As one of Qingzhou City's three Beast Taming High Schools for Beast Tamers of the appropriate age, Second Beast-Taming High School had the best teaching resources.
It had no fewer than three regulation athletic fields equipped with four-hundred-meter tracks.
At that moment, Class 6 of the first year was holding its afternoon lesson-skill training-in the open area at the center of one of those fields.
"Training skills is unquestionably important for improving a Contract Beast's strength!" Zhao You, their Skill Training Class teacher, spoke in a stern voice to the students standing in four rows.
"Training skills is the fastest way to improve skill proficiency. At the same time, repeatedly depleting and restoring a Contract Beast's power can stimulate its potential and accelerate its growth. That's two benefits in one."
"So you must take it as seriously as possible!"
"Over your three years of high school, I expect every one of your Contract Beasts to reach starlight-level skill proficiency!" Zhao You paused briefly, then suddenly raised his voice. "Is that clear?!"
"Yes, sir!"
The students all jolted, then shouted their response at the top of their lungs.
"Stay sharp, all of you!" Zhao You barked, then brought forward the hand he had held behind his back. In it was a thick notebook.
"This is our monthly assessment lesson." Zhao You patted the notebook in his hand. "Four weeks ago, I recorded the proficiency of each of your Contract Beasts' skills. Now I want to see the progress you've made this month!"
"Skill Training Class at a Beast Taming High School replaces PE at ordinary high schools, but that absolutely does not mean they're the same!"
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his gaze turned menacing as he looked at the students. "If you think Skill Training Class is like PE, and being dismissed means you can go play, you're sorely mistaken!"
"Old Zhao gives this speech every assessment lesson. I'm sick of hearing it." In the ranks, Lin Yue secretly pursed her lips and whispered her complaint to Su Xiaoxiao beside her.
Before Su Xiaoxiao could respond, a furious shout rang out.
"Lin Yue, step forward!"
"Yes, sir!" Lin Yue abruptly straightened, her expression instantly turning meek. Like a mouse that had spotted a cat, she obediently left the ranks and walked over to Zhao You.
"I'm talking, and you're talking too." Zhao You's expression grew dangerous. "You must be very confident. In that case, you can take the assessment first!"
"...Okay."
Lin Yue's face fell. She obediently stood before the large open area already cleared nearby, and light wove into a six-pointed star behind her.
Amid swirling gusts, a giant eagle with azure wings flew out of thin air. After circling twice overhead, she landed on Lin Yue's shoulder.
An uproar suddenly broke out among the students.
"What's going on? Why does Lin Yue's Azure Wind Eagle look like that?"
"No idea! She didn't look like that during yesterday's appearance assessment. It's only been one night, and she practically looks like a different Contract Beast."
"Wait...why does this feel so familiar?"
"Now that you mention it, I think so too..."
"Quiet!"
Zhao You silenced the whispers with a sharp command, then carefully examined the Azure Wind Eagle on Lin Yue's shoulder. A hint of approval entered his eyes.
What a majestic Azure Wind Eagle. She really does look impressive. Lin Yue must have put quite some effort into raising her Contract Beast this month.
"Let's begin. The Azure Wind Eagle has three skills: the two-star skills Wind Rend and Feather Blade, and the one-star skill Keen Eyes. Show us Wind Rend first." As Zhao You spoke, he opened his notebook and checked the various figures recorded during Lin Yue's assessment last month.
"Xiao Yu, Wind Rend! Give it everything you've got!"
Now that the assessment had actually begun, Lin Yue dropped her earlier flippant manner. With a serious expression, she pointed at an extremely thick Alloy Plate a short distance away, signaling the Azure Wind Eagle to attack.
"Whoosh!"
The Azure Wind Eagle beat her wings and left Lin Yue's shoulder, turning into an azure arrow as she hurtled toward the Alloy Plate. Then she stopped abruptly in midair. Her sharp talons erupted with dazzling azure light as she made a tearing motion toward the Alloy Plate from a distance.
Supernatural wind power formed an azure blade of light, silently slicing into the Alloy Plate before dissipating.
"Penetration depth...11.3 centimeters." Zhao You glanced at the reading on the measuring equipment and announced Lin Yue's result.
Then he looked down at Lin Yue's result from a month earlier, and surprise crept onto his face.
One month earlier: 9.3 centimeters.
The Alloy Plate used to test skill power was specially made. The deeper an attack penetrated, the tougher the material became, and it could also repair itself.
A difference of two centimeters seemed unremarkable, but a quick calculation told Zhao You just how much progress Lin Yue's Azure Wind Eagle had made this month.
Meanwhile, Lin Yue herself looked surprised.
What's going on?
She knew her own situation best. Although she had worked hard on skill training this month, the improvement had not been particularly noticeable.
Even without taking precise measurements, she could tell that Xiao Yu had performed much better today than before.
"Next, test Feather Blade."
Zhao You's voice quickly brought Lin Yue back to her senses.
Forget it. Keep going!
"Xiao Yu, Feather Blade!"
The Azure Wind Eagle circling overhead charged once again toward the Alloy Plate, which had already repaired the previous cut. Her wings erupted with dazzling azure light, then she flapped them forcefully toward the plate.
Solidified energy feathers whistled toward the Alloy Plate like throwing darts. There were so many, packed so densely, that they almost formed a wall of luminous feathers.
"173 feather blades, maximum depth 4.4 centimeters..." Looking at the freshly produced results, then at the record from a month earlier, Zhao You fell silent again.
One month earlier: 132 feather blades, maximum depth 2.9 centimeters.
If the improvement in Wind Rend had been substantial, then the improvement in Feather Blade was downright astronomical.
"Next, test Keen Eyes." Zhao You took a deep breath and spoke slowly.
"Okay." Lin Yue had also noticed something unusual about her Azure Wind Eagle and hurriedly led her over to an instrument designed specifically to test distance vision.
The results soon came out.
"This one is normal, at least." Zhao You compared the results from a month apart and nodded slightly. Then he looked at Lin Yue with a serious expression. "Did you put your Contract Beast through intensive training this month?"
"No?" Lin Yue shook her head blankly. "I just followed your suggestions for training my Azure Wind Eagle's skills."
"My suggestions?" Zhao You sank into thought. "Simply following my suggestions produced results like these?"
After each assessment, he would casually offer the students a few suggestions for their next stage of training, but those were only meant to serve as general guidance.
Zhao You knew his own limits. If he really had that kind of ability, he would not need to work here as a teacher.
"That's right. Surely it wasn't because the Azure Wind Eagle got Grooming yesterday?" Lin Yue said offhandedly, then suddenly froze.
She whipped her head around and met Su Xiaoxiao's shining eyes in the crowd.
No way, right?
Before you continue