Chapter 154: The Beast Battle Begins, Nine-Headed Beast’s Might Unleashed!
Two stunning women stood on the central stage of the beast arena, their presence tense and confrontational. Their spiritual beasts were already prepared, coiled with power and ready to attack at any moment.
“I heard you’re Lin Qi’an’s ex-fiancée?” Lin Liuli began casually, breaking the silence. Instead of initiating the battle, she seemed more interested in starting a conversation.
“What are you trying to say?” Zhao Yunji’s beautiful face turned cold, her displeasure evident. She couldn’t fathom why such a topic would arise at this time.
“Oh, nothing much,” Lin Liuli replied with a sly smile. “I was just curious—was it you who ended the engagement, or was it him?”
The question hit the audience like an explosion.
“Holy crap! I’ve always been curious about that too!”
“The Crown Prince and the Princess seemed like a match made in heaven! One is an unparalleled prodigy, and the other is the most beautiful woman in the Canglan Dao Domain. Why did their engagement fall apart?”
“Yeah, I’ve been wondering about that for ages!”
“Haha, this drama is better than the fight itself! I’m loving this!”
The crowd roared with excitement, their cheers and gossip filling the arena. Only these two remarkable women could draw such a frenzy of attention.
Lin Qi’an: …
Aren’t Taoist cultivators supposed to be detached from worldly affairs? Why is this Taoist nun so obsessed with gossip?
Meanwhile, Zhao Yunji stood speechless. Admitting the truth—that Lin Qi’an had been the one to annul the engagement—would be a humiliation she couldn’t endure. Her face flushed with a mix of shame and anger.
“Enough with the nonsense—let’s fight!” she snapped.
With that, her Spirit Phoenix took to the skies, its fiery wings illuminating the arena. Lin Liuli’s Celestial Crane followed, its elegant figure soaring gracefully into the air. The opening match proved to be a visual spectacle, captivating the audience with its sheer beauty.
Zhao Yunji, who originally wasn’t overly concerned about winning, now fought with all her might. She couldn’t afford to lose—not today, not here. This was about pride, not just victory.
In the end, Zhao Yunji’s Spirit Phoenix triumphed. As a beast imbued with the fortune of the Celestial Dynasty, its strength was unmatched.
“Zhao Yunji wins!” the host announced.
Lin Liuli, though defeated, showed no disappointment. Beast battles weren’t her forte, and she had already secured solid points in the first round. As long as she performed decently in the third round, her qualification would be assured.
“Well fought,” Lin Liuli said calmly before leaving the stage.
Zhao Yunji coldly hummed in response, leading her Spirit Phoenix away with an air of pride.
—
As the matches continued, the atmosphere grew more intense. The audience’s cheers became deafening as they eagerly anticipated the next match.
“Lin Qi’an versus Li Xuan!”
The announcement sent waves of excitement rippling through the crowd. One was the Crown Prince of Beiyang, the son of the Sword Emperor. The other was the personal disciple of the Blade Emperor.
These two legendary figures had once been rivals and allies, their history rife with stories of battles and even rumored romantic entanglements. Now, their successors would face off in a battle that carried the weight of their masters’ legacies.
The audience erupted in frenzied cheers, their support overwhelmingly in favor of Lin Qi’an. His dazzling performance in the first round had brought glory to the Canglan Dao Domain, earning him widespread admiration.
However, there were plenty rooting against him as well, including enemies from factions like the Xiling Divine Temple and the Kui Dragon Clan of the Tianhai Dao Domain.
Finally, the two contestants entered the arena.
Lin Qi’an appeared first, his white robes as pristine as freshly fallen snow.
His handsome features and composed demeanor radiated a natural charm that left the crowd awestruck. Female cultivators screamed with excitement, their voices rising in waves across the arena.
“If the Canglan Dao Domain had a ranking for male cultivators, the Crown Prince would definitely be number one!”
“That’s a great idea! Women have the Fairy List, so why not a ranking for men?”
“I’ll vote for the Crown Prince on behalf of all my junior and senior sisters!”
“Keep dreaming! The Crown Prince would never notice you.”
“So what? Can’t I admire him from afar? Crown Prince, go get them!”
In contrast, Li Xuan’s entrance drew far less admiration. His rugged appearance and wild demeanor, a product of his upbringing in the mountains, lacked the refinement expected of a cultivator of his status.
He paid little attention to social etiquette or decorum, further souring the audience’s perception.
“Isn’t Li Xuan the one who tried to sabotage the Crown Prince in the first round by luring a ferocious beast to attack him?”
“As the Blade Emperor’s disciple, he stooped to such disgraceful tactics. What a joke!”
“Exactly! Someone like him doesn’t deserve to win against the Crown Prince. Just get off the stage!”
The crowd’s boos and jeers filled the air, but Li Xuan’s expression remained unfazed. Instead, he smirked coldly, his eyes gleaming with defiance.
‘Mock me all you want. Soon, I’ll slap every one of your faces until they swell. Just wait.’
“Contestants, summon your beasts,” the host commanded.
With a thunderous roar, the ground trembled as both fighters prepared to unleash their battle beasts. The stage was set for an explosive confrontation.
With deep, heavy steps, the Grand Mystic Spirit Bull entered the arena. Its iron hooves stomped the ground, leaving behind deep pits with each stride. The crowd, momentarily stunned by the beast’s immense size and presence, fell silent, their jeers at Li Xuan momentarily forgotten.
“That’s the Grand Mystic Spirit Bull… and it’s at the peak of the Celestial Realm! I can’t believe Li Xuan managed to subdue such a powerful beast!”
“Indeed! This creature is of ancient lineage, and its dual horns are renowned for their unparalleled destructive power. A direct collision could overwhelm even a Dao Transformation expert!”
“Still, there’s no need to worry. The Crown Prince’s beast will surely be even more terrifying. Just look at that Nine-Headed Beast that pulls his carriage—how imposing!”
“Exactly! Just wait until we see the Crown Prince’s beast!”
The audience’s anticipation soared as Lin Qi’an prepared to summon his battle beast. With a simple motion, his Nine-Headed Beast emerged… except it wasn’t the fearsome creature they expected.
Instead, what appeared was a miniature, snow-white version of the legendary beast. Its nine adorably curious heads scanned the surroundings, resembling nothing more than a playful pet.
Compared to the towering Grand Mystic Spirit Bull, this tiny creature was thousands of times smaller. The stunned silence from the audience quickly turned into confused murmurs.
“Wait… what is this?”
“The Crown Prince’s chosen beast… is *this*?”
“I’ve never seen anything like it! Master, is this an ancient beast?”
“Uh… I’ve never seen anything like it either,” replied a bewildered elder.
“Are we sure this little thing can even participate in a beast battle? This has to be a joke, right?”
The audience wasn’t alone in their confusion. Even those who knew Lin Qi’an well were baffled, completely unable to make sense of his choice. Only a select few, such as his personal maids, seemed to understand the situation.
Zhao Qingmeng: What is that?
Zhao Yunji: It’s so cute… I really want to find a chance to hug it!
Mo Shuiqiu & Lu Miaoyin: Isn’t that the Nine-Headed Beast that pulls his carriage? When did it turn into this adorable form?
Lin Hongyu: Sister, do you know what kind of beast this is? I want one too!
Lin Liuli: I don’t know… but what’s that brat up to? Has he given up?
Among them, Lu Weishuang was especially furious. She had given Lin Qi’an the Essence of Ten Thousand Beasts, a rare and powerful treasure, specifically to enhance his performance in the beast battle.
If used correctly, it could significantly evolve a beast’s power. Yet now, it seemed Lin Qi’an had no intention of competing seriously.
“Such a waste!” she fumed.
In the VIP section, the gathered Emperors and Saints were equally perplexed.
“Lin Weixuan, we can’t figure out what your son is up to. What’s his plan here?”
“Hehe,” Lin Weixuan chuckled awkwardly.
Don’t ask me—I can’t figure him out either.
Meanwhile, Gu Jingyun, Li Xuan’s master, was in high spirits. No matter the reason for Lin Qi’an’s odd choice, a victory here would restore some of his dignity.
The crowd gradually reached a consensus: Lin Qi’an wasn’t taking this round seriously. Given his strong performance in the first round, he had likely secured enough points to qualify for the Forbidden Land expedition.
This round seemed to be a throwaway, allowing him to forfeit without consequences. Disappointed murmurs filled the arena.
“Looks like the Crown Prince is just messing around this round.”
“Yeah, the second round is a write-off. The Tianhai Dao Domain folks will probably dominate this time.”
“Well, I guess I’ll leave after this match and come back for the third round when the Crown Prince actually tries.”
With the crowd assuming Lin Qi’an would lose, the battle officially began.
“Charge!” Li Xuan commanded.
The Grand Mystic Spirit Bull pawed at the ground before launching itself forward like a massive war chariot. Its dual horns glowed with blade intent, amplifying its already terrifying destructive power.
The beast charged with supersonic speed, leaving a trail of yellow sand and roaring winds in its wake.
“This… this is going to be a killing blow!”
“How could he aim to kill the Crown Prince’s beast when it’s clearly so small?”
The audience gasped in shock, many covering their eyes to avoid witnessing the seemingly inevitable slaughter of Lin Qi’an’s tiny beast.
But in the next moment, the Nine-Headed Beast leaped gracefully into the air, its nine fluffy heads working in perfect unison. With a quick flick of its tail, it met the charging bull head-on.
Boom!
The impact created a shockwave that swept across a radius of ten miles. The Grand Mystic Spirit Bull’s supposedly indestructible horns shattered instantly, and its massive body was flung through the air like a cannonball, crashing into the ground and leaving a deep crater.
The arena fell silent. Not a single sound could be heard as the spectators stared in stunned disbelief. The once-dominant Grand Mystic Spirit Bull now lay motionless, utterly defeated.
The tiny Nine-Headed Beast stood unscathed, its nine heads swaying innocently, as if wondering why everyone had gone so quiet.
The crowd could only stare, slack-jawed, as the realization dawned—Lin Qi’an’s seemingly innocuous beast wasn’t just adorable; it was a monster in disguise.