Amid countless gasps of astonishment, the Space Gate behind Qin Shou burst open.
"Greedy Snake!"
With a thunderous roar, the cry of a dragon erupted, and a colossal figure shot out, catching the rapidly plunging Qin Shou with perfect precision.
"Bang!"
The next moment, the massive creature stomped through the stone slabs below, landing with a resounding crash in front of the Pangolin Beast.
Antlers, a crocodile snout, a serpentine body, eagle-like claws…
The dark green scales of the Greedy Snake shimmered with an awe-inspiring luster, its eyes brimming with a faint gleam of battle intent.
"Roar!!"
It let out another earth-shaking howl, sending invisible soundwaves scattering outward, forcing the Pangolin Beast to retreat several steps.
"Dragon Beast!"
The crowd cried out in shock.
The son of the Old Qin Family had actually managed to raise a Dragon Beast!
Upstairs, Qin Guofang and Hua Ping stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.
"When did our boy manage to raise a Dragon Beast?"
"I don't know. I just want to know if he dipped into the family fund. How else could he afford to raise something like that?"
"Makes sense. Just wait until tomorrow, I'll show him what's what..."
Though harsh in words, their worry was evident as they kept their eyes fixed on the unfolding events below.
…
"Aoooo!"
The Pangolin Beast's eyes flashed red, unease evident as it glared at the Dragon Beast before it, roaring repeatedly.
Despite its higher Star Level, it could sense that the energy coursing through its opponent was no less powerful.
The Greedy Snake, unwilling to be outdone, roared back fiercely, wishing it could spit saliva right into the Pangolin Beast's face.
Its master had once taught it—this makes you appear more intimidating.
Leaping off the Greedy Snake's back, Qin Shou glanced at the pale-faced Lin Xiaomei and nodded slightly.
"Take a break. Leave this to me," he said.
Lin Xiaomei nodded as a faint smile appeared on her pale yet charming face, only to collapse weakly onto the ground.
Qin Shou didn't follow the cliché of an idol drama by sweeping her up in a princess carry—that wasn't in his character.
Instead, he turned around to inspect the giant Pangolin Beast… Seeing its heavy, armor-like scales, his eyes gleamed.
What a prize!
"Greedy Snake, attack!"
Qin Shou shouted with force. In a battle against monsters, opening lines were irrelevant.
The Greedy Snake, unable to hold itself back any longer, clawed deep gashes into the ground and charged at the Pangolin Beast with a roar.
"Roar!"
The wind howled as the two monstrous creatures collided, shaking the very earth beneath them.
The combat between monsters was utterly primal—a clash of pure raw power.
The Dangerous Seven-Star Greedy Snake and the Dangerous Level 8 Pangolin Beast wrestled in a chaotic tumble, neither gaining the upper hand.
However, the Pangolin Beast's scales were excessively tough, leaving the Greedy Snake unable to inflict meaningful damage.
"Roar!"
The Greedy Snake hissed, abruptly abandoning the stalemate to leap into the air. Its abdomen began glowing red, the light spreading toward its mouth.
Frowning at the sight, Qin Shou muttered to himself.
The Greedy Snake was preparing to unleash a powerful move, but it might not be enough to break through the Pangolin Beast's defenses.
The scales of the Dangerous Level 8 Pangolin Beast were so resilient that even a Dangerous Nine-Star monster couldn't penetrate them.
"Greedy Snake, hold off for now—aim for its lower… Ahem, its abdomen!" Qin Shou suddenly shouted.
Hearing this, the Greedy Snake's fiery glow began to dissipate. Redirecting its approach, it dove downward, twisting through the air like a gale towards the Pangolin Beast.
Not to be outdone, the Pangolin Beast let out a roar and reared up to meet the Greedy Snake head-on.
"Aooo…"
"Roar!"
Mid-air, the Greedy Snake twisted its massive tail, swiping past the Pangolin Beast in a feint.
The Divine Dragon Tail—a devastating whip of its formidable tail—struck the Pangolin Beast square on the head.
The Greedy Snake's tail, infused with the genes of the Deep Sea Monster Fish, possessed astonishing strength.
With just one blow, the Pangolin Beast was sent tumbling backward.
"Boom!!"
Its colossal body thudded heavily to the ground, kicking up clouds of dust and fracturing the stone surface.
Seeing this, Qin Shou raised both hands toward the sky, his Star Power surging out at breakneck speed, forming two six-meter-long dragon-shaped Star Powers in mid-air.
For someone newly at six stars, this was the extent of his capability.
"Roar!!"
The azure dragon-shaped Star Powers lunged at the fallen Pangolin Beast, relentlessly harassing it, preventing it from regaining its balance.
"Greedy Snake, now's your chance!" Qin Shou yelled.
Flying through the air, the Greedy Snake's abdomen once again filled with fiery light. The scorching Flame Power coalesced within its mouth.
"Buzz!"
"Boom!"
A ferocious pillar of fire erupted with stunning ferocity, lighting up the entire residential complex, its glow unnervingly bright in the dead of night.
Grabbing the limp Lin Xiaomei, Qin Shou swiftly retreated.
"Boom…"
The terrifying fire pillar descended, engulfing the Pangolin Beast's enormous form in flames.
Instantly, searing heatwaves rolled outward in every direction with crushing force.
When the heat blast surged in, Qin Shou darted into a corner of the complex. Even fiercer waves roared past, carrying with them the increasingly feeble cries of the Pangolin Beast.
The heatwave came quickly and dissipated just as fast.
A moment later, Qin Shou cautiously emerged from his shelter, staring blankly at the charred remains before him.
He had never imagined that a Danger Level monster could wield such destructive power.
What if it were an even more formidable Horror-level Monster? What would that devastation look like?
He dared not even think about it.
Glancing down at the previously untouchable Pangolin Beast, he found nothing more than a lump of unrecognizable blackened flesh.
"Ding! Killed Pangolin Beast. Obtained Pangolin Beast Gene. Acquired 8 Synthesis Points."
At that moment, a system notification chimed in his ears, sparking a change in his expression.
Fighting monsters to level up—this sounded pretty promising.
And then, an aroma of roasted meat hit his nose, causing him to gulp involuntarily.
…
The residents of the complex, having narrowly escaped the heatwave, looked out incredulously at the Dragon Beast hovering mid-air and the charred remains of the Pangolin Beast on the ground, utterly astounded.
As expected of the Dragon Beast, celebrated as the hardest creature to nurture within the Breeding Beast System. Its strength was truly terrifying!
Shock soon gave way to the jubilant cheers of survival echoing through the complex.
…
Qin Guofang and Hua Ping exchanged bewildered looks, struggling to believe the scene before them and questioning whether they were dreaming.
Their son, without saying a word, had not only raised a Dragon Beast but had also saved the entire complex.
Of all people, they—his parents, who knew him best—were the most stunned.
…
"Qin Shou, thank you."
Lin Xiaomei stumbled over to Qin Shou, her gratitude sincere.
As a fellow resident of the complex, she had also heard tales of Qin Shou—but all about how sly, shameless, and prone to targeting monsters' weak points he was.
The Pangolin Beast's attack today made her realize just how damaging rumors can be.
Clearly, he was such a remarkable Beast Tamer, yet he had been grossly misunderstood for years...
Qin Shou waved off her thanks without much concern.
He gestured casually as if to speak, but Qin Guofang rushed in, cutting him off.
"Hahaha, no need to thank him! It's what he should do. Swing by our house sometime! You and Xiao Shou can exchange cultivation tips and help each other improve..."
Qin Guofang grinned warmly, persistently encouraging Lin Xiaomei to engage with Qin Shou… for "learning purposes."
For a moment, Lin Xiaomei looked visibly awkward.
Qin Shou rubbed his temples. No wonder his dad had shown such interest in Lin Xiaomei before—he had been scheming this all along.
The Federation's policy to promote early marriages and higher birth rates was really pulling out all the stops.
"Early birth, early upbringing—it's everyone's responsibility..."
This concept had long been deeply embedded in society.
After all, in an age overrun by monsters, population concerns were no trivial matter.