Chapter 1088: The Bonding Contest Concludes
Chapter 1088: The Bonding Contest Concludes (Combined)
At 11:30 AM, at the dining table.
"Qingqing."
Qingbao called out, his mood quite pleasant, indicating that he had won the match today.
Treasure Seeker buried his head, looking rather downcast.
"Amazing." Qiao Sang praised, then added, "Once the Thunder Dragon's match is over tomorrow, I can accompany you to the matches."
"Qingqing." Qingbao's eyes lit up, and he nodded.
"Ya Ya?"
Fangy swallowed the Energy Pills in his mouth and called out curiously, wondering why Qingbao had come back without watching the match today.
He remembered that in the past few days, Treasure Seeker and Qingbao would only return in the late afternoon, just before dinner, after watching the matches.
Qingbao recalled how, after today's match, Treasure Seeker had grinned and said he was going out to play, planning to return only after the afternoon match was over. Qingbao couldn't help but sneer inwardly but put on a compliant expression and called out, "Qingqing."
It was too troublesome for his Beastmaster to go see him every day after the matches. Qingbao thought it over and decided that watching the replays at home would be just as good.
He's grown up and knows how to be considerate now... Qiao Sang felt a sense of satisfaction.
Fangy's expression turned to one of understanding.
Migala glanced at Qingbao, then at his silent mobile phone screen, and silently continued eating, feeling a bit sad for himself.
It's not that it's too troublesome for his Beastmaster to come see him; it's that he can't stand the idea of him going out alone... Treasure Seeker glared at Qingbao with resentment and continued munching on his Energy Pills.
After lunch, Fangy and the others headed to the Open Training Ground.
Thunder Dragon also moved toward the Open Training Ground.
Halfway there, he suddenly remembered something and turned his head, staring at Qiao Sang without a word.
Sensing his gaze, Qiao Sang's lips twitched, and he said, "I'll go meditate as soon as I finish cleaning up the table."
Thunder Dragon looked satisfied and continued toward the Open Training Ground.
"Xunxun~"
At the dining table, Treasure Seeker's eyes glowed with blue light as he used his Psychic Power to help clean up, while complaining to his Beastmaster.
Don't believe Qingbao; he's just trying to stop me from going out alone.
Qiao Sang replied offhandedly, "Why don't you use the Substitute to watch the match with him while you go out to play?"
!!! The blue light in Treasure Seeker's eyes disappeared, and he froze in place.
That's right! Why didn't I think of that?
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker's eyes sparkled as he looked at his Beastmaster, his expression full of admiration.
Qiao Sang: "..."
Qiao Sang glanced at Treasure Seeker and said, "It's not that I'm intelligent; you used to do the same thing when you snuck off to play on the computer. You just forgot."
"Xunxun~"
Treasure Seeker scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.
After cleaning up the table, Qiao Sang went to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and closed his eyes to meditate.
Meanwhile, Thunder Dragon looked around the living room through the floor-to-ceiling window, confirming that no one was there, and then slithered in. He approached the coffee table, used his tail to pick up the business card the Power Dragons had given Qiao Sang that morning, and threw it in the trash.
Feeling satisfied, he turned and returned to the Open Training Ground.
...
On the other side.
The Power Dragons flew back to the valley, their moods low.
Many young dragons, power dragons, and aura dragons looked over at them.
Everyone knew about the news that the young dragons and power dragons who had gone with the leader last night had been rejected by the humans.
"Momo?"
One of the young dragons who had gone with them last night flew over to the Power Dragon and called out, asking if he had tried talking to the human again and what the result was.
"Momo."
The Power Dragon shook his head, looking dejected.
"Momo!"
"Momo!"
"Momo!"
The young dragons, who had been closely watching the scene, burst into indignant cries, each one voicing their frustration. They all believed that the human had no taste, and it didn't matter if he didn't bond with her. After all, she wasn’t the only one who could participate in the Interstellar Cup.
An aura dragon, larger than the average, approached the power dragon and comfortingly called out twice:
"Momo."
"Momo."
Even if she didn’t bond with a human, it wasn’t a big deal. She could still live a good life, just like the aura dragon itself. Recently, it had been participating in the Elite Beastmaster Tournament, and none of those beastmasters with their familiars could match up to it. Once it won the championship, it would become famous in one fell swoop.
You can do it, too.
With that, the aura dragon patted the power dragon’s shoulder.
"Momo!"
"Momo!"
"Momo!"
The young dragons around them chimed in, agreeing with the aura dragon.
Touched by their comfort, the power dragon felt a wave of gratitude. Then, it remembered something and called out:
"Momo?"
Where was the leader?
"Momo."
One of the young dragons pointed in a certain direction.
"Momo."
The power dragon bid everyone farewell and flew in the direction indicated by the young dragon.
After flying over trees and rivers for about ten minutes, it spotted the leader under a giant tree.
The Dragon King opened its eyes upon hearing the commotion.
Seeing that it was the power dragon from last night, the Dragon King wasn’t surprised. After all, the human hadn’t shown any respect to it yesterday, and it was only a matter of time before the power dragon came back, hoping for a different outcome.
"Momo."
The power dragon called out, indicating it had a question.
"Momo."
The Dragon King responded with a faint call.
"Momo?"
The power dragon called out again, wanting to know the human’s age and Beastmaster level.
"Momo."
The Dragon King frowned and called out.
Why would you want to know the human’s age and Beastmaster level if they don’t want to bond with you?
"Momo."
The power dragon called out, its eyes filled with determination.
The human hasn’t officially bonded with the Thunder Dragon yet, which means there’s still a chance.
"Momo."
The Dragon King gave it a look of exasperation and called out in a stern tone, indicating that it should give up on the idea of bonding.
With that, it closed its eyes.
"Momo..."
Seeing that the Dragon King was no longer paying attention, the power dragon hung its head, flapped its wings, and turned to leave.
What a disgrace, the Dragon King thought, opening its eyes and watching the power dragon fly away, disappointment etched on its face.
At that moment, its mobile phone vibrated.
The Dragon King glanced at it and saw that it was a message from its own Beastmaster.
Recalling the power dragon’s situation and seeing that it wasn’t a red envelope or a transfer, the Dragon King closed its eyes and didn’t reply.
...
The next morning.
After saying goodbye to the Treasure Seeker and Qingbao, Qiao Sang, along with Thunder Dragon and Lulu, rode on Fangy and headed to Mulei Stadium with Teacher Mikara.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Bonding Contest match!" the host stood on the field, microphone in hand, and announced loudly:
"Today, we will witness the finals of this year’s Bonding Contest!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Advancing to the finals are two teams: Zachary and Flame Bear, who have progressed through the tournament with passion and teamwork, and Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon, who have faced four Intermediate Pet Beasts but have each time overcome the challenges with remarkable skill and teamwork!"
"Who will emerge victorious in the end?"
"Before the match begins, let’s take a moment to thank our sponsors..."
After the host finished thanking the sponsors, he continued:
"The finals are about to begin. Let’s turn our attention to the field."
As he spoke, he waved his hand backward.
The lights on the field instantly dimmed, plunging everything into darkness.
When the lights came back on, Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon were standing on one side of the Arena, while Zachary and Flame Bear were on the other.
In the audience stands, people began to discuss the match casually, lacking the usual excitement they showed during finals.
"Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon are going to win, no doubt about it."
"To be honest, Zachary and Flame Bear only made it this far because the match system paired Qiao Sang with contestants who brought Intermediate Pet Beasts. Otherwise, Zachary and Flame Bear wouldn't have made it to the finals."
"Luck is also a part of skill. Zachary and Flame Bear are among the best contestants in this tournament who brought Junior Companion Beasts. They've won every match leading up to the finals."
"I don't think so. Zachary and Flame Bear have had more luck than Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon. Qiao Sang made it to the finals mainly because Thunder Dragon can use Dragon Tail, which can take out opponents in one move. If Thunder Dragon can't use Dragon Tail at a critical moment, the outcome of this match is hard to predict."
Despite a few audience members holding different opinions, the majority believed the outcome of the match was a foregone conclusion.
After all, Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon were the super dark horses who had successfully challenged higher ranks four times in a row.
Amidst the chatter, the number "3" appeared in the air.
The Mechanical Voice began to count down.
"3, 2, 1..."
Flame Bear, a fire-type Junior Companion Beast, preferred to use Flame to burn its fists for close-range attacks, combining offensive and defensive strength... Qiao Sang looked at the bear standing on its hind legs, which appeared somewhat round, about eighty centimeters tall, with orange patterns on its body and a small orange flame burning on its head. He recalled the relevant information in his mind.
"Match begins", the Mechanical Voice announced.
The numbers disappeared.
"Flame!" Zachary issued the command immediately.
Flame Bear opened its mouth, and a stream of orange flame shot toward Thunder Dragon.
At the same time, yellow lightning arcs appeared around Thunder Dragon, converging into a bolt of lightning power that shot forward.
The lightning power and the flame passed each other, the former clearly faster. It streaked through the air, heading straight for Flame Bear.
Flame Bear's attack and defensive strength were decent among Junior Companion Beasts, but its speed was lacking.
"Flame Punch!" Zachary shouted.
Flame Bear raised its claws, clenched its fist, and a scorching flame instantly ignited on its knuckles.
"Bang!"
The flaming fist, with an unstoppable force, smashed into the incoming yellow lightning, creating a loud explosion. The shockwave and heat briefly obscured the area in front of Flame Bear.
In the guest area.
"Using an attack to replace defense, not bad", Fujian commented.
"Thunder Dragon and Flame Bear are both powerful attackers, but Thunder Dragon has the multiple scales trait, which should allow it to withstand one direct hit from Flame Bear. While Flame Bear has decent defensive strength, it can't survive a Dragon Tail attack from Thunder Dragon. Discharge skills might help it survive one hit", Feodor analyzed. "In this match, if they don't engage in close combat, it'll come down to who lands two hits first."
"Tie Tie."
Railway Justice nodded in agreement.
On the field.
Thunder Dragon quickly moved to the side, easily dodging the flame.
At that moment, Qiao Sang said:
“Stare.”
Thunder Dragon looked at the opponent obscured in the distance. Despite not understanding why, he trusted and widened his eyes, revealing a sharp gaze.
The shockwave and heat dissipated, and the flame bear saw those terrifying eyes.
Its body suddenly stiffened.
Seeing this, Thunder Dragon immediately understood it was the right moment to attack. He maintained his Intimidating Glare and struck the flame bear with lightning power.
“Flame bear!” Zachary shouted at the top of his lungs.
The loud voice snapped the flame bear back to its senses. It saw the lightning power coming at it and, with a fierce look, swung its flaming fist forward.
At the same time, Qiao Sang said:
“Strike again.”
Yellow Lightning Arcs appeared around Thunder Dragon.
With a loud “bang,” the Flame Punch collided with the lightning power, generating intense heat and a shockwave.
Just as the flame bear retracted its fist from behind the heat, a bolt of yellow lightning power broke through the shockwave and struck it hard.
“Flame!” the flame bear cried out in agony.
“Keep going,” Qiao Sang said almost as soon as the flame bear screamed.
Yellow Lightning Arcs appeared around Thunder Dragon again, converging into a single strike.
Zachary's pupils contracted, and he panicked, shouting, “Dodge!”
Unfortunately, the lightning power was too fast. The flame bear hadn't even reacted before the yellow lightning struck it again.
“Flame...”
The flame bear fell to the ground, its eyes rolling back.
The familiar that looked like an eye floated over to check on the flame bear.
Soon, the area where Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon stood lit up with the green light of victory.
At the same time, eye-like familiars floated high in the sky, their eyes glowing blue, using an invisible force to control the fireworks.
Instantly, a shower of colorful confetti, like a vivid tapestry, drifted down.
“The winner of this year’s Bonding Contest has just been decided!” the host announced. “It’s Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon!”
“Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!”
“Thunder Dragon! Thunder Dragon!”
The cheers were mixed with the calls of familiars.
Although everyone had expected this result, they couldn’t help but cheer along with the atmosphere.
In the guest area:
“Thunder Dragon and Qiao Sang clearly worked together more seamlessly. This outcome was expected,” Fujian said.
Feodor added:
“Actually, the flame bear and Zachary performed well too. When the flame bear was caught in the fear of the Intimidating Glare, Zachary managed to wake it up in time. However, Thunder Dragon’s attacks were too relentless, and the flame bear was quickly defeated under the continuous assault.”
“Tie Tie.”
Railway Justice called out seriously.
Fujian and Feodor’s earpieces synchronized the translation.
Feodor said:
“Railway Justice is right. Regardless of the result, we saw the trust and synergy between the contestants and their familiars, which is the very purpose of the Bonding Contest.”
“Trust, synergy, bond—only when a Beastmaster and their familiar share these emotions and connections can they potentially unleash strength beyond their own, overcoming those stronger than them,” Fujian said earnestly.
“The champions of this year’s Bonding Contest, Qiao Sang and Thunder Dragon, are a living example. We hope that everyone here and those watching on TV can find their own familiar and Beastmaster, and unleash strength far beyond their own!”
Amid the enthusiastic atmosphere, Thunder Dragon moved his body and crawled toward Qiao Sang. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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