Beast Taming: My System is Bugged

Chapter 291 - 283: Rootless Wood’s Debut

Gu Ming watched for a while, in no hurry to make a move.

He wanted to observe the others’ methods first and absorb as much experience as possible.

Since it was the last day of the exam, the Beastmasters who had previously challenged the Night Demon Duck had already left.

The remaining people had some experience. They had seen examples from the battles of those who went before them, so they directly targeted the Night Demon Duck’s weaknesses when they entered the fray.

However, very few Pet Beasts could actually injure the Night Demon Duck.

Don’t be fooled by the churning Black Water Tornado; it might seem easy for an Ice Element Pet Beast to freeze or a Swordsmanship-using Pet Beast to cleave apart.

But the corrosive gas permeating the air was poisonous.

If an ordinary one- or two-star Pet Beast so much as touched it, its body would be swiftly corroded, leading to defeat.

Therefore, everyone was exceptionally cautious when fighting the Night Demon Duck, and the pre-battle preparations were extensive.

Gu Ming observed for another two hours until only a few hesitant teams remained on-site, just as students who had just finished their dissertations began to arrive from behind.

He felt the time was right, so he called over Lu You to discuss their battle strategy.

Gu Ming explained:

"We’ll do this, and then that..."

Lu You heard him out and nodded lightly.

Gu Ming didn’t know how powerful the Seed of Rootless Wood Grass was.

Since Jiang Jinling had won by hard-controlling the Night Demon Duck for ten minutes,

he figured he could replicate her success by using the Rootless Wood to control the opponent for a few minutes and achieve a similar result.

The competition’s test didn’t require them to defeat it. As long as they could last long enough in battle, it would prove the candidate had excellent survival skills in the wild and would earn them the base points.

If they could heavily injure or even defeat it, their Pet Beast would have a chance to receive a top-tier evaluation.

Gu Ming was realistic about his Pet Beast’s combat abilities and didn’t expect it to defeat an opponent of a higher Star Level.

Besides, he wouldn’t know how strong the Rootless Wood truly was until he used it in a real fight.

This Three-star Level Night Demon Duck was the perfect test subject for the Rootless Wood’s first battle.

At the edge of the field, the candidates who hadn’t left yet perked up when they saw Gu Ming approaching the lake, and they began to discuss it in low voices.

The two teams from Forest Valley, in particular, were observing Gu Ming’s squad’s battle situation.

Rumor had it that Gu Ming’s squad had already secured a double S-Level rating.

The main contribution came from Gu Ming, though Lu You had also played a part.

Even if Lu You didn’t get an S-Level, she would end up with an A-Level or A+ Level rating at the very least.

Since they were on the same squad, their tickets to the next round of the international competition were practically guaranteed.

After all, this exam wasn’t just about individual performance; you competed as a squad, and teamwork had to be considered during registration.

Some people envied Lu You for being on Gu Ming’s team. Then they’d look at her humble sunflower-seed-eating hamster and feel a pang of jealousy.

They thought that if they had been on his team instead, Gu Ming would have had a much easier time with the demon duck.

This brought up the topic of the Night Demon Duck’s true abilities.

Very few students on the field before had been able to force it to use its Ultimate Skill.

Someone had once seen it unleash a pseudo-Domain move similar to "Nightfall," but unfortunately, Gu Ming hadn’t arrived yet and missed it.

Anyone who hadn’t seen this move was bound to miscalculate and would likely fail.

Before long, someone started taking bets on whether Gu Ming’s Pet Beast could force out the Night Demon Duck’s Ultimate Skill.

However, the supervising teacher wouldn’t let the Night Demon Duck be defeated, nor would they stand by and watch it kill a candidate’s Pet Beast.

He would stop the match at the right moment and give the candidate a high score.

Just like with Jiang Jinling’s team, whose battle was ended early—they were very likely to receive a top score.

"Jinling, what do you think his chances are?" someone asked.

Jiang Jinling didn’t speak, her beautiful eyes fixed on Gu Ming’s two Pet Beasts.

Ah Kun, enveloping the Grouper Fish in water vapor, leaped into the pitch-black swamp.

The visibly toxic lake water bubbled, touching Ah Kun’s skin.

The crowd gasped, thinking to themselves that Gu Ming was suicidal. ’Can’t he see the lake is full of poison?’

Jiang Jinling’s gaze, however, sharpened, and she frowned slightly.

She believed Gu Ming wouldn’t be so reckless. ’It seems the Wave-Swallowing Technique Battle Technique has given him this confidence.’

The next second, the black water splashing around Ah Kun came to a sudden halt, as if someone had pressed a stop button.

It swam on the now-still surface, letting the black water slide over its skin without seeping into the gaps between its scales.

"This is..."

Everyone was stunned.

The candidates in the national competition were no country bumpkins.

But many of them couldn’t believe their eyes. Ah Kun had actually executed the first step of the Wave-Swallowing Technique, "Abyssal Stop," bringing the flow of water in a hundred-meter radius to a complete standstill.

When the lake water wasn’t flowing and couldn’t invade Ah Kun’s body, its toxicity was useless, unable to penetrate its defenses.

Ah Kun was a Water Element Pet to begin with. After long-term Refinement with the Devouring Secret Technique, its Water Element Affinity was already maxed out.

Mere toxic water was nothing to it.

It then slapped the water’s surface again. An endless ripple vibrated outward, pulling the stagnant water from below, drawing it out piece by piece, and rapidly forming it into an enormous water-blade greatsword that hovered behind its fishy tail.

From the lakeshore, the enormous water-blade looked like an extension of Ah Kun’s tail.

「At the same time.」

The Night Demon Duck’s two Black Water Tornados rushed toward it, entering the range of the Wave-Swallowing Technique Abyssal Stop for the first time.

The Black Water Tornados paused momentarily, affected by Ah Kun’s Wave-Swallowing Technique. They advanced only half a meter before getting stuck at the edge, unable to enter.

Ah Kun flicked its tail, unleashing two consecutive slashes.

The water-blade behind it shot forward, slicing through both tornados one after another.

A massive spray of toxic water scattered through the air, only to freeze in place before it could fall back into the lake.

This left the space above the lake densely packed with black droplets, creating a spectacular sight.