Chapter 101: The Veterinarian Is Not to Be Trifled With

A thunderous, earth-shaking boom echoed throughout the entire dueling arena, startling even the armies watching from both sides. Amidst the tremors, the giant dragon that had just attempted to stand collapsed with a heavy thud! It was none other than Apache’s fist that had brought it down.

Clins stared in despair at his mount, felled by a single casual punch from Apache. The once proud, majestic creature now lay on the ground like a pile of mud.

"Damn it, it actually worked..." Apache, who had returned to his human form, stared blankly at his own fist before snapping out of his daze and shouting at Chu Tian, "Boss! I knocked down that little lizard!"

"Knight Clins, shall the duel continue?" Protected by NMD, Chu Tian climbed onto the back of the Hummer while cradling Little White. He drew Dracula’s Wrath and pointed it at Clins. "Now that your mount has lost all fighting capability, I will allow you to concede if you agree to my terms." Chu Tian gestured toward Apache and his other magical pets. "If you wish to continue the duel, I am happy to oblige, but... heh!" Chu Tian shook his head with a smile, the implication of his threat clear.

"Hmph!" Clins snorted, ignoring Chu Tian and leaping toward his magical pet.

"Apache, let him pass!" Chu Tian stopped Apache, who was about to block Clins, and said generously, "Clins, since you have received an invitation from the Dragon Emperor, you must be quite skilled at treating dragons, right?" Chu Tian called Apache back to his side and put some distance between himself and Clins. "We are both top-tier professionals on this continent. Out of respect for your honor as a warrior, I grant you half a day to treat your pet! During this time, neither I nor my pets will attack you."

"Holy Priest! Holy Priest! Holy Priest..." The crowd in the Caesar camp erupted into thunderous cheers. To refrain from taking advantage of a weakened opponent and to generously allow them time to heal their mount—what a magnanimous heart! At the same time, one must possess immense strength to display such confidence! For a moment, the entire Caishi Fortress was in a frenzy.

In the days leading up to the duel, whenever the Caesar camp cheered for Chu Tian, the Reis people would respond with boos. But this time, they remained silent. Respecting the strong was a tradition that had lasted for ten thousand years on the Fantasy Beast Continent, and a Holy Priest with such a warrior’s demeanor as Lord Vladino deserved nothing less.

"Vladino! You!" Clins was furious. He was no fool; he could clearly see that he had become a stepping stone for Chu Tian to boost his reputation. But what choice did he have? Continue the duel? Apache was enough to stall him, not to mention Chu Tian’s other pets—especially NMD, which could completely negate Clins' battle aura. Clins had almost no chance of winning! Moreover, his mind was entirely focused on his mount; he could not fight with full concentration.

"I thank you, Lord Vladino!" Clins gritted his teeth. Faced with the choice between his mount and his honor, he chose the former.

After a careful examination of the dragon, Clins frowned. He began pacing around his pet, unable to reach a conclusion. The dragon’s condition was too bizarre. Throughout the entire duel, it had never made contact with Chu Tian or Apache, nor had it been hit by any magic or battle aura. As for Apache’s final punch, Clins hadn't paid it any mind; even if Apache had imbued it with battle aura, a Thunder Hawk specialized in speed and magic couldn't possibly injure a dragon, a race renowned for having the best physical defenses on the continent, with a mere punch.

Apache in human form was too small compared to the dragon, so his punch had only struck the dragon’s leg. Yet, the leg was now twisted in a grotesque, seemingly snapped fashion, and the dragon had clearly broken many other bones upon hitting the ground.

"Praise the Goddess of Life! Knight Clins, do you require my assistance?" Chu Tian narrowed his eyes and spoke with an air of mystery. "I am sorry your mount is experiencing this sudden condition. As an Ancient Holy Priest, I might be able to help..."

"I do not need it!" Clins glared at Chu Tian.

"Clins! I warn you, you are insulting an Ancient Holy Priest!" Chu Tian’s voice rose in indignation. "Although my butler was once an Undead Archmage, I swear on my honor as a Holy Priest that I did not use any viruses!" Dark mages were discriminated against, and dark viruses were naturally something everyone despised. Using one on a duel stage representing the honor of two nations would make him the laughingstock of the entire continent!

With hundreds of thousands of people watching, Chu Tian had staked his reputation as a Holy Priest on his claim, and Clins could not refute him. Chu Tian continued, "If you don't believe me, you can have a dark mage examine your mount immediately!" Although dark mages were shunned, their power could not be underestimated, which was why every nation’s army employed a few.

"You think I don't dare? Hmph!"

Clins gestured to the Reis camp, and several mages in black robes ran onto the field to begin their examination. It seemed Clins still did not trust Chu Tian.

*Go ahead and examine it! Hmph! I don't believe you'll find anything!* Chu Tian sneered inwardly. *Clins! You dare call me a coward in front of hundreds of thousands of people?! Damn you! If you dare insult me, then your grandfather here will ruin your stinking lizard!*

As Chu Tian cursed, he looked up at the sky. Above, Arroyo and his swarm were still blocking the sunlight from the arena. Chu Tian narrowed his eyes and smiled.

Everything in the duel was a gimmick arranged by Chu Tian, and it had no real effect. His pets were only used to stall Clins. But that Tier 9 Ice Dragon had indeed been ruined by Chu Tian.

It wasn't Apache or Chu Tian who had brought the dragon down, but the swarm of hornets blocking the sun! The true purpose of Arroyo was not to record the duel—if that were the case, he could have done it alone without bringing a sky-darkening swarm of hornets!

Even Arroyo didn't know that the reason Chu Tian asked him to do this was simply to block the sunlight!

Chu Tian was a veterinarian; healing and prescribing medicine were his trade. But don't forget, while doctors save lives, they can also take them! On the Fantasy Beast Continent, no one knew more about treating magical beasts than Chu Tian, no one could replicate his medicines, and no one understood the physical structure of magical beasts better than he did! Who else could understand the pathogenesis of every disease the way he could?

While treating Red Flame and consulting for the Dragon Emperor at Mount Agula, Chu Tian had determined that, aside from their wings, the bodies of dragons were not much different from those of lizards. Therefore, it was possible for dragons to suffer from the same diseases as lizards!

"Clins, how is the examination going?" Chu Tian asked with a cheerful smile while laughing hysterically inside. *Go on! Take your time! But on this continent, even in a thousand years, you will never know what rickets are, or what a calcium-phosphorus imbalance is! Haha, I will never tell you that without the ultraviolet rays of the sun, a dragon’s body cannot absorb calcium!*

After a long time, the dark mages finished their inspection. Clins stood up, looking utterly devastated, for the results not only proved the dragon had not been poisoned, but Clins knew all too well that his mount would not live much longer. "I apologize, Lord Vladino. I apologize for my previous actions!" Clins barely managed to maintain his knightly virtues, but everyone could see his lips trembling.

After apologizing to Chu Tian, Clins removed his heavy armor and knelt before his mount, ignoring everyone else.

"Woo woo..." Little White nudged Chu Tian with its head, then pointed a small claw at Clins, looking at Chu Tian with teary, pitying eyes.

Praise the Goddess of Life! Little White’s sympathy had overflowed again. Chu Tian shook his head and asked, "Knight Clins, what exactly is the matter with your mount?" Although Chu Tian had orchestrated the entire affair, he had no intention of revealing the truth. Firstly, it was for secrecy; Chu Tian did not want more people to understand his veterinary techniques, as this was his foundation for survival on the Fantasy Beast Continent.

The other reason was that Chu Tian didn't dare! What had he just done? He had disabled a dragon without drawing blood and with almost no effort! If he could disable one, he could disable a second, a third... If the world suddenly discovered that someone held the fatal weakness of the dragon race, what would the Dragon Emperor do? Even if Chu Tian was the savior of the Dragon Emperor, what was he worth compared to the survival of the entire dragon race?

"Shall the duel continue?" Chu Tian asked, as Clins did not respond.

"There is no need to continue." Clins did not look back, speaking in a desolate and weary voice. "I have lost this duel..." Having said this, Clins stood up and faced Chu Tian. "According to the rules, you may dispose of me as you wish!"

"Lord Vladino!" Prince Zaplan, the Reis commander watching from afar, suddenly shouted, "Please respect the honor of a warrior!"

After Zaplan spoke, Makoli, who stood opposite him, also chimed in. "Vladino, as a Marshal, I authorize you to respect Clins’ honor!"

Chu Tian cast a grateful glance at Makoli. He had been on the Fantasy Beast Continent for over a year and naturally understood that Makoli was helping him, giving him an excuse to spare Clins!

The honor of a warrior, the rules of magical beasts—these things sounded nice, but they were all empty words! To put it bluntly, it came down to two things: strength! Birds of a feather flock together. Which human warrior or high-tier magical beast on the continent didn't have friends and family? And how could those qualified to be their friends and family lack corresponding strength?

Zaplan asking Chu Tian to respect Clins’ honor was essentially a warning: if you dare harm Clins, then prepare for the vengeance of his relatives, friends, and teachers.