167: Thunder Mountain Range

Having made his decision, Xu Yan, who was already on vacation with no classes and nothing on his hands, directly summoned Wu Xiang to submit an application to enter the Luolei Mountain Range via the academic affairs system.

Thinking of the senior he had met when he first went to the Profound Thunder Battle Bear gathering place, Xu Yan took advantage of the time while his application was being processed to enter the laboratory and prepare some spirit food.

After the application submitted by Wu Xiang was approved and Xu Yan had finished making the spirit food, he set off with Xiong Nian for the Luolei Mountain Range.

As the light on the teleportation array lit up, the figures of Xu Yan and Xiong Nian appeared once again in the gathering place of the Profound Thunder Battle Bears.

The moment he stepped out of the teleportation array, Xu Yan felt a familiar aura. Looking up, he saw the very same Profound Thunder Battle Bear he had met when he first arrived at the gathering place—the one who had taken him to pick a bear and had angrily scolded Xiong Nian and the others for potentially affecting the market for other bears due to their performance.

Seeing Xu Yan and Xiong Nian walk out of the teleportation array, the Profound Thunder Battle Bear, who had been waiting at the entrance after receiving word that Xu Yan was coming with Xiong Nian, wore a complex expression.

Back when Xu Yan had submitted a request to the academic affairs system to contract a Profound Thunder Battle Bear, because it was a two-way selection process, the academic affairs system had also provided them with some general information about Xu Yan.

It was precisely because they had seen Xu Yan's general information that they were very optimistic about and looked forward to his Innate Talent and future.

It was also because of their high regard for Xu Yan that the clan had dispatched it, a Monarch Rank bear, to receive him, and had allowed him to choose between Xiong Ting and Xiong Nian—the two bears with the highest potential, one being the clan leader's offspring and the other having the potential to develop a new elemental branch.

However, despite their high hopes, Xu Yan's rate of growth had still exceeded their expectations. Who could have imagined that in just a year, he would have broken through from General Rank to Monarch Rank?

Even it, having broken through to Monarch Rank over a decade ago, could feel a strong sense of threat when facing Xu Yan—and a fatal one at that.

Furthermore, it wasn't just that Xu Yan's own speed of improvement was illogical; even Xiong Nian, who had left with him, had seen its strength skyrocket as if it had been injected with adrenaline, rising from its initial General Rank strength to its current level of Commander Rank 7.

One must know that Xiong Ting, the other option, had been stronger than Xiong Nian when Xu Yan was choosing. Over the past year, it had received systematic resources and training from the clan, yet its current strength was only at Commander Rank Low-grade.

Looking at Xu Yan and Xiong Nian before it, the Profound Thunder Battle Bear felt conflicted, but it still spoke to them: "Long time no see, Xu Yan. I can tell you have raised Xiong Nian very well."

As it spoke, it reached out a paw and patted Xiong Nian, whose body was now no smaller than its own and whose fur was sleek and shiny.

Hearing these words, Xu Yan took the box containing the spirit food he had prepared before coming from his storage device and handed it to the bear, saying with a smile: "Senior, long time no see. Back then, my strength was insufficient, and the spirit food I made didn't have much effect. Now that my strength is sufficient, it's just right to let you taste my craft."

Sensing the rich energy and the bear-tempting aroma from the box Xu Yan handed over, the Profound Thunder Battle Bear resisted the urge to abandon its image and "gorge itself" on the spot, restraining itself as it put the box into its own storage device.

After the aroma of the "source of temptation" disappeared, the Profound Thunder Battle Bear spoke again: "Then thank you for your gift. Your current strength is likely far beyond mine. Don't call me senior, just call me Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear. Is there something you need by bringing Xiong Nian back this time?"

Xu Yan did not hide anything regarding Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear's confusion, directly informing it of Xiong Nian's idea to use the special area to assist in absorbing the blood soul crystal and rapidly increase its strength.

Hearing Xu Yan's answer, Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear's first reaction was: "Does Xu Yan think Xiong Nian's strength is too weak? Xiong Nian's strength has already improved so quickly, what more is there to be dissatisfied with? Why use special resources to rapidly increase strength?"

However, seeing the determined and unyielding expression on Xiong Nian's face, Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear quickly realized. It was likely not Xu Yan, the contractor, who was dissatisfied with Xiong Nian's strength, but Xiong Nian itself.

Upon realizing this, Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear did not say anything more and said to Xu Yan: "Is that so? Then you have come at the right time. The Thunder Pool and the Thunder Urgency Platform are currently not in use by any bears. Are you setting off now, or do you need to prepare?"

Regarding Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear's suggestion, Xu Yan glanced at Xiong Nian and asked through their contract whether it wanted to stay in the gathering place to visit any friends or elders.

To this, Xiong Nian shook its head, indicating that it would do those things after it came out of the special area.

After receiving Xiong Nian's reply, Xu Yan said: "Everything that needs to be prepared is already prepared. Let's set off directly."

"Good, then follow me."

This time, Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear did not let Xu Yan sit on its back as it had when Xu Yan first came to the gathering place, and Xu Yan's intention to have Wu Xiang summon a flying vehicle was stopped because Xiong Nian lowered its body in front of him, causing him to instead jump up onto Xiong Nian's back.

Afterwards, the human and the bear, led by Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear, ran quickly towards the location of the Thunder Pool and the Thunder Urgency Platform.

Along the way, Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear did not deliberately slow down or speed up because of Xiong Nian's strength; it just ran at its normal, routine speed.

And Xiong Nian, following behind, watched Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear's back as it ran quickly and gradually pulled away, but Xiong Nian did not call out for it to slow down, even though it had done so in the past when faced with this situation, and knew that as long as it spoke up, the other would slow down or even stop to wait for it.

But Xiong Nian did not do so.

Instead, it channeled its mental power, attaching a layer of invisible telekinetic force to its limbs, using the burst of telekinetic power to enhance its own speed.

Although doing this consumed more energy, it did indeed allow Xiong Nian to keep up with Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear's pace, preventing the gap between them from widening further.

Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear, leading the way, felt the figure of Xiong Nian behind it, which always maintained a certain distance but was not shaken off, and while running quickly, it even had time to casually take the spirit food Xu Yan had given it from its storage device and pop it into its mouth with a paw.

Feeling the deliciousness exploding in its mouth and the abundant energy that surged after the spirit food entered its stomach, a look of enjoyment flashed across Monarch-level Thunder Battle Bear's massive bear face, along with a hint of relief.