he air crackled with excitement as a crowd of students and other professors quickly gathered around the dueling ground.

  Students and professors alike leaned forward, curious to see this unexpected csh. Some had amusement written on their faces, others skepticism. After all, it wasn’t every day that a rich kid like Luo Song challenged an unknown, dirt-poor student over a small, adorable pup.

  Mo Fan stood calmly at one side of the field, cradling Little Wolfy in his arms. He gently pced the white pup down on the ground. Frost immediately covered the part of ground where it’s feet touched.

  “Go easy on him, and don’t kill him.” Mo Fan chuckled, scratching the little beast’s chin.

  “Awuu~” Little Wolfy yipped, his tail wagging cutely.

  Across from him, Luo Song was already stamping his feet in anger, shaking like a bloated tomato about to burst.

  “You’ll regret ever stepping into my spotlight!” Luo Song roared. “Come at me, you damn snow rat!”

  Director Xiao Bingsen raised his hand between the two opponents. His cold eyes swept over Luo Song’s furious face, and then Mo Fan’s calm one.

  “Ready... Begin!”

  As soon as the word left Director Xiao’s mouth, Luo Song charged forward with a vicious snarl!

  “EARTH RIPPLE!” he bellowed.

  At once, the ground between him and Mo Fan softened and rippled violently, the terrain turning into unstable waves. It was the perfect movement spell, throwing enemies off bance.

  But Mo Fan merely stood still, smiling zily. Little Wolfy, meanwhile, dug his tiny cws into the ground, completely unbothered.

  Despite the rolling earth beneath him, he didn’t move an inch, standing firm like a little god.

  Luo Song growled.

  “Tch! Try dodging this then!”

  His fat arms waved again, constructing another set of star trails — more complex this time.

  “GROUND SHIFT!”

  A pulse of energy exploded out from under his feet! The very ground beneath Little Wolfy suddenly heaved upward, trying to throw him backward and off-bance.

  Yet again, Little Wolfy barely flinched. His small body skated backward a few inches, but he immediately dug his cws in again, perfectly steady.

  The audience murmured in surprise.

  “H-he’s not even using magic to stabilize himself?” a student whispered.

  “That little beast’s physical strength must be absurd for an infant!” another gasped.

  Luo Song’s face twisted into an ugly snarl.

  “You little mutt! Stand still so I can crush you properly!”

  He stomped his foot, gathering a greater amount of earth element energy this time. This would be his most powerful move!

  “QUICK SAND!” he roared.

  The ground beneath Little Wolfy immediately began to churn and sink, turning into a deep sucking pit of shifting sand.

  Any normal creature, even mages, would have been trapped and dragged under in seconds.

  However...

  Little Wolfy’s tiny paws sank a few centimeters, but then — his body glowed faintly with a cool, cyan light.

  THOOMPH!!

  TAP~

  In a blink, he shot upwards with a simple, almost zy hop, nding gracefully on solid ground a few meters away.

  The entire duel ground went dead silent.

  Luo Song’s face turned from red to purple in frustration.

  “You—you’re cheating!” he screamed.

  Mo Fan only raised an eyebrow. “How exactly is he cheating? He’s standing right in front of you.”

  _Moreover, this wasn’t even a competition to begin with... Though it might be hiding it’s Aura, Little Wolfy is still a peak Servant Css Monster. Trying to deal with it using Basic Spell... Tut, tut..._ Mo Fan thought and shook his head.

  The surrounding students burst into quiet ughter.

  Luo Song felt his face burn with humiliation.

  _Fine! If this stupid dog wants to py like that..._

  He smirked viciously.

  _I’ll just freeze them both to death!_

  He secretly began drawing upon the Ice Element Star Pattern. Unlike his Basic Level Earth Magic, his Ice Element had already reached Intermediate Level Tier 1!

  _You forced me to use this!_ Luo Song thought gleefully. _Let’s see you ugh after this!_

  His hands glowed with frosty blue light as he secretly aligned an Intermediate-level Ice Spell.

  But just as he was about to cast it—

  BAM!

  A white blur crashed into him.

  Luo Song didn’t even see what hit him. He felt a huge force sm into his stomach, sending his fat body flying backward a few metres like a broken kite!

  He rolled three times on the ground before smming into the arena barrier, his expensive robes covered in dirt.

  “?!”

  The crowd gasped.

  What the hell just happened?

  Mo Fan crossed his arms, smirking.

  Little Wolfy, still looking adorably innocent, trotted back to Mo Fan’s side, his blue eyes sparkling proudly.

  “Urghh...”

  Luo Song groaned, clutching his belly. His entire body felt like it had been hit by a boulder! He was not able to breathe properly or utter any words for a few seconds.

  “You—you stupid mutt! I’m not done yet!” he croaked while gasping for breath.

  He struggled to his feet, trembling with rage.

  “GROUND SHIFT!”

  He unleashed another Ground Shift, causing the ground to shake.

  But this time, Little Wolfy was tired of pying around with the fatty and responded.

  Awuu~

  Without any prompting, the tiny creature howled softly, and the temperature of the arena plummeted.

  Creak!

  Crack!!

  A thin yer of frost rapidly spread across the ground.

  The earth ripples froze solid in an instant, turning the battlefield into a slick sheet of ice.

  “H-Huh?!” Luo Song gasped.

  Thud!

  He slipped, falling ft on his face with a loud spt when he saw the entire ground around them had frozen.

  The crowd erupted into ughter.

  “How pathetic!” someone ughed.

  “Isn’t he supposed to be a genius?” another said, mocking.

  Director Xiao frowned deeply, feeling no amusement at all.

  This little creature... to freeze the very Earth Magic so casually, and with such pinpoint control... was terrifying.

  It wasn’t even using proper magic — just the natural leakage of its aura!

  Luo Song scrambled up again, his clothes disheveled, his dignity in tatters.

  “I... I... I’ll kill you!” he shrieked.

  He started weaving his Intermediate Ice spell again, desperate.

  But Little Wolfy’s ears twitched.

  In a blink, the little pup vanished from sight.

  Luo Song barely had time to yelp before—

  BAM!

  Another brutal impact to the chest. It was no joke! After all, even though it might be smol right now, Little Wolfy was still a Warrior Css Monster and most probably the strongest Warrior Css in the entire world.

  Luo Song flew backward again, his spell scattering uselessly in the air.

  This time, he didn’t get up.

  He y there groaning, his eyes spinning, drooling from the side of his mouth.

  Director Xiao finally stepped forward.

  “Enough,” he said coldly. “The match is over.”

  Dean Qiu Yuncheng and Dean Zhang Jianguo exchanged a look, both suppressing grins.

  There was no contest.

  Luo Song had been absolutely humiliated by an infant beast — without it even using real battle techniques.

  The crowd roared with cheers, some students openly ughing at Luo Song’s miserable figure.

  Meanwhile, Mo Fan casually bent down and scooped up Little Wolfy, ruffling his fur.

  “Good boy, you didn’t kill him!” he said.

  “Awuu~” Little Wolfy chirped, licking Mo Fan’s cheek happily.

  Director Xiao turned toward the judges.

  “I believe the results are obvious,” he said. “Mo Fan is hereby officially recruited into Pearl Institute with special honors, he will be joining as a student of the Summoning Department.”

  Dean Qiu Yuncheng grinned ear to ear.

  Dean Zhang Jianguo sighed in resignation — but he too had to nod in approval.

  As for Luo Song...

  He y on the ground, tears pooling in his fat little eyes, trembling with rage, embarrassment, and helplessness.

  He had been crushed.

  By a poor kid.

  And a stupid, fluffy dog.

  It was the worst day of his life.

  Luo Song y groaning on the dueling ground, his face pale, his body battered, his pride completely shattered.

  He had lost.

  And not just lost—he had been humiliated.

  Director Xiao’s sharp gaze swept over him. Unlike the ughter and disdain from the crowd, Director Xiao’s eyes revealed a strange glint.

  Intermediate Level Ice Element.

  He had caught it.

  Right before Little Wolfy knocked Luo Song flying, Xiao had clearly sensed the aura of Ice Magic gathering in the boy’s body — not Basic Level, but Intermediate Level!

  _This Fatty really was something._

  Being so young yet already reaching Intermediate Level in one element and Tier 3 Basic Level in the other was quite a surprising achievement.

  If not for his foolish arrogance and pettiness, he could have made a dignified, shining entrance into the Pearl Institute.

  Instead, he had chosen to act recklessly, only to be fttened by a little snowball!

  Dean Xiao exhaled quietly through his nose, adjusting his gsses.

  There were many gifted people in Pearl Institute.

  If Luo Song kept showing off like this, he’d get struck by lightning sooner or ter — literally.

  Still, talent was talent.

  Director Xiao turned toward the embarrassed fatty, who was now limping off the practice ground with his head bowed low, no longer carrying even a shred of his former arrogance.

  His face no longer held the belief that he was number one under the heavens.

  Director Xiao called out in a loud, clear voice:

  "Little Fatty."

  Luo Song stiffened.

  "You’ll also enter the Ice School," Director Xiao decred. "You’ve learned an extremely important lesson today — at the very start of your time at Pearl Institute. This will be very beneficial for you."

  Luo Song turned around slowly, his face a mix of disbelief, humiliation, and hidden resentment.

  "I..." he choked.

  He wanted to argue.

  He wanted to shout that he deserved better!

  That he wasn’t some charity case being thrown a bone out of pity!

  But the words wouldn't come out.

  Deep inside, he knew the truth.

  He could have entered gloriously, dazzling everyone with his Intermediate Ice Element.

  Instead, he had charged into a battle he didn't understand, fought stupidly, lost pathetically, and now—

  Now it felt like they were accepting him... out of pity!

  His fists clenched so tightly that his nails dug into his palms.

  Still, Luo Song could only nod stiffly and shuffle away like a defeated dog, dragging his heavy body toward the administrative hall for formal registration.

  Mo Fan, meanwhile, stood with Little Wolfy still cradled zily in his arms.

  He couldn’t help but smirk.

  Today’s outcome was already decided the moment Luo Song treated his little wolf as a mere "cute pet."

  He hadn’t even realized he was standing before a sleeping dragon.

  As Luo Song dragged his humiliated self away, Director Xiao Bingsen stood quietly in pce, adjusting his spectacles.

  His expression remained calm and composed on the surface, but deep inside his heart, there was a storm raging.

  _That boy... and that little wolf..._

  Director Xiao’s eyes narrowed slightly as they fell on Mo Fan standing in the middle of the practice ground, zily scratching behind his Little Wolfy’s ear, completely unaware of the professors’ shocked stares.

  Ordinary people might just see an outstanding student who had an unexpected lucky encounter.

  Those with sharper eyes like Dean Qiu Yuncheng were already suspecting that the wolf cub was an offspring of a “Royal Beast.”

  But Director Xiao? A person of his level?

  He knew better.

  No mere Royal Beast could make his Forbidden-curse Level instincts scream like that.

  Even when Mo Fan had been casually coaxing the little creature earlier, Director Xiao had felt an invisible noose tighten around his neck.

  It’s not a Royal Bloodline Beast...

  It’s something even higher.

  Something that should not exist at the bottom of the food chain.

  A monster like that, once fully grown, could easily wipe out a city if angered.

  A camity born under the disguise of innocence.

  ...And now it was loyally snuggling in the arms of a mere High School graduate.

  Director Xiao’s throat felt dry.

  He gulped lightly.

  His hands, hidden under his sleeves, were faintly trembling.

  This is not something we can control, he thought gravely. If it grows unchecked... one day, even the Pearl Institute might not be able to hold it.

  But he couldn’t allow such a monstrous potential to slip away either.

  If nurtured properly,

  If guided correctly,

  If kept firmly under surveilnce...

  He dared not imagine what heights Mo Fan could reach.

  Perhaps even...

  He shook his head, cutting off that dangerous line of thought.

  No... I must not hope too much. Nor let others find out.

  Director Xiao’s lips curved into a thin smile.

  On the surface, he appeared like a calm, benevolent educator admiring his talented students.

  But within his heart, he had already marked Mo Fan with a heavy invisible chain.

  This boy must be monitored.

  Protected… and Controlled if necessary.

  Even if it meant sacrificing others.