Qinghe City Beastmaster Association, monitoring room.
Watching the Terror Puppet Giant being blasted into dust by Lin Chuan's Assistance-enhanced Bomb Fruit on the 3D screen, Shi Kuanshan and Liang Lu both smiled.
Especially Shi Kuanshan.
Liang Lu had a relatively refined and reserved personality, while Shi Kuanshan's character was more uninhibited and bold.
Clapping his hands and laughing heartily, Shi Kuanshan was extremely happy.
It had been a long time since Qinghe City had seen a gate-keeping BOSS in a Secret Realm Assessment defeated and slain.
Not to mention Qinghe City, even other cities, or even capital cities, rarely saw graduating students defeat a Secret Realm Assessment's gate-keeping BOSS.
Every year, across the Star Rock Federation.
Out of a total of 526 Secret Realm Assessment test sites in all cities, including capital cities, only about 3 or 4 sites could defeat the gate-keeping BOSS, and these were almost exclusively capital city test sites.
Under normal circumstances, smart students among the examinees would often form multiple small teams to fight the BOSS, coordinating with each other, with one team drawing aggro for a while and another tanking damage for a while, simply dragging out the survival time.
The last time Qinghe City defeated a gate-keeping BOSS was 50 years ago, and that was purely by luck; if they tried again, it likely wouldn't work.
However, Lin Chuan and the others in this cohort defeated the BOSS with planning, organization, and perfect coordination.
Even if they repeated it once, or even ten times, they could still defeat it.
In other words.
This year!
Just for the Secret Realm Assessment stage, Qinghe City would likely rank among the top nationwide.
And including the first half, the overall score for the entire entrance examination, even if it couldn't break into the top 10, the top 20 was very stable.
He, Shi Kuanshan, and all employees of the Qinghe City Beastmaster Association would receive commendations for their political achievements from the Star Rock Federation, and he personally could go visit his old friends in the neighboring city to show off and brag a bit.
Hmm?
Defeating and slaying the BOSS, would that be a bit…?
Some test sites used certain powerful Spiritual Beasts as gate-keeping BOSSes, and in such cases, killing them was not allowed.
There would be corresponding protective measures for the gate-keeping BOSS Spiritual Beasts; they could be defeated and knocked down, but once their lives were at stake, an automatic protection program would activate.
However, for some test sites that used demonic creatures, especially those with almost no intelligence and great harm to humans as gate-keeping BOSSes, like the Terror Puppet Giant in Qinghe City's Secret Realm Assessment this time, slaying them was absolutely fine; in fact, the examiners behind the scenes even encouraged examinees to slay them.
After all, as Beast Masters, especially those who could get into top-tier Imperial Beast University, they were destined to step out of their comfort zones and into a brighter yet more dangerous path.
Sooner or later, they would have to face the demonic creatures and beasts outside human territory, those who harbored malice, hostility, and even relished eating humans.
If they didn't slay them, they would be slain and eaten by them; there was no room for a shred of soft-heartedness.
At the same time, for certain serious criminal Beast Masters, and anti-human evil organizations that worshipped and believed in evil demonic creatures, those people and their Spiritual Beasts also had to be dealt with decisively, directly slain.
…
Secret Realm Space.
Lin Chuan suddenly felt a bit melancholic; he found that the Secret Realm Assessment, which was previously full of challenges and dangers, suddenly became dull.
After Sakura evolved into Flower Spirit, her Illusion Attribute talent fully unfolded, combined with her Stage 2 level and many other Expert Grade skills.
Currently, in this Secret Realm Assessment space, no examinee or their Spiritual Beast could withstand Sakura's Rosemary Illusion Incense.
After all, they were all new Beast Masters with Beast Master levels below 10, and they hadn't undergone any resistance training or practice against illusions, so their illusion resistance was basically zero; they were almost guaranteed to be affected, just like their mental pollution resistance to Demon Attribute energy, where almost no one could withstand it and their combat power would be reduced.
Even Li Zeyu and Xu Ru were the same; even their Stage 2 Spiritual Beasts, Mutated Blue Feather Eagle and Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth, when facing Sakura's Rosemary Illusion Incense, would at least be forcibly controlled and hallucinated for 10 seconds, unless there was a loud noise or strong tremor from the outside to break the illusion early, just like before.
And these 10 seconds were enough for Guoguo to unleash a Super Golden Supreme Enhanced Expert Grade Bomb Fruit, combining Stage 2 Spiritual Wood Heart + Expert Grade Growth + Expert Grade Flower Leaf Dance + Normal Grade Assistance.
It could even be a more direct and simple operation, bypassing the Spiritual Beast and attacking the Beast Master directly.
No examinee could withstand this attack; let alone the Super Enhanced version of Bomb Fruit assisted by Sakura, who had evolved into Flower Spirit, even without it, the Bomb Fruit used by Guoguo alone would deal damage that examinees couldn't endure.
Therefore.
Lin Chuan felt melancholic; he had no opponents left.
Before, he wanted to have a good fight with Xu Ru, but now, he had no such thoughts; there was no challenge at all.
As long as he let Sakura spread her Rosemary Illusion Incense to cover the surroundings, Xu Ru wouldn't even have a chance to employ her shadowy combat style and ambush him from behind.
As for the score beads.
Lin Chuan looked at his score bead pouch; it was full, almost completely filling the small spatial pocket inside.
Not only did he have earnings from being a battlefield medic.
He also had a pile of score beads dropped from defeating and slaying the BOSS earlier.
Hmm, those 5 golden score beads and a small pile of purple and red beads were the leftover 'soup' Lin Chuan left for Li Zeyu, Xu Ru, and the other examinees in the Assault Team.
Lin Chuan also had a mischievous streak, subtly fanning the flames.
He wanted the other examinees to cause conflicts, even fight, which was why he deliberately left those score beads.
However, unfortunately, no fight broke out in the end.
Li Zeyu and Xu Ru, with tacit understanding, divided the 5 golden score beads through a small competition, leaving no golden beads for the other examinees who participated in the Assault Team, only purple and red beads remained.
The score beads dropped by the Terror Puppet Giant were, of course, more than just those.
The real 'bones and meat' were all taken by Lin Chuan; a full 17 golden score beads, and an even larger pile of purple and red ones.
Lin Chuan was too lazy to count them.
In his score bead pouch, there were at least 30,000 points worth of score beads.
With this score, Lin Chuan couldn't imagine anyone surpassing him.
He couldn't lose, how could he lose?
Unless someone could defeat him and rob him, but who could do that? Unless a The crusade of a dozen or so people came to target and besiege him, however, he wasn't a brainless demonic creature like the Terror Puppet Giant; if he was besieged and couldn't win, wouldn't he run? Wouldn't he use illusions to pick them off one by one from behind?
How could there be such an excellent, handsome, and powerful Beast Master as him?
Lin Chuan rubbed the small head of Sakura, who had evolved into Flower Spirit.
Sakura's current appearance was like a human girl aged 6 or 7, cute and beautiful, absolutely adorable!
For a brief moment, Lin Chuan experienced the feeling of invincible loneliness, subtly and unknowingly showing off.
This Secret Realm space, this unknown small town in a foreign land, had a tower at its center.
Fortunately, this tower was not destroyed by the Terror Puppet Giant.
One should know that the Terror Puppet Giant had appeared near this area before, and many surrounding buildings were flattened by it, and the ground was riddled with holes and ruins by its demonic light beams.
Yet, this tower remained completely undamaged.
There were still 13 hours until the end of the Secret Realm Assessment.
Lin Chuan arrived at the top of the tower in the center of the small town.
Hmm, Lin Chuan was waiting, waiting for that one, or those few winners, to climb this tower to challenge him, the Great Demon King.
At this moment, Lin Chuan sat on a rocking chair woven from rattan armor, gently swaying, eating snacks, drinking beverages, and overlooking the battles below the tower.
Li Zeyu, Xu Ru, and two other examinees, one male and one female, whom Lin Chuan didn't know the names of, were currently clashing and fighting.
These two, the man and the woman, were both 'old foxes' who had hidden until now, just like Xu Ru.
Both of them possessed a Stage 2 Spiritual Beast.
The male examinee had a Phantom Cat.
It was entirely pitch black, about 80 centimeters long, with two tails, and a black rhomboid gem in the center of its forehead, an elegant and mysterious feline Spiritual Beast.
It had the Dark Attribute, a General-grade Upper-tier bloodline, and was an Agile Attack Energy Specialization type Spiritual Beast.
The female examinee had a Flame Earth Lizard.
It was two meters long, a huge lizard crouching on the ground, with two rows, a total of 6 black holes like gas stove burners on its back; when agitated or during combat, flames would erupt from these black holes.
It had Earth and Fire dual attributes, a General-grade Upper-tier bloodline, and was a Defense and Energy Specialization type Spiritual Beast, possessing a trace of dragon bloodline, belonging to the sub-dragon category of Spiritual Beasts!
The four were locked in battle.
Perhaps because they had cooperated during the BOSS fight earlier.
Li Zeyu and Xu Ru, although also in a hostile competitive relationship, did not attack each other; they tacitly focused on the other two, wanting to eliminate them first.
The battle intensified.
Li Zeyu's side suppressed the male examinee, and the scales of victory gradually tilted towards him.
Xu Ru's side, however, gradually weakened; she was, after all, from the shadowy faction, and her direct combat was slightly lacking.
Her Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth was defeated by the old fox female examinee's Flame Earth Lizard.
The two seemed to know each other; the old fox female examinee was named Han Qiqi, and she looked at Xu Ru with slight confusion.
“This isn't like your style, why are you fighting me head-on today?”
“You, aren't you the one who loves digging pits, setting traps, and shooting poison needles from behind the most?”
Han Qiqi was confused.
She and Xu Ru were rivals, but it wasn't that she disliked the other party.
Rather, their respective association-certified teachers were rivals who didn't get along, having seemingly been love rivals in the past, but unfortunately, both ended up as 'losing dogs'.
Although both sides were 'losing dogs', they did not understand or forgive each other because of this; instead, they continued to compete.
The competition between the two teachers extended to their two disciples.
Xu Ru chuckled softly.
“Since you know my style, then, guess why I'm fighting you head-on today?”
She said she was letting Han Qiqi guess, but Xu Ru didn't give Han Qiqi time to think.
“Lin Chuan, I know you're watching.”
“What you promised me before, one full-state healing, I want you to give it to me now.”
Xu Ru called out, looking towards the top of the tower.
Han Qiqi also looked over, but she didn't see a single person.
Of course, Han Qiqi couldn't see Lin Chuan.
Because Lin Chuan had Sakura set up an illusionary scene around them; it wasn't the Rosemary Illusion Incense skill, but a basic application of Illusion Attribute energy, a visual deception application, where if one got close, they might discover an abnormality and thus see through the illusion.
However, from a distance, with human eyesight of Beast Masters below level 10, it was absolutely impossible to see through.
Xu Ru would know.
That was because her Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth's favorite snack was the fruit of Flower Leaf Leaf.
And just now, before the battle began.
The Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth told Xu Ru through their contract that it smelled the fragrance of Flower Leaf Leaf's fruit wafting down from the top of the tower!
It was the fruit of Lin Chuan's Flower Leaf Leaf named Guoguo!
And just as Han Qiqi was confused, the next moment.
A pinkish-white peach the size of a human head descended from the sky, landing directly on the Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth, which had lost its combat ability.
Sweet Fruit!
An Assistance-enhanced Sweet Fruit!
A misty, intensely fragrant pinkish-white light enveloped the Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth.
In just 3 seconds, the Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth, which had been covered in injuries and lost its combat ability, was resurrected to full health on the spot.
Xu Ru smiled, looking at Han Qiqi's gradually darkening face.
“Classmate Han, now, do you know why I wanted to fight you head-on?”
“Lin Chuan, I want healing too! I'll give you 1000 score beads!”
Han Qiqi shouted towards the top of the tower.
However, Lin Chuan gave no response.
Xu Ru's smile was subtle, noncommittal.
Putting aside the important reminder she gave Lin Chuan earlier not to break through to Stage 1 before entering university, although Lin Chuan had given ample returns, which could be considered a fair exchange, their friendship wasn't great but it existed, enough for Lin Chuan to side with her and not help Han Qiqi.
Although Lin Chuan was a black market medic, he wasn't the kind of person who completely disregarded friendship for money.
Besides, how many score beads did Lin Chuan have on him now?
Probably 30,000, right?
Would he be short of your 1000 score beads?
If you shouted 10 million star rock coins, maybe Lin Chuan would immediately send down a Sweet Fruit for healing?
Xu Ru would not remind Han Qiqi.
She immediately ordered the fully recovered Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth to attack Han Qiqi's Flame Earth Lizard.
And she herself, carrying a dagger, attacked Han Qiqi with the cooperation and support of her other Spiritual Beast, Tunneling Worm.
Xu Ru had clearly practiced dagger combat techniques.
Every move was lethal.
She gave Han Qiqi no breathing room.
In less than half a minute, the victor was decided.
The fully recovered Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth successfully defeated the half-crippled Flame Earth Lizard.
Xu Ru also personally slashed open Han Qiqi's life shield with her dagger, eliminating her and sending her away.