Chapter 52: Won?

There were many F-class Beast Masters who met the requirements to participate in the competition. Despite the efficient preliminary matches held yesterday, they had not yet concluded.

However, only about 60 contestants remained, and the preliminary matches could be completed in just an hour.

Qiao Sang arrived at Row 9 in Zone C.

Bai Yunmiao had also registered for this Newcomers' Competition and successfully passed the preliminary round.

The two, who had both passed the preliminary round, had arranged to meet.

"Genius Qiao, I've heard that the contestants who pass the preliminary round will have their order randomized on the big screen, and those paired together will form a group," Bai Yunmiao said, pointing to the screen above the arena.

Since learning Qiao Sang's name, Bai Yunmiao had been calling her "Genius Qiao" online.

Qiao Sang nodded; this kind of system-randomized pairing was quite common in various competitions.

"How come you're dressed so... nicely today?" Qiao Sang asked.

To be precise, it should be "formally."

Bai Yunmiao sat elegantly in her seat, fully made up, wearing a little black dress and a pair of shiny high heels, a perfect outfit for a gala.

"This is to look better on camera. I watched the replay of yesterday's matches online, and it was just a death shot, making me look so ugly that it didn't even capture a third of my beauty," Bai Yunmiao complained.

Indeed, unfiltered live camera shots sometimes acted like a mirror that revealed everything.

Bai Yunmiao continued, "And with half the number of contestants today, I think I have a high chance of being interviewed."

Interview...

Qiao Sang recalled what had just happened, her heart sank, and she didn't want to speak anymore...

...

Inside the arena, Qiao Sang unexpectedly saw someone she knew among the ninth group of preliminary contestants—Dai Shushu.

If she hadn't seen her here, Qiao Sang would have almost forgotten about her...

Dai Shushu's pet beast was not one of the five common choices for new Beast Masters but a Water Shrimp.

Not all water-type pet beasts were amphibious extraordinary creatures; even those that could move freely on land generally couldn't fully utilize their power.

Due to the limitations of the arena, few Beast Masters were willing to give their first contract slot to a water-type pet beast.

Qiao Sang couldn't help but watch intently.

Undeniably, she still considered Dai Shushu a rival in her heart.

56 seconds later.

"Contestant Chen Cheng wins."

Qiao Sang was stunned for a moment.

This was completely different from what she had expected!

She hadn't even started analyzing Dai Shushu and the Water Shrimp's combat level, and the match was already over!

The opponent's pet, a Fat Pigeon, had hit the Water Shrimp twice with its Air Strike, rendering it unable to fight. It was just an ordinary preliminary match!

Is Dai Shushu that weak?!

Qiao Sang was a bit dazed.

Why did she consider Dai Shushu a formidable rival back then...

Qiao Sang tried to recall.

At that time, they both had awakened on their own, the difference being...

Cultural scores...

Cultural scores...

Dai Shushu was indeed a formidable rival...

The competition proceeded efficiently as usual, and within less than an hour, all the names of the contestants who advanced from the preliminary round were logged into the system.

The photos of the contestants on the large screen in the center of the arena were rapidly shuffled.

Six seconds later.

The photos stabilized.

All the teams were arranged, and Qiao Sang saw her opponent among them.

The person in the photo had small eyes and a slightly receding hairline, with a face that looked older than his actual age.

Xie Jianyin.

Qiao Sang immediately recognized him; he was one of the 21 Beast Masters she had recorded in her notes.

This luck was not bad; it didn't waste her hard research...

The matches for the 64-strong competition quickly began.

The level of those who passed the preliminary round was slightly higher than those who were eliminated, so the match duration increased from one minute to two or three minutes to determine the winner.

"Who do you think has a better chance of winning between Qiao Sang and Xie Jianyin?" the middle-aged commentator with a slicked-back hairstyle asked Sha Duo.

On the field, Qiao Sang and Xie Jianyin were already in their positions.

As a member of the third group, Qiao Sang had come to the backstage when the first group's match was announced.

Sure enough, it was her turn immediately...

"Xie Jianyin has been an F-class Beast Master for three years. Whether in terms of experience or strength, he has a better chance of winning against Qiao Sang," Sha Duo said, giving his opinion.

"What a pity, among so many contestants, she happens to face someone with a mid-level pet beast."

"I remember Xie Jianyin's pet is a Long-tailed Snake."

"Just thinking about such a pretty girl losing to such an ugly man makes me sad."

"He's only 18, a boy."

The audience began to discuss, all supporting Qiao Sang.

Although strength was the primary focus, in the case of F-class Beast Masters, they still supported the contestant with higher looks.

Moreover, everyone still remembered Qiao Sang's Fire Fang Dog, as it was the only fire-type pet beast that had appeared in the Newcomers' Competition so far.

...

Following the referee's command to release their pet beasts, a gray star array appeared in front of Xie Jianyin.

Fire Fang Dog's energy gathered within its body, ready to go.

Last night, it had studied with its Beast Master for a long time, planning strategies for different opponents.

Next, it just needed to wait for that black thing to appear...

A pet beast with a completely red body, an oval head, and a black stripe running from its head to its tail appeared in the gray star array.

Huh?

Why isn't it that black thing?

Fire Fang Dog was confused.

Why is it different from what its Beast Master said?

Qiao Sang was speechless as she looked at the opponent's pet beast.

Fire Chain Snake, a fire-type beginner pet beast.

She had spent the whole night yesterday studying the mid-level Long-tailed Snake, but he sent out a beginner fire-type pet beast to fight her?

Knowing that she only had one Fire Fang Dog, he sent out a pet beast of the same attribute.

This must mean he didn't take Fire Fang Dog seriously...

Xie Jianyin indeed didn't take Fire Fang Dog seriously, or rather, he didn't take Qiao Sang seriously.

His second pet, the Fire Chain Snake, had been contracted for two months.

As a Beast Master with two pets, both pets would naturally take turns in the competition!

A junior high school graduate who had just contracted a pet, any of his pets would be more than enough to deal with her.

As soon as the referee said "begin," Qiao Sang immediately gave the command to follow the original plan.

At the same time, Xie Jianyin ordered the Fire Chain Snake to use Flame Burst.

Fire Fang Dog's energy was already brewing within its body.

So it released its skill faster than the Fire Chain Snake.

Outside the arena.

"That's a spark at the Little Success stage!" the commentator exclaimed.

When the Fire Chain Snake's Flame Burst had just formed in its mouth and hadn't even shot out 10 centimeters, Fire Fang Dog's spark was already heading straight for it.

The two forces collided, producing a loud explosion.

The center of the explosion hit the Fire Chain Snake hard.

"Chain!!!"

Fire Fang Dog didn't care that the Fire Chain Snake had already been knocked back and landed heavily on the ground. It immediately used Shadow Clone to create four clones to surround the opponent.

According to the strategy it had discussed with its Beast Master last night, it would first use two shadow clones to confuse the opponent, while the real body and another clone...

"Qiao Sang wins!" the referee announced.

"Teeth?"

The shadow clones that hadn't yet formed the surrounding circle stopped.

Won?