Beast Taming: I Can Add Points

In reality, the arena itself was made of metal, so Shan Bao could have used Flash Gold Teleportation directly without any issue. However, a nitpicky referee might have taken issue with that, so Su Zhi had Shan Bao adopt a more reliable strategy.

"The pace of this round seems much slower than the last. Have both sides agreed to go easy on each other? Instructor, what’s your take on this?" the host asked, handing the microphone to Ke Yan.

’What a moron...’ Ke Yan thought, taking the microphone with a placid expression.

’Going easy in the finals? You’d have to be sick in the head. This guy knows nothing, and he’s supposed to be the host...’ Still, with this many people in the audience, Ke Yan had a duty to explain.

"The pace of this round is indeed slow, but sometimes, slowing down doesn’t mean a decrease in intensity. It can even be the exact opposite.

"Su Zhi and Wang Haokun have faced off in simulated matches before, so they have a decent understanding of one another. Shan Bao’s strength lies in head-to-head defensive battles, so launching a direct assault isn’t the wisest choice. In fact, it’s more likely she’d just be stonewalled into despair."

The host’s eyes twinkled. "So, a Flash Gold Sparrow that specializes in defense actually exists! How fascinating!"

’This is why I say you’re completely unprofessional. The contestant profiles are right there, couldn’t you bother to glance at them? What the hell kind of host are you?’

Ke Yan was bursting with retorts but held his tongue. In the end, he just handed the microphone back with a polite smile.

Back on the stage, Su Zhi’s brow furrowed. He also sensed something was amiss.

"Shan Bao! Change of tactics! All-out attack!"

"CHIRP!" Without a moment’s hesitation, Shan Bao blurred into a streak of Golden Light and shot toward Cyan.

With Hardening fully active, a head-on collision from Shan Bao was powerful enough to create an impact no weaker than a normal blow from Black Wood!

"THUD!"

The dull thud from the stage made the entire audience jump.

This one was a real heavyweight!

Despite its immense power, the move failed to breach Cyan’s defense. Thick vines summoned by Deep Forest Grip intercepted Shan Bao. Though they bent and twisted severely under the force, they didn’t break.

"So you’ve figured out my strategy? Your intuition is terrifying. A shame it’s too late," Wang Haokun said, pushing up his glasses.

Su Zhi paid him no mind. "Shan Bao! Super Heavy Golden Feather Flying Blade!"

"CHIRP!"

Shan Bao pulled back, soaring high into the sky before unleashing her Golden Feather Flying Blade from above.

This was Golden Feather Flying Blade 2.0, a skill Shan Bao had only recently mastered, enhanced by both Super Heavy Gold Fall and Hardening.

After a qualitative leap in both hardness and weight, the once non-lethal Golden Feather Flying Blade had transformed into a terrifyingly deadly technique.

Because the feathers had an extremely narrow surface area, this attack packed more of a punch than many dedicated offensive Skills!

"SWISH SWISH SWISH—"

Beautiful and deadly, the feathers rained down from the sky with a speed that betrayed their delicate appearance. The phrase "it’s raining daggers" might have been coined for a sight just like this.

"THWAK THWAK THWAK!"

A series of heavy thuds followed as Shan Bao’s feathers pierced through layer after layer of thick vines, then slammed into the floor, embedding themselves half an inch deep into the metal stage.

Shan Bao proved one thing: defensive abilities, when practiced to perfection, can be applied to offense as well!

However, as effective as this offensive was, it didn’t produce the intended result.

While Shan Bao attacked, Cyan had already darted agilely onto a nearby vine.

"CHIRP!"

Seeing its opponent about to pull away, Shan Bao knew the opportunity was fleeting. She dove forward, turning her own body into her strongest weapon.

Su Zhi instinctively shouted, "Shan Bao, don’t rush! Staying stable is the most important thing!"

But he was half a second too late. By the time the complete order left his mouth, Shan Bao was already upon Cyan.

They were too close. Cyan had no room to dodge.

It lacked any powerful skills to intimidate Shan Bao, and Shan Bao’s reckless, hard-headed charge posed a genuine threat.

"SPLAT!"

Under Shan Bao’s ferocious impact, Cyan was smashed flat on the spot... and split into two separate vines.

"CHIRP!?" Shan Bao instantly realized she’d been tricked, but it was too late.

Countless vines erupted from all directions, instantly ensnaring Shan Bao and rendering her immobile.

Meanwhile, the feathers scattered across the arena had been stealthily pushed aside by Cyan’s vines, leaving almost no empty space around them. It was now impossible to teleport.

"Closing the net," Wang Haokun said with a snap of his fingers.

"Shan Bao, don’t panic! Full power to Super Heavy Gold Fall and Hardening! They can’t do anything to us!" Su Zhi said, ignoring the recent mistake and issuing a new order.

Shan Bao obeyed instantly. With a heavy THUD, she dropped to the ground. No matter how many vines lashed and pulled, she didn’t budge an inch.

"Trying to make a comeback even after a major blunder? That’s the spirit of a team competition, all right," Wang Haokun said, nodding in approval.

"But you’ve overlooked one thing... We don’t need to defeat Shan Bao at all."

The next moment, an incredible scene unfolded. A green Light Array appeared beneath Shan Bao, and a pale green vine began to push back against her immense weight, slowly growing, inch by inch!

Su Zhi was dumbfounded. "How is that possible? Shan Bao definitely activated Super Heavy Gold Fall..."

"This is ’Mountain Shifting Tiger,’ a plant that grows on the border between the Ancient Jing Forest and the Giant Rock Mountain Range. Its main characteristic is its incredible toughness. It can continue to grow stubbornly even under the pressure of a mountain. In fact, many mountain ranges actually shift their positions annually due to the spread of the Mountain Shifting Tiger."

Wang Haokun stated coolly.

"If it can move entire mountains, what’s one slightly heavy Pet Beast in comparison?"

Immobilized by the vines and unable to escape with Flash Gold Teleportation, Shan Bao could only watch helplessly as Cyan’s Mountain Shifting Tiger pushed her out of the arena.

In a way, Wang Haokun was gentle—he hadn’t inflicted much real damage on Shan Bao... But in another way, he was cruel. The feeling of watching yourself slowly lose, completely powerless, was arguably more depressing than taking an actual injury.

[Assignable Attribute Points (Shan Bao)... 0.15]

"Shan Bao is out of the arena! The winner of the third round is the Vast and Mighty Team!"

"Chirp..." Shan Bao returned to Su Zhi’s side, her head hung low.

’I shouldn’t have disobeyed his order. It’s all my fault we lost this round...’

"It’s alright. You just wanted to win. You were just a little impatient, that’s all."

Su Zhi sighed, but then gave a small smile. "Besides, this fight thoroughly exposed a weakness in our Skill System, didn’t it? Now we can practice some anti-crowd control Skills, and the next time we face a similar strategy, the result will be completely different."

"CHIRP!" Hearing she would get to practice new Skills, Shan Bao bounced in excitement.

As they shook hands, Wang Haokun studied Su Zhi with a complex gaze.

’He clearly lost because of his Pet Beast’s mistake, yet his first reaction wasn’t to scold it, but to analyze the weaknesses in their Skill System.’

"The next round is match point, yet you don’t seem anxious at all?" Wang Haokun couldn’t help but ask.

Su Zhi answered, "A little tense, maybe, but not anxious."

Wang Haokun said, "If I’m guessing correctly, you were still the pick for the third singles match, right? Shan Bao’s overall power isn’t on par with Yu Bao’s, so you must have predicted you might lose the third round and are planning to make a comeback in the fifth."

Su Zhi blinked. "You figured all that out? Don’t tell me you have a secret crush on me..."

"..." Wang Haokun’s fists tightened.

"But aren’t you afraid we’ll just win the fourth round—the doubles match—outright?"

"Not at all."

"Why not?"

"Because this is a team match, and I trust my teammates."

Having said his piece, Su Zhi walked off the stage.

Shao Ya and Katie, the pair for the doubles match, headed up to the stage. They passed Su Zhi on the steps, and the white-haired, blue-eyed girl gave him a wink.

’You worked hard. Leave the rest to us.’

The next moment, Shao Ya froze.

While no one else was paying attention, Su Zhi had quietly taken her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.

"Good luck,"

she heard him say softly.

As they passed, Su Zhi quickly let go, so fast that even Katie right beside her hadn’t noticed.

And yet, the warmth from his hand seemed to remain, leaving her palm only to rise to her cheeks.

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