King of Beasts

Chapter 130: No Way, Absolutely No Way

Meanwhile…

In a high-end villa in Sky City, a young man dressed in black, known as the Dog King of Infinite City No. 3, had just seen the information about his first-round opponent.

“Lu Ran?”

Instinctively, he wanted to know who this opponent was.

If the battle list had shown the Infinite City ID, he would have immediately recognized Lu Ran as the Rank 1 on their Infinite City’s Supernatural Divine Beast Leaderboard.

However, the connection between Lu Ran and Passerby A seemed tenuous, limited to just a shared character in their names. Without concrete evidence, Dog King Zhou Mo did not dwell on it too much.

“Do you know who this Lu Ran is?” he asked the “Circus Guild Leader ID ‘Circus Captain’,” who was lounging on the sofa, looking at a laptop.

“I investigated for you.”

“This Lu Ran participated in the preliminary assessment in Jinling. His primary pet beast is a ‘Red-Eyed Eagle Lizard,’ which has an enormous energy reserve, large enough to manifest as an energy apparition,” the Circus Captain explained.

“One of its traits is ‘Red Lightning.’ The other, while uncertain, appears to double its thunder energy storage, likely an ‘electrical storage trait.’”

“Additionally, since his Red-Eyed Eagle Lizard has never appeared on the Divine Beast Leaderboard, it suggests that its initial species might already be at the lower commander level. After fusing twice, it would be at least a middle commander. Based on its performance in the preliminary assessment, it’s very likely an upper commander.”

“He must already be a level 1 beastmaster with his pet beast at level 20. Otherwise, even Wu Le’s secondary pet, no matter how careless, wouldn’t have been suppressed. Also, the opponent probably has mastery over powerful burst skills, excelling in skill attack power. He’s a tough opponent, so be cautious. Furthermore, there’s no information about his second pet beast, and we don’t even know if it exists,” the Circus Captain analyzed.

Zhou Mo nodded. Fortunately, based on the trait choices, Lu Ran didn’t seem like an exceptionally difficult opponent. However, his fundamentals must be solid. ‘Red Lightning’ enhances both physicality and thunder intensity, while the ‘electrical storage trait’ boosts energy capacity. Of course, he did not believe he would lose.

At this moment, if Lu Ran were here, he would definitely applaud. Well done, a very thorough analysis. However, he would suggest not analyzing next time, as more than half of it was incorrect.

…

As soon as the battle list was released, all the contestants who had arrived in Sky City began actively investigating their opponents’ information.

Compared to Lu Ran, Fang Lan was luckier. Her opponent was not a seeded player like Zhou Mo, who had appeared multiple times in the previous qualifying matches. The information on the beastmaster and pet beast was already quite clear, allowing her to specifically prepare venom and integrate it into portable weapons.

With the preliminary assessment and qualifying matches concluded, the most intense and thrilling ranking battles were finally about to begin. First-generation, second-generation, and third-generation beastmasters were arriving in Sky City to watch the battles.

Whether from the official strategy team, the management of the Alliance, or top players from various private guilds, they all gathered here.

In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived.

Unlike the preliminary assessment and qualifying matches, the final ranking battles of the Freshman Tournament were broadcast nationwide. Various media outlets were already set up in the arena, and prominent figures from all walks of life were seated in the guest and audience sections.

This tournament was not only a way for the school to select a group of promising fourth-generation beastmasters but also a promotional event. By showcasing the battles of these outstanding fourth-generation beastmasters, the school hoped to inspire more beast taming talent among the public.

Additionally, the Freshman Tournament of Beast Taming University was sure to attract the attention of international beast taming forces. Xia Country aimed to showcase its rich talent pool to the world, enhancing its international influence and attracting more beast taming talent from abroad.

“Ladies and gentlemen!!”

“Welcome to the final of Beast Taming University’s Freshman Beast Taming Tournament.”

“I am Xu Pingze, a second-generation beastmaster. I will be your host and referee for this final ranking battle!!”

The enormous Sky Arena was filled with people from all over, including teachers from Beast Taming University, participants who had been eliminated, and freshmen who did not compete, all gathered to watch the event.

In the sky, a man dressed in black and white stood atop a giant eagle-like pet beast, holding a microphone, passionately introducing himself to the live audience.

“This Freshman Tournament features three university leaders who are present at the scene today. They will serve as special guests and join me in explaining the upcoming battles.”

“They are: Dean Qin Ming of the Combat Department at Beast Taming University’s Combat College, a second-generation beastmaster, and the team leader of the official strategy team’s First Team, who has led teams through abyssal difficulty secret realms multiple times!”

“Dean Chu Yan of the Cultivating Department at the Cultivating College, a first-generation beastmaster and renowned cultivating master, who has assisted numerous first-generation beastmasters through the toughest pioneering periods!”

“Dean Kong Xi of the History Department at the History College, a first-generation beastmaster, who has compiled historical records for the Beast Taming Empire during breakthrough secret realms. She is highly knowledgeable about the development history of the Beast Taming Empire and is known as the living history book of beast taming!”

“Next, they will provide commentary on the battles of the outstanding fourth-generation beastmasters from their respective professional perspectives!”

As Xu Pingze finished speaking, many eyes in the audience turned to the podium. There, three young men and women, aged between 25 and 30, were already seated with smiles on their faces.

“They’re all big shots…” The sight of these three drew sighs of admiration from the second and third-generation beastmasters in the audience.

Among them, Qin Ming, the team leader of the official strategy team’s First Team, is hailed as the strongest second-generation beastmaster in Xia Country, and is the fourteenth person closest to the top-tier first-generation beastmasters.

Chu Yan, an expert in nutrition, culinary, cultivation, and breeding… While not the top in any single field, he is known as a versatile cultivating master with expertise in various fields, ranking in the top three in each area within Xia Country.

As for Kong Xi, the only female dean among the three, she is even more remarkable. Though she has little interest in combat, she is deeply passionate about studying the history of the Beast Taming Empire. She has entered breakthrough secret realms multiple times, holding the record for the most entries in Xia Country at 21 times. She is well-versed in various beast taming schools and systems across different historical stages.

The three deans did not give long speeches; they simply greeted the audience. Xu Pingze then proceeded to announce the official start of the Freshman Tournament.

“Next, we have the first match of the day, featuring Zhou Mo from the Combat Department against Lu Ran from the Forging Department!”

As Xu Pingze finished speaking, two young men dressed in black emerged from the buildings on either side of the arena and walked towards the stage.

Their entrance immediately sparked intense discussion among the audience.

“Who would’ve thought the first match would feature Zhou Mo, the Dog King? He’s been really high-profile this week, almost becoming the figurehead of the fourth-generation beastmasters.”

Ever since Zhou Mo appeared on the Commander Divine Beast Leaderboard, he had been active online. The Circus guild of Infinite City No.3, where he belonged, seemed poised to overshadow the other three major guilds. His recent high-profile activities had made him well-known among the public.

Compared to Zhou Mo, Lu Ran on the other side was also no stranger. The first freshman rumored to have easily defeated an examiner was Lu Ran. In everyone’s impression, Lu Ran was also a formidable fourth-generation beastmaster who had previously kept a low profile, much like Zhou Mo.

“Haha, Zhou Mo probably doesn’t even realize his opponent is Passerby A,” Pluto, another freshman contestant, said with a smirk. But even if Zhou Mo knew, it wouldn’t matter much.

After all, the pet beasts on the Divine Beast Leaderboard were no longer seen as particularly strong. They were considered part of the second echelon. No matter how powerful the Sword-Holding Dog was, it was just an upper supernatural species. How could it compare to the upper commander species like the Hellhound? How could it match the Sudden Death King, which had crushed an examiner’s pet beast with a single blow?

More attention was drawn to the fact that Lu Ran had instantly defeated the examiner’s pet beast than to his identity as Passerby A.

“This guy’s second pet is also so strong. I wonder if he can beat the Dog King…” Bai Ling, a fellow seeded player, watched Lu Ran on the stage with intense focus.

Those who knew Lu Ran were nervous for him, as the Dog King was indeed formidable.

Of course, aside from the fourth-generation beastmasters, several from the previous generations were also familiar with Lu Ran.

For instance, some beastmasters from Jinling knew that he was the famous King of Green Sea, a super fourth-generation beastmaster granted special privileges by Dr. Gu.

“Finally, we meet.” On the podium, Chu Yan smiled. After ending his call with Master Lin yesterday, he had already contacted Lu Ran, and they had agreed to discuss employment after the tournament.

He couldn’t help but chuckle now. Though he didn’t know how the match between Lu Ran and the Dog King would turn out, the idea of a freshman from the Forging Department, who was also a Culinary Department professor, facing off against a freshman from the Combat Department, seemed quite amusing…

Under the watchful eyes of the audience, Zhou Mo and Lu Ran stood opposing each other, engaging in a brief conversation.

“Forging Department?” Zhou Mo’s first words surprised many, including himself. It was evident that he found Lu Ran’s choice of the Forging Department quite unexpected.

Not only Zhou Mo but many spectators were also puzzled. Considering Lu Ran’s outstanding performance in the preliminary assessment, everyone thought he was a combat genius. Studying forging? Even cultivating would seem to offer more benefits for pet beast training. In this situation, shouldn’t he focus all his efforts on combat?

“Yes, Forging,” Lu Ran replied with a smile, offering no further explanation.

Xu Pingze, the referee, looked at the two young men in black on the stage. With a wave of his hand, he announced, “Both parties, prepare yourselves.”

In the next moment, he declared the start of the battle!

On the field, Lu Ran appeared calm and composed, while Zhou Mo remained serene. Without further words, they began to summon their pet beasts.

“Hellhound!!”

“Sudden Death King!!”

Boom!

Both summoned a single pet beast. The atmosphere around both creatures was formidable.

On Sudden Death King’s side, its red eyes stared at its opponent with a powerful presence, as if lightning flowed in its gaze, locking eyes with the Hellhound’s Eyes of Fear.

The immature aura of a Loong emanated from it, showing no fear as it faced the Hellhound’s terrifying gaze.

“Roar!!!” The Sudden Death King bellowed.

“Awwooo!!!!” The Hellhound, with its four limbs ignited in black flames, let out a horrifying cry. Its body was pitch-black, sporting two red heads with sharp teeth, presenting a fearsome appearance that made many fourth-generation beastmasters in the audience gulp.

“Both pet beasts are excellently trained!!”

Even the aura clash alone made many veteran beastmasters sigh with admiration.

The quality of these fourth-generation prodigies was far superior to that of their contemporaries.

“Zhou Mo’s Hellhound has the Eyes of Fear trait, which can instinctively induce fear in its opponents, causing them to lose their will to fight or even hallucinate…”

“But Lu Ran’s Red-eyed Eagle Lizard is countering the Hellhound’s Eyes of Fear purely with its aura, showing no fear at all. Clearly, Lu Ran’s pet beast has evolved towards a Dragon Lizard, its aura now containing a faint Dragon Might. This is the key to its fearlessness! It is a Sub-dragon Species pet beast!”

On the podium, Chu Yan’s explanation enlightened the audience. No wonder this lizard seemed so fierce—it had already evolved into a Sub-dragon Species.

While pure Loong-type species are rare, Sub-dragon Species are still within reach for beast tamers.

“Do you think a mere Sub-dragon bloodline can resist its Eyes of Fear?” Zhou Mo smirked on the field. Up in the stands, the Captain of the Circus guild remained expressionless. The Hellhound’s Eyes of Fear was just its basic application.

It was essential to understand that after the Hellhound fused with this trait, it awakened a terrifying species talent: Hell’s Eye!

Hell’s Eye could amplify the effect of Eyes of Fear severalfold, creating an almost tangible hellish illusion to attack the opponent’s spirit.

“Hell’s Eye!!” Zhou Mo calmly issued the command.

“Strength and abundant energy alone can’t defend against this!”

“Awwooo!!!” At the command, all four of the Hellhound’s eyes turned from pitch black to a skeletal blood-red pattern. Simultaneously, the scene shifted dramatically, and many spectators’ faces changed.

In an instant, the arena blurred, the ground turned dark red, and the sky seemed to collapse, with countless dark red streams of energy floating mid-air.

It was as if a Hell Domain had formed, causing many hearts to tighten.

“This is a tangible illusion effect. This Hellhound’s talent is quite impressive; it might even create its own ‘Domain Skill’ in the future.” Qin Ming offered a slight commentary from the podium.

Hearing his words, many second-generation and third-generation beastmasters were astonished. A Domain Skill is the ultimate move a pet beast can create by merging all its power. Currently, only 14 people in Xia Country, including Qin Ming, are capable of this. Does Zhou Mo possess such potential as well???

Does this mean Lu Ran is in danger?

“Zhou Mo used this very move to drive the examiner’s pet beast insane!”

“When this scene appeared, the examiner’s secondary pet went completely insane, as if it had fallen into some great horror.”

“This technique is incredibly eerie.”

Such an unconventional tangible mental attack would be troublesome even for some third-generation beastmasters, let alone fourth-generation ones. Lu Teng, Yang Xishuai, and others from Green Sea City were all worried for Lu Ran.

Does that lizard have any means to defend against mental attacks?

Strong scales don’t necessarily mean strong mental defense!

Fang Lan, Pig Raiser, and others watched the field intently. They felt there shouldn’t be a serious problem, considering Lu Ran hadn’t even summoned General Ha yet…

At the next moment.

“Boom!” A colossal explosion erupted as Lu Ran’s side began their counterattack, the sound like the sky collapsing and thunder crashing down!

At the center of the Hellish Phantasm, the red lightning in the Sudden Death King’s eyes became increasingly apparent.

Immersed in the illusion, it felt almost nothing, finding it less intimidating than General Ha’s Dragon Slayer Sword Intent.

Such an attack would never cause its sudden death!

“Roar!!!!” In the Hellish Illusion, a shocking dragon roar echoed, causing the illusion to tremble violently as if it were about to shatter.

Enormous red lightning surged upward from the Sudden Death King’s body, erupting and enveloping it completely. The intertwining red and black, domineering and impressive, caused both the Hellhound and Zhou Mo to hesitate momentarily, baffled by how their opponent could roar so dominantly under such intense mental pressure!

A strong sense of intimidation flowed from the Sudden Death King!

“What is this…”

Suddenly, many seasoned beastmasters’ expressions changed, sensing something akin to genuine Dragon Might emanating from the Sudden Death King.

What was going on?

“Such strong willpower, could this be…” Dean Kong Xi’s face showed a look of astonishment.

Zzzzzzzzzz.

The eruption of lightning was just the beginning. Red lightning continually surged from its body, flowing between its scales. Soon, nearly tangible black and red wings unfurled from the sides of the Sudden Death King.

In the blink of an eye, the Sudden Death King seemed to evolve into another species, resembling a young Thunder Dragon, grasping lightning with its claws, completing its transformation!

“Roar!!”

In its dragon form, the Sudden Death King turned back to face its opponent, stunning the entire audience.

“The Artistic Conception of the Dragon!!!”

At this moment, the three Deans, the referee, and the beastmasters in the audience all wore expressions of extreme astonishment.

It was actually the Artistic Conception Technique of the Dragon!

The Artistic Conception of the Dragon is one of the rarest and most powerful artistic conceptions. Even among Sub-dragon Species pet beasts in Xia Country, very few have mastered it. The talent of this Dragon Lizard was extraordinary! No, Chu Yan considered Lu Ran’s identity as a Dragon Chef. Perhaps the prodigy wasn’t this Dragon Lizard, but Lu Ran himself. Chu Yan’s gaze deepened, grateful that Lu Ran had come to teach at the cultivating college.

With the Thunder Dragon armor complete, the Sudden Death King remained unfazed by the Hellish Phantasm, entirely unaffected. Instead, the Dragon Might it exuded caused Zhou Mo and the Hellhound to turn pale.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, an Artistic Conception Technique?!” Seeing that Hell’s Eye had no effect on this Dragon Lizard, Zhou Mo was in disbelief, giving his next command in a panic.

Boom!!!

Dark red Underworld Flames transformed into fireballs, hurling toward the Sudden Death King. It intended to dodge, but there were too many attacks, leaving it no choice but to take them head-on!

Boom boom boom boom!!

Countless fireballs struck the Sudden Death King. Then, the scene that gave Zhou Mo a headache unfolded. The Thunder Dragon shell on the Sudden Death King remained completely unscathed, still intact after the explosions.

Its defense was astonishingly strong, akin to the flesh of a real dragon.

“Roar!!!” The Sudden Death King roared, baring its teeth. Although it had wings, it walked step by step toward its enemy.

Zhou Mo and the Hellhound felt an increasing sense of pressure.

“Keep attacking!!” Zhou Mo commanded. As the Sudden Death King approached, the Hellhound continuously spat Underworld Flame Fireballs, but no matter how many hit the Sudden Death King, they couldn’t cause any damage.

Many were astonished by the power of the Sudden Death King’s shaping artistic conception form.

As the Sudden Death King drew ever closer, Zhou Mo gritted his teeth and made a sweeping gesture.

Red waves radiated from his body, resonating with the Hellhound. Zhou Mo had intended to keep his trump card hidden until the end, but now he had no choice but to use it early.

Energy Coordination Beast Taming Skill!

This skill could drastically enhance a pet beast’s energy control!

With the activation of his beast taming skill, a black and a red energy ball began to form in front of the Hellhound’s mouth, compressing and merging into a dark red energy sphere resembling a Taiji symbol.

One time, two times, three times… ten times…

A tenfold energy compression, a dual-element energy shot, exuded a terrifying power entirely different from previous attacks!!

Boom!!!!

The energy ball was released by the Hellhound, smashing into the highly defensive Thunder Dragon-like Sudden Death King. With a resounding “boom,” before the explosion, people saw the Thunder Dragon shell of the Sudden Death King finally crack!

“It worked!!” Zhou Mo exclaimed with delight.

The audience was also shocked by Zhou Mo’s sudden burst of power. The tenfold energy compression skill was a fearsome technique, revealing the Hellhound’s mastery of such a method.

Many freshmen wore solemn expressions, recognizing Zhou Mo as a significant threat.

Darkness, flame, lightning… terrifying energies intertwined, unleashing unparalleled shockwaves. The Hellhound in front of the Sudden Death King was blown away by the shockwave, flipping several times in the air before landing.

However, just as Zhou Mo and the Hellhound thought they had finally dealt with their opponent, a scene that filled them with fear and despair unfolded.

They saw… the Thunder Dragon shell of the Sudden Death King had been shattered, but the Sudden Death King itself stood unscathed in the center of the shockwave, with only minor cracks on its scales, looking utterly unperturbed.

At that moment, the entire arena fell silent.

The Sudden Death King continued to approach the Hellhound, which was still sluggish from releasing its ultimate move. As it moved, the Thunder Dragon armor reformed and reshaped on its body, and a massive Thunder Shield appeared in its hand!!!

In Zhou Mo’s incredulous gaze, the Sudden Death King infused the shield with Domineering Energy converted from the damage it had endured and slammed it down onto the Hellhound!!

Bang!!!!

“Howl—” The Hellhound, with a look of horror, was directly smashed away by the rampaging red lightning, landing harshly on a distant part of the arena.

Even now, it couldn’t understand why its attacks had no effect on this opponent. There wasn’t any intelligence indicating that this creature had such high defense! What, was the intelligence false?!

“Impossible!” Zhou Mo exclaimed in confusion, almost blacking out.

Before today’s match, he had considered many scenarios, but he never imagined that his beloved pet beast wouldn’t even be able to break through the opponent’s defense.

There was no way, absolutely no way. What was with the opponent’s defense anyway?!

Not only he, but even his second-generation guild leader brother also wore a bewildered expression as he gazed at the arena.

Moreover, the other participants in the ranking tournament, including Pluto and Bai Ling, were now similarly stunned.

Although they knew Lu Ran was no simple opponent, seeing him crush Zhou Mo, the favorite to win, so overwhelmingly was still unbelievable.

A monster? Did the favorite just get taken down like that??

“This… this… this is simply unbelievable!!!”

At this moment, Xu Pingze, the referee, finally spoke in shock: “Lu Ran’s pet beast’s defense is just too terrifying!!”

“Not only did it ignore multiple attacks from the Hellhound, but in the end, even the energy compression skill had no effect on it, allowing it to counterattack effortlessly!!”

“What is the limit of its defense??”

Following the referee’s words, the guests on the podium chimed in.

“It’s indeed a bit scary… Is this really a fourth-generation beastmaster?” Dean Kong Xi couldn’t help but speak up: “Whether it’s on the Blue Star or in the Beast Taming Empire, this Dragon Lizard is the most defensively strong commander species pet beast I’ve ever seen in the 10-20 level stage.”

“The first match is a major upset.” Qin Ming said instinctively. Zhou Mo was undoubtedly very strong and definitely a favorite to win, but he was so easily taken down.

This Lu Ran is really powerful!

“Don’t you have a second pet beast??”

At this moment, Lu Ran was still puzzled as to why Zhou Mo was just standing there. As a level 1 beastmaster, did he only have one pet beast contracted??

“I… Do you have a second pet beast?!” Zhou Mo almost wanted to curse. Raising a Hellhound had already consumed much of his energy. He hadn’t prepared a second pet beast carelessly, intending to choose a high-quality one from the freshman rewards with a mindset of preferring none over a bad choice. But he never expected to be beaten so badly in the first match.

At this moment, he doubted his own strength among these freshmen. How could he be made so miserable by a freshman from the forging department?

The Hellhound had already been knocked out by the shield, and without a doubt, the outcome was decided.

“Hahaha.”

On the high stands of the boiling audience, the Captain of the Circus grasped the railing tightly. Just then, a laugh came from behind him.

“It seems that Lu Ran is going to become the nightmare of other freshmen. Captain of the Circus, your younger brother is having a hard time.” The Star Guild Leader appeared at some point, smiling.

“Star.” The Captain of the Circus looked at him and said, “You’re from Jinling. Do you know this Lu Ran?”

The Star Guild Leader grinned, looking at his old rival and said, “He’s just Passerby A from Infinite City No. 3. His initial pet beast is that sword-holding dog. Against Zhou Mo, he didn’t even send out his initial pet beast, nor did he use any beast taming skills. You guys lost thoroughly…”

“He’s Passerby A?!” The Captain of the Circus was shocked.

“Why else do you think he applied to the forging department? It’s definitely to forge better weapons for his initial pet beast. Despite having such a strong second pet, he hasn’t given up on his initial pet beast. Perhaps, in his eyes, the initial pet beast has even more potential than the second one… But at this rate, can anyone force out his first pet beast?”

Hearing this, the Captain of the Circus felt troubled, looking at his younger brother on the field, not knowing how to comfort him afterward… What kind of monster is this opponent, and why does the Star Guild Leader seem a bit schadenfreude?

He remembered that the Star Guild Leader’s younger brother, Pluto, had also been repeatedly suppressed by Passerby A! Whether it was on the leaderboard or in the public secret realm!

The Captain of the Circus looked at the Star Guild Leader, realizing that he came over to find some balance?