"That's not a Big Stone Lurker," Liu noted with surprise.
"First ti observing advanced trials?" asked a sixth-year student who had sat down next to him, her tone friendly.
Liu nodded, not taking his eyes off the arena.
"Stone Mountain," she explained. "The natural evolution of the Big Lurker, already at Silver 1 level. When you advance to fifth year or obtain a Bronze 2 beast, you face a Lesser Stone Mountain. But these are seventh-years with Silver beasts, so they fight against a complete Stone Mountain."
Liu processed the information, ntally comparing the dinsions. The Stone Mountain must have asured at least six ters in height, with proportionally greater mass. Its surface displayed crystalline formations that suggested increased resistance.
"And that's not all... In seventh year we have to face two types of trials," continued the student, apparently pleased to share her knowledge. "The Stone Mountain tests our ability to overco formidable defenses, while the Greater Giant Toad of Silver 1 rank evaluates our skill against agile and aggressive opponents. They can choose the order, but they must complete both to advance to eighth grade."
"Which is more difficult?" asked Liu, unable to contain his curiosity.
The student considered the question.
"Depends on your specialty. For defensive beasts, the Mountain is a headache. For offensive ones, the Toad can be a nightmare."
The conversation was interrupted when the final barriers were deactivated.
The three tars took strategic positions around the Stone Mountain, maintaining a perfect triangular formation. Unlike first-year students, there was no nervousness or doubt in their movents, only chanical precision born from countless hours of practice.
At an imperceptible signal between them, they fully invoked their beasts.
The Major Digger Cricket appeared first: an impressive creature that combined insect characteristics with adaptations for underground excavation. But it looked much larger and more resilient than its iron rank version.
The Deep Threat erged next: an evolved version of the digger mole, also larger and evidently more powerful. Its fur, a brown so dark it seed almost black, absorbed light instead of reflecting it.
Zhou Liwei didn't perform an invocation. Unlike his companions, he maintained his beast's fusion with his body.
"Beginning in three, two, one..." counted the supervising professor.
The barriers dissipated, releasing the Stone Mountain.
The reaction was imdiate and perfectly coordinated. Without needing verbal communication, the tars of the diggers directed their beasts toward opposite positions. The Cricket and the Deep Threat simultaneously subrged themselves in the arena, disappearing beneath the surface with impressive speed.
Liu could see sothing that many other spectators missed: the diggers weren't leaving open tunnels behind them. They ticulously closed every inch of the path traveled, compacting the earth as they passed.
'Are they generating a barrier against sound?' Liu wondered.
The surface around the Stone Mountain began to ripple, as if the earth itself were breathing.
The earth control exercised by the two digging creatures was much more sophisticated than anything Liu had observed in first year.
The Stone Mountain, however, was not a passive opponent. Its Silver 1 rank granted it elental control that rivaled that of its attackers. The stone beast began emitting its own vibrations, countering the underground movents with pulsations that stabilized the ground beneath its feet.
The underground battle quickly escalated in intensity. Shock waves began emanating from the center of the arena, so powerful that earth-elent auxiliaries had to intervene, neutralizing the vibrations before they affected the stadium's structure.
And while this was happening, Zhou Liwei remained absolutely motionless, his eyes closed, his wing-arms extended horizontally, in what appeared to be a deep trance.
"He's preparing," comnted the sixth-year student, her voice dropping to a respectful whisper. "The signature technique of the Silver Steator Vulture."
Liu, using his own bat's perception, managed to see what remained invisible to most: sound waves, at frequencies inaudible to the human ear, emanating from Zhou Liwei in precise circular patterns.
The waves bounced off each other. Each rebound increased their intensity, each reflection concentrated them more, gradually forming an invisible sonic do of energy around the tar.
"It's brilliant," Liu murmured, suddenly understanding the strategy.
At that mont, Zhou Liwei opened his eyes. A supernatural silver glow emanated from them.
With a fluid movent, like a conductor orchestrating a silent symphony, Zhou directed all the accumulated energy toward the Stone Mountain.
The impact was devastating.
A wave of concentrated sound, invisible but of undeniable power, struck the Stone Mountain's surface at a specific point. The rock, seemingly impenetrable, turned to almost sand and instantly developed a perfect hole, as if it had been drilled.
Without stopping, Zhou began launching successive attacks, each directed at the sa point on the Mountain.
The diggers, anwhile, maintained their control over the terrain, ensuring that the Mountain couldn't stabilize or counter the attacks.
Liu watched in amazent. It was like witnessing a perfectly executed dissection. Each sonic attack created new cracks, each vibration further destabilized the Stone Mountain's structure.
"Offensive echolocation," Liu murmured, finally understanding.
It was exactly what Ren had suggested for his own beast combination: using his bat's echolocation not just for detection but for attack, while his banshee hyena amplified the effect.
In less than five minutes, the Stone Mountain, a beast that normally required prolonged efforts to defeat, had been reduced to crystalline fragnts. Its core, exposed and vulnerable, pulsed weakly before completely shutting down.
The victory was indisputable.
"Impressive, isn't it?" comnted the sixth-year student, applauding along with the rest of the stadium.
Liu nodded, too impressed to respond verbally. The battle had shown him brilliant possibilities for his own beast combination.
As he watched Zhou Liwei and his team leave the arena, amid ovations and recognition from their peers, Liu felt a renewed determination strengthening within him.
Now he better understood what Ren had tried to explain to him.
"I have to go back," he finally said, standing up. "My friends are waiting for ."
"First year?" asked the student, with a friendly smile.
"Second, repeater," Liu responded, expecting the usual look of disdain that typically accompanied that admission.
Instead, the student nodded understandingly.
"Sotis it takes ti to find the right path," she comnted. "Good luck in your battles, colleague."
Liu thanked her with a nod and headed toward the exit, his mind still processing everything he had witnessed.
♢♢♢♢
"Interesting combination," comnted Liu, who had returned from observing the high-level combat. "Han's weaver spider, Jun's monkey, and Sora's deer."
"Has Han been practicing with them?" asked Min, concerned. "Sora told he still kept his distance from the group."
"He does," confird Ren, watching attentively. "Or so I was told... But Jun and Sora have been practicing on their own since I showed them so... peculiarities of their beasts."
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