Chapter 461: Third Stage of the National Championship
Chapter 461: Third Stage of the National Championship
Time flew by, and before anyone knew it, the third stage of the National Championship was upon them.
Shouyao Beast Arena.
Colorful fireworks burst into the sky, transforming into various familiars that had appeared during the National Championship.
"Everyone, welcome to the National Campus Beastmaster League Finals!" A man in a white suit stood on a Flying Beast in mid-air and announced loudly, "Next up, we have the match for the 34 to 17 round!"
After the second stage of the National Championship, 33 participants advanced.
However, an additional match was held among the defeated contestants, and one more person was chosen to advance, bringing the total to 34.
At that moment, Qiao Sang appeared in the Contestant Seats, holding Fangy.
As soon as she sat down, she drew attention from all sides.
Under the live stream cameras, almost everyone turned their heads in unison, looking in the same direction.
"That's Qiao Sang, she does look like she's 15."
"Age can't be faked, they even dug up when she started kindergarten."
"To dig that deep, that's a bit much, isn't it..."
"We wouldn't go that far, but the Yuhua Region is crazy. I heard the kindergarten she attended has its enrollment for three years from now already full."
"Understandable, talent needs to be nurtured from a young age. Any kindergarten that could teach Qiao Sang must be exceptional. If we weren't all in the Xilu Region, I'm sure our relatives with kids would also be looking into that kindergarten."
Amidst the chatter, the host went through the formalities, and the match list soon appeared on the holographic screen.
[Dongga Region, Gao Su vs Hollow Plains, Zhao Chuanyu]
[Xilu Region, Feng Changfei vs Zhitia Region, Zhou Shanliang]
[Zhongdao Region, Liu Yongming vs Beilun Region, Zhang Siya]
[Liaoxi Region, Cui Pingkun vs Hollow Plains, Luo Yangyang]
...
[Guri Region, Tian Xiaoyun vs Yuhua Region, Qiao Sang]
...
The 34 participants were divided into 17 pairs.
"Tian Xiaoyun..." Sun Boyi opened his notes and said:
"17 years old, female. She had a Spontaneous Awakening a week before the High School Entrance Exam. In her sophomore year, she participated in the National School Beastmaster League team battles. Later, due to her outstanding individual performance, she switched to the individual combat category."
"She has a high-level Psychic Pet, Jaw Spark. This familiar emits a special Alpha Wave that causes headaches when one gets close. Whenever it uses its ability, the special Alpha Waves it emits from its body can cause mechanical devices to malfunction, making it a nemesis of Mechanical Pets."
"Her other Intermediate Beast is a Bug-type Tri-Headed Bee with the traits Bug Sense and Light Metal."
"The Tri-Headed Bee, as an Intermediate Beast, isn't particularly strong, but in her sophomore year..."
Ever since Sun Boyi realized he knew nothing about Qiao Sang, he was determined to prove his worth. For the past two days, he had buried himself in watching past National Championships and staying up late to research, hoping to uncover every resource the third-stage contestants had used for their familiars over the past two years.
To his surprise, before he could finish, Liu Yao waved a hand and interrupted:
"Qiao Sang, you know what the Bug Sense and Light Metal Traits are, right?"
...Qiao Sang nodded: "Bug Sense doubles the attack power of insect attribute Moves when the familiar's internal energy is below one-quarter. Light Metal reduces the user's weight to half during battles."
Sun Boyi couldn't help but say, "Vice Principal, Qiao Sang definitely knows these basics."
Qiao Sang thought to herself, no, she only knew because she had been studying other contestants' profiles every day during the matches...
Even though she hadn't read books for a long time, the matches themselves were a learning process, and she had indeed expanded her knowledge of familiars from other regions.
What do you know, you who are obsessed with the matches? You don't even know what score Qiao Sang got to get in. But Qiao Sang has indeed improved a lot. If it weren't for the vivid memory of her eating the Blazefruit, which only Fire Pet Beasts could consume, he wouldn't keep thinking about how she wasn't very good at studying... Liu Yao thought a lot, but his expression remained calm as he said:
"Continue."
Hearing this, Sun Boyi looked down at his notes and continued the introduction:
"Tian Xiaoyun used an A-Class Speed Boost Potion on the Tri-Headed Bee during her Sophomore Year..."
A Speed Boost Potion? Qiao Sang listened attentively, as this was information she hadn't found in her previous research.
Meanwhile, a few dozen meters away, Tian Xiaoyun was looking miserable:
"Great, how unlucky can I be? I've only made it to the top 34 and I've already encountered Demon Qiao."
The woman standing next to her, dressed in a black coat and exuding a mature aura, frowned and said:
"The match hasn't even started, and you're already losing your confidence. When are you going to fix this weakness? You're strong, yet you always lack confidence in yourself during matches."
Tian Xiaoyun was taken aback, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the woman: "Teacher Cui, do you have confidence in my match this time?"
The woman was silent for a moment, then looked away: "Of course I do, Xiaoyun. You have to believe that you're not worse than anyone else."
Then why are you looking away instead of looking at me and saying it... Tian Xiaoyun's lips twitched.
...
Time slowly passed, and by the time it was Qiao Sang's turn, it was already afternoon.
The host, standing on a white flying familiar, appeared in the air and announced loudly:
"Next, let's welcome Qiao Sang from the Yuhua Region and Tian Xiaoyun from the Guri Region to the stage!"
Cheers and shouts erupted immediately, the audience was in an uproar before the match even began.
"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"
"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"
In the Beastmaster World, the reverence for strong individuals has always been present.
Qiao Sang may only be 15 years old, but her strength is undeniable!
A worthy opponent is one who matches you in strength. If there's a vast gap in power, there's no real competition.
For a moment, apart from the schools that had been reported as potential champions and Tian Xiaoyun's school, students from other regions were almost all shouting Qiao Sang's name.
The students in black school uniforms, sitting in a row, looked tense at the deafening shouts, the atmosphere incredibly silent.
After a few seconds of silence, one of the boys couldn't hold back any longer:
"Why aren't you guys shouting?"
"Others are so loud, how would our shouts be heard?" the girl next to him asked.
"Huh? What did you say!" The boy, unable to hear clearly, leaned in.
The girl: "..."
On the field.
Qiao Sang and Tian Xiaoyun had already taken their positions.
At the sound of the whistle, both of them simultaneously formed hand seals and summoned their familiars.
"San San."
"Icechill."
Seeing the familiars on the field, a portion of the audience immediately stood up and screamed in excitement.
"Ahhh! Icechill! Icechill!"
"I can't hold back my tears! I didn't manage to get a ticket for the Regional Tournament, but I never thought I'd have the chance to see Icechill at the National Championship!"
"Icechill! Mom will always support you!"
The other spectators exchanged puzzled glances.
"What's going on with these people? Are they crazy?"
"You have no idea. You should have seen the Regional Tournament in the Ancient Fog Region; that was sheer madness", a spectator from the Lianke Region, who had witnessed the Ancient Fog Regional Tournament live, remarked.
"It's not entirely incomprehensible. The familiar Qiao Sang is summoning now is an Endangered Familiar from the Ancient Fog Region."
"I've seen the Ancient Fog Regional Tournament online, but watching it live, these people really do seem like die-hard fans."
"Frankly, I think Qiao Sang would be a good fit for the coordination matches. These familiars are all so magnificent, and even that Ghost-type Companion Beast looks cuter than most."
"I agree."
...
In the first row of the audience stands.
"Ah!" A woman in her thirties, with an intellectual air, suddenly jumped up from her seat, staring at the familiar on the field with an extremely excited expression.
"Minister Lan?" The person next to her called out in confusion.
The woman stiffened, then quietly sat back down as if nothing had happened.
At the same time, the referee blew the whistle to signal the start of the match.
Icechill knows Healing Light. For a familiar of this healing caliber, if you can't take it down in one hit, it feels pointless to struggle and deal damage... But it's not impossible. Tian Xiaoyun could use the Tri-Headed Bee to exploit its speed, wearing down Icechill's energy. When Icechill is down to half its energy, Jaw Spark might have a chance to win. Before the match, Tian Xiaoyun had been nervous, but once it began, her demeanor changed completely.
"Move!" Tian Xiaoyun's eyes were sharp as she issued her command.
"San San!"
The Tri-Headed Bee let out a cry and darted out, leaving a trail of afterimages.
It changed direction constantly, moving like a yellow blur that darted around the air in an unpredictable pattern.
Lulu stood still with a cold expression, her eyes fixed on the yellow blur, as if she could see through its movements.
Icechill is indeed calm and can predict the trajectory of high-speed movements... Tian Xiaoyun's gaze shifted to the blue figure in the distance, her expression serious.
She had studied every one of Qiao Sang's matches. During the Regional Tournament, Icechill had seen through the movements of the fast-moving Jaw Spark and ended the match with a single Aqua Tail.
But what if there were multiple trajectories?
Suddenly, the yellow blur split into two, then into four.
Four yellow blurs darted around, intersecting and separating at high speed.
It was impossible to follow their movements with the naked eye, and even counting the number of blurs was a challenge.
At this moment, Qiao Sang spoke.
"Rain."
"Icechill."
Lulu lifted her head and opened her mouth.
"Interrupt it!" Tian Xiaoyun immediately responded.
While casting the Rain skill would consume some of Icechill's energy, it wouldn't be significant for a High-Class Companion Beast.
If the Rain skill were to succeed, the drawbacks would be substantial.
Not only would the Tri-Headed Bee's speed decrease, but Icechill, with the Rain Sprint trait, would double her speed. The Tri-Headed Bee would likely be defeated quickly.
It would be better to interrupt the Rain skill, continuously harassing Icechill and forcing her to attack and use skills, thereby wasting energy.
(End of Chapter)
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