The closer the day approached, the more Su Ping’s attention centered on the upcoming event, a focus particularly emphasized by Zhang Lie’s constant calls over the past two days.
Finally, only two days remained of the two-month timeline.
"Mission accomplished!"
Su Ping smiled wearily at the arriving Zhang Lie.
Zhang Lie’s eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the ten figures in the woods.
Commandant Ninth Rank, Commander Seventh Rank, three Commander Sixth Orders, one Commander Fifth Stage, three Commander Fourth Orders, and one Commander Third Rank!
These were the ten figures arrayed before him. Merely standing behind the young man, they seemed like an impenetrable bulwark before an endless, wild forest, its verdant foliage concealing untold dangers.
Were these the same ten Forest Wolves he knew?
These were the Wanmu Wolves!
Because next to these ten Wanmu Wolves stood their respective Beast Tamers.
Su Ping hadn’t been idle during this time, and neither had they. But it had all been worth it!
Zhang Lie said nothing, not voicing a single doubt. He simply saluted the young man before him, who was about the same age as his own son.
"Breeder Su, we set off tomorrow. Commander Zhao and Chief Lin have invited you to attend and observe the upcoming military competition. Do you accept?"
As Zhang Lie had anticipated, Su Ping nodded. "How many days will the competition last?" he asked.
"It officially starts the day after tomorrow, but we need to return to the Corps base tomorrow to prepare. The competition itself will last about two days!"
"Good! I’ll get ready tonight and leave with you all tomorrow."
He was finally going to the Corps base!
A faint thrill of excitement stirred in Su Ping’s heart.
That wasn’t a place just anyone could visit!
Influenced by his father, Su Ping harbored both a longing for and curiosity about the Beast Tamer Corps. And with their departure set for tomorrow, how could Su Ping not be excited?
During dinner, he mentioned his plans to Lao Guan. Lao Guan nodded, telling Su Ping to be careful while he was away and that he would handle everything at home.
Since the drowning incident, Lao Guan hadn’t brought up the matter of cultivating a Heart of Woods for Guan Lili again. Lao Guan hadn’t even pursued the compensation from the family involved in the drowning.
Su Ping knew Lao Guan didn’t want to cause him any trouble. That couple’s humility was due to Dong Muyun. However, Su Ping didn’t know much about the precise nature of the relationship between Dong Muyun, the former chairman, and himself. If he accepted a favor from them, some things might become complicated later on.
Lao Guan had been diligent for many years and was naturally unwilling to let greed create potential problems or hidden dangers for Su Ping and the Heart of Woods.
Su Ping saw all of this clearly and understood Uncle Guan’s intentions. However, Su Ping didn’t say anything more about it.
He could discuss it after the military competition was over and he returned.
By then, he could offer both reassurance and a generous gift to this diligent Manager Guan.
When night fell, Su Ping returned to his room and lay on his bed. Before he could enter a state of meditation, his phone rang again.
Su Ping initially thought it was Qin Xiaoxue, as Miss Qin had indeed been calling quite frequently these past few days. However, the caller ID took him by surprise.
It was his father, who hadn’t contacted him since they last parted ways.
"Son, have you missed me?"
"If you have something to say, just get to the point."
"Tsk, I was just thinking about the upcoming military competition in Jianghai Province. Have your preparations been completed? Your old man here has been bragging about you. Are you confident?"
As Su Ping had figured, his father, having discussed it with Zhang Lie previously, naturally remembered the event.
Su Ping replied with a slight snort, "It’s in the bag!"
Facing Su Anyong, Su Ping’s confidence was palpable.
"I’ve witnessed Old Sha’s capabilities myself," Su Anyong said. "Unless your luck is terrible, or the competition rules or terrain are completely ridiculous, breaking into the top five shouldn’t be an issue!"
This time, Su Anyong wasn’t being stubborn.
Yet, Su Ping snorted coldly again. "Top five? Who are you looking down on? First place! It has to be first place!" he declared. The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net
"You kid, don’t be too arrogant. The networks within the Beast Tamer Corps aren’t as simple as you imagine. You’ve only focused on cultivating one type. I reckon some elite battle groups will feature diverse cultivation strategies! Five-person combat teams can form complementary squads with the same species but different Evolutionary Bodies. Although Wanmu Wolves are versatile, they also have distinct weaknesses!"
Su Anyong was indeed right. Putting other attributes aside, the greatest weakness of the Wanmu Wolves, similar to other Wood Element Pet Beasts, was their vulnerability to fire. They were inherently countered by Fire Element Pet Beasts.
Su Ping, however, didn’t seem concerned. His eyes darted around for a moment before he abruptly asked, "Dad, you mentioned competition rules. What are they usually like in these Corps competitions? Tell me in detail."
Su Anyong smacked his lips. "There are many," he said. "The most traditional and widely applied is the one-on-one elimination match, a knockout tournament system decided by drawing lots. However, this format was slightly improved many years ago. It was updated to include terrain selection, and instead of random draws, a challenge-point system was implemented. However, this too was later criticized for lacking practical battlefield applicability. It was seen as too performance-oriented, failing to showcase the full combat capabilities of Beast Tamers and their Pet Beasts in unpredictable wilderness scenarios, as it focused too much on arena-style duels."