Chapter 581 - Scarlet’s Motivation

Chapter 581: Chapter 581 - Scarlet’s Motivation

"I’ll give both of you five minutes to prepare for the battle," Bardan announced.

"As expected. The demonic beasts raised by the Magister Family are truly impressive," he remarked in a normal tone.

"Heh. They’re always so secretive about their methods, keeping everything to themselves." Geezer Mallard snorted. "That’s why their family has so few achievements."

"It’s their freedom. We can’t force people to reveal their discoveries," Bardan replied.

"And that’s exactly why they’re not fit to be considered one of us." Geezer Mallard folded his arms. "Our goal is to advance the entire continent. They only care about advancing their own family."

Bardan remained silent, offering no further comment.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Leyvi was discussing strategy with his spirit beasts.

"Mr. Bison, fly up there and beat them. Show them your overwhelming power."

Snort!

"Boss, are you delusional?" Mr. Bison rolled his eyes. "Since when can a bison fly? Why don’t you tell them to come down instead?"

"What? You can’t even fly?" Leyvi looked disappointed. "I thought you were the protagonist."

Snort.

"Who said every protagonist can fly? This is what happens when you don’t read enough stories." Mr. Bison puffed out his chest proudly. "But don’t worry. Once I obtain my human form, flying will be easy. It won’t be long now. If that rabbit can do it, a bison can do it even better."

Leyvi ignored him and turned toward Scarlet.

"Scarlet, can you deal with them?"

Scarlet let out a long sigh.

"They look pretty strong. I really don’t want my fur getting all messy."

"If your fur gets messed up," Leyvi said seriously, "I’ll ask Anda for the best fur care products, and afterward I’ll take you and your daughters to that Spirit Beast Beauty Salon that just opened. Didn’t you say you’ve been wanting to go there?"

He knew exactly how to motivate her.

After all, Scarlet treasured her beauty more than almost anything.

Only her daughters ranked higher.

"Really?" Scarlet’s three fluffy tails wagged excitedly. "I want the best package they offer. The full premium treatment for me and my daughters!"

"Sure, sure. Whatever you want. As long as you win this fight," Leyvi promised.

"Very well, Boss. Leave it to me."

Scarlet walked over to Mr. Bison and looked him straight in the eye.

"I want you to listen to me during this battle. Understood?"

"What?" Mr. Bison snorted. "I’ve listened to you plenty of times already. Scarlet, why don’t we follow my strategy this time? Let me show off my protagonist intellect. I guarantee it’ll be better than yours. Besides, look over there. We’re being broadcast to everyone. This is the perfect opportunity for me to shine."

"Mister Protagonist..." Scarlet narrowed her eyes, her voice turning cold. "My beauty treatment is at stake here. Are you prepared to take responsibility if something goes wrong? Can you afford the punishment?"

Mr. Bison immediately stiffened.

"Uhh... Fine, fine. I’ll listen to you. No punishment, please."

The last time he offended this glamorous fox, she had somehow given him nightmares for an entire month. Every time he closed his eyes, he dreamed of losing all his majestic golden fur, his diamond horns broken. Even now, he had no idea how she had done it.

"Good." Scarlet nodded in satisfaction. "Just don’t make any mistakes."

Leyvi watched the exchange with raised brows.

Just what happened between those two?

He had never imagined the self-proclaimed protagonist would be this afraid of Scarlet.

Then realization dawned on him.

During the Mystic Realm expedition, he had been separated from them for quite some time. Naturally, Mr. Bison and Scarlet must have fought together on numerous occasions while he was away. They already had experience working as a team. He simply had never witnessed it himself.

The five minutes passed quickly.

"Both sides, prepare yourselves," Bardan declared. "The first team to defeat both opposing spirit beasts wins."

Leyvi and Roman each retreated farther behind their spirit beasts and activated their defensive measures.

"Begin!" Bardan announced.

The moment Bardan’s voice faded, the battle erupted.

The demonic hornet’s stinger glowed with a brilliant, sickly light. Then, with a violent thrum, it launched a barrage of massive materialized stingers toward Scarlet. Each one was the size of a spear, their surfaces dripping with venom that hissed against the air. They rained down like a storm of deadly arrows, trying to take her by surprise.

Scarlet’s eyes widened for only a fraction of a second before her body moved on instinct.

She twisted, leaped, and weaved through the barrage with fluid grace. Each stinger struck the ground where she had just been, embedding deep into the earth with a heavy thunk. Dust and debris erupted from each impact, but Scarlet remained untouched, her movements a blur of red fur and swaying tails.

The harpy eagle saw its chance.

While Scarlet was still recovering from her evasive maneuvers, Death Bringer folded its wings and dove. Its claws, each one long, curved, and gleaming like polished steel, extended forward, aimed precisely at where Scarlet was about to land.

But Scarlet was faster.

She spotted the shadow descending upon her and reacted instantly. In a flash, her body shrunk into a fraction of her normal size. The enormous talons tore through the empty air, ripping into the earth below with terrifying force. The ground split apart like paper, deep gashes carved into the rocky surface.

Without wasting the brief opening created by the failed attack, Scarlet immediately leaped onto Mr. Bison’s broad back.

"Shield. Defend against all attacks." Scarlet instructed.

Snort!

Bloodline power erupted from Mr. Bison. A translucent diamond barrier expanded around both of them, its crystal surface gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight. ℴℴ𝘮

The hornet resumed its assault without hesitation.

Dozens of materialized stingers bombarded the barrier one after another.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each impact exploded violently upon contact, sending shockwaves and clouds of dust rolling across the battlefield.

Yet when the smoke cleared, the diamond barrier remained completely flawless.

Not even a scratch appeared on its surface.

"Tch! What a troublesome tactic. Stop, Killer God!" Roman ordered with an irritated click of his tongue.

The giant hornet immediately ceased its bombardment and circled high above once more.

Roman frowned.

His opening ambush had failed completely.

He had expected the fox to panic under the coordinated attack, but Scarlet’s reflexes were absurdly sharp. Among all the demonic beasts he had ever encountered, she possessed the fastest body size manipulation he had ever witnessed. She could change size almost instantaneously, making perfectly timed attacks nearly impossible.

"Hahaha! Now that they’re inside the barrier, there’s nothing you can do to them! Mr. Bison’s barrier is the strongest in the world! How about admitting defeat already, Ramon?" Leyvi shouted, amplifying his voice with Qi.

"It’s ROMAN! Roman Magister! Strongest barrier my ass! Watch me shatter it!"

At the same time, Mr. Bison looked behind in confusion.

"Is something wrong with Boss? He suddenly praised my barrier." Mr. Bison tilted his massive head. "Did he get hit by a stray rock and become stupid?"

Scarlet rolled her eyes. "It’s part of my strategy. I asked Boss to provoke him. Just focus on the barrier. I will take care of the rest."

Snort. "I should have known. There is no way Boss would praise me for no reason."

"Death Bringer, crush that barrier with your mighty talons!" Roman ordered, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Show them why you are called the Death Bringer!"

The harpy eagle screeched loudly, a piercing cry that echoed across the barren battlefield. It ascended higher and higher, its massive frame blocking out the sun. Its wings spread wide, and its body swelled, bloodline power surging through its veins. Its talons grew, enlarging and glowing with ominous energy.

Once the enhancement reached its peak, the massive bird folded its wings and dove.

It descended like a falling meteor, its enhanced talons aimed directly at the diamond barrier. The wind howled around its body, the ground trembling in anticipation of the impact.

In a blink of an eye, the powerful giant talons struck the diamond barrier with terrifying force.

BOOM!

The impact sent shockwaves rippling across the battlefield. Dust and debris erupted in all directions, and the ground beneath Mr. Bison and Scarlet sank, forming a deep crater.

The diamond barrier held unscathed.

But something else happened.

A massive broken talon, blasted free from the harpy eagle’s foot, tore through the air like a cannonball. It shattered Leyvi’s Qi shield instantly, struck his body, and sent him flying like a rag doll. He tumbled across the ground for a few kilometers before finally coming to a stop, lying motionless in a cloud of dust.

The harpy eagle screeched in agony, its talons shattered and bleeding. It flapped weakly, struggling to stay aloft.

"Not good! Geezer!" Bardan shouted, his voice laced with alarm.

He had just realized that Leyvi had been hit by a stray piece of the shattered talon, blasted from the full-powered attack. That kind of impact was not something a Core Formation Realm cultivator could handle.

Geezer Mallard immediately rushed to Leyvi, ready to save his life. He also hadn’t expected Leyvi to have such bad luck. Hopefully he hadn’t died instantly. He really liked Leyvi after all.

However, when he arrived, Leyvi was already in the process of standing up. Aside from his torn clothes and bruises all over his upper torso, he didn’t seem to be injured at all.

What the heck? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? How is this kid not seriously injured from that?

"Leyvi, are you fine?" Geezer Mallard asked.

"I’m fine. Shit, I can’t miss the match!" Leyvi immediately flew back to his position.

The geezer remained dumbstruck. What kind of body does he have? Dammit, Bardan. This kid is obviously extraordinary, yet you’re trying to chase him away!

Bardan, who had been monitoring Leyvi with his spiritual sense, also couldn’t hide his shock.

It was mentioned that Leyvi practiced a body-toughening type of body cultivation, but he hadn’t expected it to be this tough.

When Leyvi returned to his position, Roman seemed to have lost his mind, ordering his spirit beasts to continue attacking Mr. Bison’s diamond barrier.

"Killer God, Venom Rain on them! Death Bringer, Mighty Talons again! I don’t believe this thing is invincible! Impossible!"

Leyvi blinked. This guy didn’t even notice I got hit by a broken talon. How focused is he?

Inside the barrier, Scarlet let out a smile. Her plan was progressing smoothly.

My full-package beauty salon treatment is getting closer.