"Old Ghost Wu, what brings you here?"
A man with hair spiked up like flames, sitting on the sofa, spoke. "Seeing you at Bear King Mountain is quite a rarity."
King Wu snorted. "You could skip your school's Flamingo Nest and come all the way to Bear King Mountain—why can't I come?"
He turned to look at Su Hao and said, "That old ghost's surname is Lu, a professor at Flamingo University."
Su Hao had heard King Wu mention this before.
The new world entrance controlled by Flamingo University led to a vast crimson forest, home to many spirits like Ember Chickens, Crested Chickens, and Flamingos. The crimson forest's environment was ideal for hatching Ember Chickens, but unlike Bear King Mountain, the Flamingo clan had no ancient monsters, giving Flamingo University high control over the nest. This allowed them to continuously provide Ember Chicken contracts to students.
Of course...
There were limited slots.
And contracts still required mutual consent.
"Old Ghost Lu, you're not having trouble getting an Ember Chicken contract slot, are you?"
"Heh, I'm actually looking for a melee-type spirit for my student. As for you, agreeing to let your student contract a bear-type spirit—guess you've realized your wood-type methods don't work anymore."
"Hehehehe..." King Wu wasn't angry at all; he even felt like laughing.
He patted Su Hao's shoulder and said to King Lu, "You guessed wrong. He's not my student—he's my... junior disciple."
He raised an eyebrow.
That put him a generation above King Lu's disciple in seniority.
King Wu lowered his voice and added, "Beat Old Ghost Lu's disciple down. I can't wait to see his face then."
Su Hao: "..."
He didn't say anything.
He was the principal's disciple, but Su Hao still had some self-awareness.
Looking around the reception hall, aside from juniors like him, everyone else was a big shot. Either kings, quasi-kings, or at least renowned masters.
Many eyes turned toward him.
Su Hao: "..."
I wanted to keep a low profile, but why can't my light ever be hidden!
...
The big shots chatted or closed their eyes in meditation.
Su Hao and the other juniors felt a bit awkward—mainly because they couldn't find topics to discuss, and kept drinking tea until they nearly burst.
Well... partly because hearing the big shots spill each other's dark secrets made them feel staying any longer might be a death sentence.
King Lu waved his hand and said to his student, "Go do whatever you want. We have to wait for the supplies to arrive before heading to Bear King Mountain. It'll be a while."
King Lu's student sighed in relief... bid farewell to the big shots in the hall, and walked out.
Su Hao took the chance to slip out too, wandering around the fortress with his three spirits.
"A cafeteria, a store selling daily necessities, a shop for spirit supplies... that's it."
Just then,
Someone walked toward him and stopped in front.
Their eyes met.
"I'm Wu Hang, a freshman at Flamingo University."
"Su Hao, a freshman at Whale Island University."
"I heard you're the Whale Island principal's disciple. So... dare to have a match?"
Su Hao shrugged. "Sure."
The fortress interior wasn't large.
But outside, on the open ground, several empty battlefields were marked out.
Many were pitted and scarred, showing signs of heavy use.
Su Hao and Wu Hang arrived, catching the attention of a few stationed soldiers.
They stood on the city wall, whistling to signal they'd act as referees.
Standing on one side of the battlefield, Wu Hang said, "The spirit I'm sending out is this Steel-Boned Dragon Lizard!"
A massive lizard, about two meters long, covered in a metallic sheen, crawled forward step by step.
Metal-type, first evolution: Iron-Boned Dragon Lizard.
Su Hao looked at his three spirits.
Die Xiaodie looked disdainful.
Meaning she didn't want to fight.
Fire Velvet Crow flapped its wings, as if testing its blade.
"I choose you, Water Kirin Beast."
Fire Velvet Crow: "???"
Water Kirin Beast: "(??????)??"
It stepped forward on its hooves, locking eyes with the lizard.
A tense, murderous atmosphere filled the air.
"Even though most of Water Kirin Beast's skill points are in speed, that doesn't mean it's weak."
The Water Kirin bloodline gave it defense and control over water-type moves far beyond its relative, the Water Cloud Horse.
And now it was at the elite level.
Water Kirin Beast could finally fight a real battle.
"Well... beating up Fatty Ren's Giant Tide Frog before doesn't count."
He thought, looking at the field.
"Steel-Boned Dragon Lizard, full metalization!"
A metallic sheen spread from the lizard's head to its tail, making it seem heavier, its body sinking slightly, claws digging into the dirt.
Water Kirin Beast chose to test first.
Several water arrows formed in front of it, shooting out with a whoosh.
Clang—
The water arrows were deflected, shattered, and dissipated into mist.
"Useless. After metalization, the Steel-Boned Dragon Lizard's defense is tougher than a heavy tank. So... charge!"
The lizard charged, kicking up dust as it went.
"Jump up."
Water Kirin Beast stepped into the air.
Seeing this, Wu Hang was momentarily stunned but reacted quickly. "Energy ball!"
The lizard looked up, a massive golden energy ball forming in its mouth in an instant, shooting out with a whoosh.
It passed through Water Kirin Beast's afterimage.
"Land and use Water Trail Cloud Path."
Su Hao commanded.
Water Kirin Beast landed and sprinted forward swiftly.
Whether it was energy balls, golden light slashes, or the lizard's pounce, it dodged them all easily.
Using Cloud Step, Water Kirin Beast moved incredibly fast, leaving a trail of afterimages behind.
And... a spreading water path under its hooves.
Thick white mist drifted from the water path.
Water Trail Cloud Path!
A move Su Hao had fused from Cloud Step and Water Path, then improved!
It was highly effective at hindering enemies.
Now,
Water Kirin Beast didn't crash into the lizard but circled it rapidly, leaving countless crisscrossing water trails in moments.
The entire field became wet and foggy, shrouding both spirits.
Wu Hang remained calm.
He thought, "Stay cool, ready to counter at any moment."
He walked to the side of the field, looking at Su Hao. "No matter what, your Water Cloud Horse can't break through my Steel-Boned Dragon Lizard's defense."
Su Hao didn't deny it.
He looked ahead, seeing only fleeting shadows in the thick fog.
When it seemed about right, he said, "Ride the waves, charge."
"Find the direction, we charge too!" Wu Hang followed immediately.
In the thick fog.
"Clop, clop, clop" sounds echoed, accompanied by the splash of waves.
The entire white mist seemed to churn.
A gleaming golden figure moved within—the charging lizard.
Boom!!!
A thunderous crash.
A fierce wind swept through, thinning the fog considerably.
The next moment,
A figure flew backward, rolling several times on the ground, its tail tearing the earth.
It was the Steel-Boned Dragon Lizard.
At the same time,
The white mist gradually faded, revealing Water Kirin Beast.
It stood on waves, two to three meters in the air, surging tides beneath its hooves, the charging glow on its body fading as its power waned.
It raised its head and let out a "whinny—"
Proclaiming victory.
It looked almost... unscathed!
"How is that possible!"
"Did it combine the power of waves and charge to overpower my Steel-Boned Dragon Lizard?"
Wu Hang quickly analyzed the reason. "But it formed waves two to three meters high in such a short time, and Water Cloud Horses aren't defense-type spirits—the impact should have hurt it at least..."
He rushed to the lizard.
Now, after metalization, the lizard's famed thick metal scales had been softened by the water mist's corrosion, losing their initial hardness.
Under the collision, the massive wave had battered its scales into pits.
Though not completely out of combat, continuing was pointless.
"I concede."
"But..." He looked up. "The Steel-Boned Dragon Lizard isn't my strongest spirit. This one is. Dare to..."
Su Hao looked at the spirit hovering beside Wu Hang.
Another butterfly, but with fiery red wing patterns.
—Blaze Butterfly.
Evolved from Candlelight Butterfly, a final-form spirit.
But...
Having gained experience, Su Hao had no intention of letting Water Kirin Beast get beaten.
He shrugged. "Sorry, it..."
He pointed at Water Kirin Beast. "Is the spirit dragging down my team's average combat power."
Water Kirin Beast, returning in triumph, slammed on the brakes, feeling like an arrow pierced its heart: "(′⊙ω⊙`)???"
And Wu Hang felt the same.
He glanced at the phone-scrolling Dreamy Butterfly and the eager Fire Velvet Crow, his face full of shock.