By the time the two completed their contract and left the Beast Taming Shop to return home, it was already dusk.
Gu Xing pushed open the door, and a familiar figure made him freeze in place.
"Sister?"
Gu Qianqian turned at the sound, her chestnut ponytail drawing a graceful arc in the air.
"Xiao Xing, you’re back?" She waved with a smile, "Come and eat."
Since Gu Qianqian was admitted to the National Academy, the siblings hadn’t seen each other for half a year.
At the dinner table.
"Sister, why did you come back so suddenly?"
"I took a mission in Lin Yuan City, and happened to pass by, so I came back to see you."
Her gaze landed on Liu Li, who was sitting upright, and a flicker of curiosity appeared in her eyes, "Is this your Guardian Beast?"
At this moment, the young girl straightened her back, her hands neatly placed on her knees.
Upon hearing Gu Qianqian’s question, she suddenly gave a standard ninety-degree bow, her forehead hitting the table with a "bang."
"Hello, sister!"
Gu Qianqian was startled at first, then laughed at the adorable reaction: "No need to be so formal, we’re family from now on."
Only then did Liu Li raise her head, her face flushed red, nodding like a pecking chick.
As the laughter subsided, Gu Qianqian’s expression gradually became serious.
She put down her chopsticks and looked straight into Gu Xing’s eyes:
"Xiao Xing, you must seize the opportunity in tomorrow’s Newbie Trial Space."
"The military has isolated a safe zone in the Alternate Space; the highest monster level is only 5. This is the best opportunity for newcomers."
"And the Newbie Trial can only be entered once, it’s the only buffer given by the military."
Gu Xing nodded silently.
Once entering the true Alternate Space, even Commander Level Beast Masters could encounter misfortune.
The world’s levels are divided into:
Awakening, Extraordinary, Commander, Monarch... Each major level is further divided into ten sub-stages.
Currently, he is merely standing at the lowest Awakening Level, so he needs to be extremely cautious.
Grasping every opportunity to grow quickly is his primary task at the moment.
The meal ended quickly with Gu Qianqian’s reminders.
With a mission at hand, Gu Qianqian didn’t stay long, she only took a few hours leave to come back for a visit.
Seeing her brother safe and sound, she felt at ease.
...
In a blink, the next day arrived.
The entrance to the Newbie Trial Space was bustling with activity.
Countless students gathered here, either seeking to form teams or looking for someone strong to follow.
Although it’s a Newbie Trial Space, a single misstep could cost one’s life.
Therefore, for commoners, teaming up is the best choice.
"Looking for an offensive Beast, our team is four short of one!"
"Anyone big willing to take me along? I’m a healer-type Beast, and also a sweet 36D girl, promise to behave once inside the Trial Space!"
"Whoa? A humanoid Beast... Where did this boss come from? Quick... looking for a team!"
A humanoid Beast signifies powerful combat ability. As Gu Xing led Liu Li in, they instantly attracted countless gazes.
But soon, everyone understood the identity of this humanoid Beast.
"Isn’t that Gu Xing? Didn’t he sell his summoned humanoid Beast to the Chen Family? Where did this humanoid Beast by his side come from?"
"I remember, this Beast was summoned at the altar last year, she’s supposed to be a dud!"
"Contracting with a Beast that can’t level up at all, has he completely given up?"
This time, no one dared to team up with him, and they moved slightly away from him.
Bringing a dud Beast into the team, isn’t that just courting death?
This made Gu Xing even happier.
There were so many people at the trial entrance, people like him who came later couldn’t even squeeze in.
Now it’s fine, the crowd automatically parted, and the path ahead was clear without obstruction.
Under everyone’s gaze, Gu Xing calmly walked to the entrance.
"What a strange guy..."
"Looking at him, is he planning to not team up and enter the Trial Space alone?"
"Isn’t he just looking for death?"
Gu Xing completely ignored these whispers, just as he intended to register with Liu Li to enter the Trial Space.
Suddenly, an odd voice came from behind:
"Yo~ isn’t this that who?"
Chen Ziming walked over, holding the Enchanting Demon close, deliberately rubbing his temples as if trying to think.
"Gu... what was it again?"
The Enchanting Demon in his arms immediately caught on, responding coquettishly:
"Master, his name is Gu Xing~"
"Ah yes, Gu Xing!"
Chen Ziming exaggeratedly slapped his forehead, a sneer flashing in his eyes.
"Speaking of which, I have to thank you. If it weren’t for your ’generous offer,’ how could I have contracted such an excellent Beast?" Saying so, he pinched the Enchanting Demon’s waist hard with his right hand.
"Hmm... Master..."
The Enchanting Demon let out a coy moan, rolling her eyes secretly but quickly putting on a sycophantic smile,
"Only by being with a genius like you, Master, can I truly realize my value."
Witnessing this, those around chimed in:
"How can a commoner like him compare to Young Master Chen? An Epic Level Beast can only truly unleash its power in Young Master Chen’s hands."
"Moreover, he’s now contracted with a dud Beast, so even more, he can’t compare to Young Master Chen!"
"Exactly, in this trial, Young Master Chen is sure to sweep the field and take first place."
The Newbie Trial Space, specially built by the military at great cost, is valued far beyond a simple upgrade venue.
All Magic Beasts placed in it are implanted with special markers, each successfully killed by a Trial Taker automatically accrues points.
Outside the Trial Space, the military has set up a precise monitoring system, tracking each Trial Taker’s point changes in real time.
This system not only records final results but also accurately assesses a Trial Taker’s combat talent and growth potential through the rate of points acquisition.
The collected information will all be recorded into the system and used as the final evaluation for the college entrance exam.
Gu Xing looked at Chen Ziming and the others’ performance with a calm expression, even carrying a faint smile on his lips.
When a person’s strength is far above others, they can face others’ taunts with ease.
Only the weak get angry over some insults.
Clearly, with a contract of a Legendary Level Beast, Gu Xing is not weak.
However.
Beside him, the young girl was trembling with anger, her silver teeth clenched, her pink fists clenched white-knuckled, about to rush forward to argue...
"Liu Li." Gu Xing timely reached out to stop her.
"The most important thing now is the Newbie Trial, don’t let them affect your mindset."
Liu Li looked up into Gu Xing’s calm eyes, and the fury churning in her chest gradually subsided.
She took a deep breath and nodded heavily.
However, in her heart, she vowed that next time she would give it her all.
She must show everyone that her master is truly first.
The real number one!
...
...