Hiss! Hiss!
The moment Li Yi's Sticky Baby saw Huohuo, it seemed to explode. Its originally smooth surface sprouted sharp spikes under the violent surge of emotion, making it look like a hedgehog.
"Is your Sticky Baby all right?" Zhou Lu asked cautiously.
Though he knew exactly why Sticky Baby had become like this.
"My dad said it over-secreted Sticky Slime and got dehydrated." Li Yi smiled. "It'll be fine after drinking more water."
As he spoke, Li Yi soothed the Sticky Baby on his head. "Go play with Huohuo. We need to discuss some tactics."
The moment Sticky Baby heard that, it immediately radiated utter despair.
Huohuo: (*▽｀*)
Li Yi merely assumed Sticky Baby was feeling a little depressed, which only strengthened his resolve to let it play properly with the other spirit pets and ease its gloomy mood.
Little did he know that Huohuo was the very reason his Sticky Baby had become depressed.
After letting the three spirit pets play nearby, Xu Wuhu took out the examiner information released for this round.
"Liang Quan, Combat Department professor, Elite Beast Tamer. His main spirit pet is a third-tier Water Leap Frog, but for this exam, he'll be using a second-tier Mud Monster."
In official terminology, Beast Tamers were ranked just like spirit beasts, from first tier through fifth tier.
But among the public, thanks to the prosperity of Beast Taming Competitions, Beast Tamers had additional titles from the third tier onward: Elite, Commander, and Heavenly King.
These titles, originally used for contestants in competitions, gradually spread into wider society through fans.
"A Mud Monster..." Zhou Lu fell into thought.
"Liang Quan..." Li Yi looked at Xu Wuhu. "I remember Liang Quan was..."
"A former Pioneer Army general," Xu Wuhu said. "He used to be my eldest brother's subordinate. I don't know why my brother fired him, and then he came here to become a Combat Department professor."
"He could still become a professor after getting fired?"
"The legitimate son of the Liang family." Li Yi chuckled. "Normal, normal. My family even forced a donation through to stuff me into the Combat Department. I originally wanted to apply for the Nurturing Department."
"Sorry. This time, I may end up dragging you both down." Xu Wuhu looked terrible. He was not the sort of person who liked causing trouble for others. "Mud Monsters happen to be the type I'm worst at dealing with. I'm afraid I won't get a high score."
From Xu Wuhu's tone, he had already given up on the first exam.
"I think... we might be able to work out some tactics and give it a try." Zhou Lu looked at Huohuo, who was patting Sticky Baby, and spoke.
Xu Wuhu and Li Yi both looked at Zhou Lu.
"I have a few ideas, but I need an opponent with a Mud Monster." Zhou Lu looked at the two of them.
Yet, to Zhou Lu's surprise, both of them showed hesitant expressions.
"Huh? Can't find one?"
"Ahem. Mud Monsters are too ugly..." Li Yi coughed twice. "Their fighting style is similar to Sticky Baby's, but they're too ugly... and dirty... and ugly."
"All right." Zhou Lu stroked his chin as he thought. "Then I'll figure out a way to find a training opponent with a Mud Monster. Come with me."
Zhou Lu led the two back to his dormitory.
"Teacher Xiao Xi, can you still contact that bricklayer from a few days ago?" Zhou Lu asked directly.
Xiao Xi looked at Zhou Lu warily. "That's a specialized worker. He's very expensive. What are you planning to do?"
Zhou Lu opened his mouth, just about to speak, when a thunderous crash sounded from beside him.
Huohuo stood with its hands on its hips, chin raised proudly. (*￣︶￣*)
"Ahhh—!!! My wall!"
Five days later, the second-year battle entrance exam at Xin'an Beast Taming Academy officially began.
After Huohuo rammed down the wall yet again, Xiao Xi helplessly hired the same worker from last time.
Of course, this time, the three of them pooled their money, including the cost of hiring the worker to train with them.
It had to be said that Mud Monsters truly countered Xu Wuhu completely.
His usual fighting method was to have Silver Armor Rat possess him, then charge forward and brawl with the enemy at close range.
But Mud Monsters' innate traits meant that they were practically incapable of suffering real physical damage. During battle, they would also cling to Xu Wuhu's body, gradually slowing his movements.
However, after several days of training, Xu Wuhu had found a way to fight Mud Monsters with Huohuo and Sticky Baby's support.
Not long after they had mastered that tactic, the exam officially began.
The battle entrance exam was the most important examination at the Beast Taming Academy.
Many Beast Tamers who became famous in the future had already begun to shine brightly in this exam.
In this era, there were many who gained fame young, but few who came into their prime late.
"Make a name for yourself while you're young" was absolutely not empty talk in this day and age.
You had to display your value as an investment as early as possible, then use the resources invested in you to improve your strength and grow like a rolling snowball.
Only then... might you have a chance to climb to some people's starting line while you were still young enough to strive.
For Zhou Lu, this was the most important exam of all.
"I say, you finally weren't late for an exam." Li Yi walked over, yawning, his bald head gleaming.
Over the past few days of training, Zhou Lu had consistently been four to five hours late every day. Still, considering that the guy treated them to meals and milk tea every day, Li Yi had not said anything.
But why did his Sticky Baby look completely drained every time it saw this guy?
With that thought, Li Yi scrutinized Zhou Lu before him.
Because of Sticky Baby's traits, there really were perverts in this world who used Sticky Babies to satisfy their physical needs...
Zhou Lu sensed Li Yi's strange gaze, and the corner of his mouth twitched. He did not even know how to explain it.
Huohuo really liked smearing Sticky Baby's Sticky Slime over its branches and leaves.
Aside from making it sticky and letting it fight better, the more important point was that Sticky Baby's Sticky Slime had excellent fireproof and waterproof properties. For a Plant-type Spirit Beast, those were truly fantastic traits.
I need to find a chance to let Huohuo absorb one of Sticky Baby's skills.
Otherwise, if it drains Li Yi's Sticky Baby dry every day, the way he looks at me is only going to get stranger.
"Why hasn't the Class Monitor arrived yet?"
Zhou Lu asked.
Li Yi pointed into the distance. "Seems like he's over there."
Zhou Lu followed the direction of his finger and saw a young man standing before Xu Wuhu, a faintly mocking smile on his face.
Liang Quan.
Zhou Lu's heart stirred.
The examiner for the first round had a grudge against Xu Wuhu's elder brother.
"Let's go take a look," Zhou Lu said to Li Yi beside him.
"So these are your two teammates for this exam?" Liang Quan, who had been speaking with Xu Wuhu, spotted Zhou Lu and Li Yi at once.
After a pause, he lowered his gaze and saw Huohuo in Zhou Lu's arms.
"A Plant-type Spirit Beast?" He could not help sneering. "I know you. Zhou Lu, right? Who knows what madness seized your father? A good-for-nothing meant for farming, yet he insisted on stuffing you into the Combat Department."
As he spoke, he looked at Xu Wuhu, whose expression was gradually darkening. "You Xu brothers really do love making yourselves carry heavy burdens and march forward, just as always."
As he spoke, his eyes were no longer on Xu Wuhu, but on the VIP seats at the top of the stands.
Xu Wuhu's elder brother, Xu Yilong, was sitting there. Seemingly noticing what was happening on his younger brother's side, he had already turned his gaze over.
Liang Quan gave a contemptuous laugh and turned away. As he left, he continued muttering under his breath.
"What a nauseating personality."
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