"YOU?" James was so furious he was nearly spitting blood. His face twisted into a ferocious snarl as he roared, "I will kill you!"
"Dreaming is always pleasant!" Eddie shrugged nonchalantly and turned to leave. "Grey Wolf, play with this clown for a bit. Although he's a bit weak, he sure knows how to entertain."
At this, Grey Wolf perked up, howled to the sky, and pounced, targeting the Scorpion Lion. Despite being a level lower, the Bronze Level 3 Scorpion Lion, under James's command, fearlessly charged at Grey Wolf with a ferocious bite aimed at its hind legs.
If it were not a contracted beast, it would instinctively go for the throat. But James, seasoned in battle, knew well the weaknesses of various beasts.
One throat, two spine, three hind legs.
To kill agile beasts like wolves or foxes with larger, more explosive beasts like lions or tigers, one must strike at their greatest weaknesses or impair their strengths.
Since the throat and back were no longer weak points for the Iron Ridge Demon Wolf, disabling its paws was the key.
Otherwise, Grey Wolf's agility would simply exhaust the lower-leveled Scorpion Lion. James was confident because Grey Wolf wasn't a contracted beast and acted on instinct, lacking the strategic guidance of a master.
In the Capital Academy, there's a saying: "Only contracted beasts are true battle beasts; otherwise, they're just wild beasts."
Grey Wolf twisted in mid-air to dodge the Scorpion Lion's sharp teeth. Landing for a moment, it quickly leaped back, slashing its claws across the Lion's open mouth.
As the Scorpion Lion angrily pursued, Grey Wolf gracefully evaded the attack. When the Lion turned to strike, Grey Wolf's claws left several bloody marks on its hind.
The mercenaries watched, almost drooling. The Bronze Level 4 Iron Ridge Demon Wolf was impressive! Being just one level higher, it easily overpowered the Bronze Level 3 Scorpion Lion, regardless of size difference.
This was just its instinctual combat; if contracted and guided by a master, its combat effectiveness could soar. They all wished they could contract such a beast, but even a Bronze-level creature was challenging to contract, let alone a Level 4 Iron Ridge Demon Wolf.
"Grey Wolf, you idiot, what's the use of scratching aimlessly? The Scorpion Lion's skin is thick; how long will you fight like this? You should go for its weak spots - understand what vulnerability means?" Eddie's loud reprimand made everyone around break into a cold sweat.
Biting... there? Just thinking about such a tactic made everyone feel a chill.
Although reluctant to admit, if successful, this approach would indeed be a painfully devastating blow to the enemy.
Eddie initially didn't want Grey Wolf to fight; he had planned to rush in himself and beat James to a pulp.
However, he noticed someone watching him from the sidelines – the stunningly dressed Lady of Luohua City, observing him with curious eyes.
Another person also caught his attention, an ordinary-looking man who blended seamlessly into the crowd. But with Eddie's keen perception, he could tell this man was no ordinary figure; his energy stood out, second only to the Lady of Luohua City.
Dressed like any ordinary mercenary, this man hadn't caught Eddie's eye at first. During the leap to destroy the Blade Puppet's head, Eddie caught a flash of sharpness in his eyes, revealing his strength.
What made Eddie cautious was that this man was holding a strange hexagonal crystal, seemingly recording the entire battle.
This made Eddie's mind sharpen. He had to teach James a lesson without revealing his secret as a newly advanced innate warrior.
So, Eddie devised a cunning plan. He wanted to create an illusion for everyone, leading them astray with his setup so that no one would ever suspect him of being an innate warrior. Therefore, he first sent Grey Wolf to battle James's Scorpion Lion!
"Be careful, Eddie. James might use a contract scroll on Grey Wolf if it gets injured. A wounded beast is vulnerable and easily bound by a new contract," Yehken whispered urgently to Eddie, but noticing Eddie's calm demeanor, he realized his worries might be unnecessary.
He continued, "I've been thinking about why James is targeting Sophia so aggressively. It might be due to competition. The Shentu family has a highly talented young girl around Sophia's age, also a candidate for the North Moon Fairy Court, just like Sophia. If Sophia is suppressed, the Fairy Court would likely choose his sister instead!"
"Now I get it!" Eddie mused, understanding why James had been so eager to invite Sophia to the Heaven-Reaching Tower. His intention was to sabotage her progress and make her fail the trials, weakening her strength.
James's boldness in oppressing Sophia could be tied to the support from the Yan family, another of the four great families, who also wished to surpass the Yue family. A talented girl like Sophia was a prime target for their suppression. Eddie didn't rule out the possibility of Blaze colluding with the enemy.
Fueled by anger, Eddie's smile grew wider. He was ready for the cunning games in this family feud. "Let's see who destroys whom, who laughs last in this battle of wits and strength."
Eddie glanced at the 'expert' hidden in the crowd, then took off his shirt, tearing it into strips. He wrapped the unconscious Sophia in these strips. This action puzzled everyone, including Yehken. Why wrap Sophia in torn cloth strips? What could be the purpose?
Yehken and everyone watching Eddie were confused. Eddie wouldn't act without reason. Why ignore the ongoing fight between Grey Wolf and the Scorpion Lion for such a seemingly pointless act? Wrapping his sister in cloth strips – what use could it have?
The thoughtful ones didn't believe it was a random act. There must be some scheme behind this muscular young man's actions. The question was, what was his plan? That was the real puzzle.
Meanwhile, the battle continued. Grey Wolf, relying on instinct without a master's guidance, suffered several gory wounds from the Scorpion Lion's claws.
Despite its agility, it couldn't evade all attacks.
However, the lower-leveled Scorpion Lion was in a much worse state, clearly struggling against Grey Wolf's onslaught.
"Grey Wolf, you fool, what use is random scratching? The Scorpion Lion is tough; how long will you fight like this? Go for its weak spots!" Eddie shouted, to the bewilderment of everyone present.
Despite the initial shock of Eddie's tactics, it was undeniable that they would be highly effective if successful.
Eddie didn't originally intend to let Grey Wolf fight. He had planned to personally attack James, give him a beating, then humiliate him utterly. However, he noticed an unfamiliar figure observing him from the sidelines, along with the Lady of Luohua City. The unremarkable man in the crowd, who Eddie discerned to be quite strong, held a strange hexagonal crystal, recording everything.
Realizing this, Eddie knew he couldn't reveal his secret as a newly advanced innate warrior. So, he decided to let Grey Wolf fight James's Scorpion Lion as part of his ruse.
"Scorpion Tail Hook!" James commanded. The Scorpion Lion's tail, which hadn't been used yet, struck swiftly at Grey Wolf. Grey Wolf dodged and clamped its teeth around the base of the tail, refusing to let go. James, instead of showing concern for his beast, wore a frenzied look, ordering the Scorpion Lion to retreat.
Grey Wolf tore off the entire tail, and the Scorpion Lion returned to James, howling in pain. James, instead of comforting it, quickly pulled out a rune scroll and cast it over Grey Wolf. "My dear, now you are mine! Come, sign a contract with me, a high-ranking hero, unlike that loser. He couldn't contract such a fine demon wolf, but I am different."
Yehken panicked, but noticed Eddie standing still, just watching coldly. He knew Eddie didn't care much for Grey Wolf, often hitting and kicking it, but now was not the time to let James contract such a valuable beast.
What Yehken didn't know was that Grey Wolf's magical balance and evolution were tied to Eddie's innate Qi; it would never leave him.
"My dear, come to me," James continued to lure Grey Wolf, which seemed to stagger towards him.
Yehken watched in dismay, while Eddie stood motionless. Just when everyone was anxious for Eddie, Grey Wolf suddenly lunged at James, viciously biting the contract scroll in his hand. The scroll exploded with a loud 'boom'.
James's attempt to contract Grey Wolf backfired, the scroll destroyed and the backlash causing him intense pain.
His armored Black Warrior, no longer sustained by his weakened spirit, dissipated. Before it could return to its crystal, Eddie's spear pierced its eye socket, dispersing the Black Warrior like a deflating balloon, its essence escaping in a burst of dark smoke.
The Black Warrior was instantly vanquished. Fragments of its armor clattered to the ground. Enhancement-type beasts are most vulnerable when separated from their master, and Eddie knew this well, a tactic he'd learned from his parents' notes.
James, reeling from the spiritual blow and the loss of his Black Warrior, staggered, his summoning crystals shattering in his hand. When he looked towards his Scorpion Lion, he saw Grey Wolf firmly clamped on its throat while Eddie's spear delivered a finishing blow.
"How does it feel, James, to go from genius to useless in an instant? Exhilarating, right? I know you enjoy being on the receiving end of pain. But the best is yet to come. You like having many beasts? Well, I'll kill each one you summon. Yehken, Lyqeen, Lyken, what are you waiting for? It's time to serve our dear James!" Eddie taunted, sweeping his bloodied and dirtied spear across James's face, shattering his teeth and splattering blood.
Before James could even cry out, Yehken, Lyqeen, and Lyken, despite their injuries, pounced on him, raining down a brutal beating.
As everyone recovered from their shock, James was left battered and bloodied. The unassuming 'expert' in the crowd finally made a move, not to assist James, but to capture Sophia. Anticipating this, Eddie moved with lightning speed, his ordinary yet lethal spear thrusting upwards between the kidnapper's legs.
"Been waiting for you. Time to offer up your own 'gift'," Eddie declared, leaving the audience in utter disbelief.