Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 982: Pet Fans

The stadium erupted as the commentator’s voice was drowned out by a tidal wave of cheers.

"Ahhh! Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang!"

"Ghost Ring King! Ghost Ring King!"

"Holy crap! Did you catch that? The Ghost Ring King actually used Brick-Breaking!"

"That throw he pulled on the Ink-Stinger Beast was incredibly cool!"

"Wait, let me process this. The hand seal for Shadow of Darkness requires clasping hands, right? But just now, it was the Substitute that did it. Are you telling me the Ghost Ring King's Substitute unleashed the Shadow of Darkness?"

"It definitely was. The Ghost Ring King who performed the seal just vanished."

"I’ve heard that once Substitute proficiency reaches a certain level, it becomes virtually identical to the original. Whatever the main body can do, the Substitute can replicate."

"Man, I’m so jealous of pets with Substitute. If I had one, I’d make it go to work for me every single day."

"Seriously, I have goosebumps. At the very end, that Ghost Ring King Substitute actually smiled; it looked like it possessed its own consciousness."

"I still can’t figure out exactly when that Substitute was even cast."

"A Ghost-type using Brick-Breaking... a Ghost-type using Brick-Breaking..."

"Look at it this way: Qiao Sang’s Steel Sword Falcon is only a General-level pet and it already knows the super-tier skill Holy Sword. If you consider that, a Ghost-type mastering a Fighting-type skill is actually pretty easy to accept."

"That actually makes a lot of sense!"

"Heavens! The Top 8! She made the Top 8!" In the family seating area, Ye Xiangting suddenly bolted upright, ecstatic. She screamed while waving her light stick. Then, remembering something, she whipped out her phone and began snapping photos of Qiao Sang and Little Treasure, who was waving his claws on the field.

The joy on Liu Yao’s steady face was impossible to hide. Though he didn't stand up and scream, he and his Sky Bat were constantly waving their support sticks. Mikayla remained the most composed of the group, wearing only a faint smile.

On the commentary stand, Tian Yiwan didn't immediately move on to the next round's matchups as he usually did. Instead, he spoke with deep emotion: "Qiao Sang is truly the strongest dark horse of this regional Grand League. To make the Top 8 in her very first appearance is incredible."

Tang Xueran agreed: "A 17-year-old competing in the Grand League and reaching the Top 8 is truly unprecedented in the history of this tournament."

She paused and added with a smile, "The Ghost Ring King is still waving enthusiastically to everyone. I look forward to seeing him on stage again in the upcoming matches."

"Xun xun!"

On the field, Little Treasure waved his claws warmly toward every section of the audience, ensuring he didn't miss a single corner.

---

10:30 PM, Beast Center, Room 2603.

The curtains were pulled tight. Qiao Sang emerged from the bathroom after washing up and leaned against the bed. She pulled out her phone to browse today's trending searches. Little Treasure floated over silently, pressing close to his Beast Master to stare at the screen.

[Qiao Sang Advances to Top 8]

[Divine Blazing Lion vs. Aggro-Bust Sparrow King]

[Ice Emperor Ram vs. Wobbuffet]

[The Real and Fake Ghost Ring King]

[Ghost Ring King uses Brick-Breaking]

[One Ghost Ring King is worth two?]

Even though the match had taken place in the morning, these topics were still trending late into the night. Qiao Sang clicked through them. Beyond the praise and shock, many netizens had become "know-it-alls," analyzing how the match could have gone differently or dissecting various tactics.

> The Ice Emperor Ram's Ice Field Domain is truly broken. But maybe a Ground-type that can burrow and attack from below could stand a chance.

> The Divine Blazing Lion is fierce. With that brutal combat style, if you aren't faster and stronger, it'll just run away with the tempo.

> I re-watched the Ghost Ring King match several times. My conclusion: It definitely cast the Substitute during the initial invisibility. If the Ink-Stinger Beast had combined Rain and Ink to make a mess, it might not have fallen for the trap.

Interesting, Qiao Sang thought, about to put the phone away.

"Xun xun~" Little Treasure chirped, blinking his eyes and holding out his claws.

"Don't play for too long." Qiao Sang laughed, handing it over.

Little Treasure took the phone and nodded repeatedly, happily scrolling through the threads about himself. Meanwhile, Qingbao nudged Little Treasure, asking him to help her train her Charm.

"Xun xun." Little Treasure replied without looking up from the screen. 

Qingbao hesitated. 

"Yap yap!" Yabao, who had just closed his eyes, immediately snapped them open. He gave a spirited bark, indicating he could sleep a little later to help.

"Qing qing~" Qingbao’s eyes twinkled as she called out sweetly, saying Big Brother Yabao was the best.

"Xun xun..." Little Treasure suddenly looked up, dazed.

Before he could investigate, the phone vibrated. Little Treasure looked down and instinctively clicked a news pop-up: [Variant Mutated Ghost Ring King spotted in Eagle Country, same as Qiao Sang’s!]

Little Treasure: ???

He scrolled down and saw a candid photo of a Ghost Ring King. At first glance, he was startled. He narrowed his eyes and looked a second time with a critical gaze.

"Xun xun..." He sighed in relief. 

"Gang Zhan." Gangbao pointed a wing at a specific spot in the photo. 

Little Treasure froze. He looked closer and saw the purple grape hair clip. He widened his eyes: "Xun xun!" 

Gangbao gave a humored look. 

Little Treasure wanted to explain that the fourth sister wasn't as smart as him and couldn't read, and that this was probably fake news using old photos from Eagle Country for clicks. But looking at the photo of himself with the grape clip, he felt a sudden sense of kinship.

"Xun xun~" Little Treasure acted bashful. 

Thinking his fame was entirely due to his performance in the tournament, Little Treasure’s fighting spirit surged. He couldn't resist the urge to train. He put down the phone, summoned a Substitute, and started working right there. Gangbao watched with a smile, then picked up the phone and placed it on the charger.

---

The next morning, 9:30 AM. Suburban Villa.

Qiao Sang arrived via Little Treasure’s Spatial Shift. As soon as the Muscle-Guard Tiger opened the door, Yu Le rushed over excitedly.

"Qiao Sang! You made the Top 8 with a 3-0 score! That was incredible!"

"I didn't expect it myself," Qiao Sang said modestly.

"That’s the Top 8! Only a handful of people have ever hit the Top 8 with a 3-0 in this Grand League, and your opponent was Qi Fuqing!" Yu Le paused.

"By the way, many people in the neighborhood know you’re training here now. They might let their pets sneak over to watch. You can just ignore them."

"Pets sneaking a look?" Qiao Sang was confused.

Yu Le laughed. "It’s not polite for people to barge into someone’s home, but when pets do it, we can't say much if they claim they’re 'lost.' A lot of pets are your fans now. Last night, an Aroma-Seed and a Rolling-Pig snuck in saying they were lost. Even my Muscle-Guard Tiger is a fan now."

Qiao Sang looked at the tiger in surprise. "You’re a fan?"

Yu Ke added with a smile, "To be precise, he’s a fan of the Ghost Ring King. During that match yesterday, he was cheering 'Hu-ji, Hu-ji' so excitedly. I haven't seen him like that in a long time."

"Xun xun?" Little Treasure appeared, looking thrilled. 

"Hu-ji..." The Muscle-Guard Tiger looked bashful. He truly admired how such a slender body could master Brick-Breaking. As a Fighting-type, he knew how hard it was.

"Xun xun~" Little Treasure was ecstatic. This was the first time a pet had declared being his fan to his face. He immediately took off his gold ring, pulled out a pen and paper, and wrote down the signature he had been practicing for days.

"Hu-ji!" The tiger took it solemnly, promising to treasure it.

Yu Le’s eyes lit up. "Can I have one too?"

"Xun xun~" Little Treasure was overjoyed, his gold ring becoming even more lustrous.

After the signing session, Qiao Sang went to the outdoor training field. After setting the others to their routines, she sat under a tree to watch the morning's match livestreams. Even though she knew her remaining opponents, she needed to see if they had any new tricks.

About half an hour later, a pleasant fragrance wafted over. Qiao Sang felt her mind relax. She felt a tug on her pant leg. Looking down, she saw a 20cm green pet with big eyes and two leaves on its head: the Aroma-Seed.

"Are you lost?" Qiao Sang asked with a smile.

The Aroma-Seed shook its head and looked toward the Ice Emperor Ram. It chirped admiringly, asking for a photo. It even pulled a camera out from the grass.

"You're a fan of Lubao?" Qiao Sang asked.

"Xiao-xiang!" The seed nodded.

"Want a photo with her?" Qiao Sang asked. The seed nodded again but looked toward Lubao timidly. It didn't dare ask.

"Lubao, a fan wants a photo!" Qiao Sang called out.

"Lu Di." Lubao walked over, dissipated her cold aura, and stood patiently next to the Aroma-Seed.

"Xiao-xiang..." The seed peeked at Lubao bashfully. Qiao Sang snapped the photo.

"All done."

As the Aroma-Seed left, a pig’s head suddenly popped out of the ground.

"Fan-fan!"

It was a Rolling-Pig. Qingbao translated: it wanted Yabao's paw print.

Yabao’s ears twitched. He teleported over immediately, lifting a paw. 

The Rolling-Pig jumped out of the hole, handed Yabao an ink pad, and then flipped onto its back, exposing its belly.

Qiao Sang: ...

She didn't even need a translation. 

Before she could say anything, more small pets started poking their heads out of the grass and trees, eyes filled with expectation.

Qiao Sang: ...