A water-type trainer who specializes in dragon-type water.

Chapter 741 A Draw

However, just as the battle temporarily ended and everyone's attention was focused on the spot where the Lizard King had fallen—

"Awooo—!!!!!"

A completely different roar, filled with primal wildness and pure fighting spirit, exploded from the direction of the stands like a volcano that had been suppressed for thousands of years suddenly erupting!

This roar was not a dragon's cry, but it carried the immense pressure of a Fighting-type legendary Pokémon that was in no way inferior to the might of a dragon!

The voice contained an extreme yearning for top-level close combat, and an uncontrollable fighting spirit!

The intense and simmering atmosphere in the arena seemed to be torn open by this roar, injecting a brand new, boiling, wild energy!

Everyone, including Zhang Leiyuan and Xing Wence, suddenly turned their heads and looked at the stands.

Beside Zhang Heng, Martial Arts Master Xiong had appeared on his own without anyone noticing.

It wasn't inside the Poké Ball; instead, its feet were firmly planted on the ground, as stable as a rock, and its once peaceful eyes were now burning with fierce battle intent.

He stared intently at the two Pokémon that had just finished their fierce clash on the field—especially the Sceptile, which had been battling Charizard to this point!

An invisible aura surged around him, the ground beneath his feet trembled slightly, his fists were clenched, his knuckles made a popping sound, and streams of azure water vapor began to swirl and surge uncontrollably between his fists and arms!

It desperately wanted to join such a battle!

The Charizard's fighting instincts displayed in the previous secret realm had already captivated it, but this Sceptile King before it was able to fight it to such an extent!

"Uh……"

Zhang Heng immediately felt embarrassed, his face burning. He quickly nudged Martial Arts Master Xiong's strong, steel-like arm with his elbow and lowered his voice.

"Hey! You're interrupting their duel!"

The martial arts master seemed to be slightly sobered up from his boiling fighting spirit after being hit by him. He let out an ambiguous murmur, and the turbulent vortex around his body calmed down a little.

But its burning eyes remained firmly fixed on the arena, and its heavy breathing showed that its fighting spirit was far from subsided.

This scene naturally and clearly fell into the eyes of Zhang Leiyuan and Xing Wence.

Zhang Leiyuan was taken aback at first, his gaze sweeping over the martial arts master Xiong Shi's explosive body and boiling fighting spirit. Then, a knowing and interested smile appeared on his face, and he said cheerfully.

"Hey! Xiao Heng, you martial arts bear master... can't hold back anymore, huh? You have good taste, you know this is a good opponent!"

Xing Wence's gaze lingered longer on the martial arts bear master, especially on its unique aura containing both flowing, explosive power, and its eyes that were purely born for battle.

His eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses flickered slightly, then a deeper and more genuine smile appeared on his face as he turned to Zhang Heng, his voice clear and calm.

"It's alright. It seems that Brother Zhang Heng's partner is a Pokémon that is truly obsessed with battle. Such a wonderful duel, which can resonate with such a warrior, is surely a form of recognition."

His tone showed no displeasure at being disturbed, but rather an appreciation and understanding of the "pure seeker of battle."

Zhang Heng met their gazes, scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly, and gave a smile that was a mixture of apology and helplessness.

Seeing Zhang Heng's slightly embarrassed expression, scratching his head and giving an awkward smile, Xing Wence broke the subtle atmosphere first.

His gentle smile remained unchanged as he lightly pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses.

His gaze, behind his glasses, swept over the two Pokémon on the field, both injured yet still brimming with spirit. His voice was clear and composed.

"It seems that today's warm-up should end here. If we continue, these two warmongers might not be able to stop and might actually tear down and rebuild your training ground, Brother Lei Yuan."

His tone carried just the right amount of teasing, which both gave the battle a natural way to end it and cleverly avoided the sensitive word "victory or defeat".

Upon hearing this, Zhang Leiyuan laughed heartily, stepped forward, and patted Xing Wence's shoulder forcefully, the force indicating that the two had a close relationship.

"Haha, Lao Xing is right! This is a friendly sparring match between old friends, not the league finals arena, or a life-or-death encounter in the wild. As long as we have a good fight, warm up our muscles and see each other and our teammates improve, that's enough!"

He glanced around at the messy scene, a carefree smile spreading across his face. "Winning or losing? What's more important than having a cup of hot tea and catching up on things?"

He spoke frankly and openly, addressing not only Xing Wence, but also the fire-breathing dragon and the lizard king in the arena.

The Charizard roared, flicked its tail, and walked to Zhang Leiyuan's side. Although it was injured, its eyes were clear, and it obviously accepted the result.

With a rustling sound from the thicket of thorns, the Lizard King emerged, slightly unsteady but with steady steps. His body was covered in dust and broken leaves, and a soft green light emanated from the hollow on his shoulder, slowly repairing itself.

It walked to Xing Wence's side, nodded slightly, and its gaze met the fire-breathing dragon's again, less tense and more appreciative.

Scene change: East China Champion Office

The warm afternoon sunlight streamed into the room through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, casting a warm golden hue on the wooden desk and leather sofa.

The air was filled with the delicate aroma of tea. Zhang Heng was quietly working at the tea tray, pouring hot water into the purple clay teapot, causing the tea leaves to unfurl. His technique wasn't particularly skillful, but it revealed his earnestness.

The subtle sound of boiling water colliding with tea leaves soothed the intense afterglow of the previous training session.

Zhang Leiyuan leaned back comfortably on the sofa in the main seat, unbuttoned a button on his collar, and looked at Xing Wence, who was sitting upright opposite him.

A hint of emotion flashed in his eyes as he said, "Old Xing, if you think about it, it's been quite a few years since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

Upon hearing this, Xing Wence paused slightly as he was about to serve tea.

He raised his eyes, but did not answer immediately. Instead, he leaned back slightly, his right index and middle fingers habitually adjusting the frame of his mirror. His gaze seemed to pierce through the rising steam of the tea, directed towards some distant time and space.

After a moment, he let out a soft sigh, a sigh that was very light, yet seemed to carry a heavy weight.

"Yes, it's been almost ten years."

His voice was slightly lower than before, and a subtle, complex emotion crept into the usual gentle smile on his lips.

"Time flies... The last time we parted was when you were in South China."

He paused, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the warm rim of the cup, then turned his gaze to Zhang Leiyuan, his tone becoming exceptionally serious, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible apology.

"Alas, later, during the East China Campaign... when the news came back, the battle was so fierce, I heard that you even... I was far away in the Northwest and couldn't help much, I always felt bad about it."

As he spoke, his brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes behind his glasses were sincere and heavy.