Before embarking on the strategy operation, Lin Chuan had Sakura and Guoguo work together to release a wide-ranging Healing Aroma, giving everyone present a collective boost.
The fact that these examinees could persevere until now without being eliminated indicated they had been through many battles, and their spirit beasts, more or less, carried injuries; even without severe injuries, their stamina must have been significantly depleted, and the Beast Masters themselves were no exception.
Not everyone was like Lin Chuan, possessing a self-healing recovery ability that shouldn't be present at this novice stage; the three spirit beast items allowed in the secret realm assessment rules couldn't sustain them for so long.
Of course!
This group healing was free.
It was Lin Chuan's personal preferential welfare for this temporary team united against the boss.
Outside the secret realm space.
In the monitoring room of the Qinghe City Beastmaster Association.
Watching Lin Chuan's performance, Shi Kuanshan and Liang Lu both nodded slightly in approval.
In fact, they had long since seen through the truth.
They realized that Lin Chuan, prompted by Chen Yulu, had already grasped the correct approach to this secret realm assessment, understanding how to achieve the truly highest score in this assessment.
Lin Chuan knew what the examiners wanted to see and what kind of talent the Star Rock Federation needed.
Shi Kuanshan and Liang Lu both saw that Lin Chuan was doing this intentionally.
He was deliberately putting on a show for them, the behind-the-scenes examiners, and for the Star Rock Federation.
Perhaps some might think such acting is bad.
Not sincere, not right.
But actually, it doesn't matter too much.
Whether it stems from sincerity or is a deliberate act.
Sincerity is best.
Even if it's acting, it proves Lin Chuan is excellent and intelligent enough.
If, in the future, a city in the Star Rock Federation truly encounters a disaster, such as a genuine Demon Attribute tide—a surging mass composed of Demon Attribute monsters impacting the city—and Lin Chuan happens to be present, being excellent and intelligent enough, he would inevitably not do something foolish like abandoning his home and looking out only for himself.
Instead, he would, like now, join in resisting the disaster and contribute his share of strength.
Because the consequences of fleeing, any Beast Master smart enough would realize, would lead to a post-event reckoning by the Star Rock Federation.
What natural disaster or danger could compare to the reckoning of one of the Three Great Nations of humanity?
Don't think that at that time, you can use some cover-up excuse to explain it away.
The Star Rock Federation possesses various top-tier secret treasures and items, and can even, through certain mysterious rituals, rewind time and extract truth from the river of history.
And other, secondary methods like lie detection, deduction, and divination are countless.
As long as a Beast Master has not reached the Emperor Grade, which is above Level 80, and among their contracted spirit beasts, there isn't one capable of concealing fate, then they shouldn't expect to deceive the Star Rock Federation.
The Star Rock Federation can easily ascertain whether a Beast Master fulfilled their responsibility when disaster struck, or if they deserted and abandoned their home to save themselves.
Of course, these high-level, secret powers and items are unknown to ordinary civilian Beast Masters, and even to general professional Beast Masters.
However, if one chooses to contribute their strength when disaster strikes and fulfill their responsibility as a member of the Star Rock Federation.
Regardless of the final outcome, as long as they genuinely put in effort, even if they fail and cannot defend their home, the Star Rock Federation will not pursue the matter and will instead grant commendations.
...
Secret realm space.
Having received Lin Chuan's free group healing, everyone present was almost at full capacity, at least their stamina had largely recovered.
With an excellent strategy plan devised by a scholar-level team brain.
With Lin Chuan, who served as a super-sized, large-cup healing support.
Plus, everyone present was an elite among this year's fresh Beast Master graduates; even if their combat power wasn't top-tier, it was first-rate, and even if not first-rate, they each had their unique specialties.
In the Xiao Qingkong Cup and Little Qinghe Cup, they were all strong enough to reach the top 16.
With all this, what boss couldn't be collectively pushed down?
Li Zeyu led his Team 1, setting off first.
The other three examinees who also possessed flying spirit beasts and were skilled in aerial horsemanship followed closely behind Li Zeyu, mounting their spirit beasts, riding the wind, and flying towards the Terror Puppet Giant rampaging in the town center.
The remaining two examinees with ground-mount spirit beasts also quickly mounted their spirit beasts and followed, their tasks heavier and more dangerous.
After all, the Terror Puppet Giant couldn't fly, and if they, on the ground, drew its aggro and didn't handle it well, they would be instantly killed by the Terror Puppet Giant.
Immediately after, Chen Yulu also led her Third Squad to find other examinees, to gather and increase their side's combat power.
And Lin Chuan, too, led the remaining one male and two females to find a suitable place to dig traps.
Lin Chuan first asked the three if they had any suitable environmental recommendations for digging pits and making traps.
The three thought for a moment, then shook their heads, indicating they didn't; in short, the town areas they had been active in since entering the trial space, for nearly 20 hours, were all pretty much the same.
Finally, Lin Chuan, who had traveled directly from the east side of the town to the west and seen more varied environments, made the final decision.
The trap location would be in the eastern corner of the town, precisely the spot where Lin Chuan had previously been deliberately targeted and cornered by Wang Zhixian and his two companions.
That area should be the slum of this unknown foreign town.
The terrain was complex, with various small houses scattered haphazardly, winding and difficult to enter and exit.
When they started fighting the boss later, such terrain would effectively limit the movement of the massive boss, making it easier to lure the boss into the trap.
Among the other members of Team 2, there was a male.
His name was Zheng Yu, a slightly chubby but overall handsome young man with a pleasant appearance.
He had two spirit beasts; one was unknown, but the one he kept outside his beast-taming space was an Earth Rock Snake.
Although it bore the name 'snake,' it was actually an earthworm, or perhaps a hybrid fusion of an earthworm and a snake?
The Earth Rock Snake was Earth Attribute, with a Soldier Grade Upper bloodline, and was Level 17.
The other two females.
Were named Yang Yue and Xu Ru respectively.
Yang Yue was a short-haired sporty girl with healthy wheat-colored skin, wearing athletic shorts and a short-sleeved shirt.
Slight muscle definition could be seen on her forearms and shoulders; she had an outgoing personality, loved to smile, and her spirit beast was a humanoid-like Digging Rabbit.
The Digging Rabbit was Earth and Fighting dual-attribute, with a General Grade Lower bloodline, and was Level 16.
Xu Ru, well, this girl was very ordinary.
Ordinary in appearance, ordinary in figure, not tall, not short, not fat, not thin, not busty, not shapely.
Her clothing was also very common, jeans and a short-sleeved top, not branded, just street vendor stuff.
Her hairstyle was also the most common medium-length hair.
She was completely a standard passerby girl; if she were dropped into a crowd, she would definitely be impossible to spot at a glance.
Xu Ru was very quiet, and her spirit beast kept outside was a Tunneling Worm.
The Tunneling Worm was Earth Attribute, with a Soldier Grade Middle bloodline, and according to her, was Level 18.
Well, in short, the spirit beasts released by these three were all very skilled at digging pits, making holes, and creating traps—they were ‘underworld’ type spirit beasts.
Lin Chuan wondered how he, such a sunny and cheerful big boy, such a handsome and ‘above-ground’ person, ended up being assigned to an ‘underworld’ team?
And even made captain?
This must have been a mistake!
Although he was assigned as captain, Lin Chuan did not forcefully command the three or demand their cooperation; after all, it was their first time teaming up, so there was no tacit understanding.
Lin Chuan circled an area for each of the three, allowing them to dig independently without interfering with each other.
Once the three had dug sufficiently, Lin Chuan had Guoguo throw a Bomb Fruit down, blasting open the earth between their individual holes, connecting them into one massive pit with a crater radius of at least ten meters and a depth of at least 30 meters.
“Bomb Fruit, Lin Chuan, you really hid that trump card deep,” Yang Yue gasped, shocked and emotional.
Well, although Lin Chuan was no longer hiding this trump card, not all examinees had seen him use the Bomb Fruit; many still didn't know, and Yang Yue was clearly one of the less informed.
“Fortunately, I didn't think about robbing you, otherwise, I would definitely have been eliminated by you,” the chubby Zheng Yu patted his chest, a look of lingering fear on his face, and said.
“People who say things like that usually have the opposite thought in their hearts.”
“You must have been thinking of robbing Lin Chuan, right? After all, he has many score beads on him; as a field medic, he probably has 5,000 score beads, right? Hmm, it's even possible he has over 10,000!”
Yang Yue said with a teasing laugh.
But then she noticed Zheng Yu breaking out in a cold sweat, his eyes darting to the side.
Yang Yue fell silent. Could she have really guessed correctly? This chubby guy had a guilty conscience!
Lin Chuan, however, just smiled indifferently.
“We are only temporarily cooperating; after we defeat the boss, feel free to make a move on me.”
“Even if the three of you conspire in front of me right now about how to target me, it's fine.”
“Just don't regret it when things go south. Don't get eliminated and then go complain about me on the forums outside.”
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yu quickly shook his head.
“No, no, if one chooses to target, then it's only natural to fail and be counter-killed if the targeting doesn't work.”
“Speaking of which, Lin Chuan, do you really not mind us discussing how to target you here?”
“Then, should we really discuss it?”
Zheng Yu asked stealthily, being playful again.
Lin Chuan was speechless, finding this chubby guy so annoying.
Shrugging indifferently, Lin Chuan even walked two steps aside, signaling that they could discuss.
Zheng Yu and Yang Yue were just joking; they couldn't actually discuss how to target Lin Chuan right to his face. Even if they were to target him later, they would discuss it behind his back.
As for Xu Ru, she didn't participate in any of the playful conversations from beginning to end.
She simply silently directed her Tunneling Worm to dig pits, meticulously refining the trap, which had been made uneven and less aesthetically pleasing by Lin Chuan's Bomb Fruit, as if she were creating a work of art.
He truly appreciated such a silent, yet actively working, good workhorse!
Lin Chuan secretly gave Xu Ru a thumbs-up.
At the same time, Lin Chuan also started working, directing Sakura and Guoguo to sprinkle wood fiber skin fragments into the large pit they had dug.
He used the Vine Armor Shield skill to activate it, weaving a network that appeared chaotic at first glance but, upon closer inspection, had a mysterious pattern, scale-like, ensuring that the Terror Puppet Giant, once it fell in, couldn't easily struggle free!
Immediately after, Lin Chuan had Sakura liberally sprinkle the Poison Powder, which was now Expert Grade, into the pit.
Deep purple Poison Powder scattered, falling into the pit and covering every corner.
Lin Chuan looked at the three.
He inquired with his gaze if they had any ‘ingredients’ they could add to the pit.
Zheng Yu shook his head, indicating that neither of his two spirit beasts possessed such ‘underworld’ skills.
Yang Yue also shook her head.
“My other spirit beast, the Electro-Cat, has Electromagnetic Wave which can cause paralysis, but Electromagnetic Wave is an instant skill; it cannot be attached to the trap like your Flower Leaf Leaf's Poison Powder skill, Lin Chuan, to produce a delayed effect.”
At this moment, Xu Ru stepped forward.
Silently, Xu Ru released her second spirit beast, a massive, purple-crowned moth with a body of dark crystal black, about 2 meters tall.
Instantly, including Lin Chuan, Zheng Yu, and Yang Yue were all stunned.
Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth.
General Grade Upper bloodline.
Poison Attribute.
More importantly, the intensity of its aura, revealed externally, was almost on par with Li Zeyu's Mutated Blue Feather Eagle!
In other words, this was a Tier 2 spirit beast!
Xu Ru commanded the Purple Crown Black Crystal Moth to successively use skills such as Silk Spit, Poison Liquid, Poison Powder, Strong Acid Gastric Fluid, and Poison Needle, continuously pouring them into the large pit.
Good heavens, the proficiency of each skill was actually at the Proficient Grade!
Among them, Strong Acid Gastric Fluid even reached the Master Grade.
Even the network woven by Guoguo and Sakura's Expert Grade Vine Armor Shield showed signs of being corroded by the strong acid.
This Xu Ru was clearly one of those ‘old foxes’ who had been hiding during the three-month cultivation period, never participating in the Baby Cup, never revealing themselves, only to suddenly pop out at the critical moment of the secret realm assessment!
Moreover!
This ‘old fox’ was also an ‘underworld’ type ‘old fox’!
Skilled in digging pits, poisoning, and secretly shooting flying needles.
Just now, Yang Yue, who had been chatting and laughing with Xu Ru, even teasing her about her ordinary attire and why she didn't dress more beautifully despite her good looks.
Now, Yang Yue silently took two steps back, distancing herself from Xu Ru.
Yang Yue felt uneasy. Had she just been casually chatting with such an ‘underworld’ type big shot?
Would she be dug into a pit, buried alive, poisoned, and killed?
