The wall Huohuo had knocked down was quickly repaired.
Zhou Lu could not help but marvel at life in the Beast Taming era. What should originally have taken at least a full day was finished in half an hour with the Mud Monster's help.
Before leaving, however, the workers still reminded Zhou Lu not to let Huohuo use Vine Step roots to burrow through cracks again. Although the Mud Monster's mud had excellent construction properties, the elemental restraint meant grass-type Huohuo could cause severe damage to it.
As for the cement coating on the exterior, that would need to be specially purchased.
"Damn it! My wages!"
In the end, none of those expenses fell on Zhou Lu. Xiao Xi covered them all.
She glared irritably at Huohuo, who was dejected because the "collection" it had curled up and brought back had been snatched away by Xiao Xi. "I shouldn't have been so kindhearted."
Though her words were far from pleasant, Xiao Xi still came to Zhou Lu's room every day over the next few days.
In her words, training a spirit pet was not just about skills and evolution. Its personality needed training too.
"I'm really worried about what outrageous things this little rascal will do once it grows up." As she spoke, Xiao Xi did not forget to point accusingly at Huohuo. "As a senior plant-type spirit beast, I will not stand by and watch."
She sounded utterly righteous, but the truth was simply that Huohuo knocked on her door every morning. If she did not open it, it would slip vines through the crack and grab her.
Thus, Xiao Xi had voluntarily become Huohuo's skill-training instructor.
"Pay up! These are all paid services! You need to pay me!" While guiding Huohuo, Xiao Xi complained to Zhou Lu from time to time, though she never actually charged him.
With Xiao Xi helping train Huohuo, Zhou Lu finally had time to formulate the next phase of his plan.
He did not intend to use the C-Class Skill Card rewarded by the system, because Huohuo had just learned far too many skills.
Though this little blade of grass worked hard, it was not a robot. Skills were not something it could master simply by swiping a card; it had to undergo training, even real combat, before it could use them flexibly.
According to Xiao Xi's estimate, Huohuo should be able to master the most basic, unboosted Headbutt skill before the exam began. Combined with Entangling Vines, which it had already become proficient in through tying up Xiao Xi every day, passing the exam should not be a problem.
So its pre-exam training plan was to continue consolidating those two skills.
After passing the exam, the academy would distribute corresponding Academic Credits based on the results.
Passing one exam earned 30 Academic Credits, essentially issued according to the standard of entering a Secret Realm once per month and then progressing to the next exam six months later.
A perfect score, meanwhile, was worth 100 Academic Credits. The standard set for that was entering a Secret Realm three times every month and conducting one Growth Projection. Aside from the 30 points for each of the three exams, another 10 points came from performance evaluations during the exams.
Zhou Lu's goal was to pass at least two exams and earn at least 60 Academic Credits.
Moreover, he had already more or less mapped out his plans for after passing the exams.
First, he needed to obtain a C-Class Exploration Permit, so that he would have the right to enter C-Class Secret Realms for exploration.
Once he obtained the Exploration Permit, he would immediately set out for the Linxi Secret Realm and find a suitable Jade Snail shell for Huohuo.
The metal flowerpot on Huohuo's body had already twisted out of shape after days of colliding with Blackwater Stone.
In truth, modern Beast Taming Technology did have materials harder than White Jade Snail Shells. Many spirit pets' combat equipment was forged from the toughest Kunlun Alloy Steel.
But the price... Even if Zhou Lu emptied every last bit of his savings, he could not buy even one gram of Kunlun Alloy Steel.
A barrier named money rose before Zhou Lu, a barricade more despair-inducing than Blackwater Stone itself.
After finding equipment for Huohuo, it would be time to train Body Feed.
Zhou Lu never dared forget that somewhere in his future, there was still an enemy capable of crossing the river of time to kill him.
Body Feed plus Drain could rapidly stack Huohuo's attributes.
Before powerful skills, pure attributes might not seem all that conspicuous.
But attributes were the foundation upon which all strength and weakness rested.
Without the help of skills, a first-rank small spirit beast simply could not defeat a large ordinary beast. That was where the true power of attributes lay.
And as a plant-type spirit beast, Huohuo's innate attributes were inferior even to insects and rats. Without Drain to gain permanent attribute boosts, it would absolutely be at a disadvantage in many battles.
Training Body Feed required a Beast Tamer and their spirit pet to be in an environment of extreme danger at the same time. Only when the Beast Tamer placed all hope in the spirit pet, while the spirit pet possessed a fierce desire to help the Beast Tamer escape their plight, could they possibly grasp that faint trace of the skill.
There were no shortcuts in training Beast Tamer Skills.
If it had to be extremely dangerous, then not even a single protective measure could be allowed.
That was why Xiao Xi said only lunatics would actively practice this skill.
The Body Feed Skill Cards in her hands had all been accidentally awakened after Beast Tamers fell into desperate straits. No one practiced it voluntarily.
"You really plan to train Body Feed..." The moment Xiao Xi saw Zhou Lu write down the Secret Realm designation C0021 on the paper, she immediately guessed what he was thinking.
C0021 Mountain Secret Realm, with its many cliffs, was a Secret Realm beloved by Beast Tamers with a taste for pushing limits.
"The probability of Drain isn't even that low. As long as there's enough time, Huohuo can still drain enough attributes." Although Xiao Xi had sold Zhou Lu the method for training Body Feed, she still tried to dissuade him. "You don't need to risk yourself training this Body Feed."
"I don't have that much time." Zhou Lu glanced at the system and gave a bitter smile.
As he spoke, he checked the time, then picked up Huohuo, who was lying on the floor reading. "The examiner information has been released. I'm going to the tactical meeting..."
Hm? Reading?
Zhou Lu curiously glanced at the book Huohuo was reading.
"Art of Bondage and the Language of Ropework."
"I have that book here?" Zhou Lu turned to Xiao Xi.
Xiao Xi guiltily turned her head away. "I borrowed it from the library. Dream Rain Flower doesn't have natural vocal organs, so I'm teaching her to speak by tying knots with her vines~!"
"Are you sure? But more than half of this book is about..." Zhou Lu flipped through it, then began reading with a thoughtful expression.
"Hey! Why are you reading it?!" Xiao Xi glared at him.
"Ah, sorry. I was critically examining it." Zhou Lu coughed twice, closed the book, and continued, "More than half of it talks about how to make bondage sexier. Are you sure this is a proper book?"
"What could I do if those scholars insisted on cramming both subjects into the same book?!" Xiao Xi planted her hands on her hips, utterly justified. "Besides, Huohuo has already learned it very well! Huohuo, give your owner a demonstration."
Huohuo: (*^▽^*)
All right, it actually did seem somewhat useful.
"Then I'll head out first. I'm leaving the house to you." Seeing how much Huohuo enjoyed weaving expressions with its vines, Zhou Lu said nothing further and spoke to Xiao Xi.
"Got it, got it." Xiao Xi waved her hand, then suddenly realized something. "Wait, no—how did I become the one watching your house?"
But by the time she said that, Zhou Lu had already opened the door and left.
In truth, Zhou Lu had agreed to meet Xu Wuhu at seven, but it was already ten-thirty when he left the house.
"Sorry, I'm late." Zhou Lu placed two cups of milk tea in front of Xu Wuhu and Li Yi. "Something came up. I'll treat you to lunch."
Ding! Mission failed. Your deliberate delay prevented Xu Wuhu and the others from discussing battle plans in time. Unfortunately, the time you delayed was not enough to completely alter the exam's outcome. You may try delaying for longer. You have received 10% of the mission reward. Please claim it. The system has reset this mission. Keep up the good work.
Looking at the one-time Body Feed Skill Card the system had rewarded him, Zhou Lu narrowed his eyes.
Yes, he had been late on purpose.
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