’Unbelievable. I usually respected these research types, but I never expected them to try and poach someone right out of my summer camp.’
’Sure, poaching from other alliances’ summer camps was a yearly tradition, but Su Zhi was absolutely off-limits!’
’If Su Zhi gets poached, doesn’t that mean I wore women’s clothes for nothing!?’
"Notify squads 1 through 10 to mobilize at once! Target: the Divine Strategy Alliance’s Battle Hall!"
"Yes, sir! By the way, your clothes...?"
"Forget about them for now!"
"But the Central Imperial Alliance meeting is about to start..."
"To hell with the meeting!"
After spitting out those words, Chopper didn’t even bother with the door. He yanked open the window, summoned his Pet Beast, and flew off into the boundless night.
"What’s Old Qiao up to? Come on, keep me compa—huh?" Shang Duantie, who had dropped by for a visit, saw Chopper flying away, a small question mark practically appearing over his head.
"Hey, buddy, what’s going on?"
The Alliance Member replied while closing the window, "The Divine Strategy Alliance is trying to snatch a camper named Su Zhi. The Alliance Leader got mad and is going over there himse—"
"Su Zhi?!"
Before the Alliance Member could finish his sentence, Shang Duantie’s eyes flew open. He wasn’t having any of it.
"Su Zhi is obviously meant for advanced training at the Cui Feng Alliance! To hell with the Divine Strategy Alliance and the Flying Shadow Alliance! Old Qiao, you really think Su Zhi is your personal property, don’t you!"
CRACK! Shang Duantie simply body-slammed through the window, shattering it as he leaped from the office.
"Since you’re all being so blatant about it, I’m dropping the act!"
Shang Duantie’s coarse, grating voice echoed through the night sky.
The Alliance Member stared at the floor, which was now covered in shards of glass. His heart ached.
Just as he was about to start cleaning, an old man in an orange-yellow Beastmaster robe appeared in the room with a SWISH.
"Alliance Leader J-Jing? When did you...?"
"I have been lurking here in secret for some time. I originally wanted to see if Xiaoqiao was seriously reflecting on his actions, but I unintentionally overheard this absurd matter."
Jing Shouxi stroked his white beard, picked up Chopper’s miniskirt to examine it for a moment, then viciously threw it back onto the seat.
"How outrageous! Kicking up such a fuss over a devil-may-care, rebellious brat—what about decorum? I will go and restore order and discipline!"
And so, Jing Shouxi also leaped out the window, disappearing into the night.
CLATTER. The broom in the Alliance Member’s hand fell to the floor, his mind buzzing.
In less than a minute, three separate Alliance Leaders had lost their cool over this camper named Su Zhi.
He couldn’t comprehend it, but he was thoroughly shaken.
’But... Alliance Leader Jing has a Space Element Pet Beast. Why did he also jump out the window...?’
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「Divine Strategy Alliance Battle Hall.」
SWOOSH! The Extreme Ice Phoenix skimmed low across the ground, and everywhere its wings passed, the world was sealed in a frost like eternal silence.
The Extreme Ice Phoenix’s Racial Skill, an Ice-Element, Low Level Commander Skill: Cold Mist Punishment.
The Ice Element is associated with cold and death, making it a natural counter to the Wood Element!
However, such a sharp offensive posed no trouble for Alpha. Whenever the dreadful low temperatures struck, Alpha’s body would bizarrely heat up—no more, no less, just enough to counteract the cold.
Xue Mei gave a soft snort and ascended again, looking for an opening. Seeing the mockery in Alpha’s eyes, a trace of impatience flickered in its own ice-blue pupils.
Of course, she understood the importance of sticking to the battle plan, but it was impossible for her not to be emotionally affected.
’A noble Extreme Ice Phoenix, unable to take down a little grass snake? How humiliating!’
"HISS!"
At the height of the stalemate, Alpha suddenly shot forward, lunging at Xue Mei.
Xue Mei was overjoyed and deftly rolled aside to dodge. At the same time, taking advantage of Alpha’s forward momentum, it shot out its talons and seized Alpha by its vital point.
Unleash the cold!!!
Starting from its vital point, over a meter of Alpha’s body was frozen stiff by the extreme cold!
However, before it could savor the joy of victory, Xue Mei felt a chill from behind.
Before its astonished eyes, the tip of Alpha’s tail peeled back, revealing a grotesque, skinless snake head made of raw flesh and blood!
"CHOMP!"
The secondary snake head shot out with unavoidable speed and bit down hard on one of Xue Mei’s wings.
The ice-blue Phoenix let out a pained cry, unable to maintain flight, and came crashing down from the sky.
WHOOSH... Alpha quickly coiled around Xue Mei, its grip only tightening the more the Phoenix struggled.
Soon, Xue Mei’s struggles grew faint.
At the same moment, Alpha also stopped tightening its coils.
"I don’t think there’s any need to continue, do you? Vice Alliance Reserve?"
Luo Sen spread his hands. "I specifically switched Alpha to Toxin 023. If I’d used the original Toxin 070, your Pet Beast would have already melted into a puddle of goo."
Selena didn’t answer. She trotted over to Xue Mei’s side and knelt to smooth its feathers.
Xue Mei let out an indignant chirp and retreated into its Beast Taming Space.
The outcome was decided.
No matter how formidable Selena was, she ultimately only had the power of someone at the Vice Alliance Leader Level.
And no matter how unversed in combat Luo Sen was, he was, after all, an Alliance Leader.
Seeing the Cold and Refined Beauty fall silent, Luo Sen grinned, turned his back, and said, "Well then, I’ll be taking Su Zhi. Thanks for the gift~"
"Not so fast!"
A resonant voice suddenly rang out from outside the Battle Hall.
Following the voice, a powerful gust of wind rushed in through the entrance, nearly blowing Yu Bao out of Su Zhi’s arms.
Luo Sen turned to look and saw a giant, nearly ten-meter-tall Dark Gold bird standing in the doorway—
[Pet Beast: Jinyu (Dark Gold Saber Eagle)
Attribute: Electric Element, Gold Element
Race: Low Level Monarch
Real-time Energy Value: 26,211]
The dedicated Beast Tamer device let out a rapid warning sound, and Su Zhi’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
The Pet Beast of the Flying Shadow Alliance’s Leader, Jinyu—a true Four-star Pet Beast!
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH—
Immediately after, dozens of Golden Saber Eagles and Thunderbolt War Falcons stormed the Battle Hall, instantly locking down the perimeter. They were all elite squads from the Flying Shadow Alliance.
"WHOOSH—" Jinyu folded its giant wings.
Chopper leaped down from Jinyu’s back, blue energy light spilling from his eyes. The pressure he exuded was immense.
"Alliance Leader Qiao?"
Luo Sen’s expression didn’t change, and he kept his smile. "And what wind blew you here?"
"Then I’ll get straight to the point. Su Zhi is a member of the Flying Shadow Alliance summer camp, and I don’t approve of you taking him!"
Chopper’s face was grim. "Your wagered duel with Xiaosai doesn’t count. An Alliance Leader should deal directly with another Alliance Leader, wouldn’t you say?"
Luo Sen’s smile widened as he pointed at Su Zhi. "So you’re saying, if I beat you, I can take this kid away? The great heroes of the Flying Shadow Alliance wouldn’t go back on their word and play dirty, would they?"
Su Zhi said, "Can I get a word in...?"
"Win first, talk later," Chopper snorted, assuming a battle stance.
"BONK!"
And then a giant fist clocked him on the head, sending him to the ground.
Shang Duantie: "Quit your damn posturing."
Clutching his head, Chopper scrambled up irritably and glared at Shang Duantie. "What are you doing here, butting in!"
Shang Duantie waved a hand dismissively. "The way I see it, you two just don’t want the other to get Su Zhi, right? The solution is simple. Su Zhi can just come to our Cui Feng Alliance. That way, it’s a win-win for you both."
"In your dreams!"
Chopper laughed humorlessly. "Old Shang, no offense, but Luo Sen here is at least an intellectual. And you? You can barely read. You’re like a pig sticking a green onion in its nose, pretending to be an elephant. Who do you think you’re fooling?"
Shang Duantie’s eyes went round. "You... just tell me! Are you handing Su Zhi over or not!"
"Give you my ass. Take him if you’ve got the balls."
"Fine! You said it yourself!" Shang Duantie snorted, and a golden Beast Taming Light Array ignited beside him.
"All of you, stop! Su Zhi’s philosophy on Beast Taming is severely warped! He must be handed over to the Boya Alliance for reform!"
Another elderly voice drifted in from the entrance as Jing Shouxi, riding a giant white crane, joined the chaotic fray—
"Hey! You’re attacking me, too? You two disrespectful, rebellious apprentices!"
Watching the now-lively Battle Hall, Luo Sen licked his crimson teeth, his smile becoming one of resignation.
"Tsk, tsk. Things have gotten complicated."
...
「Central Imperial Alliance, Conference Hall.」
In the magnificent and elegant chamber, a white-bearded old man clad in a classical white Beastmaster robe sat on the floor, calmly rolling a pair of walnuts in his palm.
The Central Imperial Alliance was the central hub of the Nine Great Alliances, and its leader, Shen Zechuan, was also the commander-in-chief of the Common Defense Alliance.
Debriefing meetings like this were held monthly at the Alliance Headquarters and were, needless to say, quite important...
Important...
"CRACK."
Veins suddenly bulged on the back of Shen Zechuan’s hand, and the two walnuts cracked and broke.
The four Alliance Leaders in attendance shivered in unison.
The white-bearded old man shot the four empty seats a ’kindly’ glare, his voice as calm as a still lake:
"Where are they?"
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