Beast Taming Star Journey

“Instructor Zhao,” I began, “I believe that simply using water attribute to counter fire attribute is far from enough. The question mentions that fire attribute beast taming level is higher, which means it has an advantage in strength and experience. If we only use simple attribute counter, it is very likely that the opponent will use brute force to overcome our skills.”

I paused, observing Professor Zhao's expression. He remained expressionless, making it difficult to discern his thoughts.

"Therefore, I believe that in addition to elemental advantage, we also need to consider tactics and strategies. For example, we can use terrain advantages to lure fire-attribute beasts into environments that are favorable to us; or we can use speed advantages to conduct guerrilla warfare and wear down the opponent's stamina; we can also use some auxiliary items to enhance our own defense or attack power..."

I explained my ideas in as much detail as possible, trying to demonstrate my understanding and thoughts on beast taming.

The surrounding chatter gradually subsided, and some candidates began to listen attentively to my analysis, their eyes showing surprise.

However, Professor Zhao still did not express his opinion. He just listened quietly, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

Just when I thought he would continue to make things difficult for me, he suddenly spoke up: "That's right, your understanding of beast taming is indeed beyond the level of a novice beast tamer."

I was overjoyed, thinking I had finally passed the test. However, what Professor Zhao said next put me in a difficult situation again.

"However, theoretical knowledge is just theoretical knowledge. Next, you need to do practical work to prove your ability."

As he spoke, he took out several props from his storage bag and placed them in front of me.

"These props are common beast-taming auxiliary tools. You need to use them to simulate real combat scenarios and demonstrate the tactics and strategies you just mentioned."

Looking at the props in front of me, I inwardly groaned. Although I recognized all of these props, the actual operation was far more complicated than the theory.

Moreover, Professor Zhao did not provide specific evaluation criteria, which means that he could arbitrarily judge my performance according to his own preferences.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. I knew this was another challenge, but I couldn't back down. I had to give it my all and prove my abilities.

I began to carefully observe the props, thinking about how to use them to complete the assessment. Just as I was concentrating on my thoughts, I felt someone approaching beside me.

I turned my head and saw Li, who was standing next to me with a sinister smile on his face.

He casually bumped my arm and then quickly left. I didn't pay it any mind and continued thinking about my plan.

However, when I started setting up the props, I noticed something was wrong. The props seemed to have been moved, and their positions were different from what I had seen before.

I was startled. Could it be...? I looked at Li again. He was standing in the distance, looking at me with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth and a hint of provocation in his eyes.

I immediately realized it was him! He had secretly changed the position of the assessment props while I wasn't paying attention, hoping to make me make a mistake during the assessment!

A surge of anger welled up inside me, but I tried my best to control myself and didn't show it.

I took a deep breath, glanced at the props around me, and quickly calculated a new plan in my mind.

A bold idea popped into my head... A faint smile crept onto my lips, and then I reached out and gently touched the little animal beside me...

“Little one, it’s our turn to perform.” I sensed something was off, an indescribable sense of unease.

Just now, when Li came close to me, I clearly felt him touch me. Although the movement was very slight, my senses are always sharp, so it's impossible for me to have misjudged.

I looked around, discreetly observing the surroundings, especially the assessment equipment. Sure enough, I noticed a few subtle changes.

The wooden stakes that were originally placed on the left were moved to the right, and the stones on the right were replaced with smaller ones.

These changes, though seemingly insignificant, are enough to affect my assessment results.

Li stood not far away, a barely perceptible smug smile on his lips. He thought his little trick was flawless, but little did he know that I had seen everything.

My little tamed beast, an ordinary-looking gray squirrel, is perched on my shoulder. Its little eyes are darting around, as if it has sensed my change in mood.

I gently stroked its fur and whispered, "Little guy, it's your turn now."

The little guy made a soft squeaking sound, then nimbly jumped off my shoulder and quickly darted among the test props.

It was incredibly fast, almost a blur of gray. It used its tiny paws to manipulate the props, silently restoring them to their original positions.

I watched the little guy busily working, a smile playing on my lips. Li's little tricks were no match for our combined efforts.

I reorganized my thoughts and began to set up the props according to the previous plan, and explained my tactics and strategies in detail.

Professor Zhao had been observing my actions. He seemed to have noticed the little incident earlier, but he didn't say anything.

My performance clearly exceeded his expectations. He originally thought I would be affected by Li's interference and make mistakes in the assessment.

But now, I calmly resolved the crisis and continued to complete the assessment. Seeing that I wasn't stumped, Instructor Zhao's expression grew even more somber.

He paused for a moment, then spoke again, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible annoyance: "Your performance was indeed good, but that alone is not enough to prove your ability. Next, you need to complete a more advanced assessment project."

As he spoke, he took out a jade slip from his storage bag and handed it to me.

"This is a set of beast-taming skills. You need to complete it within the specified time. Remember, you only have one incense stick's time." I took the jade slip, my heart sinking.

I've seen this beast-taming skill combination in a book before. It requires a high degree of tacit understanding and cooperation between the beast tamer and the beast, and it's extremely difficult. Even intermediate beast tamers would find it hard to complete in a short time, let alone a beginner like me.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. I knew that Professor Zhao was deliberately making things difficult for me, but since he had made this request, I had to do my best to fulfill it.

I began to carefully study the contents of the jade slip. Time passed by second by second, and beads of sweat appeared on my forehead.

"There's only half an incense stick's time left." Instructor Zhao's voice rang out again, like a death knell, making me feel immense pressure.

I gritted my teeth and continued studying the contents of the jade slip, constantly considering various possibilities in my mind. Time was running out, and my heart was pounding faster and faster.

"Time's up!" Instructor Zhao's voice rang out again, and my heart sank. Was I really going to fail?

I looked up at Professor Zhao, only to find a fleeting, barely perceptible hint of disappointment in his eyes.

“Follow me,” he said coldly, then turned and walked deeper into the testing area.

I was puzzled, but I followed him silently anyway. He led me to a more complex area, filled with various obstacles that looked extremely dangerous.

“This is the final assessment,” Instructor Zhao said, pointing to the field in front of him. “You need to work perfectly with your tamed beast to overcome numerous dangerous obstacles without using any external assistance.”

Looking at the complex layout of the venue, I felt a little panicked...

"Let's begin." Instructor Zhao's voice rang out again, cold and ruthless.