“Let's go, to the Tower of Trials,” Liu Yi said softly. Ziyue and Chiying immediately followed, full of spirit.
Arriving at the Tower of Trials, Liu Yi first checked the 【Current Student Leaderboard】.
【1. Third-year - Ouyang Qin - Floor 40】
【2. Third-year - Gao Xue - Floor 38】
【3. Third-year - Li Chengying - Floor 37】
She had only taken a week off from school last week, yet they had all made breakthroughs again.
Liu Yi quickly entered the Tower of Trials, queued up to enter a room, swiped her challenge card at the detector, and then stood on the platform with Ziyue and Chiying.
【Challenger: Liu Yi (First Year, Class A-1)】
【Current Highest Record Floor: 20】
【Please select: 1. Enter next floor 2. Re-challenge this floor】
“Enter next floor.”
When her vision cleared again, Liu Yi found herself in a completely new environment.
The scene before her was a dense rainforest, the air thick with humidity. Towering ancient trees blotted out the sun, and vines coiled like giant pythons among them.
【Twenty-First Floor Guardian: Unknown (Intermediate stage 10%)】
【Challenge Objective: Defeat the Guardian】
【Number of pets detected: 2】
【Please select pets to deploy】
Liu Yi: “An unknown Guardian at the Intermediate stage? And a jungle environment?”
“Bingbing!”
Ziyue leaped in front of Liu Yi, indicating that since she had evolved to the Intermediate stage first, she would take on the challenge!
“Mo.”
Chiying nodded, acknowledging the logic.
Liu Yi rubbed their heads with a smile. “Then Ziyue goes first. Or you can start the battle yourselves, and I'll decide whether to command based on the situation.”
【Pet to deploy confirmed: Silver Snow Fox】
【Challenge Start!】
Liu Yi looked around, the humid air of the rainforest making her skin feel slightly sticky.
Ziyue stared ahead cautiously.
Suddenly, a dark shadow shot down from the tree canopy above Ziyue!
Ziyue reacted incredibly fast, sidestepping to avoid the descending figure.
Liu Yi took a step back with Chiying and pointed her Beast Encyclopedia at the pet.
【Barnacle Giant Frog, Grass and Water-type pet, Intermediate stage. Approximately 0.8 meters tall when squatting, its back is covered with glowing barnacles, and its dark green skin is covered in mucus. Its tongue can extend up to 1 meter, densely covered with hairy suction cup moss, capable of both sticking to prey and absorbing nutrients from water. Wild individuals know how to use barnacle light signals to lure and capture Insect-type pets. It is a pet unique to the Zell Region, typically inhabiting swamps.】
Ziyue leaped onto a fallen tree trunk, her purple eyes fixed on the Barnacle Giant Frog.
The glowing barnacles on the Barnacle Giant Frog's back flickered on and off, its dark green skin appearing exceptionally slick under the dappled rainforest light.
Chiying circled around Liu Yi, the two confronting pets reflected in its crimson eyes.
Seeing its attack miss, the Barnacle Giant Frog immediately opened its large mouth and shot out a high-pressure water jet!
Ziyue was prepared; she pushed off with her four limbs and leaped, simultaneously flicking her tail, instantly forming twelve Ice Blades that whistled towards the Barnacle Giant Frog.
The barnacles on the Barnacle Giant Frog's back suddenly glowed with dazzling green light, and dozens of thick roots burst from the ground, weaving into a net in front of it.
The Ice Blades struck the root net, sending ice shards flying.
“Crack, crack, crack—”
The roots hit by the Ice Blades quickly froze, but more roots surged from underground, coiling towards Ziyue.
“Root Entanglement?” Liu Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. Root Entanglement was a skill where roots emerged from the ground to bind an opponent, also reducing the target's Speed by 30%, but it was ineffective against flying or levitating pets.
If Chiying had been deployed in this battle, it could have simply ignored this skill.
Ziyue moved away from the roots using Frost Path, while the Barnacle Giant Frog controlled its roots to pursue relentlessly.
Suddenly, Ziyue made a sudden stop and turn, opening her mouth to unleash a Frost Breath.
Where the cold current passed, the pursuing roots instantly withered.
Seeing this, the Barnacle Giant Frog immediately retreated into the barnacles on its back. The glowing barnacles quickly closed, completely protecting it.
“Thwack!”
A high-pressure water bomb shot out from a gap in the barnacles. Ziyue dodged sideways, the water bomb grazing her fur as it flew past, snapping a small tree behind her in half.
A glint of cunning flashed in Ziyue's eyes. She deliberately slowed down, luring the Barnacle Giant Frog to continue its attack.
Sure enough, three more water bombs shot out in succession.
Ziyue skillfully dodged the first two, and the third water bomb was about to hit—
“Thwack!”
It did hit Ziyue, but it struck her Ice Armor, whose energy defense she had adjusted, causing no substantial damage.
The Barnacle Giant Frog seemed to realize that ranged attacks were ineffective and suddenly popped out of its barnacles.
However, Ziyue was waiting for this exact moment. She used Frost Path to quickly approach the Barnacle Giant Frog, while simultaneously condensing ice energy in her mouth.
The instant the Barnacle Giant Frog popped out, Ziyue pounced.
“Snap!”
Icy fangs precisely bit into the Barnacle Giant Frog's foreleg, and frost rapidly spread across its skin.
The Barnacle Giant Frog struggled painfully, suddenly spraying a pale pink mist from its skin pores.
“Aroma Healing?” Liu Yi was a little surprised. “It wants to clear the [Frostbite] status. Ziyue, don't give it a chance!”
Ziyue immediately activated Frost Breath. The extremely cold air swept through, freezing the pink mist into tiny ice crystals.
The Barnacle Giant Frog's movements clearly slowed, and the frost on its skin thickened.
“Now, Extreme Cold Storm,” Liu Yi said, looking at the Barnacle Giant Frog's condition.
Ziyue tilted her head back and let out a clear cry, and the surrounding temperature plummeted.
A violent snowstorm formed, instantly engulfing the Barnacle Giant Frog. Ice crystals continuously accumulated on it, quickly forming a giant ice sculpture.
Then, several energy-infused ice crystals condensed around Ziyue and flew towards the frozen Barnacle Giant Frog.
With a series of crisp shattering sounds, the ice broke into pieces, and the Barnacle Giant Frog collapsed to the ground, incapacitated.
【Challenge Successful!】
【Please select: 1. Enter next floor 2. Re-challenge this floor】
Liu Yi chose to re-challenge this floor. The rainforest environment suddenly rippled and dissipated like water. The surroundings reassembled, instantly transforming into a scorching desert.
Yellow sand filled the sky, and scorching heat waves assailed her.
Ziyue shook her fur, somewhat unaccustomed to the sudden environmental change.
Liu Yi squinted, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the dazzling sunlight. The sand beneath her feet was scalding hot, and Chiying circled above her head, casting a shadow.
【Twenty-First Floor Guardian: Unknown (Intermediate stage 10%)】
【Challenge Objective: Defeat the Guardian】
【Number of pets detected: 2】
【Please select pets to deploy】
...
Only then did Liu Yi realize why the Guardian was listed as “Unknown” and why there were no extra challenges like on Floors 1-10.
Does the challenge environment reset every time?
Rate on N.U.
