July 5th.
Qiao Sang arrived at her usual spot in front of the Companion Beast Arena two days earlier, and she wasn’t surprised to see Bai Yunmiao there as well. Since Bai Yunmiao was only here for the Sand Borrowing Mouse, even if her parents weren't arguing, she would find another reason to show up.
“Did you bring the mirror?” Qiao Sang asked as she took her seat.
“Of course,” Bai Yunmiao replied, pulling a mirror from her bag and handing it over. Watching Qiao Sang examine herself, she said in surprise, “Qiao genius, why are you suddenly concerned about your looks?”
It wasn't that Qiao Sang didn't pay attention to her appearance before. It was just that she usually wore her hair in a ponytail, and the ride to the arena was always on public transport. She loved sitting by the window, enjoying the breeze. By the time she arrived at the Companion Beast Arena, her ponytail often appeared a bit messy. This created a stark contrast with those who were meticulously dressed, leading others to mistakenly think she didn’t care much about her appearance.
After confirming that she looked much the same as usual, Qiao Sang hesitated and said, “I don’t know if I’m being too narcissistic, but I feel like many people are staring at me today.”
Her Fire Tooth Dog, upon seeing its Beast Master put down the mirror, also picked it up with its paw and started to look into it.
“Ya ya.”
The Fire Tooth Dog nodded, agreeing that many were also paying attention to it.
Bai Yunmiao understood and laughed, “Sand Borrowing Mouse praised you so much yesterday, so it makes sense that people are focused on you. The news has already published several articles today.”
“Is the celebrity effect that serious?” Qiao Sang asked.
“You’re lucky,” Bai Yunmiao replied. “Most people just glance at you. Last time, a newcomer who was praised publicly by Wang Dianao had their address found and was surrounded at home, being demanded to come out for a duel.”
Qiao Sang froze for a moment and said earnestly, “I’m grateful that Sand Borrowing Mouse isn’t as famous as Wang Dianao.”
Bai Yunmiao could only respond with, “…”
…
Only eight participants remained in the Bai Xin Competition.
The matches for F-level Beast Masters were short, and even with the addition of Companion Beast performers, it was impossible to decide the top four in just one day with four matches.
The organizers had already announced the event’s schedule in advance. The top four would be decided on the morning of July 5th, and the top three would be determined in the afternoon. Today was the last day of the Bai Xin Competition.
As time passed, more and more people poured in.
Qiao Sang looked at the audience seats surrounding the Companion Beast Arena, now packed to capacity, and sighed, “I wonder where the organizers found so many people to watch.”
Just yesterday, there were hardly any seats filled.
Bai Yunmiao directed her gaze toward Qiao Sang and asked, “Don’t you pay attention to outside information?”
She recalled when she first added Qiao Sang as a friend, how all her messages went unanswered. It was surprising to meet someone who could actually resist looking at their phone.
“I do, but I didn’t check yesterday,” Qiao Sang replied. She had spent all her time training with her Fire Tooth Dog and studying the opponents.
“Yesterday, the official platform announced that they invited Gao Xulu and Sand Borrowing Mouse to hold a demonstration match today. After the match, they would pick five lucky audience members to take photos and get signatures with them,” Bai Yunmiao explained.
Qiao Sang immediately understood why so many had come.
Gao Xulu was also a participant in this year’s competition in the Yuhua region. Although she didn’t make it to the top ten, her rank was still quite commendable. Most importantly, Sand Borrowing Mouse had previously lost to Gao Xulu.
The marketing strategy of the organizers was truly brilliant.
Qiao Sang glanced over to the commentary booth. Originally occupied by two, now there were three commentators—one of whom was a woman with chestnut-colored short hair: Gao Xulu.
As the opening act concluded, the large screen above the arena flickered with images. Before long, the first match-up appeared on the screen: Hou Xiangyu vs. Yang Qi.
Both were Beast Masters with two intermediate Companion Beasts, and both were strong contenders for the championship. Qiao Sang watched closely. Given their abilities, this match would likely showcase a variety of techniques. In previous matches, due to disparities in strength, each had won with overwhelming ease, and their Companion Beasts had shown little of their potential, making it hard to analyze.
This was one reason Qiao Sang felt uncertain about facing either of them.
However, she didn’t ponder too long. A minute later, the referee announced the result. Yang Qi, usually the one who dominated, was defeated by Hou Xiangyu…
Hou Xiangyu used a technique called Mirage Beam, which sent Yang Qi’s Faithful Spirit into a state of confusion. Seizing the opportunity, he used psychic control to slam it to the ground, ending the match.
Qiao Sang fell into deep thought. The Mirage Beam was a skill unique to psychic-type Companion Beasts. It could inflict damage and had a certain chance of causing confusion, but that chance was not very high. For an opponent of the same level to fall so quickly could either mean poor luck or that this Mirage Beam had reached at least a minor mastery.
Whether the attack would succeed often came down to luck. After all, the Mirage Beam didn’t guarantee immediate confusion.
But then again…
Qiao Sang remembered how her Fire Tooth Dog always led its opponents to defeat. She sighed softly.
One minute for the match, half an hour for the performance—that was what was happening now.
Since the first match ended so quickly, the organizers asked the Companion Beast performers to extend their performance time. Fortunately, the performers were all professionals and kept the atmosphere lively.
The second match featured Wei Wenya against Luo Xinlin. Wei Wenya was the last of the three Beast Masters with two intermediate Companion Beasts. Against Luo Xinlin's Plump Dove, Wei Wenya brought out an electric-type Companion Beast, the Electric Playful Cat, which was a perfect counter to flying types.
The advantage of having two intermediate Companion Beasts was vividly displayed at that moment. A Beast Master with only one had no choice, while those with two could send out a beast suited to counter their opponent’s.
As expected, Wei Wenya won the match.
Once the Companion Beast performers had revved up the atmosphere, the list for the third match appeared on the big screen: Chen Qian vs. Qiao Sang.
In the guest area, one said, “Song Yuan, you’ve got a good eye. That Fire Tooth Dog wearing sunglasses looks pretty cool. With so many media today, if it performs well, it can indeed bring some traffic to your new online shop.”
“However, that Companion Beast called Chen Qian, a Two-Tailed Land Tortoise, is a level lower than its opponent. That’s tough,” another said.
“Qiao Sang has previously triumphed over intermediate-level beasts; Chen Qian’s Two-Tailed Land Tortoise has only just evolved, so it should be a good fight.” A guest who had been following the competition from the beginning remarked.
“By the way, Song Yuan, what did you find out when you contacted Qiao Sang yesterday? Is the live-stream payment based on each instance, or will it be commission-based on sales?”
“Song Yuan?”
“Why aren’t you talking?”
Song Yuan didn’t want to respond.
She didn’t want to admit that after being hung up on several times, she had been blocked.
That would just lead to unrelenting ridicule…
Meanwhile, in the arena, both competitors took their places. As the referee called the match to start, a two-meter-tall Two-Tailed Land Tortoise appeared before Qiao Sang, its brown shell adorned with two tails.
(End of Chapter)