Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1

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Dragon-type pet beasts have increasingly longer evolution cycles as they progress.

Regardless of the species, for a dragon-type pet beast to evolve from intermediate to advanced, even with top-tier talent and resources, it would take several years.

Logically, an advanced dragon-type pet beast should be impossible to appear in a high school-level match of the National Campus Beast Mastering League.

Unless, of course, the trainer bypasses the nurturing process and directly contracts an advanced dragon-type pet beast.

This was exactly what Zhao Chuanyu did.

His Crimson Rush Dragon wasn’t raised from a young Scarlet Dragon; instead, he contracted it a month after last year’s National Campus Beast Mastering League had ended, when it had already matured into an advanced-level pet beast.

This immediately made him a strong candidate for this year’s high school senior division championship.

After some deep digging, everyone learned that Zhao Chuanyu had deliberately delayed contracting his second pet beast, waiting specifically for the Crimson Rush Dragon.

In the sophomore division of the National Campus Beast Mastering League, most contestants already had two pet beasts. Yet Zhao Chuanyu competed using only one.

As for why he waited until after last year’s tournament to contract the Crimson Rush Dragon, there were two main theories online.

One theory was that Zhao Chuanyu had his sights set on the senior division championship.

If he had contracted the Crimson Rush Dragon too early, its abilities would have been exposed during the sophomore division matches.

By the time the senior division rolled around, opponents would have collected too much battle data on it and could craft highly targeted strategies.

The other theory was that the Crimson Rush Dragon simply wasn’t willing to form a contract earlier.

A human’s brain domain is fragile, especially in the early stages of beast taming, when they haven’t undergone many rounds of power feedback and have barely unlocked a few pages of their Beast Taming Codex.

If he had forced the contract before the dragon was willing, not only would he have failed, but his brain would have suffered severe damage.

The contestants from the Central Hollow region are truly outrageous, they can even get their hands on an advanced dragon-type pet beast…

Qiao Sang sighed, shifting into a more comfortable position on her bed as she continued watching the matches.

---

Fifty minutes later, all afternoon matches had concluded.

Qiao Sang opened the official forum of the National Campus Beast Mastering League to check for updates.

The forum was flooded with real-time posts tracking the tournament.

The moment the matches ended, an official announcement appeared:

#National Campus Beast Mastering League Senior Division Top 9 List#

The post had just been pinned, yet it was already overloaded with comments, soaring past 99+ within moments, and the view count was climbing by dozens per second.

So fast… Qiao Sang clicked on the post.

[Disclaimer: This ranking is based on match results from this round and does not reflect actual strength.]

1. Yuhua Region - Qiao Sang

2. Zhidia Region - Zhou Shanliang

3. Chongdao Region - Zhang Wandi

4. Central Hollow Region - Tang Yi

5. Tuwei Region - Xu Jie

6. Liaoxi Region - Liao Qiang

7. Central Hollow Region - Zhao Chuanyu

8. Dongjia Region - Sun Yi

9. Central Hollow Region - Xia Fengyuan

Except for Wu Chongyu and Cui Pingkun not making the top nine, the rest of the list is pretty much what everyone expected…

Qiao Sang scrolled down to read the comments:

[Central Hollow Region is still dominating even without Wu Chongyu, they still have three out of the top nine.]

[No surprises here. If Yuhua Region hadn’t suddenly produced a monster, Central Hollow would’ve had at least four in the top nine.]

[Don’t be discouraged! Even though we only have three in the top nine, we might still have four in the top ten. There's still the resurrection round. Wu Chongyu might make a comeback. Did you see his match against Qiao Sang from Yuhua? They almost destroyed the entire arena!]

[Forget the top ten. With Cui Pingkun in the losers' bracket, he’s almost guaranteed to make it.]

[Damn! Our Lianbo Region has no one left!]

[I'm heartbroken… How many years has it been? Our Beilun Region still hasn’t placed anyone in the top nine.]

[Calm down. I used to think our Yuhua Region was doomed again this year, and then we got a huge surprise.]

[That’s an understatement. You guys produced a championship contender!]

[Forget it, our Guwu Region is done for. I’m calling it now, everyone in the top nine besides Qiao Sang is trash.]

[Ignore the Guwu folks, they’re a bit delusional. I attended a match in person once, and they cheered louder for Qiao Sang than their own contestants. You’d think she was from their region.]

[Strength-wise, Central Hollow is still the strongest overall. Tang Yi in the front, Zhao Chuanyu in the back.]

[Overall strength means nothing in an individual competition. Need me to explain what individual means?]

[Tang Yi is washed up. Forget Zhao Chuanyu and Qiao Sang, he might not even beat Zhang Wandi now.]

[Wow, people really switch up fast. You guys used to say Tang Yi was unbeatable.]

[Tang Yi used to be unstoppable. If he hadn’t gotten cocky after winning the championship and injured his Paralulu in a secret realm, causing it to spend two months in recovery, he’d be a top contender this year too.]

[Why did he even go into a secret realm when he wasn’t even a D-rank beast tamer?]

[He had family issues, his school covered his resources, but only if he produced results. He probably entered the secret realm to secure more resources.]

So that’s what happened to Tang Yi… No wonder no one mentions last year’s champion anymore.

Qiao Sang thought for a moment. A fallen genius from a declining family, striking setbacks in his prime, making everyone think he's done for… Isn’t this straight out of a male protagonist’s storyline?

I better keep an eye on this guy…

According to male protagonist logic, when everyone thinks he's finished, that’s exactly when he makes a legendary comeback.

---

The next day was the losers' bracket match to determine the final member of the top ten.

After breakfast and washing up, Qiao Sang brought her team to the hotel’s 15th floor for training.

Despite the grueling sessions, Yabao and Lubao never showed signs of fatigue.

Little Treasure, on the other hand, wanted to take breaks multiple times. But every time he saw Yabao and Lubao pushing through, he clenched his teeth and kept going.

Qiao Sang felt a sense of admiration, whether in studying or training, environment truly makes a difference.

---

Soon, the fifth stage of the National Campus Beast Mastering Championship arrived.

With only ten contestants left, all matches were held in the afternoon.

At 2 PM, figures appeared one by one in the Shouyao Battle Arena.

Though there were fewer school-uniformed cheer squads, the audience turnout remained overwhelming, every seat was filled.

Any competition has its audience.

While the high school division of the National Campus Beast Mastering Championship wasn’t the highest level of competition, it was the most prestigious for high schoolers.

With millions of high school households in Dragon Country, plus middle school students interested in beast battles, there was no shortage of viewers.

Attending the national championship in person didn’t require ticket, it required connections.

Any available seats were instantly reserved by school officials.

As cameras zoomed in, the host stood atop a white flying-type pet beast and formally announced the matchups:

Zhidia Region, Zhou Shanliang VS Chongdao Region, Zhang Wandi

Central Hollow Region, Tang Yi VS Tuwei Region, Xu Jie

Liaoxi Region, Liao Qiang VS Central Hollow Region, Xia Fengyuan

Dongjia Region, Sun Yi VS Central Hollow Region, Zhao Chuanyu

Yuhua Region, Qiao Sang VS Liaoxi Region, Cui Pingkun

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After yesterday’s intense battles, Cui Pingkun successfully became the tenth contestant to advance from the losers' bracket.

As the matchups were announced, the arena erupted in an uproar.

“The only seedling from the Dongjia region! And he has to face Zhao Chuanyu?”

“Is Cui Pingkun being punished by the system? First, he encountered Zhao Chuanyu, and now he’s up against Qiao Sang!”

“I seriously suspect something’s wrong with the system! Why are the three contestants from the Zhongkong region all separated?!”

“I noticed this too. As long as there are enough contestants, those from the same region are usually placed apart.”

“The first match is between two lone representatives from their regions. Interesting.”

Cui Pingkun... Looking at her opponent, Qiao Sang's interest was immediately piqued. Cui Pingkun was the only contestant in the national tournament with an advanced mechanical-type pet beast.

And she had never fought against a mechanical-type pet beast before.

The battles were fierce and exhilarating. As time passed, the list of the top five advancing contestants was revealed one by one.

The names were: Zhang Wandi, Tang Yi, Liao Qiang, and Zhao Chuanyu.

The host stood atop a white flying-type pet beast and announced in a loud voice:

“Next, let’s welcome our final set of contestants! From the Yuhua region, Qiao Sang! And from the Liaoxi region, Cui Pingkun!”

The arena erupted into deafening cheers.

“Go, Qiao Sang! Qiao Sang, almighty! Qiao Sang will win!”

“Cui Pingkun! Fear no one! Cui Pingkun, you’re the best!”

Now that it was the top ten matchups, the audience from each region was shouting at the top of their lungs, afraid that their energy would be overpowered by the opposing side.

Amid the roaring cheers, Qiao Sang and Cui Pingkun walked to their designated spots on the battlefield.

“Qu!”

As soon as the referee blew the whistle, both Qiao Sang and Cui Pingkun formed hand seals simultaneously.

In an instant, their pet beasts appeared within their respective star formations.

Meanwhile, in the audience, a war of words broke out.

“I have to say, your region’s Cui Pingkun is really unlucky. He just fought his way back from the losers' bracket, only to be eliminated again.”

“Don’t speak too soon. You never know who’s going to eliminate whom.”

“Ha? Are you seriously thinking that your region’s Cui Pingkun can beat our Qiao Sang?”

“Why not? When Cui Pingkun was dominating the competition, your Qiao Sang was probably still in middle school, getting scolded by teachers for failing exams.”

“Say that again?! Who-” The boy who spoke looked as if his idol had been insulted. He stood up, eyes flashing with hostility, trying to intimidate the other person. But before he could finish speaking, the girl beside him tugged at his sleeve and whispered:

“Don’t argue with people from the Liaoxi region. I heard that some of their mechanical pet beasts can transform their bodies into digital data and move freely through electronic spaces. They can even access browsing histories on phones and computers.”

“Some people have offended folks from the Liaoxi region before, and all their chat and browsing history got exposed, completely ruining their social lives.”

Expose... chat and browsing history?! The boy’s heart trembled. He immediately sat back down and muttered:

“Forget it, not worth arguing. I’m here to watch the match.”

---

On the Battlefield.

"Lu." Lubao’s expression was icy and composed.

"Calculate."

On the other side, Suan Tao observed its opponent, its two red eyes instantly filling with streams of data.

[Name: Ice Xilu]

[Height: 3.3m]

[Weight: 223kg]

[Beep, beep—analysis beginning... The highest energy concentrations are in the tail and forehead. Weak point: The eyes...]

Suan Tao was an advanced mechanical-type pet beast. By scanning, it could analyze its opponent’s weak points. The slot on its chest was for inserting attribute cartridges, and Cui Pingkun always selected a counter-type cartridge based on the opponent’s pet beast.

Qiao Sang glanced at the red-metal-covered pet beast in the distance, which had two crossed dual-bladed swords on its back and long, slender limbs. A thought flashed through her mind:

I have three pet beasts. There’s no way this thing can predict with absolute certainty that I’d send out Lubao first...

“Qu!”

The whistle signaling the start of the match blew.

Lubao opened her mouth, unleashing a thick blue water gun that shot toward Suan Tao.

Blazing Star Canine, Ghost Ring Phantom, Ice Xilu, Qiao Sang had been rotating her pet beasts fairly in the national championship. Last round, she had already used Blazing Star Canine and Ghost Ring Phantom, so this time, as expected, it was Ice Xilu...

Cui Pingkun adjusted his black-framed glasses, the lenses reflecting a glimmer of intelligence.

“Calculate.”

Suan Tao swiftly drew the two one-meter-long dual-bladed swords from its back and swung them forward with force.

As the swords moved, yellow arcs of electricity crackled along their blades.

The blades flickered under the yellow electric currents.

In a flash, they reached the oncoming water gun.

The water gun was instantly sliced into three parts, and the severed streams continued hurtling toward Lubao’s position.

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