Chapter 1006: A Champion's Destiny

Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1 

-----

The audience felt the sound was ear-piercing and terrifying, but they suffered no physical discomfort. The entire defense barrier emitted a loud humming vibration, ripples racing across its surface like waves in a storm. Despite the strain, the barrier held firm over the field, refusing to shatter.

Inside the barrier, invisible soundwaves rippled outward at extreme speeds. Being closest to the Sawtooth Dragon, Yabao bore the brunt of the attack.

The moment Yabao’s left front paw touched the ground, he felt his head thrum with a violent, white-hot pain. His mind went blank, stripped of the ability to think. Following that, his eyes grew dull and unfocused, as if struck by a heavy blow that left him unable to see straight.

BOOM!!!

A terrifying, invisible force detonated all around Yabao. The ground surged. Stones sprayed everywhere. Simultaneously, beneath the earth, dark red, boiling lava appeared.

Even though he knew the Blazing Divine Lion was hiding Lava Purgatory as a trump card, Yuan Tianlong’s pupils couldn't help but contract at the sight of that terrifying crimson hue beneath the surface. He shouted: "Protect!"

"RUMBLE!"

Scalding lava erupted upward. The entire ground suddenly collapsed as the lava rolled out from the depths like a volcanic eruption, surging toward the sky and then layering down over the entire field with overwhelming force.

The Sawtooth Dragon and Yabao were completely swallowed by the lava, which swept over them like a flood. The ground seemed to tremble. The surrounding air was scorched by the high temperature, and suffocating heat whistled past as a massive thermal wave expanded in all directions.

The dark red, almost golden, river of lava turned the entire arena into a purgatory. Tongues of flame danced and waves of fire splashed; even with the barrier in the way, the crowd could feel the heat, which seemed capable of melting everything in its path.

This... this... The crowd stared at the scene, open-mouthed.

Although both Yuan Tianlong and Qiao Sang had issued the commands for "Dragon Sonic Blast" and "Lava Purgatory" moments before, the actual sight of it left everyone shaken to the core. Two Super-tier skills! Both the Sawtooth Dragon and the Blazing Divine Lion had successfully unleashed them!

In the commentary booth, Tian Yiwan stood up abruptly, his face a mask of shock and excitement:

"The field defense system has been activated for the first time in this regional competition! Both the Sawtooth Dragon and the Blazing Divine Lion have unleashed their respective Super-tier skills. This is the first clash between two Super-tier skills in this tournament!"

"Just a moment ago, the time for the Dragon Luck Field expired!" 

Tang Xueran stood up as well, speaking with excitement: "However, the Dragon Sonic Blast was unleashed right at the final seconds of the Dragon Luck Field. The power of a Dragon-type Super-tier skill did not disappoint, directly triggering the defense system. This skill doesn't just damage the opponent's nervous system; it renders them unable to think, causing them to faint and lose combat effectiveness, while triggering sonic boom attacks around the target."

"And the Lava Purgatory unleashed by the Blazing Divine Lion is just like its name, it turns the field into a purgatory covered in lava. With the boost from Moonlight Power, its horror is even further enhanced. Even at this distance from the field, I can feel the oncoming heat!"

"Both Super-tier skills successfully hit their targets! Can the Sawtooth Dragon and the Blazing Divine Lion still stand? Will the match end here?"

Tian Yiwan added: "I believe that both have taken a fatal blow. Now, whoever is able to persist and stand up will be the final victor of this match!"

The arena fell into a deathly silence, only waking up after the commentary to erupt into a tidal wave of noise.

"Holy crap! Both the Sawtooth Dragon and the Blazing Divine Lion were hiding a Super-tier skill! They kept them hidden deep, only revealing them in the finals."

"Look at their previous opponents; none of them were a match. They didn't even need to use their ultimate moves to win."

"Earlier when Yuan Tianlong called for Dragon Sonic Blast and it failed, I laughed at him. I didn't think the Sawtooth Dragon actually knew it..."

"So the Lava Purgatory Qiao Sang shouted really was that Lava Purgatory..."

"There isn't exactly another skill with that name."

"Is this the regional competition's defense system? It's my first time seeing it..."

"Counting Radiant Impact, the Blazing Divine Lion has two Super-tier skills..."

"The power of that Lava Purgatory is terrifying. Could the Blazing Divine Lion have won?"

"Impossible. The defense system is active, so we can't feel the true power of the Dragon Sonic Blast. Without that barrier, everyone in the stands would probably be affected. The Blazing Divine Lion is so close to the dragon, the impact must be massive. I think this might be a draw."

"Right, before the Lava Purgatory erupted, the Blazing Divine Lion's eyes had already gone vacant."

"I feel like the power of this Lava Purgatory is unusually high..."

"It's a Super-tier skill, of course it's strong."

"That's not what I mean. I once saw a King-rank Fire-type pet use this move on TV, and it didn't seem any stronger than this."

"How can you compare TV to being here? Seeing it in person is always the most shocking."

"...Fair point."

"This is a true final..."

"Honestly, I really want to ask Qiao Sang how she trains her pets to know so many Super-tier skills..."

"I still think the Sawtooth Dragon will win. Its defense is naturally higher than the Blazing Divine Lion's. At the last second, I saw Yuan Tianlong call for Protect. If the dragon pulled it off, it might have endured the wave."

"I think the Blazing Divine Lion will win. What if Blaze is triggered again?"

She must win, she must win... In a corner of the stands, Wu Tianjiao, wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a mask, stared at the field, chanting in her heart.

---

Ye Xiangting stared at the field nervously. She turned to ask: "Teacher, who do you think will win?"

Mikayla was silent for a moment before saying diplomatically: "I can't guarantee anything. Sometimes the outcome depends not just on strength and cooperation with the tamer, but on the pet's own willpower."

She had clearly seen that at the final moment, the Sawtooth Dragon had used Protect. She didn't know the level of that Protect, but the Lava Purgatory unleashed by the Blazing Divine Lion was definitely not at the entry level. 

The Blazing Divine Lion had no defensive skills to block the Dragon Sonic Blast, but he had the Blaze characteristic. In her eyes, the coming moments were a battle of wills; either side could win.

At that moment, Liu Yao said with conviction: "Yabao’s Blaze will definitely be triggered."

He had watched too many of Qiao Sang’s matches and had essentially watched her and Yabao grow together to this point. Yabao's competitive spirit was too strong. Setting aside usual training, in a match this important, he would never allow himself to simply fall. 

If he didn't have the Blaze characteristic, it would be one thing, but he happened to have it. The activation of Blaze depends not just on the level of the characteristic, but on the pet's competitive drive and unyielding will. 

Yabao had both. Combined with his bond with Qiao Sang, his determination to win for his tamer would be even stronger. Yabao would definitely trigger it, Liu Yao was certain of it.

---

The lava flowed, appearing to settle into a calm state. The defense barrier around the field vanished.

"Saw saw..."

Gasping for breath, covered in wounds and flickering with a semi-transparent light, the Sawtooth Dragon slowly stood up amidst the lava. It stumbled once as the light vanished, but it did not fall.

The stadium erupted. Yuan Tianlong’s fans stood up, screaming at the top of their lungs. The arena was filled with the sounds of people shouting for Yuan Tianlong and the Sawtooth Dragon. It felt as if victory was already in hand.

In the commentary booth, Tian Yiwan shouted: "He's up! The Sawtooth Dragon has stood up! Under the impact of Lava Purgatory, it still stands!"

Tang Xueran said: "The Sawtooth Dragon used Protect just now, it seems it successfully executed an effective defense."

"It appears the result of this match is decided. Contestant Yuan Tianlong has successfully recovered a point." 

Tian Yiwan, remembering he actually supported Qiao Sang, added: "Now the Sawtooth Dragon is heavily injured, while Qiao Sang’s Steel Sword Falcon is still in peak condition. If Steel Sword Falcon can successfully Bond Evolve in the final match, the winner of this round remains to be seen."

"Exactly..." 

Tang Xueran was about to agree, but her eyes suddenly widened at the field. She shouted in surprise: "The Blazing Divine Lion is also standing up! He has triggered the Blaze characteristic! It seems this match isn't over yet!"

---

A dozen seconds before the commentary...

On the field, Qiao Sang stared at the spot where Yabao had fallen, shouting: "Yabao!"

There was no movement under the lava. Yuan Tianlong felt a surge of wariness and a bad premonition. The chance of the Blazing Divine Lion triggering Blaze was remarkably high, according to data, once his condition deteriorated, the chance was almost 100%. The level of his Blaze characteristic was at least Grade A. This time, he might trigger it again.

The Sawtooth Dragon was the last pet he could send out, and the Dragon Luck Field had vanished. If the Blazing Divine Lion really triggered Blaze and added Moonlight Power to the mix, then this match...

Yuan Tianlong pulled his thoughts together and issued a command without a second's delay: "Dragon Pulse!"

The Sawtooth Dragon opened its mouth, and a silver-white light instantly condensed.

Crap... Seeing the dragon’s movement, Qiao Sang’s pupils shrank. She shouted with all her strength: "Yabao!!!"

The thought of that attack hitting an immobile Yabao made her heart clinch. But she also knew that the previous Dragon Sonic Blast had put Yabao into a state of tinnitus, making him unable to hear her voice. Still, she shouted instinctively, the loudest she had ever screamed.

Under the lava, Yabao slowly opened his eyes. Looking at the blurred, double-imaged opponent, his consciousness began to fade. Past memories flashed by like a revolving lantern: Training with his tamer, Little Treasure, Lubao, Gangbao, and Qingbao; studying opponents; participating in matches; the journey step-by-step to this moment.

They had come this far... and only one opponent remained...

BOOM!!!

The terrifying silver-white beam blasted into the lava. Lava splashed upward, but Yabao, who had been lying on the ground, was nowhere to be seen.

In the stands, the crowd that had been cheering for Yuan Tianlong and the Sawtooth Dragon suddenly went silent.

"Saw saw..."

As if sensing something, the Sawtooth Dragon looked up. There, the opponent who should have been lying on the ground appeared high in the sky, his entire body wreathed in red-gold flames, looking several times more ferocious than before.

Yuan Tianlong’s expression became grave.

Yabao... Qiao Sang let out a huge sigh of relief, her face filled with excitement. If she were looking at her Beast Codex now, she would see that on Yabao’s page, the data for the Blaze characteristic was surging upward significantly.

Tang Xueran’s voice rang out: "That’s right... the Blazing Divine Lion is also standing up! He has triggered the Blaze trait! It seems this match isn't over yet!"

Flames surged as Yabao turned into a red-gold beam of light. Before the Sawtooth Dragon could make any reaction, the beam shot down diagonally from the heights, flashing past and slamming into its body.

BANG!

The Sawtooth Dragon was sent flying. Immediately after, Yabao opened his mouth, and a red-gold beam of light shot out instantly. The heavily injured dragon hadn't even finished being sent flying when the beam blasted into it.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rang out. Shockwaves carrying flames ravaged everything.

"SAW SAW!"

The Sawtooth Dragon let out a piteous cry. Yabao spread his wings, his entire body suddenly enveloped in golden flames. With a forceful flap, he turned into a golden light and ascended into the sky. In the blink of an eye, he reached a height that seemed level with the moon.

The crowd looked up, feeling as if they were seeing the sun and moon shining together. Suddenly, the sun fell vertically at a terrifying speed.

In its current state, the Sawtooth Dragon can't dodge this... Yuan Tianlong’s face changed drastically. He could only gamble. He shouted: "Dragon Sonic Blast!"

The Sawtooth Dragon looked up and opened its mouth: "SAW SAW!!!"

The field defense system was activated again. The semi-transparent barrier enveloped the arena. Ripples raced across the barrier as the ground within exploded upward under an invisible force.

BOOM!!!

The sun fell. The ground abruptly sank. The entire field, centered on the impact, collapsed into a hemispherical crater. Charred rocks flew into the air, and lava sprayed. Looking down, the ground struck by the hit had entered a state of ultra-high temperature, appearing distorted.

Even though they had seen Radiant Impact before, the audience was still stunned by the sight, feeling it was more earth-shaking than any previous time.

The shockwave and light from the sun vanished. Everyone clearly saw that both the Blazing Divine Lion and the Sawtooth Dragon were lying unconscious in the hemispherical crater.

Silence filled the arena. Not even the commentators spoke immediately. A mechanical-type pet appeared on the field. It went to the Sawtooth Dragon's side to check, then to Yabao's side.

Then, it raised a blue-and-white flag and waved it.

The crowd remained silent.

In the commentary booth, Tian Yiwan stood up, took a deep breath, and shouted in a voice full of power and passion: "Honored guests, audience members, just now, the result of the final match of this regional competition has come out! Both the Blazing Divine Lion and the Sawtooth Dragon have fallen. It is a draw!"

"The final score is 3:2! All three of Yuan Tianlong’s pets were sent out, and all have fallen!"

Tang Xueran let out a long breath and said with equal passion: "Let us congratulate Contestant Qiao Sang for becoming the Champion of this Hollow Region Competition!"

As her words fell, a giant virtual screen appeared in the center of the field. Yuan Tianlong’s photo vanished, replaced by a large, fixed image of Qiao Sang and her pets. Simultaneously, countless brilliant fireworks bloomed in the night sky, like a vivid painting.

-----

T/n: Kung Hei Fat Choi to those celebrating the Chinese New Year! 

-----

Previous Chapter_Next Chapter

-----