Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 978: Anti-Wobbuffet Measures

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Memory of the wink the Aggro-Bust Sparrow King had directed at Gangbao resurfaced in her mind. Observing its cheerful demeanor so early in the day, she concluded it must have enjoyed a full night's rest.

With that thought, Qiao Sang rose and guided Yabao toward the staging area. She was scheduled for the third bracket; provided the opening duels concluded efficiently, her match would likely begin before midday.

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Backstage.

Scanning the room, Qiao Sang noted that Qi Fuqing had not yet arrived. She claimed a vacant seat, intending to brief Yabao and her team on their adversary's pets.

A vibration from her phone interrupted her. Checking the screen, she saw a text from Rong Yuhua: [I’ve got the full dossier on Qi Fuqing. Interested?]

Qiao Sang felt a brief moment of annoyance, but she messaged back: [Is there a price?]

Mikayla’s aim in entering her into this tournament was strictly for practical Cultivation and experience. This wasn't like the National Campus League; there was no specialized instructor here to dissect and explain the profiles of every rival.

Currently, her information was limited to what she could find online, and she couldn't dismiss the possibility of another "Chen Tianqin" scenario where hidden variables might cause trouble.

Rong Yuhua’s response was immediate: [It's on the house!]

It was no stretch to say that Qiao Sang represented his sole link to the National Bureau. Despite his family’s wealth and social standing, those assets carried no weight with the elites in the Bureau. Establishing a solid rapport with Qiao Sang could grant him entry to visit her during her training sessions.

He hoped that once the instructors became familiar with him and saw his potential, they might recognize his talent and grant him access. He was unwilling to let go of even a 1% chance.

The more Rong Yuhua considered it, the more he viewed this as his most viable path into the National Bureau. He wished he could accelerate his bond with Qiao Sang to a state of deep friendship instantly.

[Send it over then.] Qiao Sang replied.

Rong Yuhua promptly delivered the prepared document. Qiao Sang tapped to download it, but before she could open the file, another message appeared:

[When do you start your official training at the National Bureau? Is it right after this tournament?]

Given the free information she had just received, Qiao Sang showed more patience. She messaged: [Perhaps in twenty years.]

Rong Yuhua: [???]

Leaving him on read, Qiao Sang accessed the file. She reviewed the contents, finding an exhaustive history of Qi Fuqing’s battles, the specific skills and mastery levels of her pets, and even detailed vulnerabilities for each one.

Qiao Sang’s expression turned grave as she realized the immense value of this data. It was clear why professional Beast Masters in top-tier tournaments employed entire squads for intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence.

With such precise intel, the probability of victory could rise by 10% in an even match—assuming the rival didn't possess equivalent knowledge about her.

Qiao Sang locked her phone and returned to her strategy session.

---

Time ticked away. The initial two groups concluded their matches with scores of 2-3 and 3-1 after fierce confrontations. Since the second duel was relatively brief, the schedule remained on track. Soon, the damaged floor of the arena retracted, replaced by a fresh, untouched platform. The third group was called.

"The next two competitors are both incredibly famous!"

From the announcer's booth, Tian Yiwan began the introduction: "One has a history of high rankings in various regional leagues and was recently named one of the 'Top Ten Most Charismatic Beast Masters of the Year' in the Zhongkong Region—Qi Fuqing!"

Tang Xueran added: "Her opponent is the youngest and most gifted Beast Master in the world. I won't even say 'one of the most.' In my view, she stands alone. Although this is her debut regional league, she has proven to be the ultimate dark horse. After tearing through the brackets, she was recruited by the National Bureau just two days ago. She is Qiao Sang!"

"Let’s give them a thunderous welcome as they take the stage!"

The arena exploded with deafening cheers. While regional grand prix are annual events, candidates for the National Bureau are a rarity. In recent years, only Chen Tianqin was rumored to have been recruited, and that was never confirmed officially.

Qiao Sang's situation was different; Coach Tao Yunkai had publicly verified her recruitment. That was as official as it could get.

The spectators were seeing a legitimate member of the National Bureau in person. This was Qiao Sang's first public appearance since the announcement, and for a moment, the chanting of her name was so loud it momentarily eclipsed the veteran Qi Fuqing.

Amid the thunderous applause, two platforms rose into the air. Qi Fuqing smiled and acknowledged the crowd. Qiao Sang was taken aback by the sheer volume of the reception. Truly, her name had never been shouted this loudly since the tournament began.

Even when she utilized Qingbao, the cheers were mostly directed at the Qingqing Ni. Today, the crowd was cheering for her. Moved by the energy, she waved back, which only served to intensify the audience's excitement.

A holographic "10" appeared for the countdown. The stadium fell silent.

"9, 8, 7... 3, 2, 1."

Both Qiao Sang and Qi Fuqing performed their hand seals in unison. Two vibrant red star arrays illuminated the arena. Moments later, two pets of wildly different proportions appeared. Simultaneously, a sudden chill hit the air as heavy snow began to fall.

Wobbuffet, a Psychic-type King-level pet. It is known for its patience and its dislike of initiating combat, preferring to absorb damage and then retaliate. Its most proficient techniques are Counter and Mirror Coat, which return double the impact of any received attack.

Qiao Sang recalled the intelligence report. The creature stood two meters tall, mainly cream-colored with two black eyes, a jagged tail, and lips so vividly red they appeared to be wearing makeup.

She then remembered a specific detail from Rong Yuhua's file: Wobbuffet’s traditional weakness is no longer an issue. Qi Fuqing has conditioned it to withstand strikes even to its tail. If it mimics rage or loses control after a tail strike, it is merely a ruse. Stay alert.

As she processed this, Wobbuffet folded its hands. A subtle blue radiance shimmered around it briefly before fading away. The falling snow landed on Wobbuffet without sticking or melting.

Safeguard. Qiao Sang understood that no opponent in the Top 16 would be easy to defeat.

Lubao’s entry always triggers a snowfall, providing the ideal diversion for an Ice Flower Seal. Previously, Lubao needed to howl to activate it, but through training, she could now trigger it simply by emitting freezing Qi from her body.

Within the thick blizzard, this drop in temperature was nearly impossible to notice. This was her strategy against the Sweet Poison King. Any pet lacking high defense or mental readiness would be defeated instantly by this technique.

The rival had clearly prepared for Lubao’s opening move. Qiao Sang held back her command. Wobbuffet watched Lubao, remaining motionless, waiting to counter an attack. Lubao likewise stood still. The match entered a tense standoff.

Murmurs rose from the crowd: "What's the delay? Why aren't they moving?"

"That's the standard play for Qi Fuqing's Wobbuffet. It just waits for the first strike to reflect double the damage."

"If the Ice Emperor Ram doesn't strike, will they just stand there all day?"

"Don't forget the rules. If there's no action for 30 seconds, the referee issues a warning. Someone has to make a move."

"I expected Ice Emperor Ram to use the same combo she used on Sweet Poison King—the Ice Field Domain followed by that massive Giant Ice Spike. There's no way a Wobbuffet could 'endure' that."

Since Qiao Sang’s victory over Chen Tianqin and her recruitment into the Bureau, the public's faith in her abilities had reached an all-time high.

... Qi Fuqing considered her options and decided to shift her approach. "Attack."

Wobbuffet’s eyes radiated a blue light. Two silver beams shot from its gaze, racing toward Lubao.

... Qiao Sang remained unperturbed.

Lubao braced herself as a thick layer of Ice Armor formed over her body.

BANG!

The silver beams collided with Lubao. A few ice fragments scattered, but the armor remained intact. Lubao was unhurt. Wobbuffet did not follow up. Lubao stayed still.

Qi Fuqing’s brow furrowed. Ice Emperor Ram possessed Healing Light, Ice Armor, and Aurora Veil, giving her defenses against both close and long-range threats.

Given Wobbuffet’s minimal offensive power, breaking through the Ice Emperor Ram's defense was unlikely. Even a successful hit could be negated by healing. Her best strategy remained waiting for Lubao to unleash a massive attack, absorbing it, and then reflecting it for a decisive blow.

It appeared the opponent was aware of this and was avoiding any high-commitment moves.

Meanwhile, Qiao Sang noted: Safeguard has expired.

"Domain." Qiao Sang ordered.

She was certain that Safeguard couldn't block the Ice Field Domain, but because the opponent could still use reflection techniques while under Safeguard’s protection, she had waited for the effect to end as a precaution.

"Lu Di."

Lubao had been prepared. She struck the ground with her front left paw, and a visible shockwave of freezing energy erupted from her.

"Safeguard!" Qi Fuqing yelled.

In truth, Wobbuffet didn't require the verbal command. It had already sensed the move via Telepathy. It joined its hands a fraction of a second before its master could speak.

However, the freezing air reached it almost instantly. Just as the blue light began to manifest on Wobbuffet, it was encased in ice in that very position. The entire arena was transformed into a frozen wasteland in a heartbeat.

The audience roared.

"Lubao finally deployed the Ice Field Domain! That's what I came to see!"

"Can Wobbuffet even use Mirror Coat while it's a block of ice?"

"It's hard to say. Wobbuffet’s reflection abilities rely on internal Qi release; it doesn't necessarily need to move. The domain likely only froze its physical form, not its internal energy."

As the crowd debated, a freezing gale began to howl. The white snow suddenly spiraled into an intense blizzard, racing across the arena like a natural disaster ready to consume everything.

... Qi Fuqing felt a surge of anxiety. Despite her confidence in Wobbuffet’s resilience, she had never encountered an Ice Field Domain before. She wasn't sure if Wobbuffet could maintain its reflection under such pressure.

The endless white snow consumed Wobbuffet in an instant. The blizzard pounded against the ice shell, shattering it. Wobbuffet disappeared into the snowy chaos.

Suddenly, a blue glow pierced through the white. The blizzard seemed to halt, as if hitting an invisible barrier. On the floor, Wobbuffet was glowing with blue energy, a translucent mirror forming in front of it as it fought to stand up amidst the snow.

Qi Fuqing’s expression brightened with relief.

... Qiao Sang observed and analyzed.

At that moment, the blizzard suddenly reversed direction. With even more violent force than before, it surged back toward Lubao.

Lubao stood tall and unmoving. The blizzard engulfed her immediately.

"Wobbuffet successfully deployed Mirror Coat, reflecting the entire attack!" Tian Yiwan yelled with excitement.

"The blizzard has turned on the Ice Emperor Ram!"

Before the announcer could finish, Lubao stepped out from the swirling snow, completely unharmed.

The audience gasped in shock.

... Qi Fuqing was paralyzed with confusion.

Qiao Sang watched the bewilderment on her opponent's face, her own expression remaining perfectly calm.