CHAPTER 173: CHAPTER 173: ELITE SUMMONING STYLE, SUMMONING SPACE

The sunlight poured down, merging with the beams of light around the arena to form a dazzling focal point, like a boundary between nature and shadow.

With a single command from the referee, the arena was instantly filled with a tense atmosphere.

Meng Hongzhuang spun lightly at the edge of the arena, her fingertips brushing the ground.

In an instant, the ground seemed to come to life as the power of her [Summon Beast] skill was unleashed.

A bear’s roar echoed as the massive Giant Bear Vini leaped from the void, charging toward Ye Fan.

Immediately after, a majestic goshawk soared into the sky, circling high above to watch for any openings in Ye Fan’s movements.

The summoning Skills of the Natural Summoner Profession operate on a different principle than those of an Undead Mage. They don’t randomly summon beasts from the Otherworld. Instead, they sign fixed Contracts with a number of spiritual natural creatures, allowing them to coexist and grow together over time.

Compared to Fang Zhou’s Sea of Skulls strategy, Meng Hongzhuang chose the path of cultivating elite animal companions.

Though Ye Fan was arrogant and unruly, his combat intelligence was nothing short of sharp. Naturally, he wasn’t about to stand by and watch Meng Hongzhuang summon her beasts and set up her formation without pressure.

"[Swift Step]!"

Ye Fan decisively activated a new Beneficial Skill he had learned, his already agile steps quickening abruptly.

With this burst of speed, Giant Bear Vini’s movements, which were not slow to begin with, seemed as clumsy as a pig’s in front of Ye Fan.

He moved like a gust of wind, instantly dashing past Giant Bear Vini’s attempt to block him and rushing toward Meng Hongzhuang.

To maintain maximum speed, Ye Fan did not draw his Blade Bow to fire while on the move.

He knew Meng Hongzhuang had the skill [Withered Wood Revives].

This Skill could not only heal her animal companions but also conjure highly concentrated Nature Series Energy to form a Withered Wood Shield. During their Cave Hunting, Meng Hongzhuang had successfully used [Withered Wood Revives] more than once to fend off sudden attacks from Demons.

Even with his confidence, Ye Fan wasn’t certain he could break through Meng Hongzhuang’s Withered Wood Shield with regular attacks. If his attack failed and he got entangled by Giant Bear Vini, he would be put at a disadvantage.

Ye Fan stared straight ahead, his eyes fixed on Meng Hongzhuang’s every move.

As soon as he was in range, he planned to decisively unleash [Fallen Heaven Strike] and end this battle with one devastating blow.

Faced with Ye Fan’s Charge, Meng Hongzhuang remained calm. She backed away, waving the vine Magic Staff in her hand.

A moment later, a cluster of emerald green light flared.

Two porcupines with razor-sharp spines on their backs leaped out from it. They tumbled across the arena, took aim, and then with snorting howls, fired a dense Arrow Rain of spines at Ye Fan.

Ye Fan cursed inwardly. He was forced to use the acceleration from [Swift Step] to dodge the volley of spines, which successfully halted his charge.

Meng Hongzhuang sighed in relief, using this opportunity to summon her last animal companion to the arena.

A Cheese Snow Leopard! No, wait... it’s a Big Mountain Cat named Nidalee, with sleek, glossy fur and an agile, graceful body.

MROW!

With a howl, the Big Mountain Cat, Nidalee, scampered toward Ye Fan on its four large, fluffy paws.

In the sky, the goshawk circled, poised for an ambush. On the ground, the Giant Bear and Big Mountain Cat engaged him in close combat, while the porcupines harassed him from a distance.

In an instant, Ye Fan found himself cornered by the Natural Beasts. It seemed Meng Hongzhuang had already seized control of the situation.

On the podium, the female Nature Series instructor looked at Chen Qingshan. Her charming red lips curled upward as she smiled and said, "Instructor Qingshan, is this the Ye Fan you favored? At this level, there’s no way he can shake Hongzhuang’s position as the number two seed."

Instructor Chen Qingshan’s expression remained impassive. He snorted lightly. "Just wait and see. Ye Fan has been beaten down by Fang Zhou’s Sea of Skulls more times than you can count. No student has more experience dealing with Summoned Creatures than he does."

Meanwhile, on the arena, caught between the attacks of the Giant Bear and the Big Mountain Cat, the corner of Ye Fan’s mouth curled into a cold smile.

Is this your limit, Meng Hongzhuang?

For him, the optimal strategy was obvious: capture the leader to defeat the minions. Swiftly close in and take her out before she had time to summon all her animal companions.

Of course, in a direct confrontation on the arena, hoping to accomplish this under Meng Hongzhuang’s watchful eye would be nothing more than a fantasy.

Therefore, Ye Fan’s real strategy was quite simple. He would let himself be surrounded by Meng Hongzhuang’s animal companions. Then, in a direct confrontation, he would rely on his Agility Attribute and superior Attack Power to utterly crush these beasts and claim the most exhilarating victory possible.

Perhaps others thought he was the one being surrounded by Meng Hongzhuang’s animal companions. But from Ye Fan’s perspective, he was the one who had surrounded *them*!

Gripping his Blade Bow tightly, Ye Fan moved with light steps, weaving through the attacking beasts. He wove through the throng of beasts, utterly untouched. Even the Big Mountain Cat Nidalee, known for its Agility Attribute, couldn’t keep up with his speed.

If not for the decelerating effect of Giant Bear Vini’s roaring soundwave, Ye Fan might have actually broken through the encirclement using the acceleration from [Swift Step].

Meng Hongzhuang’s eyes narrowed slightly. She noticed that although Ye Fan had been successfully intercepted, her animal companions were still unable to inflict any effective damage on him.

Underestimate the opponent strategically, but take them seriously tactically.

She was not foolish enough to believe this was the full extent of Ye Fan’s abilities.

I wonder, are you trying to feign weakness to catch me off guard, or do you have another plan? Since I have the initiative, I just need to press my advantage!

Meng Hongzhuang gently waved her Magic Staff, and her Jade Magical Robe fluttered as if stirred by an unfelt wind.

Like the Apprentice battle boots Ye Fan wore, this Apprentice Robe was something Meng Hongzhuang had specifically acquired for this arena challenge. After trading her Slime Candles and 30 contribution points to Fang Zhou for the Evergreen Fruit, she was on a tight budget. She couldn’t afford to be as lavishly equipped as Fang Zhou.

As the Magic Staff glowed faintly, the phantom of a lion flashed above Meng Hongzhuang’s head. A wild, fierce howl then resounded across the arena.

"[Furious Howl]!"

Bathed in the soundwave, the bodies of all the Natural Beasts swelled slightly, and their Strength, Constitution, and Agility Attributes all rose.

With this sudden change, Ye Fan, who was previously handling the situation with ease, suddenly found himself struggling.

Yet, he was not alarmed. Instead, a look of delight crossed his face as he roared, his Blade Bow glowing with a dark light.

"[Vengeful Strike]!"

This was the initial Skill Ye Fan had comprehended during his Awakening, so it naturally had the highest compatibility with him. After three days of Cave Hunting, Ye Fan had practiced the [Vengeful Strike] skill to the Perfection level, and its power had increased significantly.