Astral Pet Store (WN)

Chapter 853: One Punch

"Sorry, there are only nine recommendations left; you missed out. However, it shouldn't be a problem for you to pass the screening phase and move on to the galactic matches. Keep it up!" the announcer instantly comforted him.

The stunned young man couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't there be ten recommendations? I fought hard for one, even my pets were wounded. And yet, you're telling me there aren't any recommendations left?"

The other nine candidates were equally puzzled; why would one of the ten recommendations be missing?

The student ranked fifth on the Royal Rank—who ended up in ninth place after the duels—felt sympathetic for the guy and lucky for himself. He could have been eliminated if he would have ended in a lower rank.

"Koro, just let it go." A tall and strong Star Lord flew close and sighed.

"Leader, about that…" The young man looked at his family leader with confusion and repressed fury; he felt tricked.

"One of the recommendations was just given away; we were just unlucky," said the family leader solemnly. He was also frustrated and angry, but he was mindful of his status; he didn't dare to disrespect the Amir Royal Academy.

He had to hold back his fury no matter how furious he was.

He wasn't an Ascendant anyway.

"It was just given away?"

The other nine candidates were also surprised, wondering who had gotten the recommendation directly from the president; all the competitors present had Star Lords backing them.

"Who got it?" With wrath in his eyes, Koro looked around and noticed Alan's followers. He quickly focused his attention on Su Ping.

The reason was simple; Su Ping was too eye-catching, being a Fate State warrior standing next to Star State experts.

"It's him?"

Koro gritted his teeth in fury.

The recommendation wasn't that important. Just like the announcer said, he could always distinguish himself in the screening matches.

However… he didn't like that feeling of failure!

He had always gotten everything he wanted since birth; nobody was allowed to take what belonged to him!

"Don't make a fuss!"

The family leader frowned. He sympathized with Koro, but it would be pointless to offend that young man who had gotten the spot through his connection with Xingyue Shen'er.

"I challenge you to a duel!"

Koro couldn't hold it any longer and soared to the sky. The family leader changed his expression and snapped, "Don't make a scene!"

"I've already won. Why must I give away my recommendation to him? They can't take away what's mine just like that!" Koro gnashed his teeth.

The family leader was gloomy and began to feel a headache. That young man was strong, but he was truly terrible at reading the environment!

Even if the person who had snatched his recommendation was weak, his background was still too powerful!

It seemed that the family had spoiled him rotten; he was completely out of touch with how the world functioned!

The family leader decided to teach him a good lesson to fix his personality after they returned, as most geniuses had died because of arrogance!

Everyone turned and noticed Su Ping who was next to Alan after hearing what Koro said.

Su Ping was the only one in the Fate State next to Alan; the others were either in the Star State, or were Star Lords.

"Huh?"

The other nine guys who received the recommendations glanced at him too, but they soon lost interest in him.

Outside of the arena, Mia was quite shocked by the turn of events.

"He's going to challenge Boss Su?"

How is Boss Su involved in this?

Did Boss Su receive the recommendation?

Offit, who stood by her side, was also confused. Her clothes had been ruined in battle, but she had donned a set of golden armor to cover it up; this accentuated her amazing body curve.

"Ha!"

Xingyue Shen'er, who stood next to Su Ping, couldn't help but laugh.

The close-by instructors couldn't help but look at him. They all knew full well that the recommendation had indeed been taken by that young man; they wondered why she was in the mood to laugh when the young man was being challenged.

While Koro was the last of the ten candidates, he wasn't that much weaker, except when compared with the geniuses ranked at the very top.

"He's truly naive!"

"He wants to challenge Brother Heaven Destroyer? He's probably never heard of him."

"I think he'll tremble with fear when he hears Brother Heaven Destroyer's awe-inspiring name."

"Should we make a bet?"

"On what?"

"Whether it'll take Brother Heaven Destroyer three seconds to finish the battle, or ten seconds."

"Well… That's too insulting. I bet on three seconds!"

"Me too!"

"Brother Heaven Destroyer has always kept a low profile. I don't think he'll do his best. I'll be betting on ten seconds, just to be safe!"

"Have you no respect for Brother Heaven Destroyer? You don't have a 'one second' option? Brother Heaven Destroyer will definitely be a One Second Man when fighting someone of his level!"

"…"

The Alliance of Stars members discussed heatedly in Xingyue Shen'er's small world.

Su Ping was outside of the small world and couldn't hear them; he only saw that Xingyue Shen'er was laughing so hard she could hardly catch her breath.

What's so funny?

Su Ping didn't know what to say.

"Do you dare accept my challenge? The recommendation will be the winner's prize!" Koro was even more infuriated given that Su Ping was ignoring his challenge.

"…"

Su Ping felt like he had been bitten by a rabid dog. Why are you accusing me of stealing your recommendation? Fine… your instinct is spot on. It was me…

"I don't think a duel is really necessary, is it?" said Su Ping helplessly.

Everybody was stunned upon hearing that, including the students outside the arena; they didn't expect Su Ping to cower so openly in front of a challenger.

All the instructors glanced at Su Ping, wondering why the young man backed by Xingyue Shen'er was that cowardly.

Xingyue Shen'er herself would have challenged anyone who would have looked at him disrespectfully, let alone someone directly asking for a duel!

Everybody knew she had been an aggressive little devil that defeated and subdued all the geniuses in the academy.

And yet, that unknown young man had an entirely different personality in comparison. He was that much of a coward?

"Are you scared?" Koro laughed and said, "If you're this weak, what's the point of even getting the recommendation? Might as well just give it to me."

The nearby family leader no longer tried to stop him; he didn't expect Su Ping to retreat, either. He could only heave a sigh, planning to teach Koro some more after seeing his arrogant ways. However, it was impossible to unsay what had been said; he wondered if they could actually get the recommendation at that point.

"Scared?"

Before Su Ping said anything—the previously laughing Xingyue Shen'er became rigid and smiled. "What is there to be afraid of? We don't accept your challenge because you don't deserve it!"

"Who is she?"

"She—She is Xingyue Shen'er!"

"The person who established a record decades ago? You can't be serious. Wait. I just checked. It really is her!"

"She's back. She has a small world… Is she a Star Lord too?"

"Seriously? How long has it been since her graduation? It's said that she reached the Star State right after graduating. It only took her a few decades to become a Star Lord?"

"She's so arrogant… To be declining a challenge and calling him unworthy. Koro is already a genius in his level; he's as strong as some of the early Star State warriors."

"I've long heard that she is extremely conceited. The rumors were true."

All the students were shocked by Xingyue Shen'er's level; a student who had graduated merely decades earlier had become a Star Lord. It was almost like a regular college student becoming a billionaire a few years after graduation!

"You!"

Koro's face quickly changed after hearing such exclamations. The small world next to Xingyue Shen'er indicated that she was obviously a Star Lord; he was too intimidated to offend such a monster. Even his family leader would have to lower his head in front of her!

Both were Star Lords, but that girl was a genius!

"Are you only capable of hiding behind a woman?" Koro gritted his teeth, only being able to transfer his fury onto Su Ping.

Su Ping was lost for words, feeling that the man was an idiot who knew nothing but training. Little did the man know that strength was not the only thing that mattered; even if he was stronger than someone else, he would have to kneel if his opponent was from a powerful background.

Su Ping simply said, "Let's do it then."

He then flashed over and stood before Koro.

Koro didn't expect the flash, nor did the family leader next to them; they didn't realize that Su Ping would be that arrogant, to be willing to go for a melee battle.

"Good one!" Koro became incensed in a blink, immediately unleashing his astral power. Su Ping then blinked ten meters away from him and then returned when the latter was about to summon his battle pet.

He didn't flash a second time, because Koro had already locked the space around him; Su Ping was capable of tearing it apart, but he was too lazy to do that.

Whoosh!

Su Ping laid his hand on Koro's neck and then smashed him down.

There was a bam; the ground of the arena fell apart. But the next moment, a stream of astral power and a furious roar burst out; Koro dashed out of the dust and looked around. His eyes turned bloodshot when he saw Su Ping standing in midair.

"Huh?" Su Ping frowned. He had already gone easy on the man, yet the guy didn't realize the gap between them?

Three of the nine winning candidates changed their expression; they frowned and gazed at Su Ping.

The other six of them were completely shocked; none of them expected Su Ping to suppress Koro that easily, without using his pet!

"Merge!"

Koro merged with a dragon. He was enraged to see no pets around Su Ping, so he didn't summon his other pets; he simply charged at the opponent.

Su Ping raised his hand; his fingers glowed dazzlingly in the blink of an eye.

The golden light emanated a surge of energy like sunlight; he seemed to have grabbed a sun when he clenched his fist, and a bloodcurdling feeling was spread out.

Phew!

Su Ping suddenly waved his fist. A golden aura arose from an ancient deep void and was pushed forward.

The fast-approaching Koro was suddenly woken up, as if doused by cold water. He had an ominous feeling; all he could see was the invincible and dazzling fist aura!

His fury had already been discarded; he was completely stunned, and could go by instinct to defend himself.

The fist aura brushed past Koro and entered the void in the rear of the arena. There was no sound, but the void seemed to be shaking. Even the primary space was shaking a bit!

"Well…"

All the instructors next to Alan had different expressions. A power that could influence the shallower spaces from within the deeper spaces? How violent was it?

If it had hit the primary space, half of the academy might have been ruined!

"That punch seemed to contain ten laws…"

All the Star Lords who had shown up for recommendations were frightened. Someone in the Fate State had grasped ten laws?

If he could perfectly combine the ten laws… he might already have an opportunity to become a Star Lord!

What kind of monster is he?

The punch was soundless, and rendered everyone silent at the venue.

The students outside of the arena were no ordinary battle pet warriors; they all had keen eyes. None were able to tell how many laws Su Ping's punch contained, but they sensed how horrifying it was!

It seemed that the fist aura could suppress and erase everything; it made them feel like ants.

"Boss Su?"

Outside of the arena—Mia was stunned; she opened her mouth, completely dumbfounded.

Was he really the Boss Su she knew?

She suddenly remembered how Su Ping had defeated three Star State experts on Rhea outside his store.

Su Ping was asking for a recommendation, and yet he had defeated Star State experts… Doesn't that mean that he's never concealed himself?

However, Mia remembered that Su Ping seemed to only be in the Void State when he defeated them…

Mia felt goosebumps all over her body and her blood was freezing upon thinking that. She turned around and looked at Offit, who was the most eye-catching genius in her family. However, compared to Boss Su, it seemed that she was just an ordinary person.