Chapter 10

"Let's make a bet. I'll walk right in, and the people at the copper-wood gate won't stop me. If I can get in, you give me this basket of peaches." Zhuminglang got angry and said to the peach seller.

"Alright, but what if I win?" The peach seller laughed, her dark wheat skin contrasting sharply with her bright eyes.

"I'll buy all your peaches."

"From your appearance, you don't seem to have the money for that." The peach seller said.

"None of your business!"

When others entered school, they might not necessarily dress in the most dazzling outfits, but at least they should look neat and tidy. Zhuminglang, on his way to Zulong City and then walking to the Dragon Taming Academy, didn't even have a chance to take a bath. His rough cloth clothes made him look rather disheveled.

As he stepped onto Baiyan Bridge, the vendors gradually became fewer, and the area near the copper-wood gate exuded a more refined and orderly atmosphere.

"I'm here to enroll, this is my admission letter." Zhuminglang handed over his admission notice, still quite polite.

"How did you end up like this?" The guard asked.

"I went out to train, encountered bandits on the way, and barely managed to keep this letter." Zhuminglang explained casually.

"Alright, go get your school badge, and wait over there." The guard nodded and gestured for someone to lead Zhuminglang in.

Zhuminglang put away his letter and deliberately turned to look back at the dark-skinned girl selling peaches at the bridgehead, preparing to flash her a grin like a vicious dog.

However, the peach seller seemed to be arguing with a fat woman about the price, gesturing wildly.

She had completely forgotten about the bet!

The cold wind from the lake made someone's figure appear somewhat desolate.

Zhuminglang could only sigh and walk into the gate.

Sigh, it was even more uncomfortable than losing the bet!

After passing through the gate, the bridge disappeared. It turned out that Baiyan Bridge was just a broken bridge, and behind the gate was a crescent-shaped pier that slowly extended into the clear lake water.

In the lake, a long-necked dragon with a broad back was waiting by the pier. It was as big as a single-person house, and its neck was long enough to reach from underwater to the gate.

The long-necked dragon's skin was tight and smooth. Despite its large size, it gave a gentle and serene impression, and there was no pressure in close proximity. Compared to Luo Xiao's gilded fire dragon, it didn't seem to be of the same species at all.

"Once we have a full load, we can set off." The guard quickly led four more people over.

There were already five people on the long-necked dragon's back. Adding Zhuminglang and the four new arrivals, there were ten in total.

Ten people on a dragon boat crossing the lake.

"Li Shaoying, you are the hope of our entire village. No matter what, you must become a dragon tamer." A middle-aged man shouted from the pier.

Li Shaoying looked embarrassed, especially with so many classmates around.

"It's okay if you don't succeed. Just come back to the village early. The cows and sheep need to be taken to the pasture. If they don't eat enough, they won't fatten up, and if they don't fatten up, they won't produce milk. Without milk, the lambs and calves won't survive the winter." The herdsman continued to shout.

Laughter broke out around, especially from the female students about to board the long-necked dragon. They covered their mouths but couldn't stop laughing.

The young man called Li Shaoying wished he could dive into the lake. He impatiently dismissed the herdsman: "I know, I know, Uncle Hua, please go back."

"Remember to share the bag of smoked deer meat with your classmates. You're in a new place, and you need to build good relationships with your classmates and teachers so you don't get bullied."

"Uncle, please go back, I beg you."

"Oh, I forgot the medicinal wine. Here, use this if you get hurt; it will heal faster."

Finally, the enthusiastic and considerate herdsman was persuaded to leave.

If he hadn't left, the new student Li Shaoying might have really jumped into the lake.

"You three are late for enrollment. By the time you get to the Dragon Storage Hall, you'll probably only be able to choose the leftovers. Even if the journey is long, you should have set out earlier." The guard said to Li Shaoying, Zhuminglang, and another aloof young man.

"Are you also new students?" Li Shaoying asked, somewhat surprised, sizing up Zhuminglang and the aloof young man.

The aloof young man didn't respond, clearly having no interest in dealing with a student from some poor village.

Li Shaoying felt a bit awkward when the other person ignored him.

Then his gaze fell on Zhuminglang, and his face showed surprise.

As a herdsman, Li Shaoying was already quite poor, and his self-esteem had been severely hurt by the laughter of his classmates. But he hadn't expected to see someone who looked even more destitute, and he was also a student at the Dragon Taming Academy?

If the guard hadn't mentioned it, Li Shaoying would have thought this person was a kitchen helper at the Dragon Taming Academy.

"Are you also a student?" Li Shaoying asked.

"Yes, I'm Zhuminglang." Zhuminglang bowed politely, showing friendliness and approachability.

"Oh." Li Shaoying responded half-heartedly, without returning the bow.

Sure enough, when they learned that Zhuminglang was also a new student, the others burst into laughter again.

Seeing the reactions around him, Zhuminglang didn't feel as uncomfortable as Li Shaoying had. He remained calm.

In the world, having a thick skin is also a valuable skill.

The lake breeze was refreshing, and the long-necked dragon slowly carried the ten people closer to the island in the middle of the lake, heading toward the coveted Dragon Taming Academy.

...

At the bridgehead, the girl who had just sold several pounds of ripe peaches suddenly remembered something and turned to look at the tightly closed copper-wood gate.

Her face quickly showed surprise.

"Thrown into the lake?"

"Poor guy." The girl muttered to herself.

...

Dragon Storage Hall

Every new student, regardless of whether they already had a young spirit, would have the opportunity to choose a dragon.

Although people revered the art of identifying dragons, choosing a dragon from thousands of ordinary young spirits was like finding a needle in a haystack, or even more often, a gamble!

Zhuminglang, Li Shaoying, and the aloof young man were led to the Dragon Storage Hall, where the young spirits and their eggs were as numerous as pebbles in a river, leaving one dazzled.

"Choose, and once you've made your choice, register with the old man inside and get the mark. The young spirit will then belong to you." The guard was very responsible, escorting them all the way here and only leaving after giving clear instructions.

Li Shaoying was somewhat excited and quickly walked to the nest of young spirits, staring at a group of blue bird spirits in their nests, trying to identify their species.

Zhuminglang also followed the path, slowly observing.

There were many types: bird spirits, river spirits, beast spirits, ancient spirits, poison demons, stone demons, and quite a few sub-dragons, pseudo-dragons, and hybrid dragons that clearly had dragon blood. Even though they hadn't fully transformed into dragons, they already showed astonishing physiques and extraordinary dragon features!

"Haha, you two are taking this very seriously. Did you not know anything about the Dragon Taming Academy before enrolling? Out of thousands of young spirits, it's unlikely that even one true dragon will appear. Giving you the chance to choose here is just a bit of hope for you as dragon taming students." The aloof young man finally spoke.

Zhuminglang and Li Shaoying looked at him simultaneously.

So he wasn't mute.

Zhuminglang nodded inwardly and asked, "We indeed don't know much. Can you tell us more?"

"Just pick one at random, don't dawdle. If you have time to pick garbage, you might as well spend more effort on training your own young spirit." The aloof young man said.

Li Shaoying smiled awkwardly.

Indeed, the free young spirits provided by the academy wouldn't be very good. Otherwise, everyone who entered the Dragon Taming Academy would become a dragon tamer, and there wouldn't be so many people lingering at the gate.

In the end, Li Shaoying chose the most aggressive-looking bird spirit from the group, holding it in his hand without much enthusiasm.

Zhuminglang scratched his head.

His situation was a bit awkward.

Most people who could enter the Dragon Taming Academy already had a promising young spirit, or were just one step away from becoming a dragon.

Li Shaoying clearly had his own young spirit, and the aloof young man seemed to already have a young dragon.

Bai Qi was still in the ice cocoon, and Zhuminglang had nothing at the moment, barely qualifying as a moth relation, forced in.

It seemed he would have to rely on the academy's assistance for his initial young spirit.

But this was Zhuminglang's starting point. He ignored the aloof young man's arrogant remarks and continued to choose carefully.

Identifying dragons is like appraising treasures...

It requires extremely keen eyes and a bit of luck.

Zhuminglang lacked both.

Blind and unlucky.

But the ceremony was important, and the attitude had to be serious.

"Can you hurry up!" The aloof young man said more forcefully.

Zhuminglang pretended not to hear. He carefully observed the little creatures here, some still in their eggs, some just hatched, and some already growing feathers and teeth, showing a bit of destructive power in their handmade nests...

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