I Have a Golden Crow

Sea King Yan, caught red-handed on the spot, was much more well-behaved.

With Du Yu desperately changing the subject, the three of them began training their Demon Pets together in the worn-down teaching building.

It was obvious that the Demon Pets understood how to handle Demon Breath better than the Demon Tamers themselves, even though these little guys were still young.

The three Demon Pets took turns having mock battles, acting as targets for each other, testing the defensive power of their Demon Breath Battle Robes, and also experiencing how uncomfortable it was to be invaded by Demon Breath.

Taking the chance while they were rotating out, Sea King Yan regrouped and struck again!

She carefully probed the waters, advancing step by step, and subtly infiltrating her way in.

Here snuggling with Li Mengnan, there rubbing shoulders with Lin Shiyi, she gave Du Yu a live demo in PR tactics!

Everyone got a taste, no one was left out.

Before long, the Competition Arena was full of harmony and joy!

At least on the surface, both girls' moods seemed calm and their smiles were sweet, leaving Du Yu totally dumbfounded!

Since when did life come with this kind of option?

That said, Li Mengnan was also showing serious potential for being a drama llama.

At dinnertime, Li Mengnan cheerfully went off to buy a bowl of High-Level Demon Pet Food for Xiaoyan.

What else could she do?

She just had to choose to forgive her…

"Ying~" At the dinner table, Xiaoyan—enjoying her gourmet meal—looked up at Du Yu on the other side, her beautiful fox eyes twinkling with a hint of a smile.

Du Yu silently lowered his head and kept shoveling food into his mouth.

He had a feeling that if Xiaoyan acted cute to Li Mengnan even a little more, forget Demon Pet Food—even Du Yu's own food might end up getting covered by Li Mengnan...

This was Du Yu's second day at the training base; fulfilling and super fun.

The only awkward thing was that after nighttime training, when he went back to the dorm to sleep, he and his roommate Lin Shihang didn't say a word to each other.

In the cramped dorm room, the two boys were like blind men—totally ignoring the other living, breathing human right there next to them.

Du Yu didn't get out of bed all night, just kept cultivating Fire Demon Breath with Little Fen Yang and Xiaoyan inside his body.

Luckily, training would be over tomorrow, and he wouldn't have to see that "third grandson" and his smug face again…

...

The next morning.

After breakfast, Du Yu gathered the students in line on the somewhat muddy sports field.

Gong Cheng was in an even fiercer mood today; with both hands behind his back, he paced back and forth in front of the team: "In these two days, you've already mastered everything required of a Demon Tamer Prentice."

As he spoke, he suddenly turned and walked into the ranks.

At that moment, the students—already scared stiff—trembled even harder, terrified that Old Demon Gong might explode in rage and, like he did with Du Yu yesterday, wallop someone with his stick…

"You've learned the Demon Disciple Contract, and activated your Newbie Demon Soldiers.

You've trained your Demon Pets to use the lowest-level Copper-level Demon Skill, and also learned Demon Breath projection and making Demon Breath Battle Robes."

"Tomorrow is the day you take the Demon Spirit Academy assessment. For this final day of training, you'll attend a crucial lesson."

From behind came Gong Cheng's booming voice: "Summon your Demon Pets, then make a circle centered on me, with a ten-meter radius."

The students exchanged glances, not quite sure what Gong Cheng was planning, but immediately got moving.

Gong Cheng scanned the crowd, looking at the cute pets held in the students' arms, and slowly spoke: "The final lesson—take a beating."

The students all stiffened in their hearts!

It's here, it's here, it's finally here!

Old Demon Gong couldn't resist his violent nature anymore—he was finally going to lay hands on the students!

Gong Cheng's face twisted into a cold smile, his terrible scar wrinkling up: "I know you all hold a huge grudge against me. I also get that there are plenty of Demon Taming Professions out there that don't need any fighting or killing at all."

As he spoke, Gong Cheng raised his right hand.

Bits of Fire Element quietly gathered, and in a flash his big hand grabbed out of thin air, pulling a Fire Stick from nowhere.

Condense Demon Breath Transformation, summon Elemental Demon Soldiers!

Finally, Du Yu clearly saw what the "shadow" that ambushed him yesterday really was.

"But who told you to get on my bus?" Gong Cheng spun the Fire Stick in his hand, "I warned you to catch the next school bus."

"Now you have ten seconds to put on your Demon Breath Battle Robe!"

"Ying?" Xiaoyan in his arms immediately sensed a tinge of danger.

"Demon Breath Battle Robe, Xiaoyan—the one we trained on all yesterday afternoon." Du Yu hurried to explain, quickly releasing layers of Fire Attribute Demon Breath that wrapped him from head to toe.

After ten seconds, Gong Cheng raised his right hand, gripping the middle of the Fire Stick, and twisted his wrist sharply.

Whoosh~

With a swish of the stick, a ring of fire visible to the naked eye rushed outward.

"Crack!"

"Crack, crack..."

In that instant, the students' Demon Breath Battle Robes started to shatter one after another! One after the next, the sound kept coming!

"Ugh." Du Yu frowned slightly—Old Demon Gong's technique was amazing!

Gong Cheng must have deliberately controlled the output, only enough to shatter the students' Battle Robes… Wait a second!

Something's off!

Du Yu looked around and saw that his classmates all had terrible expressions on their faces.

Clearly, everyone was having to bear Demon Breath invading their bodies, suffering from the shock damage.

Du Yu quickly got into character, furrowing his brow even harder.

He had also taken the shock damage, but the Demon Breath invading him was minimal—no need to look so miserable!

Initial Stage, Minor Achievement, Great Success, Peak—each Small Tier is a hurdle you have to clear.

As a Demon Tamer Prentice·Minor Success, Du Yu's Demon Breath was fuller and purer; his Demon Breath Battle Robe was, naturally, stronger!

And Gong Cheng was obviously aiming his attacks according to the Initial Stage defense level.

This is my chance!

No matter what, I need to hang in there till the end!

Du Yu suppressed his excitement; he needed the title of "Outstanding Student"—and, boy, did he want that custom Demon Soldier!

Gong Cheng's voice boomed out: "In ten seconds, we go again."

"Xiaoyan, are you okay?" Du Yu patted the little one in his arms, whispering comfort, "Just tough it out—keep projecting Demon Breath, and whatever you do, don't take the hit with just your body."

"Ying~" Xiaoyan whimpered, her big gold-brown fox eyes glistening with tears, looking just so pitiful that Du Yu was about to melt.

This...

With a girl this dangerously charming, can anyone really blame King Zhou?

"Whoosh~!"

Ten seconds later, another ring of fire rolled out.

"Crack! Crack..."

"Oww~"

"That really hurts." A few people muttered, though everyone was too chicken to say anything louder.

Gong Cheng: "By the way, today's training will probably be related to tomorrow's exam. In ten seconds, we go again."

Du Yu looked at the beaten-up Xiaoyan in his arms, feeling all kinds of pain for her. He turned around, planning to shield her and give her more time to adjust her Demon Breath.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a stick shadow slashed down!

This time it wasn't a ring but a fire line, aimed straight at Du Yu's back.

"Crack!"

The Fire Demon Breath Battle Robe broke with a crisp snap, making Du Yu bare his teeth and grimace even more.

Gong Cheng's face was dark: "Think you're clever, huh?"

Old Demon Gong's expression was fierce, his words even fiercer, but his hand was measured—output strength exactly the same as before.

Du Yu shivered as he turned back around, hurrying to pull together a new Demon Breath Battle Robe.

After seeing this, the other students dropped any idea of trying little tricks like that.

For the other students, the fire rings came every ten seconds—but for Du Yu… only every five!

Whoosh~

Another fire ring, another round of Battle Robe shattering and everyone gasping with pain.

"If you can't take it anymore, get out!" Gong Cheng's harsh tone cut in. "Go fix yourself up and then come back to train, or just crawl back to your dorm—I don't need you here!

Ten seconds, then we keep going!"

"Ying~" Xiaoyan whimpered softly; still so young, she definitely wasn't used to this kind of "whipping-boy" training.

Yesterday, when training with Wind Witch and Rose Spirit, everyone went easy on each other.

Du Yu held Xiaoyan up to his face, pressing his forehead to her little head: "Just hang in, Xiaoyan, this is a rare growth opportunity.

If you really can't take it, tell me, and I'll pull you back into my body, OK?"

Xiaoyan stared at Du Yu's bright eyes, pitifully rubbing her forehead against his.

If others wanted to quit, they quit. Like Gong Cheng said, not all Demon Taming Professions require fighting, but Du Yu didn't have that option!

This was the very last training session. Du Yu had already missed one class before; this time, he had to get a high score—there was no turning back.

Whoosh~

Another ring of fire shot out, and this time eight students actually quit on the spot!

At home, they were all precious kids showered with parental love—maybe they really just couldn't take this kind of "abuse."

Du Yu reassembled his Battle Robe quickly, cradling Xiaoyan in his arms, and gently kissed her soft little head, protecting her as much as he could.

Gong Cheng saw this, but didn't punish Du Yu further.

Pushing themselves past their limits, getting used to taking a beating, lots of students were now able to summon up Demon Breath Battle Robes even faster and recover more quickly.

Gong Cheng watched extra carefully—clearly, the training was paying off.

"Hmph." Old Demon Gong snorted coldly. "Interval now set at seven seconds!"

Those words made the children who'd just acclimated immediately change their expressions again.

"Someday, you'll thank me," Gong Cheng said, tossing the Fire Stick and raising it overhead, then spinning his wrist and releasing another fire ring. "Maybe as soon as tomorrow."

Whoosh~

Du Yu bowed his head, hugging Xiaoyan even tighter.

In his arms, safely nestled, Xiaoyan felt Du Yu giving his all to protect her, and stared at his close-up face…

"Du Yu, Du Yu." Suddenly, Little Fen Yang's soft, sticky voice popped up in Du Yu's mind.

"What's up, Little Fen Yang?"

"Xiaoyan really loves you~"

"Huh?"

"She kind of wants to... um, let me help her."

Whoosh~

Du Yu felt a wave of heat slam into his face. As his Demon Breath Battle Robe shattered, he stumbled a step backward.

"Spacing out again? You're really something, Squad Leader Du." Gong Cheng's face went black. "Think there's no challenge, think seven seconds is too long, huh?

Fine. Now the interval is five seconds!"

"Huh?"

"Please, Instructor Gong…"

"Show some mercy, Teacher Gong."

Groans broke out all around. Gong Cheng sneered at Du Yu: "What do you think, Squad Leader Du? Does this suit you?"

All kinds of angry glares turned toward Du Yu; even his friends Li Mengnan and Lin Shiyi weren't exceptions.

Not to mention guys like Wei Feng and Lin Shihang—their eyes were practically screaming to execute Du Yu on the spot!

Du Yu knew what was up. Since staying until the end was basically guaranteed, there was no point making himself a target, or taking unnecessary risks now.

After all, tomorrow's assessment was the real deal—whatever the test content was, he couldn't let his competitors be prepared ahead of time!

So…

Du Yu shook his head hard: "No, don't go any faster."

But Gong Cheng just pretended to be hard of hearing: "What? Even faster?"

Du Yu: ???

Heh, do whatever, but if you go any faster than this...

If you go any faster, you'll turn into a human shaker, damn it!

Are you sure this is "special training"—or are you just practicing fancy hand moves over there?

Whoosh~

Another ring of fire came in, and Old Demon Gong was spinning now!

"Awooo~!" Out of nowhere, Xiaoyan—protected in Du Yu's arms—suddenly lifted her head and let out a fox cry.

In Du Yu's arms, the soft, bushy tail began to let loose tufts of fiery red fur, spreading outward in all directions.

Like sparks in a field, ready to set the world ablaze!