Consecutive Victories, Mountain Cat Slays a God
The Nine Dragons Hall in Heaven Competition City houses the seventh-largest island in the west.
The other participants were all very tense and busy at this time, but the atmosphere Nine Dragons Hall was very relaxed.
Because Nine Dragons Island sent out Nine Emperor Crocodiles to guard outside the city.
Each one is at the early stage of the Fourth Grade and possesses a First Tier divine bloodline.
Having a trace of the bloodline of an Ancient God, the Emperor Crocodile would have no problem passing the preliminary selection. The reason for sending out the nine heads was simply to secure a few spots for the other beast tamers.
"Come on, let's drink." Inside the venue, several officials were drinking heartily.
"In this preliminary selection, apart from Dragon Spring Island, Heart Rock Island, and Bear Island, which sent Frost Howl Giant Bear, Spirit Rhino Chong, and Wrathful Soul Dragon respectively, the other major islands did not send out any powerful war beasts."
A Fifth Grade beast tamer named Kang Jia held up a wine glass and spoke.
"This business trip was actually quite easy."
"Yes, training is usually tough, but this month we can finally get some rest."
Bringing Emperor Crocodile to the qualifiers is practically the same as taking a break.
Although Heaven Competition Island also has powerful war beasts such as the Frost Howl Giant Bear, the Wrathful Soul Dragon, and the Spirit Rhino Chong.
However, the top ten teams in the West all know each other implicitly that it's easy to secure a spot in the qualifiers, so there's no need to fight tooth and nail.
Even Dragon Lion Island, the top-ranked island in the west, didn't send out a single Fourth Grade battle beast this time.
Because Dragon Lion Island had already secured enough spots in the three preliminary rounds in spring, summer, and autumn.
"Kunte, why aren't you drinking?" Kang Jia looked across at the other side.
A man in a black robe sat before the desk, his face handsome and his eyes deep. A sparkling sapphire bracelet adorned his wrist.
Among the officials who had come to command the Emperor Crocodile, Kunte was the most powerful. He held an exquisite Beast Soul Scepter in his hand. Although he was also seated at the banquet, Kunte appeared very silent, and even occasionally seemed to drift off into thought.
"Kunte, you're taking this too seriously. Take a break," a colleague advised. "You're constantly connected to the Emperor Crocodile's Soul Contract, which puts a lot of pressure on the Emperor Crocodile."
Kunte opened his eyes. "Someone has to keep an eye on things outside. You guys drink, I won't spoil your fun."
After saying that, Kunte got up and left his seat to go outside for some fresh air.
"Come on, let's drink." Kang Jia and the others were used to Kunte's personality and continued to drink.
The city wall barrier of Heaven Competition City has only four entrances, each barrier entrance is 3,000 meters long and 100 meters high.
The Nine Emperor Crocodiles lay outside the city gate, completely blocking the eastern entrance.
To get in, you must hand over a flag.
The Emperor Crocodile guards the gate, and no beast dares to force its way in.
Zhao Xing controlled the Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon to fly towards the East City Gate, circling and observing when they were a kilometer away.
"Whoosh~" A golden streak of light flew in from afar, and two Golden Falcon tried to sneak in by relying on their speed.
However, the golden flags in their mouths were too conspicuous, and the Nine Emperor Crocodiles immediately spotted them.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~" The Golden Falcon shone brightly, instantly activating its Ninth Order bloodline and unleashing its innate ability.
In an instant, the shadow of a hawk appeared in the sky!
"Such speed! The Golden Falcon is already skilled in speed, and when it activates its top-tier bloodline, its speed increases even more, resulting in so many afterimages."
Inside the venue, Zhao Xing observed the Golden Falcon from three different perspectives.
In the eyes of the Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon, all they could see were countless shadows filling the sky.
"Meow~" the Mountain Cat meowed, then its pupils dilated, revealing two eyes, one blue and one purple, which looked quite strange.
When the Mountain Cat sensed that Zhao Xing wanted to "see clearly," it offered its help.
In its field of vision, the sky and earth appeared bluish-purple, and there were no shadows.
The Golden Falcon's speed was also dozens of times slower, and its golden hue was very noticeable in the purplish-blue field of vision.
"Heaven Defier can see through the flight path of the Golden Falcon, can the Emperor Crocodile do the same?"
"Does it have any means to stop it?" Zhao Xing observed.
The Emperor Crocodile is so large that it should have difficulty even turning around.
It won't be easy to stop the Golden Falcon from sneaking in.
However, the moment the Golden Falcon entered, both Emperor Crocodile simultaneously roared to the sky.
"Roar!"
The barbs on the spine of the Emperor Crocodile emitted a yellowish-brown halo, and the ripples spread in the air, instantly enveloping the entrance.
When the Golden Falcon flew in, its speed decreased significantly, as if it had plunged into a quagmire.
At this moment, even the weaker Tiger Flood Dragon could clearly see the traces of the Golden Falcon, and the falcon's shadow disappeared.
"Earth Element Domain." Zhao Xing looked ahead. A spell domain is a general term for all kinds of domains. Generally, a domain will appear only when a high-level spell or high-level martial art is practiced to the Seventh-Turn level.
The magic of the Emperor Crocodile differs somewhat from that of humans.
They do not comprehend the Dao; they are simply born powerful, and their bloodline power is compatible with a certain attribute, allowing them to instinctively unleash it.
"The Emperor Crocodile possesses the bloodline of the Ancient God Taowu; such a war beast is called a divine bloodline."
"Bloodline grade primarily affects the power of innate secret techniques."
"Even though they both possess the Five Elements Domain, the power of a Ninth Order Name-rank bloodline and First Tier God-rank bloodline can differ by ten times," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
Because many generations have passed, the Emperor Crocodile only possesses a trace of Divine Beast bloodline, but even that trace makes it Divine Beast species.
After the Golden Falcon entered the Earth Element Domain, its speed gradually decreased. By the time its owner realized something was wrong and tried to make it turn back, it was too late.
"Chirp chirp~" The falcon spat out the flag to the Emperor Crocodile, nodding repeatedly as if begging for mercy.
"Hmph, too late now!" Inside the Nine Dragons Hall, Kang Jia sneered and ordered the Emperor Crocodile, "Kill it!"
Following Kang Jia's order.
Outside the East Gate, a Emperor Crocodile suddenly opened its blood-red maw, its black back adorned with spines that glowed with a red light.
"Boom!"
A red flame suddenly shot out from the mouth of the Emperor Crocodile.
The flames coalesced into a pillar, instantly engulfing the Golden Falcon.
"Roar~" The war beasts in the distance were startled and ran away.
Seeing this, Zhao Xing couldn't help but shake his head. The Fifth Grade Golden Falcon had melted away without leaving a trace.
"Ahhhhh! No!" In a public venue in Heaven Competition City, a Sixth Rank beast tamer suddenly screamed like a madman.
He lay sprawled on the ground, his face contorted in rage. "Damn it, damn Nine Dragons Island! All those golden falcons I've trained for over a decade!"
Unfortunately, he could only rage helplessly in his secluded room.
When you come to Heaven Competition City, you must be prepared for your battle beasts to die. Survival of the fittest is the principle of the Beast Competition.
Seeing the golden falcon vanish into thin air, Zhao Xing was also somewhat worried. He asked again, "Heaven Defier, can you beat them? These big fish are all together."
The Mountain Cat is only at the early stage of Fifth Grade, while the Emperor Crocodile is at the early stage of Fourth Grade, a huge gap between them!
And there are nine heads here!
Nine Dragons Island has no intention of engaging in any one-on-one duels.
Just now, one of the Emperor Crocodile used its Earth Element Domain, while the other spewed out a fiery laser.
The training on Nine Dragons Island is clearly exceptional; each Emperor Crocodile has subtle differences, and they likely follow different growth paths.
The Mountain Cat was also a bit conflicted; with so many big fish, which one should it eat first?
"..."
Sensing the Mountain Cat's thoughts, Zhao Xing was speechless.
He strongly suspected that Aotian Meow had become extremely confident after spending too much time with Long Xiao.
However, in the end, Zhao Xing still let the Mountain Cat test the waters.
"Heaven Defier, you provoke it at the edge, and lure a big fish out to chase after it."
"Yes, strike it with lightning. Its range is about 1,500 meters. Look, it's right here in the Tiger Flood Dragon's location."
Zhao Xing still made use of his role as a charioteer, taking advantage of the strength of the secret technique that the Emperor Crocodile had just used.
He could roughly estimate that the Earth Element Domain of the Emperor Crocodile was only about 1,500 meters away.
Once you're 1,500 meters away, you're outside its range.
Zhao Xing rambled on and on.
"Old Wu~"
Aotian Meow suddenly meowed.
It was getting a little impatient.
So, are we allowed to eat fish or not?
"Alright, go give it a try, but remember to run away if you don't get any!"
"Meow~" Heaven Defier nodded, then jumped off Azure Luan's back.
As the Mountain Cat charged out, in the Nine Dragons Hall, Beast Tamer Kang Jia suddenly paused, his wine glass still in his hand.
"Hmm? A cat?"
He closed his eyes to sense his surroundings and then discovered a tiny figure in the sky, gracefully descending with cat-like steps.
"A Mountain Cat?"
Kang Jia was taken aback.
"Brother Kang, what's wrong?" someone asked.
"The Emperor Crocodile reported an anomaly to me. In its perception, a Mountain Cat, at the early stage of the Fifth Grade, has appeared."
"Oh?" The person next to him immediately closed his eyes, connected with his own battle beast, checked, and found that it was indeed the case.
"Who's so wasteful as to raise a Mountain Cat to the Fifth Grade?"
What kind of breed is Mountain Cat? It doesn't even qualify as a top-tier bloodline.
Normally speaking, it's considered quite good if Mountain Cat reaches adulthood and is eligible for the Ranked Realm.
Reaching the Eighth Grade is quite difficult.
How many resources would it take to raise it to the Fifth Grade?
If you can raise Mountain Cat to Fifth Grade, the resources you have to raise other god-level bloodline battle beasts could probably reach Fourth Grade! Isn't that just wasting money?
"It's probably some rich young master's pet," someone said. "I'll ask who it is."
"Interesting." Kang Jia also found it novel.
The circle of beast tamers in the Purple Firmament Islands is only so big. Once you reach their level, you can easily tell if someone is a local just by asking around.
The group didn't take it seriously at first. After all, the Mountain Cat was only Fifth Grade, and its owner was probably an inexperienced person. It didn't have any flags on it, so the Emperor Crocodile wouldn't stop it from entering.
But suddenly—
Clang!
Kang Jia's wine glass fell to the ground, and he stood up in shock.
"What's wrong, Brother Kang?"
"That Mountain Cat actually attacked my Emperor Crocodile!"
"Something's wrong, my Emperor Crocodile is injured!"
"What?!"
Outside the East Gate.
Heaven Defier walked down from the sky step by step with cat-like steps.
When it entered the 1,500-meter range, the Emperor Crocodile looked up at the Mountain Cat.
However, seeing that the other party did not have a flag, they ignored it.
Even when the Mountain Cat was within a kilometer's reach, the Emperor Crocodile remained See No Evil.
Because the Mountain Cat's movements are so deceptive.
Normal war beasts, after long training, all carry a bloody smell and a killing intent.
But the Mountain Cat... despite being Fifth Grade, didn't have that feeling at all.
It's like some rich kid who didn't keep his pet in check, and it suddenly ran into the battlefield.
Kang Jia didn't take it seriously at all because of his innocent and cute appearance.
The Emperor Crocodile didn't take it seriously, assuming the Mountain Cat was just trying to enter the city.
But suddenly—
"Whoosh~"
The body of the Aotian Meow disappeared two hundred meters away from the Emperor Crocodile, and then appeared on the right side of the Emperor Crocodile's abdomen in an instant, like a bolt of lightning.
"Rip~"
Claws flashing with lightning suddenly crossed.
Thunder Rending Claw!
"Pfft!"
A ten-meter-long cross-shaped wound suddenly appeared on the left side of the Emperor Crocodile's abdomen.
Emperor Crocodile:???
What kind of cat is this? How does it even know how to ambush?!
The Mountain Cat, meanwhile, ran off with a piece of meat from the Emperor Crocodile in its mouth.
At this moment, the Mountain Cat is like a combination of Old Master Zhao and Long Xiao.
Long Xiao taught it how to maximize damage: when opening wounds, make sure to make a cross shape so that it's easy to tear off a piece of flesh and prevent the enemy from healing quickly.
Old Master Zhao taught the Mountain Cat how to be a sixth brother through his words and deeds.
If you can launch a sneak attack, don't engage in a head-on confrontation!
Caught off guard, the Fourth Grade Emperor Crocodile suffered a severe abdominal injury.
A thick piece of flesh was torn off, and blood flowed incessantly from the wound. A force of thunder prevented the wound from healing.
"Roar!" the Emperor Crocodile roared angrily.
Kang Jia was also furious. His Emperor Crocodile was injured, and it was injured on the hand of a seemingly harmless little guy.
"Dry it to death!"
Kang Jia gave the order in a fit of rage.
"Buzz~"
An earthy yellow light emanated from his back, and the Earth Element Domain unfolded once more.
However, the Mountain Cat is also very fast. It has achieved the Pure Yuan Realm by using the power of wind and thunder.
Cats are naturally fast, and they can also control the power of wind to move heaven and earth. The speed of Mountain Cat is 50% faster than that of a golden falcon!
After enduring the pain, the Emperor Crocodile unleashed its Earth Element Domain, Mountain Cat had already appeared 1,500 meters away, returning to the Azure Luan's back.
At this moment, Zhao Xing's eyes lit up.
"Aotian Meow's strength is beyond my imagination."
Zhao Xing has always regarded the Mountain Cat as a pet, not a war beast.
Neither Inverted Peak Mountain nor the Eternal Night Sea offered any opportunity for the Mountain Cat to perform.
With that team composition— Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, Xia Jing, Zhao Xing Zhao Xing to use the Ten Thousand Laws Straw Puppet, and the sorcerer Ji Ziyun —there was no need for Mountain Cat to charge into battle.
Later, when Liu Tianning arrived in person, the Mountain Cat had even less chance to perform.
He was just following Old Master Zhao around, eating and eating.
Now the Mountain Cat have a chance to shine, but it also surprised Zhao Xing.
That ruthless technique and cunning...
"Those spiritual herbs weren't wasted after all," Zhao Xing couldn't help but laugh.
Outside the city, both the Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon were trembling with fear.
Because the Mountain Cat brought back a piece of meat and asked them if they wanted some.
The flesh and blood of the Emperor Crocodile are imbued with the power of Ancient God; even the smell is frightening, so who would dare to eat it?
"Heaven Defier, stop eating! A Emperor Crocodile is chasing us!" Zhao Xing warned the Mountain Cat immediately, observing from Azure Luan's perspective.
"Meow?"
The Mountain Cat watched the large fish crawling towards it and couldn't help but feel a little angry.
I've eaten so many fish, but none of them have jumped like this!
"Waaah~"
The Mountain Cat growled and leaped off the Azure Luan's back again, heading straight for the Emperor Crocodile.
With a low growl.
A bolt of purple lightning shot out from the Mountain Cat's left eye and instantly struck the Emperor Crocodile's head.
"Boom!"
The lightning struck the head of the Emperor Crocodile without any resistance.
"Hmm? Eyes can emit lightning? It looks quite powerful." Zhao Xing watched the battle from Azure Luan's perspective.
Thunderbolts are hard to dodge, especially for a large creature like the Emperor Crocodile, making it very difficult to avoid.
"Roar!"
After the thunder, the Emperor Crocodile let out a roar.
There were charred marks on its head.
The head of the Emperor Crocodile also lacks scales, but its bones are very hard; this was merely a superficial injury.
But the fact that it could break through the defenses surprised both Emperor Crocodile and Kang Jia.
Because the Earth Element Domain was open, the Emperor Crocodile's defense was greatly enhanced, yet the lightning still penetrated the domain and caused damage to the Emperor Crocodile. Just how strong is this cat's lightning magic?
"Dingchen, Hangguang, both of you attack together!" Kang Jia gritted his teeth and said, "Kill that damned cat!"
How embarrassing!
In full view of everyone, the Emperor Crocodile of Nine Dragons Island was actually injured by a cat!
"Don't kill it, capture it." At this moment, Kunte walked in. "This Mountain Cat is very mysterious. If we capture it and take it back, we might be able to forcibly break its Soul Contract."
"Capturing it and turning it into our slave-marked war beast is better than killing it outright."
"Okay." The others also recognized the Mountain Cat's extraordinary abilities.
"Damn it, no sportsmanship! Mountain Cat is only at the early stage of the Fifth Grade, let's have a one-on-one fight if you dare!" Zhao Xing cursed Kaiyang Hall.
Dong Yuanqiu and Cao Jiang, who were standing beside him, looked at each other in bewilderment.
I wonder what's wrong with Lord Zhao.
From Zhao Xing's perspective.
The entire Nine Emperor Crocodiles has been mobilized!
The nine-headed, early- Fourth Grade war beast, the Emperor Crocodile, hunts down an early- Fifth Grade Mountain Cat!
Of course, Old Master Zhao was angry.
"Meow~" The sound of Mountain Cat appeared in Zhao Xing's mind.
"What do you mean? You're letting Azure Luan and Tiger Flood Dragon run first, while you're staying behind?"
"Heaven Defier, don't be impulsive! If you die, Long Xiao will kill me... Hey, don't go!"
Inside the Kaiyang Hall, Zhao Xing suddenly stood up.
Because the Mountain Cat was stubborn, it directly struck the Azure Luan and the Tiger Flood Dragon with lightning, forcing them to run away.
Then it charged towards the Nine Emperor Crocodiles instead.
"Damn it, you haven't learned a single thing from me, you've been corrupted by Long Xiao! You want to be a sword immortal, huh?!" Zhao Xing cursed as he walked out the door.
"Sir, what's wrong?" Tao Anchun asked.
"My cat is fighting with Emperor Crocodile. You guys stay here and guard it. I'm going to the city wall."
There was no other way, so Zhao Xing had to make the trip himself.
If something goes wrong, even if it violates the rules, he will go and rescue the Mountain Cat.
Swish swish swish swish swish swish swish swish swish swish~~~
Inside the Cloud Rain Tower Ship, which was moored inside the Kaiyang Hall, countless Ten Thousand Laws Clone flew out, each carrying a weapon.
Ji An, who was riding a beast in the courtyard next door, heard the commotion and couldn't help but look over.
My eyes almost popped out of my head in shock!
"A sixth-tier Web Cannon, a sixth-tier Celestial Origin Bow... Holy crap, is that a sixth-tier top-grade God Slaying Ballista it's carrying?"
Ji An was dumbfounded.
These are all heavy military equipment!
Dude, where did you get this?
Ji An felt as if she had been rescued by a "terrorist" and then invited to her home as a guest.
I was both surprised and frightened.
He knew that Zhao Xing was the Marquis Yuan Rang, but the Marquis Yuan Rang was only a third-rank marquis. He couldn't possibly possess such an important military weapon if he wasn't Martial Marquis.
Theoretically speaking, Zhao Xing was not qualified to bring these things, but Rahu King granted him special permission to do so in order to protect his safety.
With four million merits in battle, Zhao Xing was forced by Liang King to exchange them for a fourth-rank honor, a promotion of two ranks, and the removal of his honorary title. Rahu King naturally had to give Zhao Xing some compensation and ensure his safety.
With these items, Zhao Xing, even in a non-combat zone, could be killed by ordinary fourth or fifth-rank officials in conjunction with his clone.
"My Lord Ji, there's no need to panic," Tao Anchun ran out to explain. "My lady was just looking at the cats on the city wall."
"Oh, I see." Ji An's smile was forced.
Such a commotion outside the east gate naturally couldn't be kept secret from the people inside the city, and the news spread rapidly.
"Have you heard? All the Fourth Level Emperor Crocodile from Nine Dragons Island have been mobilized!"
"Huh? Did they get into a fight with the giant bears of Bear Island?"
"No, it looks like they're hunting a Mountain Cat."
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"It's true, someone took a picture of it from the city wall! See for yourself!"
"What? It really is! Let's go check it out!"
"..."
The news that a nine-headed, Fourth Level Emperor Crocodile was hunting a Mountain Cat immediately caused a sensation.
It's really intriguing.
What kind of cat could warrant such a massive fuss on Nine Dragons Island?
Bear Hall, a burly man with a thick beard was controlling his Fourth Grade -rank battle beast, the "Frost Howl Giant Bear."
It is "Badaluo," the leader of the Bear Island team this time, who is a hybrid of aquatic Human Race.
At this moment, Badaluo sensed the movement of the Emperor Crocodile and couldn't help but strengthen his connection with the giant bear.
Because Bear Island and Nine Dragons Island are old rivals, and this time they only brought three Frost Howl Giant Bear, they were afraid that the other side would launch a sneak attack.
"It doesn't seem like they're coming for us." Badaluo sent the Frost Howl Giant Bear, into the sky.
"Could it be that they've gotten into a fight with Spirit Rhino Chong from Dragon Spring Island?"
Dragon Spring Hall, a woman with a voluptuous figure, dressed in animal skins, also walked out of the venue.
Youji closed her eyes on the grass, connecting with the war beast Spirit Rhino Chong outside the city.
"The Nine Emperor Crocodiles have all come out, but I can't see who they're attacking."
Youji's face was full of doubt. "What is Kunte from the Nine Dragons Hall up to?"
She took out the Earth Mirror and sent a message to Aofeng, the leader of Heart Rock Island.
Because the Wrathful Soul Dragon of Heart Rock Island are always flying in the sky, and that section of the city wall is closer to the Emperor Crocodile.
Soon, Aofeng replied, "The Emperor Crocodile is hunting a Fifth Grade Mountain Cat, and one of the Emperor Crocodile has been severely injured!"
"What?" Youji was shocked. What on earth was going on?
"Someone come here!"
"Your subordinate is here."
"Send men to check the east city wall immediately!"
"Yes."
"Roar!" The Nine Emperor Crocodiles roared in unison.
The woods outside the east city were in a state of chaos, with many trees broken and uprooted.
The ground was sunken and left behind many dense and huge footprints.
One of the fire-attribute Emperor Crocodile opened its blood-red maw and spat out a ball of fire.
It hurtled straight towards a dark shadow in mid-air!
The Emperor Crocodile possesses the bloodline of Divine Beast. If its breath strikes, even Sixth Level Divine Weapon will be melted!
"Boom!"
Flames shot into the sky, even turning the clouds red.
But the shadow in the sky still exists.
"Sizzle~"
Aotian Meow waved its claws, and the purplish-blue secret patterns on its claws lit up, actually detaching from its body and transforming into two secret pattern rings that appeared on the fire-attribute Emperor Crocodile.
The ring rapidly expanded, and once the kilometer-long Emperor Crocodile was trapped, the ring quickly contracted.
"Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss~"
Sparks flew from the friction of the scales and rings on the body of the Emperor Crocodile, and wisps of blue smoke rose from its body.
"Roar!!!"
The Emperor Crocodile struggled painfully.
A beast tamer next to Kang Jia immediately covered his head and squatted down.
"Dingchen, disconnect the Soul Contract and let Emperor Crocodile do as it pleases," Kunte immediately ordered.
The reflection of a cat appeared in his eyes.
"This Mountain Cat entered the Pure Yuan Realm with the power of wind and thunder, and it has reached the high-level perfection of more than one secret technique."
"There's no reason for this. How can the Mountain Cat's innate abilities be so strong?" Kang Jia found it unbelievable.
In their recent encounter, the Mountain Cat severely injured one of their Emperor Crocodile once again.
If there was no warning before, then there's no excuse now.
Because the Mountain Cat launched its attack while under the influence of the Five Elements Domain of the Nine Emperor Crocodiles!
"This Mountain Cat has consumed countless treasures," Kunte said with a complex expression. "It can no longer be considered an ordinary Mountain Cat. Its talent enhancement is even stronger than the bloodline ability of a sixth-tier god!"
The beast tamers present were speechless.
The Mountain Cat's performance completely shattered their expectations.
How many treasures would it take to achieve this effect?
Not only are they highly talented, but the number and power of their secret techniques also far exceed their comprehension.
"My Emperor Crocodile, it can't hold on any longer!" the beast tamer who had just crouched down with his head in his hands cried out in pain.
"How so?!"
"Even if I die, I want to die knowing why!"
"It shattered the Earth Element protective runes of the Emperor Crocodile with a single kick!"
"It didn't kick once, it kicked nine times!"
"What kind of secret technique is this?"
"Wind Riding Ninefold Step"
"How is that possible? Could the Mountain Cat's secret technique really be that powerful? You must be mistaken!"
Are you questioning my judgment?
"Shut up!" Kunte snapped. "Stop arguing and concentrate!"
Kunte waved his hands, and the Beast Spirit Staff emitted bursts of light.
Meanwhile, outside the East City, the largest Emperor Crocodile suddenly had its keratin turn crystalline.
In an instant, it became transparent, like a crystal Emperor Crocodile.
"Buzz~"
The remaining seven-headed Emperor Crocodile also entered their second form.
The only one unable to use it was the Emperor Crocodile, which was trapped by the Mountain Cat's innate secret technique.
Having consumed two of the Mountain Cat's advanced secret techniques, Wind-Thunder Lock and Wind Riding Ninefold Step, it was on the verge of death.
Swish~
While the other Emperor Crocodile transformed, the Mountain Cat descended again, landing on the heavily injured Emperor Crocodile.
Thunder Rending Claw!
"Sizzle~"
The Mountain Cat appeared on the belly of the Emperor Crocodile, and the rings suspended it.
"Puff puff puff puff puff puff puff~"
It was fast, incredibly fast, and incredibly agile. The Thunder Rending Claw seemed to be dozens of Mountain Cat simultaneously unleashing a high-level secret technique on the Emperor Crocodile.
In an instant, the abdomen of this early- Fourth Grade Emperor Crocodile was torn to shreds.
"Heh heh~"
The Emperor Crocodile collapsed to the ground, convulsing, its life force rapidly waning, and it fell into silence.
The internal organs are utterly destroyed; even a god couldn't save him.
The Nine Emperor Crocodiles has been reduced to only eight!
"A Emperor Crocodile died."
On the city wall, Tong Wanyang quietly watched the scene below.
Upon learning the news, he immediately went to the east city wall.
As the leader of the West, Dragon Lion Island did not send Fourth Grade battle beasts with Divine Beast bloodlines this time.
But Tong Wanyang still came in person because he discovered that this Mountain Cat was the Pet Beast of Zhao Xing, the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau.
"That's incredible!" Yu Pengcheng exclaimed, standing beside him. "This Mountain Cat is definitely no more than five years old."
"To be raised to this level in less than five years, it's no use eating anything else; it must have been fed with the Heavenly Spirit Essence," Tong Wanyang speculated.
"Marquis Yuan Rang, Zhao Xing, rose to prominence in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven. He benefited greatly from the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven incident two years ago; even the head cat followed him and rose to the Fifth Grade."
Normal cultivation programs would not treat the Heavenly Spirit Essence as regular resources.
Since there aren't enough people to eat, how could the spiritual beauty of Spirit Mountain be shared with exotic beasts?
Moreover, the Heavenly Spirit Essence is most potent when consumed by humans, while even a double dose for exotic beasts might only yield half or even 30% of the desired effect.
However, if there are enough of them, and one consumes large quantities of Yuan Technique Spiritual Elegance, even a pig could advance to the Fifth Grade.
Only in this way can one's innate secret skills be greatly enhanced.
"The Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven is something that cannot be replicated," Yu Pengcheng shook his head. "We simply cannot cultivate it."
The Mountain Cat has also entered the Heavenly Gate and soaked in the Lingxiu Hot Spring; even the Azure Water Daoist Academy cannot replicate this training program.
"This Mountain Cat will become our formidable enemy," Tong Wanyang said. "Look, even with the eight Emperor Crocodile transforming and the Mountain Cat also transforming, we still can't do anything to it."
"Too cumbersome," Yu Pengcheng commented. "The Crystal Transformation only strengthens the Emperor Crocodile's defense, but it can't match its speed. Their Crystal Five Elements Domain can't completely lock down the Mountain Cat."
"Speed is affected, but it's still faster than the Emperor Crocodile."
"However, it will be difficult for the Mountain Cat to kill another Emperor Crocodile."
"You and I can see it, and so can Kunte," Tong Wanyang said. "I wonder why Zhao Xing isn't letting the Mountain Cat leave. What exactly is he planning?"
"I can't figure it out. If we don't retreat soon, other war beasts might come to our aid."
Tong Wanyang and Yu Pengcheng never expected that Zhao Xing would be unable to get the Mountain Cat to retreat at this moment.
He could use the Soul Contract to forcibly interfere with the Mountain Cat's actions, causing Mountain Cat pain and ultimately forcing it to submit to his commands.
But with Mountain Cat being hunted right now, doing this is tantamount to sending Mountain Cat to their deaths.
"Swish swish swish swish~"
The main body and the Ten Thousand Laws Clone finally arrived at the city wall.
However, once they reached the city wall, Zhao Xing discovered that the Mountain Cat had already killed a Emperor Crocodile.
"Is Heaven Defier really that powerful?" Zhao Xing himself was somewhat surprised.
Despite being surrounded by Nine Emperor Crocodiles, they still managed to kill one.
Definitely a swordsman among cats.
Seeing this, Zhao Xing was no longer in a hurry.
They simply watched quietly.
But his appearance drew surprised glances from those around him.
Seeing Zhao Xing's posture, he was immediately taken aback.
Because Old Master Zhao had set up the God Slaying Ballista on the city wall, and he had many clones, each carrying a large-scale, deadly Divine Soldier.
"Ten Thousand Laws Clone? Is this the Straw Man Art of the True Self Faction?"
"Who is this person, capable of cultivating Ten Thousand Laws Clone?"
"Hiss, how can he carry so many heavy military weapons? Isn't he afraid of being arrested by the Heaven Competition City Patrol Office? Could he be Martial Marquis?"
"How could it be Martial Marquis? He's wearing the robes of Sixth Rank. Have you ever seen Martial Marquis of the Sixth Rank?"
"Hmm? Ten Thousand Laws Clone, Ten Thousand Laws Clone... What is the relationship between this person and Liu Wanfa?"
On the city wall, many people were discussing it.
Zhao Xing ignored the gossip and instead contacted Mountain Cat.
"Heaven Defier, come back to the city wall."
"Meow!"
The Mountain Cat refused.
If we go back now, what will happen to that big fish? We won't be able to bring it back!
Zhao Xing was helpless because he noticed that more and more war beasts were approaching.
If Nine Dragons Island were to bring in reinforcements, the situation would be quite different.
The Mountain Cat has the advantage over the Emperor Crocodile; it can fight or run away whenever it wants.
However, if the Wrathful Soul Dragon or the Spirit Rhino Chong came and tried to capture the Mountain Cat, then it would be dangerous.
The Twin Dragon Horse Bureau is virtually unknown and has few helpers.
Now that the Mountain Cat has shown its extraordinary abilities, it's obvious to anyone that someone has their eye on Mountain Cat.
"I'll catch you a big fish when we get back, even bigger than this one!" Zhao Xing coaxed.
"Meow!"
Is it another one of those shelled fish? I won't eat that!
"..."
Zhao Xing felt a little melancholy; it's not easy to fool a grown-up child.
I also blame myself for feeding the Mountain Cat too much turtle meat before, which made it develop a psychological aversion to this kind of fish.
"It's definitely not like that! Listen to me, come back first."
After much persuasion, Mountain Cat finally agreed to come back.
At this moment, Azure Luan and Tiger Flood Dragon had already taken the opportunity to slip into the east gate with the flag.
Before leaving, the Mountain Cat even cut a large piece of meat off the dead Emperor Crocodile.
"Whoosh~"
The Mountain Cat, its body crackling with lightning, lashed out with its claws, forcefully tearing apart the Crystal Five Elements Domain.
"Roar!" The eight-headed Emperor Crocodile roared incessantly.
Kunte and Kang Jia were also quite helpless, as the Emperor Crocodile here had only recently grown to the Fourth Grade and their bloodlines had not been activated for very long.
They could only watch helplessly as the Mountain Cat nimbly moved left and right, slipping out of the Crystal Five Elements Domain.
With a "whoosh," a Mountain Cat, streaking with sparks and lightning, appeared on the city wall, carrying a piece of Emperor Crocodile meat in its mouth.
"Phew~" Zhao Xing finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But in an instant, he flew into a rage, jumped up, and gave the Mountain Cat a sharp rap on the head.
"Well, you've really grown up! You don't even listen to me anymore, you unfilial son!"
"Waaaaah~" the Mountain Cat cried pitifully.
The Mountain Cat fought against the Nine Emperor Crocodiles, killed one of them, and then escaped with ease.
This matter immediately became the hottest news in Heaven Competition City, causing a sensation.
"Are you crazy? Mountain Cat can kill Emperor Crocodile? Or Fifth Grade fighting Fourth Grade?"
"What, it's another hunt by the Nine Emperor Crocodiles?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
"Nine against one, Fourth Grade fighter against Fifth Grade fighter, and they even got one killed by Mountain Cat. Do the beast tamers on Nine Dragons Island even know how to play?!"
"Nine Dragons Island has truly declined."
"If Mountain Cat can beat Emperor Crocodile, my Shadow Leopard can too!"
"This is truly eye-opening! To witness Mountain Cat slaying a god in my lifetime—what is impossible in this world?"
"If word gets out in the Beast Taming World, this will be a laughing stock of Nine Dragons Island for a hundred years."
"Zhao Xing, the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau? Never heard of him, but his Mountain Cat is really something."
"..."
Countless people are talking about that Divine Valor Mountain Cat.
Nine Dragons Island, which serves as a backdrop, is absolutely infuriating for Kunte and Kang Jia.
Many people sent private messages from Earth Mirror asking if it was real.
There were both jokes and sarcastic remarks.
"What do you mean he can handle his Shadow Leopard? You bastard, come and fight me one-on-one if you dare!" Kang Jia slammed his Earth Mirror on the table repeatedly.
"Sigh, I'm famous now." Another beast tamer said dejectedly.
They became famous, but I never expected it to be this kind of fame.
The Emperor Crocodile fell in the qualifiers, killed by Mountain Cat. It's clear that his beast-taming career has come to an end.
When he arrives at Nine Dragons Island, he will likely have no choice but to resign.
In the city lord's palace.
Wang Xuanyi looked at the battle footage recorded by the Mirage Pearl.
Yu Hong, a prefect of the Fourth Grade, had just told him about this.
At first, Wang Xuanyi was somewhat skeptical, but after seeing it, Wang Xuanyi realized that it was actually true.
"My lord, Mountain Cat Zhao Xing is truly a talent to raise lynxes to this extent." Yu Hong explained from the side, "Crystal transformation, combining into the Crystal Five Elements Domain, the seven elements of the Emperor Crocodile, namely metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and thunder, and two others are purely for cultivating physical strength."
"They couldn't even defeat a Mountain Cat."
Wang Xuanyi put the Mirage Pearl aside, nodded and said, "His Mountain Cat must be Spiritual Elegance Variant, having consumed too much of the Heavenly Spirit Essence."
"The Mountain Cat demonstrated four secret techniques this time, and all of them were at the high-level perfect stage."
"Besides Yuan Technique Spiritual Elegance, very few other treasures can have this effect."
"My lord, what is the background of Marquis Yuan Rang, Zhao Xing?" Yu Hong asked. "He was carrying a powerful weapon. When my Patrol Office questioned him, he actually produced King Conferral Secret Order. Rahu King specially approved him to carry such a deadly weapon."
Wang Xuanyi, "He has some connection with Rahu King and is Liu Wanfa's personal disciple."
"However, he has also offended the Liang King Faction. The secrets behind this are difficult to explain to you. I recommended you, so I advise you not to inquire about these things."
"Yes." Yu Hong nodded obediently.
Hundred Soldiers Pagoda in the Military Realm.
Xin King and Anning King, somewhat weary, arrived at the Earth Mirror Observation Room.
As the intensity of the war increased, various affairs began to increase, and both Xin King and Anning King, as one of the thirty-three princes in the Military Realm, were a little too busy.
"Hmm? Luo Hou, what are you looking at?" After Anning King entered, he saw many images from the Earth Mirror, all of which were cut to a sea area.
"Is this Heaven Competition Island in the East Sea?" Xin King, Liu Yong, glanced at it and quickly determined where the area in the picture was.
"Hmm." Rahu King nodded. "The preliminary rounds of the Beast Competition have begun in the East Sea. Just take a look."
"Just browsing?" King Anning asked, puzzled. "How come you have time to pay attention to things in the East Sea?"
Rahu King smiled and said, "I don't have as many things to do as you do. If there are things to do, I've already done them."
"The Supervisory Department should be the busiest, but you have time to watch the games," Anning King with some envy. "Liu Tianning is really useful."
"Why don't you let him take a part-time position in the Imperial Stud Department, Rahu King?"
"Liu Tianning has already taken on the roles of transporter in two prefectures, and he's even gathering intelligence for your Imperial Stud Department. Isn't his power a bit too much for Fourth Grade?" Xin King said.
"Having already served Transportation Envoy of two prefectures, why would you be afraid of serving as the envoy of the Yu?" Anning King laughed. "Luo Hou, how about it, lend me your services? Searching for people in the territory of the Blazing Light Royal Court is really troublesome; those sand worms are truly annoying."
The Baboke Insect are adept at burrowing underground, and the army of the Blazing Light Royal Court mostly operates underground.
During the training phase, the most difficult thing to provide is military intelligence from the Blazing Light Royal Court.
"Losing even one of Liu Tianning's Ten Thousand Laws Clone would require a considerable amount of treasures to replace," Rahu King.
"This money will come from my Imperial Stud Department."
"He's currently doing the work of three hundred people all by himself. If I let him work for you, outsiders will inevitably say that I'm mistreating my subordinates."
"You, Luo Hou, are afraid of this?"
"Liu Tianning comes to your Imperial Stud Department, I'm afraid he'll be met with..."
"I'll pay more," Anning King said irritably. "I'll increase his salary, request an award for him, and after he finishes the job, I'll give him three Seventh Order treasures."
Rahu King smiled and said, "Deal."
"..."
Xin King laughed and said, "Haha, if you had said so earlier, Luo Hou would have agreed."
"It's really not easy to borrow someone from Luo Hou," Anning King.
"By the way, I remember his disciple Zhao Xing was sent to the East Sea, hasn't it been two years now?"
"Less than two years," Rahu King. "He is currently participating in the preliminary rounds of the Beast Competition."
"Oh?" Anning King checked the Earth Mirror: "The Twin Dragon Horse Bureau has received an excellent performance evaluation for a year..."
Xin King, "Twin Islands have a poor foundation. If he can achieve excellent grades for five consecutive years and lead Twin Islands to advance from the group stage in the Purple Firmament Islands and participate in the knockout stage in the East Sea, he can be promoted to the Fifth Grade."
"If East Sea advances and participates in the Four Seas Peak Tournament, a rank of Rank Fifth Grade is guaranteed."
Anning King, "It would be quite difficult to go from nothing to something within ten years."
Rahu King nodded. "It is quite difficult. How about Anning King and I make a bet on whether Zhao Xing can raise a war beast that can participate in the peak competition within ten years on his own?"
King Anning pondered, "What is the stake?"
Rahu King, "You, Anning King, are rich, so you should at least gamble on an eighth-tier treasure."
Anning King nodded and said, "Alright, I bet he can't."
Rahu King, "Anning King, you can prepare the eighth-tier treasure now."
"What do you mean by that?" Anning King was taken aback, and then he saw Rahu King wave his hand, and a Earth Mirror floated in front of him.
The scene depicts a battle between Mountain Cat Emperor Crocodile.
"This cat is the battle pet that Zhao Xing trained. Last year, it was only Sixth Rank."
"Now, Zhao Xing has nurtured him to the early stage of the Fifth Grade in Transformation of Seasons Art."
Rahu King, "It has consumed a great deal of Heavenly Spirit Essence in the Ten Yang Grotto-Heaven, and is now able to challenge Fourth Grade battle beasts."
"This is footage of the battle that just came in."
After reading it, Anning King's eyes widened in disbelief. "You bastard Luo Hou, you actually tricked me?!"
Rahu King: "I didn't lie to you, this really just came back."
Anning King scoffed, "Even so, you might not win. A mere Mountain Cat is far too weak and outnumbered; how can you possibly break through the encirclement?"
Xin King, Liu Yong, clapped his hands and said, "What you said sounds familiar."
"What's the meaning?"
"I heard Heaven Derivation King mention his bet with Luo Hou. The first time they made the bet, Luo Hou didn't believe Zhao Xing could succeed. In the end, Luo Hou lost two Seventh Order Divine Soldier."
"Hmph, I refuse to believe it," Anning King. "I want to see how he manages to fight his way to the top with just a Mountain Cat."