C15 Surrounding

"Hey, have you heard? Hu Wang is about to enter a Life And Death Battle with someone!"

"With whom? Hu Wang may not be the strongest in Green-mount Town, but he's far from the weakest. Even Lu Yi Xiu, our strongest, might hesitate to clash with Hu Wang, let alone engage in a Life And Death Battle!"

"Has it really been years since we've seen anything like this in Green-mount Town?"

The spectators buzzed with excitement, all eager to find out who Hu Wang would be dueling. Stepping into the arena meant his adversary was certainly a Demonic Pet Master!

Green-mount Town's Demonic Pet Masters were well-known; none were without renown. Many had gathered resources to secure Bloodline Spirit Talismans for their heirs, so there were quite a few young Demonic Pet Masters around. But each year, only a handful of new Demonic Pet Masters emerged, and many were sent to the Demonic Spirit Academy in Flame City. The crowd hadn't considered the younger Demonic Pet Masters; they figured anyone brave enough to take on Hu Wang would at least be one of the town's most formidable guards.

Soon, the sun climbed high, signaling the start of the Demonic Pet Master's Life And Death Battle. According to the unwritten rules, if one contender arrived, the other must also make it within the set time, or else they would be deemed to have forfeited.

Hu Wang surveyed the onlookers with a piercing gaze, exuding an air of authority.

Among the town's Demonic Pet Masters, the most formidable was Hui Wenyao, captain of the Demonic Spirit Squad. He possessed a rare Demonic Pet, the Great Strength Diamond Ape, with a power level of Bronze Grade 7, making him the unrivaled top warrior in Green-mount Town!

Remarkably, despite his strength, Hui Wenyao had not founded his own family. An orphan and a lone wolf, he had earned the mayor's deep respect. By aligning with the mayor's faction, Hui Wenyao ensured the mayor's lineage could continue to dominate several terms in office without fear of rising threats from smaller families.

Hui Wenyao made his appearance, standing atop a majestic purple Thunder Bird. This second Demonic Pet of his was an exceedingly rare combination of Thunder-type and Beast-type Demonic Beast. An adult Thunder Bird boasted at least a Bronze Grade 8 level, with some even having the potential to reach the Silver-level as a Demonic Beast.

Despite the Thunder Bird's current strength being at Bronze Grade 5, it still turned the Demonic Pet Masters green with envy. This indicated that with a few years and the right resources, Hui Wenyao could acquire a second Vice Pet as formidable as the Great Strength Diamond Ape. In time, he might even outstrip the town mayor in power!

"Why did he have to show up..."

Hu Wang scowled at the sight of Hui Wenyao. He despised this man more than anyone and felt a tinge of fear. Hu Wang's abilities paled in comparison to Hui Wenyao's; he was utterly outclassed!

During a previous excursion to Phoenix Nest Mountain to train their Demonic Pets, Hu Wang had been soundly defeated by Hui Wenyao, and his Blood Wolf nearly perished. If not for his brother Hu Liang stepping in, he would have been history!

What caught Hu Wang's eye, though, were the two individuals accompanying Hui Wenyao, who stood beside a luxurious carriage. Only Mayor Shan Yuanxu and the enforcer from Flame City would warrant such protection from Hui Wenyao.

"Why hasn't that kid shown up yet? Has he gotten scared and run off?"

Hu Wang grew increasingly restless. If it weren't for his wariness of the enforcer, he would have already fed that brat to his Blood Wolf!

Inside the carriage, a middle-aged man clad in fine black armor curiously observed the scene outside. "Mayor Xu, it seems there's quite a stir in your Green-mount Town... A Life And Death Battle..."

Shan Yuanxu, however, was visibly annoyed, his frown deepening as he glared at Hu Wang in the distance. He had explicitly ordered that no mischief occur in the days leading up to the Flame City's performance review, and yet this fool had the audacity to engage in a Life And Death Battle at such a crucial time!

Regardless of the outcome, the deceased would be one of Green-mount Town's strongest, overseen by Shan Yuanxu himself, effectively a slap in the face in front of the enforcer.

"Unbelievable! This reckless fool!"

Shan Yuanxu's expression grew stormy, while the enforcer allowed a subtle smile to flicker across his face as he watched the arena intently.

As the crowd grew restless with impatience, a young man casually made his way through them and began to ascend the steps to the platform.

In a flash, all eyes were on him, revealing faces filled with confusion, astonishment, and disbelief.

"Seriously? This teenager is Hu Wang's opponent? Has Hu Wang lost his mind? He's actually picking on a kid!"

"Quiet down and think before you speak. This is the Life And Death Battle platform, reserved for duels between Demonic Pet Masters. It's not a place just anyone can step onto. Didn't you notice the barrier designed to prevent energy leaks didn't stop him?"

Many quickly realized that the barrier served not only to protect spectators from the combatants' unleashed energy but also as a test. Anyone lacking the Spiritual Energy of the Spiritual Mist Stage would be barred entry. This meant the youth either possessed a Spiritual Energy at the Spiritual Mist Stage or, like Hu Wang, had a Demonic Pet and was a Demonic Pet Master.

Chen Wu stepped onto the stage, his gaze steady as he faced Hu Wang, whose eyes had turned both eager and sinister. With a composed air, he remarked, "Perfect timing. I didn't expect you to be so eager to meet your maker. You've waited long enough. Are you ready to depart?"

Chen Wu's words, a mix of jest and brimming with an almost unbelievable arrogance and confidence, left everyone dumbfounded.

"Am I hearing this right? This kid is planning to send Hu Wang packing?"

Not just the onlookers, but even a group of Demonic Pet Masters were taken aback by Chen Wu's boldness.

Indeed, he was brash with youth, speaking without a hint of self-awareness. His arrogance lacked any real sense of self-knowledge; it was pure folly.

From the moment Chen Wu stepped onto the scene, the consensus was that he wouldn't be leaving alive today. Some were even looking forward to seeing the Blood Wolf tear the young man to shreds.

"Is this the promising talent you were talking about?"

Hui Wenyao, astride his Thunder Bird, landed on a distant rooftop, with Loong Yang at his side, arms crossed and exuding an air of nonchalance.

Both being independent cultivators without the backing of any family, they had naturally formed a strong bond. With one recognized as the undisputed best in Green-mount Town and the other ranking in the top five, neither was to be trifled with. Provoking one meant provoking both, making them the most formidable pair of Demonic Pet Masters in all of Green-mount Town.

Loong Yang was unusually earnest as he remarked, "The kid's only sixteen, yet not only does he have a swift Demonic Pet, his Iron-feather Eagle has reached Grade 2. I even have a hunch that the Iron-feather Eagle's presence might be more formidable than that of a Blood Wolf! Keep in mind, this boy has no powerful support, just a Bloodline Spirit Talisman from the Qin Family in Flame City."

"It's such a shame. If the lad makes it through, he's a shoo-in for one of the five openings at Green-mount Town's Primary Demonic Pet Academy this year."

"Hehe, that's not a given. How about we place a wager on it?"