Chapter 36: The Temptation of Fine Food

Wen Li fiddled with her little props on the stage.

She had conducted thorough research before the competition, repeatedly confirming that her actions perfectly exploited a loophole in the rules. After receiving the list of her opponents in advance, Wen Li had prepared herself for a war of attrition.

Disabled Guides are prohibited from summoning their spirit beasts, but the second stage of the competition was never meant to be a simple contest of spirit beast combat. It was just that, historically, Guides had always prioritized using their spirit beasts for attacks, often overlooking the specific rule that stepping outside the arena boundary also resulted in a loss.

Her first opponent was a male Guide. Both parties nodded politely to signal the start of the match. The opponent’s spirit beast was a snow-white, plump lop-eared rabbit.

Based on the data compiled by the Alpha Squad, Wen Li quickly pulled something from her backpack. A carrot plushie?

The audience gasped in surprise, and quite a few Guides laughed out loud. No one had expected Wen Li’s bag to contain toys. The opposing Guide was also somewhat offended. Even a D-rank Guide should not be subjected to such an insult! With a wave of his hand, the lop-eared rabbit emitted a green glow, ready to attack at any moment.

Wen Li ignored the noisy crowd, focusing entirely on channeling her mental energy. Blue threads of mental power condensed, coiling around her fair fingers. Guided by her will, the carrot plushie was dangled before the aggressive lop-eared rabbit.

The rabbit, not small in size, paused for a moment upon seeing the carrot, its little nose twitching as it sniffed. A wave of fresh carrot fragrance wafted over, and the rabbit jumped up excitedly, trying to bite the toy. Wen Li controlled the blue threads in time, pulling the carrot plushie away.

Sensing the rabbit’s unusual behavior, its master hurriedly commanded his spirit beast to return. The snow-white rabbit turned slowly, looking at its master with a piteous expression. Its black, bean-like eyes were watery, as if it were about to cry. The opposing Guide’s mind was flooded with the rabbit’s squeaky protests: "Master, it smells so good! Master, I’ll be right back!"

Then, the rabbit braced itself, determined to get the carrot plushie. Wen Li acted like a hunter, luring the plump rabbit into a trap. As it reached the edge of the arena, she flicked the blue threads outward. The rabbit, in its haste, jumped and successfully crossed the boundary.

Wen Li pulled the blue threads back; the carrot plushie returned to the arena, but the lop-eared rabbit could only repeatedly bump against the transparent barrier. Her hypothesis was correct: once out of the arena, it could not return. Now, only the opponent remained on stage, and without a spirit beast, he posed no threat to Wen Li.

The Sentinels and Guides who witnessed the entire process sat up in shock.

"That's cheating!"
"This Guide must have added something to the toy."

Many cast suspicious glances at her backpack. Bai Yan, watching the match, lazily tapped the table, letting a surge of overwhelming mental energy spill out.

"What are you making a fuss about? The match isn't over yet." Her voice, that of a mature and commanding woman, resonated. It sounded as if it had been soaked in honey, with every trailing note acting like an invisible hook, gently scratching at the hearts of the listeners. The crowd fell silent; no one dared to question her further.

Wen Li knew the match wasn't over yet; she had to find a way to get her opponent off the stage as well. The man opposite her seemed very worried about whether his spirit beast was alright and had no heart to continue fighting. He raised his hand to signal his forfeiture.

The audience demanded an inspection of Wen Li’s items, convinced she must have used some drug to entice the spirit beast. Wen Li calmly opened her bag, revealing a few animal plushies and some fruit. None of these items would have any effect on a Guide’s spirit beast. After checking, the referee declared Wen Li’s competition props valid.

"Impossible, she must be cheating! Otherwise, that rabbit wouldn't have gone crazy for that toy!" an agitated Sentinel shouted.

The referee looked at Wen Li with a troubled expression. Wen Li raised her eyes and said gently, "It’s alright, I can demonstrate it right here."

The blonde girl held the carrot plushie and closed her eyes. Wisps of deep blue light were drawn from her mind, covering the toy before vanishing. "This is my mental energy. I have not violated any competition rules."

Someone retorted, "But that rabbit was clearly bewitched. How do you explain that?"

The blue threads coiled around Wen Li’s white arm as she waved her hand, letting them float in mid-air. A fresh scent of carrots permeated the air. "My mental energy has the effect of mimicry and allure. The scent of carrots is easy to capture and imitate; it just needs to be attached to the plushie."

Everyone was left speechless. It was true that every Guide’s spirit beast had different effects, but they had never imagined that someone could manifest their mental energy into a physical form and attach it to objects. This was an act that severely drained one’s mental sea. Not only had the girl on stage done it, but she had done so much of it.

Was she really a disabled Guide?

Sitting in the stands, An Wei’s eyes sparkled with astonishing brilliance. *Found her!*

The opposing Guide walked up to Wen Li, holding the wilted lop-eared rabbit. The man looked awkward, as if he had something difficult to say. "You are very strong. I admit my defeat, but I would like to..."

Wen Li glanced at the sad rabbit in his arms and nodded with understanding. "Take it." She handed him the plushie.

The little rabbit smelled the scent it had been dreaming of and squeaked with joy. "Thank you. My name is Ka Suo. If we meet again, I’ll treat you to carrot cake."

Wen Li smiled brightly and said, "It’s a deal."

The referee announced, "Number Ten wins the first round. The match continues."

Turning back to look at her teammates, the Sentinels silently applauded her victory. The girl’s gaze was resolute. *Keep going, Wen Li! You cannot let your teammates down.*

Wen Li took the time to rest and review the data on her next opponent. Having learned from the previous match, the second Guide was clearly on guard. She was an A-rank Guide whose spirit beast was a white, curly-haired sheep. The opponent held onto her spirit beast tightly, fearing it would be lured out of bounds.

Wen Li took a sheep-shaped plushie from her bag, layering it with two tiers of mental energy. However, despite being of the same rank, the sheep, while appearing swayed, quickly recovered. Wen Li made a mental note of this, pondering how to respond.

The female Guide opposite her looked at her sharply. "I know you have some tricks, but they won't work on me. If you don't want to get hurt, step down voluntarily."

The woman’s attitude was firm; she was determined to win this match. Wen Li was not someone who gave up easily. If the intensity wasn't enough, she would simply add another layer.

The blue threads thickened and wound around the plushie. Under the pressure of three layers of mental energy, the opponent’s spirit beast finally lifted its head.

"Dolly, attack!"

The sheep snapped out of it, lowered its head to build momentum, and charged toward Wen Li. Several blue threads rummaged through the pack behind her. Just as the horns were about to strike, Wen Li nimbly dodged. The blue threads bundled a handful of tender green grass and delivered it right before her. She took the opportunity to stuff it into the mouth of the sheep that was now close by.

The sheep, having been unexpectedly stuffed with a mouthful of fodder, was stunned: "???"

*Actually... this is pretty good!*