Demon Beasts' cultivation was the main measure of their strength. The higher their cultivation, the stronger they were.
More specifically, they were divided into five tiers: Young Demons, Lesser Demons, Great Demons, Spirit Demons, and Tribulation Demons.
One to nine years of cultivation made a Young Demon, while ten to ninety-nine years made a Lesser Demon.
Chu Yun claimed publicly that his Demon Beast was a mutated Fire Fox with eight years of cultivation. That put it at the Young Demon tier.
Shu Da's Sea Burst Crocodile, on the other hand, had passed through the Lesser Demon tribulation and had fifteen years of cultivation. It had already advanced from Young Demon to Lesser Demon.
Each time a Demon Beast passed through a Demon Tribulation, it underwent a qualitative improvement. Young Demons who encountered Lesser Demons, or Great Demons who encountered Spirit Demons, often lost all will to fight and felt ashamed to even try.
Spirit Beast Masters had summed up this natural phenomenon and called it "tier suppression."
Tier suppression played a major role in the reproduction and development of Demon Beasts. It was thanks to this that countless wild Demon Beasts survived encounters with powerful enemies, preserving their weak lives and the possibility of growing stronger.
But now, in the eyes of the Three Elders and the others, tier suppression meant that no matter how hard Chu Yun had trained his Fire Fox, the odds in this fight were stacked against him.
"Tier suppression, tier suppression..." Old Red Spear murmured, unwilling to accept it.
Old Monkey Qiao furrowed his brows and said bitterly, "Sigh, if we'd known this would happen, the three of us old brothers should've pooled our money to buy that kid Chu Yun some Earth-Fiend Stone Coins!"
"Who could've guessed Lady Shu would be so devious? Just look at her expression. She's certain she'll win this assessment!" Old Fish King sighed.
The Three Elders turned to look at Lady Shu. Her lips were curled into a smug smile, and she held herself with an air of superiority. The three of them promptly snorted in unison, feeling not the slightest warmth toward her.
Since Lady Shu had married into Shu Family Island, the number of Ning Family shops on the island had nearly doubled every year. Lady Shu and her family had joined forces to drive down the price they paid for the islanders' materials, wring cheap labor from them, dock their wages, and even force them to buy and sell against their will.
Over the years, the Ning Family Trading Group had squeezed an unknown fortune out of Shu Family Island. Just look at how freely Lady Shu threw money around now, and you could imagine the size of it.
The Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master sighed inwardly as well. "Tier suppression... The Sea Burst Crocodile has far too great an advantage."
He had little faith in Chu Yun. In decades of memories, he had never seen anyone withstand tier suppression and still win a challenge.
Tier suppression could halve the weaker side's combat strength. The weak grew weaker, and the strong grew stronger.
The surrounding spectators sighed too. They all believed the outcome of the fight was already plain to see.
"That's right. Tier suppression ignores a Demon Beast's quality. Even a top-grade Young Demon Heavenly Fox would be suppressed by a mid-grade Lesser Demon Martial Dao Crab. Its combat strength would suddenly drop by half. But... my Heavenly Fox is a Lesser Demon too!"
Chu Yun's expression was calm, but he was laughing to himself. His Heavenly Fox had passed through the Lesser Demon tribulation as soon as it hatched. To avoid shocking the world, Chu Yun had claimed it had only eight years of cultivation.
Of everyone present, only he knew the truth.
Everyone else had been kept in the dark.
But it was no wonder. The truth was beyond anyone's expectations. How rare and precious were top-grade Demon Beasts? No one would ever imagine that the mutated Fire Fox standing before them was actually a top-grade Heavenly Fox!
They couldn't imagine it, and they wouldn't dare to.
If a Young Demon Heavenly Fox faced a Lesser Demon Sea Burst Crocodile, Chu Yun would have no way to win. The gap in strength was simply too great; no strategy or tactic could make up for it.
But a Lesser Demon Heavenly Fox facing a Sea Burst Crocodile of the same tier had only a five-year gap in cultivation between them. If Chu Yun couldn't win now, he'd be letting down the person he'd been in both his lives!
So, to everyone's astonishment, he boldly gave the order. "Attack! Leaping Technique!"
The Heavenly Fox let out a cry brimming with fighting spirit, spread all four legs, and raced forward like lightning! It charged straight at the hulking Sea Burst Crocodile.
"What? In this situation, that kid Chu Yun is actually taking the initiative to attack?" Old Red Spear was stunned.
Old Monkey Qiao's eyes widened. "Look at him! He may be losing, but he won't lose face! The kid seems gentle enough, but deep down he's every bit as bold as the island lord!"
"Hmph, what a fool," Lady Shu sneered inwardly, her gaze glinting coldly.
"Looking for death!" Shu Da's face twisted as he roared, "Sea Burst Crocodile, Water Bullet Blast! Blow it to pieces, knock it flying!"
A little Fire Fox dared to act so recklessly in front of his Sea Burst Crocodile...
Shu Da felt his pride had been insulted. His violent temper flared, and he couldn't stand it!
Bang!
The Sea Burst Crocodile opened its mouth and spat out a blue water bullet, which shot straight at the charging Heavenly Fox. The Heavenly Fox already had five fewer years of cultivation than the Sea Burst Crocodile. If that water bullet hit, it would surely leave it battered and broken.
In that moment, time seemed to slow. The water bullet streaked straight toward the Heavenly Fox, about to strike.
"Hehehe." Lady Shu finally couldn't help laughing aloud.
"Damn it!" The Three Elders' eyes bulged, their hearts leaping into their throats.
Everyone focused on the Heavenly Fox. No one noticed the smile tugging at Chu Yun's lips.
Anyone else would have panicked by now, shouting for it to dodge. But he didn't. He trusted the Heavenly Fox's intelligence to make its own decision and avoid the attack.
"Heavenly Fox, oh, Heavenly Fox!" he cried out in his heart—
"Rise to greatness in this very battle! Show your brilliance and claim your glory. You were born to live beneath gazes of wonder and reverence. In my previous life, I let you down. But in this life, let's join hands, change our fate, and fight against the world!"
Who could understand the turmoil in Chu Yun's heart at that moment?
Not a single person in this world could understand what he was feeling!
The weight of countless years, the gloom of countless years, the bitterness and hardship of countless years, the troubles and regrets of countless years... It was as if everything had found an outlet in this moment!
Now, it poured down like a surging river from the heavens—
A release.
"Charge, Heavenly Fox! Surge toward the future! Fate, from this moment on, will be—changed!"
As if it had heard the call in Chu Yun's heart, the Heavenly Fox accelerated!
Like a streak of white light, it made a light turn and easily slipped past the blue water bullet.
Gasps rang out.
"What incredible speed! How can it be that fast?" Shu Da was shaken. He widened his eyes, then roared, "Water bullets! Fire! Fire! Fire!"
"Wrong order. Water Bullet Blast is more powerful than Minor Pill Fire, but it fires more slowly. How could water bullets alone stop my Heavenly Fox?" Chu Yun sneered inwardly, his eyes flashing. Once the battle began, he seemed to become a different person.
His sharp edge showed like a fierce sword drawn from its sheath, impossible to look at directly.
Sure enough, the Heavenly Fox made several nimble turns and dodged the water bullets. Then it darted forward and reached the Sea Burst Crocodile.
The Sea Burst Crocodile's expression turned savage as it opened its mouth. A fresh water bullet was forming inside.
Chu Yun's eyes lit up. This was his chance!
"Take aim at its mouth and fire Minor Pill Fire!"
At his command, the Heavenly Fox opened its mouth with uncanny intelligence and spat out a fireball before he had even finished speaking. The fireball flew with pinpoint accuracy into the Sea Burst Crocodile's open maw. Water and fire could not coexist, and an explosion erupted at once.
Bang!
After the explosion, the Sea Burst Crocodile toppled backward. Its limbs twitched, and black smoke poured from its mouth. It had fainted on the spot!
The entire arena fell deathly silent.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Only Chu Yun remained calm. He called softly, and the Heavenly Fox returned to his side, yipping as if asking for praise. Its black-gem eyes held a hint of smugness.
"Well done." Chu Yun praised it without holding back and rubbed its little head. The Heavenly Fox's eyes narrowed with delight, and its fluffy white tail swayed leisurely behind it.
"H-how could this happen? Sea Burst Crocodile, get up, you bastard!" Shu Da howled at the fallen beast, his face full of disbelief.
The Sea Burst Crocodile didn't respond. Black smoke continued to curl from its mouth.
Only then did the crowd come to their senses. In an instant, the whole place erupted.
"Wh-what did I just see? That Fire Fox took out the Sea Burst Crocodile with one strike?!" someone shouted in disbelief.
"The Sea Burst Crocodile got too cocky. It actually started forming a water bullet right in front of its opponent. Then the power of both the water bullet and Minor Pill Fire exploded inside its body," someone analyzed calmly.
Many people nodded in agreement.
Some were still puzzled. "That's strange. Why is that Fire Fox still full of energy? It's as if tier suppression doesn't exist."
For a time, the spectators buzzed with discussion, showing tremendous interest in this wholly unexpected battle.
Lady Shu's face was very pale.
So pale that she looked bloodless.
Her body stiffened, like a wooden doll made to match the sandalwood chair. Her eyes were dazed. She couldn't make sense of it—truly couldn't!
She'd had the upper hand, but all at once the situation had changed. She was left at a loss.
Just a moment ago, she'd practically seen the water bullet slam into the Heavenly Fox's tiny body. But in the next instant, the towering Sea Burst Crocodile had fallen.
And once it fell, it never got back up.
"Why? Why did this happen?!" Lady Shu screamed inwardly. Why had this happened? It was the exact opposite of what she'd expected!
She couldn't accept it.
But facts were facts. No matter how unbelievable a fact might be, if it had truly happened, it was the best proof in the world.
"Chu Yun's Fire Fox wins the first battle! Next, Chu Yun will face Shu Er in the second battle." At last, the Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master came to his senses. Even he found his own words hard to believe.
That mutated Fire Fox had actually won?
How could this have happened?
The experienced Earth Altar Spirit Beast Master was full of questions too. But this was no time to investigate; the assessment had to continue.
Shu Er walked onto the field.
Lady Shu shuddered. Like someone clutching at the last stalk of straw, she jumped to her feet and shrieked, her poise completely gone. "Shu Er, my precious son! Take Chu Yun down for me!"
"Of course!" Shu Er held his head high and shot Chu Yun a scornful look, even more arrogant than Shu Da. "You got lucky and caught the right moment, so you beat Shu Da. Hmph, your luck ends here! What do you think you are? Today, right in front of my mother, I'll beat you! Green Fang Snake, come out!"
Chu Yun rubbed his nose, a trace of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Why do those words sound so familiar? Didn't Shu Da just say something like that?"