Wu’s soul space, and the youth watched as cracks ran around the shell. Sensing something afoot, Rao Wu quickly recalled Ju Tu and then took out the egg.

Boom!

Rao Wu’s instinct proved to be on point as the egg exploded with a loud bang, accompanied by several dancing snake-like electric arcs.

Rao Wu squinted his eyes from the blinding light and then gaped in shock when it died down to reveal a purple chick. The tiny, cute, bird monster had a strange mix of purple feathers and dark-black fur with electric arcs sparking in its beady, black eyes.

“Thunderfiend Chaosbird.” Rao Wu muttered the strange name that appeared in his mind. He did not need anyone to tell him that this bird was out of the ordinary.

“Chirp!”

“Pfft!” One cute chirp shattered the Thunderfiend Chaosbird’s coolness!

The chick, angered by Rao Wu’s laughter, spread out its chubby little wings to assert dominance, but it only caused Rao Wu to laugh even harder. Rao Wu tried his best to hold back, but every angry chirp caused him to laugh even more.

The chick angrily huffed and summoned an electric ball to blast Rao Wu. Bzzt! Unfortunately, the electric ball it gathered was barely the size of a chicken’s egg. It only stung Rao Wu a little bit.

“Pyak?” The Thunderfiend Chaosbird stared at the ball in shock. Its soul seemed to leave its body when it realized it was only a Warrior-level monster now. Although it had no memories, the bird knew that it was at least a noble-rank monster. How could it be so weak?

The seal was too sinister!

“Pyak! Pyak! PyakPyakPyak!”

Rao Wu stifled his laughter as he lifted the indignant bird. “Don’t worry. We’ll find a way to break your seals. First, you need to eat and raise your strength.”

“Pyak! Pyak!”

“Yes, Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll make sure to break your seals.”

“Pyak!” The Thunderfiend Chaosbird, seemingly satisfied with Rao Wu’s promise, puffed its chest and then jumped down onto the platform.

As the Thunderfiend Chaosbird gobbled the eggshells, Xian Da glared at it and then snorted, “What a glutton.”

“Pyak.” The Thunderfiend Chaosbird’s eyes curled in a mocking glare as it looked at Xian Da.

“Rraff!” Rao Wu had to hold back the enraged Xian Da as it barked, “I’ll show you who’s servant trash!”

“Relax, Xian Da, it’s just a baby,” Rao Wu consoled the irritated wolf. “You shouldn’t stoop down to its level.” When Xian Da laid down, he then glared at the Thunderfiend Chaosbird. “First rule: Never make fun of your siblings! Every one of you is equally important to me. How would you feel if I dumped you for the first Emperor soul pet I came across!?”

“Pyak~” The Thunderfiend Chaosbird was still a baby, so it trembled under Rao Wu’s stern glare. Scared, it retracted its head and then covered its body with its wings, forming a cute, shaking ball.

“Hah~” Rao Wu bitterly smiled. He was only seven years old. Why was he playing the role of a parent so early?

Rao Wu softly patted the Thunderfiend Chaosbird and then said, “Don’t cry. I’m not angry. You can make fun of our enemies all you want, but we must always support our friends and family. Got it?”

“Chirp.” The Thunderfiend Chaosbird chirped and then tentatively emerged from its wings.

“That’s a good… boy?” Rao Wu paused and then looked at the chick. “Wait. Are you a boy or a girl?”

“Pyak.”

“Girl, huh? That’s nice.” Rao Wu smiled and then said, “Now, apologize, Raven.”

“Pyak?”

“Raven. That’s your name,” confirmed Rao Wu.

“Pyak!”

“What does it mean?” Rao Wu coughed. “It’s the name of a great warrior princess that lived centuries ago. Stories say she destroyed several cities with her mighty thunder and caused the oceans to flow backward.”

“Pyak! Pyak!”

Rao Wu guiltily watched the proud Thunderfiend Chaosbird hop down to apologize to Xian Da. How could he tell the chick that he got the name, Raven, from a common bird that resembled it?

‘I’ll have to apologize one day.’ Rao Wu sighed, dreading the day the truth came out. At the moment, however, he bought several 1st Phase warrior-rank beast/electric soul cores and one soul crystal and then sent Raven to the soul space to feast and sleep.

Afterward, Rao Wu sat down next to Xian Da, who had kept silent ever since Raven mocked it. He gently ruffled Xian Da’s fur as he said, “It’s been bothering you, hasn’t it? Being a servant-ranked monster.”

Xian Da softly huffed. “I thought I would have evolved by now, but I’m still stuck on this level.” The Dusklight Wolf despondently stared at the ground as it laid out its fears. “One day, you are going to leave me behind.”

“Xian Da, I—”

“No, Rao Wu.” Xian Da looked at Rao Wu. “You want to be an Emperor. What’s the point of being your soul pet if I can’t help you in any meaningful way? That noble-ranked Terror Tiger we fought made it obvious. I’m holding both of you back. In the future, it will be the same. There’s no space for a servant-ranked pet on your team.”

“…so what?”

Xian Da blinked, taken aback by Rao Wu’s question. “…so what?”

“Yeah. So What!?” Rao Wu repeated with a glare. “Who cares if you’re servant-ranked. Are you just going to give up because of that?”

“No, but—”

“But nothing!” Rao Wu huffed and then said, “Who cares if you’re servant-ranked. So what if you're weaker than other monsters. Growing up, I was always the weakest in the jungle. Do you know how I survived?”

“Mom and Dad—”

“Shut it.” Rao Wu bonked Xian Da’s head. “I got better techniques and traps. In short, I used my brain to beat those stronger than me.”

Xian Da looked at Rao Wu in confusion. “What does that have to do with me?”

Rao Wu patted his chest. “I’ll definitely find a way to make you evolve. But, before that…” He summoned Ju Tu then turned to the golem. “I want to buy [Foundation Claw Techniques] and [Foundation Pole Techniques].”

“Deducting Chaos Poi—"

“Two copies of both, please.”

The golem paused. “You cannot learn the same technique twice. This is a redundant purchase. It is recommended you rescind the order.”

“No.” Rao Wu grinned and then pointed at Ju Tu and Xian Da. “Give the extra Pole Technique to Ju Tu, and the extra Claw technique to Xian Da.”

Surprisingly, the golem did not shoot down the idea. “Are you certain? There are extremely few precedents of soul monsters learning battle techniques.”

Rao Wu smiled. “That means it’s been done before, right? If they could do it, there’s no reason Ju Tu and Xian Da can’t.”

Xian Da panicked and tried to stop its master. “Rao Wu—"

“This is what I mean, Xian Da.” Rao Wu grinned as he patted the Dusklight Wolf head. “You saw Yeshua, right? Battle techniques can unleash power far beyond our rank so work your ass off learning these techniques. Who’s going to expect a soul monster to unleash battle techniques?” The youth’s lips spread in an evil grin as he said, “It’ll be our ace in the hole until you evolve.”

Ju Tu shivered as it looked at Rao Wu. “Guo~ You are scary when you plot.”