novelraw Chapter 165 - 163: Battle of Spirit Beasts
Chapter 165 - 163: Battle of Spirit Beasts
This was the pride of the Beast Hall. They had battle partners—their Spirit Beasts!
A victory like this was the Beast Hall’s standard, signature win.
Jia Shidao hadn’t been this excited in a long time, feeling as if he had just defeated the Fire Cloud Hall.
The Thunderlight Hall, however, was not dejected. They were just worried about Wang Meng. No matter what, Wang Meng had given it his all. The Thunderlight Hall’s morale was high, and Hu Jing and the others prepared to enter the arena to rescue him, but Yu Lingzi’s figure blocked their path.
"Elder Yu Lingzi, what is the meaning of this!" Hu Jing and the others were furious.
Yu Lingzi’s eyes remained on the arena. He shook his head slightly. "It’s not over yet."
A gust of Elemental Qi swept out like the wind as Wang Meng walked out of the crater. His clothes were indeed a bit tattered. He had underestimated how much the Thunder Attribute strengthened the attack, which had disrupted his Flying Shadow and prevented him from dodging completely.
Unfortunately, it turned out that the Great Five Elements of heaven and earth were in fact of the Wood attribute. Wang Meng had thought the Thunderstorm Power might lean toward Metal, but it turned out to be Wood.
This was because only Wood could be completely countered by the Metal of the Five Elements.
And what he had just used to disperse the Power of Thunder was the Metal of the Five Elements. Wang Meng felt he had only just begun to glimpse the true mysteries of the Five Elements Technique. ’I was too naive before.’
It had to be said that time changed many things. A few hundred years ago, who would have used the Great Five Elements Power? But now, even Holy Hall Disciples had mastered such methods, even if they didn’t understand their true significance.
Jia Shidao looked as if he had seen a ghost. ’He’s fine?’
’He dodged even that with Flying Shadow?’
Facing Wang Meng, who stood as firm as a mountain, Jia Shidao had only one thought in his mind: ’I can’t fight him. It’s impossible.’
He plastered his signature smile back on his face, though this time it was tinged with a bleakness he couldn’t hide. "Elder Wang, this disciple concedes."
’Conceding is shameful, but acknowledging his status as an Elder might salvage a bit of face,’ he thought.
Wang Meng was still immersed in the revelation he’d just had and paid Jia Shidao no mind.
The Senior of the Beast Hall felt a bitter taste in his mouth, and the other disciples felt even worse. Wang Meng just stood there. ’Is this really the worthless Elder we thought he was?’
"What’s going on? Did Jia Shidao just say he concedes?" Chen Haiguan asked the junior disciple beside him in a daze.
"That’s right, Jia Shidao conceded."
"We won!"
Yu Lingzi’s expression didn’t change much. If the fight had continued, Jia Shidao would only have brought more humiliation upon himself. The key was that Jia Shidao was out of trump cards, while his opponent hadn’t even made his real move yet.
"Fourth match, victory to the Thunderlight Hall!"
A thunderous cheer roared to the heavens as the Thunderlight Hall disciples, unable to contain their emotions, leaped to their feet.
They had won, and it was a complete victory against the Senior of the Beast Hall, no less.
What could be more awesome, more satisfying than this!
Some of the veteran disciples of the Thunderlight Hall secretly wiped away tears. Unlike the newer disciples, they had shouldered far too many burdens as members of the Thunderlight Hall. They never dared to dream that a day like this would come.
Hex Ziyuan’s eyes reddened as well. He had often thought that seeing the Thunderlight Hall’s revival before he died would make it all worth it. But he didn’t have to die, and his wish had come true.
Zhou Qian even sat up. Though his body felt drained, seeing Wang Meng standing there made him feel that this was what life was all about. You could either wait for death in a stupor, or you could fight with glorious passion.
His desperate struggle had been worth it.
"Wang Meng... is mighty!"
"Wang Meng... is mighty!"
Every time they shouted his name, the disciples of the Thunderlight Hall used every ounce of their strength.
They were certain that they had been reborn.
Zhang Liang was in the crowd, trembling with excitement. ’Maybe, just maybe, a miracle really will happen!’
Regardless, the image of Wang Meng standing as immovable as a mountain was now deeply etched into his mind. ’This man is no small fry!’
The Beast Hall was truly demoralized. Their strongest Senior had been completely crushed, and in the end, he had even lost the will to fight.
It was just like with Qiao Qian. Different levels of strength, but the same result.
And Wang Meng... he had only used the power of the Fifteenth Layer. That might be one thing, but experts all knew that before reaching the Twenty Layers, a difference of a few layers wasn’t the key. The key was one’s understanding of Magic.
’Is this really that untalented rookie who only got in through the re-test???’
Everyone was asking themselves: ’If he can do it... why can’t I?’
’Hard work doesn’t guarantee success, but at least it gives you a chance!’
The final, decisive battle was about to begin.
Jia Shidao had strong control over his emotions, but a hundred different feelings still churned within him. Gazing at Wang Meng in the arena, he didn’t know what to say. The man just had a natural, intimidating presence.
Wang Meng gave a casual wave of his hand, and it was met with a frenzied roar from the Thunderlight Hall disciples.
’Perhaps Wang Meng is destined for greatness in the future. But today, here and now, the Thunderlight Hall will still not pass the Beast Hall’s trial.’
"Brother Ren, I’ll have to trouble you," Jia Shidao said respectfully.
Never mind the surrounding Beast Hall disciples; even Luu Miaoyin and the others were stunned. The only one who likely knew what was happening was Yu Lingzi, which was probably why he had been so calm.
Ren Dongliu smiled faintly. "Senior, failure is the mother of success. Leave the rest to me."
Who was Ren Dongliu?
Many people recognized him. Any disciple of the Beast Hall would have frequented the Spirit-Controlling Valley, and Ren Dongliu was one of the senior disciples there in charge of feeding the Spirit Beasts. Everyone found him a bit familiar, but no one had ever paid him much mind, and no one would have remembered his name.
Ren Dongliu walked to the center of the arena. ’This guy... can he do it?’
Ren Dongliu, however, just gave an honest smile. "To have witnessed Elder Wang’s skill has made this trip worthwhile. Which expert from the Thunderlight Hall will grant me the honor of a match?"
The Thunderlight Hall disciples snapped out of their excitement. They hadn’t won yet; they still had to face this final battle.
All eyes fell on Ma Tian’Er.
Wang Meng smiled slightly. "Just do your best."
’Do your best and leave the rest to fate.’ He could only win one match; the rest depended on everyone else’s efforts.
Ma Tian’Er clenched her fists, constantly trying to psych herself up. She truly disliked fighting, but for the sake of the Thunderlight Hall, for her senior brothers and sisters who had fought so hard, she could not back down.
"Junior Sister Ma, don’t feel pressured. If you can’t win, just concede," Zhou Qian said with a smile.
Ma Tian’Er bit her lip. "I will win!"
Ma Tian’Er walked onto the stage.
The disciples of the Thunderlight Hall knew Ma Tian’Er might have some connection to the Ma Family, but seeing how poorly she was faring, they figured she had most likely been kicked out. Otherwise, why would she be here, even working part-time at the Thunderlight Pavilion? Of course, Ma Tian’Er had a kind personality, and everyone liked her.
But in a grand tournament, what mattered was strength, not kindness.
With a wave of Yu Lingzi’s hand, the battle began.
Ren Dongliu’s arms suddenly shook, and his Elemental Power erupted with a ROAR... Twenty Layers...
Holy crap!
The Twenty Layers was a major threshold, a very difficult one to break through. Once a cultivator crossed it, they would enjoy a long period of smooth sailing and rapid progress.
The Beast Hall disciples were dumbfounded. Who would have thought that the man who fed their Spirit Beasts, the one they could order around... was actually a master of the Twenty Layers!
"Junior Sister Ma, I’m not very good at fighting, so please forgive me. I’ll have to use my Spirit Beast."
A flash of light, and a giant Four-armed Golden-eyed Nixiong appeared beside Ren Dongliu. The Beast Hall disciples broke into a cold sweat. ’Is that the deformed little bear demon everyone always jokes about?’
The Four-armed Golden-eyed Nixiong pounded its steel-like chest and let out an explosive roar.
But everyone knew that in the tournament, Spirit Beasts were not allowed to fight alongside their masters; only Magic could be used.
Ren Dongliu smiled faintly. "Pardon my humble skills."
Ren Dongliu placed his hand on the Four-armed Golden-eyed Nixiong, and his Elemental Power exploded—Spirit Fusion Technique: Possession!
...This was a Magic that was an entire level higher than Borrowing Spirit.
’Damn it all! The Beast Hall was hiding such a master!’
’That’s so shameless!’ Even the Thunderlight Hall disciples who didn’t understand the details knew how terrifying Possession was. It allowed Ren Dongliu to use a Cultivator’s skills and Magic through the body of his Spirit Beast, with the effectiveness depending on their compatibility and the strength of the Magic.
But even Jia Shidao, their Senior, could only use Borrowing Spirit, yet this man...
Jia Shidao felt a little better. He had also discovered this by accident. Who could have imagined that Ren Dongliu was so formidable? The man was a well-known nice guy who treated Spirit Beasts like people. Once, when his Spirit Beast was injured and on the verge of death, Ren Dongliu had actually used the Possession of the Spirit Fusion Technique, risking his own life to face the trial of life and death alongside his beast.
It had truly stunned Jia Shidao. Ren Dongliu wasn’t particularly outstanding in combat, but this one move was more than enough. Jia Shidao had originally planned to pair him with a powerful offensive Spirit Beast, but who knew that his own inconspicuous, "deformed" bear demon was actually a rare Four-armed Golden-eyed Nixiong.
Ren Dongliu vanished into the body of the Four-armed Golden-eyed Nixiong, and four great War Axes appeared in its hands.
"I don’t like to fight, but for the honor of the Beast Hall, I must win this battle," Ren Dongliu said.
Ma Tian’Er actually nodded. "I don’t like to fight either, but I will definitely win this battle."
The Red Roar appeared, carrying a giant Wolf Fang Club. When two offensive-type Spirit Beasts met on the battlefield, their eyes would burn with rivalry.
The problem was... Spirit Beasts weren’t allowed to fight!
Ma Tian’Er placed her hand on the Red Roar. She didn’t like using this method because the Spirit Fusion Technique was harmful to the Spirit Beast. More importantly, Ma Tian’Er considered Spirit Beasts to be friends and felt they shouldn’t be used like this.
But she had seen how Zhou Qian fought. She couldn’t be selfish!
Spirit Fusion Technique—Possession!
The Beast Hall disciples turned pale with shock. Ma Tian’Er’s Spiritual Power was at the seventeenth layer at most, yet she could actually use the Spirit Fusion Technique. The Twenty Layers was supposed to be the minimum threshold...
Liuu Mei was also dumbfounded. She thought she understood Ma Tian’Er, but she had still underestimated her.
’Lacking talent? Abandoned by the Ma Family?’
If Ma Hezi heard such speculation, he would probably die of laughter. Ma Tian’Er’s talent for controlling Spirit Beasts was the best in the Ma Family.
Ren Dongliu hadn’t expected it either. His opponent was seven or eight years younger than him, yet she had also mastered the Spirit Fusion Technique.
One had to understand that for Possession to work, the Spirit Beast’s complete consent was required. It was the ultimate expression of trust.
ROAR...
ROAR...
The Red Roar and the Four-armed Golden-eyed Nixiong let out explosive roars simultaneously. They could feel their masters’ will.
Defeat the opponent!
The two behemoths charged at each other wildly, their Wolf Fang Club and War Axes clashing in a spectacular, frenzied battle. They were like two mobile fortresses, a spectacle far more magnificent than any Body Cultivator’s fight.
Especially since these two Spirit Beasts were also exceptionally powerful. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)