Xu Yixuan and He Datiao stared blankly, utterly confused for a moment. When they finally came to their senses, they both had the exact same thought: How does Qiao Sang manage to joke so seriously?

To be fair, while rare, it wasn’t entirely unheard of for high schoolers to raise a pet beast to an advanced level.

However, such occurrences were typically limited to senior year, usually late in the second semester.

Achieving eligibility to take the special entrance exams for top universities required one of two accomplishments during high school:

1. Winning first place in the government-hosted national campus tournaments.

2. Passing the D-rank Beastmaster certification.

A crucial requirement for the latter? Owning an advanced pet beast.

In other words, even if you claimed first place in the national tournaments, without an advanced pet beast, you wouldn’t qualify for the D-rank certification or the entrance exam for elite universities.

The importance of advanced pet beasts was self-evident.

This was why anyone whose pet advanced during the tournament season didn’t bother hiding it. Instead, they’d loudly broadcast it to boost their school’s reputation.

No one thought it was over the top.

When 99% of senior-year competitors had intermediate-level pets, owning an advanced one meant you were practically guaranteed a spot in the regional finals.

In such cases, there was no need to play coy or act mysterious, your strength spoke for itself.

Even if someone tried to analyze your weaknesses, it wouldn’t matter. Advanced pet owners didn’t need to fear counter-strategies; in battle, their power made those efforts irrelevant.

This was why Xu Yixuan and He Datiao didn’t believe the rumor about Ding Yanjing’s Guwei Blossom evolving into Guwei Sunflower.

If it had really evolved, Litan High School would have made a huge announcement. They were certain of that.

Ding Yanjing’s case was already hard to believe. But Qiao Sang?

She was just a first-year student, barely two months into high school! Claiming her Flame Hound had advanced to an upper-level pet?

Ridiculous!

Even if someone made an announcement, no one would believe it.

Xu Yixuan was at a loss for words but decided to humor Qiao Sang’s rare attempt at a joke.

"Wow, impressive. When did it happen? Have you picked a new name for it yet?" She asked, putting on a smile.

“Just last night.” Qiao Sang replied earnestly.

“I’m calling it Blazing Star Canine.”

You actually answered seriously?! Xu Yixuan almost broke character, struggling to maintain her composure.

"Do you need to inform Mr. Sun and the others?" He Datiao chimed in, smirking. Clearly, he was in on the joke.

After a moment’s thought, Qiao Sang nodded.

“Let’s wait until after today’s match.”

She wasn’t trying to keep it a secret; she just preferred to stay low-key. After all, half the town already knew about Yabao’s evolution.

But listening to Xu Yixuan and He Datiao, Qiao Sang felt they had a point. Her teachers needed to know immediately.

She’d also need to call the vice principal to revise Yabao’s training regimen. And they’d need to develop a new energy pill formula.

She’s not done, is she? He Datiao thought, twitching slightly as he decided to drop the topic.

Just as Xu Yixuan and He Datiao exchanged exasperated glances, Qiao Sang added, “Just keep this between us, no need to announce it. But honestly, I think Ding Yanjing’s Guwei Blossom really might have evolved. Let’s stay low-key.”

Xu Yixuan: ...

He Datiao: ...

Seriously, enough already!

The tournament proceeded smoothly.

Qiao Sang quietly observed the battles.

After facing three general-rank beasts in practice matches, even if they had held back, her perspective had shifted. Watching the current competitors, she couldn’t help but notice how slow their pets seemed or how weak their moves were. In short, they looked unimpressive.

Realizing where her thoughts were heading, Qiao Sang quickly corrected herself.

That’s not right! I still have Lubao, after all.

Considering Lubao’s abilities, she couldn’t afford to underestimate anyone!

As time passed, it was finally Qiao Sang’s turn. When she summoned Lubao, the platform’s system, which had just been repaired, crashed again.

“Lu.”

Lubao stood coolly on the battlefield, completely oblivious to the chaos caused by her entrance.

Her opponent was a Water Burst Shrimp.

The shrimp, known for its aggressive nature, clacked its claws provocatively as soon as it appeared.

Lubao remained expressionless.

“Babo!” The shrimp clacked again.

Lubao didn’t react.

“Babo!”

Still no response.

“Babo…”

Defeated, the shrimp lowered its claws awkwardly.

The referee’s whistle blew, signaling the start of the match.

To no one’s surprise, the battle ended within a minute.

With the field covered in puddles, Lubao vanished into the water and reappeared behind the shrimp, landing a decisive Water Tail attack to claim victory.

The crowd buzzed with admiration:

"Lubao is stunning!"

"If this were a water terrain, the shrimp might’ve stood a chance. But on land, Lubao’s speed gave it a clear advantage."

"And its skill synergy! That Melting Water trait turns opponents’ attacks into its own weapon."

"Honestly, I wanted to see Lubao get hit, just to witness its Healing Light in action."

"Same! That’s a super-tier skill, you know!"

By the end of the day, Qiao Sang, Xu Yixuan, and He Datiao had all breezed through their matches.

The three waited in the audience for the final battle to conclude.

As Qiao Sang cradled Lubao, Xu Yixuan casually checked her phone. Suddenly, she let out a sharp tsk and remarked, “Someone else in Hongrao Town hit the jackpot again.”