The referee glanced at the grinning Little Werewolf, his lips twitching as he waved his hand to split the barrier apart.
Soon after, the Space Gate opened wide, and an incredibly ferocious Monkey-faced Spider emerged from it. The ten-meter-tall giant spider let out a piercing screech, instantly causing the arena to turn a few degrees colder.
Qin Shou's face grew solemn. A Dangerous Nine Stars Monkey-faced Spider!
The Unihorn Saber-Toothed Tiger shivered at the sound of the screech. It abruptly turned around and fixed its gaze on the giant Monkey-faced Spider, its eyes filled with wariness.
"Roar..."
The Saber-Toothed Tiger growled softly, as if issuing a threat.
The Monkey-faced Spider's abdomen twitched for a moment, then suddenly it launched a massive spider web, covering nearly half the arena and instantly trapping the Unihorn Saber-Toothed Tiger within.
"Roar!!"
The Unihorn Saber-Toothed Tiger struggled ferociously, but no matter how hard it fought, it was futile. The spider web held it firmly in place, rendering it completely immobile.
Wang Wu, now saved, subconsciously wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, deeply shaken.
"This round, Qin Shou from Class D wins!"
The Saber-Toothed Tiger was subdued, and the referee announced the winner accordingly.
Wang Wu panicked, "No way, I didn't lose! This round doesn't count..."
The referee ignored Wang Wu's protest entirely. He merely waved his hand, and the Monkey-faced Spider dragged the web-covered Saber-Toothed Tiger into the Space Gate.
"Wait, that's my beast!" Wang Wu exclaimed in alarm.
The referee replied coldly, "This beast is no longer under control. On behalf of the school, I'm confiscating it."
Whether Wang Wu agreed or not, the referee declared the winner, confiscated the Danger Level 8 Saber-Toothed Tiger, and calmly turned to leave.
From Qin Shou's perspective, he vaguely noticed that the referee seemed a little... excited.
Is this how you earn on the side?
Wang Wu watched the referee's retreating figure with a face full of grief and anger, pointing at Qin Shou in fury.
"It's all your fault! You owe me my beast!"
Qin Shou rolled his eyes, muttered a curse under his breath, then reverted to his nonchalant self and walked away.
Wang Wu was filled with rage, but he didn't dare make a move in front of the crowd after the match. Doing so would result in being charged with intentional injury and handed over to the Guard Team by the school.
Driven mad with frustration, he threw his head back and howled, tears streaming down his face.
"Nooooo!!"
...
"Hahaha, Lao Qin, did you see Wang Wu's face? It was priceless! Serves him right for being such an arrogant prick all the time..."
Long Xia laughed as he pounded Qin Shou's shoulders and back, cursing enthusiastically as he vented his amusement.
Qin Shou took a sip from the milk tea a classmate had given him, then glanced at the time displayed on his watch.
"Long Xia, could you step outside for a moment?" he said.
Long Xia froze. "Lao Qin, what for..."
"Long Xia, I'd like to have a word with Qin Shou," Yu Shusheng's voice sounded suddenly behind Long Xia, who nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Oh geez... Principal, could you not sneak up on people like that?" Long Xia patted his chest to steady himself.
Yu Shusheng chuckled. "Long Xia."
Long Xia glanced at Qin Shou, then tactfully left the room.
Qin Shou stood up and saluted. "Good day, Principal."
"Mm."
Yu Shusheng nodded slightly, then said, "Qin Shou, could you let me have a look at the beast of yours with the Undying Body?"
"Sure, no problem."
Qin Shou opened the Space Gate and unceremoniously yanked Big Big Wolf out.
"My dear master, I was scared to death just now... Huh? Hey, old man, who are you?"
Big Big Wolf raised its head to stare at Yu Shusheng, its big eyes blinking as it asked.
A flicker of surprise flashed in Yu Shusheng's eyes. He reached out with a hand, and pale blue Star Power formed into a phantom hand, grabbing Big Big Wolf midair and curiously examining it.
"Hey, old man, what are you doing? I'm not your plaything... Hey! Old man, do that again and I won't hold back... Hey, where are you touching... You perverted old man, cut it out!!"
A moment later, Big Big Wolf clung to Qin Shou's leg, tears streaming down its furry face.
"Waaah... My dear master, I've been sullied..."
Qin Shou ignored Big Big Wolf's complaints and tossed it back into the Space Gate. Then, flashing a smile at the now-enlightened Yu Shusheng, he asked, "Principal, what do you think?"
Yu Shusheng nodded. Smiling, he said, "Impressive. To think of using liquid rubber to fuse with a beast and simulate a form of Undying Body—it's quite ingenious."
"Thank you for the compliment, Principal," Qin Shou replied.
Yu Shusheng pondered for a moment, then said, "Since it's not a true Undying Body, I'll rest easy. You know as well as I do that if West City were to produce a beast with an Undying Body, it would spell disaster."
Since the Old Era, monsters with an Undying Body had invariably been humanity's greatest foes.
The Federation was known to show no mercy toward such entities.
Even artificially bred Undying Beasts could never guarantee that they wouldn't lose control and become catastrophic.
Beast Tamers remain Beast Tamers; they are not true Guardian Beasts.
Qin Shou was well aware of this, which was why he chose to reveal Big Big Wolf's existence—to draw Yu Shusheng's attention and use his status as Principal to smooth things over.
"I understand. I'll leave this matter in your capable hands, Principal."
Yu Shusheng waved dismissively. "It's a small matter. As Principal, it's my duty."
Suddenly, as if recalling something, he added, "Qin Shou, West City's three major schools will soon be holding a joint trial. Each school can only send five students. Are you interested?"
Qin Shou's eyes lit up. A dungeon run?
Dungeon runs were almost always profitable.
"Of course I'm interested. Thank you, Principal..."
Yu Shusheng cut him off. "Don't thank me just yet. The specifics for the slots are still being decided."
Qin Shou probed, "Principal, will the first place winner in the Beast Breeding Competition get a spot?"
"Haha, the Beast Breeding Competition is just an ordinary activity. What do you think?"
Seeing Qin Shou's faintly disappointed expression, Yu Shusheng added, "However, if the first place winner is truly outstanding, exceptions can always be made."
On the surface, Qin Shou appeared elated, but inwardly, he was unmoved—he even felt like sipping his milk tea.
What's with all this fuss? Isn't this old man just trying to flatter me, Qin Shou?
While Qin Shou's current performance wasn't particularly stellar, Yu Shusheng had managed to stay Principal of West City Beast Breeding High School for over a decade through shrewd networking.
If he weren't well-connected, the position would've long been taken by someone else.
After all, in West City, there was no shortage of Beast Tamers capable of replacing Yu Shusheng.
...
Dusk gradually enveloped the sky.
Under the night, the lights illuminated the arena. The massive craters and dried bloodstains scattered across the field served as constant reminders to the students of Beast Breeding High School.
In the end, there would only be one true victor!
The Beast Breeding System students who made it to the finals were all vying for that ultimate prize.
First place represented glory and strength.
Even if it came at the cost of blood, it was worth it.
Of course, with Yu Shusheng overseeing the arena, tragedies would be avoided. But injuries? Inevitable.
At this moment, students crowded outside the arena, forming a massive circle, eagerly anticipating the final clash of the Beast Breeding Competition.