"So, how about that? Can you still crush them as easily as before?" The lanky man looked at Rachel with a hint of smugness, completely disregarding Zhong Shenxiu.
Meanwhile, the young members of the "Tilar Family" responsible for leading the "Misty Mercenary Group" were frozen in place. This series of bizarre phenomena had overloaded their minds. What kind of battle was this? First, a Necromancer, then a Summoner—what fresh absurdity would appear next?
What concerned them most, however, was whether this "Misty Mercenary Group" had any way to resolve the immediate crisis. Their opponent was clearly intent on killing them, yet they appeared so relaxed!
At this moment, every member of the "Misty Mercenary Group" turned their gaze toward Zhong Shenxiu. Only they knew their young master was about to make a move, and it would likely be stunningly unexpected!
As everyone was caught up in their private thoughts, Zhong Shenxiu finally began to reveal his hand. He casually waved toward the ground before him and uttered, "Come forth!"
As his words faded, the ground before him suddenly flashed red, and then erupted in roaring flames.
As the flames intensified, something emerged from within!
The scorching heat forced the young nobles to retreat several steps, vaguely sensing a monstrous shape shifting within the inferno. Looking across at the "Tornado Mercenary Group," who were slightly farther away and less affected, they could clearly make out the creature within the flames: a "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent"!
The lanky man could no longer manage a smile. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent"!
Despite his knowledge that this was a summoned beast, he had no idea what kind of summoning technique was used. Just from its appearance, he knew its destructive power must be astonishing!
"You... you are also a Summoner?"
The lanky man stared at Zhong Shenxiu with horrified eyes. The scene before him was a profound shock. When he was Zhong Shenxiu's age, he could only manage basic summoning spells.
He understood clearly: if Zhong Shenxiu was truly a Summoner, his future achievements would be even more terrifying!
Such a person absolutely could not be allowed to live! The lanky man had secretly resolved that, whatever the cost, he would eliminate this youth today.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Zhong Shenxiu's low murmur drifted over: "As expected, the first summoning is a bit clumsy. I only managed to summon such a weak beast. I'll need to practice more later!"
"First summoning?"
The lanky man nearly fainted upon hearing those words. How could this possibly be the first time? This looked like the result of at least ten thousand training sessions!
And how could this summoned beast be weak? Were they taking them for fools? Judging by the temperature of the flames surrounding it, this was a high-level summon—no, it had to be a master-level summon!
The lanky man thought this because the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent" summoned by Zhong Shenxiu began to change. Beneath its serpentine heads, a net-like tail spread out, continuously emerging from the ground and vanishing again, like countless mobile vines!
The scene instantly fell into a deathly silence. Everyone's attention was riveted on the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent." No one knew what it would do next!
Even just watching its constantly swiveling heads sent a shiver down their spines!
But the spectacle wasn't over. Just then, the nine heads simultaneously opened their mouths. Just when everyone expected it to spit something out, unexpectedly, it began to inhale the surrounding flames.
As the flames vanished, the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent's" body turned incandescent red, like a piece of white-hot iron!
"How is this possible?" The lanky man was completely bewildered by this chain of mutations. This went beyond the scope of summoning arts, making him question if this was truly summoning at all.
"Alright, who goes first, you or me?" Zhong Shenxiu asked with a smile, seeking input from the lanky man.
The lanky man's body visibly trembled. He shook off his momentary confusion, shot Zhong Shenxiu a glare, and then abruptly commanded the summoned beasts he had conjured to lunge toward Zhong Shenxiu with lightning speed!
As a high-level Summoner, the lanky man knew the fundamental weakness of a Summoner: the physical body! Attacking the summoned creatures was meaningless; as long as the Summoner retained power, they could simply summon replacements. If the main body suffered a critical blow, all summoned beasts would instantly dissipate!
This was what the lanky man was counting on. He planned to strike unexpectedly, instantly killing Zhong Shenxiu before he could react. That way, he wouldn't have to face that "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent"!
Under his command, his flame-wreathed summoned creatures split into two groups, attempting to use swift, agile movements to bypass the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent."
However, he had gravely underestimated the power of this "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent." Although Zhong Shenxiu had called it weak, that depended entirely on the comparison standard.
As soon as the lanky man's summoned beasts approached, countless crimson serpentine tails erupted from the ground and instantly coiled around them with the speed of a blink, leaving not a single one unbound!
Although this outcome slightly surprised the lanky man, he did not show panic. Contests between Summoners were not just about the summoned beasts themselves, but more importantly, about the control over them!
The lanky man, still refusing to give up, directed his struggling beasts to claw and bite, but no matter how they thrashed, the serpentine tails wrapping them only tightened their grip!
If one looked closely, they would notice another phenomenon: the flames on the lanky man's summoned creatures were visibly weakening, as if being siphoned away! Simultaneously, the color of the serpentine tails grew even more crimson!
"Blast it, how can it absorb the energy from my summoned beasts?"
The lanky man started in alarm. He reacted quickly, immediately dismissing the beasts entangled by the tails, focusing instead on summoning a new creature!
Casting a summoning spell, much like casting a magic spell, required longer preparation time for higher-level entities!
Zhong Shenxiu had seen through the lanky man's trick but chose not to intervene, waiting with evident interest. If the game ended too quickly, Zhong Shenxiu would surely find it tedious!
Finally, the lanky man's new summon appeared: a massive "Ice Bear," easily ten meters tall, constantly radiating chilling energy!
With the successful appearance of the "Ice Bear," the lanky man secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, he genuinely feared the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent" might attack, which would have ruined all his summoning preparations if he had been distracted!
"Hmph, while I admit you have talent, your combat experience is clearly lacking!" the lanky man judged Zhong Shenxiu internally. If it were him, he certainly wouldn't give the opponent a chance to summon again! "Now I'll use ice against your fire. Let's see who is superior!"
With that thought, the lanky man commanded the "Ice Bear" to charge toward the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent."
His new strategy was clear: eliminate the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent" first, and then deal with Zhong Shenxiu. He absolutely would not grant Zhong Shenxiu another opportunity to summon!
Although the "Ice Bear" was huge, its movement speed was surprisingly nimble. Within a few breaths, it reached the vicinity of the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent."
Seeing the "Ice Bear" react calmly, the confidence the lanky man had lost was finally restored. He now desperately wanted to stomp the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent" into paste!
As the "Ice Bear" raised its massive paw, the "Nine-Headed Fire Serpent" finally made its move. All nine heads simultaneously aimed at the "Ice Bear" and unleashed long streams of fire!
The collision of fire and ice instantly generated thick steam, which enveloped the entire area in the blink of an eye. Everyone strained their eyes, trying to discern the victor in the clash between the two monsters, but all they could see was a blinding white expanse!
After a short while, someone cast an air-elemental spell, instantly sweeping away the dense water vapor. The onlookers could finally see the scene inside!
They saw the "Ice Bear" was now entangled by several serpentine tails, but these tails were no longer crimson; they had turned a pale blue!
Watching both monsters stand motionless, the crowd was unsure which side had won, and silence descended once more!
Then, the lanky man's triumphant laughter suddenly broke the quiet: "Heh heh, I won! Your summoned beast has been frozen!"
The lanky man congratulated himself on his rich combat experience, having conceived of using ice to counter fire. How ridiculous that the opponent dared to fight head-on!
"Your 'Nine-Headed Fire Serpent' might be formidable and able to absorb energy from my beasts, but this 'Ice Bear' is different—its attribute directly counters fire. How can you absorb that!?"
The lanky man grew increasingly pleased with himself. Just as he prepared to command the "Ice Bear" to attack Zhong Shenxiu, the latter pursed his lips, smiled, and asked in a challenging tone, "Do you really think so?"
The lanky man paused, but immediately thought: Trying to stall for time? No chance! I won't let you succeed. Die!
He prepared to order the "Ice Bear" to break free from the bindings, but the scene that unfolded next froze him in place like a block of ice!
"This... this... how could something like this happen?"