Building C, Room 606.
When Qiao Sang returned home with her mother, she was still a little dazed.
After all, she had endured nearly two hours of verbal bombardment at school. If the homeroom teacher's stomach hadn't started growling, he probably could've kept lecturing indefinitely.
Qiao Sang went to the bathroom and washed her face twice.
She looked at herself in the mirror. The face staring back was delicate and refined—identical to her face in her previous life.
Just much younger. Softer features, with a hint of baby fat still clinging to her cheeks.
"Come out and eat," her mother's voice came from the living room.
"Coming."
Qiao Sang answered, then quietly washed her face one more time.
As soon as she entered the living room, her mother Ye Xiangting shot her a sharp look.
"The food's cold. I just reheated it—eat quickly."
In truth, the original Qiao Sang's family situation was very similar to her own past life.
Not only did her parents look the same—both were single-parent families.
Her father wasn't missing, nor had he died young. The parents had simply divorced.
They divorced when Qiao Sang was three years old. That same year, her father Qiao Wangyang remarried and later had another daughter, now fourteen.
That was… quite thought-provoking.
Perhaps out of guilt toward her mother, he left both the child and the house to her when they divorced.
Ye Xiangting never remarried. She worked and raised Qiao Sang alone.
Fortunately, her mother was an E-rank Beast Tamer, with a Faithful Weng and a Fat Jia Jiu.
She made a living renting them out to take people on aerial sightseeing trips, earning a comfortable income.
Life hadn't turned her into a worn-down housewife—but it had forged her into a woman who was gentle on the outside, strong on the inside.
Qiao Sang deeply agreed.
Her mother had sat beside her for two hours of scolding from the homeroom teacher, yet still managed not to beat her afterward.
Too strong!
Still, this really wasn't Qiao Sang's fault. The Beast-Taming Codex was inside her brain—she couldn't take it out to show anyone. And since she hadn't contracted any extraordinary creatures, she truly had no proof of her Independent Awakening unless she went to the Beast-Taming Center for an examination.
Qiao Sang ate silently, not daring to say a word.
Her mother might be strong—but there were limits.
"Take a day off tomorrow. I'll bring you to the Beast-Taming Center," her mother said, looking at her.
Qiao Sang froze. "Why are we going there?"
"Didn't you say you've already awakened independently?" Ye Xiangting explained. "We'll get you tested and certified. Then we can go to the Pet Beast Base to choose a pet beast."
Since she had already awakened, the earlier she chose a pet beast, the better.
Qiao Sang was stunned. "You… believe me?"
A trace of a smile flashed through her mother's eyes.
"I gave birth to you. I know you. You may be a bit dumb, but you wouldn't lie about something like this at such a critical time."
Qiao Sang felt complicated emotions surge inside her.
Even her personality was similar to her mother from her previous life.
"Mom, if you believe me, why did you just watch me get scolded for two hours without saying anything?"
Her mother smiled—this time, it was downright chilling.
"Independent Awakening is one thing. Scoring zero on an exam is another. I haven't even asked yet—why did you score zero?"
Qiao Sang: "..."
The Next Morning
At the entrance of the Hanggang Beast-Taming Center.
A massive extraordinary creature descended from the sky—fat-bodied, nearly three meters long, entirely brown, with red tail feathers.
Qiao Sang jumped down from the back of the Fat Jia Jiu, eyes shining with excitement.
This was her first time experiencing such close contact with the sky—thrilling beyond words.
She decided it then and there.
In the future, I must contract a Flying-type pet beast!
"Thanks for your hard work, Fat Jia Jiu," Ye Xiangting said, patting it gently.
"Jiu-bi~"
The Fat Jia Jiu shook its wings and buried its large head against her, rubbing affectionately.
Her mother waved her hand. A faint glow enveloped the Fat Jia Jiu, and in the next instant, it vanished from the spot.
No matter how many times she saw it, Qiao Sang still found it magical.
None of this could be explained by science in her previous life.
Inside the Hanggang Beast-Taming Center, her mother led her straight to Service Counter No. 37.
Before the staff member could speak, Ye Xiangting said,
"Hello, we're here for a Brain Domain Test." She gestured for Qiao Sang to take out her information card.
Qiao Sang obediently handed it over.
After scanning it, the staff member said, "That'll be 500 Alliance Coins."
Humanity had long since left Blue Star, expanding to and colonizing three other habitable planets.
The universal currency used across all four planets was Alliance Coins.
After payment and registration, the staff returned the card.
"Follow Qiao Li Guo inside."
A green, less-than-one-meter-tall Qiao Li Guo appeared behind the counter.
It had a round head, green antennae tipped with yellow, and a staff badge hanging on its chest.
As a Plant-type pet beast, Qiao Li Guo was gentle by nature and very popular—especially among girls.
"Qiao-li."
It approached Qiao Sang and politely gestured with its three-fingered hand.
As the capital of Zhehai Province, Hanggang City naturally housed the largest Beast-Taming Center in the province.
Qiao Sang followed Qiao Li Guo for over ten minutes before reaching the testing area.
After scanning its badge at the door, Qiao Li Guo called out softly.
"Qiao-li."
The door opened.
"Go in," her mother said calmly.
Though her expression was composed, her eyes betrayed anticipation.
Qiao Sang walked in.
Inside were a short-haired female researcher in a white lab coat—and a Bubble Bell floating in the air.
She had just read about Bubble Bells the day before.
They were Psychic-type extraordinary creatures, genderless and rare.
In fact, most Psychic-type beasts were rare.
Only a handful appeared in Pet Beast Bases each year, often starting at millions of Alliance Coins.
Definitely a rich lady.
Qiao Sang instantly slapped that label onto the researcher.
The researcher typed away at her computer and wasn't surprised to see them.
"Sit over there," she said, pointing to a single sofa.
Qiao Sang sat down.
"Bubble Bell."
"Ling."
Blue light flared around Bubble Bell. Moments later, a silver helmet connected by dozens of cables floated over and settled onto Qiao Sang's head.
Her eyes lit up.
This ability is amazing—ultimate lazy-person神器!
"Don't move."
The researcher didn't look up.
As data streamed in, her brows slowly furrowed.
Qiao Sang's heart tightened.
Something wrong?
"You awakened independently?" the researcher asked suddenly.
"Yes… Sister, is something wrong with me?" Qiao Sang asked nervously.
"No. Don't be nervous." The researcher forced a stiff smile.
It was… terrifying.
Qiao Sang got even more nervous.
"This year, including you, our city only has six Independent Awakeners," the researcher said. "Your grades must be very good, right?"
Qiao Sang: "..."
You could praise her talent or intelligence—but why bring up grades?!
"I'm basically… third place," Qiao Sang said without batting an eye.
"Third in school is still very good. Many first- and second-place students can't awaken at all."
"I got first in this mock exam," Qiao Sang added calmly.
"After awakening, brain domain development increases by about 2%. Independent Awakeners are usually around 5%. Sudden improvement is normal."
Qiao Sang: "..."
After about two minutes—
"Bubble Bell."
"Ling."
The helmet floated away.
"Congratulations. Your Independent Awakening was very successful. No issues with your brain domain—just some unstable fluctuations. Rest well and eat more nuts and dried fruits."
The researcher signed and stamped a certificate and handed it over.
"Thank you."
Qiao Sang finally relaxed.
"How did it go?" her mother asked anxiously outside.
Qiao Sang sighed and handed over the result.
Her mother's face instantly turned pale.
For a moment, she didn't dare look.
"Mom… take a look."
Ye Xiangting's heart sank.
No Independent Awakening… and a zero score…
The full score for the entrance exam was 650, and last year's cutoff was 332.
Lying… failing… zero…
Her confidence in her parenting shattered.
She needs a beating.
Qiao Sang straightened proudly."Pa."