He Yiming himself wore an expression of disbelief,
"The green dragon pearl, Junior Brother He, try again tomorrow." Senior Brother Fang consoled upon seeing this.
"Senior Brother, is this bamboo dragon really just at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation???" He Yiming couldn't believe it.
Senior Brother Fang replied, "That's right, but the configuration of this bamboo dragon might be like those recorded in martial arts novels; it's at the peak of level seven Qi Cultivation, reaching the ninth transformation Great Perfection, and can rival the eighth level... Ahem... Be content. From what I know, the Mechanical Bamboo Dragons used for the Inner Sect's Rising Dragon Festival have even reached the Early-Stage Foundation Establishment, and this is a first."
He felt fortunate to have received this task. Otherwise, he would have to challenge the Foundation Establishment Bamboo Dragon like the other inner sect disciples. Just the thought of it made Fang Yonghao feel terrified, and he wasn't sure if it was all thanks to someone.
"Is there no one else?" Minutes later, after Senior Brother Fang replenished the Spirit Stones and restored the Mechanical Bamboo Dragon's energy, no new outer sect disciples came forward to challenge it. Seeing the levels depicted in novels, who would dare to challenge it?
The challenge from the top outer sect disciple not only failed to instill confidence in the other outer sect disciples but, instead, made them even more apprehensive.
"Come on, you're already here." Senior Brother Fang laughed, finding the expressions of this group of junior brothers very amusing.
"Is it restored? We're ready to go."
Finally, another voice sounded.
Following this, another path opened up, revealing those inside.
A young man with a gentle appearance and a pine-leaf mouse standing on his shoulder.
Compared to He Yiming earlier, not many people knew this young man; of course, he wasn't completely unknown.
Seeing it was Lin Jing, Senior Brother Ziran from the Task Hall, Senior Brother Shoulin, and Fang Yonghao were all taken aback.
"Outer sect disciple Lin Jing, second level of Qi Cultivation, pet beast Pine Leaf Mouse, fifth level of Qi Cultivation, here to challenge the Mechanical Bamboo Dragon!"
After announcing himself, Lin Jing walked towards the arena with the Pine Leaf Mouse.
"Who is that?"
Second level of Qi Cultivation? Fifth level of Qi Cultivation?
Everyone was stunned. Although such a level wasn't incapable of challenge, and there was a reward even for the lowest tier, having witnessed the strength of the Mechanical Bamboo Dragon, they had to admire Lin Jing's courage for stepping up so decisively.
"You..."
After Lin Jing entered the arena, Senior Brother Fang Yonghao looked at him with an odd expression and asked, "Are you sure about this challenge?"
The culprit... has appeared!
"Senior Brother, we meet again. Thank you for your 'care' last time!" Lin Jing smiled in greeting.
"Squeak squeak squeak!" The Pine Leaf Mouse also looked at the other party.
If it wasn't for his tip-off, they might have been able to cut more spirit bamboo for a couple more days.
"Not at all." Senior Brother Fang didn't understand the implication and said, "Since that's the case, I shall restart the Mechanical Bamboo Dragon. Junior Brothers... please be careful!"
With that, he used the bamboo bell again to activate the mechanical beast.
At this moment, most people still believed this unfamiliar outer sect disciple was just going through the motions at most.
Until the bamboo dragon was activated, Lin Jing slapped his pocket, and a red maple leaf shot out, caught by the Pine Leaf Mouse on his shoulder.
It flung it forcefully, and the red leaf transformed into a red meteor shooting towards the bamboo dragon, its speed far surpassing the burst of the Battle Ape.
"My goodness, it's so fast?!" Some disciples cultivating Pine Leaf Mice were stunned by the terrifying speed of this Flying Leaf Technique.
Had he been practicing only the Flying Leaf Technique daily instead of tilling the fields or cultivating spiritual power?
"No wonder they dared to challenge, they do have some skills."
As the spectators exclaimed, their expressions changed again.
After the Flying Leaf Technique accurately hit the bamboo dragon, it unexpectedly sliced the bamboo dragon's body open in an instant, embedding the red leaf into its torso as if a dragon-slaying blade had impaled the giant dragon!
"Roar!!!" Though the bamboo dragon didn't feel pain, as the red leaf slashed into it, it opened its mouth, emitting a rumbling mechanical roar, as if it was roaring in anger.
Red... Orange... Yellow... Green... Blue!
With the hit, the dragon pearl's color jumped directly to blue, indicating that the destructive power of the Pine Leaf Mouse's Flying Leaf Technique was at least two levels higher than the Battle Ape using a spiritual artifact at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation!
Such a scene was beyond people's understanding. It's necessary to know that compared to the Battle Ape, the Pine Leaf Mouse wasn't proficient in combat magic.
"Blue?!" From a distance, He Yiming, who was crouched feeding a healing pill to the Battle Ape, abruptly stood up and looked at the dragon pearl in the bamboo dragon's mouth.
"Is it because of that red leaf?" Of course, some guessed that the red leaf wasn't an ordinary item.
"It must be a ferocious plant worth more than a spirit hoe! And that Pine Leaf Mouse can wield it so easily!"
However, more intense than this was the bamboo dragon's reaction; no one anticipated that after being wounded, the bamboo dragon's body would suddenly emit emerald green Spirit Flames, not at all like a wood-element mechanical beast.
The appearance of emerald Spirit Flames instantly consumed the red maple leaf.
"…Why does this mechanical dragon even have a flame array?" Outer sect disciples were in awe; using wind was one thing, now it could use fire too. A bamboo dragon capable of two types of magic was Hell-level difficulty for new Beast Taming Disciples. Elder Yu wasn't making it easy; did outer sect disciples offend him?
"When injured, it will open its mouth, revealing the dragon pearl."
"Initially slow in movement, with low attack awareness, offering challengers an opening before defending and counterattacking."
"However, attempting to destroy it from the outside is quite difficult."
"So you need it to open its mouth first, then..."
"The weak spot should be in its mouth."
"To defeat the mechanical beast, you must quickly shatter its complex mechanism." Elder Yu wouldn't have pervertedly made the Qi Cultivation mechanical beast absolutely defensible.
Most disciples were still rattled by the strength of the bamboo dragon... As Lin Jing talked to himself, he already sent out ten red leaves from his pocket.
Everyone: ???
Seriously, you...
The Pine Leaf Mouse held five leaves in one hand, slightly apart.
Ten flashes of brilliant red light were thrown out consecutively, flying directly towards the bamboo dragon's head.
This technique made other Pine Leaf Mouse Beast Masters find it mysterious and weird.
Moreover, it was clear that Lin Jing intended to destroy the internal mechanism of the bamboo dragon through its mouth, a sound strategy, but how could the Flying Leaf Technique, which attacks directly, be so smoothly executed against an active bamboo dragon...?
The bamboo dragon slightly tilted its head, with the leaves at best grazing its face.
However, in the next moment.
"Object Manipulation Art!" Lin Jing stretched out his hand, forming a complex gesture to command the movement.
The red leaves made rapid turns, as the Pine Leaf Mouse collaborated with Lin Jing to control the red leaves.
With the control akin to the "Object Manipulation Art," they flew into the bamboo dragon's just-opened mouth.
Crack, crack, crack, crack!
Sounds of mechanisms breaking apart emanated, the dragon pearl inside the mechanical bamboo dragon's mouth first turning purple, then... with a cracking sound, breaking entirely; flames and wind on the flying bamboo dragon extinguished, and quickly, like a set of scattered tubes, it fell from the sky.
Bang!
It crashed to the ground.
The scene fell into silence.
Seeing this... the Pine Leaf Mouse was thrilled inside.
So fragile? Saved my spiritual bean bomb!
It quickly ran forward to reclaim its flying leaves.
"Who is this person, what's their background?" At this moment, for numerous disciples, this was the only thought left regarding Lin Jing and his team. Having been with the Beast Taming Sect for some time, Lin Jing finally appeared in the full view of all outer sect disciples.
"Senior Brother, does this... count as a successful challenge?" Lin Jing also looked towards Senior Brother Shoulin.
Fang Yonghao's lips twitched, the bamboo dragon was made out of materials you harvested, and you're the one who disassembled it, Junior Brother, do you hold a grudge against bamboo trees or something? And your Object Manipulation Art, why doesn't it have any True Qi fluctuations?!