Beastmaster King
Chapter 313 - The Great Battle Approaches

Chapter 313 - The Great Battle Approaches

In the ascension realm in Divine Tree Continent, Lu Ran observed the effects of various vicious plants. This sparked the idea of having Dark Crow research the power of vicious plants and study plant curses. In reality, Dark Crow had already been researching, though the progress had been slow. After a long time, only one experiment had succeeded.

The Crimson Dandelion was a type of vicious plant whose pappus would produce a parasitic effect on any living being it landed on, causing red fur to grow all over its body. This red fur would severely disrupt the flow of energy within the host, making it difficult to activate skills.

At first glance, this ability didn’t seem particularly powerful. However, the Crimson Dandelion was famous in the vicious plant community. While it wasn’t a direct threat on its own, it was an excellent support tool for other vicious plants, making it significantly harder for prey to resist.

Among all the vicious plants from the ruin that Dark Crow had studied, the Crimson Dandelion had the highest compatibility with it. This was primarily due to its curse properties, which also interfered with an enemy’s spirit, similar to Dark Crow’s abilities.

Now, the Crimson Fur Curse, combined with Enemy Lock, caught Manager Ying completely off guard. For a brief moment, its energy flow was thrown into chaos. Seizing this opportunity, Ugly Ox’s eyes lit up. With a furious roar, it swung its hammer at the cat.

The Psychic Barrier shattered under Ugly Ox’s strike, having lost Manager Ying’s control. The impact sent Manager Ying flying out of the factory. This long-range coordination stunned everyone present. But in the next moment, an overwhelming pressure filled the air.

“Damn crow.”

Although Manager Ying was hit for the first time, it remained mostly unscathed. It was only slightly disheveled, covered in dust. Furious, Manager Ying quickly found a way to dispel the Crimson Fur Curse.

While the curse was strange, the Crow Legion wasn’t strong enough to keep it suppressed for long. After just a brief disruption, Manager Ying stabilized its energy flow, igniting flames all over its body and burning away the parasitic red fur.

At the same time, it shot a glare at Ugly Ox. In an instant, Ugly Ox seemed to fall into an illusion, frozen in place. The various skill effects on its body rapidly faded away. Lin Nian and the other members of the Twelve Zodiacs exchanged glances after witnessing this.

“That’s enough. Manager Ying’s strength is unquestionable,” Gu Qingyi said.

Lin Nian added, “Yeah. Being able to completely overwhelm and instantly neutralize Ugly Ox speaks for itself. Besides, Lu Ran is currently in Green Sea City with Xu Dog. Even though Ugly Ox couldn’t do anything to Manager Ying, Lu Ran’s Familiar Legion managed to interfere with Manager Ying from such a long distance. That confirms their strategic value, doesn’t it?”

This brief exchange solidified Manager Ying’s reliability in the eyes of the Twelve Zodiacs. At that moment, Zi Shu leaped down from the rooftop, looking at the proud Manager Ying.

“As expected of Manager Ying. Looks like we’re all set. Shall we proceed with the original plan?”

***

A few days later, as the deadline given by the black dragon approached, fear spread among the people despite repeated reassurances from the Xia government.

According to the plan, Gu Qingyi acted as bait, heading to an island far from Xia. There, she released the Azure Sea Dragon, allowing its aura to leak out in an attempt to lure the black dragon over and eliminate it on the spot.

Besides Gu Qingyi, many first-generation beastmasters had also arrived. However, they remained hidden inside Limitless City, waiting for the black dragon to appear before launching an ambush.

Additionally, within a special dimension created by Manager Ying. The Guardian Panda and the Guardian Crane watched a certain cat with pursed lips. Ultimately, these two ancient creatures had been persuaded by Xia to join the battle.

Initially unwilling to participate, the Guardian Panda and the Guardian Crane had been convinced after being assured that they wouldn’t need to fight as frontline combatants. Their role was merely to pressure the black dragon.

Of course, the real reason they agreed was because of Manager Ying. No one knew what kind of information it had used, but it had somehow convinced both of them to lend their strength.

“Don’t look so grim. Have a little confidence.” Manager Ying shrugged at the two ancient creatures.

“This is a level 70 Overlord Dragon King. In ancient times, even major tribes avoided these creatures whenever possible. And now you guys actually want to hunt one?” The Guardian Panda asked.

“We don’t have any choice. It’s threatening an entire nation. Any faction with even a shred of dignity wouldn’t tolerate such a threat,” Manager Ying replied.

“Hmph. Let’s hope everything goes smoothly,” the Guardian Crane said in a feminine voice.

In the outside world, Gu Qingyi sat on top of the Azure Sea Dragon, gazing out at the ocean with a steady breath.

The Black Dragon King, having already obtained at least two Dragon Pearls, was highly sensitive to their aura. When Gu Qingyi and the Azure Sea Dragon stayed in Mystic City for an extended period, it had already pinpointed their location. Now, by deliberately exposing themselves and continuously leaking their aura, they could no longer hide from the black dragon.

Deep in the ocean, a massive figure swam through the depths. After a long time, the sea trembled. There were signs of whirlpools, towering waves, dark clouds, thunder, and howling winds. Amidst these ominous signs, a deafening dragon roar shook the waters as an unimaginably large figure emerged from the sea.

Gu Qingyi’s expression shifted as she stared at the colossal entity.

“RAWR!”

The massive black dragon looked down at Gu Qingyi and the Azure Sea Dragon, letting out a sinister chuckle.

“So, the Dragon Pearl is here. But judging by this setup, it seems you don’t intend to hand it over easily. Are you trying to lure me here for an ambush?”

The black dragon was unexpectedly intelligent. It instantly recognized that Xia’s beastmasters were attempting to bait it into a trap.

“A vicious beast with a functioning brain?” Gu Qingyi’s expression remained cold.

No wonder the black dragon had reached level 70. It was as intelligent as a human. Xia had hoped to lure it into an isolated area for an ambush. However, as Gu Qingyi took a deep breath, her Eye of Detection informed her that the Black Dragon King before her wasn’t its true body. It was an energy clone!

“I already gave you all a chance, but since you refuse to take it, don’t blame me for what happens next. Now, just the Dragon Pearl won’t be enough. If you don’t offer two Epic-grade resources as compensation, I’ll flood your entire continent!”

The black dragon’s clone escalated its threats, and at that moment, Gu Qingyi became certain that this beast wasn’t just after the Dragon Pearl. It had always coveted the land itself. The situation was heading in a far more dangerous direction than anyone had anticipated.

“Die, you bastard!”

There was no time to allow the dragon to continue its threats. A sudden surge of immense psychic energy erupted in midair and descended upon the black dragon’s clone, instantly crushing it.

Manager Ying tore through the void, emerging before Gu Qingyi.

“Just as predicted. The black dragon’s real goal has always been to extort more resources from Xia. The Dragon Pearl was only the beginning.

“If it sent a clone instead of showing up itself, that means it has no intention of fighting us head-on. Instead, it plans to use the millions of people in Mystic City as hostages to force Xia into submission, demanding more resources.”

The black dragon understood humanity’s greatest weakness. It was ordinary citizens who needed protection. It was confident that Xia would never willingly engage in battle near Mystic City. The sheer destructive aftermath of such a fight could claim the lives of millions in an instant. It wanted to use this fact to its advantage, making sure Xia wouldn’t dare to resist.

While it was true that Xia might have the strength to severely injure the black dragon, it was certain that defeating it without incurring massive losses was impossible.

The black dragon wasn’t stupid. It knew how to leverage its advantages to extract the most resources. However, Xia had also foreseen this scenario. They had already considered the possibility that the black dragon wouldn’t take the bait and would instead launch a direct invasion of Mystic City.

Just as the black dragon had expected, Xia was absolutely unwilling to fight or kill it near Mystic City. Even the slightest damage to the city was unacceptable. After all, the government had already made promises to the people of Mystic City.

“Manager Ying, looks like it’s all up to you now.” Gu Qingyi’s expression turned serious.

“Understood.”

With that, Manager Ying’s figure faded away, vanishing into a spatial teleportation.

At the same time, the ocean trembled violently. Scouts from the Merfolk Kingdom, which had allied with Xia, detected something alarming. Dozens of terrifyingly powerful sea beasts were emerging from the deep sea, making their way toward Xia’s coastal cities.

Something even more terrifying was one particularly overwhelming presence that was heading straight for Mystic City’s offshore waters.

The sky over Mystic City’s sea darkened once again, and thunder rumbled. A horrifying surge of energy spread across the heavens. The moment people saw these ominous signs, they turned pale, and panic spread like wildfire. The Black Dragon King had returned.

Fortunately, the Beastmaster Alliance had anticipated this scenario. Officials stationed throughout Mystic City immediately stepped in to maintain order, preventing widespread chaos.

However, if the Black Dragon King, the greatest threat, wasn’t eliminated, this temporary peace was meaningless. The moment the battle erupted, Mystic City would be reduced to rubble.

“RAWR!”

The massive black dragon approached Mystic City.

At that moment, Xia’s internet and international forums exploded with breaking news that the black dragon had arrived.

But what happened next stunned not only the world but even the black dragon itself. From the shores of Mystic City, a colossal figure emerged, blocking the black dragon’s path into the city.

“MEOWWWW!”

A deafening feline roar echoed across the entire city.

For a brief moment, the beastmasters stationed in Mystic City were left completely bewildered.

“What... the hell?”

It was a given that someone from Xia would step in to stop the black dragon. Perhaps a first-generation beastmaster or the guardian beasts or even the Divine Deer. But right now, that one earth-shattering meow had thrown everyone into confusion.

Who is it?

From its size alone, this beast looked even larger than the black dragon itself. The beastmasters holding the front lines in Mystic City had yet to see its full body. But what they did see was nine enormous, mountain-like tails, shimmering in a dazzling display of power, swaying high above the clouds.

“Nine tails! A Nine-Tailed Fox?” Someone gasped in disbelief.

But no one in Xia had ever heard of a beastmaster raising such a powerful Nine-Tailed Fox familiar.

“Wait...! That looks more like... a cat’s tail?”