Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 975: Top 16

-----

The frigid aura emanating from Lubao’s form became even more intense.

Sweet Poison King, who was still frantically clutching its mouth, was instantaneously encased in ice once more. Deep within the frozen shell, the emerald glow in its eyes flickered. The trapped purple flower began secreting a massive quantity of white powder.

Suddenly, the powder detonated.

With a thunderous BANG, the ice prison surrounding the purple flower shattered into fragments. Shards of ice were propelled in every direction.

A wave of excitement swept through the spectator stands.

"Sweet Poison King’s purple flower has successfully breached the seal of the Ice Field Domain!" Tian Yiwan shouted.

In the waiting area, the eyes of several competitors brightened. Ever since Lubao first utilized her Ice Field Domain, this was the first instance of a frozen pet—or at least its companion item—breaking the effect through its own power. This offered them a spark of hope that Super-tier skills were not completely invincible.

"The ice layer around that purple flower had already been thinned significantly by poison corrosion," Tang Xueran noted during her analysis.

"Now that Sweet Poison King has entered the Overgrow state, the amplified Grass-type power made the Magic Powder even more destructive, allowing it to shatter the seal in one burst. It appears Lubao only focused on re-freezing the Sweet Poison King itself just now, rather than reinforcing the entire domain's freeze."

As they observed, the massive purple flower began spinning at a high velocity, shedding its petals. The petals drifted to the earth, shimmering with a green light. From these petals, individual purple flowers sprouted, growing aggressively upward until each reached a height exceeding ten meters.

The purple flower is Sweet Poison King's companion item; it can manipulate its scale at will. With enough proficiency, it can even divide into multiple flowers, each harboring deadly toxins and the ability to disperse Magic Powder... Qiao Sang watched the display with a calm expression.

Under Mikayla’s guidance and her own rigorous experimentation, Lubao’s mastery over the Ice Field Domain had evolved significantly. Whether facing toxins or powders, she possessed the means to neutralize the opponent before they could succeed.

After all, a volley of eleven standard Giant Ice Spikes had already forced the Sweet Poison King into its Overgrow state; its fundamental defense was clearly not that formidable.

"Maximum," Qiao Sang ordered.

The sapphire embedded in Lubao’s forehead pulsed with a brilliant blue light. Almost the exact moment the gem glowed, a monumental ice spike—so vast it resembled a real mountain—materialized in the air above the arena.

The entire stadium was instantly cast into a deep shadow.

The spectators' faces were frozen in a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and sheer disbelief.

Tian Yiwan stared with a dropped jaw before suddenly leaping from his seat, yelling: "Glacier Descent?!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he felt he might be mistaken. Glacier Descent is a legendary Ice-type Super-tier skill that creates a literal mountain of ice, capable of permanently altering the landscape. If this were a true Glacier Descent, the mountain appeared somewhat small.

However, remembering that Lubao’s Beast Master was Qiao Sang, his certainty wavered. If the proficiency of Glacier Descent is high enough, the user can control its dimensions at will.

Glacier Descent is considered one of the most difficult Super-tier skills to master because the ice is permanent; it does not vanish when the pet departs, remaining as a natural landmark unless dismissed by the caster or melted by the elements.

As his mind raced, Tang Xueran spoke from beside him: "It's Giant Ice Spike."

The crowd gazed up at the behemoth in the sky, their thoughts stalling. In their experience, even a Giant Ice Spike at the peak of Ultimate level should never reach such a massive scale.

Chen Tianqin, feeling the oppressive shadow from above, looked up. Seeing the colossal ice mountain suspended in the air, his pupils contracted, and a single thought flashed through his mind: Run!

After being stunned for a fraction of a second, he regained his senses and screamed at the top of his lungs: "Explode! Explode everything!"

The ten-meter-tall purple flowers erupted, releasing massive clouds of white Magic Powder that rapidly saturated every corner of the battlefield.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Successive explosions rocked the field, the shockwaves rolling like a violent tide. Fissures spread across the ground and the ice crust pinning the Sweet Poison King.

Meanwhile, a dense layer of Ice Armor had already formed around Lubao as the flowers were multiplying. Magic Powder detonated incessantly around her. The Ice Armor fractured under the pressure, but the cracks were mended instantly in the following second. The cycle repeated over and over.

Before the ice on Sweet Poison King could fully break or further powder could ignite, the mountain of ice descended from the heavens like a falling world, dropping vertically!

Despite the relentless explosions of Magic Powder shearing large chunks of ice from the base of the spike, its core structure remained unshaken.

BOOM!!!

The glacier crashed into the arena. The entire surface was pulverized, sinking several inches into the dirt. Seeing Sweet Poison King crushed beneath the ice mountain without even a whimper, the audience swallowed hard in unison.

"The gargantuan Giant Ice Spike has successfully flattened Sweet Poison King! The massive Magic Powder screen didn't hinder Lubao’s assault for even a moment!" Tian Yiwan bellowed.

"Is Sweet Poison King incapacitated? Is the duel over?"

The mechanical pet referee hovered beside the ice mountain, looking perplexed. It was impossible to see the downed pet through the mass of ice.

Qiao Sang spoke: "Lubao."

"Lu Di."

Lubao let out a soft cry, and the ice mountain that dominated the field dissolved into shimmering crystals and vanished. Sweet Poison King was revealed, unconscious with its eyes closed, buried deep within the impact crater.

The mechanical referee performed a quick inspection and then signaled with the green flag toward Lubao and Qiao Sang.

"Lu Di..."

The Ice Armor surrounding Lubao’s body faded away.

The stands remained silent for two heartbeats before a roar erupted that seemed to split the clouds: "AAAAHHH! QIAO SANG! QIAO SANG!"

"ICE EMPEROR RAM! ICE EMPEROR RAM!"

"Wait, was that really just Giant Ice Spike? How can it be that enormous? Did the announcer make a mistake?"

"How could they? They are professionals."

"It is definitely the enhancement from the Ice Field Domain. I've heard that within the domain, ice skills can be manifested instantly and their scale can be altered by the surge of ice energy. Did you see the Ice Armor self-repair in a blink? Without the domain, that would be impossible."

"Why didn't Qiao Sang use a Giant Ice Spike like that when Lubao fought Zeng Feitian’s Iron Battle Dragon?"

"She was holding back, obviously. Don't professional Beast Masters always keep a trump card hidden?"

"But it felt like Ice Emperor Ram was pushed to her limits in that match."

"That’s why you aren't a pro. If she hadn't hidden it then, she wouldn't have been able to surprise us today!"

Another spectator added: "There's also the chance that Lubao's mastery of the Ice Field Domain reached a new level in just the last few days."

"Is the Ice Field Domain really this broken...?"

"What did you expect? It’s a Super-tier skill."

"By the way, did Chen Tianqin just lose three consecutive rounds?"

"I expected him to lose, but I never thought it would be such a slaughter..."

"In the first round, I thought his strategy of trading pieces was clever. I didn't foresee a 0-3 sweep."

"It isn't that he’s weak; it’s just that Qiao Sang dictated the entire pace. He lost before he could even show his true strength."

"The key is that you can't use Qiao Sang's past matches as a guide. Furthermore, the Ice Field Domain is practically impossible to counter. Unless a pet possesses significantly more energy than Ice Emperor Ram, they’ll just be frozen again instantly even if they break the ice. Inside that domain, it only takes a single thought."

---

In the family seating area.

"Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang! Lubao! Lubao!" Ye Xiangting stood up in a frenzy of excitement, waving her support glow-stick. She pulled out her phone, snapped a picture of the arena, and uploaded it to her social media with the caption: Proud!

---

Meanwhile, in the official livestream, the chat was moving too fast to read. The screen was flooded with "AAAAHHH," "ICE EMPEROR RAM," and endless exclamation marks.

[Goddess Qiao! I knew you'd win!]

[Ice Emperor Ram is flawless! Every fight reveals something new!]

[To be honest, Ice Emperor Ram hasn't even used half her power. She didn't even need Healing Light!]

[AAAH! Is the Water Luriana Research and Protection Center really not going to give Qiao Sang more pets to train?!]

[Some people are 17 and crushing National Bureau members, while some are 37 and still stressing over pet food costs.]

[National Bureau? Is that official yet?]

[Even though he lost, I still back Chen Tianqin! Good effort! You just ran into a monster! See you at the next stop!]

---

At the arena.

A massive virtual display appeared in the center of the stadium, showcasing portraits of Qiao Sang, Chen Tianqin, and their respective pets. Chen Tianqin’s image faded away, allowing Qiao Sang’s portrait to expand until it filled the screen. Digital fireworks burst around her image.

"Let us offer our congratulations to contestant Qiao Sang for her 3-0 victory! She officially moves on to the Top 16!" Tian Yiwan shouted with fervor.

Compared to a veteran securing a win, the 17-year-old Qiao Sang—who also possessed a legendary pet—was a far more compelling story for the press and the fans. Chen Tianqin gave the distant, slender figure a long look before withdrawing Sweet Poison King into his Codex.

---

Backstage.

Qiao Sang carried Yabao, who was sipping on energy recovery fluid, back to her locker. She opened it and grabbed her bag. Lubao, holding her own drink, leaped into the backpack and used her paw to zip herself in halfway.

"Xun xun!"

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure was chirping with excitement nearby.

Yabao paused his drinking to look over as well.

"It was the Mutual Destruction trait," Qiao Sang explained to them.

"This specific trait forces the attacker to endure the exact same status effects and injuries as the user."

"Yap yap..." Yabao drifted into deep thought, trying to understand the mechanic.

"Xun xun!" Little Treasure understood and its eyes sparkled.

Qiao Sang looked at it and gave a small smile. "That is a Dark-type trait. I’m afraid you can’t learn it."

"Xun xun..." Little Treasure’s expression slumped in disappointment.

Just then, a voice drifted from nearby: "Why are you so against joining the Imperial Beast Battle Team for training?"

Qiao Sang turned and noticed that Chen Tianqin had approached her unnoticed.

Qiao Sang realized his intent and replied: "I am still a student. I have to study."

Chen Tianqin remained silent for a moment.

"Entering the National Team early means gaining access to major international tournaments sooner. With your level of skill and talent, you would be promoted to the main roster in no time."

Qiao Sang simply repeated: "I am still a student. I have to study."

Chen Tianqin: ...

Suddenly, a realization hit him: Is she trying to say she’s a top student who loves learning?

At that thought, the lingering hostility in Chen Tianqin’s gaze evaporated. He let out a sigh and then grinned. "Go study hard then. I expect to see you at the National Bureau soon."

He was aware that the requirement for Qiao Sang to return to the Bureau was either attaining A-rank Beast Master status or waiting two decades. Twenty years was far too long; he wasn't even sure if he’d still be active by then.

Chen Tianqin turned to depart, but after a single step, he paused and added: "Keep an eye out for Yuan Tianlong."

Then, he continued walking.

Qiao Sang was taken aback. Sensing that his animosity had vanished, she called out: "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" Chen Tianqin stopped and glanced back.

"I have studied your previous duels and those of your Phantasm Hate Fox," Qiao Sang said.

"Why has it never used the Mutual Destruction trait before today?"

Even though the fox hadn't lost in any recorded footage, Mutual Destruction implies that if I am hurt, you are hurt. She recalled the fox taking hits in those matches, yet its opponents never seemed to share the damage.

Chen Tianqin felt a surge of smug pride. He smirked and answered: "Go ask your teacher."

With that, he gave a casual wave and walked away with a cool air.

Qiao Sang: ...