Beast Taming: Starting From Zero

The audience erupted in chatter.

"What’s this beast called? It looks quite impressive."

"I know! It’s called the Blazing Star Canine. It even trended online recently. Rumor has it that its Meteor Rain skill has reached the Ultimate Mastery level."

"It’s not just a rumor, it’s true! I’ve seen the original video. It was terrifying; it instantly obliterated its opponent."

"Yeah, I saw that too. But honestly, seeing it in person, it’s even more stunning than in the video."

"Wait, are you telling me this beast can use the Ultimate-level Meteor Rain skill?!"

"Are you serious? An Ultimate-level skill? And you’re saying a high school student trained it?"

"Don’t think of Qiao Sang as just a regular high schooler."

"Even if she’s not a regular high schooler, how could she possibly train a beast to master an Ultimate-level skill in such a short time?"

"Then maybe you shouldn’t think of Qiao Sang as a regular person."

"…Fair point."

Competitors’ Area.

"I’ve seen Qiao Sang carrying the Blazing Star Canine these past few days, but this is my first time seeing its full form."

"I heard its Meteor Rain skill has reached the Ultimate level. With that move, what’s the point of even trying to fight?"

"Even without Meteor Rain, there’s no chance. The Blazing Star Canine is a fire and psychic-type beast. It’s got both offensive and mobility advantages."

"Let’s not waste time debating. It’s obvious Qiao Sang is going to top her group."

Bai Binbin had already fought Zhang Xueming and lost once. Based on the points system, unless Bai Binbin could win both rounds against Qiao Sang, advancing directly was out of the question.

Yuhua Region Competitors’ Seats.

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Sun Boyi, holding a mounted camera, pointed it at the arena like a professional videographer.

Xu Yixuan glanced at him in surprise.

"Teacher Sun, what are you doing?"

Sun Boyi chuckled.

"The principal asked me to record every match where Qiao Sang sends out the Blazing Star Canine. He plans to use the footage for promotional material on the school’s website."

Xu Yixuan: …

On the Field.

Qiao Sang remained unfazed as Bai Binbin summoned his Evil Tail Scorpion.

Bai Binbin owned two beasts: The advanced-level Evil Tail Scorpion and the mid-level Scythe Mongoose. The latter had a unique trait called Poison Point, which increased its attack power when poisoned.

The Evil Tail Scorpion, a poison-type beast, was perfect for setting the stage. Videos of his previous battles showed that he would always let the scorpion poison the battlefield first, creating an advantage for the Scythe Mongoose.

"Yap!" Yabao’s eyes gleamed as he stared at his opponent.

Start already! Why hasn’t it started? Hurry up! I’m getting impatient!

“Venom…”

The scorpion shuddered, feeling its opponent’s intense gaze. Its tail tensed involuntarily. It was the first time it had been stared down like this.

Just then, the mechanical voice signaled the start of the match.

“Poison Bomb!” Bai Binbin ordered.

The scorpion opened its maw wide, spewing a volley of purple venom like a machine gun towards Yabao.

Whoosh!

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Yabao teleported into the air.

Hiss—Hiss—

The venom hit the ground, instantly turning the affected areas black.

Qiao Sang’s expression turned serious. Poison Bomb was a high-tier skill known for its extreme toxicity, corrosiveness, and lingering effects. Any area it touched became unusable, as contact would cause poisoning.

Meanwhile, Yabao looked exhilarated. After teleporting midair, he instinctively prepared to unleash his Meteor Rain. However, remembering how quickly previous matches had ended after using that skill, he held back and switched to Fire Whirl instead.

Though a mid-tier skill, its power depended on the user. The arena briefly glowed red as fiery spirals surged toward the scorpion.

Boom!!!

The scorpion narrowly dodged. The flames struck the ground, sending debris flying.

Before it could react further, a shadow loomed over it.

It looked up, hearing its trainer’s panicked shout:

“Dodge it!”

Above, a massive fiery jaw, teeth bared, descended toward it.

Boom!

Yabao’s Fire Fang bit into the scorpion.

"Venom!" The scorpion let out a bloodcurdling screech.

Blazing heatwaves and roaring flames engulfed the arena, dazzling the spectators.

“Whoa! Teleportation! This Blazing Star Canine even knows psychic-type skills!”

“That Fire Fang must be Ultimate-level, too! The power is insane!”

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“Can anyone explain how a 15-year-old could train a beast of this caliber?”

“First, there was her Ice Xilu, and now this Blazing Star Canine…”

The crowd wasn’t jealous, just utterly incredulous. Fire-types weren’t unusual, but a fire-and-psychic-type beast of such talent, with two Ultimate-level skills, was unheard of. The fact that it was trained by a high schooler defied logic.

While the audience reeled, Bai Binbin looked grim. The Blazing Star Canine’s ferocity was beyond anything he had anticipated. Some opponents, no matter how well you understood them, left you powerless. Qiao Sang was one of those opponents.

The Evil Tail Scorpion staggered to its feet, battered but not yet defeated.

As an advanced-level beast, it had enough resilience to endure a single devastating blow.

The moment it rose, Qiao Sang’s voice rang out: “Hellfire.”

Yabao immediately sprang into action. Standing in an uncorroded section of the arena, he slammed his left front paw onto the ground. The earth beneath him cracked as fiery torrents erupted, engulfing the battlefield in an inferno.

The Evil Tail Scorpion wavered, unable to react in time.

Then, Yabao teleported again, reappearing high above his prey.

“Hold it down!” Bai Binbin shouted, finally responding faster this time.

The scorpion, heeding its trainer, raised its hooked claws and clamped them tightly around Yabao.

Bai Binbin’s face lit up with hope.

"The Blazing Star Canine may be strong, but it’s not invincible. It doesn’t have healing abilities like her Ice Xilu. If the scorpion pierces it with its poisonous stinger, the battle will turn in my favor!"

Pinned in place, Yabao didn’t flinch. If anything, his eyes glimmered with excitement.

“Yap!!”

A worthy opponent!

Opening his mouth wide, Yabao summoned a blazing, oversized fire construct, a fiery maw twice as large as before. With a synchronized movement, he bit down hard on the scorpion.

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The Evil Tail Scorpion let out a shriek of agony, its claws loosening their grip just as the ground below erupted in flames from the Hellfire.

The fiery blast surged upward, swallowing the scorpion entirely.

The Arena.

The explosion sent shockwaves throughout the arena, and searing heat swept across the edges of the battlefield.

The audience shielded their eyes from the dazzling inferno.

When the flames subsided, the Evil Tail Scorpion collapsed, its once-mighty form charred and motionless.

Meanwhile, the Blazing Star Canine floated in midair, having teleported to safety at the last moment. Its tail wagged as it scanned the arena, satisfied with its performance.

"Unbelievable… This isn’t just power, it’s precision and skill!"

"Did you see how it combined teleportation with Hellfire? It’s like it knew exactly when and where to strike."

"This is a high schooler’s pet beast? Are we sure Qiao Sang isn’t secretly a professional Beast Master?"

“No wonder her Ice Xilu didn’t even need to show up in this match.”

---

Bai Binbin clenched his fists. His scorpion had been his ace, and yet it had been so thoroughly overpowered.

He glanced at Qiao Sang, who stood calm and composed, as if this outcome were inevitable.

Qiao Sang gestured to Yabao, who trotted back to her side without a scratch.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Well done.” Qiao Sang said softly, patting his head. Yabao let out a satisfied yap, his tail wagging faster.

“Match over!” The referee’s voice echoed.

“Qiao Sang wins!”

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Cheers erupted in the crowd, though some still struggled to process what they had just witnessed.