Five days later, Chu Chen, as usual, went to Food is Heaven after school to earn Slaughter Value.
Recently, the business at Food is Heaven has been booming, and the Slaughter Value Chu Chen could earn daily had increased significantly, rising from over seventy points to more than a hundred.
Currently, the Slaughter Value in Chu Chen's hand has reached as high as eight hundred and forty-three points.
Chu Chen didn't rush to use the Slaughter Value to enhance his strength but planned to upgrade his Heaven Rewards Diligence talent once more, as realm is the foundation of cultivation.
He had been trying to upgrade his talent these days, but every attempt resulted in insufficient Slaughter Value.
The first upgrade of his talent consumed a hundred Slaughter Value, and now over eight hundred points are still insufficient. He speculated that this upgrade might require at least a thousand Slaughter Value.
After leaving Food is Heaven and having a simple dinner at a street vendor, Chu Chen hurried towards the Thunder Daoist School.
When Chu Chen arrived at the Thunder Daoist School, he found a temporary two-hundred-square-meter ring set up at the entrance.
Chu Chen did not dare to delay and hurried to the locker room to change clothes.
Today was precisely the day of the September exchange match at the Thunder Daoist School.
Chu Chen participated in the registration yesterday, spending a thousand Alliance Coins as the entry fee, aiming to win the ten thousand Alliance Coins prize.
It's worth mentioning that Fang Tao also registered for the exchange match. He signed up right after Chu Chen, and his gaze during registration was full of provocation, his intentions clear.
Chu Chen didn't mind because, over the past five days, both he and his Guardian Beast had significantly improved their strength.
Lei Yao advanced from the Fifth Rank Slave Level to the Sixth Rank, and both the Lightning Fist and Thunderbolt Fist reached the Skilled Realm, increasing the power and release speed of these two skills by about twenty percent.
Although Thunder Blade hadn't yet reached the Skilled Realm, it wasn't far from a breakthrough.
Of course, as Lei Yao's master, Chu Chen naturally didn't fall behind. His realm also advanced from the Fifth Rank Soul Pupil Level to the Sixth Rank, and his agreement with Liu Qing was fulfilled last night.
This means that Chu Chen currently has mastered three soul skills, a rare feat even among the entire first high school.
The exchange match this time attracted fifty participants, with twenty-eight in the Soul Pupil group, twelve in the Soul Warrior group, and ten in the Soul Master group.
Although the Soul Pupil group was overcrowded, the entry fees for the Soul Warrior and Soul Master groups were more expensive, requiring five thousand and ten thousand Alliance Coins, respectively.
One must say that business people are indeed shrewd; calculating the numbers, the school not only gained free publicity but also made money.
"Chu Chen, do you have the confidence to win the prize today?"
Chu Chen turned his head quickly upon hearing this and found Zhou Ying had appeared behind him unbeknownst.
"Sister Zhou, you must be kidding. With my current strength, I'm just here to join in the fun; participation is key," Chu Chen said with a smile.
Zhou Ying shook her head upon hearing this and said, "A good attitude, but be careful during the sparring." She then intentionally glanced toward Fang Tao.
Chu Chen immediately understood her meaning, his smile gradually disappearing as he coldly said, "Don't worry, Sister Zhou, I will be careful."
Hearing this, Zhou Ying nodded satisfactorily, patting Chu Chen's shoulder before stepping onto the ring.
"Alright, everyone, quiet down." Zhou Ying said loudly as she stepped onto the ring.
Upon hearing her, everyone stopped talking and looked at Zhou Ying.
Zhou Ying smiled and said, "Welcome everyone to the September exchange match at our Thunder Daoist School."
The crowd applauded enthusiastically at her words, and passersby also stopped to watch. In a short time, nearly a hundred people gathered to watch, and the number would continue to increase over time. Zhou Ying naturally couldn't miss this free publicity opportunity.
She cleared her throat and continued, "To celebrate the awakening of the new soul power, our school has specially formulated a variety of discount policies. Those interested can come talk to us. Not much more to say, let me introduce the rules of the exchange match: First, no one is allowed to attack the opposing Beast Master by any means; second, if the opponent surrenders, you must stop the attack immediately; third, you must not equip your Guardian Beast with any gear; fourth, during the battle, no elixirs can be consumed by either the Guardian Beast or the Beast Master. These are the rules. Next, let's have the participants from the Soul Pupil group come to draw lots."
Upon hearing this, Chu Chen and the others quickly headed toward the ring.
Chu Chen, at the end of the line, leisurely glanced at the other participants. He was familiar with most of them because seventy percent of the participants were his clients, and the rest were regular customers of the school. Among these, only two posed any threat to him.
One was Fang Tao, who was filled with hostility toward him, and the other was Sun Zhou, a seasoned Soul Master-level Beast Master. His goal was to give his newly contracted Guardian Beast more combat experience. Both of their Guardian Beasts had reached the Eighth Rank Slave Level, and their skill levels were above the Skilled Realm.
A moment later, Chu Chen drew the last bamboo stick from the draw bucket.
Seeing this, Fang Tao quickly focused his gaze, only to see the character "One" engraved on the bamboo stick. He said disappointedly, "What a pity, I was hoping to spar with Coach Chu early."
Hearing this, Chu Chen couldn't help but frown. Fang Tao had been provoking him since registration, and despite his efforts to stay calm, he couldn't suppress a surge of anger, replying coldly, "Indeed a pity, I really wanted to teach you."
Fang Tao's expression turned ugly hearing this, and he glared at Chu Chen fiercely, sneering, "Kid, aren't you too arrogant? I hope you make it to the finals; I'll show you what despair means."
"Is that so? Then I look forward to it," Chu Chen responded coldly.
The two exchanged a few harsh words before parting ways.
At this moment, Wang Yang approached Chu Chen and whispered, "That Fang Tao is quite strong; be careful."
Chu Chen nodded with a smile, "I'll be careful."
"Next, let's have the participant who drew number one come onto the stage," Zhou Ying announced loudly.
Chu Chen felt a bit helpless upon hearing this, unsure if his luck was good or bad, as he held the bamboo stick and quickly walked onto the ring.
At this time, a tall and slender young man stepped up from the other side of the ring.
When the young man saw that his opponent was Chu Chen, he couldn't help but give a wry smile.
"Coach Chu, please go easy on me later," the young man said in a low voice.
Chu Chen nodded and replied, "Li Tongxue, you're too polite."
This young man was Li Ming, a student from the Second Beast Taming High School, and he was also a client of Chu Chen.
Upon witnessing this, Zhou Ying immediately announced loudly, "I declare the beginning of the exchange match. Both contestants, please summon your Guardian Beasts."
The two of them dared not delay upon hearing this and hurriedly summoned their Guardian Beasts.
Once Lei Yao was summoned, it curiously surveyed its surroundings, showing no trace of nervousness.
At the same time, Li Ming also summoned his Guardian Beast, which was a Thunder Dog. Currently at the Servant Level Fifth Rank, its size was a circle smaller than Lei Yao, with blue and white intermingled fur and sturdy limbs. Judging by its appearance, the Thunder Dog was definitely top-notch.
Chu Chen rubbed Lei Yao's head and quietly advised, "Be careful of the opponent's sonic attack."
Lei Yao nodded seriously with a look of acknowledgment. Although it was very familiar with its opponent, it didn't dare to be careless. The Thunder Dog's sonic attack had a wide range; a little negligence could lead to getting hit. It didn't want to fail in such a basic situation.
At this moment, Li Ming was similarly mentally preparing his Thunder Dog.
"Go, Lei Yao," Chu Chen said softly.
Hearing this, Lei Yao let out a low growl and charged toward the Thunder Dog with all its might.
Seeing this, Li Ming immediately issued a battle command to the Thunder Dog.
The Thunder Dog responded with a few low barks before its form flickered, dashing toward Lei Yao.
The two beasts were extremely familiar with each other's combat styles. The Thunder Dog excelled in speed, while Lei Yao specialized in power.
So, in the face of Lei Yao's attack, Li Ming chose not to have the Thunder Dog engage head-on but rather to dodge for the time being, using its speed advantage to find an opportune moment to strike.
Seeing this, Chu Chen wasn't in a hurry to attack, instead allowing Lei Yao to hold back, adapting to the unchanged with change.
At this point, what both sides were competing for was patience, which was exactly the result Chu Chen wanted to see.
Even though Lei Yao's psychological issues had been effectively treated, its temperament remained irritable. Chu Chen planned to use this combat method to temper its character.
As time passed, Lei Yao's breathing gradually became heavier.
Noticing this, Chu Chen hurriedly calmed it down.
Lei Yao let out a dissatisfied growl, but it continued to endure patiently, maintaining eye contact with the Thunder Dog.
At that moment, Fang Tao stood in the observation area and jeered, "Does Coach Chu only teach his students to stare at each other? That's laughable."
Upon hearing this, the crowd also began to jeer, "Hurry up, what's with the delay?"
Chu Chen only cast a cold glance at him without responding.
Hearing the crowd's jeering, Li Ming's face flushed red, and he glared at them coldly, saying, "Go, Lei Ming."
The Thunder Dog let out a low growl of relief; this staring contest had long worn down its patience.
Its form flickered, charging toward Lei Yao.
Instead of getting anxious, Lei Yao stood its ground, raising its arms in front of itself, waiting for the opponent's attack.
The Thunder Dog's speed was quick, and in an instant, it was in front of Lei Yao, its sharp fangs aiming directly for Lei Yao's left leg.
Seeing this, Lei Yao didn't panic; it lifted its left arm to strike down toward the Thunder Dog's head.
The Thunder Dog's eyes glinted cunningly as its limbs surged with strength again, its form flickering to Lei Yao's side, its saw-like fangs aiming for Lei Yao's waist.
Chu Chen couldn't help but frown at this and raised his gaze slightly toward Li Ming.
The other party seemed to have sensed Chu Chen's gaze and looked back at him, a glint of pride in his eyes.
Seeing this, Chu Chen smiled, indicating the other party was prepared.
Looking at Chu Chen's sunny smile, Li Ming felt a sudden thump in his heart, clearly indicating Chu Chen's current performance exceeded his expectations.
At this moment, Lei Yao turned his left arm from a strike into a sweep, its sturdy arm directly hitting the Thunder Dog's head, sending it retreating.
The Thunder Dog staggered, nearly falling, as a dizzying sensation struck its head. It quickly steadied itself, shaking its head to regain clarity.
After successfully landing a hit, Lei Yao wouldn't give the opponent another chance. Its right leg surged with strength as its massive body rushed toward the Thunder Dog like a boulder.
With a muffled "thud," Lei Yao's shoulder collided with the Thunder Dog's side.
The Thunder Dog felt a sharp pain in its ribs and then lost balance, getting knocked away.
Seeing this, Li Ming couldn't help but show a hint of heartache. He dared not delay and immediately shouted loudly, "I concede."
Upon hearing this, Chu Chen quickly halted Lei Yao from continuing the pursuit.
Zhou Ying saw this and smiled, saying, "Chu Chen wins, second group, step up."