53: Chapter 53 Thunder Sparrow Startles the Sky! The Shock of a One-Hit Kill!

The next day.

The area around the dedicated arena in the Core Area, which was usually only used by Advanced Class students, was already packed with people.

Not only Core Students and Intermediate Class students, but even many students from the Ordinary Class had arrived early to snag a good spot, waiting expectantly.

The noisy discussions merged into a buzzing sea of sound, with everyone's topic revolving around the same name.

Jiang Yun.

"Is he here? Is he here? Has Jiang Yun arrived yet?"

"Not yet! The assessment time is nine o'clock, still a little while to go!"

"I heard that for this assessment, Coach Wang specifically chose an Iron Armored Rhinoceros known for its defense and impact force! That's a genuine Black Iron Eighth Tier Vicious Beast, thick-skinned and fleshy, charging like a tank!"

"Iron Armored Rhinoceros? My god, that's not easy to deal with! Many inexperienced Beast Tamers are easily intimidated by its Aura the first time they face such a Vicious Beast, unable to even aim their skills properly!"

"Now there's a good show to watch! Let's see if Jiang Yun creates a miracle or makes a fool of himself on the spot."

Among the crowd.

Xiao Ling and a few lackeys were squeezed together, gloating smiles on their faces, wishing the assessment would start immediately so they could see the scene of Jiang Yun's pathetic defeat.

Xiao Hong stood a bit further away in the Intermediate Class area, his eyes cold and a sneer on his lips, waiting for Jiang Yun to embarrass himself.

Zhang Qiang and Li Na had also arrived early.

Jiang Yunyun seemed to have come to school first.

Sitting beside them.

Several people squeezed to the very front.

They clenched their fists nervously, their palms drenched in sweat.

Jiang Yunyun's small face was tense as she kept muttering under her breath, "Go Brother, you're the best! You must pass the assessment!"

Students from the Advanced Class also appeared in the exclusive area in groups of two or three. Their expressions were relatively calm, but their eyes more or less carried scrutiny and curiosity.

The young man who was very displeased with Jiang Yun leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed, his expression indifferent as if he were just watching an inconsequential spectacle, but his slightly narrowed eyes revealed a trace of hard-to-detect coldness.

Directly opposite the arena.

Inside the high observation room.

Principal He Tiangang, Coach Lin Yong, Coach Coach Liu Wen, and Coach Wang Lei were already seated.

The huge one-way glass allowed them to see the full view of the arena clearly, while the outside world could not see them.

"Old Wang, you really know how to pick them. An Iron Armored Rhinoceros... when this thing charges, its Aura is quite terrifying."

Coach Coach Liu Wen frowned slightly as she looked at the heavy gate on one side of the field below.

Coach Wang Lei's face was serious: "The Advanced Class assessment is no joke. Strength, mindset, and on-the-spot reaction—none can be lacking. The Iron Armored Rhinoceros is perfect for testing these. If he can't even pass this stage, it means he's still far from ready."

His gaze was sharp, like a hawk's.

Principal He Tiangang smiled without saying a word, leisurely sipping his tea.

Lin Yong was somewhat restless, his eyes filled with expectation mixed with a hint of nervousness, fearing some accident might occur.

When the clock hand pointed to exactly nine o'clock.

The noisy waves of sound at the scene suddenly rose!

"He's here! Jiang Yun is here!"

The crowd automatically parted to form a path, and Jiang Yun, wearing a simple Core Student training uniform, walked slowly with a calm expression.

He seemed oblivious to the thunderous clamor and the countless focused gazes around him, stepping steadily onto the center of the arena step by step.

After the host briefly announced the assessment rules.

The heavy gate slowly rose with a creaking sound!

"Moo—!!"

A low and powerful roar came from the darkness behind the gate, carrying a thick wild breath.

Next, a massive creature suddenly rushed out!

It resembled a rhinoceros, its entire body covered in thick, rock-like grayish-brown hide, with a thick horn on the bridge of its nose flashing with a metallic cold light.

Its limbs were as thick as pillars, making a dull thumping sound as they stepped on the arena floor, making people's hearts tremble.

Its blood-red eyes scanned the arena, finally locking onto Jiang Yun. Its nostrils puffed out two streams of white air, and its front hooves restlessly pawed the ground.

It seemed ready to charge and attack at any moment!

At the same time.

Jiang Yun's Entry Manifestation talent activated instantly.

The information of this Iron Armored Rhinoceros was clear at a glance.

【species】：Iron Armored Rhinoceros (earth attribute)

【Realm】：Black Iron Eighth Tier

【Aptitude】：Gold Low Rank

【Skills】：

Savage Charge (Rare): Condenses the body's full strength into the single horn to launch a high-speed linear impact. It is extremely powerful and has strong knockback and armor-piercing effects.

Thick Hide (Passive · Rare): The skin and shell are exceptionally hard, effectively reducing physical damage.

Seismic Wave (Common): Stamps the ground heavily, releasing a shockwave in a small surrounding area to interfere with the enemy's footing... seeing the information of the Iron Armored Rhinoceros.

Jiang Yun smiled faintly.

There seemed to be no pressure in his heart.

A Black Iron Eighth Tier Vicious Beast.

Iron Armored Rhinoceros!

Known for its strong defense and Savage Charge!

Seeing the Iron Armored Rhinoceros.

The surrounding students had already begun to get excited.

"It really is an Iron Armored Rhinoceros! Such a strong sense of pressure!"

"It's over, it's over. I remember Jiang Yun's Fire Dragon Fish is a long-range attacker, right? Can it break through this thing's defense?"

"Let's see how he handles it! If he gets hit, it's no laughing matter!"

Exclamations rose from the stands, and many people were breaking into a cold sweat for Jiang Yun.

Xiao Ling and the others almost burst out laughing.

The stronger the Vicious Beast.

The more Jiang Yun would suffer.

The referee looked at Jiang Yun and signaled for the assessment to begin.

Jiang Yun's expression remained calm.

With a wave of his hand, the light of the Beast Taming Space lit up.

However, the next moment.

The entire audience was dumbfounded!

What appeared before him was not the valiant Fire Dragon Fish everyone expected, but an extraordinarily majestic bird with fine electric arcs wrapping around its body.

"Huh? A bird? Why is it a bird?!"

"Where's his Fire Dragon Fish? Did he raise that fish to death? Did he contract a new beast?"

"You've got to be kidding! Using a newly contracted beast for the Advanced Class assessment? Isn't that just seeking death!"

"Hahaha! I knew it! He's finally showing his true colors! He doesn't even have his main beast anymore! A loser is a loser. What 'rapid evolution'? He must have been drugging his beast every day and took the wrong path, drugging it to death!"

"Now he's contracted a sparrow from who-knows-where and wants to take the Advanced Class assessment. He's simply asking for death."

Seeing the situation on the field.

Xiao Ling and the others erupted in piercing laughter.

Zhang Qiang, Li Na, and Jiang Yunyun were also stunned.

Their faces were filled with bewilderment and worry.

In the Advanced Class area.

Many students frowned.

The sneer on Qin Feng's lips grew even thicker.

He faintly spat out four words.

"Playing to the gallery."

Inside the observation room.

Coach Coach Liu Wen covered her mouth in surprise.

Coach Wang Lei's brows were tightly furrowed.

Principal He Tiangang and Lin Yong exchanged a meaningful glance.

Just as the whole place was in an uproar.

While the questioning and laughter were at their peak.

The Little Cloud Sparrow seemed to be provoked by the surrounding noise and the ferocious Aura of the Iron Armored Rhinoceros opposite it, and naturally released its own Aura.

Boom!

Black Iron Eighth Tier!

A crystal-clear energy fluctuation instantly spread out!

The moment this Aura bloomed.

The field suddenly went silent.

"Eighth... Eighth Tier?!"

"This bird is also Eighth Tier?!"

"How is this possible?! Where did he get a second Eighth Tier beast?!"

"My god! Could it be that he has dual beasts now?!"

"Or rather! He swapped his beast? In less than a week, he raised another one to the Eighth Tier?!"

"Who was just shouting that Jiang Yun is a loser?"

"It's been less than a week since Jiang Yun contracted his first beast! How is this second beast already at the Eighth Tier! When did he contract it? Could it be that he contracted a beast before even becoming a Beast Tamer!"

"Doesn't he have no talent? This is too Heaven-Defying!"

...The whole place instantly fell into an even more intense wave of shock.

The previous laughter and questioning stopped abruptly.

Replaced by countless unbelievable exclamations and horrified gazes.

The smiles on the faces of Xiao Hong, Xiao Ling, and the others completely froze.

Their faces instantly turned as pale as paper.

Zhang Qiang and the others turned from worry to joy.

They were so excited they almost jumped up.

"Dual beasts! I should have thought of it earlier! Brother Yun, this guy! He really hides things deep!"

The students of the Advanced Class were also unable to remain calm.

They straightened their bodies one after another.

For the first time, their faces showed an extremely solemn expression.

Qin Feng's indifferent expression shattered instantly, his pupils constricted slightly, and his gaze became sharp.

He cursed inwardly!

Dammit!

"Dual beasts... good kid..."

Inside the observation room.

Coach Wang Lei muttered to himself.

The seriousness on his face turned into shock.

Wanting to raise a beast to death.

Is not an easy thing to do; if a beast senses a mortal danger, it will definitely take the initiative to abandon the contract and leave its master.

Obviously, the Jiang Yun on stage must have dual beasts!

On the arena.

The Iron Armored Rhinoceros seemed to be enraged by the Little Cloud Sparrow's Aura.

It let out a violent roar, its thick hind hooves kicking the ground hard, like an out-of-control heavy tank.

Lowering its head, with that terrifying single horn leading the way, it launched a Savage Charge towards the Little Cloud Sparrow and Jiang Yun with a rumble!

The momentum was terrifying!

The great battle was about to break out!

Everyone immediately settled down.

They began to watch this hearty battle seriously.

Facing this terrifying impact that was enough to crush rocks, Jiang Yun's eyes didn't flicker at all, he just faintly spat out a command.

"Make it quick."

The moment the voice fell.

The Little Cloud Sparrow moved!

It didn't choose to dodge.

Instead, it turned into a blue-white bolt of lightning that tore through the air.

The speed was so fast that the vast majority of people present only felt a blur before their eyes.

The lightning didn't travel in a straight line; at the moment the Iron Armored Rhinoceros was about to hit, the airflow around the Little Cloud Sparrow suddenly swirled, and its speed exploded again!

Wind Rush!

It swerved aside with an incredibly small arc.

The movement was elegant and agile, perfectly avoiding the single horn at its peak sharpness, and precisely winding behind the relatively fragile side of the Iron Armored Rhinoceros's neck like a ghost!

The next moment.

Its small claws erupted with blinding blue-white electric light, the crackling power of thunder highly condensed, emitting a heart-palpitating Aura of destruction!

Thunder Claw!

Without the slightest hesitation, the lightning that the Little Cloud Sparrow had become, carrying a decisiveness that tore through everything, suddenly clawed down!

"Puchi—Zzzt!"

A dull tearing sound accompanied by the ear-grating sound of electric burning rang out!

The lightning flashed and vanished.

The figure of the Little Cloud Sparrow hovered elegantly in mid-air.

There seemed to be subtle wind swirls and electric arcs flashing and disappearing around its body; those were the traces of the Wind and Thunder Body Protection skill quietly fading away.

It lightly preened its feathers, as if that moment just now hadn't happened at all.

That aggressive Iron Armored Rhinoceros with its amazing defense.

Its massive charging body seemed to have been hit by a pause button, suddenly stiffening in place. Its huge inertia caused it to slide forward a short distance before crashing to the ground.

On the side of its neck, several charred claw marks deep enough to see bone were clearly visible, the edges of the wounds scorched black, even still emitting wisps of white smoke and weak electric arcs.

The blood-red in its eyes quickly faded, becoming dilated and lifeless. Its massive body occasionally twitched unconsciously; that was the residual power of thunder still wreaking havoc.

One hit!

Instant kill!

When this scene appeared.

Around the entire arena.

It suddenly fell into a dead silence.

One could almost hear the crackling thunder around the Little Cloud Sparrow.

Everyone's eyes were wide, their mouths agape.

As if they had been collectively strangled by the throat, unable to make a sound.

They had thought it would be a hearty, long-drawn-out battle.

But they never expected.

Just as their emotions were running high... it... was... insta-killed... The Black Iron Eighth Tier Iron Armored Rhinoceros, known for its defense... by a Little Cloud Sparrow of the same tier... killed in one hit?!

How is this possible?!

After a short dead silence, it was a complete boil like a volcanic eruption!

"Instant kill?! What did I just see?!"

"What kind of speed was that?! What kind of attack power was that?! I didn't see it clearly at all!"

"Too strong! Too ridiculous! Is this really a battle of the Black Iron Eighth Tier?!"

"Monster! Jiang Yun is a monster! No! His beast is simply a monster!"

"This new beast is actually this powerful! It's simply too ridiculous!"

Exclamations, screams, and unbelievable shouts almost overturned the entire venue.

Xiao Ling and the others were pale, their bodies cold as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Xiao Hong's face was ashen, his fists tightly clenched, his nails almost sinking into his palms.

Zhang Qiang, Li Na, and Jiang Yunyun hugged each other in excitement.

"Brother Yun! So badass!"

"Brother! You're so amazing!"

They jumped and shouted excitedly.

In the Advanced Class area.

All the students fell silent.

Not a trace of contempt could be found on their faces anymore, replaced only by deep shock and an indescribable sense of pressure.

Even with their current Black Iron Ninth Tier strength.

It was impossible to say they could kill this Black Iron Ninth Tier Iron Armored Rhinoceros, known for its defense, in one hit.

The only explanation was.

The Aptitude of Jiang Yun's beast was likely above theirs.

That's why its combat power was so terrifying.

Or some kind of mutation occurred, or some means was used to enhance its combat power.

Otherwise, it would be absolutely impossible to kill this Iron Armored Rhinoceros in one hit!

The young man in the Advanced Class stood up straight, his gaze terrifyingly gloomy, staring fixedly at that calm figure on the arena.

He finally realized.

This newcomer was by no means someone playing to the gallery, but a truly formidable enemy who could threaten his position!

Inside the observation room.

Coach Coach Liu Wen was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth for a long time.

Coach Wang Lei took a deep breath and slowly spat out two words.

"Very strong!"

Principal He Tiangang clapped and laughed.

His face was full of gratification and pride.

It seemed everything was within his expectations.

Coach Lin Yong was even more excited, his face flushed red, sharing in the glory.

The referee was stunned for a long while before suddenly coming to his senses.

He hurriedly stepped forward to check the condition of the Iron Armored Rhinoceros, and after confirming it had lost its combat effectiveness, he immediately announced loudly:

"The Advanced Class assessment is over! Rookie Class's Jiang Yun, pass!"

The voice spread throughout the venue through the loudspeaker.

Igniting everyone's emotions once again.

Especially the words "Rookie Class"!

Made the whole place boil.

Jiang Yun's expression was calm, as if he had only done a trivial little thing. He raised his hand to recall the Little Cloud Sparrow, nodded slightly towards the referee and the observation room,

Then turned around.

Under the gaze of an incomparably complex look mixed with awe, worship, and jealousy, he slowly walked off the arena.

It was as if everything was within his expectations.

This kind of reaction made the surrounding people explode even more.

Only now did they understand that it seemed Jiang Yun hadn't taken this assessment seriously at all...