The training building was the largest architecture in Haiping City High School.
In addition to the eight standard arenas, there were also various training rooms. Clearly, a lot was invested into it.
Apart from classes, students would tend to hang out here.
Students from the art and science departments liked to come here to watch battles as well.
Bai Shan stood in front of the crowd and said calmly, "Let's warm-up first. Everyone, take your subdued beasts and run five laps around the stadium!"
Liu Hao gave Jiang He a look. It was as if he had nothing left to live for.
Jiang He understood how he felt.
The White Devil really lived up to her name.
Five laps were more than three miles.
Bai Shan continued, "The top three students will be rewarded while the last three will be punished."
The students were unsure if she was trying to motivate them.
Regardless, after hearing the word "reward", a number of students became excited.
A girl wearing glasses raised her hand and said, "Reporting! Instructor Bai, my familiar is a Blue Worm. It can't run very fast and might take till the next day to complete five laps."
"Instructor Bai, my Water Spirit can't run as it doesn't have legs," said another boy as he pointed to his blue slime-like familiar.
"Okay, they don't have to run."
Bai Shan nodded.
Those two cases were the exception.
"Instructor Bai seems to be very understanding!"
Liu Hao, who was beside Jiang He, suddenly had a bold idea after witnessing this scene. He whispered a few words to the Lightning Lizard and raised his hand.
Liu Hao pointed at his Lightning Lizard and said, "Instructor Bai, my Lightning Lizard broke its leg a few days ago. It can't run either."
The Lightning Lizard cooperated and began limping.
"Alright, it doesn't have to run."
"Nice!"
Liu Hao tried his best to suppress his smile. Then, he happily ran to the resting area.
"Come back! The Lightning Lizard doesn't have to run, but you do. In order to cultivate the relationship between the two of you, beastmasters have to run with their subdued beasts. It doesn't matter if you're carrying, holding, or dragging them as long as you finish the laps."
Bai Shan said with a faint smile.
"Hey! Its leg had suddenly recovered. Hehe."
Liu Hao patted his Lightning Lizard and faked a smile.
However, the Lightning Lizard didn't cooperate this time. It continued to limp pitifully.
"F*ck! Instructor Bai, it's just pretending!"
Liu Hao was anxious.
His subdued beast seemed to be quite mischievous.
The Lightning Lizard limped even more.
Liu Hao's face was filled with despair. In the end, he could only pick up the Lightning Lizard and placed it on his shoulder.
"It's heavy!"
Bai Shan ignored Liu Hao's cries and said indifferently, "Run!"
The group of beastmasters and their subdued beasts rushed out.
Those students who had contracted with their subdued beasts for a period of time were doing fine. Most of them were able to keep up with each other. They also bonded rather well.
On the other hand, the students who had just contracted with their subdued beasts encountered various "accidents".
Some of the subdued beasts completely took off, ignoring their beastmasters. A lap was only considered completed when both beastmaster and their subdued beast crossed the line together.
This happened to the bespectacled boy with a sour attitude earlier. His Flame Dog just left him behind.
Other subdued beasts even launch attacks on those in front of them. Naturally, the other party countered. As a result, there were numerous chaotic battles.
A Seaweed Turtle spat out two streams of water, stunning the Blade Mantis in front of it.
The Blade Mantis became agitated. It attacked the Seaweed Turtle by slamming the latter's shell. This frightened the Seaweed Turtle and it retreated into its shell.
Moreover, the battles affected the young beastmasters.
Some students would purposely slow down and even run in the opposite direction. This was done so their families could interfere with others.
The scenario reminded Jiang He of go-karting.
Everyone wanted to take revenge on each other.
Fortunately, he and Ziyue did not get caught up in the mess.
Moonlight Elves were naturally agile. Coupled with the week of training, Ziyue's speed had become outstanding.
This also applied to Jiang He.
They did not slow down and took the lead. The gap between them and their peers continued to widen.
Of course, there were others who were faster than them.
Ding Lei and his Snow Wolf were in the first place. In second place was the class monitor, Lu Zhen. His familiar was a Crimson Flame Fox. When it ran, it looked like a ball of crimson flames.
Judging from its strength, it should be a level seven servant or above.
During the second lap, Jiang He noticed that a portion of his classmates was still fighting at the starting point.
When he passed by, a Water Monkey shot a water ball at Ziyue.
Ziyue immediately reacted. It easily dodged with a sidestep. Just as it was about to counterattack, it was stopped by Jiang He.
"Little fellow, just use Godly Speed to escape."
Jiang He did not forget about the main goal. It would not be good to get distracted.
He looked at Bai Shan who was standing in the middle.
Bai Shan had no intention of stopping the chaotic battles. She merely summoned a Silver-Black Snake. It would attack the subdued beasts if they were about to harm the students.
Jiang He had completed three laps.
However, some students had not even finished the first lap. They were generally new beastmasters who had just recently contracted their beasts. Their physique had yet to improve significantly. Moreover, their subdued beasts had expended too much energy by fighting.
Upon realizing this, Jiang He felt that he was in a good position. His endurance had improved a lot from the week of training.
As for the Moonlight Elf, it was dissatisfied. These laps were not even comparable to its usual training!
"Don't underestimate running. Not only will it increase your willpower, but it'll also help you bond with your familiars."
Bai Shan noticed that most students were about to give up, so she tried to encourage them.
It was as if her words had injected energy into their bodies.
"Your goal is to raise your subdued beast to level 10 servant before the college entrance exam. Also, you have to train your mental strength to above 200 points. Only then will you be accepted into a top-tier beastmaster university. Don't be afraid of hard work. Keep training and you'll improve."
…
In the end, Jiang He placed third.
Ding Lei and his Snow Wolf came first while Lu Zhen and his Crimson Flame Fox were second.
"Meow!"
The Moonlight Elf glanced at Jiang He with slight disdain.
This is all the poop-shoveling officer's fault!
Most students did not finish the race, but Bai Shan did not force them any further. She only wanted them to do their best.
"As I've mentioned before, there will be rewards and punishments. The top three students will receive special training arranged by the school. Gather here after classes end. As for the students who didn't finish, you'll be on cleaning duty."
Some students were happy, but others were worried.
The reward was an extra class?!
Not getting this reward was totally fine!
Of course, some students knew this special lesson would be very useful.
Bai Shan had retired from the Beast Tamer Army. She had plenty of combat experience. Ding Lei and the others would definitely learn something valuable.
"Warm-up is over. The class will begin now! We won't be practicing anything else since this is the first day. Just show me the strength of your subdued beasts. All of you will fight in pairs and I'll be the judge!"
"Ding Lei, Jiang He, the two of you are up first."
"???"
All the students looked at Jiang He sympathetically.
This kid had somehow offended the White Devil. She actually picked the strongest opponent for him.
Jiang He did not understand either. He was just a beginner. Yet, he had to fight against the top student.
This did not seem like a good idea.
Ding Lei should be fighting Liu Hao, right?
"Blue Ice, don't hurt the Moonlight Elf."
Ding Lei felt a little embarrassed. It was as if he was a bully.
Bai Shan was expressionless. Since the Moonlight Elf and Snow Wolf were ready, she shouted, "Begin!"
The Snow Wolf did not take the initiative to attack. It just stood there quietly.
Jiang He was a little nervous. This was his first battle with the little fellow.
'Ziyue, use your speed!'
Jiang He commanded telepathically.
A silver light appeared under the Moonlight Elf's feet. Its speed instantly increased.
The Snow Wolf's speed was also equally impressive. Since they were more or less equal, the Moonlight Elf activated Godly Speed.
In a blink of an eye, it got close to the Snow Wolf!
The Snow Wolf did not expect Ziyue to have such astonishing speed. Nonetheless, it managed to react on time and slightly turned its body. At the same time, frost appeared on its claws and it struck forward.
Frost Claw!
The Moonlight Elf had no plans to face the Snow Wolf head-on. It changed the direction of its movement and quickly dodged.
The Snow Wolf's claws struck the ground, causing a layer of white frost to appear. Some cold air was also emitted.
"???"
The Snow Wolf did not expect this.
It became serious after its attack missed.
The Moonlight Elf was not as easy to deal with as it had originally thought.
Ziyue had yet to attack. It just kept circling around the Snow Wolf with a provocative expression.
'Keep running and look for an opening. Pay attention to the opponent's pace. You'll definitely find a chance.'
Jiang He began thinking of various ways to win.
The difference in strength between the two was too great. Ziyue's only advantage was her speed.
They needed the Snow Wolf to reveal its weakness.
Soon, the Snow Wolf became a little impatient. It stared at the Moonlight Elf. Its sharp claws were slowly covered in a layer of solid ice.
It was accumulating power, preparing for a fatal blow.
"Whoosh!"
The Snow Wolf's huge claws suddenly slammed forward. Everyone held their breath. They thought the outcome was already decided. However, the Moonlight Elf suddenly disappeared.
Instant Flash.
It was the skill Ziyue had learned during VR training and it had been refined into a form of instinct. Before Frost Claw could reach it, the little fellow subconsciously used this skill.
Then, the Moonlight Elf appeared at the back of its opponent. The Snow Wolf had no time to react!
This was an unexpected outcome. People thought the match would be over within thirty seconds in the Snow Wolf's favor. Instead, the Moonlight Elf launched a counterattack!
"Ching!"
The Moonlight Elf scratched the Snow Wolf's back using its claws, emitting a bone-chilling sound. However, it only left three faint white marks.
Ziyue could not even break through the Snow Wolf's defense. The latter's skin was rough and thick. It was very difficult to be damaged.
"It would be great if Ziyue had mastered Light Spike."
Jiang He felt a little regretful. Although the Moonlight Elf had already mastered two out of three of the assassin's path skills, it lacked an attack move.
"Stop."
Bai Shan shouted.
There was no point in continuing. She already had a rough idea of the Moonlight Elf's potential. Obviously, it was outstanding.
"Student Jiang, your Moonlight Elf was well nurtured!"
Ding Lei gave Jiang He a thumbs up.
"I was lucky. If the Snow Wolf showed no mercy, my Moonlight Elf wouldn't have stood a chance."
Jiang He tried not to brag.
"Good job, Ziyue."
He smiled and patted Ziyue's head.
"Meow!"
Ziyue looked at Jiang He with disdain.
'Why do you always treat me like a child?'
Jiang He looked at the pleasure points.
Pleasure points: 91%
A three percent increase.
It increased during the battle. Clearly, the little guy enjoyed battling very much.
He had to let Ziyue participate in more battles in the future.
"Your Moonlight Elf is following the assassin's path, right? How long has it been since you've contracted with it?"
Bai Shan suddenly asked.
"Yes, it has been a week."
Jiang He answered truthfully.
"To be able to train it to this degree in a week is quite impressive."
Bai Shan nodded.
"You should train an attack skill next. Have you thought about what to learn?"
"Light Spike."
"Light Spike is a good choice, but I think another skill is more suitable. If you perform well in the special training class, I'll teach you."
Bai Shan smiled at Jiang He and continued to host the battles between students.
"A skill better than Light Spike..."
Jiang He was looking forward to it.
"We must perform well in the special training class!"
"Meow!"
The Moonlight Elf was full of energy.
Anyway, the rest of the students took their turns and fought in pairs.
However, compared to Ding Lei and Jiang He's battle, their standards were obviously much lower. Even the spectators were not interested.
Some recently subdued beasts did not listen to their beastmasters' commands. Two Mosquito-scented Pigs even made up their own rule, whoever made the loudest noise would be the victor.
Originally, Ziyue wanted to watch how the other subdued beasts fight. It was hoping to learn something. After seeing this scene, it ran to a corner and practiced Moonblade instead.
As for Jiang He, he wanted to browse the forums, but Ziyue glared at him. In the end, he took a sip from his thermos bottle and sat down to meditate.
"Ahem, let's work hard together."
"Jiang He, how is your subdued beast so diligent?"
Liu Hao's match with a girl had just ended. He immediately noticed that Jiang He and his Moonlight Elf were practicing at the side.
It was free time. Most of the students just watched others' battles. Only Jiang He and Ziyue were tirelessly training.
What the hell.
Jiang He had never been so hardworking in the past.
"A naturally disciplined cat. Even I was affected."
Jiang He had a helpless look on his face. Once again, he felt like he was the one being trained.
What if his subdued beast was too diligent?
"I'm so jealous."
Liu Hao's eyes were filled with envy. He looked at his Lightning Lizard disappointingly.
It was so lazy that he even had to carry him previously.
He wished it was more like the Moonlight Elf.
The Lightning Lizard rolled its eyes at Liu Hao and fell asleep on the ground.
Liu Hao sighed heavily.
"The combat class isn't even over, yet, I feel like half of my lifespan is gone. At first, I thought the Lightning Lizard was a gift from the heavens. In the end, it's only here to harm me."
"Is your Lightning Lizard gluttonous?"
Jiang He suddenly asked.
"Probably. It eats several pounds of meat a day."
Liu Hao was a little resentful because the Lightning Lizard failed to live up to his expectations. He felt the Moonlight Elf was better.
"I'll share a video with you. It might be useful."
Jiang He said with a smile.
"What video?"
Liu Hao clicked on the video. The main character was a Husky. Its master tied a small cart behind it.
Then, he hung a drumstick in front of the Husky.
The Husky immediately ran forward, eager to eat the drumstick. However, it was always a little off.
"Ahem, you can use this for reference."
Liu Hao's face was instantly filled with excitement. It was as if he had just discovered a new world.
"Why didn't I think of that! I'll give it a try once I get back!"
Jiang He looked at the Lightning Lizard that was not far away.
'Don't blame me.
'I just gave him a suggestion.'
The combat class lasted for four classes. It took the entire morning.
After every battle, Bai Shan would give the students her opinion. She also gave them training tips.
Many students had a "flash of brilliance", but their familiars would not cooperate at all.
Basically, it was something like, "I understand but my subdued beast does not.".
Subsequently, Bai Shan instructed her students to do a series of basic training.
"This is even crueler than military training!"
Liu Hao's legs were trembling and his face was pale.
"You'll get used to it."
Jiang He patted Liu Hao's shoulder and comforted him.
Liu Hao became even sadder.
Combat classes were held three times a week and he had to endure it for another two years!
He would die!
"Fortunately, the afternoon classes are more relaxed. There's language (TN: The contents were mainly referring to Chinese language and culture) and biology. Furthermore, according to my senior, Old Zhang's lectures are pretty good. He often talks about urban legends, myths, and the like. I'm looking forward to it."
Language class was indeed much more relaxing.
There were only three main classes which were language, mathematics, and biology.
Jiang He did not even have to study English which he struggled with the most!
It was a blessing!
The only downside was the students had to keep their familiars in the interdimensional space again.
Otherwise, they might not focus.
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