Chapter 20: The First Duel

To apply for a challenge, one must register with a family Deacon, and only then can a public duel be held under the supervision of the other party.

To become a Deacon, one must reach the level of a Third-rank Royal Beast Master; for this reason, there are not many Deacons in the Li Family Manor, not even enough to count on one's fingers.

The Deacon stationed at the Training Ground is named Li Hongguang; he is about forty years old, with a broad back and thick waist, a swallow-like chin, and tiger-like whiskers, giving one the impression of a fierce warrior.

To prevent the other party from reneging, the two followed the rules and handed their respective wagers to Deacon Li Hongguang for safekeeping, to be awarded to the winner after the duel concludes.

Duels between Demon Pets naturally require professional combat venues; if left unrestrained, they could cause massive damage to the Manor.

This is just how things are.

In the northwest corner of the Training Ground stand several square Arenas; these Arenas are identical in size, constructed from hard marble, and covered in numerous marks, possessing a history of over a hundred years, much like the history of the Li Family.

Not long after, Li Zhangsheng and Li Jianren stood on the high platforms at either end of the Arena; the platforms are three or four meters high, allowing one to overlook the entire Arena and view the overall situation, making it convenient to command the Demon Pets in battle.

In official Demon Pet duels, Demon Pets are strictly forbidden from attacking the Monster Tamer, so the Monster Tamer does not need to worry about their own safety and only needs to focus on commanding the Demon Pet.

Of course, unofficial battles are different, especially when encountering enemies; a Monster Tamer must command their Demon Pet in battle while simultaneously protecting their own safety as much as possible.

Before the battle began, clan members surrounded the Arena; most of them were First-rank Beast Masters with limited strength, occasionally interspersed with a few Second-rank Beast Masters.

Driven by the prospect of profit, several Second-rank Beast Masters joined forces to act as bookmakers, with the betting naturally centered on the outcome of the duel between Li Zhangsheng and Li Jianren.

Based on the betting amounts, the odds for Li Zhangsheng reached 1 to 5.

Judging by the odds, most people did not favor Li Zhangsheng; there was no helping it, as apart from a few individuals, most clan members knew that Li Jianren possessed a Medium Grade Flame Wolf, while as for Li Zhangsheng's Tiger with a White Forehead, its species was only slightly stronger than the Flame Wolf, and as for its quality, they subconsciously assumed it was Low Grade.

Even so, there were still quite a few clever people who placed their bets on Li Zhangsheng.

One, Li Zhangsheng's odds were very high. Two, Li Zhangsheng agreed to the duel and chose a wager-based fight, indicating he had a certain degree of confidence. Three, Aixi's quality was unknown! Four, Li Zhangsheng entrusted a friend to bet all his Demon Cores on himself.

"Better to come early than to come at the right time; put all of these on Li Zhangsheng!"

Just as the betting was about to close, a lazy voice rang out; this was a youth chewing on a blade of wild grass, his figure slender, his skin bronze, and his narrow eyes sharp and spirited, giving one a sense of a Keen Edge.

He is Li Tianyu, the biggest favorite of this year's assessment, so his strength can be imagined.

Li Tianyu walked up to the bookmakers and casually tossed a small bag to them.

The bag was filled with Demon Cores; judging by the quantity, there were at least several dozen.

No one expected Li Tianyu to place such a heavy bet, especially on the unfavored Li Zhangsheng.

Glancing at the pile of Demon Cores, the bookmaker's expression did not change; based on the shift in betting, he changed Li Zhangsheng's odds to 1 to 4, then stopped giving anyone the chance to bet, closing the books!

For the bookmakers, there was no need to take risks; even just by taking a commission, they could make a fortune.

Soon, Deacon Li Hongguang stood on the Arena and began to announce the rules of the duel.

"The two parties in the match are Li Zhangsheng and Li Jianren; both sides are limited to one Demon Pet, and you may not kill the other party's Demon Pet. Do you have any objections?"

After confirming that neither side had any objections, Li Hongguang loudly announced the start of the duel.

As soon as Li Hongguang's voice fell, Li Jianren began commanding the Flame Wolf to enter the field. As for Li Zhangsheng, he unfastened the refined iron shackles on Aixi's feet.

"As expected!" Seeing Li Zhangsheng's actions, the corners of Li Tianyu's mouth curled up, revealing a brilliant smile.

The reason he bet on Li Zhangsheng to win was mainly because of the 'face' of the refined iron shackles.

After the refined iron shackles were removed, Aixi felt light all over and appeared on the field with a speed far exceeding that of the Flame Wolf.

Seeing Aixi's speed, Li Jianren felt a shock in his heart, and his complexion immediately turned ugly; unfortunately, once the bow is drawn, there is no turning back, so he could only brace himself to fight.

On the Arena, the two Demon Pets stood ten meters apart, staring fiercely at each other.

"My first duel is finally about to begin!"

On the high platform, Li Zhangsheng's expression was stern; his heart was beating violently, and he could not help but feel a bit nervous, so he took a few deep breaths, barely calming his inner excitement to maintain his composure.

When commanding a Demon Pet in battle, a Monster Tamer must ensure they remain calm and avoid making major mistakes as much as possible; this is also one of the standards for whether one can become a qualified Monster Tamer.

Due to their mental connection, Aixi seemed to sense the change in Li Zhangsheng, its aura surged, and it stared at the Flame Wolf with a tiger's gaze.

Roar—

Aixi let out a loud roar, emitting a powerful bellow; its eyes were sharp, and it bared its fangs at the Flame Wolf, filled with an imposing aura.

The Intimidation trait was successfully activated; the Flame Wolf was clearly frightened, a look of terror appeared in its eyes, and it involuntarily took a step back, unable to exert its full strength.

"Damn it! Flame Wolf, use Fireball!"

Sensing the change in the Flame Wolf, Li Jianren's expression shifted, and he had no choice but to choose to strike first.

On the Arena, the Flame Wolf opened its large mouth, and fire-red light points quickly gathered; in an instant, a fireball the size of a human head took shape and flew toward Aixi.

"Aixi, jump up and dodge!"

Without hesitation, Aixi jumped with force and easily dodged the Fireball.

Boom—

The Fireball smashed into the ground, instantly exploding and dissipating into countless sparks, leaving a charred mark on the ground.

"Flame Wolf, use Flame Charge!"

Just at this moment, Li Jianren issued another command; the Flame Wolf's body shook, flames appeared on its surface, and it quickly launched a charge.

Propelled by the flames, the Flame Wolf's speed was clearly enhanced.

"Aixi, Rise Wind!"

Aixi let out a hiss, and its body was instantly covered in pale cyan Wind Element energy, as if it had donned a beautiful Wind Cloak; this caused its speed to increase sharply, and it dodged the Flame Wolf's attack with a relatively relaxed posture.

"It's our turn now, Aixi, Bite!" After the Flame Wolf's attack was thwarted, Li Zhangsheng immediately chose to switch from defense to offense.

After successfully dodging, Aixi changed direction and pounced toward the Flame Wolf a few meters away with lightning speed.

During this process, Aixi opened its mouth wide, revealing snow-white, sharp fangs, and bit toward the Flame Wolf's waist.

(End of this chapter)