The Breeder Association.
Compared with the Beast Tamer Association, the Breeder Association was located a little farther out, away from the city center, but its grounds were larger.
Besides its buildings, it also had an enormous experimental area.
Of all its facilities, though, the reception hall out front was undoubtedly the busiest.
The hall was so large that it nearly rivaled the terminal of an average airport.
After all, Linzhou was the capital of Jianghai Province and one of the core cities of the southeast.
Breeders of every stripe came here to study, while all sorts of Beast Tamers came to handle business and find suitable Breeders to work with.
At the same time, the Breeder Association was also the largest sales and breeding base for high-grade pet beasts.
Many Intermediate and Senior Breeders held positions here, with laboratories of their own within the association.
This place represented the heart of pet beast breeding in Linzhou and was one of the city's most important buildings and locations.
Its significance was easy to imagine.
Today was no different.
People streamed through the bustling hall. Many Beast Tamers were at the service windows, asking about Breeders who specialized in particular pet beasts and hoping to contact them. Others followed staff members into the various breeding facilities out back, looking for suitable pet beasts.
Just then, an announcement rang out through the enormous hall. Its message was quite simple.
Yet everyone involuntarily turned an ear to listen.
That was because the announcement began with a very distinctive piece of music.
Sure enough, once the music ended, the special announcement reserved for it followed:
"Congratulations to Breeder Su Ping of the Woodheart Base on becoming the nine hundred and thirty-second Intermediate Breeder registered with the Jianghai Province branch of the Breeder Association. Intermediate Breeder Su Ping specializes in Forest Wolves..."
As the announcement played, images appeared on the largest LED screen in the reception hall, introducing Woodheart.
For a moment, envy shone in the eyes of many Breeders. How many people dreamed of becoming an Intermediate Breeder?
But soon, the news left quite a few people utterly stunned.
As the images and announcement continued, more specific information about this newly promoted Intermediate Breeder was revealed:
"Holy shit! An eighteen-year-old Intermediate Breeder? Wouldn't he have only just graduated from basic academy?"
"Is there something shady going on? I've taken the exam for years and still haven't passed the Junior Breeder assessment. How does some brat get to pass the intermediate assessment?"
"Why couldn't he? Becoming a Breeder isn't like becoming a Beast Tamer, where you have to awaken your talent first. Didn't you see? His family runs a breeding base. He's been exposed to it since childhood, and if he's talented too, it makes sense! But that skill he developed..."
"Woodheart! Now that's interesting..."
Discussions broke out throughout the hall. Almost everyone now knew that there was a special pet beast breeding base on the outskirts of Linzhou City, and that it had produced such a young Intermediate Breeder.
What was more, the skill he had developed was the exceedingly rare Woodheart.
Though many remained skeptical, the Breeder Association's endorsement undoubtedly sparked intense interest in this unfamiliar, unusual place.
After all, Linzhou City was known as the Dragon Nation's greatest source of wood element pet beasts, and Forest Wolves were among their most iconic examples.
For a time, Su Ping's name found its way into many conversations.
Meanwhile, the genius Breeder who had earned the Breeder Association's recognition had dragged his utterly exhausted body home sometime after six that evening.
After returning the equally exhausted Forest Wolves to the woods, some of them even bearing injuries that had completely healed, Su Ping collapsed onto the sofa and finally let out a long breath.
Beside him, Qin Xiaoxue shook her head.
"I really don't get you. You're only earning that little in rental fees for a whole day. Is it worth wearing yourself out like this? Or are you just so out of shape you're a scrawny weakling?"
Su Ping did not even have the strength to talk back to Miss Qin. He merely rolled his eyes at her. This young lady had no idea.
After all, ever since returning, she had been playing with his Xiao Qing. But when had the great Breeder Su gotten a moment's peace today?
He had to command and coordinate all the rented Forest Wolves, tend to the injured ones, and guard against any of them refusing to obey him.
He could not rest for a single moment.
Honestly, this really was not work just anyone could do.
Fortunately, he had gained something from it.
If nothing else, a full three of those sixteen Forest Wolves had achieved breakthroughs in their skill levels today!
Remembering the stunned looks on the Beast Tamers' faces during their matches, Su Ping's lips curved into a faint smile.
That was right. In just a single day, three Forest Wolves had achieved skill breakthroughs.
Although they had only advanced from beginner to proficient, the most basic progression, it was enough to prove that Skill Level could improve and break through quite quickly in actual combat.
That was precisely the value of practical combat.
Still, renting them out while putting them through combat training really was too exhausting.
It left Su Ping without even the energy to supervise their Self-Healing training that evening.
Thinking about it that way, the losses really did seem to outweigh the gains.
He shook his head helplessly. Though it was hardly ideal, Su Ping made up his mind: either he would wait until he could hire people to oversee the pet beast rentals without having to go himself, or he would do less of this sort of work in the future.
Previously, Su Ping had chosen to rent his wolves out at Uncle Guan's place for practical combat training rather than have his own Forest Wolves fight one another. Besides giving them experience fighting other pet beasts, there had been another reason.
Medical treatment and the facilities had also been major considerations.
At Yuntian, earth element pet beasts were specifically assigned to repair the grounds after battles. Otherwise, even that task alone would have been extremely difficult.
Now, however, Su Ping suddenly felt that he might as well do the opposite: rent some pet beasts to serve exclusively as sparring partners, along with the Beast Tamers whose pet beasts could restore the grounds. At least he would not be so exhausted that he had no energy left for anything else.
At worst, wouldn't it just cost him a little money?
Although Su Ping had no money now, that did not mean he would have none in the future.
Old Liu had spoken with such absolute confidence. Surely he could send at least some business his way?
If another hefty sum like this came in, perhaps he could try buying some other types of pet beasts and properly explore the Myriad Spirits Codex's capabilities.
Just as Su Ping sank into these wonderful fantasies, Qin Xiaoxue suddenly spoke from beside him.
"There's something I want to ask you. That Manager Guan-he's been doing more than renting pet beasts from you lately, hasn't he?"
Huh?
Su Ping raised an eyebrow and looked at the solemn Qin Xiaoxue.
Before you continue