Chapter 759: Opponent, Spirit Pattern Master (2-in-1)

Half an hour later.

High in the sky outside the open-air Beast Taming Arena.

“Did you learn anything from today’s match?” Pilit asked.

“Yes.” Qiao Sang nodded, “I just found out that genderless Pets can use Charm to indiscriminately Charm targets.”

Pilit smiled:

“Fairy-type Pets are few in number, and genderless Fairy-type Pets are even rarer, so it’s normal that you didn’t know.”

With that, he began to explain:

“In common understanding, the Charm skill requires the target to be of the opposite sex to be effective, which creates a significant limitation. In actual combat, very few Professional Beast Tamers consider this skill because they can’t be sure of the opponent Pet’s gender. Using this move has a 50% chance of wasting time, which could allow the opponent to seize the opportunity to attack.”

After listening, Qiao Sang silently looked down at Ya Bao:

“But if you know the opponent Pet’s gender beforehand, I think this move is still very effective.”

“Exactly.” Pilit nodded slightly in agreement, “This skill is not only useful for Pets; as long as it’s the opposite sex, it works on any creature.”

“Does it work on people too?” Qiao Sang asked.

Pilit replied, “It works on people too.”

Suddenly, I really want to find a Fairy-type Pet and experience what it feels like to be charmed… Qiao Sang fantasized inwardly, but unfortunately, she couldn’t imagine the scene of being charmed by a Pet.

Then she thought of something and asked:

“Can training mental power counteract Charm?”

“Yes.” Pilit said, “In fact, the higher the Pet’s level, the harder it is to be charmed, and it’s related to this aspect.”

Speaking of this, he recalled the previous battle scene, turned his head to look at Flame Qilu, who was concentrating on Flying, and smiled:

“Actually, I was quite surprised that your Flame Qilu was able to recover from Charm so quickly. Grote’s Immortal Treasure Butterfly is genderless, so he always uses Charm as his trump card.”

“Among Pets of the same level, his Immortal Treasure Butterfly’s success rate for casting Charm has been 100% in the past two years. He even successfully charmed a King-level Pet in public.”

“If I’m not mistaken, his Immortal Treasure Butterfly’s Charm should have reached the Perfect, or even Profound Meaning, level.”

Hearing this, it seems Ya Bao’s ability to break free is quite impressive… Qiao Sang felt an inexplicable sense of pride for Ya Bao. She pressed down the corners of her upturned mouth and said:

“I didn’t expect it either, because this is the first time it’s been hit by this ultimate move.”

“Your Flame Qilu’s willpower is extraordinary.” Pilit stated his opinion.

Qiao Sang unconsciously turned her head to look at the position of Ya Bao’s tail, and her expression suddenly became complicated.

Normally, if someone praised Ya Bao at this time, it would have already wagged its tail, but now it was just quietly Flying, as if it hadn’t heard anything.

She pondered for a moment, and then, preoccupied, asked:

“Will Peaceful Wave leave any side effects on Pets?”

Side effects? Pilit thought for a moment and said, “No, once the skill’s duration ends, everything will return to normal.”

“Approximately how long is the duration of each stage of Peaceful Wave?” Qiao Sang immediately followed up with a question.

Pilit recalled Qiao Sang’s gaze at Flame Qilu just now, instantly understood what she was worried about, and comforted her:

“Peaceful Wave is a characteristic of the Immortal Treasure Butterfly. If Flame Qilu hasn’t returned to its normal state yet, then it’s highly probable that this characteristic’s level is A-rank or higher.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the time on his wrist watch: “If it’s A-rank, the effect lasts for an hour, so you just need to wait another ten-odd minutes. If it’s S-rank, the effect lasts for a day. If Flame Qilu still hasn’t recovered after ten-odd minutes, you can have Ice Aipalu perform some Healing.”

The characteristic’s level is actually so high… If Immortal Treasure Butterfly had used Peaceful Wave instead of Charm at the beginning, wouldn’t Ya Bao have been suppressed and beaten throughout the entire match… Qiao Sang felt a surge of lingering fear.

Seeing Qiao Sang in deep thought, Pilit couldn’t help but ask, “What are you thinking about?”

“If Immortal Treasure Butterfly had used Peaceful Wave from the start, the outcome of this match would have been hard to say.” Qiao Sang voiced her concern.

“Grote wouldn’t dare to take such a risk.” Pilit patiently explained, “Peaceful Wave’s attack range is limited; the longer the distance, the less effective it is. Moreover, this move only weakens the opponent’s hostility and fighting spirit. Many Pets simply follow their Yu Beast Master’s arrangements for the match, and their inherent personality doesn’t contain hostility or fighting spirit towards their opponent.”

“Compared to the indiscriminate attack of the Charm skill, this move is clearly not suitable as a first strike.”

This move might not be very effective on others, but for Ya Bao, it’s an absolute killer… Qiao Sang nodded, showing an expression of “I’ve learned something.”

After a few seconds, she suddenly asked:

“Then if a Pet with maximum fighting spirit unfortunately gets hit by this move, is there any way to quickly recover?”

You’re talking about Flame Qilu, aren’t you…? Pilit didn’t expose her, but directly answered the question:

“Logically speaking, when a Pet loses its fighting spirit, it will still follow the Yu Beast Master’s commands to attack, it’s just that its reaction ability might be a bit weaker than usual.”

He paused, then continued:

“However, if this Pet, full of fighting spirit, is hit by this move for the first time, it might fall into a state of confusion, because it’s experiencing this feeling for the first time, as if something has been stripped from its body, and all aspects, including its mind, will become sluggish.”

“In this situation, if you let it experience Peaceful Wave a few more times, it will greatly improve when encountering such situations in future battles.”

So it really was a problem with its mind… Qiao Sang had a feeling of “Holy crap, I knew it” in her heart.

She pondered for a moment and asked, “Is the effect the same if we practice with Therapeutic Sound Wave?”

For questions about skills like this, Pilit could answer without much thought:

“Therapeutic Sound Wave calms agitated emotions and allows the target to think peacefully. It does indeed have a similar effect to Peaceful Wave, but in terms of weakening fighting spirit, Peaceful Wave is still more powerful.”

Qiao Sang understood instantly.

If she wanted Ya Bao to react less strongly to this move in the future, it would be better to find a Pet that could use Peaceful Wave for practice.

…

Twenty minutes later.

Villa.

“Ya Ya…”

“Xiao Xunbao…”

Ya Bao and Xiao Xunbao were leaning against the living room wall, staying in the corner, looking deeply dejected, as if their entire bodies were enveloped by a low-pressure aura.

“What’s wrong with you two?” Qiao Sang asked, feeling a slight headache at the sight.

She could somewhat understand why Ya Bao was like this now.

Although it had been hit by Peaceful Wave earlier, its memory was intact. Now that it had recovered, recalling it probably made it feel foolish.

Moreover, being hit by two of the opponent’s moves with such significant effects, it was probably still a bit disheartened.

She couldn’t understand Xiao Xunbao.

The match was won spectacularly, and it even struck a pose at the end. It should have been in a good mood, so why was it like this now?

“Ya Ya…”

Ya Bao turned its head, looking dejected, towards its Yu Beast Master, just about to explain its feelings.

Here, Qiao Sang already showed an expression of “I understand”:

“I understand how you feel, but it’s already amazing that you won against such a restraining opponent. Don’t worry, I’ll immediately find a Pet that can use Peaceful Wave to train you. In the future, when you encounter such a situation in a match again, it won’t be like today.”

“As for Charm, diligently training your mental power can provide a certain degree of resistance. How about you set aside some time every day to practice mental power-related skills like Meditation and Touch Sense?”

“Ya Ya!”

Ya Bao first froze, then pounced into its Yu Beast Master’s arms, excitedly rubbing its face against its Yu Beast Master’s cheek.

Very good!

It felt very good!

Qiao Sang held Ya Bao, a smile on her face.

Ya Bao’s problem was easy to solve.

It just felt that its performance today was poor, but as long as it understood that through training this situation would not happen again, Ya Bao’s mood would improve again.

“Ya Ya!”

Ya Bao jumped out of Qiao Sang’s arms, showing a serious expression.

It’s going to train its mental power now!

After saying that, dozens of identical small Flame Qilus appeared in the living room.

Half of them directly closed their eyes and began Meditation on the spot, while the other half sought out different objects and placed their claws on them.

This level of initiative is incredible… Qiao Sang sighed inwardly.

“Steel Slash…”

Steel Treasure, standing by, watched Ya Bao perform its clones, then looked down at the Spiritual Mark on its own body, and turned to head to the dedicated indoor training room.

Qiao Sang’s attention, however, turned to Xiao Xunbao.

She looked at Xiao Xunbao, who was still leaning against the wall, looking dejected, and sighed inwardly, asking:

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Xiao Xunbao…”

Xiao Xunbao turned its head to the side, calling out dejectedly, indicating that nothing was wrong.

“If nothing’s wrong, I’m leaving.” Qiao Sang said, then took a few steps in place, creating the sound of someone walking away.

“Xiao Xunbao!”

After only two steps, Xiao Xunbao pouted and turned its head, its face full of grievance.

When it saw its Yu Beast Master still standing in place, it finally couldn’t hold it in anymore and started to complain tearfully.

“Xiao Xunbao!”

“Xiao Xunbao!”

Someone said I had no Charm!

Huh? Qiao Sang was startled and asked, “Who said that?”

“Xiao Xunbao!”

Xiao Xunbao looked like it was trying hard not to let its tears fall.

The audience said it after the match!

After speaking, it finally couldn’t hold back, took off its ring, pulled out a few tissues from inside, and started to cry bitterly, wiping away snot and tears.

“Xiao Xunbao!!”

“Xiao Xunbao!!”

Qiao Sang: “…”

Qiao Sang was silent for two seconds, then her face suddenly filled with righteous indignation:

“How utterly tasteless! What were their exact words?”

“Xiao Xunbao!”

“Xiao Xunbao!”

Xiao Xunbao wiped its tears and called out twice.

They said something about Grote being the most handsome, and also said that if it came to Charm, Snow Lion King didn’t lose!

After speaking, it blew its nose.

That’s it? Just that? Qiao Sang complained inwardly, but on the surface, she showed an expression of sudden realization:

“The people who said those words must be Grote’s fans. You know, fans only see their own idol. Others definitely wouldn’t think that way. Think about it, weren’t there not many people saying that?”

After the match, she had vaguely heard some voices from the audience, but she hadn’t heard anything related to Charm, which meant that actually very few people were talking about it.

“Xiao Xunbao…”

Xiao Xunbao paused upon hearing this, stopping its tears.

It seems there really weren’t many people saying it, just one person…

Qiao Sang saw Xiao Xunbao’s expression and knew that what she said was true, so she seized the opportunity to say:

“Don’t worry, you have a lot of fans too. When we first appeared in this competition, wasn’t it your work that was introduced? And have you forgotten what everyone called you when we competed on Blue Star?”

“Xiao Xunbao~”

Xiao Xunbao’s spirits lifted upon hearing this, and its eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Qiao Sang finished with a final remark:

“In my eyes, you are much more charming than Snow Lion King.”

“Xiao Xunbao~”

After hearing this, Xiao Xunbao completely regained its vitality, even happily floating around its Yu Beast Master once.

Finally recovered… Qiao Sang breathed a sigh of relief at the sight.

After resolving the emotional issues of Ya Bao and Xiao Xunbao, Qiao Sang returned to her room, simply washed up, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began making hand seals, attempting to further improve her hand speed.

As long as mental power doesn’t communicate with the yu beast codex in the brain region during hand sealing, the star array will not appear.

Qiao Sang repeatedly practiced the hand-sealing movements.

She keenly noticed that with practice, her hand speed had indeed become a bit faster than before.

Time passed by minute by minute.

After an unknown amount of time, the door opened, and Ya Bao walked in, looking sleepy.

Qiao Sang stopped making hand seals, looked at the alarm clock on the desk, it was 23:02.

“Ya Ya…”

Ya Bao jumped onto the bed, found a comfortable position to lie down, closed its eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

Seeing Ya Bao asleep, Qiao Sang suddenly thought of something, picked up her phone, opened Yu Liandun University’s official website, and posted a task to find a Pet that could use Peaceful Wave.

After posting, she set up notifications. Just as she was about to turn off the screen, a message arrived from the task backend.

Qiao Sang clicked to open it:

“Is this Qiao Sang herself?”

Qiao Sang paused for a moment, then replied: “Yes.”

Almost in the very next second, the other party sent two consecutive messages:

“Since it’s you, I’ll take this task!”

“But I can only come find you the day after tomorrow, I won’t be at school tomorrow.”

So, being famous has this kind of benefit… Qiao Sang clicked to check the other party’s information: Lamal Skova, Senior, Coordination Department, Class 3.

“Alright, I’ll wait for you the day after tomorrow.”

…

The next day.

6:30 PM.

Qiao Sang arrived just in time to sit in the audience with Pilit.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the Beastmaster Star Tournament!” The Commentator spoke the familiar words.

Despite many star players being eliminated, the audience seats were still packed.

After the Commentator finished his introductions, photos of the contestants quickly appeared on the screen and shuffled rapidly.

“Today, who will put on another exciting battle!” As the Commentator’s words fell, the photos froze.

Qiao Sang saw her opponent, a woman with black hair and black eyes, a Dragon Kingdom face, just like herself.

Tao Jun, C-rank Spirit Mark Master.

“Tao Jun, C-rank Spirit Mark Master, 28 years old, can simultaneously draw two Spiritual Marks with different enhancing effects on a Pet.” Pilit said.

Qiao Sang suddenly thought of a very serious question:

“If a Spiritual Mark is drawn on a Pet’s body, and a patch of fur or skin where the Spiritual Mark is drawn falls off, will the Spiritual Mark’s effect still be there?”

Pilit was silent for a moment: “It probably won’t be there, but high-level Spirit Mark Masters are said to be able to engrave the Spiritual Mark’s energy into the Pet’s body simultaneously, so it doesn’t matter if the surface Spiritual Mark is incomplete.”

Qiao Sang showed a thoughtful expression: “A C-rank Spirit Mark Master probably can’t do that yet, right?”

Pilit was silent again for a moment, then nodded and hummed in agreement.

To be honest, he was already starting to feel sympathy for that Spirit Mark Master named Tao Jun.