Kainan City was about 160 kilometers from Hanggang City, roughly a two-hour drive on the highway.

The accommodations had already been booked in advance at Shengcheng Hotel, located near the Kainan Pet Battle Arena. With its auspicious name, convenient proximity to the arena, and reasonable rates, the hotel had been fully reserved by the schools participating in the competition.

The school bus stopped 100 meters away from the hotel entrance.

Xu Yixuan, half-awake, squinted out the window and muttered groggily, “Why are we stopping here?”

Qiao Sang stood up and replied, “I’m getting off here.”

Xu Yixuan, now fully awake, asked, “Why are you getting off here?”

“I don’t want Yabao to stay in the Pet Beast Codex the whole time, so I booked a hotel with a bigger room.” Qiao Sang explained as she stepped off the bus.

Liu Yao also got off, following behind her.

Xu Yixuan stared for a moment, then turned to He Dadao as realization dawned on her.

“So, you can switch accommodations if you’re not happy with the ones provided? Why didn’t anyone say so earlier? I’ve always disliked the places the school arranged in previous years,small rooms, and sometimes the hotels didn’t even have training areas for the pet beasts.”

She paused before adding, “Do you think it’s too late for me to ask Teacher Sun to switch hotels?”

He Dadao glanced at her.

“If one of your pet beasts evolves now, I think Teacher Sun might agree.”

Xu Yixuan: …

Once off the bus, Qiao Sang was surprised to see the vice principal had followed her.

“Vice Principal, are you here to take me to the hotel?” She asked, puzzled.

Liu Yao hesitated.

“What else would I be here for?”

I’m an adult. I don’t need an escort, Qiao Sang thought, scratching her head awkwardly.

“I can go by myself. You don’t need to come along.”

Liu Yao paused before asking, “If you go alone, who will pay?”

Qiao Sang was stunned.

“Are you paying for me?”

Liu Yao smiled.

“Technically, the school is paying.”

During the competition, all expenses were typically covered by parents, but Shengshui High was well-funded, with substantial government grants, so it covered the costs without issue.

Qiao Sang thought for a moment and didn’t object. After all, there wasn’t much difference whether the black gold card or the school paid.

Ruilai Hotel

“What? 770,000?” Liu Yao froze.

“Yes, sir. The young lady has reserved our presidential suite.” The staff member replied with a professional smile.

“Presidential suite?” Liu Yao turned sharply to look at Qiao Sang, who grinned widely in response.

Liu Yao: …

“I’ll pay myself.” Qiao Sang quickly offered when she noticed Liu Yao hesitating.

She pulled out her card. Truthfully, if it weren’t for her unlimited black gold card, she wouldn’t dream of staying in a place this expensive.

“No need.” Liu Yao interjected.

“If the school is covering it, then the school is covering it.”

While 770,000 wasn’t a small amount, Liu Yao figured it wasn’t his concern, it was Principal Wang Weidou’s problem to deal with.

At that very moment, Wang Weidou’s right eye twitched. He dismissed the feeling and continued chatting with the man in front of him.

“Oh, so Litan is staying at Ruilai Hotel? What a pity, I was hoping to chat with their headmaster, Huang, about some exchange opportunities.”

Ruilai Hotel, Presidential Suite

Qiao Sang stood in the massive, 500-square-meter suite, marveling at its luxurious decor. From the floor-to-ceiling windows, she had a panoramic view of the Kainan Pet Battle Arena.

After enjoying the view for a moment, Qiao Sang clasped her hands together and summoned Yabao.

“Yap!”

As soon as Yabao emerged, he excitedly darted around the room, thrilled by his surroundings.

“Xun xun~”

Little Treasure, influenced by Yabao’s mood, happily appeared and floated alongside him.

“Yap yap!”

After running a lap, Yabao stopped in front of Qiao Sang, wagging his tail furiously.

“Is this the house you bought for us?”

Qiao Sang’s attention was drawn to Yabao’s tail. For the first time, she noticed that it hovered above the ground instead of dragging, thanks to his enormous size.

Good. Otherwise, washing that tail every day would be a nightmare, she thought with satisfaction.

“Yap yap!” Yabao called again, wagging his tail even harder.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Qiao Sang replied, “This isn’t a house we bought. It’s a hotel. We’ll only stay here for a few days.”

“Yap…”

Yabao’s ears drooped, disappointment evident.

Seeing this, Qiao Sang quickly comforted him.

“Don’t worry. When we do buy a house, it’ll be even bigger than this.”

“Yap yap?”

Yabao tilted his head.

Not buying now because you’re not a Class C talent yet?

Qiao Sang froze, surprised Yabao still remembered that.

Not wanting to lose face in front of her pet, she coughed and said, “Becoming a Class C talent requires an assessment. We’re busy with the competition right now, so there’s no time to take it.”

“Yap yap!”

Yabao, trusting her completely, barked in excitement.

Then we’ll take it after the competition!

Qiao Sang: …

She sighed inwardly. Taking the assessment wasn’t on the agenda. At most, she’d attempt the Class D Beastmaster certification. The Class C certification required owning at least one General-tier pet, and Yabao, having just evolved, was still far from that level.

After a brief hesitation, she decided to come clean.

“The assessment has requirements. You’ll need to evolve one more time first.”

“Yap!”

Yabao was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his fighting spirit, barking determinedly.

Then I’ll evolve again!

Qiao Sang: …

The tension of the elimination rounds was worlds apart from the preliminary and group stages. Nearly all participating schools had hired professional beast cultivators to accompany their teams.

Litan Beastmaster High School went a step further, employing specialized pet massage therapists.

As night fell, Gu Weikui’s pet beast, enjoying a massage in Room 2607 of Ruilai Hotel, closed its eyes in bliss.

“I just don’t get it. How did your Guwei Blossom evolve so quickly?” Asked a pale-skinned boy.

Despite receiving comparable training and resources, his pet beast had yet to evolve.

Ding Yanjing, lounging on the sofa and playing on his phone, didn’t even look up.

“What’s there to get? Talent.”

Unable to tolerate his smug tone, Wang Rui, who had been quiet, finally spoke.

“Speaking of talent, Qiao Sang from Shengshui High is the real deal. If she were in our grade, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Ding Yanjing paused, then raised his head, smirking.

“True. But unfortunately, she decided to compete with us seniors.”