A little while later, Lu Ran received another call from Little White Dragon.
"Lu Ran, I checked, and the alliance really is preparing to establish a Beast Taming University."
"See? I told you." Lu Ran laughed.
You look so respectable, Little White Dragon, but you're not even as well informed as I am.
"Yes. In that case, this Beast Taming University really would be better suited to young Beast Tamers like you... Also, my position may change in a while. I might be moving to admissions work at the university. If you have any questions then, you can contact me."
Lu Ran was surprised, but he still said, "Sure. Oh, about the registration..."
"Oh, that. Give me your email address, and I'll send you a spreadsheet in a bit. Just fill it out and send it back with photos of both sides of your ID. No need to leave home."
"Great, sorry for the trouble." Naturally, Lu Ran was delighted to hear he wouldn't have to make the trip himself.
On the other end, Little White Dragon straightened his tie after hanging up. As a seasoned workplace veteran, he had a pretty good idea of what Team Leader Zhao intended.
Lu Ran's background was far from ordinary, and he even knew a top heavyweight like Dr. Gu Qingyi.
After learning that Lu Ran would attend the Beast Taming University, his longtime superior had used what influence he still had to get Little White Dragon a job there.
It was partly a promotion and partly a way to have him keep building a relationship with Lu Ran.
That way, even if his old superior was transferred elsewhere, he could still maintain some connection with a promising genius like Lu Ran and keep another avenue open.
By comparison, the regret of not personally discovering and recruiting such a promising talent hardly mattered anymore.
"Experience really does count. That Ginger from the Medicine Pavilion Guild has a long way to go by comparison," Little White Dragon mused.
Meanwhile, Lu Ran smiled after hanging up.
"What are you smiling about?" Fang Lan asked.
"I'm smiling because Dr. Gu really does seem like a powerful backer. Little White Dragon kept trying to get me to join the authorities, but the moment I mentioned Gu Qingyi, he dropped the idea. He probably thought I was close to Dr. Gu and belonged to her camp."
"So now Dr. Gu doesn't know me, while the authorities think I'm one of her people and have stopped eyeing me. I can enjoy some freedom for a while."
Fang Lan rolled her eyes. "So that's why every other word out of your mouth was 'Dr. Gu.' You're full of schemes."
"I just don't like having people boss me around. School offers more freedom, relatively speaking. Besides, everything I said was true. They probably filled in a whole lot of blanks themselves..." Lu Ran said. "Anyway, now we just wait for news about that Beast Taming University."
"I'd better hurry up and level. Maybe I can go straight into teaching. Then I'll make you class president," Lu Ran joked.
Fang Lan: ???
"Why not just become the principal?"
Eight that evening.
By then, most people had put aside their work or studies and turned to rest and entertainment.
In the internet age, rather than relaxing in front of the TV, people worn out from a long day preferred scrolling through short videos and easy, wish-fulfillment novels on their phones for a brief hit of pleasure.
That night, however, apps across everyone's phones pushed out the same notification.
Video apps, news apps-practically every kind of app displayed a pop-up.
The headline was quite an eye-catcher, too.
"Live! A lost prehistoric civilization-did another supercivilization exist on ancient Blue Star?"
The livestream took the form of an expert interview, with one host and two experts.
In the living room, Lu Ran and Fang Lan watched while eating takeout.
Lu Ran had been wondering how the authorities would explain the existence of Infinite City, but before long, he grinned.
So this was their approach. It certainly was easier for the public to accept than alien civilizations or unexplained phenomena. After all, Xia Country already had plenty of myths and legends in its history.
The livestream's account went roughly like this: three years ago, expeditions from various countries had discovered mysterious ruins in Antarctica containing records of a lost prehistoric civilization.
In ancient times, spiritual energy had filled Blue Star. Nourished by it, every living creature possessed terrifying power, enough to move mountains and overturn seas.
Humans had already existed back then. To survive more easily, they invented a beast taming method and strengthened themselves through the power of their beasts.
After a long period of development, the beast taming civilization reached its zenith. But for unknown reasons, Blue Star's spiritual energy suddenly vanished, and supernatural power faded away.
Divine beasts became ordinary animals, while humans steadily degenerated as they could no longer adapt to Blue Star's environment.
To preserve a spark of hope, this beast taming civilization used the last of its power to build a city in another dimension-Infinite City. Connected to projections of history, it was meant to pass down the beast taming system.
The ruins discovered by the international expeditions were the mechanism that unlocked this inheritance.
Now, the prehistoric beast taming civilization's inheritance system had activated and begun selecting successors in the modern world on a massive scale.
"Holy shit, is this for real?" Plenty of homebodies watching the livestream from their beds were dumbfounded by the interview.
Their first instinct was to assume it was some prank livestream. But when they saw the official media verification badge, they were left utterly bewildered.
"Professor Niu, it seems this beast taming civilization was far more advanced than ours. How should we approach it?" the female host asked an elderly man with a bulbous nose.
"This is an opportunity. We've always believed ourselves to be the most advanced life in the world. Who could have imagined such a flourishing age existed in prehistoric times? We should actively engage with and explore Infinite City, uncovering that lost history. Based on what we already know, the various supernatural powers brought by this prehistoric civilization could revolutionize medicine, transportation, military affairs, and many other fields."
"Professor Ma, reports have already appeared online of teenagers being selected by Contract Black Cards distributed by Infinite City. But according to the information currently available, accepting this ancient civilization's inheritance still carries certain risks. What advice would you give those selected?"
The long-faced professor considered the question. "I believe the most important thing is not to choose your initial pet beast carelessly. If you aren't confident, you should contact the authorities as soon as possible. Likewise, the authorities should promptly release the information they have on the trial realms to improve the selected individuals' chances of passing."
"This is an opportunity, but it's also extremely dangerous. I hope those selected will approach it cautiously. Those who haven't been selected needn't be discouraged, either. You can try keeping a pet. It's an effective way to increase your chances of being chosen."
"Also! Be sure to treat your pets well! Care for them wholeheartedly!"
"It sounds plausible," Fang Lan said, slurping her river-snail rice noodles.
"There's nothing obviously wrong with it, but I keep feeling it's not that simple." Lu Ran was eating grilled durian.
As they ate, both pondered the same question: was the information released by the authorities true?
Following the livestream, major media outlets began publishing all sorts of reports.
Previously unreleased stories such as "Ferocious beast devours owner" and "Beast Tamer dies during trial" sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
At the same time, quite a few experienced Beast Tamers who had been selected long ago came forward to offer advice to newcomers.
This wasn't happening only in Xia Country. It was happening in every country on Blue Star.
The whole world erupted!
In less than an hour, it was as though a veil of fog had been blown away from the world, ushering in a new age that felt almost dreamlike.
Older people couldn't readily accept this new reality, as their worldview had already taken shape.
Young people steeped in internet culture, on the other hand, were ecstatic, as though their entire lives had been spent waiting for this day.
What teenager hadn't dreamed of having extraordinary powers?
If anything, the changes unfolding now were exactly what they had hoped for, as though the world's true face had finally been revealed.
Once information about Infinite City and the beast taming civilization went public, supernatural news was no longer confined to those few forums. Lu Ran's gaming groups, file-sharing groups, and class group all instantly came alive.
He opened the class group first, since someone seemed to have tagged him.
Yang Xishuai: [Hahahaha, no way, no way! Am I seriously the only one in our class who got a Black Card?]
Yang Xishuai: [Image]
Yang Xishuai: [Don't be sad, everyone. Once I become a big shot, I'll carry you all. Hmm, what should I contract as my initial pet beast?]
One lucky chosen student was riding high in the group chat.
Everyone else was green with envy, so sour they might as well have been sucking on lemons.
Some grovelled and called him daddy; others offered terrible suggestions.
But right then, Yang Xishuai only had eyes for Lu Ran.
Yang Xishuai: [@Lu Ran, just you wait. I'm definitely going to avenge my grandpa.]
Lu Ran: [?]
What? What the hell does that have to do with me? Who's your grandpa?
Yang Xishuai: [You took leave to enter the Bug-Fighting Tournament, right? And you even beat my grandpa. He couldn't sleep properly all night. But it's fine, because I'm here now! What about contracting a bug-type as my initial pet beast? I feel like bugs would be the strongest if they could keep evolving forever!]
Lu Ran: ???
Shit, so that's why your name sounded so weird. Yang Xishuai sounds like "raising crickets"? Damn it, don't tell me that old guy I beat was your grandpa.
Lu Ran quickly closed the group chat, but after thinking it over, he reopened it and sent a reply.
Lu Ran: [Contracting bugs carries risks. I suggest consulting the authorities.]
You even want to use supernatural bugs to compete against me... Have some shame!
With that, he closed the group chat.
"Hahahahaha." Fang Lan was also lurking in various group chats.
Clutching her stomach with laughter, she said, "One of the fans in my fan group got selected, too. He was completely bewildered when he got his Contract Card. Just then, a huge southern cockroach flew over. He instinctively tried to chase it away with the Black Card and accidentally contracted it... He has an hour before his trial starts, and now he's panicking."
"Uh..." Lu Ran said. "Generally speaking, cockroaches are pretty tough. I feel... I feel like they should be able to clear it."
"Ahem." Fang Lan composed herself. "My fans are all pet lovers, so I think their chances of being selected by a Black Card are pretty high. I need to hurry up and gather some relevant information, organize it, and share it with them."
Lu Ran nodded, then yawned. He was getting sleepy.
"You go ahead. I'm a little sleepy, so I'll just crash here tonight. Keep an eye on your terrarium pets and don't let them out. I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night to spiders and centipedes crawling over me, thank you."
Before you continue