Chapter 972: Mutual Destruction

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

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"Who will be paired with whom, and what kind of magnificent battle will they bring us!"

"Let us invite the referees from the Beast Notary Office!"

As the host finished speaking, a man in a formal suit and a Base-Divider Unit stood up and waved to the stands. Immediately after, the Base-Divider Unit split into two, its head floating toward the screen. After a ripple, it entered the screen and vanished.

In the contestant area, everyone stared at the virtual screen. Most maintained a calm expression, keeping up their big-shot aura as if it made no difference whom they faced.

Please don't be Zeng Feitian, please don't be Zeng Feitian... Qiao Sang muttered in her heart. Compared to an opponent she had just defeated, she preferred to face someone unknown.

At the same time, in the front row:

Please don't be Qiao Sang, please don't be Qiao Sang... Zeng Feitian’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart was racing with nerves. Even after reviewing their previous match, he still lacked the confidence to beat that Blazing Divine Lion. 

Qiao Sang was the most watched contestant of this Regional League, her matches had sky-high ratings and post-match buzz. He didn't want people to see him in the future and immediately think of a back-to-back loss to the same opponent.

Soon, the Base-Divider Unit's head flew out of the screen, its color unchanged.

[Zeng Feitian VS Qi Fuqing]

Zeng Feitian looked at his opponent's photo and name and let out a massive sigh of relief.

[Qiao Sang VS Chen Tianqin]

Matched with such a popular contestant... Qiao Sang looked at her opponent's photo, her heart skipping a beat while feeling a faint surge of excitement.

Chen Tianqin, 33 years old. He reached the Top 8 in last year's Regional League and has high expectations this year as a favorite for the Top 3. She still remembered sitting in the family area during the opening ceremony, the cheers when he appeared were terrifyingly loud.

Just as she was thinking, Qiao Sang sensed a gaze and turned her head. She found her opponent, Chen Tianqin, staring at her with an unfriendly expression.

Qiao Sang: ???

We're opponents, not enemies. Why look at me like that?

Chen Tianqin withdrew his gaze, his eyes returning to their previous calm.

---

Inside a Chinese-style residence.

Tao Yunkai sat on the sofa looking at the list on the virtual screen. Her eyebrows arched when her eyes landed on the [Qiao Sang VS Chen Tianqin] pairing

I didn't expect them to meet so soon...

Her thoughts drifted back to yesterday when Chen Tianqin had questioned her.

"On what basis?!" Chen Tianqin had said indignantly. 

"Everyone worked incredibly hard to get into the Imperial Beast Battle Team. We meditate at 5:30 every morning, do high-intensity training all day, and have such tight schedules that we almost never rest! Why does she get special treatment? No training, no matches, yet the same benefits!"

Tao Yunkai had initially explained patiently: "She is a student at the Imperial Beast University. She has a teacher giving her private instruction. She is still young, at an age for absorbing knowledge and growing. It truly isn't suitable for her to undergo high-intensity training all day."

Chen Tianqin sneered. "So what if she's an Imperial student? The kids in our National Bureau Youth Training Team all balance school and the training base."

"Did you join the National Bureau for the benefits, or to fight for your country in the future?" Tao Yunkai snapped. 

"This is the decision of the entire coaching staff. If you have a problem, go ask the head coach."

Chen Tianqin had left in a rage.

Tao Yunkai returned to reality and sighed while looking at the screen. She understood why Chen Tianqin was so angry. In fact, it wasn't just him, the others in the national team likely felt the unfairness as well. 

Everyone had climbed up step by step, working desperately to keep their spot and not be replaced. Now, someone could hold the National Bureau title without doing anything and wouldn't have to worry about being kicked off for the next twenty years.

In this match, Chen Tianqin would likely be fueled by far too much personal emotion. If Qiao Sang could win, it might help them understand the coaching staff's decision a little better.

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At the arena.

After checking their pairings, many contestants left the area. Qiao Sang saw that her match would be in the afternoon, so she stayed. She had been watching the Regional League since the preliminaries and knew the general data of every contestant.

Chen Tianqin was a favorite who had competed last year; all his pets had been seen, and many people had discussed them. The public information was already known. Even if his strength had surged this year, she wouldn't be able to uncover his hidden trump cards in a single morning.

As Qiao Sang thought this, she looked toward Chen Tianqin and noticed he hadn't left either. Her brow furrowed. Does he already know me well enough to feel that further investigation is unnecessary?

After a moment of thought, she stood up to leave. To be safe, it was better to discuss tactics with Yabao early.

As time passed, the sun grew harsh, baking the field. However, a cool breeze occasionally blew from all directions, preventing everyone from feeling the oppressive heat. Gradually, the sun became less blinding. Afternoon arrived quickly.

A fierce match had just concluded, and a blue bird pet carried the contestant back underground. On the commentary platform, Tian Yiwan looked at the list with excitement: "This next pair of contestants is the focus of everyone's attention. One is a Top 8 finisher from the last Regional League, Chen Tianqin!"

The venue erupted in cheers. "Tianqin! Tianqin! Heaven rewards the diligent! Invincible!"

"He is only 33 years old and has won all previous rounds with a clean sweep. Many predict he could win the championship this year." Tian Yiwan continued. 

"And the other is a contestant who contracted the legendary pet Qinyin Fairy and is the youngest dark horse of this league, Qiao Sang!"

Another explosion of cheers followed. "Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang! The youngest, but the strongest!"

"This pairing is very interesting." Tang Xueran smiled. 

"Chen Tianqin is the youngest B-rank professional Beast Master besides Qiao Sang. In other words, the two youngest B-ranks will show us a brilliant battle."

Tian Yiwan added: "Who will emerge victorious in this round?"

As the words fell, two blue bird pets carrying two figures rose directly from the ground. The crowd let out a roar that shook the stadium. These two were high-popularity contestants among all B-rank Beast Masters. Everyone became tense and excited, even those whose idols weren't Qiao Sang or Chen Tianqin.

This was undoubtedly the most anticipated match of the day.

"I didn't expect such a high-popularity match as early as the Top 16."

"I'm heartbroken thinking one of them won't make the Top 10. They both have Top 10 strength."

"Who do you think will win?"

"I bet on Qiao Sang, her odds are higher."

"Chen Tianqin. I heard he joined the National Bureau. A Beast Master trained there definitely has a different level of strength."

"I think it's Qiao Sang. Ice Emperor Ram's Ice Field Domain is basically unsolvable, and she has Healing Light. Unless Chen Tianqin has a pet tankier than the Iron Battle Dragon, he'll lose."

"It has to be Chen Tianqin. I don't deny Qiao Sang's talent, but she only recently became a B-rank. Chen Tianqin was already B-rank last year and hit the Top 8."

---

Family Area.

"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang! The youngest, but the strongest!" Ye Xiangting shouted along with the fan club.

"You're not worried about her losing this round?" Liu Yao asked with a smile, remembering her worried look in previous rounds.

Ye Xiangting laughed. "She's already in the Top 32. She just needs to do her best from here on. Besides, my worrying doesn't help. I might as well cheer for her." 

Even though she wasn't from the Central Hollow region, she had heard Chen Tianqin’s name. Against such a heavyweight opponent, she felt doing one's best was enough.

Liu Yao understood, she thought Qiao Sang couldn't win and that making it this far was already impressive, so participation was the priority.

"Is the opponent very famous?" Mikayla asked, hearing the cheers.

Ye Xiangting nodded. "When he was a C-rank, he participated in the Yuhua Regional League cross-region." 

She paused and added, "It's said he was selected for the National Bureau's battle team."

The National Bureau... Mikayla suddenly remembered something. 

"Qiao Sang was also selected for the National Bureau."

Ye Xiangting: ??!

Liu Yao: !!!

Amidst the cheers and discussions, the "10" light shadow appeared on the field. Everyone fell quiet in unison. The mechanical voice changed with the numbers: "9, 8, 7... 3, 2, 1."

Qiao Sang and Chen Tianqin both formed hand seals. Two massive crimson star arrays lit up. Soon, two pets of vastly different sizes appeared.

Phantasm Hate Fox, a Dark-type General-level pet. It emits resentment energy that intensifies the target's negative emotions, making them unable to stay calm... Qiao Sang looked at the six-meter-tall fox pet. 

Its dark red fur moved like a living thing, and the black mane on its head covered its back. Relevant data flashed in her mind, and a bit of confusion flickered within her.

She hadn't expected him to send out a General-level pet for the first round. A first-round victory is crucial for morale and momentum, B-rank Beast Masters usually lead with a King-level pet to secure the win.

Blazing Divine Lion... Chen Tianqin looked at the magnificent pet in the distance, a smile he couldn't control curving his lips.

In the stands, people began discussing: "Blazing Divine Lion vs. Phantasm Hate Fox. King-level vs. General-level. No suspense, Qiao Sang wins."

"Why did Chen Tianqin start with a General-level?"

"Maybe he wants to use it to wear down the King-level pet so his later pets have an easier time."

"How can a General-level wear down a King-level? Especially an attacker like the Blazing Divine Lion, it'll be a one-shot."

"Maybe it'll take two shots. Don't forget, Qiao Sang's last match was at night. The lion had Moonlight Power. It's afternoon now; it's not as strong."

"Even if it takes two shots, what does that wear down?"

"I don't understand Chen Tianqin's play. After a match, the winner can recall the pet. Any energy used can be recovered before the next round."

---

On the field.

Is he planning to use the resentment energy to put Yabao in a negative state so he makes mistakes later? If that's the case, we just need to avoid close combat. The fox's energy doesn't cover the whole field yet... Thinking this, Qiao Sang commanded: "Fire."

As the word left her mouth, she sensed something was wrong. The opponent hadn't issued an order immediately. Similarly, the Phantasm Hate Fox didn't move. Even as it saw Yabao's attack coming, it made no move to defend or counter.

This is too strange, it's like he's throwing the round on purpose...

In that split second, Yabao fired a red-gold beam of light straight at the fox. With a massive bang, the beam exploded on the motionless fox.

"Phantasm!"

Heat waves rolled and flames shot into the sky. Amidst the powerful fire and shockwaves, the fox was sent flying with a scream. It was heavily injured, eyes closed as it hit the ground, it seemed to be a one-shot kill.

Chen Tianqin’s expression didn't change, if anything, he looked amused. He said slowly: "Mutual Destruction."

"Yap!"

As the words fell, Yabao's expression became one of extreme agony. He let out a scream, his body shook violently, and he crashed to the ground.

The crowd went into an uproar.

What... what happened? One second they were marveling at the one-shot, the next they were stunned.

Why did the Blazing Divine Lion fall too?!

"Why is this happening?!" Ye Xiangting was baffled.

Liu Yao looked serious. Mikayla said deeply: "It's the S-rank Mutual Destruction trait."

---

"The Blazing Divine Lion has fallen!" On the commentary platform, Tian Yiwan stood up abruptly, eyes wide. 

"It fell without being attacked at all! What is going on?!"

Tang Xueran was slightly calmer. "It's the Mutual Destruction trait."

Mutual Destruction trait, also known as 'I go down, you go down.' A pet with this trait can force the target that attacked it to bear the same damage it received. When this trait reaches S-rank, it can even equalize the target's physical constitution with the user's, whatever pain the user feels, the target feels. 

The target's superior level or defense won't reduce the damage taken... Qiao Sang's face was pale as she looked at the fallen Yabao.

No wonder. No wonder he sent out a General-level fox first. No wonder the fox stood still and took the hit. Its purpose for appearing was to be hit and trigger Mutual Destruction! Whether she knew about the move or not, she couldn't have stopped Yabao from falling with it!

"The Mutual Destruction trait forces the attacker to share the pain and state of the target." Tang Xueran explained. 

"The Blazing Divine Lion is an entire level higher, yet it was affected. The level of this Phantasm Hate Fox's trait must be very high."

A wave of noise erupted from the stands: "Crap! I was wondering why Chen Tianqin would start with a General-level. He used a General-level to trade for a King-level! That's so devious!"

"How is that devious? It's strategy!"

"Mutual Destruction is that broken? Doesn't that mean a pet with this trait could take down a Monarch-level even if it's two or three levels lower?"

"The larger the level gap, the smaller the influence. The key is that this fox's trait level is high enough, it must be S-rank, otherwise, it couldn't affect a King-level pet."

"Poor Qiao Sang, losing an ace right at the start..."

"Chen Tianqin had such a hidden card! Impressive!"

"He used such a powerful trait so early? If I were him, I'd save it for later."

"What are you saying? Trading a Phantasm Hate Fox for a Blazing Divine Lion is a massive win!"

"Ah! Yabao! I didn't get to see him fight properly! His combat is so cool!"

Amidst the discussion, the mechanical pet referee appeared out of thin air beside Yabao.

"Yabao! You can do it!" Qiao Sang shouted.

Almost the instant she spoke, a burst of intense flames exploded at Yabao's position, heat waves surging outward. The mechanical referee reacted quickly and vanished.

"Yap..."

Through the flickering red shadows and burning flames, Yabao slowly stood up.

The smirk on Chen Tianqin’s face instantly froze.

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