54 - I’m Surrounded by My Own Pets!

"BOOM!!!!!!" No sooner had Tian Mu finished speaking than the attack arrived. With two deafening blasts echoing from outside the coffin, the entire interior began to tremble violently. Having shared her vision with the rusty bronze coffin, she looked outward in disbelief. She saw two sun wheel weapons spiraling back at high speed like missiles to the sides of the Crescent Hammer's ears. The returning force alone created massive sonic boom clouds. The coffin's surface was dented in two spots, with shallow impressions. Enhanced through violent throwing and tormented by gravity anomalies and heavy metal abilities, the Amber Palace mutation wheels, albeit slightly mitigated by negative states, could finally complete a return on their own. "What terrifying attack power!" "Will the next attack maintain this intensity?" "So that's why my virtual self lost..." After analyzing for a moment, Tian Mu nodded thoughtfully. In the next second, a trembling from the Seven Stars Knot covered the coffin surface with a layer of gray domain light. [Combat Skill: Structural Reinforcement (Deep Purple): Increases the defense of another pet beast based on one's own defensive attributes.] Facing such relentless bombardment, there was indeed a chance that the rusty bronze coffin alone could fall. However, combined with the high-ranking pet beast, Seven Stars Knot, that she had recently trained, the defense of both beasts stacked together meant no chance of collapse. "Bam!" "Bam!!!" As expected, as Tian Mu anticipated, the next attack from the opponent was no longer a threat. The two sun wheels explosively collided with the surface of the rusty bronze coffin, creating only weak ripples before helplessly returning to the sides of the Crescent Hammer's ears. Seeing this, the team members watching from Ironrest Pavilion erupted in excitement. The Ten Giants lived up to their name, not something any random fighter could defeat!!! The reason the virtual projection lost was simply that the AI couldn't fully utilize the captain's abilities!!! However... "Boom!!!!" Seconds later, another astonishing roar resounded, shaking the entire coffin violently as if struck by lightning. Feeling this explosive power surge, Tian Mu's expression turned somber. Could it be that the initial strike wasn't her opponent's full strength? Why was it getting stronger and stronger? It seems the strategy analysis in the comments was utterly off... "Boom!!!!!!!!!" With the seventh and eighth strikes, the power increased yet again, and Tian Mu, amidst this chaos, could barely withstand it. Thus, as the opponent's power surged, she activated all sorts of high-tier defensive techniques. Then— [Damage Reflection (Gold)] A faint golden glow slowly rose on the surface of the rusty bronze coffin. Tian Mu understood that the battle had reached its final stage. After charging for seventeen seconds, all the accumulated damage inflicted by the opponent would be returned at once!!! Judging by the terrifying offensive power of the Crescent Hammer, it's clear its defense was neglected. It would never withstand this counterattack. But strangely... Facing the fully defensive state of the rusty bronze coffin, the Crescent Hammer didn't even bother to use its mutated jade wheels, instead casually spinning one amber palace sun wheel with a single ear. She calmly rotated this deep crimson golden wheel until it reached an eye-blurring speed, then abruptly twisted her ear, hurling the golden wheel with explosive force. "Whoosh!!!!!" Driven by the explosive gust, the deep crimson phantom beam almost instantaneously arrived at the rusty bronze coffin. The terrifying speed friction carved burning flames on either side of the air. In this moment, feeling the overwhelming might, Tian Mu held her breath. If she could withstand this attack, it would all be over... With her current full-strength defense, losing was simply impossible! However... In that instant, time seemed to pause— Tian Mu’s wide eyes could clearly see enormous flames burst forth from the sun wheel weapon, the searing temperature palpable even inside the coffin. Oh no... Can't block it!!! "Boom!!!!!!!!!" With a magnificent burst of flames, resembling the terrifying sounds of missile bombardment shattering eardrums, the scalding heat wave shook and scattered the surrounding air. Amidst this deafening explosion, the surface of the rusty bronze coffin began to melt rapidly. Subsequently, starting from the rusty bronze coffin and the Seven Stars Knot as the origin, the high-temperature firestorm expanded nearly a hundred meters in a fan shape, engulfing much of the area in explosive flames. [Raging Wave (Mutation)] Seconds later, the heat wave dissipated. The area where Tian Mu was situated had become unrecognizable, the ground behind entirely scorched, and even the thirty-some-meter-tall rusty bronze coffin was reduced to a heap of remnants. In contrast, the Crescent Hammer, having forcibly taken the explosive returning sun wheel, had its ears sizzling and popping like fireworks, the once plump ears turning red-hot, releasing a roasted aroma. However, as a projection simulated by virtual AI, it felt no pain whatsoever. Raging Wave—this was the dual-speed technique prepared by Lian Xing for the Amber Palace mutated golden wheel. No... it could no longer be called a speed technique, but a forced all-attribute technique. Though weighty vibrational light and blinding control were noble types of control, Lian Xing knew very well that Amber Palace was no mere support-type pet beast!! As a rare species meant for slaughter, it needed to carry out its damage to the extreme!!! Of course, since the technique wasn’t an attribute specialty, the style of Amber Palace's mutation wheel seemed rather inconsistent. Nonetheless, at level 30, once the golden wheel undergoes forced evolution, the outline of Amber Palace should become apparent~~~ ... Ironrest Pavilion training room. Exiting the virtual battle, the girl with the emerald teal hairpin remained silent for a long while, simply staring blankly at the battle screen. Behind her, the team members were equally considerate, keeping silenced words of solace to themselves. The oppressive quiet lingered for nearly a minute before Tian Mu turned, eyes slightly red. Forcing back her sobs, she said with a slightly trembling voice, "You all, don't tell anyone..." "..." "..." "Don’t worry, Captain, we will keep it a secret!!! "Absolutely, the Captain losing to a nobody won't be known to anyone beyond our Ironrest team!!!" "Alright, alright, let’s continue training. Consider it as if nothing happened!!!" Strangely though, even as the Ironrest team members offered comfort, there was a subtle hint of excitement in their eyes. A year had passed since they lost to Xi Yu Pavilion last season, and now Captain Tian Mu was brought to tears again. Pretending to be aloof and dignified, she was, in truth, an exceedingly fragile soul. The aggrieved expression she bore when hurt, near tears — oh, how delightful it was to see!!! — — In the headmaster's office of Youlan Academy. Within an elegant and lavish room, the walls lined with numerous pet beast statues and purple combat skill card models. At that moment, seated at the desk, a high-cold woman with blazing red hair frowned deeply, periodically letting out disgruntled sighs as she read a report. "Thud!" Unexpectedly, the door swung open with a sudden kick, and in strutted a striking girl with a fiery red ponytail, with an air of brash authority. Chiyan, after arrogantly barging into the headmaster’s office, nonchalantly plopped herself atop the desk, sipping the freshly brewed tea. “Old hag, what do you want with me?” “This ‘old hag’ is the Headmaster, try showing a shred of respect,” the Youlan Academy Headmaster seemed already accustomed to her daughter's attitude, paying it little mind and simply laid a report before her eyes. It was a resignation letter. The information showed that Dong Qi had relinquished the position of team captain, withdrawing from this year’s academy league. “She said the spotlight and popularity would only bring greater disgrace, in the academy league, the weak are nothing but clowns…” The Youlan Academy Headmaster first echoed Dong Qi's words, then looked helplessly at the expressionless Chiyan. “Well, this means you can now become the captain, something you've been yearning for, hasn’t it?” “However, as captain of a team defeated in the academy league, you’ll bear the utmost pressure and humiliation, are you prepared for that?” "Tonight, there's an open exhibition match against Qingliu Academy next door, a warm-up before the preliminaries. It will be publicly broadcast for the students of both academies to watch." "And who would have thought, Dong Qi decides to suddenly bail at a time like this..." "Ha, now not only will our academy face relentless ridicule and scorn, but the five high-level crystals I bet against the Qingliu Academy headmaster are as good as gone. Ah, how tragic is the life of this old soul~~~"