Section 23: Victory in One Strike! Why Is This Happening?

The cultivation of a spirit beast is the primary standard for measuring its strength. The higher the cultivation, the greater the power.

These levels are further divided into five major tiers: Infant Demon, Lesser Demon, Great Demon, Spirit Demon, and Tribulation Demon.

1–9 years is the Infant Demon stage, while 10–99 years is the Lesser Demon stage.

Chu Yun publicly claimed that his spirit beast was a mutated Fire Fox with 8 years of cultivation. This level falls within the Infant Demon tier.

However, Shu Da's Sea Burst Crocodile had already passed the Lesser Demon Tribulation and possessed 15 years of cultivation, having ascended from the Infant Demon stage to the Lesser Demon tier.

Each time a spirit beast survives a Demon Tribulation, it undergoes a qualitative improvement. When an Infant Demon encounters a Lesser Demon, its fighting spirit often dissipates, feeling defeated before the battle even begins.

Spirit Beast Masters have summarized this natural phenomenon as "Tier Suppression."

The existence of Tier Suppression is of great significance to the reproduction and development of spirit beasts. Countless wild spirit beasts have preserved their weak lives and retained the possibility of future growth when facing powerful enemies precisely because of this.

However, in the eyes of the three elders and others, because of this Tier Suppression, no matter how diligently Chu Yun trained his Fire Fox, this battle was unlikely to end in his favor.

"Tier Suppression, Tier Suppression..." Old Red Spear muttered, feeling deeply unwilling.

Old Monkey Qiao furrowed his brows and said bitterly, "Sigh, if we had known, we three old brothers should have pooled our money to buy some Earth-Fiend Stone Coins for the lad Chu Yun!"

"Who could have guessed that Lady Shu would be so treacherous! Look at her expression; she is clearly determined to win this assessment!" Old Fish King sighed.

The three elders turned their gazes toward Lady Shu, only to see the corners of her mouth curled up, her face showing complacency, and her posture one of haughty superiority. They all snorted coldly in unison, feeling not a shred of goodwill toward her.

Since Lady Shu married onto Shu Family Island, the number of Ning Family Trading Group shops established on the island had nearly doubled every year. Lady Shu and her kin colluded to suppress the purchase prices of materials from the islanders, exploited cheap labor, withheld wages, and even engaged in forced buying and selling.

Over the years, the Ning Family Trading Group had scraped an unknown amount of wealth from Shu Family Island. Looking at the sheer amount of money Lady Shu was throwing around now, one could easily imagine the scale of it.

The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master also sighed inwardly, "Tier Suppression indeed. The Sea Burst Crocodile's advantage is simply too great."

He did not hold high hopes for Chu Yun. In his decades of memory, he had never seen anyone successfully challenge an opponent while suffering from Tier Suppression.

Tier Suppression could cause the weaker side to have their combat power slashed in half. The weak become weaker, and the strong become stronger.

The surrounding crowd also sighed, all believing that the outcome of this battle was self-evident.

"Indeed, Tier Suppression ignores the grade of the spirit beast. Even a top-grade Infant Demon Heavenly Fox would be suppressed upon encountering a mid-grade Lesser Demon Martial Dao Crab. Its combat power would plummet by half. However... my Heavenly Fox is also at the Lesser Demon tier!"

Chu Yun's expression remained calm, but he was laughing inwardly. His Heavenly Fox had successfully passed the Lesser Demon Tribulation back when it was still in its egg. To avoid causing a sensation, Chu Yun had claimed it only had 8 years of cultivation.

Of everyone present, only he knew the truth.

Everyone else was kept in the dark.

It was hardly surprising, though; the truth was indeed beyond anyone's expectations. How rare and precious is a top-grade spirit beast? No one would ever guess that the mutated Fire Fox before them was actually a top-grade Heavenly Fox!

They could not imagine it, nor would they dare to think in that direction.

If it were an Infant Demon-tier Heavenly Fox facing a Lesser Demon-tier Sea Burst Crocodile, Chu Yun would have no way to win. The gap in strength would be too great, rendering any strategy or tactic useless.

But a Lesser Demon-tier Heavenly Fox against a Sea Burst Crocodile of the same tier, with a cultivation gap of only five years? If Chu Yun failed to win, he would be doing a disservice to his two lifetimes of experience!

Therefore, under the astonished gazes of the crowd, he gave a bold command: "Attack! Leaping Technique!"

The Heavenly Fox let out a cry filled with fighting spirit, its four hooves digging into the ground as it sprinted like lightning, charging toward the massive Sea Burst Crocodile!

"What? In this situation, the lad Chu Yun is actually choosing to take the initiative?" Old Red Spear was shocked.

Old Monkey Qiao widened his eyes and shouted, "Look at that! He may be losing the battle, but he hasn't lost his spirit! Although this kid usually looks mild-mannered, deep down he is just as brave and fierce as the Island Master!"

"Hmph, seeking death," Lady Shu sneered in her heart, her eyes flickering with cold malice.

"You're courting death!" Shu Da's face twisted into a hideous expression as he roared, "Sea Burst Crocodile, Water Bullet Blast! Blow it to pieces, blast it away!"

A tiny little Fire Fox actually dared to be so arrogant in front of my Sea Burst Crocodile...

Shu Da felt his dignity had been offended, and his irritable nature erupted; he could not tolerate it!

Bang!

The Sea Burst Crocodile opened its maw and spat out a blue water bullet, which shot rapidly toward the charging Heavenly Fox. The Heavenly Fox's own cultivation was five years weaker than the crocodile's; if this water bullet hit, it would surely break bones and shatter tendons.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down. The water bullet shot straight ahead, on the verge of striking the Heavenly Fox.

"Hehehe." Lady Shu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Damn it!" The three elders' eyes widened, their hearts leaping into their throats.

Everyone focused their gaze on the Heavenly Fox, and no one noticed the smile curling at the corners of Chu Yun's mouth.

If it were anyone else, they would likely be in a panic, shouting and scrambling to dodge. But he did not. He trusted in the Heavenly Fox's intelligence, knowing it was capable of making its own decisions to evade the attack.

Heavenly Fox, oh Heavenly Fox! he shouted in his heart—

Rise up in this battle! Display your brilliance and reap the glory; you were born to live amidst gazes of awe and reverence. In my past life, I failed you. But in this life, let us join hands to change our fate and defy the world!

Who could understand the turbulence in Chu Yun's heart at this moment?

Not a single person in this world could comprehend his feelings right now!

The accumulated bitterness of countless years, the lingering gloom, the joys and sorrows, the frustrations and regrets... everything seemed to find a vent at this very moment!

At this instant, like a surging heavenly river, it poured forth—

Unleashed.

"Charge, Heavenly Fox! Strike toward the future; let this moment be the one—where destiny changes!"

As if hearing the call within Chu Yun's heart, the Heavenly Fox increased its speed once more!

Like a streak of white light, it made a gentle turn, effortlessly brushing past the blue water bullet.

Gasps of shock erupted instantly.

"Such speed! How can it be so fast?" Shu Da's heart trembled. He widened his eyes and roared frantically, "Water bullet, fire! Fire! Fire!"

A flawed command. Although the water bullet's power is higher than the Minor Pill Fire, its firing rate is low. How could mere water bullets block my Heavenly Fox? Chu Yun sneered inwardly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. Once he entered a combat state, he seemed like a different person.

His edge was fully exposed, like a sharp sword unsheathed, too piercing to look at directly.

Sure enough, with a few nimble turns, the Heavenly Fox dodged the water bullets. In a flash, it arrived right before the Sea Burst Crocodile.

The Sea Burst Crocodile wore a ferocious expression, its massive jaws agape as a brand-new water bullet brewed within.

Chu Yun's eyes lit up—an opportunity!

"Aim for its mouth and fire the Minor Pill Fire."

The command was barely out of his mouth before the Heavenly Fox, full of spirit, opened its jaws and spat out a fireball. The fireball landed with pinpoint accuracy inside the Sea Burst Crocodile's gaping maw. Fire and water, incompatible by nature, triggered an immediate explosion.

Bang!

Following the blast, the Sea Burst Crocodile tipped over backward. Its limbs twitched, and black smoke billowed from its mouth. It had actually passed out on the spot!

The entire arena fell into a dead silence.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Only Chu Yun remained calm and composed, calling out softly. The Heavenly Fox returned to his feet, yipping as if asking for a reward, its black, gem-like eyes filled with a touch of pride.

"Well done." Chu Yun did not spare his praise, stroking the Heavenly Fox's little head until the creature squinted in delight, its fluffy, snow-white tail swaying leisurely behind it.

"Ho-how could this happen? Sea Burst Crocodile, get up, you bastard!" Shu Da's face was a mask of disbelief as he roared at the fallen beast.

The Sea Burst Crocodile showed no reaction, the black smoke still puffing from its mouth.

The surrounding crowd finally snapped out of their stupor. A wave of clamor exploded.

"What, what did I just see? That Fire Fox took down the Sea Burst Crocodile in one hit?!" someone shouted in disbelief.

"The Sea Burst Crocodile was too arrogant, actually condensing a water bullet right in front of its opponent. As a result, the power of both the water bullet and the Minor Pill Fire detonated inside its own body," someone analyzed coolly.

Many nodded in agreement.

Others felt puzzled: "Strange, why is that Fire Fox still full of vigor? It's as if the rank suppression doesn't exist at all."

For a time, the crowd buzzed with discussion, showing a high degree of interest in this unexpected battle.

Lady Shu's face turned deathly pale.

So white that all color had drained away, leaving her bloodless.

Her body stiffened, like a wooden doll placed upon the sandalwood chair. Her gaze was vacant; she could not understand, she truly could not understand!

The situation had been so favorable, yet in an instant, it had shifted entirely. It left her at a loss.

A moment ago, she had almost seen the water bullet strike the Heavenly Fox's tiny frame. But the next, the towering Sea Burst Crocodile had fallen.

And once it fell, it never stood up again.

Why? Why did it turn out like this?! Lady Shu screamed in her heart. Why had such a thing happened? It was the complete opposite of what she had expected!

She could not accept this reality.

But facts were facts. No matter how bizarre a fact might be, as long as it had truly occurred, it was the best proof in this world.

"The first match, Chu Yun's Fire Fox wins! Next, the second match: Chu Yun versus Shu Er." At this moment, the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master finally reacted. Even he found the words he spoke hard to believe.

That mutated Fire Fox had actually won?

Why did it turn out like this?

This experienced Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master was also filled with confusion. But now was not the time to dwell on it; the assessment had to continue.

Shu Er stepped onto the field.

Lady Shu trembled all over. As if clutching at a final straw, she stood up with a shriek, completely abandoning her graceful demeanor: "Shu Er, my good son! Beat Chu Yun down for me!"

"That goes without saying!" Shu Er held his head high, casting a look of disdain toward Chu Yun, his attitude even more arrogant than Shu Da's. "You guessed the timing right and managed to knock Shu Da down. Hmph, your good luck ends here! What kind of thing are you? I, Shu Er, will defeat you in front of my mother today. Come out, Green Fang Snake!"

Chu Yun rubbed his nose, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes: "Why does this sound so familiar? It seems Shu Da just said the exact same thing?"