On the other side, Rocky and Juey returned to the rest area. Upon returning, all of the Cao Clan members, including Chief Lucilla and Lucas, welcomed them with great enthusiasm, as if they were victorious heroes that returned from a battle.
Thanks to Rocky's amazing strength, the Cao Clan was saved from a dead end. The clan was grateful for a hero like him. They regarded Rocky as their life saver. It was of great significance for the Cao Clan to enter the next round and be able to continue the contest. This gave them a glimmer of hope that they could prosper once more.
"Mr. Rookie, it was truly eye-opening!" Lucas exclaimed among the crowd. His eyes sparkled with excitement and emotions that couldn't be put into words. Although he already knew that Rocky was an extraordinary individual with a unique ability, he didn't expect him to be so powerful that he could display three kinds of Beast Evaluation Skills at the same time. Even more astonishing was the fact that he displayed the Heavenly Shadow Evaluation Skill that everyone thought had disappeared for 300 years. Lucas, the strongest beast evaluator in the Timber Deity Empire, couldn't help but admire Rocky's display of power.
For now, Lucas was certain that he was still superior over Rocky. However, Lucas knew that Rocky could potentially surpass him one day and become a grandmaster. If the latter kept this up, it wouldn't take long for him to become the only powerful beast evaluator in the Wild Spirit Land. In Lucas' eyes, Rocky was like a piece of pure jade. Within a few years, he would be polished into one of the most outstanding talents and could potentially overshadow all the other beast evaluators in the Wild Spirit Land.
Lucas sighed with slight envy at Rocky for being able to achieve so much at his age. He now began to appreciate Rocky less like a senior to a junior and more like a master to his apprentice. He hoped that Rocky would surpass him as well as the strongest beast evaluator in the Wild Spirit Land. Pushing himself beyond his limits would help him make progress. He hoped to witness this with his own eyes.
Before Rocky, no other apprentice was able to make a grandmaster like Lucas set such high expectations. Lucas never recalled any similar experience, even when his apprentice was brilliant. Roc
ing to the people he cared about instead.
Smart as Lucilla was, she got Lucas's words immediately and nodded in agreement.
Right then, Queenie returned to them in a great hurry. She was looking all over for Rocky. "Where is that guy? I want to see him now!" she shouted when she failed to find him. She appeared anxious.
"Don't talk like that, Queenie. You're being rude. Mr. Rookie is our honored guest now. Watch your words!" Lucilla reminded her, an unpleasant expression all over her face.
"I don't care about what he means to our clan. I just risked my life to help him ward off the princess, but he ran away. I need to find him and ask him to…hmmm…" Queenie mumbled and turned away. It seemed that she wouldn't give up until she got exactly what she wanted.
"Do you notice that Queenie pays lots of attention to Mr. Rookie? It's weird. She doesn't hate Mr. Rookie, but..." Being a woman as well, Lucilla could sense the slight shift in her younger sister's tone of voice at the mention of Rocky's name. She found it improper.
"It isn't a bad thing, especially for the Cao Clan. Please don't worry," Lucas said meaningfully. He seemed to know something beforehand.
Lucilla was a little puzzled hearing Lucas's words. She had no idea what he was talking about. Her younger sister was changing suddenly. Queenie used to despise men like dirt, and she had lots of problems with Rocky before. But now she was thinking of him all the time and became impatient when he was not around. A girl's heart was always a mystery.