In the Yanhuang Empire, there exist individuals of mixed blood, possessing the bloodline power of certain special spirit beasts.
These mixed-blood individuals either inherit their lineage from the Totem Era, or even more ancient mythological eras. Of course, some have also modified their bodies through current technological means for specific reasons.
However, Zheng Dong did not expect Shen Bing to be a mixed-blood, and a very strong one at that, possessing the bloodline power of the Undying Nether Phoenix.
With the surge of this Undying Nether Phoenix bloodline power, Shen Bing's aura grew even closer to that of a General-level spirit beast.
This immediately revitalized everyone’s spirits.
"Holy crap, is Brother Dong going to be overturned by Shen Bing?" Ning Wei exclaimed in surprise.
"Shut your crow's mouth, Zheng Dong won't lose that easily!" Bei Wen couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Yu Qian also nodded.
However, at this critical juncture of the match, they were all very nervous.
Not only them, but Principal Liu and the others also felt uncertain.
Only Shen Bing's supporters became excited.
In the live broadcast hall, Sun Xinxin had forgotten to ask questions, and like all the viewers, was staring intently at the big screen.
Zheng Dong, however, did not panic.
He still had over two hundred clones by his side, and Xiao Zi and her clones had also gathered through spatial movement.
Although Shen Bing was powerful, Zheng Dong guessed that she couldn't maintain this state for long.
In other words, whoever could hold on until the end would win!
At the same time, Shen Bing did not hesitate, raising the Soul Slayer Sword and unleashing the ultimate skill, Annihilation, once more towards Zheng Dong.
This sword strike was even stronger than the previous one.
Zheng Dong even felt that using the combination skill, Earth Vein Leap, might not be enough to dodge it.
Since that was the case, he would meet force with force.
Under the shocked gazes of everyone, Zheng Dong and many of Xiao Zi's clones voluntarily stepped in front of Shen Bing.
What were they doing?
Committing suicide?
Or had they given up directly and were preparing to concede?
Immediately after, Zheng Dong and many of Xiao Zi's clones used their ultimate skill, Rapid Regeneration, formed by the combination of Enhanced Self-Healing and Infinite Devour.
As Shen Bing's sword fell, the unleashed power was continuously absorbed by these clones.
Due to Rapid Regeneration, these clones lasted longer than before and could drain more of Shen Bing's power.
As one clone after another was destroyed, Shen Bing's unleashed power gradually dissipated.
Soon, only Zheng Dong and Xiao Zi's main bodies remained.
Shen Bing, unwilling to accept defeat, let out a roar and unleashed her final burst of power, striking towards Zheng Dong.
Zheng Dong remained unfazed.
He could see that Shen Bing was at the end of her rope, about to collapse.
At this moment, he had also activated the ultimate skill, Rapid Regeneration, and could use other skills to counter Shen Bing at any time.
Therefore, he had no reason to fear. He extended his right hand and grabbed Shen Bing's Soul Slayer Sword.
At that moment, everyone was stunned.
He had actually caught it!
Had he won just like that?
They had never expected such an outcome.
Shen Bing was also stunned, seemingly not having fully processed it yet.
But even so, she did not give up.
She was even more competitive than her sister, Shen Xue.
Risking unconsciousness, she unleashed Netherflame.
Instantly, the eerie black flames spread along the Soul Slayer Sword to Zheng Dong's right hand, burning with a sizzling sound. The flames seemed to burrow into his flesh, and Zheng Dong felt not only an intense burning sensation but also the gnawing of countless insects, making him feel uncomfortable and strange.
Damn it, showing off really does bring disaster!
Zheng Dong regretted reaching out to catch Shen Bing's Soul Slayer Sword.
Fortunately, Rapid Regeneration could still absorb the power of the Netherflame, continuously healing Zheng Dong's injured right hand.
However, the speed at which the Netherflame damaged his right hand was clearly faster than Rapid Regeneration could heal it.
Seeing the Netherflame about to spread from Zheng Dong's palm to his entire body,
Zheng Dong prepared to disengage.
At this moment, a mysterious power erupted from Zheng Dong's body.
This power was unfamiliar and weak, but its essence was no less than the bloodline power of the Undying Nether Phoenix that Shen Bing had unleashed.
Soon, countless fine scales grew on Zheng Dong's right hand. These dark green scales completely blocked the Netherflame.
Upon witnessing this, Shen Bing, unwilling to accept defeat, fainted. She had exhausted her power and would likely need a period of recovery before she could fight again.
Meanwhile, Zheng Dong stood frozen in place.
Could it be that I'm also mixed-blood?
How come my cheap parents never mentioned it!
Zheng Dong's mind was filled with questions.
He felt it was necessary to go back and search through the things his parents left behind to see if he could find any relevant clues.
As Shen Bing fell and the Netherflame disappeared, the dark green scales on Zheng Dong's right hand also vanished, and he could no longer sense that unfamiliar power.
While Zheng Dong was still in a daze, the referee announced his victory.
Simultaneously, the beast masters responsible for medical treatment rushed to provide aid to Shen Bing and her spirit beast.
Shen Xue also ran over. Seeing that her sister Shen Bing was alright, she then looked at Zheng Dong.
Zheng Dong had defeated her, and then defeated her sister, which proved that it wasn't an issue of her own lack of skill, but rather that Zheng Dong was inherently strong.
Therefore, she actually hoped Zheng Dong would win.
"Hmph, don't get too happy too soon. I'll be able to defeat you sooner or later! Also, don't worry, I'll honor my bet. Give me your phone, and I'll help you add my sister's private contact."
Zheng Dong was somewhat surprised. He had thought Shen Xue was just saying it, but she was actually serious.
Whether he added her or not was of little consequence to him, as long as Shen Bing could help him awaken a heroic spirit.
This way, he would have one more spirit beast than other beast masters, which might save his life at a critical moment.
...
Meanwhile, the referee quickly repaired the arena and asked other participating students if anyone wanted to challenge Zheng Dong.
Mo Shan, Tan Xiong, and other students who had never fought Zheng Dong all shook their heads.
Are you kidding? Who would want to challenge a monster like that? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
Didn't they see that even Zhao Yang, Shen Xue, and Shen Bing, these freaks, had all been defeated by Zheng Dong?
Zhao Yang, in particular, had lost to the point of questioning his own existence.
In the live broadcast hall, Sun Xinxin also asked:
"Grandmaster Bai, who do you think will challenge Zheng Dong next?"
"I don't think anyone will. Unless they've got water in their brains, no one would go up there to embarrass themselves. The outcome is already clear, Zheng Dong should be the Rookie King of this year's competition!" Bai Jiang said with a smile.
More than ten minutes later, after confirmation from all referees and the organizing committee, no participating students dared to step forward to challenge Zheng Dong. Zheng Dong thus won the title of Rookie King for this session.
Next was the awards ceremony.
The award would be personally presented to Zheng Dong by Xiao Lin, the president of the Rongcheng Beast Master Association.
The prizes were 20 million Dragon Yuan, a villa, and a skill inheritance bead for Supernormal Perception.
What Zheng Dong wanted most was Supernormal Perception.
Supernormal Perception would allow him to quickly lock onto his opponents' positions and states.
Xiao Lin handed the skill inheritance bead to Zheng Dong.
"Student Zheng Dong, I have high hopes for you. Also, I have an additional benefit for you. After the awards ceremony, remember to come find me!"
Zheng Dong was somewhat surprised and nodded.
After all, it was a good thing, and he had no reason not to.
Subsequently, Zheng Dong declined all interviews and found Xiao Lin in an office at the battle arena.
Besides Xiao Lin, Shen Bing and Shen Xue were also present.
Shen Bing looked very weak. If not for the medical beast masters using their spirit beasts for treatment, she would likely still be unconscious.
"Alright, everyone is here, now I can speak. The Qin Emperor's Relic, have you heard of it?" Xiao Lin said, looking at Zheng Dong and the others.
Zheng Dong nodded slightly.
But to Zheng Dong's surprise, Shen Bing and Shen Xue also nodded along.
As for Xiao Lin, he was even more surprised. He had originally intended to explain in detail, but he didn't expect Zheng Dong and the others to already know.
"Then I won't say too much. To enter the Qin Emperor's Relic, you need to participate in the Yanhuang Genius Selection Competition. We have three spots for Rongcheng, which I can give to you. You will represent Rongcheng and participate in the Genius Selection Competition in Qin Du.
A total of 24 people will be selected to enter the Qin Emperor's Relic.
In addition to the recommendation spots for each city, major key departments such as the Beast Master Corps, the Relic Bureau, and the Breeding Bureau also have recommendation spots.
Therefore, the number of participants is always large, and the competition will be fierce. Your strength needs to be further improved, especially Zheng Dong, you need to contract your second spirit beast as soon as possible.
If you have any difficulties, you can bring them up, and the Rongcheng Beast Master Association will do its best to help you resolve them.
Finally, I must remind you that geniuses from other countries might also participate. I do not have the authority to know the specific selection process and rules."
This surprised Zheng Dong. He hadn't expected that entering the Qin Emperor's Relic would require such a rigorous selection process.
Most importantly, there were only 24 spots.
This seemed quite high.
From now on, he might have to face geniuses from all over Yanhuang, and even foreign geniuses.
The Qin Emperor's Relic was valued more than he had anticipated.
After all, everyone wanted to obtain the Qin Emperor's inheritance of infinite evolution.
Possessing this talent not only allowed him to evolve his own spirit beasts but also to help other beast masters evolve their spirit beasts, and even discover some hidden evolutionary paths for spirit beasts. In a sense, it could influence the strength of the Yanhuang Empire.
As for why foreign geniuses would participate, Zheng Dong couldn't understand. This might be a decision made by the Yanhuang Empire's higher authorities for some reason.
Zheng Dong didn't dwell on this issue too much. What he needed now was to contract his second spirit beast as soon as possible.
The Gem Cat had not yet grown, so it was not currently within his consideration.
He planned to find a spirit beast of the Undead type that he could contract himself.
An Undead-type spirit beast, combined with the Undead Battlefield talent bead he possessed, would allow him to unleash his strongest combat power.
The selection competition would be held in mid to late September, with the exact date yet to be determined.
This meant Zheng Dong had about a month.
Xiao Lin continued to say a few encouraging words to the three of them. As he had other matters to attend to, he left the office.
As for Shen Bing, she needed rest. She and Shen Xue did not chat much with Zheng Dong.
Afterward, Zheng Dong also left the battle arena and was dragged away by Ning Wei and the others to celebrate.
This time, Zheng Dong was treating. The 20 million prize money had already arrived in his account.
As for the villa, one was arranged for him nearby in the Anhe District, not far from where he currently lived. Zheng Dong planned to go and see it later.
In a private room at a hotel in the Long'an District, Zheng Dong, Ning Wei, and others were seated together.
"Brother Dong, I'm a junior beast master now too. Guess what my second spirit beast is?"
Immediately, Bei Wen and Yu Qian wore strange expressions.
Zheng Dong felt that the chubby Ning Wei must not have contracted anything good.
"Still a mechanical spirit beast?"
"That's a must! My dream is to be a mechanic!" Ning Wei said proudly.
"Could it be a humanoid mechanical life form? Did you contract a mechanical beauty!" Zheng Dong guessed, recalling the expressions of Bei Wen and Yu Qian.
Ning Wei was stunned.
"Holy crap, Brother Dong, you really are a good brother, you know me so well, you even guessed this."
Saying that, Ning Wei summoned his second spirit beast, a mechanical life form that looked no different from a normal human.
"Brother Dong, this is my Jing Kong. Its racial level is High Monarch, it can currently transform into 18 combat forms, possesses high intelligence, and has mastered the ultimate skill, Divine Net. Not only is its combat power strong, but its computational deduction and strategic planning abilities are also very strong.
My dad said that she can not only compensate for my lack of combat IQ and assist all my future mechanical spirit beasts in coordinated combat, but also serve as a life secretary and housekeeper, taking care of my daily life."
Zheng Dong felt countless storm clouds passing through his mind.
Your dad really treats you well!
However, this mechanical spirit beast looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
At this moment, Bei Wen couldn't help but interject:
"Don't listen to his nonsense, he made it all up. His dad is busy with club competitions and doesn't have time to manage him. He asked his dad for money to contract this mechanical spirit beast himself."
"There's no difference. My dad giving me money means he agrees! And as long as I pass the junior professional beast master assessment in October, my dad won't care about these things.
By the way, Brother Dong, which university are you planning to attend? I plan to follow you to the same university and participate in the professional assessment together," Ning Wei said with a smile.
The professional assessment was organized by the Beast Master Association. Passing it would not only result in a certificate but also a monthly stipend for junior beast masters.
Although Zheng Dong was now considered a junior beast master, he had not passed the professional assessment and was not officially recognized. He was still receiving trainee beast master subsidies each month.
However, Zheng Dong had not yet decided which university to attend.
He had won the title of Rookie King for Rongcheng this year, so any university would likely welcome him.
At this moment, the door to the private room was pushed open, and a short-haired woman in her thirties walked in.
Zheng Dong and the others didn't recognize her and thought she had entered the wrong room.
To their surprise, the woman spoke:
"Hello, Student Zheng Dong, it's really not easy to find you! I'm from the admissions office of Modu University, Song Qing, Teacher Song.
Our Modu University desperately needs beast master geniuses like you. Are you interested in coming to Modu University?"
Song Qing was wearing a professional suit and was dressed very formally.
Moreover, she was quite attractive.
Her sole purpose in coming to Rongcheng this time was to recruit the Rookie King of Rongcheng into Modu University.
This was a task assigned to her by the Modu University admissions office.
Completing it would bring substantial rewards.
Of course, besides the Rookie King, it would be even better if she could recruit a few more talented individuals.
Therefore, after the awards ceremony, she had been looking for an opportunity to connect with Zheng Dong.
Unfortunately, Zheng Dong had slipped away quickly.
Upon hearing Song Qing's identity, Ning Wei and the others were all surprised.
Zheng Dong was also somewhat taken aback.
The admissions office had come knocking so quickly! And it was Modu University, one of Yanhuang's nine top universities, a school that others would scramble to get into.