Chspter 994: S-Rank Water Absorb

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"It’s raining!" Tian Yiwan said with a surprised look. 

"Is that a Rain Prayer cast by Ice Emperor Ram?"

The rain was coming down hard, a clear sign of high proficiency. The audience looked at each other, their faces filled with doubt. Although Ice Emperor Ram was partially Water-type, its primary offensive focus was clearly Ice. Wu Tianjiao’s Capybara Overlord, on the other hand, was well-known for possessing the Water Absorb and Hydration abilities. 

If it was raining, the Overlord would surely be the beneficiary. Furthermore, the Overlord was currently frozen solid, it didn't look like it could possibly be the one casting Rain Prayer.

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"Xun xun?" Little Treasure pointed at the rain on the field and looked at Mikayla with a confused expression. Last night, when his trainer was analyzing the giant capybara, he had been listening, he knew it was impossible for Lubao to be the one calling the rain. His trainer always said: "If you don't understand, ask the teacher."

Mikayla couldn't understand Little Treasure’s speech, but her vast experience allowed her to judge his meaning. She explained: "This Rain Prayer was cast by the Capybara Overlord."

Ye Xiangting and Liu Yao both looked over simultaneously.

"Xun xun?" Little Treasure blinked. Wasn't that guy frozen?

Mikayla explained patiently: "When a skill's proficiency reaches a certain level, the method of casting can change. Take Ram's Ice Flower Seal, she can now release energy through her forehead gem or simply by standing still, with only a bit of frost leaking out. Earlier, a crack was blasted into the Overlord’s ice shell by lightning. It used that crack to cast Rain Prayer. It likely released energy directly from its body, a very subtle method."

"A logical deduction. As expected of a teacher from the Imperial Beast University, spotting it so quickly..." Liu Yao turned back to the field.

Ye Xiangting nodded in realization. However, she looked back at the field with renewed confusion, not quite understanding what the use of rain was for a pet called the Capybara Overlord. 

Many spectators just watched for the excitement and didn't necessarily know the specifics of every trainer’s pets or abilities. Ye Xiangting was one such spectator.

"Xun xun..." Little Treasure grew thoughtful. He suddenly went still, circulating his energy. Suddenly, his shadow on the ground stretched forward slightly.

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Casting Rain Prayer through the crack... it wants to increase the power of the lightning to break its own ice shell... Qiao Sang quickly analyzed the opponent's goal. "A good idea, but the timing is wrong. The Lightning Field's bolts should be stopping soon."

She didn't blame the opponent, that crack was the only window the Overlord had to cast anything. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the constant bombardment of lightning stopped. Dark clouds remained, but only the heavy rain continued to fall.

Wu Tianjiao’s expression changed slightly. Qiao Sang smiled and said: "Big."

"Lu Di."

Lubao barked.

In the next second, an ice mountain that seemed large enough to cover the entire arena appeared high in the sky. The torrential rain was blocked, and the entire arena was plunged into shadow.

"An 'Ice Mountain' appears! Ice Emperor Ram has once again cast a Gigantic Ice Spike large enough to cover nearly the whole field!" Tian Yiwan marveled. 

"Every time I see this, I can't help but think: This isn't a spike, it's a descending glacier."

Tang Xueran analyzed: "It’s common knowledge that the Overlord’s raw defense is mediocre, it relies on skills to protect itself. If it can't break the freeze and defend in time, I think there's a high probability of it being defeated by this single strike."

"The Ice Field Domain combined with a spike of this magnitude is Ice Emperor Ram’s strongest combo." Tian Yiwan added. 

"To date, no contestant's pet has been able to withstand this."

As he spoke, a world-shaking "BOOM" echoed as the mountain fell. The ground shook violently, and the entire arena visibly sank. Chunks of ice flew everywhere, and the rain resumed its descent.

Stay calm, there's still a chance... Wu Tianjiao’s face shifted, but she didn't lose her composure entirely. The match had exceeded her expectations from the start. After learning her opponent was Qiao Sang, she had refined her strategies. 

Originally, if the Overlord faced Ice Emperor Ram, it was supposed to cast a Water Barrier immediately. She had even trained its speed specifically for this.

For some reason, the Overlord had been a half-step slower in the match than in practice, leading to it being frozen before the barrier was complete. But she had a backup plan: If frozen, use the Lightning Field to break out. She didn't expect the field to shatter the whole Ice Field Domain, but an Ultimate-level field should have been able to crack it.

If there were cracks, the Overlord could cast Rain Prayer. Rain would boost the lightning's power, either to attack Ram or break the ice shell. But the lightning stopped just as the rain started!

However, Wu Tianjiao refocused. The Overlord’s Water Absorb was S-rank, and it had B-rank Hydration. With S-rank Water Absorb and B-rank Hydration, as long as the rain kept hitting it, there was a high chance it could recover some status before the referee called the match.

Ice Emperor Ram has used a massive amount of energy on that combo and is still maintaining her armor, Wu Tianjiao thought. I still have a chance.

Just then, she heard Qiao Sang say: "Freezing Rain."

Wu Tianjiao: ???

Before she could process the command, the torrential rain in the sky suddenly crackled as a thin layer of ice encased every drop, freezing them mid-air.

"!!!"

Countless raindrops turned into ice beads, suspended in the air. The scene was beautiful and eerie.

"Ram has frozen all the rain in the sky!" Tian Yiwan exclaimed. 

"What is she doing?"

Tang Xueran analyzed: "Wu Tianjiao’s Overlord has Water Absorb and Hydration. Qiao Sang is likely doing this to prevent it from recovering."

"Can it really recover from such heavy damage?" Tian Yiwan asked, playing the part of the curious observer for the audience. As the 'Ice Mountain' vanished, the Overlord could be seen slumped in a crater, appearing unconscious.

"If the Water Absorb rank is high enough, it could recover in a very short time." Tang Xueran replied.

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The rain continued to fall, but as soon as it reached a certain height, it froze into ice beads. Everyone thought it was over, but then the frozen droplets fell all at once like a hail of bullets.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The ice beads hammered the Overlord's body. It lay motionless. Qiao Sang didn't relax, her mind was racing. One minute is almost up...

Rain plus the Lightning Field would boost the lightning's power. Even if the lightning couldn't destroy the whole Ice Field Domain, it could shatter specific ice structures, like the shells around the rain. 

The lightning would likely strike before the referee made the call, and it would be faster than Ice Emperor Ram could re-freeze the water. If water hit the Overlord, it might wake up. The data said its Water Absorb was S-rank.

One more heavy blow to make sure it can't recover in time... Qiao Sang thought cautiously. "Freeze it."

Lubao flicked a thought, and the Capybara Overlord was encased in ice yet again.

"What is she doing? Isn't it already down?" The crowd was baffled.

Almost the instant the Overlord was frozen, a massive "BOOM" echoed from the sky. Yellow lightning snakes reappeared in the dark clouds, far more powerful now due to the rain. Wu Tianjiao looked up and understood Qiao Sang’s caution.

"Ice Emperor Ram has frozen the Overlord again!" Tian Yiwan shouted.

"Qiao Sang is afraid the lightning will break the ice and let the rain heal it." Tang Xueran analyzed.

The crowd realized the depth of her strategy. Then, their expressions turned odd: Isn't this a bit too cautious? Water Absorb is strong, but the thing is already unconscious.

BOOM!!!

Lightning and rain crashed down simultaneously. The half-frozen rain in the air exploded into spray. Since the Overlord was frozen and its scent masked, several massive bolts slammed directly into its location.

Qiao Sang watched the timing closely and shouted: "Release!"

Lubao, enduring the lightning with her ice armor, flicked her mind 0.01 seconds after the command. The ice shell on the Overlord vanished instantly.

BANG!!!

The lightning slammed directly into the Capybara Overlord’s body.

"!!!"

The falling rain was still being frozen and shattered, but many droplets from the lightning's impact splashed onto the Overlord. Ice Emperor Ram quickly encased it in ice one more time.

She isn't going to keep doing this, is she? Wu Tianjiao felt despair. Against this energy-ignoring playstyle, she had no counter. Just as she considered surrendering, the lightning stopped again.

"That’s enough." Qiao Sang said. The freezing mist around Lubao dissipated, and the ice disappeared. The rain continued, but it was lighter now. The water hit the Overlord, and those with keen eyes could see its wounds healing at a visible rate.

It’s finally over... Wu Tianjiao breathed a sigh of relief.

The mechanical referee appeared by the Overlord. Two seconds later, it waved the green flag toward Qiao Sang. On the virtual screen, the Overlord's photo turned black and white.

"Lu Di..." Lubao’s tense tail relaxed. She also had Water Absorb, she knew exactly how terrifying S-rank recovery could be.

"Congratulations to Qiao Sang for winning the second round!" Tian Yiwan shouted. 

"The score is now 2:0. Qiao Sang has reached match point! Will she seize the chance to head to the finals?"

"Wu Tianjiao has fought hard." Tian Yiwan sighed. 

"But she had bad luck. First, a Bond Evolution, and then her Overlord ran into Ice Emperor Ram. If Qiao Sang had sent out Blazing Divine Lion, the Overlord’s Water Veil might have given it a chance."

Wu Tianjiao didn't recall her pet immediately, letting it soak in the rain for a bit longer. The stands were a roar of noise: "Qiao Sang is too cracked! Two wins in a row in the semi-finals!"

"Wu Tianjiao still has a chance. The falcon is spent, and Ice Emperor Ram must be out of energy. Only Blazing Divine Lion is left."

"Is it that hard to admit she's just better?"

"Look! The Capybara Overlord is waking up!"

Everyone watched as the fallen Overlord slowly opened its eyes. Only then did Wu Tianjiao recall it. Those who had questioned Qiao Sang’s caution fell silent.

"I was wrong." One whispered. 

"Qiao Sang really has foresight..."

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