Chapter 572: Congratulations on the bye

No, Air Absorption! This is Air Absorption!

It’s an Ultra-level skill, when did you learn it without knowing?

Qiao Sang looked at Steel Treasure with an incredulous expression.

To be honest, she wasn’t surprised that Steel Treasure learned Air Absorption, after all, Ya Bao and the others had also learned Ultra-level skills at the Beginner stage. At most, she would just sigh that Steel Treasure learned Ultra-level skills a bit too quickly.

But Steel Treasure learned an Ultra-level skill without even knowing it, that was something she hadn’t expected at all.

“Steel Steel…”

Seeing that her Yu Beast Master didn’t seem to be joking, Steel Treasure thought for a moment, then began to inhale, simultaneously circulating energy.

The surrounding air was immediately sucked into Steel Treasure’s nose by a powerful suction.

“Steel Steel?!”

Feeling the changes in its body, Steel Treasure showed a shocked expression.

It really learned it!

Why didn’t it know?!

Seeing that Steel Treasure had learned Air Absorption, Qiao Sang instantly forgot about the Point matter and focused entirely on this skill.

“Try to use this skill,” Qiao Sang said.

She had only learned about Air Absorption online and had never seen it in reality.

“Steel Steel…”

Steel Treasure looked at its Yu Beast Master, remained silent for a moment, then let out a cry, indicating that it had just used it…

Qiao Sang: “???”

No, is Air Absorption that unnoticeable?

She didn’t know when it learned it, and she still didn’t know when it used it!

A silent atmosphere enveloped Qiao Sang and Steel Treasure.

After a few seconds, Qiao Sang said, “Then use it again.”

“Steel Steel.”

Steel Treasure nodded, showing a serious expression. It took a deep breath, trying to make the effect of Air Absorption more obvious.

After it finished, it looked at its Yu Beast Master with anticipation.

Qiao Sang, who felt no discomfort in her breathing, fell silent again.

She was now a little suspicious that this Air Absorption was fake…

“I don’t seem to feel anything. Wait a moment, I’ll check where the problem is,” Qiao Sang said, picking up her phone from the side.

When in doubt, search online; there’s always a correct answer there.

Steel Treasure flapped its wings and came closer, looking at the phone with a serious expression.

It also wanted to know where the problem was.

After staring at the screen for two seconds, it suddenly realized it couldn’t understand…

In the search bar, Qiao Sang typed: “What’s going on when Air Absorption is used but not felt?”

Soon, she found a post popularizing knowledge about Air Absorption.

[Air Absorption, a skill whose effectiveness increases with the size of the Pet.]

[Air Absorption, a skill that can create a temporary Absolute Vacuum around oneself.]

[Air Absorption, a slightly useless Ultra-level skill.]

[Why Air Absorption can be listed as an Ultra-level skill is because it has a slight connection to the Super-level skill Absolute Vacuum.]

[Although it has a connection, it has an essential difference from Absolute Vacuum.]

[Absolute Vacuum refers to a state where no gas molecules exist in an area, and the pressure in this area is zero. In an Absolute Vacuum, no matter exists. However, Air Absorption utilizes the Pet’s suction to draw the air within a certain range around itself into its body, creating a temporary effect of no air.]

[And the air in our surrounding environment is omnipresent, meaning that air will slowly replenish, which is why the effect caused by Air Absorption is temporary.]

[As for why this skill is considered useless, firstly, if the opponent understands this skill, they will move to create distance. Although the Pet using Air Absorption has no air around it, as long as the opponent moves away from its side, they can breathe normally.]

[Secondly, the duration of the effect caused by Air Absorption is too short, and the surrounding air will continuously rush in.]

[Thirdly, Air Absorption is not like other Ultra-level skills where, even if understood, there’s no way to deal with it if one’s strength is insufficient. Air Absorption can be dealt with as long as it’s understood, even if the opponent’s level is one lower than the Pet using Air Absorption, especially Superpower System Pets, who can nullify this move with a single teleportation.]

[Therefore, it is really not recommended for Pets with small body sizes to learn this move, because even if they learn it, the air they absorb might not affect an opponent even half a meter away.]

[However, this move is not entirely useless; the effect of Air Absorption performed by large-bodied Pets is still very terrifying.]

[The premise is that the body size is large enough.]

No wonder Qiao Sang couldn’t feel Steel Treasure’s Air Absorption at all… After reading the post, Qiao Sang finally understood the reason.

She turned her head to look at Steel Treasure, whose current body size was still smaller than Little Qunbao.

With its body size, it could probably only affect the air within ten centimeters around itself; a little further, and it would be useless…

“Steel Steel?”

Noticing her Yu Beast Master’s gaze, Steel Treasure raised its head and cried out, asking if she had found where the problem was.

“I found it.” Qiao Sang sighed, “It’s because your body size is too small. I knew before that this skill wouldn’t be effective with a small body, but I didn’t expect it to be this ineffective. It seems we can only use this move in battles when your body size becomes large enough later.”

“Steel Steel.”

Steel Treasure nodded, accepting the situation easily.

Its Yu Beast Master had mentioned the issue of small body size before it even started practicing this skill, and it still remembered.

“Don’t stop practicing this skill just because it seems useless now,” Qiao Sang said earnestly. “Only with higher proficiency will the effect be better when you evolve and your body size increases later.”

“Steel Steel.”

Steel Treasure nodded with a serious expression, indicating that it understood.

Immediately, it thought of something, flapped its wings, flew to the table, picked up a chili from the plate, and brought it to Chan Chan Stone, offering it.

To grow larger, besides evolving, it also needed to eat a lot.

“Chan Chan…”

Chan Chan Stone looked at the chili in front of it, hesitated for a moment, then opened its mouth, letting Steel Treasure put it in its mouth.

It now felt that the chili wasn’t too spicy anymore…

…

On the fourth day of the friendly match, Qiao Sang spent the entire time in the arena reading, only looking up to see who won after each match ended.

After about an hour, the list of the top five contestants was announced.

“Please, the top five contestants, come to the stage,” the Principal of Saher School said into the microphone. “We will select one of you for the next round’s bye. The contestant with the bye will directly advance to the semifinals.”

After speaking, he clapped his hands, and five similar-looking Pouch Birds immediately flew onto the stage.

Qiao Sang: “…”

It won’t be me again, will it… Qiao Sang tried to maintain a calm expression as she walked onto the stage.

After yesterday’s bye, she strongly suspected that she had been manipulated.

After all, everyone said it would be her turn for the bye, and it really was her. How could there be such a coincidence?

But she couldn’t figure out how those nine Pouch Birds did it for a while.

Could it be that Pouch Birds have some special ability to hide the slips of paper in their stomachs and then ‘yue’ them out when she chooses?

But she didn’t see the Pouch Birds make any ‘yue’ movements…

Maybe she was overthinking it, and it really was just a coincidence…

Just as various thoughts arose in Qiao Sang’s mind, the Principal of Saher School smiled and said, “Qiao Sang, as the recipient of the previous bye, you go first.”

Let’s try again… Qiao Sang stepped forward with Ya Bao in her arms and asked softly:

“Who do you think we should choose?”

“Ya Ya!”

Ya Bao had already forgotten that its choices were all rejected yesterday. It thought seriously for two seconds, then pointed at the Pouch Bird in front of it and cried out, indicating that its intuition said, choosing this one was definitely correct!

“This one then.” This time, Qiao Sang chose to trust Ya Bao.

The Pouch Bird in front of them slowly opened its mouth.

A familiar slip of paper appeared in Qiao Sang’s sight:

[Congratulations on the bye]

PS: I was originally going to take a leave today because I had something on tonight, but since there’s an Alliance Master who I’m a bit embarrassed to ask for leave from, I stayed up late to write. This chapter counts for today, so please don’t wait for my extra update tonight.