156: The Tail of Space
Luo Chen ultimately did not return to the Illusion World competition venue, and his name was even directly removed from the leaderboard.
Tang Ce, the chief examiner, was absent, so Yuan Shi provided the explanation. He stated that Luo Chen would no longer participate in the subsequent competitions due to personal reasons.
However, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that something was very wrong. There were even comments like 'rigged' appearing on the Illusion World's bullet screen.
But in just one second, these comments were immediately blocked.
Most of these comments were from Qingyang City's audience. A talented Breeder had finally emerged from their city, and now, halfway through the competition, they were told he had withdrawn.
If this wasn't rigged, who would believe it?
Luo Yang and Ban Mo were already fuming in the audience.
Ban Mo, being a bit calmer, held Luo Yang's arm, stopping him from jumping down to cause a scene.
“Let's go out first and ask your brother what's really going on. Maybe that old fellow was telling the truth.”
Even the usually quiet Ban Mo uttered the words 'old fellow,' indicating he was truly furious.
Luo Yang exhaled deeply, accepting Ban Mo's persuasion, and the black and white aura in his eyes slowly receded.
However, black and white butterfly wings appeared behind him, and then he directly brought Luo Yang to the center of the venue.
But the current venue was covered by the Illusion World's display, and besides the staff, no other spectators noticed the two 'uninvited guests' on the field.
Luo Chen, who had just woken up and was walking off the stage, preparing to leave, saw Luo Yang and Ban Mo directly enter the competition venue. He slapped his forehead, almost forgetting about his own brother.
If he didn't explain it to him, he would surely cause a huge scene at the competition venue.
Luo Chen went to their side, grabbed their arms, and quickly and briefly said,
“Don't panic, it's fine, we'll talk later.”
Seeing that Luo Chen didn't look like he had been wronged, Luo Yang's anger mostly dissipated, and he knew it wasn't the time to talk, looking at the surrounding competition venue.
He nodded obediently, then the black and white wings behind him flapped slightly, carrying Luo Chen and Ban Mo out of the competition venue.
Yuan Shi, on the podium, looked at the spot where Luo Chen and the other two disappeared, a look of surprise in his eyes.
The space-Type Skill that little fellow used could actually traverse Tang Ce's [Spirit Membrane of Heaven and Earth]. It seems his Beast Companion is also extraordinary. Could it also be something Luo Chen evolved?
Hiss, this talent is terrifying!
Looking at the Qingyang City Lord rushing towards him, Yuan Shi felt his molars ache. This guy was easy to fool, but his sister was not.
Coupled with the increasing condemnation on the internet, Yuan Shi deeply regretted staying to handle this matter. He would rather have gone to the Colorful Moon Secret Realm to inspect the situation.
“Contestant Luo Chen, due to his excellent performance, was chosen by a prominent figure from Upper City and will be going to Upper City. Therefore, his competition journey in Liuguang City ends here.”
Yuan Shi had no choice but to reveal more information, but he did not say who this prominent figure was.
Even if the news of Luo Chen becoming State Elder Zhuang's disciple was to be announced, it would definitely not be here, announced through his own mouth.
As expected, after Yuan Shi released this news, the number of bullet comments complaining about 'rigging' and 'internal manipulation' quickly decreased, shifting instead to discussing the truthfulness of this news.
However, many spectators accepted this news because Luo Chen's performance in these three matches was evident to all, especially the third match, even though the Beast Companion he evolved had not yet been announced.
But with that series of performances, it was clear that the Beast Companion that emerged in the end would definitely not be weak.
There was no need to conceal the news of the Moon Worshiping Beast. To divert more of the audience's attention, Yuan Shi directly released the information about this Beast Companion.
There was another round of exclamations and uproar.
Feng Qingyang, who was halfway there, stopped in his tracks upon hearing this news, then glanced at the exclusive audience section for Qingyang City.
He found that Luo Yang and Ban Mo were already gone, but he did not stop, still steadily walking towards the podium.
This greatly puzzled Yuan Shi. He had already explained it like this, so why was this guy still coming towards the podium?
...
“That's how it is.”
Luo Chen meticulously recounted his experiences in the secret realm to Luo Yang and Ban Mo.
Compared to his earlier anger, Luo Yang's face now showed more bewilderment.
“You're saying you were taken as a disciple by Zhuang Sheng? And a direct disciple at that? And Zhuang Sheng is the same Zhuang Sheng who appeared in our textbooks?”
Luo Chen nodded affirmatively, then unconsciously rubbed his left wrist a few times with his right hand. This butterfly mark had appeared with him in the real world.
However, Luo Yang was either carefree or blindly confident in Luo Chen's talent, as he quickly and well accepted this reality.
Then he looked at Luo Chen with starry eyes, “Brother, can you get me an autograph from National Elder Zhuang Sheng when you're there?”
???
Don't you want my autograph, the future Beast Companion Master?
After explaining everything clearly to the two of them, Luo Chen ushered them out of his room.
He still had many things to do. That old man Yuan Shi said he only had three days, and with his style of doing things, he might even tie him up and take him to the capital once the three days were up.
But what about his mission? If he couldn't participate in the competition, wouldn't his mission to open a branch store be ruined?
The system's somewhat resentful voice echoed in Luo Chen's mind,
“Host, you finally remembered the mission.”
“Hehe, it was a sudden incident, so it's normal that I didn't think of it right away.” Luo Chen weakly defended himself.
Luo Chen seemed to hear a faint, almost inaudible sigh,
“System mission has changed. Please check the new system mission, Host.”
[Series Mission: Win the championship of the Liuguang City Breeder Competition, now changed to: Gain the recognition of a prominent figure in Huaguo and be voluntarily taken as a disciple (Completed).
Reward: Chenyang Pet Store upgrades to Level 2, two thousand points, Store Manager's Rank reaches King Rank Nine Stars (Reward can be claimed).
Level 2 Store: The store's Guardian Beast Companion's Rank restores to King Rank Nine Stars, one new Guardian Beast Companion is added, and permission to open a pet store branch is activated (Reward can be claimed).]
The branch store could be opened in the capital later, but the other rewards could be claimed now.
This time, the reward ceremony was more solemn than before. From a long spatial rift, a one-meter-long teal-winged Spirit Bird flew out.
It carried two 'stones' on its back. One was square and exuded a golden-white spiritual light, and the other was rough and uneven on the surface, but generally maintained an oval shape.
Luo Chen took both stones from the back of the [Azure Bird] and asked gently:
“Are you the second Guardian Beast Companion?”
The [Azure Bird] looked at Luo Chen strangely, then shook its head and flew back into the spatial rift.
Watching the rift slowly close in front of him, Luo Chen's expression was a bit awkward. He asked the system in his mind,
“What are these two stones?”
“The golden-white one is called the Golden Sun Heavenly Jade. It can temporarily, without side effects, raise your and your two Beast Companions' Ranks to King Rank Nine Stars.
The method of use is very simple: just make physical contact with it, then extend your mental power and slowly refine it.”
Listening to the system's introduction, Luo Chen's eyes grew brighter and brighter. This was truly a good item. The reason he was so fixated on the system's mission was this reward of reaching King Rank Nine Stars.
Luo Chen suppressed the urge to immediately upgrade, then looked at the other somewhat ugly 'stone' and asked,
“What about this one?”
...
The system had a rare moment of pause.
“That's not a stone; it's an egg, no, a pet egg, which is the Guardian Beast Companion for your second store.”
“Ah? A pet egg.” Luo Chen was also caught off guard. He quickly used his Eye of Truth to check it.
With its pitted and irregular surface, it really was a pet egg.
[race: Woodborn Dragon (Incubating)
Rank: ???
Type: ???
State: Incubating
Aptitude: ???
Skills: ???]
This familiar feeling, this familiar array of question marks.
Luo Chen no longer worried about it. If it was ugly, then so be it. This was called spiritual objects concealing themselves, indicating that the Beast Companion that hatched would be very powerful.
Carefully putting away the Beast Companion egg, Luo Chen summoned the two little ones who had been in the Beast Companion space for a long time.
The [Three-Tailed Cat] excitedly ran around the room, while the [Overturning Sea Cloud Whale] appeared much more composed. Or perhaps its body was too large; even though the room was already very big, it still felt very cramped.
Luo Chen had no choice but to put the [Overturning Sea Cloud Whale] back into the Beast Companion space, leaving only the little furball outside to accompany him.
Anyway, it was all about him absorbing the [Golden Sun Heavenly Jade] himself, so it didn't matter whether it was in the Beast Companion space or outside.
Slowly placing his palm on the surface of the [Golden Sun Heavenly Jade], a warm sensation came from Luo Chen's palm, like the warm sun felt in winter.
Then, after making contact with his mental power, the vast energy within seemed to melt, slowly flowing into his body through his palm as a channel.
Luo Chen's body, like dry weeds and withered wood that had been parched for a long time, desperately absorbed this energy.
Pure and high-grade energy continuously transformed and enhanced Luo Chen's body, and even more surged into his mind, entering the Beast Companion space.
And through the contract, it flowed to the two little ones.
Under the impact of this pure energy, the aura of the two little ones' bodies and appearances continuously climbed, and even their appearances rapidly changed.
The Beast Companion space in the mental world continuously expanded, and the tiny [Overturning Sea Cloud Whale]'s body grew geometrically.
Its length increased from a dozen meters to a hundred meters, three hundred meters, a thousand meters.
The little furball's body in the outside world only grew slightly. It sat there, roughly the same height as Luo Chen (Luo Chen's height is known to be 1.8 meters).
But a fourth tail slowly grew from its rear, this tail appearing in a color between grey and white.
As expected, the time required for evolution was very short. Luo Chen's eyes showed delight as he felt his surging mental power and superior physical fitness.
Luo Chen also keenly noticed the changes in the little furball's appearance.
[race: Four-Tailed Cat King
Rank: King Rank Nine Stars
Type: Elemental Type, Mental Type, Space Type
State: Curious
Aptitude: Perfect
Skills: 1. Spirit Membrane (Profound Tier)...
2. Tail Severance for Survival (Earth Tier): ...
3. Mental Tail (Earth Tier): ...
4. Illusion Tail (Earth Tier): ...
5. Elemental Tail (Earth Tier): ...
6. Space Tail (Earth Tier): The Four-Tailed Cat King's fourth tail. This tail can control spatial power, not only able to tear space to form a temporarily stable spatial passage, but also able to cast Space Blades to cut targets.
7. Agility (Yellow Tier): ...
8. Spirit Burst (Profound Tier): ...
9. Nine Spirits Body (Earth Tier): ...
Evolution Path: Not yet unlocked.]
This was another Type of tail attribute, not only adding a Skill but also an extra life.