The next day, at six in the morning.
When Liu Yi opened her eyes, the world outside her window was still bathed in the hazy light of dawn.
Ziyue was already awake, perched on the windowsill, watching the sky gradually brighten outside, her two tails swaying leisurely.
Chiying was coiled by her pillow, and sensing her stir, he lifted his head and gently nudged her cheek.
“Morning,” Liu Yi whispered, reaching out to stroke Chiying’s dragon horns, then waved to Ziyue.
Ziyue lightly jumped down from the windowsill, walked to the bed, and buried her head in Liu Yi’s arms.
The cool sensation fully woke Liu Yi.
“We’re leaving today,” she said, rubbing Ziyue’s fluffy ears. “Are you ready?”
“Bingbing!”
Ziyue cried out excitedly, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Chiying also nodded, his crimson eyes filled with steady confidence.
Liu Yi got up, washed, and changed before heading downstairs. In the living room, Auntie Chen had already prepared a hearty breakfast.
Fluffy Butler floated by the dining table, its fur glowing with a faint pink light, while Boxing Bunny squatted by the door, seemingly guarding their luggage.
“Eat quickly,” Auntie Chen said, pushing a steaming bowl of wontons in front of Liu Yi. “You’ll need your strength for the journey.”
Liu Yi sat down, and Ziyue and Chiying each enjoyed their latent energy pills.
After breakfast, Liu Yi did a final check of the items in her backpack: her identity card, Junior Beast Tamer badge, High-Altitude Flight Permit, a change of clothes, charger, notebook...
She hadn’t packed too many changes of clothes; during the weekly breaks in the competition, she could browse around the Monte Region and buy new ones.
After confirming everything, she put on her backpack and looked at Auntie Chen. “Auntie Chen, I’m leaving now.”
Auntie Chen walked forward and gave her a light hug. “Be careful on your trip, and good luck with the competition. Call home anytime if anything comes up.”
“Quan Quan!”
Boxing Bunny hopped over, raising its small boxing gloves to Ziyue in a cheering gesture.
“Fluffy~”
Fluffy Butler floated over, its fur turning pink as it gently nudged Liu Yi’s cheek.
“I will,” Liu Yi nodded, then walked out of the house with Ziyue and Chiying.
The streets were sparse with pedestrians in the early morning, and the breeze carried a slight chill.
Liu Yi didn’t choose public transport; instead, she looked at Chiying.
“Chiying, I’ll trouble you.”
Chiying let out a low growl and lowered himself slightly.
Liu Yi mounted his back, and Ziyue lightly leaped behind her, gently wrapping her tails around Liu Yi’s waist for balance.
Chiying soared into the sky, steadily ascending to the fixed flight layer three hundred meters high.
From this height, the city in the early morning looked like a slowly unfolding scroll painting, with sparse traffic on the streets, clusters of buildings gradually awakening in the distance, and a streak of golden morning glow on the horizon.
Behind Chiying, Ziyue unfurled a Frost Path; the shimmering ice path extended through the air, and she ran along it, her two tails tracing graceful arcs behind her.
In less than ten minutes, the gates of Tianqi Beast Taming High School appeared in their sight.
Chiying slowly descended, landing at the designated drop-off point by the school gates.
Quite a crowd had already gathered at the school gates. Besides the School Team members about to depart, many classmates and teachers had come voluntarily to see them off.
Several large buses, emblazoned with the Tianqi school emblem, were neatly parked nearby, with banners on their sides proclaiming, “Tianqi Beast Taming High School · Campaigning for the National High School League.”
“Liu Yi!”
Li Chengying was the first to rush over, followed by her Cloud Howler Sparrow and Lightning Leopard.
Seeing Liu Yi dismount from Chiying’s back, her eyes lit up. “Wow! Did you guys fly here? That’s so cool!”
Gao Xue slowly walked over and nodded at Liu Yi. “Morning.”
Ouyang Qin stood not far away, talking to Wei Xiuyu. Seeing Liu Yi, she gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.
“Is everyone here?” Wei Xiuyu’s voice rang out. “Count heads, and get ready to board the bus.”
The School Team members boarded the buses one after another.
Liu Yi found a window seat, Ziyue squatted by her feet, and Chiying hovered beside her.
Li Chengying and Gao Xue sat in the row in front of them. Li Chengying chattered nonstop the whole way: “I heard the floating island hotels in the Monte Region are really interesting; the rooms slowly move with the floating islands! And that Cloud Arena restaurant, I absolutely have to check it out!”
“Are you going for the competition or for sightseeing?” Gao Xue asked, helplessly pressing a hand to her forehead.
“Of course, for the competition!” Li Chengying declared self-righteously. “But balancing work and rest is also very important!”
The bus slowly started, heading towards Longwu International Airport.
The scenery outside the window rapidly receded. Liu Yi leaned back in her seat, watching Ziyue quietly resting at her feet, while Chiying occasionally nudged the back of her hand with his dragon horns.
...
Longwu International Airport, tournament channel.
After passing through security, the School Team members arrived at a designated waiting area.
The design here fully considered the needs of Beast Tamers, with ample space between seats for pets, and specialized drinking stations and energy liquid refill points for pets.
“Attention all passengers, flight CA7711 to the Monte Region is now boarding…”
The announcement sounded, and the School Team members rose and headed towards the boarding gate.
This was a flight specifically designed for Beast Tamers below the Advanced rank, with the cabin divided into a regular seating area and a pet-specific area.
The pet-specific area was located at the rear of the cabin, a spacious open area equipped with securing devices and seatbelts, capable of accommodating pets of various sizes.
Liu Yi brought Ziyue and Chiying to the pet-specific area.
Ziyue was placed in a special seat, with a seatbelt gently securing her body; Chiying, being able to float, was arranged in a relatively open area, surrounded by soft cushioning pads.
The plane slowly taxied, then accelerated and took off.
Ziyue’s ears twitched, and her body tensed slightly, but she quickly relaxed under Liu Yi’s gentle strokes.
Chiying, on the other hand, seemed much more composed, hovering above the cushioning pads, his crimson eyes calmly observing his surroundings.
The clouds outside the window grew closer and closer. Finally, the plane broke through the clouds, bathed in dazzling sunlight.
“Bingbing~”
Ziyue leaned towards the window, staring intently at the surging sea of clouds outside.
Liu Yi smiled, took out her phone, and captured the scene.
In the photo, Ziyue’s profile faced the camera, her purple eyes reflecting the sea of clouds outside, as beautiful as a celestial fox in a painting.
The flight lasted approximately three hours.
During this time, flight attendants brought special lunches, as well as energy meals prepared for the pets.
After eating, both Ziyue and Chiying took a short nap.
As the plane began its descent, a unique sight became visible through the porthole.
Countless floating islands, large and small, hung suspended in the air. Some were covered in lush vegetation, while others were filled with uniquely styled buildings.
Light bridges connected the floating islands, and Beast Tamers rode flying pets, traveling back and forth between them.
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