Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 946: On the Trending List Again

The following morning, Qiao Sang didn't open her eyes until nine o'clock.

"That was a solid rest. It looks like everyone is focused on the preliminaries and hasn't started targeting me yet..."

Once she finished her breakfast, she switched on the television in her suite to catch the Regional Championships live stream. Out of her 400-plus potential rivals, nearly half hadn't appeared on the scouting lists provided by marketing accounts. She needed to study the preliminaries to understand their capabilities.

Contestants aren't granted free entry to the stands unless it's their own match day; otherwise, they need to purchase tickets. Since Qiao Sang couldn't secure any, she settled for the online broadcast.

"Yap yap..."

Yabao sat right next to her, his gaze fixed on the screen. Suddenly, a rhythmic double-knock echoed from the door.

"Xun xun~"

Little Treasure drifted toward the entrance, phasing his head straight through the wood to peer outside. After retracting his head, he swung the door open.

Ye Xiangting stepped inside, casting a meaningful glance at Little Treasure. "Does Little Treasure always open the door like that?" she inquired.

Little Treasure blinked his large, innocent eyes, looking utterly puzzled. Qiao Sang cleared her throat to shift the topic: "Mom, what brings you here?" "To check on you, obviously."

Ye Xiangting placed the food she had brought on the table, took a seat on the sofa, and remarked, "I realized I forgot to ask yesterday. Now that you've reached the rank of B-rank Beast Master, what is your fifth contracted pet?"

"Qingbao," Qiao Sang summoned.

"Qing qing~"

Qingbao materialized instantly, offering Ye Xiangting a sweet, welcoming smile.

Ye Xiangting’s eyes shimmered with delight. "What species is this? It’s absolutely adorable."

"It's a Breezewing Nini, a Fairy-type pet," Qiao Sang explained.

"What a charming name." Ye Xiangting reached out toward Qingbao.

"Come here, little one."

"Qing qing."

Recognizing the woman as her Beast Master’s mother, Qingbao didn't hesitate. She floated over and settled onto Ye Xiangting’s lap before the woman could even move, looking up with pure, well-behaved eyes.

Ye Xiangting was momentarily stunned. As she looked down at the pet whose eyes were as clear as the summer sky, she felt her heart soften completely. She had encountered many pets, including numerous cute low-level species, but none possessed this level of charm. For a long while, she was captivated by Qingbao, her hand gently stroking the cloud-like fur on the pet's body, completely losing her train of thought.

Meanwhile, Qiao Sang returned her attention to the live stream.

"Qing qing..."

After a prolonged session of petting, Qingbao’s smile began to wane. she glanced at her Beast Master, but Qiao Sang was absorbed in the TV. Turning her head, she caught Little Treasure’s eye with a silent plea for help.

"Xun xun?"

Little Treasure perked up. He saw a golden chance to earn some favor with his future little sister. He drifted in front of Qiao Sang's mother and stared at the snacks on the table with exaggerated curiosity, attempting to divert her focus.

The distraction worked. Ye Xiangting snapped out of it. "Oh, these are some snacks I brought, you can have some now."

"Xun xun~"

As Little Treasure pulled the bag open, Qingbao seized the moment to turn into a light breeze and disappear.

Feeling the weight lift from her lap, Ye Xiangting blinked, remembering her actual purpose. "I've heard that the Beast Center can get quite noisy for the contestants. Would you like to move to the hotel I've booked? It’s a bit of a trek from the stadium, but it's much quieter."

"There's no need," Qiao Sang replied, declining the offer.

"Unless it's one of those top-tier high-privacy hotels, staying anywhere else is basically the same as being at the Beast Center. Besides, this location is very central and easy to travel from."

She had researched this days ago. Only a handful of hotels could truly guarantee privacy against a Beast Master’s intrusive methods, and those were already packed with other competitors.

Ye Xiangting started to argue, but her words died in her throat. She spotted a mysterious pet standing by the window that bore a resemblance to Lubao. Cold mist swirled around its form as it manifested armor made of solid frost. She stood frozen in shock.

"Is that... Lubao?" she whispered, unsure.

Qiao Sang glanced over and gave a casual nod. Then, as if it were an afterthought, she added: "Oh, I forgot to mention. Lubao has evolved as well."

Her mother’s gentle demeanor from the previous day had made her forget how intense her reactions could be.

Ye Xiangting was floored. Lubao had evolved? Lubao was already at the General-level before... so that meant... a King-level pet?!

Did her daughter seriously have two King-level pets already?!

Ye Xiangting’s mind was a whirlwind of astonishment and confusion. How had her seventeen-year-old daughter managed to become a Beast Master with two King-level pets?

It took a long time—long enough for Qiao Sang to watch two full matches—before Ye Xiangting finally spoke: "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"Huh?" Qiao Sang was taken aback, then realized what her mother meant.

"It only happened within the last six months."

Ye Xiangting said in a hollow tone: "I realize that. But in all those six months, you couldn't find a single minute to call and share this with me?"

Wait, Mom, you were so understanding yesterday, saying you understood I was busy. Did you forget already? Qiao Sang tried to remind her: "I was just overwhelmed with work. I only just got out of a secret realm after finishing a mission."

Ye Xiangting fell silent for a beat. "Does anyone else know?"

Qiao Sang shook her head. "Only Mikayla and a few others. I haven't posted anything on social media yet."

She paused, then teased, "Mom, do you want to take a photo and post it?"

At the suggestion, Lubao remained silent, though he quietly let the ice armor dissipate.

Ye Xiangting gave her a sharp look. "Post it? You are in the middle of the Regional Championships. The less the public knows about your true power, the better."

Even though she hadn't competed in the Regionals herself, she knew that having one's data analyzed by opponents was a contestant's worst nightmare.

Qiao Sang blinked, realizing her mother hadn't mentioned Yabao's evolution online either...

Lubao began to reform the ice armor once more.

Suddenly, Ye Xiangting pulled out her phone and—click—snapped a photo of Lubao.

Qiao Sang looked at her, her expression asking: I thought you said you weren't going to post?

Ye Xiangting caught the look and tucked her phone away. "I’m not posting it yet. I’m saving it. I'll wait until you actually deploy Lubao on the battlefield, then I'll post it."

Qiao Sang: ...

Lubao: ...

---

9:00 PM.

Suburban Villa.

Qiao Sang was busy at the outdoor training field. Watching the figure on the grass through the large windows, Yu Le sighed: "Sis, I never imagined the person you backed would become such a powerhouse so quickly."

"Me neither..." Yu Ke admitted.

While she had always seen Qiao Sang's potential, she never expected her to rise this fast. Qiao Sang had dominated the social media trends after yesterday’s match. It was incredibly rare for a rookie Beast Master to top the charts during the preliminary stage of the Regional Championships.

"She’s focused on her training now, so don't go out there and disturb her," Yu Ke cautioned.

"I know," Yu Le replied.

"I haven't told a soul she’s staying here. If I did, my friends would be trying to barge in every day."

Yu Ke recalled something and asked, "The person who recently rented out all the available training halls in Tian’an City... was that the kid from the Rong family?"

"That’s the one," Yu Le shared the gossip.

"It’s his first time in the Regionals, and he’s clearly desperate for a win, so he pulled that stunt. Most people online just think the grounds are overbooked because of the crowds. Even if the Rong kid hadn't done it, someone else would have. It's a common tactic."

Despite her youth, she understood the cutthroat nature of high-level competitions.

"Should we mention it to Qiao Sang?" Yu Le asked.

"No," Yu Ke said firmly.

"The tournament is her only priority right now. We shouldn't distract her with nonsense."

Outside, Qiao Sang finished setting up the training routines for Yabao, Lubao, Little Treasure, and Gangbao, then stepped back to supervise.

"Qing qing?"

Qingbao appeared suddenly, chirping a question about whether she should be training too.

Qiao Sang blinked, then quickly replied, "Of course. Why don't you start practicing your Fairy Wind?"

"Qing qing..."

Qingbao lingered. She let out a sad cry, asking if she simply wasn't going to be allowed to fight on stage.

This... Qiao Sang hesitated. She didn't want to be blunt.

The Regional Championships featured the elite under forty. Most contestants used High-level pets at the very minimum. Since Qingbao was only a Mid-level pet, entering her into a match was essentially giving the opponent a free win.

Seeing the longing in Qingbao’s eyes, Qiao Sang chose her words with care: "It's not that. This tournament is long. If you can grow stronger during this time..."

The unspoken condition was clear: If you evolve, you can play.

"Qing qing?"

Qingbao’s eyes brightened, then clouded with confusion. What exactly did "becoming stronger" mean in this context?

Qiao Sang realized she had to be direct. She steeled herself and said: "You need to evolve first."

"Qing qing..."

Qingbao’s spirit immediately sank. Having spent her life in the secret realm, she knew that evolution was a monumental task. It seemed she was destined to stay on the sidelines. Slumping with disappointment, Qingbao floated away to start the Fairy Wind practice her master had requested.

"Wait!" Qiao Sang called out, unable to ignore the pet's dejected posture.

"Qing qing?"

Qingbao turned back around.

Qiao Sang cleared her throat and said, "Actually, evolving quickly isn't as impossible as it sounds."

"Qing qing?"

Qingbao’s eyes sparkled with hope as she rushed back, staring at her Beast Master with intense anticipation.

"Are you prepared to work incredibly hard?" Qiao Sang asked.

"Qing qing." Qingbao shook her head firmly—she wasn't afraid.

"Very well. Starting today, you will spend ten hours a day on skill training."

Qiao Sang added, "Plus another two hours of actual combat."

She had her unique advantage. With enough points, she could definitely force Qingbao to reach the High-level rank in a short period. After all, Yabao and the others had used points to reach that level within just a few months.

Since the current matches only required three pets, and her main team was so strong, she hadn't initially considered pushing Qingbao through battle-grinding for an evolution.

This was a common issue for Beast Masters with many pets; unless the seniors hit a wall in their development, it was hard to find the time to focus on the growth of a new addition.

Qiao Sang hadn't planned on using Qingbao in the Regionals, but since the pet wanted to contribute, she would find a way. Back in the secret realm, Qingbao had already earned a significant amount of points while working with Gangbao, nearly enough to reach the High-level threshold.

However, a Perfect Evolution required more. Her skill mastery wasn't at the Ultimate level yet, and the specific evolution materials from the Central Hollow Region hadn't arrived.

"Qing qing?"

Qingbao looked skeptical. Could she really evolve just by training? In her experience, evolution required consuming vast amounts of rare, energy-rich materials.

"Do you trust me?" Qiao Sang asked solemnly.

"Qing qing."

Qingbao studied her for a moment and then nodded. She wouldn't have followed her out of the secret realm if she didn't trust her.

"Then get to work," Qiao Sang said.

"Qing qing."

Qingbao nodded again and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Qiao Sang called out once more.

Qingbao turned back, confused.

"Don't focus on Fairy Wind. Practice Tailwind instead."

Tailwind was already Qingbao’s strongest skill; it would reach the Ultimate level much faster than the others.

"Qing qing."

Qingbao didn't question the instruction. She nodded, transformed into a gust of wind, and began her intense training session.

I wonder when those evolution materials will get here... Qiao Sang mused, watching the spot where Qingbao had vanished.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was her mother. Before Qiao Sang could even say hello, her mother’s voice, trembling with excitement, burst through the phone:

"Qing... Qingbao... Is the Breezewing Nini actually a legendary pet?"

She finally found out... Qiao Sang gave a soft hum of confirmation. "Mom, how did you find out?"

There was a brief silence on the line. Then, her mother finally spoke: "It’s all over the trending lists! You... contracting a legendary pet is a massive event, and you didn't even mention it to me..."

Trending again... Qiao Sang focused her thoughts.

"Qingbao is only at the Mid-level right now. She’s a long way from reaching her legendary God-level form."

"It doesn't matter how far she is from God-level, she's still a legendary pet!" Ye Xiangting felt her daughter was being far too humble. She was bursting with pride and wonder: How did I raise such a genius?

Qiao Sang chatted with her mother for a bit longer, then hung up and checked the trending topics.

#Qiao Sang, Qingqing Ni#

#Qiao Sang definitely contracted Qingqing Ni in Secret Realm 16#

The tags regarding her and Qingbao were front and center, holding the first and third spots in the Regional Championship news. Qiao Sang clicked on the third-ranked post:

[I’m a Spirit Mark Master who was lucky enough to visit Secret Realm 16 this year. Everyone knows Qingqing Ni live there. I went specifically to find them and even joined a search party.]

[Even if you can't contract a legendary pet like Qingqing Ni, just seeing one is a life-changing experience.]

[While searching, I ran into Qiao Sang.]

[Yes, the most insane dark horse in the history of the Regional Championships!]

[When I saw her in the realm, I thought she was some old master with a youthful appearance, so my team didn't dare bother her. Who knew she was actually that young!]

[Looking back, it’s a good thing we stayed away...]

[She’s young, but she’s a freaking B-rank Beast Master. It’s unbelievable.]

[I ran into her three times in the realm. It felt like fate. Now I realize she probably contracted the Qingqing Ni right then!]

[We had a teammate who could track special wind currents. All three times, the wind led us straight to Qiao Sang. We should have realized it...]

[I’m so full of regret! I missed a chance to get her contact info!]

[Anyway, after I left the realm, I saw rumors of a Qingqing Ni appearing at different Beast Centers. There were photos, and I immediately knew it was the same person I saw in the realm. I just didn't know her name at the time.]

[Yesterday, as soon as I saw the Regionals broadcast, I recognized her as the person from the realm and the Beast Master from those leaked photos.]

[I’d bet my life on it: She is the Beast Master who successfully contracted the Qingqing Ni.]

[Also, here’s a pro tip for her future opponents: She has a Ghost-type pet that is capable of Teleportation.]