"Sister Ji, where are the top candidates from our province? Why can't I even see any spirits?"
Inside the small town.
They only spotted spirits like Groundquake Wolves, Mountain-Moving Apes, and Blade Leaf Warriors.
All were accompanied by spirit masters in black combat uniforms with stern expressions.
The sight alone made the rookie assistant tremble a little.
Female reporter Ji Nanqing had done her homework, though the information she could gather beforehand was limited.
"Come on, let's ask around for the training hall's location."
...
The town's training hall didn't look grand from the outside, but the facilities inside were fully equipped and high-end.
Even the power testing machines were better than those used in the second stage, capable of withstanding attacks from elite-level spirits.
When they entered, they saw some spirits training their special moves.
But not many.
Ji Nanqing spotted a Ascetic Dog relentlessly punching a sandbag-like apparatus, producing booming sounds.
Her eyes lit up.
She approached for an interview, "Hello, classmate, can I ask you a few questions..."
"No, I'm busy, I decline."
Li Songting glanced over and coldly refused.
He found his own sandbag and started punching it with thudding sounds, not even looking at the delicate-featured female reporter.
Women, just a distraction.
"Heh heh heh..."
Ji Nanqing shifted her gaze to the other candidates in the training hall.
Over ten minutes later.
"Heh heh heh..."
She calmed her urge to hit someone, took a deep breath, put on a professional smile, and stood in front the camera.
"Dear viewers, dear viewers..."
"I'm now at the preparation area for the college entrance exam practical battle. Before me are the most outstanding genius spirit masters who stood out from over ten thousand spirit students."
The camera lens captured a wide shot at the right moment.
"From some small details, you can see how hardworking they are. Not only are their spirits training, but they're training themselves too. That's why they've achieved what they have..."
After speaking, the female reporter took another deep breath.
"Let's go. I refuse to believe there isn't a single candidate I can interview."
...
Inside the town.
Su Hao sat on a bench by the coast, with several bottles of drinks floating beside him, bought earlier.
Unlike others, he wasn't training like crazy.
Well...
Not exactly.
A Dream Butterfly was using its psychic power to control a phone, while several drink bottles hovered in the air.
He reached out and grabbed one.
"Guno~"
The little one glanced over, retracting the psychic force wrapped around that bottle.
The other bottles remained steadily suspended.
Through the glass, the soda inside didn't ripple at all.
At first glance, it looked like psychic practice.
In reality, it was training in spiritual power control.
Su Hao took a sip of the soda, feeling it wasn't cold enough.
Lacked a bit of flavor.
So he looked at the Water Scale Beast.
After staring for a while, he had to speak up, "Cool it down a bit."
The Water Scale Beast, which had evolved successfully in the Cold Water Pool, didn't have an ice attribute but could naturally emit a bit of chill.
Not strong.
But enough to use as air conditioning.
Su Hao had barely sweated all day.
The Water Scale Beast was happy to prove its worth again, opening its mouth slightly and taking a deep breath.
Whoosh~
Visible cold air rushed out.
Su Hao stiffened abruptly, his hand holding the drink bottle trembling uncontrollably, his teeth chattering.
His eyes turned hostile.
Emitting the anger of a spirit master.
The Water Scale Beast stepped back two paces.
Its horse-like face showed confusion.
It looked at the Dream Butterfly, "Xilu? Xilu xilu?"
"Guno~"
The Dream Butterfly flew onto the dumb horse's head, enjoying the air conditioning.
And told it that it had done nothing wrong.
It was just that this spirit master wasn't good at expressing himself.
Su Hao had just recovered from the chill.
He was about to teach the Water Scale Beast what the authority of a spirit master meant when he saw a few people approaching.
The people didn't matter.
What mattered was the camera.
"Cough."
Su Hao, who had just stood up, casually straightened his clothes.
Too bad it was a school uniform.
"Hello, may I interview you?"
Ji Nanqing asked.
At the same time, she signaled the cameraman to quickly capture the spirits.
Even if she couldn't get an interview, filming the spirits wouldn't be a loss.
Three spirits.
She could already tell that this candidate was a big shot among them.
She also braced herself for a cold refusal.
Then she heard.
"Sure."
The female reporter's professional composure kept her from showing joy, maintaining a steady expression.
Just as she was about to ask her prepared questions...
She saw the candidate pull his spirit forward, "This is my main spirit. If you have any interview questions, feel free to ask it."
"Guno~"
The Dream Butterfly waved its little hand, as if greeting the audience and fans in front of the TV.
The female reporter's mouth twitched.
She had thought...
This was a candidate she could interview.
But she had to maintain her professional demeanor, so she patiently asked two routine questions.
Receiving only "Guno, gunono, guno guno" in response.
By then, Su Hao had already walked away.
...
Back at the small residence he was staying in.
He saw Liu Ren running over, waving his phone, "Old Su, check out what I got—rare intel!"
He opened his phone.
Played a few videos.
In them, a Thorn Turtle's vines danced wildly.
A Lightning-Winged Dragon, with a wingspan of four or five meters and lightning crackling all over, soared through the sky.
Striking down thunderbolts.
There was also a spirit three to four meters long, like a yellow-brown giant lizard.
On its back sat a slightly darker miniature pyramid.
Counting the pyramid on its back, the spirit stood over two meters tall.
Like a terrifying beast.
"Is that... a Pyramid Dragon?"
The Pyramid Dragon was the evolved form of the Mound Dragon, and its final evolution, the Nine-Tier Pyramid Dragon, had quasi-monarch potential.
If raised well, it was a spirit no less impressive than the Flamingo lineage.
"That's right."
Liu Ren said, "The Pyramid Dragon's spirit master is Yu Jiang, a little kid, probably at most fourteen or fifteen, but he's definitely a rival for you this time.
"And the Lightning-Winged Dragon's spirit master is Feng Liangcai, also a threat.
"They're rated as two of the top three most competitive candidates in the advanced zone."
"And the third?"
Su Hao asked.
Half a second later, it dawned on him, "Oh, that's me. Makes sense, makes sense."
He said, then suddenly thought.
"Wait, the practical battle doesn't allow attacking each other, so why are you still gathering intel?"
"Habit, cough, habit.
"I feel restless if I don't scout for info for a day."
Su Hao thought about it and figured it was very Liu Ren.
"But how did you sneak these videos? You didn't get beaten up?"
To be honest, if another candidate tried to sneak a shot of him...
Well, he'd first check if they were a girl.
Then see how good-looking they were.
If they scored above 90, it might be forgivable.
Liu Ren grinned slyly, "Why would I need to sneak that!
"Isn't there a reporter doing interviews? I gave her five minutes for an interview, and in exchange, I got some footage from them.
"It's a win-win."
Su Hao: "..."
You're a clever one, fatty.
But that interview team... man, they're having a rough time.
...
Two days later.
Early morning.
The sky was just barely light.
The sound of honking horns rang out.
Su Hao and the other candidates changed into the special combat uniforms provided by the exam site, brought their spirits, and gathered at the designated meeting point.
A burly man, with a style similar to Instructor Bear—broad-shouldered and thick-waisted—strode over to them.
His gaze swept across, paused, and without wasting words, he spoke directly:
"You all know the rules of the practical battle, so I won't repeat them here.
"The exam lasts two days, and it will be live-streamed. I hope you'll show the best combat form of your spirits to the nationwide audience.
"Now, grab your backpacks and wristbands, and board the transport aircraft.
"When you set foot on the isolated island, the practical battle begins."