Sunset Warrior Chant - Chapter 32 - The Roar of Beasts

“Raise a magic barrier inside the track!”

In the midst of the roaring crowd at the Beast Arena, the beautiful host commanded, and a vertical transparent light wall rose from the inner side of the track, next to the Silent Wolf. The light wall encircled the tournament arena parallel to the track, forming a magnificent large halo.

The Silent Wolf approached the magic barrier, stretched out a forepaw towards it, and was abruptly bounced back, as if electrocuted. The barrier shimmered with colorful light, pulsating with mysterious magical energy.

With the contestants ready, the beautiful host loudly declared, “Contestants… on your marks… open the barriers!” As her words echoed, the red barriers swiftly dropped to the ground, disappearing from in front of the competing magical beasts.

The Round-Antlered Deer, antlers tightened, was the first to dash across the starting line with a “whoosh”; the Long-Tailed Fox followed, its beautiful tail swaying in the brisk wind like a startling streak; the Silent Wolf burst forth next, its fierce mouth open, revealing a thirsty tongue; the High-Legged Centipede arched its long body and sprang forward over thirty meters, its hundreds of legs rapidly slicing through the air, making a sharp swishing sound, its entire body gliding like a light boat in water; the Bell Bird flapped its wings, the pleasant sound of bells ringing as it shot out like an arrow; the Kangaroo King stayed at the starting line, seemingly unaware of the red barrier being removed. It looked down at the joey in its pouch, as if asking, “Child, are you hungry? Do you want some milk? It will be windy once we start running, be careful not to catch a cold.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, the caring Kangaroo mother is still attentively caring for her little joey, clearly not concerned with the other contestants,” explained the beautiful host.

The eight-hundred-meter diameter of the tournament arena stretched to over two thousand meters in circumference. The five magical beasts quickly left the starting line behind, their forms shrinking in the distance. Halfway through the lap, a clear lead was established, with the contestants arranged in a line, occupying the advantageous positions close to the inner circle near the barrier, with the Round-Antlered Deer leading the pack.

As the High-Legged Centipede finished its first lap, the Kangaroo King bowed its noble body. With a spring from its hind legs, it dashed a hundred meters in the blink of an eye. Its long tail controlled the thrust forward, gently touching down on the ground, then with another push, it leaped another hundred meters. In just a few bounds, it overtook the Round-Antlered Deer, leaving no other magical beasts beside it. The Kangaroo King’s agile figure seemed to be racing against time itself. By the time the Round-Antlered Deer was entering its third lap, the Kangaroo King had astonishingly made up the lost lap and surged ahead, ultimately clinching the group championship.

“The beautiful tail of the Long-Tailed Fox and the wonderful sounds of the Bell Bird won unanimous praise. Although the High-Legged Centipede, coming from behind, secured third place, it failed to capitalize on its strengths in this sprint race and was ultimately eliminated with regrets. The Silent Wolf remained unnoticed and uncomplaining. With the Kangaroo King and the Round-Antlered Deer both advancing, the others were eliminated. Now, we move on to the next group of competitors.” Amidst the noisy crowd and applause, the beautiful host’s sweet voice resonated once again.

The spectators in the stands, having witnessed the impressive speed of the Kangaroo King, erupted in thunderous applause. Yu An was somewhat surprised, and the little white cat’s lazy eyes widened in awe; the Kangaroo King was clearly a formidable rival.

The little white cat was scheduled for the first round of competition in Group Five. Yu An asked the little white cat, “Do you think you can lap the others like the Kangaroo King?” The little white cat replied, “No problem, they’re just a bunch of dumb beasts.” Yu An responded, “Good, let’s also show our courtesy and humility.”

Indeed, the race in Group Five went as expected. With a stretch of its legs, the little white cat’s body floated lightly, almost weightlessly, as it ran without touching the ground, easily securing the championship in its group competition. Fu Qiruo was finally convinced.

One by one, never-before-seen magical beasts took the stage, exposing Fu Qiruo to the real world of magical beasts. Sometimes, he compared the beasts before him to those in the “Overview of Magical Beasts” book in his master’s study, finding that seeing them in person was far more impressive than hearing of them. The characteristics described in the book paled in comparison to witnessing them firsthand. Some beasts not mentioned in the book were particularly delightful to observe.

The tournament grew more intense with each round, occasionally featuring clashes and bites among the magical beasts, though no serious injuries occurred. Due to the lengthy contestant introductions, the event ran four hours over schedule. By the end of the third round, it was already evening, and the barrier along the track was lit up with light magic, making the circular track as bright as day. The little white cat and the Kangaroo King breezed through the challenges, securing their spots in the final. The other qualifiers were a Wind Leopard and an Arrow Snake.

The finalists stood out distinctively at the starting line, and the beautiful host took her time to introduce each: “In the first lane, we have the Kangaroo King. I won’t say much about it, as everyone has already witnessed its unflinching royal demeanor, even in the face of great turmoil. In the second lane is the little white cat, a dark horse that appeared out of nowhere in the Beast Arena. While the audience has seen its abilities, I believe it still has untapped potential. In the third lane, we have the Wind Leopard. It’s as robust as an ox, albeit many times larger. Whether in sprints or long-distance runs, it’s expected to excel. Aside from that, let’s not overlook its formidable strength and commendable character, likely a source of pride for its owner. In the fourth lane is the Arrow Snake, a level 4 magical beast among snakes known for its speed. Its unique method of movement and massive size, with a body as thick as a sea bowl and over eight meters long, and a head twice the size of the little white cat, makes it hard to imagine such a cumbersome snake making it to the final… Let me pause here, I need to take a sip of water, excuse me.”

The audience burst into laughter, and one person shouted, “Speaking must be hard work for you, beautiful host! Here are two gold coins for some pearl milk tea.”

“With all that said, the live performance of the contestants far surpasses any description. Please place your bets now! Don’t miss your last chance to bet today.” As the final betting opportunity announced, the crowd in the stands increased their wagers, and the beautiful host hoped for an extended betting period to boost her commission from the tournament arena. Meanwhile, the Wind Leopard grew visibly impatient on the track.

Fu Qiruo turned to Yu An and asked, “Aren’t you going to place a bet on the little white cat?”

Yu An said, “I’m just here to join in the fun, letting the little white cat show off a bit. I’m not really interested in betting, but if it actually wins, there will be quite a bit of prize money.”

“Although my young master comes from a wealthy family, he is not the type who only indulges in eating, drinking, and merrymaking,” Yu Fei interjected.

After the audience had placed their bets, the beautiful host announced loudly, “The moment has come for the final battle of the level 4 magical beasts. Who will dominate and claim the championship? Let’s watch the final showdown. To allow the contestants to fully demonstrate their abilities, they must complete five laps in this final. Contestants, get ready-Raise the barrier!” Red barriers started rising from the ground as she spoke.

No sooner had the beautiful host finished speaking than a loud crack was heard on the track-a red barrier shattered, and the Wind Leopard bolted out, dashing forward like thunder, covering dozens of meters in a flash. The crowd stirred as the Wind Leopard broke through the barrier.

“The Wind Leopard has started early, breaking the barrier and disregarding the rules of the competition. Such behavior shows a serious disrespect for the Beast Arena, and we request a ruling from the judges,” the host declared.

“Wait, judges, my little leopard was just confused, mistaking ‘Raise the barrier’ for ‘Open the barrier.’ It was an honest mistake. Please give it another chance,” Fu Qiruo said, looking towards a young man in his twenties who spoke up.

The beautiful host recognized that the young man was Wang Chenghong’s only son, Wang Tianhao, and said with a smile, “So the Wind Leopard belongs to Young Master Wang. My apologies! Let’s just count this as a warning for your beast, and we will start over.”

Wang Tianhao thanked her, saying, “Thank you, beautiful lady, for your generosity.” A servant next to him handed ten gold coins to the host, and Fu Qiruo noticed that it was Zhang Xiong, a servant of the Wang Family.

By this time, the Wind Leopard had already completed a lap and returned to the starting line, its head shaking as if in frustration. Wang Tianhao called out, “My little leopard, be good. Don’t stoop to their level; consider this just a warm-up. Those little fellows beside you are no match for you.”

The large barrier couldn’t be replaced immediately, so the beautiful host had the Wind Leopard switch to another track, positioning it on the outside of the Arrow Snake. The starting lines between tracks differed, with the outer tracks having a forward start line. Switching tracks was no disadvantage for the Wind Leopard, as the contestants could cut to the inside track halfway through, vying for the best position.

Despite the Beast Arena’s humanized design of the track, the magical beasts hardly cared about the few meters of distance difference. Rarely did a magical beast stick to the first track, as they competed in an unconventional manner. Moreover, with the speed increasing in the curve, the centrifugal force grew stronger, making direction control a primary skill for the contestants.

“Contestants… on your marks… open the barrier!”

As the red barrier fell, a flat and wide track lay ahead for all contestants, turning the entire track into a playground under their feet.

The first to surge past the starting line was the little white cat, whose paws lightly grazed the edge of the barrier, still not fully submerged into the ground, leaving a “sizzle” sound like a bullet whizzing out, its body already tens of meters ahead.

In the final, the Kangaroo King no longer held back, bouncing back and then drifting a hundred meters away. Just as the sound of the Kangaroo King breaking through the air echoed, the tail of the Arrow Snake began to coil and shake like a spring, the rhythmic trembling spreading quickly towards its head. While it seemed like the Arrow Snake was warming up, in the blink of an eye, it was already tens of meters away, leaving only an afterimage at the starting line. The Kangaroo King took a leap into the air, and before it landed, the strange whooshing sound of the Arrow Snake swept rapidly beneath it, pushing forward.

Fu Qiruo listened to the quivering sound of the Arrow Snake, eerily reminiscent of the netherworld, somewhat similar to his own Spirit Sword. The Arrow Snake used its body’s vibrations to affect the air, akin to a water snake swimming through water, prompting Fu Qiruo to reconsider its cumbersome form.

The Wind Leopard, towering five or six meters tall, revealed a critical vulnerability. However, its start demonstrated explosive power to the audience. With a “whoosh,” the Wind Leopard stopped just behind the little white cat, compressing the air in front of it as if it had nowhere to escape.

A gust of wind surged towards the little white cat, which dodged abruptly, only to slam into the magical barrier on the inside of the track. The contact with the magic barrier rebounded it back onto the track, leaving the little white cat momentarily paralyzed, its legs unresponsive. The charging Wind Leopard then struck, pushing the unassuming little white cat straight into the stone wall outside the track.

Yu An watched the little white cat’s series of collisions, realizing it had been too careless. Although he was confident that the little white cat wouldn’t be hurt by the clumsy Wind Leopard, such events significantly impacted the race. The prowess of the Kangaroo King was well known, and the Arrow Snake seemed no less formidable. Although Yu An didn’t place much importance on the outcome of the race, at that moment, his palms were sweating.