The Miraculous Country Bumpkins

[Species]: Rock Sheep [Attribute]: Rock [Species Rank]: Mid-tier Common Species [Life Level]: Level 10 [Species Ability]: Rock Armor [Individual Talents]: 1. Godspeed (Advanced talent: grants incomparable speed.) 2. Indomitable Heart (Advanced talent: grants immense fighting will; will not easily fall.) Luo Yu hadn't known much about rock sheep before, but after seeing its species ability, he could basically deduce its combat style. However, this rock sheep... actually possessed dual advanced talents! Moreover, they were dominant, easily expressed talents that could hardly be overlooked. Godspeed... Given the natural durability of a rock sheep, combined with Godspeed, if it crashed into something, probably few mutated beasts of the same level could withstand it. Add to that the Indomitable Heart... It would likely be extremely tough to deal with. This twin-braided girl probably had an extraordinary background. A top-grade pet beast like this wasn't something ordinary Beast Masters could just pick up; it was no worse than a High-Rank Species with ordinary talents. Besides that, Luo Yu also noticed a gem accessory hanging around the rock sheep's neck... It seemed to be the very gemstone they had come to purchase on this trip—the "Heart of Rock"... When worn, it could enhance a mutated beast's Rock-system affinity... Beast Masters from major places... really enjoyed luxurious equipment. Earlier, she had also used that "Eye of Life" capable of detecting a pet beast's life fluctuations, hadn't she? Luo Yu hadn't expected Chen Bo to pick out such a fat sheep right away. Unfortunately, they couldn't fleece her too hard. After all, they were outsiders and had better keep a low profile; even a mighty dragon couldn't crush a local snake, not to mention neither of them was a dragon. In a wagered battle, having the other side cover the arena fee was already plenty... After all, his battles tended to wreck the grounds. He had learned that because Rock-system pet beasts were common here, the wear and tear from Rock-system battles was greater than from Water-system beasts. As a result, five percent of the arena maintenance fee was passed on to the duelists and included in the usage fee... essentially a venue tax. "What do you say?" "Neither of our pet beasts seems to have a life level as high as your rock sheep. As long as you defeat both of us, five thousand Alliance coins will be yours. Even if you lose, all you have to do is cover the arena fee." The twin-braided girl felt she had no reason to refuse. How much could an arena fee even cost? Besides, there was no way she would lose. "Sure..." She clapped her hands and looked toward the beast-fighting arena. "I know this place well. Let's go book an arena." She led the sheep ahead, while Luo Yu and Chen Bo exchanged glances and quickly followed. "Leave this twin-braided girl to me." "Let her see how fierce a newcomer from Jingyue Island can be," Chen Bo schemed in a whisper. Luo Yu said, "Would you believe me if I told you that you can't beat her?" "That sheep has a wicked look in its eyes. One glance tells you it's not to be trifled with." "I can't beat her?" Chen Bo didn't buy it. Even if the rock sheep was two levels higher, his Thunderbolt Shrimp had mastered a Light-system ability. On top of that... it had undergone needle conditioning for so long! "Let's make a side bet too. If you lose, give me five hundred Alliance coins. If you win, I'll give you five hundred." Luo Yu wanted to profit from both sides. "A bet it is." Chen Bo didn't believe he could lose. Luo Yu smiled. Truth be told, he didn't know for sure who would win, but after analyzing both pet beasts' panels, he felt the girl had the higher odds... It was precisely for that reason he had required her to beat both of them for it to count, fearing Chen Bo might crash and burn. After all, the Thunderbolt Shrimp had only recently started needle conditioning. Furthermore, Chen Bo and his shrimp hadn't yet qualified for the advanced needles; Luo Yu and July had been monopolizing those all along. Relying solely on ordinary needles wasn't enough to bridge the gap in talents and levels. "Open a standard beast-fighting arena, no referee needed," the twin-braided girl requested at the arena front desk. "Arena Number 36. Here is your voucher. The arena fee will be paid at the end." The attendant handed over the slip. Led by the girl, they arrived at the battle grounds. It looked similar to the arenas on Jingyue Island—standard ground with a central pool. "Which of you goes first?" She looked at Chen Bo, Luo Yu, and the pet beasts following behind them. "Yours truly." Chen Bo stepped forward. Meanwhile, Luo Yu pulled out a notebook and a pen, sat down to the side, and began recording combat data. *** The moment the battle began, Chen Bo broke into a cold sweat. Luo Yu had hit the nail right on the head—this sheep was ridiculously fierce! "Baaah!" Clad in Rock Armor, the rock sheep resembled a miniature mountain, its large, curved horns like two stone spears! Under such heavy gear, it should have been clumsy and ponderous, yet its speed was astounding. Flashes of lightning streaked past, at most grazing the edges of the rock sheep's body, without a single electrical discharge landing a direct, full hit. The Thunderbolt Shrimp panicked too. *Thump, thump, thump!* Seeing the rock sheep closing in, the Thunderbolt Shrimp fortunately had a hidden trump card: a flash ability that forced the rock sheep to a halt. Taking advantage of the opponent's temporary blindness, the rather un-agile Thunderbolt Shrimp scrambled hastily into the pool. Chen Bo's logic was simple. This rock sheep was fast on land, but once the Thunderbolt Shrimp got into the water, wouldn't the sheep be out of options? Besides, water conducted electricity! If the sheep dared enter the water, it wouldn't even be able to dodge! "Heh, a Light-system ability?!" The twin-braided girl lowered the arm she had raised to shield her eyes. "Not bad. No wonder you dared wager a battle. "Planning to use the terrain advantage? However..." With a wave of her hand, the rock sheep actually leaped straight into the water! The Thunderbolt Shrimp hurriedly discharged electricity! *Bzzzzzz—* In an instant, electric arcs flashed all across the pool. Yet the rock sheep immersed in the water, wrapped in lightning, merely furrowed its brow slightly. Relying on its sheer defense and willpower, it endured the damage while displaying astonishing swimming speed! Its advanced Godspeed didn't just apply to land; it worked in water as well—it had clearly undergone targeted training! *Boom!* In a flash, the rock sheep rammed the discharging Thunderbolt Shrimp clean out of the pool. Seeing this, Chen Bo's scalp went numb. *Come on, big sis, why is your rock sheep so terrifyingly fierce?!* *** In the back, Luo Yu, who was recording combat data, shook his head. "Looks like it hasn't received enough needles after all." "I'll increase the dose for the Thunderbolt Shrimp when we get back." Still, this rock sheep's defense was indeed exaggerated. Luo Yu figured that gemstone was probably responsible, making the Rock Armor even thicker! *A pay-to-win build, huh...* "I wonder if July can break its defense..." The thought of the combo tactic they were about to use gave Luo Yu a bit more confidence. "Can you pull it off...?" Having suffered defeat in mere moments, Chen Bo walked off the field with a beet-red face, thoroughly dejected and anxious. What if Luo Yu lost too? This twin-braided girl was an absolute monster. Beast Masters from major places were truly formidable... "You went down way too fast. I didn't even have time to note down much of anything..." Luo Yu said. "Never mind. Leave the rest to me. We can't really go losing a massive sum of money." Saying so, he tossed the notebook to Chen Bo, gesturing for him to continue recording, while he tagged in with July and strode onto the arena. Meanwhile, holding Luo Yu's notebook, Chen Bo glanced at it briefly... "Wait, what kind of ghostly scribbles are these? How am I supposed to read this?" There were no words on the page at all—only an ugly sketch of a rock sheep. Chen Bo was dumbfounded. *Seriously, bro? We're from the same research institute, and you're using encryption?* "Need a break?" Luo Yu walked up to the edge of the arena as July waddled into position. July stared at the rock sheep's gem pendant, its clever brain ticking over. *Fighting... so you can bring equipment into a fight?* *Then next time, it was bringing its fishing rod onto the stage!* *It would reel the opponent in like a fish!* "No need." The twin-braided girl shook her head. Looking at July, she felt this Ground Penguin was even inferior to that Thunderbolt Shrimp. People from Jingyue Island were so weird. Why would anyone contract a mutated beast like that? She had contracted a rock sheep because her family ran a rock sheep breeding ranch, but surely this guy's family didn't run a Ground Penguin farm, did they? Rock sheep milk could increase other creatures' Rock-system affinity, so they had agricultural value. Ground Penguins, on the other hand, had no discernible farming value whatsoever. "Let's begin." With a snap of the girl's fingers, the rock sheep surged forward, intending to end the fight in a single strike. She didn't believe this penguin could unleash a blinding flash too. As for the water? Ground Penguins weren't good swimmers either. And as for this arena floor... it certainly wasn't something a little penguin below level 10 could dig through. She felt Luo Yu and July had only stepped up to make fools of themselves. *Rumble!* Facing the charging opponent, July slapped the ground with a single wing and tilted its head slightly upward. In an instant, the arena floor shattered to pieces, and a massive pit opened up! Moving too fast to brake in time, the rock sheep plummeted straight into the gaping crater that had abruptly materialized in front of it! It all happened so quickly that the twin-braided girl was left utterly dazed, unable to process what had just occurred. "This..." She stared at the pit in bewilderment. *There it is, that absurd Burrowing technique!* Chen Bo shouted internally from the sidelines. He had always thought this move was the most underhanded! On solid ground, how were you supposed to guard against it? Probably only pet beasts capable of flight could disregard it. "Jump out, quickly!" the girl urged anxiously. Merely falling into a pit wouldn't inflict much damage on a rock sheep. After all, rock sheep loved scaling cliffs and frequently took falls from high places; the impact of tumbling into a pit was vastly milder than that. However, July's philosophy was to strike hard while the opponent was down. Before the rock sheep could leap out, July had already blocked the opening of the pit. Following an inscrutable "Gu-gaaa—"... *Boom!* Boundless flames erupted from July's body. It drew a deep breath. Fire seemed to detonate within its chest, and its beak turned into a flamethrower, instantly blasting out a terrifying stream of Heat Breath that reached over a thousand degrees! *Whoosh!* The scorching heat surged into the pit like the breath of a roaring dragon. This was none other than the combination technique newly developed by Luo Yu and July: Barbecue Oven! Burrowing plus Heat Breath. The pit July had carved out now functioned like a brazier, trapping and concentrating all the blistering heat it spewed inside! This combo prevented the heat from dissipating quickly, drastically amplifying its destructive power! In a split second, the rock sheep turned bright red all over. Despite its indomitable will, it immediately began to wail. "Baaah—!" It was about to be turned into a whole roasted sheep. Sensing her rock sheep's despair for the very first time, the twin-braided girl's expression shifted drastically. *Wrong, wrong, wrong—this guy isn't on the same level as the last one at all!* A Thunderbolt Shrimp that threw flashbangs, and a Ground Penguin that built a barbecue oven... Just where did these two country bumpkins come from, and what was their real objective in challenging her?!