Chapter Thirty-Six

Cheng Yuan said to the little tiger, “Go up, keep striking.”
“Roar?”
“You don’t need to break the earthen wall.”
The little tiger nodded to show it understood, and as before, Wind Companion intensified the flames, striking for several minutes. When Cheng Yuan called the little tiger back, it looked confused, tilting its head at him. Cheng Yuan offered no elaborate explanation, only a single word: “Wait.” That quieted the little tiger.

Wang Ningning, watching Cheng Yuan’s actions, sensed something was off and asked, “Why aren’t you attacking anymore?” Cheng Yuan’s lips curled into a smile as he gazed at the earthen eggs, which were blazing with heat due to the wind-fueled fire. “Let the bullets fly for a while,” he said.

In the midst of everyone’s puzzled glances, several minutes passed. Just as Wang Ningning began to suspect Cheng Yuan was playing tricks, the earthen wall suddenly broke open, and the great mud tortoise crawled out.

Wang Ningning was dumbfounded. “Why?” she asked.

Cheng Yuan gave the little tiger a look; it bounded forward, one paw pressing down on the mud tortoise, rendering it immobile. “It’s simple. I used the boiled egg method to deal with your shield formation. Wind fuels the fire, and while the Explosive Domineering Tortoise can withstand heat, the mud tortoise cannot—especially not boiling water.”

At this moment, the Explosive Domineering Tortoise’s two claws emerged from the wall, looking rather content, while the mud tortoise under the little tiger’s paw had the edges of its shell scorched white from the heat. Seeing the triumphant expression on Cheng Yuan’s face, Wang Ningning felt a bitter sense of defeat. She knew she had miscalculated; the momentum had shifted. At last, she turned away and said, “I concede.”

The students sighed. It was a pity—even though Wang Ningning’s earthen egg tactic was strong, it still had flaws. As she turned to leave, Cheng Yuan suddenly strode forward, grabbing Wang Ningning’s wrist with a mischievous smile. “Don’t forget our agreement.”

Wang Ningning’s face flushed red. She jerked her hand free and said, “Don’t get cocky. This was just a mistake on my part.” Cheng Yuan gently lifted her chin, meeting her gaze. In Wang Ningning’s eyes, he saw unwillingness, anger, and fighting spirit. At that moment, all the students glanced over at Xu Hao on the other side of the arena.

Cheng Yuan’s gesture was indistinguishable from the flirtation between young lovers. Xu Hao watched their actions. He had seen Cheng Yuan and Wang Ningning’s intimate gestures before, but never had they gone this far. For the first time, he felt a pang of discomfort in his heart, and for the first time, a sense of caution toward Cheng Yuan.

Just as Xu Hao was about to intervene, Wang Ningning lowered her head, gritted her teeth, and muttered softly but audibly, “Brother.” Cheng Yuan’s face radiated pride. “Not loud enough. Say it louder.”

Without hesitation, Wang Ningning shouted, “Brother!” Then, pushing Cheng Yuan aside and covering her face, she ran off. Whether teacher or student, everyone felt as if they’d just witnessed a scene from a romance drama.

After Wang Ningning left, Cheng Yuan stood there grinning like a fool, exhilarated with the feeling of finally prevailing in this years-long battle of wits and courage. The students below the stage, seeing his silly smile, couldn’t help but mutter, “What a goofy grin.” Just then, Cheng Yuan’s expression shifted as he looked into the distance, his smile fading.

The students noticed his change and followed his gaze to a repeater’s arena. “No way, he’s a repeater,” someone said. The repeater, accompanied by a three-meter-long, thick-furred Snowland Wild Ox, noticed Cheng Yuan’s attention. He chuckled and beckoned with a crooked finger.

Cheng Yuan slung the Giant Marsh Lizard around his neck like a scarf and patted the little tiger. “Let’s go.” Sensing his fighting spirit, the little tiger grew excited as well. The other repeaters looked at Cheng Yuan as if he were a naive rookie.

Just as Cheng Yuan was heading toward the repeater, a teacher stopped him. “Cheng, perhaps wait a few more months?”

Cheng Yuan shook his head. “Let me try.”

The teacher sighed and didn’t stop him further. “Running into a brick wall isn’t so bad; at least you’ll know the pain.” Cheng Yuan stepped onto the arena, facing the muscular, thick-furred, sharp-horned bovine beast before him. “Come on.”

On the opposite side, Fang Zizhong made no effort to conceal his contempt and boredom. “Snowstorm, give it a random Wild Ox Charge.” The Snowland Wild Ox pawed at the ground, snorted, and signaled its readiness. Even before the match began, Fang Zizhong had openly revealed his strategy.

Upon hearing Fang Zizhong’s words, Cheng Yuan crouched down and whispered something to the little tiger. The teacher sighed, then announced, “Begin!”

The Snowland Wild Ox lowered its head, the muscles of its forequarters bulging as it took a step forward. The rumbling of its charge echoed across the arena. The spectators grew lively with commentary. “Cheng Yuan probably can’t withstand this monster’s signature skill. The longer it runs, the faster it gets. Even Ao Guangting, first in our year, wouldn’t take that head-on.”

Facing the charging mountain of beef and its gleaming horns, the little tiger showed no fear. Cheng Yuan’s pre-battle instructions echoed in its mind: “A charge-type skill—both speed and power are overwhelming. We’re a stage behind them in both. We can’t take it head-on, and just dodging isn’t enough. We must seize our only chance of victory: evade the front, then hang on its body. A pounce and hook—your claws are perfect for this.”

“Remember, don’t dodge too early. If you do, it can change direction in advance, and we’ll become the hunted. Its advantage would be magnified. You must wait until it can no longer turn—then we move. We can’t compete in speed or strength, and our endurance is worse. Our sole path to victory is agility.”

Cheng Yuan was already estimating the Snowland Wild Ox’s maximum charge time. For Fang Zizhong, one move could settle the match; for Cheng Yuan, this one move was a reversal of fate.

When the Snowland Wild Ox was less than two meters away, Cheng Yuan shouted, “Now! Dodge!” Wind Companion’s acceleration peaked, blowing the little tiger’s fur backward as it narrowly slipped past the beast.

Fang Zizhong wasn’t surprised—dodging the first charge wasn’t difficult. At this speed, he knew better than Cheng Yuan that even if he started to dodge three meters earlier, it would still work.

But this was not the end. The second charge would be faster than the first. In other words, the Snowland Wild Ox hadn’t even passed yet.

Then, something happened that no one expected. As soon as the little tiger landed after dodging, it immediately leaped again. A golden light flashed; its claws extended, arms stretched to their fullest, jaws wide open—a classic feline pounce.