Chapter 155 Chapter 155

While the national selection competition was creating a huge stir, the inter-school competition for college beastmasters was also in full swing.

The preliminary, semi-final and final rounds all had different competition systems, especially the final melee. In Xu Ling's words, it was extremely exciting.

"I had no idea this year's format would be like this," Xu Ling said with a grin. "None of us had ever practiced this format before. At first, we were scattered around the huge venue, and we were a little panicked when we couldn't find our teammates."

"Then things got interesting. Yan University and Magic University were the first to react, and they were also the quickest to form small teams of twos and threes to fight across the field. We took advantage of that initial panic and eliminated a lot of players—but the people from the other schools weren't fools either."

"The first bird to stick its head out gets hammered down. The remaining contestants from the last dozen or so schools actually formed an alliance and came together to besiege our team and the Demon University team, determined to get us out first. Tsk tsk tsk tsk, Mu Qing, didn't you see how furious they were? It was so exciting!"

"...But, no matter how exciting it is, it can't compare to the finals of your selection competition."

Xu Ling nudged Xia Muqing's shoulder with her elbow, her brows curved. "The Tower of Babel, that's a building from myth and legend. I heard it's like opening a blind box, with different environments and winning conditions on each floor?"

"Just think about how shocking that scene was. It's a shame it was completely ruined by that bastard. That rubbish Xu Feiying must have died a miserable death... Oh, I'd love to go there and take a look if I get a chance..."

Xia Muqing smiled and said, "Don't worry, there will be a chance."

"Although the model we built previously is destroyed, the data is still archived in the Ark Xiaoxue system. Even if we can't restore it one-to-one, we should have no problem restoring it to a decent level."

Moreover, this District 13 model, which cost a lot of manpower and material resources and concentrated the wisdom and experience of countless adventurers and beast masters, was built with great difficulty. If it is discarded after being used once, it would be a complete waste of resources.

"According to Teacher Chi Zi, we might build a new training room in the school later—you could call it a challenge area. We'll build a restored Tower of Babel there and encourage students to challenge it. We'll update the leaderboard in real time, and give out rewards every month based on their ranking..."

Xu Ling's eyes suddenly lit up: "Really?"

Interesting, sounds exciting!

She was so happy that she almost jumped out of her chair: "Okay, okay, come on, I want to play!"

Xia Muqing touched her chin and said, "Don't worry, it shouldn't take long. The models are ready-made, and after all, they are produced by the Yanda Research Institute. We have to prioritize our own people first."

Not to mention Xu Ling, even Xia Muqing herself was itching to do it.

The Tower of Babel has so many floors, but she has only visited one-tenth of it after jumping around. She has not experienced most of the modules. It is really a pity to think about it, both from the perspective of training and fresh adventure.

"In that case..." Xu Ling pursed her lips in confusion, her eyes sparkling. "Well, I was originally thinking of asking you what's so fun about the Tower of Babel. But if it's going to be built on campus, I won't spoil it for you. Let's keep it a bit of a mystery. By the way, Mu Qing, do you remember Lu Wenshen?"

Xia Muqing was slightly stunned.

Although I haven't heard Lu Wenshen's name for a while, when I think back now, the scene of us participating in competitions together in high school is still vivid in my mind.

She lowered her eyes and sighed, "It's only been a little over a year, why does it feel like it's been a long time?"

The Swift Dog also twitched its sensitive ears, poked its little head out of its nest, and blinked its big, dark, watery eyes: "Woo?"

Cloud beast?

Yes, it still remembers the big battle when it was a child.

Though it went through much more later, that battle was arguably its first truly tough fight, and the Cloud Beast was a formidable foe. Ordinary versus a young Divine Beast, danger perception versus teleportation—recalling it now still evokes the exhilarating feeling of being there.

"Ouch?"

How is Yuntu Beast doing now? Has it become a divine beast?

Xu Ling said with a smile, "It's almost done. It will definitely be done within two months. Lu Wenzhen asked me to say 'thank you' on his behalf."

"He said that without your initial warning and the publicly released evolutionary data, he wouldn't have been able to identify the Cloud Map Beast's evolutionary path and the necessary materials so quickly. Honestly, he's become quite impressive now, clearly the pillar of the Demon University's freshman class."

"During the final decisive battle, thanks to him and Yuan Feiyu, we were able to hold back a large group of people. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for us to break through the chain encirclement of other colleges and universities."

Xia Muqing's eyebrows curved: "You are not bad either."

"I heard that the Night King Oriole really shined in this competition. The Auspicious Cloud Beasts and the Frost Spirits dragged the match into a protracted battle, but they were only evenly matched with the sniper team. In the end, it was thanks to your little Oriole's 'Dark Night Domain' that she successfully controlled a dozen or so Mystical Beasts, and then followed up with a coordinated skill, finally securing the victory, right?"

Xu Ling covered her mouth and laughed.

"Keep a low profile, keep a low profile."

Although she said so, Xu Ling's bright smile and cheerful spirit were enough to prove that she also played a crucial role in this inter-school competition with many climaxes.

Xu Ling and her mysterious beast played an indispensable role in Yanda's victory in this inter-school competition.

"But Lu Wenzhen..." Xu Ling suddenly said, "I asked him why he didn't tell you directly, as he already has your contact information. He didn't say anything."

"His eyes look quite complicated. I remember he had a crush on you before? I feel like he has the same feelings towards you now, but he doesn't dare to say it anymore."

Xia Muqing: "...Ah."

Xia Muqing was a little amused and helpless.

Xu Ling touched his arm, leaned against the bed in the dormitory, and couldn't help but sigh.

In fact, as an outsider, she sees it most clearly.

Lu Wenzhen obviously had a crush on Xia Muqing a long time ago, but perhaps influenced by his family upbringing, he was too strong-willed psychologically, always holding on to ideas like "I'll go find her after I become stronger", "I'll go find her after I become a beast master", "I'll go find her after I catch up with her" and so on.

But now, the gap between the two is getting bigger and bigger, and Lu Wenzhen is probably very confused - he has tried his best to catch up with the girl he likes, but the other party's growth speed is like a rocket, and she has already left the atmosphere and can change to the next track in the blink of an eye.

Even if he tried his best, he could only become the main force in the inter-school competition of Demon University, and Xia Muqing, whom he wanted to meet in the inter-school competition, did not come at all.

Her battlefield has shifted to another dimension, the Tower of Babel, and her opponent is the nation's top beastmaster. Not only is she the pride of Yan University, she is also clearly on her way to becoming the pillar of all human beastmasters.

How can I pursue this?

So it became increasingly difficult to speak up, and even a phone call could not be broadcast. Even a "thank you" between friends had to be conveyed through Xu Ling, the middleman.

"No, Xiao Lu," Xu Ling muttered to herself, "You'll definitely be out if you act like this."

"Look at how your competitors chase girls—"

A buzzing sound was heard, and a message popped up on Xia Muqing's phone that was placed next to her.

She clicked it casually. Xu Ling glanced at it out of the corner of her eye and saw that the contact was, as expected, Cheng Zizhuo.

You Kongque and Yufei Shanhu have finally made it past the mythical beast barrier. Picture/Picture/ Do you have time to come and spar? I know a very quiet training ground on the outskirts of the city. There's also a super delicious Sichuan restaurant next door. The owner is a former adventurer, and he uses bold ingredients in his dishes, with new dishes every week! Starry Eyes.JPG]

The photo showed two beautiful and heroic beasts, looking back at the camera sideways, their aura fully radiating and full of majesty. Xia Muqing's eyes lit up as she typed furiously.

[So fast, so strong! Haha, you just congratulated my Xiao Zi on her successful evolution a few days ago, and now it's my turn to congratulate you.]

Cheng Zizhuo: It's just a fluke. I can't let you leave me behind. And after Xiao Zi evolved, she's super beautiful. My Caiyun Fairies are clamoring to take a photo with the Nether Butterfly.

New pictures have been sent - the peacock spreads its gorgeous tail screen, and the delicate feathers on its head hold up a small piece of cardboard with "Tomorrow afternoon" written on it; the fairy Caiyun is shining with colorful light next to it, her eyes are moving between her soft eyebrows, and she holds up a small wooden sign in her hand: "See you later."

This guy...

Xu Ling couldn't help but gasp in amazement, muttering softly, "They're actually using their own mysterious beast to act cute..."

The point is, who can resist the allure of being close to a beautiful and powerful mysterious beast?

Xu Ling watched as Xia Muqing, who had looked tired and slumped in her chair, almost dozing off, sat up straight. Her clear eyes sparkled, a smile of anticipation played at the corners of her lips, and she visibly perked up. The bored Nether Butterfly next to her was also overjoyed, flapping its wings and making "Ya-ya-ya" noises, shouting that it wanted to go.

Not to mention the little golden dragon and the hurricane dog.

Beauty is secondary, but a powerful new mythical beast?

Alas, wouldn’t it be great to have a few exciting fights?

“Ouch!”

Master, master, they want to go too! They've been sitting in the dormitory all day with nothing to fight about, and they're almost going crazy from being idle!

Xia Muqing was in high spirits: "Okay, okay, make an appointment."

She stood up from her seat, happily opened the wardrobe and began to pick out clothes. Although there was a huge crowd outside, Xia Muqing had mastered a new disguise technique - with the illusion of the Nether Butterfly protecting her, no one could recognize her from the crowd.

Xu Ling witnessed everything and shook his head helplessly.

There’s nothing I can do, Xiao Lu.

It seems that it is not about to be out, but it is already out.

…

For Xia Muqing, spending time with Cheng Zizhuo was also a rare moment of relaxation. After all, among her peers, it was hard to find someone who could barely keep up with her thinking and pace.

Even Guan Yun and Xue Yao, who were graduated beast masters several years ahead of her, couldn't help but complain during private discussions, saying that Xia Muqing's growth rate was so fast that it seemed like she had cheated, and that she would be left far behind if she wasn't careful.

"I really don't dare to slack off for even a moment," Guan Yun once lamented. "Even if I haven't seen you for just five or six days, it feels like you've jumped several levels. Anyone with less talent or less diligence wouldn't even be able to catch up with you."

When they said this, a competition between them had just ended. The Light Realm Frog was lying on the ground with a dazed look on his face, looking at the high dome, tears streaming down his face without a word.

"Quack!"

So strong, the Nether Butterfly is so strong!

Why? It’s a divine beast after all, so why does it feel like no one can defeat it?

Gilded Sky Dragon, Leviathan Beast, Nether Butterfly, Wind Luo Lord... Ahh ...

Canglang Jiao, who had also been abused and was lying on the ground gasping for breath, said: "???"

Are you polite?

In comparison, although Cheng Zizhuo is younger than the two of them, he is absolutely gifted in taming beasts.

The next afternoon, Xia Muqing saw You Kongque and Yufei Shanhu, who had become divine beasts, in the VIP battle room of the training ground on the outskirts of the city. Although they had just been promoted to divine beasts, the aura emanating from the two mysterious beasts was very powerful, and was no less powerful than the veteran divine beasts Xia Muqing had seen.

“Isn’t this what it means to accumulate strength and then burst forth?”

Xia Muqing knew that with Cheng Zizhuo's intelligence and the abundant resources at his disposal, it would not be difficult to raise the two already excellent mysterious beasts to the divine beast level.

But he remained silent, honing his skills repeatedly in the alien space, and solidifying his foundation over and over again - even though he wanted to catch up with Xia Muqing as soon as possible, he did not rush for quick success.

Therefore, at this moment, the promotion of the two mysterious beasts was a natural result. The momentum they rushed towards was very powerful. Their beautiful appearance and extremely strong power were integrated into one, which was a level that every beastmaster would sincerely admire upon seeing it.

Cheng Zizhuo stood by with one hand in his pocket, looking like he had been waiting for a while.

Seeing Xia Muqing coming over, a happy smile appeared on his face. He walked over and handed her a cup of iced milk tea that he had been holding in his hand.

It has a refreshing jasmine flavor, with a cool and refreshing tea aroma. Take a sip on a hot summer day, and the coolness spreads all the way along the throat, which is enough to dispel the heat brought by the weather.

The two of them didn't start fighting right away.

As soon as Xia Muqing arrived, Fairy Caiyun tactfully coaxed the Nether Butterfly aside to take a photo. The Gilded Sky Dragon jumped lively to join in. The Swift Dog was the calmest one, but it tilted its head to glance at its beastmaster a few times, then suddenly took a step forward with its short legs, ran away briskly, and joined the playfulness of the other mysterious beasts.

Xia Muqing and Cheng Zizhuo sat down beside the venue, drinking milk tea and chatting. The weather was beautiful, the sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight poured in through the glass windows on the side of the dome, like a golden waterfall or brilliant clouds.

"Can you tell me about the situation in the 'Tower of Babel'?" Cheng Zizhuo's eyes sparkled. "I'm really curious. It's such a large-scale project, my brother must have been involved - but he didn't tell me about it. How despicable."

Xia Muqing didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "You've been to the real District 13 several times, and you're still curious about this replica?"

Cheng Zizhuo shook his head and explained very seriously, "It's different. There are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand readers, and there are a thousand different District 13s among a thousand adventurers."

Xia Muqing covered her mouth with her hands while laughing: "What a twisted logic."

Having said that, she still started from the very beginning of the game and told Cheng Zizhuo what happened one by one.

Cheng Zizhuo listened very carefully, and even clenched his milk tea cup tightly when he heard about the dangerous moment. He looked very nervous.

"It's all over. At least we finally got Xu Feiying his comeuppance." Xia Muqing asked curiously, "But, you must have encountered similar things a lot in the real District 13, right?"

"Can you also tell me the story of the adventuring group?"

Cheng Zizhuo blinked: "Adventure Group..."

He had a lot of experiences during this period, so he picked out a few wonderful stories and told them to Xia Muqing.

What about luring the tiger away from the mountain right under the nose of the Dark Beast King, accidentally bumping into the owner returning to the nest while picking precious materials, being trapped in the desert and lacking supplies...

Xia Muqing was also terrified when she heard this, but the storyteller always downplayed it. Cheng Zizhuo laughed as he spoke, "Looking back on it now, it was really exciting. Do you think I should write a memoir when I have time?"

"No, I can't call it a memoir. It makes me look too old-fashioned. I might as well just write it as an online novel. Reality often feels stranger than the author's imagination."

Xia Muqing was quite worried: "It's better to be cautious. No matter what, safety comes first."

After hearing Cheng Zizhuo's stories, she felt uneasy and a little nervous for some reason.

...Oh, by the way, the other party should have been in the same mood as her just now?

So what is tense is not the event, but the people who encounter the event. Just like now, the two people don’t actually want to hear new stories, they just want to know each other’s recent situation and talk more and more.

"Come to think of it, the Alien Secret Realm is also in Area 13, right?"

Xia Muqing asked, "The 'Thorny Road' adventure group has carried out so many dangerous missions. Has they ever come into contact with that area?"

When mentioning the "Heavenly Secret Realm", Cheng Zizhuo's expression gradually became serious.

"No, not once."

Knowing Xia Muqing would eventually visit the "Different Element Secret Realm," Cheng Zizhuo had already planned to help her investigate the area. However, he had been a member of the "Path of Thorns" adventure group for quite some time, and had been in and out of Area 13 several times, but he had never encountered any areas or mysterious beasts related to the "Different Element Secret Realm."

Strangely enough, even if he followed the maps left by his predecessors, he would only end up entering other realms as the chaotic spacetime of Area 13 faded. The "Different Element Secret Realm" was like a blank slate carved out of a map, a hidden place completely carved out from the terrain.

"I'm not the only one in this situation. Even adventurers who have contracted powerful perceptive beasts have never found the Alien Secret Realm," Cheng Zizhuo explained in detail. "So adventurers generally believe that within the Alien Secret Realm there must be a Space-Time Beast King of exceptional attainments, capable of independently creating and supporting a space, hiding it from the world."

"Without the permission of the mysterious beast within, there is no way to find that space. So, on the other hand, I want to wait for you to enter the secret realm. If you don't get permission, you may not be able to leave."

"This might be one of the contents of the assessment."

At this point, Cheng Zizhuo's expression became even more serious: "Be sure to be careful... The last time a human beastmaster entered the Alien Secret Realm was seven years ago, so their experience is completely useless as a reference. The alien space changes every day, and I don't know what happened during this period."

"Furthermore, over the past period of time, I've clearly sensed an increase in the number of profound beasts hostile to humans within the alien dimension. Even maps can't be completely trusted—some previously neutral areas may have been subjugated by the Dark Beast Kings, becoming accomplices in their efforts to deceive humanity."

"We've encountered something similar before... If those mysterious beasts hadn't been so bad at acting, allowing us to see through the clues, I wouldn't be sitting here chatting with you right now. Alas, at times like this, I really envy Lord Feng Luo. 'Danger Sense' has so much room to play in the alien space, and so does the Nether Butterfly's 'Emotion Sense'; they're both powerful weapons."

Hearing Cheng Zizhuo's heavy words, Xia Muqing nodded with lingering fear.

Although it was just a few words, the sense of danger almost overflowed from between the lines. Just thinking about the scene was enough to make people terrified - after finally finding a safe area to rest, it turned out to be an ambush set by the enemy long ago. How severe a battle would it be to break out of there?

"...No wonder You Kongque and Yufei Shanhu grew so fast and had such a strong aura," Xia Muqing murmured softly, "They also fought through the dangers of the alien space all the way to achieve this."

She looked at the two heroic beasts not far away. In addition to admiration, she also gradually felt a desire to fight.

"Come on, come on, wanna spar?"

Cheng Zizhuo stood up from his seat with great energy and said with a loud laugh, "Okay."

The two called back the playful beasts. Since both sides had three contracted beasts each, they simply engaged in a 1v1 fight. Then, at Cheng Zizhuo's suggestion, they engaged in a 3v3 brawl and a 2v2 team battle. By the end, both sides were exhausted and the sky gradually darkened.

All in all, Xia Muqing's side is still better - after all, Feng Luo Lord's space skills, the Gilded Sky Dragon's 'disorder' and 'gravity field', and the Nether Butterfly's spirit and recovery ability are too abnormal.

But You Kongque and Yufei Coral are also very powerful. You Kongque has a powerful charm skill that is no less powerful than the Nether Butterfly's "Entering the Dream". When it spread its wings, it almost made the Gilded Sky Dragon lose its way; and Yufei Coral's magical skill "Jade Tower" also opened Xia Muqing's eyes. When the skill was performed, a mirage-like carved railings and painted pillars appeared in the air, and the heavenly soldiers and generals rushed towards them with the axe of creation in their hands, like giants standing tall. When the axe chopped down, it rolled up a whistling hurricane, and even the space was faintly shaken.

Even though Lord Feng Luo was faster, the axe almost hit the tip of its tail. At the end of the battle, a small tuft of snow-white hair slowly fell from the air.

Lord Feng Luo: “……!”

It was a close call, I almost became a bald dog!

So, in the end, although Xia Muqing's side won, the three mysterious beasts looked at their opponents with different eyes than they did at the beginning. Through the beautiful appearances of You Kongque and Yu Fei Shanhu, they seemed to see the surging power secretly dormant within their petite bodies.

Not only strength, but also super reaction ability and ruthlessness in battle... Several mysterious beasts realized that even though they were both adventurers who had traveled through different spaces, Cheng Zizhuo who was in District 13 was obviously stronger than Ji Hong and others.

There is no false reputation under a great name.

Xia Muqing was also very satisfied with the result of this competition. It was good to put some pressure on the three little ones, so that they wouldn't become too complacent and gradually lose their vigilance.

Especially now that the "Alien Secret Realm" is about to open, if it is really as Cheng Zizhuo said, then they may face another tough battle.

After all, if you don't show some real skills, why would the other party hand over the carefully raised divine beast cubs to humans?

…

More than ten days after the battle with Cheng Zizhuo, the official website of the Beastmaster Association released the rankings of the final selection competition.

Xia Muqing was undoubtedly the champion, but she was surprised to see familiar faces like Guan Yun and Xue Yao also on the list. Besides them were Uncle Xiong and Ji Hong. Xue Yao was last among the five, a stroke of luck; otherwise, if Xu Feiying hadn't been eliminated, he would have missed the cut.

The release of the list undoubtedly sends a signal to the outside world:

The mysterious realm of alien world is about to open!