The combo move of Blaze Step plus Flame DetonationâŠ
Qiao Sangâs heart was in turmoil.
She had spent her rest time yesterday and today studying Apollon and had also watched several highlight reels of Bimo Foxâs matches. None of them had ever showcased this combo move. So the attack just now had completely caught her off guard.
Even though she couldnât see how Little Treasure responded under the shockwave and flames, she could still sense Little Treasureâs condition clearly.
It was obvious that at the exact moment of the explosion, the defensive armor had played a crucial role. That was because only Little Treasureâs left claw had suffered severe injury.
It was also during the brief window when the defensive equipment was still holding that Little Treasure had activated Substitute.
If either the defensive equipment or the Substitute skill had been missing, Little Treasure would likely have been defeated outright by this devastating combo just nowâŠ
The opponent was hiding too deepâŠ
Qiao Sang couldnât help glancing toward Apollon in the distance.
Unlike her with her golden finger (special advantage), others couldnât possibly raise the proficiency of two skills to high levels in a short time, let alone combine them.
To master such a powerful combo move, it would definitely take a huge amount of time.
Yet somehow, there wasnât a single leak of news about Bimo Fox knowing this combo of Blaze Step and Flame Detonation.
This was unbelievable for a celebrity contestant like Apollon, whose personal life and training routines were frequently captured by the mediaâŠ
As her thoughts raced, she suddenly caught sight of Bimo Fox bending down to pick something up.
Opportunity!
All of Qiao Sangâs stray thoughts abruptly stopped, and she instinctively shouted: âControl!
âXun Xun!â
The moment her voice fell, Little Treasure vanished from midair, instantly teleporting to the ground, placing his right claw precisely over Bimo Foxâs shadow.
âBimo!â
Bimo Foxâs gaze sharpened as it swiftly swung its paw.
The Fire Coin instantly ignited into flames, transforming into a streak of fire that shot straight ahead.
However, just as the Fire Coin came within two meters of Little Treasure, it suddenly froze midair!
The commentator was stunned by the sudden twist on the field.
His first reaction was to think that the Ghost Ring King was using Psychic Control to stop the Fire Coin, but the Ghost Ring Kingâs eyes hadnât turned blue at all.
Then, the commentator seemed to realize something and quickly looked toward the ground.
His eyes lit up as he began passionately narrating: âThe Ghost Ring King used Shadow Control to stop Bimo Foxâs attack! What incredible speed and reaction time!â
The still-confused audience members quickly turned their gazes to the shadows connecting the Ghost Ring King and Bimo Fox on the ground.
To their shock, they saw another thin shadow branching out from the connected shadows, now linked with the Fire Coinâs shadow!
âWhoa!â A collective gasp erupted from the audience, everyone stunned by the maneuver.
âThe Ghost Ring King actually used Shadow Control to seize control of the incoming Fire Coin?!â
âSo Shadow Control can be used like that?!â
âYou guys really havenât watched enough matches. Ghost-type pets using Shadow Control to manipulate opponentsâ tools isnât that rare in competitions. But to control a tool while itâs already attacking, like the Ghost Ring King just did, especially in high-level matches like this, this is the first time Iâve seen it.â
âTools are easier to control, sure, but to manipulate something like the Fire Coin, which is speeding toward its target, is no easy feat. Sure, its trajectory is straightforward, itâs a linear attack, but predicting the exact timing and connection point is insanely difficult. A slight mistake and the shadows wouldnât connect at all.â
âIf you ask me, the Ghost Ring King was really daring to even try! If it failed to take control, dodging wouldâve been impossible with that kind of speed.â
âExplode!â
While the crowd was buzzing, Apollon shouted loudly.
âXun Xun!â
Little Treasureâs ears perked up, and with a slight move of its short toes, the shadow connected to the Fire Coin immediately shot toward Bimo Foxâs location.
At the same moment, with a loud
Bang!
, the Fire Coin suddenly exploded midair.
âBimo!â
The shockwave, mixed with flames, surged outward, and Bimo Fox let out a pained, miserable cry as it was struck.
Apollonâs pupils contracted sharply.
He hadnât expected the Ghost Ring King to react so quickly, or to have such terrifyingly accurate judgment of the battlefield.
Normally, in pet battles, besides responding to their own beastmasterâs commands, pets would react according to their opponentsâ movements.
But just now, Bimo Fox hadnât even detonated the Fire Coin yet, it had only let out a shout.
And yet, before Bimo Fox could even trigger the Fire Coinâs explosion, the Ghost Ring King had already redirected the Fire Coin toward Bimo Fox.
The Ghost Ring King had anticipated his command in advanceâŠ
Honestly, this was the first time since becoming a beastmaster that Apollon had encountered a situation where an opponentâs pet responded preemptively to his command.
Well done!
Qiao Sangâs eyes lit up. She seized the moment and gave another order: âThree-Dimensional!â
Instantly, shadows from the ground shot out, rapidly swelling and fiercely coiling toward Bimo Foxâs position.
Still in pain, Bimo Fox barely struggled before being completely bound.
Then, two of the shadow tendrils stretched upward and suddenly pried open Bimo Foxâs eyelids.
âBimo?â
Bimo Fox instantly forgot its pain, staring ahead with a confused expression.
âOh! The Ghost Ring King used Shadow Control to pry open Bimo Foxâs eyelids! Whatâs it planning to do now?â The commentatorâs voice rang out at the perfect moment.
Such a familiar tacticâŠ
In the audience, Liu Yao couldnât help but laugh.
On the field.
Bimo Fox found itself staring into a pair of purple eyes.
Although Apollon could only see the Ghost Ring Kingâs back at that moment, from Bimo Foxâs gradually drowsy expression, he immediately realized that the Ghost Ring King was using Hypnosis.
âExplosive Awakening!â
Hearing its own beastmasterâs voice, Bimo Fox, relying on its astonishing willpower, gathered its energy and opened its mouth.
Blazing hot flames immediately began to condense inside its mouth.
But just then, a shadow suddenly wrapped tightly around its mouth.
Bimo Fox instantly understood what was happening, but it still chose to continue gathering energy.
Boom!
The flames exploded.
Only this time, it exploded inside Bimo Foxâs own mouth.
Crimson flames leaked out from between its tightly bound jaws.
âBimo!â
The intense pain immediately cleared Bimo Foxâs mind, causing its body to struggle violently.
The burst of strength at that instant actually made the shadow binding Bimo Fox show signs of loosening.
âXun Xun!â
Little Treasureâs expression turned serious. Enduring the pain, he raised his now-charred left paw.
A new shadow swiftly bound Bimo Fox tightly again.
âBimo Fox actually caused the flames to explode inside its own mouth!â The commentator passionately narrated the current situation.
âBut that also woke it up completely!â
âHissâŠâ
The audience fell silent, all showing expressions of pity.
âSo ruthless to itselfâŠâ Qiao Sangâs heart shuddered.
The pain inside the mouth would last quite a while. If Little Treasure tried to use Hypnosis again, Bimo Fox could likely bite its own tongue or just move it slightly to trigger the pain again and break free from hypnosis.
Right now, Little Treasure was also injured. His Shadow Control probably wasnât as strong as usual.
She had to deal a heavy blow to Bimo Fox while it was still restrained.
âAim for the head!â
Bimo Fox had taken damage to its head earlier, both from attacks and its self-inflicted injury. Since that was the case, she might as well focus on the already injured spot!
âXun Xun!â
Following her command, Little Treasure let out a cry.
In an instant, over a hundred eerie, ghostly green flames appeared around Bimo Fox, all targeting its head!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ghostly green flames exploded continuously, engulfing Bimo Foxâs head along with its screams.
That Will-o'-the-wisp proficiency must be either Mastered or an Ultimate SkillâŠ
Everyone had this thought simultaneously.
Ultimate-level Will-o'-the-wispâŠ
Apollonâs heart sank, a bit of anxiety creeping in.
He hadnât expected the Ghost Ring King to bring defensive items into this battle. Otherwise, this match mightâve been over long ago.
Now with those Ultimate-level Will-o'-the-wisp aimed straight at Bimo Foxâs head, there was no doubt it would suffer even more.
However, if Bimo Fox could endure itâŠ
This might be his chance to turn the tables!
With that thought, Apollon stared intently at Bimo Foxâs every move.
Soon, his eyes lit up, and with an excited tone, he shouted: âItâs our turn now!â
âBimo!!!â
From the wide-angle view, Bimo Fox suddenly burst into blazing red flames under the continuous explosions of ghostly green fire. Even its eyes seemed to burn with flames!
It roared ferociously, releasing waves of scarlet fire outward.
In an instant, the shadow restraints around its body were blown apart!
Blaze TraitâŠ
Qiao Sangâs face changed, cursing in her heart,
Damn it!
Finally pushed the opponent to near defeat, yet they triggered Blaze Trait to strengthen themselves, what the hell!
The feeling of seeing another pet trigger Blaze Trait was nothing like seeing her own pet Yabao trigger it, it was worlds apart.
As the raging flames surrounded Bimo Fox, the audience erupted in cheers.
âBlaze! Itâs Blaze! I almost forgot Bimo Fox had that trait!â
âMe too! Now that I think about it, even though Bimo Fox hasnât battled much in the last couple of years, every time it appears, it wins!â
âExactly! Bimo Fox is just too strong. No oneâs ever pushed it hard enough to activate Blaze Trait, so we all forgot it had that trait!â
âAhhhh! Go for it!â
Sometimes, the sudden reversal of a battleâs momentum could really ignite the audienceâs passion.
Bimo Fox, now radiating a ferocious aura, turned into a streak of fire and charged straight at Little Treasure after breaking free.
âXun XunâŠâ
Little Treasure was about to teleport away but suddenly thought of something. He clenched his jaw and stayed put with a determined expression.
Boom!
The fire struck head-on, sending Little Treasure flying across the field. Just before he was about to crash into the edge, he extended his uninjured right paw, dug it deep into the ground, and scraped out a long gash, barely managing to stop himself!
âBimo Fox landed a direct hit on the Ghost Ring King!â The commentator shouted excitedly.
The whole arena erupted.
Everyone knew that throughout this match, the Ghost Ring Kingâs speed, reflexes, and elusive movements had been astounding.
Even when it had been hit earlier, that was only because the Blaze Step + Flame Detonation combo covered the entire battlefield, it was nothing like this direct hit.
Even with Blaze activated, nobody had expected Bimo Fox to strike the Ghost Ring King head-on with just a Flame Charge.
It landed!
Apollonâs face flushed with excitement.
The Ghost Ring King could teleport. He had expected Bimo Fox to need a series of relentless attacks to land a hit even after activating Blaze Trait. He hadnât expected it to strike this fast!
It seemed the Ghost Ring Kingâs condition had significantly deteriorated!
Little TreasureâŠ
Qiao Sang gazed at Little Treasure, lying on the ground with his armor faintly glowing with purple light, and let out a complicated sigh.
Little Treasure had deliberately taken the hit.
He was gambling on his Cursed Body and Accursed Body traitsâŠ
Seriously now⊠heâs giving hi everythingâŠ
âXun XunâŠâ
Little Treasure pushed himself up with difficulty.
âAttack!â Apollon shouted.
But Bimo Fox didnât move.
Seeing the Ghost Ring King fully standing again, Apollonâs expression changed slightly as he shouted again, âAttack!â
âBimoâŠâ
Bimo Fox stood stiffly in place, its face going from confused to utterly desperate.
It wanted to move!
But it couldnât!
Apollonâs heart suddenly sank as he realized something was wrong.
Donât tell me⊠Bimo Fox is unable to moveâŠ
The entire arena was buzzing with confusion.
No one understood why, at such a crucial moment, Bimo Fox wasnât attacking.
Especially Apollonâs fans, who looked increasingly anxious and kept yelling for Bimo Fox to attack.
âBimo Fox remains in place, not taking advantage of the chance to attack! Even under its beastmasterâs command, it seems unwilling or unable to strike!â
The commentator immediately caught the issue with his sharp eye: âCould it be that Bimo Fox is paralyzed? Is this due to the Ghost Ring Kingâs Cursed Body?!â
Cursed Body?
The crowd was stunned.
Cursed Body, when hit, there was a 30% chance of paralyzing the attacker. And that 30% chance just happened here! Such luckâŠ
Qiao Sang took a deep breath, her gaze suddenly sharpening: âPsychic Headbutt!â
âXun XunâŠâ
Little Treasure was too weak to respond loudly to his beastmaster. He simply kept his eyes locked on his opponent, slowly raising his armored right paw and removing his helmet, tossing it aside.
Then, his head gathered a concentrated beam of white light, charging at Bimo Fox like a white flash!
In the blink of an eye, it brutally struck Bimo Fox right on the head.
âBimo!â
Bimo Fox let out a miserable cry.
Then, at some unknown moment, Little Treasure appeared above it. He raised his right paw again, instantly forming a black shadow sphere a full meter in diameter, and smashed it down hard on Bimo Foxâs head!
âBimo!!!â
Bimo Fox shrieked even more desperately than before.
âExplode!â Apollon gritted his teeth and roared.
Blaze wouldnât last much longer. And now, Bimo Fox couldnât move. After taking those two brutal hits from the Ghost Ring King, it was likely about to collapse.
But right now, the Ghost Ring King was only about 1.5 meters above Bimo Fox, if Bimo Fox exploded its surrounding flames outward, there was still a chance to strike back!
It couldnât use mouth- or limb-based moves anymore, but it could use Flame Detonation!
Against a fragile Ghost-type pet, he believed Bimo Fox would be the last one standing!
Almost at the very next moment after Apollonâs command, Qiao Sang shouted loudly: âSeal!â
Bimo Foxâs head had just taken two devastating blows, leaving its reactions much slower than before.
Before it could gather energy and trigger Flame Detonation, an invisible barrier suddenly formed around its body, completely sealing it within.
Even so, Bimo Fox, enduring the excruciating pain, still managed to gather its energy with terrifying willpower.
Immediately, flames began exploding all around it!
But in the first two seconds, everyone was shocked to see that the flames seemed to form a crimson rectangular box! As if blocked by something, the flames kept creating ripples at certain points, unable to explode outward!
Two seconds later, that barrier-like structure finally shattered under the force of the flames.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening explosions erupted, with scorching heatwaves ravaging the battlefield.
But during those two seconds, Little Treasure had teleported a hundred meters into the air.
When the flames and shockwaves finally cleared, Bimo Fox lay unconscious on the ground, eyes closed.
Soon, a mechanical-type referee pet flew over, inspected Bimo Fox, and blew the whistle that signaled the end of the match.
The commentator took a deep breath and shouted with great passion: âThe final match of this tournament has ended! Congratulations to contestant Qiao Sang for winning the Beast Tamer Star Tournament!â
âXun XunâŠâ
Upon hearing the result, Little Treasure didnât wave to the audience like he usually did. Instead, itheurned to look at his beastmaster, grinned faintly, then closed his eyes and plummeted from the sky.