Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 1007: The Award Ceremony

The stands erupted like a fuse sparking a massive explosion. A thunderous "BOOM," rang out, and the audience burst into utter chaos. Deafening cheers surged from the arena, shattering the skies above, while outsiders caught the wild, frenzied roars leaking from inside.

"AAAAHHH! Champion! Champion!"

"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"

"Holy crap! Once the Blazing Divine Lion's Blaze kicked in, its attack power turned downright horrifying! I swear, I hardly blinked before it all wrapped up!"

"Same here! I figured that with the Sawtooth Dragon and Blazing Divine Lion both getting back on their feet, they'd battle it out longer. Never saw it ending that quick—the Sawtooth Dragon got totally overwhelmed."

"I'd say more like outmatched. Even as the Blazing Divine Lion unleashed Radiant Impact, the Sawtooth Dragon squeezed in a Dragon Sonic Blast. Without that Super-tier move, the match might've ended 3:1."

"Honestly, the Sawtooth Dragon shone brighter than expected this time. Its first Dragon Sonic Blast relied on Dragon Luck Field's boost, but the second came straight from raw power."

"Spot on—the Sawtooth Dragon's got insane resilience, rising after that brutal Lava Purgatory. But the Blazing Divine Lion matches it in sheer terror..."

"What a feat for the youngest B-rank Tamer ever... Qiao Sang's not even 18, yet she's snagged the regional title. Her B-rank license holds way more weight than those spoiled brats stacked with family resources from day one."

"Not all regional champions carry the same glory. Qiao Sang toppled Yuan Tianlong; she's hands down the top B-rank Tamer in the Central Hollow Region for me."

"Why stop at Central Hollow? Call her the best across all of Blue Star. Our region's competitors always outclass others—check Yuan Tianlong, he claimed two other titles but settled for runner-up here."

"Hold on, let's clarify: Among B-rank Tamers only. Don't overlook the old-timers, those centuries-old B-rankers with pets hitting King-level."

"Doesn't matter to me. Qiao Sang reigns as the ultimate B-rank in my book."

"The Sawtooth Dragon took down three King-level pets in a row. Following that, the Blazing Divine Lion could smash three Kings too. Terrifying, utterly terrifying..."

"Even more so! The Blazing Divine Lion burned energy on the Disaster Dragon before. And that Sawtooth Dragon's triple-King win was two years back—it's way stronger now."

"I envied Qiao Sang landing a Qinyin Fairy contract once, but now? If I were one, I'd pick her in a heartbeat. Where do you find a Tamer this young and dominant?"

"...I've been glued to the fights so hard that without your reminder about the Qinyin Fairy, it'd slipped my mind completely."

"Count me in as a lifelong Qiao Sang stan from here on. I'll chase her to every competition she enters."

"Heading to Yuhua Region tomorrow—craving a Blazing Divine Lion bad."

"Already sorting my interstellar visa. Off to Chaosu Star for a Little Steel Falcon pickup."

"Shame the Ice Emperor Ram's endangered, or I'd snag one for sure."

"Ghost Ring King's solid too, with that handy storage ring. If my brainpower levels up later for another pet contract, Yuhua Region's calling for a Treasure Hunter Ghost hunt."

"Ah! Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!" Wu Tianjiao jumped high, swinging her glow-stick in wild support, pure fangirl vibes. Then, hit by a thought, she spun around and dashed off.

Up front, Yu Ke, Yu Le, and Rong Yuhua thrashed their support sticks like mad. Spotting this, Yu Ke ribbed: "And you claimed you weren't into God Qiao."

Rong Yuhua waved on, declaring: "You nailed it. Qiao Sang's my idol for real now!"

Yuan Tianlong, who was the... Right then, Rong Yuhua figured friending Qiao Sang on socials topped every highlight of this regional showdown.

---

Yuhua Region, Hanggang City

Within an office tower.

"She pulled it off. Actually claimed victory. Qiao Sang's the champion..." Qiao Wangyang stared blankly.

Qiao Wangyang abruptly wished he'd reached out to Qiao Sang more over the years. Staying connected would've spared him this spot where even trying to call felt impossible.

It was like they dwelled in separate realms. His gaze fixed on the desk phone for a couple beats, then he grabbed it at last to punch in the number he'd been dialing nonstop.

Quickly, the same old message hit: "I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is currently busy..."

---

Ye Xiangting shot to her feet in thrill, yelling Qiao Sang and Yabao's names. Snapping back to her role, she whipped out her phone and hit record to snag this heart-pounding scene.

Truth be told, she'd known Yuan Tianlong's legendary rep. Though she rooted hard for her girl to triumph, victory seemed a long shot. Chats with Qiao Sang hinted her daughter lacked full confidence in this bout too.

Not that pride in her kid faltered, but Ye Xiangting grasped Qiao Sang's tender age. The foe doubled her years, wielded Dragon-types, and boasted two prior regional wins. Victory odds looked razor-thin from every view.

"Brilliant! Qiao Sang! Yabao!" Liu Yao bolted upright, ditching his cool demeanor for rabid fan mode, wildly brandishing his support stick.

"Xian Xian!"

"Xian Xian!"

The Sky Bat clutched a glow-stick, matching the fervor with fervent waves.

"A prodigy in her teens." Coach Tao noted, eyeing the starlit figure below.

"Back when I first recruited Qiao Sang for the National Beast Taming Combat Team, snatching the crown from Yuan Tianlong never crossed my wildest dreams."

Suddenly struck by an idea, she pivoted to talk with Qiao Sang's mom, only finding her phone aimed eagerly at the arena. So she leaned across to Mikayla: "When's your departure?"

Mikayla pondered briefly before answering: "Likely tomorrow."

Coach Tao paused in shock, eyes wide: "That quick? What's your next stop?"

Mikayla shared: "Zidia Region."

Coach Tao blinked again, stunned. Skipping the reason, she offered: "Qiao Sang's champ now—victory feast is a must. Join us for dinner tonight? On me."

Mikayla gazed at the lithe form on the field and grinned:

"Nah. Qiao Sang skips victory banquet vibes anyway. Fresh off the fight, she'd prefer partying with Yabao and the crew over us grown-ups.

"Right, right." Ye Xiangting agreed mid-record.

"Past wins like the National Campus League, that interstellar exchange slot, or Imperial Beast University acceptance—I itched to throw parties and drag her along, but she always passed. Modern kids just dodge those stuffy scenes, I guess."

Coach Tao: ...

In the midst of roaring cheers and shrieks, Qiao Sang recalled Yabao to her Beast Codex.

---

Staff swarmed Qiao Sang, blocking reporters and guiding her to the rest area.

"Miss Qiao, take a breather here. Award ceremony starts in twenty minutes; we'll escort you up then." A staffer said politely.

Qiao Sang dropped onto the couch and gave a small nod: "Got it."

The staffer lingered, seeming hesitant to speak.

"Anything more?" Qiao Sang prompted.

The staffer's cheeks flushed as they mustered nerve: "Mind signing for me?"

Qiao Sang hesitated, then beamed: "Sure thing."

The staffer yanked out a ready pen and eagerly unzipped their jacket, exposing the white shirt below: "Right on my shirt, please."

Qiao Sang grabbed the pen and scrawled her name in swift lines. The staffer gushed thanks and wandered off in a thrilled haze.

Qiao Sang then called out Yabao and the rest. Lubao had regained some stamina inside the Beast Codex. Silently, she channeled her energy, her forehead gem pulsing deep blue to envelop her and Yabao.

"Yap yap!"

The blue glow faded, leaving Yabao fully revitalized in a flash.

"Xun xun!"

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure zipped around Yabao and Lubao, buzzing with hype over the epic battle and piling on the praise.

"Lu Di."

Beneath Little Treasure's hype, Lubao kept a straight face, though her tail twitched a pair of times.

"Yap yap?"

Catching Xun xun's words, Yabao's eyes lit up. He turned to his tamer and yipped like he sought confirmation.

"We won the match?"

Qiao Sang nodded: "Yep. The Sawtooth Dragon's down for the count. No more rounds."

"Yap yap!"

Yabao yipped in pure excitement.

Qiao Sang grinned: "Everyone, prep up. Award time's almost here."

"Xun xun~"

Little Treasure caught on fast. He ditched his ring and fished out various accessories. Yabao slipped on his green triangular shades with ease. Gangbao eyed the lavender fedora offered and calmly donned it.

"Lu Di." Lubao voiced, signaling no accessories needed.

Little Treasure dug deeper into the ring and fished out the vintage diamond glove, passing it to Qingbao.

"Qing qing?"

Qingbao blinked, jabbing a vine at herself in confusion.

"Xun xun~"

Little Treasure nodded, clarifying he'd worn it before but outgrew the fit, making it ideal for her now.

"Qing qing..."

Qingbao eyed the dazzling diamond glove and cooed softly, turning it down nicely. She'd barely joined the action, so the stage felt unfit.

At that, Qiao Sang stated firmly: "Who claims you barely fought? You claimed a win too. We're all one team; we accept the award as a unit."

Qingbao stared at her tamer, briefly frozen.

"Xun xun~"

Just then, Little Treasure prodded the diamond glove closer.

"Qing qing..."

Qingbao quieted a beat before tossing another excuse.

"Xun xun..."

Little Treasure recalled her wind-form shifts took most of her time, so he backed off. Regretfully, he stowed the glove.

"Qing qing..."

Qingbao exhaled in relief.

---

Twenty Minutes Later.

"Ladies and gentlemen, plus everyone tuning into the live stream!"

The host's call boomed across the venue: "Time for the Regional Competition award ceremony!"

Cheers thundered through the arena. Following the host's cues, third-place Wu Tianjiao and second-place Yuan Tianlong mounted the stage for their honors.

All at once, lights faded to black, save for the glow-sticks and phone screens dotting the stands. Together, the myriad lights mimicked a starry ocean glittering over the stadium.

At last, the final entrant got her intro. The host drew a deep breath and bellowed with fire: "Now, behold the Champion of this Regional Competition! Folks! You set? Scream her name with me! QIAO SANG!!!"

"Qiao Sang!"

"Qiao Sang!"

The whole venue chanted her name in unison.

As the yells and applause raged on, neon beams on the field streamed like shooting stars. Champion tunes blasted to life. The platform split down the middle.

A towering bird pet, over twenty meters high with feathers gleaming in rainbow hues, ascended from beneath and hovered aloft. Atop it stood Qiao Sang, Yabao, and the team. With a sweep of its vibrant wings, it scattered endless sparkling lights across the heavens, crafting a stunning spectacle.

The Primal Iridescent Bird, a King-level avian with stunning elegance. It only allows the worthy—those it deems strong—by its side. Its plumage shifts colors under varying lights. Legends say riders upon it rule as unchallenged sovereigns.

Central Hollow locals hold this truth dear, so each regional champ rides the Primal Iridescent Bird for the ultimate nod of respect and validation.

Yabao rocked his shades, head cocked at a cool 45 degrees. Lubao poised calmly next to Yabao.

"Xun xun!"

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure, cape fluttering, pumped his paws at the masses with gusto. Gangbao, in her lavender fedora, beat her wings by her tamer.

"Qing qing..."

Qingbao lingered beside Little Treasure, facing the howling, ecstatic crowd, a touch dazed by the frenzy.

The Central Hollow Region Beast Taming Association Chairman glided in on another avian, hopped aboard the Primal Iridescent Bird, and neared Qiao Sang. A tray materialized holding a golden trophy, a gold ring, and a pet egg etched in purple patterns.

The Chairman lifted the golden trophy and passed it with a grin: "Congrats on the victory. What a dazzling fight."

Meanwhile, the host's announcement rolled on: "Entrant Qiao Sang marks the youngest in this regional event, and the first to seize the title on her debut try. She's earned every bit. Youthful as she is, she towers over all."

"The Sky-Vault Cup, holy grail for pros across Central Hollow. Qiao Sang grips it at 17. Not only Central Hollow—the whole Dragon Country will etch her name."

"Qiao Sang: Champion of the 767th Central Hollow Region Competition."

With the host wrapping up, Qiao Sang claimed the Sky-Vault Cup and thrust it skyward. The masses bellowed. Every flash in the arena fired off in a mad burst right then.

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T/n: Rawr. And we're done with Part One!