Chapter 504 - It’s Just a Friendly Match, Tree Monarch, Why Are You Crying? (Part 1)

“

Wuuu!

”

The moment the Tree Monarch spoke these words, #18 became flustered.

Big sister, calm down! Think carefully! If we could summon you, how could we be weak?

Although Lu Ran appeared to be only level 6, and #18 seemed to have zero combat power, these were just surface impressions. #18 didn’t want its guardian heroic spirit, the Tree Monarch, to be toyed with by the likes of Captain Doofus due to overconfidence.

However, from the Tree Monarch’s perspective, her confidence wasn’t unfounded. After all, she was a plantmaster trained by the Flower God, the daughter of the Divine Tree. Her physique had even been praised by the Flower God as the most suitable for contracting and nurturing Time-attribute familiars.

In the Tree Monarch’s eyes, the reason Lu Ran and the others could summon her spirit was likely due to some external assistance. As the Divine Deer’s messenger, it was possible for Lu Ran to obtain such help from the Divine Deer.

Admittedly, the Tree Monarch guessed correctly that without the blood of Manager Ying, the timekeeper, #18 wouldn’t have been able to summon her. However, external assistance did not mean personal weakness.

The Tree Monarch had decided to observe the current state of the outside world in her heroic spirit form. She was aware of Lu Ran’s identity. As the Divine Deer was a being maintaining the stability of the continent, its messenger summoning the Tree Monarch must have had a significant purpose. In that case, she would witness it firsthand. The Tree Monarch had convinced herself.

As for Lu Ran’s mention of training, the Tree Monarch wasn’t opposed. She could sense that, despite her current peculiar state, it was surprisingly complete, and that she could even summon her familiars. In other words, the heroic spirits of her contracted familiars could manifest alongside her.

The Tree Monarch was deeply curious about this strange state and wondered how much of her strength she could still wield in this form.

“Where’s the battle?” Tree Monarch asked.

“Follow me,” Lu Ran replied.

Subsequently, Lu Ran and #18 led the Tree Monarch’s heroic spirit to the sealed space created by Squirrel God for combat. The area was pale and blank, devoid of anything.

Upon entering from the rainforest, Tree Monarch was visibly stunned. Despite being a heroic spirit, she could still perceive the strength of this pocket dimension.

“I’ve retained the combat experience from my peak, but my level hasn’t even recovered to Legendary. He’s only a level 6 beastmaster. Couldn’t we have just fought outside? Was it necessary to come to such an isolated alternate space?”

The Tree Monarch felt Lu Ran’s approach was redundant, but Lu Ran thought it was absolutely necessary.

“In that case, #18, you’ll team up with Senior Tree Monarch. Starting now, the first round of Lu Ran’s Internal Team Battles officially begins. First up is you versus Baby Cloud.”

#18 teared up.

Master is so kind.

For the first match, he assigned it what seemed to be the weakest opponent. This way, it would have more time to familiarize itself with its guardian heroic spirit, the Tree Monarch.

“Senior Tree Monarch, is that alright? If there are no issues, I’ll summon my familiar.”

“Only Baby Cloud?” The Tree Monarch paused. “A 1v1? Does that mean I can only summon one familiar?”

Lu Ran waved his hand.

“No, no, no. You and #18 count as a single entity. All of your familiars are included in this single entity. You can summon them freely. On my side, one of my familiars counts as a single entity. I won’t be participating personally.”

What kind of nonsense is this?

The Tree Monarch’s heroic spirit was a bit confused.

Is Lu Ran saying he’ll only send out one familiar to fight against me and all my familiars?

“Are you serious?” The Tree Monarch thought Lu Ran had lost his mind.

As she spoke, seven familiar figures materialized around her. They were the Moon Divine Tree, Harvest Dragon, Three-Life Flower, Ephemeral Queen, Clock Mushroom, Annual Ring Demon, and Four Seasons Begonia.

It was a total of seven Time-attribute Transcendent plant lifeforms, an exceptionally extravagant lineup. Among them, the Three-Life Flower had a species rank as high as quasi-Legendary.

#18 gasped in delight. “Wow! A quasi-Legendary Three-Life Flower!”

It’s much stronger than Bai Lu’s.

The Tree Monarch nodded. “Indeed. The Three-Life Flower is a species blessed by one of the three gods who ushered in the Plant Era, the Six-Path Reincarnation God.

It wields the power of three lifetimes and can reincarnate twice, inheriting the strength of its past lives. My Three-Life Flower completed its final reincarnation upon contracting, so its species is exceptionally powerful.”

#18 beamed. “We’re set, we’re set! I was worried we’d be instantly wiped out by Baby Cloud, but now it seems we can hold our own in a normal fight."

The Tree Monarch was taken aback.

Huh? More nonsense. I’ve summoned such a lineup of familiars, but this android’s verdict is only ‘not an instant loss’?

“What are you blabbering about?”

Meanwhile, Lu Ran began summoning Baby Cloud. The Time Domain and the sealed world were connected. As Lu Ran summoned, Baby Cloud’s figure, which had been training in the Time Domain, gradually dissipated and returned to its contract card before being summoned before him.

A Nine-Tailed Cloud Cat composed entirely of nine elemental forces made its grand entrance. The Tree Monarch’s previously composed expression instantly turned serious.

#18, being a research-oriented mechanical lifeform with no combat power wasn’t recognized by the Tree Monarch’s Eye of Detection as a quasi-Legendary.

However, Baby Cloud was different. Baby Cloud’s body was made of pure elemental energy, each strand infused with Time power that the Tree Monarch was intimately familiar with. At a glance, she discerned Baby Cloud’s species and level.

“Quasi-Legendary...”

The Tree Monarch sensed Baby Cloud’s level and was slightly shocked. She had assumed Lu Ran would summon the crow with traces of the Evil God’s power or the dog that could borrow the Divine Deer’s strength. Instead, it was an elemental lifeform that also possessed the power of Time.

The Tree Monarch was puzzled. However, what baffled her most was how Lu Ran could nurture a quasi-Legendary with those attributes.

As the Divine Deer’s messenger, it wasn’t surprising for Lu Ran to nurture a quasi-Legendary. But even so, it should have been one of the Grass attribute or deer species. This elemental and Time combination didn’t seem like the Divine Deer’s handiwork.

Could this be a familiar Lu Ran nurtured using my legacy? But can my legacy produce a quasi-Legendary? After all, even my strongest ace, the Three-Life Flower, sought out the Flower God’s help.

“

Meow~.

”

Baby Cloud calmly observed #18 and the Tree Monarch’s heroic spirit.

Without giving them much time to converse, Lu Ran took out a coin and tossed it into the air.

“Senior Tree Monarch, the moment the coin lands, the battle begins. Please prepare.”

The coin soared and descended.

Watching the coin and Baby Cloud, #18, shouldering its duty as a beastmaster trainer, quickly shouted at the Tree Monarch. “Senior! Don’t underestimate it! I know you’re the most talented Time-attribute beastmaster of the Divine Tree Era and have contracted many Time-attribute familiars, mastering time power, but that elemental cat’s mentor is extraordinary!

“It’s a kin of one of the Four Supreme Divine Dragons, the Time Dragon. That cat was nurtured by the timekeeper. The timekeeper’s mastery of Time likely surpasses even the Divine Tree’s. Be careful! Its skill activation speed is incredibly fast!”

#18 relayed the information swiftly. The Tree Monarch’s mind blanked upon hearing it.

Wait! The timekeeper?

Before the Tree Monarch could process further, the coin hit the ground, and the battle commenced in full force. Just as the Tree Monarch intended to use the beastmaster skill, Time Fruit, to boost her familiars’ levels, her expression turned vacant. Her familiars also looked bewildered.

As Time-attribute familiars, the plant familiars the Tree Monarch summoned had reaction speeds among the best. Yet, even they couldn’t discern when the enemy’s attack had appeared before them. It was a nine-colored energy bomb resembling a falling star.

In an instant, Baby Cloud fused nine types of elemental energy, compressed them to the limit, then used Size-Shifting to expand the bomb countless times to amplify its power and destructive range before hurling it from the sky.

Under the colossal energy ball, the Tree Monarch and her familiars looked like ants. In the blink of an eye, the skill slammed into them, engulfing them before they could react.

Although the exact impact point was unclear, adhering to the fine tradition of overwhelming firepower, Baby Cloud launched over a dozen more elemental bombs in the next second, bombarding the Tree Monarch’s location.

The violent shockwaves, capable of annihilating everything, instantly surged outward. Nearby, #18 wore a dumbfounded expression.

How can this happen...

Just as #18 thought it would also be swallowed by the instantaneous elemental bombs, the cataclysmic force spreading like a natural disaster was abruptly sucked into Baby Cloud’s mouth with a loud gulp.

When the nuclear glare faded, the Tree Monarch’s heroic spirit and her familiars were nowhere to be seen. They were completely obliterated.

#18 spat blood into the distance, trembling as it raised its arm to point at Baby Cloud.

Lu Ran, who had been observing from a hiding spot, murmured, “Not quite up to par. #18, as the Tree Monarch of the Epic beastmaster era, you’re not yet strong enough to stand your ground in the World War. You must evolve the Tree Monarch’s heroic spirit into Peanut’s heroic spirit.”

“I... I understand.” #18 sighed in frustration.

Senior Tree Monarch, your performance was completely disproportionate to your confidence! I thought you could at least withstand one hit... Huh? Actually, even if you could, it wouldn’t matter. Baby Cloud condensed over a dozen enlarged elemental bombs in an instant, covering everything.

#18 vaguely recalled the Tree Monarch trying to use some beastmaster skill to enhance her familiars, but compared to Baby Cloud, she was far too slow.

Upon reflection, #18 realized the Tree Monarch’s best move would have been to accelerate her entire team’s movement speed to evade the attack.

Meanwhile, having secured a point in the team battle, Baby Cloud excitedly leaped into Lu Ran’s arms, seeking praise.

Lu Ran stroked Baby Cloud while saying, “Well done. But next time, no need to expend all your energy in one go.”

“

Plip, plip!

”

Baby Cloud wagged its nine-colored tail, looking unfazed.

No problem. I recover energy super fast!