Magical Beast Showdown, Cultists Crash the Party

After a short while, the referee blew his whistle and lightly raised the small flag in his right hand. The beast-fighting platform slowly split down the middle, and two cages gradually rose from below.

"Open the cages!"

As the referee's words fell, the cage doors slowly opened. The instant they did, the entire arena erupted.

A massive blood-red wolf was the first to leap out of its cage.

Standing proudly in the center of the platform, the Flame Wolf surveyed the unfamiliar surroundings and the spectators around it.

A furious roar erupted from the towering wolf's jaws.

"Awooo!!"

Several fireballs two meters in diameter shot from the giant wolf's mouth and crashed toward the surroundings.

"Bang... bang..."

The scattered fireballs struck the barrier, sending ripples across its surface before dissipating.

Seeing that its attack had done nothing, the Flame Wolf was about to prepare another wave when a heavy set of footsteps caught its attention. It lowered its body and stared toward the source of the threat, whimpering low in its throat.

A massive rhinoceros slowly emerged from the other cage. Its body was exceptionally bulky, its limbs as thick as short pillars, and its head enormous. Armor-like thick hide covered its entire body, while a sharp horn rose skyward from its snout, making it a terrifying sight.

The Flame Wolf watched the Ironclad Rhino approach, letting out a threatening growl. Yet the Ironclad Rhino seemed not to notice the Flame Wolf's threat at all. Even after leaving its cage, it continued strolling leisurely.

Seeing the Ironclad Rhino remain unmoved, the Flame Wolf seemed enraged. A fireball came roaring down and exploded against the Ironclad Rhino, instantly enveloping it in thick smoke and dust.

The audience collectively let out disappointed noises at the sight.

"This Ironclad Rhino is way too weak. It didn't even dodge and just took the Flame Wolf's fireball head-on. Damn! I thought two third-tier beasts would put on an epic fight, but who would've thought..."

"Exactly! I came on my day off to see these so-called third-tier magical beasts, and this is it? What a waste of a ticket!"

The spectators voiced their dissatisfaction with the battle before them. They had waited so long for this, and this was all they got? They wanted to see an evenly matched fight, not a one-sided slaughter!

"Brother Yu, is the Ironclad Rhino seriously done already? I worked so hard to get these tickets, and this is what I get to watch?"

The fat man's indignant voice sounded beside Lin Yu. Lin Yu ignored him and focused intently on the duel platform.

"Here it comes!!" Lin Yu suddenly said.

Thanks to the superior vision of the Rinnegan, Lin Yu did not think the Ironclad Rhino was finished like everyone else. He had clearly seen a layer of yellow-brown armor suddenly cover the Ironclad Rhino's body just before the fireball struck. Despite its imposing display, the fireball had not even broken through the Rhino's armor!

"Here what comes??" the fat man asked in confusion.

Before Lin Yu could answer, heavy running suddenly sounded from within the smoke. Then, a rhinoceros clad in yellow-brown armor burst wildly out of the haze. Like an out-of-control chariot, it charged straight toward the Flame Wolf.

The atmosphere instantly came alive as the Ironclad Rhino burst into its charge, and cheers thundered through the arena.

Though the Ironclad Rhino looked cumbersome, it was not slow once it began charging. In an instant, it reached the Flame Wolf. With its massive body and formidable speed, if it hit the wolf, the Flame Wolf would either die or be skinned alive!

Unfortunately, its opponent was a wolf. Though the charging Ironclad Rhino was indeed fast, it was still a little too slow compared to the Flame Wolf.

At the instant it was about to collide, the Flame Wolf made a nimble little leap. Not only did it evade the Ironclad Rhino's charge, but it also viciously raked the Rhino's armor with its claws.

"Screech..."

Sparks flew everywhere, but aside from several new scratches on its armor, the Ironclad Rhino was completely unharmed.

Having missed the Flame Wolf, the Ironclad Rhino gradually came to a stop. It turned around and lowered its enormous head, its horn still aimed at the Flame Wolf as its right forehoof continuously pawed the floor.

Perhaps because it had easily avoided the Ironclad Rhino's charge just now, the Flame Wolf seemed somewhat dismissive of the Rhino's continued aggressive stance.

A fireball flew toward the Ironclad Rhino in blatant provocation. Then the Flame Wolf began racing wildly around it, occasionally slashing at it with a claw. Sparks flew from the Ironclad Rhino's body, and the dazzling visual display drew wave after wave of gasps from the audience.

The Ironclad Rhino clearly had no good way to deal with the situation. It could only keep turning to adjust its angle, but its overly cumbersome body made it impossible to catch sight of the Flame Wolf. It could only endure the wolf's relentless attacks in frustration.

Though the Flame Wolf had not yet inflicted any effective damage on the Ironclad Rhino, one had to remember that the Ironclad Rhino was continuously using its skill. Once its energy ran out and the armor vanished, it would be the Ironclad Rhino's doom!

For a time, the deadlock continued. One side attacked wildly without success, while the other could only defend passively. Now it was a matter of seeing which one gave out first.

Just as the audience thought it would continue like this forever, the Flame Wolf, which had been running merrily, suddenly stumbled. Though it quickly regained its footing, the Ironclad Rhino naturally would not let such a perfect opportunity slip away.

Yellow earthen light rapidly spread upward from the Flame Wolf's legs, and its speed visibly slowed.

Seizing the chance, the Ironclad Rhino lowered its head and charged at the Flame Wolf. Its huge body and unstoppable momentum carried immense pressure.

As it watched the colossal beast rush at it, the Flame Wolf's pupils shrank sharply. It was currently bound by the Ironclad Rhino's skill, and dodging was no longer realistic.

"Boom..."

Towering flames erupted from the Flame Wolf's body, breaking through the yellow shackles around it. Looking at the Ironclad Rhino now right before it, the Flame Wolf's eyes gleamed viciously as an enormous fireball, far larger than before, formed in front of it. Yet the Ironclad Rhino ignored the fireball entirely, its speed undiminished as it rammed straight into it.

"Boom..."

The fireball exploded in place, and thick smoke blanketed the entire arena. The two magical beasts vanished within the smoke.

Everyone in the audience rose to their feet, staring down at the duel platform as they waited nervously for the final result.

Then the smoke churned violently. "Bang..."

The Ironclad Rhino burst fiercely out of the smoke, its horn piercing through the Flame Wolf's abdomen. Blood ran down from the wolf's belly along the Rhino's horn, splattering across the ground in its wake.

"Ironclad Rhino, that's awesome! Kill that wolf pup!!"

"Charge! Charge! Charge..."

Other than on television, when had ordinary people ever witnessed such a bloody scene at such close range?

The audience erupted into frenzied cheers, and the atmosphere reached an unprecedented fever pitch.

The Ironclad Rhino gradually slowed to a stop. It violently swung its massive head, flinging the Flame Wolf's body off its horn. The wolf crashed heavily to the ground.

The severely injured Flame Wolf kicked weakly with its limbs before trembling as it stood again. Blood dripped continuously from its abdomen, running down through its fur.

Though the Ironclad Rhino had taken the Flame Wolf's ultimate attack head-on, its armor had protected it, leaving it in far better condition than the wolf. Seeing the Flame Wolf stand back up, the Ironclad Rhino lowered its head, ready to charge it once more.

"Boom..."

A violent explosion suddenly sounded from the edge of the beast-fighting platform. The spectators, who had been fixated on the two beasts, turned toward the sudden blast. The barrier around the platform flickered like starlight, flashing bright and dim. Then the barrier, which could withstand third-tier attacks, vanished just like that.

Seeing the barrier disappear, the previously excited spectators seemed to have been doused with a bucket of cold water. The entire arena suddenly fell silent.

"Aah!!!!"

Miserable screams instantly erupted across the arena. People rushed toward the exits, and the venue descended into chaos.

"Fatty, stay by my side. Don't move around carelessly."

Seeing Zhu Fugui about to get up beside him, Lin Yu grabbed the fat man directly. In this situation, unless they could fly out, there was no way they could leave. If a stampede occurred, Zhu Fugui would be lucky to escape with only serious injuries.

"Fuck... Brother Yu, if we don't run, are we supposed to wait for the magical beasts to eat us for lunch?!"

Zhu Fugui asked anxiously, his face filled with panic.

"They're only third-tier magical beasts. It'll be fine. Besides, I bet the arena will react any moment now!"

Though Lin Yu had never fought a third-tier magical beast before, he had the Rinnegan and so many SS- and SSS-grade abilities. He truly was not afraid of these two beasts.

The referee in the arena immediately noticed the abnormal situation beside the platform. His expression changed, and he immediately triggered the alarm before charging toward the two magical beasts with killing intent.

The referee himself was a fourth-tier Guardian. Although he had only just entered the fourth tier, he was still much stronger than the two magical beasts. He was not worried that he could not deal with the injured third-tier beast. What worried him was the two beasts turning their attacks on the audience. With the strength of third-tier magical beasts, they would be a nightmare for ordinary people. He had to eliminate them immediately and prevent the situation from worsening.

"Damn it. Hurry! Faster!"

As the referee rushed toward the two magical beasts at full speed, he discovered that their attention was no longer on each other. With the barrier gone, they could fully sense the humans around them, and they stared murderously at the panicked crowd.

The Ironclad Rhino lowered its head toward the crowd, pawing the ground with its right forehoof and snorting. Its chariot-sized body charged toward the people with rumbling steps.

"Earthshaking Hammer!!"

The referee, who had arrived in time, immediately activated his innate ability. A massive long-handled hammer appeared in his hand. He leaped toward the charging rhinoceros and smashed the hammer into the Ironclad Rhino's waist.

"Bang..."

With a thunderous impact, the armor on the Ironclad Rhino shattered. Its enormous body was launched through the air by the referee's hammer. It fell to the ground, its limbs twitching a few times before it could no longer rise.

"Phew!!! Thank goodness. I almost caused a disaster!!" The referee wiped away cold sweat and muttered with lingering fear.

"Awoo..."

A wolf's howl sounded from behind him, followed by a wave of scorching heat. The referee's expression changed, and he spun around. Behind him, the injured Flame Wolf had raised its head. Five massive fireballs shot into the sky and rapidly flew toward the spectators in every direction.

"Fuck!!!"

The referee cursed. If the Flame Wolf had attacked him, he would not have been afraid. But this damned thing had no sense of fair play. Faced with the scene before him, he was completely dumbfounded. This is fucking barbecue!

"Die, damn it!!!" The enraged referee swung his hammer directly at the Flame Wolf's head. With a bang, the wolf's head burst apart like a watermelon smashed by a hammer.

"I'm screwed now! Why didn't I kill this thing first?!"

Having killed the Flame Wolf with one blow, the referee was overwhelmed with regret. Watching the fireballs fly in every direction, his eyes turned red.

Most of the security personnel maintaining order were only second-tier Guardians. They were already struggling to deal with the surging crowd, much less fend off attacks from third-tier magical beasts.

The referee was utterly despairing. He wished he could split into five people and use his own body to block the fireballs.

Just as the referee felt there was no way to save the situation—

"Whoosh..."

Several arrows whistled through the air, and the fireballs flying overhead exploded one after another.

"Old Song, you really showed up at the perfect time! I fucking love you!!!" the referee shouted at a man in the distance holding a bow.

"Quit the fucking nonsense! There's still one left! Hurry up and block it..." Old Song said urgently. When he had drawn his bow to fire the final arrow, he realized that the fireball was already about to hit the spectator stands. Even if he detonated it then, the blast's aftershock would still kill everyone in that section.

"Ah!"

The referee let out a miserable cry. He had thought the fireballs were dealt with, but one had slipped through!

How the hell am I supposed to block that?! It's a hundred thousand miles away! Am I supposed to block it with my head?!

The referee cursed wildly in his heart as he rushed toward the fireball at the fastest speed of his life, using every ounce of strength he had. But the fireball was simply too far away. There was no way he could catch it at his speed!

Lin Yu looked speechlessly at the fireball drawing closer and closer. Did this damn fireball have eyes? There were so many directions it could have gone, yet it had to come straight at him!

"Brother Yu!! What do we do?!"

Staring at the massive fireball, Zhu Fugui's face turned pale with terror. He was only a student who had not even awakened yet. It was already impressive that he had not wet himself in fear.

"Sealing Technique Absorption Seal!"

Lin Yu leaped into the air, stretched out a hand toward the fireball right in front of him, and directly activated the Preta Path's ability. A shield appeared before him. The instant the fireball touched it, it turned into energy and was absorbed by the shield, finally dispersing as a wisp of green smoke.

I didn't expect absorbing a third-tier attack to be this easy. The Rinnegan really lives up to its name!! I wonder what the limit is for my second-tier strength...

What a pity. The energy absorbed by the Sealing Technique Absorption Seal can only be sealed, not absorbed for my own use. Next time, I'll try Spirit Absorption. Based on the Rinnegan's settings, Spirit Absorption should directly absorb spiritual power!

Only after Lin Yu dealt with the fireball did the still-shaken referee rush over. He gratefully nodded at the young man wearing sunglasses.

"Little brother, what's your name? Thank you for helping us!! Give me your contact information. Once this is over, get in touch with me. I'll report this to my superiors and get you a reward!!"

The referee handed over a business card with a grateful expression. If Lin Yu had not stepped in, this accident would definitely have claimed victims. Even if it was not his fault, he would still bear some responsibility.

"My name is Lin Yu. It was nothing, just right place, right time. If the fireball hadn't landed in this direction, there would've been nothing I could do..."

Lin Yu accepted the business card and spoke indifferently, while secretly complaining to himself.

If this damned fireball hadn't been so blind and insisted on landing here, I couldn't have been bothered to interfere!

"Little brother, you should leave with everyone else for now. We don't know whether there are any other dangers inside. I'll go maintain order first! Remember to contact me once you're out!!"

After saying that, the referee hurried toward the main platform. The crisis had been resolved, and he needed to calm the audience as quickly as possible. If another damned stampede happened later, that would really be something. He had already suffered enough shocks today. One more, and he would probably need fast-acting heart pills.

The referee returned to the main platform and used a loudspeaker to soothe the crowd. When the spectators heard that the danger had passed, they gradually stopped panicking and, under the guidance of the venue's security, left the arena in a shaken state.

Lin Yu and Zhu Fugui also quickly evacuated from the arena with the crowd. Once outside, Zhu Fugui patted his chest with lingering fear.

"That scared the life out of Master Fatty. That fireball was practically in my face. I thought all two hundred pounds of me were going to die in there!!"

"By the way, Brother Yu, what was that just now? You just stretched out your hand and made that terrifying fireball disappear. Awesome!!"

Excitedly imitating Lin Yu, the fat man stretched out a hand and impatiently asked.

"One of my eye's abilities. Don't ask for now. Let's go, Fatty. Head home first. And don't tell anyone about what happened today once we get back. Don't make them worry!"

Lin Yu did not explain further. He grabbed the fat man and left. Since someone had dared to pull something like this inside the arena, Lin Yu suspected that the matter was not simple. It was best to leave this troubled place first.

"Right, right, right!!! Let's get out of here. I'm never coming back to this lousy place. Master Fatty can't take this kind of scare!!"

Zhu Fugui hurriedly followed Lin Yu away.

Meanwhile, after dealing with the audience, the exhausted referee hurried off without pause to report to his superior.

"Bang..."

Looking at the office before him, Wang Defa regarded it as though it were a dragon's den or tiger's lair. He took a deep breath, wore the expression of a man marching to his death, and resolutely knocked on the door.

"Come in!!" A crisp female voice, edged with irritation, came from the office behind the door. Wang Defa shrank his neck and cautiously pushed the door open.

"Boss!!"

A sharp gaze like a sword shot toward Wang Defa at the doorway. Behind the desk sat a beautiful woman in a leather jacket, one leg crossed over the other. Her clear, bright eyes were framed by willow-leaf brows, and her long lashes trembled slightly. Her flawless fair skin carried a faint rosy glow, while her thin red lips were as delicate and tempting as rose petals.

"How's the situation in the arena? Was anyone hurt?"

"Boss, there were no casualties in the arena, and I killed both magical beasts!!!"

Wang Defa cautiously reported the situation to the beauty before him. Though she was easy on the eyes, he knew exactly how violent his boss could be. Her sweet and lovely appearance was all a deception. She was the sort who would pull out a three-meter halberd and stab someone through the heart over the slightest disagreement.

The beauty before him was none other than Ji Xuejun, the person in charge of Banyan City Arena. A genius from the Ji Family of Upper Capital City, she possessed the SS-grade weapon-type ability Azure Dragon Heaven-Piercing Halberd. Before even reaching twenty-five, she had become a marquis-rank Guardian. She had once pierced through a seventh-tier secret realm alone with a single halberd. She was a genius among geniuses, hailed as the young generation's most likely candidate to become an emperor—a true daughter of heaven.

As for why such a favored daughter of heaven had come to a small place like Banyan City, no one knew.

"Mm! Did you find out who did it? Who the hell dares cause trouble on my turf?! If I find out who did this, I'll crush his balls!!"

Although Wang Defa still found his boss's crude language somewhat jarring, he had grown used to it.

"Old Song has gone to investigate. There should be results soon!"

Just as Wang Defa finished speaking, a knock sounded behind him.

"Boss!"

Wang Defa turned around and saw Song Zhixu, the head of security who had shot down the fireballs in Arena Three. He held several documents in his hand.

"Boss, we found out! It was those rats from the Eternal Night Church!"

"They were probably trying to blow up all the barriers in the arena. Other than the marquis-rank barrier around the outer perimeter and the barrier in Arena One, the barriers in every other arena were destroyed. In Arena Four alone, dozens of ordinary people died!!"

Hearing Song Zhixu's report, Ji Xuejun no longer sat with her legs crossed. Veins bulged on her forehead as she angrily slammed her delicate hand on the desk!

"Those sewer rats are courting death!! And what the hell were you two doing? How did you let so many cultists sneak in?!"

"Boss, they evaded security by having ordinary civilians swallow beast crystals, then detonated the beast crystals inside their bodies to destroy the barriers! We never expected those cultists to be this insane!!!"

Song Zhixu looked utterly aggrieved. He had grievances of his own that he could not voice. Those cultists had apparently eaten too much and decided to bomb the arena. As the head of arena security, he could not escape blame for letting them infiltrate. At the very least, a charge of inadequate supervision was inevitable. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to dig up those damned cultists and whip their corpses!

"I don't care!! Get out there and find them! Turn all of Banyan City upside down if you have to, but drag those sewer rats hiding in the gutters out for me! I'm going to crush their balls myself!!! If you can't find them, I'll crush yours instead!!! Do you hear me??"

Hearing Ji Xuejun's furious voice, Song Zhixu shuddered violently, then transferred all his anger onto the Eternal Night Church. He gritted his teeth and said,

"Yes, boss! If I don't find those damn rats, I'll dig myself a hole and bury myself!!!"

With that, Song Zhixu stormed out, killing intent rolling off him.

"And you? What are you standing around here for? Did you think you didn't have to go too?? Get your ass out there and help look!! If you can't find them, I'll bury you too!!"

Seeing Wang Defa still standing there like an idiot, Ji Xuejun was furious.

"Boss, there's something else I need to tell you. At Venue No. 3, a young man named Lin Yu also stepped in to help. If he hadn't acted, there definitely would've been a major problem! I left him my contact information and told him he'd be rewarded afterward!"