After hanging up the phone, the two agreed to meet at the school entrance.
When Zheng Dong arrived at the school entrance, Ning Wei also arrived by taxi.
A胖子 wearing a blue school uniform ran towards Zheng Dong.
"Brother Dong! Brother Dong, let me see your treasure-hunting rat, has it really awakened to level 10?" Ning Wei asked with disbelief.
He knew how lazy Xiao Zi used to be.
"It's here!"
Zheng Dong patted the backpack on his back, and Xiao Zi poked its head out, crawling onto Zheng Dong's shoulder.
"It doesn't seem to have changed much."
Xiao Zi used its magnification skill, becoming about the same size as before.
Hearing Ning Wei's words, Xiao Zi became a little displeased.
Fatty, who are you looking down on!
I am the future king of treasure hunting!
Xiao Zi immediately used its mud skill on Ning Wei.
The ground beneath Ning Wei's feet instantly turned into sticky mud. His feet sank into it, as if sinking into thick mire, and he was stuck fast, unable to move.
"What the heck is going on?"
Ning Wei was a little flustered and looked at Zheng Dong for help.
Zheng Dong looked at the ground and knew that Xiao Zi was playing a trick on Ning Wei.
"Don't panic, Xiao Zi just wants to test the effect of its mud skill. It seems to be quite good, it can stick you. I estimate it can stick most medium-sized extraordinary creatures!" Zheng Dong said with a smile.
Ning Wei was stunned.
Damn it, you guys are testing skills on me! I'll see who's stronger when I contract the Mechanical Wolverine.
Afterward, Zheng Dong and Ning Wei found their homeroom teacher, Ms. Wang Guixiang, to register.
In the office, Ms. Wang Guixiang was all smiles when she heard that both Zheng Dong and Ning Wei had awakened special talents.
"Good, you two work hard, and it shouldn't be a problem for you to get into the nine top schools.
I'll register you here first. In three days, the classes will be reorganized. Our class probably won't be split up, but will be joined by students from other classes who have awakened talents.
You two prepare yourselves well. After the class division is completed, there will be intra-class ranking matches. After that, I will take everyone to the wilderness for training and practical combat.
After returning from practical combat, there might be school-wide ranking matches.
The rewards for the top ten in this school-wide ranking match are very generous, and you two can compete for them.
Your main opponents should be those students who were held back last year and awakened beast-taming talents. Some of them have had their awakened talents for a longer time, and their pet's growth level has already reached the extraordinary level.
By the way, what kind of pet did you contract?" Ms. Wang Guixiang asked.
"I contracted a mutated treasure-hunting rat, and Ning Wei plans to contract a Mechanical Wolverine!" Zheng Dong replied.
Immediately, Ms. Wang Guixiang frowned.
Although the treasure-hunting rat's racial level was medium extraordinary, its combat power was comparable to low extraordinary. Ms. Wang Guixiang felt that even if Zheng Dong's mutated treasure-hunting rat's racial level barely reached high extraordinary, its combat power wouldn't be too strong.
What a waste of a good talent!
"Zheng Dong, have you considered changing your pet? If you have any difficulties, I can help you!" Ms. Wang Guixiang said.
Zheng Dong shook his head.
"Teacher Wang, my treasure-hunting rat's combat power is not low. Why don't you test it!"
Seeing Zheng Dong's confident gaze, Ms. Wang Guixiang was slightly surprised and said,
"Really? It's a pity I don't know sealing techniques, and my pets' growth levels are too high, making them unsuitable opponents for your treasure-hunting rat.
How about we go to the virtual training room and see how strong your treasure-hunting rat is."
"Okay, I want to know too!" Ning Wei said with a smile.
Zheng Dong also wanted to see Xiao Zi's combat performance, so he didn't refuse. He, Ning Wei, and Ms. Wang Guixiang went to the school's virtual training room.
The virtual training room was a high-tech intelligent device that could simulate various environments and tens of thousands of extraordinary creatures to train pets.
After Ms. Wang Guixiang adjusted the equipment, she let Zheng Dong bring Xiao Zi into the virtual training room.
Ning Wei and Ms. Wang Guixiang watched Zheng Dong's battle situation from outside.
"Zheng Dong, prepare! Simulated environment: Northern Grasslands. Opponent: Awakened Level 10 Iron-backed Eagle." Ms. Wang Guixiang announced.
She had chosen a formidable opponent for Zheng Dong.
The Iron-backed Eagle was the natural enemy of the treasure-hunting rat, and its racial level was medium commander.
It could be said that a treasure-hunting rat of the same level would have no chance of survival when encountering an Iron-backed Eagle.
She didn't believe Zheng Dong would win.
She just wanted to see if Zheng Dong's mutated treasure-hunting rat had any value for further cultivation.
If not, she planned to use her own money to help Zheng Dong get a better one.
She didn't want Zheng Dong's beast-taming talent to be wasted like this.
Inside the virtual training room, Zheng Dong was not nervous at all.
The environment before him began to change.
In what seemed like an instant, he found himself in the Northern Grasslands, with cold winds, snow-capped mountains, and endless grasslands. Everything was incredibly realistic.
Accompanied by a sharp cry, an Iron-backed Eagle with a wingspan of nearly a meter circled above his head.
At the same time, a prompt with information about the Iron-backed Eagle also sounded.
[Name] Iron-backed Eagle
[Attribute] Wind, Metal
[Racial Level] Medium Commander
[Growth Level] Awakened Level 10
[Energy Value] 80
[Racial Skills]:
Low-tier: Wind Blade, Harden
Mid-tier: Wind Pressure, Wind Hammer
High-tier: Gold Shatter Claw, Super Vision
Wild Iron-backed Eagles, without the guidance of beast masters, could only learn racial skills. It was already quite good if they could master two high-tier skills.
Ordinary treasure-hunting rats did not possess high-tier skills. Xiao Zi, due to its mutation, possessed the high-tier skill Magnification.
It was imaginable that in the wild, a treasure-hunting rat encountering an Iron-backed Eagle would have no ability to fight back, only the option to flee.
As soon as the Iron-backed Eagle appeared, it launched an attack, giving Zheng Dong and Xiao Zi no time to prepare.
Rows of crescent-shaped Wind Blades flew towards them, covering the sky.
They were very fast and numerous.
It was a Wind Blade of Proficient level.
Zheng Dong was also within the attack range.
This battle not only tested Xiao Zi's energy but also Zheng Dong's beast-taming talent.
"Xiao Zi, Harden!" Zheng Dong shouted.
Both he and Xiao Zi unleashed the Transcendent level Harden.
The hardening substance instantly covered their entire bodies, blocking the Wind Blades.
The cyan Wind Blades struck Zheng Dong, making clanging sounds, but they left no marks on the black hardening substance.
The Transcendent level Harden not only greatly improved the coverage area and speed but also enhanced the strength of the hardening substance.
At this moment, Zheng Dong and Xiao Zi looked as if they were wearing thick black armor.
Ms. Wang Guixiang's eyes widened.
"Transcendent level Harden! This treasure-hunting rat is very unusual. It must train very diligently!"
Ning Wei was also stunned.
This was different from what he knew before.
He knew that Zheng Dong's treasure-hunting rat basically didn't train, lounging on the sofa during the day and perhaps going out for a stroll at night to find strange things.
"Chirp!"
Seeing that the Wind Blades had no effect, the Iron-backed Eagle became enraged and unleashed Wind Hammer.
Wind Hammer, a dual-element skill of Metal and Wind.
A cylindrical cyan-gray Wind Hammer appeared out of thin air and smashed down towards Xiao Zi.
Xiao Zi directly used its Shadow Transformation skill, its body quickly turning into a shadow.
The Wind Hammer smashed heavily onto the ground, creating a pit less than a meter deep.
Xiao Zi, transformed into a shadow, remained completely unharmed.
At that moment, Ms. Wang Guixiang's mouth slightly agape.
Another Transcendent skill.
Although it was just the low-tier skill Shadow Transformation.
However, this treasure-hunting rat, having just awakened to level 10, had mastered two Transcendent skills. It seemed somewhat unreasonable!
Moreover, Zheng Dong had awakened his beast-taming talent less than a month ago.
In such a short period, it would be good if the treasure-hunting rat's skills could be trained to the Proficient level.
Had Zheng Dong's parents helped him train this treasure-hunting rat before?
Ms. Wang Guixiang no longer believed that Zheng Dong had trained this treasure-hunting rat himself.
Perfectly evading the Iron-backed Eagle's attack, Xiao Zi, the treasure-hunting rat, looked provocatively at the circling Iron-backed Eagle.
"Stupid thing, come and get me!"
This provoked the Iron-backed Eagle into letting out a cry and diving down, claws extended towards Xiao Zi.
It wanted to tear Xiao Zi apart.
It used the high-tier skill Gold Shatter Claw.
The Iron-backed Eagle swooped down from the sky at extreme speed, giving Xiao Zi no time to dodge.
However, in the next second, nine identical Xiao Zis appeared in its place.
Xiao Zi had used Shadow Clone.
Each shadow clone used Gold Shatter Claw to attack the Iron-backed Eagle.
The Iron-backed Eagle was confused; it couldn't tell which one was Xiao Zi's true body.
It used Gold Shatter Claw to tear apart the Xiao Zi in front of it, but it was only a shadow clone.
Immediately after, it was decapitated by Xiao Zi's Gold Shatter Claw.
Then, the virtual 3D projection disappeared, and the simulated training battle ended.
"Damn it, Shadow Clone! When did Brother Dong's treasure-hunting rat learn Shadow Clone?" Ning Wei exclaimed in surprise.
He looked at Zheng Dong with envy.
He wished he had this skill too.
Ms. Wang Guixiang was also very surprised.
This treasure-hunting rat had actually learned Shadow Clone!?
It seemed its proficiency had reached the Proficient level.
How exactly did Zheng Dong train it?
Although Ms. Wang Guixiang was curious.
She did not ask directly.
After all, every beast master had their own secrets.
"Zheng Dong, very good. I see that one Iron-backed Eagle is no match for you. I'll add another one!" Ms. Wang Guixiang said.
She wanted to see Zheng Dong's limit.
Zheng Dong also didn't want to just win, he wanted to train more.
So, Ms. Wang Guixiang reset the Iron-backed Eagle's data.
Not only was the number increased by one, but the proficiency of all its skills had also reached the Master level.
She felt that this should be enough to force out the treasure-hunting rat's full combat power.
In the virtual training room, the environment changed again.
It was still the Northern Grasslands, with two Iron-backed Eagles circling overhead.
Wind Blades, like a fierce storm, swept towards them.
The number and intensity of the Wind Blades had increased several times compared to before.
The Wind Blades landed on the grasslands, tearing through patches of grass and leaving behind crisscrossing ravines.
But they did not harm Xiao Zi.
Xiao Zi used its Transcendent level Shadow Transformation, easily evading the Iron-backed Eagles' attacks.
"Squeak squeak, you two stupid things, come and catch me!" Xiao Zi taunted.
"Chirp!" The Iron-backed Eagles shrieked and angrily used Wind Pressure.
The Wind Pressure skill could restrict Xiao Zi's movement range. The invisible wind power seemed to envelop Xiao Zi like a large net.
Xiao Zi used its Earth Escape skill, easily burrowing underground to avoid the Wind Pressure.
Then it emerged from the grass not far away and waved its claws at the two Iron-backed Eagles.
"You two stupid things, I'm here!"
This provoked the two Iron-backed Eagles to dive down from the sky towards Xiao Zi. The Master level Gold Shatter Claw seemed poised to tear Xiao Zi apart.
It was very dangerous, but it was also an opportunity.