Chapter 998: The game is not over yet (two in one)

“The Thunder Flax Spirit escaped control and dodged the Sacred Sword,” Tian Yiwan said rapidly from the commentary booth.

“Now the Electric Domain Field is once again striking down lightning. The Steel Sword Falcon just expended energy to use Sacred Sword, so it likely doesn’t have much energy left in its body. The rest of the match will probably be passive for it.”

Tang Xueran looked down at the time on her phone and said,

“Only one minute has passed since the Thunder Flax Spirit first used Electric Domain Field to turn the entire arena into an electric field. A perfect-level Electric Domain Field only strikes lightning every 90 seconds. Only one minute has passed, so it seems the Thunder Flax Spirit’s Electric Domain Field has broken through and reached the Profound Level.”

The audience was briefly silent, then a clamor rose like dust.

“A Profound Level Electric Domain Field? Doesn’t that mean the lightning can continuously last for half an hour?”

“No wonder Wu Tianjiao chose to have the Thunder Flax Spirit appear first! So its Electric Domain Field broke through to the Profound Meaning!”

“A Profound Level Electric Domain Field, Qiao Sang is finished in this match.”

“I knew it, the lightning strikes at the beginning felt much stronger than before…”

“Even if the Thunder Flax Spirit’s Electric Domain Field didn’t break through to Profound Meaning, the Steel Sword Falcon wouldn’t be its opponent, right? The Thunder Flax Spirit is Wu Tianjiao’s second contracted Pet, and it’s probably not far from becoming a King-level Pet.”

“King-level Pets are not that easy to break through to. It’s normal for the Thunder Flax Spirit not to have broken through. Those Pets that can break through to King-level in such a short time require talent, resources, and opportunities, none of which can be lacking.”

“Alas, I thought the Steel Sword Falcon could win…”

“If the Steel Sword Falcon hadn’t used Sacred Sword, it might have had a chance, but now that Sacred Sword has been used, the commentator said it doesn’t have much energy left in its body. It probably can only withstand this wave of lightning at most.”

“Xiao Xunbao…”

In the family area, Xiao Xunbao glared at the guy next to him who wasn’t optimistic about his little brother.

What do you all know? My little brother can evolve.

Ye Xiangting’s eyes flashed with worry.

Qiao Sang had maintained a winning streak until now, mostly with 3-0 records. Her initial pride in her daughter just being able to compete had transformed into hoping her daughter would win, and then finally into believing her daughter could win.

It had been a long time since she felt her daughter was so passive in a match.

…

On the field.

Dark clouds gathered, and lightning danced like wild dragons, ferocious and arrogant, continuously striking down.

Steel Treasure, glowing with a metallic gray luster, flapped its wings, moving quickly to dodge.

The ground was constantly blasted open by the descending lightning.

The lightning was dense, and Steel Treasure was large. Even though it moved fast enough, several bolts of lightning still struck Steel Treasure’s body.

Its expression didn’t even change. Didn’t they say the entire evolution chain was bond evolution…? Wu Tianjiao felt the pressure lift, her heart relaxed, and she subconsciously glanced at the distant girl, noticing that she had no pained or twisted facial expressions. A fleeting moment of confusion unseasonably crossed her mind.

At the same time, Qiao Sang said in her mind,

“Do you feel anything?”

“Steel Sword.”

Steel Treasure responded in her mind.

Nothing.

There was no feeling of bond evolution, and Sacred Sword was dodged by the Thunder Flax Spirit… Qiao Sang’s heart sank, sensing the difficulty of the situation ahead.

To be honest, she really didn’t expect the Thunder Flax Spirit to be able to dodge attacks within the range of Air Absorption.

If only Steel Treasure could use biting skills like Fire Fang, like Tooth Treasure… Qiao Sang realized her thoughts were straying and quickly refocused.

Steel Treasure evolving in this battle arena was originally just a guess, because the predicted location was Yukong Beast Arena, and the opponent being Thunder Flax Spirit also matched, but there was nothing more.

And it was easy to battle in the same location, after all, Yukong Beast Arena was not a closed-off venue, and there wasn’t only one Thunder Flax Spirit in the Central Region. So, she was actually prepared for Steel Treasure not undergoing bond evolution in this match.

The initial attack was also genuinely hoped to succeed.

If Sacred Sword could successfully hit the Thunder Flax Spirit, then this match would pretty much be over.

But the Thunder Flax Spirit overcame the suffocating sensation, and the Sacred Sword attack failed.

With the energy in Steel Treasure’s body, it probably couldn’t unleash a second Sacred Sword…

“Steel Sword.”

As thoughts flickered, Steel Treasure’s voice sounded in her mind.

The match isn’t over yet.

Qiao Sang was stunned for a moment, then her expression became serious.

Yes, the match isn’t over yet.

She had been in too many favorable matches, so much so that she didn’t even understand such a simple truth.

“Thunder Flax!”

On the field, the Thunder Flax Spirit’s fur stood on end, forming sharp spikes, and countless lightning needles shot out from it, rapidly attacking Steel Treasure.

With lightning constantly striking down from the sky, Steel Treasure couldn’t stop to counterattack. It could only rely on clever footwork and Electro-optic Flash to quickly dodge.

Countless lightning needles, like a torrential downpour, relentlessly pursued it.

Steel Treasure glowed with white light, moving so fast it was a blur.

Its body tilted sharply, and all the lightning needles swept past the edges of the white light, which was difficult to track with the naked eye, all embedding themselves into the ground.

The lightning needles disappeared.

The Thunder Flax Spirit roared, and the lightning in the air intertwined again, forming a Lightning Web over twenty meters long, covering Steel Treasure.

Steel Treasure sped up its movement.

And then, at that moment, electric arcs appeared under the Thunder Flax Spirit’s feet, and it suddenly vanished from its spot.

“Behind you!” Qiao Sang quickly said in her mind.

Steel Treasure’s heart tensed, and it accelerated again.

But the Thunder Flax Spirit was truly fast.

A thick bolt of lightning, several times faster than Steel Treasure using Electro-optic Flash, flashed across the ground, moving parallel to it, then shot straight up, accurately hitting the white light.

The white light flew backward and upward, perfectly colliding with the Lightning Web.

Lightning flashed on the Lightning Web, and Steel Treasure’s figure emerged.

“The Thunder Flax Spirit collided with the Steel Sword Falcon, which was moving at high speed using Electro-optic Flash! The Lightning Web successfully enveloped the Steel Sword Falcon!” Tian Yiwan exclaimed passionately from the commentary booth: “What a clash of speed, and clearly, the Thunder Flax Spirit has the upper hand!”

Enveloped by the Lightning Web, Steel Treasure fell to the ground.

Yellow electric arcs crackled and flickered.

Qiao Sang felt constant pain and numbness throughout her body. She tried to ignore these sensations and said in her mind,

“Slash!”

Steel Treasure raised its wings.

At the same time, Wu Tianjiao said,

“Gathering Lightning.”

Since the Steel Sword Falcon had been successfully restrained, this match should end.

“Thunder Flax!”

The Thunder Flax Spirit let out a loud cry, its fur standing on end like sharp spikes.

Then, a sharp spike on its head suddenly shot out, transforming into a lightning needle, which rapidly flew and hovered above Steel Treasure.

“It looks like the Thunder Flax Spirit is going to use Gathering Lightning,” Tian Yiwan commented, watching the scene on the field.

Not just him, everyone was familiar with this move.

Gathering Lightning, the Thunder Flax Spirit’s famous combo skill.

First, it uses Electric Domain Field, then places a lightning needle at the opponent’s position, gathering all the lightning to strike down. Its power is comparable to offensive Ultra-level skills.

For a moment, the audience erupted in a clamor, with both worried and excited voices.

“After this attack, the Steel Sword Falcon is definitely done for.”

“I didn’t expect Qiao Sang to lose a match so early…”

“If she had summoned Yan Jiaoou or Ice Emperor Ram in the first round, she wouldn’t have lost, but she chose to summon the Steel Sword Falcon.”

“I still don’t understand why Qiao Sang sent out the Steel Sword Falcon in the first match. Did she want to concede a round to her opponent first?”

“What are you thinking? Wu Tianjiao isn’t that bad that Qiao Sang needs to concede. This is the semifinals. It’s Qiao Sang’s own mistake in the order of sending out her Pets.”

“I just checked, a Profound Level Electric Domain Field can last for half an hour. The match hasn’t even reached ten minutes yet. At this battle speed, the Electric Domain Field will definitely still be active for Qiao Sang’s next two Pets. Wu Tianjiao has a great chance of advancing to the finals in this round!”

Amidst the discussions, Steel Treasure powerfully slashed its wings downwards, and two illusory sharp blades instantly intertwined to form two cold lights over ten meters long, directly splitting open the Lightning Web.

The lightning needle hovered.

High in the sky, all the lightning suddenly converged from the dark clouds and struck down towards the lightning needle’s position!

The Lightning Web broke open, and Steel Treasure flapped its wings, preparing to move.

But at that moment, the lightning needle hovering above suddenly dropped, making zero-distance contact with Steel Treasure’s head.

“Bang!”

With a loud sound, countless electric arcs suddenly flashed from the lightning needle, exploding on Steel Treasure’s body.

Qiao Sang felt intense pain and numbness.

Before any thoughts could flash through her mind, all the lightning from high in the sky struck down upon Steel Treasure’s body!

“Steel Sword!”

Under the flashing lightning, Steel Treasure let out a miserable cry.

Qiao Sang finally couldn’t bear it, taking a step back and showing a pained expression.

That’s more like it. Earlier, the Steel Sword Falcon was struck so many times without its expression changing, I almost thought the bond evolution was fake… Wu Tianjiao was in a good mood and looked at the distant girl again.

She withdrew her gaze, her expression serious, and quickly adjusted her mindset.

The Steel Sword Falcon was just the weakest. The upcoming Yan Jiaoou and Ice Emperor Ram were the key.

“The Steel Sword Falcon was hit by the concentrated lightning!” Tian Yiwan exclaimed from the commentary booth:

“Even if the Steel Sword Falcon is known for its strong defense, being hit by Gathering Lightning, it probably can’t withstand it.”

Tang Xueran elaborated,

“The Steel Sword Falcon used Steel Wing to break open the Lightning Web, but the lightning needle fell and exploded in time, obstructing its movement and allowing Gathering Lightning to successfully hit.”

Tian Yiwan chimed in,

“The combo skill of Electric Domain Field plus the lightning needle is comparable in power to some offensive Ultra-level skills. From the Steel Sword Falcon’s miserable cry just now, it’s clear its defense has been breached. Is this match about to end?”

The lightning above the field dissipated.

Another minute passed.

Everyone stared intently at the figure on the field that had just been struck by lightning.

“Xiao Xunbao…”

Xiao Xunbao looked at the field, a nervous expression on its face.

Even though it knew beforehand that its little brother would evolve in this match, it still instinctively became nervous.

On the field, Steel Treasure lay on the ground, charred all over.

Steel Treasure, Steel Treasure… Qiao Sang had regained control of her facial expression and called out in her mind.

Steel Treasure’s wing moved slightly.

The mechanical referee, who was about to enter the field, stopped its teleportation procedure upon seeing this.

Steel Treasure pushed with its wings, slowly and with difficulty, standing up.

The entire arena gasped.

Wu Tianjiao had participated in various large-scale competitions and events, making her quite a well-known Yu Beast Master in the Central Region. They were familiar with her strength and her Pets. This was the first time they had seen a Pet of the same rank still able to stand after being hit by the Thunder Flax Spirit’s Gathering Lightning attack.

“The Steel Sword Falcon actually stood up after the Gathering Lightning attack!” Tian Yiwan was clearly very surprised, his face full of astonishment.

Tang Xueran sighed,

“The Steel Sword Falcon’s defense is indeed very strong.”

After a pause, she added,

“However, it should be close to its limit.”

“Needle,” Wu Tianjiao said, seeing the Steel Sword Falcon stand up, and unhesitatingly prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

“Thunder Flax!”

The Thunder Flax Spirit’s fur stood on end, like sharp spikes.

Immediately after, countless lightning needles shot out from it, attacking Steel Treasure’s position.

If it defends, the opponent will continue to attack, and Steel Treasure will only passively take damage. It’s better to take a chance… Qiao Sang thought.

At this moment, she had temporarily forgotten about bond evolution, only wanting to successfully attack the Thunder Flax Spirit so that Steel Treasure wouldn’t fall in vain.

Just as the thought emerged, Steel Treasure spread its wings, and all its feathers glowed with purple light, like countless purple sharp blades attacking the Thunder Flax Spirit!

Use Scary Face! Qiao Sang remembered a move Steel Treasure rarely used.

Scary Face, a Normal-type intermediate skill, glares at the target with a terrifying expression, causing them to be afraid and thus greatly reducing the opponent’s speed.

“Steel Sword!”

Steel Treasure looked at the Thunder Flax Spirit, its entire eye socket filled with purple energy, its gaze cold and emotionless, with no expression, yet it looked unusually terrifying.

“Bang bang bang!”

Lightning needles continuously struck Steel Treasure’s body, but it kept its gaze fixed on the Thunder Flax Spirit, its expression unchanged.

“Thunder Flax…”

The Thunder Flax Spirit felt its scalp tingle, experiencing immense pressure, as if it were being stared at by something terrifying.

In that instant, purple sharp blades, like a sudden downpour, all struck the Thunder Flax Spirit.

“Thunder Flax!”

The Thunder Flax Spirit let out a painful scream.

“The lightning needles hit the Steel Sword Falcon!” Tian Yiwan said from the commentary booth: “However, the Steel Sword Falcon, combined with Scary Face, also successfully landed Wing Blade on the Thunder Flax Spirit!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Steel Treasure swayed and fell to the ground, dust rising around it.

Wu Tianjiao, whose expression had just slightly changed, returned to her original look and glanced at the fallen Steel Sword Falcon with a hint of admiration.

To be able to hold on until now and even counterattack, this Steel Sword Falcon indeed has strong defense.

And Qiao Sang, I didn’t expect her to have Scary Face up her sleeve, catching the Thunder Flax Spirit off guard.

Thankfully, the match is over.

“Thunder Flax…”

The Thunder Flax Spirit stood panting, covered in injuries.

After a brief moment of silence, the entire arena erupted in an uproar.

Everyone thought the match was over.

“Steel Treasure,” Qiao Sang called out in her mind.

“Steel Sword…”

Two seconds later, Steel Treasure responded.

It couldn’t go on…

“Do you feel the bond evolution?” Qiao Sang asked again.

“Steel Sword…”

Steel Treasure replied weakly.

No.

“It’s okay if not. Can you put your feathers away before you fall? I can’t put these feathers back into the yu beast codex…” Qiao Sang said in her mind.

After a pause, she added, “This time, you didn’t leave a single feather.”

Steel Treasure: “…”

“Steel Sword…”

But I can’t get up.

“Can you try the power of the bond…?” Qiao Sang said in her mind: “You’re still conscious now, so maybe you can try. It’s said that the power of the bond can also stimulate a Pet’s latent energy.”

“Steel Sword…”

Steel Treasure responded.

You still want me to try bond evolution.

“Don’t you want to try?” Qiao Sang asked.

“Steel Sword…”

Steel Treasure was very weak.

It wanted to, but it really couldn’t go on.

“But the match isn’t over yet,” Qiao Sang said, word by word, in her mind: “That’s what you told me. The referee hasn’t announced the result yet. We still have a chance.”

Steel Treasure was stunned for a moment, remembering what it had said during the battle.

“Steel Sword…”

Steel Treasure called out in its mind.

Then I’ll try, but don’t get your hopes up.

“No, the match isn’t over yet. I have to have hope,” Qiao Sang said.

Steel Treasure didn’t respond again.

On the battle arena.

The mechanical Pet referee observed the fallen Steel Treasure for a moment, then raised its claw holding a green flag towards Wu Tianjiao’s direction.

At the same time, a dazzling white light illuminated Steel Treasure’s body.