What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

Upon hearing this, Yun Chuxiu remained silent, staring intently at Lin Chen.

After a long pause, he finally uttered two words: "Really?"

Lin Chen nodded: "Really."

"How long did it take?"

Forty-four days.

Yun Chuxiu gasped, then fell silent again. After a moment, he leaned closer, put his right hand to his mouth, and lowered his voice:

"Dude, be honest, are you from a wealthy family or the future heir to some large corporation?"

"Or rather, have you awakened some special physical constitution?"

"This is very important; it directly relates to how I will interact with you in the future."

Lin Chen spread his hands and answered truthfully, "No, my family is very ordinary."

The clouds emerged from the mountain peaks, unmoved.

Lin Chen said sincerely, "Really, I have no reason to lie to you."

This world is strange; no one believes you when you tell the truth.

Yun Chuxiu's gaze was deep and unfathomable. He pointed to the playground not far away and said with confidence, "If you were an ordinary person, I would run ten laps around the playground."

Perhaps feeling that ten laps was too easy, he held up two fingers: "No, twenty laps."

Lin Chen silently took out his phone and found a video of himself at home.

This time, Yun Chuxiu remained silent for longer than ever before.

After an unknown amount of time, he opened his mouth and uttered two words: "Awesome."

Immediately, without looking back, he turned and left.

Where are you going?

"I want to work up a sweat on the playground."

December 29st, early morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn, and the air was fresh and slightly cool.

Inside the small training ground, muffled sounds of energy collisions could already be heard.

The training ground is a standard facility in each dormitory building. It is not large, but it is sufficient for basic skills training.

At this moment, the Flameclaw Beast was moving at an extremely fast speed, spewing out scorching fireballs from its mouth from time to time, accurately bombarding the constantly moving training targets.

Bang bang bang!

Three flamethrowers accurately struck the center of three energy targets at different locations, which were moving at different speeds in a regular pattern, and then the explosions rang out.

"Alright, take a rest." Lin Chen nodded in satisfaction.

The Flameclaw Beast trotted back to Lin Chen's side, slightly out of breath.

The next moment, the system voice sounded:

【Ding! 】

[Flame Claw Beast's skill "Flame Breath" proficiency has broken through!]

Current proficiency level: Master

"Finally, we've broken through."

Lin Chen smiled sincerely.

Flame Breath, the earliest and most frequently used ranged attack method mastered by Flameclaw Beast, has finally advanced from the proficient level to the master level.

With a slight thought, he retrieved the Flameclaw Beast's current detailed data:

[Pet: Agumon (Local name: Flameclawmon)]

[Level: Tier 2, Rank 5 (38/66)]

[Attribute: Fire]

[Race Level: Intermediate Transcendent]

[Movements: Flame Breath Bullet (Mastery), Sharp Claws (Proficient), Small Explosion (Proficient), Blazing Charge (Proficient)]

【Intimacy Level: 88】

[Evolution Method: Evolution Experience Points (450/500), Tyrannosaurus Heart x1]

Lin Chen's eyes swept quickly across the data panel, and he was quite satisfied.

Thanks to the bonus from the Knowledge Badge, as well as the intense training and ample energy replenishment during this period, Flameclaw Beast's strength has significantly improved compared to the Broken Mountain Range incident.

The level has steadily increased to the second stage, fifth rank, and half of this stage has been completed.

[Flame Breath Bullet] has been upgraded to the Proficiency level, and [Small Explosion] has been upgraded to the Skilled level, resulting in a significant increase in overall combat power.

In addition, Lin Chen had done some daily tasks during this period, and the Flame Claw Beast's evolution experience points were down to only fifty.

Once the evolution bar is filled and the Tyrannosaurus Heart is obtained, Flameclaw can evolve into a completely new form.

According to the search, the Tyrannosaurus Heart is a Tier 3 Dragon-type resource, usually produced by powerful sub-dragon species, and has a high market price.

Even with the 50,000 training funds from the Rift Investigation Department every month, plus his previous savings, Lin Chen still cannot afford to buy it in the short term.

However, Lin Chen was not in a hurry.

Once he earns enough credits, he can exchange them for the Heart of the Tyrannosaurus through the academy's internal resource library.

This is actually one of the benefits and advantages of top universities.

The academy's internal resource library often stores a variety of resources, including Tier 3 evolution materials such as Tyrannosaurus Heart.

Students can earn credits by completing their studies, participating in competitions, or making special contributions, and then use those credits to redeem what they need in the resource pool.

This is far more reliable than trying your luck in the market or saving up money to buy it.

As long as you achieve a high enough ranking in this freshman competition, you will be able to earn academic credits.

Lin Chen glanced at the time and said, "Let's go, it's time to get to the assembly point."

A moment later, Lin Chen and Yun Chuxiu, who had just woken up, arrived at the school gate.

Hundreds of new students have already gathered here, roughly grouped together by class, creating a lively atmosphere.

On the open space of the square, dozens of flying mounts were already lined up, with an older student standing next to each one to guide and maintain order, clearly responsible for transporting the freshmen to the competition venue.

"Class 3, over here!"

Han Jiayue's voice came through.

This senior student, who used to be in charge of welcoming new students, is now a teaching assistant for Class 3 of the Combat Academy.

Unlike traditional universities, Qiming Beast Taming Academy emphasizes a high degree of openness and autonomy, with only senior students serving as teaching assistants to help solve the trivial matters of learning and life.

Lin Chen and Yun Chuxiu quickly arrived at the assembly point of Class 3, where Zhou Ming and the others were already waiting.

After a brief nod of greeting, the freshmen of Class 3 boarded their flying mounts in an orderly fashion and sat down.

Soon, everyone had arrived.

"Set off!"

At a command, dozens of flying mounts simultaneously unfurled their enormous wings and took to the air one after another, creating a spectacular scene.

The gusts of wind whipped up by the flapping wings of raptors stirred up dust on the ground and also stirred the young, tense faces of the newborns.

The campus, training grounds, and buildings below rapidly shrank and were eventually replaced by a continuous range of lush green mountains.

After flying for about half an hour, the terrain below gradually changed from rolling hills to a primeval and dense forest.

Finally, the birds of prey began to descend and glide toward a large, clearly man-made landing platform at the edge of the forest.

Many college teachers have already gathered in front of the platform.

At the very front of the platform, a figure stood as straight as a javelin. Just by standing there, he naturally exuded a heavy, unsettling pressure that instantly quieted the noisy group of new students.

He was a middle-aged man with a towering, iron-tower-like build.

He wore a dark gray outfit without any markings, his short hair was like steel needles, and his face had sharp, chiseled features, exuding an imposing aura even without anger.

When all the new students lined up in front of the platform, the slight noise that had been there disappeared completely under Zhao Honggang's calm and unwavering gaze, leaving only the whistling sound of the wind blowing through the forest.

Zhao Hong stepped forward, without using any amplification equipment, but his voice was like rolling thunder, booming in everyone's ears:

"I am Zhao Honggang, the dean of the Combat Academy."

A simple self-introduction made all the freshmen instinctively straighten their backs.

Zhao Honggang, Dean of the Combat Academy of Qiming Beast Taming Academy, is a renowned master-level beast tamer in the Eastern Empire Federation. He is a true figure standing at the top of the beast tamer pyramid, with outstanding battle achievements and unfathomable strength.

"Your class is very lucky."

Zhao Honggang's gaze slowly swept over the young faces with varying expressions, his expression serious. "It just so happens that we've caught up with the pilot program for the college's teaching evaluation system reform."

"Therefore, this year's freshman competition is no longer the childish contest of the past."

He paused, then his voice suddenly rose, striking everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer: "Those kinds of competitions, besides showing off and giving you a hollow reputation of being ranked, are utterly useless for your real growth!"

The blunt and direct words caused many freshmen to change their expressions slightly.

"A true beast tamer can remain unharmed even in unfamiliar environments or when facing danger."

Zhao Honggang's voice boomed: "Therefore, this competition will involve throwing you into a trial realm controlled by the academy for a three-day, two-night comprehensive wilderness assessment!"

Despite being mentally prepared, most of the freshmen still couldn't help but gasp when they heard the dean confirm it himself.

The secret realm is not an amusement park, and besides, you have to survive in it for three days.

"The rules are simple."

Ignoring the new students' reactions, Zhao Honggang continued in his flat tone, "After entering the secret realm, you will need to explore and survive on your own. Defeating or killing wild beasts within the realm will earn you points based on their strength level. Ultimately, you will be ranked according to your points. Rankings can be exchanged for academic credits. I don't need to explain the purpose of academic credits, do I?"

"Of course, you can also choose to team up, but the points you get will be reduced accordingly."

"Considering this is the first time such a competition has been held, the academy has adjusted the difficulty level accordingly."

He abruptly changed the subject, pointing to a long table nearby, on which were piled thick manuals:

"Before you enter, each of you will receive a copy of the 'Basic Survival Handbook for the Trial Realm.' It contains information on the known extraordinary creatures, edible resource points, basic terrain, and some survival tips for this trial realm. That's all the academy can do."

"Now collect your handbooks, and then enter the secret realm entrance in order of your class."

"The annual freshman competition officially begins the moment you step into the secret realm!"

At the same time, a familiar system voice rang in Lin Chen's mind:

【Ding! 】

As a seasoned player, you cannot tolerate anyone taking first place in the competition.

[Task: Win first place in this year's freshman competition]

[Task Rewards: 100 Experience Points, 5 Triple Experience Cards, Improved Basic Physical Fitness]