45: Strange Sonic Mantis

The burning crimson pillar of fire blazed for over ten seconds before slowly extinguishing, revealing the Demon Tamers Beast within to everyone's eyes.

A white wolf, four meters long, appeared before the crowd. It was surrounded by ribbons of flame, and a cluster of crimson fur on its forehead formed a flame pattern, making it look majestic and elegant.

Looking at the wolf before them, everyone had question marks on their faces. This white appearance resembled several types of wolf Yao Beasts they knew, but they had never heard of one with crimson flame ribbons.

"Fortunately, it's only Bronze Rank 2."

"However, its fire affinity seems quite high; it could actually erupt with such intense flames."

"Suddenly, I'm looking forward to these two giant beasts having a fight while we watch."

"You're so wicked... but I like it."

As the Poison Flame White Wolf sat down and was petted by Xie Ning, the crowd finally turned their attention to the inconspicuous Formation on the left.

There was no helping it; compared to the Poison Flame White Wolf's Summoning Formation, the other small Formation truly lacked presence. Moreover, people had been attracted by the Poison Flame White Wolf's howl and flames from the start, so they hadn't noticed it.

Even Xie Ning marveled at the Poison Flame White Wolf's prowess. It had mastered both visual and auditory appeal; this was likely the Demon Tamers Beast that best understood self-marketing.

At this moment, after the Poison Flame White Wolf had quieted down, the Supersonic Mantis also stepped out from the Formation. Compared to the former's entrance, it appeared much more low-key, giving off a very ordinary feeling.

But when the crowd saw its appearance, there was another massive commotion.

A cool appearance, silver-white armor, a golden horn, wings as thin as a cicada's yet possessing a metallic texture, and long blades on both arms.

It stood there without a sound or any 'special effects.' Based solely on its appearance and cool demeanor, it gained many fans.

No one thought it was all flash and no substance because people had also noticed a detail.

When the Poison Flame White Wolf appeared, although the other Demon Tamers Beasts stayed far away, some bold ones still dared to bare their teeth and show aggression, as if treating it as a powerful enemy.

But with the Supersonic Mantis's entrance, even the boldest Demon Tamers Beasts from before tucked their tails and shrank behind their masters.

It turned out that a truly powerful aura didn't need special effects.

"This is the coolest Demon Tamers Beast I've seen in over a decade, bar none. It might not even be surpassed for a long time in the future."

"Why is it another Demon Tamers Beast I've never seen? I've flipped through the illustrated guide and even used photo recognition, but there are no records."

"Bro, did you sneak a phone in here?"

"That's not the point, okay? The point is this Demon Tamers Beast..."

"This is the point! Bro, my nickname is..., take a few more pictures and remember to send them to me."

"You gave me a fright..."

Aside from the amusing behavior in the examinee area, Xie Ning looked at the Supersonic Mantis and couldn't help but feel emotional: no matter the time or place, Little Mantis could always attract everyone's gaze.

"Ahem, examinee, please have your Demon Tamers Beasts go to the Testing Room first." At this time, the Examiner responsible for Xie Ning's assessment coughed lightly and pointed at the two Demon Tamers Beasts while speaking to Xie Ning.

Xie Ning was puzzled, but looking around, he couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

After the Supersonic Mantis appeared, the other Demon Tamers Beasts all tucked their tails, completely afraid to move, no matter how much their masters urged them.

It was also strange. Logically, in terms of Rank, Bloodline, and size, Lu Bingyun's Flowing Fire Ice Lion was not inferior to the Supersonic Mantis, yet the other Demon Tamers Beasts only looked at the former with vigilance and wariness. Even the Poison Flame White Wolf, which already possessed a certain wolf king's majesty, only made them stay far away.

However, when the Supersonic Mantis—which held no advantage in Rank, Bloodline, or size—appeared, it could scare the Demon Tamers Beasts on the scene into submission.

This clearly defied common sense.

Could it be that there was something about the Supersonic Mantis that even he didn't know?

Helplessly, Xie Ning could only take the two beasts into the Testing Room first, after which the other Demon Tamers Beasts gradually stood up and followed their masters' commands. This scene also amazed many people, making them even more expectant of the Supersonic Mantis, wanting to know its upcoming assessment results.

As everyone and their Demon Tamers Beasts entered the testing process, the crowd chatted in anticipation, mostly focusing their attention on Xie Ning's position.

Soon, the testing results for others were announced. Most were mediocre, though a few exceptional ones appeared, with Demon Tamers Beasts reaching Bronze Rank 1, barely earning a C+ grade.

After waiting a while longer, the testing on Xie Ning's side was finally completed, and the results were announced.

Demon Tamer Assessment: Mental Energy: Bronze Early Stage; Rating: S-grade.

Demon Tamers Beast Assessment (1): Scarcity: New Species; Grade: Excellent; Rank: Bronze Rank 5; Attribute: Metal; Rating: A+ grade.

Demon Tamers Beast Assessment (2): Scarcity: New Species; Grade: Excellent; Rank: Bronze Rank 2; Attribute: Fire, Poison; Rating: A+ grade.

Clearly, the New Species result added a lot of points to them. The Supersonic Mantis won on Rank, while the Poison Flame White Wolf excelled in attributes; they were quite balanced, both obtaining an A+ grade.

Comprehensive Assessment: S-grade.

The S-grade assessment result left the entire venue petrified. Even the people from the Monster Taming Alliance didn't know how to express themselves for a moment; they only had one thought: this was a big deal.

In the Comprehensive Assessment of the Monster Taming College Entrance Examination, reaching B-grade already meant a promising future, and reaching A-grade could be called nothing less than being a natural talent.

But S-grade?

A Prodigy! In a hundred years, only a few had ever appeared!

"W-W-What am I seeing?"

"Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you; it's real... S-grade... one only appears once in many years!"

"I thought Lu Bingyun was already the leader of the younger generation, but I didn't expect another freak to pop up."

"Bro, Xie Ning is so strong, and you actually dare to call him a freak! You... are right to do so."

After the examinees snapped out of it, they struggled to find words to express their shock, but for many, the words that came to mind turned into a single "Holy crap!"

The Shocked Trio looked at each other and couldn't help but give bitter smiles.

Jealousy?

You'd need the ability to be jealous in the first place.

Afterward, under everyone's shocked gazes, Xie Ning and the others returned to their seats.

Lu Bingyun looked at him with a complex gaze.

As a top student since childhood, suddenly finding someone surpassing her made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. But since this person was her friend, her feelings were inevitably complex—there was unwillingness and envy, but mostly admiration.

Lu Bingyun: "Congratulations."

Xie Ning pursed his lips in a smile and nodded.

With the shock brought by Xie Ning and Lu Bingyun, the subsequent Group Assessments seemed mundane and lacked any highlights.

Once the assessment ended, the two politely declined others' invitations, greeted the Jin Feng trio, and left. However, they didn't know that as they departed, the rumors about them were only just beginning.

As soon as the Monster Taming Alliance Examiners left, they immediately reported the situation to the Chief Examiner in charge of the College Entrance Examination. After all, with an S-grade and an A+ grade appearing in the examination hall, they couldn't handle such a major event themselves; it was a hot potato.

As the examinees walked out of the Gymnasium, they were immediately met by the reporters' cameras and microphones.

After Xie Ning and Lu Bingyun met up with Mo Yu, who was waiting outside, they dodged the reporters and headed back. Next, they would conserve their energy and prepare for the third subject's assessment.

In the Monster Taming College Entrance Examination, the first subject, Theory, accounted for 30%; the second subject, Comprehensive Assessment, accounted for 30%. But the true highlight was the third subject: the Secret Realm Trial.

In this subject, only one thing was assessed: strength.