Chapter 62: The Tears of the Saltwater Crocodile

When the two took the stage, enthusiastic cheers erupted; compared to the "dark horse" quality of Li Runfeng, the audience's attention toward this Finals was undoubtedly higher.

In the eyes of the audience, Li Zhangsheng had performed very strongly since the testing, and Li Tianyu was not much inferior; compared to Li Runfeng and Li Jingyi, their strength seemed even greater, which naturally increased their focus on this match.

Standing on the stone platform, Li Zhangsheng adjusted his breathing slightly, suppressing the ripples in his heart, and with no extra thoughts left, his attention was fully focused on this match.

A qualified Monster Tamer must be focused and concentrated during battle; this allows them to make correct commands at the first opportunity and increase their win rate.

Before the match began, Li Zhangsheng looked at Li Tianyu opposite him; his gaze was slightly solemn. Unlike the previous minor skirmishes, Li Tianyu was clearly stronger and had the strength to threaten him.

This match might also be the battle that tests his full strength.

"Take your positions. Both sides are limited to three Demon Pets. There is no time limit for the match. When all Demon Pets of either side lose their ability to fight or the contestant forfeits, they will lose their qualification to advance! Alright, I now announce the match has begun!"

After explaining the match rules as usual, the Internal Affairs Elder announced the start of the match.

At the first opportunity, the two began summoning their Demon Pets. This time, Li Zhangsheng did not choose the Paradise Bird, but instead let the slightly less powerful Burrowing Mouse take the field to avoid being targeted by his opponent.

For this match that would determine the recommendation quota for the Highest Academy, Li Zhangsheng had no intention of hiding his strength, and he dared not be careless or underestimate his enemy. Li Tianyu was, after all, a favorite to win the championship; once he held back, there was a possibility of failure.

On the other side, a Blood-colored Hexagram flickered, and Li Tianyu's Demon Pet also appeared on the field; it was a Saltwater Crocodile nearly four meters in length.

【Spirit Beast Name】: Saltwater Crocodile (Mature Stage)

【Spirit Beast Realm】: Lower 9th Rank

【Spirit Beast Race】: High-Level Servant

【Spirit Beast Quality】: Low Grade

【Spirit Beast Bloodline】: None

【Spirit Beast Attribute】: Water Element

【Spirit Beast Status】: Healthy

【Spirit Beast Weakness】: Earth Element

Without a doubt, Li Tianyu chose to test the waters.

Except for its race being slightly higher than the Burrowing Mouse, the Saltwater Crocodile fell into a disadvantage in all aspects, especially since the Burrowing Mouse also held an attribute advantage; once hit by its Earth Element skill, the Saltwater Crocodile could potentially be killed instantly.

At this moment, in the contestant seating area, Li Runfeng asked Li Jingyi, who was sitting not far away: "Li Jingyi, who do you think will win?"

Because she had been defeated by Li Runfeng and lost the qualification to obtain the Highest Academy recommendation quota, Li Jingyi was in a bad mood, but her personality was weak, so she thought for a moment and said: "It's hard to say. The two have similar strength, and both have a chance to win! If I really had to say, I favor Li Tianyu!"

Compared to the suddenly emerging Li Zhangsheng, Li Jingyi naturally recognized Li Tianyu's strength more; after all, both were favorites to win the championship.

Of course, this also had to do with the fact that Li Zhangsheng had risen to prominence for too short a time.

"I think so too. I heard Li Zhangsheng has only been a Monster Tamer for a short month. Although his second uncle is strong and perhaps gave him quite a bit of help, his foundation is ultimately too shallow!"

Li Runfeng said this, but in reality, only he knew that this was purely perfunctory. His inner thoughts were completely the opposite. On the surface, Li Zhangsheng had two Mid-Rank Beast Demon Pets, the Paradise Bird and the Burrowing Mouse, but they were both Temporary Spirit Pets, which certainly could not be Li Zhangsheng's true strength.

What exactly was he hiding?

Besides Li Jingyi and Li Runfeng, other clansmen were also discussing it, but most leaned toward Li Tianyu.

Amidst their discussions, the battle had already begun.

"Saltwater Crocodile, Water Jet!" Sensing the Burrowing Mouse's momentum, Li Tianyu's expression was solemn, and he immediately chose to strike first.

Under his command, the Saltwater Crocodile opened its large mouth, revealing a mouthful of sharp fangs, and sprayed a water column as thick as a bowl toward the Burrowing Mouse.

"Burrowing Mouse, Earth Wave!" Without hesitation, Li Zhangsheng chose to meet force with force; with the Burrowing Mouse's realm advantage, there was no need to dodge at all.

The Burrowing Mouse also opened its mouth, and countless earth-yellow light spots gathered, turning into a torrent of Earth Element energy that collided with the water column in the blink of an eye.

Compared to the water column, the Earth Wave was clearly thicker and stronger. After a brief stalemate, the Earth Wave continued to push forward. The Saltwater Crocodile did not have time to close its mouth, and the Earth Element torrent had already reached its front, shooting into its open mouth.

*Cough, cough! *

The Saltwater Crocodile began to cough violently, subconsciously wanting to spit out the Earth Element energy that had shot into its mouth, but it was to no avail, and it could only roll on the field in pain.

Soon, the Saltwater Crocodile lay on the ground, its whole body twitching violently; its eyes were filled with water droplets, which flowed down like teardrops.

"Burrowing Mouse, stay alert!" Li Zhangsheng did not relax his vigilance. He remembered the habits of crocodile-type Spirit Beasts, and he dared not be paralyzed or careless until he confirmed the Saltwater Crocodile's status.

Crocodiles have both a fierce and cruel side, as well as a cunning and deceitful side. They are born with excellent acting skills. When they are eyeing their prey, they often shed tears first, appearing compassionate. When the prey is paralyzed by the false appearance and loses vigilance, they launch a fatal attack.

Additionally, Saltwater Crocodiles generally live in the sea. Because they drink a large amount of seawater, they accumulate a lot of salt. Thus, the Saltwater Crocodile uses the function of the salt-processing organs in its eye sockets to concentrate the excess salt and channel it through its eyes, where it flows out like teardrops.

Under Li Zhangsheng's command, the Burrowing Mouse remained full of vigilance; as soon as the Saltwater Crocodile made any unusual movement, it would launch a thunderous attack.

"Come back, Saltwater Crocodile!"

As the Saltwater Crocodile's Monster Tamer, how could Li Tianyu not know the Saltwater Crocodile's status? Even though the water column offset part of the Earth Wave's power, the Saltwater Crocodile had been hit in a vital spot, and due to the attribute restraint, this was also the main reason the Saltwater Crocodile was killed instantly.

Under the surprised gazes of the audience, the Saltwater Crocodile turned into a stream of light and was retrieved into the Demon Pet Space by Li Tianyu.

"Well done, Burrowing Mouse!" Li Zhangsheng felt a bit speechless inside, but on the surface, he remained calm and encouraged the Burrowing Mouse loudly.

*Squeak, squeak! *

The Burrowing Mouse responded immediately, then pointed at its mouth, making a gesture to Li Zhangsheng for an extra meal.

"Alright, I'll give you an extra meal tonight!" Li Zhangsheng agreed to the Burrowing Mouse's simple request. In his eyes, the Burrowing Mouse was really easy to raise; as long as it was full, it would be satisfied.

"It's a pity there is no Wood Element Demon Pet to restrain the Earth Element!" After retrieving the Saltwater Crocodile, Li Tianyu frowned slightly, then summoned the Long-haired Lion.

The two Demon Pets were of equivalent realm and each had their advantages; the Long-haired Lion had a higher race, while the Burrowing Mouse possessed the Xi Mouse bloodline, so their strength was on par.

"Long-haired Lion, Crushing Claw!"

At the first opportunity, the Long-haired Lion launched a charge. After running a few steps, it leaped into the air, its right claw flickering with white light, and it looked like it was about to hit the Burrowing Mouse.

"Burrowing Mouse, Sand Splash!" The Burrowing Mouse was better at support, so Li Zhangsheng naturally would not use his own weakness to attack the enemy's strength; he wanted to avoid the Burrowing Mouse fighting the Long-haired Lion head-on as much as possible.

Under Li Zhangsheng's order, the Burrowing Mouse splashed a large amount of yellow sand, and regardless of the effect, it immediately did a lazy donkey roll to dodge to the side.

(End of this chapter)