Chapter 52: Did We Win?

Many F-rank Beast Tamers who met the requirements for entry were participating, and after a day of efficient preliminary battles yesterday, the process had not yet concluded.

However, with only about 60 contestants remaining, the preliminaries would take at most another hour to complete.

Qiao Sang arrived at Row 9 of Sector C.

Bai Yunmiao had also signed up for this Baixin Tournament and had successfully passed the preliminaries.

The two people who had both passed the preliminaries had arranged to meet like this.

"Genius Qiao, I looked into it. The people who pass the preliminaries will be randomized on the big screen. Whoever is paired together at that time will form a group," Bai Yunmiao said, pointing to the screen above the arena.

Ever since she learned Qiao Sang's name, Bai Yunmiao had been calling her "Genius Qiao" on the internet.

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

"Why are you dressed so... beautifully today?" Qiao Sang asked.

To be precise, it was more like she was dressed formally.

Bai Yunmiao sat in her seat looking incredibly ladylike, with full makeup and hair, wearing a little black dress paired with bright-colored high heels—a perfect evening banquet outfit.

"Isn't it just to look better on camera? I watched yesterday's replay online, and it was basically a death shot. It captured me so ugly; it didn't even capture a third of my beauty," Bai Yunmiao complained.

Indeed, live broadcast lenses without filters sometimes acted like demon-revealing mirrors.

Bai Yunmiao continued, "Besides, there are half as many contestants today. I feel like there's a high probability I'll be interviewed."

An interview...

Thinking back to what had just happened, Qiao Sang felt a knot in her chest and didn't want to speak anymore...

...

Inside the arena, Qiao Sang unexpectedly saw a familiar face among the ninth group of preliminary participants—Dai Shushu.

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

Dai Shushu's pet was not one of the five major choices for rookie Beast Tamers, but a Water Secret Shrimp.

Not all water-type pets were amphibious extraordinary creatures; even those that could move freely on land generally could not exert their full strength.

Due to venue limitations, very few Beast Tamers were willing to use their first contract slot on a water-type pet.

Qiao Sang couldn't help but watch intently.

It was undeniable that, in her heart, she still regarded Dai Shushu as a competitor.

56 seconds later.

"Contestant Chen Cheng is the winner."

Qiao Sang froze for a long while.

This was completely different from what she had imagined!

She hadn't even begun to analyze the combat level of Dai Shushu and the Water Secret Shrimp before the match ended!

The opponent's pet, a Little Chubby Pigeon, had hit the Water Secret Shrimp twice with consecutive air strikes, causing it to lose its combat capability. It was a preliminary match that couldn't be more ordinary!

Was Dai Shushu really this bad?!

Qiao Sang felt a bit dazed.

Why had she regarded Dai Shushu as a formidable rival back then...

Qiao Sang tried hard to recall.

At that time, they had both undergone spontaneous awakening; the only difference was...

Academic scores...

Academic scores...

Dai Shushu really was a formidable rival after all...

The matches proceeded with the same efficient speed as yesterday. In less than an hour, the list of all contestants who advanced through the preliminaries had been logged into the system.

On the large screen in the center above the arena, the contestants' photos were shuffling frantically.

6 seconds later.

The photos froze.

All pairings were set. Qiao Sang saw her opponent among them.

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

Xie Jianyin.

Qiao Sang recognized him at a glance; he was one of the 21 Beast Tamers she had recorded in her memo.

His luck wasn't bad; her hard work researching him hadn't gone to waste...

The battle for the Top 64 soon commenced.

The skill level of those who passed the preliminaries was slightly higher than those who were eliminated, so the match duration also increased, moving from the original one minute per round to two or three minutes before a winner could be decided.

"In the match between contestant Qiao Sang and contestant Xie Jianyin, who do you think has a better chance of winning?" the middle-aged commentator with slicked-back hair asked Sha Duo.

On the field, Qiao Sang and Xie Jianyin had already taken their positions.

As a member of the third group of matches, Qiao Sang had arrived at the backstage area when the first group's match was announced.

As expected, it was her turn immediately...

"Contestant Xie Jianyin has been an F-rank Beast Tamer for three years. Whether in terms of experience or strength, he has a better chance of winning than contestant Qiao Sang," Sha Duo shared his insight.

"It's a pity. Out of so many contestants, he just had to run into someone with a Mid-tier pet as an opponent."

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

"It hurts my heart to think such a pretty little girl will lose to such an ugly man."

"He's only 18, he's a boy."

The audience at the scene began to discuss, with most voices siding with Qiao Sang.

Although strength was paramount now, when everyone was at the F-rank, people still supported the contestants with higher visual appeal.

Furthermore, everyone still vividly remembered Qiao Sang's contracted Fire Fang Dog, as it was currently the only fire-type pet to appear among the Beast Tamers participating in the Baixin Tournament.

...

As the referee issued the command to deploy pets, a gray star formation lit up in front of Xie Jianyin.

The energy within the Fire Fang Dog gathered slightly in its body as it immediately prepared.

Last night, it had spent half the night researching with its Beast Tamer, deciding on battle plans for whatever kind of opponent they might encounter.

Next, it just had to wait for that pitch-black fellow to appear...

A pet appeared within the gray star formation—it was entirely crimson with an oval-shaped head and a long black stripe running from its crown to its tail.

Huh?

Why wasn't it that pitch-black fellow?

The Fire Fang Dog didn't understand.

Why was it different from what its Beast Tamer had said?

Qiao Sang was speechless looking at the opponent's pet.

Fire Chain Snake, a Junior-tier fire-type pet.

She had spent half the day yesterday seriously researching the Mid-tier Long-tailed Snake, and he brought out a Junior-tier fire-type pet to compete with her?

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

He must not take the Fire Fang Dog seriously at all...

Xie Jianyin indeed did not take the Fire Fang Dog seriously; more accurately, he did not take Qiao Sang seriously.

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

As a Beast Tamer with two pets, of course, both pets were to take turns appearing in matches!

Against a junior high graduate who had just contracted a pet, whichever pet he summoned would be more than enough to deal with her.

As soon as the referee said "start," Qiao Sang directly issued the command to proceed according to the original plan.

At the same time, Xie Jianyin also issued the command for Flame Spray.

The energy inside the Fire Fang Dog was already brewing.

Thus, it released its skill even faster than the Fire Chain Snake.

Outside the field.

"That is a Spark at the Minor Achievement stage!" the commentator exclaimed in shock.

Before the Fire Chain Snake's Flame Spray had even finished condensing in its mouth and traveled 10 centimeters, the Fire Fang Dog's Spark had already charged straight toward the Flame Spray.

The two forces collided, producing a violent explosion.

At the center of the explosion, the Fire Chain Snake suffered a heavy impact.

"Chain!!!"

Ignoring the fact that the Fire Chain Snake had been sent flying and landed heavily on the ground, the Fire Fang Dog immediately used Shadow Clone to split into four, preparing to surround it.

According to the tactic it and its Beast Tamer had devised yesterday, the next step was to use two clones to confuse the opponent, while the original body and the other clone...

"Contestant Qiao Sang is the winner!" the referee announced at that moment.

"Ya?"

The Shadow Clones of the Fire Fang Dog, which had not yet formed a perimeter, all stopped simultaneously.

They won?