I Pick up a Lost Godhood-Chapter 56 - 54: An Unexpected Start

ROAR~~~~

With that one roar from the Red Roar, everyone felt their Elemental Power surge. The attack was indiscriminate.

And yet, Zhang Heng still charged forward, heedless of the danger.

BOOM... WHOOSH...

Before Zhang Heng could even get near the Red Roar, he was sent flying by a single swipe of its claw. A loud crash echoed in the distance. No one knew where he had landed, and for a long moment, there was no movement.

He took that blow head-on. Not even a Body Cultivator could withstand a hit like that.

"Little Cutie, you’re the best! Good boy, I’ve got a treat for you!"

Ma Tian’Er pulled out a skewer of candied fruit. The giant Red Roar shrank from its battle form, getting smaller and smaller until it became a waddling, red-furred monkey. It excitedly grabbed the skewer and began to lick it, while Ma Tian’Er smiled sweetly, petting Little Cutie’s head.

The faces of everyone from Hengshan Hall turned grim. A Spirit Beast!

And a damn ferocious one at that!

It was doubtful whether the entire Thunderlight Hall combined was worth more than this single Red Roar. And yet...

There wasn’t a Body Cultivator alive who wouldn’t want a Spirit Beast like that. The Red Roar was a natural counter to Magic, a dream come true for any Body Cultivator—especially one this powerful.

While licking its candied fruit, the Red Roar swept an icy gaze over the covetous onlookers. ’Trash like this,’ it seemed to think, ’I could kill them all with a single slap each.’

Tang Wei was stunned, a flicker of longing in his eyes. He glanced at Ma Tian’Er, and a certain person suddenly came to mind. Before Mingren could even speak, Tang Wei called out.

"Junior Sister Ma, Hengshan Hall concedes this match!"

The disciples with Wang Meng immediately burst into cheers. Zhang Xiaopang was jumping higher than anyone. "That was awesome! Little Cutie, come here and let your big bro give you a pat."

A vicious glint appeared in the Red Roar’s eyes, and Zhang Xiaopang stumbled back in fright. ’This thing has a serious murderous aura!’ he thought. ’All hundred-plus pounds of me wouldn’t survive a single hit from it.’

"Little Cutie, don’t be mean! They’re all my friends!" Ma Tian’Er said quickly. But it was obvious that aside from Ma Tian’Er, the Red Roar recognized no master. It would attack anyone who dared to provoke it.

Red Roars were known as one of the most ferocious types of Spirit Beasts, and most masters couldn’t control their murderous instincts. The fact that Ma Tian’Er could command one was a marvel in itself.

"So fierce, it’s terrifying! What part of that is ’cute’?" Master Zhang muttered, feeling like he’d lost face.

Perhaps Zhang Xiaopang’s words had provoked it, because the Red Roar suddenly lunged forward and bared its fangs, its body already starting to grow in size.

BONK...

Someone had rapped the Red Roar on the head. Ma Tian’Er froze, her heart leaping into her throat. Her Red Roar only barely listened to her commands, its ferocious nature not yet fully tamed. A gesture like that was practically an invitation to be attacked.

The Red Roar’s furious glare met Wang Meng’s eyes, but then, as if it had seen a ghost, it yelped and leaped behind Ma Tian’Er.

Wang Meng chuckled. "This little fella’s wild streak hasn’t faded yet. Xiaotian, it looks like you have a real talent for Beast Taming."

Ma Tian’Er could feel the Red Roar’s terror. She couldn’t understand why her fearless beast would be so afraid of Wang Meng. ’It must be his righteous, masculine aura,’ she thought, her heart swelling with adoration as she fell into another daze.

Zhang Liang suddenly slapped his palm. ’So it’s her!’

’No wonder she isn’t in any of the other Sub-Halls. She has no business being in a Sub-Hall in the first place! So... why is she in Thunderlight Hall?’

’Could it be that in addition to the Zhao Family, the Ma Family is also making a play for power here?’

’No, that can’t be right. Her personality doesn’t seem to fit that sort of scheme. Thunderlight Hall is already in the lead with one win and one draw!’

After it finished the candied fruit, Ma Tian’Er recalled her Red Roar. A little embarrassed, she said, "Senior Brother, please don’t laugh at me. I’m so hopeless. Little Cutie has been with me for a long time, but I still haven’t managed to tame its wild nature."

Wang Meng smiled. "It’s not your fault. That’s just how Red Roars are. When we get back, I’ll teach you a little trick that might help."

"Really?" Ma Tian’Er’s large eyes blinked in excitement. In truth, she’d been struggling with this Messenger of hers for a long time. She usually didn’t dare let it out, as she lacked the power to completely suppress it on her own.

Wang Meng chuckled and patted Ma Tian’Er on the head. "Silly girl, you’re so gullible."

A few disciples from the Beast Hall were also in the crowd, and they were just as astonished. While amateurs watch the spectacle, experts see the technique. This Red Roar was a top-tier specimen among Spirit Beasts. In their eyes, a disciple from Thunderlight Hall owning a Spirit Beast was as unbelievable as a beggar owning a mansion.

These first two matches seemed to be telling everyone that today’s Sub-Hall competition was going to be anything but ordinary.

"Huaa Wuxiong, you are only permitted to succeed. Failure is not an option!" Tang Wei commanded. Within Hengshan Hall, such words were equivalent to a death sentence.

Huaa Wuxiong grunted in acknowledgment and walked to the center of the arena, a pair of iron claws fitted over his hands.

Zhang Xiaopang eagerly leaped into the arena. The rumor was that the fighters in the middle rounds were relatively weak, and he wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"Your Master Zhang has arrived!" he declared, though he made sure to keep his distance from Huaa Wuxiong. Only an idiot of a Bow Cultivator would charge right up to his opponent.

The moment Zhang Xiaojiang brandished his Golden Silk Iron Bow, a murmur went through the crowd. One glance was enough to tell this precious bow was extraordinary; it emanated faint fluctuations of Elemental Power.

Huaa Wuxiong slammed his claws together with a sharp CLANG. "Little Fatty, a Bow Cultivator, are we? Go on, I’ll let you have the first shot!"

Zhang Xiaopang gave him a purely innocent smile. "Brother Huaa, you’re too kind! How could I possibly accept?"

The words had barely left his mouth before Zhang Xiaopang had already loosed an arrow. "But it would be even ruder to refuse your kindness!"

The Hengshan Hall disciples erupted in curses. That fatty was utterly shameless! Zhang Xiaopang was the type of person who only got more excited the more you cursed him. In his eyes, being called "shameless" was the highest form of praise. He figured he still had some way to go before reaching that pinnacle of existence, but he was trying his best.

Huaa Wuxiong, however, didn’t seem to mind. With a swift movement, he brought his claws together, deflecting every one of Zhang Xiaojiang’s rapid-fire arrows.

A cold smirk touched Tang Wei’s lips. Huaa Wuxiong practiced Shadow Claw, a Body Cultivator technique specifically designed to deal with shameless opponents like Bow Cultivators.

"My apologies, Boss," Shenn Tu said in a low voice.

Tang Wei snorted coldly. "You couldn’t even handle a single Talisman Cultivator. You’re a disgrace!"

Shenn Tu lowered his head and took a step back. He glanced at Zhou Qian, who was lying off to the side, but felt no anger. ’Eight Bursting Fire Talismans... it’s a miracle he could control them all,’ he thought. ’I was truly careless.’

Just then, a nearby disciple told him that they had already lost one match, and that a Spirit Beast had appeared. Shenn Tu now understood why his boss looked so grim. If anything else went wrong and Hengshan Hall lost the competition, it would be a complete humiliation. On top of that, the financial loss in Spirit Stones would be enormous.

But in the arena, Huaa Wuxiong calmly dealt with Zhang Xiaojiang’s barrage of arrows. Huaa Wuxiong was likely around the Fifteenth Layer, whereas Zhang Xiaojiang was only at the Eleventh Layer. However, by leveraging the advantages of a Bow Cultivator, Zhang Xiaojiang was able to maintain offensive pressure. In reality, Huaa Wuxiong could have simply overwhelmed him with his superior Elemental Power, but he seemed to have no intention of doing so.

"Arrows this slow? You’re wasting that fine bow in your hands!"

CLANG...

Huaa Wuxiong knocked another arrow aside. Sweat beaded on Master Zhang’s forehead. He’d never seen anyone just stand there and let him take free shots. ’Are my arrows really that slow?’

Huaa Wuxiong cracked a grin, clanging his iron claws together. "Little Fatty, don’t tell me you’re running out of steam? What’s the matter? If you won’t come to me, then I’m coming to you!"

(The night is long, and I can’t sleep... just sitting here waiting for your votes. Thanks, everyone!)