Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 949: Another Little Treasure

Gasps of amazement rippled through the audience as spectators scrambled to record the scene on their phones.

While it wasn't unheard of for Ghost-type pets to utilize Shadow of Darkness in major tournaments—with some phantoms reaching heights of a hundred meters—witnessing such a feat in person was a vastly different sensory experience than seeing it on a screen.

The visual impact was particularly jarring because the pet initiating the technique was a Ghost-type only a few dozen centimeters tall; the sheer scale of the contrast was breathtaking.

"The Ghost Ring King has successfully manifested a Shadow of Darkness," Tian Yiwan remarked, intently watching the arena.

"This giant iteration of the Ghost Ring King certainly possesses a much more commanding presence. I wonder if the move was prioritized specifically to compensate for its small natural size."

Tang Xueran chimed in: "Notably, this marks the first time a Ghost-type pet has deployed Shadow of Darkness in this year's Regional Championships."

Shadow of Darkness creates a phantom ten or even a hundred times larger than the pet itself. Its primary utility lies in exerting psychological pressure on the foe; it does not actually amplify the damage dealt. Consequently, the technique is relatively rare in high-level competitive play.

It’s just an impressive visual, there’s no substance behind it... Xiang Wenyi calmed her racing heart and commanded: "Target the main body!"

"Mu xu!"

The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster let out a sharp cry. A deluge of leaves shimmering with green light erupted from its form, surging toward Little Treasure like a heavy downpour. "Xun xun~"

Little Treasure performed a Teleportation, evading the strike with ease.

Just as the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster prepared a follow-up, it sensed something wrong. Looking down, it realized a massive, dark silhouette had already merged with its own shadow.

Shadow Control... Xiang Wenyi’s heart skipped a beat.

She had assumed that by targeting the Ghost Ring King's actual body, she would either force the Shadow of Darkness to vanish or distract the pet enough to break its concentration while dodging.

She hadn't anticipated that the Ghost Ring King could command the Shadow of Darkness to execute Shadow Control while simultaneously utilizing Teleportation.

Recalling past footage, the Ghost Ring King usually needed to extend its small digits to manipulate the Shadow of Darkness for this to work. Within this short span of time, the Ghost Ring King and its shadow had already learned to function independently.

Did this imply there were essentially two Ghost Ring Kings operating on the battlefield?

"Expand the range!" Xiang Wenyi ordered without hesitation.

If the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster's powder could coat the entire arena, the Shadow of Darkness would be neutralized! Even if it drained a massive amount of energy, she had no other choice!

"Mu..."

Before the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster could finish its call, a thick, ink-like shadow surged upward, binding its entire body in a few swift motions until no gaps remained. Immediately after, the darkness expanded to fully envelop it, sealing the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster inside a massive black sphere.

With a casual flick of the thirty-meter-tall phantom's finger, the connected black orb was tossed into the air and began to rotate violently at the tip of the giant shadow's digit.

---

Meanwhile, the official Regional Championship livestream was flooded with comments: [This technique looks so familiar...]

[I can't believe Qiao Sang still has the habit of spinning her opponents into a daze even after reaching B-rank Beast Master status.]

[This is the Regionals, though—surely these experts won't succumb to being spun around?]

[That's a Ghost Ring King now, not the Ghost Ring Spirit from the past. This dizzying skill is definitely version 3.0.]

[Look at how dense that shadow is; it's the Shadow of Darkness performing the Shadow Control. I bet it can spin them senseless!]

[What are you guys talking about?]

[We're discussing God Qiao's signature tactics. She still loves making her enemies dizzy just like she used to.]

[How do you all know Qiao Sang?]

[She was in the National Campus Beast Tamer League a year ago. Plenty of opponents were left spinning by her Ghost Ring Spirit. That spirit is a King now.]

[Are you all students?]

[Yeah.]

[Don’t you have evening self-study right now?]

Following that last comment, the frequency of the scrolling chat immediately plummeted by half.

---

Back at the arena: "Is the Ghost Ring King attempting to dizzy the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster directly?" Tian Yiwan shouted, her face full of wonder.

"The proficiency this Ghost Ring King has over Shadow Control is immense. It can manifest a 3D construct directly through its Shadow of Darkness. I'm curious to see how Xiang Wenyi responds to this," Tang Xueran noted.

"Break it!" Xiang Wenyi remained composed, issuing her command as if she had already prepared for this exact scenario.

As the giant black sphere spun at high speeds under the shadow's control, glowing green spikes suddenly erupted from within it. A moment later, a loud "Bang" echoed as the spikes exploded. The black shadows shattered into fragments, scattering and dissolving into the air.

High above, Little Treasure watched the scene impassively. The titanic Ghost Ring King lowered its hand.

"Mu xu..."

The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster drifted downward, looking visibly lightheaded. Even though it had successfully shattered the 3D Shadow Control, the intense rotation had clearly taken a toll.

The energy levels of this Wood-whiskered Flower Monster are significantly higher than Little Treasure's... Qiao Sang observed silently.

Even Ultimate-level Shadow Control isn't invincible. If the opponent's raw power or energy far exceeds the user's, and their counter-skill proficiency is high enough, it can be overcome. This Wood-whiskered Flower Monster was proving to be a perfect example of that.

"The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster has broken free from the Shadow Control!" Tian Yiwan yelled.

"Using spikes to puncture the shell and then detonating attached explosive powder to blow it apart—what a masterful combo!"

Xiang Wenyi had used this combination of explosive powder on vine whips or spikes during the prelims; both the commentators and the crowd were well aware of its lethality.

Just as the audience expected the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster to land and reset the fight, it suddenly froze in mid-air. It then began to be swung horizontally in a rapid 360-degree arc toward the spectator stands.

"Mu xu!" the monster shrieked.

Xiang Wenyi: !!!

Xiang Wenyi glanced at the Ghost Ring King in the sky and then at the towering Shadow of Darkness. Since neither had moved, she was utterly baffled, unable to grasp the mechanics of the attack. Then, a realization struck, and she snapped her gaze to the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster’s shadow on the floor.

It was evening, and while the stadium lights were bright, they didn't provide the clarity of noon. Furthermore, the massive phantom was so distracting that subtle details were easily missed.

Xiang Wenyi spotted an incredibly faint shadow linked to the monster's own. Following the trail of that thin shadow, she looked toward the giant Ghost Ring King.

But the phantom isn't moving, and the shadow size doesn't match... Xiang Wenyi’s mind raced toward a different conclusion. The shadow was actually connected to something positioned behind the giant phantom.

In a wide-angle perspective, another Little Treasure was seen crouching behind the massive Shadow of Darkness. One paw was idly picking its nose while the other touched the ground, connected to the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster’s shadow, drawing endless circles.

Simultaneously, the Little Treasure floating high above watched the scene with a frozen, stoic expression.

Even though Little Treasure was often lazy during training, it possessed a natural talent for inventing creative applications for its known skills.

Qiao Sang had discovered that Little Treasure's Substitute could share its vision. Usually, when Little Treasure accompanied her to training, the Substitute would stay home and play on the computer—which was basically Little Treasure playing by proxy.

Because of these habits, the proficiency of Substitute was incredibly high. It could be deployed seamlessly even while maintaining the Shadow of Darkness. Effectively, Little Treasure was now capable of triple-tasking.

Earlier, the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster’s leaf blades had hit the Substitute. Meanwhile, the true Little Treasure was lurking behind the Shadow of Darkness, using the phantom's massive size as cover while manipulating the shadows into a 3D construct.

It looks like she’s caught on... Qiao Sang noted as she saw Xiang Wenyi’s eyes follow the shadow to the rear of the phantom.

There is definitely a trick behind that giant phantom! Xiang Wenyi inhaled sharply and screamed: "Stab the large one!"

"Mu xu!"

Despite being swung at high speed, the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster forced its eyes open through the dizziness to locate its target. Sensing the massive presence to its left, it moved its paw, and a meter-long wooden spike glowing with green light shot from its palm.

In that brief window, it had completed two more rotations without striking. As the third rotation brought it past the Shadow of Darkness, the spike in its hand suddenly extended to over ten meters, successfully skewering the phantom.

The Shadow of Darkness popped and vanished, revealing Little Treasure. The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster, however, was still spinning rapidly.

Wait, why is there yet another Ghost Ring King?!

Xiang Wenyi looked at the Ghost Ring King drawing circles on the ground and felt her mind momentarily stall. She looked back up at the sky.

"Xun xun~"

The Ghost Ring King in the air smirked and then dissolved into nothingness.

Xiang Wenyi: !!!

Tian Yiwan’s voice boomed: "The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster managed to keep its focus during such violent movement and broke the Shadow of Darkness! That timing was impeccable—a rare sight in the Regional Championships."

"Contestant Xiang Wenyi has finally realized there is a second Ghost Ring King on the field," Tang Xueran added.

From their high vantage point, the commentators had seen Little Treasure’s antics behind the shadow. However, in professional matches where participants can hear the broadcast, they avoid revealing hidden strategies until the contestant discovers them.

"I’ve been wanting to ask this," Tian Yiwan continued.

"How did Qiao Sang train her Ghost Ring King to manage so many skills at once? I would love to learn her secret."

So the one in the air was just a decoy—was it a Doppelganger or a Substitute? Stay focused, I need to break the control first... Xiang Wenyi centered herself and yelled: "Pierce the ground!"

"Mu xu!"

The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster cried out as another green wooden spike began to manifest in its palm.

Regional opponents really are on another level; any pet being swung around like this by Little Treasure should be out cold, yet it can still activate skills... Qiao Sang felt a flash of admiration and said: "Shift directions."

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure placed a second digit on the floor and gave it a sharp flick.

At that moment, the shadow tethered to the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster sprouted a tiny offshoot, connecting to the shadow of the monster's own paw. Because this new connection was so small compared to the pet's size, Xiang Wenyi missed it.

The monster's paw was aimed at the floor, the spike ready to fire vertically. But as it launched, the paw jerked uncontrollably upward. The spike suddenly reversed direction, shooting straight up and impaling the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster itself.

"Mu xu!"

The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster let out a pained shriek, yet the high-speed spinning continued unabated.

A wave of shock swept through the stadium stands.

Xiang Wenyi: !!!

"Contestant Qiao Sang actually forced the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster to attack itself using its own technique!" Tian Yiwan shouted.

"And it appears to have been devastatingly effective!"

The energy-destabilizing powder has cleared—now is the time... Seeing the green mist dissipate, Qiao Sang commanded: "Pull!"

Little Treasure retracted its paw, and the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster was yanked toward him. Because the shadow control had specifically manipulated its head, it found itself flying face-to-face with Little Treasure, staring into a pair of glowing purple eyes.

"Powder!" Xiang Wenyi yelled instinctively. While other skills might be redirected, a cloud of powder couldn't be!

"Go, use a heavy attack!" Hearing the enemy’s move, Qiao Sang abandoned the plan for a direct physical strike.

Because the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster was wounded and falling under the influence of Hypnosis, it failed to react in time. In those two seconds, Little Treasure vanished.

A second later, a colossal figure thirty meters tall plummeted from the sky, its head radiating a brilliant white light as it dove straight at the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster!

The crowd’s roar reached a crescendo. If they weren't mistaken, was that the Ghost Ring King’s Shadow of Darkness performing a Psychic Headbutt?!

"Get out of the way!" Xiang Wenyi’s eyes narrowed in terror, her face turning pale as she screamed.

The sight of a thirty-meter-tall entity executing a Zen Headbutt was enough to rattle anyone. The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster was only six meters tall; visually, it looked like a glowing meteor was about to crush it.

The monster’s mind was clouded by Hypnosis; though it wasn't asleep yet, its reflexes were severely dulled.

With a thunderous "Bang," the phantom’s head, wreathed in white light, slammed down vertically, striking the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster’s head and completely burying its body under the impact.

The giant shadow then dissolved into mist.

"Mu xu..."

The Wood-whiskered Flower Monster staggered for a moment before collapsing, its eyes shut tight.

The mechanical referee appeared instantly, performed a quick check, and signaled a green flag toward Qiao Sang. On the massive virtual display, the Wood-whiskered Flower Monster’s icon under Xiang Wenyi’s profile turned from color to grayscale.

"Xun xun!"

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure was ready, frantically waving his paws at every corner of the stadium in a 360-degree victory lap.

"Whoa!"

The entire stadium erupted into a deafening roar of cheers for Little Treasure.