C2 The Grass Mud Horse That Had Just Displayed Its Might!

The Hunting Academy sprawled across more than ten thousand acres, standing as the heart of L City.

This prestigious institution was the alma mater of over ninety percent of the continent's Beastmasters, a symbol of glory and legacy.

Han Feng's classes were held in the outer campus, where he could only master the basics.

A melting pot of diverse backgrounds, the outer campus was home to heirs of influential families, prodigious talents, and mostly, the average Joes.

In this mix, Han Feng was less than average—publicly deemed a lost cause, with virtually no one taking him seriously.

The following day, Han Feng donned freshly laundered clothes and styled his hair with a mature flair.

"Whitey doesn't suit you. How about a more commanding name?" Han Feng mused, patting the alpaca's head as it looked on quizzically.

"Let's call you... Grass Mud Horse."

"Meh~"

The alpaca nodded with an almost human-like approval, clearly pleased with its new moniker.

"Come on, I'll take you out to strut our stuff." Han Feng eyed the slightly larger Grass Mud Horse, contemplating the day it would grow enough to serve as his mount.

The morning's free activity period was buzzing with lively chatter among the students.

As Han Feng entered, he was met with scornful stares.

Scanning the room, his gaze settled on a sleazy, towering figure.

"Shit, you got a problem with me?" Han Feng challenged.

The man, Liu Yong, was a notorious bully in the outer campus, often giving Han Feng a hard time.

Just yesterday, a minor spill while serving Liu Yong water led to a brutal beating for Han Feng.

Now, Han Feng was ready to make an example out of him.

"You deaf or just dumb, staring me down like that?"

Liu Yong shot up from his seat, swinging a heavy hand at Han Feng.

To his surprise, Grass Mud Horse sprang into action, dousing Liu Yong with a spit to the face that sent him tumbling.

Without giving Liu Yong a chance to recover, Han Feng declared, "Let's end this feud today. If you're man enough, meet me at the school's martial field for a duel!"

The school martial field was the arena for student showdowns, where personal disputes and spirit beast battles were settled with no repercussions for accidents.

"You must be out of your mind to challenge me. Think you can outsmart me? Fine, I'll end that pathetic alpaca of yours today!"

Liu Yong accepted the challenge, his lips curling into a savage sneer.

"Is Han Feng out of his mind? Liu Yong's spirit beast is a level 10 flame frog, a premium one at that. It'll obliterate that alpaca in one hit!"

"Only a fool would bet on Han Feng now. His spirit beast is as good as done."

"Who cares, really? I'm just here for the entertainment."

The crowd had written Han Feng off, eagerly anticipating the spectacle as if it were a circus show.

At the Martial Arts Practice Field, Han Feng stood nonchalantly on the circular stage, hand casually tucked in his pocket.

Behind him, Grass Mud Horse lay sprawled out, devoid of its usual stage fright.

Feeling a bit weary, Han Feng settled into a cross-legged sit.

"Gained the lazy trait from Han Feng. Experience +100."

Sitting just wasn't cutting it, so he opted to lie down instead.

Han Feng propped his head on his hand and stretched out, legs crossed in a leisurely pose.

"Gained lazy trait from Han Feng, Experience +200."

Han Feng's antics sparked a buzz among the onlookers.

"Weren't you all fired up a minute ago? Why flop down as soon as you hit the stage? Don't tell me you're too scared to stand?"

A chorus of jeers rose from the students.

"Why not just kneel before me and save yourself a beating?" Liu Yong taunted as he stepped onto the stage, a cold smirk on his face.

"All this blather is a waste of time," Han Feng retorted, too indifferent to even glance at him, exuding an air of nonchalance.

"How dare you!"

Liu Yong seethed with each jab thrown his way.

He couldn't fathom Han Feng's sudden arrogance, but it hardly mattered. A dog's bark, no matter how menacing, was just that—a bark. A good beating would set it straight.

Liu Yong pulled a crystal-like object from his pocket—a spiritual pet treasure, akin to the Poké Balls of the magical world.

A spiritual beast stored inside would enter a restorative state, ensuring peak condition upon release—a handy and practical tool, albeit prohibitively expensive for the average person.

"Arise, Flame Frog!"

With Liu Yong's melodramatic call to arms, the spiritual pet treasure burst into brilliance, and a frog engulfed in red flames leapt up. It shot a warning blaze into the sky before landing at Liu Yong's side, eyes gleaming fiercely, awaiting its master's command.

The Flame Frog, a pricey acquisition of Liu Yong's, was a behemoth twenty times the size of a normal frog, its skin a fiery red, slick as if slathered in hot sauce, with flames dancing across its surface.

"He's plump enough; barbecued, he'd probably taste great," Han Feng mused earnestly.

"Stubborn to the bitter end!" Liu Yong's veins throbbed. He was about to teach Han Feng a lesson when a sly idea struck him. His eyes gleamed as he proposed with a grin,

"Plain fighting's dull. Since you're so confident, how about we raise the stakes? You in or out?"

"I'm in. If I lose, do as you will. But if you lose, just crawl under my spiritual beast's belly."

"You think you can take me? I'll have your pathetic spiritual beast roasted whole in no time!"

With a commanding gesture, Liu Yong signaled the Flame Frog to attack.

The Flame Frog sprang up, its belly ballooning as it targeted the alpaca.

A fireball the size of a basin hurtled toward the alpaca, its intense heat warping the air around it.

A direct hit would surely strip the alpaca of its skin.

Ten meters, five, three... The red fireball roared through the air, a grim reaper's scythe seeking its quarry.

Yet the alpaca stood unfazed. As the fireball closed to within a meter, it yawned lazily.

Tui!

With a nonchalant spit, the alpaca doused the ferocious fireball, dropping jaws all around.

"How can this be?" Liu Yong's disbelief was palpable. He bellowed in fury, "Use the Blade of Flames and burn it alive!"

Upon receiving its command, the Flame Frog's body expanded significantly, and instead of fireballs, it unleashed dozens of sharp blades formed from flames.

Faced with his opponent's powerful move, Han Feng didn't miss a beat. With a snap of his fingers, he summoned the newly acquired skill, "Seventh Army Flood." A water column, three times thicker than an adult's thigh, erupted from the grass mud horse's mouth. The fiery blades met their match upon contact with the water, quickly fading before vanishing altogether.

Yet, the water column persisted, blasting the Flame Frog with the force of a high-pressure fire hose.

Weakened by the deluge, the Flame Frog plummeted to the ground.

Seizing the moment, the grass mud horse launched a water arrow, propelling the Flame Frog out of the arena.

As per the rules, a spiritual pet's exit from the ring meant instant defeat.

Liu Yong was soundly beaten.

Han Feng reclined in victory, the pressure nonexistent.

The grass mud horse approached Liu Yong, struck a comical pose, and let out a couple of bizarre cries. It was a clear signal for him to uphold their wager and crawl beneath its belly...