Chapter 943: The Entrance
Chapter 943: The Entrance (Combined)
As soon as the words were spoken, four massive Giant Virtual Screens appeared, facing different sections of the audience stands.
Each screen displayed over four hundred Contestant names along with their photos.
The lists on all four holographic screens were identical, simply to ensure that the audience in every section could see them clearly.
Qiao Sang's gaze quickly scanned through the names.
There were names she had seen on the Marketing Account, as well as names she had never encountered before.
Soon, she found her own name in the second position of the third-to-last row.
"Did you find your name?" Ye Xiangting asked, quickly scanning the list.
"Third-to-last row, second position", Qiao Sang replied.
Ye Xiangting followed the position Qiao Sang mentioned.
When she saw her daughter's photo and name, her eyes lit up, and she quickly took out her mobile phone, opened the camera, zoomed in, and precisely focused on the photo to take a picture.
"These 432 Beastmasters are all the Contestants in this year's Regional Tournament!" the host announced into the microphone. "Some have participated in ten Regional Tournaments, while others are making their debut this year."
"Who will emerge victorious in this highest-level Familiar Battle feast in the Arena? You will all witness it together!"
The audience stands erupted in thunderous applause.
"First, we will conduct the preliminary round Grouping!" the host continued. "Let's welcome the referee from the Beast Tamer Arbitration Office!"
The Beast Trainer Society has a variety of methods at their disposal.
In the Liaoxi Region, there was an incident where a Contestant used a Mechanical Pet in the Regional Tournament to enter the system and arrange their own opponents.
Since then, all Regional Tournaments across Dragon Nation have invited referees from the Beast Tamer Arbitration Office, whose Mechanical Pets enter the system to perform the Grouping on-site, preventing any such tricks.
As she finished speaking, the audience stands fell silent, everyone eagerly anticipating the Grouping match.
A woman in formal attire and a roughly two-meter-tall humanoid metal familiar, primarily composed of two spheres, stood up in the front row and waved to the audience.
Then, the woman nodded at the humanoid metal familiar.
"Divisio."
The humanoid metal familiar let out a call, and its head and body split apart.
The head floated toward the Giant Virtual Screen, entered it, and disappeared.
Only the lower half of its body remained standing still.
Divisio, a Mechanical-type High-Class Beast Companion, can directly enter the system to operate it. If it encounters a virus or a hidden familiar during the process, its body color will change from silver-white to black.
For those who have watched large-scale Beastmaster matches on TV, Divisio is not unfamiliar.
Ye Xiangting, however, was not familiar with it.
In the Yuhua Region, there are Mechanical Pets with similar functions, but they are not Divisio.
Seeing the scene before her, Ye Xiangting reflected, "This familiar is quite unique, leaving half its body outside."
"This is Divisio", Qiao Sang explained. "If it encounters a virus or another familiar while in the system, not only will its head turn black, but the part left outside will also turn black. This is to ensure that everyone can immediately tell if there are any issues during the Grouping."
Over the past few days, Qiao Sang had specifically looked into the previous Hollow Plains Regional Tournaments, so she was not unfamiliar with Divisio.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiangting looked at her daughter with renewed respect.
She felt that her daughter's knowledge and expertise had grown significantly.
"It seems I can come to you for help whenever I don't understand something", Ye Xiangting joked.
Not really, not really... Qiao Sang smiled and replied, "Feel free to ask."
Liu Yao, listening to their conversation, was deeply reflective.
Back in the day, Qiao Sang couldn't even distinguish between the basic foods for familiars. Now, she was well-versed in familiars from other regions and had become a B-Class Beastmaster.
And just like that, only two years had passed.
While they were talking, the Divisio had already completed the grouping.
The holographic screen displayed the grouping results for each team.
Ripples spread across the screen, and Divisio's spherical head floated out, merging back with its body, retaining its original color.
The Host announced loudly, "The list is now in effect, and the preliminary round battle matchups are complete."
Almost simultaneously, everyone's gaze turned to the Giant Virtual Screen.
Qiao Sang saw her name in one of the earlier groups.
[Tang Chao vs. Wang Yike]
[Sheng Taozhe vs. Nian Dingding]
...
[Lu Fengba vs. Qiao Sang]
Lu Fengba, 36 years old, a C-Class Beastmaster, had participated in the Regional Tournament twice. The first time, he was eliminated in the preliminary round, but the second time, he achieved a top 100 ranking. Looking at the photo of the man with dark skin, thick eyebrows, and large eyes, Qiao Sang recalled the information she had seen on a marketing account.
She remembered that he last participated in the Regional Tournament two years ago. In just two years, his strength could have undergone significant changes, making past records less relevant.
At the same time, five rows behind her, the man with thick eyebrows and large eyes saw his opponent's name and photo and was momentarily stunned, then overjoyed.
Qiao Sang, never heard of her, must be a first-time participant. She looks so young in the photo, almost like a kid. She must be a prodigious Beastmaster who received replenishment at a young age, slowing down the aging process.
But if she's this young, her actual age can't be that old either.
This match should be a sure win.
The Host announced loudly, "Next, I will announce the battle rules. Contestants are only allowed to register their familiars for the competition. Familiars cannot use Potions, Artifacts, or Spirit Patterns. Any use of these will result in immediate disqualification. If a familiar evolves during the battle, it cannot be interrupted. The match will be a 3v3 format, with each contestant selecting three familiars. After each battle, contestants can choose whether to return their familiars to the Beastmaster Codex. The first contestant whose three familiars are all defeated will be eliminated."
"The preliminary round tonight will be kicked off by the first ten groups of contestants!"
The opening ceremonies of the Regional Tournament are usually held in the evening.
Originally, the battles were scheduled for the next day.
However, many people protested, wanting to see the matches immediately.
Since the opening ceremony only takes about one to two hours, there is still time to watch a few battles afterward. Thus, the Authorities changed the rules, allowing the first ten groups on the battle list to compete immediately.
This allows everyone to see the battles right away and avoids the need to stay up late to watch them.
Most contestants hope to be in the first ten groups.
Everyone is well-prepared for the battles and is not afraid of when they will take place.
The first ten groups of battles, which follow the opening ceremony, are watched by almost everyone in Hollow Plains, generating the highest buzz. Even if a Beastmaster is unknown, their first participation in the Regional Tournament can still attract significant attention.
Subsequent battle lists will be precisely scheduled for specific dates and times, and many will deliberately watch the matches they are interested in.
Qiao Sang counted on the holographic screen and found herself in the fifth group, so she would be up tonight.
Almost as soon as she counted her position, the Giant Virtual Screen cleared the other names, leaving only the names and photos of the first ten groups of contestants.
The crowd erupted in cheers, shouting the names of the contestants they were interested in from the first ten groups.
No one shouted her name... Qiao Sang perked up her ears, feeling unsurprised.
Ye Xiangting, after reviewing the list, looked at her daughter with a fiery gaze, her face tense.
Regional Tournament. To be honest, despite feeling that her daughter had an extraordinary talent as a Beastmaster, participating in the Regional Tournament was still a normal progression. After all, no one in the entire Dragon Nation had become a C-Class Beastmaster at such a young age.
However, when the reality of her daughter competing in the Regional Tournament hit her, she still felt a sense of unreality.
The Regional Tournament, a competition that gathered the most outstanding young Beastmasters from the entire region, was about to feature her daughter, who had once failed her exams as a Minor Beastmaster...
Ye Xiangting took a deep breath, intending to say something encouraging, but what came out was:
"Don't be nervous..."
Mom, it seems like you are the one who is nervous... Qiao Sang saw her mother's slightly anxious expression and consoled her:
"I'm not nervous."
She was telling the truth. She was excited, but not nervous. Her opponent was a whole level below her; there was no reason for her to be nervous.
It was her opponent who should be nervous.
This is the Regional Tournament; how could anyone not be nervous... Ye Xiangting didn't believe it for a second.
Just as she was about to say something, Liu Yao spoke up:
"Qiao Sang's mom, don't be nervous. Qiao Sang will win."
In the preliminary round, it was almost impossible for a B-Class Beastmaster to face another B-Class Beastmaster. Advancing was a certainty.
Ye Xiangting was speechless.
Was her nervousness that obvious... She took another deep breath, wanting to contradict the Vice Principal.
Although Fangy had recently evolved to the Royal Tier, it didn't guarantee a 100% victory in battle. Being so confident about her daughter winning might put too much pressure on her.
In her view, her daughter was already exceptionally talented to have the qualification to participate in the Regional Tournament at her age, so winning or losing wasn't as important.
Just as Ye Xiangting was about to organize her thoughts and tell her daughter not to feel too much pressure, a staff member walked over and said:
"Please follow me to the backstage for preparation, contestants from the first ten groups."
The contestants on the list stood up.
Qiao Sang stood up and said:
"Mom, Vice Principal, I'll be off then."
At her words, the other contestants and their families turned to look, their eyes filled with surprise.
Earlier, they had been focused on their own team situations and hadn't paid much attention to the others. Now, they noticed that one of this year's contestants looked like a Minor Beastmaster.
A man with a crew cut, whom they encountered in the contestant corridor, was even more stunned. His mind was filled with one thought:
Among the three, this girl is the actual contestant?!
"Go on." Liu Yao nodded.
Ye Xiangting had a thousand words on the tip of her tongue but finally managed to say only two words: "Good luck!"
Qiao Sang nodded firmly and turned to follow the staff member to the backstage corridor.
...
The contestant backstage was exceptionally spacious and well-insulated, making it almost impossible to hear any sounds from outside.
A giant virtual screen, almost covering half the wall, was live streaming the scene outside.
Some contestants were chatting, while others were quietly preparing, maintaining a "do not disturb" demeanor.
Soon, two contestants followed the staff in different directions.
On the holographic screen, two people were seated in the commentator booth.
A man with sharp features and dressed formally said, "Hello everyone, I am the commentator, Tian Yiyi."
"I am the commentator, Tang Xueran", a woman with chestnut-colored long hair and a capable look smiled.
"This year's Regional Tournament will be brought to you by us with full commentary", Tian Yiyi said, looking at the list and smiling. "The first pair of contestants are Tang Chao and Wang Yike. Tang Chao has participated in the Regional Tournament three times, so he's a familiar face. The last time he participated, he was eliminated in the second round."
"Right, I wonder if he has improved this year and can achieve a higher rank", Tang Xueran chimed in.
Tian Yiyi continued:
"Wang Yike is a new name. This is his first time participating in the Regional Tournament, and he is quite young, only 27 years old."
Tang Xueran smiled and said, "I have high hopes for the Beastmasters participating in the Regional Tournament for the first time, hoping they will surprise us in unexpected ways."
At this moment, the camera pulled back to show the Arena.
On both sides of the Arena, the ground automatically opened up to a width of about two meters.
Tian Yiyi looked at the Arena and said, "They're here."
As soon as he finished speaking, two blue bird familiars, each about two meters tall and identical in appearance, shot out from the Underground, rising straight up into the sky and stopping at a height of about ten meters, hovering steadily in mid-air.
Two figures stood atop each familiar.
They were Tang Chao and Wang Yike.
...
The Regional Tournament in Hollow Plains had its own unique style, even using flying beasts for the entrance. However, commanding from a flying beast had its advantages; the larger familiars provided a better vantage point for overseeing the entire arena. Qiao Sang stared at the giant virtual screen, a series of thoughts flashing through his mind.
Suddenly, a voice sounded beside him.
"Hello, I'm Lu Fengba."
Qiao Sang turned his head and saw his upcoming opponent, responding, "Hello, Qiao Sang."
"I know", Lu Fengba smiled. "We'll be opponents in a bit. By the way, you look really young. Mind telling me how old you are?"
Before the match, many would try to gather information about their opponents once they knew who they were facing.
Qiao Sang thought for a moment. Age didn't seem like particularly important information, so he answered honestly, "17 years old."
Lu Fengba was taken aback for a moment, then laughed heartily. "You're really funny."
What's so funny? Qiao Sang didn't understand.
Seeing that the other party wasn't going to reveal his real age, Lu Fengba felt a bit disappointed and put on a social smile. "See you on the match field."
With that, he turned and left.
Qiao Sang turned back to the holographic screen.
Time ticked by, and the matches were in full swing.
When the fourth group of contestants finished their match, Tian Yiyi announced, "The next group of contestants is Lu Fengba and Qiao Sang."
When he mentioned this group of contestants, his tone became noticeably more excited, and his speech quickened.
"Lu Fengba is a familiar face, participating in the Regional Tournament for the third time this year. He was eliminated in the preliminary round the first time, but the second time, he made it to the top 100. This time, his strength should be even greater."
"As for the other contestant, Qiao Sang, this is her first time participating in the Regional Tournament. She's not from Hollow Plains, but she chose to sign up for her first Regional Tournament here."
As announcers of the Regional Tournament, they received detailed profiles of the contestants before the event, so they didn't need to refer to the information; they could recite it effortlessly.
"Qiao Sang is one of the contestants I'm most looking forward to this year", Tang Xueran added. "She is the youngest contestant in the history of Hollow Plains, at the age of 17."
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue erupted in surprise and shock.
17 years old?
17 years old and already successfully registered for the Regional Tournament?
That must mean she became a C-Class Beastmaster at 17?!
Ye Xiangting, listening to the description, stood tall with pride.
"That's not all", Tian Yiyi took a deep breath and said clearly, "She is also a B-Class Beastmaster!"
The entire match venue fell silent.
Despite being filled with 172,000 spectators, it was quiet as if no one was there.
Ye Xiangting: "?!!"
B-Class Beastmaster?
Who?
Her daughter?
Only Liu Yao maintained his previous expression.
He had received this outrageous news several days ago.
Looking at the stunned faces around him, he felt a sense of balance.
"They're here", Tang Xueran said.
As she spoke, two blue bird familiars rose straight up from the Underground. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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