Chapter 762: Iceapura vs Frost Fighter Duck
Chapter 762: Iceapura vs Frost Fighter Duck (Combined)
Information about Star Beastmasters is easy to find, and a quick search yields plenty of results.
However, Qiao Sang had not been familiar with Supernest's celebrities before, so it was hard to tell if the information he found was accurate. But one thing was consistent across all the reports: bonded pets.
Although Qiao Sang had already gotten a general idea of each participating Star Beastmaster, he still picked up his mobile phone to search for Stella’s name once he knew who his opponent would be that day.
[Stella, female, 34 years old, born in the Ninth District, C-Class Beastmaster, Bonded Beast Performer, Actress, Singer, Autonomous Awakening at 14, her family spent half a year finding a Purebred Gel Duck to bond with her...]
As he was reading, Birit suddenly spoke up from beside him:
"When you bond with a familiar, it’s best to choose a purebred."
Ah, so he saw what was on my mobile phone... Qiao Sang thought to himself and replied, "I value the bond more when it comes to bonding with a familiar."
Talent is certainly important, but with a Golden Finger, the distinction between purebred and non-purebred isn’t as significant.
Unless the familiar has a clear advantage over others beyond being purebred, like when the Dean of the Artifact Academy tempted her with a Purebred Thundercracker Dragon egg, it’s hard for her to be swayed.
Bond? Birit found it absurd, but also typical of Qiao Sang. How could someone aiming for the Interstellar Cup still believe in such things? Every participant in the Interstellar Cup has a carefully selected familiar...
He wanted to teach her that choosing a familiar isn’t that simple, but when he saw Flame Kiru in her arms and remembered her other three familiars, he fell silent.
Forget it, perhaps the familiars that bond with her are not ordinary...
At that moment, Qiao Sang asked:
"Are purebred familiars more likely to Awaken Innate Skills?"
Birit nodded.
Qiao Sang continued, "What are the Talent Skills of a Gel Duck?"
Birit thought for a moment and said, "Shock Absorption. The feathers on its head have shock-absorbing properties, so it usually uses its head to withstand impacts when attacked."
If that’s the case, I’ll need to find a way to attack other parts... Qiao Sang mused.
...
Half an hour later.
The announcer’s enthusiastic voice echoed across the arena:
"Next up are contestants Stella and Qiao Sang!"
"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"
"Stella! Stella!"
As soon as the two entered the arena, the crowd erupted in cheers.
Both Qiao Sang and Stella were highly popular contestants.
After they entered, some of the audience couldn’t wait to start discussing:
"Who do you think will win?"
"Stella, right? Qiao Sang is strong, but her sealing speed is a weakness. If Stella gets the first move, the battle is pretty much decided. After all, the difference between Professional Beastmasters can be just a moment."
"That’s true for a straightforward match, but Stella won’t likely use her Ultimate Move right away to quickly end the match."
"Why not?"
"Are you kidding? This is the Beastmaster Star Tournament, with tons of media coverage. Stella has endorsed several artifact products, and she needs to showcase them in front of the audience. If the match ends too quickly, those artifacts won’t get the attention they need."
"But if her opponent is Qiao Sang, wouldn’t it be better to take advantage of the sealing speed and end the match quickly?"
"That depends on Stella’s strategy."
...
In the arena.
Stella... Qiao Sang’s gaze fixed on the woman standing opposite her, dressed in leather, with naturally curly brown hair.
Qiao Sang... Stella's expression was grave, but she maintained a polite smile on the surface.
She did not underestimate her opponent just because she was a Minor.
On the contrary, as a Professional Beastmaster, she was more aware than anyone of the formidable opponent she faced in the young girl.
A mechanical voice echoed across the arena: "3, 2, 1, Match Begins!"
As soon as the voice faded, Qiao Sang quickly began her seal.
The seal training over the past two days had significantly increased her hand speed, but compared to Stella, who had extensive combat experience, she still fell short.
The Amber Star Array lit up in front of Stella.
A six-meter-tall duck familiar appeared within the Star Array. Its body was almost entirely deep blue, with a silver streak of hair on its head resembling a side-swept fringe. The waist and ankles were adorned with light blue wavy patterns, and the tail featured three striking teardrop-shaped feathers.
The Frost Fighter Duck, a Water and Fighting Dual-Attribute General-Class Beast Companion, the General-Class form of the Gel Duck... Qiao Sang's hands remained fixed in the final seal gesture as she gazed at the distant familiar, recalling its basic information in her mind.
To use her ace right from the start—she must really think highly of her...
Stella didn't give any commands. The Frost Fighter Duck's eyes glowed with a deep blue light.
Suddenly, six streams of water burst from the ground, writhing like mad snakes, lashing out fiercely at the figure that had yet to fully materialize.
"Frost Fighter Duck initiates the attack!" the Announcer's voice narrated the unfolding scene. "Qiao Sang's summoned familiar is Iceapura!"
As Lulu appeared, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
The Frost Fighter Duck hesitated for a moment before continuing to control the water streams.
The six streams were now just half a meter away from Lulu, who had just barely materialized.
Seeing the attack closing in, Lulu's pupils dilated. Then, she heard her Beastmaster's voice:
"Jump!"
"Ice Ai!"
Without a second thought, Lulu leaped over the oncoming water streams and vanished.
The water streams hit nothing but air, splashing to the ground.
Water Fusion... Stella's brow furrowed.
"Iceapura has jumped into the water surge! But it wasn't pushed back by the impact! Instead, it merged with the water, concealing itself!" the Announcer explained with enthusiasm.
"However, Iceapura must have sustained significant damage, but by not revealing itself, it has prevented Frost Fighter Duck from launching a follow-up attack."
The Announcer was right. Frost Fighter Duck, its leg muscles tensed and ready to charge in for a close-range attack, paused.
The brief exchange sparked a flurry of discussions in the audience stands.
"I didn't expect Iceapura to have Water Fusion!"
"Why didn't Iceapura use Frost Haven directly?"
"Did you not see where the water surge hit? At that distance, there wasn't enough time to condense energy."
"Speaking of which, is Water Fusion that effective? Can it merge with any Water-Type skills?"
"No, Iceapura's Water Fusion must be either A or S rank. Typically, familiars with Water Fusion don't merge with water that quickly, especially not when it contains Water-Type energy. Even if they do merge, they are usually forced out by the internal attacks."
"Why didn't Iceapura exit Water Fusion?"
"Didn't you hear the Announcer? It must be enduring the pain."
...
Lulu had Water Storage, and it was at B rank, so it should have been able to withstand the impact of the water surge without sustaining any injuries... Qiao Sang quietly sensed Lulu's condition and position.
Iceapura was injured, and it was uncertain if it could still use Frost Haven in its current state... But one thing was clear: she still held the upper hand... Without hesitation, Stella said:
"Shake!"
"Frost Fighter!"
Hearing their Beastmaster's command, Frost Fighter Duck lifted its right leg, and blue energy began to condense the moment it was raised.
Then, it stomped down hard.
The ground shook.
The water droplets that had scattered from the Water Rise attack simultaneously floated up into the air!
Frost Fighter Duck's movements quickened, its speed exploding as it blurred into motion. Using both its hands and feet, it struck the water droplets mid-air with combat-type moves.
Due to Frost Fighter Duck's incredible speed, it attacked most of the water droplets in an instant, making them appear frozen in mid-air.
Faster... Qiao Sang focused entirely on the situation before her, her heart racing, not daring to let her guard down.
Just as Frost Fighter Duck's blurred form appeared at a certain position, Qiao Sang shouted loudly:
"Right now!"
As her voice rang out, Frost Fighter Duck seemed to understand, its muscles bulging even more as it swung its fist down.
Water droplets splattered.
But there was no sign of the expected figure.
Frost Fighter Duck froze for a moment.
It didn't notice that Lulu's head suddenly emerged from the water droplets on the ground!
As her head emerged, a massive stream of water instantly enveloped her!
"Below!" Stella's voice rose sharply.
But it was too late. The moment she spoke, the massive "water pillar" struck Frost Fighter Duck's rear!
"Frost Fighter!"
The impact sent Frost Fighter Duck soaring upward for a considerable distance before it began to fall.
Just as it was about to hit the ground, Stella called out:
"Use water to cushion the fall!"
Frost Fighter Duck, headfirst, shot out a water jet.
With the water jet providing a buffer, its descent slowed significantly.
Suddenly, Frost Fighter Duck felt the surroundings darken.
In its panoramic view, a gigantic ice spire, resembling a small mountain, loomed above it!
"Above!" Stella warned the moment the Gigantic Ice Spire appeared.
"Frost Fighter!"
Frost Fighter Duck, head down, couldn't see what was happening above but knew there was danger. It continued to use the water jet.
At the same time, its leg muscles tensed, condensing a layer of thick white energy.
"Bang!"
Frost Fighter Duck's head hit the ground, and it found itself in an inverted position, its feet bracing against the mountain-like Gigantic Ice Spire.
Well, that's something... Qiao Sang, watching Frost Fighter Duck's current actions, felt like taking a photo with her mobile phone, but she knew this wasn't the time for that.
"Again!" Qiao Sang shouted excitedly.
"Frost Fighter!"
Frost Fighter Duck's knees bent slightly, and then it unleashed even greater strength, pushing upward with a powerful kick!
A crisp "click" sounded, and the ice spire was instantly covered in cracks.
At that moment, another Gigantic Ice Spire appeared above the first one!
"Iceapura has used Colossal Ice Spike again! Can Frost Fighter Duck withstand it?" the Announcer exclaimed passionately.
"Frost Fighter..."
Frost Fighter Duck's forehead veins bulged as it gritted its teeth and pushed upward.
Then, another Gigantic Ice Spire appeared in the air, smashing down onto the second ice spire.
"Bang!"
With a loud crash, the first ice spire shattered completely, and Frost Fighter Duck's head was buried deep in the ground.
The situation is bad... Stella's heart sank, and she shouted:
"Use your Artifacts!"
The fourth, fifth, and sixth...
When the seventh Gigantic Ice Spire smashed down on Frost Fighter Duck, its entire body was buried in the ground.
Sigh, that's rough... The scene on the field made the crowd pull out their mobile phones to take photos and videos.
"Frost Fighter Duck has been buried under one Colossal Ice Spike after another! Will the match end here?" the Announcer's voice echoed.
Frost Fighter Duck has the Shock Absorption talent skill, and Stella just summoned Artifacts. However, Frost Fighter Duck didn’t seem to make any moves, so the Artifacts must be affecting its head... Is it for defense? Qiao Sang watched the developments on the field and felt that it was too early to declare the match over.
She gave Lulu a meaningful look.
Lulu immediately understood.
“Ice Ai!”
Lulu opened its mouth, tilted its head slightly, and called out.
The temperature in the entire Arena plummeted.
Snowflakes that had already stopped falling began to reappear, descending in large quantities with a strong chill.
Frostflower Seal... No, I have to act before the Frostflower Seal falls... Stella realized that the battle had reached a critical moment and called out loudly:
“10 seconds!”
This was a command Frost Fighter Duck only just learned. When its Beastmaster called out a time, it meant the match had to end within that time.
“Fight the Cold!”
Frost Fighter Duck, buried deep in the ground, now had a layer of dense white light condensing around its head, resembling a helmet.
It called out, and a powerful stream of water suddenly surged from its body.
At the same time, the muscles on Frost Fighter Duck’s body swelled, condensing a layer of white energy. Then, it began to twist and spin, rotating faster and faster, like a massive, swirling column of water.
“Bang!!”
Just as everyone thought the match was about to end, a high-speed, spinning stream of water suddenly rose from the ground, smashing through one Gigantic Ice Spire after another!
Then it abruptly changed direction and rushed straight toward Iceapura!
This speed, there’s no time to dodge... Qiao Sang instinctively shouted:
“Aurora Curtain!”
Lulu could previously Water Fusion into the water surge Frost Fighter Duck used, as it was a simple special attack skill. However, the current rotating stream of water contained Frost Fighter Duck itself, clearly combining a special attack with a physical attack. This strike would definitely leave Lulu severely injured.
If Lulu dodged with Water Spray, it would be caught up in less than a second.
Using Water Fusion to dodge wouldn’t work either; at this speed, Lulu wouldn’t have time to move, and the attack would lock onto the current Water Fusion position.
For some reason, even though the attack seemed similar to Water Spray, Qiao Sang felt that it was extremely dangerous.
Her only thought was that she absolutely couldn’t take the attack head-on!
If that’s the case, the only option left is defense!
Aurora Curtain can only be used during a Hailstorm or Snowfall.
Frostflower Seal is snow!
“Ice Ai!”
Lulu called out, and the surroundings instantly seemed to be unveiled, bursting into a display of infinite, dazzling colors.
The beautiful scene on the field immediately drew gasps of amazement from the audience in the stands, who excitedly took out their mobile phones and opened their cameras.
The conditions for using Aurora Curtain were too stringent for the Supernova Inhabitants with Year-Round Temperate Climate, and nearly 90% of them had never seen this skill used live.
Most had only heard about it.
“Bang!”
With a loud crash, Frost Fighter Duck slammed into Lulu.
Lulu was sent flying backward, and stone debris scattered everywhere.
It hit! Stella’s eyes lit up.
However, the next second, she saw Iceapura slowly rise from the ground, seemingly not seriously injured.
Aurora Curtain! Damn Aurora Curtain! Stella’s face changed, and she almost spat blood.
She understood that if this strike didn’t take Iceapura down, she would lose this match.
Looking at Frost Fighter Duck, it had just completed its attack, and the water hadn’t completely dissipated. Its body was now covered in delicate Ice Blossoms, like a work of art standing in the snow.
(End of Chapter)
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