The beast taming hall was packed to the rafters, buzzing with excitement.
The teachers took turns drawing lots.
As Shen Wushuang stepped onto the stage, he overheard the whispers of the other teachers.
"Don't draw Nánjiāng Second High School, don't draw them!"
Shen Wushuang was even more confused. Were they that afraid?
The slip he drew had a circular mark on it, identical to the one drawn by the teacher from Nánjiāng Third High School.
"Damn it! So unlucky?"
The special training class teacher from Third High School cursed internally, realizing they didn't even have a chance to compete for the top four.
Everyone descended from the stage, and the official start of the competition was next.
A sweet-looking host stepped onto the stage and announced,
"Today marks the beginning of Nánjiāng City's 981st Beast Taming Competition! I'm sure the contestants from all the major high schools are eager to begin!"
"To reward the geniuses of the new era, special prizes have been set up!"
"The first-place winner of the competition will not only represent Nánjiāng City in the provincial competition but will also receive beast taming resources worth five million!"
"Second and third place will receive two million and one million in beast taming resources respectively!"
"While the rewards for the beast taming competition might not be overly generous,"
"the focus is on honor, and the Ministry of Education will pay more attention to high schools with higher rankings."
"Next, let's talk about the rules..."
The host briefly explained the rules and then announced the commencement of the competition.
"First match, Nánjiāng Second High School versus Nánjiāng Third High School! Let's welcome the contestants from both schools!"
Chen Shu remained composed, leading Xia Bing and Xu Xiaoyu to their designated spots as contestants.
Unlike the calm demeanor of Second High School, the team from Third High School looked dejected and dispirited, as if they had been utterly exhausted the night before.
It was unbearable for anyone to have waited so long for the competition, only to not even have a chance to form a contract.
The Mayor of Nánjiāng City looked back and said, "Principal Li, your school's team seems to be in low spirits!"
"Uh..."
Principal Li chuckled and said no more.
On the competition stage, Wang Teng took a deep breath and said,
"Everyone, pull yourselves together! Even if we surrender, let's show our spirit!"
"The match begins!"
The host announced, simultaneously leaving the competition stage.
Wang Teng's eyes gleamed with confidence and pride, his entire demeanor instantly reversing.
"I, Wang Teng, have never been defeated in my life! And today will be no different!"
He spoke, his voice not loud, but filled with unwavering conviction.
"Excellent! This is the kind of student I want to see – full of vigor and never giving up!"
"This is what the geniuses of the new era should be like!"
"I've heard of Wang Teng from Nánjiāng Third High School for a long time. Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he's also incredibly confident!"
Government officials and powerful beast tamers in the audience murmured amongst themselves.
Wang Teng's confidence reminded them of their own youthful days, even igniting a sense of fervor within them.
"Referee!"
Wang Teng's eyes shone, a dismissive arrogance in them, and he said in a deep voice,
"We wish to surrender!"
"????"
In an instant, the previously boisterous beast taming hall fell silent as if struck by a silencing spell.
The entire audience's mouths hung agape, their eyes vacant, utterly stunned.
"What's going on?"
"Weren't you just showing off so well? Why are you folding so quickly?!"
A group of government officials and members of the Spirit Suppression Bureau all looked over, equally bewildered.
Wang Teng frowned, his spirit soaring once more, and said in a deep voice,
"I repeat, I wish to surrender!"
If he didn't surrender now, wouldn't his lifelong record of never being defeated be broken?
Chen Shu also showed a flicker of surprise, unable to help but give a thumbs-up.
"Your psychological fortitude is truly remarkable!"
He wondered why he hadn't recognized this talent when he first saw Wang Teng.
The referee looked over with a speechless expression. He could understand the surrender,
after all, when Fang Si participated in the beast taming competition, there were teams that surrendered directly.
But other teams surrendered with listless expressions and words filled with helplessness.
Why was this guy saying it with such passion and inspiration?!
"Nánjiāng Second High School wins!"
The referee directly announced the result. The competition rules did not prohibit surrender.
The contestants from both schools left the competition stage.
The entire venue remained silent, not a single murmur of discussion.
They had expected the first match to be spectacular, but who knew it would turn out to be such a ridiculous scene.
"Why do I feel like this year's beast taming competition is a bit off..."
Someone vaguely sensed something amiss.
"Principal Li, I demand an explanation!"
The Mayor of Nánjiāng City frowned and looked over.
The Principal of Third High School looked helpless and then glanced at the other principals beside him.
They exchanged bitter smiles and began to explain the reasons,
while some agitated principals even complained about Chen Shu's brutality!
When the name Chen Shu was mentioned, the important figures in Nánjiāng City raised their eyebrows, clearly having heard of him before.
Last year, he single-handedly defeated seven major high schools.
Everyone was aware of such a formidable feat.
Upon hearing that Chen Shu had visited seven high schools before the competition and forcefully compelled contestants to surrender with his strength,
everyone couldn't help but react...
"This is even more ruthless than Fang Si three years ago!"
"Moreover, if you're so strong, why don't you just prove it on the competition stage? Why force others to surrender?"
"Chen Shu..."
Everyone rubbed their foreheads, suddenly feeling a headache.
"Mayor, this student has no regard for rules and believes that with his strength, he can do as he pleases!"
A school principal spoke, clearly holding a long-standing grudge.
"What's more, he calls himself the 'Nánjiāng Outlaw'! Does that sound like a student?"
"I suggest disqualifying him from the competition!"
Mayor Zhou shook his head, a hint of admiration in his eyes.
He said, "For a beast tamer, strength is dignity. Moreover, he hasn't broken any laws. This proves he has his own bottom line in his actions. The government and the Spirit Suppression Bureau can't do anything about him."
"Now, what I'm most concerned about is, is his Slime truly that strong?"
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions faltered, followed by a deep sigh.
"Strong, and unreasonably strong..."
"His Slime is definitely not F-grade, and it's highly possible that even S-grade contract spirits can't defeat it!"
"I suspect that pile of excrement is Super S-grade!"
The other principals chimed in. Although they disliked Chen Shu, his strength was indeed universally acknowledged.
"Nánjiāng Second High School has a promising talent!"
The Mayor of Nánjiāng City and the Director of the Spirit Suppression Bureau exchanged glances.
Although his actions had detracted from the spectacle of the competition, it didn't really matter.
Ultimately, this competition was just Nánjiāng City's internal affair.
If Chen Shu could achieve a ranking in the provincial competition, it would bring fame to Nánjiāng City throughout the province, and that would be a significant matter!
At this moment, Chen Shu was unaware that he was being discussed by the important figures of Nánjiāng City. Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
He hadn't done anything outrageous.
He had merely engaged in some friendly pre-competition exchanges, was that wrong?
"Brother Wang Teng! Your demeanor today has truly opened everyone's eyes!!"
Chen Shu grinned. He hadn't expected the other party's psychological fortitude to be so strong; even his surrender was filled with confidence.
Wang Teng replied indifferently,
"Hmph! I will catch up to you! On that day, I will formally challenge you!"
"If I can't beat you at the Basic level, I'll challenge you at the Black Iron level. If I still can't beat you, then I'll challenge you at the Silver level..."
He firmly believed that justice would eventually triumph over evil!