The Shadow Leopard was injured, even though not fatally, these injuries weren't light either.
However, its injuries were being healed slowly.
Ioison Monitor hissed and waited for the Shadow Leopard.
As Yang Zhai had been making it attack the Ioison Monitor time and again, Sufi Kho didn't make it run after the Shadow Leopard.
"I can take it slow and let him attack. After all, no matter what he tries, he cannot kill a rank 5 Ioison Monitor with a rank 4 Shadow Leopard, even if he managed to give it a few injuries." Sufi Kho muttered with a grin.
What he didn't see was a snake on Yang Zhai's shoulders, but that wasn't the case for the others.
Except for him, everyone could see it. They looked at it quietly, surprised.
They were surprised and wanted to discuss it and speak about it. It was like how people liked to speak about others and satisfied themselves.
The reason they kept quiet was only one person, that reason stood right in the middle of the stage, Ryu Tae.
The snake came down from Yang Zhai's shoulders and slowly slithered towards the Ioison Monitor.
The Shadow Leopard moved at the exact moment. It took Sufi Kho's and the Ioison Monitor's attention.
It strolled around a little while looking at the Ioison Monitor. After that, it ran towards the monitor.
The monitor tried to bite it, but it jumped.
Sufi Kho ordered the Ioison Monitor to use its tail again.
"What's happening? Why isn't it using its tail…" he muttered with confusion.
When he looked at its tail, his eyes widened.
A black snake was slowly eating the Ioison Monitor and had already eaten half of its tail. Even though the snake's bite couldn't do much to the Ioison Monitor because of the rank difference, as it did to the monkey back at the Vulpia, it was still slowly eating away the Ioison Monitor.
As it was soulless, it couldn't be killed from the Monitor's poison. Even though a rank 4 method couldn't kill a rank 5 cultivator, it could still injure them. So, it didn't mean that the Damnation Snake couldn't do anything to the Ioison Monitor just because of the rank difference. Just like Red Poison, which could injure several ranks higher cultivators than its rank, even if by not much.
As for the Damnation Snake, it was a literal being even if not alive. On top of that, it was an extremely powerful method of rank 4.
So, the Ioison Monitor was not able to do anything, especially when the Shadow Leopard had also injured it.
The Shadow Leopard jumped and used its claw to attack the Monitor's back. This time, it couldn't do anything.
The Shadow Leopard didn't run and started attacking the Monitor time and again with its claws while avoiding its bite. It avoided biting the Ioison Monitor, though, because of the poison it held.
"Damn it! Where was he hiding this snake?! I was also not using my buff ka to strengthen its tail thinking that he was just a kid and was making reckless moves. I was saving it for the later rounds. Now, I can't even use that… I was fooled." Sufi Kho muttered with an anxious and furious tone.
He was saving this buff ka as a trump card for the later rounds as he thought there was no need right now, and it would be useful later on in the competition. After all, the Shadow Leopard was just a rank 4 beast and was slowly getting injured.
"What's happening now?!"
The Ioison Monitor had accumulated a lot of wrinkles. It was slowly starting to wither away. The Damnation Snake's poison was starting to show its effects.
It was in a lot of pain and losing its senses.
"Damn it!" Sufi Kho tried to take control of it.
If he didn't do it quickly, he might end up facing a backlash.
"You scroudrel, die!" Sufi Kho, desperate, ran towards Yang Zhai.
Yang Zhai stood still and didn't do anything.
Ryu Tae appeared in front of Yang Zhai and said,
"Stop,"
Even though he said it slowly, Sufi Kho felt immense pressure and came to a stop in his tracks, sweating profusely.
He suddenly fell to his knees and vomited blood.
"No… if I lose, the Bang Sect will kill me…"
His eyes showed extreme fear.
Finally, he began to spit blood. His eyes were bloodshot. Blood even came from his seven orifices.
He had faced the backlash as his control over the Ioison Monitor was broken. His mind suffered damage. If he was lucky, he would survive today.
But the result was that his mind's nerves burst, and blood started to accumulate; he died after writhing in pain for a few minutes. Everyone just stood and watched.
Even if someone tried to help him, Ryu Tae would have stopped them. The reason was that he hadn't given up and his beast was still alive. The rules also didn't mention that if a cultivator was about to die, they could be helped. So, Ryu Tae didn't care as long as there was no rule to stop him.
As for the Ioison Monitor, half of its body had been eaten by the Damnation Snake and its front part of the body had withered away. The Shadow Leopard came and sat beside Yang Zhai's legs.
"The result is obvious, the fight goes to Tzu Yu. Also, as Sufi Kho died himself, Tzu Yu will not be blamed." Ryu Tae announced.
"I can finally speak freely, sigh. I am impressed by this kid, he can control two beasts."
"What's the matter with that snake? I have never seen a snake like that."
"I am more surprised about the fact that he managed to defeat a rank 5 Mastery Path cultivator."
"No, he didn't defeat the cultivator but the beast. Anyway, he obviously went easy on Tzu Yu thinking that he was just a kid. He ended up paying for this mistake."
"How would he know that? Even I thought that kid was fighting recklessly and would lose for sure. Who would have thought that he was just taking his time and injuring the Monitor along the way."
…..
"Tzu Yu, are you alone?" Biu Le asked.
"No, I had my companions with me."
"I see, so, is the Shadow Leopard standing outside the room your beast?"
"Yes, that would be mine."
"Hmm… that beast wouldn't even last a few rounds. If you're unlucky and end up facing a rank 5 beast, you will lose in the first round."
Biu Le took a bite of the meat in front of her and spoke without even glancing at Yang Zhai.
"Tzu Yu, even though Yue Qing chose you after knowing everything, I am not so sure what she saw in you. Even though I am holding this competition, I want her to have at least a chance and hope. So… I want to see for myself why she chose you. If you can't impress me, I won't allow you to represent her. After all, in a way, you will be representing this whole Eroh Domain. You understand, right…" Sun Jian spoke.
So, he is basically indirectly asking me to leave. After all, he already knows that I am just a rank 4 cultivator with a rank 4 Shadow Leopard. In the end, to him, what can a rank 4 cultivator like me do?
Even if I am talented in others' eyes and am already a Mastery Path cultivator at such a young age, he can't just put his daughter's hope in a mere rank 4 cultivator.
These were Yang Zhai's thoughts.
Very well then, let's show them a little.
With this, a snake came out of Yang Zhai's left hand that was hidden by his robe's sleeve.
!|!*****!*****!|!