Beast Taming: I Can Add Points

BAM!

Despite the vast difference in size between the two Pet Beasts, they were fighting to a standstill on the field.

The spectators’ jaws dropped. They had never seen a match like this and scrambled to take photos and videos.

"Holy shit! This is insane! A Flash Gold Sparrow is going head-to-head with a Blast Rock Rhinoceros in a contest of pure strength!"

"Did the world glitch out? Is that chicken on the ground really a Flash Gold Sparrow...?"

"Hahaha! I knew God Su would pull something new! God Su is the man!"

The announcer was also stunned. "Incredible... I can’t believe a Flash Gold Sparrow has this kind of fighting style! Instructor Ke Yan, this Flash Gold Sparrow’s Skill System must be quite different from a conventional one, right?"

’Isn’t that obvious?’ Ke Yan smiled. "Yes. Based on its performance, this Flash Gold Sparrow was taught Hardening and Super Heavy Gold Fall, which have greatly enhanced its stability and survivability on the battlefield. Flash Gold Sparrows are typically agility-type Pet Beasts, but Su Zhi has shown us that approaching Beast Taming from a different angle can sometimes yield extraordinary results."

Announcer: "Truly amazing... I never imagined a Flash Gold Sparrow could go head-to-head with a Blast Rock Rhinoceros and hold its own..."

It was more than just holding its own. In Ke Yan’s eyes, Shan Bao actually had a slight advantage.

It was true that they were locked in a head-on struggle, but Shan Bao had teleported and then charged straight at Hei Mu, giving it a long runway to build up speed.

Hei Mu’s own acceleration was slower; it had barely started charging before colliding with Shan Bao, putting it at a disadvantage from the lack of momentum.

Furthermore, Shan Bao’s diminutive size forced Hei Mu to fight in an awkward posture, preventing it from using its full strength.

Due to this combination of factors, Hei Mu was beginning to show signs of strain.

And more importantly—Xu Jianzhi’s Beast Taming Talent couldn’t be maintained indefinitely!

"...CHII!"

Shan Bao pushed back with all its might and took a step forward. It was an incredibly difficult step, but a step forward was a step forward.

The small gains added up, until a clear pattern emerged on the field: one advanced, the other retreated.

Hei Mu was forced back step by step, its pillar-like limbs showing faint signs of instability.

"Can you still hold on, Hei Mu?" Xu Jianzhi asked through the Beast Taming Space.

"...MOO!" Hei Mu responded with a strained bellow.

’It can’t hold on much longer.’ He had thought Shan Bao might be tough, but he never expected it to be *this* tough...

But even if defeat was inevitable, he didn’t want to go down so quickly!

"Hahaha, fine!"

Xu Jianzhi bit down hard on his right thumb, breaking the skin and drawing crimson blood. At the same time, his eyes, which had been drooping with exhaustion, snapped back into focus.

Battle Frenzy was an exhaustive talent, trading future stamina for a short-term burst of power, much like Shao Ya’s Forest Quartet. By now, the talent had already reached its time limit.

A wave of drowsiness washed over him... only to be driven back by the piercing pain from his thumb!

"In that case, let’s fight together until the very end!" Xu Jianzhi declared.

Hei Mu, which had been losing ground, rallied its spirits and even managed to push back a step!

"Shan Bao, we haven’t won yet! We can’t let our guard down!"

"CHII!"

Su Zhi also entered a state of deep synchronization, allowing Shan Bao to unleash its power more fluidly.

Every spectator watched the arena with bated breath.

There were no flashy Skills, only the purest clash of Power, yet it was more thrilling than any battle of abilities.

Every time one of them took a step, a wave of cheers erupted from the crowd. Eventually, the cheers for each side became indistinguishable, merging into a single roar.

It was no longer a cheer for one side or the other, but an affirmation of the spectacular contest both were putting on!

"CHII!"

After a grueling five-minute struggle, Xu Jianzhi’s Beast Taming Talent finally reached its limit.

Shan Bao pressed its advantage, knocking Hei Mu off the arena in a single, decisive push.

First singles match: Shan Bao is victorious! Su Zhi and his "Friends Team" score the first point!

After the match, the two shook hands. Xu Jianzhi shook his head, filled with emotion. "We lost, fair and square."

Su Zhi gave a small smile. "Don’t say that. This is a team competition. It’s not over until the very end."

Xu Jianzhi’s smile was bitter. "That’s easy for you to say, but Yu County has no other students who can stand up to you all. I... was already the best we had to offer."

Su Zhi fell silent for a moment, lost in thought.

The team competition moved at a much faster pace than the individual city league matches, and the second round, a doubles match, began almost immediately.

"Whoo! It’s God Su and Little Sister Bai Mao!"

"Aww, her eyes aren’t red, so her special attack is halved... but I’m still into it!"

"Enough talk. Draw your sword!"

"You guys can fight over Bai Mao, I’m going after God Su~"

"Get out of here, you scheming bottom!"

Su Zhi’s unexpected victory in the first singles match instantly earned him a surge of popularity. Shao Ya already had a natural advantage with her white hair, but the moment she summoned Xiaoyue, she gained a new wave of fans as well.

In comparison, their two opponents seemed rather obscure.

But Su Zhi recognized them. During every long-distance training run, these two were always the last to finish.

No one pays attention to the ones at the bottom. To be honest, Su Zhi didn’t really care either, but he found himself noticing them from time to time... perhaps because he saw a reflection of his past self and Yu Bao.

The second doubles match began.

"Those kids from Huai City First Middle School are crafty. They’re only using the same Pet Beasts as in their previous matches."

In the contestants’ rest area, Chen Xinghao frowned slightly.

"That’s why you shouldn’t underestimate them. Our loss to them in the mock battle wasn’t a fluke," Wang Haokun said, pushing up his glasses.

"They really have the strength to back it up. They can probably finish off any opponent within three rounds before the finals. Besides us, it’s unlikely anyone can force them into a full five-round match."

"It should be that aside from *them*, there’s hardly anyone who can last five rounds against *us*," Chen Xinghao corrected with a snort. His gaze fell on the arena, and his eyebrows shot up.

"What... are they doing?"

"..."

The arena did not show the one-sided beatdown the students from Shanda University Affiliated School had been expecting—

Xiaoyue activated Deep Forest Grip, summoning vines to assault the opponents’ defensive line, while Shan Bao unleashed Golden Feather Flying Blades to intercept their charge.

A swift cyan shadow—the Cyan Feathered Falcon—fearlessly weaved through the barrage of vines and feathers, pushing forward like a fighter jet. On the ground, the Yu Dian Dog hopped left and right to evade the vines, activating Thick Earth Blessing to defend against Shan Bao’s assault.

Visually, it appeared to be an evenly matched battle, but to the discerning eye of an expert, it was the complete opposite.

Xiaoyue’s Deep Forest Grip wasn’t at full power; both its density and force were being held in check. Shan Bao wasn’t using its signature head-to-head brawling style either and hadn’t even activated Flash Gold Teleportation. If it had, it could have taken out the Yu Dian Dog in seconds, even with Thick Earth Blessing active.

They were in complete control of the battle’s tempo.

It was just that neither Su Zhi nor Shao Ya chose to deliver the finishing blow.

The Pet Beasts from Yu County First Middle School were a Cyan Feathered Falcon and a Yu Dian Dog—neither had evolved, and they hadn’t even reached a One-star Energy Value.

In truth, this was a normal level for students at the beginning of their second year of high school. They only paled in comparison to this group of top-tier prodigies.

The two girls on the opposing team were of average skill; one had a Tier Two Beast Taming Space, the other a Tier One. Facing Su Zhi and Shao Ya, they were instinctively nervous and timid—they knew they were up against opponents they couldn’t possibly beat.

They also knew they had no chance of reaching the finals, but they still commanded their Pet Beasts with everything they had.

Because they were the best Beast Tamers their school had to offer.

...

In the end, the Cyan Feathered Falcon made a flight error and was struck by Xiaoyue’s vines. On the ground, the Yu Dian Dog was chased down and pinned by Shan Bao, unable to get back up.

A ripple of soft applause spread through the audience.

The Beast Tamers from both sides stepped out from their command positions to shake hands.

"Thank you... for going easy on us, you guys are amazing," the girl with her hair in buns said in a small voice, bowing.

"What are you talking about? We didn’t go easy on you at all."

Shao Ya smiled and put an arm around them. "We just made a tactical error at the start, and you guys seized the opportunity. You played really well!"

Su Zhi nodded and added softly, "You fought well."

The two girls suddenly burst into tears. Shao Ya sighed and wiped their tears away for them.

The teams walked off the arena in opposite directions. Just as they were about to part ways, the girl with the buns suddenly stopped, turned back, and yelled in a choked voice, "Everyone from Huai City First Middle School, good luck! You have to go all the way!"

Su Zhi and Shao Ya gave her a thumbs-up in unison.

...

In the third singles match, Fang Yuan and Lilith secured a swift victory against their opponent.

Su Zhi and his Friends Team, representing Huai City First Middle School, had successfully advanced to the next round of the selection tournament!

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