Beast Taming: My spirit beast bloodline is overloaded

Chapter 133 Spirit Academy Assessment: The Path to Immortality
After traveling for more than a month, Lin Chen finally arrived at Lingshan City.

Although Lingshan City is not a large city, it is much more impressive than Jiuxing City.

Even the gate plaques were carefully selected, each adorned with two lifelike carved dragon heads.

Some call this place the city where the nation was founded, the land of the dragon vein.

Lin Chen landed and said to them, "We've finally arrived."

The three spirit beasts all stuck out their tongues.
They all run on the ground, and this is their first time taking such a long "airplane" ride, so naturally they can't stand it.

Lin Chen chose to rest where he was, took out some dry rations, and gave them some food.

After a meal and drinks, I felt much better and then went into the city.

There aren't many ordinary permanent residents here; instead, the power dynamics are quite complex.

Some came to accompany their children to study, while others came to recruit students. As for capitalists who do business, they are indispensable everywhere.

Before educational reforms, Lingyuan was essentially a gathering place for the wealthy, so so-called high-end industries, such as auctions, were indispensable.

There weren't many people on the street. After asking around, Lin Chen wanted to find a restaurant to rest, but when he asked about the prices, he fell silent.

Five thousand a day?

“Yes,” the clerk said, “we have the most basic rooms available.”

"Ok."

Lin Chen broke out in a cold sweat, suddenly realizing that he wasn't so tired after all.

Although he is now rich, Lin Chen feels that the cost-effectiveness is too low.

In the end, Lin Chen came up with a plan: to register first and see if the Spirit Academy would provide accommodation.

If they don't provide it, I'll come back to stay there later.

Lin Chen is not a stingy person, but he always seeks the best value for money.

So, as soon as he left the house, he went straight to the Spirit Courtyard.

The main gate of this sacred temple is built on the mountain and can be seen from afar.

The Spirit Academy is enormous; in terms of area, it is half the size of Nine Star City, which is quite exaggerated.

It is divided into three institutes and nine levels.

The three institutes refer to: the Combat Institute, the Support Institute (including mental power), and the Catalysis Institute.

The Catalysis Institute is separate and exclusively supplied by the Beast Mirror Institute; it does not recruit externally.

The auxiliary department recruits students directly from the college and does not recruit from outside the college.

The Combat Academy receives its blood from the various inner academies and has the largest number of members.

As for level nine, it is not a grade level, but an elimination level.

The college employs a bottom-ranking elimination system, conducting monthly assessments and comparing students to their peers in the same cohort.
Those who rank highly will advance to the next level and gain access to better resources.

Those ranked at the bottom will remain at that level and wait for the next assessment. If they are still at the bottom in the next assessment, they will be sent back to where they were.

Therefore, the dropout rate at the Spirit Academy is quite high.

Throughout history, there have been many outstanding beast tamers who were eliminated but later became top performers, and then told the Spirit Academy that it was blind to have abandoned them back then.

This kind of thing happens quite often.

Ke Lingyuan didn't care.

There are bound to be mistakes, but almost none of the students who graduate from the Spirit Academy each year are weak.

"Hello."

Lin Chen finally climbed the mountain, and unlike Bai Ling, he was full of energy.

That's for sure.
It wasn't that Lin Chen liked exercising, but rather that he had finally found an excuse to ride the ox.

After transforming, Little White carried a person and a fox on its back without even panting.

As for Iron Paw Bear, although it was mostly crippled, it loved lifting weights and was as strong as steel, never even breaking a sweat.

But in their mentor's eyes, their behavior was just a cat and dog duo.
"Family members?" the mentor asked the same question.

"No, I'm here to report for duty."

The instructor was taken aback and subconsciously glanced at the Flaming Fox.

He wondered if the academy, like Bai Ling's, had specially recruited someone who could display the phantom of a nine-tailed fox.

Lin Chen took out the official document personally written by Pang Yuanzheng, and then took out the guild machine.

Upon seeing this, the other party immediately understood.

"Those with connections"

The mentor remained silent, already fully aware of the situation.

In order to reduce its influence, this time it began to expand the number of places for external recruitment, which was also tacitly accepted by the institute as a case of favoritism.

However, these mentors do not have a high opinion of these people with connections, because of the bottom-ranking elimination system.

Only a limited number of students are admitted each year, and they are all carefully selected. These students with connections are specially recruited. It's not that there aren't any talented students among them, but compared to the one in ten thousand students selected by the inner college, the quality of the students with connections is obviously lower.

The instructor didn't look down on me. He carefully completed the registration and even said, "There are still seven days until the admission test. You can come back in seven days."

"Is there a place to stay here?" Lin Chen asked directly.

"Of course there is. I'll have my senior brother take you there later."

"Thank you."

Lin Chen thanked him.

"No need," the instructor patiently said. "You don't need to worry about the entrance test. No matter what your score is, you will be able to enter the Spirit Academy to cultivate for a period of time."

"However, being ranked low twice in a row is dangerous."

Lin Chen nodded, indicating that he understood.

The instructor also handed out a Spirit Academy handbook, saying, "Let's register as usual, name."

"Lin Chen".

"The First Spirit Beast"

Lin Chen pointed to the Plough-horned Beast, and the instructor, who hadn't written anything down, asked, "Has it evolved?"

"Correct."

"Then write about evolved spirit beasts," the mentor said.

"Kui spirit beast".

"What beast?"

Lin Chen repeated himself, and the instructor, exasperated, said, "Try transforming."

Xiao Bai transformed instantly, and upon seeing him, the instructor exclaimed, "Isn't that the Spirit Void Ox?"

“It’s a Kui spirit beast,” Lin Chen explained. “The file has already been sent to the Beast Tamer Guild.”

“Then write Lingxu Ox for now.” The instructor didn’t doubt it, because Xiaobai was indeed different. He wrote Lingxu Ox directly and then said, “We can revise it later.”

Lin Chen did not object.

In this era without the internet, updating information is very slow.

"Are there any plans for spirit beasts in the future?"

Lin Chen pointed at the little fox, which immediately straightened its head and puffed out its chest.

The tutor glanced at it and sighed inwardly.

The second spirit beast is just average; its future is uncertain.
Such a person can only "live" for a maximum of two months in the Spirit Temple.

The instructor then asked the senior student on duty to take Lin Chen to his dormitory.

On the way, Lin Chen inquired about the fees and learned that accommodation was free and food was very cheap.

"The Spirit Academy is truly a wonderful place."

Lin Chen glanced at the dormitory in the Spirit Academy; it was far better than that in the Inner Academy.

However, this is only because of the recent reforms at the Spirit Academy.

The current Spirit Academy is entirely supported by money from those powerful forces.
"Finally, I can enjoy the benefits of this era." Lin Chen was very satisfied.

"Junior brother, if there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

That senior brother was a good person; he didn't look down on anyone.

"and many more."

Lin Chen called out to him and asked if he knew Ning Tian.

"I vaguely remember," the senior student recalled, finally asking, "Was it from the second cohort?"

"Correct."

"That must be him, a Level 5 Combat Academy member."

"Level 5?" Lin Chen was surprised. Although he didn't understand, it seemed that Ning Tian was doing quite well.

That would make it even more worth seeing.
Can I go see him?

"No," the senior brother said. "You're not a formal student yet. You need to take an entrance test before you can get in."

"understood."

Lin Chen cupped his hands in thanks.

After settling in, they began to wash up. The dormitory was large, well-equipped, and even had a private courtyard. The accommodations were excellent.

After a long and tiring journey, Xiao Bai decided to stop cultivating and sleep it off.

After taking a bath, the three of them went to bed. Little White and Little Red, the two little guys, fell fast asleep as soon as they lay down, while Iron Paw Bear stared wide-eyed at the ceiling.
Today it came here and saw many powerful spirit beasts.

It wondered, could it really be like this in the future?

After failing to evolve, Ironpaw Bear lost not only its Beastmaster and strength, but also its confidence.

So, it was a little insecure. Just as it was lost in thought, a hand patted its belly. The Iron Paw Bear looked over and saw Lin Chen's face, and heard him say softly:

"Go to sleep, don't overthink it."

"Since things have come to this, why think about anything else? Just live one day at a time."

"."

Iron-Palm Bear thought about it and realized it made some sense.

It closed its eyes, but a smile remained on its face.
It seems that Lin Chen and Li Zaiqing are really different.

Li Zaiqing was very strict with it, but Lin Chen was different.

He seemed confident in everything he did, even in the face of such a failure.

As he pondered, the bear fell asleep.

However, it started snoring.
In my memory, it hadn't slept this soundly in a long time.

The next day, Lin Chen briefly adjusted to life at the Spirit Academy and began to recover his mindset.

When you arrive in a new place, your mindset is very important.

Five hundred meters away from Lin Chen was another student's dormitory. The other student approached him and was quite friendly.

He told Lin Chen that he was also from a southern city, not far from Nine Star City, and was also one of the areas affected by this beast tide.

“Many people died. I was lucky to be in the inner courtyard, otherwise, given my personality, I probably would have been in grave danger as well.”

The student's name is Zhao Li, and he's quite talkative.

He said he envied Nine Star City, because it had produced a divine being who could keep the city safe and sound.

After some casual conversation, Lin Chen inquired, "Do you know what the entrance test for the Spirit Academy is?"

Zhao Li shook his head and said, "I heard that this is one of the secrets of the Spirit Academy and will not be revealed to outsiders."

The two then agreed to go there together seven days later.

After the meal, Lin Chen began clearing land for planting. He bought some high-quality spiritual herb seeds and planned to plant them.

Upon hearing this, Xiaobai immediately turned over the land.

Seeing the seeds sown, they suddenly felt that this place was starting to feel like home.

It's a strange feeling; I always feel like I need a piece of land to grow things before it feels like home.

Iron Paw Bear couldn't understand this kind of thinking, but it could feel the warmth of this home, so as it thought about it, it became a little panicked again.
It somewhat liked this kind of life, but it was also afraid of being abandoned by Lin Chen.

Forget it.

Why think so much? Just take it one day at a time.

Iron Paw Bear's mindset gradually improved, and his attitude became more positive.

It was the oldest in terms of age, but it became the third oldest.

Lin Chen also spent half a day carving a sandalwood pendant for it, which completely put the Iron Paw Bear at ease.

It felt this was a form of recognition.

Seven days later, Lin Chen and Zhao Li traveled together and, following the guidance of their senior brothers, arrived at a high mountain.

Lin Chen looked up and was immediately taken aback.

The summit is not visible from here.

Before everyone stood a stone staircase, numbering about a hundred steps.

A short while later, an instructor arrived riding a crane, wearing a spirit robe specially made by the Spirit Academy. He was young and looked at Lin Chen and the others, saying:

"Fellow students, welcome to the Spirit Academy."

"My name is Zhang Daoren, and I am your assessment mentor."

"The Spirit Academy follows a bottom-ranking elimination system. The assessment methods are diverse and change every year and every month. However, there is one thing that is one of the foundations of our academy. It has never changed since the founding of the academy and is an essential path for all new students."

"This is the hundred-step staircase before you: the Path to Immortality."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's attention immediately shifted to the path to immortality. To be honest, even Lin Chen was ready to fight.

Who would have thought that Zhang Daoren was telling them that the entrance exam didn't require competition, but only climbing the steps?
"The hundred-step staircase is based on rank and quality, but in the end, regardless of rank or quality, anything is possible."

"Remember this, everyone: the Hundred-Step Immortal Ladder is for slaying demons in the first ninety steps, and for slaying yourself in the last ten."

"Next, those whose names are called, please stand in front and get ready to climb the ladder."

Just as Master Zhang was about to call out names, a student cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask, Master, is it a human or a beast?"

"Humans and animals on the same land".

Zhang Daoren answered, and then read out the first person's name: "Cao Jia".

A burly man stepped forward, stood at attention, and summoned his spirit beast:
Fire-scaled Beast.

This beast is of very high quality; someone once raised a Qilin from it.

Cao Jie was also full of confidence. He patted the Fire Scale Beast and then strode out.

However, after taking only one step, he suddenly squatted down and began to pant heavily.

Everyone was curious; how could he be out of breath after only climbing one flight of stairs?
Unexpectedly, Cao Jie said, "Master, may we rest?"

"can."

The tutor nodded and read out the next name.

The second person was in the same situation, but he was much better off than Cao Jia. He climbed two steps, and even managed to reach the third step, before finally saying he wanted to rest.

Everyone became interested because the group consisted of young people, full of energy and eager to show off.

Everyone felt they could go further.

This time, there were as many as two hundred test takers, all of whom were specially recruited students through connections.

“Before I came here, I asked a senior I knew, and he said that seven days ago, the officially admitted students had already completed the test, and the highest level was thirty-three.”

Thirty-three?

Everyone was surprised and fell into deep thought as they looked at Cao Jia, who was still preparing to climb the second step.

"Next, Zhao Li."

Zhao Li was already prepared and began to walk.

He did well, and together with his spirit beast, he reached the ninth rank before finally resting.

Currently, the highest level has reached sixteen steps.

Zhang Daoren watched intently, inwardly shaking his head.

The path to immortality places great emphasis on potential; the greater the potential, the higher the number of steps one can ascend.

The reason why humans and beasts must travel together is that the talent of the beast tamer will also be taken into account.

It's not that the Spirit Academy didn't want to expand its enrollment over the years; it's just that the growth of spirit beasts is all about potential. Expanding enrollment without considering the consequences would only damage the Spirit Academy's reputation.

On their first day of study, new students typically climbed 23 steps, with the highest record being 39.

The further you go, the harder it becomes to climb the ladder.

"Next up, Lin Chen."

As Zhang Daoren called out Lin Chen's name, Lin Chen stepped forward, attracting the attention of many people.

It wasn't that they were intentionally paying attention to him, but Lin Chen's spirit beast was simply too eye-catching.

Lin Chen instructed Iron Palm Bear and Little Fox to wait where they were, and then, with Little White, he began to march.

As soon as they stepped onto the platform, Lin Chen and Xiao Bai felt as if they had entered another space.

This was a huge arena, and on the arena stood two plough-horned beasts, glaring angrily at Lin Chen and the plough-horned beasts.

"Oh?"

Lin Chen was surprised, and only now did he understand what Zhang Daoren meant by slaying demons in the first ninety steps and slaying himself in the last ten.

He thought it was some kind of enlightenment test, but it turned out to be a puzzle game.

Lin Chen patted Xiaobai's bottom and said, "Go."

"Moo~~"

Xiao Bai transformed into a Kui spirit beast and charged forward using the technique of "One Breath Transforms into Eight Oxen".

Lin Chen felt ashamed upon seeing this.
That's so aggressive right from the start, it's too much of a bully!

A moment later, the two plough-horned beasts fell to the ground, cut in two.

Lin Chen revealed his greedy nature; he even wanted to go forward and see if these plow-horned beasts had any bloodlines that could be collected.

Who would have thought that just two seconds after the battle ended, he would return to reality.

Many people were watching Lin Chen, especially Cao Jie, who had just stepped into the third stage.

He no longer hopes to climb many steps; he only hopes someone will support him.
Otherwise, coming in last place would be too embarrassing.

Cao Jie knew that he wouldn't be able to climb more than nine steps.

But unexpectedly, he heard Lin Chen instructing Xiao Bai:
"Little White, conserve your strength."

Cao Jie clenched his fist inwardly, thinking that no matter how much a Ploughhorn Beast evolves, it should still be no match for my Fire Kirin Beast.

Unexpectedly, Lin Chen's subsequent performance completely shattered his expectations.

Lin Chen paused for ten seconds on the first step.

On the second stage, Lin Chen paused for thirty seconds.

Cao Jie was overjoyed, thinking that Lin Chen was definitely out of luck.

Who would have thought that after Lin Chen and Xiao Bai opened their eyes, they didn't pant or tense up, and slowly stepped onto the third step.

this moment.
Cao Jie panicked.

(End of this chapter)