26: secret

At the original exit of the formation, the Great Xia Spirit Guards who had retreated from the volcano and the teachers who had rushed from outside were tending to the wounded.

The military-grade healing medicine carried by the Great Xia Spirit Guards was surprisingly effective.

Furthermore, many wood-attribute and water-attribute demon beasts also possessed healing abilities.

However, they were powerless against the spiritual trauma suffered by people like Wang Zi due to the death of their beasts.

Xu Yiming also anxiously found his daughter, Xu Yao, among the wounded. Seeing that she was safe and sound, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, seeing her weakened state after being injured, he looked distressed: "Come, I'll take you to the teacher of the school's Healing Class to let her heal you."

But Xu Yao refused him: "Dad, wait a moment. I made an appointment with Su Ze to wait for him to come back."

"Su Ze? What did he go do?" Xu Yiming only then realized that he hadn't seen Su Ze's figure at all.

"He went to hunt down the Fusang Dark Guards to avenge Wang Zi."

Recalling the heroic scene where Su Ze had just used flames to incinerate the Fusang Dark Guards, Xu Yao felt a flutter in her heart, but she also felt a bit of worry, fearing that the distance between her and him was growing further and further.

Hearing this, Xu Yiming said in disbelief: "He went to hunt down the Fusang Dark Guards? This is simply nonsense. They are existences on par with the Great Xia Spirit Guards. How could Su Ze..."

Before Xu Yiming could finish his sentence, he felt the sky darken. Looking up, he saw a massive Phoenix Bird slowly descending, carrying a small figure in its beak.

As soon as it landed, it tossed the person in front of Xu Yao with a flick of its head.

Then, with a shake of its body, it transformed into a twelve or thirteen-year-old little girl wearing magnificent gold and red clothing, with long black hair streaked with a few strands of red that reached down to her ankles, and bare feet.

She looked exquisitely sculpted, with skin as white as snow and delicate features like a porcelain doll.

Her head was held high, exposing her snow-white neck like a proud white swan.

But in reality, this was a Little Phoenix much prouder than any swan; she was the human form of the Golden Feather Phoenix Bird.

Powerful demon beasts can all transform into human forms, and bloodline demon beasts like her can even do so right from birth.

The Golden Feather Phoenix Bird walked with somewhat unfamiliar steps, wobbling unsteadily as she approached Xu Yao: "This guy's last thought before losing consciousness was to come back and see you to fulfill his promise. I've helped him complete it."

"Remember to tell him when he wakes up not to threaten me at every turn. My power is very precious..."

By the end, she actually sounded a bit aggrieved.

Then, with a bitter face, she proactively opened Su Ze's beast taming space and crawled inside, conveniently taking out the sleeping Void Spirit Turtle and tossing it aside. As a proud Phoenix Bird, she refused to live with a turtle.

When the Void Spirit Turtle hit the ground, it groggily poked its head out of its shell, looking around with a face full of confusion.

First of all, it hadn't provoked anyone... Meanwhile, Xu Yiming finally understood why Su Ze could hunt down the Fusang Dark Guards: "So the person who finally contracted the Golden Feather Phoenix Bird was Su Ze. I wonder what Principal Xiao is feeling right now..."

Xu Yiming stopped talking again because, following closely behind the Golden Feather Phoenix Bird, Xiao Xu and the other two also flew back.

"Dad, what's wrong with Su Ze? He doesn't look injured, so why is he unconscious?" Xu Yao asked with concern, tugging at Xu Yiming's sleeve.

Xu Yiming suddenly felt like his daughter was already drifting away, but he still lowered the hand covering his mouth and said: "He's fine, just excessive consumption of Spiritual Power. With his current... he's already level twenty-three?!"

"Ahem, with his current level of twenty-three, it's not enough to command a diamond rank Golden Feather Phoenix Bird. It's normal to faint from over-exhausting Spiritual Power. He just needs to rest for a while."

Only then did Xu Yao feel at ease.

The three who flew back also immediately busied themselves with their own affairs. After all, the Fusang Dark Guards had left a huge mess after disrupting the Beast Taming College Entrance Examination.

Guo Linshan immediately gathered all the Great Xia Spirit Guards and began a roll call.

They had suffered significant casualties this time, but it was still within an acceptable range.

He first recorded the list of those killed in action; the state would provide sufficient pensions for their families.

Although the dead cannot be brought back to life, at least the living could be taken care of.

As for the injured, it would depend on the situation whether they needed to retire or transfer to a civilian post. Among them, Sun Hao was certainly unable to continue fighting on the front lines.

After that, it was time to clean house!

Even the reserve team had to follow the discipline of the Great Xia Spirit Guards.

However, Lin Jiang, who was to be purged, was not in the formation at this time.

"Where did Lin Jiang go! He is suspected of colluding with the enemy and leaking secrets. Anyone who knows and does not report will be treated as an accomplice!" Guo Linshan shouted loudly.

Someone immediately stepped forward and said: "Reporting to the Captain, when I last saw Lin Jiang, he..."

"What happened to him? Speak up!"

"He was the last one to escape just as the formation for evacuating candidates was about to close..."

This was undoubtedly a shameful matter. That such a person, who feared death and leaked military intelligence, could enter the Great Xia Spirit Guards.

Even if it was only the reserve team, it was enough to say there was a serious failure in the vetting process.

Guo Linshan's face turned ashen: "Go find him for me immediately and bring him back for military justice!"

"Yes!"

On the other side, Xiao Xu was also discussing the future of this Beast Taming College Entrance Examination with several high-ranking old professors from the university.

Cancellation was impossible.

As for postponement, not many people were injured because of the formation; only some among the final five thousand were hurt, so it didn't seem necessary.

They only needed to recruit the candidates worth keeping from among the injured, and the rest could continue the exam.

Finally, they reached a conclusion, which Xiao Xu announced: "As Beast Tamers, we may face all kinds of emergencies in the future. Therefore, although this exam was suddenly disrupted by the Fusang Dark Guards, it will still be held this afternoon."

The crowd immediately began to grumble. After all, many people were injured, and whether they could pass had become an unknown.

Xiao Xu then added: "Furthermore, to reward the heroic performance of some candidates when facing the enemy, they do not need to participate in the remaining exams. We will admit them directly and adopt the highest teaching standards."

He then read out a list of names, which included both Su Ze and Xu Yao.

As for Wang Zi, he had also regained consciousness by now, holding the Blazing Flame Leopard Cat tightly in his arms in deep grief.

Having lost his beast, he should technically no longer have the qualification to take the exam, but Xiao Xu still reserved an opportunity for him.

As long as he could find a bronze grade or higher demon beast to contract before the end of the afternoon exam, he could be directly admitted.

When Wang Zi's father arrived and heard this, he immediately contacted demon beast hunters by phone, wanting to help his son find a suitable demon beast as quickly as possible at any cost.

It seemed that the influence brought by the Fusang Dark Guards had faded, and the Beast Taming College Entrance Examination was about to get back on track. The three who had finished solving their respective problems met in the air to proctor the exam.

Xiao Xu spoke first: "The problems on this side have been handled. Don't Captain Guo and President Yu need to rush back? As far as I know, the Beast Tamer Association seems to have run into some trouble?"

Yu Shenghuo replied: "The Association's troublesome matters don't need Principal Xiao to worry about. Instead, those Japanese bastards went to great lengths, even not hesitating to use a High-level Crystal Core to detonate the Tianyun Volcano to stall us."

"Now it seems their ultimate goal... was for the secret of your Azure Dragon Beast Taming University, wasn't it?"

Xiao Xu let out a calm sigh and then looked toward the school: "Yes... a secret. A secret that even I, the principal, don't know, and don't need to worry about."

Guo Linshan also nodded: "True, who knew he would actually still be at the school..."

Then he gave Xiao Xu a strange look. If he was there, wouldn't Xiao Xu's position be quite awkward?

...Just as the volcano caused the first tremor of the ground, the people living in Beishan City could feel the obvious vibrations coming from beneath their feet.

Those who were still discussing what the results of this year's Beast Taming College Entrance Examination would be immediately scattered, shouting in panic: "Earthquake?! Everyone, run!"

While everyone was in a panic, there were people in the shadows of the streets and alleys who also felt the earth's tremors and began their own actions.

"This is the movement of a volcanic eruption. Captain Yano Takashi has successfully detained all the Great Xia Spirit Guards. Next, it's up to us!"