Lu Fei withdrew his expression and focused intently on the television screen.
On the screen, a contracted beast appeared. Its eyes were crimson and fierce, and it stood at least three meters tall, its muscles coiled like a vajra.
"[Earth Ape], a contracted beast with both strength and earth attributes. Originally A-rank rarity, secondary evolution, level 100, reference combat power 1550 points. Its whereabouts have been reported in Zhujun, Gaodu City, and other places."
Lu Fei's eyes widened.
This was a king-level opening, a max-level contracted beast with a combat power of 1550!
The television host continued reporting.
"[Dragon-headed Terror Beast], a water-attribute contracted beast. Originally A-rank rarity, secondary evolution, level 100, reference combat power 1580 points. Its whereabouts have been reported in Longtuo, Fengdu City, and other places."
"[Death Camel], originally A-rank rarity contracted beast, secondary evolution, level 100, reference combat power 1580 points. Its whereabouts have been reported in Yanbei City, Jin'an City, and other places."
Listening to the host's explanation, Lu Fei realized that these rampaging contracted beast leaders seemed to have not affected Wenmin City. No wonder there was no disturbance on his way back.
As Lu Fei was secretly speculating, the host's voice came again.
"Recently, rampaging contracted beasts have also intruded near Wenmin City, under Tianhang City. Currently, there is no clear information about the identity of this contracted beast. However, according to experts, it is suspected to be a contracted beast of original S-rank rarity, the [Blood Ghoul]! This is a contracted beast that feeds on blood and spares neither humans nor contracted beasts!
If any citizens nearby discover the whereabouts of this contracted beast, please report it to the Special Operations Team immediately."
After the broadcast, the program ended. Lu Fei's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt unable to focus on the television. He remembered what Manager Wan of Qianniang Winery in Jiuquan Town had said. Connecting it now, he wondered if the terrifying contracted beast on Wuyou Grassland they mentioned was the [Blood Ghoul]?
Turning off the TV, Lu Fei clasped his hands under his chin and pondered.
"Will that drunkard be alright living there alone?"
Then, Lu Fei shook his head again. "No, the drunkard has so many contracted beasts protecting him, and his strength is so unfathomable, there shouldn't be any danger."
After a bout of self-conflict, Lu Fei chose to believe in the drunkard, believing he could definitely gather the contracted beasts of Wuyou Grassland to take down the [Blood Ghoul].
The next day, the sun rose as usual, warm and pleasant.
Much like his feelings when transitioning from elementary to middle school, Lu Fei was filled with curiosity about the upcoming advancement assessment and the subsequent class assignments.
Especially after a month of training, he had gained a deeper understanding of Beast Masters, and now he yearned to learn more knowledge about Beast Masters and become a top-tier Beast Master.
As he walked through the gates of Cang Town Beast Master Academy, he ran into an old acquaintance.
"Old Lu!" Tang Ao walked over and clapped Lu Fei on the shoulder. "How's it going? Have you improved your strength? I'll tell you, I recently went to the Yanbei region to visit the Great Monkey King. Guess what happened?"
Lu Fei looked amused and played along. "It gave birth to a bunch of little monkeys?"
Tang Ao was stunned. "Of course not! I'll tell you, the Great Monkey King has cultivated an excellent successor, and it's returned with me now!"
As he spoke, he summoned the Great Monkey King.
"Gigigi!"
With an excited screech, the Great Monkey King, with its comical appearance, appeared before Lu Fei. Its long arms swung left and right, its long legs seemed out of place, and it showed a simple and honest smile, as if thanking Lu Fei.
"Not bad, it still looks so strong!" Lu Fei praised, while inwardly thinking, "And still so goofy."
The two walked towards the assessment grounds together.
Before long, they arrived at the venue.
"Brother Fei!"
Ke Xin, who had arrived early, ran over as soon as she saw Lu Fei.
Lu Fei smiled. "Xin Xin, so early."
Ke Xin smiled coyly and whispered, "Brother Fei, your shower gel business is booming now. A few days ago, Dean Zhou said that if the scale continues to expand, a new factory will have to be built!"
This had actually exceeded Lu Fei's expectations. He had thought that doing this business would prevent him from worrying about money, but he never expected it to reach this level. If it continued to develop at this pace, it had the potential to make him the richest man in Cang Town.
As they chatted, an instructor with a slicked-back hairstyle walked in.
"Attention, everyone, please quiet down."
"I am the instructor in charge of your spiritual power test today. My name is Ding Min. Please cooperate with me in completing the spiritual power test. I hope you all become powerful Beast Masters!"
As he spoke, Ding Min pulled open the curtain in the venue, and a star-shaped jade gem appeared before everyone's eyes. The gem was about one meter in diameter, crystal clear, and flawless.
Ding Min held a small booklet with the names of the students participating in the test.
"Next, please, students whose names are called, come up."
"Cai Xiu, is Cai Xiu here?"
"Here!"
A young man stepped forward. He appeared reserved, clearly a little nervous.
"Don't be afraid, just place your hand on it." Ding Min's voice was gentle. As a male instructor, he seemed particularly patient.
Cai Xiu made a sound of acknowledgment and carefully placed his hand on it.
A moment later, Ding Min's eyes suddenly lit up. To the surprise of the other students, he exclaimed in a low voice, "Spiritual power 101! Qualified!"
Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, Cai Xiu walked down with a swagger that suggested he had met the most crucial requirement for becoming a junior Beast Master.
Among the requirements for becoming a junior Beast Master, spiritual power is the most demanding, as it determines the rank and number of contracted beasts one can control. In a battle, the level of spiritual power also determines the duration of the fight. Once a Beast Master's spiritual power is depleted, it means they can no longer control their contracted beasts to fight.
In comparison, the other two aspects, control and agility, are secondary. Control determines the loyalty of the contracted beasts to you and allows for more coordinated cooperation with them in battle.
Agility, on the other hand, tests the Beast Master's stamina and on-the-spot reaction. After all, a Beast Master competition can be exhausting, and a lack of agility can lead to a hoarse voice. Sometimes, in wild combat, one has to travel long distances with their contracted beasts, which places very high demands on stamina and physical condition.
"Next student, Ke Xin."