Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 957: Sky Ice Crow

The Contestant Area.

Qiao Sang located her seat, but the moment she sat down, the individual beside her offered a greeting.

"What a stroke of luck, we are paired as neighbors once again."

Turning her head, Qiao Sang recognized Rong Yuhua, the contestant who had been seated next to her during the previous round. She gave him a courteous smile. "It truly is a coincidence."

Rong Yuhua leaned in and whispered, "The rumors online claim your Breezewing Nini has reached evolution. Is that actually true?"

He was already certain of the answer; the question was merely a way to break the ice.

As a rule, competitors avoid discussing the capabilities of their pets. Such conversations usually only happen if a pet has already fought publicly, if the master is so dominant that secrets don't matter, or if it is just meaningless chatter where the listener takes everything with a grain of salt.

Qiao Sang’s case was unique. The pet he was curious about would only be at the High-level even after evolving. It was highly improbable that such a pet would be deployed on this stage, so he didn't feel as though he was overstepping by asking for tactical data.

"She did evolve," Qiao Sang confirmed with a nod.

Central Water Villas was the luxury community where Yu Ke lived.

"I don't," Qiao Sang replied, shaking her head.

"However, a friend of mine lives there."

She then followed up by asking, "How were you able to identify the location?"

"I also have a friend in that complex," Rong Yuhua explained.

"The video showing Breezewing Nini’s evolution caught the layout of the training grounds. My friend sent me a message saying the scenery matched his neighborhood exactly."

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "It’s only a matter of time before others track down your training spot. Are you planning to move?"

Qiao Sang: ???

After reflecting for a few seconds, Qiao Sang remarked, "I'm not sure who is responsible, but some person booked every single available training facility in Tianan City on that same day. I'm stuck where I am."

... Rong Yuhua fell into a stunned silence.

Nearly ten seconds passed before he finally managed to say what he originally intended: "Would you like to train at one of my places? I own several empty properties throughout Tianan City."

Had he been a B-rank Beast Master with even a slim hope of defeating Qiao Sang, he never would have offered her a place to grow stronger. But as a C-rank Beast Master, he stood no chance against her even if they were matched. In this situation, fostering a friendship was the wiser strategy.

Qiao Sang looked at him briefly before turning him down. "I appreciate the offer, but no. Training at my friend's place is working out well."

She naturally placed more trust in Yu Ke, given their professional history, than in Rong Yuhua, who was a direct competitor. Rong Yuhua, perhaps feeling a bit guilty about the training ground shortage, did not press the issue further.

---

The Family Area.

Ye Xiangting had become the focal point of the entire section. A crowd had formed around her, with everyone trying to speak at once.

"Qiao Sang’s mother, is that video on the web the real deal?"

"Is it true that Breezewing Nini evolved into a Qinyin Fairy?"

"Could we perhaps swap contact information?"

"Since you traveled all the way from the Yuhua Region for the tournament, you likely haven't seen much of Central Hollow. Once the matches conclude, you should bring Qiao Sang along so I can show you the sights."

Ye Xiangting navigated the social pressure with practiced grace.

"I'm not quite sure, I haven't spent much time online lately... I can't say for certain; Qiao Sang is always busy training and rarely calls home. I only realized she had become a B-rank Beast Master after arriving for the matches... Of course... Certainly, I'll check with Qiao Sang later to see if her schedule allows it."

Liu Yao sat nearby in silence. A quiet, middle-aged man sitting next to him eventually asked, "Are you the father of Qiao Sang?"

Liu Yao kept his response brief. "I am not."

The man followed up with curiosity, "Then who might you be?"

Choosing to stay low-key rather than announcing his status as a researcher, Liu Yao replied, "I am her high school teacher."

The man’s interest was instantly piqued. "Which school?"

"Shengshui High School," Liu Yao answered.

The man continued his questioning, "Is she still a student there?"

"No, she received early admission into a university," Liu Yao stated.

The man’s gossip-seeking didn't stop: "Which university?"

Liu Yao saw no reason to hide the truth. "Imperial Beast University."

The man was stunned for a moment, but then realized it made perfect sense. Recovering quickly, he pulled out his phone and messaged his family group chat: [Big news! I just found out Qiao Sang is a student at Imperial Beast University!]

As he was typing, the clock reached 9:00 AM.

The host stepped onto the stage. After the usual routine of welcoming the crowd, introducing guests, and finishing the opening ceremonies, the main event finally began: "Next, we will determine the pairings for the Top 108 as they fight for a spot in the Top 54! Please welcome the officials from the Notary Office!"

A massive holographic screen materialized in the air. The stadium fell silent as every eye fixed on the screen and the Base-Divider Unit.

"Fen fen."

The Base-Divider Unit glided to the center of the arena and split apart. Its upper section floated toward the central screen, merging with the display. Photos of the contestants began to whirl and shuffle at high speed. After ten seconds, the images locked into pairs across the screen.

Qiao Sang scanned the display and found her face in the third pairing.

Feeling composed, she looked at the person she would be facing.

The moment her eyes landed on her opponent's photo, her relaxed expression vanished.

Shi Bing, age 38, a C-rank Beast Master. Despite his rank, he had successfully raised a King-level pet. This feat had made him a sensation in the tournament. Even though he had progressed through the first two rounds using only two pets, Qiao Sang was well-aware of his full roster thanks to media reports.

He possessed one King-level, two General-levels, and one High-level pet.

Unless something went wrong, he would almost certainly deploy his King-level and the two General-levels for this fight.

... Qiao Sang gave a quiet sigh. A General-level pet, even one at the very beginning of its stage, would be an impossible hurdle for Qingbao.

As she processed this, a staff member approached and formally announced the first three groups, requesting they head backstage to prepare.

Qiao Sang rose and followed the group, but instead of waiting in the common lounge, she sought out a quiet, empty corner.

"Qingbao," Qiao Sang whispered.

"Qing qing," Qingbao responded, appearing before her.

"The weakest opponent you'll face in this next match will be at the General-level," Qiao Sang said, laying out the reality of the situation.

"Qing qing..." Qingbao froze in place.

The pet seemed to grasp the weight of the news, and a look of dejection crossed her face. A sudden, sharp wind began to swirl around them.

Despite her hair blowing wildly in the gust, Qiao Sang maintained a serious gaze. "So, are you prepared? To go up against a General-level pet."

"Qing qing..." Qingbao looked up, her eyes meeting her Beast Master's in a daze. The wind died down instantly.

Qiao Sang continued, "Don't be afraid. I'll do my best to weaken the General-level pet first. Even so, its power will be far beyond yours. If you feel the risk is too great, we have plenty of other tournaments in the future."

Realistically, unless the General-level opponent was on the verge of collapsing, Qingbao had almost no path to victory. If Qingbao shared the prideful nature of Yabao or Little Treasure, Qiao Sang would never have suggested her public debut be such a brutal match.

"Qing qing!"

Almost immediately, Qingbao gave a firm nod. She wanted to fight!

"Even if it ends in defeat?" Qiao Sang pressed.

"Qing qing!" Qingbao nodded with conviction.

"Why are you so determined to do this?" Qiao Sang asked, genuinely puzzled. She had never seen Qingbao as the type to seek out battle.

"Qing qing." Qingbao thought it over for a moment before crying out, signaling that she simply wanted the chance to try.

"To try?" Qiao Sang was taken aback. She hadn't expected such a simple, pure answer.

"Qing qing." Qingbao nodded again.

The pet paused, offered a gentle smile, and continued her explanation.

... Qiao Sang felt a surge of emotion. She declared with renewed energy, "Alright! Then let's go out there and win!"

---

The minutes ticked by as the tournament proceeded according to schedule.

Up in the commentary booth, Tian Yiwan looked over the statistics for the upcoming match, his voice rising with excitement:

"Next up, we have Qiao Sang facing off against Shi Bing. Both of these competitors have been the talk of the tournament!"

"That is an understatement," Tang Xueran joined in.

"On one side, we have the youngest and most viral contestant, Qiao Sang, who makes headlines even when she isn't competing. On the other, we have Shi Bing, a rare C-rank Beast Master who commands a King-level pet and is capable of challenging B-rank masters."

She smiled as the roar of the crowd intensified. "The energy in this stadium is incredible. It's clear that everyone has been waiting for this specific showdown."

The bleachers were a sea of noise: "Ah! Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"

"Ghost Ring King! Steel Sword Falcon!"

"Qinyin Fairy! Please! We want to see the Qinyin Fairy!"

"God Qiao! God Qiao! You are destined for the top!"

Though Shi Bing had his own supporters, their voices were quickly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of Qiao Sang’s fans.

At that moment, Tian Yiwan announced: "Contestants Qiao Sang and Shi Bing are now entering the arena!"

As he spoke, two blue avian pets soared out from the tunnels and into the sky. The cheering reached a deafening crescendo.

Amidst the roar, a holographic countdown started at "10" on the field. The audience fell silent as one.

In the Family Area.

Ye Xiangting stared at the imposing figure of the opponent on the field and frowned as a thought occurred to her. She turned and asked, "Does Shi Bing really have a King-level, two General-levels, and a High-level pet?"

Liu Yao, who had been focused solely on the matches rather than the gossip, considered this. "I know he used a King-level and a General-level in his previous fight. I'm not certain about the rest of his team."

Ye Xiangting’s excitement for her daughter was now tinged with anxiety. Even though Qiao Sang was a B-rank Beast Master, both Yabao and Lubao were relatively new to their evolved forms. Even a small gap in internal energy at the King-level could result in a massive disparity in actual combat power.

The holographic countdown flickered down to "1" before vanishing entirely.

Qiao Sang and Shi Bing performed their hand seals in unison. Red and orange star arrays ignited across the arena floor, and two massive forms began to manifest within the light.

As the pet covered in deep blue scales emerged from the red star array, the temperature in the stadium plummeted. Thick snowflakes began to drift through the air. The snow swirled around the majestic, mysterious creature, leaving the spectators breathless at its stunning presence.

"What kind of pet is that? It’s magnificent..."

"I'm not sure, but it has to be King-level..."

"Is this Qiao Sang’s King-level pet? It’s so beautiful..."

"With that appearance, it could easily dominate international coordination circuits."

Meanwhile, the live chat of the official broadcast went into a frenzy: [OH MY GOD!!! Ice Emperor Ram!!! It’s an Ice Emperor Ram!!!]

[I’m losing my mind! Am I really seeing this?!]

[People of the Guwu Region, let’s go!!! Spam the chat!!!]

[Ahhh! Qiao Sang actually evolved that Ice Xilu into an Ice Emperor Ram! This is insane!]

[Ice Emperor Ram! Someone tell me where I can get a ticket to Central Hollow right now! I need to be there!]

[Brothers, I'll see you in Central Hollow. I just booked my flight.]

[Guys, my boss denied my vacation for this, so I just quit my job.]

[I’m officially declaring Qiao Sang as my one and only idol!]

[Ah! Qiao Sang! Please come to the Guwu Region! Even though our championships just ended, we’ll move next year’s earlier just for your Ice Emperor Ram!]

"What is happening? Why is the chat suddenly full of people from the Guwu Region?"

---

On the arena floor.

Lubao stared at her opponent in the distance, her gaze perfectly calm.

Sky Ice Crow, a dual-attribute King-level pet of Flying and Ice. Its body maintains a constant temperature of -10°C. It possesses the ability to ingest water to generate snow clouds internally. If provoked, it can trigger a full-scale blizzard...

.. Qiao Sang watched the twelve-meter-tall creature, which appeared to be sculpted from ice with jagged spikes along its spine, as the relevant data flashed through her mind.