One of the chief examiners spoke, "If there were beast taming level tests this year, you'd get extra points, but unfortunately, there aren't."
Chen Shu spread his hands and looked at Ye Qing. "Elder Ye, wasn't it agreed that the admission letter would be delivered personally?"
Ye Qing shook his head. "Take the test according to the rules first!"
He also felt a headache. If Chen Shu had broken through to the Black Iron level earlier, with his provincial competition championship and exceptional strength, he might have been directly admitted to Huaxia Academy. But you, kid, breaking through at the last minute, playing it by ear, who could have expected that? Ye Qing couldn't abandon his proctoring duties to rush to Huaxia Academy to secure a guaranteed spot for Chen Shu. If Chen Shu skipped the exam and didn't get a spot, wouldn't he just become a street bum?
Seeing Chen Shu's slight reluctance, Ye Qing persuaded him, "Take the test properly, it's a double insurance!"
"Fine." Chen Shu shook his head, as if a thought had struck him, and a flicker of excitement appeared in his eyes. "With two Black Iron level contracted spirits now, I can do whatever I want!"
"My potential assessment is D, I'll probably only get 20 points. The maximum is 100, so I'm losing 80 points right off the bat," Chen Shu mused. "I need to do something big and get full marks in the combat assessment! Plus the 20 points from the beast taming competition, and I'll be safe."
Soon, order was restored, and the potential assessment test continued.
About an hour later, the internal examination officially concluded. Everyone ate something, and the ten-day combat assessment would officially begin in the afternoon. Over five thousand students had lunch at the Spirit Suppressing Army outpost.
While eating, the topic of conversation among everyone was Chen Shu's husky. Besides finding it absurd and unbelievable, everyone felt relieved. Although Chen Shu's "excrement monster" was incredibly strong, this husky was a solid D-class, and with no close-combat abilities, it was truly not strong. Smirks appeared on everyone's faces: "It seems that once we reach the Black Iron level, we have a real chance of surpassing him!" For a beast tamer, one incapable contracted spirit meant they couldn't become a top-tier expert.
"Chen Pi, your luck is almost too good."
Chen Shu and his two friends sat together, eating simple working meals.
"What's wrong?"
"The first slime was bizarre enough, and now it's a husky. Do any of your contracted spirits have intelligence beyond normal contracted spirits?"
Chen Shu looked helpless. "Do you think I wanted this? You know nothing. This is fate's arrangement. Because my intelligence is too high, my contracted spirits are a bit stupid. This is the way of balance!"
Xu Xingxing said, "In any case, congratulations! After the college entrance exam, we'll have to blow through the Blazing Sun Hills, right?"
Neither of them had expected Chen Shu to become a Black Iron level at such a critical moment. But in their hearts, they felt a bit of regret that Chen Shu's second contracted spirit's potential rating was too low.
Chen Shu didn't seem to care too much. No one knew that the bug wasn't in the slime, but in Chen Shu himself. He could cultivate any contracted spirit into a heaven-defying existence.
After lunch, the third-year students officially began the combat assessment! The examiner explained various rules and precautions, then instructed the students to leave the Spirit Suppressing Army outpost.
"Student Chen Shu, I am your proctor!" a middle-aged man said. He was responsible for recording the actions of Chen Shu and his two companions throughout the assessment. "I've heard of you. I look forward to your..."
Before the proctor could finish, the three of them directly boarded a mutated thunderbird and sped away.
"What is this?!" His eyes widened, and he looked dumbfounded. "I've been left behind at the start?"
"Du Ming, you go," Ye Qing said. His eyesight was extremely sharp, and he could faintly see the mutated thunderbird in the distance, its rear accelerating. The middle-aged man beside him nodded and immediately summoned a fierce, red flying creature.
Chen Shu was quite unique, being personally proctored by a Silver level beast tamer. The other examinees all left the outpost. No one chose to fly away; instead, they advanced cautiously and steadily. Although an examiner was following them, there would be no life-threatening danger, but if the examiner had to rescue them, their scores would be significantly reduced, essentially forfeiting their chances at top universities. Even if one couldn't guarantee their own safety, any high talent would be a joke.
"Chen Shu, what do you say?" Xu Xingxing and the other friend looked at him. Everything was up to his decision, just like in the Frosty Canyon before.
As Chen Shu was about to speak, options suddenly appeared before his eyes.
[Option One: Head directly into the depths of the Blazing Sun Hills! Reward: Skill Book Ice Ball Barrage]
[Option Two: Set up camp and start a vacation! Reward: Element Beast Fire Attribute +5%]
[Option Three: Trick other examinees into working together, as there's strength in numbers! Reward: Three bottles of Black Iron level Fire Potions]
Chen Shu was slightly stunned. Now that he was a Black Iron level beast tamer, the system's rewards included the husky. "Let's fly deeper!" The danger in the Blazing Sun Hills was even less than in the Azure Yuan Forest. Most of the beasts were ordinary level, posing no pressure to him. Only in the depths might there be powerful fierce beasts, and the skill book was clearly more precious. The husky was all-attribute. Although it didn't have a bonus for elemental skills, it wouldn't be weakened either. For example, a fire-attributed contracted spirit, depending on its potential rating, would have a 5%-30% bonus on fire-attributed skills. However, if it learned other skills, its power would be reduced. All-attribute and single-attribute had their own advantages and disadvantages. The husky had [Elemental Mastery], clearly capable of learning all-attribute skills.
The mutated thunderbird wiggled its hindquarters and accelerated forward.
"I feel a bit of pressure from these three proctors," Du Ming frowned, having a bad premonition. He shook his head, and the flying creature beneath him immediately gave chase. He wore a proctor's badge on his chest, which not only proved his identity but also contained a camera device to record all the actions of the three students. The scoring would not be done by him; specialized examiners would score based on the video afterward.
Not long after the mutated thunderbird flew out, a strange roar suddenly came from below.
"Hmm?" The three of them looked down in unison. Xie Sunan summoned her insect butterfly and released her scout skill. "Xiao Xing, lower the altitude a bit!" The insect butterfly's eyes glowed, as if it had detected something.
Xie Sunan said, "It's a mutated Level Nine fierce beast!"
Chen Shu nodded. His eyesight had been enhanced, and he also saw the fierce beast below. Three giant rats, about half a meter in size, were gathered together. Their fur was earth-yellow, but their front claws were extremely sharp, occasionally flashing with a cold glint.
"Digging Beasts?" Chen Shu immediately recognized them. Their racial bloodline was not high, and even their mutated bloodline was only at Level Nine.
"Let me try!" Chen Shu felt a bit of interest. He hadn't even tested the husky's strength yet after contracting it. The three of them immediately descended. Du Ming followed from a distance, recording their actions.
"Come out! My Husky!" Chen Shu opened the beast taming space, and the husky bounced out. Its intelligent eyes surveyed the surroundings.
"Awooo!" The husky's Black Iron level aura spread out. It howled, looking fierce. The three Digging Beasts instinctively felt fear and retracted their bared teeth.
"You know to be scared now?" Chen Shu grinned and said, "Go! Husky King!"
However, after the husky ambled around, its intelligent eyes looked towards the not-yet-closed opening of the beast taming space. Under everyone's watchful eyes, it actually burrowed back inside.
"Ah, this..." Chen Shu's eyes widened. "What the heck is going on?!"
Xie Sunan and Xu Xingxing covered their mouths, trying their best not to laugh out loud.