Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 945: After the Preliminaries
"A Super-tier skill! Did you catch that?! That Steel Sword Falcon actually unleashed a Super-tier skill!"
"Argh! I missed the chance to grab a photo!"
"Hold on, is it even possible for a General-level pet to master a Super-tier skill?"
"Steel Sword Falcon! You're amazing!"
"Gosh! Qiao Sang is incredible! I’m officially a fan now!"
"Why doesn't our Central Hollow Region have such a formidable flying pet?"
"Can someone explain how it managed to learn a Super-tier skill?"
"What’s the process for contracting an alien pet? I need to know!"
"I’m calling it now! Steel Sword Falcon is my new dream pet! It looks cool, it flies, and its evolution relies on bond power so it’s budget-friendly. Plus, it can use a Super-tier skill like Holy Sword at the General-level! It’s the perfect pet!"
"Take it easy, maybe only Qiao Sang's Steel Sword Falcon is this special."
"I don't care! I'm heading to Chaosu Star as soon as these Regional Championships wrap up!"
The crowd was so swept up in their heated discussion that they barely noticed the next pair of competitors entering the arena.
---
Inside the area reserved for contestants and their families.
Ye Xiangting was rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the field as she struggled to process everything.
My daughter is a B-rank Beast Master...
Gangbao has grown so much...
She just achieved a three-pet sweep...
And Gangbao used Holy Sword while still at the General-level...
Is this a dream?
Eventually, she turned to the man beside her and asked, "Vice Principal, do you happen to know when Qiao Sang reached B-rank?"
"There’s no need for the title; I stepped down quite a while ago. Just use my name," Liu Yao replied.
"I’ve been occupied with researching a new evolution path for Fire Fang Dog lately. Qiao Sang reached out when Yabao evolved, and that’s when she mentioned her promotion to B-rank."
He paused briefly before continuing, "By the time she returned from Chaosu Star, the registration for the Central Hollow Regional Championships had already been open for six months. She was likely so busy during that time that she forgot to mention it to you."
She met the Regional Championship requirements in only half a year... Ye Xiangting was speechless.
She had been so preoccupied with the shock of the registration that the short timeframe hadn't fully registered. Many professional Beast Masters struggled to meet those qualifications even with a full year of effort.
It stung slightly to realize others were more informed about her daughter’s life than she was. A wave of melancholy washed over Ye Xiangting, mixed with a feeling of being left behind. She longed to be a typical mother involved in her child's daily routine, but Qiao Sang was moving too fast—from Chaosu Star to Imperial Beast University, she simply couldn't keep up.
Amidst her quiet reflection, a woman in her fifties sitting nearby spoke up: "Excuse me, are you related to Qiao Sang?"
Ye Xiangting straightened her back immediately, her pride shining through as she answered: "I’m her mother."
The woman’s expression brightened with a warm smile. "Oh, so you’re the mother! You look so young. How did you raise such a brilliant child?"
The compliment chased away Ye Xiangting’s sadness, replaced by a surge of maternal pride as she began to share her stories: "She’s been a bright girl since she was small..."
Liu Yao sat quietly nearby, his ears perked to catch the conversation.
---
When Qiao Sang finally made it back to her seat, she found her mother deep in conversation with the surrounding spectators.
"Look, Qiao Sang is back!" shouted a middle-aged man sitting behind them.
Who is this... Qiao Sang wondered as she sat down, giving her mother an inquisitive look.
"This is the father of Lü Fengba," Ye Xiangting explained with a smile.
Surprised, Qiao Sang turned to him and greeted, "Hello, Uncle."
"Hello there!" the man replied with a wide grin, showing no resentment despite his son having just been defeated.
"You were incredible. There’s no shame in my son losing to someone of your caliber!"
Qiao Sang felt a bit bashful under the praise. Suddenly, Lü Fengba's father pulled out his smartphone. "Would you mind taking a photo with me?"
Caught off guard again, Qiao Sang nodded. "Of course."
As they took the photo, the woman sitting next to Ye Xiangting chimed in, "I want one too!"
"I’m Pan Tianma’s mother. My daughter-in-law is expecting, and I want to show her your pictures. Maybe the baby will grow up to be as talented as you!"
Shouldn't the baby look like its father... Qiao Sang thought wryly, but she agreed nonetheless.
As the tournament progressed and the field narrowed, the contestants were relocated to a specific section where families sat together. Seeing how well her mother was bonding with the others, Qiao Sang didn't mind the attention. After a round of photos and signing a few autographs, she finally settled in to watch the other matches.
She knew how precious these tickets were and didn't want to waste the opportunity to observe.
The event continued smoothly. While the crowd still cheered for good plays, the atmosphere felt slightly muted compared to before. After seeing a 17-year-old B-rank Beast Master dominate with an alien pet and a Super-tier skill like Holy Sword, the standard C-rank matches seemed a bit dull by comparison.
---
As the day's events concluded and the stadium began to empty, Little Treasure appeared, ready to teleport them away.
Qiao Sang turned to her companions. "Mom, Vice Principal, please go ahead. Little Treasure will take you back. I have some business to attend to and will be back a bit later."
"What is it? I don't mind waiting," Ye Xiangting offered.
Qiao Sang explained, "I’ve agreed to an interview. It might take a while."
Gangbao wanted her species to be recognized. A spectacular victory was a good start, but an interview would provide the necessary publicity to cement that reputation.
Ye Xiangting looked surprised. "A TV station contacted you?"
Qiao Sang shook her head. "Not exactly."
Ye Xiangting: ...
"I’m coming with you," Ye Xiangting insisted.
"I’ll join as well," Liu Yao added.
Qiao Sang smiled at them. "Alright then."
She performed the necessary seals to summon Gangbao. Earlier, in the backstage area, she had already used Lubao to tend to Gangbao's injuries.
"Mom, you don't seem very shocked that I'm a B-rank Beast Master now."
"Oh, I am surprised."
"Then why haven't you asked about it?"
"Ask what?"
"Like, when it happened."
"Is there a point? It obviously happened in the last six months... You’ve clearly been working very hard."
"...It wasn't that bad."
As they chatted, the trio walked toward the exit, drawing stares from nearly everyone they passed.
Before Qiao Sang could even look for the media, a swarm of reporters with mics and camera-carrying pets rushed toward them. They crowded around, pushing past the adults to reach Qiao Sang.
"Contestant Qiao Sang, I'm with the Central Hollow Tournament Channel! What motivated you to enter this specific Regional Championship?"
"A B-rank Beast Master at seventeen! When did you first undergo voluntary awakening?"
"Why did you choose a pet from Chaosu Star?"
"What are your expectations for your final ranking in this debut?"
"How did your Steel Sword Falcon learn Holy Sword at the General-level? Did you use a specific training method?"
Qiao Sang addressed the last reporter directly: "I didn't train it for that skill. It was a spontaneous awakening that occurred upon its evolution."
Every camera lens immediately focused on Gangbao.
"Gang Zhan."
Gangbao stood tall, puffing out its chest to look its best for the cameras.
---
Early the next morning, in a quiet restaurant booth.
Most places would be shut by this hour, but the influx of tourists for the Regional Championships meant many establishments were now open 24/7.
Ye Xiangting, Liu Yao, and Mikayla were enjoying some late-night food while swapping stories about Qiao Sang. Meanwhile, the subject of their conversation was busy scrolling through her phone.
The hashtag #Qiao Sang, 17-year-old B-rank Beast Master# was currently trending at number one.
Other top topics included #Steel Sword Falcon, Holy Sword#, #Qiao Sang's Sweep#, and #Spontaneous Super-tier Skill Awakening#.
Satisfied with the buzz surrounding Gangbao, Qiao Sang put her phone away and began to eat. The online fame was a major step toward achieving Gangbao's goal.
"You have a week before your next bout," Mikayla noted. "Use that time to prepare."
With such a massive number of entries, the preliminary rounds would take seven days to finish.
"I observed the matches today," Mikayla continued. "Almost everyone is utilizing combo techniques. Your pets might have high skill proficiency, but a well-executed combo can overpower even the strongest individual skills. You need to focus on developing your own combos over the coming days."
"I understand," Qiao Sang replied with a nod.
"Technically, showing Steel Sword Falcon's full hand tonight was a tactical error," Mikayla added. "You’ve revealed your trump card. Now everyone knows your strength and will be designing strategies specifically to counter you. It’s going to be much tougher from here on out."
Qiao Sang looked up calmly. "Even without Holy Sword, I would have been a target."
Ye Xiangting: ...
Liu Yao: ...
Qiao Sang continued seriously, "I don’t fear being targeted. If people try to counter me, it will only highlight my weaknesses and force me to grow stronger."
Ye Xiangting stared at her daughter, find it hard to believe such mature words were coming from her.
Mikayla smiled in approval. "Exactly. Learning through conflict and rapid growth—that’s the whole reason I encouraged you to enter."
As the conversation turned positive, Ye Xiangting and Liu Yao couldn't help but remember the days when Qiao Sang failed tests and almost ate pet food. The transformation was truly staggering.
---
After seeing her mother back to the hotel, Qiao Sang returned to the Beast Center.
The night shift staff in the lobby immediately began whispering as she entered: "Is that her?"
"Definitely!"
"Why is she staying here?"
"She’s probably just inexperienced since it’s her first time."
"Should we ask for a picture?"
"You do it."
"No, you!"
Qiao Sang ignored the chatter and headed toward the rooms. While many people stared or took sneaky photos, no one actually approached her.
The popularity of the Regional Championships was no joke. Even in the early stages, the attention she was receiving surpassed her previous achievements. She reached her room, washed up, and went to bed.
"Xun xun..."
Little Treasure waited until Qiao Sang was settled, then pulled a laptop from his storage ring. He signaled to Yabao, Lubao, Gangbao, and Qingbao. They all huddled around the screen.
Little Treasure navigated to a video site and found the recording of Qiao Sang’s match against Lü Fengba. He turned the volume down low and pressed play.
"Yap yap..."
"Xun xun..."
"Lu Di..."
"Qing qing..."
The pets watched with rapt attention. Seeing the battle from a third-person perspective was a completely different experience than seeing it through the Beast Codex.
When the video reached the moment Gangbao secured the win with Holy Sword, Little Treasure almost cheered out loud before remembering to cover his mouth.
"Yap yap," Yabao barked softly, patting Gangbao on the back in approval.
"Lu Di..." Lubao murmured, remembering how battered Gangbao had looked earlier.
"Qing qing?" Qingbao looked at Gangbao with concern, asking if she was fully recovered.
"Gang Zhan." Touched by their care, Gangbao assured them she was perfectly fine now.
"Xun xun~" Little Treasure gave a thumbs up, telling her she hadn't let the team down.
Gangbao: ...
Yabao eventually yawned and fell asleep, followed by Lubao and Qingbao. They couldn't stay up as late as they used to.
As Gangbao prepared to rest, she felt something hold her back. She looked down to see a shadow around her limb and looked up at Little Treasure.
"Xun xun~" Little Treasure whispered, suggesting they check the internet. He had seen the trending topics on the Beast Master's phone earlier and wanted to see more.
Gangbao paused, then moved closer to the screen.
"Xun xun~" Little Treasure offered to read the comments aloud if she didn't understand them.
"Gang Zhan." Gangbao nodded.
"Xun xun~" Little Treasure reminded her they had to be very quiet so as not to wake the others.
"Gang Zhan."
I’m actually awake... Qiao Sang thought, her eyes cracking open slightly. Watching the silhouettes of her pets huddled over the laptop, she smiled and closed her eyes again, letting them enjoy their moment.