Among the three major academies, Dragon City University is the most comprehensive. It boasts nationally top-tier laboratories and has cultivated many spirit-raising talents. In previous years of the Intercollegiate Spirit Cup, Dragon City University’s team always stood out. Flamingo University and Whale Island University, in comparison, seemed ‘quite average.’ They couldn’t even pull ahead of some key universities’ teams. Sometimes they even risked being outshone, which was a bit embarrassing.
As one of only two spirit-raising masters at Whale Island University and the team leader for the Spirit Cup, Yao Jingxue naturally hoped for better results from his school. He also wanted to reverse the shortage of spirit-raising talent at Whale Island University. “What a pity. If I’d known earlier that there was a freshman with such exceptional talent in spirit-raising, I definitely would have…” Yao Jingxue only found out about a student named Su Hao after the principal took him on as a disciple. Later, when he looked into it, he discovered that Su Hao had a very unique approach to nurturing spirits. He raised spirits exceptionally well. The time between obtaining his Intermediate and Junior Spirit-Raiser certifications was less than half a year. Although he hadn’t designed many cultivation plans for others’ spirits, he’d already gained some renown in the field. More importantly… Su Hao had discovered a new evolutionary path for a spirit! That was the true mark of talent and ability. In the eyes of a spirit-raising master like him, earning a spirit-raiser certification at a young age was all superficial. Only tangible results in spirit-raising deserved attention. Even if there was a sixteen-year-old freshman who’d passed the Intermediate Spirit-Raiser exam, Yao Jingxue still considered Su Hao superior. “But with such great talent, he’s wasting it!” Just thinking about it made Yao Jingxue tremble with regret, his hands and feet cold despite the hot weather, sighing over what was wrong with this society! He planned to use the Spirit Cup as an opportunity to change Su Hao’s mindset, to make him realize that being a spirit-raiser was the most suitable career for him, and that the laboratory was where his talents could truly shine. Hanging out with a bunch of battle maniacs was a dead end!
…
Su Hao had agreed to go for the prize money… ah, scratch that, he’d agreed to participate in the Spirit Cup, so naturally, he needed to meet his teammates first. Similar to the intercollegiate league, the Spirit Cup also had five main members and five alternates. During the competition, each person scored individually, and the total points added up to the school team’s overall result. “Even though Master Yao directly assigned me a spot, there’s no doubt my joining has replaced someone else…” If Su Hao were the one being replaced, he’d definitely feel uncomfortable. Not to mention being an unknown freshman, parachuting into a main member slot. Some might even think there was some kind of shady deal between him and Master Yao. That wouldn’t do. Maybe Master Yao didn’t care, but… “To avoid damaging Master Yao’s reputation, I need to show my abilities and get along with the other team members. “Yeah, and it’s also a chance to test my own level. If I’m not good enough, I might as well give up early.” To be honest, Su Hao wasn’t confident. He didn’t have the certainty to steamroll everything. “Plus, among the main members, there seems to be an Advanced Spirit-Raiser.” Though there was only one. Su Hao could guess why Master Yao had sought him out specifically. It was all thanks to his classmates making him look good.
…
Laboratory No. 1 was located in the central part of Whale Island, covering a large area. It was one of only two large-scale laboratories at Whale Island University. From a distance, Su Hao could see a dome-shaped building. There were also many people in white lab coats. Some were student assistants, others were researchers from the lab itself. A receptionist led Su Hao to the back of the lab, where spirits were kept in a free-range area. There, spirits were playing and frolicking—some wild, some belonging to lab staff, and others left there by spirit tamers. A dozen or so spirit-raisers, looking like students, were observing and studying the spirits’ traits. When they saw him approaching, many looked over. One of them asked, “Su Hao?” Here it comes! Su Hao thought. According to the usual script, his sudden insertion as a main member would definitely stir up resentment and hostility. As an ‘outsider’ from the Spirit Tamer Academy, they might even unite against him. If the person he replaced was well-liked, they might band together to find ways to push him out. As long as they set up a test to prove Su Hao was ‘all bark and no bite’ or ‘just a facade,’ Master Yao wouldn’t have much to say either. Su Hao was ready to accept the challenge. He replied calmly, “I’m Su Hao.” Then he heard… “You’re the Su Hao who figured out the evolution conditions for the Dream Moth? “The Su Hao who was interviewed on Spirit Light? “The Su Hao who scored full marks on the Spirit-Raiser qualification exam? “The Su Hao who caused a stir during the challenge round? “Finally getting to meet you in person!” Su Hao: “(⊙_⊙)” Wait, hold on! He was just an ordinary freshman, maybe with a bit of fame. But how… did everyone seem to know him? They could even rattle off all the big and small things he’d done—if they hadn’t mentioned it, Su Hao wouldn’t have remembered he’d accomplished so much. Stay low-key. Stay humble. He cleared his throat and quickly got to know the people around him. Among them were members of the Spirit Cup team and students there to learn at the lab. At the center of the group, a young man with a receding hairline that seemed hereditary was the only Advanced Spirit-Raiser present. He was also Master Yao’s direct disciple. Lin Xueguang. An average-looking guy, notable for his high hairline, but when talking about his field of expertise, he exuded a confident aura and could go on for minutes without pausing. He was the senior student of the lab, always willing to help, and the other boys and girls around him were seeking his advice. “Look at that Cotton Owl. It’s listless, like it’s suffering from heatstroke, but it’s not that—it’s because of something it ate at noon that’s off…” Lin Xueguang said. A male student working as a lab assistant recalled, “But I fed it the Jade Powder meal at noon, freshly prepared, with all the ingredients and steps strictly followed. “The Cotton Owl ate it happily, and it usually eats the same meal.” Su Hao looked at the Cotton Owl, perched on a branch, letting out weak “coo” sounds. On the panel, he could see a status abnormality suffix after its name. Lin Xueguang didn’t reveal the cause, leaving time for others to think. Several team members were pondering. Some junior spirit-raisers who’d given up thinking turned their gazes to Su Hao. They wanted to see what the somewhat legendary Su Hao thought. Since that was the case… Su Hao raised his hand to adjust a non-existent glasses frame and said, “This Cotton Owl ate too much and has indigestion.” “Indigestion?” The assistant looked at Senior Lin. Lin Xueguang nodded. But the assistant was still puzzled, “How could it eat too much? The daily portion is the same.” He looked back at Su Hao. Then he heard… “The Jade Powder meal includes Wood Dragon Leaves, right?” He nodded. “Mainly Bamboo Jade Powder, Verdant Jade Powder, and Pothos Jade Powder?” He was about to nod. “This meal has been fed for thirty days?” Before he could nod, he heard again… “This Cotton Owl lacks exercise?” “It also drank diluted Spirit Spring water today?” “It…” “It…” “It…” A barrage of soul-searching questions, yet they sounded like statements. Each one struck the assistant’s heart, his mouth gradually falling open, his eyes widening. A massive “WTF” echoed in his mind. “How do you know all this so clearly?!”