The news conference was held outside the ruins entrance, in a makeshift conference room set up by the Beast-Taming Corps.
Despite it being eight in the evening, the crowd was substantial, with dozens of reporters, along with the heads of the Beast-Taming Corps, the Security Bureau, and the president of the Anhe District Beast-Taming Association.
If Professor Guo Lan had given prior notice, leaders from Rongcheng City might have even attended.
Zheng Dong sat to Professor Guo Lan's left, facing dozens of reporters. He felt a little nervous at first, but quickly adapted, as Professor Guo Lan was the primary one answering questions.
Meanwhile, many of his classmates and teachers saw him on television, finding it almost unbelievable.
Zheng Dong had only been on holiday for a few days, and he was already involved with the Ruins Bureau? Rumor had it he had even deciphered a top-tier totem ruin space. It felt like a dream.
Ning Wei, who was playing a game, was dragged out of his room by his father and pointed to Zheng Dong on the television, saying:
"You brat, take a good look. Is that from your class?"
"Holy crap, why is Brother Dong on TV?" Ning Wei exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide.
"You brat, I know your talent isn't great, but our family is in business, so a bit less talent is fine. However, your emotional intelligence needs to be high. Make friends with classmates like him. Don't be stingy with money; I'll reimburse you for whatever you spend!"
Ning Wei pouted, about to retort that his talent wasn't bad, but then he heard about the reimbursement and quickly agreed:
"Alright, Dad!"
...
At this moment, a short-haired female reporter posed a question to Zheng Dong.
"Student Zheng Dong, as far as I know, your beast-taming talent is skill sharing, which has nothing to do with archaeology. How did you manage to decipher the ruins?"
"It's very simple. My pet, the Gold-Devouring Rat, has mastered the treasure-hunting skill to the 'Divine' level."
The short-haired female reporter, sounding skeptical, continued, "Are you sure it's 'Divine' level? To cultivate a skill to the 'Divine' level, even a low-level one, takes a very long time. And you should have only awakened your beast-taming talent a few months ago. Does that mean your Gold-Devouring Rat only knows treasure hunting?"
Zheng Dong frowned.
He felt this female reporter was deliberately trying to cause trouble.
He couldn't help but say, "I think your logic is flawed. My Gold-Devouring Rat isn't like the pets you're thinking of. It knows many skills, and most of them have reached the 'Divine' level."
The female reporter smiled without replying, clearly not believing him.
The other reporters around felt the same way, all thinking Zheng Dong was bragging.
Not only them, but even the people from the Beast-Taming Corps, the Security Bureau, and the Beast-Taming Association around them looked unconvinced.
After all, they knew what a Gold-Devouring Rat was. Their highest growth level could only reach the Commander level. How good could its talent really be?
Before Zheng Dong could explain, the female reporter continued, "I also heard that you've only contracted one Gold-Devouring Rat and no other pets. So, how did you manage to rescue Professor Guo Lan and the others from danger when they were helpless against the King-level Desert Giant?"
This was not only what the female reporter wanted to know, but everyone else did too.
Either Zheng Dong's Gold-Devouring Rat truly had extraordinary abilities, or Professor Guo Lan and the others were lying.
However, based on normal logic, Professor Guo Lan and the others had no reason to lie.
Moreover, even if Zheng Dong's Gold-Devouring Rat was indeed special, it was hard for them to believe it could handle a King-level Desert Giant.
Instantly, all eyes turned to Zheng Dong, camera flashes incessantly illuminating him as they waited to hear his response.
Faced with this situation, Zheng Dong felt a sense of clarity.
He believed it wasn't his fault; it was just that these people, operating on normal logical reasoning, refused to believe a Gold-Devouring Rat could deal with a Desert Giant.
Their worldview wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.
Even with Professor Guo Lan and the others vouching for it, they still felt it wasn't true.
After all, they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.
Since that was the case, he would shatter their worldview right before their eyes and let them understand that all of this had truly happened.
Thus, Zheng Dong calmly said, "You must be a beast-tamer too, right? Are you a Legend-level beast-tamer?"
Zheng Dong's question was so out of the blue that the short-haired female reporter was momentarily bewildered.
*If I were a Legend-level beast-tamer, why would I be interviewing you here? Is there something wrong with your brain?*
However, the short-haired female reporter maintained her professional demeanor and replied, "Of course not. I am just a Senior Beast-Tamer, a reporter from Modu Television, Li Ping."
"Then do you think you have a chance to become a Legend-level beast-tamer?" Zheng Dong continued to ask.
Li Ping gave an awkward laugh. She still couldn't figure out what Zheng Dong was trying to achieve with these questions.
"So, you think you can't become a Legend-level beast-tamer. But, just because you can't, it doesn't mean others can't. Otherwise, there wouldn't be any Legend-level beast-tamers in the world!
Similarly, just because you think other Gold-Devouring Rats can't do it, it doesn't mean my Gold-Devouring Rat can't.
If you still don't believe me, you can summon your pet and have a battle with my Gold-Devouring Rat!" Zheng Dong said without holding back.
Since Li Ping was there to cause trouble, he wasn't going to offer her an easy way out.
Li Ping was stunned, but she reacted quickly, wanting to say Zheng Dong was distorting the issue. However, Professor Guo Lan spoke first:
"I think it's a good idea. It's also a chance to show everyone the strength of our Ruins Bureau's genius!"
Seeing Professor Guo Lan speak, the president of the Anhe District Beast-Tamer Association, Che Song, also nodded:
"Then let's have a battle and see!"
Instantly, a hint of resentment flashed in Li Ping's eyes. *You brat, if you're looking for death, I won't hold back.*
Li Ping felt that although she wasn't a combat-oriented talent and wasn't adept at fighting, and had only recently become a Senior Beast-Tamer, she was still a Senior Beast-Tamer. Dealing with an Elementary Beast-Tamer shouldn't be difficult, right?
Moreover, among the pets she had contracted, two had reached the Lord level in growth.
Because she had offended quite a few people in the past, she was also concerned about retaliation and paid close attention to improving her pets' strength. She had even equipped one of her pets with a pet enhancement machine.
With that in mind, she felt even more confident and readily agreed to the battle.
The battle didn't take place in a dedicated arena but in an open space outside the makeshift conference room.
The ground here had already been hardened by the Beast-Taming Corps, making it suitable for future permanent structures and also for battles.
Facing Senior Beast-Tamer Li Ping, Zheng Dong remained unfazed. Xiao Zi could now handle Lord-level pets. Even if she had four Lord-level pets, it wouldn't matter. As long as they weren't General-level pets, he wouldn't even need to act; Xiao Zi's numerous clones alone would be enough for her to handle.
Li Ping also looked confident, a slight smile playing on her lips. She said, "Student Zheng Dong, let's begin. Don't say I'm bullying you. Even if I summon all four of my pets, it won't be enough for one King-level Desert Giant."
"It's fine, you can summon as many as you want!" Zheng Dong replied calmly.
This attitude annoyed Li Ping. She gritted her teeth and finally decided to summon only one Lord-level pet first.
Of course, she wasn't doing it to go easy on Zheng Dong, but to save face and avoid criticism from others.
She summoned a Lord-level Ice-Eyed White Tiger.
This immediately surprised many people.
The Ice-Eyed White Tiger had a high-tier King-level racial grade and immense growth potential, making it very expensive and not something ordinary people could contract.
Did Li Ping's family have a gold mine?
As everyone was wondering, the Ice-Eyed White Tiger attacked first, letting out a roar as its Intimidation skill erupted.
This instantly caused many pets of the surrounding Beast-Taming Corps to cower, too frightened to move.
They were all intimidated by the Ice-Eyed White Tiger's Intimidation skill.
Fortunately, the Ice-Eyed White Tiger's Intimidation skill was only at the beginner level. Otherwise, these cowering pets would have been so scared they'd soiled themselves or even fainted.
As everyone was shocked, they noticed that the Gold-Devouring Rat, directly facing the Ice-Eyed White Tiger, was completely unaffected.
Xiao Zi had also mastered the Intimidation skill, and its proficiency was even higher than the Ice-Eyed White Tiger's, reaching the Proficient level.
Facing the Ice-Eyed White Tiger's intimidation, Xiao Zi let out a couple of chirps and also used its Intimidation skill.
*Who are you trying to scare, little one? I am the King of Treasure Hunting!*
However, due to the difference in level and race, Xiao Zi's Intimidation skill was seen as a serious provocation by the Ice-Eyed White Tiger.
Immediately, the Ice-Eyed White Tiger unleashed its ultimate skill, Ice Heaven and Snow Earth.
Streams of cold currents surged towards Xiao Zi, the air seemed to freeze at a visible speed, emitting cracking sounds as the sky and earth gradually transformed into a world of ice and snow.
But the next moment, Xiao Zi vanished from its original spot.
It then appeared behind the Ice-Eyed White Tiger, growing larger than it, and swiped a claw at the Ice-Eyed White Tiger's body.
The Ice-Eyed White Tiger was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing heavily onto the ground.
However, it wasn't over yet.
The combo skill, Mud Monster, followed.
Before the Ice-Eyed White Tiger could get up, it was trapped in a mud swamp, and then Mud Monsters began to crawl onto it, dragging it further into the mire.
The Ice-Eyed White Tiger immediately let out a terrified howl.
It felt that once it was trapped in the mud swamp, it was doomed.
But no matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape the mud swamp. Its limbs and even its mouth and nose were quickly sealed by the Mud Monsters.
At this point, Li Ping was dumbfounded.
The Ice-Eyed White Tiger was defeated right after the first contact?
The surrounding members of the Beast-Taming Corps, Security Bureau, and Beast-Taming Association were also filled with shock.
The other reporters furiously took pictures; this was a moment not to be missed!
At this moment, the president of the Beast-Taming Association, Che Song, spoke:
"It's truly extraordinary. This Gold-Devouring Rat not only used a combo skill but also 'Magnification' and 'Gold-Shattering Claw' at the 'Divine' level, and 'Spatial Movement' at the 'Proficient' level! I think the Ice-Eyed White Tiger is about to lose."
Others nodded in agreement.
*Is this really a Gold-Devouring Rat?*
*Which Gold-Devouring Rat can swat an Ice-Eyed White Tiger with one claw?*
*This is simply a ferocious beast.*
The various astonished voices around them felt like slaps to Li Ping's face. She felt like a clown.
In fact, by this point, no one cared about her anymore; they were all curious why this Gold-Devouring Rat was so powerful. Could it really resist a King-level Desert Giant?
But Li Ping felt everyone was laughing at her. Unwilling to accept this, she summoned her second pet, her trump card: a Three-Headed Firebird.
The Three-Headed Firebird also had a Lord-level growth grade and a high-tier King-level racial grade. It mastered Phoenix Flames and possessed strong combat power.
*Chirp...*
The Three-Headed Firebird let out a cry and, upon appearing, unleashed a barrage of scorching flame bullets at Xiao Zi.
While attacking Xiao Zi, it flew towards the Ice-Eyed White Tiger, intending to rescue it from the mud swamp.
The scorching flame bullets shot towards Xiao Zi like bullets.
The Three-Headed Firebird had three heads, allowing it to release flame bullets three times faster than other pets.
Facing the Three-Headed Firebird's sudden attack, Xiao Zi quickly used the combo skill, Earth Vein Leap, to evade the flame bullets.
Immediately after, Xiao Zi appeared in front of the Ice-Eyed White Tiger and knocked it down with a single claw.
Then, it chirped at the Three-Headed Firebird.
*Want to save it? No way!*
Seeing the unconscious Ice-Eyed White Tiger and sensing Xiao Zi's provocation, the Three-Headed Firebird furiously activated its ultimate skill, Blue Flame.
Blue Flame was a flame that could burn the soul and possessed immense destructive power.
The Three-Headed Firebird's red flames gradually turned blue. The blue flames formed an avatar in the shape of the Three-Headed Firebird, lunging at Xiao Zi. Wherever it passed, space vibrated violently, as if the space couldn't withstand such intense heat.
Xiao Zi immediately burrowed underground.
However, the Blue Flame avatar did not follow but hovered in the air, waiting for Xiao Zi to appear, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
At this moment, Li Ping regained her confidence. She raised her proud head and looked at Zheng Dong triumphantly.
Unfortunately, she didn't see a trace of panic on Zheng Dong's face.
And Zheng Dong showed no intention of intervening.
This made her even more displeased.
*You brat, keep pretending. You'll cry later!*
In Li Ping's opinion, as long as Xiao Zi was hit by the Blue Flame, even if it didn't die, its soul would be severely damaged, turning it into an idiot.
At that point, there would be no way to save it.
Xiao Zi, having burrowed underground, did not attack immediately.
It condensed numerous clones, gathering power, preparing to test the Three-Headed Firebird first before figuring out how to deal with it.
Before long, it had condensed 365 clones, each using Earth Vein Resonance to replenish its energy, giving it ninety percent of Xiao Zi's combat power.
Then, all the clones emerged from the ground and used Spatial Movement to surround the Three-Headed Firebird.
As the clones appeared, the Blue Flame avatar also lunged at the numerous clones. Although the scorching blue flames destroyed dozens of Xiao Zi's clones, they couldn't change the situation.
Xiao Zi's clones used the Magnification skill to grow larger and then used Gold-Shattering Claw, swatting at the Three-Headed Firebird one by one.
They batted the Three-Headed Firebird back and forth like a ball.
At this moment, everyone was stunned.
*What the hell, can a Gold-Devouring Rat fight above its level like this? The opponent is a Lord-level Three-Headed Firebird! Shouldn't it be more respectful?*
Everyone felt their worldview had been severely impacted.
Li Ping's expression turned grim. She had never expected the reversal to come so quickly. She felt Zheng Dong's actions were like rubbing her face into the ground, deliberately humiliating her.
In her anger, she issued a kill order, instructing the Three-Headed Firebird to use the pet enhancement machine and retaliate at all costs.