The Dragon Cub's Unyielding Will

"Thorn Sea Lizard, Explosive Needle Spike! Water Cannon! Rolling Spike Attack!"

On the ice, a White-Bellied Sea Lizard covered in spikes and grayish-brown scales had practically turned into a turret, unleashing attacks without pause.

On the other side, Jiang Xing scrambled and rolled across the ice in a miserable retreat.

No, Senior, didn't you say you'd go easy on me? Why were you suddenly rattling off a menu?!

So this was what you meant by going easy—using Water Cannon?!

Jiang Xing used every trick he had, sliding across the ice as he fled, on the verge of tears.

Su Muli's Pet Beasts were all Monarch rank or above, while the Golden-Veined Koi she had only recently tamed was merely Awakening Rank and unable to contend with the Rainbow Dragon Cub.

So, she had specially brought over a Mid-Transcendental Pet Beast from her research institute.

It was this Thorn Sea Lizard—the base form of the Storm Sea Lizard.

At first, Jiang Xing had genuinely thought his senior was going easy on him. After all, without contract interference, the coordination between Beast Tamer and Pet Beast would be lacking, and commands could not be conveyed quickly through the contract...

In the end, though, his senior taught him harshly what real control looked like.

Even with only verbal commands, she had successfully predicted all of Jiang Xing's thoughts, issuing orders almost simultaneously and achieving precisely targeted effects that completely suppressed the Rainbow Dragon Cub's moves...

If Jiang Xing had not worn the Power Bracer for more than a week, improving his physique and making his body exceptionally agile enough to evade several crucial attacks, he would have been sent into the water long ago and lost on the spot.

"Your physique isn't bad." Su Muli praised him, then said, "Next comes the final blow."

"Thorn Sea Lizard, Storm Tackle!"

"Hiss!!"

The Thorn Sea Lizard charged furiously, nearly turning into a gray blur as it slammed toward Jiang Xing.

To protect Jiang Xing, the Rainbow Dragon Cub immediately used Tackle and flew forward to intercept it.

The two figures collided. Clearly, the Thorn Sea Lizard's move was stronger; the Rainbow Dragon Cub was sent flying, its aura weakening as wounds covered its body.

At that moment, Jiang Xing shouted.

"Dragon Cub!!"

In that instant, the Rainbow Dragon Cub opened its eyes. Fighting spirit seemed to burn within them as light burst from its entire body—

In an instant, Heart of Exhaustion took effect. Not only did its injuries rapidly heal, but its stamina was restored to its peak as well.

"Mwu!!"

With a dragon's cry, it wheeled around and charged toward the Thorn Sea Lizard!

Bang!

Its speed was so fast that the Thorn Sea Lizard had no time to react, and it was knocked flying a considerable distance.

"So this is Heart of Exhaustion?"

Su Muli had already read the paper and known the Talent's effect beforehand.

But when she saw the Rainbow Dragon Cub truly return from the brink of defeat—and in full condition, no less—she could not help but marvel—

Pet Beasts possessed all kinds of abilities, including moves that healed wounds and restored stamina.

Beast Tamers could also use similar items.

But a Talent that locked its health and fully restored it in desperate circumstances was far more outrageous than any of those things.

"That's right! This is the Indomitable Heart born from a Golden-Veined Koi that overcame its limits and successfully leapt over the Dragon Gate!" Jiang Xing slid back a distance, steadied himself, and shouted, "Go, Dragon Cub, True Dragon Dance!"

The original Dragon Sacrifice Dance involved imitating the Azure Dragon's flying form, performing a dance to worship the Azure Dragon, then gaining boosts to strength and speed.

But after the Rainbow Dragon Cub evolved, it had become a True Dragon Type Pet Beast, possessing an appearance similar to that of the Azure Dragon.

Thus, Dragon Sacrifice Dance had changed as well, becoming [True Dragon Dance].

By assuming a unique posture and flying for a distance, it could not only temporarily increase strength and speed, but also serve as a powerful charging attack—

There was no need to worship a True Dragon. It had already become one.

"Thorn Sea Lizard, use Explosive Needle Spike to interrupt its flight!"

At the same time Jiang Xing shouted, Su Muli gave her command as well.

It was only one full recovery. In battle, opponents who used items that restored their full condition were hardly uncommon.

She knew the Talent's effect and had reserved enough stamina for the Thorn Sea Lizard to deal with it...

And indeed, that was the case.

Su Muli's command experience was on an utterly crushing level.

Even though the Rainbow Dragon Cub had recovered to full condition, it was defeated again before long.

"Dragon Cub, hold on!"

"Mwu!!"

Amid Jiang Xing's shout, the Rainbow Dragon Cub's Heart of Exhaustion activated.

Its fighting spirit blazed as it returned to battle!

Su Muli frowned slightly. Triggering twice in a row made this Talent even more troublesome...

Sure enough, as the first Golden-Veined Koi to leap over the Dragon Gate, Jiang Xing's Rainbow Dragon Cub possessed an unimaginably steadfast will. It would not fall so easily.

Fortunately, every activation of Heart of Exhaustion caused its probability to drop sharply.

It had already triggered twice...

"Dragon Cub, believe in yourself!"

"Mwu!!"

Looking at the Rainbow Dragon Cub return to the battlefield, it was not just Su Muli.

Even the Thorn Sea Lizard was nearly numb, its desire to fight plummeting wildly.

Why the hell could that thing not be killed at all?!

Facing the Rainbow Dragon Cub's third revival, even the Thorn Sea Lizard, masterful as it was at stamina management, began to succumb to fatigue.

Jiang Xing also gained a chance to catch his breath. He even began commanding the Rainbow Dragon Cub to counterattack Su Muli herself—

Going easy on a pretty girl? It was time to let his senior experience what it felt like to scramble and roll around!

However, Su Muli had ample combat experience. She was highly skilled at protecting herself under field battle rules and had undergone systematic training; her physique was far stronger than Jiang Xing's current one.

She stepped across the ice, calmly dodging attack after attack. Rather than looking disheveled, she looked as though she were dancing.

Under her restraint, the Thorn Sea Lizard gave everything it had and finally drained the Rainbow Dragon Cub's stamina for the fourth time.

This time, no matter how low the theoretical activation probability was, Su Muli did not dare trust probability anymore.

Just before the Rainbow Dragon Cub's stamina ran out, she shouted.

"Thorn Sea Lizard, Intimidate!"

The Talent Heart of Exhaustion drew its power from will.

In other words, as long as the Rainbow Dragon Cub could be made fearful, hesitant, or affected by similar states that reduced its fighting spirit, its activation probability could be effectively lowered.

At that moment, the Thorn Sea Lizard flared every spike on its body and let out a heartfelt roar!

It was a move capable of frightening enemies into retreat.

And when it landed on the Rainbow Dragon Cub, it produced a very real effect.

At that moment, it recalled the thing it feared most. It remembered the Jawbone Fish it had seen in the fishpond years ago, madly tearing apart Golden-Veined Koi, as well as the Dragon Gate that had seemed impossibly distant and insurmountable...

A long-forgotten fear rose within it, and it fell wearily toward the ice.

"Dragon Cub!!"

At that moment, the shout rang in its ears—and in its heart.

The Rainbow Dragon Cub opened its eyes, saw the slender figure reflected in the ice, and suddenly woke.

It remembered that it was no longer as weak as before. It had long since defeated its enemies and conquered the Dragon Gate.

It was... a True Dragon!

"Mwu!!!"

At that moment, an unyielding dragon cry rang out, and light bloomed.

Fighting spirit burned in the Rainbow Dragon Cub's eyes as it soared into the air.

Its fighting spirit surged as it prepared to attack, only to see raised hands.

"I surrender."

Su Muli was speechless.

Four revivals, and the fourth one had even been hit by Intimidate. Was it really not even pretending?

You wanted to win that badly? Fine, this round was yours.

On the distant lakeshore, Li Lingyin watched the battlefield from afar.

She watched the big sister who had easily defeated her get beaten head-on, and watched the Dazzling Dragon Cub happily dance through the air. She was deeply shaken.

So this was what Beast Tamer battles were like?

With an Indomitable Heart, one could defeat an opponent through bonds!

Teacher, she understood!

On the other side of the ice, Jiang Xing watched the Rainbow Dragon Cub flying about and gained some insight as well.

With their contract connection, he naturally knew that when the Rainbow Dragon Cub fell for the fourth time, it had already run out of steam.

Even with its will pushed to the limit, triggering its Talent three times had drained it completely.

Instead, the Jawbone Fish's Intimidate move had reignited the Rainbow Dragon Cub's fighting spirit, successfully activating the Talent for a fourth time.

"Heart of Exhaustion was originally proof that the Rainbow Dragon Cub's will had transformed and overcome its limits."

"It does not fear tests of will. On the contrary, it can draw strength from them."

A flash of inspiration struck Jiang Xing.

In the Koi Leaping Over the Dragon Gate he had designed, the element of "leaping over the Dragon Gate" had never been the key to evolution.

The brave will of the Golden-Veined Koi was the true core of their evolution.

If they merely leapt over the Dragon Gate, but their will failed to meet the requirement, then they likely would not be able to evolve.

So...

What if he added Dragon Might into the "Dragon Gate" as a test?

Could he turn it into a true Dragon Gate, where successfully leaping over it would guarantee evolution?!