Chapter 957: Sky Ice Crow

Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1 

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Contestant Area.

Qiao Sang found her seat, and just as she sat down, the person next to her greeted her.

"What a coincidence, we are sitting together again."

Qiao Sang turned and realized it was the contestant named Rong Yuhua who had sat next to her last time. She offered a polite smile. "It is quite a coincidence."

Rong Yuhua lowered his voice and asked, "The internet says your Breezewing Nini has evolved. Is it true?"

He already had the answer in his heart, he was merely using the topic as a conversation starter. 

Generally, contestants avoid discussing the strength of each other's pets. If they do talk, it’s usually because the pet has already been fielded and its strength is common knowledge, or because they are confident enough that revealing information wouldn't matter. Or, it’s just casual banter where the listener bears the risk of believing it.

Qiao Sang's situation was special. The pet he was interested in, even if evolved, would only be a High-level pet. It was unlikely to appear on this stage, so he didn't feel like he was prying for tactical secrets.

"She evolved." Qiao Sang nodded.

Rong Yuhua’s eyes lit up. He then thought of something and asked, "Do you live at Central Water Villas?"

Central Water Villas was the name of the residence where Yu Ke lived.

"No." Qiao Sang shook her head. 

"A friend of mine lives there." 

After saying that, she asked, "How did you know the location?"

"I have a friend who lives there." Rong Yuhua answered. 

"The layout of the training field was captured in the video of Breezewing Nini’s evolution. My friend messaged me saying it was the same place he lived." 

He paused and asked, "Others will eventually dig up your training location. Are you going to change spots?"

Qiao Sang: ???

Qiao Sang pondered for a few seconds and said, "I don't know who did it, but some guy booked every single remaining training venue in Tianan City on the same day. I can't move."

That guy is me... Rong Yuhua fell into an instant silence.

After about a dozen seconds, he finally spoke, saying what he had intended to say earlier: "Do you want to come train at my place? I have several vacant properties in Tianan City."

If he were a B-rank Beast Master with even a slight chance of defeating Qiao Sang, he would never offer her a training ground. But as a C-rank Beast Master, even if they became opponents, he had no chance of winning. In that case, building a good relationship was a better move.

Qiao Sang glanced at him and declined. "No thanks. Training at my friend's place is quite good."

Compared to Rong Yuhua, who was a fellow contestant, she naturally trusted Yu Ke more, as they had a professional relationship. Rong Yuhua, feeling guilty about booking all the training grounds, didn't push further.

---

Family Area.

Ye Xiangting had already become the central figure of the section. Almost everyone was crowding around her, talking at once.

"Qiao Sang’s mom, is that video online real?"

"Did Breezewing Nini really evolve into a Qinyin Fairy?"

"Can we exchange contact info?"

"You've come all this way from the Yuhua Region to watch the matches; you probably haven't explored the Central Hollow much. When the matches are over, bring Qiao Sang along, and I'll show you around."

Ye Xiangting handled them all with ease. 

"I don't know, I haven't been online much... I’m not sure, Qiao Sang is always out training and doesn't call home often. I only found out she became a B-rank Beast Master when I came to see the matches... Of course... Sure, I'll ask Qiao Sang later to see if she has time."

Liu Yao sat nearby, keeping quiet. A middle-aged man next to him, who also seemed taciturn, asked, "Are you Qiao Sang’s father?"

Liu Yao was concise. "No."

The man asked curiously, "Then you are?"

Liu Yao didn't reveal his status as a researcher, choosing to be low-key. "I’m her high school teacher."

The man’s eyes lit up. "Which high school?"

"Shengshui High School." Liu Yao replied.

The man asked again, "Is Qiao Sang still attending?"

"No, she was accepted into university early." Liu Yao said.

The man gossiped until the end: "Which university?"

Liu Yao didn't hide it. "Imperial Beast University."

The man froze for a second, then felt it made perfect sense. Coming to his senses, he immediately whipped out his phone and sent the news to his "Loving Family" group chat: [I just found out! Qiao Sang attends Imperial Beast University!]

As he typed, the clock struck 9:00 AM.

The host entered the stage. After welcoming the audience, introducing the guests, and finishing the opening procedures, they finally got to the point: "Next, we will conduct the pairings for the Top 108 moving to the Top 54! Let us welcome the referees from the Notary Office!"

A giant virtual screen appeared in mid-air. Everyone stopped talking, focusing their eyes on the screen and the Base-Divider Unit.

"Fen fen."

The Base-Divider Unit moved to the center of the field and split in two. Its head floated toward the central virtual screen and merged into it. The photos of all the contestants began to shuffle and cross rapidly. After about ten seconds, the photos froze in pairs on the screen.

Qiao Sang glanced at it and saw her photo in the third group.

Nice. All three times I've been on the first day. This way I won't be maliciously disturbed during my night rest... Feeling relaxed, Qiao Sang looked at her opponent.

The moment she saw her opponent's photo, the smile she had just raised faded.

Shi Bing, 38 years old, a C-rank Beast Master. Though his rank was C, he had actually nurtured a King-level pet. As a C-rank Beast Master with a King-level pet, he naturally received a lot of attention. Even though he had won his previous two rounds using only two pets, Qiao Sang knew the levels of all his pets through the media.

One King-level, two General-levels, and one High-level.

Barring any accidents, the pets he would field would definitely be the King-level and the two General-levels.

Sure enough, I'm not lucky enough to meet an opponent who would field a High-level pet... Qiao Sang sighed inwardly. A General-level pet, even at the initial stage, would be a guaranteed loss for Qingbao.

While these thoughts flashed through her mind, a staff member walked over, respectfully announced the names of the first three groups of contestants, and invited them to the backstage to prepare.

Qiao Sang stood up and followed the group. She didn't wait in the backstage lounge like the previous two times but instead went to a deserted corner.

"Qingbao." Qiao Sang called out.

"Qing qing." Qingbao appeared.

"The weakest pet the next opponent fields will be at the General-level." Qiao Sang explained the situation.

"Qing qing..." Qingbao froze.

What does that mean? I can't go on stage? Qingbao seemed to realize something, and a look of disappointment appeared on her face. A strong wind began to blow around them.

Qiao Sang's hair whipped around as she continued with a serious face: "So, are you ready? To battle a General-level pet."

"Qing qing..." Qingbao looked up, staring blankly at her Beast Master. Simultaneously, the wind stopped abruptly.

Qiao Sang continued, "Don't worry, I'll wear down the General-level pet first. But even so, its strength will far exceed yours. If you feel the odds are too low, I’ll be participating in many other competitions later."

To be honest, unless the General-level pet was nearly knocked out, Qingbao really had almost no chance of winning. If Qingbao had an idol burden like Yabao or Little Treasure, Qiao Sang really wouldn't suggest her debut in front of everyone's eyes be this particular match.

"Qing qing!"

Almost the second she finished speaking, Qingbao nodded with a firm expression. She wanted to go!

"Even if you lose?" Qiao Sang asked.

"Qing qing!" Qingbao nodded vigorously.

"Why do you want to compete so badly?" Qiao Sang couldn't help but ask curiously. In her eyes, Qingbao wasn't the competitive type.

"Qing qing." Qingbao thought seriously for a moment and cried out, indicating she wanted to try.

"Try?" Qiao Sang was stunned. This was an answer she hadn't expected.

"Qing qing." Qingbao nodded.

Try. Whether it was Gangbao or Little Treasure, they both seemed to love competing. And...

"Qing qing." Qingbao paused, gave a sweet smile, and continued. We are companions, aren't we? I want to win a match for you, too.

Qingbao... Hearing this, Qiao Sang was moved beyond words. She said with passion: "Fine! Let’s win the match!"

---

Time passed. The matches proceeded in an orderly fashion.

On the commentary platform, Tian Yiwan looked at the data for the next group, his tone growing excited:

"Next up are contestant Qiao Sang and contestant Shi Bing. Both of these contestants have been under much scrutiny in this competition!"

"That’s right," Tang Xueran agreed. 

"One is the youngest and most discussed contestant, Qiao Sang, who trends frequently even on days she doesn't have a match. The other is Shi Bing, one of the few C-rank Beast Masters who owns a King-level pet and can go toe-to-toe with B-rank Beast Masters."

Hearing the boiling cheers from the crowd, she smiled. "I can already hear the passionate cheers from the audience. It seems everyone is looking forward to the next match."

The stands were filled with screams: "Ah! Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"

"Ghost Ring King! Steel Sword Falcon!"

"Qinyin Fairy! Please! Let me see the Qinyin Fairy!"

"God Qiao! God Qiao! Destined to transcend!"

Even though there were fans of Shi Bing in the audience, their shouts were quickly drowned out.

At that moment, Tian Yiwan spoke: "Contestant Qiao Sang and contestant Shi Bing are entering the field!"

As he spoke, two cyan avian pets shot into the sky from the underground tunnels. The screaming in the audience reached a new peak.

Amidst the screams, the light-shadow of "10" appeared on the field. The crowd fell silent in unison.

Family Area.

Ye Xiangting looked at the robust figure on the field, thought of something, and frowned. She turned and asked, "Does Shi Bing have one King-level, two General-levels, and one High-level pet?"

Liu Yao had only watched the matches and hadn't looked into the off-field information. He thought for a moment and said, "I know he fielded one King-level and one General-level in his last match. I’m not sure about the rest."

Ye Xiangting looked at the field, her excitement at hearing her daughter's turn replaced by worry. Although her daughter was a B-rank Beast Master, both Yabao and Lubao had only recently evolved. Even if the internal energy of a King-level pet differed by only a small stage, the difference in strength was immense.

And then there was Qingbao. If the opponent was as she had seen online, Qingbao might not even get a chance to take the stage...

The light-shadow on the field changed rapidly, soon reaching "1." The light-shadow then vanished.

Qiao Sang and Shi Bing formed hand seals simultaneously. Red and orange star arrays lit up on the field. Soon, two exceptionally massive figures appeared within the arrays.

With the appearance of the pet almost entirely covered in deep blue scales from the red star array, the temperature on the field dropped sharply, and large flakes of white snow suddenly began to fall. The snow fell around the noble and mysterious pet, its beautiful and shocking presence leaving the audience in a daze.

"What pet is that? So beautiful..."

"I don't know, but it’s definitely King-level..."

"Is this Qiao Sang’s King-level pet? So good-looking..."

"Just based on looks alone, it could easily enter international coordination competitions."

Meanwhile, in the official livestream room of the Regional Championships, the bullet chat exploded: [AHHH!!! Ice Emperor Ram!!! Ice Emperor Ram!!!]

[I’m going crazy! What am I seeing?!]

[People of the Guwu Region! Flood the screen for me!!!]

[Ahhh! Qiao Sang actually nurtured that Ice Xilu into an Ice Emperor Ram! Oh my god! I’m going insane!]

[Ice Emperor Ram! Tell me, how can I buy a ticket for the Central Hollow Regional Championships! I want to be there!]

[Brothers, see you in Central Hollow. I’ve already bought my plane ticket.]

[Family, my boss won't give me leave to go to Central Hollow, so I quit.]

[I declare Qiao Sang is my only idol from now on!]

[Ah! Qiao Sang! Come to our Guwu Region! Even though our Regional Championship just ended, we can apply to hold next year's early just for Ice Emperor Ram!]

"What the hell? Why are there so many people from the Guwu Region here?"

---

On the field.

Lubao looked at the distant opponent, her expression calm.

Sky Ice Crow, a dual-attribute King-level pet of Flying and Ice. Its body temperature is constantly around -10°C. It can swallow large amounts of water to create snow clouds within its body. Whenever it gets angry, it triggers blizzard weather...

I remember this Sky Ice Crow showed the Snow Cloak characteristic in previous matches... Qiao Sang looked at the twelve-meter-tall pet in the distance, which looked as if it were made of ice with ice spikes on its back, and the relevant data surfaced in her mind.

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