Chapter 101

“Mu Huiyue, you’re back!”

Wen Li looked at her friend with surprise, then quickly realized the tense situation they were in. She lowered her voice and quickly told Mu Huiyue about Fel’s beastmaster talent.

Although she had absolute confidence in Mu Huiyue, the latter’s advantage in doubles combat was indeed tricky.

“I’ll win,” Mu Huiyue smiled at her, her pitch-black, calm eyes focused on the brown-haired young man on the battlefield.

She had already learned that this impromptu exchange match had been initiated by the person named Fel in front of her.

The rules were for a 2v2 unrestricted doubles match, starting between first-year students.

Fel had already won three matches, including one against Wen Li.

In the Haila region, doubles battles were very popular. Many beast companions were trained for doubles from the start, sometimes sacrificing overall versatility to specialize in certain aspects, and they had developed many powerful and clever combo moves.

In contrast, Dayan focused more on 1v1 conventional battles, especially for first-year students, most of whom only had one main beast, which naturally put them at a disadvantage in doubles matches.

In comparison, Mu Huiyue was also more skilled in 1v1 conventional battles, but that was before the contract with the Night Demon Scarecrow.

Even though her synergy with Harvey in combat wasn’t as good as Ellen’s with White Fang, it was still enough to handle the challenge ahead.

She would show the students from Haila what a real advantage in doubles combat looked like.

Seeing someone step up voluntarily, the director of the Kyoto University Combat Department, Hailington, breathed a sigh of relief.

This was the real ace freshman of their Combat Department. He had originally heard that Mu Huiyue had taken a leave to attend some event, but thankfully, she was able to make it to this exchange match.

“Then let’s have Mu Huiyue participate,” Hailington said with a smile to the leader of the exchange group.

The willingness to battle from both sides was confirmed, and a new match was about to begin.

“Ellen, Harvey,” Mu Huiyue looked ahead and summoned her beast companions.

The Fang Warrior emerged from her shadow, and another quadruple Seal formation appeared on the battlefield as the Night Demon Scarecrow materialized before everyone’s eyes.

The crucifix wooden stake behind Harvey was three meters tall, paired with its eerie and dangerous appearance. Standing together with the skull wrapped in black mist and burning with ghostly blue flames in one eye, the two of them created a striking contrast, looking quite intimidating.

The Fang Warrior remained poised and elegant, one hand pressed to its chest, performing a standard and ancient Haila noble greeting towards the opposing beastmaster.

Director Hailington, seeing these two beasts, couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.

A quadruple Seal formation?

If he remembered correctly, Mu Huiyue was still a level 3 Beastmaster when she enrolled. In less than two months, she had actually advanced?

The Kyoto University students watching the battle in the combat hall were also whispering among themselves.

“What kind of beast is that Scarecrow? I’ve never seen it before…”

“It looks pretty intimidating…”

“It’s not just looks. The battle information shows it’s an advanced Monarch species!”

“Isn’t that a freshman from the Combat Department? Two Monarch species in their growth stage… the power…”

“I probably won’t even reach that level before I graduate. These freshmen are terrifying.”

“Isn’t the one called Fel the same? It’s a stage for geniuses; mere mortals like us should just watch.”

“If I’m not mistaken, isn’t that the top student from this year’s Martial Arts competition? The Combat Department recruited the top-ranked student from the national ranking competition, and those guys on the school team were proud of it for a while…”

“I was wondering why she hadn’t been sent in earlier. I heard she took a temporary leave to go somewhere else…”

“Is that Scarecrow her newly contracted beast…?”

“…”

The discussions in the combat hall also reached Fel’s ears, but since he didn’t understand Dayan’s language, he didn’t pay them any attention.

His gaze fell on the beast summoned by his opponent, and he subtly furrowed his brow.

So it’s the Night Demon Scarecrow.

This was a rare high-level beast with dual attributes—Dark and Wood—unique to the Haila region. There were very few of them, and they could almost only be found in the oldest Dark Realm sanctuaries.

He hadn’t expected to encounter a Dayan Beastmaster with a contracted Night Demon Scarecrow.

As a Haila Beastmaster accustomed to doubles battles, Fel naturally understood how tricky the skill [Malicious Taunt] could be in a fight.

Fortunately, his opponent was only a level 4 Beastmaster, and the Night Demon Scarecrow hadn’t yet reached its mature stage.

“Fourteen, Eleven.” Fel summoned his own beasts.

A similar quadruple Seal formation appeared on the battlefield. Fel’s two beasts had already recovered to their optimal condition and leaped into the battle, one to the left and one to the right.

The beast called Fourteen by him was a fire-red falcon, with sleek wings adapted for high-speed flight. As its wings flapped, it generated waves of intense heat, creating streaks of flowing flames.

The other beast, Eleven, was a similarly large, fire-red steed. Its coat shimmered with sparks, and its mane and tail were blazing flames. A pair of large wings spread from its back, their feathers turning into flowing fire, scattering countless embers as they fell.

The investigator’s wristband displayed the catalog information detected.

[Name]: Gale Red Falcon

[Attributes]: Fire, Wind

[Species Level]: High-ranking General

[Growth Stage]: Stage Nine in Growth

[Core Talent]: Hot Wind (Fire Attribute, C-Class)

[Species Description]: A dual-attribute extraordinary creature discovered in the A-Class Secret Realm “Scorching Cliff.” The wind and fire attributes have complementary characteristics, and in high-temperature environments, the Gale Red Falcon’s speed is greatly enhanced.

[Normal Hidden Energy Value]: 78,645P

[Name]: Sunflare Pegasus

[Attributes]: Fire, Light

[Species Level]: High-ranking Monarch

[Growth Stage]: Stage Nine in Growth

[Core Talent]: Blazing Charge (Fire Attribute, B-Class)

[Species Description]: A dual-attribute extraordinary creature unique to the Haila region, an evolved form of the Little Fire Foal. Its high temperature can purify all impurities and greatly enhance its own attributes. In ancient times, it was regarded as the enforcer and land representative of the Fire God.

[Normal Hidden Energy Value]: 89,625P

Light and Dark attributes are opposites, and Fire is one of the attributes that suppress Wood, so the Sunflare Pegasus immediately fixed its gaze on the Night Demon Scarecrow, another High-ranking Monarch species, but with completely opposite attributes.

There was no need to use [Malicious Taunt]; the Night Demon Scarecrow’s appearance and attributes had already drawn the enemy’s hostility.

“Harvey, this is your first battle. Are you scared?” Mu Huiyue asked softly.

“Shasha—” The Night Demon Scarecrow swayed slightly on the battlefield.

Of course, it wasn’t afraid. Scarecrows were born to attract enemies, withstand damage, and protect fields.

To protect its important Beastmaster and beloved farmland, it would win any battle it faced.

“Click.” (Not bad, little scarecrow.)

The skull slightly cracked open at the jawbone, as if it were smiling.

This was the kind of contracted beast worthy of Mu Huiyue’s attention—just born a few days ago, yet already possessing a solid combat awareness.

Harvey’s debut battle was a perfect opportunity for him, as a senior, to demonstrate.

The referee waved the flag, announcing the official start of the battle.

The Sunflare Pegasus seemed unable to wait for even a moment longer. Its fiery hooves scraped the ground heavily, eager to charge at the enemy.

Fel clearly knew his beast well and immediately issued an attack command.

“Eleven, use Blazing Charge!”

“Neigh!” The Sunflare Pegasus was enveloped in intense flames, its wings folding into a shape suited for a charge, rapidly rushing toward the Night Demon Scarecrow.

“Raven Feather Storm! Elren, use Shadow Stealth.” Mu Huiyue gestured.

The crows on the Scarecrow’s arms took flight with a rustling sound, and the raven feathers churned into a dark storm that surged forward, colliding directly with the Sunflare Pegasus engulfed in flames.

The Sunflare Pegasus didn’t dodge or avoid; it withstood the damage of the Dark-type skill and continued charging forward.

The Paw Blade Warrior emerged from the shadows cast by the raven feathers, wielding a blackened bone blade coated with [Calcium Layer] enhancement.

“Bone Spike Assault!”

“Swift Return!”

The commands from both Beastmasters rang out simultaneously. The Paw Blade Warrior’s surrounding black mist surged toward the Sunflare Pegasus, and the bone blade struck upward at its folded wings.

At the same time, the Gale Red Falcon shot toward this side like a small cannonball, precisely hitting the Paw Blade Warrior that had just launched the bone blade.

When launching an attack, the Paw Blade Warrior had to reveal itself—this was the inevitable flaw of its [Shadow Stealth] ability, and the Gale Red Falcon had been waiting for this moment.

The skull’s bone was shattered by the blow, and the Sunflare Pegasus’s charge was halted before it could reach the Night Demon Scarecrow.

“Remains.” Mu Huiyue said.

The shattered bones reformed and fused at the spot, restoring the Paw Blade Warrior to its original form.

The first round of the battle was somewhat experimental.

Unlike the rookie Beastmasters Mu Huiyue had faced before, Fel had ample combat experience. He was well-versed in various types of beasts and skills and was accustomed to executing combined tactics in 2v2 battles.

The C-Class Wind-type skill “Swift Return,” used by the Gale Red Falcon, was the first time Elren had been hit by a lower-level skill of the same tier in this battle.

Fel and his beasts had likely encountered opponents using [Shadow Stealth] in past battles, accumulating enough experience to precisely seize that split-second opportunity.

Mu Huiyue clenched her fist, feeling a thrilling tingling sensation rise within her.

Nothing was more exciting than a balanced battle.

“You’re different from the previous students,” Fel said, pinching his thumb and forefinger together to form a circle, which he placed over his eyes like glasses, using the ring of his fingers to observe Mu Huiyue.

“Appetizers get boring after too much; let’s start the real feast.”

In his golden eyes, framed by his fingers, a fierce fire ignited.

Beastmaster Talent: Blazing Flame!

Fel hailed from the molten fire plains of the Hela region, inheriting the powerful Fire-type Beastmaster talent, Blazing Flame, which was as strong as [Burning Blood]. This talent not only enhanced his and his beasts’ abilities but could also trigger the bloodline potential of Fire-type beasts.

Similar to how Fang Chuan’s legendary Beastmaster talent, [Wind Thunder Monarch], allowed for the learning of advanced skills, [Blazing Flame] could enable beasts to learn high-tier skills beyond their rank, even domain skills of emperor-tier species!

“Go, Eleven! Blazing Fire Domain!”

“Neigh—!”

The Sunflare Pegasus erupted with fierce flames all around it. It reared its upper body high, and with its burning forehooves, it stomped heavily on the battle arena.

The high-temperature flames radiated from the point of impact, quickly raising the temperature of the battlefield. Sparks seemed to float in the air, with the crisp crackling sounds of fire echoing occasionally, and ashes scattered everywhere.

The Gale Red Falcon triggered its own ability in the hot environment, swirling with high-temperature hot winds, causing its speed to sharply increase.

The changing battlefield also boosted the Sunflare Pegasus’ energy levels. Its regular hidden energy value broke past 100,000P, reaching the energy tier of a mature Emperor-tier species.

Like a steed clad in fiery armor, the Pegasus flapped its wings, once again locking onto the Night Demon Scarecrow. The high-temperature flames erupted explosively.

This wasn’t a field skill used beyond its level; it was truly an Emperor-tier domain!