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On the Field.
Itâs a competition, injuries are inevitable. If youâre afraid of getting hurt, why even compete? This wasnât her fault; blame Qiao Sang for sending Ice Qiya out despite knowing it would lose.
Zhang Xueming felt the restless uproar around her and froze momentarily.
No matter how tough she tried to appear, her natural bodily reaction betrayed her.
After all, Zhang Xueming was still a child. Although more composed than her peers, she had never encountered such a situation.
On one hand, she believed she did nothing wrong. On the other, she wondered if she had gone too far by hitting an endangered beast so hard, especially in someone elseâs territory.
Should she have held back for a couple of rounds before attacking?
These conflicting thoughts robbed Zhang Xueming of the joy of victory.
---
Meanwhile, Lubao lay on the ground, covered in wounds and motionless.
A referee-certified mechanical beast floated to Lubaoâs side.
Although Qiao Sang had known Lubaoâs defeat was inevitable, seeing her lying there unmoving still made her heart sink.
Should I not have focused so much on hiding her? Maybe attacking was what Lubao wanted. She loves battling strong opponents, yet she didnât even land a single attack. Could this leave her with a psychological scar? Even though I knew she would lose, I shouldâve let her fight with everything she had, no regrets.
Steeling her emotions, Qiao Sang took a deep breath and shouted, âLubao! Can you still fight?â
Lubao felt exhausted and could barely move.
Is this it? Did I lose?
Her thoughts wandered to the time Yabao had saved her a second time.
She didnât understand,
why did Yabao rescue her even though she had always been so cold toward him?
Why do I keep struggling to catch up to Yabao, no matter how hard I train, while he sleeps through the night?
And then there was her Beastmaster.
Sheâs so gentle, even when she didnât want to see Yabao after the hearbreak. I couldnât bear to break our contract.
This is a competition. If I insist on fighting and cause her to lose, sheâll be sad⊠But I donât want to lose!
At that moment, Qiao Sangâs voice rang out again, faint but persistent.
âLubao! Can you still fight?â
The sound broke through Lubaoâs hazy consciousness, pulling her back.
Fight? Of course, I can!
The referee-certified mechanical beast, oblivious to Lubaoâs faint movement, was about to blow its whistle when a brilliant blue light suddenly erupted from Lubao.
Startled, the referee beast froze in place.
âLu!â
When the light subsided, a perfectly healed and energized Ice Qiya stood proudly in the center of the field.
The referee beast, shocked, retreated quietly.
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Qiao Sangâs heartbeat quickened with a mix of excitement and relief.
No one could understand a Beastâs condition better than its contracted Beastmaster. She hadnât expected Lubao to pull off a Healing Light in such a weakened state.
Letting Lubao fight without regrets was one thing, but witnessing her tenacity was something else entirely.
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The crowd fell silent, staring in awe at the dazzling blue figure on the battlefield.
Then, deafening cheers erupted throughout the arena.
âIce Qiya! Ice Qiya!â
âItâs a miracle! I thought it was done for, but it didnât give up!â
âDamn! How did I forget Ice Qiya is a legendary healer?â
âLook! Itâs standing again, as if nothing happened!â
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The cheers soon gave way to worry.
âIs it really okay to keep fighting? I donât want to see what happened earlier again. I nearly had a heart attack!â
âI feel the same, but when Qiao Sang called out to it, it seemed to rise with purpose. Their bond is so touching!â
âStill, this is too dangerous. Iâd surrender if I were them.â
âBut look! Ice Qiya seems ready and eager to fight!â
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On the field, Lubao stared intently at the Ice Sea Lion, her eyes filled with determination.
The Ice Sea Lion, sensing the shift, blew its fur away from its mouth and adjusted its posture, becoming more serious.
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Zhang Xuemingâs fleeting thoughts of underestimating Ice Qiya vanished entirely. She realized she had to end this quickly before Healing Light could turn the tides.
âIce Spikes!â
At her command, chilling air coalesced around Ice Sea Lion, forming dozens of sharp ice shards, each over ten centimeters long. The spikes hurtled toward Lubao.
Lubao dodged rapidly, weaving through the barrage of ice spikes.
However, the attacks didnât stop. As soon as one wave ended, another wave of spikes appeared, filling the battlefield.
Missed spikes embedded themselves into the ground, creating an increasingly hazardous terrain.
Lubaoâs movements grew sharper under the intense focus. She seemed to see the trajectory of each spike.
But as she tried to leap forward, she noticed the terrain ahead was filled with ice spikes.
The only open space was a small three-meter diameter circle around her.
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âBody Slam!â Zhang Xueming ordered.
âSea!â
With a powerful push, Ice Sea Lion launched itself high into the air, rising over twenty meters.
The ice spikes had been a setup to corral Lubao into a confined area. The open space was precisely Ice Sea Lionâs target for its devastating Body Slam, a high-tier skill with deadly force, especially against smaller opponents.
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But itâs okay
, Qiao Sang thought, analyzing the situation. Lubaoâs Water Stream Jet can change direction multiple times. As long as sheâs quick enough, she can dodge.
Just as Qiao Sang prepared to issue a command, she noticed Lubao staring upward, brimming with eagerness.
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Qiao Sang froze for a moment.
âLubao!â
Lubao turned to her, her expression serious, and let out a determined cry.
Why was my first instinct to make her dodge? Lubao clearly wants to fight backâŠ
What skill could she use to counter Ice Sea Lion?
Water Stream Jet is her strongest attack- Wait, no⊠thereâs one other.
Qiao Sang glanced at Ice Sea Lion, now a shadow against the sky. She estimated the distance, steeled her resolve, and shouted:
âIce Flower Seal!â
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