SMACK!
As the opposing Yu Dian Dog was sent flying out of the ring by a horn, the referee declared Wu Bao the winner, officially crowning him the champion of the Huai City Masters Tournament.
"Holy crap! That was awesome!"
"Whose Pet Beast is this, anyway? It’s this strong even without a commander."
"Probably some big shot’s new, uncontracted pet, right? My friend told me this Unihorn Ant is insane—already a One-star even without a contract..."
"Unihorn Ant my ass! Its name is the Black Fighting Emperor!"
The cheers from the crowd were like a tidal wave. Some had bet on Wu Bao and won, while others were just there for the entertainment.
"WOO WOO~!"
Amid the crowd’s cheers, Wu Bao also raised a foreleg, lifting it excitedly over his head.
In truth, after the first round, the outcome was never in doubt. This was just an amateur tournament, after all. Once he took out the heavy favorite, Yang Li, Wu Bao simply steamrolled the rest of the contestants.
But the match that excited Wu Bao the most was the final.
His opponent just so happened to be a Yu Dian Dog. Wu Bao imagined it was Yu Bao and gave it a thorough beating. It felt so damn good.
’In the near future, I’ll be able to beat up Yu Bao just like this!’
Amidst the unending, passionate cheers, the host stepped onto the stage, microphone in hand:
"After a full day of intense and thrilling competition, all events of the Huai City Masters Tournament have officially come to a perfect close. Let’s congratulate our champion... the Black Fighting Emperor, Wu Bao!
"And now, let’s have Wu Bao give his... uh, victory speech!"
The host was a little flustered. This was a first for her, the champion being a Pet Beast...
Nevertheless, she maintained her professional smile and offered the microphone to Wu Bao.
’In times like these, all you can do is smile.’
Wu Bao was happy to play along. He excitedly took the microphone and held it in front of his vocal cords.
"Woo~ wooo.
"Wooo, wooooo! Woo."
Wu Bao went on for quite some time, recounting his journey from his travels in the wild to sticking with Su Zhi through thick and thin, all leading to this moment on the champion’s podium.
In reality, he hadn’t suffered much at all. Thanks to his cautious nature, Wu Bao had always kept himself well-protected... but this was a victory speech, so of course he had to make it sound a bit more arduous! A bit more epic!
As he spoke, Wu Bao got lost in his own story, becoming so moved that he brought himself to the verge of tears.
"WOO!"
Wu Bao raised the microphone high.
’I want to thank my Beast Tamer, my friends, and my opponents!
’Winning today isn’t the end for me. I’ll keep pushing myself to be even better!’
"YEAH!!!"
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
Even though none of them understood a word the Black Fighting Emperor was saying, seeing the tears welling up in the little guy’s eyes and his overwhelming joy, they figured he must be sharing the story of his journey.
The fact that they couldn’t understand made it all the more moving!
"Wooo..." Wu Bao spread his two forelegs as if opening his arms, soaking in the crowd’s enthusiasm.
’So this is what a human Beast Taming competition is like. Winning here feels incredible!’
The host bent down and handed Wu Bao a card.
"This is the champion’s prize of 5,000 yuan. It can be used for purchases at any licensed store. Please take it!"
Wu Bao’s eyes lit up as he carefully stashed the card away.
After saying goodbye to his fans, Wu Bao rushed off to the Huai City electronics market without delay.
"WOO!"
Wu Bao kicked the door open. Seeing the startled receptionist, he SLAMMED the card on the counter and pointed at the tablet in his hand.
[Get me a keyboard! The best one you have!]
「 」
"Achoo!"
Over a thousand kilometers away, Su Zhi let out a huge sneeze.
’Strange, what was that about? I don’t have a cold...’ Su Zhi scratched his head in confusion for a moment, but didn’t dwell on it and quickened his pace to catch up with the others ahead.
They had left Huai City at dawn, and now the sky was twinkling with stars.
The group rode along the coastal highway. The golden beach, dotted with sun umbrellas and lounge chairs, was not far off.
The evening wind blew like a tide, the chirping of insects sounded like a song, and specks of light glittered against the dark curtain of the sky, creating a lazy, comfortable feeling.
Not far ahead, the prominent lighthouse of Storm Strait was already clearly visible.
Feeling the sea breeze on his face, Su Zhi recalled a geography question from one of his middle school entrance exam practice tests. It was about Storm Strait, asking whether a sea breeze or a land breeze blew at night, and to explain the reasoning.
At the time, Su Zhi had written that a land breeze blew, explaining in detail the principle that land cools faster than the ocean at night, causing a change in air pressure.
He ended up getting zero points... because a sea breeze also blows at night in Storm Strait. There is a type of Exotic Beast in the sea called the Temperature-Devouring Fish that rapidly absorbs heat after nightfall, making the ocean colder than the land.
He remembered it so clearly because Shao Ya had asked to borrow his eraser while he was working on that question.
"Hey! Su Baby! We’re here! Any further and you’ll be riding into the sea!" a girl’s clear voice suddenly called out by his ear.
"Shit!" A chill ran down Su Zhi’s spine. He’d been spacing out! He slammed on the brakes.
Luckily, the road continued to stretch out ahead. He had indeed overshot their destination, but he wasn’t about to ride into the sea...
Su Zhi breathed a sigh of relief and rolled his eyes at Shao Ya.
Shao Ya giggled, a stubborn cowlick on her head bobbing up and down. Her long, cascading hair danced lightly, combed by the evening wind.
Liu Yuhang, on the other hand, was looking at the lighthouse that seemed to pierce the clouds, feeling a wave of nostalgia.
"Back at Storm Strait... Xue Li and I formed our contract here just a few months ago."
"Quack!" Xue Li, leaning on Liu Yuhang’s shoulder, nodded in agreement.
Storm Strait was a sacred place for all Hao Waterfowl.
Hao Waterfowl reproduced here, held their evolution ceremonies here, and chose to return here when they grew old, giving their lives back to the storm and the sea.