https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-358-Thousand-One-s-Restrictions-Lifted-/13010291/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-360-Fermenting-Public-Opinion-The-Targeted-Su-Ping-/13010298/
Chapter 359: The Mysterious Backdoor Entrant!
Chapter 359: The Mysterious Backdoor Entrant!
The sun shone brightly in the early morning.
In front of the Beast Taming Association's headquarters and various branches across Linzhou, countless figures gathered.
These figures, some accompanied by their parents, others alone, all exuded an air of youthful confidence.
Without a doubt, each of them, regardless of gender, was young and brimming with self-assurance.
They had every reason to be confident. Having passed the initial trial of the professional assessment, they had already distinguished themselves among the millions of eligible young beast tamers in Jianghai Province and Linzhou City.
These individuals were destined to become professional beast tamers, focusing on cultivating their companion beasts' combat abilities rather than pursuing other ordinary professions.
In a world like this, becoming a combat beast tamer was indeed enviable to many.
During this professional assessment, they were among the primary candidates to advance to the final test in Jianghai.
The entire assessment process was divided into three stages: the preliminary trial, the provincial trial, and the final trial.
The first stage, the preliminary trial, involved registration, where information such as age, name, and companion beasts was provided. Additionally, the most crucial aspect was the mandatory test.
Initially, as long as the participants were under 24 years old and their cultivation realm did not exceed the Overlord Rank, they could participate.
However, despite this requirement, there were no 24-year-olds or younger beast tamers at the Sovereign Rank. Instead, a large number of graduates and even some with their cats and dogs showed up to join the excitement.
Although this assessment was open to all young beast tamers, these individuals were not even considered cannon fodder. If they entered the Last Man Standing provincial trial arena, they might wet their pants in fear. Moreover, if they caused a scene or, worse, lost lives, it would be a significant embarrassment on a national or even global scale.
Therefore, the first round of the preliminary trial had a significant prerequisite: participants must be at least Elite 6th Rank!
Furthermore, young beast tamers below the Overlord Rank had to prove their eligibility by defeating opponents at the local Beast Taming Association branches. This restriction eliminated 99.99% of the eligible candidates in Jianghai Province.
Indeed, the participants who arrived at the provincial trial venue in Jianghai Province were truly exceptional.
Each of them exuded a confident aura as they arrived.
They had every reason to be confident.
However, due to this restriction, as the sun rose higher in the sky, the Beast Taming Association's doors remained closed, causing some dissatisfaction among the early arrivals:
"Isn't the provincial trial supposed to start tomorrow? Why did they make us come so early today?"
"Yeah, they called us here, but no one is around to receive us."
"Stop chattering. The president of the Jianghai Province Breeder Association is here to give a speech and distribute necessary equipment!"
"That's right. With so many people, how can they distribute equipment individually on the day of the actual exam?"
Some explained, while others were curious: "What equipment?"
"The provincial trial is a Last Man Standing mode, right? This isn't a joke. It's not like those skirmishes in the training grounds. In the trial realm, there are real ferocious beasts. What if there's a life-threatening situation? Who would risk their life?"
"Shush, I've never faced a real ferocious beast before. Let's see how Drill Head and Mountain Armor fare against them!"
Some were excited, while others had a hint of concern:
"What equipment is the Association providing? Is it dangerous or harmful in any way? My Little White hates pain..."
In an instant, the area in front of the Beast Taming Association, this vast square, became a bustling hub of activity.
Peace had prevailed for too long in this era, and for many young beast tamers, this was their first real combat experience.
This situation was both a challenge and an opportunity!
However, the chaotic scene was abruptly silenced by a terrifying aura that emerged.
Then, exclamations of surprise echoed through the crowd.
At that moment, a massive figure descended from the sky, landing not far above everyone's heads before hovering in mid-air.
"A dragon! It's a dragon!" someone exclaimed, pointing at the figure in the sky. Some locals from Linzhou understood the situation and, though surprised, feigned disdain for the country bumpkins from out of town.
"What's so surprising? The president of our Jianghai Breeder Association, Mr. Qin, has a wooden dragon just like this! It's a true divine dragon!"
The mention of a divine dragon and a wooden dragon captivated the young boys and girls who aspired to become Beast Tamers, their eyes widening as they gazed at the figure standing atop the giant creature in the sky.
Qin Erlong's expression was solemn, his unruly black hair standing on end without a hint of wind, giving him the air of a true master.
His sharp gaze swept down, quickly fixing on the large crowd below: "Quiet! You all must have guessed why I've gathered you here today. Indeed, the rules for the Last Man Standing mode of the Provincial Trial are straightforward. As for the specific rules and final victory conditions, you can find them all on the Jianghai Beast Taming Association's official website!
So, the reason I've called you here today is to distribute your personal watches and pre-register your information and details. Due to the large number of participants, we're doing this two days in advance. I hope you all understand!"
Qin Erlong's tone was calm, but it made many clench their fists. In this era, fame meant attention, wealth, and access to resources beyond one's current social class. This was an opportunity for everyone.
Even if one didn't make it into the top ten, a feat as challenging as crossing a bridge over a thousand armies, there were still thousands of applicants who met the stringent preliminary trial conditions.
The difficulty of selecting the top ten from among them was unimaginable. However, making it into the top hundred would still be a significant achievement, a highlight in one's resume.
Later, when applying to major companies or pursuing other opportunities, this honor would be worth mentioning!
Facing a true Emperor-level Beast Tamer like Qin Erlong, no one dared to be disrespectful, not even the most rebellious young Breeders. They all obediently lined up.
The first in line was a young Beast Tamer who looked to be around twenty-four years old. He was excited because the person distributing the numbers and devices was none other than Qin Erlong himself, slowly descending from the sky, not one of the staff behind him.
In the quickly formed lines, this young man's face flushed as he looked at the older Qin.
Qin Erlong didn't say much but smiled slightly and took out a watch: "Put it on, 0002. This is your number. Later, you'll need to input your name and student ID yourself. This number is based on your registration order."
"I understand!" The young man quickly took the watch and put it on, but soon furrowed his brows: "President Qin, is this number based on the registration order? But there's no one in front of me. Shouldn't it be 0001 or 0000?"
Qin Erlong wasn't surprised by the question and smiled slightly. "0001 has already been taken. That person had something to do these days and asked someone else to pick it up for him. You can check the details on the watch. By the day after tomorrow at the latest, all participants must input their names and student IDs."
The young man blinked and frowned slightly. This seemed a bit irregular, didn't it? They all knew how challenging the preliminary trial was, and yet President Qin was blatantly pulling strings for someone? However, no one dared to speak up in front of President Qin, though the young man and some behind him in line clearly frowned.
The determined crowd was eager to see who this person was, who had the audacity to pull strings and use connections at a time like this! Especially with the news spreading, the attention this incident was garnering was growing by the day.
This was especially true among the participants, as the Battle Royale mode had already begun, and young Beast Tamers with ambitions were forming teams with like-minded friends.
Although there were many gathered in Linzhou, the circle was relatively small. Even those who were further back in line and hadn't found partners yet, thanks to some well-intentioned individuals spreading the word, now knew about this!
For someone to dare to pull strings at a time like this, when the entire province, no, the entire country, was watching—this person's background must be incredibly special and shocking.
Even in the subsequent group chat with over a thousand participants, some openly discussed this matter.
"Who is this young master? Could he be President Qin's grandson?"
"Impossible! Don't talk nonsense! President Qin only has one granddaughter, and she's already at the Capital City Academy, guaranteed to participate in the final test in the Capital. President Qin would never help his own family pull strings like this!"
"Then who could it be? Speaking of which, how come this person hasn't registered their name and graduating class yet? Could they be from a top academy, returning to our Linhai?"
"Impossible! It's not like there aren't any. Linzhou, Shuhua, Shuiyuan, all have a few who returned early, but none with the qualifications to have President Qin pull strings for them!"
As the conversation went on, someone's mind quickly made a connection.
Immediately, in this large group chat, someone directly mentioned a specific person.
"@Yan Fan, Brother Yan, has anyone asked you to form a team? Someone you've helped guide before?"
"Yes, if someone pulled strings, they must have difficulty passing the preliminary exam. So, if they want to earn experience and enhance their reputation, they'd definitely look for a few strong individuals. Brother Yan is one of the few here who has reached the 10th layer of the Overlord Rank, so they'd definitely approach him, right?"
Someone understood the intention behind the question.
Among the many inquiries, those who were asked were the young Beast Tamers with the potential to win or rank in the top ten in the Jianghai circle.
However, they all gave the same answer: they hadn't heard of anyone! After all, if President Qin had pulled strings, even if they didn't want to, they wouldn't refuse out of respect for the person and their connections, as long as they wanted to stay in Jianghai.
But the issue was, they truly hadn't heard anything.
However, it was evident that these individuals, whether sincerely or with hidden motives, had perhaps promised to help someone get through the trials.
Naturally, no one admitted to it in such a large group chat.
Understandably, no one believed their words, and even those who privately messaged to inquire didn't get any satisfactory answers.
However, the topic shifted slightly from who this person was that President Qin helped pull strings for, to the feasibility of forming teams with those who could carry them through.
Everyone knew that the reason the provincial trial was conducted in this manner was due to the overwhelming number of participants and the need for a relatively quick decision.
But once they reached the Imperial Capital and the national television broadcast, no one would be carried, and no one would have the delusion of being brought into the top ten.
Nevertheless, in this temporary group chat, as the discussion heated up, a piece of news suddenly interrupted the rapidly scrolling chat.
"!!! That guy with the number 0001 has finally registered his name and graduating class. I get it now, I understand why President Qin would pull strings for him."
The abrupt message caused the entire chat to freeze for a moment, and everyone immediately checked who this mysterious person was.
And as expected, in this search, the enigmatic participant number 0001 finally appeared before everyone's eyes.
【Number: 0001】
【Name: Su Ping, Age: 19, Class: Graduated from Linzhou No. 2 Middle School, Class 2...】
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
