https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-367-The-Eve-of-the-Elimination-Matches/13452835/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-369-As-Long-as-It-Isn-t-Attacked/13452837/
Chapter 368: First Day? Thrilling!
Chapter 368: First Day? Thrilling! (Combined)
Wang Rui let out a chuckle and said no more.
Though he occasionally found this guy annoying, he had to admit that the guy had the right to say such things when it came to strength.
Qiao Sang from Holy Water High School, despite his talent being so formidable that it was almost despairing, was still two years younger.
In the same level of Beastmaster competitions, participants who were slightly older often had a stronger edge.
After all, age wasn't just a number.
Li Zonglin couldn't stand the silence and, seeing that neither of them was speaking, said, "Fu Xiaodan and the others will be coming to Kainan City for their competition in a couple of days. Do you want to go check it out?"
Fu Xiaodan was also a member of the Litan Beastmaster High School Junior Year Team, though she was participating in the individual Beastmaster Coordination Contest.
The Coordination Competition, designed to highlight the brilliance of Skills, was usually held at night, and it didn't conflict with the timing of the individual Beastmaster Combat Contest.
"No", Wang Rui declined.
What a joke. This was a crucial time for the competition. He needed to rest and prepare for the next day's matches; he didn't have time to watch the Beastmaster Coordination Contest.
He might as well use that time to come up with more strategies.
"Brother Ding, you'll go, right?" Li Zonglin asked Ding Yanjing with a teasing tone.
They always said high school students shouldn't fall in love early because it could affect their studies, but in reality, many of them did it secretly.
Ding Yanjing was one of them.
As a prominent figure on campus, his relationship with Fu Xiaodan was known to the teachers to some extent. However, since both of them had achieved excellent results in the provincial competition, teachers who didn't need to rely on the College Entrance Exam for their future prospects were given a blind eye.
Ding Yanjing picked up his phone and said, "I'm not going."
Li Zonglin was surprised. "Wang Rui, the single dog, not going is one thing, but why aren't you going?"
Wang Rui: "???"
Ding Yanjing, without looking up, replied, "A girlfriend isn't as important as the competition. Ruan Yunwen from Wucai High School is not the same as before; she's an obstacle in this elimination round. I won't waste my time now unless I'm absolutely sure of winning."
Li Zonglin was instantly filled with respect.
Wang Rui looked at Ding Yanjing, his expression becoming complicated.
Yes, he almost forgot. Ding Yanjing's current strength wasn't just a matter of talent.
When he first joined the School Team as a sophomore, he trained more diligently than anyone. However, after he had no rivals in his year, he gradually changed, and Wang Rui almost forgot what Ding Yanjing was like initially.
At that moment, the phone rang.
Ding Yanjing checked the caller and answered, his tone changing.
"Hey, of course I was just thinking about you."
"Coming the day after tomorrow, right? What time is the match in the evening?"
"Time? Of course, I have time."
"Promise to cheer for you then. I've even thought of a cheer."
"I just asked Li Zonglin and the others if they wanted to come."
"Wang Rui is the same old guy; he's not interested in the Coordination Competition. Li Zonglin will go with me."
Li Zonglin: "..."
Wang Rui: "..."
...
The next day.
Outside the Kainan Beast Battle Arena.
Several reporters were broadcasting live.
"Welcome to the annual National Campus Beastmaster League. Behind me is the Kainan Beast Battle Arena, where today's elimination round will take place. Many of you are likely familiar with this competition", a pretty female reporter said with a smile, facing the camera.
"At this stage of the competition, the remaining participants are the top performers among this year's Junior Year students in Zhehai Province."
"This year's Provincial Tournament has not been dominated by Litan Beastmaster High School like in previous years."
"Ruan Yunwen from Wucai High School, Xu Yixuan from Holy Water High School, Liao Chaonan from Shending Beastmaster High School, and Qiao Sang, a 15-year-old Junior Year participant from Holy Water High School, have all shown remarkable performances in the preliminary and group stages."
Litan Beastmaster High School, ranking first in our province, has maintained a steady performance. Three of its contestants, Ding Yanjing, Wang Rui, and Li Zonglin, have all advanced to the Elimination Round.
So, who will stand out and represent our Zhehai Province at the Regional Tournament? Let's turn our cameras to the arena!
At the same time, high above Kainan Beast Battle Arena, a Plump Homing Dove wearing headphones and carrying a camera immediately focused on the scene below.
...
In the contestant area, students wearing various school uniforms gathered together.
"Which school is that brown uniform from? They even brought a cheerleading squad? Isn't today Wednesday? Don't they need to be in class?" A boy with a buzz cut asked, looking at a spot in the audience stands with a mix of envy and jealousy.
"It's Souchong Beastmaster High School", someone beside him replied, glancing at the group in brown uniforms. "They didn't have anyone make it to the Elimination Round in the past two years. This time, they finally have one, so they must be really excited."
The buzz-cut boy's jealousy subsided, and he laughed out loud. "Haha, this whole day trip must be so awkward for them."
The person beside him didn't respond, instead staring at a spot to the left front.
The boy followed his gaze and instantly became excited. "Qiao Sang! I finally get to see her in person. She looks even better than in her photos. I want to take a photo with her and Glacialia, but I wonder if she'll agree."
The person beside him paused, then said, "We can go together. I want to take a photo with Flame Listener."
...
As a rising star, Qiao Sang drew a lot of attention.
Qiao Sang looked around and sighed, "This is quite a big deal."
The audience stands of Kainan Beast Battle Arena were packed, and there were at least a dozen cameras visible in the air and around the venue. A commentator sat in the elevated booth, making it look like a major televised event.
"This is the Elimination Round, so it's no surprise it's a big deal", Xu Yixuan, who had participated in the National Campus Beastmaster League twice, explained. "Most of the prestigious schools in the province are here. Besides friends and family, a large portion of the audience consists of parents with middle school-aged children."
"These parents have come from all over to check out which schools might be suitable for their kids."
Qiao Sang understood.
Parents who could afford to choose among prestigious schools usually had children with good grades and a solid financial background.
Even if their household registration wasn't in the city of their preferred school, buying a house in another city to secure a spot wasn't a big deal for them.
No wonder Principal and Teacher Sun dressed up so nicely today; it was partly for this reason.
At that moment, a man in the first row stood up and walked into the arena. A small bat-like familiar perched on his shoulder.
"The first round of the Elimination Round matchups has been completed. Please look at the big screen", the man announced.
He didn't use a microphone, but his voice was exceptionally loud, ensuring everyone in the arena heard him.
Qiao Sang focused on the bat-like familiar on the man's shoulder, recalling its information.
Echo Squirrel, with the Amplification Trait, can amplify its own and surrounding sounds to a corresponding volume based on its Trait level. If well-coordinated with its master, it can adjust the volume as needed, avoiding the issues that can arise with microphones. It's a favorite among musicians.
At the same time, four massive holographic screens appeared in the air, facing the audience and contestant seats. The names and photos of the contestants for the first round slowly scrolled up.
Qiao Sang looked up and read through the list.
[Third Kainan Beastmaster Middle School, Li Lizhen vs. Jiangyang No. 1 High School, Liang Yuan]
[Guangde High School, Chen Ying vs. Hanwen Beastmaster High School, He Hao]
[Litan Beastmaster High School, Ding Yanjing vs. Shending Beastmaster High School, Wu Lu]
[Holy Water High School, Xu Yixuan vs. Shuangchuang International Middle School, Chen Libo]
[Shidu Beastmaster High School, Wang Shiqian vs. Lianyu Beastmaster Attached High School, Huang Kaijun]
...
Holy Water High School, Qiao Sang vs. Wucai High School, Ruan Yunwen
Wucai High School, Ruan Yunwen... Hmm? Ruan Yunwen?
Qiao Sang was taken aback. This intense?
The only two people with Advanced Familiars are meeting in the first match?
"Chen Libo..." Xu Yixuan looked at the name of her opponent and mused, "I know this person. His strength is in the second tier, and his fighting style is quite steady. It looks like my first match shouldn't be a problem."
After saying that, she turned and asked, "Who are you up against?"
He Datao's face darkened. "Zhou Jing from Peaceful Sea High School."
Zhou Jing, who he lost to in the Preliminary Round? Xu Yixuan glanced at He Datao in surprise, "What bad luck."
Who could say otherwise... He Datao was genuinely feeling down.
At that moment, Qiao Sang spoke up, "What's there to be afraid of? Losing once doesn't mean you'll lose again."
He Datao hesitated for a moment, then firmly said, "You're right! No second time!"
Feeling better, he looked at Qiao Sang and asked, "Who are you up against?"
"Ruan Yunwen", Qiao Sang replied.
"Who?!"
"Ruan Yunwen from Wucai High School?!"
He Datao and Xu Yixuan exclaimed in unison.
Qiao Sang wore an expression of mock surprise, "Why are you so worked up?"
He Datao lowered his voice, "Ruan Yunwen is highly favored to win the provincial championship this year. Her Unified Owl has been evolved for some time, and in the past, the Owl wouldn't listen to her. This year is different. Your Flame Listener only evolved recently, and I'm a bit worried."
"You should be more worried about Ruan Yunwen!" Xu Yixuan said excitedly, "I didn't expect to see such an exciting match on the first day! By the way, Ruan Yunwen must be really unlucky. After finally getting her Unified Owl to listen to her this year, she ends up facing Qiao Sang in the first match of the Elimination Round. Looks like she's destined to miss out on the top spots."
When I heard my opponent was Zhou Jing, you didn't react like this... He Datao looked at Xu Yixuan expressionlessly.
Soon, the first group of contestants stepped onto the field.
Those who made it to the Elimination Round were all strong, so the outcome wouldn't be decided quickly.
Additionally, the match-ups for the Elimination Round were randomly assigned on the day, so there wouldn't be the same strategic planning as in the Preliminary Round and Group Stage.
As a result, the match lasted for several minutes.
These two seem a bit weak, considering they made it to the Elimination Round... Qiao Sang frowned slightly as she watched.
But the next moment, she realized it wasn't that they were weak. In the Group Stage, she had only compared her opponents to Lulu.
Now, in the Elimination Round, she was considering the strength of Fangy and Treasure Seeker, which naturally made a difference.
Time flew by.
During this period, Xu Yixuan won her match easily, while He Datao lost his first match but then sent out his Magma Burst Ape, who won two consecutive matches.
After the match, He Datao couldn't stop grinning.
At that moment, he was commenting on the contestant who had just left the field, "That guy was no good. If it were me, I would have sent out my Powerful Duck right away. You can't lose your momentum, right? Why back down just because your attributes are being countered?"
At that moment, the man with the Echo Squirrel on his shoulder announced loudly, "Holy Water High School, Qiao Sang, Wucai High School, Ruan Yunwen, to the field!"
At this moment, the audience stands remained relatively calm, but the contestants' seats erupted into a frenzy.
When the match-ups were announced, everyone's first focus was on their own opponent, and they only had time to pay attention to their teammates or the opponents they were interested in if they had any spare time.
Since the names on the list moved upward, most people only saw their own names and immediately started looking up their opponents' information.
They never expected that on the first day of the Elimination Round, Qiao Sang would be facing Ruan Yunwen!
"Heavens, how did these two end up facing each other on the first day?!"
"I was almost falling asleep, and now I'm suddenly wide awake!"
"Heavens! I was hoping to get closer to Qiao Sang during this time. Now, after this match, she'll probably have to rush back to school, right?!"
"Don't panic, think about Qiao Sang's Familiar. It's so powerful, she might not lose."
"If it were last year's Ruan Yunwen, I would agree that Qiao Sang might not necessarily lose. But this year's Ruan Yunwen is different; she can now fully command her Unified Owl."
In the contestant area of Litan Beastmaster High School.
"Tsk, it was a waste that Principal always made me keep the Guweihua Evolution a secret, saying it was for that Potential Award. Now it seems there was no need to keep it hidden", Ding Yanjing said with a smile.
"I don't get it. How did Holy Water High School agree to let Qiao Sang participate in the Junior Year Division competition?" Li Zonglin asked, puzzled.
"With her strength, she could easily represent our province at the Regional Tournament, even if she were in the Sophomore Year Division."
"Surprisingly, I agree with you this time", Ding Yanjing nodded.
Wang Rui stood nearby, his expression serious as he watched the field.
He wanted to see if he had any chance of winning if he faced these two.
Some things only become clear when you see them with your own eyes.
...
In the first row of the audience stands, the leaders' area.
Principal Huang Renbiao of Litan Beastmaster High School said slowly, "Principal Wang, I was hoping to see Qiao Sang's strength for myself, but it seems I won't have that chance."
"Ha ha", Wang Weidou smiled but said nothing.
Huang Renbiao raised an eyebrow. What did that "ha ha" mean?
"Principal Wang, do you think Qiao Sang has a chance to win?" Huang Renbiao probed.
Wang Weidou smiled wider. "I think she has a better chance than your school's Ding Yanjing."
Ha ha... Huang Renbiao fell silent.
The principal of Wucci High School, standing nearby, wanted to interject but hesitated, considering the schools these two represented.
Forget it, better not provoke them...
...
Qiao Sang stood up and walked onto the field.
At the same time, she saw a girl about six meters away from her also stand up and head to the field.
The audience gave a token cheer.
After watching so many matches, everyone was already tired.
Some people only came to see their own children compete, and they didn't even know the names of the other contestants. Announcing the contestants' names was less effective than announcing their schools.
Others came to support their schools.
Even though one of the current contestants was from Holy Water High School, they had already seen other Holy Water High School contestants and were less enthusiastic.
At this moment, the commentator, who usually only read the introductions and did not provide real-time commentary, spoke up:
"Ruan Yunwen, from Wucci High School, is the only Junior Year student in Zhehai Province with an Advanced Familiar! The other contestant, Qiao Sang from Holy Water High School, is a young prodigy who, at just 15 years old, already has three Intermediate Familiars! She has competed against seniors two years her senior and has advanced to this stage with a perfect record in the preliminary and group stages!"
"I believe this will be a very exciting match!"
The audience stands fell silent for a moment, then erupted into noise.
"What did he just say? Advanced Familiar?!"
"I know about that. I came to watch my son's matches in the previous two years, and I was also shocked back then. Later, I found out that the familiar was left to her by her father."
"Ah, so her father...?"
"He's gone."
"Got it. What is her Advanced Familiar?"
"It's apparently a Unified Owl."
"Right, what else did he say? 15 years old? Three Intermediate Familiars? Is that true?"
"It should be. So many people are watching, and there are reporters too..."
"Wow, 15 years old and three Intermediate Familiars? What does that mean?"
"Whew... At 15, she's only in her second year of high school! Zhehai Province has such a prodigy! What's her name?"
"Qiao Sang, her name is Qiao Sang."
...
On the field.
Qiao Sang and Ruan Yunwen stood facing each other from a distance.
The Mechanical Familiar wearing the referee's badge blew the whistle.
The Green Star Array and Gray Star Array lit up simultaneously.
Two familiars, vastly different in size, appeared before the audience.
"Unified Slide."
"Seek~"
(End of Chapter)
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