As Aurora walked to the arena, her opponent, Dave, was also making his way toward the fighting grounds. Unlike Aurora, who exuded a calm and calculated demeanor, Dave seemed to be a bit annoyed. He was tall and muscular, with a rugged appearance that contrasted with Aurora's elegance.
As he stepped into the arena, Dave scanned the surroundings with a look of mild irritation. He was not nervous at all, which was surprising to some of the spectators. Perhaps it was his confidence in his own abilities or his previous experience in combat that made him feel so at ease. Or maybe he simply did not take the test as seriously as Aurora did.
The tension in the air was palpable as Aurora, and Dave stood facing each other in the arena. Aurora exuded an air of confidence and calm, her ice-cold demeanor a stark contrast to Dave's annoyed expression.
Suddenly, Dave spoke up, his voice sharp and cutting. "Are you the one who beat my three underlings in the forest?" he demanded, eyeing Aurora with a mixture of anger and resentment.
Aurora was taken aback by his question. She hadn't realized that the three people from Blood Clan who had been defeated by Orion were actually Dave's underlings. But she felt no remorse for her actions. "Yes, I am," she replied coolly, her voice betraying no emotion. "They blocked my way, and my partner beat them down for me."
Dave's expression twisted into one of rage. "How dare you?" he spat. "Don't you know who I am?"
Aurora raised an eyebrow, unfazed by his outburst. "I don't care who you are or what clan you're from," she replied evenly. "The point is, they blocked my path, and it was their own fault for getting in our way."
Dave seethed with anger. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. But despite his fury, he knew that he couldn't let his emotions get the best of him in this situation. He needed to focus on the task at hand and defeat Aurora and her beast in order to prove his worth to the senior disciple.
With a deep breath, Dave composed himself and prepared to face off against Aurora. The two opponents stood on opposite sides of the arena, eyeing each other warily as the crowd watched with bated breath.
Dave began to summon his beast from his beast space, and as he did so, the air grew tense with anticipation. The crowd watched in awe as the young cultivator called forth his partner, his voice ringing out clear and strong.
"Come out, Russet Striped Tiger," he called, and with a sudden burst of energy, the massive feline emerged from his beast space, its striped fur gleaming in the sunlight.
But Aurora didn't flinch or show any sign of fear. She stood her ground, her posture confident and steady, as she watched the beast emerge.
The Russet Striped Tiger prowled around the arena, its eyes fixed on Aurora and her partner. Its massive paws left deep imprints in the dirt, and its low growl echoed through the air. But Aurora didn't falter.
Dave was clearly overconfident, believing that his newly-contracted Russet Striped Tiger was enough to defeat anyone in the arena. But Aurora remained stoic, unmoved by Dave's arrogance. She had faced down dangerous beasts before, and this tiger was no different.
Dave, however, seemed more interested in boasting than in strategizing. "What do you think of this beast? This beast is very strong. Grovel into me if you want to survive," he taunted.
The other participants in the crowd were outraged at Dave's arrogance, and murmurs of disapproval rippled through the audience. But Aurora remained calm and focused, refusing to let Dave's words distract her.
Aurora stood tall and unflinching, her eyes locked on the Russet Striped Tiger as it prowled around the arena. Dave's attempt to intimidate her with his beast had failed, and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh at his words.
"Do you think you are worthy of intimidating me?" she said, her voice ringing out clear and confident.
The crowd watched in awe as Aurora stood her ground, her ice-cold demeanor making her appear all the more intimidating. Dave seemed taken aback by her response, his expression turning to one of confusion and anger.
"You think you're so tough, don't you?" he spat, his tone laced with frustration. "Well, let's see how tough you really are."
With a wave of his hand, he signaled for the Russet Striped Tiger to attack. The massive beast let out a deafening roar as it charged toward Aurora, its claws extended and its teeth bared.
The crowd gasped in shock and horror, unable to believe that Dave would order his beast to attack Aurora directly. The senior disciple watched from the sidelines. His eyes narrowed in concern as he took in the unfolding scene.
But what happened next was even more unbelievable. Suddenly, a massive paw appeared in front of Aurora, blocking the tiger's attack. The paw belonged to Aurora's own beast.
The Russet Striped Tiger was thrown back by the force of the impact, its massive body skidding across the ground and kicking up clouds of dust. The crowd was stunned into silence, their jaws dropping in disbelief.
As the dust settled, Aurora stepped forward, her beast emerging from its beast space and taking its place at her side. The majestic creature radiated power and grace, its piercing blue eyes scanning the arena with calm confidence.
The senior disciple, who had been watching the scene with rapt attention, was also stunned. He couldn't believe that Aurora had successfully contracted the Ice Alpha Wolf, which ruled over the pack of Advanced-Stage Awakening Realm wolves.
The Ice Alpha Wolf was a formidable beast, renowned for its strength and resilience. But what made the situation even more surprising was that the Ice Alpha Wolf was actually a First-Stage Warrior Realm Beast, a level far above what was required for the entrance test.
The other participants were equally amazed, and whispers of awe and disbelief rippled through the crowd. Some were envious of Aurora's incredible luck in contracting such a powerful beast, while others were simply awed by the sheer magnitude of her accomplishment.
