10: Chapter 10 Selection Begins, the Stick That Was Automatically Ignored

"Let me state this beforehand: this class monitor selection primarily evaluates individual combat ability; your Beast Tamings do not need to participate."

Instructor Liu Jun's words left Qin Ding, who had originally intended to bring Black Dog forward, stunned for a moment.

Just evaluating individual combat ability? Then why bring the Beast Tamings?

It wasn't just Qin Ding; the other students participating in the competition and the general students also looked back at Instructor Liu Jun with curiosity. However, Instructor Liu Jun maintained a calm expression, clearly having no intention of explaining it just yet.

"Woof."

[Big Brother, what do you think this guy means? He made you bring me here, yet won't let me enter the arena. Look at that Pink Pig opposite us, how tender it looks.]

Qin Ding: ...?

Looking up, he realized he wasn't the only one who had subconsciously brought his Beast Taming forward; his opponent, Wan Kang, had done the same, and his Beast Taming was identical to the description of Black Dog.

A… Pink Pig similar in size to his own Black Dog.

[Beast Taming: Pink Pig]

[Aptitude: Ordinary]

[Element: None]

[Level: 4 (Low-tier)]

[Ability: Lethargy]

[Bloodline: Pig (100%)]

[Evolution Path (Pig Type): 1-1789]

[Aptitude Enhancement: ...]

[Introduction: A very qualified meat pig. Because of its short growth cycle, it can quickly form combat power and has some cultivation value, but food expenses may be quite high.]

Hmm, a very serious evaluation. But a short cultivation cycle, can quickly form combat power… that should take about two months, right?

Qin Ding and Wan Kang exchanged a glance, which served as a greeting, then each chose their weapon from the weapon rack.

Grasping the 1.8-meter-long staff in his hand, Qin Ding did not hesitate and turned to walk toward the open space, but when he saw what was in Wan Kang's hand, he froze.

That was a mace. Because it was a competition, all the weapons were made of wood and had no sharpness to speak of, but the moment Qin Ding saw the mace...

In his mind, he involuntarily imagined a scene of Wan Kang riding a grown, sturdy Pink Pig, holding a mace in his hand, and his expression instantly became a bit strange.

However, Qin Ding was not the only one with this thought. The classmates looked back and forth between Wan Kang and that Pink Pig, and those who couldn't hold it in laughed out loud.

Hearing the commotion, Wan Kang's face flushed red, but he didn't say anything.

"A long staff… this thing is not as good as a long spear. I don't know why this Qin Ding chose this thing…"

Li Dong frowned slightly. In fact, he had been very surprised when the physical fitness test results were published on the school bulletin board this morning.

They are both long-reach weapons; why practice with a staff instead of a spear? The lethality of a staff isn't as effective as a poke from a spearhead, is it?

Li Dong was not the only one with this thought; the students watching the battle also had it, including Qin Ding's opponent, Wan Kang. He also didn't understand. Holding the mace, he was still wondering whether he should hold back later.

After all, they would all be classmates in Beast Taming Class 1 in the future, and Qin Ding's physical test scores had always been first in the school. He himself was a child from an ordinary family; if he offended such a capable person, wouldn't he be looking for trouble?

"Begin."

On the open ground, following Instructor Liu Jun's order, Qin Ding and Wan Kang instantly refocused and entered the state of battle.

Wan Kang rushed forward, and the mace swept across the waist toward Qin Ding, who stood holding the staff. The resulting gust of wind attracted everyone's attention.

Seeing this, Qin Ding's eyes shifted slightly. He tapped the tail of the long staff on the ground and blocked with the staff angled; it was not a hard block, but a diagonal parry.

The mace smashed onto the slanted staff and slid off.

"What's going on?"

Discovering that his attack was easily blocked by Qin Ding, and that the other party had blocked it without changing his expression, Wan Kang's expression shifted.

The mace is all about ferocity and requires great strength. Logically speaking, Qin Ding contracted a Black Dog, and he himself contracted a pig. How could a dog's strength be greater than a pig's?

Given the feedback from this situation, how could his attack be so easily blocked?

It wasn't Wan Kang's fault for thinking this way; he just didn't know that Qin Ding had raised the Black Dog for six years, and it was currently level nine—five levels higher than his Pink Pig—and they had signed a Life and Death Contract.

The deflected mace hit the ground with a bang, splashing some soil. Wan Kang, stunned for a moment, was just about to lift the mace to smash down when a sharp whistling sound rang in his ears.

It was like a sharp weapon cutting through the air, stabbing toward his lower leg.

The long staff struck Wan Kang's lower leg as quickly as a striking snake. Wan Kang, who hadn't fully stood up yet, dropped to one knee in pain.

Staff Strike.

Damn!

Enraged by the hit, Wan Kang couldn't care about anything at this moment. He just wanted to make Qin Ding as embarrassed as him. He hurriedly stood up, holding the mace, and subconsciously slashed diagonally.

But he saw Qin Ding align his waist and stance, holding the middle section of the staff, and braced the long staff diagonally upward.

Judging by this posture, he intended to block it head-on.

The others watching the scene had different thoughts, but all of their expressions were very strange.

A long staff blocking a mace head-on? Numbness in the web of the hand would be the best-case scenario; it wasn't impossible for it to be split open.

The students who didn't understand the trade generally thought this way, and Bai Muxue was no exception; there was a trace of worry in her eyes, while Li Dong wore a trace of amusement.

Only Instructor Liu Jun had a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

Exploding Staff.

"Hoo~"

Qin Ding exhaled slightly, twisted his waist, and the long staff in his hand swept from bottom to top in a diagonal lift. The tip of the staff accurately "exploded" against the end of the mace, near where Wan Kang held the wooden handle, and the strength of his entire body was suddenly released through the staff at that moment.

Bang!

With a muffled sound, the staff vibrated at a high frequency, emitting a buzzing sound. And that mace?

It had already been forcibly deflected by this seemingly simple yet instantly explosive force, and it flew upward.

Wan Kang felt a tricky, vibrating force transmit from the mace to the webs of his hands, causing them to heat up rapidly, and he could barely hold onto the mace.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly feeling severe pain in the webs of his hands, Wan Kang let go of the mace.

Just at this moment, Qin Ding's eyes turned cold. Borrowing this explosive force, the long staff in his hand followed through, striking toward Wan Kang's chest like a venomous snake biting back.

Thud!

"Ouch!"

Wan Kang, whose face was already flushed, was now completely congested. The dull pain in his chest made it difficult for him to breathe for a moment, and he immediately squatted on the ground, clutching his chest, emitting intermittent gasping sounds.

Instructor Liu Jun, on the other hand, was extremely satisfied with what he saw.

"Qin Ding wins. Next match, Zhao Yi and Li Wei, go up."