The audience, mostly seasoned beastmasters, could immediately gauge the skill levels of the competitors. Despite only one brief exchange so far, it was clear this match was high-level for a high school competition.

Excitement and anticipation ran high among the crowd.

"Wow, no wonder they're star contestants, just their presence feels different!"

"Did you notice? Ding Yanjing didn't even need to command Flash-Leaving Crow to aim the lightning net. It’s like he already knew Treasure-Seeking Demon would appear there. He must have thoroughly studied Qiao Sang’s battle style and prepared in advance."

"And Qiao Sang’s battle instincts are impressive too. She noticed Flash-Leaving Crow’s intent right away."

"Not to mention how quick Treasure-Seeking Demon's reactions are."

"This match is going to be good."

On the Field

"Xun..."

Litle Treasure stared at the imposing opponent in midair, his expression gradually growing serious.

"Thunderbolt." Ding Yanjing commanded.

"Fwee!"

Flash-Leaving Crow flapped its wings forcefully, sending bolts of yellow lightning crackling through the air. The streaks of electricity converged and hurtled toward Little Treasure's position with terrifying speed.

"Xun!"

Startled, Little Treasure teleported to dodge. But as soon as he landed elsewhere, another bolt of lightning streaked toward him from Flash-Leaving Crow.

Lightning bolts rained down with relentless speed and ferocity, leaving Little Treasure scrambling to avoid them. Barely evading one attack, he found another descending from above, forcing him to teleport again in desperation.

Boom!

A deafening explosion rocked the field as a bolt struck the ground, shattering nearby stones into dust.

The sheer destructive power kept Little Treasure on edge, unable to rest even for a moment.

Flash-Leaving Crow’s energy was evidently far beyond that of a typical mid-tier beast, capable of unleashing continuous Thunderbolt attacks without pause. Ding Yanjing’s confidence suggested he wasn’t even worried about it running out of energy.

This wasn't sustainable... Qiao Sang analyzed the situation rapidly. Seeing that Flash-Leaving Crow had remained stationary during its attacks, her eyes lit up as she shouted:

"Go for the ground!"

The meaning of this cryptic command eluded most spectators, but Little Treasure, who shared a certain synergy with Qiao Sang, immediately understood.

"Xun!"

He vanished from its spot, reappearing on the ground.

A lightning bolt followed instantly, poised to strike from ten meters above. With a swift flick of his short claw, Little Treasure extended his shadow across the ground, connecting to Flash-Leaving Crow's shadow overhead.

Then, he twisted his claw to the left.

Simultaneously, Flash-Leavinf Crow shifted uncontrollably to the left, causing the lightning bolt to miss its target entirely.

Cheers erupted from the audience.

"This is a thrilling speed showdown!"

"Flash-Leavinf Crow’s been hit with a Shadow Conrol. Looks like Qiao Sang is going to win this one."

"Don’t jump to conclusions just yet."

"FlashLeaving Crow’s relentless attack rhythm had me thinking Treasure-Seeking Demon was done for earlier."

"The teamwork between Qiao Sang and Treasur-Seeking Demon is incredible. Just a single word, ground, and they knew exactly what to do."

Meanwhile, live streams on official platforms were filled with comments:

[6666! Loving the battle pacing!]

[Still no Ice Qiya in sight, sigh.]

[AAAAH! Qiao Sang, crush Ding Yanjing!]

[She’s amazing! Take him down!]

[Destroy him! Totally obliterate him!]

[Treasure-Seeking Demon can teleport, right? Why doesn’t it just warp onto Flash-Leaving Crow and control it directly?]

[Too risky. Ding Yanjing’s Flash-Leaving Crow probably has Static. If Treasure-Seeking Demon gets paralyzed, it’s over.]

[Why does it feel like everyone’s rooting for Qiao Sang today?]

[Let me guess: It’s all the high school seniors?]

[Nailed it.]

Beast Battle Arena, Front Row

In the VIP section, Principal Wang Wei stiffened his posture and smiled smugly.

"Principal Huang."

He said, "your Ding Yanjing is still using the same old tricks, lightning nets and Thunderbolts. No innovation there."

Principal Huang Renbiao, calm as ever, replied, "Your Qiao Sang isn’t much different, teleporting to attack, then resorting to Shadow Control when that fails."

"That’s not the point." Wang Wei’s smile widened.

"The key is that the move works. See? Shadow Control has already made an impact."

"Has it, though?" Huang Renbiao’s neutral expression didn’t waver.

Wang Wei squinted.

Logically, once a beast of the same tier was caught by Shadow Control, defeat was almost inevitable. So why was Huang so unfazed? Could he be banking on Ding Yanjing using Guwei Sunflower to turn the tables?

On the Field

"Xun!"

Little Treasure gleefully called out as his Shadow Control succeeded, twisting his claw to execute a rare move.

Spinning.

"Fwee!"

Flash-Leaving Crow twirled uncontrollably in midair.

The audience, especially those unfamiliar with Qiao Sang’s prior matches, were bewildered.

"Wow, so Shadow Control, such a high-tier skill, can be used like this?"

Ding Yanjing frowned at his spinning partner. This was a mistake, but not an insurmountable one. Flash-Leaving Crow had undergone extensive anti-dizziness training, and the cleansing potions provided by the school were no joke.

For now, he’d let it spin and wait for the right moment...

Just as he formulated his plan, Qiao Sang shouted, "Don’t stop!"

"Xun~"

Little Treasure raised his claw and spun Flash-Leaving Crow again.

"Fwee!"

Flash-Leaving Crow cried out in distress.

Ding Yanjing: !!!

What’s going on? It shouldn’t sound this distressed…

Qiao Sang frowned. Flash-Leaving Crow’s cries seemed off. They weren’t nearly as pitiful as what her Beast Companion had sounded like during his first spinning experience.

Better spin it a bit more, just to be safe…