Chapter 67 – Luckily, My Strength Doesn't Stop Here

Lin Ze possessed a Tier 5 Pet Beast!

This speculation struck like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, instantly freezing Luo Han in place.

Just earlier, he had investigated Lin Ze’s detailed strength intelligence.

He had learned that the other party’s Pet Beasts were only at Tier 4.

Yet before a single day had passed, Lin Ze’s Pet Beast had suddenly become Tier 5?

What was going on?

Luo Han wanted to deny his own speculation.

But the facts were right before his eyes.

Unless Lin Ze’s Ice Attribute Pet Beast was at Tier 5, it would have been impossible for it to unleash such a powerful Skill.

And even more impossible for it to suppress his Mountain Giant.

“What on earth is happening…”

For a moment.

Luo Han felt a surreal, dreamlike absurdity.

This was simply too inconceivable!

Meanwhile, the surrounding spectators gradually began to react.

“That’s not right—Lin Ze’s Pet Beast is clearly only Tier 4. How did it unleash a powerful area-of-effect Skill like Blizzard?”

“Exactly! And look at the Mountain Giant—it’s clearly being suppressed. How could a mere Tier 4 Pet Beast possibly do that?”

“Could it be that Lin Ze’s Pet Beast is actually Tier 5?”

“Hiss! No way?”

“Then what other explanation is there?”

“But this morning during Virtual Combat, Lin Ze’s Pet Beast was still only Tier 4!”

“No need to think about it—Lin Ze must have been hiding his strength!”

“Damn! That’s insane!”

A wave of sharp intakes of breath rose and fell among the crowd.

Everyone stared at Lin Ze with wide eyes, their faces filled with disbelief and shock.

A Freshman possessing a Tier 4 Pet Beast was already an astonishing feat.

Lin Ze had become a rising star at Ningjiang Academy because of this.

Even many outside the academy had heard of his deeds.

And now they were suddenly being told that Lin Ze also possessed a Tier 5 Pet Beast.

This was no less than a bombshell, instantly blasting them into a daze, leaving them unable to recover for a long time.

For a moment.

The watching crowd was plunged into intense shock, sitting frozen in place with blank expressions, unable to speak for a long while.

The vast dueling ground was left with only the howling of the Blizzard.

At a certain spot near the Arena Platform.

Guan Ning stared wide-eyed at Lin Ze’s back, her small mouth nearly forming an O shape—an utterly adorable sight.

She had never imagined that Lin Ze was hiding such a trump card.

That was a Tier 5 Pet Beast!

Even among Second Year students, only the top ten elite students possessed Tier 5 Pet Beasts.

Yet Lin Ze, a Freshman who had only just completed his Enrollment, also had a Tier 5 Pet Beast.

If this got out, who knew how many jaws would drop.

“Brother… so amazing!”

Guan Ning murmured softly, her eyes sparkling brightly, almost turning into starry eyes.

Her gaze toward Lin Ze was now filled with admiration.

On the Arena Platform.

Facing the shocked and horrified looks coming from all directions, Lin Ze remained completely unruffled.

He crossed his arms, watching the battle with leisurely composure.

The Arena Platform shrouded in Blizzard had become a frozen wasteland.

Aside from weakening the enemy’s combat ability, the more important purpose was to create an environment suited for Ice Attribute Pet Beast combat.

Within the Blizzard, any Skill Xiao Xue unleashed would be enhanced.

Crack!

Amid the muffled howling of the fierce wind, a series of crisp sounds suddenly rang out.

Countless sharp ice blades abruptly condensed above the Mountain Giant’s head.

Their tips pointing downward.

The cold, gleaming blade tips radiated a terrifying sharpness.

The next second.

The dense mass of ice blades suddenly shifted, cascading down like a waterfall, crashing straight onto the Mountain Giant’s head.

Ice Waterfall!

Seeing the danger, the Mountain Giant tried to dodge.

But its body, already numbed by the biting chill, had grown stiff and sluggish, leaving it utterly unable to evade in time.

In the blink of an eye.

The Mountain Giant was engulfed by countless ice blades.

Ssssh!

Sssssh!

The sound of ice blades slicing through flesh rang out without pause.

Even though the Mountain Giant had thick, tough skin, under the relentless barrage of ice blades, countless shocking wounds quickly appeared across its body.

Before blood could even flow out, it was frozen solid by the bone-piercing cold.

In an instant.

The Mountain Giant had suffered considerable injuries.

The chill that penetrated to the very marrow made it let out a miserable, piercing scream.

Watching this scene, the onlookers all gaped in unison, their faces filled with shock.

They were completely stunned by the terrifyingly powerful skill Xiao Xue had just unleashed.

After all, the Mountain Giant was known as an Earth Attribute Pet Beast renowned for its formidable defense.

Yet it had been reduced to such a miserable state by that single skill.

One could only imagine how devastating the skill’s power truly was.

“Incredible!”

“What a ferocious skill!”

“The rumors must be true—Lin Ze’s Ice Attribute Pet Beast has mastered many powerful skills!”

“So strong, this Pet Beast is at least Tier 5, Stage 2!”

Exclamations of awe rang out from all around.

Lin Ze, however, merely smiled calmly at the reaction.

He had clearly anticipated this outcome all along.

After all, Xiao Xue’s Level was no lower than the Mountain Giant’s to begin with.

In terms of combat power, she was likely even a cut above.

Combined with the enhancement Blizzard provided to her skills, it was no surprise that Ice Waterfall carried such devastating force.

Not far away, across from them.

Luo Han’s face was ashen.

The smug confidence and certainty of victory he’d had moments ago were completely gone.

Replaced by intense shock and fury.

He couldn’t have imagined in a million years that things would turn out this way.

“Damn you!”

Luo Han’s gaze locked onto Lin Ze, his heart seething with both resentment and dread.

By now, he realized all too well that he’d been played by Lin Ze.

This bastard had definitely been hiding his strength!

No wonder he’d dared to accept the Wager Duel earlier.

Sensing Luo Han’s glare, Lin Ze gave a faint, mocking smile.

“What’s the matter? Weren’t you going to show me what real power looks like?”

“Surely this isn’t it? Then I suppose I’ve really learned something today.”

Lin Ze’s half-smiling expression instantly enraged Luo Han.

His face flushed crimson in an instant, and he ground his teeth as he spat:

“She’s just one Tier 5 Pet Beast—don’t get too cocky!”

“My strength is far more than this!”

As his words fell, a flash of light appeared beside Luo Han.

Two more Pet Beasts materialized out of thin air.

One was a Demon-Burrow Spider of the Dark Attribute.

The other was a Petrifying Lizard of the Earth Attribute.

Both radiated formidable auras, clearly reaching the late Tier 4 stage.

“Whoa, he’s got two more Pet Beasts!”

“Don’t make such a fuss—Luo Han is a Bronze Beast Tamer, it’s only natural he has three Pet Beasts.”

“Tsk, Lin Ze’s in trouble now. Luo Han’s Demon-Burrow Spider and Petrifying Lizard are both at Tier 4, Stage 9.”

“What’s there to fear? Lin Ze has a second Pet Beast too!”

“That still leaves him one short.”

“Lin Ze’s done for!”

The crowd stirred with restless murmurs.

Despite the fact that Lin Ze’s Ice Attribute Pet Beast had temporarily gained the upper hand over the Mountain Giant.

There was no overwhelming gap in strength between the two sides.

If a Tier 4, ninth-level opponent were to join the fray at this moment, the outcome of the battle would become even more unpredictable. It was still anyone’s game.

Listening to the murmurs around him, a cold sneer crept onto Luo Han’s face. Lin Ze’s performance had indeed exceeded his expectations—so much so that it had given him a serious shock. But that didn’t matter. He still had one more Pet Beast than Lin Ze, and that advantage alone was enough to tip the scales in his favor.

“No matter how outstanding your talent is, at this moment, you’re still no match for me!” Luo Han waved his hand viciously.

The Demon-Burrow Spider and Petrifying Lizard before him let out sharp hisses and charged at Lin Ze, braving the Blizzard head-on.

Unexpectedly, even under such circumstances, Lin Ze remained calm and composed. “Three Pet Beasts, huh?” He shrugged nonchalantly. “Good thing my strength isn’t limited to just this!”

The moment those words left his mouth, the towering figure of Rock Ghost materialized before him.

“Roar!”

A high-spirited roar echoed across the entire Arena Platform.

The moment it appeared, Rock Ghost raised both hands, and countless Earth Elements converged into visible streams of earthy yellow light, rushing eagerly between its palms. In an instant, a massive boulder condensed out of thin air.

With another roar, Rock Ghost hurled the giant stone with all its might.

Stone Burst!

The massive rock shot through the air like a cannonball, slamming straight toward the Demon-Burrow Spider and Petrifying Lizard. The two Pet Beasts hastily dodged, evading the incoming boulder. But just as they prepared to continue their charge, the fallen rock exploded violently.

Boom!

A deafening explosion instantly reverberated across the entire Arena Platform. A violent shockwave, carrying debris and rubble, swept outward in all directions, engulfing the Demon-Burrow Spider and Petrifying Lizard in an instant. Dust and smoke billowed everywhere.

By the time the gale winds scattered the dust, a massive crater had been carved into the ground. The Demon-Burrow Spider and Petrifying Lizard lay motionless at the center of the pit, covered in wounds, their bodies looking like tattered rags—clearly with more breath leaving them than entering.

The audience fell into dead silence. Everyone stared at the scene in a daze, as if trapped in a dream, mouths agape, unable to utter a single word for a long time.