Chapter 678: Second Phase

The next day, 8:30 in the morning.

Qiao Sang woke up and instinctively picked up her phone to check the time, only to find that there were quite a few people tagging her in the class group chat of Sainan High School.

This was the first time so many people had tagged her since her Steel Falcon evolved into Steel Guardian Falcon. Qiao Sang opened the class group.

[Raffi]:

@Qiao Sang, is what Tang Yi said true? You’ve already had two pet beasts evolve to General Rank?!

[Gene]:

I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it unless I see it with my own eyes @Qiao Sang

[Yuna]:

@Qiao Sang, a lot of people from our class got accepted into top academies in 1st District. When can we all meet up?

Tang Yi sure was quick with the news…

Qiao Sang replied:

[@Yuna: Sure, I’m in 1st District too. Let’s grab a meal when everyone’s free.]

Qiao Sang appeared?!

Everyone in the group chat suddenly lit up like they’d spotted an endangered pet beast.

[Hulis]:

You can eat anytime, answer us first, do you really have two General Rank pet beasts?

[Tang Yi]:

You guys seriously? We were classmates and you still don’t believe me? I even sent photos! Qiao Sang, tell them! Did I lie?!

[Vivek]:

No joke, I’m in 1st District and saw the news about the Ghost Ring Phantom the other day. I thought that was Qiao Sang’s pet beast.

Qiao Sang typed out a reply:

[That Ghost Ring Phantom is my pet. He evolved last night, and Tang Yi was there, so he knew right away.]

[Tang Yi]:

See?! I wasn’t lying!

The group went quiet.

They were all top-tier students and weren’t lacking in any way, whether it was pet beasts or resources. Anything they wanted, they could usually get their hands on.

Plenty of adults in their circles pushed their pet beasts to evolve quickly, even if their strength wasn’t stable, hoping for a boost in return.

But even with tons of rare resources, none of their elders’ pet beasts had ever evolved to General Rank in such a short time.

[Yuna]:

@Qiao Sang, when are you free? I want to see your two General Rank pet beasts.

[Hulis]:

Count me in.

[Gene]:

@Hulis, aren’t you not in 1st District?

[Hulis]:

I can go to 1st District.

Everyone in the group chimed in, trying to find a time and place.

But everyone had their own schedules and ideas, so they couldn’t settle on anything.

Then, Qiao Sang sent a message:

[How about 6 PM the day after tomorrow? That should give those outside 1st District time to get there. Let’s meet at Xiangshide Pine Restaurant, I’ve heard it’s pretty good.]

[Yuna]:

Sounds good, I’m in.

[Hulis]:

Fine by me.

[Raffi]:

Count me in! I’ll be on time for sure!

Just like that, the date and place, which had been dragging on for half a day, were quickly settled.

---

An hour later, Tang Yi followed Qiao Sang to a private training facility.

“This is where you train your defense?” Tang Yi looked around the setup and asked.

Qiao Sang gave a soft “Mm”: “The coach here is good. I feel like my skin’s gotten way tougher.”

Could’ve fooled him…

Tang Yi glanced at Qiao Sang’s exposed skin. Still looked like skinny arms and legs, soft and delicate.

“How much does this kind of training cost?” He asked.

“No idea, I just swipe the card.” Qiao Sang replied.

Tang Yi was quiet for a few seconds.

“I’ll watch you first before deciding whether to get a membership.”

He also had pet beasts that evolved via bond, so he needed to train his defense too. Qiao Sang’s progress was always insanely fast, training with her couldn’t be a bad idea.

But the facility looked high-end. If the training didn’t deliver, he’d rather stick with his usual method: Have his Paralulu fight real battles to build up pain tolerance.

After all, he still had three pet beasts to raise, and his living expenses mostly came out of his own pocket.

Qiao Sang didn’t mind.

The two entered the training room.

Elma, the coach, was momentarily surprised but quickly smiled warmly.

This was a one-on-one private training facility, and strangers weren’t usually allowed, but if a client brought someone in, it was fine.

“This is my friend.” Qiao Sang introduced.

“Hello.” Elma offered a handshake.

“I’m Elma.”

Tang Yi shook her hand briefly.

“Don’t mind me, just train as usual.”

He then sat down on the nearby sofa.

Qiao Sang said, “Last time I soaked in that toughness-boosting bath, I felt super refreshed afterward. Like my whole body had been rejuvenated.”

Elma pinched Qiao Sang’s arm and said, “Let’s test and see if you’ve finished Phase One.”

“How do we test that?” Qiao Sang asked.

Elma smiled.

“If you can take a 200-kilogram punch without using Skunk’s venom and not get hurt, you’ve completed Phase One. Just have Spike Fist Kid give you one punch.”

“Fist.”

The Spike Fist Kid, already wearing gloves, stepped forward and touched fists, indicating he was ready.

Tang Yi, watching from the sofa, swallowed hard.

Two hundred kilograms?

Just let a fighting-type pet beast punch her like that?!

“Let’s go.” Qiao Sang said decisively, getting into horse stance.

“Just not the face.”

“Fist!”

Spike Fist Kid nodded, then launched a punch so fast it left only afterimages.

Qiao Sang took an involuntary step back.

“How is it?” Elma asked.

Qiao Sang felt around and smiled.

“Didn’t hurt at all.”

Elma smiled back.

“Congratulations. You’ve officially completed Phase One. Let’s begin Phase Two.”

Tang Yi sat there, jaw slightly open, utterly stunned.

He knew beast masters grew more durable through pet beast feedback.

He’d seen older beast masters shrug off attacks unharmed but Qiao Sang was two years younger than him and trained her defense to this level in just a month?

Was she the monster or was the coach?

Tang Yi thought for a moment,

probably Qiao Sang.

Meanwhile, Elma looked at Qiao Sang and continued:

“In Phase Two, we’ll train your tendons. This part’s a bit more painful. I’ll have a Body Forge Bug enter your body and run through all your tendons.”

“The bug secretes a liquid that strengthens tendons. Once it’s run through your system 99 times, you’ll complete Phase Two.”

“The time it takes varies. Those with high pain tolerance are faster;

those with low pain tolerance take longer.”

“I had one client who couldn’t even get the bug to do 10 laps in a year, just because they couldn’t stand the pain.”

Qiao Sang thought for a moment.

“Can I have my pet use skills to ease the pain?”

Elma chuckled.

“You can, but the results won’t be as good.”

That ruled out letting Lubao cast Healing Light during the process.

If she was going to train, she wanted the best results.

“Let’s do it then. I’m ready.” Qiao Sang said.

Elma nodded and tapped a few times on a virtual control panel.

Soon, there was a knock at the door.

Spike Fist Kid opened it.

A bug-type pet beast wearing a work uniform, in earthy yellow with a pink nose, crawled in slowly.

“Duan Duan.”

The bug bowed.

“This is your Body Forge Bug for the training.” Elma introduced.

Qiao Sang looked at the bug and suddenly thought of something serious.

“How is it getting into my tendons?”

Elma smiled gently.

“Through your mouth. You just have to swallow it.”

“Duan Duan.”

The bug nodded:

Yep, super easy.

Qiao Sang was silent.

“…And how does it come out afterward?”

Elma patiently explained, “Also through your mouth. Don’t worry, you’ll feel it when it comes out.”

“Duan Duan.”

The bug nodded again.

Totally normal.

Qiao Sang: …

She hesitated.

Swallowing a bug… gross.

“Gang Guard.”

Just then, Gangbao, who had been quiet, let out a bark, urging her to stop hesitating,

they were charging by the hour.

Qiao Sang: …

She braced herself, gritted her teeth, and said, “Let’s go!”

Then opened her mouth like a warrior going to the gallows.

“Duan Duan!”

The bug solemnly removed its work clothes and jumped straight in.

Qiao Sang immediately swallowed.

Tang Yi turned away in disgust but was secretly impressed.

If it were him, he’d need at least an hour of mental prep…

Holy crap, that hurts…

Qiao Sang immediately felt a wave of pain rush through her after swallowing the bug.

Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as her body trembled and she squatted down.

“Xun~”

Little Treasure appeared, worried, and floated over.

Elma saw this new pet, one she didn’t recognize but looked strangely familiar, and paused.

Why did it look like a Ghost Ring Phantom?

Since Qiao Sang was in too much pain to speak, Elma looked to the black-haired boy who came with her.

Tang Yi understood her gaze and said, “That’s her pet, Ghost Ring King, it’s the evolved form of Ghost Ring Phantom.”

Elma froze.

Evolved form?

No wonder it looked familiar…

She remembered the news saying the Ghost Ring Phantom was a high-tier ghost-type…

Then its evolved form… that meant it was a General Rank pet beast…