Chapter 51: Chapter 51: King-Level Magic Pet

The strength Pei Ze displayed made Qi Meng and his two companions turn pale with shock.

However, the arrow was already nocked; they had no choice but to act. Without a second thought, they all launched their counterattacks.

Qi Meng summoned another Magic Shield in front of him, then began preparing an offensive spell.

At the same time, the giant frog behind him leaped violently, pouncing toward Pei Ze.

CAW!

Wuyu, perched on Pei Ze’s shoulder, suddenly shot into the sky. After circling once, it dove toward the giant frog like a meteor.

The giant frog abruptly opened its mouth. Its long tongue shot out with astonishing speed, piercing through Wuyu’s body with a *psst*.

Seeing this, Qi Meng sneered inwardly.

’To actually form a pact with a crow as a Magic Pet... what an idiot!’

’What’s the use of a pet like that?’

’It can’t even take a single blow from my giant frog!’

But in the next second, Qi Meng’s eyes widened.

Wuyu’s impaled body suddenly twisted, dissolving into a black mist. The mist spread rapidly along the frog’s tongue, reaching the giant beast in an instant and reforming into the shape of a crow.

The next moment, Wuyu shot forward like an arrow, piercing the giant frog’s eyeball and burrowing inside.

SHRRRIP!

Less than half a second later, the skin on the back of the giant frog’s head was violently torn open by a pair of sharp talons. Wuyu shot out from the opening and flew back into the sky.

The giant frog swayed on the spot a few times before crashing to the ground. A yellow-white slurry gushed from the back of its head, pooling on the floor.

"!!!"

Qi Meng stared at the scene, dumbfounded, his face a mask of disbelief.

The other two apprentices were also slack-jawed, their eyes filled with horror.

They all knew how much effort Qi Meng had poured into raising this Magic Pet. The giant frog hadn’t disappointed, either; in the past three days, it had killed at least seventy or eighty barbarians. Its combat power was formidable.

Who would have thought it would be annihilated in a single exchange by that seemingly weak crow!

It hadn’t been able to put up any resistance from start to finish.

It was simply unbelievable!

Yet the truth had unfolded right before their eyes, leaving them no room for doubt.

When Qi Meng snapped back to his senses, his face turned ashen. He glared at Pei Ze, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

The death of his meticulously raised Magic Pet made his heart ache as if it were bleeding.

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to tear Pei Ze limb from limb.

Pei Ze paid no mind to Qi Meng’s glare. With a flick of his wrist, a Fine Steel Longsword was in his hand. His figure blurred as he charged forward.

At the same time, Wuyu let out a sharp cry from high above. Black energy surged from its body, and countless Fog Crows scrambled out of the miasma, diving down to attack the three men below.

From a distance, it looked like a black cloud sweeping down from the sky, a tidal wave about to engulf them.

"A second spell-like ability!"

The faces of Qi Meng and his companions changed in unison.

This Crow Magic Pet had actually awakened two spell-like abilities!

Even in the middle of a battle, they couldn’t suppress the intense jealousy surging in their hearts.

Crow Magic Pets held a very special status among Magic Pets.

On one hand, this was because they usually only awakened the useless Summon Crow Swarm ability, which was of little help in combat and despised by many Wizard Apprentices.

But on the other hand, in very rare cases, they could also awaken other, more powerful abilities.

When the latter occurred, they would instantly become outstanding Magic Pets with excellent potential.

And this Crow Magic Pet before them was on another level entirely.

A Magic Pet that could awaken two spell-like abilities so early in its pact was as rare as a phoenix feather. Each one could be considered the king of its species, with enormous potential for growth.

Owning a king-tier Magic Pet was the dream of every Wizard Apprentice.

"You lucky bastard!"

Jealousy deepened Qi Meng’s hatred for Pei Ze.

Gritting his teeth, he unleashed his prepared spell. An invisible Mage’s Hand, carrying a gust of wind, slapped viciously at Pei Ze.

Second-level Wizard Apprentices had extremely limited combat options; their offensive spells were usually either Acid Splash or Mage’s Hand. Pei Ze had anticipated this. The moment he heard the air whistle, he channeled all his strength and swung his sword forward.

With a dull *pop*, like a water balloon bursting, the invisible hand shattered, dissipating into a swirling gust of wind.

The expression on Qi Meng’s face instantly became a sight to behold.

’To shatter my Mage’s Hand with brute force... that would require the strength of a Peak Knight at least.’ 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

’That bastard Pei Ze’s physique is that powerful too?!’

’Is this guy a monster?’

The thought couldn’t help but surface in Qi Meng’s mind.

But reality didn’t grant him much time to be shocked. In the blink of an eye, Pei Ze was upon him. He raised a hand, casting another Acid Splash to break the Magic Shield, and immediately followed up with a horizontal slash that tore through the air.

BANG!

The sharp blade stopped at Qi Meng’s skin, blocked by a faint halo of light.

The Protective Force Field.

Even with the Protective Force Field, Qi Meng broke out in a cold sweat in that instant.

Snapping back to his senses, he hastily created some distance while preparing a spell and glancing elsewhere.

One look was enough for him to curse his luck inwardly.

His two companions were now completely surrounded by countless Fog Crows, flailing about under the fearless assault.

Seeing their frantic state, he knew he couldn’t expect them to break free and help him anytime soon.

"Dammit!"

A thread of regret began to form in Qi Meng’s heart.

’If I’d known Pei Ze was this powerful, I never would have provoked him... And even if I were to go after him, I would have brought more people.’

But it was too late for regrets. He could only steel himself and endure Pei Ze’s ferocious assault.

SHIING! SHIING! SHIING!

The glint of the sword was sharp and relentless, pursuing him like a tide, occasionally interspersed with a blast of Acid Splash or a Mage’s Hand.

The combination of Swordsmanship and Magic made Qi Meng’s life a living hell.

If not for his Magic Shield and Protective Force Field, he would have been on the ground long ago.

Pei Ze’s expression remained calm from start to finish as he firmly controlled the battle’s tempo.

’Qi Meng isn’t carrying any luggage, so he must have a dimensional bag.’

’Add to that a ring that can cast Magic Shield and a gray robe enchanted with a Protective Force Field... that should be the three Magic Items he’s carrying.’

’Once the ring’s stored Magic Shields are depleted and the gray robe’s Protective Force Field reaches its damage limit, Qi Meng will be at my mercy.’

SHIING!

After narrowly dodging another sword strike, Qi Meng was about to cast a spell when he suddenly felt his ankle tighten.

He looked down and was stunned to find that a patch of green vines had appeared at his feet at some point. They were now growing wildly, creeping up his ankle.

"Strangler Vine!"

Qi Meng’s expression changed drastically.

Not caring that he might hit himself, he unhesitatingly unleashed the Acid Splash he had prepared onto the vines at his feet.

Amid a sizzling sound, the Strangler Vine quickly withered, turning yellow and shrinking.

But it was too late. In that brief moment of delay, Pei Ze had already closed in, shattered the shield with Acid Splash, and brought his sword down.

The Protective Force Field on Qi Meng’s body had long been near its damage limit. As Pei Ze’s sword descended, it could no longer hold. It flickered weakly, then shattered and disappeared.

Pei Ze twisted his blade and flicked it upward. With a gruesome tearing sound, a spray of blood flew through the air as an arm was sent flying.

"AHHH!!!"

Qi Meng let out a bloodcurdling scream. Clutching his right shoulder, he stumbled backward, his foot slipped, and he fell flat on his back.

Seeing Pei Ze about to press the attack, his face filled with terror and he quickly yelled, "I give up! I give up! You can’t kill me! If you break the rules, you’ll be disqualified from the trial!"

Pei Ze stopped in his tracks. He looked at Qi Meng with undisguised contempt and mockery in his eyes.