Chapter 69: Shock and Conditions

Chapter 69: Shock and Conditions

The roars of the beasts reverberated, not just shaking the surrounding hundred li but easily reaching the entire breeding facility.

The entire facility heard the roars clearly, including Chu Xiran and the five others.

"It's probably a successful evolution. Can we go and take a look now?" Bull Vigor's eyes were brimming with curiosity.

He was eager to see what kind of beast Li Qian had evolved, one that could trigger the Evolution Radiance three times in a single evolution.

Chu Xiran and the three recruitment officers shared the same curiosity.

They all turned their gazes towards Han Yuying.

Undoubtedly, the only one who could make the decision on the spot was her.

Han Yuying didn't hesitate. She immediately took out her phone and made a call.

The call connected quickly, and after a brief conversation, Han Yuying nodded, "We can go now."

With permission granted, the group didn't hesitate and hurried off.

Just as they rushed over, on the other side, Li Qian came to fulfill his promise. He walked up to Xiao Liu and spoke gently, "Xiao Liu, I told you before that if you could complete this evolution, I would contract with you and make you my second beast."

Li Qian looked at Xiao Liu, who had evolved into a Frostfire Salamander and had reached the Elite Tier 5, and said solemnly, "Now, I can fulfill that promise."

As for whether Xiao Liu would refuse, Li Qian never even considered it.

After all, without him, Xiao Liu's current state wouldn't be possible.

Moreover, Xiao Liu had a tenacious and ambitious personality.

Only by staying with him could Xiao Liu achieve greater heights.

Xiao Liu himself was well aware of this, so Li Qian wasn't worried at all.

Indeed, his worries were unfounded. After Li Qian gestured, Xiao Liu didn't hesitate and obediently stretched out his head, allowing Li Qian to pet him.

Li Qian didn't waste any time.

He extended his hand and directly formed the Beastmaster Contract, touching Xiao Liu's forehead.

In an instant, a brilliant light shone.

With both parties willing and in agreement, the contract was effortlessly formed.

Feeling the established mental connection with Xiao Liu, Li Qian nodded in satisfaction.

As expected of a beast with potential reaching the Sovereign Ninth Rank, even though it was just a contract and Xiao Liu was only at the Elite Tier 5, the contract feedback significantly enhanced Li Qian's physical qualities.

Li Qian even felt that his physical attributes were no less than those of some low-potential beasts at the initial Elite Rank.

What delighted him even more was Xiao Liu's mastery of the two passive skills, "Inferno" and "Frost."

The trigger mechanisms of these two passive skills were identical.

When the beast's internal energy dropped below half, these skills would activate, doubling the power of fire-based and ice-based skills.

The Frostfire Salamander, already a rare and high-potential beast, became even more formidable with the "Inferno" and "Frost" skills. It was almost invincible among its rank and estimated to be close to it.

Just as Li Qian was filled with joy, footsteps approached from a distance.

The footsteps belonged to Chu Xiran and the five others, who had been observing the little forest from a distance.

After receiving Li Qian's permission, they rushed over immediately.

There, they saw a massive lizard-type beast, ten meters long and nearly four meters tall.

As the vice-principal of the Cultivation Academy at Jiangnan Beastmaster University, Zhou Chubin's knowledge was evidently superior to the others.

Almost as soon as he saw the giant lizard, he recognized its identity, "This is... a Frostfire Salamander!"

It was because he recognized the giant lizard's identity that he exclaimed in disbelief, "How is this possible! How can it be a Frostfire Salamander!"

Zhou Chubin's exclamation also snapped Xue Huaiyu and Ai Xiaolian back to reality, "It's actually a Frostfire Salamander! Rumor has it that this beast has the potential to reach the Sovereign Ninth Rank!"

The reason it was called a "rumor" was because Frostfire Salamanders were extremely rare and could only be found with a tiny probability in the Western Federal Nation's dimensional fissures.

In the Eastern Federal Nation, they were virtually unseen, and their rarity was evident.

Moreover, according to legends, this rare salamander-type beast could potentially evolve into the mythical Holy Spirit Rank beast—the Icefire Dragon.

For this reason, many breeders in the Western Federal Nation were researching this rare beast.

Unfortunately, it seemed that there was no clue to be found.

Not only was there no information on how the Icefire Salamander evolved from the Frostfire Salamander, but even the Frostfire Salamander itself seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

Now, seeing this scene, a Frostfire Salamander rubbing against Li Qian's palm in such a lively and affectionate manner, they finally had their answer.

However, it was precisely because they had gotten the answer that they were so shocked, their jaws nearly dropping in astonishment.

"Koi can even evolve into an Icefire Salamander!" Ai Xiaolian was in a daze, her mouth opening and closing as if she were asking a question, or perhaps talking to herself.

"No wonder so many breeders in the West haven't figured out what beast the Frostfire Salamander evolved from."

After the initial shock, Zhou Chubin couldn't help but continue, adding with a sigh, "It seems that it evolved from the most common Koi in the East."

"Yes, I was quite surprised when I first discovered some clues," Li Qian smiled and nodded, then slowly walked over and echoed.

"Hello, Li Qian, my name is Zhou Chubin, I'm from Nan Du City, and I'm a recruitment officer from Jiangnan Beastmaster University." Zhou Chubin couldn't wait to introduce himself.

Then, he made a request, "I don't know if I can take a look at the specific attribute information of this Icefire Salamander."

In fact, with his level of strength, wanting to view Xiao Liu's information wouldn't require much effort.

Even if he couldn't probe very detailed and clear information, he could still get a general idea.

The reason he asked was out of respect for Li Qian; probing without permission might cause the latter to feel offended.

Li Qian didn't hesitate and directly shared the information he saw through his True Sight Eye.

Xue Huaiyu naturally also saw the information Li Qian shared, and when she saw the attribute information of the Icefire Salamander, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "This... this Icefire Salamander's attributes are... too incredible!"

"Li Qian, this time, regardless of whether you agree to attend our school..." As she spoke, she had already made a promise, officially starting the talent war.

She continued, directly offering what she thought was a rather generous temptation, "Here, I can offer to help you breed five Icefire Salamanders... no, as many as you can manage, the price is negotiable, and it will definitely not be lower than the current market price."

Xue Huaiyu's attempt to woo Li Qian immediately sparked a talent war, and the atmosphere on the scene became tense.

Zhou Chubin laughed and followed up with a mocking tone, "I wonder what idea your Shazhou Beastmaster University is pursuing, Xue teacher?"

"Li Qian hasn't even entered your Shazhou Beastmaster University yet, and his current research results have nothing to do with your Shazhou Beastmaster University."

"The Icefire Salamander is a rare and precious beast with a high price and limited supply. If it were put up for sale on the Beast Market, it would likely be snapped up instantly. You're seeking to purchase it at the market price, and the quantity is negotiable."

"Those who know about it will think that your Shazhou Beastmaster University is supporting Li Qian, and those who don't know will think that you're taking advantage of Li Qian."

Hearing these words, Xue Huaiyu secretly thought it was a bad idea, as she instinctively associated it with the cooperation model between the breeding academy and the school.

In that situation, the school has the priority to acquire, and the price is usually lower than the market price.

However, Li Qian's situation is different. He isn't a student of Shazhou Beastmaster University yet, and at this time, the negotiation between the two parties is on equal terms.

The conditions she proposed not only lacked attractiveness but also seemed to be taking advantage of Li Qian.

After realizing this, Xue Huaiyu didn't explain but directly apologized, "Sorry, I was indeed rash."

"This matter requires further consideration. In that case, we can discuss the cooperation after Li Qian enrolls in the school."

"The conditions I can offer here are that as long as it's within my capabilities, Li Qian can ask for anything."

As soon as her words fell, she was targeted by Ai Xiaolian, who countered, "Xue teacher, these words seem sincere, but there's a suspicion of empty promises..."

"Ai teacher's words make sense!" Zhou Chubin echoed, and at this moment, he and Ai Xiaolian silently formed an alliance.

Regardless of which Beastmaster University Li Qian chooses to attend, joining forces to target one person first is definitely the right move. If they can make Shazhou Beastmaster University withdraw early, that would be the best outcome.

Unfortunately, their methods might affect other high school students, but for Li Qian, who has lived two lives and possesses a mature mind, they have no effect whatsoever.

He smiled and waved at Xiao Liu, who obediently poked his head out, allowing Li Qian to stroke it. This scene was quite impressive.

After a stroke, Li Qian turned and faced the three admissions officers, saying casually, "Regarding the collaboration, we can discuss it later. The urgent matter at hand is... changing locations..."

"Teachers, as you can see, this isn't an appropriate place for a conversation. How about this: follow me to the reception area of the base, and then we can communicate one by one."

Upon hearing this, all three nodded. Indeed, this wasn't the place for a conversation, and no matter how entangled they became here, there wouldn't be any results.

Ten minutes later, on the third floor of Building 1 of the breeding base, Li Qian sat across from Zhou Chubin and Chu Xiran in a reception room.

Whether it was because of Chu Xiran's connection or because Jiangnan Beastmaster University was already his top choice, they should be the first to receive him.

This also reflected Li Qian's emphasis and preference for Jiangnan Beastmaster University.

In response, both Xue Huaiyu and Ai Xiaolian could only smile bitterly. They had no way to compete when it came to hometown sentiments.

Of course, preferences are just preferences. Whether he would ultimately choose Jiangnan Beastmaster University still depended on the sincerity of Zhou Chubin's offer.

With similar conditions, Li Qian would naturally give priority, but if the conditions differed greatly, he wouldn't mind changing his target.

In any case, Li Qian understood that the choice of Beastmaster University required careful consideration and a rational approach, without acting on impulse.

"Li Qian, I must say that your performance today has truly surprised us. It's hard to imagine that you're still just a high school student."

In the reception room, Zhou Chubin spoke first, starting with praise, "From carp to green-scaled dragons, the evolutionary challenges that have perplexed countless breeders are now being overcome by you. Not only have you discovered the frostfire salamander, but you've also successfully evolved it."

"Such an astonishing achievement might even be beyond the reach of some breeding masters."

Facing this somewhat exaggerated praise, Li Qian smiled faintly, not taking it to heart. He casually responded, "You flatter me."

After the praise, seeing that Li Qian showed no emotion, Zhou Chubin didn't waste any more time and got straight to the point, "I'm sure you're aware of the reason for my visit, as well as that of Xue Huaiyu and Ai Xiaolian."

"Mhm," Li Qian nodded.

The purpose of their visit was already obvious to everyone, so how could Li Qian not understand it?

"Regarding Jiangnan Beastmaster University, I'm sure you have some understanding of it as well."

After a brief introduction, Zhou Chubin began to elaborate on Jiangnan Beastmaster University, "Our Jiangnan Beastmaster University was established in the Alliance Year 1895 and has a history of over 1500 years."

Although Li Qian had already learned some information about the eight universities in advance, that knowledge was fragmented and unsystematic.

Now, with a detailed and systematic introduction, he listened attentively without finding it tedious.

"My visit to Lingwater City this time is specifically for you, Li Qian. Our Jiangnan Beastmaster University will definitely provide you with the most excellent learning environment..."

In the following half-hour, Zhou Chubin thoroughly explained the conditions offered by Jiangnan Beastmaster University.

Overall, the conditions were very attractive, including full scholarships and tuition waivers, to name a few.

However, these conditions held no appeal for Li Qian at the moment, as he didn't need that money.

Additionally, the freedom to choose courses, the eligibility to participate in numerous evolutionary breeding research projects from the first year, the school's provision of breeding resources worth up to 10 million annually, and the independence to keep research results private were all more enticing conditions.

The terms offered by Jiangnan Beastmaster University were indeed attractive, but Li Qian didn't let this cloud his judgment. He didn't immediately agree.

He understood the importance of comparing offers, so he wanted to see what conditions the other two universities would propose.

Li Qian responded tactfully, "I appreciate the sincerity of Jiangnan Beastmaster University and Teacher Zhou. However, choosing a Beastmaster University is a crucial decision that affects my future... So please forgive me for not being able to give you an immediate answer. I still need to discuss it with my family..."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end