30: I want to be a salted fish

If, during the initial test, all 28 people displayed remarkable talent abilities with their contracted beasts, each showcasing their brilliance.

Then, in the middle and later stages, it was almost entirely Qiuqiu's show...

Especially in the end, when Zhang Guoping sent out the second contracted beast, the Tier 2 Advanced Withered Wood Vine.

Qiuqiu became the focus of the entire field!

The remaining 27 contracted beasts had already collapsed on the ground, seriously injured and moaning. It was impossible for them to continue fighting or running. The teachers who came to teach Beast Combat at Jianghuai No. 1 High School were at least Tier 3 Beast Tamers. Zhang Guoping, who possessed a Tier 3 Advanced Giant Spirit Tree and a Tier 2 Advanced Withered Wood Vine, was even more outstanding among Tier 3 Beast Tamers.

This was different from professional Beast Tamers, who had nine tiers. Contracted beasts were divided into nine tiers, with each tier further divided into elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels.

To be able to pull away so far from other students with a Tier 3 Advanced Giant Spirit Tree and a Tier 2 Advanced Withered Wood Vine was a considerable achievement.

A group of students, along with the teachers, looked at Qiuqiu and Song Yu with different eyes now!

"Damn! Is this Song Yu from Class 5? She's simply a monster!"

"Indeed, very monstrous! Her contracted beast just evolved, and she can already use psychic power to manipulate a Tier 2 Advanced Withered Wood Vine. She must be at least Tier 2 now! Isn't this just monstrous?!"

"My goodness, wasn't it said on the school forum last month that her contracted beast was an F-level Beast Space? How can an F-level be so powerful? Why is my F-level Beast Space just rubbish?"

"Clearly, the potential rating of the last batch of Snow Civet Cat cubs wasn't high! How did they not only evolve so quickly but also develop a second tail after advancing? This has never happened in history!"

In the crowd, some were shocked and amazed, while others were envious and jealous.

Especially when Qiuqiu proudly walked over, shaking its tail, running lightly to Song Yu, and rubbing against her after that, many people's eyes turned red with envy!

"I swear! How can she make her contracted beast so obedient? Our family's beast, relying on its high potential, still doesn't listen to my commands after more than a month. It even bit me during dinner yesterday." A sturdy short-haired male student, observing the scene, looked at the crescent-shaped wound on his hand bitten by the contracted beast just yesterday, envy almost making tears fall.

His companion shook his head, "Why don't you mention that her contracted beasts have all evolved to Tier 2? The Song family has so many professional Beast Tamers; they must have a unique approach to nurturing contracted beasts..."

"Damn! I'm really too envious! A Tier 2 contracted beast! She will definitely be able to enter a prestigious Beast Tamer University next year, maybe even a top one!"

"Ah! Who said it's not?!"

 

******

 

On the playground.

Song Yu stood in place, watching the evolution that turned a small, cat-sized Snow Civet Cat into a gigantic cat that was at least 1.5 meters tall, even when its four limbs were on the ground.

Although it was still cute and beautiful, Qiuqiu was really too big now!

"Meow~" Qiuqiu was delighted after advancing. It vigorously rubbed against Song Yu's cheek.

Song Yu's face was stiff, feeling like her right cheek had been rubbed with sandpaper, and she almost lost a layer of skin!

A huge force also came from the cheek along with Qiuqiu's rubbing. Qiuqiu's rub almost made her stumble and fall to the ground. Even her neck creaked as it was rubbed!

If she hadn't reacted quickly, grabbing Qiuqiu's fur, and turning her neck fast enough, she might have been rubbed to the ground by Qiuqiu now, with her neck twisted!

Looking at Qiuqiu's size, larger than a tiger...

Song Yu felt suffocated.

From Qiuqiu's evolution until now, she still couldn't figure out how this Snow Civet Cat cub with a potential rating of 3 had evolved from a small ball into a Tier 2 contracted beast in just over a month.

"Even if pigs grow fast, there's no reason to grow this fast."

"Clearly, I haven't taken out the Hundred Flowers Spirit Honey and Energy Fruits for it to eat..." Song Yu complained, those two precious items were still locked in a drawer in her bedroom.

Looking at the envious glances from her classmates and hearing statements like "definitely getting into Beast Tamer University" and "will become a professional Beast Tamer," Song Yu almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

As someone aspiring to be lazy, why would I attend Beast Tamer University? What kind of professional Beast Tamer would I become? This is a curse!

Even without the plot twists brought by the male lead Bai Yuhan, being a Beast Tamer is a tough profession. It involves frequent trips to the wilderness and mysterious areas, even more demanding than being an actor!

Song Lao Ye and Song Wenhai, as professional Beast Tamers, almost went to mysterious areas every year. Sometimes they needed to cooperate with the Beast Tamer Guild or the military in Jianghuai City to clear out small beast waves around the wilderness to prevent them from gathering into large-scale attacks on the city.

Thinking of how Song Wenhai looked like a wild man escaping from the wilderness every time he returned from the forest...

Song Yu immediately felt half-hearted, "Could it be that Grandpa will actually insist on me going to Beast Tamer University?"

At this moment, Song Yaqian squeezed out of the crowd,

Her face was full of joy as she grabbed Song Yu's arm excitedly, "Xiao Yu, I didn't expect you to become so powerful! Grandpa will be especially happy when we go home! By then, we can go to Beast Tamer University together!"

Song Yaqian's eyes sparkled, and her fair cheeks even showed a blush of excitement.

Looking at her appearance, she seemed even happier than Song Yu.

Many people who had siblings in their families couldn't help but feel sour.

I didn't expect the Song family to produce such a powerful dark horse this year, and the family members have such good relationships. Presumably, in ten years, the Song family will rise even higher.

Song Yu: "..."

No, I won't go!

Song Yu shouted in her heart, desperately trying to pull back her arm, but Song Yaqian exercises regularly, while her physical fitness class had been neglected for over a month. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pull it back.

This can't go on!

Song Yu pondered desperately. She had to find a way to persuade Qiuqiu to keep a low profile.

Losing is not scary; what's scary is having to take the Beast Tamer University entrance exam and becoming a Beast Tamer!

"Cough, cough..."

At this moment, a small, white-haired, slender old man walked out of the crowd.

With just two dry coughs, the densely packed crowd immediately parted, making way for the old man.

"Is this Senior 3, Class 5, Song Yu?" The old man, although small, was full of vigor. Especially his sharp, eagle-like eyes added a touch of majesty.

"Principal Wu, why are you here?" Zhou Tao was a little anxious.

As a senior class in Jianghuai No. 1 High School, Principal Wu's level was very high. He was a Tier 4 Advanced professional Beast Tamer and also one of the five vice-presidents of the Beast Tamer Guild in Jianghuai City. He usually had a busy schedule and rarely appeared at school. Unexpectedly, he came to watch the senior 3 Beast Combat class today.

"As the school principal, I have to come and take a look at this year's Senior 3 Beast Combat class..." Principal Wu smiled and waved his hand, not intending to exchange pleasantries with Zhou Tao and the others.

He turned his head to Song Yu and Qiuqiu, his gaze finally fixed on Qiuqiu, carefully observing, "Student Song, you've raised this Snow Civet Cat very well... Not only does it evolve quickly, but it also seems to have undergone a mutation."

Principal Wu stared at Qiuqiu, which was obviously larger than a regular Tier 2 Snow Civet Cat, and had the unprecedented double tails in the thousand-year history.

Principal Wu thought for a moment, then slowly relaxed his frowning brows and smiled, "Student Song, are you interested in writing a paper on the cultivation process of the Snow Civet Cat from small to large, as well as the data comparison after evolution? You can submit it to the journal for novice professional Beast Tamers. Although the advancement to Tier 2 for a Snow Civet Cat is not a big deal, there are many Snow Civet Cats globally that can reach this level... but none of them have shown the situation of double tails in their contracted Snow Civet Cats. This is considered the first case in the world and is worth recording and publishing."

Although Principal Wu's voice was not very loud, the students standing around Song Yu couldn't help but take a cold breath.

Doesn't this mean that Song Yu has a chance to get an additional 30 points in the Beast Tamer college entrance exam?!

Every year, the college entrance exam has a total of 750 points for cultural courses, and the Beast Tamer assessment has a total of 250 points.

Under normal circumstances, the cutoff score for prestigious Beast Tamer universities is around 170, and for second-tier universities, it's around 150. A one-time increase of 30 points?! Plus, the Tier 2 beast she cultivated. Wouldn't that mean as long as her academic performance is acceptable, she's guaranteed a spot in a prestigious Beast Tamer university?!

If there were some who were just sighing at Song Yu's chance to enter a prestigious Beast Tamer university before, now, many eyes were turning red with envy.

Envious glances were like thorns in the back.

Song Yu's back stiffened: "..."

In her heart, Song Yu cursed and complained. A paper, extra points in the college entrance exam, and going to Beast Tamer University?

Wasn't this a loss for her? She wouldn't do such a losing deal.

Song Yu held her breath, focused her thoughts, and forcefully suppressed a breath. Immediately, blood rushed up, and a rosy blush appeared on her fair cheeks.

With a face full of blush, looking like a boy in his adolescence, Song Yu waved her hands repeatedly, saying shyly, "Principal Wu... it has nothing to do with me that Qiuqiu advanced to Tier 2. It has advanced on its own efforts. How can I take credit for it? Moreover, my academic performance is average. I'm afraid I can't write a decent paper... What if I mislead others after writing it? Wouldn't that be a heinous sin?"

Principal Wu smiled and said with satisfaction, "It's impossible to mislead others..."

"A variant is a special mutated individual that appears only once in a million evolved creatures. They often undergo special changes in their bodies, and their combat power is stronger than ordinary individuals of the same kind."

"Your Snow Civet Cat has just advanced, but it temporarily rendered a Tier 2 Advanced beast powerless in battle. It has also grown a double-tail form, unprecedented in the history of Snow Civet Cat species. This is enough to indicate its status as a variant."

Principal Wu stroked his chin and sighed, "Research over the centuries has told us that the evolution of variants is unpredictable, purely a matter of luck."

Principal Wu was in a great mood, laughing heartily, "Speaking of which, I never thought our Senior 3 class would have such good luck this year."

Can it be considered luck? Variants have stronger combat abilities than ordinary beasts, and now we even have a chance to publish a paper.

It's like a pie falling from the sky!

"It's indeed good luck." Hearing this, several other class teachers subconsciously exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

At the same time, they looked at Zhou Tao with envious eyes. After the college entrance exam next year, this guy will probably receive an extra bonus!

Song Yu: "..."

Seeing the envious looks from others, this time she really didn't want to say anything.

With a wooden face, she let the river of sadness flow backward.

She didn't even dare to turn her head to look at the face of the male lead Bai Yuhan in Class 3 next door.

Unfortunately, even when she wanted to play dead and lie low, some people wouldn't let her off.

Feeling the envy from colleagues, Zhou Tao, with his head held high, smiled and took a few steps forward, "Principal, look at this student in our class. She has only contracted an initial beast for less than two months, and she has already raised it to Tier 2. Could our school have a spot for her in the Jiangnan Province High School Beast Combat Competition next year?"

"!!!!!" Song Yu was shocked.

Song Yu's pupils trembled, and she almost couldn't catch her breath.

What?！

Teacher Zhou, although I sleep with my eyes open in class, I'm still a student in your Senior 3 Class 5. How could you treat me like this?!

Do you have a grudge against me? If you do, just say it! I'll apologize! QAQ!

The Jiangnan Province High School Beast Combat Competition, officially known as the Jiangnan Province 2891 High School Beast Duel Tournament.

It was an annual inter-school competition held in Jiangnan Province!

The competition required each high school to send five participants and randomly place them in the wilderness forest. During this time, more than 14,000 students had to compete and fight against each other in the wilderness forest, determining the final winners.

The top 100 winners not only received rewards from the Jiangnan Province Education Bureau, including cultivation resources and various precious items, but the top three could also join the Genius Training Camp organized by the Beast Tamer Guild!

There, they would receive one-on-one guidance from powerful professional Beast Tamers, and their contracted beasts would have various precious items as food!

It was a place that countless high school students dreamed of!

 

*****

 

Originally, as a traditional event in Jiangnan Province, there were professional Beast Tamers accompanying the competition, making it relatively safe.

Participating in a duel wasn't a big deal; at most, surviving a week in the wilderness and enduring some injuries. After that, someone would eliminate her.

But the problem was, Bai Yuhan was going to participate in this competition!

The protagonist of the novel, as the core of the world, almost always encountered trouble wherever he went.

Especially in male-oriented novels, this was an essential element.

This time, when Bai Yuhan participated in the competition, he first encountered several dark horses from ordinary high schools who awakened S and SS-level Beast Spaces. 

In the wilderness forest, they challenged students everywhere, causing many students to cry for their parents. 

Later, he unexpectedly encountered two teams of professional Beast Tamers fighting for the dominance of the wilderness forest cubs. 

Finally, the cubs triggered a beast tide in the wilderness area, almost burying more than 14,000 students!

Fortunately, a high-level professional Beast Tamer appeared later, saving more than 14,000 students on the spot, but more than a thousand still died.

Many people also went missing in the wilderness forest, and their bodies couldn't be found for a long time.

And the high-level professional Beast Tamer who saved the day was one of the people who killed Bai Yuhan's parents!

This almost triggered Bai Yuhan's rage!

Thinking of the numerous deaths described in the novel during the competition —【Piles of bodies trampled into flesh, heads with vivid blood being crushed by giant beasts, brains splattering and cracking】...

Song Yu felt a chill down her spine. With her identity as a villainous supporting character, would she even survive if she went?

Yet, Principal Wu seemed interested. He nodded and smiled, "Your proposal is quite good..."

As a third-tier city, resources in Jianghuai City were limited. Although Tier 2 beasts might not be the most powerful by the time of the competition next year, the top few spots should be within reach. Plus, since this Snow Civet Cat is a variant, slightly stronger than an ordinary Tier 2, it's comparable to a high-potential Tier 2 beast. No matter how you look at it, there's a chance to participate in the competition.

However.

Just as Principal Wu was about to agree, and other students were envying Song Yu to the point of bleeding from their eyes —

"No!—" Song Yu shouted loudly, her voice urgent and anxious, almost startling Principal Wu and the others.

Principal Wu: "..."

Others around: "???"

Seeing everyone's surprised expressions, Song Yu coughed twice, patted her chest righteously, and said, "Principal, Teacher Zhou... this won't work! It's unfair to other students! It's only October now, and there's still about half a year until the Jiangnan Province High School Beast Combat Competition next year."

Song Yu deliberately shed a tear, making an effort to let the tears swirl in her red eyes, "Teachers, I know you are thinking for my good. But my talent is not good. I awakened an F-level Beast Space, and Qiuqiu's potential is only 3 points. Moreover, the Snow Civet Cat is a naturally low-tier bloodline species. I'm afraid that after this advancement, there won't be any improvement until next year. It's unfair to other students who may catch up later. I think the principal and teachers should wait until next year to make a decision."

Boom!

The students who had just envied Song Yu a moment ago suddenly felt guilty.

Even Principal Wu and Zhou Tao were stunned for a while, unable to react.

Song Yu was like a student who had obtained a guaranteed spot but deliberately gave it to others.

How could people not be surprised?

"But..." Zhou Tao frowned and hesitated. Today was clearly a good opportunity. Wouldn't it be a waste to give up like this?

Song Yu, with tears in her eyes, shook her head and sniffed seriously, "Teacher, there's nothing to regret. I think it's fine this way. If I can defeat others in the school competition next year, naturally, I'll qualify for the provincial competition. But if I can't win, going there would just be a hindrance."

So...

Next April, she not only had to lose to other students in school but also planned to call the provincial military district to report those despicable thieves who sneaked into the wilderness forest, stealing the forest lord cubs!

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