Behind the reporter was a long line of contestants waiting to enter the arena.
“As you can see, there are many contestants behind me, most of whom are Trainee Beast Tamers who just awakened this year.”
“A total of 4,096 contestants have registered for this tournament, including some who were Top 8 finalists in the previous Longwu High School Entrance Tournament...”
Before the reporter could finish, a sudden commotion broke out in the crowd.
“Look! Is that Liu Yi?”
“It looks like her! The Beast Tamer with the Ice Fox mentioned on the forum!”
“She really did come to compete...”
Liu Yi wore a simple black jacket, with Ziyue perched quietly on her shoulder. Under the gaze of the crowd, the pair walked toward the contestant passage.
The reporter’s eyes lit up, and she immediately squeezed through with the Giant Guard. “Liu Yi! Could we have a brief interview?”
Liu Yi stopped and gave a slight nod.
“As a rookie Beast Tamer who has been a hot topic on the forums recently, what is your goal for this tournament?”
The reporter held the microphone out to her.
Liu Yi gave a succinct answer: “To win.”
The reporter was stunned for a moment, then laughed. “That’s a very direct goal!”
Just as the reporter was about to ask more, an announcement rang out from the contestant passage:
【Attention all contestants! Please complete your check-in as soon as possible! Repeating, please complete your check-in as soon as possible!】
Liu Yi nodded to the reporter and turned toward the check-in desk.
At the desk, the staff verified her identity and handed her an electronic wristband and a tournament schedule.
Liu Yi looked over the schedule.
The 10th to the 13th were the Preliminaries, consisting of four rounds to narrow the 4,096 contestants down to 256.
The 14th was a rest day.
The 15th to the 18th were the Qualifiers, consisting of four rounds to narrow the 256 contestants down to 16.
The 19th was a rest day.
The 20th would be the Top 16 round, the 21st would be the Top 8 round, and the 22nd would feature the semi-finals and the third-place match. The two winners of the semi-finals would move on to the finals, while the losers would compete for third place.
The 23rd and 24th were two rest days.
The 25th was the day of the Finals.
It was a very simple system: win or go home.
Some might encounter powerful opponents early on, while others might luck their way into the Top 8.
But perhaps luck was also a part of one's strength.
Beep!
The electronic wristband updated with her information.
【Contestant: Liu Yi (Trainee Beast Tamer)】
【Registered Pet: Ice Fox (Junior stage)】
【First Round Match: August 10th, 09:30, C-District Arena 3】
【Opponent: Lin Hao (Trainee Beast Tamer)】
【Registered Pet: Electric Mouse (Junior stage)】
Ziyue leaned in to look at the information on the wristband and tilted her head.
Seeing Ziyue’s reaction, Liu Yi smiled and said, “This is our match information. Our opponent is an Electric Mouse.”
“Bing bing.”
Ziyue nodded and gave a cry, indicating she was ready.
Liu Yi rubbed her head and walked toward the contestant rest area.
It was still early for their match, so they could watch others' battles in the rest area.
The rest area was already crowded with participants, and the air was thick with tension and excitement.
“I heard there are several Trainee Beast Tamers with pets at the Intermediate stage participating this time...”
“Really? That’s incredible. Doesn't that mean they’re guaranteed a spot in the top three?”
“If they were truly that incredible, they wouldn't have come back for this year's tournament.”
“They only came back because they didn't get the ranking they wanted last year and couldn't apply for the high school they desired. Their Beast Taming Space development progress hasn't reached 20% yet, so they can't certify as Junior Beast Tamers. That's why they have the nerve to shamelessly participate in this year's tournament.”
Whispers continued to drift through the air as Liu Yi found a quiet corner to sit down.
Suddenly, the announcement rang out:
“Attention all contestants, the Longwu High School Entrance Tournament is about to begin.”
“The first round is the Preliminaries, using a 1vs1 battle format.”
“Will all contestants scheduled for the 08:00 time slot please head to their designated arenas.”
...
At 09:27 AM, C-District Arena 3.
The referee stood in the center of the arena and announced loudly:
“First round of the Preliminaries, C-District Arena 3, Liu Yi versus Lin Hao. Will both contestants please enter the arena!”
Liu Yi stepped onto the platform, and Ziyue leaped gracefully into the field.
Her opponent was a boy wearing glasses. His Electric Mouse was staring warily at Ziyue, the electricity sacs on its cheeks occasionally emitting small sparks.
“The rules are simple: the match ends when one pet is unable to continue fighting for ten seconds after falling, or if a Beast Tamer surrenders!” The referee raised a flag. “3, 2, 1—Begin!”
“Electric Mouse, use Electric Flash Strike!” Lin Hao was the first to command.
The Electric Mouse turned into a yellow flash and lunged at Ziyue, moving so fast its figure was almost a blur.
Liu Yi remained calm. “Ice Armor.”
Just as the Electric Mouse was about to collide with Ziyue, a layer of crystalline ice armor condensed over Ziyue’s body.
With a dull thud, the Electric Mouse was bounced back by the recoil, its body covered in a thin layer of frost.
“What?” Lin Hao’s eyes widened. “Ice Armor can be used like that?”
A wave of exclamations also rose from the audience.
Normally, Ice Armor was a defensive skill activated in advance. Few could release it at the exact moment of impact to successfully block a high-speed skill like Electric Flash Strike.
“Ice Blade,” Liu Yi continued her command calmly.
Seven ice blades shot toward the Electric Mouse from different angles.
Lin Hao shouted in a panic, “Quick, dodge it!”
The Electric Mouse rolled desperately to avoid them, but it was still grazed by four of the blades, and its movements visibly slowed down.
“Don’t panic! Use Charge, then Thunderbolt!” Lin Hao pushed up his sliding glasses.
The Electric Mouse stopped moving and began to gather electricity.
This was a classic combo for Electric-type pets, using Charge to boost the power of the next Electric-type skill.
But how could Liu Yi give him that chance?
“Frost Breath.”
Ziyue opened her mouth and exhaled a blast of freezing mist, instantly enveloping the charging Electric Mouse.
Frost spread across its body at a speed visible to the naked eye, forcing the charging process to an abrupt halt.
“How can this be...” Lin Hao’s face turned pale.
“Let’s end this,” Liu Yi said softly. “Ice Blade.”
Seven ice blades whistled through the air, heading straight for the Electric Mouse.
Lin Hao shouted, “We surrender! We surrender!”
The seven ice blades stopped just ten centimeters away from the Electric Mouse and then shattered into countless ice crystals with a sharp crack.
The referee raised the flag: “The winner is Liu Yi!”
The audience erupted into thunderous applause and gasps of amazement. The battle had lasted less than two minutes from start to finish—it was a complete, one-sided stomp.
“That was too fast! It ended in two minutes?”
“That Ice Fox’s skill proficiency doesn't look like it's at the Entry level. To be able to activate Ice Armor the moment Electric Flash Strike hit, and that Frost Breath range was absurdly large.”
“Yeah! And she could even make the ice blades shatter precisely before impact. That level of control is insane! Is this really the strength a Junior stage pet should have?”
Rate on N.U.
