NOVPUBThe competition proceeded in an orderly manner.
No one knew how much time had passed before a familiar staff member approached, bowed slightly with a respectful tone, and said, “Miss Qiao, please follow me to the backstage to get ready.”
Qiao Sang stood up and followed her, stopping at the backstage corridor.
Tao Jun also had two General-level beasts. One was a dual-attribute beast of the Dark and Poison types, Evilwater Toad;the other, a dual Water and Flying type general-level beast, Whiteplume Goose.
The former had a poisonous sac in its throat. If you got too close and it let out a cry, even just the breath it exhaled could cause poisoning.
The latter was a rare beast that could move freely both in water and in the air. It was said to start dancing around dusk, and many artists drew inspiration from it. It was often nicknamed a vase beast.
As for the rune effects, those were still uncertain. Tao Jun was known to inscribe a variety of runes, and the runes on her beasts would differ from match to match.
She was the type who liked to reapply new runes even before the effects of the previous ones wore off... Qiao Sang recalled the basic intel on her opponent, her mind automatically starting to analyze.
From what she could tell about the opponent's background, Tao Jun was likely a professional rune master who focused heavily on rune research but didn’t put much emphasis on actual beast training.
As for Qiao Sang herself, she still had Gangbao, who hadn’t been sent out to battle yet. All contestants in the Beastmaster Celebrity Tournament had at least two general-level beasts.
Of course, they also had high-level or even beginner-level beasts. But this was an annual, live-streamed event with its own dedicated coverage channel, an excellent opportunity to gain popularity and followers. It was unlikely any contestant would call out a weaker beast to fight.
Since all future opponents would likely be summoning general-level beasts, she might as well send out Gangbao now. After all, it would have to fight them eventually.
After all, her goal in entering this tournament wasn’t just to win optimally like in the National Campus Beast Mastering League, but to train and grow stronger through battle…
Just then, the announcer’s voice rang out in her ears: “Let us welcome contestants Tao Jun and Qiao Sang to the stage!”
Cheers and shouts instantly erupted, many people were even shouting Qiao Sang’s name, with her momentum faintly overshadowing Tao Jun’s.
In just a few short days, Qiao Sang had gone from being ignored and doubted to now having fans who managed to get tickets to cheer for her live. This was quite rare in a competition filled with stars from all industries.
Aside from the front-row seats reserved for invited guests of the organizers, the rest of the live audience were mostly die-hard fans of certain celebrity contestants. They had come specifically to support their idols in person, quite different from the casual online fans who could switch favorites at any time.
---
On the battlefield.
Qiao Sang and Tao Jun took their positions on opposite ends of the arena.
A mechanical voice quickly rang out: “3, 2, 1, battle start!”
Qiao Sang swiftly raised her hand to form seals.
Their star arrays lit up nearly simultaneously.
Her sealing speed is even faster than yesterday… Tao Jun’s heart tensed as she watched the orange-yellow array flare in the distance.
After the past two days of battles, she could no longer treat the girl in front of her as just a 16-year-old child.
Though she didn’t want to admit it, from a pure combat perspective, her opponent was undeniably far stronger, especially with that one move from Ice Aipalu, the Ice Field Domain. If that came out, she'd basically be done for.
She had hoped to gain an edge through faster sealing speed, but hadn’t expected that in just one day, Qiao Sang’s speed would increase this much...
As Tao Jun grew more and more frustrated, a massive, nearly 8-meter-tall purple figure appeared inside Qiao Sang’s star array.
General-level beast? No, king-level beast?!
Seeing the towering figure, larger than any commander-level beast she had ever seen, Tao Jun’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her breathing instantly grew rapid.
At the same time, the previously noisy audience instantly fell silent. Then, chaos erupted.
“Oh my god! What kind of beast is that?!”
“General-level beast? All four of Qiao Sang’s beasts are general-level?! Holy crap! What kind of monster is she?!”
“Doesn’t look like a general-level! It’s way bigger!”
“No way, don’t tell me it’s a king-level?!”
“Insane! The world has gone insane!”
“Calm down! The aura it’s giving off isn’t quite king-level… but it’s definitely beyond the average general-level.”
“I found it! It’s listed in the Beast Identifier! It’s a high-level beast, Steel-Slash Giant Falcon!” Shouted one excited audience member, holding up a beast-recognition device pointed at the purple figure on stage.
Just as he finished, the announcer’s excited voice rang out over the arena: “Qiao Sang has summoned the Steel-Slash Giant Falcon! I believe many of you are unfamiliar with this beast. Unlike her first three beasts, this one is native to our very own Chaosu Star!”
“It’s the latest high-level evolution of the Little Steel Falcon, the first Steel-Slash Giant Falcon ever recorded on Chaosu Star!”
The announcer had clearly done his homework.
After Gangbao completed her evolution, Qiao Sang had gone to the Beastmaster Center to register her, so information about the Steel-Slash Giant Falcon was available in the public database.
The audience was briefly silent, then even more animated than before.
“Little Steel Falcon has a new advanced form? How have I never heard of this?!”
“Ah! I remember now! Wasn’t there news a while ago about a new evolution called Steel Guardian Falcon, through bond evolution? Is the Steel-Slash Giant Falcon the next form of that?!”
“Sounds likely!”
“I read that news too!”
“So the mysterious person who managed to evolve Little Steel Falcon through bond evolution… was Qiao Sang?!”
---
“Hoo...”
Amidst the crowd’s heated discussion, Tao Jun on the field let out a gentle breath.
So it was just an high-level pet beast... that really scared her...
As that thought flashed through her mind, Gangbao had already spread her enormous wings, whipping up a chaotic gust of wind as she soared high into the sky.
With a powerful flap of her wings, a terrifying storm swept toward the elegant white figure.
Whiteplume Goose... but what’s the function of those blue runes on its body...? Not important now, it’ll be destroyed anyway...
Qiao Sang looked at the bird-type pet beast in the distance, mainly white in color, painted with many blue spirit markings, a long beak also tinged blue, a slender neck, and notably tougher blue feathers on its chest, and quickly communicated with Gangbao in her mind:
Try to pluck a few feathers with those runes.
The next second, Gangbao's voice echoed in her mind: Understood.
Being able to communicate directly through thoughts felt amazing... Qiao Sang mused.
“Charge in just like that!” Tao Jun shouted loudly.
If it were any other pet beast, she might not be confident, but if it was just an high-level pet beast, this match was in the bag!
“Whitewing.”
Whiteplume Goose lightly flapped its wings and proactively flew into the storm.
As expected, it went in on its own... Qiao Sang’s expression remained calm, as if she had foreseen it.
Whiteplume Goose’s trait, Wind Follower, allowed it to move according to the wind’s direction, ensuring it wouldn’t be harmed by wind, even gales.
Of course, it still depended on the grade of Wind Follower and the intensity of the gale.
Clearly, Gangbao’s basic-level storm wasn’t considered a threat.
The storm churned up most of the battlefield into a dusty chaos.
Whiteplume Goose moved within it effortlessly, zigzagging upward with speed before shooting out from the storm like a streak of white light, rushing straight at Gangbao in the sky above!
“Whiteplume Goose has broken through the storm and reached Steel-Slash Giant Falcon!” The commentator narrated in time.
It’s coming. Qiao Sang said mentally.
This time, Gangbao didn’t respond.
“Acrobatics!” Tao Jun called out.
Acrobatics, a high-level flying skill, allowed nimble close-range attacks that dealt significant damage, perfect for dealing with large, clumsy pet beasts!
Of course, Acrobatics wasn’t just the skill alone, it was a combo of Acrobatics and wing attacks.
Tao Jun didn’t spell out the combo explicitly, but as long as Whiteplume Goose understood, that was enough.
She was confident it would land consecutive hits, and under this combo, Steel-Slash Giant Falcon would definitely be defeated. After all, it was still just an high-level beast.
But just as Tao Jun brimmed with confidence, she suddenly saw something puzzling in the air. Her expression froze, then her pupils contracted sharply.
She saw that when Whiteplume Goose was less than a meter from Steel-Slash Giant Falcon, its beak suddenly opened wide with a pained expression. The white light on its wings abruptly vanished.
The next moment, Steel-Slash Giant Falcon, still slightly above, fell with force, crashing down onto Whiteplume Goose.
BANG!!!
Whiteplume Goose plummeted directly into the ground.
The impact created a large crater, burying most of Whiteplume Goose’s body.
On top of it, Gangbao stood calmly.
“Heavy Slam!”
The commentator exclaimed with passion: “Steel-Slash Giant Falcon used Heavy Slam! Just as Whiteplume Goose was about to attack, it suddenly seemed unable to breathe and froze! Considering Steel-Slash Giant Falcon's open mouth earlier, there’s no doubt it used Air Absorption!”
“Did it anticipate that Whiteplume Goose would get close all along?!”
This dramatic twist caused a flurry of chatter from the audience.
“I was wondering why Steel-Slash Giant Falcon had its mouth open without attacking, turns out it was using Air Absorption.”
“Ah, I was so focused on Whitewing Goose I didn’t notice...”
“These two skills combined are really clever. Steel-Slash Giant Falcon really lives up to being Steel Falcon’s evolved form, still just as smart.”
“Hiss... I just realized something. Steel Guardian Falcon was only recently announced... so is this an high-level beast that just evolved?”
An high-level pet beast going against a general-level one, not only was it not being crushed, it was actually holding the advantage for now. If this newly evolved advanced pet beast could do that, even against the so-called decorative Whiteplume Goose, it was still hard to accept.
Hearing that, those nearby went silent for a moment.
Then someone said, “Think about who contracted it, Qiao Sang. Doesn’t that make more sense?”
Now that you mention it... it kinda does... everyone thought in unison.
---
On the field.
Stay calm, stay calm... Steel-Slash Giant Falcon is still just an high-level pet beast... If Whiteplume Goose can land one ultimate move, that’ll be enough... Luckily, one of the runes she drew this time activates brain energy when injured, helping it regain clarity faster... With this thought, Tao Jun felt a bit more at ease.
At the same time, Qiao Sang’s voice echoed in Gangbao's mind: Perfect chance, go now!
Gang Slice. Gangbao responded, indicating understanding.
Then she raised her wing, the blade-like feathers glowing purple.
Crack! Crack! It continuously slashed downward.
Feathers with spirit markings flew through the air.
Tao Jun: !!!
“Whiteplume Goose! No!!!” Tao Jun shrieked.
Whiteplume Goose heard its beastmaster’s voice, forced open its eyes despite the pain, and saw the massive figure pinning it down, several flashes of purple light, and white...
Suddenly realizing something, Whiteplume Goose stiffly looked down, only to see its half-bald self.
“Whitewing!!!”
Whiteplume Goose’s pupils contracted, face frozen in horror, then it let out a soul-crushing screech.
The scene was so brutal the commentator took two full seconds before resuming: “Steel- Slash Giant Falcon used Steel Wing to shear off most of Whiteplume Goose’s feathers... Is it aiming to deliver a psychological finishing blow...?”
This... this turn of events left everyone speechless.
In the player area.
Not my idea, not my training... Pirite picked up a water cup and pretended to drink.
---
“Whitewing!!!”
Whitewing Goose, driven mad by rage, let out a furious roar.
With its cry, five water waves suddenly surged from the ground, transforming into five ferocious water pillars that shot toward Gangbao.
Move! At the same time, Qiao Sang gave a mental order.
Gangbao flapped her wings and soared upward, narrowly avoiding the barrage.
But the water pillars didn’t stop, they twisted up dozens of meters into the air and once again targeted Gangbao.
The five columns chased the purple figure relentlessly.
As they were about to catch up, Qiao Sang said mentally: Quick Attack!
“Gang Slice!”
Gangbao cried out as a white glow enveloped her, and she shot upward like a missile, tearing through the air, instantly widening the gap from the water pillars by hundreds of meters.
The water pillars finally exhausted themselves and collapsed back into waves, vanishing.
“Whitewing!!!”
Whiteplume Goose also turned into a streak of white light, shooting up.
It’ll catch up, Gangbao’s speed wasn’t faster... Qiao Sang made a quick call and gave an order: Wing Blades!
Gangbao suddenly stopped mid-air and forcefully flapped downward.
Hundreds of glowing purple feathers, like violet blades, rained down on Whiteplume Goose in a wide spread!
“Dodge it!” Tao Jun’s heart clenched as she shouted.
But Whiteplume Goose couldn’t hear a word. In its eyes, there was only the enemy who made it go bald.
It locked eyes with that purple figure, and, without fear, charged into the purple blade storm!
Tao Jun: !!!
The Wing Blades left slash after slash across Whiteplume Goose’s body, yet its speed didn’t drop, in fact, it exploded forward even faster, crashing brutally into Gangbao!
That hurts... Qiao Sang had an “Oh f—” at the tip of her tongue, but remembered this was a livestream and swallowed it.
Bang!
Gangbao crashed diagonally into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
“Whiteplume!”
Whiteplume Goose glared at the infuriating purple figure and was about to attack again...
But just then, a wave of pain overwhelmed it, and it too fell to the ground.
“What a fierce clash...”
The commentator drew in a breath, then grew excited: “Whiteplume Goose pushed through a barrage of Wing Blades to hit Steel-Slash Giant Falcon, but it’s clearly been badly injured too! Both beasts are down! Who will rise first?!”
“Whiteplume Goose!” Tao Jun called out.
She had no other option. With most of its feathers gone, the spirit patterns had lost effect, she could only shout.
Gangbao, are you okay? Qiao Sang asked mentally, slightly worried.
Outside the field, the mechanical referee pet beast prepared to fly in.
But in the next second, both pet beasts on the field slowly stood up, so it halted.
Tao Jun nearly cried with joy.
She hadn’t expected Whiteplume Goose to stand up so fast after that, its willpower was nothing like before!
Could the power of anger really be this strong!?
“Whitewing...”
Whiteplume Goose wobbled to its feet.
“Gang Slice..”
Gangbao stood shakily, looked at her bruised opponent still staring her down, and suddenly raised her left wing, pointing upward.
“Whitewing...”
Whiteplume Goose instinctively looked up in the same direction, and saw the giant virtual screen broadcasting the match to the audience.
And on it, was its current appearance.
Its head half bald, feathers nearly all gone from its neck and back, the few white ones left were, badly injured...
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T/n: Gangbao's a smart menace😆
