Four Teachers, an In-Class Exam

Puquan Beast-Taming Experimental High School, Senior Year 2, Class 1, Kindling Class.

This classroom was much larger than the one Lin Yuan had used the year before.

Even with all forty students standing at the door, it did not feel crowded.

There were forty seats. Each student had a desk a meter and a half long, with a locked box on top.

There was also a cabinet beneath each desk and a small stool. The furnishings were quite good.

Four teachers stood at the front of the classroom.

"Come in, everyone. Your seats have been assigned," Chen Xuanbai said. "They're based on your talent rankings from the day of the awakening ceremony. Desks one through forty have your names on them."

Lin Yuan quickly found his seat: desk seven, second from the left in the second row.

Huang Zixuan sat in front of him.

"Most of you already know me. I gave you homework a week ago, but the four of us will introduce ourselves again." Chen Xuanbai stepped forward. He wore casual clothes today and looked a little tired.

"My name is Chen Xuanbai. I'll be your fundamentals teacher and your homeroom teacher."

"More precisely, I'll teach everything covered by the Beast Tamer Fundamentals section of the College Entrance Exam."

"That includes understanding pet beasts and talents, how to raise and train pet beasts, and some basic pet-beast research."

When he finished, he stepped back and looked toward a muscular, middle-aged teacher in a tank top on the far left.

The man stepped forward. "My name is Sun Xingtian."

"I'm responsible for teaching the Beast Tamer Practical Exam material."

"I'll be leading your pet-beast combat classes and field exploration classes."

"When assessing you, I'll place more weight on the quality of your pet beasts."

Then a thin, somewhat scholarly-looking teacher beside him slowly stepped forward. "My name is Zhao Liang. I'm responsible for teaching the Beast Tamer Competency section of the College Entrance Exam."

"From now on, I'll handle your lessons on Beast-Taming Arts and Nourishment Arts."

The last to speak was the teacher on the far right. He looked rather old, with a high hairline and large earlobes.

"My name is Zhu Neng. I'm responsible for the Beast Tamer Resources section."

"I'll teach you how to identify pet-beast products, use materials properly, and understand and use Beast Gear."

Lin Yuan looked at the blackboard.

It listed the four subjects and their respective teachers.

He nodded to himself. These were the four main areas assessed in the Chenlong Kingdom's College Entrance Exam.

Once all four teachers had introduced themselves, Chen Xuanbai stepped forward again. "I gave you an assignment a week ago. Has anyone here not contracted a pet beast yet?"

None of the forty students raised a hand. Chen Xuanbai nodded in satisfaction. "Then summon your pet beasts."

The classroom grew noisy at once.

Most of the pet beasts were young, still at the Ordinary level, and not very large.

Even so, with forty pet beasts appearing all at once, the classroom erupted into a commotion.

Meows, barks, chirps, and squeaks rang out without pause.

Many pet beasts naturally countered one another. They were born hostile to certain other species and had territorial instincts.

Baishi was fine. He had seen scenes like this before.

During the journeys that had taken him from one merchant to another, he had been crammed into tight spaces with pet beasts he did not know. Being the smallest, he had often been pressed so hard he could barely breathe.

Here, there was plenty of room. It was not crowded at all. Aside from the smell of those cats making him a little uncomfortable, everything was fine.

He just had to put up with it.

Knowing how to react in different situations had become instinctive for Baishi.

For now, all he needed to do was sit quietly.

Huang Zixuan's pet beast, Wonderstar Grass, seemed rather panicked. It gradually calmed under Huang Zixuan's reassurance, and when it turned to see Lin Yuan smiling at it, it settled completely.

The commotion lasted a full three minutes.

Then Sun Xingtian nodded to Zhao Liang at the front of the room.

Zhao Liang merely raised a hand and swept it out as though performing tai chi. In an instant, the entire classroom fell silent.

Lin Yuan's eyes lit up.

That had to be the Beast-Taming Art, Tranquil Heart Technique.

It affected only pet beasts and was commonly used in pet-beast medicine to calm their minds.

To affect so many pet beasts at once—even if they were all still at the Ordinary level—Zhao Liang had to be highly skilled in this art.

Only after the room had quieted did Chen Xuanbai speak. "Our Kindling Class brings together the forty best students in the year."

"The assignment I gave you was simply to contract a pet beast. But you've probably guessed that today's first lesson wouldn't be so simple."

"The other three teachers and I discussed it. We've decided to give you a simple in-class exam."

"My part is a written paper. You'll have three hours to answer three major questions. The papers are in the little cabinets under your desks."

"Of course, this exam won't be quite that simple. The other three teachers will assess you during those same three hours."

As soon as he finished, sharp intakes of breath sounded throughout the classroom.

In their first year, exams had generally consisted of written tests and mental-strength assessments.

They could not imagine how all four areas could be assessed at the same time in just three hours...

Was this really a "simple in-class exam"?

Even Lin Yuan froze for a moment.

He had known since yesterday that there would probably be an assessment today. He had even made himself practice papers based on what he thought might be tested.

But he had not expected a four-in-one exam.

Excitement stirred in him. Now this is interesting!

"My assessment began the moment you summoned your pet beasts, and it will continue from here," Sun Xingtian said. "What I'm testing is your pet beasts' discipline."

"In other words, I'm testing the bond you have with your pet beasts and your control over them. Follow the exam rules and keep the room quiet."

"Students aren't allowed to cause trouble, and neither are pet beasts. I'll monitor and score your pet beasts' behavior throughout these three hours."

"Teacher Zhao has used Tranquil Heart Technique on your pet beasts for now. It won't be so easy later."

As soon as he finished, Zhao Liang smiled and picked up where he left off. "Teacher Sun is right. As time passes, I'll weaken the effect of Tranquil Heart Technique. Then you'll have to keep your pet beasts calm while dealing with the pressure of answering questions."

"My assessment focuses on your mental strength as Beast Tamers. I was considering using Spirit-Binding Technique to add a little mental pressure, but Teacher Chen Xuanbai said we should keep this assessment simple. So I won't make things too hard for you."

With that, he flashed a neat row of white teeth.

"My assessment is the simplest. How a Beast Tamer allocates resources is important. The boxes on your desks contain pet food, products that help resist stress, and even Beast Gear that can help you focus and withstand pressure."

"Whether to use them, and when, is for you to decide."

Zhu Neng's face remained stern as he spoke.

The requirements were not difficult to understand.

But they had never practiced this kind of exam in their first year!

For a moment, everyone looked a little deflated.

Still, they were promising students who had made it into the Kindling Class. Most soon steadied themselves.

"Good." Chen Xuanbai smiled. "Your results in this assessment will determine your new rankings and seating order in the class."

"Also, we teachers will give a small reward to whoever places first in each individual assessment."

"And the student with the highest total score will get a surprise."

As Chen Xuanbai spoke, his gaze met Lin Yuan's. He was very pleased to see Lin Yuan looking eager to begin.

"Then let the exam begin."

Everyone immediately took the papers from their small cabinets.

The sooner they finished the written questions, the more attention they could devote to controlling their pet beasts during the final hour.

They were top students, after all. They had experience managing their time in exams.

But when they saw the questions Chen Xuanbai had set, they were stunned.

There were only three questions, each a major one.

One: For each of your other thirty-nine classmates, write down their talent, its official ranking, and what it does.

Two: For each of your other thirty-nine classmates' pet beasts, describe its species, attribute, quality, traits, and whether it has a publicly known Evolution Path.

Three: Based on your understanding of your classmates' current talents and pet beasts, form the strongest teams of three you can, with each team covering attack, defense, and support roles.

Lin Yuan smiled when he saw the questions.

He had not predicted the exam's format, but Chen Xuanbai's questions were almost entirely within the scope of his preparation.

Chen Xuanbai had taught him for a year, after all. Lin Yuan knew something about how he thought.

After exchanging a few words with Baishi, Lin Yuan began the first assessment they would face together...