Sun Hongyi’s parting words sent Xia Cunzhou into silence.
The reason for his silence was simple: what Sun Hongyi had said wasn’t wrong. In fact, he was one hundred percent correct.
As the chancellor of Zhonghai Beast Taming University, his power was naturally unparalleled by ordinary people.
And as a renowned powerhouse in all of Zhonghai City, his Talent was naturally exceptional.
This was precisely why he understood the importance of Talent so well.
Without exceptional Talent, no matter how hard one worked, they could only become a decent powerhouse, a fine Beast Master.
But to become a supreme powerhouse standing at the apex of the pyramid, hard work alone wasn’t enough. Talent was indispensable.
He knew this all too well, which was why he had fallen silent.
He then actually started to seriously consider the feasibility of Sun Hongyi’s outrageous suggestion.
If Li Qian’s Talent in cultivation was truly that astounding, then poaching him wasn’t out of the question.
Just as Xia Cunzhou was lost in thought over this matter, not long after Sun Hongyi had left, someone else arrived.
This time it was Shi Yulian from the Wind and Thunder Branch of the Beast Taming Academy, who came striding over boisterously.
When Xia Cunzhou saw her, he couldn’t help but rub his temples. ’I wonder what this woman wants.’
’I hope she isn’t here to stir up trouble.’
Just as Xia Cunzhou was thinking this, Shi Yulian spoke up. "Chancellor, I’ve discovered a genius!"
The corner of Xia Cunzhou’s mouth twitched. When Sun Hongyi had come over earlier, his opening words had been almost identical to hers.
He couldn’t help but wonder if the two had colluded. Of course, the suspicion lasted only a moment before he dismissed it.
Sun Hongyi and Shi Yulian weren’t close. They rarely interacted, so it was unlikely they had conspired together.
"What kind of genius?" Maintaining his composure, Xia Cunzhou asked impassively.
"A Genius Cultivator from Jiangnan Province..."
Shi Yulian continued without hesitation, "He’s eighteen, just graduated from high school, and has already mastered the evolution methods for three Dominator Level Potential Pet Beasts and one Emperor Level Potential Pet Beast..."
Before Shi Yulian could finish, Xia Cunzhou cut her off. "Wait. Are you sure it’s three Dominator Level Potential Pet Beasts and one Emperor Level, not two Emperor Level Potential Pet Beasts?"
Shi Yulian was taken aback by Xia Cunzhou’s question. She paused for a moment. ’What does the chancellor mean by that?’ "Evolution methods for two Emperor Level Potential Pet Beasts?"
Xia Cunzhou nodded. "Yes. Just a moment ago, Professor Sun Hongyi from the Cultivation College was here. He also recommended a Genius Cultivator to me—eighteen years old, a recent high school graduate, who has mastered the evolution methods for three Dominator Level Potential Pet Beasts and two Emperor Level Potential Pet Beasts."
"Uh..."
Now it was Shi Yulian’s turn to be stunned. After a moment, she said quickly, "I only know about the three Dominator Level and one Emperor Level Potential Pet Beasts. I’m not very familiar with him, so I wouldn’t know if there’s more."
At this point, Shi Yulian was almost certain that the Genius Cultivator Xia Cunzhou was talking about and the Li Qian she had mentioned were one and the same.
It was impossible for two such similarly monstrous geniuses to exist.
Xia Cunzhou had the same thought. They exchanged a glance, and Shi Yulian spoke first, "The student’s name is Li Qian. He’s already been recruited by Shazhou Beast Taming University."
’So it really is him!’ Xia Cunzhou gave an almost imperceptible nod upon hearing the name from Shi Yulian.
Including Sun Hongyi, who had come to complain earlier, this was the second time he had heard the name today.
Feeling a strange mix of emotions, he couldn’t help but be intensely curious about this student, Li Qian, whom he had never met.
"Chancellor, I honestly don’t know what’s happened to our university’s recruitment in recent years. How could we let another school beat us to a monstrous genius like him..." Shi Yulian’s complaints came one after another, causing the corner of Xia Cunzhou’s mouth to twitch again.
’Another one here to complain about the university’s recruitment,’ Xia Cunzhou thought with a frown as he listened to Shi Yulian’s rant.
One person complaining might be a misunderstanding or a deliberate fabrication, but two was a different matter entirely.
Besides proving that Li Qian was indeed an incredible genius, it also indirectly indicated that the university’s recruitment efforts might genuinely have a problem.
"Professor Shi, the new semester is about to begin, and you’ll be very busy. You should get back. As for the matter of recruiting student Li Qian, I will give it serious consideration..." Xia Cunzhou replied, his expression growing serious.
If he had initially treated this matter with a somewhat playful attitude, he was now considering it with all seriousness.
Hearing this, Shi Yulian didn’t linger. After exchanging a few more words, she left Xia Cunzhou’s office.
After Shi Yulian left and silence returned to the office, Xia Cunzhou’s thoughts began to churn.
’Perhaps I really should send someone to make contact with this student, Li Qian.’
At the very least, he needed to send someone to investigate first. A man of action, Xia Cunzhou did not hesitate, immediately assigning the task to his assistant.
He was confident that with the power and influence of Zhonghai Beast Taming University, investigating a recent high school graduate would be child’s play.
"Old friend, I came over today to recommend a student to you—a Genius Cultivator." Just as he was waiting for his assistant to deliver the information, another person arrived. It was Li Sukuai from the Transmission Center. The moment he saw Xia Cunzhou, he boomed in a hearty voice, getting straight to the point.
"Uh..." Xia Cunzhou’s expression grew even more peculiar.
"What’s with that look on your face?" Li Sukuai asked, a flicker of confusion in his eyes as he saw Xia Cunzhou’s reaction.
Xia Cunzhou gave a wry smile. "Before you got here, two professors from our university told me almost the exact same thing."
"Is it a high school graduate named Li Qian? The one who figured out the evolution methods for three Dominator Level and two Emperor Level Potential Pet Beasts...?"
Hearing this, Li Sukuai muttered to himself, "Evolution methods for two Emperor Level Potential Pet Beasts, you say? Looks like he’s even more of a monster than I imagined..."
"Old friend, I have to admit, I’m a little surprised a genius like that didn’t end up at Zhonghai Beast Taming University."
Faced with his old friend’s teasing, Xia Cunzhou—a man usually known for his mild temper—finally snapped. "Hmph! Our university’s recruitment has indeed been negligent these past few years. It looks like I’ll have to take matters firmly in hand."
One person, then a second, and now a third. Three people in a row had come to him, recommending this student Li Qian while simultaneously complaining about the university’s recruitment efforts.
He couldn’t help but feel dissatisfied.
This many complaints was proof enough: there was a genuine problem with the university’s recruitment process.
The student body is the very foundation of a Beast Taming University. If enrollment was suffering, it would have a severe impact on the university’s future development.
At this thought, his anger became difficult to suppress.