Chapter 680: The Second Stage
Chapter 680: The Second Stage
The next day, at 8:30 AM.
Qiao Sang woke up and, as usual, reached for her mobile phone to check the time. She found that quite a few people had @-mentioned her in the class group for Sai Nan High School.
This was the first time so many people had @-mentioned her since her Steel Sparrow evolved into a Steel Guardian. Qiao Sang opened the class group.
【Raffi: @Qiao Sang, is what Tang Yi said true? You have two familiars that have evolved into General-Class?】
【Gene: I don't believe it, I don't believe it, I don't believe it, unless I see it with my own eyes, @Qiao Sang.】
【Yuna: @Qiao Sang, a lot of people from our class have been accepted into the Top Academy in the First District. When can we get together and catch up?】
Tang Yi sure spread the news fast... Qiao Sang replied:
【@Yuna, sure, I'm in the First District too. Let's grab a meal sometime.】
Qiao Sang had chimed in?！
The group members were suddenly energized, like they had just spotted a rare, nearly extinct familiar.
【Hylis: We can always grab a meal. Answer our question first. Do you really have two familiars that have evolved into General-Class?】
【Tang Yi: You guys are really something. We're classmates, and you don't believe me? I even showed you the photos. Qiao Sang, tell them! Am I lying?】
【Vivek: Actually, I'm in the First District too. I saw the news about the Ghost Ring a few days ago and assumed it was Qiao Sang's familiar.】
Qiao Sang typed her reply:
【That Ghost Ring is indeed my familiar. It evolved last night, and Tang Yi was there, so he knew about it first.】
Tang Yi replied instantly:
【See! I didn't lie to you!】
The group fell silent.
As the cream of the crop among their peers, they were all quite accomplished in various aspects. Whether it was familiars or the resources related to them, they could generally obtain what they wanted.
There were also many older individuals in their circles who, regardless of the stability of their familiars' strength, wanted them to evolve quickly to enhance themselves.
Even with a massive amount of rare resources, no elder's familiar had ever evolved into a General-Class in such a short time.
【Yuna: @Qiao Sang, when are you free? I want to see your two Champion-level familiars.】
【Hylis: Count me in.】
【Gene: @Hylis, aren't you not in the First District?】
【Hylis: I can come to the First District.】
The group members chatted back and forth, mostly chiming in, and started discussing the time and place for their meetup.
However, everyone had their own schedules and preferences, so they couldn't agree on a time for a while.
At this point, Qiao Sang sent a message:
【How about 6 PM the day after tomorrow? Some people not in the First District can make it. We can meet at Xiangshide Pine Restaurant; I've heard the food is great there.】
【Yuna: Sure, I have no objections.】
【Hylis: Works for me.】
【Raffi: Count me in, I'll be there on time!】
Everyone agreed.
The time and place that they couldn't agree on for half a day were settled so easily.
……
An hour later, Tang Yi followed Qiao Sang to a private gym dedicated to training.
"You train your defensive strength here?" Tang Yi looked around at the facilities and asked.
Qiao Sang nodded: "The coach who trains me is great. I feel like my skin has thickened a lot."
I can’t tell at all… Tang Yi glanced at Qiao Sang’s exposed skin, only to find her still slim arms and legs, delicate and tender.
"How much does a workout session cost here?" Tang Yi asked.
"I’m not sure, I just paid with my card", Qiao Sang replied.
Tang Yi was silent for a few seconds. "I’ll watch how you train first before deciding whether to sign up for a membership."
He also had a Bond Evolution familiar and naturally needed to enhance his own defensive strength. Qiao Sang’s progress had always been superhuman, so training with her was definitely the right choice.
However, this gym looked high-end. If the training effects were just mediocre, he’d rather stick to the old method of having Pare Lulu constantly participate in combat to quickly get used to the pain brought by Bond Evolution.
After all, he now had three familiars to raise, and his living expenses were mostly on him.
Qiao Sang naturally had no objections.
The two entered the training room one after the other.
Elma was taken aback for a moment but quickly adjusted her expression, smiling.
This private gym offered one-on-one training, which theoretically didn’t allow strangers to enter. However, if the client brought someone along, it was fine.
"This is my friend", Qiao Sang introduced.
"Hello", Elma stepped forward to shake hands. "I’m Elma."
Tang Yi shook her hand and said, "Just go ahead with your training, don’t mind me."
With that, he sat down on a nearby sofa.
Qiao Sang said, "After I took a bath with Resilience Tonic the last time, I felt much more energetic, like my body was refreshed."
Elma pinched Qiao Sang’s arm and said, "Let’s see if you’ve completed the first stage."
"How do we test it?" Qiao Sang asked.
Elma smiled. "If you can withstand a 200-kilogram punch without using Skunk Venom and not get injured, you’ve completed the first stage. Just have Puncher hit you once."
"Jab."
As soon as she finished speaking, Puncher, who was already wearing boxing gloves, tapped his fist, indicating he was ready to start.
Tang Yi, sitting on the sofa, watched this scene and swallowed hard.
200 kilograms?
Just let a combat familiar punch you like that?!
"Come on", Qiao Sang took a solid stance. "Don’t hit my face."
"Jab!"
Puncher nodded, then raised his fist, moving so fast that only a blur was visible as he struck.
Qiao Sang involuntarily took a step back.
"How does it feel?" Elma asked.
Qiao Sang felt her body and smiled. "I didn’t feel any pain at all."
Hearing this, Elma smiled. "Congratulations, you’ve completed the first stage. Now, let’s move on to the second stage."
Tang Yi, who was sitting on the sofa, was left with his mouth agape, completely stunned.
He knew that Beastmasters would become much stronger defensively as their familiars replenished. He had seen many older Beastmasters who could withstand attacks from their familiars without a scratch when he was a child. But Qiao Sang was two years younger than him and had managed to train her defensive strength to this level in just a month?
Was Qiao Sang the freak, or was the coach the freak?
After a brief moment of thought, Tang Yi decided it was probably Qiao Sang.
On the other side, Elma continued to look at Qiao Sang. "In the second stage, we’ll focus on strengthening your tendons. This stage will be more painful. I’ll have the Body-Forge Worm enter your body and traverse your tendons."
"The Body-Forge Worm secretes a substance that helps strengthen your tendons. Once it has traversed all your tendons 99 times, you’ll have completed the second stage."
"The duration of this process varies; those with a higher pain tolerance will finish faster, while those with a lower pain tolerance will take longer."
"I had a client who spent a whole year and still couldn't get the Body-Forge Worm to complete ten rounds inside their body, all because their pain tolerance was too low."
Qiao Sang pondered for a moment and asked:
"Can the familiar use Skills to alleviate the pain during the process?"
Elma smiled and replied:
"It's possible, but the training effect might not be as good if you do that."
Qiao Sang immediately dismissed the idea of having Lulu use Healing Light during the process.
Since she was training, she naturally wanted the best possible results.
"Let's start then, I'm prepared", Qiao Sang said.
Elma nodded slightly and proceeded to open the holographic screen on the status panel, tapping a few buttons.
Soon, there was a knock at the door.
Puncher went to open it.
A work-clothed Insect Familiar, predominantly earthy yellow with a pink nose, slowly crawled in.
"Forging."
The Insect Familiar bowed.
"This is the Body-Forge Worm that will be serving you next", Elma introduced.
Qiao Sang looked at the Body-Forge Worm and suddenly had a serious question:
"How does it get into my meridians?"
Elma smiled gently, "It goes in through your mouth. You just need to swallow it."
"Forging."
The Body-Forge Worm nodded, indicating that it was indeed that simple.
Qiao Sang fell silent for a moment, then asked, "How does it get out after completing a round?"
Elma explained patiently:
"It comes out through your mouth as well. Don't worry, you'll feel it when it does."
"Forging."
The Body-Forge Worm nodded again, confirming it would be easy.
Qiao Sang: "…"
Qiao Sang hesitated, the idea of an Insect Familiar entering through her mouth was quite revolting…
"Steel Guardian."
At that moment, Steel Treasure, who had been quietly standing by, called out, urging her not to hesitate and to start quickly, as they were being charged by the hour.
Qiao Sang: "…"
Qiao Sang steeled her resolve and gritted her teeth. "Come on!"
With that, she opened her mouth as if preparing for a heroic sacrifice.
"Forging!"
The Body-Forge Worm, with a serious expression, quickly shed its work clothes and jumped in.
Qiao Sang immediately swallowed.
Ew… Tang Yi turned his head away in disgust, unable to bear watching, while secretly admiring her courage.
He felt that if it were him, he would need at least an hour of mental preparation…
Damn, it hurts so much… Qiao Sang felt the pain surge as soon as she swallowed the Body-Forge Worm.
Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, her body trembled slightly, and she crouched down.
"Xunxun~"
Treasure Seeker, seeing her condition, appeared with a worried look and floated over to her Beastmaster.
This familiar? Elma was momentarily stunned by the unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar face of the familiar.
It looks a bit like a Ghost Ring…
Qiao Sang was in too much pain to speak, so Elma turned her gaze to the black-haired boy Qiao Sang had brought with her.
Tang Yi accurately interpreted her look and explained:
"It's Qiao Sang's familiar, Ghost Ring King, the evolved form of a Ghost Ring."
Elma was taken aback.
The evolved form of a Ghost Ring?
No wonder it felt familiar…
She remembered reading in the newspaper that Ghost Rings were Advanced Ghost-type Companion Beasts…
If this was its evolved form, then it must be a Champion-level familiar…
(End of Chapter)
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