Chapter 293 - 265: Don’t Show Off
The distance from the Transmission Center to the North Suburb, where Shazhou Beast Taming University was located, wasn’t far, so the Roller Coaster didn’t fly for long. A few minutes later, the university’s main entrance came into view.
The Roller Coaster began to descend, landing steadily in a parking lot not far from the university gate.
The five of them disembarked together, and Yi Hongling continued to lead the way forward. "Up ahead is the South Gate," she said as they walked, "which is also the university’s main entrance."
The words had barely left her mouth when a giant bird in the sky above let out a series of cries, drawing the attention of the four new students.
The bird’s call was high-pitched and crisp.
This Flying Pet Beast circled in the air, its five-colored feathers gleaming. With a wingspan of over twenty meters, it was quite large for a Flying Pet Beast. Most importantly, it was a stunning sight, no less impressive than Li Qian’s own Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagle.
"That’s a Five-Colored Swan!" Li Qian identified it the moment he saw the Pet Beast.
After identifying the Pet Beast, Li Qian was rather surprised. ’A Five-Colored Swan is no ordinary Pet Beast. Its Racial Potential is in no way inferior to a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon.’
’It’s a Flying Pet Beast that has both power and looks, making it quite popular among Beast Masters.’
Beyond that, there was something else Li Qian found incredible.
Fatty An, with his sharp eyes, immediately voiced the incredible thing on Li Qian’s mind. "It looks like there’s a person standing on the Five-Colored Swan’s back."
Indeed, standing on the back of the Five-Colored Swan circling overhead was a person. Dressed in flowing white robes, he cut a graceful figure and instantly drew the gazes of many students at the university gate. Clearly, this had to be its Beast Master.
Tu Jiaojiao also saw the figure on the Five-Colored Swan’s back and asked in confusion, "But aren’t Pet Beasts forbidden from flying inside the city?"
Li Qian shook his head and offered an explanation based on books he’d read. "It’s different for every city. As far as I know, Shazhou City is one where the airspace is open."
"You’re very well-read, Li Qian." Yi Hongling smiled at his explanation and elaborated, "In our Dongxia Federation, every city has its own laws. The enforcement standards for certain regulations can differ."
She continued without pause as the four listened attentively. "Take flight restrictions, for example. Shazhou City doesn’t have an explicit ban, but the cost and difficulty of obtaining a flight permit for a Pet Beast are astronomical."
After hearing Yi Hongling’s explanation, Fatty An couldn’t help but mutter, "Seems like this kid’s background is anything but simple."
Then, he added in a low mumble, "Showing off like that... he’d better watch out or he’ll get struck by lightning."
"KREEE!" Just as his mumble faded, a strange crane’s cry suddenly rang out from within the university grounds nearby.
The cry was strange because it wasn’t loud, yet it echoed as if it were right beside their ears, perfectly and distinctly clear.
The sensation was contradictory—like someone calling your name from a great distance, yet at the same time whispering right into your ear.
The instant the crane’s cry rang out, the Five-Colored Swan, still circling in the sky, suddenly faltered and plunged downwards.
SMACK!
THUD!
The Five-Colored Swan crashed directly onto a patch of flat ground not far from Li Qian. Its fall, of course, also sent the man in white on its back tumbling into a face-plant.
All his previous elegance, composure, and cool demeanor vanished in an instant.
In a flash, the enviable young master had become a clown.
Li Qian was certain the man’s embarrassing fall was directly related to that crane’s cry.
Luckily, they hadn’t been flying very high. With the Dominator Level Potential Five-Colored Swan to break his fall, the man in white only looked pathetic but was otherwise uninjured.
"I knew it. Show off and you get struck by lightning." A huge grin spread across Fatty An’s face as he watched the scene unfold.
"That was...?" Li Qian tilted his head toward Yi Hongling and asked pointedly.
Yi Hongling smiled and gave a simple explanation. "One of our university’s Guardian Sacred Beasts—the Star Crane!"
"A Holy Spirit-level Pet Beast?" Fatty An exclaimed in surprise.
Yi Hongling replied in a calm, unhurried tone, "It’s a Guardian Sacred Beast, so of course it’s a Holy Spirit-level Pet Beast."
With that, she waved a hand, ignoring the man in white who had fallen from the sky, and led the way forward. "Come on, let’s get your enrollment sorted out first."
By the time she finished speaking, they had reached the university gate. She waved a hand, and a simple, honest-looking male student immediately came over. "Batuli, come here. Take these three new students to complete their enrollment. Li Qian, you’re with me."
"Li Qian, we’ll head on ahead then," Li Lanying said. She seemed to understand what was happening, and after a quick word with Li Qian, she followed Batuli onto the campus.
"So, what’s this about?" Li Qian asked, turning to Yi Hongling with a questioning look once the other three had gone.
Yi Hongling pointed toward a part of the campus. "Dean Fei of the Cultivation College gave special instructions," she explained as they walked. "I’m to bring you directly to the Cultivation College as soon as I meet you. He’s going to personally handle your enrollment and arrange your room and board."
"Is that so..." Li Qian murmured, lost in thought.
"Principal Fei’s office is just ahead. I won’t go in with you." Before long, Yi Hongling had led Li Qian to the third floor of a white building in the southeast corner of the campus.
Seeing that they had arrived, Li Qian turned to thank her. "Thanks, Senior Sister Yi. I’ll treat you to a meal sometime."
Yi Hongling didn’t refuse. With a smile, she readily accepted. "You said it, so don’t you dare go back on your word."
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK...
After Yi Hongling left, Li Qian wasted no time. He walked up to the office door and knocked. "Principal Fei, hello. I’m—"
Li Qian had just started to introduce himself when he was cut off by a man with a receding hairline inside the office. "I know who you are, Li Qian! Come in, come in!"
This man was, of course, Dean Fei of the Cultivation College.
When Dean Fei saw Li Qian, a grin threatened to split his face. "I’ve heard all about you! I really have to thank Old Tie and Xue Huaiyu for bringing a genius like you to our university."
Hearing this, Li Qian quickly waved his hands in a gesture of humility. "You’re too kind. I don’t deserve such praise."
Facts of the matter aside, when the situation called for humility, Li Qian was never one to act proud or complacent.
Principal Fei chuckled and walked over to pat Li Qian on the shoulder. "What’s not to deserve? It’s not good to be too modest, young man. Take Professor Yan, for example. He fumbled around and came up with the Sky Escape Eagle, but the evolution was flawed, the success rate was low... and he still had the nerve to show it off to me all day! Then it ends up in your hands, and not only do you fix its defects, you successfully evolve it into an Extreme Fierce Sky Escape Eagle, a whole level higher in Potential."
Li Qian’s mouth twitched at his words.
’How was he supposed to respond to that?’
’No matter what he said, it would sound like he was slighting Professor Yan.’
At this thought, he decided to practice a bit of Silent Meditation and simply let the topic drop.