The re-examination for the Spirit Breeder qualification was scheduled for the next day.
The examination districts for An City and three other neighboring cities were all set at the Spirit Breeder Association in Yunhua City.
Su Hao had to leave on Friday evening, so he packed his luggage and headed to Yunhua City.
Both of Su Hao's parents had to work on Saturday, so they reluctantly let Su Hao go alone.
"Remember, Hao'er, take good care of the little silkworm."
"It's fine if you go hungry yourself, but don't let Little Bao go hungry, got it?"
Su Hao: "???"
He could only reach out to grab the silkworm, lifting a silkworm pig as he left.
"Gu nuo!"
The silkworm was reluctant.
Why should it go with Su Hao for the exam? Shouldn't it stay home?
Why did it have to go with him?
It didn't need Su Hao to take care of it!
But it couldn't win against Su Hao.
And even less against Su Hao's parents.
With its head drooping, it was carried by Su Hao onto the bus.
...
From the station, he took a bus to Yunhua City, then hailed a taxi from the drop-off point to a hotel near the Yunhua Spirit Breeder Association.
By the time Su Hao arrived, it was already past eight or nine in the evening.
The association was generous, providing hotels for the examinees, and even single rooms.
"Good thing it's a single room; otherwise, I'd rather find another place to stay than share with a stranger."
The hotel was only housing examinees tonight.
Su Hao checked in using his examinee information.
In the lobby, he saw many other examinees.
Just like during the written exam, there were men and women, young and old.
"Over three hundred people made it to the re-examination this time. I feel like I'm doomed again!"
"No way, the March session only had 286. How is this one even harder? This is my third time taking it!"
A middle-aged man who hadn't spoken let out a cold laugh. "Three times? Can't handle three? Let me tell you, I've been trying for the Spirit Breeder certification for eight full years!
"I passed the written exam in my second year, but until the March session, I kept getting eliminated in the re-examination."
"N-No way?"
A examinee who looked like a college student grew scared. "The pass rate is that low?"
The middle-aged man spoke up. "Let's put it this way: in the past few years, only four or five people got the certification each time. Recently, it's been a bit higher, with eleven or twelve passing, but the number of people in the re-examination... heh."
He laughed bitterly. "If I don't pass this time, I'm done.
"Studying to be a Spirit Breeder isn't as expensive as raising spirits, but without full dedication, there's no hope at all. Over the years, to help me get this certification, my family's finances have taken a hit.
"I've come to terms with it. Maybe it's fate. If I can't become a Spirit Breeder, I can still work and earn money. I can't keep dragging my family down like this."
He said it with a sense of resignation.
But his smile was forced, and the disappointment in his eyes was hard to hide.
Reality was harsh.
People only saw the glory of Spirit Masters and Spirit Breeders, often overlooking the hard work behind it.
Years of effort, only to end up with nothing.
People like the middle-aged man were not uncommon among the examinees.
A few younger ones, with better family backgrounds, couldn't help but feel a bit somber.
Years later,
would they end up like the middle-aged man, hiding their bitterness inside?
Caught up in the atmosphere, the silkworm also grew downcast.
Su Hao was so dumb—what if he got so upset during the exam that he cried?
"Gu nuo (?"??)?"
It patted Su Hao's head.
Gently comforting him.
Su Hao didn't know whether to laugh or cry... The exam hadn't even started yet!
The middle-aged man noticed Su Hao. "Young man, here for the Spirit Breeder exam too? A high school student, huh? Impressive."
The college student added, "I tried the Spirit Breeder exam back in high school too, but I didn't even get half the score on the written test. It crushed me, and it took years before I dared to try again."
The middle-aged man, as if resigned to his fate, seemed more relaxed and no longer as cold as before.
He advised, "You high school seniors should focus on raising spirits first. You can take the Spirit Breeder certification anytime, but missing out on a Spirit University will cost you dearly."
Su Hao knew the man meant well.
Even though he didn't think much of Su Hao's chances, for a high school senior aiming for Spirit University, taking the Spirit Breeder exam really wasn't worth it.
Too risky.
The rewards were average.
It was only because Su Hao didn't spend much time reviewing and just took it casually.
The silkworm could complete its training tasks on time without supervision.
That's why Su Hao could take the exam so carefreely.
"But that's just for ordinary people like us. Geniuses are on a different level."
The middle-aged man said, "You might not know, but among the examinees this time, the youngest is only fourteen, and he scored full marks on the written exam. He's practically guaranteed a spot."
"Don't believe me?" The middle-aged man shook his head. "Ask around a bit, and you'll find out. His name is Ai Zishi. Not only is he exceptionally talented, but he's also a student of Master Chen Ping. He's in a different world from us."
"Is that Master Chen Ping, the one who discovered eighteen new evolution paths for spirits and is called the 'Evolution Pioneer'?"
"That's the one."
"No wonder. If he's Master Chen's student, scoring full marks on the written exam isn't that surprising... Sir, besides Ai Zishi, are there any other tough competitors?"
The middle-aged man chuckled wryly. "Isn't one enough? Ai Zishi has already locked in one spot. If there were more, we might as well give up."
"But..." he continued, "I haven't heard of any other big names, but from what I know, besides Ai Zishi's perfect score, there are a few others with over 190 points. There are really too many strong contenders."
The college student asked weakly, "I scored 173 on the written exam, 23 points above the passing line. That should be decent, right?"
Another person sneered, "Heh, I got 178."
"Sorry, I got 179."
The middle-aged man laughed bitterly. "I got 183, but that's just from taking it so many times and having experience. The re-examination questions are completely random, set by the examiner panel, and every exam room has different questions."
Despite his self-deprecation, the others still looked at him with respect.
He was a strong contender.
Maybe just one step away from getting the certification.
"And you, young man? What score did you get?" the man asked, then quickly corrected himself. "The written score doesn't matter. You're still young. Just treat it as getting familiar with the process. Once you get into a Spirit University and become an official Spirit Master, you can take your time getting the Spirit Breeder certification."
Su Hao hesitated, then hesitated again.
The man had shared so much exam knowledge with him; hiding the truth seemed disrespectful.
After thinking it over, he finally said, "...Just 192."
The middle-aged man: "..."
The college student: "..."
The male examinee: "..."
The female examinee: "..."
They thought everyone was bronze, but here you were, hiding as a king!
The atmosphere instantly became awkward.