Beast Taming: Starting From Zero
Chapter 752: Appearance (2-in-1)
“The opening ceremony is just the opening ceremony. Why are you so excited? Is there a star you like participating?” one of the classmates asked.
“Yes!” The blonde male classmate who first brought up the topic said, “Apollo! Have you seen ‘The Strongest Gathering’? He played the male lead in it, and he was super handsome! He rose from the Lower Tenth District to the Upper Tenth District, became the defending champion of the A-grade Beastmaster擂台赛, and then returned to the Lower Tenth District with a group of companions to solve the problem of wild Pets and protect the ordinary people. You can go watch it, it’s super inspiring!”
Another spiky-haired classmate waved his hand:
“That’s just acting, it’s not real.”
The blonde male classmate’s face immediately fell:
“Even if you were given the role, you couldn’t act it out.”
The spiky-haired classmate scoffed, “I would never be an actor.”
“Alright, alright, stop arguing,” Dorothy interjected promptly.
The blonde male classmate and the spiky-haired classmate turned to look at Dorothy, their gazes unconsciously falling on Qiao Sang, who was sitting next to her. Then they exchanged glances, snorted coldly, and turned their heads, giving her face.
“Seriously, we almost got into a fight just by chatting casually,” Dorothy complained, then turned her head to Qiao Sang, lowering her voice and saying, “Do you want to go watch the Beastmaster Star Tournament tonight? I got two tickets.”
Qiao Sang looked at her with a strange expression:
“Are you also very interested in the Beastmaster Star Tournament?”
Dorothy pondered for a moment and said:
“It’s alright. This is already the most-watched event recently. Those Prop Masters and Spirit Mark Masters are all promoting how powerful the stars based on their professions are. As a Professional Beast Tamer, I should at least go to the venue to support the Professional Beast Tamers.”
Qiao Sang listened attentively, but her mind was pondering something:
The Beastmaster Star Tournament is not the Professional Beast Tamer Star Tournament. There are also many famous stars whose main professions are Prop Masters and Spirit Mark Masters. When fighting them, even if you know their detailed information in advance, there might still be uncontrollable variables.
No matter what, props and Spiritual Marks can be changed before the competition, unlike Pets, whose level, attributes, and data are already laid out…
It seems I can’t overly rely on data. On-the-spot adaptability is still very important…
“Do you want to go together?” Dorothy asked again.
“No,” Qiao Sang said, “An elder is taking me to participate in a competition tonight.”
If it were just her, acting with Dorothy would be fine, but adding a teacher from the Imperial Beast Academy made it a bit inconvenient.
“What competition?” Dorothy asked curiously.
Qiao Sang coughed and lowered her voice: “The Beastmaster Star Tournament.”
Dorothy: “???”
At the same time, all the classmates in the class suddenly focused their attention.
My voice was already so low, and you all still heard it so clearly… Qiao Sang felt everyone’s gazes and complained internally, remaining expressionless on the surface.
She had also received feedback, so how could she not know that these guys had been focusing their attention here to have such a reaction.
“You’re participating in the Beastmaster Star Tournament?”
“Is that true or false?”
“Didn’t they say only stars could participate?”
“What kind of talk is that! Isn’t Qiao Sang more awesome than those stars!”
“That’s not what I mean! I mean Qiao Sang isn’t a star!”
Everyone spoke at once, and the discussion became very heated for a while.
Qiao Sang coughed: “That…”
Everyone instantly quieted down and refocused their gazes.
It’s not easy to be a popular figure… Qiao Sang recounted Pilit’s explanation: “I once had Ghost Ring King shoot a promotional video, and it also played a cameo role in a movie, so I barely managed to sign up successfully.”
If someone else had said this, the classmates would have immediately attacked them.
Just a promotional video and a small cameo role in a movie, and that counts as a star?
You should know that all the participants in the Beastmaster Star Tournament are, without exception, stars whose names passersby can recognize. It’s not simply being a supporting actor or shooting a few commercials that allows one to sign up successfully.
But when these words came from Qiao Sang, everyone suddenly found it very reasonable and didn’t feel there was any problem.
“So that’s how it is…”
“Ghost Ring King also had a cameo in a movie?! What movie? I’ll go watch it right away!”
“What promotional video? How come I’ve never seen it?”
“Damn it, a unique Pet from Blue Star shooting a promotional video and a movie, and I didn’t receive any news at all!”
“It seems someone is afraid of Qiao Sang becoming popular. It must have been suppressed on the hot search.”
“Exactly, I think so too!”
Really, it’s not that serious… Qiao Sang’s mouth twitched imperceptibly as she listened to the conversations around her.
“Qiao Sang, I’ll go support you!” Dorothy finally processed the information and said with a sincere expression.
“Thank you…”
That day, the post # ChapterTheStrongestNewStudentOfTheBeastTamingDepartmentQiaoSangWillParticipateInTheBeastmasterStarTournament# Chapter appeared on the homepage of the Yu Liandun University forum.
……
6 PM.
The future curve building.
Various forms of Flying-type Pets, adorned with glowing equipment, moved through the night sky like flowing lines of light.
Light and shadow intertwined, and dazzling neon lights filled the entire street.
At the very center was a huge open-air Yu Beast Master arena.
Almost everyone rode their Pets and gathered here.
“Ya!”
Yabao looked at everything around him excitedly.
“Xiao Xunbao!”
Xiao Xunbao appeared, occasionally teleporting to various unfamiliar novelties and holographic advertisements.
“Ice Ai…”
Lubao’s head poked out of the backpack, also curiously staring at the scene outside.
Ever since Qiao Sang arrived in the First District, she soon moved into a villa near Yu Liandun University. It was quiet there, with few people moving around.
The place she frequented was a training club not far away.
Later, after Xiao Xunbao became familiar with the route, he went directly between Yu Liandun University and the villa, a two-point line, and had never been to such a lively place late at night.
Qiao Sang and Yabao simultaneously looked up, revealing an unworldly expression at a large bird-type Pet in the sky, adorned with various mechanical equipment.
“Haven’t you been out much?” Pilit said tactfully.
Qiao Sang withdrew her gaze and hummed, “After I came here, my evenings were basically fully scheduled, so I didn’t have many opportunities to go out.”
“Sometimes it’s good to go out more and experience things,” Pilit said. “If it’s just textbook knowledge, the Imperial Beast Academy can teach that. And when you return to Blue Star, you don’t know when you’ll have the chance to come to Super Dormant Star again.”
Qiao Sang heard this and felt it made sense:
“I will go out more.”
During their casual chat, the two verified their identities and entered the open-air Yu Beast Master stadium.
The entire audience was packed, everyone holding glow sticks, excitedly discussing their favorite stars with their companions.
A giant virtual screen above played highlights from previous Beastmaster Star Tournaments.
Qiao Sang, holding Yabao, followed behind Pilit and arrived at the contestant area.
Voices entered her ears:
“Ahhh! Medea! She’s so beautiful in person! I wonder when she’ll be on stage today!”
“Bilter is here too! This year’s lineup is good, all my favorite stars!”
“If you could only support one, which one would you support?”
“Still Medea. After all, she’s a Prop Master like me. Prop Masters must win!”
“Prop Masters don’t have a high chance of winning, do they? They’re too proud, and their matches basically only show props. They don’t draw Spiritual Marks or anything.”
“Isn’t it the same for Spirit Mark Masters? They’re unwilling to use props.”
“Everyone’s an adult. They understand that to have a high chance of winning, you must use both props and Spiritual Marks. The main thing is that the capital behind them doesn’t allow it, understand?”
“Don’t be so conspiratorial. This is the Beastmaster Star Tournament. How many platforms are broadcasting it simultaneously? With such huge traffic, everyone is definitely more willing to showcase their professional strength.”
“Huh? Who’s that child? Why are they sitting in the contestant area?”
A child? Qiao Sang subconsciously looked to the side but didn’t see the so-called child.
At this moment, the same voice sounded again: “What’s that red canine Pet she’s holding? I seem to have never seen it before.”
“Envious. A capitalist’s child can even sit next to a star to watch a match.”
Red canine Pet… Qiao Sang silently lowered her head and glanced at Yabao, her mouth twitching imperceptibly.
So, the child they were talking about was herself…
Suddenly, Pilit spoke:
“Go backstage. The contestants’ introductions are about to begin.”
“Okay,” Qiao Sang nodded, stood up, and walked towards the backstage area, holding Yabao.
The Beastmaster Star Tournament was different from other competitions. All participating contestants would enter the venue successively before the opening, making a stunning appearance, and the Commentator would introduce them one by one.
Qiao Sang arrived backstage, where various fashionably dressed and brightly attired people had already gathered.
“Please, all teachers, line up,” the Staff said.
The line quickly formed, and Qiao Sang followed the crowd, standing in the middle.
“Where’s your adult?” The blonde lady behind her patted Qiao Sang’s shoulder and asked.
Qiao Sang remembered what she had heard in the audience earlier, then realized something and patiently explained:
“I am a contestant.”
The blonde lady frowned.
The people around heard the commotion and turned their heads.
The red-haired man in front, wearing silver earrings, looked over and smiled charmingly: “Little sister, whose autograph do you want? Big brother will help you. We’re about to enter, you can go to the audience to watch us.”
Qiao Sang: “…”
“Staff!” a man with a short ponytail behind the blonde lady called out impatiently.
“Is something wrong?” A Staff member walked over.
The black-haired man with the ponytail complained:
“How do you manage things? How can you let a child just sneak in like this?”
All the Staff present had knowledge of the contestants.
The Staff member glanced at Qiao Sang and Yabao, then turned and smiled:
“This one is also a contestant in this Beastmaster Star Tournament.”
The surroundings suddenly fell silent.
A contestant? A child? Everyone’s minds went blank for a moment.
I already said I’m a contestant… Qiao Sang felt everyone’s gazes, her expression unchanged.
Under the gaze of curious and astonished eyes, Yabao’s posture subtly straightened, suddenly gaining an idol’s burden.
A few seconds later, the red-haired man smiled apologetically: “It seems to be my mistake. May I ask what your profession is?”
Qiao Sang paused: “Student.”
Still a student and already trying to use backdoor connections to participate in this level of competition, isn’t that too eager… The red-haired man turned his head back, no longer engaging in conversation.
All sorts of ambiguous gazes were now focused on Qiao Sang.
Qiao Sang could keenly perceive the meaning in their eyes, but she could only politely maintain her original expression.
Because she really did use a backdoor…
……
Open-air Yu Beast Master stadium.
The Commentator’s passionate voice echoed throughout the venue:
“This is her last time participating in the Beastmaster Star Tournament! She is Medea Hill, who at the age of 26 reached third place in the C-level Prop Master Challenge Cup and single-handedly sparked a prop craze!”
As his words fell, the lady on stage, wearing a red cinched dress, extended her right hand towards a bear-type Pet about 5 meters tall.
“Heavy.”
The bear-type Pet extended its left paw, and a silver mechanical device on it immediately extended a claw about the size of a human hand, gripping Medea’s hand and gently lifting her.
Medea landed steadily on the bear-type Pet’s shoulder, raised her hand, and waved to the audience.
The bear-type Pet walked towards the contestant area.
As another figure appeared, the Commentator’s voice sounded again:
“He has participated in the Pet擂台争霸赛 a total of 4 times! The F-level Yu Beast Master Pet擂台争霸赛, the E-level Yu Beast Master Pet擂台争霸赛, the D-level Yu Beast Master Pet擂台争霸赛, and the C-level Yu Beast Master Pet擂台争霸赛, all of which he became the overlord!”
“He is your 4-time Pet擂台争霸赛 Overlord!”
“From the Second District! Standing 1.88 meters tall, Apollo Nowitzki!”
The red-haired man with silver earrings waved his hand and walked into the arena.
Next to him, a fox-type Pet, about 6 meters tall, with red fur on its face, hands, neck, and chest, and yellow fur on its forehead, ears, and tail, walking on two legs, tossed a coin-like prop upwards.
Then, it puckered its lips upwards, and a flame with a diameter of only about one centimeter immediately sprayed onto the “coin.”
“Bang!”
The “coin” exploded, turning into dazzling red fireworks in the air and falling down.
The entire venue erupted, with screams incessantly.
For a moment, the atmosphere of the scene was pushed to a climax.
At this moment, a slender figure emerged from the passage.
The Commentator, upholding his professional ethics, remained passionate:
“She comes from Blue Star! Because of her unique Pet, she was chosen to shoot a promotional video at a glance! She also starred in a movie!”
“Only 16 years old! The youngest contestant in this Beastmaster Star Tournament, Qiao Sang!”
The original screams ceased, and the scene suddenly seemed to drop to freezing point.
The audience whispered:
“Who is this?”
“Never heard of her?”
“From Blue Star, maybe a small star from Blue Star, wanting to expand into the interstellar market here.”
“This person definitely used a backdoor. Only 16 years old and can participate in this level of competition.”
“I’m really speechless. Even Olim wasn’t selected to participate. Why her?”
Holy crap, how embarrassing… Qiao Sang waved and walked out.
“Xiao Xunbao~”
Xiao Xunbao appeared, enthusiastically waving its paw at the audience.
Qiao Sang led Xiao Xunbao directly to the contestant area.
The appearance ended just like that? A small portion of the audience, who were initially curious about the opponent and Pet both being from Blue Star, couldn’t hide their disappointment.
Qiao Sang felt the silent atmosphere around her and asked Pilit in a low voice:
“Teacher, why didn’t you tell me that the appearance also required a performance? I wasn’t prepared at all.”
Pilit calmly stated his view:
“Your purpose in participating is to train your practical combat ability. These superficial things are not important.”
Qiao Sang: “…”
Alright. (End of this chapter)