The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, Du Yu repeatedly declined Teacher Li Hong's offer to see him off and headed downstairs with his bedding.
Du Yu found a charity donation box by the street and donated everything he could.
He had some confidence in himself, believing that in the future, he could afford new clothes and bedding, and even rent a small place of his own.
With his tactical backpack and Demon Soldier Black Wood, Du Yu boarded the No. 65 bus under the envious eyes of the onlookers.
At a quarter past eight, he arrived punctually at Xishu Garden.
To be honest, Du Yu initially thought this was some park, but after checking last night, he learned it was actually a high-end residential neighborhood.
Looking in from the gates, he saw lush greenery everywhere, and the asphalt road disappeared into the unknown.
"Hello, looking for someone?" asked a security guard in uniform next to the gate's security office, as he saw Du Yu peering around and came forward to inquire.
Du Yu nodded: "Teacher Yang Qingqing asked me to find her here; she's a teacher at the Demon Spirit Academy."
"Ms. Yang instructed earlier; please show your identification."
"Here." Du Yu directly handed over the outsider student ID, with his ID card clipped inside.
"Alright, please follow me." The security officer signaled others to take his post as he led Du Yu to a small vehicle.
Du Yu had never seen such a scene, and sitting in a canopy car gave him a feeling of touring a scenic area. Along the way, he even saw a pavilion by the lakeside?
After a while, the vehicle stopped in front of a tall building, and the security officer escorted Du Yu, even swiping an elevator card for the 17th floor before saying goodbye.
Du Yu silently stared at the electronic screen, watching the numbers change rapidly, feeling very uneasy inside.
Why did she call me to her home?
Is this like acknowledging me as a guest?
"Ding!"
As the elevator doors opened, Du Yu was completely dumbfounded!
Goodness~ is this a botanical garden?
Du Yu wasn't sure if he was in a corridor or already inside her home; everywhere he looked, there were plants.
Fewer flowers, more leaves.
Even the walls on both sides of the corridor were covered with lush flowers and leaves.
"Please wait a moment." A faint, cold female voice echoed.
"Oh, okay." Du Yu hurriedly responded, moving left towards the voice, passing through the flower-covered corridor, and finally entering the "botanical garden" inside.
Du Yu's expression was peculiar, but he could make out the appearance of a residential hall, given the various furniture and appliances around.
But apart from that, the place was completely flooded by green leaves, even more so than outside, leaving Du Yu utterly bewildered.
Does Teacher Yang Qingqing live here?
High on oxygen during the day, low on oxygen at night?
In his thoughts, a small tree in a large pot next to the television in the distant living room suddenly moved, producing a pleasant "shasha" rustling sound.
Du Yu stared intensely at the small tree's thick foliage, thinking some demon pet might pop out from it.
However, after watching for a while, Du Yu realized that the small tree was moving on its own?
The hanging dense branches and leaves swayed gently, moving without wind, this...
Du Yu quickly pulled out the school-issued phone, opened the Demon Spirit Atlas, and pointed the camera at the lush small tree.
After a moment of scanning, lines of information appeared in the Demon Pet Atlas:
"Firethorn Tree, fire element and wood element dual-type demonic plant.
Produces a red fruit called Firethorn Fruit, a high-level demon spirit material. The fruit is highly nutritious and favored by fire-type demon pets.
Power level assessment in progress...
Celestial Level·Minor Achievement Stage ~ Celestial Level·Peak Stage, specific power based on actual conditions; atlas detection for reference only."
Du Yu's mouth formed an "O" shape!
Mortal Level, Earth Level, Heavenly Level, Spirit Level...
This small tree is actually a celestial-level demonic plant?
Unlike demon beasts, demonic plants cannot be contracted and cannot be stored inside a Demon Tamer.
Yet this celestial-level demonic plant is just placed here in Teacher Yang Qingqing's living room as an ornament?
Du Yu obediently stood still, not daring to move.
He didn't move, but the Firethorn Tree extended its branches, growing longer and longer.
With the rustling of leaves, the branches crossed the vast living room and gradually approached Du Yu.
"Yang... Teacher Yang!" Seeing the situation took a bad turn, Du Yu hurriedly called out.
"Hmm?" Footsteps sounded from the wooden stairs in the distance.
A moment later, Yang Qingqing, wearing a light green nightgown with facial cleanser still on her face and slippers on her feet, came down.
Du Yu pointed at the leaves about to reach him and quickly said: "It... it..."
"Hmm, just play with it for a while, wait for me." Saying this, Yang Qingqing turned and went back upstairs.
Du Yu: ???
Aren't you afraid it might play me to death?
While Du Yu was internally retorting, the branches of the Firethorn Tree had already entwined around his body, surprisingly much softer than he anticipated.
Du Yu softly said: "Hello?"
Unlike demon beasts, the Firethorn Tree had no face, no eyes or mouth, and it didn't seem to have legs, as its roots were still firmly in that big pot.
The Firethorn Tree didn't respond to Du Yu, but a voice from Little Fen Yang echoed in his mind: "Let's peel its bark."
Du Yu was startled, hurriedly explaining in his mind: "No, no, Little Fen Yang, you've got the wrong tree! It's definitely not the one you fought with."
Little Fen Yang murmured softly: "Don't like trees, hate trees."
"No, no, no, this is someone else's private property, we can't afford to pay for it. Once we leave here, I'll give you some more sandwich cookies!"
"Hmm, alright."
In the midst of their conversation, the Firethorn Leaves had already brushed against Du Yu's face, each leaf like a small hand, gently caressing his features.
No inch of skin was missed, as if they were recording Du Yu's likeness.
When Yang Qingqing appeared downstairs, bare-faced, she couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Du Yu was completely buried in leaves, looking like a cocoon from the outside.
"Alright, alright." Yang Qingqing said casually. The Firethorn Tree was very spiritual and, at her word, its lush branches and leaves gradually loosened and slowly retracted.
Yet Yang Qingqing, with a casual grasp, plucked two bright red fruits from beneath the layers of leaves with precision.
"Ha..." Du Yu took a deep breath as he was finally released and saw the teacher in front of him.
"It remembers your appearance now; you two are friends. Consider these its gift to you," Yang Qingqing said, tossing the two Firethorn Fruits to Du Yu.
Du Yu hurriedly caught them, his heart brimming with joy!
Who knows how many stuffed cookies you could make with just one Firethorn Fruit, and Teacher Qingqing gave me two whole fruits?
Yet, the Firethorn Fruits were about the size of ping-pong balls; swallowing them raw would be difficult.
Thinking of biting into the fruit and swallowing it, Du Yu felt his stomach already turning sour...
"You're clear on the goal for the one-year trial period, right?" Yang Qingqing asked casually.
"I am." Du Yu wasn't sure what the teacher meant yet noticed the green leaves covering the hall's walls suddenly started to stir!
Clusters of flower leaves surged forth, forming a table made entirely of leaves in front of Du Yu.
"Sit." Yang Qingqing sat on a chair made of leaves. "During the one-year trial period, achieving just one goal will allow you to go regular. Do you have any questions about these tasks?"
Du Yu looked behind him and saw a chair woven from leaves as well, so he cautiously sat down.
The phone distributed to students not only had the Demon Pet Atlas but also contained the trial period task objectives.
There were six tasks in total:
1. Have one Demon Pet advance to the Peak of Earth Level.
2. Advance yourself to the Peak of Demon Tamer.
3. Obtain a certificate for a low-level or higher-level Breeder.
4. Complete 100 copper-level task bounties.
5. Acquire at least one Demon Spirit Library Ring.
6. Make a major contribution to the Demon Spirit enterprise, including but not limited to discovering new Demon Beast species, Demon Spirit Fruits, or developing new Demon Skills. The final interpretation rights are reserved by Demon Spirit Academy.
Du Yu spoke forcefully, trying to express confidence before the teacher: "I should be able to complete the first and second tasks."
"Confidence is good." Yang Qingqing tapped lightly on the leaf table. She knew that Du Yu was extraordinary, as referenced in Gong Cheng's student files, where Du Yu had already achieved Minor Success as a Demon Tamer.
As Yang Qingqing tapped the table with her fingers, the leaves rolled up a longbow and slowly placed it on the table.
As the leaves retreated like a tide, the longbow's true form appeared.
Clearly made of wood, it had a silver finish, though it was dull and lackluster.
"This is your customized Demon Soldier, with a usage period of about half a year. The teacher sealed a unique Demon Arrow Array within it."
As the leaves surged on the table, the wooden bow was pushed towards Du Yu.
Du Yu reached out to gently touch the longbow: "Demon Arrow Array?"
Yang Qingqing pointed to the handle, where a slightly sunken flame pattern was visible: "Activating the Demon Arrow Array will grant you a new mode of output."
Du Yu, curious about the flame pattern, hurriedly asked, "What kind of output method?"
"You can try it," Yang Qingqing slightly turned her body. Behind her, about ten meters away, a pile of flower leaves formed into a wall of leaves.
Du Yu picked up the dark silver bow and immediately stood up.
Gripping the bow handle, he felt the peculiar material of the silver bow; its texture was softly sandy, a remarkably wondrous sensation.
Yang Qingqing: "Invoke the Fire Demon Breath within you until the Demon Arrow Array lights up."
"Yes." Du Yu instantly drew the bow and notched an arrow.
Whoosh~
Pinching the bowstring, a fire arrow tail quietly materialized and ignited from tail to tip, rapidly forming into a complete fire arrow.
Yang Qingqing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly.
She had already noticed those bright eyes, but when Du Yu really drew the bow and entered battle mode, his entire demeanor changed again.
Those blazing eyes were surprisingly beautiful.
While Yang Qingqing secretly admired, Du Yu was focusing hard on invoking the Fire Demon Breath.
With the guidance of a Demon Soldier, not much precise control or manipulation was necessary; just pour the Fire Demon Breath into the bow.
Whoosh~
The next moment, the flame pattern sunk into the bow handle abruptly lit up between Du Yu's fingers!
Immediately, the crimson fire arrow was cloaked in a layer of dark silver?
Beautiful!
Incredibly beautiful!
Du Yu, however, was secretly worried, realizing that shooting such a special arrow cost more than triple the Demon Breath of a regular fire arrow!
"Whoosh!"
Du Yu released his fingers, and a dark silver fire arrow swiftly shot out, embedding into the wall of layered leaves.
Whoosh~
A brilliant sight appeared before Du Yu!
The silver flames spread automatically across the leaf wall, slowly extending outward, conquering as if aiming to ignite every inch of the leaf wall...
Yang Qingqing, with her hand supporting her chin, did not turn around, but through Du Yu's eyes, she observed the peculiar glow being reflected:
"Demon Soldier, Silver Fire."