Chapter 325 - 229: What Do Their Gazes Matter to Me?
When the crowd saw that Huai City’s pick for the third singles match was still Su Zhi, a considerable commotion swept through the stands.
"Are you kidding me? Didn’t Su Zhi already fight? Why is he up again?"
"Dude, what are you getting so worked up about? You’re allowed to go up more than once. Isn’t Chen Xinghao from Shanda University Affiliated School out there again..."
"That’s hilarious. First time I’ve ever seen someone compare some no-name piece of trash to Brother Ri Tian."
"Chen Xinghao is the Stabilizing Needle; he can sway the entire match. And who the hell is Su Zhi?"
"Wow. Didn’t Chen Xinghao lose his first match, too? They’re both singles players going up again after losing once. Talk about a double standard, huh? The Shanda University Affiliated School shills must be getting paid well."
"But Su Zhi probably can’t actually beat Chen Xinghao. Chen Xinghao is one of the best at Shanda University Affiliated School..."
"No ’probably’ about it, he just can’t win. I was at the summer camp. Su Zhi and Chen Xinghao sparred, and he got instantly wrecked."
"We’ve got an insider!"
"Hey, wait a minute, aren’t you the one from yesterday who was boasting about how you were going to ’own’ the Black Fighting Emperor..."
"Why does a piece of trash with an attitude problem get to steal resources from his teammates? Get off the stage, Su Zhi!"
...
Amidst a chorus of doubts and accusations, Su Zhi slowly walked onto the platform. Because of the angle of the spotlights, his expression was hidden in shadow, impossible to make out clearly.
Chen Xinghao, who had arrived on the platform early, watched Su Zhi with a complicated expression. His gaze, which had been looking down on him, slowly leveled out.
"We meet again." Su Zhi looked up and greeted him with a smile.
Chen Xinghao couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. "You really don’t feel any pressure at all?"
"Why should I feel pressure?"
"A lot of the audience is..."
"What do their stares have to do with me?"
Su Zhi looked him in the eye. "Or could it be that you’re not completely confident yourself, which is why you’re so focused on my pressure? Stabilizing Needle?"
Chen Xinghao was stunned for a moment, then covered his face with his hand and burst out laughing.
"Interesting. There’s no point in talking more. Let’s settle this in battle!"
Then, the two of them turned almost simultaneously and walked toward their command positions.
No communication needed, no understanding required. This was a fateful duel that both had long awaited.
Just like when he faced Fang Yuan in the city league finals, this was the very definition of a battle of destiny.
A tender-green Beast Taming Light Array lit up on the platform.
Amidst the intertwining flashes of the Beast Taming Light and dazzling golden electricity, a golden Giant Beast with clearly defined muscles and a crimson mane slowly appeared, like a Divine Beast manifesting in the Current World.
Its eyes, swirling with electricity, were sharp and oppressive. On the battlefield, meeting that gaze was enough to make any Pet Beast doubt itself.
[Pet Beast: Jin Lin (Thunder Qilin Beast)
Attribute: Electric Element
Race: Low Level Commander
Real-time Energy Value: 4849]
This was Chen Xinghao’s Main Pet, the undisputed Stabilizing Needle of Shanda University Affiliated School—the Thunder Qilin Beast, Jin Lin!
The moment Jin Lin appeared, an explosive cheer erupted from the entire audience. In comparison, the Yu Bao that Su Zhi summoned seemed utterly ordinary, its presence completely overwhelmed.
The battle had not even begun, yet it seemed the outcome was already decided.
"Holy shit... Brother Ri Tian’s Thunder Qilin Beast already has an Energy Value over four thousand?"
"What do you mean ’over four thousand’? This is clearly almost five thousand!"
"That’s terrifying. This is already Quasi-Two-star combat power, right? I wonder if Brother Ri Tian’s Beast Taming Space can handle it..."
"Brother Hao’s Beast Taming Space has a relatively slower growth rate. I bet Jin Lin will really be stuck at Quasi-Two-star for a while."
"But it won’t be for long. Brother Hao can afford a Thunder Qilin Beast, how could he not afford advancement resources..."
The ranks of the Shanda University Affiliated School team were filled with gasps of surprise and cries of admiration.
Wang Haokun, however, sat amidst the team with his chin in his hands, calmly sizing up the two on the platform.
’To be honest... I have that feeling, too. My own caution and carefulness might really be overkill.’
’Jin Lin’s Real-time Energy Value has already reached the Quasi-Two-star level. That’s almost the requirement for joining the Alliance. Could there really be a high school student capable of matching it?’
On the platform, Yu Bao slowly walked out from a Light Blue Beast Taming Array.
Compared to the domineering and flamboyant Jin Lin, he looked to have no presence at all, just like a common mutt.
But Wang Haokun’s eyes widened.
He saw Jin Lin subconsciously take a small step back.
Chen Xinghao also noticed something was off with his own Pet Beast, and the smile that had been playing on his lips vanished.
At that moment, several Beast Tamer-exclusive devices were simultaneously aimed at this unremarkable mutt, activating their scanning function—
[Pet Beast: Yu Bao (Yu Dian Farm Dog)
Attribute: Earth and Fire Element
Race: Middle Elite
Real-time Energy Value: 5001]
"Fuck!?"
The Shanda University Affiliated School team erupted into chaos, and Wang Haokun’s phone clattered to the ground.
This was a true... a legitimate Two-star Pet Beast!
On the platform, Chen Xinghao’s expression was equally complicated.
’Seventeen years old, a Tier Four Beast Taming Space, a Two-star Pet Beast... this hick from a small city has actually surpassed me in several key areas. Just what kind of person could achieve something like this?’
Chen Xinghao looked up again, only to find Su Zhi across from him, watching him with narrowed eyes.
"So the top student from the big city can be afraid of a small-city mutt’s fangs after all?"
Chen Xinghao’s mouth twitched, and a vein bulged on his forehead.
"Don’t get cocky! Victory isn’t decided by Energy Value alone! We’ll see who wins when we fight!"
"⌓‿⌓ WOOF!" Yu Bao wagged its tail, happy to stir up trouble.
’He’s tilted! He’s so tilted!’
"DING"
Just as the two sides were having their friendly exchange, the Race Bell rang.
The Thunder Qilin Beast instantly transformed into a surging streak of golden electricity and shot toward Yu Bao. Currents of electricity sharp as arrows flew out, converging like a raptor’s beak to focus its power into a single point.