Category: I’m Surrounded by My Own Pets!

Chapter 50: Golden Wheel’s High-Tier Evolution!! p2

[You have achieved a total of 110,000 victories in ranking battles, which can be exchanged for 11 High-Tier crystals or 110 Mid-Tier crystals.]

[Are you willing to make your appearance public? Reply “Yes,” and we will connect you with advertising sponsors.]

[Due to numerous reports, your virtual appearance has been forcibly altered. Repeated violations will result in account suspension.]

“…”
“…”
“I can exchange for 11 High-Tier crystals at once???”

“I’m rich!!???” Lian Xing muttered, staring at the message in disbelief.

She had assumed she would be defeated quickly, treating this as a fun way to level up and climb the rankings. But she never expected to win 110,000 consecutive matches without a single loss.

Earning 11 High-Tier crystals in one day…if she continued at this rate, it would be far more profitable than…other methods…

And the advertising endorsements should also be quite lucrative, right…?

The star patterns in the girl’s eyes twinkled excitedly.

However, after a brief moment of joy, her expression calmed down.

“The reason I could achieve 110,000 consecutive wins is probably because no Commander-Tier pet beasts challenged me…”

“The Golden Wheel needs time to activate its full power, and the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer has no defense. If I’m targeted as the Beast Tamer, I’ll be easily killed.”

“If a Commander-Tier Elemental Species or a long-range Weapon Species directly attacks me, it’ll be dangerous…”

For example, if someone started the match with a Commander-Tier Mechanical Species sniper rifle pre-aimed at her and fired the moment the countdown ended, Lian Xing wouldn’t even know how to win.

So, for the sake of her daughters’…milk powder money…, she had to focus on leveling up the Golden Wheel…

“Whoosh—”

After replying “Yes” to the endorsement message, Lian Xing opened the Challenge Mode panel again, quickly scrolling down. Soon, she reached the recommended instance section.

The reason she hadn’t challenged any instances yesterday was that she couldn’t defeat Commander-Tier lairs, and High-Tier lairs were a waste of time, offering meager experience and rewards.

But…

Since she could now defeat even the Ten Greats, she should be able to handle Commander-Tier instances, right?

Not to mention, she had received new enhancements yesterday, further increasing her combat power.

Even if she couldn’t clear them, earning some experience wouldn’t hurt…

[Top 5 Most Popular Simulated Instances]

[1. Commander-Tier Lair — Starry Plains, Completion Record — 7 hours 24 minutes 57 seconds]

[2. Commander-Tier Lair — Bloody Colosseum, Completion Record — 5 hours 24 minutes 57 seconds]

[3. Commander-Tier Lair — Dragon Emperor City, Unconquered]

[4. Commander-Tier Lair — Celestial Tree, Unconquered]

[…]

Lian Xing ignored the first two instances, which had already been cleared, focusing on the next two.

Dragon Emperor City and Celestial Tree…

In Pet Beast Evolution Battle, the final bosses of these two instances were at the peak of Commander-Tier, making them incredibly difficult to conquer. In later updates, a new Royal-Tier instance called [Ruined Dragon Emperor City] was added, featuring the same boss after it evolved to Royal-Tier.

In comparison, Starry Plains and Bloody Colosseum were relatively easy.

But…

The monsters in Starry Plains were all Elemental Species, and the final boss was a team of three Commander-Tier Elemental Species!!

Lian Xing, currently lacking any defensive measures, was most afraid of Elemental Species. Their AOE combat skills could bypass pet beasts and directly target the Beast Tamer, so she decided to avoid Starry Plains for now.

As for Bloody Colosseum…

There were…insect-type Biological Species.

Lian Xing would rather die than be infested after losing.

After some thought, Lian Xing chose the Dragon Emperor City instance.

“Whoosh——!!!!!”

After confirming her choice, a flash of white light enveloped her, and her virtual character vanished from the training space.

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[Dragon Emperor City]

[Story Background: The “Dragon Emperor,” who has ruled this region for three hundred years but has yet to break through to Royal-Tier, has finally gone mad. He has begun sending his minions to capture beautiful women from all over, hoping to force a breakthrough by consuming their talented hybrid offspring.]

[Your beloved has been captured. The ritual is in 12 hours. If you don’t want to be…cuckolded…, conquer the final boss of Dragon Emperor City within 12 hours.]

Soon, Lian Xing’s vision returned. The moment she opened her eyes, she saw a giant, skeletal dragon tail.

She stood on a dark, gloomy cliff, and the thousand-meter long skeletal dragon tail stretched from the ground to the sky, a massive castle chained to its back. Dark clouds filled the sky, lightning flashing and thunder roaring, creating an eerie atmosphere.

“Dragon Emperor City’s style is still so grim…”

“And the full immersion is much scarier than just looking at a computer screen!!!” The golden-haired girl rubbed her buns and started walking towards the tip of the skeletal dragon tail.

Although Lian Xing had cleared Dragon Emperor City early on in Pet Beast Evolution Battle, she vaguely remembered…

The final boss of Dragon Emperor City had…an impressive bust size…practically reaching the ground. This had led Lian Xing, in her shock, to blurt out, “Leave my beloved alone! Come at me!!”

And she had been mocked by her livestream viewers for years because of that…

Something about infants driving trucks…?

“Clack!!”

Lost in her memories, Lian Xing reached the giant dragon bone tail. After carefully walking a few meters forward, she summoned her pet beasts without hesitation. As the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer and the two Golden Wheels materialized, a giant figure descended from the stormy sky.

“Boom!!!”

In the next second, a deafening shockwave erupted as a terrifying creature, over ten meters tall, crashed down before Lian Xing and the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer. As the dust settled, a winged pegasus with silver scales emerged. Its powerful, streamlined body was beautiful, its white, dreamlike wings resembling giant blades when folded.

[Commander-Tier · Biological Species — Snowdrift Phantom Wing]

The gatekeeper mini-boss of the Dragon Emperor City instance, a mandatory encounter for all players.

“Whirr——!!!!!”

Even before the Snowdrift Phantom Wing arrived, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer had already started spinning the Golden Wheels in its ears, the red and gold rings flashing like glow sticks. Then, as the rotation speed reached its peak, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer whipped its ears, throwing the two Golden Wheels.

“Buzz!!!!”

A flash of lightning. The dark gold Golden Wheel, crackling with electricity, reached the pegasus first at an incredible speed. However, the Snowdrift Phantom Wing remained nonchalant, only closing its eyes casually as the spinning blade approached. Then, with a “Whoosh,” the Snowdrift Phantom Wing teleported a dozen meters away with a graceful, snowflake-like movement, dodging both Golden Wheels and landing in mid-air.

[Combat Skill — Snow Step (Gold): Instantly accelerates, greatly increasing Speed attribute, reducing recoil, inertia, stamina consumption, and speed reduction when turning]

Snow Step, the Snowdrift Phantom Wing’s signature skill!!!

Many players, eager to experience the Dragon Emperor City instance after their pet beasts reached Commander-Tier, couldn’t even touch a single hair on the Snowdrift Phantom Wing, returning in defeat.

But…

Since Lian Xing had specifically chosen this instance, she naturally understood the Snowdrift Phantom Wing’s combat style.

At this moment, the Snowdrift Phantom Wing, still basking in its own coolness with its eyes closed, suddenly sensed a wave of lightning approaching from the side, its expression changing drastically. The Topaz-mutated Golden Wheel, which had missed earlier, suddenly changed its trajectory like a bolt of lightning, turning towards the white pegasus at an explosive speed.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh——!!!!!”

The exploding lightning bolt changed its trajectory three times, striking the pegasus like a thunderbolt, then returned to the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ear, creating a powerful shockwave.

The Lightning mutation Arcane Art!!!

“Crackle, crackle!!”

In the next second, electric arcs crackled across the Snowdrift Phantom Wing’s body, three bloody wounds appearing on its wings. If it weren’t for its massive size, with its wings spanning over ten meters, it would have been completely pierced in that first exchange…

Looking at the wounded silver pegasus, the golden-haired girl with buns and starry eyes smiled triumphantly.

The Snowdrift Phantom Wing could dodge one attack with its initial burst…

But the Topaz-mutated Golden Wheel could change direction three times!!!

“Whoosh!!!!!”

In the next second, with a powerful throw, the Golden Wheel was launched again, the shockwave from its launch shaking the air. Having learned its lesson, the Snowdrift Phantom Wing was now much more cautious, focusing intently on the Golden Wheel’s trajectory.

However, it didn’t notice that as the dark gold Golden Wheel flew towards it, the crimson Golden Wheel, which had missed earlier, was returning from the side.

[Shockwave (Mutation)]

“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!”

Without warning, a fan-shaped wave of fire erupted, engulfing the Snowdrift Phantom Wing in a scorching inferno.

Another two-stage attack!!!

Compared to the Topaz mutation’s agility and freedom of movement, the Amber Palace-mutated Golden Wheel was clumsier but far more powerful!!!

A dozen seconds later, the scorching dust settled.

The Snowdrift Phantom Wing, its skin charred black, flew out of the smoke, its once pristine white body now blackened and dirty. It staggered in the air, its vision blurring, gasping for breath as it fearfully looked at the two Golden Wheels spinning rapidly on the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears.

“Buzzzzz—”

One Golden Wheel crackled with electricity.

The other radiated intense heat, forcing the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer to emit clouds of steam to cool its ears.

“Boom!!!!!”

Then, under the Snowdrift Phantom Wing’s terrified gaze—

The two Golden Wheels, after being accelerated by the spiral bands and spring-loaded firing pins, were launched with explosive force, like cannonballs.

The earth-shattering shockwave destroyed the cliffside terrain for hundreds of meters, the surrounding ground collapsing. Lian Xing, wisely anticipating this, was held securely in the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s small arms, only her hair and skirt whipping in the wind. She buried her head in the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s thick fur, watching from close range as the dark gold Golden Wheel, like a bolt of lightning, pierced through the hundred-meter distance.

This time, the Snowdrift Phantom Wing’s neck was cleanly severed…

[Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer: 36→38]

[Golden Wheel: 20→24]

After defeating the Snowdrift Phantom Wing, Lian Xing didn’t continue challenging. She opened the system settings and exited the instance without hesitation. After waiting for a dozen seconds in the training space, she re-entered the instance. Upon re-entering, the entire arena was reset, and she was back at her starting position.

This was the reason Lian Xing had chosen the Dragon Emperor City instance for leveling up!!

She would immediately encounter the Commander-Tier Snowdrift Phantom Wing upon entering, and after defeating it, she could repeatedly farm experience by exiting and re-entering the instance~~~

Of course, this terrifying leveling efficiency was just a dream for ordinary players. After all, even Commander-Tier pet beasts struggled against the Snowdrift Phantom Wing’s high-speed movement combat skill.

But it was perfectly countered by Lian Xing’s multi-directional Golden Wheel!!!

Three minutes later.

Snowdrift Phantom Wing, dead!!!

Exit, re-enter.

Snowdrift Phantom Wing, dead!!!

Exit, re-enter.

Snowdrift Phantom Wing, dead!!!

After repeatedly farming it over a dozen times, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer stopped gaining experience, stuck at level 39. And the Golden Wheel, crawling forward like a turtle, had been stuck at level 29 for five consecutive attempts.

After all, this was the real beast-taming world, not a video game where you could level up quickly by killing monsters. Training Value wasn’t an experience bar, and it couldn’t be gained by simply defeating weaker opponents.

To level up, the pet beast had to genuinely learn something from the battle or improve its technique and power exertion. Additionally, defeating new opponents could sometimes increase Training Value due to boosted confidence and morale.

So, repeatedly farming the same target could only work a few times before becoming ineffective. The attack patterns and strategies became predictable. Even a powerful Commander-Tier pet beast would become no different from a robot after facing it multiple times.

But Lian Xing was determined, relentlessly farming the Snowdrift Phantom Wing 27 times, finally pushing the Golden Wheel to level 30.

[Golden Wheel: 29→30]

[Forced mutated evolution in progress. The Beast Tamer cannot interfere with this process]

“Whoosh!!!!!”

In the training space, a red light erupted as the two Golden Wheels trembled violently.

They were heading towards a dead end.

After evolving to their High-Tier mutated forms, they would reach their limit…

Chapter 50: Golden Wheel’s High-Tier Evolution!! p1

Virtual Battle Space.

Under the watchful eyes of the Iron Hostel Academy members, Captain Heavenly Tomb opened the ranking challenge panel. In just half a day, “Super Golden Wheel,” the usurper of the Ten Greats ranking, had been challenged over 110,000 times.

With just a High-Tier and a Mid-Tier pet beast, it remained undefeated…

This wasn’t just “somewhat impressive” anymore!!

Undeniably, she was truly strong!!!

No Commander-Tier players had spoken up yet. She wondered if they simply didn’t care or had already lost and were pretending nothing had happened…

“Let’s go—” Heavenly Tomb, the dignified beauty with the jade hairpin, took a deep breath, calmed herself, and clicked the challenge button.

In the next second, a slender girl with long, flowing, shimmering golden hair materialized in the battle space. And the pet beast standing behind her, exuding a terrifying pressure, was the “Moonlight Rabbit’s” Biological Species evolution, the High-Tier Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer!!! Its jade-green ears, with their spiral bands, drooped to the ground, a large, dark green full moon pattern on its chest.

“Seven Star Lock!!”

“Rusty Bronze Coffin!!!”

“Boom!!!!”

Seeing the countdown nearing its end, Heavenly Tomb summoned her pet beast lineup without hesitation. But this time, she wasn’t just deploying the Rusty Bronze Coffin!!

As the giant, rusty bronze coffin descended from the sky, completely enclosing her body, seven exquisitely crafted rectangular wooden blocks suddenly appeared, piercing through the coffin from within, forming a cube-shaped lock.

[High-Tier — Weapon Species — Seven Star Lock]

“This time, I’ve also included my new second pet beast. If I lose again, my reputation as one of the Ten Greats will be ruined…”

“Boom, boom, boom!!!!!”

Before Heavenly Tomb could finish speaking, the attack arrived. Two deafening roars echoed from outside the coffin, shaking its entire structure. Sharing vision with the Rusty Bronze Coffin, Heavenly Tomb looked outside with a surprised expression.

Two rapidly spinning Golden Wheels flew back to the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears like missiles, the force of their return creating a massive cloud of smoke. Two shallow dents appeared on the coffin’s surface.

The Amber Palace-mutated Golden Wheel, its negative effects slightly offset by the Power Throw enhancement and the Heavy Metal talent, could finally return on its own.

“Such terrifying attack power!”

“Will the next attack be this strong?”

“I see, now I understand how my virtual self lost…” Heavenly Tomb nodded thoughtfully after analyzing the situation.

In the next second, the Seven Star Lock trembled, and a layer of grey light enveloped the coffin.

[Combat Skill: Structural Reinforcement (Deep Purple): Based on own Defense attribute, enhances another pet beast’s defense]

Based on the opponent’s bombardment, the Rusty Bronze Coffin alone might not be enough. But combined with her newly trained High-Tier pet beast, the Seven Star Lock, their combined defense was impenetrable.

“Bang!”

“Bang!!!”

As expected, the opponent’s next attack was ineffective. The two Golden Wheels crashed against the Rusty Bronze Coffin’s surface, creating only a faint ripple before weakly flying back to the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears.

Seeing this, the Iron Hostel Academy members watching the battle cheered excitedly.

The Ten Greats were the Ten Greats, after all. Not just anyone could defeat them!!!

The virtual projection lost only because the AI couldn’t fully utilize the Captain’s strength!!!

However…

“Boom!!!!”

A few seconds later, another deafening roar shook the entire coffin violently. Sensing the increased power, Heavenly Tomb’s expression darkened.

Was the first attack not even the opponent’s full power?

How was it getting stronger?

It seemed the strategies and analysis in the comment section were…completely useless…

“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The seventh and eighth attacks were even stronger, and Heavenly Tomb, inside the coffin, could barely endure. As the opponent’s power increased, she activated various high-level defensive Arcane Arts.

And then—

[Damage Reflection (Gold)]

A faint golden light appeared on the surface of the Rusty Bronze Coffin.

Heavenly Tomb knew the battle was entering its final stage. After charging for seventeen seconds, all the damage she had taken would be reflected back at the opponent!!!

Judging by the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s terrifying offensive power, its lack of defense meant it couldn’t possibly withstand this attack.

But strangely…

Facing the Rusty Bronze Coffin’s fully activated defenses, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer didn’t even bother using the Topaz-mutated Golden Wheel this time, only spinning the crimson Amber Palace Golden Wheel on one ear. It slowly spun the Golden Wheel until its speed reached a blur, then suddenly whipped its ear, launching the Golden Wheel with explosive force.

“Whoosh!!!!!”

Propelled by a wave of explosive force, the crimson beam of light reached the Rusty Bronze Coffin in the blink of an eye. The air around it ignited from the intense friction.

At this moment, sensing the terrifying power, Heavenly Tomb held her breath.

If she could block this attack, it would be over…

With her current defenses, she couldn’t possibly lose!!!

However…

Time seemed to stop—

Heavenly Tomb’s wide eyes clearly saw the Golden Wheel’s surface engulfed in flames, the intense heat reaching even her inside the coffin.

Oh no…

I can’t block it!!!

“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!”

In the next second, a blinding explosion erupted, the sound like a missile detonating, the scorching shockwave scattering the surrounding air. Amidst the deafening blast, the surface of the Rusty Bronze Coffin began to melt rapidly.

Then, with the Rusty Bronze Coffin and the Seven Star Lock as the center, a wave of intense heat spread outwards for almost a hundred meters, engulfing half of the space in flames.

[Shockwave (Mutation)]

A few seconds later, the heat subsided.

The area where Heavenly Tomb had been was completely devastated, the ground scorched black, the 30-meter tall Rusty Bronze Coffin reduced to a pile of debris.

Meanwhile, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer, having caught the returning Golden Wheel, had sparks flying from its ears, its soft flesh turning red and hot, emitting a roasted scent. But as a virtual AI projection, it felt no pain.

Shockwave. This was the second Speed Arcane Art Lian Xing had chosen for the Amber Palace-mutated Golden Wheel. No…it was no longer a Speed Arcane Art, but a forced All Attribute Arcane Art.

Although Thousand Jin’s shockwave and Thermal Light’s blinding effect were valuable control abilities…Lian Xing knew that the Amber Palace wasn’t a support-type pet beast!!

As a Rare Species designed for destruction, it had to maximize its damage output!!!

Of course, because the Arcane Art wasn’t attribute-specific, the Amber Palace-mutated Golden Wheel’s current style was a bit…incoherent. But once it reached level 30 and forcibly evolved, the true form of the Amber Palace should become apparent~~~

…

…

Iron Hostel Academy, Team Training Room.

After logging out of the virtual battle, the girl with the jade hairpin remained silent, staring blankly at the screen. The team members behind her also remained quiet, not daring to offer any comfort.

The silence lasted for almost a minute before Heavenly Tomb finally turned around, her eyes red-rimmed. She suppressed her tears, her voice trembling slightly, “Don’t…tell anyone about this…”

“…”
“…”
“Don’t worry, Captain, we’ll keep it a secret!!!”

“Of course, the fact that the Captain lost to an unknown player…no one outside of our Iron Hostel Academy team will ever know!!!”

“Alright, alright, let’s continue training. Let’s pretend this never happened!!!”

For some reason, although they were offering comfort, the Iron Hostel Academy team members’ eyes held a hint of…excitement.

After a year, since losing to Xiyu Academy in the previous league, Captain Heavenly Tomb had finally been defeated again, to the point of tears. The seemingly cold and dignified beauty was actually incredibly fragile.

Her heartbroken, teary-eyed expression when she was bullied…it was just too…adorable!!!

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Youlan Academy, Dean’s Office.

Inside an elegant and luxurious room, pet beast statues and models of Purple Quality combat skill cards lined the walls. A cold woman with fiery red hair sat at her desk, frowning at the report in her hand, sighing occasionally.

“Bang!”

Suddenly, the door to the office was kicked open, and a beautiful girl with a red ponytail strode in arrogantly. After barging into the Dean’s office, Chi Yan casually sat on the desk, picking up the woman’s freshly brewed tea and taking a sip.

“Old hag, what did you call me for?”

“This ‘old hag’ is the Dean. Show some respect…” The Dean of Youlan Academy seemed accustomed to her daughter’s attitude, placing the report in front of her.

It was a resignation letter.

Qi Dong had resigned as team captain and would no longer participate in this year’s Academy League.

“She said that temporary fame and popularity would only lead to greater humiliation. In the Academy League, the weak are just clowns…” The Dean repeated Qi Dong’s words, then looked at the expressionless Chi Yan.

“Well, now the captaincy is yours. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?”

“But remember, the captain of the losing team in the Academy League bears the most pressure and humiliation. I trust you’re prepared?”

“There’s an exhibition match against neighboring Qingliu Academy tonight, a warm-up before the qualifiers, broadcast live to both academies.”

“And who would have thought that Qi Dong would run away at this time…”

“Heh, now not only will our academy be humiliated and ridiculed, but I also have to hand over the five High-Tier crystals I bet with the Dean of Qingliu Academy. Sigh, why is my life so miserable~~~~” The Dean sighed dramatically.

The relationship between mother and daughter had always been strained, stemming from the fact that Chi Yan’s Fire Armament Purple Calamity’s mutated evolution path was unintentionally caused by the Dean. The Dean had been…too adventurous…in her younger days, causing…issues…that triggered a specific condition during Chi Yan’s Fire-Extinguishing Remnant’s evolution.

[High-Tier — Biological Species — Fire Armament: Never breastfed after birth]

However, at this moment, hearing her mother’s words, Chi Yan’s expression turned strange.

She had to lead the team as captain in the exhibition match against Qingliu Academy tonight?

In the previous Academy League, Youlan Academy ranked 40th, and Qingliu Academy ranked 37th. They were practically equals.

But that was with Qi Dong as captain…

Now, without Qi Dong, the first team had no chance of defeating Qingliu Academy!!

After a long moment of contemplation, Chi Yan suddenly asked, “Old hag, do you want to lose five High-Tier crystals and face humiliation, or do you want to save face and break even?”

“If you give me those five High-Tier crystals, I’ll win this exhibition match for you!!!”

“If I lose, you don’t have to pay me a single cent!!” Chi Yan declared confidently, staring at the Dean.

Of course, she wasn’t just bluffing. She had remembered the words that woman had said after defeating Starlight Academy.

“Feel free to contact me for similar tasks in the future~~~”

Just like her mother in her younger days…as long as there was money involved, Lian Xing would do anything, right…?

If they asked Lian Xing for help, Youlan Academy would definitely win!!!

A few seconds later, the Dean blinked at Chi Yan’s confident declaration.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier!? Has your system finally awakened!?”

“…”
“…”

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Virtual Battle Space.

After a good night’s sleep, Lian Xing logged back into the virtual battle space. Like a frustrated gamer seeking solace in the online world, she could only find a sense of fulfillment in this virtual realm.

Who would have thought that “Super Golden Wheel,” the dominant force in virtual battles, was struggling to feed her babies in real life!!

However, as Lian Xing opened her inbox, her sleepy eyes widened. A few seconds later, she counted the numbers in disbelief.

11,110,1100,11000,110000!!!

One hundred and ten thousand!!!

 

Chapter 49: 100,000 Consecutive Wins, Lian Xing’s Undefeated Legend!! p2

Lian Xing had mistakenly assumed that hiding her appearance would be enough. But she didn’t know that the blurred image only covered certain key areas and had nothing to do with her being in the bathtub.

At this moment, although three beams of light censored her face and two other…indescribable areas…, it was still a blatant display of…human artistry!!!

“Wait, is this some new kind of…performance? Did she defeat a Ten Greats and take their spot just to…entertain the challengers?”

“Those legs…so hot, so fair, so…perfect!!!”

“I can’t watch Xiao Chusheng’s livestream anymore. I have to see this with my own eyes!!”

“Beauties, I can’t take it anymore. I…laid an egg…watching this episode???”

“????????????”

“????????????”

“????????????”

Facing this…spicy…scene, Xiao Chusheng’s livestream chat exploded. But as a member of the champion team, Xiao Chusheng quickly regained her composure. She suppressed her urge to…appreciate the view…and focused on the “Moonlight Rabbit” opposite her. Only a dozen seconds remained until the battle began.

“Since it could defeat Heavenly Tomb, its attack power must be terrifying…”

“Good thing I’m best at dealing with aggressive opponents!!!” Xiao Chusheng took a deep breath and summoned her two main pet beasts.

“Whoosh——!!!”

A giant, deep blue whale emerged from the void, its massive size filling the training space. Its body was covered in smooth fins, a single ice-blue crystal horn protruding from its head, like a mythical creature from a fairytale.

High-Tier — Biological Species — Sea Halberd Leviathan!!!

At the same time, a translucent water bottle enveloped Xiao Chusheng’s body. This mysterious pet beast, shaped like a message in a bottle, bobbed on the surface of the surrounding ocean, its erratic movements unpredictable.

High-Tier — Viral Species — Message in a Bottle!!!

The moment the Sea Halberd Leviathan appeared, the flat terrain of the training space transformed into a vast ocean. This ability to alter the environment and map was the reason she could hold her own against the Ten Greats!

However, because the countdown wasn’t over yet, the water couldn’t flood the opponent’s area immediately. She had to wait for a dozen seconds after the battle began.

Once the water covered the entire map, Xiao Chusheng would be invincible!!!

But just as Xiao Chusheng was waiting for the countdown to end…

“Whoosh—”

“Whoosh—”

In the last three seconds of the countdown, without warning, two differently colored, exquisitely crafted rings appeared on the “Moonlight Rabbit’s” ears.

Ring-shaped Weapon Species!!!

This sudden change caught Xiao Chusheng completely off guard. She had no time to react or devise a counterstrategy.

So, it had defeated Heavenly Tomb with two pet beasts?

There was no turning back now…

Xiao Chusheng stared at the “Moonlight Rabbit’s” movements, holding her breath, her heart pounding.

[Countdown complete]

[Battle begin!!!]

“Sea Halberd Leviathan!!!”

Instantly, following Xiao Chusheng’s shout, the giant blue whale with a halberd horn erupted with a blindingly bright, sea-blue light. The message in a bottle she was in was engulfed by a giant wave, disappearing from the enemy’s sight.

The whale’s aura intensified, the swirling water vortex around it growing larger, threatening to transform the entire kilometer-wide training space into an endless ocean. Once she dragged the opponent into her preferred battle rhythm, even the mighty Ten Greats would be forced to fight on equal footing~~~

But at that very moment…

“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The dark gold Golden Wheel, propelled by the spiral bands and spring-loaded firing pin on one of the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears, shot out like a laser cannon, piercing through the entire training space. A deafening shockwave erupted, the rapidly spinning arc of lightning bisecting the seawater in its path.

Under Xiao Chusheng’s incredulous gaze, the golden lightning instantly pierced the Sea Halberd Leviathan.

And then—

Without any warning, the lightning bolt changed direction, flying towards the message in a bottle at an even faster speed, its trajectory twisting.

The suddenly changing golden lightning flashed past, quickly disappearing from Xiao Chusheng’s sight.

What the hell was that speed…?

It turned mid-flight!!???

“Buzzzzzz——!!!”

By the time Xiao Chusheng reacted, the golden lightning had already returned to the “Moonlight Rabbit,” the friction from its high-speed rotation creating a cloud of steam around its ears.

But she hadn’t even seen it return!!!

That terrifying speed…it was so fast that it caused her vision to lag…

If she wasn’t mistaken, the battle was probably already over… Xiao Chusheng thought resignedly.

“???Boom???!!!!!”

In the next second, a deafening thunderclap echoed, a supersonic shockwave exploding along the path the mutated Topaz Golden Wheel had traveled earlier. Like a bolt of lightning, it twisted and turned three times, piercing through both the Sea Halberd Leviathan and the Message in a Bottle, then flew back towards its starting point.

The ocean was cleaved along the arc of lightning, golden scars crisscrossing the entire training space.

The actual battle was long over. This was just the lingering aftershock.

[Talent: Flexibility Enhancement]

[Combat Skill: Sand Toss (Blue)]

[Arcane Art: Flurry]

[Arcane Art: Combo X0]

[Arcane Art: Power Throw]

[Talent: Heavy Metal]

[Arcane Art: Topaz (Mutation)]

[Arcane Art: Lightning (Mutation)]

“Whoosh…”

“Whoosh…”

“Whoosh…”

A few seconds later, the trail of lightning faded.

The Sea Halberd Leviathan, the Message in a Bottle, and Xiao Chusheng of Phantom Sea Academy…all three were cleanly bisected.

[Challenge failed, remaining attempts: 2]

“Holy shit, holy shit, that’s insane! I didn’t even see how it attacked, and it’s already over!?”

“No wonder it could defeat a Ten Greats. Xiao Chusheng had no chance at all!!”

“To be honest, although the master is a…perverted exhibitionist…, that pet beast is truly top-tier…no, wait, the master is even more…top-tier…?”

“????????????”

Ignoring the barrage of comments flooding the screen, Xiao Chusheng stood frozen in place, speechless. She battled against the Ten Greats almost every day, so she was used to being defeated and wouldn’t be fazed by this setback.

But…

But…

“What the hell is that thing!!!!” Xiao Chusheng screamed, staring at the post-battle results in disbelief.

How was this possible!?

This, this, this…this Super Golden Wheel’s pet beast panel…didn’t even have a Commander-Tier pet beast!!!

[High-Tier — Biological Species — Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer]

[Mid-Tier — Weapon Species — Golden Wheel]

Yes, this was the lineup recorded for “Super Golden Wheel.”

At this moment, many viewers also noticed this, their expressions filled with shock and horror.

That performance…was just from a High-Tier and a Mid-Tier pet beast!?

This meant…she had defeated a Ten Greats while being a tier lower!?

---

---

Iron Hostel Academy, Team Training Room.

Iron Hostel Academy, a long-established powerhouse like Starlight Academy, was currently enjoying its golden age thanks to their captain, Heavenly Tomb, one of the Ten Greats.

Early in the morning, the core team members, still half-asleep, received an urgent summons to the training room. Their drowsiness instantly vanished, replaced by shock and disbelief.

Captain Heavenly Tomb had been defeated…by an unknown player…?

And that player had used a High-Tier pet beast…

After learning this unbelievable news, the Iron Hostel Academy core members logged into the latest virtual devices. Meanwhile, a dignified woman with long, black hair styled with a jade hairpin, gentle features, and a beauty mark by her eye, stood behind them, observing their screens with a frown.

This woman was Heavenly Tomb, one of the Ten Greats, the captain of Iron Hostel Academy.

Unlike the Rusty Bronze Coffin’s incredibly tough defense, her personality was surprisingly gentle, a stark contrast that was hard to reconcile.

“I heard the person who defeated me didn’t use a Commander-Tier pet beast. Is that true…?”

“Yes, Captain…”

“They used two pet beasts, a High-Tier and a Mid-Tier…” a substitute member explained nervously, in charge of intelligence and logistics.

Hearing this, Heavenly Tomb’s frown deepened. Being defeated by someone of the same tier was a bit embarrassing, but…being defeated by someone a tier lower…that was no joke and couldn’t be dismissed as a simple matchup disadvantage!!!

Soon, as the core members finished loading, the dozen or so substitutes and Heavenly Tomb saw…

The drastically changed leaderboard in Challenge Mode.

[1. Wind God Academy Silver Dragon, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,639,944]

[2. Xiyu Academy Thunder Queen, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,175,687]

[4. White Maple Academy Aurora, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 2,151,651]

[5. Super Golden Wheel, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 104,229]

Super Golden Wheel…in just one night, it had been challenged over a hundred thousand times!!!

A hundred thousand wins without a single loss…that was quite something.

But she wondered if those players were trying to test its strength or just hoping to…catch a glimpse…

One of the team members opened the comment section, hoping to find some useful information or strategies, but instead found an announcement from the virtual battle officials.

[Due to numerous reports, the Beast Tamer’s appearance has been forcibly altered.]

Below this announcement, the comments were filled with emojis, suggesting something…unusual…had happened.

[????????????]

[????????????]

[????????????]

[????????????]

[Luckily I downloaded Xiao Chusheng’s livestream recording. Time to…enjoy…it??]

[Requesting resources]

[Requesting resources X999]

[Requesting resources, willing to offer…myself…in exchange]

The Iron Hostel Academy members scrolled through hundreds of comments before finally finding a few useful ones.

“Be careful of the first attack. If you can block it, there might be a chance. An attack of that scale can’t be sustained indefinitely!!”

“The pressure is too strong. It doesn’t feel like a High-Tier pet beast. Are you sure the officials didn’t mess up the data?”

“The High-Tier one is…understandable…, but that Mid-Tier one’s power is too exaggerated!?”

“…”
“…”

In the tense and silent training room, several core members had already started their battles, the countdown timer ticking down. Based on the comments, the opponent wasn’t a Mechanical Species hacker or exploiting some matchup advantage.

Super Golden Wheel had genuinely won over a hundred thousand consecutive battles!!

Entering the battle, they saw the opponent’s pet beast lineup and the Beast Tamer herself. The girl, her appearance blurred, had long, flowing golden hair reaching her waist, dressed in the official default robe that even covered her knees, only her slender, white legs visible. Although her figure and aura were impressive, what was with the censored face and the endless “???” and “???” comments?

What part of her appearance had the officials censored?

Could it be that she had been putting on a show…?

[Countdown complete]

[Battle begin]

Finally, one of the team members finished the countdown. Under the watchful eyes of the entire Iron Hostel Academy team, she immediately activated her pet beast’s defensive combat skill. According to the comments, the opponent’s first attack was incredibly powerful!

If they could block the first attack, they might have a chance to turn the tables during the opponent’s cooldown!

No matter how strong the opponent was, it was still just a High-Tier pet beast. Its weaknesses were far greater than a true Commander-Tier.

“Boom???!!!!!”

In the next second, a deafening thunderclap echoed. As the twisting, leaping golden lightning bolt dissipated, the entire Iron Hostel Academy team, including the battling member, the substitutes, and the support staff, were stunned.

The entire training space, from the center of the battlefield to the back, was cleaved in two by an arc of light. Then, a wave of scorching air swept everything away.

“…”
“…”

If it had been the Lian Xing who had just defeated Heavenly Tomb, she might have been caught off guard. But after further enhancements, even Lian Xing herself didn’t know that the virtual battle system had updated her lineup with a new Arcane Art.

[Power Throw: Greatly increases projectile speed]

[Lightning (Mutation): Changes the Topaz Golden Wheel’s single speed burst Characteristic to three speed bursts per throw]

Enhanced by Power Throw, the Topaz-mutated Golden Wheel had reached an unimaginable level of power.

Then, as everyone stared blankly, a prominent message popped up.

[Battle failed, remaining attempts: 2]

A few seconds later, the team member logged out of the virtual battle. She immediately stood up from the device, her face pale and her body trembling, looking around in shock.

“You…you all saw that, right?”

“There was no time to react…”

“That Golden Wheel’s speed…it’s insane!!!”

“…”
“…”
“It’s…it’s fine. It’s not your fault—” Heavenly Tomb, the dignified beauty with the jade hairpin, one of the Ten Greats, gently patted the team member’s shoulder, comforting her.

Then, Heavenly Tomb looked at the fading Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer and the golden-haired girl on the screen, her expression grave. That speed and power…it wasn’t something ordinary students could handle…

With the Academy League approaching, they couldn’t let this unexpected event affect the morale of the entire Iron Hostel Academy!!!

As one of the Ten Greats, if she was defeated, she had to reclaim her position!

“In that case…I’ll try it myself…!!!”

 

Chapter 49: 100,000 Consecutive Wins, Lian Xing’s Undefeated Legend!! p1

“Ding-dong!!”

In the training space, just as Lian Xing defeated Heavenly Tomb, one of the Ten Greats, a notification popped up on her account, informing her of a delivered package. The contents were labeled as 3 High-Tier crystals and 20 Mid-Tier crystals.

Starlight Academy had kept their word, promptly paying her appearance fee.

Without even checking her ranking, Lian Xing hurriedly logged out of the virtual battle space. Then, she climbed out of the bathtub, not even bothering to get dressed, and ran to the door, dripping water, her body glistening.

“Hello, your delivery…” A young girl, working part-time as a delivery person, handed over the package.

In the next second, her eyes widened, and blood spurted from her nose.

“Thanks, beautiful~~~”

“Bang!” The alluring figure, her body half-concealed by wet, golden hair, snatched the package and quickly slammed the door shut.

The young girl, still inexperienced in the ways of the world, stood there for a long time, reluctant to leave, filled with regret. Was this some kind of…delivery roleplay…?

Shouldn’t she have invited me in…?

This burning desire could only be quenched through…purchasing…

“…”
“…”

After closing the door, Lian Xing turned around and saw the Moonlight Rabbit and Golden Leaf blocking her path. The two little beasts stood at her feet, their expressions pleading. Pet beasts had no level bottlenecks in the early stages and could evolve even without consuming crystals.

So, these crystals were mainly for the Legendary Star Sand.

“My darlings, here, one for each of you~~~” However, Lian Xing was generous with her “daughters,” readily taking two Mid-Tier crystals from the package and giving them to the two pet beasts.

But strangely, the Moonlight Rabbit and Golden Leaf didn’t immediately consume them, instead staring at the package in Lian Xing’s hands with longing gazes. Lian Xing blinked, confused, but didn’t think too much about it, summoning the sleeping Star Sand.

“Hoo, hoo, hoo~~~”

With a flash of light, a tiny, sand-like golden sprite appeared, lying gently in Lian Xing’s palm, sleeping peacefully. Compared to its awakened state, the light emanating from Star Sand’s body was slightly dimmer. This was the side effect of prolonged lack of energy crystals.

The energy consumption of a Legendary Rare Species was on a completely different level compared to other pet beasts. So, if it fell into the hands of a Beast Tamer who couldn’t afford its upkeep, it would be a tragic waste…

After being tricked by Lian Xing, Star Sand hadn’t had a single High-Tier crystal in three days. Lian Xing gently stroked Star Sand, her expression filled with heartache, and placed a High-Tier crystal beside it.

“Chomp—”

In the next second, Star Sand, as if sleepwalking, instantly manifested a giant mouth made of sand, hundreds of times larger than its body, and swallowed the High-Tier crystal whole. Then, as the golden sand particles dissipated, Star Sand rolled over and went back to sleep, the light emanating from its body now much brighter.

“…”
“…”
“Cough, cough, cough!!!!” Lian Xing almost choked on her own saliva, coughing lightly.

Good lord, even in its sleep, it eats like that.

After finally feeding Star Sand, Lian Xing was about to return to the bathroom to wash up when she felt a soft, furry sensation against her feet. She looked down, puzzled, and saw the Golden Leaf and the Moonlight Rabbit clinging to her ankles, their expressions pitiful and heartbroken, as if they had been abandoned.

“Sorry, my darlings, you can only have Mid-Tier crystals for now~~~”

“You can have High-Tier crystals when you’re a little older!!”

“It’s like…children can’t drive trucks~~~” Lian Xing crouched down, comforting the two little beasts with a gentle smile.

She wasn’t an ATM(Automated Teller Machine), and she couldn’t afford to feed three pet beasts with High-Tier crystals every day. The cost was too high, even if she worked…25 hours a day…

However, in the next second, she noticed something and her starry eyes widened in shock as she looked down at the Golden Leaf. The light emanating from the Golden Leaf was flickering, as if it was about to die. Its leaves drooped, wilting.

Wait, oh no…!!!

Seeing this, Lian Xing’s heart skipped a beat, cold sweat breaking out on her skin. She had forgotten about the Golden Leaf’s mutated evolution condition!

If the Golden Leaf didn’t receive the most resources in the team, it would regress!!

“Baby, don’t cry, don’t cry. Here, Mommy was just kidding. You can have it!!” Lian Xing reluctantly gave one of the remaining two High-Tier crystals to the Golden Leaf.

Having received the High-Tier crystal, the Golden Leaf stopped sulking, happily rolling around on the crystal’s surface. Then, Lian Xing sighed and looked at the Moonlight Rabbit at her other foot, her expression worried.

“Eeeeeeek!!!”

As expected, the Moonlight Rabbit wasn’t happy. It whimpered and shook its head, slapping Lian Xing’s ankle with its soft ears. It was the main battle pet beast, the one that worked the hardest, yet it couldn’t even get a single High-Tier crystal…

Ten seconds later, the Moonlight Rabbit happily hopped away, carrying the High-Tier crystal in its ears.

Lian Xing was left lying on the cold floor, sprawled out in an ungainly pose, her image and dignity completely gone.

“I want to…sell myself…” Lian Xing muttered, her eyes dull and lifeless, tears welling up.

The three High-Tier crystals she had just received were gone in the blink of an eye. Her main battle pet beast, the mutated evolution rule, the Legendary quality…she couldn’t bear to choose between them…

However, the only consolation was that after wasting a High-Tier crystal, the Golden Leaf’s level had jumped from 18 to 20. Something that could be achieved in a single battle had consumed an entire High-Tier crystal.

[Speed: 10→20]

[Golden Wheel’s Speed attribute has reached 20 points. You can choose a second Speed Arcane Art]

[Randomly generating Arcane Arts…]

[Lightning (Mutation): Changes the Topaz Golden Wheel’s single speed burst Characteristic to three speed bursts per throw]

[Gilded (Mutation): Greatly increases the Topaz Golden Wheel’s flying speed]

[Furnace (Mutation): Greatly increases the Topaz Golden Wheel’s surface temperature while spinning]

[Please choose one of the above Speed Arcane Arts]

[——]

[Shockwave (Mutation): Creates a shockwave in a fan-shaped area in front of the Amber Palace Golden Wheel during flight, dealing explosive damage]

[Thousand Jin (Mutation): Creates a shockwave in a circular area around the Amber Palace Golden Wheel during flight, inflicting stun]

[Thermal Light (Mutation): Emits a blinding flash of light from the Amber Palace Golden Wheel’s surface during flight, inflicting blindness]

[Please choose one of the above Speed Arcane Arts]

Looking at the new Arcane Art options, Lian Xing fell into deep thought. Six options had appeared at once.

It seemed the two Golden Wheels had been completely separated…

What troubled Lian Xing was…

The Topaz-mutated Golden Wheel’s options were relatively easy to choose from. Two of them were “greatly increases” effects, which were straightforward, and the other, [Lightning], was also very useful, changing the single speed burst Characteristic to three bursts per throw.

However, the Amber Palace…

Even Lian Xing, with her vast experience in beast taming, couldn’t understand it. No matter how she thought about it, the Amber Palace’s Arcane Art functions had nothing to do with the Speed attribute!

“Could it be that no matter which attribute I choose for the Amber Palace, the Arcane Arts will be the same?”

“Is it a fixed five-dimensional type?”

“…”
“…”

“Fixed five-dimensional” meant that regardless of which attribute was enhanced, the results would be similar, and the combat style would remain largely the same. The Beast Tamer had limited control, only able to focus on combat skill selection. Very few Rare Species were like this, their combat templates inherently unchangeable.

“Unfortunately, I don’t know what the Amber Palace’s actual form is. If I could see its High-Tier appearance, it would be easier to decide…”

“The current mutation is just a change in color and appearance, with no indication of its combat style. I can only guess…”

After two minutes, Lian Xing finally made her decision. She chose two Arcane Arts. This brought the Golden Wheel’s total Arcane Arts to four, an impressive number.

[Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer: 35→36]

Meanwhile, the Moonlight Rabbit also consumed the High-Tier crystal, barely gaining one level. Lian Xing suddenly remembered that she had been so eager to get the package that she had forgotten about the Moonlight Rabbit’s training.

Having reached level 36, the Moonlight Rabbit could unlock another Arcane Art.

[Agility 15→20]

[Strength 10→11]

[Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s Agility attribute has reached 20 points. You can choose a second Agility Arcane Art]

[Randomly generating Arcane Arts…]

[Daredevil: Greatly increases attack speed]

[Power Throw: Greatly increases projectile speed]

[Spirit Dance: Greatly increases dodge ability, moderately enhances danger premonition]

[Please choose one of the above Agility Arcane Arts]

---

---

At the same time, in a private room in the virtual battle space…

The culprit who had usurped Heavenly Tomb’s ranking, a certain…naked enthusiast…, had immediately logged off after her victory, unaware of the ensuing chaos.

At this moment, under the watchful eyes of over a million viewers, Xiao Chusheng of Phantom Sea Academy stared at the screen in a daze.

[1. Wind God Academy Silver Dragon, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,639,944]

[2. Xiyu Academy Thunder Queen, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,175,687]

[4. White Maple Academy Aurora, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 2,151,651]

[5. Super Golden Wheel, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 104,229]

“What’s going on?”

“Heavenly Tomb has been defeated???”

“Impossible!?” Seeing the updated leaderboard, Xiao Chusheng was dumbfounded.

Someone had broken through to Commander-Tier right before the Academy League?

This would surely cause panic among the academies…!!!

Could it be…that one of the Ten Greats would be dethroned this year…?

Xiao Chusheng was shaken by this shocking event, and her livestream chat exploded.

“Did you fail elementary school and become…’Little Newborn’? What are you waiting for? Challenge them!!!”

“This Super Golden Wheel probably just exploited a matchup advantage to defeat Heavenly Tomb. It might have a major weakness. You could win right now!!!”

“Stop spacing out! Let us see which academy uniform they’re wearing!!!”

“Yeah, don’t waste time! The last of the Ten Greats has nothing to do with your Phantom Sea Academy!!!”

Urged by the barrage of comments, Xiao Chusheng, unable to contain her curiosity, quickly clicked the challenge button. In the next second, two figures materialized in her training space, and the expressions of the livestream viewers changed.

One of the pet beasts was a…Moonlight Rabbit…with a bizarre appearance!?

A species she had never seen before…

Xiao Chusheng thought.

So this was the being that defeated Heavenly Tomb?

Its ears did exude a terrifying pressure…

Perfect for testing her own strength!!!

After briefly observing the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s form, Xiao Chusheng shifted her gaze to the Beast Tamer beside it.

“Pfft!!!”

The blue-haired girl almost choked on her own saliva, her eyes widening like a corpse staring into the abyss.

What was going on?

This Beast Tamer…was actually…doing that in public!!!

Chapter 48: Defeating a Ten Greats, Lian Xing Becomes an Internet Sensation!! p2

A giant silver arc of light sliced through the entire training space, including the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer, splitting it in half, along with a thousand-meter wide area behind it.

Less than a second into the battle, Lian Xing was cut in two, her organs spilling out. The gruesome scene was immediately censored.

[Battle concluded, challenge failed]

An instant, unquestionable defeat.

After her virtual body recovered, Lian Xing didn’t throw a tantrum. Instead, she covered her…lower abdomen…and narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

“I see…”

“So this is the true form of Silver Dragon, one of the Ten Greats~~~”

Commander-Tier · Viral Species · Silver Wing Dimension!!!

This thing was one of the most annoyingly overpowered Commander-Tier pet beasts. Its Characteristic was that it only existed when attacking. When inactive, it would hide in a dimensional space, untargetable.

Whether in the league or in the wilderness, it could kill opponents instantly, leaving them no time to react.

“Bad matchup. It seems I can’t deal with Silver Dragon for now…”

“Let’s try another Ten Greats~~~”

She had two more challenge attempts.

Instead of challenging Silver Dragon again, Lian Xing chose Heavenly Tomb of Iron Hostel Academy. Before starting the battle, she glanced at the top comments in the discussion section.

“Iron Hostel Academy Heavenly Tomb, ranked 8th among the Ten Greats, main battle pet beast is the defense-specialized [Rusty Bronze Coffin]. Although its offensive capabilities are weak, the battle has a 30-minute time limit. If the time runs out, the challenger loses.”

“What kind of defense is that? I couldn’t even scratch its surface with my ultimate skill!!!”

“Heh, my four pet beasts attacked together for half an hour, punching and kicking, and ended up exhausting themselves. I give up…”

“Fun fact, everyone. The Rusty Bronze Coffin can attack. It has a bunch of damage reflection combat skills. It’s just that your attacks are too weak to even trigger its damage threshold!!!”

After reading the comments for a few minutes, Lian Xing understood the situation. This Ten Greats was an incredibly durable tank, and a thorny one at that. Once it took a certain amount of damage, it would counterattack. The reason those players could attack for thirty minutes was because their attacks couldn’t even break through its defense.

“But…”

“If I can kill it in one hit, it should be fine, right?” Lian Xing pondered, then clicked the challenge button again.

A defense-specialized opponent was perfect for testing the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s damage limit.

“Dong!!!!!”

The moment the battle began, a giant bronze coffin descended from the sky, creating a cloud of dust. The rusty coffin was over 30 meters tall, Heavenly Tomb, one of the Ten Greats, hidden inside, not even revealing its form.

[Commander-Tier — Weapon Species — Rusty Bronze Coffin]

An ancient, vast, and timeless aura emanated from it.

Standing before this skyscraper-like coffin, Lian Xing and the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer looked like tiny ants, seemingly with no chance of winning.

“Whoosh—”

In the next second, two giant, differently colored Golden Wheels appeared on the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears, spinning rapidly like glowing hula hoops.

Golden Wheel, mutated evolution!!!

Then, without needing Lian Xing’s command, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer assumed a throwing stance.

No tactics, just bombard this thing until it breaks!!!

[Flexibility Enhancement]

[Heavy Metal]

[Sand Toss (Blue)]

[Combo X0]

[Combo X1]

[Flurry]

[Topaz]

[Amber]

“Boom!!!!”

In the next second, a terrifying sound like a cannon firing erupted, the shockwave sending Lian Xing flying. At the same time, the dark gold Golden Wheel, spinning at the base of its ear, shot out like a lightning bolt, reaching the Rusty Bronze Coffin in the blink of an eye.

Then, with a loud “Dong!”, the Golden Wheel crashed against the coffin’s surface, but the bronze coffin remained unmoved, not even a scratch appearing.

As expected of one of the Ten Greats…

This defense specialization was absurd.

A moment later, the slowly spinning crimson Golden Wheel also arrived, colliding with the coffin lid at a seemingly ordinary speed.

“Boom!!!!!”

This time, the sound was unimaginably loud, dust filling the entire hundred-meter training space.

A few seconds later, the dust settled.

The two Golden Wheels returned to the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears, one after the other. And on the surface of the Rusty Bronze Coffin, a faint crack appeared.

But within a breath, the wound healed.

[Combat Skill: Instant Regeneration (Deep Purple)]

Seeing this, Lian Xing, who had been blown to a corner, wasn’t discouraged but instead gave the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer a thumbs-up.

The attack worked!!!

Although the Amber-mutated Golden Wheel was difficult to hit with, once it connected, the damage was devastating.

Since she could damage the Rusty Bronze Coffin even without stacking Combo, Lian Xing was confident in her victory.

“Boom, boom!!!!”

In the next second, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer threw the two Golden Wheels again, propelling them with bursts of speed. The terrifying wind tore through the air, and the Golden Wheels exploded against the coffin lid, one after the other.

This time, both the sound and the damage were more significant.

After retrieving the Golden Wheels, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer continued its relentless assault, its ears whipping back and forth, launching the wheels with explosive force.

“Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!”

“Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!”

[Combo X4]
[Combo X5]
[Combo X6]
[Combo X7]
[Combo X8]
[Combo X9]

As the Combo stacks increased, the Rusty Bronze Coffin’s condition worsened. The regeneration combat skill could no longer keep up with the rate of damage, and cracks appeared on its surface.

Finally, as the damage reached a certain threshold, a faint golden light appeared on the Rusty Bronze Coffin.

[Combat Skill: Damage Reflection (Gold): After charging for 17 seconds, reflects all damage taken within the past 3 minutes]

The Rusty Bronze Coffin’s trump card had been activated. In the previous Academy League, Heavenly Tomb of Iron Hostel Academy had used this combat skill to instantly kill Aurora, another Ten Greats, becoming famous throughout dozens of regions.

The Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer had practically no defense and couldn’t even withstand a single attack from its own Golden Wheels, let alone the accumulated damage from ten consecutive hits.

Once this combat skill activated, the battle would be over.

However…

“It’s over—” Lian Xing’s lewd starry eyes lit up with joy.

If the Rusty Bronze Coffin could withstand this attack, she might as well give up on beast taming and…switch professions~~~

“Boom!!!!”

In the next second, with a terrifying sound like a rocket launch, the Amber Palace-mutated Golden Wheel shot out, propelled by an explosion of flames. This time, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer didn’t even bother throwing the dark gold Golden Wheel, focusing all its power on the crimson Golden Wheel.

[Characteristic: Amber Palace can trigger a “Trauma” effect once during flight, ignoring the target’s Defense attribute upon impact]

“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The moment the Golden Wheel hit the bronze coffin, a deafening explosion ripped through the training space. A terrifying wave of fire engulfed everything, the shockwave sweeping through the area, the entire world covered in dust.

Although Lian Xing was almost killed by the aftershock, seeing the message that appeared before her, she knew the battle was over…

[Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer: 31→35]

[Golden Wheel: 12→18]

Her training points had skyrocketed. Lian Xing hadn’t dared to use the Amber Palace Characteristic recklessly before, afraid of triggering the damage reflection combat skill before maxing out Combo.

This was the final blow, the ultimate attack designed to shatter the Commander-Tier defense!!!

[You have defeated Heavenly Tomb of Iron Hostel Academy. Do you wish to record your battle information?]

[Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer recorded successfully, Golden Wheel recorded successfully]

[Do you wish to record your player ID?]

[No]

[Do you wish to enter a fake ID?]

[Fake ID entered successfully]

[Do you wish to record your full appearance?]

[No]

[Adjustments complete]

[Your ranking has been updated]

Lian Xing naturally wouldn’t record her ID or appearance. After all, she was currently taking a bath while battling, completely naked. There was no way she would let others see her…exposed form…

---

---

“Beauties, good evening. It’s another day of challenging the Ten Greats~~~” A girl with long, flowing blue hair gave a peace sign with a sweet smile. She wore a sea-blue uniform, the ripples and folds of her skirt resembling ocean waves, dreamlike and stunning.

[ID: Phantom Sea Academy Xiao Chusheng]

[Live Viewers: 1,560,000]

In the world of virtual battles, some might not have heard of Xiao Chusheng, but everyone knew the name Phantom Sea Academy.

Phantom Sea Academy, the absolute ruler of the Academy League, reigning champions for three consecutive years. And their leader, Tian Quan, one of the Ten Greats, was hailed as the strongest in the past 30 years!!!

Xiao Chusheng was only the third-ranked member of the Phantom Sea Academy team, but her follower count rivaled that of Purgatory of Volcano Academy, the last of the Ten Greats.

And her livestreams were incredibly entertaining. Even against the mighty Ten Greats, she could hold her own for a while thanks to her unique Characteristics, showcasing the dominance of her prestigious academy and thrilling the viewers.

By challenging the Ten Greats three times a day, her livestream consistently ranked among the most popular in the virtual battle space.

“Alright, everyone, let’s challenge Purgatory of Volcano Academy today~~~” Xiao Chusheng switched to Challenge Mode while commentating, then expertly scrolled down the list. The top five most popular challenges were displayed at the top. Without even looking, Xiao Chusheng was about to click the battle button for Purgatory.

However, at that moment…

The livestream chat exploded, a barrage of comments flooding the screen, obscuring Xiao Chusheng’s vision.

“Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, what is that?”

“Wait, where…where did Heavenly Tomb go!????”

“What the hell? Someone defeated a Ten Greats!!!”

“No way, how could Heavenly Tomb be defeated? Even half of the Ten Greats can’t do anything against that turtle shell!?”

The overwhelming flood of comments blinded the blue-haired girl. After struggling for a while, Xiao Chusheng finally managed to move the chat to the bottom of the screen.

Then, as she saw the virtual panel, her pupils constricted sharply.

[1. Wind God Academy Silver Dragon, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,636,852]

[2. Xiyu Academy Thunder Queen, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,173,549]

[3. Volcano Academy Purgatory, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 2,803,394]

[4. White Maple Academy Aurora, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 2,151,723]

[5. Super Golden Wheel, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 131]

“…”
“…”
“You’ve got to be kidding me, right?” Xiao Chusheng muttered in disbelief after almost a minute of silence.

This…this would change everything in the league…

Chapter 48: Defeating a Ten Greats, Lian Xing Becomes an Internet Sensation!! p1

“Boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!”

“Boom, boom!!!!!”

In the virtual battle, sand and gravel rained down from the sky like a meteor shower, transforming half of the Execution Grounds Ruins map into a living hell. The ground collapsed, the night sky seemed to tremble, and scorching waves of heat surged.

“…”
“…”
“Is that thing a Biological Species or a missile launcher from the Mechanical Species!?” Starlight Academy #3, the girl with glasses, muttered in disbelief from the spectator space after being defeated.

She immediately opened the death replay and witnessed a scene she couldn’t comprehend.

A moment later, a cute girl with green twintails also entered the spectator space.

Mian Qing had also been defeated.

As the vice-captain, she had only lasted a few seconds longer than the others!

“What happened…”

“Whose attack was that?” Mian Qing asked, her face filled with shock and confusion, as she opened her death replay.

A strangely shaped Moonlight Rabbit appeared on the screen. The High-Tier Biological Species evolved Moonlight Rabbit had a slender and graceful body, but its two jade-green ears were incredibly thick and heavy, their bizarre appearance exuding an oppressive aura.

Was this…

The Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer!?

Then, under Mian Qing’s horrified gaze, the “Moonlight Rabbit” lowered its body into an unnatural, tilted position, assuming a throwing stance, aiming towards the sky.

What was it doing? Was it trying to throw something across the entire map!?

How was that even possible?

A few seconds later, Mian Qing’s expression froze.

There was no need for further explanation.

Because that’s exactly what the Moonlight Rabbit in the replay did!!

“Boom!!!!!”

With a flash of black and white stars, the ears, propelled by bursts of force, launched their payload. Countless sand and gravel particles shot through the night sky like meteors. A deafening explosion echoed, sending the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s master and teammates flying.

And then came the scene that the Starlight Academy members had witnessed firsthand…

The meteor shower of sand and gravel, launched by the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer, crossed the entire map at an incredible speed and exploded above the Starlight Academy team’s spawn point, raining down like a torrential downpour, covering a kilometer-wide area.

Facing this devastating, apocalyptic AOE attack, the Starlight Academy team was instantly wiped out.

“…”
“…”
“So this is…the true form of Strongest Moonlight Rabbit?” Mian Qing, the Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty, muttered, her face ashen, after witnessing the entire scene.

She vaguely remembered the first time she had defeated the golden-haired girl with buns. Back then, the Mid-Tier Giant Moonlight Rabbit had been riddled with holes by her Eight-Legged Spider’s Rapid Fire, unable to fight back.

But who would have thought that in just a week, this Moonlight Rabbit had reached such a level!!!

“…”
“…”

[Victory]

[Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer: 30→31]

“Bang!!!!!”

The moment her consciousness returned to reality, Captain Zi Wutong shot up from her device, her face pale and her chest heaving, her body drenched in cold sweat. The despair she had felt in the virtual battle had affected her physical body.

After calming down slightly, she slowly raised her head, looking at the opposite side in disbelief…

Meanwhile, the golden-haired girl with a calm expression also stood up from her device. Under everyone’s incredulous gazes, Lian Xing still had her usual cheerful starry eyes. For her, defeating the powerhouse Starlight Academy seemed like a trivial matter, not even worth mentioning.

“Beautiful, remember to transfer the energy crystals to my account later. You can find my information in the battle record~~~”

“Alright, everyone, I’ll be taking my leave. Feel free to contact me for similar tasks in the future~~~” Lian Xing said to Zi Wutong with a smile, waving as she walked towards the door.

To be honest, she wasn’t satisfied with today’s battle. Although the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s throwing power was outrageous, even exceeding her expectations…

She couldn’t just…scatter her teammates’ ashes every time she attacked, right?

While being blown away to some unknown corner of the ruins earlier, Lian Xing had been thinking…

With the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s current throwing power, it was no different from a missile-type Mechanical Species. There was a high chance of wiping out her own team the moment she attacked.

“So, it seems my next pet beast should be a defense-specialized type~~~~”

“At least I need to be protected…” Lian Xing muttered to herself, adjusting her stockings, which were about to slip down to her knees, as she left the Youlan Academy team training room.

Meanwhile, Tao Wan, who had been staring blankly at her device, finally snapped out of her daze, shaking her head with a wry smile. Before the battle, she had actually been worried about how to increase their chances of winning. How naive.

Starlight Academy’s star players were so famous that their second team members seemed to have forgotten—

The shock and terror of the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer and the Golden Wheel’s debut, when they had pierced through Youxi Valley with a single attack!!!

Now it seemed that before Lian Xing and her Moonlight Rabbit, star players were no different~~~~

“…”
“…”

A heavy silence filled the training room, the Starlight Academy members’ faces ashen. Mian Qing, the girl with green twintails, looked like she had just witnessed her mother’s funeral procession get hit by a truck.

No one had expected this practice match to end like this.

At this moment, Mian Qing turned to Zi Wutong and asked hoarsely, “Captain, you took a long time to log out. Were you watching the death replay?”

“Did you…see that thing?”

After a long silence, Zi Wutong nodded with a bitter smile.

“Mm—”

“If I’m not mistaken, half of the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s burst damage is passively triggered during throwing attacks, so there’s no cooldown or delay.”

“In other words, for it, that burst is just a normal attack…”

“Strongest Moonlight Rabbit…is too dangerous—”

“…”
“…”

About half an hour after the battle ended, the Starlight Academy members, looking dejected, finally left the training room. By this time, many curious Youlan Academy students had gathered outside, eager to see the results of the match between Starlight Academy and Youlan Academy’s main team.

But…surely their own team must have been crushed, right?

After all, in the previous league, Zi Wutong, the captain of Starlight Academy, was considered one of the closest contenders to the Ten Greats. Perhaps she alone, with her main battle pet beast, would be enough to defeat the entire Youlan Academy team~~~

Just like last year, when both the first and second teams were humiliated and defeated by White Maple Academy in the qualifiers and main tournament~~~

However—

A few seconds later, seeing the Starlight Academy star players emerge from the training area with ashen faces, the students waiting outside were stunned. Their excitement and anticipation turned into confusion.

Wait, what was with their reactions?

They lost!?

Impossible…!!

Was there a Beast Tamer in Youlan Academy who could defeat Zi Wutong?

No, no, that couldn’t be. They must just be dissatisfied with their own performance, right?

At this moment, Zi Wutong, walking at the back, couldn’t shake her shock. She glanced at her dejected teammates. If possible, she didn’t want to face the Ten Greats of Xiyu Academy in this state.

But there was nothing she could do…

Their fighting spirit and morale had been completely crushed by Strongest Moonlight Rabbit alone. This drastic shift in mood couldn’t be easily recovered with self-hypnosis and reassurance.

“Speaking of which, Strongest Moonlight Rabbit will definitely participate in the Academy League, right?” Leaving the Youlan Academy team training hall, Zi Wutong looked back with a lingering gaze.

Strongest Moonlight Rabbit wasn’t invincible. Compared to Commander-Tier pet beasts, whose mere presence could crush everything, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s throwing attacks required time and distance to reach their full potential. If it were a narrow duel map, and the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer was cornered, its abilities would be useless…

“Hopefully, the next time we meet, the outcome will be different…” Under the puzzled gazes of the onlookers, Ziwutong stood frozen for a dozen seconds before turning and leaving with a look of unwillingness.

This practice match…was an undeniable defeat for Starlight Academy…!!!

---

---

Night, Youlan Academy student dormitory.

Steam filled the bathroom.

The girl’s soft, golden hair spread across the surface of the water, her smooth, white skin as translucent as jelly. Her slender legs, faintly visible beneath the water, were so dazzlingly white that they made one want to drink the entire bathtub.

Due to her contract with Star Sand, Lian Xing could barely touch water. Only during Star Sand’s sleep time could she enjoy a proper bath.

At this moment, soaking in the water, Lian Xing was so relaxed that she didn’t even want to get out. So, she decided to log into the virtual battle space while still in the bath.

“Connect!”

“Whoosh—”

The chip activated, and with a flash of white light, Lian Xing’s consciousness entered the virtual battle preparation space. She casually browsed through the battle modes.

After crushing the Starlight Academy star players today, Lian Xing felt no excitement. After all, that Captain Zi Wutong was about the same level as the Wind God Academy vice-captain. Back when it was still Mid-Tier, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit had already defeated the Wind God Academy’s Cloud Chariot Wheel. Now that it had reached High-Tier, the outcome was obvious.

Suddenly, Lian Xing’s finger stopped on a new mode panel.

[Casual Mode: No level or tier restrictions]

[Expert Mode: Similar level and tier]

[Challenge Mode: Unlocked after obtaining a High-Tier pet beast]

“Challenge Mode…”

“I see, Pet Beast Evolution Battle had this too, but I forgot about it after not playing for so long!” Lian Xing thought for a moment, switched to Challenge Mode, and a translucent panel appeared before her, displaying a list of instances.

[Top 5 Most Popular Simulated Instances]

[1. Commander-Tier Lair — Starry Plains, Completion Record — 7 hours 24 minutes 57 seconds]

[2. Commander-Tier Lair — Bloody Colosseum, Completion Record — 5 hours 24 minutes 57 seconds]

[3. Commander-Tier Lair — Dragon Emperor City, Completion Record — None]

[4. Commander-Tier Lair — Celestial Tree, Completion Record — None]

[5. Royal-Tier Lair — Pet Beast Compendium Museum, Completion Record — None, Recommended Rating: 10 stars, the only way to see Royal-Tier pet beasts in virtual battles, be careful not to get scared!!!]

Lian Xing browsed through the list. Although most players played High-Tier instances, Commander-Tier instances were surprisingly popular. Perhaps it was to experience the thrill of facing stronger opponents~~~~

However, Lian Xing wasn’t planning to conquer any instances today. High-Tier instances offered too few rewards, a waste of time. And she couldn’t defeat Commander-Tier instances with her current strength.

Since they were called “instances,” it meant facing multiple opponents, not just one…

So, Lian Xing scrolled down the list.

[AI Simulated Training Battles, replicating at least 70% of star players’ combat power]

[After defeating a star player, your battle information and character model will replace theirs. Accumulated challenge attempts can be exchanged for rewards]

[1. Wind God Academy Silver Dragon, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,636,851]

[2. Xiyu Academy Thunder Queen, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 3,173,549]

[3. Volcano Academy Purgatory, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 2,803,394]

[4. White Maple Academy Aurora, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 2,151,723]

[5. Iron Hostel Academy Heavenly Tomb, Completion Record — None, Challenge Attempts: 1,710,234]

[Note: Players have only 3 challenge attempts per day. Please do not exploit the system.]

Undoubtedly, the most popular challenges in this mode were the Ten Greats from the previous league. Although other players also had Commander-Tier pet beasts, without fame, no one would challenge them. To become famous, one had to replace one of the Ten Greats!!

“Hmm, that…Silver Dragon…she should be the boss of that Wind God Academy #10, right?”

“Doesn’t seem that strong. Should I give it a try?” After browsing the list, Lian Xing confidently clicked the challenge button.

With the Moonlight Rabbit and the Golden Wheel’s current strength, as long as she didn’t encounter an overly troublesome Commander-Tier, she had a chance.

[Challenge initiated: Wind God Academy Silver Dragon]

After the 30-second countdown, a silver-haired girl wearing a Wind God Academy mask appeared in the training space. The Moonlight Rabbit on Lian Xing’s head began to grow, transforming into the imposing Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer.

However, to Lian Xing’s surprise, Silver Dragon didn’t summon anything. Normally, simulated AIs would use their full power from the start, wouldn’t they?

But before Lian Xing could even think further, before the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer could even move—

“Boom!!!”

A deafening roar.

Chapter 47: Lunar Crash, The Ultimate Throw, Starlight Academy’s Despair!! 

Execution Grounds Ruins. Under the dark night sky, the map was littered with collapsed ruins and rubble. The golden-haired girl in ultra-thin, shiny suspender stockings looked towards the distance, her twinkling starry eyes betraying no emotion, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Confident?”

“It’s…already over—”

As the girl’s incomprehensible words echoed, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s body lowered, tilting at an unnatural angle, and assumed a throwing stance, aiming at the enemy spawn point a kilometer away.

When throwing the Golden Wheels, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer utilized the spiral bands and spring-loaded firing pins on its ears for explosive acceleration.

However, if the target was small and sharp sand and gravel…

At this moment, the spiral bands at the tips of the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears contracted and compressed, forming a watermelon-sized pouch.

“Whirr, whirr, whirr—”

A sound like a washing machine filled the air as the spiral pouch spun, grinding the rubble inside into fine dust. This was the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s advanced Characteristic, a special modification of its ears.

Unlike the flashy and diverse Characteristics of other types, Biological Species Characteristics were usually simple physical enhancements. Their appearance reflected their abilities, easily understood at a glance.

But…

Clearly, based on its appearance, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer didn’t look like a High-Tier pet beast.

Its terrifying, oppressive aura was more akin to a Commander-Tier…

“Boom!!!!”

Three seconds after the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer assumed its throwing stance, a powerful shockwave erupted around it. The wind created cracks in the surrounding rubble, and even the ground beneath its feet began to collapse.

[Talent: Flexibility Enhancement]

[Flurry: Greatly increases ear agility, adds slight stickiness to fur, making it easier to use tools]

[Combo: In a single battle, the more attacks launched, the greater the damage]

[Sand Toss (Blue): Based on the pet beast’s Agility and Strength attributes, moderately increases the power of thrown Weapon Species; doubles the bonus when throwing items or other objects]

[Lunar Crash (Purple): When the pet beast performs a throwing attack, based on its Strength and Agility attributes, applies gravitational pressure to the target area]

Full power!!!

Except for Combo, which couldn’t be activated on the first attack, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer was using everything it had.

The deafening aura and buzzing sound pressed down on everyone’s minds. Hei Lan and Tao Wan’s High-Tier pet beasts were forced back by the wind, while the Beast Tamers themselves couldn’t even open their eyes!!!

Finally…

The power reached its peak!

Under the golden-haired, starry-eyed girl’s satisfied gaze, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer twisted its body and swung its ears with explosive force. And as it swung its ears, white steam erupted from the hollow rings, propelling them forward like rockets.

Black and white stars flashed in the air.

The world before them began to fade…

“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

In the next second, a cloud of smoke erupted like a rocket launch, countless sand and gravel particles shooting upwards, trailing flames. The deafening explosion sent the nearest golden-haired girl flying.

The ground within a hundred-meter radius of the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer collapsed, and all surrounding debris was swept away by the wind, including its own master and teammates.

“…”
“…”

If this were a real battle, the Moonlight Rabbit would never use its full power. After all, it wasn’t like Lian Xing was…expendable…

However, this was a virtual battle…

As long as the opponents were eliminated!!!

Standing amidst the erupting smoke and roaring waves, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer narrowed its eyes, watching the sand and gravel it had thrown trace a perfect arc in the moonlight, like shooting stars in reverse.

Then—

It crashed down with the force of a meteor shower.

---

---

Execution Grounds Ruins, the other side of the map.

At the Starlight Academy team’s spawn point, Zi Wutong, the purple-haired girl in the off-shoulder evening gown, frowned slightly.

Something felt…off…

Just seeing the name Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer had triggered a sense of unease within her. Every Beast Tamer was born with an instinct for danger, able to judge a pet beast’s strength based on its name, appearance, and aura.

Although she hadn’t seen the Moonlight Rabbit’s form yet, Zi Wutong had already sensed a dangerous signal from its name.

“Mian Qing, you said that Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s attack method was throwing?” Zi Wutong turned to the green-haired girl with twintails and asked.

Mian Qing was Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty’s real name. A soft, moist rain cloud hovered above her head, constantly dripping water, soaking her clothes and skin.

High-Tier — Elemental Species — Misty Rain. This was Mian Qing’s true main battle pet beast.

The price for deploying it was being constantly drenched, making her prone to colds.

“Mm…”

“But I’m not entirely sure if this Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer is an evolution of the Giant Moonlight Rabbit.”

“If it’s not, then it’s fine. We can just treat it as an unknown High-Tier species.”

“But if it is, we have to be careful of its throws…” Mian Qing’s words were cut short.

Her eyes widened as she looked up at the sky, her pupils constricting to pinpoints. Seeing Mian Qing’s reaction, everyone else also looked up.

And then, they witnessed…

Tens of thousands of meteorites blazed across the sky, falling towards them like a shower of shooting stars.

Dense, overwhelming, unavoidable.

A radius of several kilometers, all within range!!!

“Defense!!!” Zi Wutong shouted, and the Hanging Void behind her immediately created a translucent purple crystal barrier. The Misty Rain above Mian Qing also expanded rapidly, almost enveloping her entire body. The light drizzle turned into a torrential downpour, drenching her to the bone.

The other three team members’ High-Tier pet beasts, Dragonfly Radar, Poison Hook, and Mirror Blade, also assumed defensive stances. Unfortunately, none of them specialized in defense and would likely be the first to sustain damage from this catastrophic meteor shower.

However, at that moment…

Just as everyone was prepared—

The moon…fell…

[Lunar Crash]

“Boom!!!!!”

Without warning, a deafening roar shook the ground, and the entire area around them collapsed, sinking by over ten meters, forming a giant crater. From above, it looked like a smooth, curved section, like the surface of the moon.

At the same time, within the crater, the three pet beasts, Dragonfly Radar, Poison Hook, and Mirror Blade, were all pressed to the ground by an invisible force. The terrifying, distorted, crushing pressure distorted the air, making it difficult to even breathe.

The Misty Rain, struggling to maintain its defensive stance, was also slowly descending from the sky.

Only the Hanging Void, with its high level and attributes, remained unaffected, its energy shield activated.

“This is…gravity!?”

“Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!!”

Before Zi Wutong could even finish her exclamation, the entire battlefield was engulfed by an overwhelming barrage of meteorites. With their pet beasts pinned to the ground, unable to resist, the three exposed Beast Tamers were instantly killed, their limbs and blood splattering everywhere.

Even their High-Tier pet beasts couldn’t escape. They were riddled with holes by the downpour of rocks.

“Boom!!!!”

“Boom, boom, boom!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The sound of the bombardment echoed throughout the map, turning the Starlight Academy team’s spawn point into a living hell. The cratered ground continued to collapse, the sky seemingly shaking under the terrifying force.

After barely holding on for four or five seconds, Mian Qing’s Misty Rain finally gave way, both master and pet beast crying out in pain. Without the gravitational pressure, they could have endured. But under this unfair effect, this was their limit…

“Whoosh—”

Hundreds of falling rocks pierced through the High-Tier cloud elemental Misty Rain, riddling the green-haired, twintailed girl beneath it with bloody holes. The terrain around Mian Qing was also devastated, no level ground remaining, only craters as far as the eye could see.

Finally, after fifteen seconds of relentless bombardment, the catastrophic meteor shower ended.

At this moment, only Zi Wutong remained alive. She knelt amidst the ruins, covered in blood, gasping for breath. The Hanging Void, which had been protecting her, also seemed to be struggling. Its deep purple body was riddled with swirling holes, barely holding on thanks to its Viral Species characteristic, but its flickering form showed that it was reaching its limit.

“It’s finally over, heh…”

“That burst was impressive, but now…it’s my turn to counterattack!!!” Zi Wutong, instead of despairing, was filled with a burning fighting spirit.

Even alone, she was confident that she could single-handedly defeat the entire Youlan Academy team!!!

This was the fighting spirit and pride of the prestigious Starlight Academy!!!

However, in the next second, hearing a terrifying whistling sound from the sky, Zi Wutong slowly raised her head, her confident expression freezing. A hopeless, insurmountable sight reflected in her bloodless eyes.

“Boom!!!!”

Even more powerful, even more intense, even more numerous.

A meteor shower, dyeing the entire night sky crimson, flew over her head and rained down like a shower of exploding stars, covering the entire kilometer-wide ruin.

After all, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer had two ears…

[Talent: Flexibility Enhancement]

[Sand Toss]

[Flurry]

[Lunar Crash]

[Combo X1]

This time, Zi Wutong didn’t bother resisting. She simply knelt on the ground, her face pale, watching the meteorites fall like snowflakes. Then, the ground and air around her began to vanish, her vision narrowing, filled with nothing but dust.

“So this is…despair…”

“Boom!!!”

“Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!!!!!”

The path of destruction swept through the area for hundreds of meters, obliterating everything in its wake. The earth-shattering explosions echoed continuously. Even from the Youlan Academy team’s spawn point several kilometers away, they could clearly see the massive dust cloud and flames erupting in the distance.

Almost half the map had been destroyed by these two meteor showers.

It was supposed to be a large map…

At this moment, the hollow rings around the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears were spewing hot mist, flattening hills dozens of meters behind it. It seemed to be cooling itself down, dissipating the heat generated from the friction of its throws, its entire body enveloped in a scorching aura, exuding a terrifying pressure that was hard to look at directly.

Meanwhile, back in the training room—

The four first team members watching the battle were completely dumbfounded. Ye Zhuzhi, Chi Yan, and the other two girls had witnessed the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s throws and the terrifying meteor shower. Ye Zhuzhi and Chi Yan already knew how powerful the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer was, so they managed to maintain their composure.

As for the other two members, one’s eyes were almost popping out of their sockets.

The other was even more dramatic…

She had stopped breathing for over five minutes.

“…”
“…”

Wait, the renowned Starlight Academy…had they lost just like that?

They couldn’t even withstand a single round of throws from “Strongest Moonlight Rabbit”!?

It was like watching the Heavenly Court…send Dayu back…

***

“It was like watching the Heavenly Court…send Dayu back…” is a reference to a Chinese myth:

-Dayu (大禹): A legendary hero in ancient Chinese mythology. He is famous for controlling the Great Flood, a catastrophic event that threatened to destroy civilization. Dayu spent years working tirelessly, dredging rivers and building canals to divert the floodwaters, ultimately saving the people.

-The Heavenly Court (天庭): The celestial realm in Chinese mythology, ruled by the Jade Emperor and inhabited by various deities and immortals.

-“Sending Dayu back”: This phrase, in the context of the story, implies a complete and utter defeat, a forceful removal from a position of power or prominence. It’s as if the Heavenly Court, recognizing Dayu’s failure to control the flood (which he actually succeeded in doing), banished him back to the mortal realm.(At least that’s what I found)

Chapter 46: Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer, Shocking the Audience!

“Strongest Moonlight Rabbit? What’s that?”

“…”
“…”
“The one named Lian Xing. Isn’t she from your Youlan Academy?” Starlight Academy #3, the girl with glasses, whose ID and personality were both relatively normal, asked, slightly puzzled.

However, the moment the words “Lian Xing” were spoken, the five Starlight Academy members could clearly sense…

The atmosphere in the room changed drastically!!!

Without warning, the entire training room became incredibly quiet, heavy, and oppressive. The three core members of the first team, especially Captain Qi Dong, showed signs of emotional turmoil, her breathing becoming noticeably rapid.

“Lian Xing…”

“She’s not a team member…”

“Do…you know her?” Tao Wan asked cautiously after a long silence, her eyebrows raised slightly.

Was Lian Xing’s current ID Strongest Moonlight Rabbit…?

Well, it was certainly fitting, matching her…persona.

Calling that terrifying, unknown creature the “strongest” among the Moonlight Rabbit’s Biological Species evolution path didn’t seem like an exaggeration.

“No, we don’t know her personally. One of our team members encountered her in a virtual battle and is quite interested in her team composition~~~”

“Do you know how to contact Lian Xing?”

“If possible, we’d like her to participate in the practice match personally…” Zi Wutong, the Starlight Academy captain, said with a smile.

The reason Starlight Academy was conducting these training matches across different regions was to test their own strength and identify any hidden aces in their rival academies. At this moment, she was deeply intrigued by Strongest Moonlight Rabbit.

A 63-0 record, even if it wasn’t in expert mode, was still impressive. Moreover, the opponent had even defeated their vice-captain.

Surely, no sane Beast Tamer would refuse a personal invitation from a Starlight Academy star player, right?

“Alright, I’ll try to contact her~~~” Tao Wan nodded, taking out her phone and sending a message.

As everyone waited patiently, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty, the girl with green twintails, frowned. That moment of silence earlier…it was too strange.

The mere mention of an ordinary student’s name, not even a core team member, had silenced the entire Youlan Academy team.

Could it be…

That Strongest Moonlight Rabbit had a secret they didn’t know about?

Lost in thought, the green-haired, twintailed girl scanned the faces of those waiting. As expected, noticing her hesitant gaze, Chi Yan and Ye Zhuzhi quickly looked away.

As if…they were avoiding something…

Were they afraid of her asking about Lian Xing?

Strongest Moonlight Rabbit…might be a problem…

Suspicious, the green-haired girl didn’t ask any questions, only raising her guard and preparing for battle with a serious mindset.

---

---

Youlan Academy, student dormitory.

The golden-haired girl with buns and white stockings lay on her side in bed, her arms wrapped around a shimmering golden elemental figure, her expression as gentle as if she were holding her lover.

Ever since her master had revealed her future evolution path a few days ago, Star Sand had abandoned all doubts and complaints, willingly residing within Lian Xing’s body. Although it couldn’t even get a single Mid-Tier energy crystal per day right now, just like her master had said…

It would all come…eventually…

Having just coaxed Star Sand to sleep and about to take a nap herself, Lian Xing’s phone suddenly buzzed with a message notification.

[Tao Tao Tao Tao Tao: Xiao Xing, are you there? Emergency!!!] **Tao means Peach**

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit: Not here, already asleep??????]

[Tao Tao Tao Tao Tao: Starlight Academy suddenly requested you by name for a match. Did something happen between you and them online?]

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit: ???????]

[Tao Tao Tao Tao Tao: …]

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit: Check if there’s a short green-haired…turtle…among the Starlight Academy members??????]

Under everyone’s puzzled gazes, Tao Wan suddenly looked at the Starlight Academy members, her eyes finally landing on Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty, a look of realization on her face.

Then, as the green-haired girl looked at her, confused, Tao Wan continued texting.

[Tao Tao Tao Tao Tao: There is one~~~]

[…]

[…]

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit: Is there an appearance fee? I’ll consider it??]

“Is there an appearance fee?” Tao Wan asked, relaying Lian Xing’s question.

“Five Mid-Tier energy crystals, win or lose!” Zi Wutong held up five fingers, her expression indifferent.

The resources that Qi Dong, the Youlan Academy captain, worked a whole month to earn, they could casually offer without batting an eye. Just how rich were they?

Everyone looked envious.

Tao Wan swallowed hard, relaying the offer to Lian Xing. A few seconds later, seeing Lian Xing’s reply, her heart-shaped pupils constricted in disbelief.

“She said…”

“She wants 20 Mid-Tier energy crystals and 3 High-Tier energy crystals!”

“…”
“…”
“Bang!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!!!” Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty slammed the table, her face furious.

This outrageous appearance fee was even higher than the reward the Dean of Youlan Academy had offered their entire team for two matches. This meant that their trip here would not only be a waste of time and effort but would also cost them extra!!!

Was this a joke?

Only an idiot would agree!!!

“Tell her, if we lose, we’ll pay that price. If we win, she gets nothing!!” Zi Wutong, the Starlight Academy captain, said coldly.

However, Lian Xing’s reply quickly arrived.

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit: Coming, beautiful??]

To prove she wasn’t making things up or taking a cut, Tao Wan showed everyone her phone, letting them read the chat log. Seeing the words “green-haired turtle” and the emoji, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty’s face twisted in anger.

Calling her a turtle was one thing, but what was with the “green hat” implication?

This Lian Xing…she was too much!!!

But…

“She actually agreed to that condition!?”

“It seems she’s really confident that she can win…” the green-haired, twintailed girl muttered in disbelief.

Any Beast Tamer with a functioning brain should know that Starlight Academy was a powerhouse filled with elites, one of the top 16 teams in last year’s league. They were on a completely different level compared to Youlan Academy, the clowns who were 3-1’d by the Thundering Violet Lightning last year!!!

What was this Lian Xing thinking?

If she lost, she wouldn’t even get the five Mid-Tier energy crystals!?

Was she really so arrogant as to think she could easily win a 1v5?

To be fair, Lian Xing wasn’t thinking about any of that. She only knew that Star Sand’s meals for the next few days were secured.

Free resources? Don’t mind if she did~~~

---

---

About fifteen minutes later, the door to the training room opened again. The first thing that caught everyone’s eye was a pair of slender legs in shiny white stockings, the suspenders perfectly accentuating the curves of her thighs. If this girl ever stopped wearing stockings, it would be like…drinking hot cola on a summer day. Utterly unthinkable.

A small, cute Moonlight Rabbit sat on the head of the eye-catching, golden-haired girl with buns and starry eyes, chewing on a golden leaf, looking adorable and carefree.

However, who would have thought that this seemingly harmless combination had single-handedly ended the chaotic battle in Youxi Valley with a single attack?

At this moment, the Starlight Academy team members curiously observed the stocking enthusiast. Up close, she was even more stunning than in the photos…

Like a walking…advertisement…!!!

Ye Zhuzhi and Chi Yan nervously swallowed, while Qi Dong buried her face in the ground. Seeing Lian Xing again felt like…choking on sand.

“Beauties, how do we play this? Who am I replacing?” However, Lian Xing seemed completely unfazed by the stares of the strangers. She casually sat down at a connection device, took off her flat shoes, and curled her alluring legs beneath her.

Tao Wan sat down next to Lian Xing. Then, Yin Huomei, Hei Lan, and a Supernova ranked 17th in Youlan Academy followed.

The fifth girl, ranked 23rd, didn’t join them, relieved that she didn’t have to participate and embarrass herself.

“Can I stay and watch?” Half a minute later, just as the connection devices were about to activate, Chi Yan suddenly asked.

Hearing this, Zi Wutong, who was starting the device, paused, then nodded indifferently. The first team members had already seen their lineup. Watching it again wouldn’t make a difference.

So, Chi Yan, Ye Zhuzhi, and the other two first team members stayed to witness the outcome of this practice match. Only Captain Qi Dong remained silent as she was carried out of the room on a stretcher, seemingly unconcerned about the battle’s result.

“Click—”

A few seconds later, as the door to the training room closed, the virtual battle devices lit up. This time, for some reason, Starlight Academy didn’t choose the random map option but instead used the official league’s map selection rules. This meant that six maps would be randomly generated from the map pool, then each side would ban two maps, and finally, one of the remaining two maps would be randomly selected.

[Generating maps…]

[Cloudtop Arena]
[Death Chamber]
[Execution Grounds Ruins]
[Snowfield Secret Realm]
[Underwater World]
[Heaven and Hell]

“Lian Xing, since you’re the opponent Starlight Academy specifically requested, you can choose the bans~~~” Hei Lan suggested after the six maps were generated.

Lian Xing nodded, tapped the screen of her device, and without hesitation, banned [Underwater World]. These were all classic PVP maps from Pet Beast Evolution Battle, and she naturally knew their characteristics and rules.

Underwater World was practically designed for Elemental Species, an extremely unbalanced and utterly garbage map.

After a brief discussion, the Starlight Academy members banned [Heaven and Hell]. This map was also bizarre, with one side starting on high ground and the other on low ground, allowing the high ground team to bombard the other with no chance for counterplay.

Of course, these unbalanced maps were based on real-life historical battles, not the whims of the virtual battle map designers.

Next, it was Youlan Academy’s turn to ban.

Cloudtop Arena and Death Chamber were maps Lian Xing had already played in virtual battles. Since Cloudtop Arena had no environmental objects to throw, Lian Xing used her second ban on it.

Starlight Academy then banned Snowfield Secret Realm. The temperature on this map was close to -30 degrees Celsius. They didn’t want to suffer during a practice match.

Finally, only [Death Chamber] and [Execution Grounds Ruins] remained, one a pure duel map and the other a large-scale battle map. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the light flickered between the two map icons, finally landing on Execution Grounds Ruins.

[Game Mode: 5v5 Mixed Battle, Single Pet Deployment]

[Map: Execution Grounds Ruins]

[Starlight Academy Team]

[Silver Dragon’s Dog — Hanging Void (High-Tier · Viral Species)]

[Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty — Misty Rain (High-Tier · Elemental Species)]

[Starlight Academy #3 — Dragonfly Radar (High-Tier · Mechanical Species)]

[Starlight Academy’s Freeloader — Poison Hook (High-Tier · Elemental Species)]

[Licks Zi Wutong’s Feet — Mirror Blade (High-Tier · Weapon Species)]

[VS]

[Youlan Academy Team]

[Can’t Think of a Good Name — Gluttonous Abyssal Grudge (High-Tier · Viral Species)]

[Tao Tao Tao Tao Tao — Five-Colored Peach Blossom (High-Tier · Biological Species)]

[Yin Huomei — Fire Scythe (Mid-Tier · Weapon Species)]

[One Commander-Tier Evolution Away from the Ten Greats — Wind Elemental Commander (Mid-Tier · Elemental Species)]

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit — Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer (High-Tier · Biological Species)]

“What is…that!?” Seeing Lian Xing’s pet beast, the Starlight Academy members’ expressions changed, and Captain Zi Wutong’s pupils constricted. Their vice-captain had mentioned that Strongest Moonlight Rabbit’s pet beast wasn’t Moonlight Drive but a Mid-Tier Giant Moonlight Rabbit.

But what was this Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer?

They had never heard of it before.

Could this be a High-Tier Biological Species evolution of the Moonlight Rabbit!?

“Whoosh!!!!”

Before they could think further, with a flash of blinding light, everyone’s consciousness was transported to the virtual map.

---

---

The night was dark, the crescent moon hanging like a hook.

Execution Grounds Ruins. Countless broken walls and rubble littered the vast battlefield. Tao Wan and the others had already summoned their pet beasts, warily observing their surroundings. Only Lian Xing’s “Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer” seemed to be asleep, its eyes and whiskers drooping as it stared blankly at the ruins.

Back in the training room, seeing the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer again, Chi Yan and Ye Zhuzhi felt their hearts pounding. As for the other two core members of the first team, who hadn’t witnessed the Star Sand battle, they were stunned, staring at the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ears.

What the hell was that…thing…?

Was it High-Tier?

Meanwhile, in the virtual battle, Lian Xing clenched her hands, marveling at her different virtual body.

“The competition devices are different from the civilian ones. The delay is so low~~~~”

“…”
“…”
“Uh, Lian Xing, are you…confident?” Ignoring Lian Xing’s awkward exclamation, Tao Wan asked nervously.

A small, multicolored peach blossom grew beneath her feet. The High-Tier Biological Species Five-Colored Peach Blossom, the only High-Tier pet beast in Tao Wan’s lineup, but it had no combat abilities. The reason she had chosen a pure support pet beast this time was because she had complete faith in the Moonlight Rabbit’s combat prowess.

However, hearing Tao Wan’s question, Lian Xing looked at her strangely.

“Confident?”

“…”
“…”
“It’s…already over—”

As Lian Xing’s calm words echoed, the Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer’s ear flicked, creating a large hole in a huge piece of rubble. Unlike when it held the Golden Wheels, the spiral bands at the tips of its ears now contracted and compressed, forming a watermelon-sized pouch that spun, grinding the rubble inside into fine dust.

Then, its body lowered, tilting at an unnatural angle, and assumed a throwing stance, aiming at the enemy spawn point a kilometer away.

[Sand Toss (Blue)]

[First Agility Arcane Art: Flurry]

[First Strength Arcane Art: Combo X0]

And…

[Lunar Crash (Purple)]

Chapter 45: Where is the Strongest Moonlight Rabbit? 

Youlan Academy, Team Training Room.

Inside a closed, futuristic room resembling an internet cafe, ten giant VR-like devices were lined up on either side. Upon entering the training room, the Starlight Academy members were stunned, their eyes widening in surprise as they looked around at the equipment.

The bespectacled girl in charge of intelligence gathering walked up to a device and cautiously touched it.

“This is…a second-generation connection device developed over 50 years ago?”

“The legendary…super antique with a command delay of almost 0.27 seconds!!!”

“Do you really train with these at Youlan Academy!?”

Facing the incredulous question from the Starlight Academy members, Ye Zhuzhi, Chi Yan, and the other Youlan Academy core team members coughed awkwardly, their faces flushing slightly. They knew that the virtual connection devices had already been updated to the seventh generation, reducing the command delay between virtual battles and reality to within 0.01 seconds.

But with Youlan Academy’s limited resources, they couldn’t afford even a single one…

Incidentally, as team members, they at least had access to second-generation connection devices. As for the other students at Youlan Academy, they each had a basic electronic chip with a delay of up to 0.4 seconds.

This meant that when a Beast Tamer issued a command, their pet beast would only react 0.4 seconds later. It was like wanting to drink water and instead of just picking up the bottle, thinking, “Hey, hand, grab that bottle of water for me!!”

Command delay was fatal…

“Strongest Moonlight Rabbit…defeated me using this device…?” The green-haired, twintailed girl frowned slightly.

Although she felt a bit embarrassed, it didn’t matter. She would soon be using the same outdated device to crush Strongest Moonlight Rabbit!

At this moment, as everyone waited with their own thoughts, the strongest student of Youlan Academy finally appeared.

“Clatter—”

The door to the training room opened again, and a black-haired woman, covered in bandages and lying on a wheeled stretcher, was pushed in by medical personnel. Seeing this, Zi Wutong, who was drinking water, spat it out in surprise. The other Starlight Academy members had similar reactions.

What the hell was this entrance!?

“Everyone from Starlight Academy, I apologize for appearing in such a sorry state. Although my pet beasts are still in revival cooldown, it shouldn’t affect the virtual battle…” Qi Dong said hoarsely, her voice weak.

Unlike losing in a virtual battle, the backlash from a pet beast’s defeat in reality was severe. And she had lost two at once…

“Alright, since everyone from the first team is here, let’s begin—” Unlike her usual arrogance and confidence, Qi Dong’s voice was flat, her dull eyes devoid of fighting spirit, as if she didn’t care about winning or losing.

“Everyone!?” The Starlight Academy members looked at each other, puzzled.

Everyone? That wasn’t right. Strongest Moonlight Rabbit wasn’t there yet!

“Wait, I remember now. I heard that Youlan Academy’s first and second teams don’t get along. Strongest Moonlight Rabbit should be on the second team…”

“I just saw a post on the Youlan Academy forum. The first and second teams recently clashed over a Rare Species. The first team captain must have been defeated by a second team member, hence her current state.”

“This also suggests that the second team, with Strongest Moonlight Rabbit, is stronger!!!” The girl with glasses suddenly realized something, whispering to her teammates.

Yes, that made sense. The second team must be the true main team…

“I see.” Zi Wutong nodded thoughtfully.

It didn’t matter which team the opponent was on. They would face both the first and second teams, as requested by the Dean of Youlan Academy. After these two matches, after dealing with Strongest Moonlight Rabbit, they would immediately depart for Xiyu Academy.

“Alright, let’s log in!!”

---

---

In the dark, empty training room, the ten giant virtual devices lit up. No spectators were allowed during the match, one of the conditions set by Starlight Academy. Before the official league started, they had to ensure their lineup remained secret.

So, even the eager second team members had to wait for the first team’s match to finish before entering for their turn.

After a short wait, as the virtual data uploaded, everyone’s consciousness entered the battle map.

[Game Mode: 5v5 Mixed Battle, Single Pet Deployment]

[Random Map: Hell Chains]

[Starlight Academy Team]

[Silver Dragon’s Dog — Hanging Void (High-Tier · Viral Species)]

[Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty — Misty Rain (High-Tier · Elemental Species)]

[Starlight Academy #3 — Dragonfly Radar (High-Tier · Mechanical Species)]

[Starlight Academy’s Freeloader — Poison Hook (High-Tier · Elemental Species)]

[Licks Zi Wutong’s Feet — Mirror Blade (High-Tier · Weapon Species)]

[VS]

[Youlan Academy Team]

[Youlan Academy’s Strongest — Shadow Helm Giant Python (High-Tier · Biological Species)]

[Loves Wearing Green Hats — Plague Swamp (High-Tier · Viral Species)]

[Youlan Academy, Not Even Dogs Would Stay — Fire Armament · Purple Calamity (High-Tier · Biological Species)]

[Youlan Academy Rank 8 — Wood Spirit (Mid-Tier · Elemental Species)]

[King of Beasts — Water Elemental Commander (Mid-Tier · Elemental Species)]

Entering the virtual battle map, everyone’s expressions turned strange as they saw the displayed IDs. They once again understood why personal IDs were forbidden in the official league, requiring the use of virtual team IDs.

Otherwise, with IDs like White Maple Academy’s Xiao Kui openly advertising…certain services…the entire league broadcast would be shut down…

The randomly selected map was a wide chain bridge, with a raging inferno below. Falling off the bridge resulted in defeat.

“This map is somewhat advantageous for me…” Qi Dong, temporarily freed from her physical limitations in the virtual world, said calmly.

The chain bridge was a straight line with no room for evasion. As long as the Shadow Helm Giant Python charged forward, it could crush the opponents.

Meanwhile, the purple flame bat behind Chi Yan began to activate its combat skill. Countless small bats, the Mid-Tier Biological Species Fire-Extinguishing Remnants, materialized around them, charging towards the other side of the bridge.

To be fair, her Fire Armament, despite being a mutated evolution, was equipped with a useless bat-summoning combat skill. This was partly why mutated evolutions struggled against opponents of the same tier…

“Boom!!!”

Without any communication or coordination, the Shadow Helm Giant Python followed the swarm of bats onto the chain bridge, its massive body blocking everyone’s view, making it almost impossible for them to do anything or even provide support attacks.

After all, the rift between the teammates hadn’t healed yet. They didn’t even think about winning against Starlight Academy, only wanting to experience the difference in strength between them and a top academy.

“Boom, boom, boom—”

Looking at the giant black python approaching like a black wave, almost all the Starlight Academy members stood motionless, showing no intention of resisting. Only a deep purple shadow slowly emerged behind their captain, Zi Wutong.

The pet beast, formed from purple starlight energy, hung upside down in mid-air, only its upper body visible, its lower body hidden in a flat, black void.

High-Tier — Viral Species — Hanging Void!!

A few seconds later, facing the charging Shadow Helm Giant Python, the Hanging Void extended its arms and gently pushed forward. The black void beneath it shot forward like a flying saucer at an invisible speed, passing the Shadow Helm Giant Python and the countless bats, arriving before the Youlan Academy team.

“Whoosh——!!!”

In the next second, the Hanging Void’s body vanished from its original position, teleporting to the other side of the bridge, emerging from the black void.

The Youlan Academy team members didn’t even react to the suddenly appearing purple figure.

“Slap!”

In the next second, Qi Dong, the captain with a faint smile, was slapped in the head by the Hanging Void, her skull shattering. She didn’t even react until the moment of her death.

As blood and brain matter splattered, the Hanging Void quickly moved to Ye Zhuzhi, the green-haired girl.

“Plague Swamp!!!” Ye Zhuzhi’s face paled as she finally reacted, a green swamp of bubbling gas erupting before her.

“Whoosh—”

[Combat Skill: Super Penetration (Dark Purple)]

At the same time, the Hanging Void’s body became translucent. It seemed to have activated some combat skill, ignoring the poisonous gas and passing through the Plague Swamp like a ghost, slapping Ye Zhuzhi across her delicate face.

“Crack—”

“…”
“…”

Less than 20 seconds had passed since the battle began.

Qi Dong and Ye Zhuzhi, the only two with decent combat abilities, were already defeated, their pet beasts disappearing from the battlefield. The Shadow Helm Giant Python, which had almost reached the other side of the bridge, gradually turned to dust…

Chi Yan and the other two team members stared at the blood-covered purple figure in despair.

It was…hopeless…

---

---

[Battle concluded]

[Time elapsed: 31 seconds]

[Starlight Academy wins]

After the battle, the Youlan Academy first team members looked at Zi Wutong on the opposite side with shock and horror. Hanging Void…this was a new pet beast she hadn’t shown last year…

This thing’s bizarre ability seemed specifically designed to assassinate Beast Tamers!!!

In just 31 seconds, all five Beast Tamers had been killed, while their pet beasts couldn’t even touch the opponent!!

It seemed Starlight Academy had great ambitions this year…

Meanwhile, the Starlight Academy members casually stood up from their battle devices. Although it was difficult to adapt to such outdated equipment, their captain alone was enough to win.

The difference in strength between the two sides was simply too great…

However, what puzzled Zi Wutong was that she didn’t see any despair or unwillingness in the eyes of Chi Yan and Ye Zhuzhi, the two core members, only a hint of surprise. Normally, after such an easy defeat, they should be feeling regret and shame, right?

But their strange calmness…it was as if…they were used to losing!?

And Captain Qi Dong’s mental state was even more exaggerated…

She wore an expression of utter despair and hopelessness, as if she had given up on life and the upcoming league. After all, in Qi Dong’s mind, being killed by an assassin-type pet beast was just a minor setback.

No matter how strong they were, could they compare to Lian Xing’s Moonlight Rabbit?

Having experienced true humiliation and despair, this level of embarrassment was insignificant…

“Alright, it’s the second team’s turn now, right?”

“Captain, don’t interfere. I want to have some fun!!!” Meanwhile, oblivious to the strange state of the opposing team members, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty excitedly slapped the table.

The door to the training room opened, and the medical personnel entered, preparing to carry the paralyzed Qi Dong onto a stretcher. The Starlight Academy members saw the second team members waiting outside: Hei Lan, Tao Wan, Yin Huomei, and two lower-ranked Supernovas.

After a moment of silence, the green-haired, twintailed girl, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty, couldn’t help but ask, “Wait, are you the second team’s core members?”

“Why don’t I see Strongest Moonlight Rabbit? Isn’t she participating in the practice match today?”

“…”
“…”
“Strongest Moonlight Rabbit? What’s that?” Tao Wan asked, feigning confusion.

In reality, she already had an answer in mind, but she just wanted to confirm.

“The one named Lian Xing. Isn’t she from your Youlan Academy?” the bespectacled girl from Starlight Academy asked, adjusting her glasses.

“…”
“…”

However, the moment the words “Lian Xing” were spoken, the five Starlight Academy members could clearly sense…

The atmosphere in the room changed drastically…

Chapter 44: Lian Xing is the Strongest Moonlight Rabbit!!?

Youlan Academy. About a day had passed since the beast tide subsided. According to rumors, no student had managed to contract the Rare Species. After awakening, it had left Youlan Academy’s region, its whereabouts unknown. The only thing left behind was a desolate wasteland.

The Youxi Valley portal was now closed. After all, with the area reduced to a barren landscape, there was no point in exploring or training there.

“Boom!!!!”

Suddenly, a giant airship spewing purple steam appeared a thousand meters above Youlan Academy, the roar of its engines shaking the surrounding clouds. A vivid purple pentagram was emblazoned on each side of the airship, its flickering flame patterns seeming almost alive.

Hearing the noise above, the Youlan Academy students looked up with expressions of disbelief.

That symbol was…

Starlight Beast Taming Academy!!!

Starlight Academy, one of the top sixteen teams in the previous league, a long-established powerhouse. They had won the league championship twice, reached the semi-finals six times, and held a spot among the Ten Greats for a total of seven years in the past three decades.

With less than a month remaining until the Academy League, they were conducting their traditional region-wide friendly match training tour.

Inside the purple airship, the luxurious interior resembled a palace, the walls adorned with trophies and certificates of honor, even precious photos of past core members with their Royal-Tier pet beasts.

“Seriously, why do we have to make a detour to Youlan Academy? Now we won’t have time to reach Wind God Academy. Aaaaaaaaaaah! I’m a huge fan of Silver Dragon!!!” A girl with purple wavy hair, dressed in a high-slit purple evening gown, her long, shapely legs crossed, complained, her high heels over 20 centimeters tall.

Two Low-Tier Juvenile Species pet beasts were fighting beneath the purple-haired girl’s seat, biting and slapping each other. Annoyed, she stepped on them with her high heels.

Hearing this, a girl in Starlight Academy uniform and glasses shook her head helplessly.

“It can’t be helped. The Dean of Youlan Academy offered too much~~~”

“Besides, Captain, you can just ask Silver Dragon for an autograph when the league starts.” She continued browsing the information on her laptop, having opened a page displaying the virtual battle records of all Youlan Academy Beast Tamers. Although Youlan Academy didn’t have any strong opponents, checking their records beforehand was a habit.

“Sigh, it’s not a good time to ask during the competition…”

“And didn’t Youlan Academy get 3-1’d by that Thundering Violet Lightning in the main tournament last year? Is there even a point in having a practice match with such a weak academy? Shouldn’t we just forfeit?” the Starlight Academy captain continued to complain.

But the girl with glasses wasn’t listening anymore. Her pupils constricted as she stared at the information on the screen in disbelief. After sorting the virtual battle records by ranking, the first entry was a golden-haired girl with buns and starry eyes.

[Name: Lian Xing]

[Rank: 11th]

[Record: 63 wins, 0 losses]

[Main Battle Pet: Moonlight Drive]

“…”
“…”
“What’s going on? This person has never lost online!?” the girl with glasses exclaimed after a long silence.

Hearing this, the Starlight Academy captain and the other members crowded around curiously. Before seeing it with their own eyes, they had assumed it was just a win streak of a dozen or so matches. Although impressive, it wasn’t impossible with good luck.

But seeing this record, they were stunned.

How did she achieve a 63-win streak with just a Moonlight Drive!?

Meanwhile, sensing the silence, a girl with green twintails, who had been quietly polishing a giant sniper rifle in the back, glanced over curiously.

“Thud!!”

“It’s her…！?”

“Strongest Moonlight Rabbit!!!” In the next second, the petite girl with green twintails jumped up from her seat and shouted in disbelief.

“What’s wrong, Vice-Captain? Do you know her?” The other four members turned to look at her.

“Of course! She’s the one I told you about, the one with the Giant Moonlight Rabbit, the…alluring…player. Remember? The day after she lost to me in a duel, she killed me in the 100-Pet Battle Royale…”

“What’s with this record? Did she use a record reset card after losing to me?”

“But how did she win so many matches in such a short time!!!!” The green-haired, twintail girl stared at Lian Xing’s information, dumbfounded. Her virtual ID was Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty!!

Hearing this, everyone’s expressions turned strange. Their vice-captain had actually lost to a student from Youlan Academy, even if it was in the less competitive 100-Pet Battle Royale. This was unbelievable.

“Heh, it seems she’s also a core member of Youlan Academy’s team.”

“This time, I’ll get my revenge!!!” After a brief moment of surprise, the green-haired, twintail girl quickly regained her composure, a look of anticipation in her eyes. She had originally planned to use her Mid-Tier Eight-Legged Spider to level up during the friendly matches, but…since Strongest Moonlight Rabbit was here, she couldn’t be blamed for getting serious against these weaklings!!!

---

---

“Boom!!!”

A few minutes later, under the bewildered gazes of the Youlan Academy students, the purple airship bearing the Starlight Academy symbol landed. With a burst of steam, the hatch opened, and five well-dressed, graceful girls walked out.

Instantly recognizing the purple-haired, wavy-haired woman at the front, the Youlan Academy students became excited.

“It’s Zi Wutong, the captain of Starlight Academy, one of the top sixteen teams in the previous league!!!”

“Holy shit, is it really her!?”

“Captain Zi Wutong, those legs…they’re even more amazing in real life! I could stare at them for ten years!!!”

“Starlight Academy’s performance hasn’t been great in the past three years. They’ve been in a slump since their previous top ten member graduated…”

“Still better than our team getting 3-1’d last year. We were a complete joke!!”

“Isn’t Starlight Academy on a training tour? Why are they here at Youlan Academy? Could it be…that our strength has improved so much that they’re wary of us!?”

“Nothing’s changed compared to last year. Isn’t Qi Dong still our captain?”

The students excitedly discussed and speculated, their eyes glued to the Starlight Academy members.

At this moment, Ye Zhuzhi, the green-haired girl in the cheongsam, walked forward with a smile.

“Welcome to Youlan Academy, everyone from Starlight Academy. I’ve prepared the best rooms for you. Please rest…”

“Ye Zhuzhi, no need to waste time.” Before the green-haired girl could finish, the purple-haired, wavy-haired woman in the purple evening gown interrupted her.

“We’re on a tight schedule. As agreed, we’ll play two matches and then leave.”

“Captain Zi Wutong, why are you in such a hurry…?”

“No choice. Our next practice match is against Thunder Queen of Xiyu Academy, the sixth-ranked among the Ten Greats. We have to be fully prepared…”

Hearing this, Ye Zhuzhi’s expression changed slightly. It seemed this friendly match would end quickly… The opponent’s focus was clearly on Thunder Queen and her Lightning Princess, not on the weaklings of Youlan Academy.

“Alright, since you’re in a hurry, please follow me~~~”

“The members of Youlan Academy’s first and second teams are already waiting in the training room…” Ye Zhuzhi turned and led the Starlight Academy members towards the training battle room.

The Starlight Academy members, led by Zi Wutong, followed. Unlike the nervous Ye Zhuzhi, they seemed to be on a casual outing, relaxed and at ease.

However, for some reason, their vice-captain, “Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty,” seemed unusually excited. She was looking forward to crushing “Strongest Moonlight Rabbit.” After humiliating her opponent, she would offer comfort and consolation, and then…victory would be hers~~~

Meanwhile, a few seconds after the Starlight Academy members left, a golden-haired girl with buns and white stockings happened to pass by. Looking at the crowded airship landing area, Lian Xing tilted her head, puzzled.

“Is that…Starlight Academy’s airship?”

“What are they doing at Youlan Academy?”

Lian Xing was on her way back from the market stalls. After selling all the combat skills dropped by the Fire-Extinguishing Remnants and Crystal Quivers, she had spent everything on a Mid-Tier energy crystal for Star Sand.

But it wasn’t even enough for a single meal…

“Master, I want High-Tier and Commander-Tier energy crystals!!!” Star Sand whined pitifully from within Lian Xing’s body.

“Don’t worry, you’ll have them all, darling~~~”