Chapter 253: Continuous Victories, Bobcat Slays the God

In Heaven's Contest City, the Nine Dragons Pavilion housed the seventh-ranked great island of the western region.

While other participants were tense and bustling, the atmosphere within the Nine Dragons Pavilion was remarkably relaxed. This was because Nine Dragons Island had deployed nine Imperial Crocodiles to guard outside the city. Each was an early-stage Rank 4 beast, possessing a Divine Rank 1 bloodline. With a trace of ancient divine beast blood, the Imperial Crocodiles felt no pressure at all to pass the preliminary round. The sole reason for sending nine was to help other beastmasters secure some slots.

"Come, let's drink." Inside the pavilion, several officials were drinking heartily.

"In this preliminary round," a Rank 5 beastmaster named Kang Jia said, raising his wine cup, "apart from Dragon Spring Island, Heart Rock Island, and Bear Island, which sent Frost-Howl Giant Bears, Spirit Rhinoceros, and Malicious Soul Dragons respectively, none of the other major islands sent out powerful combat beasts."

"This assignment truly is quite relaxed."

"Indeed. Training is usually tough, but this month, we can finally get some rest."

Bringing Imperial Crocodiles to the preliminary round was akin to a vacation. Even though Heaven's Contest Island also had powerful combat beasts like Frost-Howl Giant Bears, Malicious Soul Dragons, and Spirit Rhinoceros, the top ten powers in the west had an unspoken understanding: securing slots in the preliminaries was easy, so there was no need to fight to the death. For instance, Dragon Lion Island, the top-ranked power in the west, didn't even send a single Rank 4 combat beast this time, having already secured enough slots in the spring, summer, and autumn preliminaries.

"Quentin, why aren't you drinking?" Kang Jia looked across the table.

A man in a black robe, with handsome features and deep eyes, sat before the table. A sparkling sapphire bracelet was on his wrist. Among the officials overseeing the Imperial Crocodiles, Quentin was the strongest. He held an exquisite beast soul scepter. Although he was also at the banquet, Quentin was very quiet, sometimes even looking distracted.

"Quentin, you're too serious. Take a break," a colleague beside him advised. "Maintaining a constant soul link with the Imperial Crocodiles also puts a lot of pressure on them."

Quentin opened his eyes. "Someone has to keep an eye on the situation outside. You all drink; I won't disturb your enjoyment." With that, Quentin stood up and left the table to get some fresh air outside.

"Come, let's drink," Kang Jia and the others, accustomed to Quentin's personality, continued to drink heartily.

Heaven's Contest City's wall barrier had only four entrances, each three thousand meters long and one hundred meters high. Nine Imperial Crocodiles lay sprawled outside the city gate, completely blocking the eastern entrance. To enter, one had to submit a flag. With the Imperial Crocodiles guarding the gate, no exotic beasts dared to force their way in.

Zhao Xing controlled his Azure Luan and Tiger Jiao, flying towards the East Gate. At a distance of a thousand meters, they circled and observed.

"Whoosh!" A golden streak of light flew from afar. Two golden eagles attempted to slip in stealthily, relying on their speed. However, the golden flags in their mouths were too conspicuous, and the nine Imperial Crocodiles immediately spotted them.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" The golden eagles glowed brightly, instantly activating their Noble Rank 9 bloodline and unleashing their innate abilities. In an instant, numerous shadows of eagles appeared in the sky!

"Such incredible speed! Golden eagles are naturally fast, and activating their Noble-rank bloodline increases their speed even further, creating so many afterimages."

Inside the pavilion, Zhao Xing watched the golden eagles from three perspectives. In the eyes of the Azure Luan and Tiger Jiao, only a sky full of shadows could be seen.

"Meow!" The mountain cat let out a cry, then its pupils dilated. Its two eyes, one green and one purple, were quite mystical. When the mountain cat sensed Zhao Xing's desire to "see clearly," it actively helped. In its vision, the world appeared purplish-green, with no shadows. The golden eagle's speed also slowed down by dozens of times, and in the purplish-green vision, that golden shimmer was extremely obvious.

"Can Aotian see through the golden eagle's flight path? Can the Imperial Crocodiles?"

"What means do they have to stop it?" Zhao Xing observed. The Imperial Crocodiles were enormous; theoretically, even turning a corner would be difficult for them. Stopping the golden eagles from slipping in would likely not be easy.

However, the moment the golden eagles intruded, two Imperial Crocodiles simultaneously roared skyward. "Roar!" Earth-yellow light emanated from the spikes on the Imperial Crocodiles' backs, spreading in ripples through the air, instantly enveloping the entrance. When the golden eagles rushed in, their speed drastically decreased, as if they had plunged into a quagmire. At this point, even the weaker Tiger Jiao could clearly see the golden eagles' movements, and the eagles' shadows had vanished.

"Earth Domain," Zhao Xing muttered, looking ahead. "Spell domains" is a general term for various domains, usually appearing when high-level spells or martial arts reach the seventh-turn level. The Imperial Crocodiles' domains differed from human spell domains. They didn't gain enlightenment; rather, due to their innate power and their bloodline's resonance with a certain attribute, they could instinctively unleash them.

"Imperial Crocodiles possess the bloodline of the ancient divine beast Taotie. Such combat beasts are called Divine-rank bloodlines."

"Bloodline rank mainly affects the power of innate secret techniques."

"Both possess a Five Elements Domain, but a Noble Rank 9 bloodline and a Divine Rank 1 bloodline might differ in power by tenfold," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

After flying into the Earth Domain, the golden eagles' speed became slower and slower. By the time their master realized something was wrong and tried to make them return, it was too late.

"Chirp, chirp!" The eagle spat out its flag towards the Imperial Crocodile, nodding repeatedly, seemingly begging for mercy.

"Hmph, too late to give it now!" Inside the Nine Dragons Pavilion, Kang Jia snorted coldly and ordered the Imperial Crocodile: "Kill it!"

Following Kang Jia's command, outside the East Gate, an Imperial Crocodile immediately opened its blood-red maw. Its black back spines glowed with red light.

"Boom!" A column of red flames erupted from the Imperial Crocodile's mouth, instantly engulfing the golden eagle.

"Roar!" Distant combat beasts, startled, scattered and ran. Zhao Xing watched this scene, shaking his head. The Rank 5 golden eagle had melted, leaving no trace.

"Ahhh! No!" In a public arena in Heaven's Contest City, a Rank 6 beastmaster suddenly shrieked frantically. He lay on the ground, face contorted in a grimace: "Damn it, damn Nine Dragons Island! That was my golden eagle, cultivated for over a decade!" Unfortunately, he could only rage ineffectually within his private room. Coming to Heaven's Contest City meant accepting that combat beasts could die. Survival of the fittest, natural selection – this was the core principle of the Myriad Beasts Arena.

Witnessing the golden eagle turn to dust, Zhao Xing felt a bit worried. He asked again, "Aotian, can you beat them? These big fish are all together."

The mountain cat was only early-stage Rank 5, while the Imperial Crocodiles were early-stage Rank 4 – a significant rank difference! And there were nine of them! Nine Dragons Island clearly wasn't planning any one-on-one duels. Just now, one Imperial Crocodile unleashed an Earth Domain, and another sprayed a flame laser. Nine Dragons Island's cultivation was clearly exceptional; each Imperial Crocodile had subtle differences, likely following different growth paths.

The mountain cat also seemed conflicted: with so many big fish, which one should it eat first? Sensing the mountain cat's thoughts, Zhao Xing was speechless. He strongly suspected that Aotian Meow, having spent too much time with Long Xiao, had become excessively confident.

Nevertheless, Zhao Xing eventually let the mountain cat test them. "Aotian, just provoke it from the edge, lure one of those big fish out first."

"Yes, use lightning to strike it. Its domain probably extends about 1,500 meters. See, that's Tiger Jiao's position."

Zhao Xing still acted as a beastmaster, estimating the Imperial Crocodile's Earth Domain range based on the strength of the secret technique it had just displayed. He could roughly determine that the Imperial Crocodile's Earth Domain was only about 1,500 meters. As long as they stayed 1,500 meters away, they would be outside the domain.

Zhao Xing rambled on and on.

"Old Wu," Aotian Meow suddenly called out. It was getting a bit impatient. Was it going to be allowed to eat the fish or not?

"Alright, go try it. Remember to run if you can't get it!"

"Meow!" Aotian nodded, then darted off the Azure Luan's back.

As the mountain cat dashed out, inside the Nine Dragons Pavilion, Beastmaster Kang Jia's wine cup suddenly paused mid-air.

"Hmm? A cat?" He closed his eyes to sense, and then he detected a small dot in the sky, gracefully descending with cat-like steps.

"A mountain cat?" Kang Jia was momentarily stunned.

"Brother Kang, what's wrong?" a nearby person asked.

"The Imperial Crocodile reported an anomaly to me: it sensed a mountain cat, early-stage Rank 5."

"Oh?" The others immediately closed their eyes, linked with their own combat beasts, and checked, discovering it was indeed true.

"Who's so extravagant that they raised a mountain cat to Rank 5?" What kind of breed was a mountain cat? It didn't even count as a Peerless-rank bloodline. Normally, if a mountain cat could reach a rank upon adulthood, that was already impressive. Reaching Rank 8 was quite difficult. How many resources would it take to raise it to Rank 5? The resources used to raise that mountain cat to Rank 5 could probably have raised other Divine-bloodline combat beasts to Rank 4! What else could this be but squandering wealth?

"Perhaps it's some noble young master's pet," someone said. "I'll ask around to see whose it is."

"Interesting," Kang Jia also found it novel. The beast-taming circle on the Purple Cloud Archipelago was small. At their level, a simple inquiry would reveal if it was a local beast.

Initially, the few of them didn't take it seriously. After all, the mountain cat was only Rank 5, and its owner was probably inexperienced. Since it didn't have a flag, the Imperial Crocodiles wouldn't stop it from entering.

But suddenly— CLANG! Kang Jia's wine cup dropped to the floor, and he stood up, his face filled with shock.

"What's wrong, Brother Kang?"

"That mountain cat actually ambushed my Imperial Crocodile!"

"Something's wrong! My Imperial Crocodile is injured!"

"What?!"

Outside the East Gate, Aotian, with a cat-like stride, descended step by step from the sky. When it entered the 1,500-meter range, the Imperial Crocodile looked up at the mountain cat. But seeing that the other party didn't carry a flag, it ignored it. The mountain cat walked within the 1,000-meter range, and the Imperial Crocodile still feigned ignorance. This was because the mountain cat's movements were too deceptive. Normal combat beasts, after extensive training, carried a scent of bloodlust and killing intent. But the mountain cat... despite being Rank 5, had none of that feeling. It was as if some young master's pet had run off unmanaged and suddenly appeared on a battlefield. Its innocent and adorable appearance made Kang Jia dismiss it completely. The Imperial Crocodile also paid it no mind, thinking the mountain cat merely wanted to enter the city.

But suddenly— "Whoosh!" Aotian Meow's body vanished when it was two hundred meters from the Imperial Crocodile, appearing instantly like a flash of lightning at the Imperial Crocodile's right flank.

"Rip!" Claws imbued with lightning violently crisscrossed. Thunder-Rending Claw!

"Pfft!" A ten-meter-long cross-shaped wound instantly appeared on the Imperial Crocodile's left flank.

Imperial Crocodile: ??? *What kind of cat is this? How does it even know how to ambush?!*

The mountain cat, meanwhile, snatched a piece of meat from the Imperial Crocodile and darted away. At this moment, the mountain cat was like a combination of Old Master Zhao and Long Xiao. Long Xiao had taught it how to maximize damage, even opening wounds in a cross-shape so that a piece of meat could be torn off easily and to prevent the enemy from recovering quickly. Old Master Zhao's teaching by example had taught the mountain cat how to be a "sneaky trickster." If you can ambush, don't engage in a direct confrontation!

Caught off guard, the Rank 4 Imperial Crocodile suffered severe abdominal injuries. After a thick piece of flesh was torn off, the wound bled profusely, and a force of lightning prevented it from healing.

"Roar!" The Imperial Crocodile roared in fury.

Kang Jia was also enraged; his Imperial Crocodile was actually injured, and by a seemingly harmless little creature at that. "Kill it!" Kang Jia ordered in exasperation.

"Buzz!" Earth-yellow light emanated from its back, and the Earth Domain expanded once more.

However, the mountain cat's speed was also extremely fast. It had achieved the Pure Elemental realm using the powers of wind and lightning. Cats are naturally fast, and being able to control the elemental power of wind made the mountain cat's speed fifty percent faster than even the golden eagle's! When the pained Imperial Crocodile unleashed its Earth Domain, the mountain cat had already appeared 1,500 meters away, returning to the Azure Luan's back.

At this moment, Zhao Xing's eyes lit up. "Aotian Meow's strength exceeds my imagination." All this time, Zhao Xing had regarded the mountain cat as a pet, not a combat beast. Whether it was Upside-Down Peak or the Sea of Eternal Night, the mountain cat never had a chance to shine. The team composition at that time—Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, Xia Jing, Zhao Xing with his Myriad Arts straw men, and the sorceress Ji Ziyun... where would a mountain cat be needed for charging into battle? Later, when Liu Tianning arrived in person, the mountain cat had even less opportunity to perform. It had simply followed Old Master Zhao around, eating and eating. Now that the mountain cat had a chance to perform, it greatly surprised Zhao Xing. This fierce technique and cunning...

"It truly didn't waste all that spiritual essence," Zhao Xing couldn't help but chuckle.

Outside the city, the Azure Luan and Tiger Jiao were both trembling. This was because the mountain cat brought back a piece of meat and asked if they wanted to eat it. The Imperial Crocodile's flesh carried the power of an ancient divine beast; just smelling it made them scared. How could they dare to eat it?

"Aotian, stop eating! An Imperial Crocodile is chasing you!" Zhao Xing, observing through the Azure Luan's perspective, immediately warned the mountain cat.

"Meow?" The mountain cat looked at the approaching big fish and couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. *This cat has eaten so many fish, but none have been this jumpy!*

"Grrr!" The mountain cat let out a low growl, then leaped off the Azure Luan's back again, heading straight for the Imperial Crocodile. With its low growl, a purple bolt of lightning instantly shot from the mountain cat's left eye, striking the Imperial Crocodile's head.

"Boom!" The lightning descended upon the Imperial Crocodile's head without any obstruction.

"Hmm? It can shoot lightning from its eye? Looks like it's quite powerful," Zhao Xing observed through the Azure Luan's perspective. Lightning was hard to dodge, especially for an Imperial Crocodile of such massive size; dodging it was extremely difficult.

"Roar!" After the lightning strike, the Imperial Crocodile let out a roar. Scorched marks appeared on its head. The Imperial Crocodile's head had no scales, but its bones were very hard; this was merely a superficial injury. However, being able to breach its defense greatly surprised both the Imperial Crocodile and Kang Jia. Because the Earth Domain was active, significantly boosting the Imperial Crocodile's defense, yet the lightning still penetrated the domain and caused damage to the Imperial Crocodile. Just how powerful was this cat's lightning magic?

"Dingchen, Hanguang, go together!" Kang Jia gritted his teeth. "Kill that damn cat!" It was too humiliating! In front of everyone, an Imperial Crocodile from Nine Dragons Island was actually injured by a cat!

"Don't kill it, capture it." At this moment, Quentin walked in. "This mountain cat is very unusual. If we capture it and bring it back, we might have a chance to forcibly break its soul link."

"Capturing it and turning it into our slave beast is better than killing it directly."

"Alright." The others also recognized the mountain cat's extraordinary nature.

"Damn it, that's not martial virtue! The mountain cat is only early-stage Rank 5, dare to fight one-on-one!" Zhao Xing grumbled inside the Kaiyang Pavilion. Dong Yuanqiu and Cao Jiang, who were guarding him, exchanged bewildered glances. They didn't know what was wrong with Lord Zhao.

Meanwhile, from Zhao Xing's perspective, all nine Imperial Crocodiles were on the move! Nine early-stage Rank 4 Imperial Crocodiles hunting an early-stage Rank 5 mountain cat! Old Master Zhao was naturally furious.

"Meow," the mountain cat's cry appeared in Zhao Xing's mind.

"What do you mean? You want the Azure Luan and Tiger Jiao to run first, and you're staying behind?"

"Aotian, don't be reckless! If you die, Long Xiao will kill me... Hey, don't go!"

In the Kaiyang Pavilion, Zhao Xing abruptly stood up. Because the mountain cat's stubborn streak had flared up, it directly zapped the Azure Luan and Tiger Jiao with a lightning bolt, forcing them to flee. Then, it charged towards the nine Imperial Crocodiles instead.

"Damn it, you haven't learned anything about my ability to assess the situation! Long Xiao has really led you astray! You want to be a Sword Immortal, do you?!" Zhao Xing grumbled as he stormed out.

"My Lord, what's wrong?" Tao Anchun asked.

"My cat is fighting the Imperial Crocodiles. You all guard here; I'm going to the city wall."

There was no other way; Zhao Xing had to go personally. If something went wrong, even if it violated the rules, he would go and save the mountain cat.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Inside the Cloud and Rain Pavilion ship docked in the Kaiyang Pavilion, numerous Myriad Arts Avatars flew out, armed with weapons. Ji An, who was taming beasts in the adjacent courtyard, heard the commotion and couldn't help but look over. His eyes almost popped out in shock!

"Rank 6 Net Cannon, Rank 6 Sky Origin Bow... What the heck, is that a top-grade Rank 6 God-Slaying Ballista they're carrying?" Ji An was dumbfounded. These were all heavy military armaments! *Brother, where did you get all this stuff?* Ji An felt as if he had been rescued by a "terrorist" who then invited him home as a guest. He was both surprised and scared. He knew Zhao Xing was Marquis Yuanrang, but Marquis Yuanrang was only a third-rank marquis; he shouldn't be able to possess such heavy military equipment unless he was a Martial Marquis, right? Theoretically, Zhao Xing indeed had no right to carry these items. However, King Rahu, to ensure his safety, had specially authorized him to carry them. At that time, with four million military merits, King Liang had forced him to exchange them for Rank 4 honors, a two-rank promotion, and his honorary official title was revoked. Of course, King Rahu had to compensate Zhao Xing and ensure his safety. With these items, in non-combat zones and used with his avatars, it would be difficult for even ordinary Rank 4 or 5 experts to kill him.

"Lord Ji, no need to panic," Tao Anchun rushed out to explain. "My lord is just going to look at his cat from the city wall."

"Oh, I see," Ji An smiled awkwardly.

The huge commotion outside the East Gate naturally couldn't be hidden from the people within the city, and the news spread rapidly.

"Did you hear? All of Nine Dragons Island's Rank 4 Imperial Crocodiles have been deployed!"

"Ah? Did they get into a fight with Bear Island's giant bears?"

"No, it seems they're hunting a mountain cat."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

"It's true! Someone on the city wall took a picture! See for yourself!"

"What? It really is! Come on, let's go check it out!"

The news that nine Rank 4 Imperial Crocodiles were hunting a single mountain cat immediately caused a sensation. It was truly too intriguing. What kind of cat could warrant such a large-scale deployment from Nine Dragons Island?

Inside the Bear Pavilion, a burly, bearded man was controlling his early-stage Rank 4 combat beast, a Frost-Howl Giant Bear. This was Badalo, the leader of Bear Island's team for this event, a hybrid of the aquatic and human races. At this moment, Badalo, sensing the Imperial Crocodiles' activity, couldn't help but strengthen his connection with the giant bear. Because Bear Island and Nine Dragons Island were old rivals, and they had only brought three Frost-Howl Giant Bears this time, he feared the other side might launch a sneak attack.

"It doesn't seem to be aimed at us," Badalo said, having his axe-wielding Frost-Howl Giant Bear fly into the sky. "Could it be that they're fighting Dragon Spring Island's Spirit Rhinoceros?"

Inside the Dragon Spring Pavilion, a voluptuous woman dressed in animal hide also walked out. Yu Ji closed her eyes on the grass, connecting with her combat beast, the Spirit Rhinoceros, outside the city. "All nine Imperial Crocodiles have been deployed, but I can't see who they're fighting." Yu Ji's face was full of confusion. "What is Quentin from Nine Dragons Pavilion up to?" She took out her ground mirror and sent a message to Ao Feng, the leader of Heart Rock Island. Because Heart Rock Island's Malicious Soul Dragon had been flying in the sky the whole time, and that section of the city wall was closer to the Imperial Crocodiles.

Soon, Ao Feng replied: "The Imperial Crocodiles are hunting a Rank 5 mountain cat, and one Imperial Crocodile has even been severely wounded!"

"What?!" Yu Ji was shocked. What on earth was happening?

"Someone!"

"At your service."

"Immediately send someone to check the East City Wall!"

"Yes."

"Roar!" The nine Imperial Crocodiles roared in unison.

The forest outside the East City was a chaotic mess, with numerous trees snapped and uprooted. The ground was dented, leaving many dense and enormous footprints. One of the fire-attributed Imperial Crocodiles opened its gaping maw and exhaled a burst of fiery breath. It shot straight towards a black silhouette in mid-air! Imperial Crocodiles possessed divine beast bloodlines; if this breath hit, even a Rank 6 divine weapon would be melted!

"Boom!" The fiery breath surged into the sky, dyeing even the clouds red. But the shadow in the sky still remained.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!" Aotian Meow swiped its claws. The purplish-green mystic runes on its claws glowed, detaching from its body and transforming into two mystic rune rings that appeared on this fire-attributed Imperial Crocodile. The rings quickly expanded. Once the thousand-meter-long Imperial Crocodile was ensnared, the rings rapidly contracted.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss!" Sparks flew as the Imperial Crocodile's scales rubbed against the rings, and wisps of green smoke rose.

"ROAR!!!" The Imperial Crocodile struggled in pain. A beastmaster next to Kang Jia immediately clutched his head and crouched down.

"Dingchen, sever the soul link and let the Imperial Crocodile act freely," Quentin ordered immediately. The phantom image of a cat was reflected in his eyes.

"This mountain cat achieved the Pure Elemental realm with wind and lightning power. It has more than one secret technique at advanced mastery."

"There's no reason! Why are the mountain cat's innate abilities so strong?" Kang Jia found it unbelievable. In their recent clash, the mountain cat had severely wounded another Imperial Crocodile. If previously it was due to being unprepared, now there was no excuse. Because the mountain cat attacked while facing the Nine Imperial Crocodiles' Five Elements Domain!

"Who knows how many treasures this mountain cat has consumed," Quentin said with a complex expression. "It can no longer be considered an ordinary mountain cat. Its talent amplification is even stronger than a Divine Rank 6 bloodline ability!"

The beastmasters present were speechless. The mountain cat's performance completely shattered their understanding. How many treasures would it take to achieve such an effect? Not only was its talent strong, but the number and power of its secret techniques far exceeded their comprehension.

"My Imperial Crocodile can't hold on!" cried the beastmaster who had just crouched down, clutching his head, in agony.

"How could this happen?!"

"At least let it die knowing why!"

"It shattered the Imperial Crocodile's Earth-element protective runes with one kick!"

"Not one kick, it kicked nine times!"

"What kind of secret technique is that?"

"Ninefold Wind Step."

"How is that possible? Can a mountain cat's secret technique reach that power? You must be mistaken!"

"Are you questioning my judgment?"

"Silence!" Quentin roared. "Stop arguing and focus!"

Quentin waved his hands, and the beast spirit staff emitted bursts of light. At the same time, outside the East City, the largest Imperial Crocodile's scales suddenly turned crystalline. In an instant, it became transparent, like a crystal Imperial Crocodile.

"Buzz!" The remaining seven Imperial Crocodiles also successively entered their second form. Only the Imperial Crocodile trapped by the mountain cat's innate secret technique couldn't transform. Having suffered from the mountain cat's two advanced secret techniques, Wind-Thunder Lock and Ninefold Wind Step, it was already on the verge of death.

Taking advantage of the other Imperial Crocodiles' transformations, the mountain cat descended again, landing on the heavily wounded Imperial Crocodile. Thunder-Rending Claw!

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!" The mountain cat's figure appeared at the Imperial Crocodile's abdomen, where the ring had suspended it.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft!" Fast, incredibly fast, and extremely agile, the Thunder-Rending Claw was as if dozens of mountain cats were simultaneously unleashing advanced secret techniques on the Imperial Crocodile. In an instant, the abdomen of this early-stage Rank 4 Imperial Crocodile was utterly shredded.

"Hrk... hrk..." The Imperial Crocodile fell to the ground, twitching, its life force rapidly diminishing as it fell silent. Its internal organs were pulverized; even gods couldn't save it. Of the nine Imperial Crocodiles, only eight remained!

"An Imperial Crocodile died."

On the city wall, Tong Wanyang quietly watched the scene below. Upon receiving the news, he had immediately come to the East City Wall. As the leader of the west, Dragon Lion Island had not sent out any Rank 4 combat beasts with divine beast bloodlines this time. But Tong Wanyang came in person because he discovered that this mountain cat was none other than the pet of Zhao Xing, the Director of the Twin Dragon Horse Supervisory Office.

"This is truly incredible," Yu Pengcheng stood beside him, exclaiming. "This mountain cat definitely isn't more than five years old."

"To be cultivated to this extent in less than five years, other foods would be useless. It must have been fed with Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Essence," Tong Wanyang surmised. "Marquis Yuanrang Zhao Xing rose in the Ten Yang Cavern Heaven. He benefited significantly from the Ten Yang Cavern Heaven incident the year before last; even a cat with him made it to Rank 5." Normal cultivation methods wouldn't use Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Essence as a regular resource. People didn't even have enough to eat, so why would the spiritual essence of the spiritual mountains be given to exotic beasts? Furthermore, Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Essence had the greatest effect when consumed by humans. Exotic beasts consuming double portions might only receive half, or even thirty percent, of the effect. But if the quantity was sufficient, consuming vast amounts of Origin Method Spiritual Essence could elevate even a pig to Rank 5. Only then could innate secret techniques be significantly enhanced.

"An event like the Ten Yang Cavern Heaven cannot be replicated," Yu Pengcheng shook his head. "We simply cannot cultivate in this manner." The mountain cat had also entered the Heavenly Gate and bathed in the Spiritual Essence Hot Spring; even the Jade Water Dao Academy couldn't replicate such a cultivation method.

"This mountain cat will become a formidable opponent for us," Tong Wanyang said. "Look, eight Imperial Crocodiles have transformed, the mountain cat has also transformed, and they still can't do anything to it."

"Too cumbersome," Yu Pengcheng commented. "The crystal transformation still strengthens the Imperial Crocodiles' defense, but there's no way to improve their speed. Their Crystal Five Elements Domain cannot completely trap the mountain cat."

"Its speed is affected, but it's still faster than the Imperial Crocodiles."

"However, it will be difficult for the mountain cat to kill another Imperial Crocodile."

"You and I can see this, and Quentin can too," Tong Wanyang said. "I wonder why Zhao Xing isn't making the mountain cat retreat. What exactly does he intend to do?"

"It's hard to guess. If it doesn't retreat soon, other combat beasts might come to assist."

Tong Wanyang and Yu Pengcheng had no idea that Zhao Xing was currently unable to make the mountain cat retreat. He could indeed use the soul link to forcibly interfere with the mountain cat's actions, causing it pain and eventually forcing it to comply with his commands. But with the mountain cat being hunted now, doing so would be tantamount to sending it to its death.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Zhao Xing's main body and his Myriad Arts Avatars finally arrived on the city wall. However, once on the wall, Zhao Xing discovered that the mountain cat had already taken down an Imperial Crocodile.

"Aotian is that fierce?" Zhao Xing himself was somewhat surprised. Enduring the siege of nine Imperial Crocodiles, it had actually killed one. Truly a sword cultivator among cats.

Seeing this, Zhao Xing was no longer in a hurry. He simply watched quietly. But his appearance drew curious gazes from those around him. Seeing Zhao Xing's stance, they were instantly astonished. Because Old Master Zhao had set up a God-Slaying Ballista on the wall, and his numerous avatars were all carrying large-scale destructive divine weapons.

"Myriad Arts Avatars? Is this the straw man technique of the Innate Self Sect?"

"Who is this person, to be able to cultivate Myriad Arts Avatars?"

"Hiss, how can he carry so many heavy military weapons? Isn't he afraid of being arrested by Heaven's Contest City's Patrol Office? Could he be a Martial Marquis?"

"How could he be a Martial Marquis? He's wearing Rank 6 official robes. Have you ever seen a Rank 6 Martial Marquis?"

"Hmm? Myriad Arts Avatars, Myriad Arts Avatars... What's this person's connection to Liu Wanfa?"

Many people on the city wall were discussing. Zhao Xing paid no attention to their chatter; instead, he contacted the mountain cat.

"Aotian, come back to the city wall."

"Meow!" The mountain cat refused. If it went back now, what about that big fish? It couldn't bring it back!

Zhao Xing felt helpless, because he noticed more and more combat beasts approaching. If Nine Dragons Island brought in helpers, the situation would be different. The mountain cat had an advantage against the Imperial Crocodiles; it could fight if it wanted, or run if it wanted. But if Malicious Soul Dragons or Spirit Rhinoceroses came over and tried to catch the mountain cat, then it would be dangerous. The Twin Dragon Horse Supervisory Office was obscure and had no helpers. Now that the mountain cat had displayed its extraordinary abilities, anyone could guess that people were targeting it.

"Come back, and I'll catch you a big fish to eat, even bigger than this one!" Zhao Xing coaxed.

"Meow!" *It won't be one of those shelled fish again, will it? This cat doesn't eat those!*

Zhao Xing felt a little melancholic; it was hard to trick a child once it grew up. He also blamed himself for feeding the mountain cat too much turtle meat before, which had given it a psychological shadow regarding such fish.

"Absolutely not that kind! Just listen to me and come back first."

After much persuasion, the mountain cat finally agreed to return. By this time, the Azure Luan and Tiger Jiao had already taken the opportunity to slip into the East Gate with their flags. Before leaving, the mountain cat even dug out a large piece of meat from the dead Imperial Crocodile.

"Swish!" The mountain cat, crackling with lightning, swiped its claws all the way, forcibly tearing through the Crystal Five Elements Domain.

"Roar!" The eight Imperial Crocodiles roared incessantly. Quentin and Kang Jia were also utterly helpless. The Imperial Crocodiles here had only recently grown to Rank 4 and activated their bloodlines not long ago. They could only watch as the mountain cat weaved and darted, escaping from the Crystal Five Elements Domain.

"Whoosh!" The mountain cat, leaving a trail of sparks and lightning, appeared on the city wall, clutching a piece of Imperial Crocodile meat in its mouth.

"Phew!" Zhao Xing finally let out a sigh of relief. But in an instant, he became furious, jumping up and giving the mountain cat a flick on the head. "Alright, you've gotten quite skilled, haven't you! You're not even listening to me anymore, you rebellious child!"

"Meow, meow, meow," the mountain cat whined piteously.

The mountain cat's battle against the nine Imperial Crocodiles, where it killed one and then escaped leisurely, immediately became trending news in Heaven's Contest City! It caused a sensation.

"Are you crazy? A mountain cat killed an Imperial Crocodile? And a Rank 5 fighting a Rank 4?"

"What? And it was nine Imperial Crocodiles hunting it?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"Nine against one, Rank 4 against Rank 5, and one killed by a mountain cat? Do Nine Dragons Island's beastmasters even know how to play?!"

"Nine Dragons Island has truly fallen."

"If a mountain cat can beat an Imperial Crocodile, my Shadow Leopard can too!"

"This is an eye-opener! To see a mountain cat slaying a divine beast in my lifetime, what else is impossible in this world?"

"Once this spreads through the beast-taming world, Nine Dragons Island will be a laughingstock for a hundred years."

"Zhao Xing of the Twin Dragon Horse Supervisory Office? Never heard of him, but his mountain cat is truly impressive."

Countless people were discussing the valiant mountain cat. As the "background" for this event, Quentin and Kang Jia of Nine Dragons Island were practically fuming. Many people sent private messages via ground mirrors, asking if the news was true. There were teasing remarks and outright mockery.

"What do you mean his Shadow Leopard can do it too? Bastards, if you've got the guts, come duel me!" Kang Jia slammed his ground mirror repeatedly on the table.

"Sigh, I guess I'm famous now," another beastmaster said dejectedly. He was famous, but not for the kind of fame he expected. His Imperial Crocodile had fallen in the preliminary round, killed by a mountain cat, no less. It was clear his beast-taming career was over. When he returned to Nine Dragons Island, there would likely be no path for him other than to resign in disgrace.

Inside the City Lord's Mansion, Wang Xuanyi was watching the combat footage recorded by the Mirage Pearl. Yu Hong, the Rank 4 prefect, had just told him about this incident. Initially, Wang Xuanyi was somewhat skeptical, but after watching, he realized it was actually true.

"My Lord, to raise a mountain cat to this extent, Zhao Xing is truly a talent," Yu Hong explained beside him. "Crystal transformation, combining into a Crystal Five Elements Domain—there are Imperial Crocodiles of metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, and lightning, seven attributes in total, and two more that focus purely on cultivating physical strength."

"Yet, they couldn't do anything to a single mountain cat."

Wang Xuanyi set the Mirage Pearl aside and nodded. "His mountain cat must be a spiritual essence variant, having consumed too much Heaven-and-Earth Spiritual Essence."

"This time, the mountain cat displayed four secret techniques, all at the advanced mastery level."

"Aside from Origin Method Spiritual Essence, very few other treasures could achieve this effect."

"My Lord, what is the background of Marquis Yuanrang Zhao Xing?" Yu Hong asked. "When my Patrol Office went to inquire about him carrying heavy armaments, he actually produced a King's Edict, specially authorized by King Rahu to carry such destructive weapons."

Wang Xuanyi said, "He has some connection to King Rahu; he is Liu Wanfa's direct disciple."

"However, he has also offended King Liang's faction. The intricacies of this matter are hard to explain to you. Since I recommended you, I advise you not to inquire about these things."

"Yes," Yu Hong obediently nodded.

In the Military World, within the Hundred Weapons Pagoda, King Xin and King Anning, somewhat weary, arrived at the ground mirror observation room. As the intensity of the war increased, various affairs multiplied. As two of the thirty-three feudal kings of the Military World, King Xin and King Anning were quite overwhelmed.

"Hmm? Rahu, what are you watching?" Upon entering, King Anning saw many ground mirror screens all focused on a sea area.

"Is this Heaven's Contest Island in the East Sea?" King Xin, Liu Yong, glanced and quickly identified the region on the screen.

"Indeed," King Rahu nodded. "The Myriad Beasts Arena preliminaries have begun in the East Sea. Just taking a casual look."

"A casual look?" King Anning wondered. "How do you even have time to pay attention to affairs in the East Sea?"

King Rahu smiled slightly. "I don't have as many matters as you do. If there are things to be done, my subordinates have already completed them."

"The Supervisory Office is supposed to be the busiest, but you, on the other hand, have time to watch matches," King Anning said with a hint of envy. "Liu Tianning is truly effective."

"Why don't you, King Rahu, let him take on a concurrent position in my Imperial Hunt Office?"

"Liu Tianning is already concurrently serving as Transporter for two prefectures. If he also goes to your Imperial Hunt Office to gather intelligence, isn't his Rank 4 authority a bit too extensive?" King Xin remarked.

"He's already concurrently served as Transporter for two prefectures, are you still afraid of him also serving as an Imperial Hunt official?" King Anning chuckled. "Rahu, how about it? Lend him to me for a while. Searching for people in the territory of the Fiery Light Royal Court is quite troublesome. Those sand worms are truly annoying." The Barbok Worms were skilled at burrowing, and most of the Fiery Light Royal Court's army operated underground. During the training phase, the most challenging intelligence to acquire was military intelligence from the Fiery Light Royal Court.

"Even losing one of Liu Tianning's Myriad Arts Avatars requires quite a few treasures to replenish," King Rahu said.

"My Imperial Hunt Office will cover the cost."

"He alone is worth three hundred people. If I make him work for you as well, outsiders will inevitably say I'm treating my subordinates harshly."

"You, Rahu, are afraid of that?"

"If Liu Tianning goes to your Imperial Hunt Office, he might be subjected to..."

"I'll add more money," King Anning said impatiently. "I'll raise his salary, request honorary ranks for him, and after he's done, I'll give him three Rank 7 treasures."

King Rahu smiled. "Deal."

King Xin chuckled, "Hahaha, if you'd said that earlier, Rahu would have agreed."

"It's really not easy to borrow someone from Rahu," King Anning commented.

"By the way, I remember his disciple Zhao Xing was sent to the East Sea. Has it been two years now?"

"Less than two years," King Rahu said. "He's currently participating in the Myriad Beasts Arena preliminaries."

"Oh?" King Anning checked the ground mirror. "Director of the Twin Dragon Horse Supervisory Office, has received an excellent performance review for one year..."

King Xin said, "Twin Islands has a poor foundation. If he maintains an excellent rating for five consecutive years and can lead Twin Islands to qualify from the Purple Cloud Archipelago group stage to participate in the East Sea knockout rounds, he can be promoted to subsidiary Rank 5."

"If he qualifies from the East Sea to participate in the Four Seas Peak Tournament