But nothing happened.
There were no signs of evolution.
...Was something wrong?
Watching Ziyue poke at the Ice Heart Stone, Liu Yi's fingertips unconsciously tapped against the desk.
Was it possible that Ziyue's latent energy cap wasn't 100%?
Because her latent energy wasn't full yet, the Ice Heart Stone couldn't trigger the evolution?
Liu Yi thought hard about how her method of raising Ziyue differed from everyone else's.
The nutrient solutions, recovery liquids, and energy liquids were all similar to what could be bought in reality, just with better palatability and immediate effects.
She had already saved up more than thirty proficiency boosters for both skills and traits, but she hadn't used them on Ziyue yet.
She had given Ziyue two Frostberries.
Wait...
Even though the Frostberry was only a green card, she had only ever drawn two of them so far.
The probability was surprisingly low.
Could it be because it was different from the Frostberries in reality? Could it actually increase the latent energy cap?
The more Liu Yi thought about it, the more she felt her guess was correct.
“Bing bing?”
Seeing her Beast Tamer fall silent, Ziyue let out a cry.
Liu Yi smiled, putting the Ice Heart Stone back into her Beast Taming Space. “It's nothing.”
Liu Yi felt that increasing the latent energy cap was a good thing.
Building a more solid foundation now meant her energy after evolving might be even more profound than that of a normal Intermediate stage pet.
That being said, Liu Yi still decided to take Ziyue to the medical hall of the Beast Tamer Association for a physical check-up just to be safe.
...
Liu Yi brought Ziyue to the Longwu Beast Tamer Association Medical Hall, which specialized in providing basic treatment and various health testing services for pets.
After taking a number, Liu Yi brought Ziyue to Testing Room 6.
“Please place your pet on the testing platform.” The doctor pointed to the circular platform in the center of the room.
Liu Yi placed Ziyue down, and the fox looked around curiously at the flashing instruments.
Several white light beams scanned Ziyue's body from different angles, and the equipment emitted rhythmic beeping sounds.
“Emotionally stable... normal physical indicators... smooth energy flow within the body, no irregularities...” The doctor stared at the data on the screen. “Huh?”
Liu Yi's heart tightened. “Is there a problem?”
“No, it's a good thing.” The doctor adjusted her glasses. “Your Ice Fox's latent energy has already reached a brimming state. It should be able to evolve very soon.”
She pulled up a set of waveform charts. “However, our basic testing device can only show an approximate range. If you need precise values...”
Liu Yi breathed a sigh of relief. “That's not necessary. It's enough to know she's in good condition.”
The doctor nodded. “Alright, I'll print out a health report for you.”
After receiving the health report, Liu Yi left the association with Ziyue.
Ziyue sat on Liu Yi's shoulder, occasionally glancing down at the health report in her hand.
Liu Yi said, “The doctor said you're in great shape. You don't have to worry about tomorrow's match.”
“Bing bing.”
Ziyue nuzzled her face, indicating she wasn't nervous at all.
After returning home, Liu Yi continued to organize the opponent information she had gathered from various sources:
【Su Wenxi, Moonlight Marten (Intermediate stage): A Fairy-type pet. Knows at least two B-rank skills.】
【Huo Nanyun, Candle Spirit Child (Junior stage): The Beast Tamer is a calm commander, and the pet's skill proficiency is decent.】
【Pan Xun, Phantom Sound Bat (Junior stage): A Psychic-type pet. Must watch out for Phantom Sound Piercing, Telekinesis, and Echo Hypnosis.】
【...】
【Cui Xiangming, Blazing Flame Mouse (Intermediate stage): Overconfident.】
Liu Yi put the materials away. Her electronic bracelet vibrated, updating the match information for tomorrow's Qualifiers:
【Contestant: Liu Yi (Trainee Beast Tamer)】
【Registered Pet: Ice Fox (Junior stage)】
【First Round Match: August 15, 11:00, Arena 1 in District A】
【Opponent: Cheng He (Trainee Beast Tamer)】
【Registered Pet: Iron Ant (Junior stage)】
...
The next day, Liu Yi woke up early.
She received encouraging messages from her sister and Baili Jinxuan on her phone. After replying to them one by one, she headed out.
Upon arriving outside the Longwu Central Arena with Ziyue, Liu Yi found even more reporters today than on the opening day.
As soon as she reached the arena entrance, the sharp-eyed reporters spotted her.
“Contestant Liu Yi! Can we have an interview?”
“Do you have confidence in today's match?”
“As a top contender in this tournament, how far do you think you can go?”
Several microphones were thrust in front of her at once. Liu Yi stopped in her tracks.
She glanced at the scorching sun overhead, then at the reporters' sweat-soaked collars, and let out a soft sigh. “Fine, but please make it quick.”
The reporters immediately grew excited. One reporter beat the others to the punch, asking, “Contestant Liu Yi, you're facing Cheng He's Iron Ant today. You're at a disadvantage in terms of type matchup. Are you confident you'll win?”
Liu Yi replied, “I'll win.”
The two simple, powerful words stunned the reporters for a moment before they pressed her even more enthusiastically. “What ranking do you think you'll ultimately achieve?”
“Well...” Liu Yi paused. “I'll do my best to take first place.”
“Wow!” the reporters exclaimed. “That much confidence?”
“Bing bing!”
Ziyue also let out a cry, affirming that her Beast Tamer was right.
At that moment, a male reporter squeezed forward. “Contestant Liu Yi, there's a question everyone is curious about.”
“Why didn't Ji Xiaoyao, who took first place in points in the Qinglan Secret Realm, come to compete? What are your thoughts on this?”
Liu Yi looked at him and said, “She has her own choices.”
The male reporter wouldn't give up. “I heard you and Ji Xiaoyao were middle school classmates. Can you reveal why she gave up on the Longwu High School Entrance Tournament?”
Liu Yi frowned slightly. “That's a private matter.”
Sensing Liu Yi's displeasure, the other reporters tactfully changed the subject.
“Then what preparations have you made for the strong opponents you might face later? For example, Cui Xiangming's Blazing Flame Mouse?”
“Every opponent deserves to be taken seriously.” Liu Yi checked the time. “Sorry, I need to go prepare.”
She nodded politely and walked quickly into the player tunnel with Ziyue.
Inside the player waiting area, Liu Yi found a quiet corner to sit down as usual.
Ziyue jumped off her shoulder and looked around curiously.
There were significantly fewer contestants today than during the Preliminaries, but the atmosphere was much more tense.
However, not long after Liu Yi sat down, her phone vibrated.
【The Beautiful Master of Cute Shadow: [Link]】
【The Beautiful Master of Cute Shadow: Liu Yi! You're in the news!】
Liu Yi clicked the link, and an exaggerated headline met her eyes:
“Shocking! This Year's Longwu High School Entrance Tournament's Biggest Dark Horse Declares: Aims Directly for the Championship!”
Rate on N.U.
