Time, whether fast or slow, is all a matter of fate.
Sometimes it feels particularly fast, and sometimes it feels particularly slow.
For example, during the process of diligently studying, Shi Yu felt that time passed particularly quickly.
Add a few points, read a book, take a nap, and before Shi Yu knew it, it was already September 4th.
On this day, before dawn, Shi Yu got up, as he had to catch the noon flight. The distance from Pingcheng to Bingyuan City Airport was quite far, so he had to sacrifice a bit of sleep.
"Hah..." In the villa, Shi Yu, yawning, began to pack his luggage, his eyes still drowsy.
When he finished packing, the ride he had booked was already waiting for him on the side of the road. After getting in the car, Shi Yu closed his eyes for a brief rest.
"Sir, sir, we're here."
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Yu had been trying to dispel his drowsiness through meditation, but when he heard the driver call him, he was no longer sleepy.
Seeing the driver's honest face, Shi Yu understood that the driver was likely speaking from the heart.
"Here already, thank you, sir."
Shi Yu smiled and paid the fare, then got out of the car with his luggage, waving goodbye to the driver.
Speaking of luggage, it was just a small backpack containing some documents and a bottle of water. As for the rest, they were stored in the Relic Pearl...
Shi Yu glanced at the time, 8:30 AM, and thought he could still grab something to eat.
He looked around and found that the airport was already bustling with people. For something to eat, the most convenient options were egg pancakes, roujiamo, grilled sausages, and boiled corn... Taking advantage of the early time, Shi Yu bought a cup of soy milk and a roujiamo to tide himself over.
"You guys should also take care of yourselves." Shi Yu said to the Relic Pearl, where Eleven and the Green Silk Worm were.
Then, he started heading towards the airport. Before boarding, Shi Yu had a question: If the plane is a mechanical life form, who is responsible for the passengers' bathroom needs? Even if the internal environment is detachable, any mechanical engineer with a bit of OCD might not be able to be a pilot...
...
Half an hour later, Shi Yu completed the registration process and smoothly passed through security. He had been worried that the Relic Pearl might be a prohibited item, but it seemed that nothing was detected.
Safety rating: Poor!
What if someone puts a bomb in a spatial device and brings it on the plane?
Hmm... It might not be that complicated, after all, Beast Tamers are like walking bombs.
"The flight to Guducheng Airport is about to take off..." In the waiting area, Shi Yu heard the announcement and started to take out his phone, opening the scanning function.
【Name】: M-50 Lightning
【Attribute】: Mechanical
【Race Level】: Medium Commander
【Growth Level】: ???
【Race Skills】: ???
【Description】: An artificial mechanical life form used for combat, transportation, and reconnaissance.
Looking at the plane's data, there were too many points to criticize, and Shi Yu didn't know how to comment. However, he thought that riding such a plane should avoid incidents like bird strikes. Even if it were an extraordinary bird, it might be shot down before it could get close to the plane.
"This encyclopedia doesn't record the detailed skill data of the plane... But that's normal. If it were too detailed, what if there were hijackers?" Shi Yu thought, and he couldn't help but be concerned about the plane's safety.
"Ah, let's get ready to go." Shi Yu got up from his seat, looked out the window, touched the Relic Pearl around his neck, and took a deep breath.
Bingyuan City, Bingyuan Airport.
Soon, the mechanical life form plane named M-50 Lightning took off slowly. After boarding, Shi Yu didn't notice any difference from a regular plane. Perhaps it would only show its true extraordinary abilities in dangerous situations.
Although Shi Yu really wanted to experience how the plane and the mechanical pilot would handle bad weather or encounters with flying beasts, he couldn't wish for the plane to have an accident. He wasn't some death god elementary school student who had a knack for causing trouble wherever he went.
The beautiful white plane sliced through the blue sky, dividing it in two. Until the flight announcement indicated the end of the journey, everything remained calm.
Shi Yu came out of his meditation and looked out the window, seeing a strange city with countless buildings rapidly growing larger.
...
Guducheng Airport.
After arriving at his destination, Shi Yu quickly moved away from the crowded area. He didn't like environments with too many people.
After quickly leaving, Shi Yu took out his phone and started navigating to Guducheng University.
The total area of Guducheng University, including all its campuses and training grounds, was comparable to the size of the entire Pingcheng district, making it very large. In fact, the nine top universities in Donghuang were all very vast.
Because of this, the open days of these universities usually lasted about a month. Otherwise, with fewer days, the aspiring students who came from afar might not be able to see everything.
Shi Yu didn't plan to finish his tour on the first day. Today, he just wanted to familiarize himself with the routes.
"The Combat Department of Guducheng University isn't very strong, nor is the Breeding Department. Only the Archaeology Department seems to be good?"
Shi Yu muttered to himself while navigating, recalling the gossip and summaries he had seen online.
However, this "not very strong" was relative to other top universities. Each of the nine top universities had its own flagship majors, which was quite normal.
Moreover, even the less popular majors were not weak. They were filled with elites, and the students were mostly around 20 years old, professional Beast Tamers. The teachers were all masters, and their strength was unquestionable.
"The closest is the North Campus, the territory of the Combat Department. Let's go there first." After determining the location, Shi Yu decided to walk over.
"Do you want to come out for some fresh air?" At the same time, Shi Yu asked Eleven and the Green Silk Worm inside the Relic Pearl.
"Chirp! Chirp!"
However, the answer was no. Eleven was busy eating because he was tired from the recent training, and the Green Silk Worm was staring intently at the ice dragon painting, deepening its impression.
"Alright." Shi Yu shrugged helplessly and decided to go on his own.
Shi Yu didn't know how long he wandered, but he soon arrived at the entrance of the North Campus of Guducheng University.
Since it was the open day, the number of people gathered here was naturally significant. The massive gate, over a hundred meters wide, was grand and elegant. Outside, young Beast Tamers and their pets looked up at the name "Guducheng University" with excitement.
These Beast Tamers were like parents bringing their children to visit the university, with the pets being the children.
"..." Shi Yu felt a bit envious seeing other Beast Tamers with their pets by their side, while he was alone.
In his previous life, when he went out with friends, others always had girlfriends, and he didn't, which was fine.
Now, it wasn't fashionable to show off girlfriends; instead, it was fashionable to summon rare pets and show them off.
Shi Yu also wanted to show off his giant panda, but unfortunately, the panda thought wandering around was a waste of time and refused to come out, saying to call it only when there was a fight.
"Then let's find a fight!" Shi Yu thought that with so many young Beast Tamers here, there must be a place for combat in the university, and he started walking.
Coincidentally or not, he hadn't taken two steps when a well-dressed young man with a selfie stick suddenly shouted:
"Who wants to fight in the campus combat arena? I'm invincible, you can go easy on me."
His shout immediately attracted the attention of many people, who started discussing and looking at him.
Normal young people wouldn't dare to shout like that, fearing social death.
However, when everyone saw him holding a live streaming device, they understood why he was so bold.
"Haha, a streamer?" Many people laughed, finding it interesting.
Shi Yu also found it interesting, but the next words made him turn and leave.
"Requirements: Pre-professional, two pets at the Extraordinary level, double battle, no low-levels."
Good grief, goodbye!
Shi Yu felt a bit nauseous. What kind of person sets such standards? Would anyone actually accept?
However, not long after the young man spoke, another young man, about the same age as Shi Yu, showed interest and said, "I'll take you on."
Shi Yu: "..."
Pre-professional meant someone who had left the apprentice stage but hadn't passed the professional exam yet.
Generally, the young people visiting the university were not professional Beast Tamers, as they were all here to prepare for next year's exams.
However, non-professional Beast Tamers were usually divided into two levels.
One was like Shi Yu, with a Level 1 Beast Space and an Awakened pet.
The other was a Pre-professional with a Level 2 Beast Space and an Extraordinary pet who hadn't taken the exam yet.
Clearly, among the young Beast Tamers planning to apply to Guducheng University, there were already some geniuses with a Level 2 Beast Space and two Extraordinary pets.
"Four more months, no rush, no rush. By then, Eleven and the worm should also be Extraordinary."
Shi Yu consoled himself.
"Classmate, do you want to fight?" As expected, the Beast Tamers wandering around the North Campus were not idle. After one person initiated a challenge, another invited Shi Yu to a battle.
Shi Yu looked at the person and asked, "What level is your pet?"
"Low Extraordinary." The boy replied naturally.
Shi Yu said, "Alright, it's勉强可以..."
The boy asked, "What about you?"
"Awakened Level 9?"
The boy: (￣_￣)
He rolled his eyes, turned around, and left, thinking that fighting Shi Yu would be a waste of time, leaving Shi Yu confused.
Hey! Hey! Hey! Who are you looking down on!
Extraordinary is so great, my Level 9 Awakened Iron Eater isn't weak either!
"Ah, this..." In any case, Shi Yu watched the boy leave, feeling speechless.
Then, Shi Yu analyzed the situation. The Iron Eater might not be able to fight a true Extraordinary creature.
Of course, the prerequisite was that the opponent's skill proficiency and race level were not high, and the Beast Tamer did not have a strengthening talent...
Hmm, it seems a bit risky.
"Forget it, forget it, no fight, just look around." Shi Yu yawned and decided to wander around and then go back to sleep!
...
Inside the North Campus of Guducheng University, there were many combat arenas.
During the open day, the university supported the young Beast Tamers visiting to engage in battles.
As for the referees, they were senior students who volunteered, and as long as the university gave them some credits, many were willing to stay and act as NPCs.
"Damn, so intense."
As Shi Yu wandered, he came to a combat arena. The arena was larger than the one where they competed for the Evolution Holy Spring, divided into several areas, and was very lively.
He had just arrived at one of the areas when he heard someone exclaim.
Shi Yu looked at the arena and saw two young Beast Tamers, probably not much older than him, engaged in battle.
One pet was a Mystic Water Crocodile Turtle, and the other was a Ground Rock Lizard. Both pets had reached the Extraordinary level, so their skills were extremely powerful.
This was because, when a pet evolved from the Awakened stage to the Extraordinary stage, its energy level underwent a qualitative change.
If the energy of an Awakened pet was like a weak breeze, then the energy of an Extraordinary pet was like a stream, with higher quality.
This change in energy brought a significant increase in the power of the pet's skills!
"Rumble!!!"
In the arena, the Ground Rock Lizard raised a wall of sand, which, although a low-level skill, had been refined to a proficient level in terms of speed and structure.
"Roar!!!"
However, the wall of sand was easily penetrated by a water blast from the Mystic Water Crocodile Turtle, successfully hitting the Ground Rock Lizard.
Mid-level skill, Water Blast!
The skill proficiency was not yet proficient, but due to the elemental advantage, it still dealt a heavy blow to the Ground Rock Lizard.
However, unlike the short battles of apprentices, this battle was prolonged. After being hit, the Ground Rock Lizard stood up, glaring at its opponent.
During the battle, the Mystic Water Crocodile Turtle's Beast Tamer was surrounded by water element fluctuations, a common Water Enhancement Talent that could strengthen the water skills of the Mystic Water Crocodile Turtle. Even though the Water Blast was only proficient, after the enhancement, its power was probably not inferior to a proficient Water Blast without the Water Enhancement Talent.
On the other hand, the Ground Rock Lizard's Beast Tamer had a more straightforward talent, the all-purpose Elemental Resistance Talent, which allowed the pet to resist any elemental attacks to some extent. Therefore, the Ground Rock Lizard could directly withstand the water blast, and its condition still seemed capable of fighting for a long time.
At the Pre-professional and professional levels, it seemed that talents were becoming popular.
"Good thing I don't have a combat talent." Watching their battle, Shi Yu thought to himself.
After this battle, these two Beast Tamers would probably be weakened. He wondered if they had prepared any supplements.
His skill encyclopedia was much better. He just needed to add points in daily life, and during battles, he could just give commands, without the need for the immense physical and mental effort required by other Beast Tamers.
However, in the future, when Shi Yu encountered Beast Tamers with strengthening talents, he might be at a slight disadvantage. The outcome of the battle would depend on the effectiveness of his points on his pet compared to the combat enhancement provided by the other Beast Tamers' talents.
"If this is the level, I think Eleven can handle it, but it would probably be like the battle with the Ice Dragon, requiring full power to have a chance of a one-hit kill..."
Shi Yu quickly assessed the gap between Eleven and the two pets in the arena. However, this was because the race levels of these two pets were not high, and they were just newly Extraordinary. If their attributes were stronger, Eleven might not stand a chance.
Next, Shi Yu continued to wander around.
He noticed that those who dared to show off and engage in battles here all had pets at the Extraordinary level or higher.
This was normal, as with only four months until the professional exam, if a pet hadn't reached the Extraordinary level, the chances of getting into Guducheng University would be slim.
At the same time, Shi Yu also noticed that these Extraordinary pets all had at least one proficient skill, and occasionally, he could see simple combination techniques. This made Shi Yu realize that these young Beast Tamers preparing for the professional exam were indeed something...
His opponents in four months would not be the same as those he faced during the Evolution Holy Spring competition.
Those people, like him, were not yet at the level to take the professional exam.
If he took the professional exam at the Guducheng Association, he would face a group of Beast Tamers with a Level 2 Beast Space and two Extraordinary pets...
Some second-generation Beast Tamers might even have three pets, and the offspring of Commander-level races would not be rare...
"I understand. Even though we are all new, it's like the Chunin Exam in 'Naruto.' Who would consider two Jinchuriki and a Taijutsu monster who can open five gates as Genin?"
As everyone knows, Genin are the strongest.
Similarly, there might be a group of monsters hidden in the professional exam.
No wonder Lu Qingyi said that the professional exam at the Guducheng Association was challenging and that he should quickly develop using the Relic Pearl...
As far as Shi Yu knew, there was no unified passing standard for the professional exam each year. Instead, it was based on a ratio, so reaching the professional level with an Extraordinary pet did not guarantee passing the exam.
Therefore, the professional exam in big cities was more difficult than in small cities, as passing in a big city increased the chances of being noticed by top universities and top companies.
This is also true on Earth. A Fortune 500 company wouldn't recruit from a regular third-tier university, but graduates from top universities like Tsinghua and Peking would be sought after by various companies. The professional exam is just as realistic.
This system also created a strange phenomenon.
A group of people who could easily pass the professional exam in small cities were not satisfied and kept taking the exam in big cities for years without passing. These people were likely extremely strong, as there were no age or attempt limits for the professional exam, and they had more time to accumulate experience!
Even encountering an 80-year-old in the professional exam was possible.
Of course, while it's commendable for such an elderly person to take the professional exam, no university or company would be interested... Even if they won first place, they would have no potential left, and Guducheng University had age restrictions for applicants.
Therefore, strength is important, but the potential and talent shown are also crucial.
"No problem, no problem..."
Although Shi Yu felt a bit of pressure, as he had started much later, he still felt it wasn't a big issue.
Just add points, and there's no need to rush. After all, he wasn't aiming to be the top of his class; passing the exam was a victory!
...
That afternoon, Shi Yu spent his time watching battles, mainly observing the manifestation of the Beast Tamers' talents. He wouldn't admit that he