Zhou Ling was quite surprised that Li Qingzhou managed to form a successful contract with the Red Fox.
Based on her experience, the probability of Li Qingzhou succeeding was less than 10%.
After all, this wasn't just any ordinary red fox but a mutated one, possessing outstanding potential and strength among all the pet beasts on that floor.
It was incredible that such an exceptional creature was contracted by Li Qingzhou, who had only F-level talent in beast control.
It seemed fate hadn't abandoned him, and his destiny was still in his own hands.
"Congratulations on successfully forming the contract." Zhou Ling smiled, genuinely happy for Li Qingzhou. With this pet, the former genius might return to his previous glory.
"Thank you, teacher," Li Qingzhou responded sincerely.
He could feel a force flowing through his body, warming both his body and spirit. It was the power of the Red Fox, feeding back into him, enhancing his physical strength.
Once the contract is signed, the bond between a beast master and their pet beast becomes a natural spiritual connection, closer even than blood ties.
"Hmph, it's just a red fox. Do you dare compete with me?" Zhang Huai scoffed, ready to humiliate the once-gifted student.
"How do you want to compete?" Li Qingzhou, curious to test the Red Fox's strength, wasn't about to tolerate Zhang Huai's constant provocations.
"Let's go to the pet battle room next door. If I win, you have to call me 'big brother' in front of all your classmates."
Zhang Huai was brimming with confidence.
"And what if you lose?" A smile appeared on Li Qingzhou's face.
Zhang Huai snorted dismissively. He couldn't fathom losing. How could a D-level talent like him possibly lose to an F-level talent? Ridiculous. His abilities, especially paired with his Barbarian Bull, made defeat unthinkable.
"If I lose, I'll be your little brother from now on."
With both parties agreeing to the challenge, Zhou Ling, their homeroom teacher, had no choice but to allow it.
The pet battle room, located at the far end of the second floor, was designed specifically to test the strength of pet beasts.
In the battle room, Li Qingzhou and Zhang Huai stood face-to-face, with Zhou Ling acting as the temporary referee.
As newly minted trainee beast masters, the two could easily cause trouble without supervision.
"Begin."
As soon as Zhou Ling gave the signal, the air shimmered, and both pet beasts were summoned.
Li Qingzhou's Red Fox stood tall, eyes fixed on the bull before it.
[Name: Barbarian Bull]
[Attribute: Gold]
[Level: Black Iron, Level 7]
[Qualification: Black Iron]
[Skill: Savage Crash]
[Weakness: Fire]
[Evolution Routes: 2]
[Introduction: A social creature, strong and powerful, but bulky and lacking flexibility.]
As Li Qingzhou looked at the Barbarian Bull, this information surfaced in his mind.
"The Barbarian Bull is powerful. Be careful not to get hit," Li Qingzhou warned the Red Fox.
"Squeak!" The Red Fox let out a cry to show its understanding.
Zhang Huai looked smug. The Barbarian Bull was several times larger than the Red Fox, with an obvious advantage in both size and strength. It was like an adult fighting a child—how could he lose?
"Barbarian Bull, use *Savage Crash* and knock it away," Zhang Huai commanded.
The Barbarian Bull roared to life, its massive black body charging towards the Red Fox like a moving mountain.
"Good burst of power. The strength of this bull is impressive, and with Zhang Huai's strength-enhancing talent, even higher-level beasts would struggle to withstand a direct hit." Zhou Ling nodded approvingly.
"Evade and use *Fake Sleep*," Li Qingzhou ordered calmly.
He had already anticipated the bull's attack. Though *Savage Crash* was powerful, the Barbarian Bull's path was a straight line. With some quick thinking, it was easy to avoid.
The Red Fox swiftly dodged to the side, easily escaping the bull's reckless charge.
At the same time, its eyes flashed with a green light, and its skill *Fake Sleep* was activated.
This false sleeping ability is a skill that the Red Fox acquired after a mutation. It can be used both against enemies and itself.
When used against an enemy, it causes the target to fall into a deep sleep, losing consciousness. When used on itself, it also induces sleep, but the recovery rate of physical strength is significantly enhanced during slumber.
The bull, which had been charging at full speed, suddenly closed its eyes and fell asleep. Its body continued to surge forward due to inertia, heading straight for the wall.
"Stop it!"
Zhang Huai shouted, but it was useless.
He hadn't expected the bull to lose consciousness mid-collision and fall asleep. This was completely beyond his expectation. Why had the bull suddenly fallen asleep? What had Li Qingzhou done?
Confused, Zhang Huai could only watch as the bull crashed into the wall.
*Boom.*
A loud noise echoed in the room as the bull's head slammed into the wall. The impact knocked it out cold.
Although the pet battle room was made from special materials, leaving the walls unharmed, Zhang Huai stood frozen in place, staring at the unconscious bull lying on the ground.
"Zhang Huai, you lost. Quickly take the bull into the beast control space for healing," Zhou Ling said, her tone firm.
She glanced at the Red Fox, surprise evident on her face. It had used a rare spiritual skill—this mutated Red Fox was far more impressive than she had initially thought.
She then turned her gaze to Li Qingzhou, eyes filled with approval. His quick thinking and precise command in the heat of battle had won him victory with minimal effort, making excellent use of his pet's abilities.
A wave of blue light shimmered in front of Zhang Huai as he took the bull into his beast control space. He turned to leave, filled with embarrassment. All he wanted now was to get away from the room.
"Did I say you could go?" Li Qingzhou's voice called out behind him.
Zhang Huai halted in his tracks, his face twisted in frustration. Gritting his teeth, he spat, "What do you want?"
He had originally planned to show off his strength, but now he had lost—completely and utterly.
"What should you call me?" Li Qingzhou asked coldly.
Zhang Huai's face turned red with humiliation. He had no choice but to honor the competition and the bet he had made. And with the head teacher present, breaking his word was out of the question.
"...Boss," Zhang Huai forced the word out between clenched teeth.
His face flushed even more, as shame washed over him. He and Li Qingzhou had always been rivals. How could a slacker like him possibly have anything in common with a top student? Yet, here he was, now forced to call him boss. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
He felt deep regret, wishing he could slap himself for ever making that bet.
"Alright then. From now on, you're my little brother. You need to study hard, stop skipping class, and quit messing around," Li Qingzhou said, his voice casual, as if scolding a child.
Zhang Huai's face fell further. In his mind, his carefree days of youth were slipping away, to be replaced by endless study. The despair he felt was overwhelming. It was over. His youth was over.
Zhou Ling watched their interaction, finding the whole thing both amusing and a little childish. But as their teacher, she was pleased. After all, one less troublemaker meant more focus on academics in class.
As she looked at Li Qingzhou, a thought took root in her mind: this student might just become a major figure in the world of beast control in the future.