Chapter 323 - 228: Ace in the Shadows (2)
The Cyan Feathered Falcon looked at him disbelievingly.
Wang Haokun frowned.
’There aren’t any Skills that create synergy between Bilang and Xiaoyue. Relying on brute force to crush their opponents wasn’t a problem in the qualifying rounds, but this is the finals. If Pet Beasts in a double battle have no coordination, you’ve already lost half the battle...’
’What on earth are they plotting?’
DING—
The Race Bell interrupted Wang Haokun’s train of thought.
"Cangse, use Deep Forest Grip! Don’t let their Xiaoyue get the upper hand! Grey Gu, support Ah You and watch out for attacks from their Turbulent Duck!"
Although he hadn’t figured it out, Wang Haokun still made the best possible decision based on the current situation:
’Since Xiaoyue excels at control and Bilang at Strong Attacks, I’ll use control to counter their control, and mobility to evade their assault.’
Countless light green Light Arrays flashed across the arena in unison. Two surging waves of green slammed into each other, weaving together and tangling up. There was no blood, yet the sight was more stunning than any bloody battle.
The environmental-altering ability of the Shadow of Ancient Jing was incredibly powerful; in a near instant, the entire arena was completely covered in Vines.
Ah You and Grey Gu circled high in the air, searching for an opening in Xiaoyue’s defenses, while Bilang unleashed a dense barrage from its High-pressure Water Gun to keep the two Flying Pet Beasts from getting close.
Both sides were playing it safe, and the situation unfolded largely as Wang Haokun had predicted.
As time wore on, the intertwined Vines from both sides piled up higher and higher. With the arena floor’s limited space, the air above became the new front in this escalating contest.
As Xiaoyue and Cangse vied for dominance, their respective Vines crisscrossed and climbed ever upward, resembling a massive, stout tree sprouting from the arena floor from a distance. The sight was spectacular.
But Wang Haokun sensed something was wrong.
’There’s something off about Huai City’s aggression—it’s not that they can’t find an opportunity to attack, but that they’re deliberately maintaining this stalemate, as if they’re waiting for something...’
’Either way, continuing this "arms race" is not a wise move.’
’If I let these Vines grow and take over the entire space above the arena, my own two Flying Pet Beasts will be the ones who are hindered!’
After a moment’s thought, Wang Haokun changed his order: "Cangse, unleash White Bulb Waltz! Help our allies and focus fire on the Turbulent Duck!"
"Meeeoow!"
The sections of Vine nearest Bilang instantly sprouted snow-white dandelions. As they floated away, they turned red, then descended like a swarm of angry wasps.
Bilang shot out one last stream of water before turning to flee, having perfectly mastered the hit-and-run strategy.
Xiaoyue managed to divert a portion of its Vines to block, but it was a futile gesture.
Under the bombardment of dandelions, the Vines quickly shattered. Grey Gu and Ah You’s Wind Blades immediately followed, relentlessly pursuing Bilang with a dense volley.
Bilang weaved and dodged through the complex, crisscrossing Vines, which provided just enough cover. Otherwise, she would have been taken out long ago.
Even so, Bilang remained completely unfazed, even finding the time to stop, slap her duck butt, and taunt them.
"..." Grey Gu’s and Ah You’s feathers bristled with indignation.
Wang Haokun, however, just gave a cold smile and adjusted his glasses.
RUSTLE—
The Vines behind Bilang suddenly stirred.
Bilang turned dazedly, only to be met with the murderous glare of Cangse’s feline face.
"Q-QUACK!"
’I’m sorry! I admit I was being a little loud!’
"Meeeoow!" "Quack!"
The cat gave chase, the duck fled.
In such a confined space, Cangse’s mobility far outstripped Bilang’s. In the blink of an eye, it had closed the distance.
"Xiaolan! Help Bilang break through!"
"Hiiiissss!"
In the nick of time, a light green Beast Taming Light Array materialized. A long, slender, pinkish-blue figure shot out from the Light Array and enveloped Bilang.
SWOOSH—
Cangse’s claws struck nothing but air. The two Pet Beasts had merged into a blurry white wave, drifting away gracefully.
It was Wave Messenger, the Racial Skill of the Pearl Harbor Sea Serpent—a Water and Wind Middle Elite Skill.
Upon using this Skill, a Pearl Harbor Sea Serpent could temporarily transform itself and nearby objects into fast-moving seafoam, allowing it to evade physical attacks while gaining incredible forward momentum.
Compared to the Positional Skills of other Pet Beasts, Wave Messenger consumed almost no Energy, possessing the twin advantages of efficiency and high speed. An adult Pearl Harbor Sea Serpent could even use this Skill to circumnavigate the globe in a week, earning it the reputation as the most mobile Ocean Pet Beast.
During the days it hadn’t been fighting, Xiaolan had been practicing this Skill tirelessly, finally mastering it to the point where it could carry Bilang along with it just in time for the finals!
What had been a disadvantageous situation was turned around by Xiaolan’s entry.
Faced with the young "Sea Ranger," the Cyan Feathered Falcon—a Pet Beast known for its mobility—paled in comparison, completely unable to keep up with Xiaolan’s rhythm.
Grey Gu was even more helpless; mobility had never been its strong suit, and now it was practically a spectator.
Bilang, for its part, rallied. Empowered by Xiaolan’s high-speed maneuvers, it brazenly unleashed a torrent of Water Cannons, causing considerable trouble for the two Flying Pet Beasts and even Cangse.
CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! CLAP!
"Incredible!"
"Holy crap, what is this combo? A long-range sniper and a high-speed charger?"
"Now this match is getting interesting! Say what you will, the visuals are amazing! Much better than the last one!"
"You mean the two girls are what’s amazing?"
"Get outta here. I’m a perfect gentleman, alright?"
Applause and cheers erupted as the two Pet Beasts’ "Mounted Archery" performance brought the crowd’s excitement to a fever pitch.
However, facing what seemed to be a disadvantageous turn of events, Wang Haokun let out a sigh of relief. "If this is your trump card, then this match is ours."
Then, Wang Haokun snapped his fingers. The Cangse that had been chasing Bilang instantly dissolved into two pieces of a vine—it had only been a Forest Stand-In.
Immediately after, Grey Gu and Ah You pulled back as a light green Light Array ignited in mid-air. A giant centipede with a bird’s beak shot down from above, spewing furious flames from its mouth!