Wang Rui let out a scoff but said nothing further.

Though he occasionally found Ding Yanjing annoying, he had to admit the guy had the skills to back up his words.

That prodigy from Shengshui High, Qiao Sang, was undeniably gifted to a daunting degree, but she was two grades younger.

In beastmaster competitions, participants closer in age typically had the edge, as age often came with greater experience and training.

Li Zonglin, unable to bear the silence, broke it:

"In a couple of days, Fu Xiaodan and her team will be here in Kainan City for their competition. Want to go watch?"

Fu Xiaodan was another member of the Senior Team from Litan Beastmaster High, though she participated in individual beast coordination competitions.

Coordination matches, which focused on showcasing skill elegance, were usually held at night, so they didn’t conflict with the individual combat matches.

"Nope." Wang Rui declined outright.

What a joke. This was the critical stage of the tournament. Every evening was reserved for resting and strategizing for the next day. Who had the luxury of spectating?

"I’m sure Ding-ge will go, though." Li Zonglin teased.

It was common knowledge that while high school students were discouraged from dating, many secretly did so.

Ding Yanjing was no exception.

As a campus star, his relationship with Fu Xiaodan was an open secret, even among the teachers. But since both had achieved stellar academic and extracurricular results, the teachers turned a blind eye.

Ding Yanjing, still staring at his phone, replied, "I’m not going."

Li Zonglin was surprised.

"Wang Rui, the forever-single one, I understand. But why aren’t you going?"

Wang Rui: ???

Ding Yanjing didn’t even look up:

"A girlfriend isn’t as important as the league. Kainan High’s Ruan Yunwen is a totally different beast now. She’s the main obstacle in this elimination stage. Until I’m 100% confident I can beat her, I won’t waste time."

Li Zonglin’s expression turned serious in an instant.

Even Wang Rui found himself reevaluating Ding Yanjing.

That’s right. It was easy to forget that Ding Yanjing’s current prowess wasn’t just about talent.

Back when he first joined the school team in his freshman year, he trained harder than anyone. Only when he no longer faced any real competition in his year did he start to ease up, which had almost made people forget how he got to where he was now.

Just then, Ding Yanjing’s phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, and his tone immediately softened:

"Hey, of course I was just thinking about you."

"The day after tomorrow, right? What time is your match?"

"Time? I’ve got plenty of time for you."

"I’ll definitely be there cheering you on. I’ve even prepared a cheer already."

"I was just asking Li Zonglin and the others if they wanted to come too."

"Yeah, Wang Rui isn’t into coordination competitions, but Li Zonglin will definitely tag along."

Li Zonglin: ...

Wang Rui: ...

The next day.

Outside Kainan Beastmaster Arena.

A cluster of reporters stood by, busy with their live coverage.

"Another year, another National Campus Beast Mastering League! Behind me is the Kainan Beastmaster Arena, where today’s elimination matches will take place. Many of you are probably familiar with this competition." A young, elegant female reporter said with a smile to the camera.

"At this stage, the remaining participants are the crème de la crème of this year’s senior high students in Zhejiang Province."

"This year’s provincial tournament differs from previous years, where Litan Beastmaster High School dominated outright."

"Kainan High’s Ruan Yunwen, Shengshui High’s Xu Yixuan, Shengding Beastmaster High’s Liao Chaonan, and Shengshui High’s Qiao Sang, only 15 years old and competing in the senior division, have all delivered stunning performances in the qualifiers and group stages."

"Litan High remains consistent, with Ding Yanjing, Wang Rui, and Li Zonglin all advancing to the eliminations."

"So, who will rise above the rest and represent Zhejiang Province in the regionals? Let’s take a closer look inside the arena!"

Inside Kainan Beastmaster Arena.

Player’s Area.

Students in various school uniforms gathered, chatting and preparing.

"Who’s that in the brown uniforms? They even brought a cheer squad? Isn’t it a Wednesday? Don’t they have school?" A buzz-cut student asked, half enviously.

"That’s Su Chong Beastmaster High. They haven’t had anyone reach the eliminations in the last two years, so they’re probably just overexcited." Replied someone nearby, glancing at the brown-uniformed group.

The buzz-cut student burst into laughter.

"Hilarious. Imagine making this a big day out, only to get eliminated immediately."

His companion didn’t respond, instead staring at someone ahead.

Following his gaze, the buzz-cut student’s eyes widened.

"It’s Qiao Sang! Wow, she’s even prettier in person. I wonder if she’d let me take a picture with Ice Qiya."

His friend hesitated before adding, "Let’s go together. I’d like a photo with Flame Hound."

As one of the rising stars, Qiao Sang’s presence attracted plenty of attention.

Glancing around, she remarked, "This is quite the spectacle."

The entire arena was packed, with multiple cameras hovering mid-air and stationed around the venue. Commentators perched in high booths, giving the whole scene the atmosphere of a major televised event.

"It’s the elimination round, what did you expect?" Xu Yixuan, having participated in two previous national tournaments, was unfazed. She explained:

"By now, all the top schools in the province are here. The audience isn’t just friends and family. A large portion are parents scouting the best schools for their middle schoolers."

Qiao Sang nodded, now understanding the stakes.

Parents who have the privilege of making choices in prestigious schools often have children with excellent academic performance and enjoy good financial standing.

Even if their household registration is not in the desired school's district, buying a house in another city to secure eligibility is not seen as a big deal for the sake of their children.

No wonder the principal and Teacher Sun were dressed so sharply this time, part of the reason was likely this.

At this moment, a man seated in the front row stood up and stepped into the center. Perched on his shoulder was a small, bat-like pet beast.

The man announced:

"The matchups for the first round of the elimination tournament are ready. Please look at the big screen."

He didn’t use a microphone, yet his voice was exceptionally loud, reaching every corner of the venue.

Qiao Sang shifted her gaze to the bat-like pet beast on the man’s shoulder, and information about the creature surfaced in her mind.

The Echoing Flying Squirrel possesses an amplification trait, which allows it to increase the volume of surrounding sounds proportionate to its level. When coordinated well with its owner, it can adjust the volume as required without any distortion, making it a favorite among musicians.

Meanwhile, four enormous virtual screens appeared in midair, facing both the audience and the contestants' seating area. Names and photos of the participants were scrolling upward, showing the matchups for the elimination round.

Qiao Sang focused on the screen, scanning the names one by one.

[Kainan No. 3 Beast Taming High School: Li Lizhen vs. Jiangyang No. 1 High School: Liang Yuan]

[Guangde High School: Chen Ying vs. Hanwen Beast Taming No. 9 High School: He Hao]

[Litan Beast Taming High School: Ding Yanjing vs. Shengding Beast Taming High School: Wu Lu]

[Shenshui High School: Xu Yixuan vs. Dual Innovation International School: Chen Libo]

[Shidu Beast Taming High School: Wang Shiqian vs. Lianyu Beast Taming Affiliated School: Huang Kaijun]

[...]

[Shenshui High School: Qiao Sang vs. Wucai High School: Ruan Yunwen]

Wucai High School… Ruan Yunwen… Hmm? Ruan Yunwen?

Qiao Sang froze momentarily. Was it really this exciting? She had just been paired against one of the two contestants known to have advanced-level pet beasts in the first round!

"Chen Libo…" Xu Yixuan mused over her opponent’s name.

"I know this person. His strength is considered in the second tier, and his combat style is more on the cautious side. My first match should be manageable."

Turning to her companions, she asked, "Who are you up against?"

He Dadao scowled.

"Zhou Jing from Pinghai High School."

Zhou Jing, the opponent who had defeated him in the qualifiers? Xu Yixuan looked at He Dadao in surprise.

"How unlucky can you get?"

"Tell me about it…" He Dadao was genuinely upset.

At this point, Qiao Sang spoke up:

"What’s there to fear? Losing once doesn’t mean you’ll lose again."

He Dadao paused, then declared with renewed determination:

"You’re right! This time, I won’t lose again!"

He then grinned at Qiao Sang and asked, "Who are you facing?"

"Ruan Yunwen." Qiao Sang replied.

"Who?!"

"Wucai High School’s Ruan Yunwen?!"

Both He Dadao and Xu Yixuan exclaimed in shock.

Qiao Sang looked nonchalant.

"Why are you two overreacting?"

He Dadao lowered his voice, "Ruan Yunwen is highly favored to take first place in the province this year. Her Glide Owl evolved years ago. It used to ignore her commands, but this year, things are different. Your Blazing Star Canine only recently evolved, so I’m a bit concerned."

"You should be worried about Ruan Yunwen instead!" Xu Yixuan said excitedly.

"I didn’t expect to see such an intense match on the first day! Honestly, Ruan Yunwen is pretty unlucky. She finally got her Glide Owl to obey her this year, only to face Qiao Sang in the first round. Looks like she won’t make it to the top rankings after all."

Time flew by as the matches progressed.

During this time, Xu Yixuan won her match effortlessly, while He Dadao initially lost one round but then turned things around when his Blaze Gorilla secured a victory by taking down two opponents in a row.

When the announcement came for Qiao Sang and Ruan Yunwen to enter the arena, the audience buzzed with excitement, while the contestants' area erupted into a frenzy.

As the two walked onto the stage, the crowd's attention was drawn to the contrasting sight of their pet beasts, one large, one small, emerging in flashes of green and gray.

"Let the match begin!"