Zhao Xing Was Stunned: A Fourth Level Emperor Crocodile Was Just a Bigger Fish? (Long Chapter)

The Purple Firmament Islands have five arenas.

The preliminary rounds will not be held at the Great Arena on Purple Cloud Island until at least the group stage.

Zhao Xing's Twin Islands are located west of the archipelago, so he was assigned to the Western Division and participated in the Western Division Winter Assessment Preliminary Round.

The Purple Firmament Arena in the West District is located on Heaven Competition Island.

When Zhao Xing arrived, Heaven Competition Island had become very lively. People and strange beasts could be seen everywhere in the sky, on the ground, and in the sea, and there were even aquatic people dressed in costumes.

"My lord, there are 7,830 islands in the western district participating in this Winter Assessment preliminary selection."

"As of 1:15 noon today, the total number of participating beasts is 357,954, with only one-tenth being charioteers. Ninety percent of them are Sixth Rank beasts." Tao Anchun reported the latest data as the ship docked on the island.

Zhao Xing looked at the Earth Mirror and couldn't help but laugh, "What a grand event! There are so many war beasts."

"Each participating island has at least two slots, and in reality, it's much more than that. Some large islands have hundreds or even thousands of slots."

"Like Dragon Island, Myriad Beasts Island, and Purple Cloud Island, these three large islands each have more than 50,000 slots available," Dong Yuanqiu remarked.

"In this year's Winter Preliminary Selection, the three large islands only sent about ten people to participate. Now, most of the participants are from small and medium-sized islands. Even so, some medium-sized islands have several hundred spots in their hands."

Zhao Xing nodded; the difference in strength between the islands was too great.

Places like Myriad Beasts Island, Dragon Island, and Purple Cloud Island all have a bunch of Fourth Grade battle beasts, as well as high-grade battle beasts. People can pick and choose from among the Fourth Grade battle beasts!

Such a large island naturally has more slots, and they don't need to participate in the qualifiers.

Even in the group stage, there are guaranteed spots, it's just a matter of how many. Those who participate have more, and those who don't have fewer.

Because Dragon Island, Myriad Beasts Island, and Purple Cloud Island are all backed by top nobles of the Great Zhou.

Purple Cloud Island belongs entirely to Princess Youruo; it is her mother's hometown.

Dragon Island and Myriad Beasts Island are home to many who have been granted titles of king or Martial Marquis.

For example, the Marquis Mingwu of the Tigron Army had some shares in Dragon Island because his great-grandfather had made contributions when expanding Pinghai Province during the reign of Grand Ancestor.

The West District has 350,000 participating battle beasts, which sounds like a lot, but in reality, each rider has multiple Pet Beast.

Of course, 90% of them are only Sixth Rank, and they are just there to serve as stepping stones.

Because the internal selection process was very brutal, the mortality rate of these Sixth Rank beasts was as high as 50% during the preliminary rounds.

However, many battle beasts also broke through, from the Sub-Sixth Rank to the Fifth Grade, and from the Fifth Grade to the Fourth Grade.

It all comes down to who's stepping on whose toes.

"It doesn't matter if Tiger Flood Dragon and Azure Luan die in the preliminaries, but Mountain Cat can't die here. If he encounters a strong opponent, he should withdraw from the competition," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Because there are still many opportunities.

For the next five years, anyone who qualifies in any of the four preliminary rounds can participate in the group stage held in the following five years.

This is the first year of the qualifiers. If not this year, there are still four years to go, for a total of sixteen opportunities to participate.

Aotian Meow is only at the early stage of the Fifth Grade, and has a lot of room for growth. There is no need to fight to the death now.

As for the Tiger Flood Dragon and the Azure Luan sent by the Dao Academy, their growth potential was limited, so Old Master Zhao didn't care.

Let them fight for a chance to survive in the life-or-death struggle. As war beasts, dying on the battlefield is better than living a miserable life confined in a cage.

Just as Zhao Xing was pondering, the Tower Ship in front suddenly stopped moving, and the lead ship also came to a standstill.

The sounds were faint, accompanied by the noise of arguing.

"Is there a traffic jam?" Zhao Xing looked ahead.

"Sir, I'll go take a look." Tao Anchun volunteered.

Before he could go out and see for himself, a burst of flame suddenly erupted from the port side of the Bright Moon Tower Ship in front of him, shooting towards the Seven Sails Tower Ship to his left.

Not to be outdone, the Seven Sails Tower Ship immediately changed direction, accelerated sharply, and crashed into the Bright Moon Tower Ship beside it.

"Boom!"

The Seven Sails Tower Ship's exterior was covered in Mystic Iron, and it also had a piston ram on the left side.

The impact immediately punctured the Bright Moon Tower Ship, creating more than a dozen holes.

"Damn you, how dare you attack a warship!"

"You scoundrel! I am of the Ji Surname! How dare you utter such slanderous words? Are you plotting a rebellion? Guards, seize them!"

"Damn it, as if everyone has the Ji Surname! Wolf God Guard, charge!"

"..."

The two Tower Ship quickly began boarding operations. There were only a few dozen people involved, but there were thousands of strange beasts!

The pilot airships sent by Heaven Competition Island were all affected and crushed to pieces. The ceremonial officer in charge of the navigation quickly jumped off the ship and managed to save his life.

The scene left everyone around speechless, and Zhao Xing was also somewhat speechless; road rage really does exist everywhere.

"Turn the boat up and raise the altitude," Zhao Xing ordered.

This is Cloud Rain Tower Ship dispatched by the Agricultural Supervisorate, not a warship. It is not durable enough to withstand a collision. It would be a great injustice if it were to be affected.

However, what you fear most is what happened. The Cloud Rain Tower Ship of Twin Islands was only a hundred meters behind the two ships, and at a lower altitude.

When the Seven Sails warship capsized the Bright Moon Tower Ship, the large ship, which was over two thousand meters long, plummeted toward the Tower Ship where Zhao Xing was.

"Reverse! Reverse the boat!"

"Activate the barrier!"

"The pilot airship for Heaven Competition Island hasn't disengaged yet!"

"Who cares? The navigator will jump himself."

"..."

On the Cloud Rain Tower Ship, a flurry of activity ensued. Tao Anchun, Dong Yuanqiu, and the others immediately ordered the Mechanism Master below to quickly maneuver the warship backward.

"I'm truly impressed." Upon seeing this, Zhao Xing immediately flew out of the warship. The officials of Twin Islands were not soldiers after all, and their on-the-spot reaction speed was too slow. Zhao Xing calculated that if he didn't intervene, the Bright Moon Tower Ship would definitely crash into his ship.

There are boats all around him, above, below, left, right, and behind him, so he can't retreat very far.

"Nine Heavens Gale Wind Art, activate!"

Zhao Xing flashed outside the ship, and nine Astral Wind of azure wind appeared out of thin air around the Bright Moon Tower Ship.

While extinguishing the fire, they straightened the tilting boat to stop it from falling.

"Good Wind Art! Who are you?!" someone shouted from the Bright Moon Tower Ship.

If Zhao Xing hadn't entrusted this ship, the sixth and seventh-rank mechanics on board could have flown away, but the eighth and ninth-rank Mechanism Master who were operating the mechanisms inside the ship would probably have perished along with the ship.

Before Zhao Xing could speak, a young man in fine clothes on the seven-sailed warship shouted, "Which bastard is interfering? Are you looking for death? My father is Martial Marquis Jin! My mother is Princess Yuanyao, and I am..."

He was speechless because Zhao Xing used his Wind Art again to lock up the Seven Sails Tower Ship he was on.

The Nine Heavens Astral Wind acted like two spherical barriers, separating the two ships.

The Seven Sails Tower Ship was running at full speed, but it still couldn't break free from the Astral Wind barrier.

Zhao Xing has already mastered the Nine Heavens Astral Wind Technique to the high-level perfection!

How could this Fifth-Tier Premium Tower Ship possibly break free from the magical domain formed by the Astral Wind?

"Boom!"

Within the protective barrier of Astral Wind, nine azure dragons of Astral Wind Azure Dragon swam, and with a clap of thunder, thunder pearls emerged one by one.

Both the one who hit and the one who was hit immediately became obedient.

Another high-level spell was perfected, and the level of spell control was extremely high, forming the Thunder Spell Domain.

"Hiss, we've run into a master." The son of Martial Marquis Jin's eyes suddenly cleared, and reason returned.

On another ship, Earl Wence Ji An was also secretly astonished. "Whose subordinate is this? He's so brave. Hmm? He's just a Sixth Rank official. How did such a powerful figure emerge from the Purple Firmament Islands?"

Sixth Rank official who has mastered a high-level perfected technique and possesses dual domains is extremely rare, at least outside the military.

Zhao Xing ignored them and simply controlled the two ships, waiting for the Patrol Office from Heaven Competition Island to arrive.

The Heaven Competition Island Patrol Office reacted quickly; Zhao Xing had barely finished casting his spell when he arrived.

A patrol team appeared above the two warships in a flying boat.

Liang Hongyu, Fifth Grade Patrol Office, was quite surprised to see this scene.

"What's going on?" Liang Hongyu asked the navigator.

The three navigators who jumped ship belonged to the Seven-Sailboat, the Bright Moonboat, and the Cloud and Rainboat, respectively.

Liang Hongyu asked a question, and soon learned the whole story.

Liang Hongyu activated her Bright Light Armor, flew to Zhao Xing's side, cupped her hands in greeting, and said in a clear voice, "Thank you for helping to maintain order, sir. May I ask your honorable name?"

She was Fifth Grade official, Zhao Xing was Sixth Rank official, but Liang Hongyu was very Guest Qi because Zhao Xing's strength was something that even Fifth Grade might not have, so how could he be an ordinary Sixth Rank official?

"Zhao Xing, Twin Dragon Horse Bureau."

"Agricultural Official?" Liang Hongyu, somewhat surprised. "Please, Lord Zhao, remove the magical domain from the Seven Sails warship."

"Alright." Zhao Xing waved his hand, and the magical domain on the seven-sailed ship disappeared instantly.

"Everyone on this ship, except for the Mechanism Master who operate it, is to be locked up and taken back for questioning!"

Although Liang Hongyu was a female patrol officer, she acted decisively. Once she confirmed the crime, she immediately made an arrest.

"You scoundrel, my father is..."

"Shut up!" Liang Hongyu shouted. "You dare to modify a seven-masted ship into a warship? Is your father a duke or a prince? Detain him!"

Martial Marquis Jin's son was handcuffed, and the warship was towed to an outer island for anchorage.

Ji An, who Bright Moon Tower Ship, was also to be taken away, but his ship was damaged and could not move for a while. He had to wait for the Ministry of Works on Heaven Competition Island to repair it.

Zhao Xing saw that it wasn't good for them to keep blocking the way, and some people behind them were even cursing!

So he transmitted his voice to Liang Hongyu and said, "Lord Liang, why don't I take the people and the boat to the island together?"

Liang Hongyu hesitated for a moment. "Lord Zhao, it will take another hour and a half to get there... Why don't I guide the boat and release it here?"

She doubted whether Zhao Xing could hold out for that long.

Zhao Xing said, "There's no need for that trouble. After you clear the cloud path, you'll need to adjust the island's Magic Array, which will take up even more time. Don't worry, I won't let them fall to their deaths."

A hint of surprise flashed in Liang Hongyu's eyes, and she immediately clasped her hands in a fist and said, "Then I will trouble Lord Zhao for his assistance."

So Zhao Xing controlled the wrecked Tower Ship and they flew forward together.

This scene attracted many onlookers. Being able to lift a fifth-tier Tower Ship with the power of the Gale Law is not something an ordinary person can do.

After landing on the island, we flew at low altitude for an hour and a half before arriving at the Tower Ship Office on Heaven Competition Island.

Zhao Xing originally intended to leave, but Ji An, who was wearing shackles, insisted on coming over to say goodbye to Zhao Xing.

He was being escorted by Liang Hongyu. He came over and cupped his hands, saying, "Ji An, courtesy name Mingzhi, is the magistrate of Kaiyang County, Seven Stars Island. I thank Lord Zhao for saving me just now."

Seven Stars Island is a medium-sized island, consisting of seven islands joined together, with seven counties established on it.

As for why the county magistrate led the team instead of the supervisor of the Dragon Horse Bureau, it was mainly because the situations on each island were different.

Some county magistrates were quite powerful, Dragon Horse Bureau had to obey their orders completely. In some cases, the Left Director was even concurrently held by the county magistrate.

"Zhao Xing, courtesy name Chen'an, is the Dragon Horse Overseer in Twin County." Zhao Xing cupped his hands in greeting. "What I did just now was merely a casual act; Brother Ji, you should try to avoid getting angry in the future."

Ji An smiled and said, "Brother Zhao is right. I wonder where Brother Zhao will be staying on the island? I will come to pay my respects after I have paid the fine."

Zhao Xing turned to look at Tao Anchun, who looked troubled and whispered, "Sir, our Twin Islands haven't participated in the arena for many years. This time, we only have a specially approved spot. Heaven Competition Island didn't arrange Post House in advance, so we'll have to find our own place to stay..."

Zhao Xing nodded and said to Ji An, "Brother Ji, please forgive us, we haven't found a place to stay yet."

Ji An was somewhat surprised. Shouldn't a powerful Agriculture Official like Zhao Xing be in charge of a medium-sized island? Why didn't Heaven Competition Island provide accommodation?

Strange as it was, Ji An still didn't give up on expressing her gratitude. "If Brother Zhao doesn't mind, my Seven Stars Island does have its own venue, which we can arrange for you."

Zhao Xing thought for a moment and said, "Alright, then I'll trouble you."

"Haha, this is the first time I've greeted guests in shackles, Brother Zhao, please don't take offense." Ji An laughed heartily, "Brother Zhao, please wait here for a moment, I'll be right back."

After Ji An finished speaking, she and Liang Hongyu got off the boat together.

"My lord, this man is quite generous. Seven Stars Island is a medium-sized island, so we don't need to rent a place to stay," Tao Anchun said with a smile as he watched Ji An's retreating figure.

The government's Post House were already full. If you wanted to find a place to stay, you had to pay to rent one yourself, or simply buy a piece of land.

Heaven Competition Island is extremely valuable, and at this time, buying or renting would be a considerable expense.

Seven Stars Island has never missed a preliminary round in the past few decades, so naturally they have their own place to live on the island and don't have to squeeze in with others.

Just as Tao Anchun had guessed, when Ji An returned after paying the fine, Zhao Xing chatted with him and learned that he had bought a manor in Heaven Competition City, and it was quite large, covering a thousand acres.

"A thousand acres? Brother Ji, that's quite a generous investment." Tao Anchun, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Haha, actually I also benefited from the previous magistrate's good fortune," Ji An laughed. "Before I took office, Kaiyang County had already established public property here."

"Brother Ji is really lucky," Zhao Xing exclaimed. "To encounter such good fortune, while my predecessor, the supervisor, left us nothing."

Ji An waved her hand and said, "It has nothing to do with luck. The previous magistrate of Kaiyang County was my own brother."

Tao Anchun: "..."

Damn it, there are connections everywhere.

Zhao Xing was used to it; he himself was someone with connections.

In fact, this situation is not uncommon in the East Sea Archipelago: after the grandfather becomes the county magistrate, the son becomes the magistrate, and after the son becomes the magistrate, the grandson becomes the magistrate.

Because many islands in the East Sea practice a system similar to that of Tusi (chieftains).

Long Xiao's girlfriend, Bai Ling, has a grandfather named Bai Yunwu, who is one of the most powerful chieftains in the East Sea.

Of course, Ji An is not in this situation. He is neither a hybrid nor an aquatic. He is purely involved in officialdom.

"It's been tough these past few years," Ji An suddenly remarked as they chatted.

"What do you mean by that, Brother Ji?" Zhao Xing asked, playing the straight man.

"Once the Pacifying Barbarians War began, the policies in various parts of the East Sea became increasingly stringent. In previous years, with my help, I could get a spot in the group stage in the western part of Zixiao without even having to participate in the qualifiers."

"Now that this is happening, even the preliminary rounds will be a battleground," Ji An said. "Especially since Liang King came to power, he has been exploiting the East Sea excessively. My brother used to work in Kaiyang County and only had to raise ten Fifth Grade battle beasts every three years. Now, he has to raise fifteen every year!"

"If we can't finish in a year, we'll have to scale back, and not only will the people's salaries be halved, but the animals' provisions will also be cut in half."

"If we fight for another ten years, I'm afraid I won't even be able to afford charioteers and feeders," Ji An sighed.

"Brother Ji, aren't you a charioteer yourself?"

Ji An was taken aback and asked in return, "Brother Zhao, are you the charioteer yourself?"

Zhao Xing nodded. "I am one."

Tao Anchun asked doubtfully, "Is it common to hire a charioteer?"

Ji An nodded and said, "Of course, the Dragon Horse Bureau only raises them. As for the beast tamers, we need to hire Gao Ming. We can't rely on the Agricultural Official of the Chenghua Bureau to take the lead. The Agricultural Official of the Chenghua Bureau are all useless. They can only add some fun during sacrifices."

Dong Yuanqiu was somewhat embarrassed, because he was the Assistant Director of the Chenghua Bureau.

Ji An was also puzzled, because he found that although Zhao Xing was quite capable, his subordinates seemed unfamiliar with these rules and practices.

They don't look like a strong team at all.

Old Master Zhao certainly knew about these things. "Some not only recruited charioteers, but also hired Veterinarian, Agricultural Official, Dancer Master, musicians, Priest, and warriors at great expense."

Tao Anchun asked in surprise, "You're inviting so many people?"

"Of course," Ji An said. "For example, the Medical Division and Agricultural Official on Dragon Island only recruit military doctors and Military Sima Nong who have retired from the military, or Classics Scholar have retired from the Dao Academy."

"The battles for the War Beasts are extremely intense and long-lasting. If a War Beast is injured today, it will have to fight again tomorrow. The only thing that can restore a War Beast to its fighting strength in a short time is the military medic."

"The same applies to Military Sima Nong. War beasts must adapt to different Favorable Timing and Location in combat, because the ultimate goal of the Beast Competition is to enter the Dragon Court Ancient Land."

"The environment inside is more complex, and survival is even more difficult."

"Therefore, the training intensity of war beasts is very high. Today the training environment may be the Great Cold, and tomorrow it may be the Great Heat."

"No ordinary Civil Sima Nong has such ability. Even if they could go against the seasons, they couldn't maintain it for very long."

"And food too. Vegetarian Ceremony -eating beasts are fine, but vegetarian beasts also need to have their nutritional balance carefully selected."

"Herbivorous beasts are usually very large and require a huge amount of Essence Feeding."

"To achieve self-sufficiency, the speed and scale of planting must be increased. There are also some precious plants that ordinary Agricultural Official cannot cultivate."

Dong Yuanqiu, Tao Anchun, Cao Jiang and others listened with great emotion, never expecting there to be so many intricacies involved.

It seems that the previous supervisor's failure was not due to bad luck.

Zhao Xing Ji An, "In addition to military doctors and Military Sima Nong, large islands will also recruit musicians and Dancer Master to play music to soothe the emotions of the war beasts and perform dances to inspire their fighting spirit. Warriors and Priest will serve as sparring partners."

"Beast tamers are incredibly glamorous during competitions, but this is not the achievement of one person alone. Every skilled beast tamer has a strong support team behind them who silently put in tremendous effort."

Ji An said, "Yes, ten years ago, Seven Stars Island poached a True Self Faction -Fifth Grade Agricultural Official from the Shangluo Academy. Thanks to him, Seven Stars Island has maintained its status as a [medium-level island]."

"Brother Zhao, since you're in the Twin Palaces and haven't appointed a charioteer, are you also in charge of the Divine Feeding Bureau Division?"

Zhao Xing shook his head and said, "No, Lord Tao is in charge."

Tao Anchun felt somewhat ashamed. He was indeed in charge of the Divine Feeding Bureau, but in reality, the cultivation of many precious plants was done by Zhao Xing.

He has never kept any Mountain Cat, Tiger Flood Dragon, or Azure Luan.

It can be said that Zhao Xing single-handedly brought the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau to the qualifiers, and next, it will be up to Zhao Xing and his war beasts to fight on the field.

In addition, the Twins Prison doesn't even have a decent Veterinarian. The doctor they brought this time, Wen Muxun, is just a temporary Veterinarian!

After chatting for a while, the officials of the Twin Palaces all seemed somewhat disinterested.

The excitement of participating had already faded before it even began.

Compared to Ji An's lineup, our side, apart from Zhao Xing, has nothing worth mentioning.

It could even be described as pitifully weak.

Ji An seemed to have noticed the predicament of the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau, and said no more about it.

Tower Ship calmed down for a while, Ji An pointed ahead and said, "Brother Zhao, Heaven Competition City is just ahead. Fly southwest to the Jiannan Mountain, and you will reach my Kaiyang Hall."

"Good."

The Tower Ship landed at the Kaiyang Hall in Heaven Competition City.

Kaiyang Hall covers an area of 1,000 acres and is surrounded by four manors, all of which belong to Seven Stars Island.

The manor has an artificial lake, which facilitates the activities of water-based combat beasts.

The houses gradually grew taller and taller. Zhao Xing locked up the Tiger Flood Dragon and the Azure Luan in the Tuoquan Palace here, where they lived with the strange beasts of Kaiyang County, while the Mountain Cat lived with him in the side room.

They arrived on December 2nd and the competition started on December 4th.

With Heavenly Timing, Zhao Xing didn't go out and stayed at the Kaiyang Manor.

The theme of the preliminary rounds was "Winter," and it lasted for a whole month.

The competition has multiple parts; it's not just about fighting.

"From December 4th to 11th, these seven days will be the ' Flag-Seizing Contest."

"Three hundred and fifty thousand strange beasts left the venue area and went to the island to seize ten thousand flags."

"Capture a flag, and you can advance to the next level."

"The Flag-Seizing Contest ends on the 11th, and the ' Survival Competition ' Celestial Horse."

"Third Grade Agricultural Official will intervene and disrupt the favorable Heavenly Timing and Earthly Advantage Institute of Heaven Competition Island."

"This continued for another seven days. During this time, everything on the island was desolate. Apart from the areas where humans were active, there was no other place that could receive supplies. There were only a few places where food supplies were stored."

"In such harsh conditions, one's energy is greatly depleted, and one also has to face attacks from competitors; it's difficult to even last seven days."

"However, if you feel you can't handle it, you can recall your war beast and return to the arena."

"The Survival Competition will end on the 18th, and the ' Icebound Training ' will begin immediately on the 19th. The competition will take place underwater. Participants will start from the northern sea Heaven Competition Island, swim east, south, and west, circle the island, and return to the Qidian."

"It will last for ten days, and then Aerial Melee will begin immediately after that."

"The beasts cannot land and must fight continuously in the air, making this another competition that tests endurance and combat ability."

"Only the top 3,000 will be considered to have passed the preliminary round."

"Sigh." Zhao Xing looked at the competition rules and couldn't help but sigh.

The attrition rate is really high.

Out of 350,000 strange beasts, only 3,000 were ultimately selected.

The preliminary rounds are already one in a hundred, and these participating beasts have already been screened by the [God Selection Department].

"Heaven Defier, with your small frame, can you handle it?" Zhao Xing looked at the Mountain Cat gnawing on a fish and couldn't help but worry.

"Meow~" Sensing its owner's emotions, the Mountain Cat put down the fish, came over, and rubbed against Zhao Xing's shoulder.

"Okay, I believe you." Zhao Xing smiled. "But if you can't hold on, you must obey my orders and run back, understand?"

Meow~

Heaven Competition City, Dragon Lion Hall, is the headquarters of Purple Firmament Islands Dragon Lion Island, the largest island in the western part of the Purple Cloud Islands.

At this moment, Tong Wanyang, the Dragon Horse Overseer, was chatting with his adjutant Yu Pengcheng.

"The islands that were in the top ten last time are all keeping their strengths hidden this time, and haven't sent out any powerful war beasts," Yu Pengcheng analyzed. "Although they are all Fourth Grade, there are only four types of divine bloodlines, all of which are at the first to third level of the divine rank."

"They are Emperor Crocodile, Fourth Grade early-stage rank member First Tier Emperor Crocodile bloodline, sent by Nine Dragons Bay."

"A mid-stage Fourth Grade, First Tier divine bloodline sent by Dragon Spring Island, the Spirit Rhinoceros Sprite."

"A mid- Fourth Grade fourth-rank, second-tier divine bloodline, Frost Howl Giant Bear dispatched from Bear Island."

"A mid-stage Fourth Grade, third-tier divine-level bloodline, the Wrathful Soul Dragon sent by Heart Rock Island."

Tong Wanyang flipped through the list, then laughed and tossed it aside, "It seems everyone wants to develop peacefully this time, and doesn't dare to fight as fiercely as before."

Yu Pengcheng said, "Yes, it is said that the Pacifying Barbarians War will enter the middle stage next year. At that time, we don't know how many war beasts will be transferred there. Everyone will have to tighten their belts."

In this era, the Beast Competition has to take a backseat; everything is prioritized in pacifying the barbarians.

This is at least the case in Pinghai Province and East Sea.

During this special period, each island is intentionally reducing internal competition in the qualifiers and group stage.

To avoid failing to complete the assigned tasks and deliver enough war beasts to the army.

"Has Wang Xuanyi arrived in Heaven Competition City?" Tong Wanyang asked.

"We've arrived." Yu Pengcheng nodded. "I was just about to go and pay my respects."

"Let's also sound out what they're thinking," Tong Wanyang pondered. "Ask them what next year will be like."

"Oh, right." Tong Wanyang suddenly remembered something, "I remember that the supplies for the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau were overseen by Wang Xuanyi. You should also go and find out what the relationship is between Wang Xuanyi and Zhao Xing."

"I've heard that this Marquis Yuan Rang was exiled here because he offended the Liang King. There's no reason why Wang Xuanyi would value him. Is there any other reason besides Princess Youruo?"

"I'll go ask around."

Wang Xuanyi, the chief agricultural official of Chongming Prefecture in Heaven Competition City, descended upon the prefectural government office.

"Your humble servant Yu Hong greets Lord Wang."

"Hmm." Wang Xuanyi nodded. "Are all the preparations for this preliminary selection complete?"

"My lord, the island has been sealed off, and all four checkpoints are ready."

"The four armies of the East Sea Legion, totaling 120,000 men, are all on standby both on and off the island," Yu Hong said respectfully.

"How are the participants doing?"

"The actual number of people and the number of war beasts present were 1,246 fewer than the number on the preliminary list, and the number of war beasts was also 7,846 fewer."

Wang Xuanyi nodded and entered the main hall to take his seat.

"Buzz~" Above the main hall, Earth Mirror hung down, monitoring the internal and external movements on Heaven Competition Island.

At the same time, a ranking list appeared next to it, but it was not yet open.

Wang Xuanyi glanced at the list of all the participants.

My gaze then fell on the column for Zhao Xing, the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau.

"They've arrived in the first year? Tiger Flood Dragon and Azure Luan, and a Mountain Cat... I wonder if they can get past the First Stage." Wang Xuanyi thought to himself, but quickly dismissed the thought.

December 2nd, evening.

Zhao Xing sat by the lake, watching the Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon frolic in the water.

The Mountain Cat sat quietly to the side. Seeing Zhao Xing sitting cross-legged, it also sat down to meditate in a human-like manner.

Trying to imitate Zhao Xing's breathing, the Mountain Cat soon began to drowsy, its eyelids drooping.

"Hey, your cat..." Ji An walked over, looking at the Mountain Cat with surprise, "It's actually quite intelligent?"

"Get up, a cat should behave like a cat." Zhao Xing patted Heaven Defier.

"Ah~" The Mountain Cat yawned and opened its eyes.

"Brother Ji, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Just came out for a stroll," Ji An said with a smile. "Brother Zhao, you only brought two Pet Beast with you to the battle?"

"Three."

"It's participating too?" Ji An pointed at the Mountain Cat.

"Yes, let it see the world."

Ji An looked at the Mountain Cat curiously. "It can do it too? Isn't this just a Mountain Cat of ordinary bloodline? How can it withstand four trials?"

"Meow!" Heaven Defier stood up and swung its paw at Ji An with a lightning bolt.

"Zzzzz~" Ji An's hair immediately stood on end.

"Heaven Defier, what are you doing!" Zhao Xing was startled and quickly ran over to help Ji An up. "Brother, are you alright?"

"N-nothing... cough cough." Ji An was Fifth Grade, but she never expected to be knocked out by the Mountain Cat's electric shock.

He got up, his eyes sparkling as he looked at the Mountain Cat: "Brother Zhao, are you going to sell this cat?"

Zhao Xing smiled and shook his head.

"I'll pay a high price!" Ji An said.

"I won't sell it, no matter the price."

"You didn't even ask me how much I'm offering?"

Zhao Xing laughed and said, "Even if I were to sell it, Brother Ji, you wouldn't dare take it. It still has a father. Aren't you afraid that a sword immortal will come after you and try to kill it?"

Ji An looked puzzled, not knowing what Zhao Xing was talking about, and assumed that he was unwilling to sell.

December 4th, early morning.

Kaiyang Hall, a number of people had arrived, mainly from the other six counties on Seven Stars Island.

However, no one noticed Zhao Xing, a Sixth Rank Agricultural Official.

As soon as they arrived, they began to discuss strategies with Ji An.

After discussing for two hours.

Ji An then digressed, saying, "Brothers, on my way here, I had a conflict with someone, but fortunately, I was helped by Zhao Xing, the supervisor of the Dragon Horse Bureau on Twin Islands."

"He only has three Pet Beast, all of which are of the Fifth Grade, but his team is all newly established and lacks proper support staff."

"I'd like to recruit him into our Seven Stars Island team to share intelligence and medical resources, as a way of repaying a favor. What do you all think?"

"Can."

"I'm fine."

One of the young men frowned. "Brother Ji, if you want to repay a favor, why do it now? He's just a Sixth Rank Agricultural Official with only a three-headed beast. Even if your dragon pet helps him get through one level, can it really escort him all the way through?"

"By doing this, you're not helping him, you're harming him."

"Brother Gu," Ji An, her eyes slightly narrowed as she looked at Gu Yi, the magistrate of Yaoguang County beside her, "Does Brother Gu disagree?"

Gu Yi said, "I don't agree with what you're doing."

"I also think Brother Gu is right," another Fifth Grade said. "We are not familiar with him, and it would be inconvenient for our Pet Beast to travel with his Pet Beast."

"Alright," Ji An said. "It was my oversight. In that case, I will not share information with him, but only share my own medical expertise with him."

Ji An knew that they were afraid Zhao Xing would become a burden, and that they were also afraid of revealing the weaknesses of their Pet Beast. In fact, this was what they were most worried about.

The fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, at 5:15 AM.

Zhao Xing walked out of the Kaiyang Hall.

At the same time, Ji An, Gu Yi county magistrates and Agricultural Official of Seven Stars Island, a total of fourteen Fifth Grade and forty-eight Sixth Rank, along with a total of one hundred and eighty-two Pet Beast, also gathered outside the venue.

As a medium-sized island, Ji An and her group's strength should not be underestimated. Half of their 182 Pet Beast are Fifth Grade battle beasts.

"Brother Zhao." Ji An walked over, looking ashamed. "I originally wanted to invite your battle pet to come along, but this is not a mission for my county alone, so please forgive me for not being able to invite you to join us."

"It's alright," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "I'm the one who's bothering you. Brother Ji, please make the arrangements."

"If your Pet Beast is injured and you lack a healer, be sure to let me know," Ji An said.

"Okay." Zhao Xing nodded.

After the two met, Zhao Xing returned to his residence, closed his eyes, and called upon Tiger Flood Dragon and Azure Luan.

"Anger~" "Screech~"

Tiger Flood Dragon and Azure Luan immediately flew back from the lakeside and landed in front of Zhao Xing.

"Heaven Defier, go up."

"Meow~" The Mountain Cat immediately jumped onto the Azure Luan's back.

Zhao Xing Xingchao instructed Tao Anchun, "Lord Tao, Lord Cao, keep an eye on the Earth Mirror. If there are any emergencies, notify me immediately."

"Yes, sir, please rest assured."

"Lord Wen, please go and brew the medicine. If you don't bring enough or are missing anything, please let me know immediately."

"Yes."

Tao Anchun and the others immediately began to carry out their respective tasks.

Zhao Xing closed his eyes and began the ' Soul Contract Connection'.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw three different perspectives.

One is Mountain Cat, and the other two are Azure Luan and Tiger Flood Dragon.

"Phew~"

The Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon, with the Mountain Cat on their backs, soared into the sky.

According to the rules, they must leave the city before 3:45 AM and capture three flags within seven days to be eligible to advance to the next level.

December 4th, 3:45 AM.

Countless strange beasts flew out of Heaven Competition City, Heaven Competition City faces south.

After leaving the barrier, the beasts flew off in the east, west, and south directions of Heaven Competition Island.

Ten thousand flags are scattered throughout the island.

You can pass the level as long as you capture one flag.

"Roar!"

As soon as he flew out of the east gate, Zhao Xing saw a huge head protruding from the city wall a thousand meters west of the east gate of Heaven Competition City.

"Emperor Crocodile, divine bloodline, this power must be that of Fourth Grade Emperor Crocodile."

Zhao Xing controlled the Azure Luan to look back at the enormous Emperor Crocodile, its body a thousand meters long, with sharp spikes on its back and dark golden runes surrounding its entire body.

"A total of Nine Emperor Crocodiles are lying outside the east gate," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "It seems these Emperor Crocodile aren't planning on going to find the flag."

Heavenly Timing needed to find the flag, and it must be brought back to the city for the task to be considered complete.

The Emperor Crocodile is so powerful that it surpasses all others; why would it need to search for anything else?

They simply blocked off one entrance into the city, waiting for the rest of the smaller fry to come back before robbing them again.

"Hold head high!"

Roars could be heard from the west, south, and north.

A series of illusory figures loomed over the city gate.

Zhao Xing saw the phantom of a Wrathful Soul Dragon, its massive body dancing in the sky.

There was also a Frost Howl Giant Bear, wielding a huge spiked club, wearing armor, guarding the south gate.

"That means we'll need an extra flag to get into the city," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "Otherwise, we won't be able to get in at all."

Fourth Grade beast with divine bloodline is detached from worldly affairs and there is absolutely no need to fight for it.

They are all among the top ten forces in the West, and they can take as many flags as they want.

Of course, not many people from the top ten forces came this time, and it wouldn't take many slots to feed the top ten forces.

I estimate that about a thousand flags would be enough.

If they're lucky, these forces might already be full and won't run into the gatekeepers when they return.

"Heaven Defier, we... um?" Zhao Xing was about to give Aotian Meow a few instructions when he suddenly saw a flag embroidered with a golden dragon emerging from the sea, planted on a pile of rubble in a valley below, through Azure Luan's perspective.

"My luck... I found a flag only a dozen or so miles from the city center?"

Zhao Xing immediately ordered Azure Luan to go down and fetch the flag back.

The charioteer plays a guiding role; without a charioteer, the beasts alone cannot perform complex actions on their own.

If Zhao Xing tells the Mountain Cat to find the flag, he will guide it continuously without using the Soul Contract connection method.

Maybe the Mountain Cat got confused after leaving the city.

Looking for a flag? What is a flag? Can you eat it?

The Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon are the same; perhaps they understand this time that it's a flag, but next time they'll be just as confused when they need to find something else.

As the Azure Luan descended, a voice sounded from the left.

Zhao Xing saw a flash of gold streak across Azure Luan's pupils, which, surprisingly, arrived first and surpassed Azure Luan's descent speed.

"Fifth Grade Golden Falcon? That's incredibly fast! Azure Luan, come back, don't chase after it."

Zhao Xing could only watch helplessly as the flag below was snatched away by a golden figure.

In terms of speed, the Golden Falcon is almost unmatched among those of the Fifth Grade.

Of course, its stamina is a big problem; it can only fly for an hour at most before needing to rest and eat.

The Azure Luan can fly at full speed for more than six hours continuously.

"Meow?" the Mountain Cat asked, puzzled.

"We can't catch up." Zhao Xing's voice echoed in the Mountain Cat's mind.

"Meow!" The Mountain Cat retorted, "That's because you didn't meow me earlier!"

Zhao Xing ignored the Mountain Cat and ordered the Azure Luan and Tiger Flood Dragon to avoid areas with many beasts and to patrol in the high sky.

Birds and beasts have the advantage of flying high and seeing far. Tiger Flood Dragon can also fly, but at this time they only play the role of guards because Tiger Flood Dragon have poor eyesight.

At the height Azure Luan was flying, the Tiger Flood Dragon's view of what lay below was a blur.

The 350,000 war beasts flew out of Heaven Competition City in extremely dense formation.

The moment they flew out, many places were engulfed in battle.

The Azure Luan immediately rose into the air, preventing a chaotic battle.

But many war beasts were still flying in the sky.

However, no one dared to provoke a group of three Fifth Grade, especially since there was a cat standing on the back of the Azure Luan.

It looked strange no matter how you looked at it. Since it was strange, out of caution, no one went out of their way to provoke it.

If you encounter a flag, that's a different story.

"We've spotted more flags! One, two, three, four! There are four Golden Dragon Rising from the Sea Banner!" Zhao Xing was incredibly lucky. After flying for a quarter of an hour, he saw flags again, this time a full four, planted in a pond below.

"Get down!" Zhao Xing immediately ordered the Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon to land.

Whew~

The Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon descended from the sky, accompanied by Astral Wind, and all the Sixth Rank exotic beasts around them made way.

"There's a flag! Charge!" In a stadium in Heaven Competition City, Huang Biao, a beast tamer riding four Fifth Grade Golden Winged Lion, and Zhao Xing simultaneously spotted the flag in the pond.

It immediately gave orders to the Golden Winged Lion, while simultaneously observing its competitors in the surrounding area.

"The Azure Luan's secret techniques include Frost Assault, Frostfeather Pierce, Icebound Wall, Ice Spike Impact, and Frost Mist."

"The Tiger Flood Dragon's secret techniques include the Sea-Realm Empty Tower, Tiger Roar, Dragon Cry, Flood Dragon Devour, and Reverse-Scale Essence Explosion Art."

Beastmaster Huang Biao kept a close eye on Zhao Xing Xing's group.

"Huh? Why is there a cat?"

"What was the Mountain Cat's secret technique again?"

Huang Biao immediately began to rack his brains.

Whether on the field or the battlefield, the Mountain Cat is a rare sight among war beasts.

Because most cats are stubborn, it's difficult to get them to do this or that, let alone train them.

"Something's fishy; we need to be careful."

Huang Biao immediately reduced his speed, causing the four Golden Winged Lion to assume a defensive posture in mid-air.

As it turned out, Azure Luan didn't use any secret techniques at all; she just rushed down.

Then, it grabbed the four flags and flew away.

"What?" Huang Biao stared at Azure Luan's departing figure, stunned.

"This guy's a master! He didn't use any secret techniques at all, and deliberately exposed his back to me?"

"Not making a move actually makes it harder for me to deal with. What Gao Ming tactic! No move is better than a move! The secret technique is perfectly controlled." Huang Biao muttered to himself.

Little did he know, Old Master Zhao had no knowledge of these things.

He had only had Azure Luan and Tiger Flood Dragon for Heavenly Timing, and he hadn't even mastered guiding Azure Luan to use its skills yet. He had come here specifically to practice.

As for tactics, needless to say, Old Master Zhao is just a part-time beast tamer, how could he think about such things?

He's a complete newbie right now.

Huang Biao was overthinking things; he was simply trying to outwit himself.

"Four flags in hand." Zhao Xing smiled in the arena. "If it weren't for those divine bloodline protectors, I could have sent Tiger Flood Dragon and Azure Luan back to the city by now."

"Not now, we need to find two more."

"Hmm? It seems like someone's following us?"

Zhao Xing sensed from Azure Luan that someone seemed to be watching his battle beast.

Looking back, I found that it was still the same four Golden Winged Lion.

"This guy is so strange. He didn't try to take it from me earlier, so I thought he was afraid of me. Why is he chasing me now?"

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; this isn't how it works," Zhao Xing, somewhat puzzled. "If you had tried to take it from the start, I would have let you have it."

After all, he's lucky, and it's only just begun; there's no need for him to fight to the death.

"Roar!" The Golden Winged Lion roared, sounding somewhat exasperated.

However, Huang Biao only realized what was happening after observing Zhao Xing's three-headed Pet Beast for a while.

"That flying posture... that's not the work of an expert, it's a complete newbie!"

"I was fooled by him!"

Huang Biao cursed angrily.

This is so embarrassing! If people knew that he was a top student from the Myriad Splendor Daoist Academy, and that he was being made fun of like this, where would he put his face?

"Heaven Defier, try it out with these four big cats," Zhao Xing Mountain Cat ordered, then realized his command was too complicated.

"What do you mean by 'trying it out'?" the Mountain Cat asked, puzzled.

"They're trying to steal our food, beat them up," Zhao Xing issued the command again.

"Meow!!!" The Mountain Cat immediately bristled.

Snatching food?! This is outrageous!

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~"

Blue and purple hues flashed in the Mountain Cat's eyes.

It has two colors, purple and blue, with concentric circles of secret patterns that quickly encircle from the head to the tail.

As the light flashed by, the Mountain Cat entered its second form.

Its body was covered with a layer of purplish-blue scales, its fangs and claws grew longer, and with each breath, lightning and Astral Wind flowed around it.

In an instant, a Mountain Cat with thick limbs, well-developed muscles, and wearing purple-blue armor with a metallic texture appeared on the back of the Azure Luan.

"Huh? What kind of secret technique is this?" Huang Biao was stunned. "Mountain Cat belonging to the metal element? That doesn't make sense."

In that moment of distraction, the Mountain Cat had already disappeared onto the Azure Luan's back.

"Pfft~"

Huang Biao felt pain in his ribs, and a feeling of weightlessness came from his mind.

"What?"

Huang Biao was stunned. His perspective suddenly became dizzying, and he was rapidly getting closer to the ground.

Its four Golden Winged Lion were all paralyzed in an instant, and their wings were torn off!

"What on earth is going on? What breed of cat can be so powerful?" Huang Biao was completely bewildered.

At first I suspected he was a master, then I thought he was a newbie, but now I see he's a peerless master!

Both were Fifth Grade, and the Golden Winged Lion was even at the mid-stage of Rank Fifth Grade with a Rank 6 bloodline, yet it was instantly killed by a cat.

Not to mention Huang Biao Zhao Xing are now somewhat surprised.

"Is Aotian Meow stronger? Or are those Golden Winged Lion weaker?"

"Just how powerful is a Mountain Cat that has consumed countless spiritual essences? This is truly beyond my knowledge..." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

He had never seen a cat like this in his previous life. Who would use so much spiritual energy to feed a cat? That would be too extravagant.

At the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau, Zhao Xing rarely sparred with the Mountain Cat, because the clone couldn't beat him, and the real one had too many things to do.

"Heaven Defier, it seems I've seriously underestimated your fighting ability." Zhao Xing noticed this.

"Meow~" The Mountain Cat lay on the Azure Luan's back and licked its paws.

Zhao Xing changed his question, "Heaven Defier, when we left the city just now, weren't you scared of those big guys clinging to the city walls?"

Heaven Defier straightened up and looked back at the city wall, where he could only see a blurry phantom of the Emperor Crocodile.

A light flashed in Heaven Defier's eyes, reflecting the image of the Emperor Crocodile.

Their emotions also became excited.

You mean this big fish? Are we going to eat it?

"Eat?"

Zhao Xing, who was inside the Kaiyang Venue, was immediately taken aback.

Not only is the Mountain Cat unafraid, it even wants to eat the Emperor Crocodile?

"You're so awesome, why are you even looking for a flag? Come on, let's go back to the city and eat fish!"

Sorry for the lateness. At least I didn't go back to the underworld. I'll write 12,000 words today and more tomorrow.