Chapter 392 - 362: Silence

Chapter 392: Chapter 362: Silence

All eyes turned back to Li Qian, making him instantly nervous, as if he were sitting on pins and needles.

It couldn’t be helped. Being stared at by seven or eight old men, it would be strange if he wasn’t nervous.

They all started talking at once, creating a chattering noise that made Li Qian’s eardrums ache.

With everyone speaking at the same time, the cacophony made it impossible for him to hear anything clearly.

Finally, Dean Long Jue cleared his throat to restore some order. "Alright, alright, old friends. I know you have a lot of questions, but blocking the way here isn’t going to solve anything."

"Don’t forget why you all came down here. You still need to give your results."

Magi, as Long Jue’s deputy, was the first to take the lead. He walked over and patted Li Qian’s shoulder. "Student Li Qian, very impressive. Regardless of any other results to come, you’ve definitely got my vote."

Seeing Magi and Long Jue acting in concert to score points with Li Qian, the others finally reacted. They stopped crowding around him and, like the two old foxes before them, greeted him with smiles.

"Student Li Qian, very impressive! I’m the head of the Cultivation College at Jiangnan Beast Taming University. My name is Tian Kui!"

Dean Tian Kui was also quite old, but he looked hale and hearty. With a stocky, powerful build, he had a commanding presence.

He chuckled and clapped Li Qian on the shoulder. "Remember to come home and visit when you have time. When you’re in Nandu City, stop by Jiangnan Beast Taming University."

Finally, he added, "Oh, and my vote is definitely going to you, no question about it."

"...Come to Zhonghai Beast Taming University for an academic exchange when you have time. Teacher Sun Hongyi has mentioned you to me many times..."

"...Even though I don’t have a vote, I also support you unwaveringly..."

"..."

One after another, the seven or eight seniors each had a few cordial words with him.

Li Qian simply smiled and nodded in response to each of them.

’But inside, he was complaining, especially about the ones without votes.’

’They don’t even have the right to vote. What’s the use of all this flattery?’

Of course, Li Qian knew that at this point, the votes weren’t that important anymore. After his success with the Sunbird, the championship was already in the bag.

"Bro, you’re a freaking legend! You’re my idol!" This time, after the competition segment ended, Li Qian didn’t go backstage. He went straight to the audience seats. When Lu Tianjiao saw him coming, he started howling dramatically.

Li Qian shot him a disdainful look before sitting down in a nearby seat.

Fatty An immediately offered his own flattery. "Brother Qian, you’re like my own flesh and blood! How can you be so damn awesome!"

Hearing this, Li Qian’s vanity was greatly satisfied. He gestured for them to calm down, affecting a calm and composed demeanor. "Standard procedure. Don’t be impressed."

Li Qian sat there in the stands, receiving stares from all directions. The awkwardness he had just shaken off came bubbling back up.

"Student Li Qian, about what those old geezers—I mean... what those teachers said, just let it go in one ear and out the other. Don’t take it to heart." Not long after Li Qian sat down, a figure hurried over. He recognized the man; it was the supervising teacher for the Shazhou Beast Taming University team, Ge Yuming.

Teacher Ge Yuming could be considered young and promising. When leading the team before, he had always maintained a calm and composed posture, but right now, his face was filled with anxiety.

Although he wasn’t a teacher from the Cultivation College, the fact that his own university had produced such a talented Breeder was not only a great honor, but also meant tangible benefits for them.

This was no time to let another university poach their talent, which would leave them with nothing to show for their efforts.

It was precisely because of this that he had rushed over without a moment’s hesitation, completely losing his teacherly composure.

Hearing Teacher Ge Yuming’s name for the seniors from the other universities, the corner of Li Qian’s mouth couldn’t help but twitch.

’Damn,’ he thought, ’that’s pretty blunt!’

"The deans and teachers were just showing some concern, they didn’t say much else..." Li Qian knew what Ge Yuming was worried about and gave him a reassuring look.

He was someone who valued old ties and knew how to be grateful.

Shazhou Beast Taming University had given him immense help when he was still a nobody. Now that he had, for the most part, grown into his own—albeit a bit quickly—he wouldn’t forget that trust.

Therefore, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would prioritize Shazhou Beast Taming University for the rest of his university career, and even for choices beyond that.

After that, Li Qian chatted a bit more with Ge Yuming, then collected his thoughts and turned his attention back to the competition floor. Right now, there were still three Cultivation Rooms that hadn’t opened.

There was still time, so Li Qian wasn’t in a hurry. He waited patiently, watching quietly...

However, Fatty An and Lu Tianjiao beside him were chattering away nonstop.

Clearly, the waves of excitement in their hearts hadn’t calmed down yet.

Li Qian didn’t join their conversation, only chiming in with a word or two every now and then.

Finally, just as Li Qian thought the competition was about to conclude in this manner, the unexpected suddenly occurred.

The second-to-last Cultivation Room to open burst forth with a blinding Light of Evolution, just like Li Qian’s.

Of course, the scale of it was definitely not as grand as Li Qian’s.

"Hahaha... I did it... I did it! I finally figured out my Jade Dragon!" The Cultivation Room opened, revealing the scene inside. A disheveled-looking male student stared at the blazing Light of Evolution and let out a laugh that seemed to look down on the whole world.

The moment his voice fell, a Western Dragon with a completely green body and two branch-like horns on its head leaped out from within the Light of Evolution.

This student probably thought that, for a freshman challenge, having figured out the evolution method for a Jade Dragon meant the championship was in the bag. So, he didn’t hold back at all, maintaining a posture of unrivaled arrogance.

In previous years, with such an achievement, he would have indeed locked down the championship. A little arrogance would have been nothing.

But this year was different. A monster like Li Qian had appeared and figured out the evolution method for the Sunbird.

Compared to the former, the evolution method for the Jade Dragon paled in comparison.

After all, even after its evolution, the Jade Dragon’s Racial Potential barely reached Tier One Emperor.

"Hahaha... The championship, the Reincarnation Fruit, they’re all mine!" The long-haired student laughed wildly. He glanced around and quickly realized something was wrong.

He hadn’t heard a single cheer or a round of applause.

The venue was terrifyingly silent.

This left him quite puzzled.