Chapter 768: How Did the Mark Form?
Chapter 768: How Did the Mark Form? (Combined)
Three terrifying Gigantic Ice Spikes swept down, bringing a bone-chilling wind in their wake.
Lulu moved with incredible agility, leaping several times to dodge the descending Gigantic Ice Spikes.
"Bang, Bang, Bang!!!"
The attacks missed, and the ground exploded under the terrifying Ice Spikes, sending ice shards scattering like rolling stones.
The Straightpath Bear landed with a deafening roar, creating a chaotic whirlwind of air upon impact.
Simultaneously, the Blizzard around it began to spiral upward.
Everything around it suddenly became crystal clear in the Straightpath Bear's eyes.
"Straightpath!"
Upon seeing the blue figure several dozen meters away, it roared and charged forward like a white blur!
Lulu remained calm as the opponent approached.
Despite the opponent's incredible speed, it seemed to move in slow motion to her.
Just as the white blur was about to collide, Lulu exerted all her strength, leaping backward into the Blizzard, instantly vanishing into the white haze.
"Bang!"
A loud explosion, and ice fragments shattered everywhere.
"Straightpath!!!"
The Straightpath Bear let out a agonizing scream, feeling its head smash into something incredibly hard, causing excruciating pain.
The area that had briefly cleared due to the Straightpath Bear's descent was once again engulfed by the Blizzard.
The Straightpath Bear was unaware, but the audience in the stands saw everything clearly.
While the Straightpath Bear was raising the three Gigantic Ice Spikes and leaping into the air, Iceapura had cast the fourth Colossal Ice Spike.
When the Straightpath Bear smashed the Gigantic Ice Spikes downward, Iceapura had moved to the front of the fourth Colossal Ice Spike she had cast.
As the Straightpath Bear landed, the Blizzard, swirling due to the air currents, stopped right in front of the fourth Colossal Ice Spike.
So, it only saw Iceapura and didn't notice the Colossal Ice Spike hidden behind her by the Blizzard.
When the Straightpath Bear charged at Iceapura, she leaped backward, landing on top of the Colossal Ice Spike.
The Straightpath Bear, still at full speed, crashed directly into the Colossal Ice Spike.
Iceapura then took the opportunity to jump down.
The crowd in the stands fell silent for a moment, then erupted into discussions.
"Iceapura's reaction was too fast!"
"To be honest, the timing of her backward leap was perfect. If she had jumped earlier, the Straightpath Bear wouldn't have charged into the unclear area."
"When the Straightpath Bear collided, I felt a headache just watching..."
"Who wouldn't? The Colossal Ice Spike shattered into pieces, and you can imagine the force the Straightpath Bear used..."
"I was a bit excited when I saw the Straightpath Bear raise three Colossal Ice Spikes and leap into the air, thinking it was a counterattack. But it turned out Iceapura was just playing with it..."
"Iceapura dodged the attack! The Straightpath Bear crashed into the Colossal Ice Spike!" The Announcer's voice was filled with excitement as he described the scene.
Without even needing to hear the Announcer or the audience, Vakher knew the Straightpath Bear had suffered a severe injury.
A Beastmaster could always sense the condition of their familiar.
However, the Announcer and the audience's reactions helped him understand how the injury occurred.
For a moment, Vakher's mood turned grave, and he hesitated to let the Straightpath Bear move or attack recklessly.
After all, the Blizzard still obscures most of the view. If Iceapura were to cast a few more Colossal Ice Spikes, the Straightpath Bear, moving blindly, would likely suffer more head injuries.
The most important thing now is to solve the Blizzard problem first...
However, the Blizzard's range is too extensive, and it's a Weather Skill. Even if the Blizzard on the Arena could be briefly dispersed like before, it would quickly return to its original state...
Vakher realized he was thinking too far ahead and quickly refocused his thoughts.
Since the problem can't be fundamentally resolved, they should just wait for the Blizzard to stop.
The Blizzard has been active for some time; it should end soon.
Before the Blizzard stops, they can't just stay in one place... With this thought, Vakher didn't hesitate and shouted loudly:
"Keep jumping!"
If they can't move around the Arena, constant vertical movement would be better than staying still.
"Straightpath!"
The Straightpath Bear, enduring the pain in its head, exerted force with its limbs. A thick white light condensed in its legs.
At the same time, Qiao Sang gave the command: "Above."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the Straightpath Bear leaped up, like a bolt of white light shooting into the sky.
But just as it reached several dozen meters high, a Gigantic Ice Spire, resembling a small mountain, suddenly appeared about five meters above it.
The Blizzard didn't completely block the view. The moment the Gigantic Ice Spire appeared in the air, Vakher vaguely saw its outline.
Damn... Vakher's pupils contracted, and he was about to give an order.
But it was too late. Just 0.05 seconds after he saw the Gigantic Ice Spire, there was a loud "bang", and the Straightpath Bear's head collided heavily with it.
Shards of ice scattered from the sky.
"Straightpath!!!"
The Straightpath Bear let out a blood-curdling scream and plummeted from the air.
"Straightpath Bear's head has collided with the top of a Colossal Ice Spike again!" the Announcer's voice rang out at the right moment.
The audience stands erupted in a buzz of conversation.
"How come Straightpath Bear seems so miserable..."
"I noticed that if Qiao Sang's familiar's Speed doesn't lose, she basically has control of the match."
"That's not necessarily true. She just didn't lose the speed contest today, maybe Vakher is just too weak."
"Vakher is weak? Are you serious?"
"Iceapura has too many Skills, and two of them are Ultra-Rank. It's bound to win."
"But Iceapura hasn't used any Ultra-Rank Skills yet."
"Of course not. With Iceapura's internal energy, if it doesn't cast Frost Haven at the start of the match, it wouldn't have enough energy left to cast this move. As for Healing Light, it hasn't been injured, so why would it use that?"
"Iceapura can attack so smoothly mainly because Straightpath Bear's movement pattern is too predictable."
...
The Straightpath Bear, true to its name, prefers to run in a straight line. Even when it encounters obstacles, it will turn in a straight angle to avoid them. Its explosive power is extraordinary, just as the data suggests... Qiao Sang watched the Straightpath Bear falling from the sky, reflecting inwardly.
It's so easy to damage the Straightpath Bear. Just set up an obstacle in its straight path, and if the obstacle appears suddenly, it can't avoid it.
After all, its movement is always in a straight line...
The Straightpath Bear's head has already suffered two severe impacts. The match is almost over... Qiao Sang calmly said, "Final blow."
"Bang!"
The Straightpath Bear plummeted to the ground, stirring up a chaotic whirl of wind and snow.
This time, the Blizzard didn't quickly obscure the Straightpath Bear's figure again.
The Blizzard was almost over... Vakher took a deep breath, steadying his nerves. He felt it was still too early to give up.
In his view, Iceapura's defensive strength wasn't very high. Although she had the Ultra-Rank skill Healing Light, a direct Ultimate Move could knock her out, rendering Healing Light useless.
The Straightpath Bear had just such an Ultimate Move.
Suddenly, Vakher felt the temperature drop even further.
He realized something and looked up.
The snow that had been easing up was now falling heavily again.
What was different was the lack of wind.
It's the Frostflower Seal, the Frostflower Seal! No wonder Qiao Sang said the final blow, and Iceapura didn't act. She was casting Frostflower Seal... Vakher's face turned pale. Without time to think, he shouted:
"Clone, block!"
"Straightpath..." The Straightpath Bear struggled to its feet, shaking its head.
Before it could fully stand, it heard its Beastmaster's voice.
It endured the pain in its head and began to condense energy.
A clone of the Straightpath Bear appeared beside it.
But before the clone could protect the original,
Two thick Water Jets suddenly struck, hitting the Straightpath Bear and its clone in quick succession.
The clone vanished.
"Straightpath!" The Straightpath Bear looked angrily in the direction of the Water Jets.
Lulu met its gaze with a cold expression.
She didn't launch any further attacks, standing quietly.
"Straightpath!"
The Straightpath Bear's anger grew as it recalled its earlier suffering.
It hadn't noticed its opponent before, but now, seeing the opponent looking down on it like an ant, a surge of rage boiled up inside it.
It tensed its muscles and charged forward in a flash of white light.
But just as the Straightpath Bear leaped and its hind legs left the ground, snowflakes began to land on its body.
One Ice Blossom, two Ice Blossoms, three Ice Blossoms...
In an instant, the Straightpath Bear's entire body was covered in exquisite Ice Blossoms.
"Straightpath Bear has been frozen by Iceapura's Frostflower Seal!" the Announcer's passionate voice echoed across the arena.
The Blizzard stopped at that moment, leaving only the beautiful white snowflakes falling.
Lost... Vakher's heart turned cold.
He knew the Straightpath Bear's strength and condition too well.
If it had been in prime condition, it might have been able to break free from the Frostflower Seal.
But now... Vakher felt utterly hopeless.
At that moment, the Announcer's voice rang out again:
"Is the match about to end here? Will Qiao Sang become the first competitor to advance to the finals with a perfect record?"
A perfect record... Vakher gazed at the calm-faced black-haired girl in the distance, a strong sense of discontent rising in his heart.
The match wasn't over yet!
The Referee hadn't come out!
Why not try one more time!
"Break free!" Vakher roared.
"Ice Ai..." Lulu immediately became alert.
A breeze blew, and the arena fell silent.
"Break free!" Vakher shouted again.
The Straightpath Bear, frozen in the Ice Blossoms, remained motionless.
"Break free!" Vakher yelled at the top of his lungs.
Another breeze blew, and the Mechanical Referee slowly flew from the sidelines to the Straightpath Bear's side.
"Straightpath Bear!!!"
As Vakher roared in anger, the Mechanical Petreferee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the match.
Vakher: "..."
His expression instantly stiffened.
How embarrassing, I shouldn't have shouted that...
"Ice Ai..."
Lulu relaxed.
So that guy couldn't come out...
Yet this human shouted with such confidence...
"Let’s congratulate Qiao Sang, the first competitor to reach the finals with a perfect record in this year’s Beastmaster Star Tournament!" the Announcer exclaimed with enthusiasm.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"
"Iceapura! Iceapura!"
"Ghost Ring King! Ghost Ring King!"
The cameras focused on Iceapura as she walked towards the black-haired girl, capturing the moment.
...
Twenty minutes later.
High above the open-air Beastmaster venue.
Fangy, having returned to his original size, ran through the air, his Wind Glide hair streaming backward but remaining upright at the roots.
"You’ve really improved your seal speed", Birit commented, trying not to look at Flame Kiru’s head.
Qiao Sang, practicing her seals, replied, "I didn’t use seals much before. My familiars were usually outside, so there was a lot of room for improvement."
Birit watched Qiao Sang’s seal movements with a complex expression.
Seals involve just a few gestures, so speeding them up isn’t inherently difficult.
However, Qiao Sang’s opponents were all adults in their thirties.
They had been practicing seals for over a decade, and many were Professional Beastmasters or professional Coordinators.
To reach their level of seal speed in such a short time required more than just hard work; talent was also essential.
I didn’t expect Qiao Sang to have talent in seal speed, in addition to her brain domain and familiar cultivation...
"Do you have any questions about today’s match?" Birit gathered his thoughts and asked.
Qiao Sang thought for a moment and said, "During the second match, how did the audience see what was happening inside the Blizzard?"
She had heard the audience and the Announcer, and it had puzzled her how they knew so much about the situation inside.
"It’s because of Transparency Powder", Birit answered without hesitation. "Transparency Powder is a powder produced by certain plant familiars. When combined with light, it helps to see through illusions. When a familiar with Transparency Powder reaches the Royal Tier, the powder it produces, when used with light, can reveal anything that is obstructed."
"In Supernest, during many large matches, if a competitor uses Skills like Toxic Mist, this powder is used."
Qiao Sang pondered for a moment and then asked, "Since the powder is sprinkled on the field, why did only the audience see clearly? The images I saw didn’t change much."
She’s really eager to learn, and I’m glad I know the answer to this... Birit thought, then patiently explained, "Light is crucial. Only when the light follows the direction in which the Transparency Powder is sprinkled can the objects inside be seen clearly."
He continued, "During the match, the Transparency Powder is sprinkled from the audience stands, and the light is directed along with the powder, so only the audience can see clearly from their direction."
I see... Qiao Sang understood.
"Anything else you want to ask?" Birit asked.
Qiao Sang thought for a moment and then remembered something:
"How do you cast the seals to summon two or more familiars at once?"
(End of Chapter)
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