Li Wei entered the Thunder Element area and walked toward the Thunder Ape.
Seeing this, the Thunder Ape immediately became alert. It stood up, clenched its fists, and beat its chest, emitting a sharp "squeak" sound, trying to scare Li Wei away with its scream.
Seeing this, Chu Chen couldn't help frowning. Most of the guardian beasts sold by the association were hatched from beast taming eggs and grew up under the careful care of staff. Normally, the Thunder Ape shouldn't show such hostility toward staff members.
Based on the Thunder Ape's behavior, its irritability seemed more like an attempt to disguise its inner fear.
Li Wei was not surprised by this. She raised her right hand and lightly waved. A vine-like plant guardian beast appeared in front of her.
Chu Chen looked at the vine with curiosity. The vine-like guardian beast was called the Green Vine Demon. The strength of an adult form could reach the War General Level. It had two vines, was verdant green, and its vine surface was very coarse. Its attack methods included whipping and entangling, possessing both offensive and controlling capabilities.
Once the Green Vine Demon took root, its two vines began to grow frantically. In just a few breaths, the length grew from one meter to five meters, and the width grew from the thickness of a thumb to that of a wrist.
Li Wei nodded in satisfaction and pointed at the Thunder Ape, saying softly, "Go."
Upon receiving the command, the Green Vine Demon moved, and its two vines, like a python, attacked the Thunder Ape.
The Thunder Ape immediately ceased its screeching, slightly tensed its legs, and dodged to the side.
However, it was still a bit too slow and got tightly entangled by the vines in a blink.
Following Li Wei's instruction, the Green Vine Demon placed the Thunder Ape in front of Chu Chen.
Seeing this, Chu Chen was about to use soul power to form a contract.
"Roar"
The Thunder Ape's eyes instantly turned blood red, and its body began to swell, even the aura it emitted increased significantly.
However, the vine's resilience was excellent. Despite the increase in the Thunder Ape's power, it still couldn't break free from the restraint.
Father Chu saw this and immediately frowned, intending to say something, but upon noticing Chu Chen's calm gaze, he fell silent.
Chu Chen retracted his soul power and quietly watched the Thunder Ape. If he attempted the contract now, it would likely fail. Waiting until the Thunder Ape's strength was exhausted would greatly increase the success rate.
Two minutes later, the blood-red hue in the Thunder Ape's eyes completely faded. It was breathing heavily, looking extremely exhausted.
Chu Chen nodded in satisfaction and murmured, "To be able to persist for two minutes in a frenzy state, its stamina is quite good." With that, he began to channel his soul power to form the contract.
Chu Chen directed his soul power to his palm, slowly raising his hand toward the Thunder Ape's forehead.
Seeing this, the Thunder Ape's eyes suddenly widened, and it emitted a piercing scream.
Chu Chen's expression remained unchanged, with a playful smile at the corner of his mouth instead.
This wasn't because Chu Chen was psychologically twisted, but because he confirmed his suspicion—eyes are the window to the soul, and from the depths of the Thunder Ape's eyes, he caught a trace of barely noticeable terror.
There are many external manifestations of fear, such as rapid breathing and trembling limbs, but the Thunder Ape's case was quite special, using violence to hide inner fear.
These types of psychological issues usually stem from experiencing mental trauma in childhood.
Chu Chen was now sure that the Thunder Ape was captured shortly after birth, most likely having witnessed its parents' death.
Chu Chen's hand landed on the Thunder Ape's forehead, and soul power slowly surged into its mind.
But before Chu Chen could inscribe the contract, it was disrupted by the Thunder Ape's will.
Seeing this, Chu Chen shook his head helplessly, but he didn't withdraw his hand. Instead, he gently petted the Thunder Ape's head, a gentle smile playing on his lips, looking innocuous.
The Thunder Ape was momentarily dumbfounded, and its screeches gradually weakened. The trace of terror in its eyes also dissipated significantly.
Seeing this, Chu Chen smiled at Li Wei and said, "Let it go."
Li Wei immediately refused after hearing this, saying, "No, if we release it now, we cannot ensure your safety."
"Release it. If anything happens, the association is not responsible." Chu Chen insisted.
Li Wei did not comply immediately but directed her gaze at Mrs. Chu, clearly having discerned who made the decisions in this family.
Mrs. Chu looked at her determined son with some helplessness and nodded.
As a reincarnator, Chu Chen had always been a model child in adults' eyes since he was young, earning great trust from his parents.
Having no other choice, Li Wei instructed the Green Vine Demon to release the Thunder Ape.
As the vine retreated, the Thunder Ape became alert once more.
Chu Chen still wore a smile, gently petting the Thunder Ape's head with his right hand.
"Don't be afraid, I won't harm you. Would you like to become my partner? I will make you stronger," Chu Chen said softly.
The Thunder Ape tilted its head, looking at Chu Chen with a hint of puzzlement in its eyes. Clearly, it didn't understand Chu Chen's words, but the human before it didn't make it feel threatened, instead inexplicably familiar.
Chu Chen sat cross-legged and began grooming the Thunder Ape's fur, whispering soothingly to it.
The Thunder Ape did not resist, even showing signs of enjoyment.
Li Wei could not hide her astonishment. The Thunder Ape was notorious in this area for its irritable temperament, yet its current behavior challenged her previous understanding.
A moment later, the Thunder Ape's heart was entirely at ease, and the aftermath of its frenzy started manifesting. It sat on the ground, its eyelids drooping, seemingly about to fall asleep.
Seeing this, Chu Chen couldn't help but smile. At this moment, the Thunder Ape was least vigilant, greatly increasing the chance of successfully forming a contract.
Without further delay, Chu Chen began forming the contract.
The Thunder Ape noticed the unusual sensation in its head, but it didn't resist, sensing that the aura belonged to the human before it.
The contract formation went surprisingly smoothly. Once it was successfully established, Chu Chen felt a mysterious connection with the Thunder Ape, as if the Thunder Ape could sense his thoughts. Moreover, he could distinctly feel a substantial enhancement in his body, especially in strength. He couldn't determine the exact increase, which needed instrument testing to ascertain the specific value.
As a strong attack type guardian beast, the Thunder Ape's forte was power, which was also Chu Chen's primary gain in terms of enhancement.
Simultaneously, the Thunder Ape felt a newfound familiarity with the human before it. It couldn't help but raise its hand to touch its lips, expressing a need.
Understanding immediately, Chu Chen realized it was hungry. Its stamina was nearly depleted, requiring food to replenish energy.
Li Wei quickly brought some food for Chu Chen.
"Congratulations on becoming a Beast Master. I didn't expect this little guy to trust you so much," Li Wei congratulated with a smile.
"I was just lucky."
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Wei left to attend to other guests.
At that moment, a wave of pure soul power appeared in Chu Chen's soul sea.
Upon noticing it, Chu Chen was overjoyed; the soul power was a gift from the Thunder Ape. Without delay, he began refining this soul power.
Whenever a guardian beast experienced a breakthrough, the Beast Master would receive a soul power reciprocation through the soul contract, showcasing the power of the soul contract.
A quarter-hour later, Chu Chen slowly opened his eyes, filled with delight. After refining the soul power reciprocation, he successfully broke through to the Fourth Rank of Soul Pupil Realm.
By this time, the aftereffects of the Thunder Ape's frenzy appeared, causing it to feel extremely tired, its eyes drooping as if it would fall asleep any moment.
With the Thunder Ape calmed and weary from its frenzy, Chu Chen took the opportunity to complete the Soul Contract without further delay.
Afterward, Chu Chen didn't leave, and under Father Chu's guidance, he purchased cultivation resources: two bottles of First-Grade Star Power Pill along with some other basic resources.
The Elixir Pills are categorized into nine grades, with the first grade being worth five hundred Alliance Coins. They improve the Star Power of the Beast Master, but the exact increment requires instrumentation to ascertain.
After obtaining the Thunder Ape, Chu Chen did not leave but instead followed Father Chu's lead for further instruction and information on the necessary processes to certify him as a Beast Master.
Once everything was arranged, Chu Chen and his father visited the appropriate authorities for Chu Chen's certification as a Beast Master.
They acquired two bottles of First-Grade Star Power Pill for a steep price, as one bottle of the pill alone was worth the equivalent of five hundred Alliance Coins. Though only effective at upgrading one's capabilities by a certain small margin, it was considered valuable cultivation resources within the Alliance.
"""