Chapter 67 Chapter 67 "Defending and Attacking the Ring"
Three days later, in the early morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten, and the Fifth Beastmaster Academy team was ready to go.
Five huge airships were like silent giant beasts, hovering in the sky above the Fifth Beast Taming Academy.
The streamlined boat shone with silver light, and the emblem of the Fifth Beast Taming Academy was engraved on both sides of the boat. Three animal heads representing the academy surrounded a sword and a shield.
Jiang Qing stood in the square, looking up at this magnificent creation, and couldn't help feeling a little shocked.
This was the first time she saw a large flying vehicle other than an animal cart.
It's obvious that this boat is used on the ocean. Of the five major academies, only Lanyuan, where the First Beast Taming Academy is located, has an ocean that can accommodate this type of transportation.
"Stop daydreaming and come up quickly!" Zhao Peng, who had already boarded the airboat, called out to her loudly at the gangway.
Jiang Qing withdrew his gaze, patted Zhu Tianba, and followed the crowd onto the gangway.
Hundreds of team members boarded the ship in an orderly manner under the organization of the team leader and senior students.
The interior of the airship is much more spacious than it appears from the outside. It is divided into different areas, and it is obvious that space expansion technology has been used.
The school team members followed the instructions and found their seats.
Zhu Tianba and other large spirit pets were placed in a special spirit pet cabin, and were taken care of by special crew members.
With a low humming sound, the airship slowly rose into the air. The academy below quickly shrank and was eventually obscured by the clouds.
There was no excitement in the cabin as one might have imagined.
The Five Colleges scrimmage is held once a year. Many people present were not participating for the first time. Most of the team members took the opportunity to rest or conduct final adaptive training.
Jiang Qing leaned against the window, looking at the rolling sea of clouds outside, and couldn't help but feel a little curious about Lan Yuan.
After about two and a half days, the speed of the airship began to decrease.
"Attention all team members, we are about to arrive at the venue of the five-college melee, the First Beast Taming College, Lan Yuan, please prepare to disembark." The calm voice of the team leader came from the radio.
Jiang Qingchao glanced out the window. The boundless blue ocean stretched to the horizon. The sunlight sprinkled on the sea, breaking into thousands of golden lights.
The huge lake is like a sapphire inlaid in the mountains. The water surface is as calm as a mirror, reflecting the sky and clouds.
In the center of the city, there is a particularly magnificent building complex that seems to be made of crystal and white jade, shining brightly in the sun.
That is the First Beast Taming Academy.
What is even more eye-catching is that dozens of platforms of different sizes are suspended in the sea outside the city.
The platforms have different structures, some simulate jungle swamps, some are pure rock arenas, and some are completely covered by transparent energy shields, and there seems to be surging sea water inside.
That place was obviously the venue for the melee among the five academies.
The airboat landed smoothly at the designated berth.
The hatch opened, and a moist and slightly salty sea breeze immediately rushed in, completely different from the dry air of the Fifth Academy.
The members of the Fifth Beast Taming Academy filed out and immediately felt the gazes of countless people.
The teams from the other four academies seemed to have arrived long ago. Wearing their respective academy uniforms, they stood in distinct areas, sizing up their new competitors.
Curiosity, scrutiny, evaluation, fighting spirit...all kinds of emotions collide silently in the air.
Jiang Qing stood first among the school team members, and Zhu Tianba naturally became smaller and ran into her arms.
The main members and the team leader in front were communicating with the staff of the First Beast Taming Academy who were in charge of this event. The school team members could only stand where they were and wait for them to finish the negotiation.
A few minutes later, Renata, who was in charge of the team, came back. She stood at the front with her back straight.
"Line up and follow me. Don't look around and maintain the style of our Fifth Academy." Renata said.
Jiang Qing immediately calmed down, led the neat school team formation behind him, followed Renata, and walked towards the rest area prepared for them by the First Academy.
Whatever they saw and heard along the way, the students from the Fifth Beast Tamer class, who came from the "countryside" to participate in the melee for the first time, secretly marveled at the strong foundation of the First Academy.
The first day is mainly for rest and adjustment, and generally no other arrangements will be made.
There will be a few days left for people from other academies to adapt to the environment of Lanyuan. The people from the First Beastmaster Academy have no control over how they adapt. Whether they wander around, visit, or even train, all are allowed.
After several days of travel, the participating teams rested for a day and were invited to a huge circular auditorium.
In the center of the auditorium is a holographic projection platform, surrounded by seats that rise gradually. Students from the five major colleges sit in different areas, forming five distinct camps.
Each area has ten positions, divided into three levels, representing: team leader, main members and substitutes.
Jiang Qing could only be forced to stand in the back area.
Everyone arrived, and a moment later, a middle-aged man wearing the dark blue instructor uniform of the First Academy and with a serious expression walked up to the central projection platform.
Her eyes swept across the entire audience like lightning, and the auditorium, which was originally filled with whispers, instantly became quiet.
"Dear students, welcome to Lanyuan." Her voice was clearly heard through the loudspeaker system, and it reached every corner. "I am Lin Yezi from the First Beastmaster Academy, and I am also the chief referee for this five-academy melee."
"Let's not waste any more time and just announce the rules of the game." Instructor Lin's work style was obviously swift and decisive. She waved her hand, and the three-dimensional images of the five suspended platforms immediately appeared on the central holographic projection table.
"This melee adopts the 'points-based plundering and defense system'. We have set up stations in five regions of the Yuncang Continent, representing five different extreme environments."
"Thirty 'arena stations' will be scattered throughout each arena. After the competition begins, each academy team will be randomly transported to a station, which will serve as their 'initial base' and receive one initial point. This base cannot be looted and is your most basic protection."
"There are two core rules: defending the ring and attacking the ring."
"Successfully occupying and defending an arena will automatically accumulate 1 point for the academy you belong to. The longer you defend the arena, the more points you accumulate for that arena."
"If you choose to attack the ring and successfully defeat the defending team and occupy their ring, in addition to gaining possession of the ring, you can also plunder half of the opponent's total points currently accumulated in the ring as an additional reward!"
As soon as the rules were announced, there was a burst of suppressed exclamations from the audience. This year's playing style was particularly different.
This means that it is not only necessary to fight for new arenas, but it is also crucial to defend the existing arenas, otherwise the points accumulated with great effort may be lost to others.
Chief Judge Lin paused briefly before continuing, "In addition, powerful wild beasts and even regional bosses will randomly spawn in each arena."
"A successful crusade will provide the entire participating team with temporary powerful attribute buffs or special items, significantly increasing their combat effectiveness."
"The spawn times and approximate locations of exotic beasts and bosses will be announced in advance via battlefield broadcasts, so please be sure to pay attention."
Jiang Qing paused and suddenly understood the significance of the prop competition.
Finally, Lin Yezi concluded, "This free-for-all will consist of five matches. After each match, each academy's points will not be reset to zero, but will continue to accumulate. After all five matches are completed, the final total points will be calculated, and the academy with the highest points will win the championship trophy of this Five-Academy Free-for-All!"
The rules are clear, the rewards are attractive, and so are the penalties.
The atmosphere in the entire auditorium suddenly became more solemn, and the air was filled with invisible smoke.
"The competition will begin in three days. All academy teams, please prepare." Head Referee Lin Yezi announced the rules and immediately dismissed the meeting. As soon as she finished speaking, a slight commotion broke out among the five previously distinct camps. Eyes darted back and forth between the academy teams, and the fighting spirit in the air grew even stronger.
Jiang Qing was just about to discuss his views on the rules with Zhao Peng beside him when he saw three figures walking straight towards the Fifth Academy.
The leading boy was wearing the silver-white uniform of the Second Beastmaster Academy. The cuffs of the uniform were embroidered with cold ice patterns, which was the iconic symbol of the Cold Sky Domain.
He stood tall and straight, his chin slightly raised, his eyes filled with undisguised scrutiny. When his gaze swept over everyone in the Fifth Academy, it was as if he was looking at some insignificant object.
"Huoqiushan, is this the strength of your Fifth Beast Taming Academy? It doesn't look that good either. You insisted on going to the Fifth Beast Taming Academy, but now you regret it." The boy looked exactly like Huoqiushan, and his eyes looked down at people when he spoke.
Huo Qiushan had a cold face and ignored him, but from the clenched fists in his hanging hands, it was not difficult to tell that he was in a bad mood.
Renata glanced at Huo Junshan coldly.
You can't do much at this time. If you start fighting, you will easily be caught by the referee and given a yellow card.
Just when everyone was at a loss as to what to do with him, a whisper came from behind.
Jiang Qing didn't notice the tense atmosphere in front of her. She whispered to Zhao Peng beside her, "Why are his clothes different from those of the main team members of the Second Beastmaster Academy?"
"Keep your voice down. Those are the clothes of their school team members. Look at what we are wearing. Isn't there a slight difference between them and the main team members?" Zhao Peng said.
Jiang Qing suddenly realized: "Then he is not even a member of the main team, how can he have the nerve to laugh at Huo Qiushan, the main substitute?"
Zhao Peng: "Who knows? Just ask for humiliation."
The two people's voices were not loud, but the people in front heard them clearly.
Renata had no time to manage the discipline of the school team members at this moment. Her breasts were feeling much more comfortable at this moment, and Huoqiu Mountain also relaxed.
Only Huo Junshan's face turned ashen in an instant, and the two members of the Second Academy behind him also showed anger.
Jiang Qing and Zhao Peng's "whispers" accurately hit his sore spot.
He is indeed a member of the school team, but not a key player.
"Hmph, sharp-tongued!" Huo Junshan suppressed his anger, snorted coldly, and turned his attention back to Huo Qiushan. "The Fifth Academy is only good at talking. Huo Qiushan, you'd better not run into me on the field, or I'll let you and your teammates know what a mistake it was to choose the Fifth Academy!"
Huo Qiushan finally raised his eyes, his gaze as cold as ice: "Are you done? If you're done, please leave. We in the Fifth Academy need to discuss tactics and don't have time to listen to the barking of losers." He deliberately emphasized the word "loser", obviously referring to the fact that Huo Junshan was not even selected as a main player.
"You!" Huo Junshan took a step forward angrily, with a faint chill emanating from his body. The ice-type spirit pet he had contracted seemed to be restless in the contract space as well.
Just then, a voice with a playful smile interrupted, "Hey, the people from the Linxiao Territory are so eager to make a presence known offstage? Are they afraid that they'll be knocked unconscious by our Lanyuan's waves when they get to the competition?"
Everyone turned around and saw several students wearing the dark blue main team uniforms of the First Beastmaster Academy walking towards them.
The leading girl was tall, with a lazy smile on her lips, but her eyes were as sharp as an eagle, and there was obvious teasing in her eyes when she glanced at Huo Junshan.
She is one of the main players of the First Academy. Obviously, as the host, she is not happy to see people from other academies making trouble on her territory.
Huo Junshan's momentum faltered slightly when he faced the people from the First Academy.
As the host and the strongest college all year round, he didn't dare to be too presumptuous.
Almost at the same time, a low, oppressive voice rang out from the other direction: "What are you arguing about? If you want to fight, let's do it in the ring. Just arguing here will only make people laugh."
The speaker was a member of the Chongyue Realm team of the Fourth Beast Control Academy.
He was burly, with bronze skin, and wore a dark green uniform. His eyes were fierce, like a dormant giant rock rhinoceros. Just standing there gave people a heavy sense of pressure.
The Fourth Academy has always had a bad reputation and is known for its ruthless methods and tough style.
As soon as he finished speaking, a voice as fiery as fire immediately retorted, "Yue Zhe, you people in the Chongyue Realm are always so 'calm'. Are you afraid that talking too much will reveal that you're not very smart?"
The people from the Third Beast Taming Academy, Zhishazhou, have arrived.
The leader was a girl with short red hair, her eyebrows flying, and her smile bright, as if she brought the sunshine of the desert, but her words were as pungent as her personality.
The team members following behind her also had burning breath, and they were obviously good at fire.
In this moment, people from the five major colleges completed their first informal "meeting" in this way.
The atmosphere in the auditorium became subtle and tense, with invisible sparks flying between the five groups of people.
The members of the school team all noticed the movement here and cast their concerned glances, but they did not dare to move without orders.
But everyone pricked up their ears, wanting to hear what was being said.
Faced with the sudden gathering of five groups of people and the almost tangible smell of gunpowder in the air, Hai Yun, the tall girl from the First Academy who was the host, restrained her lazy smile a little.
Her voice turned cold. "Everyone, this is Lanyuan, a competition venue for communication and exchange, not a place to settle personal grudges. If you have any conflicts, please leave them to the arena and let your strength speak for itself."
"Now, please go back to your area to rest and conserve your energy." Hai Yun made a gesture of invitation.
Huo Junshan snorted coldly, gave Huo Qiushan and Jiang Qing a fierce look, and left.
Students from other colleges took a look and dispersed.
There is also a rule in the competition arena that private fighting is not allowed before the game.
The atmosphere just now was so intense that everyone seemed to be holding their swords, ready to strike at the next moment.
As the host, Hai Yun gave everyone a way out, and everyone went along with it, which was the best outcome.
Yue Zhe from the Fourth Academy swept his fierce eyes across the entire audience, lingering especially on the people from the Fifth and Third Academy for a moment. The corners of his mouth formed an almost ferocious arc, and he finally left in a rage.
The red-haired girl from the Third Academy, named Yan Ling, made a face at Yue Zhe's back, and then left immediately.
As the leader of the Fifth Academy, Renata finally stepped forward and nodded slightly to Hai Yun and Yan Ling.
The brief and fierce confrontation subsided temporarily, and Renata led everyone from the Fifth Beastmaster Academy back to their rest area.
The rest area is fully equipped with facilities, even a simple tactical sand table.
Renata turned around and faced her teammates. Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears. "They've bullied you to the point of giving in, or fighting back with your fists? The choice is yours."
"But," she changed the subject, her eyes sweeping across Jiang Qing and Zhao Peng sharply, "I want to remind you that impulsiveness and empty talk are the most useless things on the field."
Renata didn't pursue the question further.
She continued, "The rules are clear: defend the ring, attack the ring, and plunder points. School team members can go back and rest now. The main players, including the substitutes, come with me. We need to refine our tactical arrangements based on the rules and what we just observed."
Renata, Ma Chengying and other main team members immediately gathered in front of a room with a sand table, and the main team members entered one after another.
At the last moment when the door closed, Jiang Qing's tense shoulders completely relaxed.
She returned to her room.
The dormitory for the school team members is a four-person room, and there are three other people in the dormitory besides her.
Jiang Qing's bed is next to the window.
Lanyuan is surrounded by the sea, and their dormitory is undoubtedly a sea view room. Jiang Qing leaned on the railing, feeling the sea breeze blowing on her face.
Zhu Tianba curled up under the windowsill and refused to come out no matter how Jiang Qing dragged him.
Jiang Qing was helpless: "You are a pig, not a cat, how can you be afraid of water?"
Zhu Tianba covered his ears tightly, buried his head deeper, and whimpered in protest, with rejection written all over his body: "No, I just don't want to!"
Jiang Qing looked at its cowardly appearance, feeling both angry and amused.
The first match was held on the sea, and the floating platforms were directly built above the waves. If Zhu Tianba was in this state, their strength would probably be greatly reduced.
Jiang Qing touched his chin and began to think.
During the next two days of adaptation, Jiang Qing did not familiarize himself with the environment of each arena or conduct high-intensity training like other team members, but spent most of his time "walking the pig".
She first took Zhu Tianba to the beach to watch the sea from afar, and refused to let go no matter how it struggled.
"Look, isn't the sea water cool? It feels very comfortable to step on." Jiang Qing forcibly dragged it to the shallow water, letting the waves gently cover its hooves.
Zhu Tianba was so frightened at first that he was shaking, his four hooves were firmly nailed to the beach, and he almost dragged Jiang Qing down.
But after a few times, I found that the cold sea water was not as scary as I had imagined, except that it was a little salty, and my tense nerves relaxed a little.
Everyone else was training, but Jiang Qing was just walking the pig.
The greater the contrast, the more attention it attracted from people in other colleges.
They were not sure whether the people from the Fifth Beast Taming Academy were really naturally relaxed, or whether this was some kind of strategy to confuse the enemy.
Jiang Qingcai had no idea what other people were thinking.
Renata and Ma Chengying both knew Zhu Tianba's strength, so after Jiang Qing explained it to them, they agreed to Jiang Qing's adaptation strategy.
"Kang Kang..." It carefully sniffed the waves with its nose, was choked, and shook its head violently, making Jiang Qing laugh.
The boat swayed gently with the waves. Zhu Tianba was so nervous that he huddled in the middle of the boat, not daring to move. His amber eyes were wide open, staring at the sea outside the side of the boat, as if some monster would jump out of it.
While rowing, Jiang Qing patiently talked to it, trying to distract it: "Tianba, look over there, a fish is jumping up! When we win the competition, I'll take you to eat Lanyuan's unique crystal fish. I heard it tastes really good..."
With her nagging and slow adaptation, Zhu Tianba's fear of water was reduced a lot. Although he still didn't like it, at least he wouldn't get stressed when he saw a large body of water.
It even tried to carefully stick its head out and look at the blurry shadows swimming underwater when the boat was stable.
Jiang Qing was very satisfied with the results of his training and rewarded Zhu Tianba with a fresh dried fish that night.
After eating the dried fish, Zhu Tianba seemed to like the taste.
......
Three days passed in a flash.
The day when the melee among the five academies officially begins finally arrives under the attention of everyone.
In the early morning, the stands of the huge circular arena were already packed with students and instructors from the five major beast taming academies, as well as some people from the public who were invited to watch the game, creating an extremely warm atmosphere.
A huge holographic screen in the air played the emblems of various colleges and silhouettes of participating teams in real time, and passionate background music echoed in every corner.
The teams from the five major academies, dressed in uniforms of different colors, stood solemnly on the transmission platform in the center of the arena like five sharp swords about to be unsheathed.
Jiang Qing stood in the Fifth Academy's school team formation and could clearly feel the gazes from all directions, some curious, some scrutinizing, and even more undisguised fighting spirit.
She took a deep breath of the salty sea breeze and gently patted Zhu Tianba, who was a little nervous at her feet.
Chief Referee Lin Yezi reappeared on the central platform and announced without further ado, "The first round of the Five-Academy Melee begins now! All teams prepare to teleport!"
As soon as he finished speaking, five huge teleportation arrays suddenly lit up on the platform, and the strong spatial energy fluctuations caused the air to distort.
Jiang Qing only felt a flash of strong light in front of his eyes, and a huge sense of weightlessness came over him, and the surrounding scene changed rapidly.
After a brief dizziness, I felt something solid under my feet, and at the same time, a damp and stuffy air mixed with the smell of humus rushed into my nostrils.
She looked around quickly.
They were teleported to a huge suspended platform that simulated an island environment.
There is only ocean around, no sailboats.
The island is not very big and can barely accommodate a hundred people if they squeeze together.
This is forcing them to expand outward and seize other islands.
"Check the status and assemble quickly!" Renata's calm voice came from the front.
The 100-man team from the Fifth Academy quickly moved towards the center.
Fortunately, the teleportation locations are centralized, so you don't have to bother gathering a team.
Renata quickly made a strategic decision in her mind and asked all the beastmasters in the team who had pets with water and detection attributes to stand up.
The most important thing now is to expand the land and solve the land occupation problem.
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