NOVPUBThis level of attention was truly intense, even the vice principal knew about it... Qiao Sang marveled inwardly, then nodded and said: "Mm, a teacher from the Imperial Beast University came and suggested I participate in a practical combat competition, and signed me up for it."
Liu Yao was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, his tone tinged with surprise: "Someone from the Imperial Beast University came?"
The Imperial Beast University held an unshakable dominant position among all top-tier universities on Blue Star, but for most parents, their highest hopes still lay in the number one university of their own nation.
The so-called Imperial Beast University felt like something from another world, they didn’t even consider it as a possibility.
Liu Yao only knew about the Imperial Beast University through the news. Other than Qiao Sang, he had no one around him related to that university.
When he called a teacher previously to ask about a recommendation letter, it was only out of a try-it-and-see attitude.
Qiao Sang gave a soft “mm.”
Liu Yao was a little dazed.
The Imperial Beast University really lived up to its name as the number one institution on Blue Star, they could actually dispatch a mentor to teach interstellarly...
Liu Yao asked, “Is it one-on-one, just teaching you?”
"Yes." Qiao Sang nodded.
Truly worthy of being the Imperial Beast Univeristy... Liu Yao couldn’t help but feel a surge of admiration again.
At top institutions, mentors held extremely high status.
Regular top universities would never send a mentor just to teach one student, yet the Imperial Beast University could...
Such a display of resources and power was truly awe-inspiring...
"And that teacher?"
Liu Yao suddenly thought of something, asking somewhat anxiously, "Will he come to our house to teach you?"
"Possibly." Qiao Sang replied uncertainly.
"But probably not anytime soon. I have to go with him tonight to attend the Beast Tamer Star Tournament."
There was only one week left in the competition, but she still had several months remaining in her exchange program on Chaosu Star. If there wasn't a fixed training ground outside, he’d definitely come at some point.
Liu Yao digested the news and said, “Since you’re competing, it’s better to switch your energy pills to ones that restore energy for now…”
As he said this, he paused, then added: “Ask that teacher from the Imperial Beast University for me, which three materials from Chaosu Star have effects equivalent to Blue Star’s Flaming Fruit, Phantom Dew Grass, and Diamond Shavings?”
Qiao Sang was briefly stunned, then laughed, “You’re finally willing to let me ask someone else about this.”
Liu Yao laughed too.
“This is different. You’re studying Beast Taming at Yulianton University, but this is related to cultivation, you need a specialist mentor. I heard that at Yulianton, if you want help or answers from other departments, you need contribution points.”
“But that Imperial Beast University teacher came specifically to teach you. For him, asking this kind of thing is no big deal.”
Qiao Sang thought about her time at Yulianton University and tried to explain, “Actually, not all of the mentors there demand points to help out. They all seem pretty nice.”
At least the deans she met seemed quite approachable.
Still too young... they’re only being nice because they’re trying to recruit you. Once you reject them, their attitude will change… Liu Yao still remembered how Qiao Sang once told him that Yulianton was trying to recruit her, but he didn’t say it aloud. Instead, he said:
“Being nice doesn’t mean they don’t care about points. Points are how Yulianton maintains order. They won’t easily change that.”
“That’s true…” Qiao Sang nodded, finding that reasonable.
Then she thought of something and casually asked, “Vice Principal, have you finished reading those five books?”
Since she was now asking the questions directly, maybe the books weren’t needed anymore… and they cost 5 points per day…
“Not yet.” Liu Yao's expression softened at the mention of the books.
“But I’ll make time to finish them soon. They’ve helped me a lot, really broadened my understanding of the differences between Chaosu Star and Blue Star.”
Qiao Sang smiled, “That’s good, take your time, no rush.”
---
After breakfast, Qiao Sang used Little Treasure's spatial shift to arrive at Beast Taming Class 1.
As soon as she landed, nearly the entire class swarmed around her.
"Ah! God Qiao, tell me, how did you make a General-level pet master a super-tier skill?"
"Ice Aipalu! Can you summon Ice Aipalu for us to see?"
"Last night’s match was awesome! You took down Petra’s Elder Muzao in one shot!"
"I heard that within the Ice Field Domain, you can control ice energy freely. If someone else wants to move inside it, you can let them too. Is that true? Can you get Ice Aipalu to demonstrate that here in class?"
"Ah! I want to see it too!"
"I’ve never seen a live Ice Field Domain before!"
Everyone joined in excitedly.
Seeing the growing chaos, Qiao Sang spoke up, “Sure. 100 points per session.”
The room fell silent instantly.
The freshman assessment was the easiest time to earn points, but nearly all the points had been scooped up by Qiao Sang.
And since the semester had just started, everyone was still dirt poor, 100 points was a fortune to them.
Silently, they returned to their seats.
The mention of points brought back memories of Qiao Sang’s terrifying dominance during the entrance assessment.
Finally dispersed... Qiao Sang quietly breathed a sigh of relief, returned to her seat, opened her phone, found Mentor Pirite’s contact, and sent a message: [Teacher, I’d like to ask: Which three materials from Chaosu Star have equivalent effects to Flaming Fruit, Phantom Dew Grass, and Diamond Shavings from Blue Star? Could they be substituted?]
---
Hotel.
Pirite sat at the dining table, staring at the message on his phone in silence.
Flaming Fruit, Phantom Dew Grass, and Diamond Shavings, he knew them, but when it came to Chaosu Star substitutes…
He wasn’t a breeder, how would he know something like that...
Specialized questions should be answered by specialized people. This was something a breeder should answer...
But he had just started mentoring here. If he couldn’t answer this, wouldn’t that be embarrassing…
With that thought, Pirite opened a chat with someone and typed: [Got a question: What materials on Chaosu Star can replace Flaming Fruit, Phantom Dew Grass, and Diamond Shavings from Blue Star?]
---
Yulianton University.
Beast Taming Academy.
Beast Taming Class 1.
Qiao Sang noticed her phone buzz.
She pulled it out, Pirite had replied: [Sulfur Flame Slime and Red Luoguo can replace Flaming Fruit, Black-Heart Turmeric Core can substitute Phantom Dew Grass, and powdered Thousand-Rock Heart Stone is equivalent to Diamond Shavings.]
Impressive, he replied so quickly. Truly worthy of being a mentor from the Imperial Beast University… Qiao Sang’s eyes lit up as she copied the message and sent it to the vice principal.
---
6:45 PM
Qiao Sang finished dinner and turned on the TV to watch the Beast Tamer Star Tournament.
Tonight’s matches were still in the preliminary round, so she didn’t need to be there in person.
Still, she instinctively wanted to stay informed.
After all, the people appearing on TV could very well become her future opponents.
“Yap…”
Beside her, Yabao sat quietly, for once not training, and watched the live broadcast of the tournament alongside her.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Gangbao went to open the door.
Then, a stranger’s pet voice came from the entrance: “Step step.”
“Gang Slice.”
Gang Bao called out, as if receiving something, followed by the sound of the door closing.
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao flew over to her Beast master with the package and gave a call to indicate a delivery had arrived.
“Open it and take a look.” Qiao Sang said.
Without a word, Gangbao swept her wing, sharp purple light flashed, and the seal on the package was instantly sliced in two.
Qiao Sang opened the box, took out the contents, and unwrapped them to find something resembling oversized contact lenses.
They were items sent by Hulis… Qiao Sang realized this immediately.
She picked up the instruction manual inside, just about to take a look...
At that moment, the phone rang.
Qiao Sang glanced at the caller ID: It was Hulis.
She answered.
“Did you receive the package?” Hulis got straight to the point.
“I did.” Qiao Sang replied.
“This item allows a pet to lock onto the general location of opponents using stealth techniques.” Hulis explained excitedly.
“It’s particularly effective against ghost-type pets that can turn invisible. While similar tools are already on the market, mine is far more discreet.”
“Those other tools are worn directly on the head, and opponents can spot them at a glance. But not this one. This is worn in the pet’s eye, just like clear contact lenses, completely unnoticeable.”
“When facing an invisible enemy, just have the pet channel energy into its eyes, and the tool will automatically locate the target.”
“You can let Steel Guardian Falcon try it on. I specifically sent sizes suitable for standard intermediate-level pets.”
Hulis grew more animated: “Steel Guardian Falcon is a brand-new form, and its initial stage originated from our Chaosu Star. I thought it over and decided it’s most appropriate to have it showcase our product.”
“If you dare send an intermediate pet onto the field, I guarantee you’ll be the only one! That’ll definitely generate some buzz!”
“Reporters will absolutely interview you after the match. You just need to casually mention the item.”
“But you still need to be strategic, don’t send it out carelessly. Observe the opponent’s lineup first.”
“I think the ideal target is a team where the ace is a single general-rank pet, with a secondary high-level pet that can go invisible.”
“I’ll have someone compile a list of players with that kind of setup after today’s matches.”
“My suggestion: Beat the opponent’s ace first, then send Steel Guardian Falcon to take down the high-level pet.”
“Even though Steel Guardian Falcon is only an intermediate pet, with your skills, I believe you can absolutely defeat a higher-tier opponent!”
“Of course, I’m not expecting it to win for sure. But just having it appear once is enough. Your Ice Aipalu can use its Ice Field Domain and win two straight matches to catch up on score…”
“Um.”
Qiao Sang quietly glanced at Steel Bao, still sitting beside her, and finally interrupted: “My Steel Guardian Falcon has already evolved into Steel Slash Giant Falcon.”
The phone went dead silent.
Qiao Sang continued, “So the lens size you sent doesn’t fit.”
Several seconds passed before Hulis spoke again, “Sorry, I just found out. I’ll have someone send a set customized for high-level pets tomorrow.”
Qiao Sang paused before offering her thoughts: “I’d like to switch items. Not everyone watches interviews. Way more people watch the actual match. I think it’s better to use something that viewers can directly see during the battle.”
“Also, since opponents and their pets are randomly drawn, we can’t assume anything will go as expected.”
“No offense, but the kind of opponent you described probably doesn’t exist.”
“You probably only watched my match yesterday and didn’t watch the others. Everyone’s strong, there aren’t any competitors with just one general-rank pet.”
Hulis fell silent again.
He had to admit she was right. He wasn’t a fan, and hadn’t been watching the tournament.
Yesterday, he only found out Qiao Sang was competing because he saw high school classmates discussing it on his phone, which led him to tune into the broadcast.
“I’m really sorry…” Hulis’s tone dropped.
Qiao Sang didn’t actually mind.
In her view, he was just a freshly graduated high schooler, and this had all happened rather suddenly, failing to think everything through was understandable.
Besides, the item itself was pretty good.
She was about to say something like “It’s okay,” when Hulis’s voice suddenly brightened again: “I know what item to give you now!”
Qiao Sang blinked, “What item?”
“You’ll find out then!” Hulis sounded cheerful.
“It might not arrive in time for tomorrow’s match though, it needs to be custom-sized.”
Quite mysterious… Qiao Sang replied, “Alright, I’ll wait for your item.”
Her only requirement for a item was that it could be visibly used under the audience’s watchful eyes.
Suddenly remembering something, she asked, “Do I need to send this lens tool back to you?”
“No need.” Hulis said generously.
“It was always meant as a gift.”
Qiao Sang: …
Lenses for intermediate-level pet eyes… which I don’t even need…
“Well, I’ll accept it then.”
After chatting a bit, Qiao Sang hung up.
“Gang Slice.”
Gangbao, who had stayed silent the entire time, suddenly called out.
You’ve worked hard.
Qiao Sang paused for a moment.
“…Not really.”
Gangbao gave her Beast master a glance, then turned and walked toward the training room.
Compared to other humans, her Beast master was still relatively smart.
---
Day 3 of the Beast Tamer Star Tournament.
6:30 PM.
Qiao Sang and Pirite walked into the open-air beast arena and headed to the contestant area.
This time, the massive virtual screen above the center stage gave them a close-up shot lasting several dozen seconds.
Yabao sat on Qiao Sang’s lap, wearing a pair of red triangular sunglasses, chest out and head slightly raised.
Little Treasure appeared next, wearing a monocle and a black semi-high top hat, with a black towel draped over his shoulders that he had insisted on buying on the way over.
When the camera cut to them, many in the crowd began waving glow sticks and cheering.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Beast Tamer Star Tournament!” The host’s voice boomed across the arena.
“I’m Lu Yiwen, your commentator for this exciting match!”
“First, let’s get the big screen rolling and see which players will be facing off today.”
As he finished speaking...
Dozens of evenly sized photos appeared on the huge virtual screen.
Soon, the images shuffled and froze.
Qiao Sang saw her opponent: Groki Haldorson.
At that moment, Pirite said, “He’s a C-rank Coordinator.”
-----
T/n: To that one commentor asking if the chapters were getting longer, yes. Yes, it is.🥹
