I was terrified! Raising a colossal star beast in the Beast Taming World

Chapter 143 Lu Yuan's Scheme

Lu Yutang immediately affirmed Meng Yanqing's judgment, and chimed in with agreement: "That's what I think too. In a sense, this garden can be regarded as a sealed room that is 'ventilated' on all sides. There is no path leading to the outside world from either the entrance or the exit."

The two exchanged a glance, feeling a sense of mutual appreciation, as if they were kindred spirits.

Seeing that the two of them were actually preparing to have a grand discussion about the locked room, Lu Yuan's eyes twitched slightly. She interrupted them without any politeness, her tone like a bucket of cold water being poured over their heads: "Isn't this the time to seriously discuss the locked room?"

The atmosphere was abruptly interrupted by Lu Yuan, and Meng Yanqing looked at her with considerable displeasure, her eyebrows furrowing into a knot: "If we're not talking about the secret room, then what are we talking about?"

"Exactly, Auntie, what else are we talking about if not escape rooms?"

Lu Yutang echoed, her tone equally defiant, even more so than Meng Yanqing's: "Xue Youyou is still waiting for us to rescue her. Analyzing more clues might just lead us to a breakthrough."

Lu Yuan slapped the table, the crisp sound echoing in the living room. She glared at the two of them, annoyed. "You two, do you think you're better than the Alliance's most professional investigators? They spent a whole day investigating with over a dozen top-tier reconnaissance pets and still couldn't find a breakthrough, and you two come up with something just by brainstorming here?"

Before the two could object, she emphasized, "There are only a few hours left until the quarterfinals against Burning Heaven Academy. The most important task now is for the four of you, plus Luo Yan, to carefully consider how to defeat Burning Heaven Academy, assuming Xue Youyou can't be there!"

"I know it's difficult, but it's an order!"

Meng Yanqing: "?"

Lu Yutang: "?"

When a perfectly healthy person is suddenly gone, who has the mind to care about the game?

However, although both of them held this idea, their underlying logic was slightly different.

Lu Yutang, along with Cui Yelan, Su Wanrou, and Luo Yan, believed that without Xue Youyou, they would have no chance against Lin Feiyan of the Burning Heaven Academy.

No matter how much we prepare, it's all in vain. We might as well focus all our energy on finding the right people. Only by finding them before the competition starts will we have a slim chance of winning.

Meng Yanqing, on the other hand, had completely lost interest in the competition.

What are those private bets with Lin Feiyan, what are the wins and losses, honor and disgrace? Compared to the momentous event of Xue Youyou's disappearance, they are utterly insignificant. What does winning or losing matter? Compared to Youyou's safety, they are as light as a feather.

That's her disappearance, not Lu Yuan's.

If Lu Yuan is missing, she can finish the competition steadily first, and then slowly look for her.

Seeing that Meng Yanqing and Lu Yutang were about to retort, their lips moving, Lu Yuan's expression suddenly turned serious, her gaze sharp as a knife, her voice carrying an undeniable solemnity: "Meng Yanqing, now that Xue Youyou is not here, you are the captain of the first team of Lanzhi Courtyard. Do you understand that?"

"Do you even know what it means to have a duty?!"

"Captain is not a title, it's a responsibility. All the team members are watching you, all the faculty and students in the college are watching you. If you say no, everyone will scatter. If you grit your teeth and go for it, everyone will follow you and charge."

"As the last spark of Lanzhi Academy, supported by your teammates, and the person upon whom tens of millions of beast tamers in Lanzhi City place their hopes and blessings—you must never let personal feelings cause you to lose sight of the greater good!"

These righteous and awe-inspiring words, each one resounding, forcefully silenced all of Meng Yanqing's rebuttals that were about to come out.

What she wanted to say was, "Youyou's life is more important than the competition," but she opened her mouth and ultimately said nothing.

Lu Yuan didn't give anyone a chance to catch their breath. Her gaze shifted and landed on Lu Yutang like a sharp blade.

"And you, Lu Yutang. Don't forget, besides being a team member, you're also the daughter of the City Lord of Lanzhi City, our princess!"

"Your every word and action represents the image of Lanzhi City. If even you lose heart, what will the outside world say? 'The City Lord's daughter surrendered without a fight'—do you want your sister to hear that?"

"How can I entrust Lanzhi Courtyard to you with such a lack of understanding of the bigger picture?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yutang was speechless, her lips pressed into a thin line, and she looked aggrieved.

Then, Lu Yuan looked at Luo Yan, her tone softening slightly but still firm: "Substitutes are never just for show. When the starters are unable to fulfill their duties for any reason, that's when you should step in—that's the meaning of a substitute."

"You've trained for hours, sweated buckets, and waited for this moment. Cheer up! Don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself just because you're replacing Xue Youyou. When you're on the court, you're a starter. Stand tall and do your best!"

Although they were all just platitudes and platitudes, Luo Yan felt a surge of heat rising in her chest and rushing to her eyes as she listened.

All the quiet training and long waits on the bench seemed to find meaning in this moment. She straightened her back abruptly and replied in a resounding voice, "I will not fail you! I will not let you down!"

Finally, Lu Yuan turned her gaze to Su Wanrou and Cui Yelan, her tone filled with trust and expectation: "I believe you two are both sensible children, so I won't say any more. Do your best and show the spirit of Lanzhi Academy! Let everyone see that Lanzhi Academy is not just about Xue Youyou."

It must be admitted that Lu Yuan's inspiring speech did indeed give the five of them a real boost of morale.

Perhaps the term "cardiac stimulant" isn't quite accurate, but in the difficult situation where Xue Youyou wasn't around, it certainly convinced everyone to make a final, desperate attempt.

Even Meng Yanqing, who was most concerned about Xue Youyou, could no longer completely ignore the competition as she had before after Lu Yuan's words.

Seeing that the group had finally realized what responsibility meant, Lu Yuan nodded with great satisfaction, her tone softening slightly: "Go and rest well and prepare properly. Not just Xue Youyou, but every one of you is a beast tamer that my Lanzhi Academy can be proud of. Only by believing in yourselves can you create miracles."

"Yes……"

The five men accepted the order in hushed tones and dispersed.

However, in the instant everyone turned to leave, no one noticed—

A mischievous yet wise glint flashed in the depths of Lu Yuan's eyes.