77: Chapter 77 Are You Ready to Evolve?

The Earth-Shaking Violent Bear was, of course, unconvinced.

It had roamed this area for years and had never encountered an opponent capable of completely suppressing and defeating it.

The recent defeat was definitely not because its strength was lacking.

"Roar..."

The Earth-Shaking Violent Bear thought seriously for a moment, then suddenly spotted the five people shivering behind a rock, its eyes widening in anger.

It was all because of these hateful humans!

It was because they didn't scratch its itch properly, causing its back to remain unbearably itchy, which then triggered a chain reaction that put it in a poor state for the battle.

Yes! That was it!

Lin Chen smiled, "Very good. I like pets that refuse to give in."

"What about you? Are you convinced?" He looked at the little bear also lying on the ground.

The little bear looked at the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear, decided to follow the latter's lead, and let out a fierce yet cute roar at the Songsong Dog: "Roar, roar, roar!"

Yes!

It was all those humans' fault for affecting its state!

Among the crowd, a boy stared in disbelief, "So, pets can be stubborn too?"

The chubby boy no longer felt the fear and worry from before. He nodded thoughtfully, "You guys are just as stubborn when you lose at games. The internet is too laggy, no good feel, just woke up, high latency—in short, it's never because you're bad."

Everyone fell silent.

That was a bit too real.

"Very good. Since neither of you is convinced, let's continue then." Smiling, Lin Chen looked at the large and small Earth-Shaking Violent Bears and beckoned with his finger.

"Roar!"

Provoked, the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear flew into a rage again. It didn't know where it found the strength, but it forced its severely injured body up and charged savagely at Lin Chen.

"Roar, roar, roar!"

The small Earth-Shaking Violent Bear followed closely behind, howling as it charged again.

Ten seconds later, two figures fell to the ground almost simultaneously, their heavy bodies kicking up a cloud of dust.

Lin Chen's smile remained unchanged. He beckoned to the two Earth-Shaking Violent Bears, who were lying on the ground with dizzy heads, and said calmly, "Are you convinced now?"

The Earth-Shaking Violent Bear shook its dizzy head. It felt every part of its body groaning in pain, with no strength left to launch an attack.

But when it looked up and saw the smiling Lin Chen, fury burned within it. A sliver of strength erupted from the deepest part of its body, and it took heavy steps to charge again.

Ten seconds later, it was sent flying again, landing right next to the little bear.

Everyone was already numb.

"Is this Earth-Shaking Violent Bear always this brave?"

"Not necessarily, really not necessarily."

"You know, I rarely use the word 'brutal' to describe a Beast Tamer."

[Currently subdued pets: 7]

After the two Earth-Shaking Violent Bears finally signaled their submission, the system voice chimed in at the right time, and a smile appeared on Lin Chen's face.

Very good. Another batch of experience points.

Just then, the group hiding behind the rock could no longer hold back and rushed out excitedly.

"Big Boss! Awesome! (Voice cracking)"

"Thank you! Thank you so much!"

The crowd surrounded Lin Chen, chattering away, their faces filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and awe and admiration for Lin Chen's strength.

The chubby boy suddenly stepped forward, gave an exaggerated ninety-degree bow to Lin Chen, clasped his hands together, and said loudly with dramatic flair, "If you do not abandon me, I am willing to call you my foster father!"

"From now on, Big Boss, if you point east, I, Zhang Dongdong, will never go west! If you tell me to support a dog, I will never chase a chicken! I only ask that you take this little brother along in the secret realm and let me have some leftovers!"

His classmates bowed and clasped their hands, "Me too!"

The other three didn't speak, but their eyes looking at Lin Chen were equally enthusiastic.

Lin Chen was amused and waved his hand, "Alright, alright. Foster father, what are you talking about? I just helped out. We are all classmates; helping each other is only right."

"As for teaming up, forget it. I prefer being alone."

"Big Boss, may I ask your name?" Zhang Dongdong asked curiously. He had never heard of such a fierce person among the freshmen.

"Lin Chen. I'm from Class 3 of the Combat Academy," Lin Chen replied.

"I'll remember that!" Zhang Dongdong nodded heavily, then began to flatter him, "With your strength, Big Boss, the first place in this Freshman Grand Competition is definitely yours!"

The others nodded in agreement, deeply convinced.

Elsewhere in the secret realm, near the edge of a small lake in the forest.

Ye Zhen retracted the Bright Bone Dragon that had just easily defeated a second-rank pet, his youthful, baby-faced expression full of confidence and arrogance.

He raised his chin slightly and said to Yun Chuxiu, who was lazing against a rock, "See that? At this efficiency, the first place in this Freshman Grand Competition is definitely in the bag for me."

"Others are just background characters."

Yun Chuxiu didn't even lift his head upon hearing this. He just pointed his finger at a crimson spirit sword dancing around him, drew out his tone, and called out in an intimate tone that would give anyone goosebumps, "Yes, yes, yes~ Our Zhenzhen is the best~ The first place is definitely yours~~"

"Yun. Chu. Xiu!"

Ye Zhen was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on; he instantly bristled. His baby face flushed red, angry and anxious, glaring fiercely at Yun Chuxiu, "I've said it ten thousand times, don't call me Zhenzhen! Call me Ye Zhen!"

"Okay Zhenzhen, I know, Zhenzhen."

Yun Chuxiu nodded compliantly, his annoying smile unchanged, as if he didn't see Ye Zhen's eyes about to spit fire, "But Zhenzhen, don't speak too soon. My roommate, Lin Chen, is not weak. I didn't even expect him to be a Primary Beastmaster at the time."

"Tsk tsk, that Bai Lu isn't simple either. Whether you can sit firmly in first place is still up for debate."

"Lin Chen? Bai Lu?"

Ye Zhen snorted coldly, then glanced at Yun Chuxiu sideways, "What right do you, a guy who isn't even a Primary Beastmaster, have to judge the gap between us? Wait until you break through before you voice your opinion."

Yun Chuxiu wasn't annoyed by the rebuttal; instead, he leaned in closer with a grin and lowered his voice, "Oh, don't be angry, Zhenzhen. I'm just concerned about you. Besides, I feel like I'll break through in the next two days."

"Hmph."

Ye Zhen couldn't be bothered with his lack of seriousness. He turned his head and looked at the mountain silhouettes that appeared increasingly towering and mysterious in the twilight, his eyes sharp and firm, "First place is definitely mine. Just like my brother back then, no one can take it away."

In another dark forest shrouded in twilight.

Zhang Xiaoxiao, Zhou Ming, and Su Qingyuan, who was scouting ahead, were passing through.

A second-rank Poison Vine Monkey lurked in the canopy and launched a sneak attack, but was easily defeated by the Green Feather Wind Bird with its dazzling aerial maneuverability and precise wind blades.

"Yuanyuan, you are too amazing — —" Zhang Xiaoxiao's eyes were full of stars, looking with admiration.

Su Qingyuan just shook her head slightly, signaling to continue moving forward, her expression as calm as ever, as if she had just done a trivial thing.

Zhou Ming watched the Green Feather Wind Bird land elegantly back on Su Qingyuan's shoulder, then looked at the unconscious monkey on the ground, unable to help swallowing his saliva, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

"Brother Chen, it's not that I don't have confidence in you," Zhou Ming muttered to himself, "It's just that the competitors are too monstrous."

When the Freshman Grand Competition started, he was lucky enough to run into Zhang Xiaoxiao and Su Qingyuan and joined their team.

A day passed, and he watched with his own eyes as Su Qingyuan, who had already become a Primary Beastmaster, defeated several powerful pets, her points soaring.

This efficiency, this strength, it was simply incredible.

"And she gives too much..." Zhou Ming looked at the fire-attribute resources added to his backpack, his mood even more complicated.

For some reason, Su Qingyuan seemed to have an extraordinary understanding of this secret realm.

Su Qingyuan could always lead them to avoid sections that looked safe but were actually lurking with danger, and could just happen to pass by some hidden resource points.

In just one day, Su Qingyuan had already led them to discover several cultivation resources, with a full harvest.

Moreover, Su Qingyuan was not stingy about sharing these discoveries; as long as they could use them, they would be distributed fairly.

With a captain who is this powerful and can lead teammates to shared prosperity, who wouldn't be convinced?

After the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear indicated its submission, Zhang Dongdong and the others left the area.

Lin Chen, however, suddenly had an idea.

He had been working hard all day looking for traces of the Molten Armor Dragon Lizard, but had made no progress.

"Searching blindly like this is too inefficient — —" Lin Chen stroked his chin, his gaze glancing at the pair of Earth-Shaking Violent Bears who were cautiously observing his expression. A flash of inspiration hit him, and he turned and walked toward the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear.

"Roar woo — —"

Seeing this disaster approaching again, the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear's body trembled visibly. Subconsciously, it wanted to shrink back, but that pulled on its wounds, making it grimace in pain.

It quickly raised its two huge front paws, held them in front of its chest, waved them clumsily, and let out a whimper of near-begging in its throat.

The little bear immediately followed suit, lifting its two little paws to cover its eyes, peeking at Lin Chen through its fingers.

Lin Chen walked to the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear, pulled out the "Survival Manual," turned to the page with the picture of the Molten Armor Dragon Lizard, and held the manual up before the giant bear's eyes, "Have you seen this guy? Do you know roughly where it hangs out?"

The Earth-Shaking Violent Bear stared with copper-bell-sized eyes, leaned close to the manual that was too miniature for it, identified it carefully, its eyes filled with confusion.

Lin Chen asked again, "Then do you know which pet nearby is the most well-informed?"

The Earth-Shaking Violent Bear seemed to understand the question.

Its eyes lit up suddenly, a slightly excited sound came from its throat, and it raised a bear paw to point to the northeast.

"Let's go, take me to find it," Lin Chen said.

Led by the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear, Lin Chen walked for about twenty minutes, passed through a dense forest, and the path ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a steep grayish-white cliff.

The cliff was not extremely high, but the rock wall was smooth, with few plants.

And on a huge rock protruding from the middle of the cliff, a thick and vigorous old pine branch grew horizontally.

A magnificent bird of prey was standing quietly on the branch.

The pet's feathers were pitch black as ink, with a cold, hard metallic luster. Two pairs of wide, powerful wings were folded at its sides, and its sharp hooked claws were deeply embedded in the tree trunk.

It held its head high, its dark golden eyes slowly scanning the mountain forest below, carrying the indifference and majesty of a sky king patrolling its territory.

Lin Chen aimed his energy detector at the pet, "Race Name: Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture."

"Attribute: Wind."

"Race Grade: High-level Transcendent."

"Strength Grade: Second-rank, Fourth-stage."

Upon seeing the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear approaching its territory, the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture immediately let out a sharp screech, its dark golden eyes as sharp as knives, locked tightly onto the scarred Earth-Shaking Violent Bear below.

"Screech — —!!"

The screech was full of warning, its huge wings opening slightly, making a posture ready to pounce at any time.

Lin Chen turned his head to look at the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear, immediately understanding that this guy was prepared to use this opportunity to settle a personal grudge.

"Er Huo." A thought flashed, and Lin Chen pointed to the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture on the cliff, "Flame Breath Bullet."

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast raised its head, its chest puffed out, and a fireball roared out, shooting straight at the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture on the cliff.

"Screech!"

The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture's two pairs of wings flapped violently, and a violent airflow instantly formed a visible wall of air in front of it, attempting to intercept the Flame Breath Bullet.

The Flame Breath Bullet crashed into the airflow wall, making a dull explosion, and actually forcibly tore through the airflow obstruction, continuing to rush toward the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture.

The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture flapped all four wings, its huge body soared into the sky, its eyes burning with anger.

"Screech — —!!"

In the shrill scream, sharp white light suddenly lit up on the edges of the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture's wings.

It pushed its flight speed to the limit, its body turned into a death streak of light with white light flowing on the edges, and with an alarming momentum like a dive-bombing attack, it slammed toward the Flame Claw Beast on the ground!

"Sharp Claws." Lin Chen's gaze focused.

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast's limb muscles instantly tightened like iron, fierce light exploded in its eyes, and its right front claw suddenly reached out, meeting the diving Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture, slashing upwards fiercely!

Clang!!!

A harsh metallic explosion rang out, and sparks flew wildly.

The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture's diving momentum came to an abrupt halt. Its white-light-flowing wings collided solidly with the Flame Claw Beast's Sharp Claws. The next moment, its wings were numbed by the shock, and its figure stalled in the air.

Not good!

The experienced Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture immediately flapped its wings, trying to use its flight advantage to pull away.

But just then, the Songsong Dog raised its head and let out a series of short barks: "Woof! Woof, woof, woof — —!!"

The invisible mental sound wave was like an invisible heavy hammer, instantly sweeping over the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture preparing to take flight.

"Screech?!"

The Iron-Feather Vulture felt as if its head had been ruthlessly stabbed by a red-hot iron skewer. The sharp stinging pain and strong sense of dizziness made its vision go black, and the flight rhythm and lift it had just gathered were instantly interrupted.

Almost the moment the Iron-Feather Vulture's figure stalled, the Flame Claw Beast's already prepared Small Explosion erupted.

Boom!!!

The explosion sounded, and the airwave rose, blowing Lin Chen's clothes until they flapped.

As an onlooker, the Earth-Shaking Violent Bear watched this scene from afar and suddenly felt that its choice to submit was not a bad thing.

It now hoped that the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture would not be convinced.

"Screech!"

In a shrill scream, the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture fell obliquely from low altitude, smashing heavily onto the open ground more than ten meters away.

Its feathers were now scorched and messy, struggling to get up, but it was just futile flapping, merely kicking up a cloud of dust.

[Defeated a second-rank pet, obtained 6 experience points]

[Flame Claw Beast level has broken through: Second-rank, Fifth-stage — Second-rank, Sixth-stage (0/72)]

Good, good, good. After defeating this Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture, the Flame Claw Beast finally broke through to the second-rank, sixth-stage.

In a great mood, Lin Chen smiled brightly and looked at the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture, "Are you convinced?"

At this moment, the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture's head was still buzzing.

It endured the pain, raised its head, and scanned the scene—the smiling Lin Chen, the rubbing-its-paws Flame Claw Beast, and the gloating Earth-Shaking Violent Bear not far away.

The Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture seemed to understand something, so it lowered its head to indicate submission, acting obediently: "Screech~"

[Currently subdued pets: 8]

Lin Chen was stunned.

This is not right.

According to the plot, shouldn't a proud you refuse to submit, and then choose to submit only after being beaten up?

But the system wouldn't lie, so Lin Chen took out the manual again and asked the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture about the whereabouts of the Molten Armor Dragon Lizard.

This time, the Four-Winged Iron-Feather Vulture nodded.

Lin Chen was overjoyed, turned his head to look at the Flame Claw Beast, "Are you ready to evolve?"