Chapter 334 - The Thickness of the Shield is Reassuring (Part 1)

“What’s wrong with this guy?”

On the field, Lu Ran and Dark Crow remained calm and composed. However, their opponent squirmed pathetically like a pig. This turn of events was something no one had anticipated.

To be fair, the first gate was likely the easiest among the five, but Lu Ran’s gatekeeper was a third-generation with Legendary potential. Yet, he had been defeated so miserably. It seemed as if Lu Ran didn’t use any effort at all.

“Trash!”

On a high platform somewhere, Pari, the president of the Eagle Federation, wore a stern expression. Although he hadn’t expected the first gate to defeat Lu Ran, Leon’s performance was completely garbage.

“This is the difficulty of the 1v1 rule...” Dr. Hayden, who had come hoping to see Lu Ran humiliated, took a deep breath and shook his head.

1v1 battles heavily tested a beastmaster’s skill. If multiple familiars could be used, some could focus on offense, others on support, and some on protecting the beastmaster. This would cover any weaknesses.

However, in a 1v1 battle, the beastmaster’s ability to train their familiars was put to the ultimate test. Training a single familiar to both attack enemies and protect the beastmaster was extremely difficult.

Clearly, Leon and his Ice-Winged Crownbird had a major flaw. During combat, the bird couldn’t protect its beastmaster in time. And Leon, as a beastmaster, lacked the resilience to resist Dark Crow’s curses.

This was unlike Lu Ran, who could hold his own against an opponent’s familiar with his own combat skills. The contrast between the two was immediately apparent to the first-generation powerhouses in the audience.

“That flame energy earlier...”

“It was compressed at least thirtyfold.” Some sharp-eyed first-generation beastmasters found it unbelievable.

Although the previous world record of thirtyfold energy compression had been surpassed by many first-generation beastmasters after the Beastmaster Era fully began, Lu Ran was only a fourth-generation beastmaster.

If this technique had been used by one of his familiars, it wouldn’t have been surprising. It could be attributed to the familiar’s species talent or the abundance of healing resources provided by Xia.

But for a human like Lu Ran to achieve this... What special beastmaster skills did he possess besides Flame Spirit? How could his body withstand such energy levels, and how could his energy control be so refined? It was clear that the so-called “strongest fourth-generation beastmaster” had no weaknesses.

“Lu Ran is insane...”

In Xia, those who had been upset about Lu Ran facing unfair treatment now felt their hearts racing.

That flame sword qi that obliterated the Ice-Winged Crownbird was so cool! As expected of Lu Ran, inheritor of Emperor Flame Quake’s beastmaster skills. He treated his opponent like a dish—like a mere chicken!

No one had expected Lu Ran’s individual combat power to be so terrifying, capable of restraining a level 40+ King. Under the gaze of the world, Leon was carried away. Lu Ran’s next opponent, the second gatekeeper, emerged in silence.

It was Chris from Canada. This young man with spiky reddish-brown hair felt a pang of frustration.

Although he believed himself far stronger than Leon, he was scared that he would also be turned into a pig. The humiliation would be global. But what shocked everyone next was that after Chris stepped forward, Lu Ran actually recalled Dark Crow into its contract card.

“He’s not sending out Dark Crow anymore?” Chris’ heart surged with joy.

“Dark Crow didn’t use much energy in the first match. It only cast one curse.” Someone wondered aloud about Lu Ran’s decision.

“Could it be that Dark Crow isn’t as strong as we thought in conventional combat? If I recall correctly, Lu Ran’s Dark Crow specializes in legion-type skills, which were widely discussed during the sea beast incident. In a 1v1 match, its core skill is restricted, so its combat power might not be the strongest among Lu Ran’s familiars...

“Lu Ran probably thinks Dark Crow can handle a third-generation beastmaster easily, but against a second-generation beastmaster with Legendary potential, he’s less confident. In comparison, an Intermediate Overlord or a Low-Overlord sword dog with domain mastery might have better odds!” someone speculated.

“Of course, it could also just be a tactical recall. If his opponent knows he’s sending out Dark Crow, they might counter it. By keeping them guessing on which of his three main familiars he’ll use, they can’t fully prepare!”

As the audience discussed, Lu Ran overheard some of the discussion as his hearing was excellent. He could only say they were overthinking it.

The truth was simple. He wanted to give all three of his main familiars a chance to shine after their rigorous training. If Dark Crow soloed three or four opponents in a row, nothing would be left for Captain Doofus and Sudden Death King.

The referee swallowed hard and announced the continuation of the challenge: “The participant is Lu Ran of Xia. The gatekeeper is Chris.”

In the next moment, Lu Ran summoned another familiar, while the gatekeeper opposite him also summoned his with a solemn expression.

Above the arena, within the summoning arrays, one side revealed a fox with snow-white fur, perfectly proportioned, its cold expression matched by a long tail that swept through the air.

[Species: Aurora Fox]

[Attribute: Light, Ice]

[Species Rank: Superior King]

[Level: 50]

On the other side, a dragon’s roar echoed, and the audience immediately knew which familiar Lu Ran had summoned. As the massive silhouette of shield wings materialized, Sudden Death King landed heavily on the arena, stirring up a gust of wind as it stared down its opponent with disdain.

As the two familiars appeared, the audience took a deep breath.

“Lu Ran’s familiars really have all reached level 40... Their leveling speed is insane. He’s barely even active in the Peak Arena.”

“With his status, talent, and potential, resources are no issue. He could just brute-force his way up with resources.”

“Chris sent out his Aurora Fox. It’s another Ice attribute. Ice is weak to fire! Lu Ran has Flame Spirit! And if I remember correctly, that dragon also has a Lightning Flame Dragon mode, right?”

"Not a big deal. Chris’ Aurora Fox mainly focuses on Light, with Ice as its secondary attribute. Thanks to the power of Light, it is practically a quasi-Overlord. Lu Ran won’t have an easy victory."

A level 40 Intermediate Overlord was equivalent to a level 50 Intermediate King. As the audience speculated, although Lu Ran’s familiar had a higher species rank, the overall difference wasn’t significant.

5... 4... 3...

The countdown continued. In the arena, Sudden Death King and the Aurora Fox locked eyes, their beastmasters standing silently behind them while waiting for the battle to begin.

Finally, as the countdown reached zero, before anyone could react, a spiraling light bullet blasted through the air, leaving a trail of light as it struck Sudden Death King’s head.

A dazzling explosion erupted, and the arena fell silent. This attack was too fast. The moment the countdown ended, the Aurora Fox had already compressed energy in its mouth and fired.

Not only was the energy compression instantaneous, but the speed it shot out was also almost as fast as light. In comparison, the Ice-Winged Crownbird’s attack earlier had been as slow as a snail, giving Lu Ran plenty of time to counter.

Although there was no gap in species rank and only a 2-level difference in growth, the disparity in skill fundamentals between Chris and Leon’s familiars was immediately apparent.

In an instant, the audience’s minds raced.

“As expected of Chris!”

“That spinning light orb gained terrifying, destructive power through energy formation. And the energy flow technique is insane! The most impressive thing was that it achieved twentyfold energy compression instantly. It combined four techniques into such a complex attack... and it was fired in a split second!”

Clearly, this was an all-rounder familiar. Paired with the power of Light, it made it nearly impossible for enemies to react.

The opening attack wasn’t the end. Chris and the Aurora Fox went all out, firing compressed spiral light bullets nonstop in the following seconds.

Unlike the first straight-line attack meant for speed, these light bullets, under the Aurora Fox’s second phase of energy projection manipulation, followed erratic trajectories. After engulfing Sudden Death King, they curved around its body, changing course mid-air to target Lu Ran behind it.

Less than 10 seconds after the countdown ended, Lu Ran and Sudden Death King were completely submerged under dozens of terrifying light bullets. Chris grinned as he saw his combat tactic in action.

This strategy had one flaw, however. It consumed too much energy. Fortunately, he had stamina-recovery beastmaster skills, and his familiar had fused the Nature Manipulation trait, so it could handle the strain.

As the Aurora Fox paused to recover, Chris’ expression suddenly changed. When the light pollution faded, Sudden Death King could be seen standing firm in the arena. Even the light bullets aimed at Lu Ran had only left a few dust marks on his clothes. Chris’ jaw dropped.

The audience, with their ears still ringing and eyes recovering from the glare, also gaped at Lu Ran and Sudden Death King on the other side of the arena. For a moment, they wondered if Chris and the Aurora Fox were faking the match.

“Hm? Why’d you stop? Do you need a break?”

As the attacks ceased, Lu Ran casually picked his ear.

Lu Ran wanted to laugh.

What is the point of fast attacks if they can’t even break through our defense?

Chris’ strategy was sound—use rapid attacks to disrupt Sudden Death King’s movements, and then curve the light bullets around to target Lu Ran directly, making it hard for the dragon to react and protect its master.

However, the problem was that the light bullets hitting Sudden Death King were like pebbles striking steel.

Sudden Death King’s other abilities might be at the level of a level 50 Intermediate King, but its defense, honed through relentless training, healing, and trait specialization, far exceeded the average for its species. And Lu Ran, after Sudden Death King casually slapped a defense buff on him, could stand there and watch the show alongside his familiar.

“What? No... That’s impossible.” Chris’ eyes widened as he stared at the unharmed Lu Ran and Sudden Death King.

The Xia beastmasters who had been worried for Lu Ran also found this absurd, suspecting Chris of being a planted actor. But soon, first-generation experts explained the reality. The light and smoke from the attacks hadn’t obstructed anyone’s vision.

“The destructive power was real. That dragon didn’t even flinch under the attacks... It even had the leisure to cast a unique skill, granting its beastmaster a support buff. It was likely a defensive-type buff. Under the Shieldwing Dragon’s buff, Lu Ran stood there with complete trust, letting the light bullets rain down around him...”

While this confirmed Chris wasn’t faking the match, it only emphasized how terrifying Sudden Death King and Lu Ran were. As the crowd’s shock deepened, Sudden Death King took a step forward toward the Aurora Fox. The fox let out a startled cry, unleashing another barrage of attacks, some even more destructive than before.

A dual-colored ice sphere, swirling with light and frost, crashed into Sudden Death King, transforming the arena into an aurora winterscape. Yet, it only left faint frost marks on the dragon’s body.

At this moment, Chris’ throat went dry. He realized that this thing’s defense was absurd. The Aurora Fox’s expression twisted in dismay, its morale crumbling. The beastmaster and his familiar felt as if a mountain had descended upon them, suffocating them under its weight.

I surrender!

That was the only thought in Chris’ mind. But after the first match’s precedent, Lu Ran wouldn’t let his opponent surrender so easily.

As Chris’ fear peaked, he couldn’t even speak anymore. His body refused to obey, and his spirit, soul, and flesh trembled uncontrollably.

Sudden Death King unleashed its dragon’s aura—a kingly aura infused with Spirit and Soul power, shaking the entire arena.

If it had used this at the start, the effect might have been negligible. But now, after exhausting all means and failing even to scratch Sudden Death King, Chris and his familiar’s mental defenses were as fragile as paper.

Sudden Death King locked onto its foes. Its roar was thunderous.

The overwhelming Overlord’s aura manifested as a tornado of pressure, sweeping across the arena. Without even attacking, Sudden Death King’s mere presence shattered the second-generation duo’s will.

Black blood trickled from their mouths, noses, eyes, and ears as their spirits and souls fractured under the strain. They then collapsed heavily.

“Next.”