At that moment, Lu Ran was warmly patting Captain Doofus’s head.
As expected of my dog, so exceptional.
“Woof!” Captain Doofus shook its head proudly.
Gu Qingyi approached and said, “Congratulations, both of you. You really did it.”
She smiled, feeling joy as a researcher in familiar evolution, witnessing a brand-new evolutionary path unfold.
“And its awakened species talent is definitely among the highest-level talents I’ve seen. It’s hard to imagine a talent showing up in a familiar’s first trait fusion. Moreover, it doesn’t seem to perfectly align with that trait.
“Looking at it this way—weapon experience, weapon talent, lifebound weapon... it seems a completely new evolution route could indeed open up.”
Gu Qingyi crossed her arms, her smile deepening. If she had previously encouraged Lu Ran to strive to become the strongest of the fourth-generation beastmasters, Lu Ran and Captain Doofus would now seem truly qualified in her eyes.
Lu Ran and Captain Doofus were playfully scuffling, overflowing with joy.
“Although you’re seventeen, still a minor, you should pay attention to your image. Try not to act like a child.” Gu Qingyi glanced at Lu Ran. “I know you’re excited, but shouldn’t you be testing its strength now?”
Boys... so immature, Gu Qingyi thought to herself.
“Oh, right,” Lu Ran said.
He turned to Captain Doofus.
“Did you just comprehend sword intent?”
Captain Doofus looked at Lu Ran eagerly, having indeed grasped something new. After the Weapon Control Trait Fusion, it felt one with the Frosty Sky Greatsword.
Its understanding of the sword had reached a whole new level. In an instant, the Blizzard Sword Momentum it had previously mastered underwent a transformation. Captain Doofus, holding the Frosty Sky Greatsword, pondered and looked toward the ocean.
Just then, a shadow appeared on the water’s surface! Seeing this, Gu Qingyi commented, “That’s our target. It looks like it was drawn by all the commotion just now. Show it what you’ve got.”
[Species Rank: Superior-Transcendent]
Though it hadn’t surfaced, both Gu Qingyi and Lu Ran could sense this marine predator.
The Frosty Sky Greatsword trembled with cold energy, and with a swift swing, Captain Doofus unleashed a sword qi infused with Blizzard Sword Intent, hurtling toward the ocean!
The water split in two, countless sprays freezing into ice crystals. The most astonishing part for Lu Ran was the splitting sound that followed as the cleaved ocean surface froze from the icy power!
Frozen water! Inside... was a frozen shark sculpture! The shark, with a blank gaze, had a deep, bloody slash across its fin.
Only when the surrounding seawater surged back did the frozen rift disappear! Though a single sword qi didn’t kill the shark, the displayed power made Lu Ran’s eyes gleam!
Indeed... the power of frost!
“I mentioned before that the second stage of energy formation, Intent Formation, can give familiars seemingly magical powers.
“The Blizzard Sword Intent it comprehended relies on Intent Formation, and now it has fully integrated the blizzard’s essence into its spirit.
“So, the sword techniques it uses will now embody the same icy fury! Now, you could practically consider it a dual-attribute familiar,” Gu Qingyi said.
“Not bad. This is the first doofus with such remarkable comprehension that I’ve ever seen.”
“Elemental sword intent, huh?” Lu Ran couldn’t help but grin. “I thought I’d be the first to master it, but this Weapon Control Trait has boosted its swordsmanship talent and experience far beyond my own.”
But that’s fine. Your sword intent may be powerful now, but soon, with my Super Beast Mimicry, it will be mine too!
“In any case, you two have a bit of that ‘pro vibe’ now.” Gu Qingyi laughed.
“The key to distinguishing rookies from seasoned beastmasters lies in energy mastery.
“Now that it has learned Intent Formation, you can also start exploring more advanced energy manipulation techniques. Don’t waste its aptitude.
“Though you’ve perfectly mastered the basics of all four energy manipulation techniques, that’s only the start. In the end, it’s all about advanced techniques. Remember the ice swords that floated around it earlier?”
“Yes.” Lu Ran recalled, glancing at the ground.
Though the ice swords were beginning to melt, he couldn’t forget the magnificent image of Captain Doofus surrounded by dozens of icy swords.
“It reminded me of the legendary sword control.” Gu Qingyi smiled.
“I’ve seen enough fantasy dramas to know that such feats are possible with one more level in energy projection. Basic energy projection is simply projecting energy outside the body.
“The next level, however, lets familiars control this projected energy freely. Imagine unleashing a storm of flying swords. Isn’t that similar to the so-called sword control?”
Lu Ran’s eyes brightened.
“Dr. Gu, you get it! I’ve thought about this before.”
Captain Doofus looked at Gu Qingyi, giving her a paw up.
Alright, lady. You get the vibe. Approved.
“Keep it up!” Gu Qingyi said, laughing.
“In forty-five days, I want to see you take first place at the Freshman Competition.”
“The Freshman Competition... what’s that?” Lu Ran blinked.
“Fang Lan didn’t tell you? When you enter Beastmaster University, they hold an assessment for freshmen. Based on performance, students are placed in elite or regular classes, assigned to different campuses, and trained at varying intensities.”
“She mentioned it, but I’m planning to apply for the Forging Department. Isn’t this a test for the Combat Department?”
“Ah...” Gu Qingyi paused.
Then, looking at Captain Doofus’s species talent and combat style, she thought: Well... the Forging Department does seem fitting for Lu Ran. After all, he couldn’t rely on others to forge every sword for Captain Doofus.
“No worries. The assessment likely won’t limit you by department. You could compete as a freshman from the Forging Department,” Gu Qingyi said.
“Is the assessment that important?” Lu Ran asked.
“Of course,” Gu Qingyi replied.
“Beastmaster University is a national cradle for training fourth-generation beastmasters, and the government places great importance on these newcomers. So, the Alliance has invested heavily in rewards for this freshman competition!
“Thanks to these rewards, many heirs of beastmasters who initially didn’t plan to attend university have decided to give it a shot. After all, they could always leave once they get the rewards.”
Lu Ran’s interest, previously lukewarm, was piqued at the mention of rewards.
“First place supposedly wins a mysterious King-ranked familiar egg. This was the guild leader’s reward from the ascension realm.”
“A King Species egg? So, it hatches into a King-ranked familiar at birth?”
“Yes, a born King, without any trait fusions or new attribute awakenings. Just a natural King Species. This egg is from another world, possessing formidable innate advantages, incomparable to Blue Planet’s newly evolved species.” Gu Qingyi glanced at Captain Doofus and continued.
“The familiars we bond with on Blue Planet mostly start as ‘ordinary animals’ and must evolve to raise their species rank, while familiars from the various beastmaster civilizations connected through Limitless City may be born at the pinnacle of Blue Planet’s evolutionary chain.
“Their parents, after all, are already mighty Transcendent beings. A King Species hatchling, even at level 1 or 2, could easily overpower level 10 or higher Transcendent species in combat.
“It’s rare for a secret realm to reward a ‘real life’ entity, so this mysterious King Species egg is invaluable. With proper training, it could one day reach the Overlord rank. The guild leader seems hopeful for fourth-generation beastmasters by offering it as the top prize.
“I’ve heard from the guild leader that the creature within this egg may hatch into a unique lifeform. Not necessarily an animal.” Gu Qingyi smiled.
Lu Ran blinked, wondering what it could be.
“Even getting second or third place will offer ample rewards. Winning these is a shortcut to rapid progress for fourth-generation beastmasters. Feeling up for it? I imagine you’ll need plenty of money soon...”
After all, you have a sword-hungry dog to feed.
“Great! With Captain Doofus’s strength now, taking first place should be no problem.” Lu Ran was eager.
“Woof!” Captain Doofus nodded.
Naturally! When it came to fights, it wasn’t afraid of anyone! Freshly evolved, Captain Doofus felt invincible. Wanting to match his familiar’s attitude, Lu Ran’s confidence also soared.
“Focus, please. With that kind of mindset, you might fail,” Gu Qingyi said, gazing out to sea.
“Don’t let the Heavenly Familiar Ranking confine your vision. The world is vast. Even at the rookie stage, you’ve probably seen a few beastmasters using beastmaster skills, right?
“Many talented beastmasters have actually learned skills that expend their stamina to strengthen their familiars.
“Currently, their physical capacities are limited, so they can’t fully utilize these skills. But in forty-five days, many rookies will have completed the ascension realm and become level 1 beastmasters. Then you’ll face beastmasters with terrifying beastmaster skills.
“Especially those from influential backgrounds. Once they reach the appropriate level, they’ll acquire trait crystals and beastmaster skills, sometimes more than one. Their paths are prepped for them.
“Moreover, just as your Captain Doofus reached Intermediate Champion rank through its first trait fusion, other beastmasters may also have familiars that achieved Champion rank through their first fusion.”
“Once they reach Champion rank, they disappear from the Transcendent Heavenly Familiar Ranking. Those stronger individuals are your real opponents.
“Additionally, the competition likely won’t allow excessive reliance on external gear, so whether you can use rare weapons is uncertain,” Gu Qingyi chuckled.
“If you’re limited to using a basic wooden sword, will Captain Doofus still be this powerful?”
Lu Ran paused, realizing that if equipment and weapon grades were restricted, the beastmaster heirs would certainly get creative.
If restricted, Captain Doofus would be significantly weakened. And Gu Qingyi’s words reminded Lu Ran that the strongest fourth-generation beastmasters weren’t necessarily on the Heavenly Familiar Ranking.
If their familiars had already reached Champion rank, they wouldn’t appear on the Transcendent Heavenly Familiar Ranking. These individuals were the hidden talents. Only outliers like Pluto cared so much about being first place on the Transcendent Species Ranking.
“There’s more,” Gu Qingyi continued.
“Some of these individuals may also be psychics like you. Since the spiritual energy revival, it’s not just plants and animals evolving, but humans are, too. With the revival, the probability of psychics emerging has risen significantly.
“I know of a fourth-generation beastmaster who has awakened telekinesis. They are quite a formidable opponent.” Gu Qingyi shook her head.
“I understand...” Lu Ran sighed, feeling like he’d been doused with cold water.
“I’ll do my best to strengthen Captain Doofus and myself.”
“You have, at most, fifteen days to prepare. Over the next forty-five days, you need to enter the ascension realm and reach level 1 beastmaster status. Otherwise, going up against level 1 beastmasters as an Apprentice will be extremely difficult.
“The ascension realm has a maximum stay limit of thirty days. This means that regardless of whether you complete the breakthrough task, you’ll be there for thirty days.
“Make good use of the ascension realm. It’s crucial for rapidly boosting your strength in a beastmaster civilization world.”
“My suggestion, however, is not to rush. First, spend about ten days leveraging your advantage as an Apprentice in deeper Hell-level secret realms to accumulate resources. Then, on the final day, enter the ascension realm. Afterward, it’ll be time for the university entrance ceremony.
“Moreover, during this period, consider whether to contract a second familiar. Are you focusing on one familiar or creating a versatile team? When the time comes, there will likely be beastmasters with two familiars. With only one, you may face two-on-one situations.”
Gu Qingyi looked sternly at Lu Ran and Captain Doofus, outlining her suggestions point by point, making Lu Ran feel as though he were back in high school.
Cough... cough... Dr. Gu’s so strict.
Nearby, Captain Doofus wore a wise expression.
No worries. I don’t need to understand any of it. You do, Captain Lu.
[Ranking set at first place of the Transcendent Heavenly Familiar Rankings!]
Returning to Limitless City #3, Pluto felt disheartened after failing to secure the top spot in Limitless City #5, despite his efforts to complete his guild leader’s mission.
“Forget it. Let’s chalk it up to bad luck. That ‘Pedestrian A’ must have specifically gone to tackle the Abandoned Laboratory. With him there, it’s unlikely you’d reach first. He’s probably camping there for the Trait Crystal and won’t leave anytime soon.
“In that case, you should come back. Right now, no one knows how generous the rewards for the Heavenly Familiar Ranking will be, so with the top spot in Limitless City #3 open, you should return and claim it.”
Following Nebula’s advice, Pluto returned to Limitless City #3 and reclaimed the top spot.
At Beastmaster Square, discussions were lively.
“Hahaha, the online predictions were right. He tried for the top spot in Limitless City #5 but ran into Pedestrian A.”
“Do you think... Pedestrian A might suddenly come back too?” someone speculated.
In the crowd, Pluto, wearing a hat to hide his face, snorted. Impossible. That guy must still be grinding for Weapon Control Traits. There’s no way he can finish so quickly. It’ll take at least ten days or half a month before he’s back!
[Regional Announcement: Heavenly Familiar Ranking, Transcendent Species Ranking Updated.]
[Heavenly Familiar added.]
[Species: Sword-Bearing Dog]
[Species Rank: Superior Transcendent]
[Beastmaster: Pedestrian A]
[Reason for Inclusion: Description: Mutated from husky species, awakened the power of the storm, and fused with the trait ‘Weapon Control.’ Remarkable comprehension. In the public Tranquil Island, it split the sea with one strike, heavily injuring a Superior Transcendent species, Level 22, Blue Shark.]
[Ranking set at first place of the Transcendent Heavenly Familiar Rankings!]
Pluto froze, stunned by the announcement. His mind started buzzing.
“Damn it, he got it in one shot!”