C61 Hei Bao Had Advanced to the Fourth Rank Black Dragon

"Quit playing dumb and hand over the money, now!"

Zhang Xing's impatience shattered Teddy's daydream.

Jolted back to reality, Teddy, shaking, fished a Storage Ring from his pocket.

"Inside are 100,000 Gold coins. Just make sure to return the ring to me after you take them out."

It felt like his heart was hemorrhaging.

He had sworn to his father, with unwavering certainty, that he could win 100,000 Gold coins from Zhang Xing.

His father had shown little reaction, always satisfied with his beloved son's usual performance.

After all, 100,000 Gold coins were a trifle to him. If Teddy believed he could win, then he would have the coins.

Youthful competitiveness was natural; the outcome mattered less than the enriching journey of the experience.

But Teddy couldn't see it that way. Losing the coins was like his own slice of sky crumbling down.

His pride, his noble stature, his personal honor—all amplified the stakes of this contest in his mind.

He was overthinking it. The teachers and students hadn't paid much attention to the match.

And as for the lost coins, no one sympathized; his family's wealth was vast.

Now, all eyes were on Zhang Xing, who had smashed the academy's record for challenge completion.

He had outstripped Zhan Tian by leagues.

With the crowd watching, Zhan Tian inhaled deeply and strode away.

He couldn't bear the thought of defeat, so challenging Zhang Xing was out of the question—at least for now.

"Zhang Xing, don't be too smug. I will surpass you yet!"

"From here on out, there's only one thing I'll focus on—cultivation. I'll train relentlessly. By next year, I will be the one to beat you!"

Zhan Tian vowed silently, his gait as regal as ever, but his silhouette from behind betrayed a subdued arrogance.

The top spot on the Skysplit Tower Combat Strength List now gleamed with the name Zhang Xing.

His name had once again echoed far and wide, to the point where even the Fighter Academy was abuzz with talk of a six-year-old prodigy named Zhang Xing.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Xing, he had become the academy's latest sensation.

Armed with a hefty sum of Skysplit Tower points, he exchanged them for an array of materials needed to construct magic arrays.

Formation studies were a mandatory subject for every mage, with hands-on practice being the primary method of learning.

Without materials, one was powerless. In battle, the use of just a few Formation Talismans could mean the difference between escape and capture, regardless of one's level.

Formation Talismans were particularly valuable on the battlefield for their energy efficiency, requiring minimal expenditure of magicule and physical strength.

Having traded for his supplies, Zhang Xing secluded himself in his dormitory, avoiding encounters with the aristocratic offspring who sought to ingratiate themselves or win him over.

He had no interest in their hollow overtures; he had more pressing matters to attend to.

The fish in the spatial pond had grown, signaling it was time to feed Hei Bao.

Upon entering the island, Zhang Xing discovered that Hei Bao no longer needed his assistance; the creature was happily fishing by the pond's edge.

The dog-headed fish had reached over a meter in length, while the crucian carps and carps were all more than half a meter.

Hei Bao, hands clasped behind his back, patrolled the pond's edge, selectively preying on the larger fish.

Upon seeing Zhang Xing, Hei Bao's delight was unmistakable.

Zhang Xing checked Hei Bao's level panel and noted that the experience points had climbed to 480/500.

Hei Bao was on the cusp of leveling up. Just two more large pike would propel him to the Fourth Rank.

"Black Treasure, eat two more fish quickly. You're about to level up!" Zhang Xing encouraged.

Hei Bao sensed it was time to advance.

With a shudder, he transformed into a four-meter-long Black Dragon, sending a wave of intimidation through the river's inhabitants, paralyzing them with fear.

With a swift motion of his massive claw, Hei Bao scooped up two dog fish and gulped them down.

A soft glow emanated from the Black Dragon in the sky, and with a series of crackling sounds, Hei Bao's form expanded to over six meters in length, marking his ascent to the primary stage of a Giant Dragon.