Beast Taming: My System is Bugged

It was February, and with the new year approaching, the campus had already grown somewhat deserted. It was only then that Gu Ming remembered the university had been on winter break for a while.

Most of the students had packed their bags and embarked on their journeys home some time ago.

However, as a top-tier academy, Wenquxing University was never short on diligent practitioners.

As Gu Ming walked along, the number of people he saw was nearly half of what it usually was.

But the library, the Dao Fields, and the quiet meditation spots in the woods still held many figures training silently in the cold wind. The air was filled with faint fluctuations of Spiritual Qi and the low growls of Pet Beasts.

This diligence was a testament to the profound heritage of a prestigious university.

To Gu Ming’s surprise, Teacher Luo was personally waiting for him at a fork in the road in the university’s villa district.

A thought struck him. ’Maybe he’s worried that because I ran off to evolve my Pet Beast, I’ve gotten too busy and forgotten about the upcoming league matches?’

"Teacher Luo, don’t worry."

Gu Ming stepped forward, his tone calm yet filled with an undeniable conviction. "Since I’ve already entered the league, I’ll be sure to finish all the matches scheduled before the break. Only then will I think about heading home for the New Year."

"Heh, Gu Ming, don’t mind me being a bit naggy."

Teacher Luo wore his usual gentle smile, but his eyes held a hint of barely perceptible gravity.

"This last match before the New Year’s break is different from the others. I’m worried you might not be sufficiently prepared and could lose."

"Is this an opponent I can’t afford to lose to?" Gu Ming asked.

’Losing a match isn’t a big deal to me,’ Gu Ming thought. ’But for Teacher Luo to make a point of reminding me like this, it must be an important battle—one that’s about more than just me.’

As he spoke, Teacher Luo handed over a sheet of paper that carried the faint scent of Dao wood.

Tomorrow was the final battle of the University Beastmaster League before the Spring Festival break.

After this match, the tournament would pause for two weeks, with the competition resuming after the New Year.

This two-week period, neither too long nor too short, fell right in the middle of the long winter break.

It was just enough time for the competitors to get some rest, and for the audience to build up their anticipation for the second half of the season.

Gu Ming thanked him and his gaze fell upon the list.

When he made out the name of his opponent, he froze for a moment, a distant look flashing across his face.

Jiang Jinling.

In real-world time, he hadn’t encountered that name in only half a year.

But if he included the arduous training from his dream, with its near-infinite revivals, it felt like several years had passed.

With so many years having passed, Gu Ming had almost forgotten about her.

But soon enough, the memory became sharp and clear again: the image of a young woman at the national competition. The girl who had shone so brightly with her exquisite Grass Element Arrays during the mountain climbing and the final thesis showdown, only to be narrowly defeated by him in the end.

’So... she went to the rival school,’

Gu Ming murmured to himself, his fingertip gently tracing the two words: Venus University.

Lu You, who was beside Gu Ming, was busy teasing the Mouse Treasure in her arms, which was ecstatic to be back in a familiar environment.

Sensing something, she followed Gu Ming’s gaze and glanced at the list.

She froze as well, subconsciously whispering the name.

"Jiang Jinling..."

The newer companions—Ah Ji, who was no longer in his shadow form; Mianmian, who was in its pupating state; and the Star Spirit, which was flickering faintly from within Lu You’s collar—had no reaction to the name.

They simply tilted their heads or emitted curious pulses, expressing their shared confusion.

Jiang Jinling?

Who’s that?

Counselor Luo took in the scene and chuckled.

This was another key reason he had come to deliver the list in person.

"Student Jiang Jinling is quite the celebrity at Venus University now—an academic rising star, and the ’Best Rookie’ their Array Society is investing heavily in."

"She hasn’t published a top-tier paper at the Seven-Colored Holy Light Level yet,"

"but this year she did contribute significantly to a research paper that reached the Six-Colored Holy Light Level. She’s a genuinely talented Array Master."

"The forums for both universities are full of debates about which of you is the true leader of this generation’s ’Gemini-star’."

The "Gemini-star" Teacher Luo was referring to wasn’t Gu Ming and Jiang Jinling.

It referred to the twin peaks of the nation’s private universities: Wenquxing and Venus.

Both were comprehensive universities with formidable strength across various disciplines, making it difficult to say which was superior.

If one were to parse the differences, however,

it would be that Wenquxing University possessed a deeper heritage in the development and legacy of Cultivation Techniques, while Venus University was unrivaled in the theory and application of Arrays.

Since the universities shared the "Gemini-star" moniker, it was only natural that the two most outstanding students from each generation would be compared against each other.

In previous years, netizens jokingly referred to the national University Beastmaster League season as "cricket fighting time."

The scene from the national competition surfaced in Gu Ming’s mind.

Back then, Jiang Jinling had already displayed astonishing Talent for Arrays, using her original Mirror Array to cleverly trap a Three-star Night Demon Duck of a higher Star Level than her own.

The mastery she demonstrated with that Array left a deep impression on him even to this day.

Although she was ultimately rated as A+ Level, her potential was already clear to see.

Now that she had enrolled in Venus University, a place renowned for its Arrays, it was like a dragon returning to the sea. Her rate of progress likely defied imagination.

"Teacher Luo, I understand what you’re saying."

Gu Ming put the list away, his expression returning to its usual composure. "I’ll prepare seriously."

"In fact, I’ll head over to Teacher Huo’s place right now to ask for his guidance on countering Arrays."

"Good, good. Go on, then."

An expression of gratified approval—’This boy is teachable’—appeared on Teacher Luo’s face, and he nodded repeatedly.

Watching Gu Ming and Lu You’s retreating figures, Teacher Luo let out a soft sigh. His smile slowly faded, replaced by a hint of imperceptible solemnity.

Gu Ming was now the undisputed standard-bearer for Wenquxing University’s new generation.

He didn’t have a perfect, undefeated record,

but his fame, potential, and positive influence had already made him a role model for the entire student body.

Because of this, the pressure on his shoulders as a counselor was considerable.

He was well aware of Elder Huo’s educational philosophy: he didn’t encourage his students to engage in reckless displays of bravado. Instead, he emphasized solidifying their foundations, broadening the depth and scope of their Pet Beast systems, and cultivating sustainable long-term potential.

Therefore, in matches that called for a tactical retreat or were genuinely unwinnable, Elder Huo would never criticize Gu Ming. On the contrary, he encouraged Gu Ming to concede strategically.

After all, the long road of the Beast Taming Dao could hardly be determined by the outcome of one or two league matches.

However, this was a fiercely competitive private university, and the administration—and by extension, the departments—had clear performance metrics to consider.

As a counselor, he naturally hoped that his university’s star representative would win as many matches as possible.

This was especially true in a duel like this, one that concerned the "clash of fortunes" between the new generations of two top-tier universities.

This concept of "fortune" might sound ethereal and insubstantial, something that shouldn’t be determined by the outcome of a match between two young students.

But those involved knew that behind this symbolism lay the confidence and morale of the entire faculty and student body, the direction of public opinion, and even the flow of future high-quality student recruitment. It was a tangible form of "momentum"—mysterious, yet profoundly influential.

Therefore, Teacher Luo had no choice but to take it extremely seriously.

All he could do was provide the most detailed intelligence on the opponent possible, helping Gu Ming increase his odds of winning from fifty percent to sixty, or even seventy percent.

The fact that Gu Ming was now proactively seeking guidance from Elder Huo, a renowned Array Master, was an excellent sign. His chances of victory would surely increase even further.

Of course, he didn’t dare to be overly optimistic. After all, Jiang Jinling’s progress at Venus University was astonishingly fast.

The art of the Array was all about combinations and variations, and a true expert could often achieve the miraculous feat of the weak overcoming the strong.

’This battle is about the momentum of the top freshmen from both universities. I hope Ah Kun’s new Form Evolution has given him some new trump cards to play.’ Counselor Luo thought to himself as he turned and disappeared into the encroaching twilight and the cold wind.

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