Astral Pet Store

“So, I’m supposed to pick up one of the boulders and place it over there?”

Su Ping remembered what he had seen the Golden Crows doing. The many boulders placed in front of him varied in size. Suddenly, Su Ping realized he had forgotten to ask what the passing standard for the test was.

How big a boulder did he have to carry?

“Never mind, I’ll start from the biggest one. I will have to try my best!” Su Ping said to himself.

Whoosh!

He flew to a place above the venue and looked around. Soon, he found several of the larger ones.

The biggest boulder stood at the center of the venue and the boulder was almost as large as a mountain, or the gigantic Golden Crows he had seen!

He couldn’t even see the boulder in its entirety!

Was he supposed to move that boulder?

Su Ping was hesitating but that hesitation soon was replaced by determination!

He could not give up before he even tried!

…

“What is he doing?”

“Is he going directly toward the largest boulder?”

Many Golden Crows saw what Su Ping was doing. The Golden Crows shifted their attention from their kids’ trials to Su Ping’s trials.

They had seen enough trials for young Golden Crows and nothing would surprise them. But they were curious about a creature they had never seen before.

“That creature…”

Diqiong was also stunned to see that Su Ping was flying toward the largest boulder in the first try. Soon, contempt was reflected on Diqiong’s eyes.

Outsiders might think that the boulders had been placed randomly. However, the fact was that they had been specifically designed and made by the elders. The largest boulder had been prepared on purpose; there was another one in the venue for the young Golden Crows!

However, it was almost impossible to move the largest boulder!

Not even Diqiong—who had emperor-level bloodline—was able to move the largest boulder when it participated in the trial!

The largest boulder was heavier than anyone could handle; it had just been placed there for decoration and symbolism purposes.

“Moving a half-eye boulder is already good enough for him.”

Diqiong shook its head.

Half-eye was a measurement unit used by the Golden Crows, meaning the size of half the eye of an adult Golden Crow, or twice the size of a young Golden Crow!

Moving a half-eye boulder was the passing standard; Diqiong believed that would be the best Su Ping would be able to do. The largest boulder was as big as an adult Golden Crow, or a ten thousand-eye boulder!

…

At the venue.

Su Ping stepped to the largest boulder. The closer he was, the larger he found the boulder was and the more overwhelmed he was. He took a deep breath and summoned the Inferno Dragon, the Dark Dragon Hound and the Purple Python.

The Golden Crows outside began to chat in surprise when the swirls opened and the three battle pets came out.

The surprise was shared by the majority of the Golden Crows.

They could tell that Su Ping’s rank was low and he shouldn’t have been able to open a space. But, how come he can summon those creatures from nowhere? Strange.

Also, the trial was supposed to be done by oneself. Was Su Ping cheating?

“So, that is summoning.”

The Golden Crow elder sitting on the right gazed at Su Ping.

The Chief Elder nodded. “That is an entirely different cultivation system. I wonder if that Heaven Master established that system which is different from ours. But I have to say, we can learn a thing or two from that system. A bunch of weak creatures can bond to produce a greater strength. That is something we should learn…”

The elder sitting on the left commented, “What a miraculous system. The creatures have become similar both in spirit and soul. They exist as individuals but they are one as well. Even the power of rules is regarding them as one entity. Besides, they can share their energy…”

At the venue.

Su Ping didn’t hesitate after summoning his battle pets; he told them to share their energy with him. He felt his limbs were going to explode from the surges of energy. He wanted to shout; he was about to lose his mind.

The energy was burning him. He didn’t waste a single second; he told his battle pets to share their astral powers with him as well.

That was a skill that titled battle pet warriors could use!

He was going to reach his prime state with the help of his battle pets!

The bad thing was that the Little Skeleton was not there. Otherwise, merging with his skeleton pet would have elevated his strength further!

Buzzing~!

Su Ping felt he was trembling. As more and more astral powers were poured into him, the vortices in Su Ping’s cells became brighter and tighter than before, spinning at a fast speed. There was a tendency; the small vortices were trying to merge and form bigger vortices!

Once all the small vortexes merged into one big vortex, that would be when Su Ping reached the legendary rank!

Thanks to the astral powers from the three battle pets, there was hope that the big vortex would indeed come into being. He was gaining momentum.

“Strength augmentation!!”

“Agility!!”

Su Ping’s eyes were glowing. He used all the strengthening skills on himself. Blue veins were popping out on his arms; he threw himself forward when his strength reached the peak.

He reached the boulder and lifted it!

“Ah!!!” Su Ping shouted. His eyes were turning red.

Come on!!

The boulder has to go up!!

He placed his hand at the bottom of the boulder and the released astral powers were forming an air blast behind him. The astral powers were blowing the dust away under his feet!

The Golden Crows were dumbstruck.

They had just witnessed how Su Ping’s strength increased by several times!

This weak and pathetic creature became as powerful as the young Golden Crows!

What is the cause of that change?!

Diqiong was also gazing at Su Ping in astonishment. The way that Su Ping shouted had stunned the noble crow.

One could hardly image how shocking it was to see a tiny creature trying to lift a boulder that was unbelievably larger!!

Su Ping’s shout echoed even outside the venue. For the first time, Diqiong realized it had developed a positive view of that human.

“Unfortunately he is still too weak.”

The elder sitting on the right still kept its indifferent look. The elder was surprised by Su Ping, but that was it. Even though Su Ping had increased his strength, there was nothing he could do to tackle that ten thousand-eye boulder. Not even the Golden Crows with emperor-level bloodline could have lifted that boulder.

His strength was insignificant!

The elders were able to see through Su Ping completely. They admitted that the summoning system was strange and unexpected, but it wouldn’t be of much help to him.

What he was doing was like trying to fill an entire ocean with a drop of water!

It was impossible!

…

Roar!!

The Inferno Dragon stood next to Su Ping, bellowing to cheer him up.

The Dark Dragon Hound kept its gaze on Su Ping. It understood what he was doing and how important it was for all of them!

They wanted to help, and the only thing they could do was to pour all of their strength on him!

Come on!! Su Ping shouted inside. He felt his arms were going to break and all his bones were cracking; still, the boulder was not moving at all!

It was as if the boulder were gazing at him coldly.

‘You cannot move me!’

“Ah!!!”

Su Ping was unwilling to give up and he wasn’t going to. He shouted and mobilized all the strength in him!

Crack. His arms broke. Blood gushed out from his arms but then vaporized!

Still, the boulder did not move.

Su Ping’s prime state began to dwindle. Clarity returned to his eyes. He was sad; he knew he would never be able to move that boulder.

He could not even nudge it one bit, let alone lift the boulder and carry it over the bridge!

He failed!

Su Ping was forced to admit that fact. Strength was ebbing away from him and pain began to spread all across his body. His arms were bleeding and so were his belly and neck. He was going to collapse.

“He failed. Why am I not surprised…”

“I told you that the human could not do it, no matter how loudly he can shout.”

“That is a ten thousand-eye boulder. Not even the direct descendant of our first ancestor can lift that boulder.”

“Touché!”

The Golden Crows were not surprised by Su Ping’s failure in the slightest. That boulder was the largest boulder, even for the Golden Crows!

Not even the Golden Crows with emperor-level bloodline can move it, let alone this puny creature!

“He failed…”

Diqiong gazed at Su Ping. And yet, there was neither contempt nor mockery in Diqiong’s eyes this time. Rather, Diqiong felt worried.

“Hmm!”

The elder sitting on the right snorted but said nothing.

In the meantime, back at the venue, Su Ping had turned ghastly pale after that failed attempt. He had overexerted himself. He looked at the Inferno Dragon and the other battle pets. He lifted his arm without saying a word. Pff. He poked his throat with his fingers.

He killed himself!

The Golden Crows could not believe it.

They could tell the move was fatal.

The three elders were just as dumbstruck as the rest of the Golden Crows!

Revival on the spot!

Su Ping disappeared, then returned within one second.

“That…”

“No!!!”

The ever-calm elders were reacting violently.

Revival?!

Traveling back in time!

The three elders looked at each other.

The Golden Crow sitting on the left said with a solemn tone, “That is not because of rules, or time alone. It’s not a dummy or a projection, either!”

The Chief Elder narrowed its eyes as it gazed at Su Ping who had just returned to life. The Chief Elder was not just stunned, but scared!

The elders were reacting even more violently than the other Golden Crows because they could not understand how Su Ping had been revived!

His revival could not be explained by any of the theories they knew!

Nothing happened, and then he came back to life!

The flow of time and the rules didn’t change. Su Ping couldn’t have been revived!

And yet, there he was!

“That human… is not a common one…” the Chief Elder kept its voice low, as if fearing that something would hear it, or it was merely whispering to itself.

It meant something else by saying ‘not common’.

The other two elders heard that implied meaning.

Is a Heaven Master controlling this human?

If so, that Heaven Master might be looking at them, the Golden Crows, via some special means!

The elders were frightened. The formation they had used to close their star had been set up by their first ancestors. Not even a Heaven Master could break in!

The first ancestor is sleeping. Has something gone wrong with the formation?

Or, is there someone even more intimidating than the Heaven Master?!

The elders found it scary to even think about it. Their confusion deepened.

Why would a human man supported by a Heaven Master travel such a long distance to our star? Just to look for materials needed for the second level of the Solar Bulwark?

The Heaven Master could have provided those materials easily!

Did this human have to come here?

The elders could not find the reason and their looks became grave.

…

At the venue.

After Su Ping’s revival, he once again returned to his prime state, full of strength. There was no supply of astral powers in that place but he could revive. That was why he was confident to try and move the boulders.

“I need… your help!” Su Ping said to the Inferno Dragon and his other battle pets.

The Inferno Dragon, the Dark Dragon Hound and the Purple Python understood what he was asking of them.

They saw Su Ping’s determination.

The Inferno Dragon clenched its teeth. It turned around and flames burst out from its body!

The Inferno Dragon had shared its energy with Su Ping but he needed more!

I’ll give you everything that you need!!

Roar!!

The Inferno Dragon opened its mouth. That roar seemed to have shocked the world. The flames were rising to the sky and the fuel was the Inferno Dragon itself!

Its bones were the wood and its blood oil!

Behind the Inferno Dragon jumped out a virtual image of a purple-blood dragon. The dragon was crying!

The Inferno Dragon was burning itself so that it could squeeze out the last bit of its energy. The dragon’s roar was astounding!

The bond of the contract passed all the energy to Su Ping. The vortices inside him began to spin, faster and faster.

The vortices lit up and merged into bigger ones!

Strength was coming back to him. Su Ping looked into the Inferno Dragon’s eyes through the flames. He knew he could bring its pet back to life since it was a cultivation site, but he was still moved by its sacrifice.

Boom!

Su Ping ran to another boulder.

That boulder was just a little bit smaller than the first one. Su Ping placed his hands under the boulder and unleashed all of his strength!

“Come on!!” Su Ping shouted.

His voice echoed across the venue.