Liu Yi went to the supply counter, picked up her food combo, and walked to an empty table with Ziyue to eat.
As she ate, she browsed the rankings on her Points Detector while observing the other participants in the supply station.
The leaderboard was displayed on the screen. Liu Yi's eyes scanned the list quickly; the top ten all had scores just over 100 points.
However, the person in first place, 【Ji Xiaoyao】, had reached a staggering 223 points. She was in a league of her own at the top, far ahead of any other competitor.
Liu Yi recognized the name Ji Xiaoyao.
They had been in the same class for all three years of middle school.
She had heard that Ji Xiaoyao was an orphan who had been raised by her grandmother. Due to her family's limited financial situation, her tuition and living expenses mostly relied on government subsidies and scholarships.
If this Ji Xiaoyao wasn't someone else with the same name, then she likely really needed that first-place ranking to secure a spot at the Qinglan Advanced Beast Taming Academy.
Liu Yi thought to herself as she stuffed the last half of an energy bar into her mouth.
Once Ziyue had finished eating as well, Liu Yi efficiently packed up the food containers on the table and tossed them accurately into the trash can.
At that moment, other participants in the supply station began to leave one by one.
Liu Yi quickly gathered her things, put on her backpack, and followed unhurriedly behind one of the participants as they walked out of the supply station.
After walking some distance from the station, Liu Yi jogged forward and called out to the participant who had left just before her. “Hello.”
“Bing bing.”
Ziyue also let out a cry to greet them.
Hearing the voice, the participant stopped and turned around, looking at Liu Yi and Ziyue with a confused expression. “Hello? Can I help you?”
“Xiao Yu?”
The Little Feather Sparrow perched on the participant's shoulder followed with a cry, tilting its head in confusion.
Liu Yi smiled and said, “I challenge you.”
“Huh?” The participant blanked. “Challenge me to what?”
Liu Yi repeated, “I am challenging you to a pet duel.”
The moment Liu Yi said those words, both of their Points Detectors broadcasted one after another:
【Challenge request detected. Duel mode activated.】
【Challenge request received. Duel mode activated.】
“What is this?” The participant looked dazed, his brain seemingly stalling at the sound of the Points Detector.
However, Liu Yi’s lips curled into a slight smile when she heard the broadcast.
This situation confirmed that her theory was correct.
Liu Yi had already considered this idea when she first encountered the Popo Carp and the Points Detector broadcasted “Duel mode activated.”
Furthermore, she recalled the fourth rule Luo Xia had mentioned before they entered the Secret Realm: “Participants are forbidden from engaging in malicious fighting or causing harm to one another.”
Since it was explicitly stated that malicious fighting or harm was prohibited, then a formal duel request should be perfectly fine.
Liu Yi's Points Detector continued to broadcast:
【Challenger, please select the points you wish to stake.】
【Win the duel to keep your staked points and claim the loser's points.】
【Lose the duel, and your staked points will go to the opponent.】
After a moment's thought, Liu Yi entered a number on the screen: 20.
As soon as Liu Yi finished entering the number, the other party's Points Detector began its broadcast:
【Challenger's stake detected: 20. Opponent's stake cannot be less than 20.】
【Opponent's current points are less than 20. Remaining points will be automatically locked as the stake.】
【Win the duel to keep your staked points and claim the loser's points.】
【Lose the duel, and your staked points will go to the opponent.】
The participant was stunned. “???”
Wait!
Was this right?
He had only earned 20 points total, and after spending 5 points on a food combo at the supply station, he only had 15 left.
Now they were all being automatically locked as a wager?
Not only that, where was the actual “request” part of this challenge?
He hadn't even agreed, so why did the Points Detector automatically activate the duel mode!?
“Wait... Wait!” The participant waved his hands frantically. “I haven't agreed—”
Before he could finish, both Points Detectors began speaking simultaneously:
【Staked points from both parties have been frozen.】
【Fleeing will be treated as a loss; points will go to the opponent.】
【Duel mode confirmed. Starting in 3 seconds...】
【3... 2... 1...】
【Duel start!】
As the countdown ended, Ziyue instantly lunged toward the Little Feather Sparrow.
The participant clearly hadn't expected Ziyue to be so fast. He shouted hurriedly, “Little Feather Sparrow, intercept with Wind Blade!”
“Too slow,” Liu Yi said softly.
“Ice Blade.”
The moment Ziyue neared the Little Feather Sparrow, she came to a sudden halt. Three ice blades rapidly condensed around her and shot straight at the bird.
The Wind Blade the Little Feather Sparrow was trying to manifest hadn't even fully formed before it was ruthlessly shattered by an ice blade.
The remaining two ice blades grazed its wings, sending a few feathers fluttering down.
Liu Yi didn't give her opponent a chance to breathe. She followed up immediately: “Frost Breath.”
“Oh no! It’s an area-of-effect skill!” the participant shouted in a panic. “Quick, fly up and dodge!”
But it was too late.
Ziyue opened her mouth and unleashed a Frost Breath, the icy mist instantly enveloping the Little Feather Sparrow.
The bird's wings were frozen stiff mid-flap, and its movements became sluggish.
“Let’s end this,” Liu Yi ordered calmly.
Five ice blades formed instantly in front of Ziyue, reflecting the brilliant sunlight.
With a sharp whistling sound, the ice blades were pinned accurately into the tree trunk around the Little Feather Sparrow, forming a perfect cage.
The final ice blade lightly grazed the feathers on the bird's head, pinning it in place.
At the same time, the Points Detector in Liu Yi’s hand emitted two beeps and began its broadcast:
【Duel ended. Victory achieved. Points obtained from opponent: 15.】
【Current total points: 80】
【Current ranking: 29】
The participant stood there like a wooden statue, staring at the Little Feather Sparrow surrounded by ice blades. It took a long while before he snapped out of it. “It... It’s over already?”
Liu Yi walked over to help him rescue the Little Feather Sparrow from the circle of ice blades. “Your Little Feather Sparrow’s speed is actually quite good, but your command rhythm was half a beat too slow.”
“If you had used Peck for a priority attack at the very beginning, you might have lasted a bit longer.”
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