This chapter is broken. Please report this on discord.
The protagonist, Ling Qingxue, seems very determined. What do you guys think about her? Visit us on Discord and tell us your thoughts.
https://discord.com/channels/654644536584306728/1451935896407642216
As dawn broke, Ling Qingxue got dressed and slung her bag over her shoulder.
She glanced at Wu Liang. Still feeling uneasy, she carefully placed him inside her bag.
Last night's events made her hesitant to leave Wu Liang alone here.
If he ran out again, her heart wouldn't be able to hold out.
Wu Liang tugged at the fabric, his head peeking out.
"Hungry~"
A faint mental message entered Ling Qingxue's mind and she glared at Wu Liang, gritting her teeth.
"I haven't eaten yet, and you still have the nerve to ask for food!"
Still, she shared some of her last few pieces of dried meat with him.
Starving him to death was not worth it. Once she killed a magical beast and refined its body, she could finally begin evolving its bloodline.
As long as she could help Wu Liang level up, she was still confident she could reclaim her Imperial Rank!
Wu Liang finished the jerky in a few bites, a look of disdain on his face.
Too little.
So little that it didn't even add to his attributes, less than what he got last night.
How poor is his pet owner?
And she still wanted to form a contract with him? She might as well just give him to a good family. With his own strength, Wu Liang was confident he could ascend to Godhood and become the God-Slaying Gluttonous Beast.
Ling Qingxue seemed to sense Wu Liang's resentment, her anger growing even stronger.
"I shared my food with you, and you dare to complain? You damned mongrel, you're not even as obedient as Xiao Hua in my previous life!"
She regretted it for the second time.
She shoved Wu Liang's head back into her backpack and went straight into the office.
In the office sat her teacher from Class Ten, Wang Jianming, a Second Rank mid-stage martial artist with over 1000 vitality points.
In Wu Liang's perception, he was like a ball of flame.
If I ate this, wouldn't that be a great achievement?!
Wu Liang licked his lips, feeling hungry again.
"Ling Qingxue, is there something you need?"
Wang Jianming looked up, his face expressionless.
He didn't have a deep impression of Ling Qingxue, only knowing that she was a girl of average talent and not popular with her classmates.
To be honest, with only seven days left until the Linjiang Middle School mock exam, there wasn't enough time to work hard.
"Teacher Wang, I'd like to ask for leave," Ling Qingxue said calmly.
"Sure, how many days do you plan to take?"
"Seven days."
Wang Jianming was slightly taken aback. "There are only seven days left until the mock exam. Are you sure you want to take seven days off?"
Although this exam was only a simulation, it was still an opportunity to select students, eliminating those who would not enter Martial Arts Universities and thus improving the college admission rate.
This was a common tactic used by local high schools like theirs.
Ling Qingxue nodded calmly. "Yes, I want to take a leave of absence until the mock exam."
Her purpose was simple: to refine Wu Liang's body and to obtain the Star Stone.
Furthermore, now that she had broken through to the Martial Artist ranks, she could begin cultivating her techniques.
Staying at school was pointless; the school wouldn't provide her with any resources during this period.
Who would waste resources on a student about to be eliminated from the school?
Wang Jianming looked puzzled.
"Ling Qingxue, I see you've just broken through to the early-stage of the First Rank and have contracted your soul-bound beast. Now is the best time to cultivate the synergy between you two. Let me see your beast."
Ling Qingxue sighed inwardly and reached into her backpack to pull Wu Liang out.
"This is my soul-bound magical beast."
Wang Jianming was astonished to see a tiny creature resembling a mongrel dog.
"It doesn't even have a bloodline! Why didn't you use the magical beast egg the school gave you?"
The magical beast eggs issued by the school were all tested; at the very least, they would have a low-level bloodline. Such a situation shouldn't happen.
"I sold that egg and used the money to buy a Vitality Pill to break through to the Martial Artist ranks," Ling Qingxue explained casually.
Wang Jianming was instantly stunned, his expression changing drastically.
"Foolish! You're ruining your future! A magical beast without a bloodline is no different from a domestic fowl. They can't even break through to the First Level. Because of the Heavenly Mandate contract, you'll be stuck at the First Rank for life!"
To break through to the Second Rank, the contracted magical beast had to break through to its First Level, as the difference between the two could only be one level. This was the contractual bond, and no one could change it.
Beasts without bloodlines were only fit to be domestic pets; they were not the same species as magical beasts. Even contracting a rat with a bloodline wouldn't have angered him so much.
Bloodline levels were divided into: Low, Medium, High, King, Imperial, Godhood, and Celestial.
Each level was further divided into five stages.
The higher the bloodline level, the faster the advancement, and the stronger the individual within the same level.
Furthermore, with a Low Level bloodline, one could only break through to the Third-Rank; with a Medium Level bloodline, one could reach the Sixth-Rank, and with a High Level bloodline, the Ninth-Rank.
To become a King Rank martial artist, the corresponding magical beast had to possess a King Level bloodline; the same applied to Imperial and Celestial levels.
A King Rank expert could become the governor of a major province; their status was unparalleled.
Linjiang City was just a small city with limited resources, and the strongest person, the City Lord, was only a Fifth-Rank martial artist.
Passing the exam and getting out of here was the only chance to change her fate.
"Ling Qingxue, I don't know if you're influenced by your parents' situation, but as your teacher, I still have to remind you that your magical beast is as important as your life. What you're doing is irresponsible!"
Ling Qingxue remained expressionless, showing no emotion whatsoever.
She had experienced too much, and after contracting a "mongrel dog," she knew how much ridicule she would face.
Having lived two lives, she was already used to it.
She had no way out; success was her only option!
"Teacher Wang, I understand what you mean. I have no other way but to enter the Martial Arts University. But please respect my choice. I will do my best to achieve good results in the national martial arts exam in four months!"
Wang Jianming rubbed his temples.
He wanted to cry but had no tears. This girl was his student; no matter how heartless he was, he was still a teacher.
But, no bloodline meant certain death—a conclusion drawn by countless people. Ling Qingxue's path was blocked.
"It's up to you. I've said what I needed to say. But the mock joint exam in seven days is a selection process. If you can't pass, you won't even have a chance to apply to a Martial Arts University. It's up to you."
Ling Qingxue nodded, then took a leave slip from the table and left the office.
Wang Jianming watched her retreating figure, his face filled with helplessness.
"Such a good child... why can't she think straight?"
Although the school could only provide limited resources, there were still things they could offer.
That beast egg was one of them.
A magical beast egg was worth at least ten thousand on the market.
If Ling Qingxue had contracted with the beast egg provided by the school, she would still have a glimmer of hope for the future.
Now, she had completely locked herself in this small place.