King of Beasts

“What’s going on with this guy!”

In the arena, Lu Ran and the dark crow remained calm and composed.

Their opponent squirmed pathetically like a pig.

This development was completely unexpected.

Although stage 1 might be the easiest of the five major stages, even Lu Ran’s gatekeeper had legendary potential as a Third Generation.

Yet, he was defeated so disgracefully.

It seemed as if Lu Ran and the dark crow were not drained in any way.

“Useless!”

From a high platform, Guild Leader Pari of the Eagle Federation maintained a calm expression.

“This is precisely the difficulty with the 1v1 rule…”

Dr. Hayden, who had hoped to witness Lu Ran make a fool of himself, took a deep breath and shook his head.

A 1v1 scenario equally tests a beastmaster’s skills.

Because if many pet beasts can be used, some can take on offensive roles, others on supportive roles, and some protect the beastmaster… in such cases, the beastmaster has no real weaknesses.

But in a 1v1, it significantly tests the beastmaster’s pet cultivation skills.

To cultivate a pet that can both attack enemies and protect the beastmaster is exceedingly difficult.

Clearly, the combination of Leon and the Ice Feathered Crown Bird had significant flaws, as the Ice Feathered Crown Bird failed to protect the beastmaster during their battle.

And Leon, as a beastmaster, had little resistance against the dark crow’s curse.

Unlike Lu Ran, who could rely on his own combat ability to contend with the opponent’s pet beast.

By comparing the two, the First Generation powerhouses in the audience could immediately discern the difference between them.

“That flame energy just now…”

“It was compressed at least 30 times…” Some keen-eyed First Generations found it unbelievable.

Even though the previous world record for 30 times energy compression was surpassed by many First Generations skilled in this technique after the Age of Beast Taming fully commenced, Lu Ran was only a Fourth Generation.

If Lu Ran’s pet beast used this technique, it wouldn’t be surprising-it could be attributed to the species talent of that pet beast and the ample healing resources provided by Xia Country, which wasn’t impossible.

However, the fact that Lu Ran, a human, managed to reach such a level… besides the Flame Spirit Technique, what other special beast taming skills had he cultivated? It enabled his physical body to withstand such energy levels, allowing him to demonstrate such mastery in energy control.

Clearly… this Strongest Fourth Generation is an existence without any weaknesses.

“God Lu is amazing…”

In Xia Country, those who were previously upset by the bias against Lu Ran were now overwhelmed with excitement.

That flaming sword qi that defeated the Ice Feathered Crown Bird was incredibly impressive. It was no surprise coming from God Lu, who inherited Yan Sizhen’s emperor-level beast taming skill-he flattened his opponent like preparing a dish, a mere weakling of an opponent!

No one expected Lu Ran’s individual combat power to be this formidable, able to restrain a level 40 sovereign.

Under the watchful eyes of the world, Leon was carried off, and Lu Ran’s next opponent, the stage 2 gatekeeper, silently emerged from the passage.

It was Chris from Maple Leaf Country!

This young man with spiky auburn hair…

Although he considered himself much stronger than Leon, there was always a risk of something unexpected happening; he too could become a laughingstock if he lost like that.

What shocked everyone next was that after Chris walked out, Lu Ran surprisingly recalled the Twin Crow back into the contract card!

“Is he not using the Twin Crow?” Chris was overjoyed inside.

“Didn’t that Twin Crow hardly use any power? It only cast one curse in the first match.” Some were puzzled by Lu Ran’s decision to recall the Twin Crow.

“Is it possible that the Twin Crow isn’t as strong in conventional situations as we thought? If I remember correctly, Lu Ran’s Twin Crow primarily excels in legion skills. There was worldwide discussion when it fought the sea beast. In a 1v1 tournament, its strongest core skill is restricted, so it might not be the strongest among Lu Ran’s pet beasts…”

“Lu Ran probably thought using the Twin Crow against a Third Generation wasn’t an issue, but against a Second Generation with legendary potential, he wasn’t so confident. Comparatively, a middle overlord from the Dragon Clan or a lower overlord sword dog with domain expertise might have a better chance of winning!” someone speculated.

“Of course, it might simply be a strategic recall. After all, if the opponent knows he’s sending out the Twin Crow, they might summon a counter pet beast. If the opponent can’t predict which of his three main forces Lu Ran will send out, they can’t fully strategize against him!”

As the audience discussed, Lu Ran overheard some of the conversation-his hearing was quite good.

He could only say, they were overthinking it.

He simply wanted to give each of his three main forces a chance to shine, considering they had been training hard for so long.

Otherwise, the dark crow could easily take on three or four opponents on its own, leaving no room for General Ha and the sudden death king.

“Challenger: Lu Ran of Xia Country.”

“Gatekeeper: Chris.”

Next, the referee swallowed and announced for the challenge to continue.

In the next instant, Lu Ran once again summoned his pet beast, while the gatekeeper on the opposite side summoned their beast pet with a serious expression!

“Awooooo-“

On one side of the arena’s summoning circle appeared a giant fox with impeccable proportions and snow-white fur, its expression stern, and a long tail gracefully sweeping through the air.

[Species]: Aurora Fox

[Attribute]: Light, Ice

[Species Level]: Upper Sovereign

[Growth Level]: Level 50!

On the other side, amidst a dragon’s roar, people realized which pet beast Lu Ran had summoned. As the massive shadow of shielded wings formed, the sudden death king landed slowly, causing a gale on the arena, looking disdainfully at its opponent.

“Roar!!!”

With both pet beasts present, the audience took a deep breath, and someone remarked, “Lu Ran’s pet beasts are already level 40! They’ve leveled up so quickly, and we haven’t even seen him active in the peak arena.”

“With his status, talent, and potential, he clearly doesn’t lack resources. With enough resources, leveling up quickly is achievable.”

“Chris sent out his Aurora Fox, another ice type. Ice is weak against fire! Lu Ran has the Flame Sprite!! I remember that dragon… it should also have a Thunder Flame Dragon mode!”

“No major issues, Chris’s Aurora Fox primarily focuses on light attributes, with ice as support. With the power of the light attribute, its species is almost an overlord. It’s not going to be easy for Lu Ran to win.”

A level 40 middle overlord equates to a level 50 middle sovereign, while the Aurora Fox is a level 50 upper sovereign. As people suspected, although Lu Ran’s pet beast species level had the advantage, overall, it wasn’t a huge upper hand.

5… 4… 3…

The countdown to the battle continued, and on the arena, the sudden death king and the Aurora Fox locked eyes, their respective beastmasters standing silently behind them, waiting for the fight to begin.

Finally.

As the number on the screen hit zero, before anyone could react, a spiraling light orb erupted through the void, leaving a trail of light across the sky as it smashed directly into the head of the sudden death king.

Boom.

A blinding explosion of light ensued.

The crowd fell silent.

The attack was so fast that almost the instant the countdown ended, it was already formed in the mouth of the Aurora Fox and then unleashed with a roar.

Not only was the light orb quickly formed, but its speed through the air was also astonishing, seemingly moving at the speed of light.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

In comparison, the attack speed of the Ice Feathered Crown Bird from earlier felt as slow as a snail, allowing Lu Ran plenty of time to react and counter.

Even though the pet beasts’ species levels were comparable, and their growth level only differed by 2 levels, the skill proficiency difference between Chris’s and Leon’s pet beasts was immediately apparent.

In an instant, countless spectators began piecing together their thoughts.

“As expected of Chris!”

“That rotating light orb, shaped into a spiral, gained immense destructive power, and the release speed- the energy flow technique is quite terrifying. The most impressive part is completing a 20 times energy compression in an instant, merging four major techniques into one. Such a complex attack combination executed instantly!”

Clearly, this was an almost omnipotent pet beast, paired with the powerful light attribute, leaving opponents virtually no time to react to attacks.

Bang bang!

And the opening attack wasn’t even over yet. Chris and the Aurora Fox unleashed a relentless barrage. Within the next few seconds, compressed spiral light orbs were fired continuously.

Unlike the first attack that prioritized straight-line speed, this time, under the second-stage energy release control of the Aurora Fox, the numerous light orbs had varied attack trajectories. They first engulfed the sudden death king, then altered their paths in mid-air to target Lu Ran behind it!

In less than 10 seconds since the countdown hit zero, Lu Ran and the sudden death king had seemingly stopped moving under the relentless barrage of dozens of terrifying light orbs.

“Ha-,” Chris smirked at the success of his blitz strategy.

The strategy was effective, but it consumed a lot of energy. Fortunately, not only did Chris have a stamina recovery beast taming skill, but his pet beast also possessed a fusion nature control trait, allowing them to manage.

As the Aurora Fox paused to catch its breath after the assault, Chris’s expression shifted.

When the dazzling effects of the light pollution faded, the sudden death king still stood firmly on the arena, and even the light orbs that targeted Lu Ran had only managed to add a bit of dust to his clothes.

Chris’s mouth fell open.

The spectators, no longer blinded or deafened by the spectacle, saw Lu Ran and the sudden death king unharmed and were equally taken aback, some even questioning if Chris and the Aurora Fox were throwing the match.

“Hmm? Why’d they stop?”

With the attacks halted, Lu Ran casually cleaned his ears and said, “Do you need a break?”

Lu Ran was amused.

What’s the use of a quick attack if it fails to breach defenses?

The opponent’s plan was solid-using high-speed attacks to disrupt the sudden death king, impede its movements, and then redirecting the trajectory of the light orbs to attack Lu Ran, making it difficult for the sudden death king to react and protect him.

The problem was, the light orbs hitting the sudden death king were akin to throwing pebbles at steel, causing limited damage.

While the sudden death king’s other abilities were at the level of a middle sovereign at level 50, its defense, enhanced through constant training, injuries, and healing, as well as trait specialization, far exceeded the average of its species.

After the sudden death king applied a defense buff on Lu Ran, he stood with the sudden death king, watching the display from the opposing side.

“No, impossible,” Chris said, eyes wide open as he looked at the unscathed Lu Ran and sudden death king.

The beastmasters from Xia Country, who were initially worried about Lu Ran, found the situation extremely absurd. Some suspected Chris was a friendly actor faking his performance. However, the First Generation big shots quickly provided a somber explanation.

The glow and explosion smoke from the attacks didn’t obstruct everyone’s view.

“The destructive power was genuine. The sudden death king didn’t even flinch when attacked…”

“It even skillfully seemed to release some special skill, providing its beastmaster with a buff.”

“It appears to be… a defensive support buff.”

“Under the Shield Dragon King’s buff, Lu Ran stood confidently, allowing the light orbs to land around him…”

This realization dismissed the notion that Chris was throwing the match, but it highlighted the terrifying prowess of the sudden death king and Lu Ran.

As most people squinted in concentration, they saw the sudden death king slowly step forward, closing in on the Aurora Fox.

With a startled cry, the Aurora Fox unleashed a series of attacks once again, employing even more destructive techniques than before.

Boom!

An ice sphere laced with swirling dual-colored light smashed into the sudden death king, and the burst of cold and brilliance transformed the entire arena into an aurora-like spectacle. However, it only managed to leave a few frost marks on the sudden death king, barely having any significant impact.

At that moment, Chris’s throat went dry as he realized something was seriously wrong. The defense of this creature was startlingly abnormal. Even the Aurora Fox was visibly shaken, its spirit dampened.

Chris and his pet beast felt as though a towering mountain was pressing down on them, suffocating them.

Surrender!

Now, the only thought in Chris’s mind was surrender.

Yet, having learned from the previous match, Lu Ran wasn’t going to let his opponent surrender so easily.

As Chris’s fear reached its peak, he found himself inexplicably stripped of speech, unable to move his body. His mind, soul, and body trembled uncontrollably.

“Roar-” The sudden death king unleashed its Dragon Might, infused with mental and soul power. This overwhelming presence spread across the entire arena, making it tremble. Had the Dragon Might been unleashed at the beginning, it might not have had a significant impact on the opponent. However, after all their efforts failed to breach the sudden death king’s defense, the resulting mental and psychological pressure was insurmountable, leaving the opponent as fragile as tissue paper.

The sudden death king’s eyes flashed with a red, thunderous glow as it fixed its gaze on the enemy.

Its roar was as terrifying as thunder.

The earth-shattering Dragon Might, transformed into a tangible whirlwind, swept across the arena. The sudden death king had merely maintained its defense and released its intimidation, yet a second-generation combination with legendary potential found itself bleeding black from mouth, nose, eyes, and ears as their spirit and soul shattered on the stage, left in utter distress.

Thud, thud.

The opponent collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Lu Ran said, “Next.”