82: I never bully anyone.

Whoosh!

When Wang Chen stepped onto the arena alone, the atmosphere in the plaza instantly ignited.

“Is he crazy?!”

“He’s a Giant-Beast Master, yet he’s going into the arena alone without a Beast Pet?”

“This is too arrogant! He can’t possibly think he can defeat Rank 60 Zhou Wu with just his own strength, can he?”

“…”

The new students were discussing animatedly, their faces filled with extreme astonishment and confusion regarding Wang Chen’s actions.

It was common knowledge that whether it was an ordinary Beast Master or a special Awakener like a Giant-Beast Master, at lower Ranks, their strength primarily relied on their Beast Pets.

Especially before a Beast Pet entered its second growth cycle, a Beast Master of the same Rank encountering other Awakeners of the same Rank was like an egg hitting a rock.

Without a Beast Pet, they would be utterly dominated by their opponent.

All the new students couldn’t understand why Wang Chen would make such a choice.

At this moment, the expressions on the faces of the senior students watching were also filled with shock and disbelief.

“Wang Chen, he’s too confident, isn’t he?!!!”

“Although he achieved a terrifying clear time in the Secret Realm Dungeon, it was almost entirely the Dragon and Nine-tailed Fox doing the work; he hardly contributed any damage.”

“This upcoming battle will be interesting. I thought Zhou Wu would be unilaterally dominated by the Dragon, but I never expected Wang Chen to choose such an unexpected way to appear.”

“I’ll bet five hundred academic credits that Wang Chen will stumble this time due to his arrogance.”

“…”

In the eyes of all the senior students, Wang Chen’s choice at this moment seemed utterly senseless.

When facing a Beast Master, the optimal combat strategy is to first deal with the Beast Master’s Beast Pet, and then deal with its master.

This is almost a common understanding among all Awakeners on Blue Star.

Yet Wang Chen, as a Giant-Beast Master, abandoned his greatest advantage, choosing to face the challenge with his own strength.

This was practically no different from an egg hitting a rock!

One must know that Zhou Wu was currently Rank 60, while Wang Chen was a full fifteen Ranks below him.

Even if Wang Chen had two Divine Beast-level Beast Pets, the stat feedback wouldn’t be enough to close a fifteen-Rank attribute gap.

“This kid…”

Meanwhile, on the viewing platform, the expressions on the faces of the teachers from the three major academies were a mix of amusement and exasperation.

They had discussed having Wang Chen not bring the Nine-tailed Fox into the arena, but this kid went ahead and not only left the Nine-tailed Fox out, but even the Dragon remained off the field.

“He’s truly confident!”

“This kid actually plans to deal with Zhou Wu using only his own strength, without relying on Beast Pets?”

“Do you think he can win against Zhou Wu?”

At this moment, Sun Miao Teacher, sitting on a chair, couldn’t help but ask the others.

“The chances of winning aren’t very high. After all, Wang Chen is only Rank 45 right now, fifteen Ranks below Zhou Wu.”

Teacher Zhao from the Combat Academy, standing nearby, spoke with a somewhat gloomy expression.

He was now regretting having agreed to the suggestion that Wang Chen not bring the Nine-tailed Fox into the arena earlier.

Zhou Wu, although he had previously evaluated his Heart-Nature as lacking, his strength was still quite commendable.

Having reached Rank 60 after his second profession change, and being a special Awakener, an Ice Swordsman, his attacks came with crowd control, and if he encountered an opponent with inferior attributes, he could even control them to death.

“Sun Miao Teacher, did you perhaps miscommunicate our intentions?”

“We told him not to bring the Nine-tailed Fox, not to not bring the Dragon?”

The beautiful teacher from the Magic Academy couldn’t help but look at Sun Miao and ask.

She felt there might have been some oversight.

“I told him very clearly.”

Hearing this, Sun Miao shook her head with a wry smile: “He understood it perfectly at the time. I also didn’t expect him to ultimately make such a choice.”

“Now I just hope Wang Chen realizes his shortcomings after losing and brings his Beast Pets into the arena next time.”

…

While the crowd outside was discussing animatedly, completely baffled by Wang Chen’s choice, Zhou Wu in the arena looked at the peer slowly walking towards him, his expression equally astonished.

“You’re actually not planning to bring a Beast Pet into the arena?”

He felt insulted; a Beast Master fighting someone without using a Beast Pet was as ridiculous as a warrior going to battle without a gun!

“To deal with you, I’m enough!”

“Bringing the two little ones out would be bullying you!”

Hearing Zhou Wu’s words, Wang Chen shrugged indifferently and spoke truthfully: “I never bully anyone!”

“You…”

Zhou Wu’s eyes instantly turned red, erupting with tangible fury.

Too arrogant!

“I’d like to see what confidence you, a Beast Master who doesn’t use Beast Pets, have to be so arrogant and conceited?”

“After this battle, I will take your top Rank and thoroughly trample you, this arrogant fellow, into the mud.”

Speaking coldly, Zhou Wu slowly drew a dark blue longsword.

As soon as the longsword appeared, the temperature in the arena instantly dropped significantly.

Clearly, this was a magical item of no ordinary Rank.

“Teacher, I’m ready!”

He stared coldly at Wang Chen, ready to attack at any moment.

Across from him, Wang Chen’s eyes lit up when he saw the longsword in Zhou Wu’s hand.

An opponent who uses a sword—that suited his Heart-Nature very well.

Then he nodded to Teacher Zhao, who was in charge of the arena battle, and with a wave of his hand, took out his exaggerated Serrated Longsword.

“Both sides, take your positions! Five-second countdown!”

Seeing that both sides were ready, Teacher Zhao, feeling a bit helpless, began to count down.

At the same time…

Buzz buzz buzz!!!

Bright magical light flickered around the ancient arena, and in an instant, four light screens rose up, converging in the sky.

An incredibly sturdy magical barrier thus enveloped the arena.

This magical barrier, on one hand, prevented the aftershocks of the students’ attacks from reaching outside the arena and injuring people, and on the other hand, it prevented external influences from affecting the students’ performance in the arena.

As the magical barrier was formed, Teacher Zhao’s countdown came to an end.

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“Battle start!”

As Teacher Zhao’s words fell, Zhou Wu, holding his longsword in the arena, instantly moved.

He swung his longsword, slashing it towards Wang Chen from a distance, and in an instant, an extreme chill spread with his movement.

This chill touched the ground of the arena, directly forming a layer of solid ice that enveloped Wang Chen.

Frost Battleground!

An Ice Swordsman’s exclusive skill, which can form an incredibly smooth layer of ice on the ground within a certain range.

This ice layer can both freeze opponents to hinder their movement, and fighting on the ice layer can also provide the Ice Swordsman with a ten percent movement bonus and attack bonus.

“Beautiful!”

After Zhou Wu’s attack began, the onlookers couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, especially the senior students, many of whom had somewhat solemn expressions.

As the saying goes, amateurs watch the excitement, while Awakeners watch the Dao.