Chapter 48

Upon hearing the Beast Tamer’s command, White Fang’s gaze sharpened. All four of its claws simultaneously unleashed Ice Claw.

This scattered use of the skill resulted in an attack so weak it was almost negligible, but the freezing effect remained intact. The four Ice Claw strikes were enough to encase the Little Cloud Hound’s body, forming a thin layer of ice in midair.

Crack—

An Acid Bomb struck the ice layer, corroding most of its surface. White Fang used this opportunity to evade the current wave of attacks.

The Little Cloud Hound focused its gaze on the menacing Forgetting Leaf Kingflower. Merely dodging wasn’t a solution; its agility was ultimately no match for Ellen’s predecessor during its Little Skeleton phase, making it impossible to ensure it could evade every subsequent attack.

The only option was to attack… It had to attack!

For White Fang, the core of battle instinct was always to charge forward.

However, Moonburst couldn’t be used, and Shadow Strike would be blocked. The only successful attack so far had relied on Howl, but under the relentless whipping of the vines, White Fang had no chance to use Howl.

If only there were another version of itself, one that could attack while using Howl at the same time…

If only…

“White Fang, use Shadow Step to dodge!”

The sharp sound of vines whistling through the air echoed near its ears, accompanied by the Beast Tamer’s hurried command. Unexpectedly, White Fang remained motionless, allowing the vines to pierce through its body.

“White Fang…” Mu Huiyue’s eyes widened slightly.

The pierced Little Cloud Hound dissolved into a cloud of black mist and vanished, while White Fang emerged unscathed from the shade of the trees.

“This is… a C-rank dark-element state skill, Moon Shadow!” After a brief moment of astonishment, Mu Huiyue quickly understood.

White Fang had made a breakthrough in the heat of battle and learned a new skill!

She immediately instructed, “Use Moon Shadow!”

The Moon Shadow skill could create unique clones using shadows.

Unlike the psychic-type skill Shadow Doppelganger, which produced mere illusions, Moon Shadow clones had partial physical form. They could cast shadows and independently execute some non-physical skills.

White Fang raised its cloud-like tail, shadows surging around its body, and suddenly, four identical Little Cloud Hounds appeared on the battlefield.

With eyes brimming with fighting spirit, it fixed its gaze on the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower, and its Beast Tamer, perfectly in sync with it, didn’t let it down.

“White Fang, Howl!”

“Awoo—!”

The four Little Cloud Hounds let out long howls one after another. White Fang skillfully staggered the timing of the howls, and with the help of Moon Shadow, the original momentary stun effect was extended fourfold.

The vines of the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower froze mid-air, giving White Fang’s true body the chance to leap forward, swiftly closing the distance in an instant.

“Shadow Strike!”

The Little Cloud Hound, now a blur of black motion, struck the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower squarely in the center of its pistil, snapping off several of the sharp fangs lining its edge.

Enraged, the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower lashed out with its vines, catching the Little Cloud Hound at a cunning angle. Yet, the white-furred pup dissolved once again into black mist.

Not far away, the Little Cloud Hound shook its head as a new clone formed from the surrounding black mist.

Mu Huiyue smiled faintly. This was the dark-element skill Moon Shadow, enhanced by the same-attribute synergy gained when learned by a dark-element beast. The core feature: the true body could swap positions with its clones at any time!

Now, it wouldn’t be so easy for the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower to block White Fang.

“White Fang, howl again, then use Shadow Strike!”

A chorus of wolf howls echoed across the battlefield as the boosting effects of Howl on its physique peaked. White Fang shot forward like an arrow, once again targeting the pistil at the center of the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower.

This was a technique taught by Ellen. In battle, the areas subconsciously protected by an opponent were most likely their weak points!

Boom!

Shadow Strike hit its mark once again. The Forgetting Leaf Kingflower let out a sharp screech, toppling backward with a resounding crash.

“Flower!” Lin Lin’s previously confident demeanor finally faltered as she nervously glanced at her pet beast.

It wasn’t that she doubted the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower could withstand the Little Cloud Hound’s Shadow Strike. But if the pistil were attacked again…

Within the battle space, a crisp cracking sound echoed, like the shattering of something sharp and brittle.

The strange sensation permeating the space began to fade along with the sound—Inverted Space had shattered at this moment.

White Fang sensed that its familiar energy had returned. A layer of misty black energy cloaked its body, and its white fur emitted a gentle, moonlit glow, as smooth and ethereal as clouds drifting by the moon.

The Forgetting Leaf Kingflower was still struggling, but Mu Huiyue wasn’t about to waste this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Finish it off with one last strike, White Fang—Moonburst!

“Woof-oo!”

The Little Cloud Hound recalled its scattered Moon Shadows, then leaped high into the air. Dark-element energy gathered densely in its mouth, forming a condensed energy orb. It unleashed the orb toward the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower, and the moment it made contact, radiant moonlight exploded outward.

Boom!

The shockwave from the explosion made the ground tremble faintly. Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower at the center of the blast.

When the dust settled, the Forgetting Leaf Kingflower had reverted to its simpler form, the Forgetting Leaf Grass, lying unconscious on the ground.

Beep beep! The battle terminal emitted a notification, signaling the end of the match. Lin Lin and Forgetting Leaf Grass’s avatar dimmed, while fireworks lit up behind Mu Huiyue and the Little Cloud Hound’s avatar.

Forgetting Leaf Grass 0:1 Little Cloud Hound. Mu Huiyue wins this match!

“Woof-oo!” The Little Cloud Hound immediately dashed to its Beast Tamer, who scooped it up, ruffling its neck fur affectionately. Its tail wagged so fast it almost left afterimages.

“That was a beautiful win!” Mu Huiyue stroked White Fang’s fluffy body, noticing the Little Cloud Hound’s slightly weakened breathing.

“You worked so hard, White Fang.”

After enduring two consecutive high-intensity battles, White Fang was likely hanging on by sheer willpower at this point.

“Take a good rest in the Beast Space.” Mu Huiyue recalled it into the Beast Space, where the Resting Cottage would help it recover its strength more effectively.

Lin Lin approached, picking up the unconscious Forgetting Leaf Grass. After a long pause, she let out a slow sigh and looked at Mu Huiyue with a tone of exasperation. “Honestly… are you really just a high school student?”

The Little Cloud Hound had essentially fought against species disparity and skill restrictions head-on, relying solely on its combat techniques and its Beast Tamer’s strategies to defeat her. It had even managed to learn a new skill mid-battle…

Mu Huiyue didn’t seem like a rookie who had only awakened less than a year ago.

Even when the battle opened with her at a disadvantage, she remained unfazed and swiftly stabilized her pet beast’s morale. She seized every fleeting opportunity, no matter how brief, to stage a counterattack.

She resembled a seasoned professional Beast Tamer with countless battles under her belt.

“Shouldn’t you be the last one to say that, Lin Lin?” Mu Huiyue raised an eyebrow, retorting.

The Inverted Space skill was so overpowered that, if it could be used on monarch-tier or emperor-tier species, it would be an absolute trump card leaving no room for counterplay.

Once the Primordial Wood Research Institute published its findings on the Inverted Space skill, it was bound to cause a worldwide sensation.

“Anyway, I lost this match.” Lin Lin stepped forward and extended her hand toward Mu Huiyue.

“Tactically, I admit my defeat wholeheartedly. Plus, I gathered some valuable battle data… Sorry for challenging you when you weren’t in your best condition. I hope I’ll have the chance to face you again in the future, Mu Huiyue.”

“You will,” Mu Huiyue replied, shaking her hand briefly.

Lin Lin was clearly on track to become a researcher affiliated with the Primordial Wood Research Institute and likely a future student of Yunzhou University. As long as she represented Yunzhou University’s team in the national competition, the two of them would definitely have another opportunity to clash.

Lu Ai, who had been watching the match unfold, finally felt like he could catch his breath.

Compared to a combination of abilities like Inverted Space and Camouflage, the Guava Blossom Field was like child’s play—there was no real comparison.

Lu Ai couldn’t help but wonder how many more hidden powerhouses were lurking in this ranking battle. One thing, however, was clear to him: his climb to the top of the leaderboard on the first day was merely because these monstrous high schoolers hadn’t decided to make their moves yet.

As a spectator, Wen Li was completely fired up. To turn the tables in such a dire situation—Mu Huiyue was truly amazing! She hoped they could face each other in the elimination rounds!

Meanwhile, the battle footage captured by the recording terminal was being streamed live to major platforms via the “Video System V-Type.”

When the Forgetting Leaf Grass activated Inverted Space, the viewership and popularity of the official live stream surpassed that of the neighboring National Tournament qualifiers for the first time.

By the time Mu Huiyue secured her victory, the barrage of comments was so dense it nearly covered the entire screen.

“WTF, what is that? A new skill we haven’t seen before?”

“A new skill that can reverse a species’ status? And a new skill that helped defeat a player at a disadvantage??? Is this really a high school competition???”

“Isn’t this way more exciting than the neighboring qualifier with its boring gameplay?”

“I apologize for yesterday’s complaints…”

“Honestly, from that Fire Meteor attack by Flame Strike Meow, I kind of lost track…”

“What kind of monster students are these? Isn’t this a professional exam for newly awakened Beast Tamers?”

“Monster students every year, but there are so many this year!”

“…”

“Who’s the girl with the Little Cloud Hound? She’s pretty cute…”

“Still not as cute as our Wen Lili~”

“Who’s the contestant with the Little Cloud Hound and the last name Mu? Any ideas?”

“Mu Legend’s daughter…?”

“Another Sunlight Flame Wolf? No wonder it’s so strong…”

“But during the battle, I saw the Little Cloud Hound had a Dark-type attribute.”

“…”

“Can you guys stop ogling the pretty girl? This is a Beast Taming competition—can we just discuss the battle?”

“Did you guys notice that what’s really scary is that the Little Cloud Hound, after being reversed and changed in species, still won the battle? It was the one that got suppressed by species advantage.”

“The Little Cloud Hound’s combat skills are even more terrifying, right? The knotting against the Guava Blossom, and that Cold Claw…”

“I just learned today that Howl, that trash skill, actually has a control effect?”

“That E-grade Bone Club strike also theoretically has a control effect…”

“…”

“The Forgetting Leaf Grass’ Beast Tamer said the Little Cloud Hound wasn’t even their ace…”

“Is that true?”

“Wasn’t that first surprise attack a beast that came out of the shadows?”

“I can’t wait for her to face Lin Shen…”

“Aren’t they from the same high school?”

“…”

In the Beast Tamer Association office in the capital, the atmosphere was as heated as the live stream with its growing popularity.

The room was filled with master-level Beast Tamers, and seeing so many fresh talents emerging, they couldn’t help but discuss.

The one getting the most attention was still Mu Huiyue.

Wen Li’s impressive performance came from her Burning Blood talent, while the uniqueness of the Forgetting Leaf King Flower was a result of the Primordial Wood Research Institute’s work, especially the special skill Inverted Space.

Only Mu Huiyue, although she is Mu Tong’s daughter, does not attract as much attention with her Beast Taming talent and contracted beast, compared to the first two.

The Dark Attribute Little Cloud Hound is not a Daylight Flame Wolf; it is merely an evolution type of a Monarch race. While it is excellent within the student range, it doesn’t capture the attention of the people in the room.

What draws attention is her combat talent: her mindset, technique, experience, the bond with her beast, her understanding of skills, and her control over the battlefield, all showing abilities far beyond that of a high school student.

It makes people eager to imagine what kind of Beast Tamer she will become when she has higher-level, more powerful contracted beasts and how spectacular her battles will be.

“I remember Mu Legend’s daughter, she’s from the same school as Lin Fei, right? Why haven’t I heard of her before?” asked the vice president of Capital University with interest.

With such excellent battle awareness, she should have joined the school team for the Beast Taming competition during her high school years.

“She only awakened as a Beast Tamer just before the ranking matches started,” the person answering was an A-level investigator from the Bureau of Affairs, Guan Yu.

After seeing Mu Huiyue’s bracelet, Guan Yu remembered that there had recently been a report of an investigator qualification emerging in Xingzhou, and it seemed like they had sent that kid, Xiang Xun, to make the connection. He didn’t expect the new investigator to be such a young girl.

She even awakened in a secret realm during her first encounter.

As soon as Guan Yu finished speaking, the office fell into silence, and everyone wore incredulous expressions.

Before the ranking matches began, Mu Huiyue had become a Beast Tamer, and it hadn’t even been six months since then.

To be able to participate in such high-level battles in just a few months, and even already contract two growing beasts as a level 3 Beast Tamer—what kind of growth speed is this?!

She might be even more terrifying than the so-called genius Lin Fei from Xingzhou.

Only President Kang showed a hint of nostalgia, recalling the moment when the extraordinarily talented Aisha Legend first appeared in the world competition. He had the same feeling back then.

Unfortunately, later on…

“By the way, this Mu student hasn’t applied to a university yet, right?” the vice president of Capital University asked, and all the Beast Tamers from various universities immediately became alert.

The president of Xingzhou University had always been talking about Lin Fei, openly stating that he was already essentially guaranteed a spot, and it was clear that no other universities could compete with Xingzhou University, which had invested heavily in him.

But Mu Huiyue might still have a chance. A talent like her entering the school team and ranking in the national competition was almost a done deal.