LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 132: When a Pig-like Teammate Offers Emotional Support
Unlike the Alchemy category, the Beast-Taming competition would happen in an open area, with twenty circular arenas, each several dozen meters in diameter, spread out across the field.
Hovering in mid-air above the arenas, Yin Bao and a middle-aged woman standing beside him, addressed the participants.
"Greetings, everyone," the woman began, her voice carrying authority. "I am Qin Daiyu, the judge for the Beast-Taming category. Let me explain the rules."
She gestured toward the arenas below. "The concept is straightforward—command your tamed beasts to battle. These matches will be team-based, with each sect competing against others in groups of five. Unlike the previous competition, this is not an individual challenge but a collective test of your sect's prowess."
Her sharp gaze swept over the gathered disciples, ensuring her words sank in. "Any questions?"
After a brief pause, Qin Daiyu's voice broke the silence. "Initiate the lottery."
Above her, two shimmering screens materialized, displaying the numbers of the twenty arenas. Beneath each number, the names of two sects appeared, indicating who would face off in each arena.
She gestured toward the screens. "Proceed to your assigned arenas. Each battle will be overseen by a judge who will determine the victor. Winning sects will advance to the next round, continuing until only one remains."
She continued. "For those who lose, points will still be awarded based on performance. There will be no additional matches between losing sects, so every effort in your battle counts."
Feng Fan glanced at the large screen in the main plaza and quickly found the White Crow Sect listed in Arena 15 for their first battle. Their opponent: the Sun Sect, a minor sect located not far from their own.
Turning to Elder Jiang, he asked, "Elder Jiang, what do you think our chances are in the Beast-Taming category?"
Elder Jiang hesitated, his expression far from optimistic. "Well…" he started, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "You're aware of how weak our sect's alchemy legacy is, right?"
Feng Fan nodded, recalling Elder Peng's frequent laments about their struggles in alchemy.
Elder Jiang sighed deeply. "Compared to our Beast-Taming heritage... our Alchemy legacy is practically legendary."
Feng Fan's eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn't help but think of Cao Zhu's confident proclamation earlier.
Suppressing a chuckle, he sighed inwardly. 'Looks like I'll need to be ready to cheer him up after this…'
The five representatives from the White Crow Sect made their way to Arena 15, with Cao Zhu striding confidently at the front.
His smug smile radiating self-assuredness as though he were their undisputed leader.
Behind him, the other four disciples wore expressions of resignation. Their slumped shoulders and weary eyes made it clear—they just wanted to get this over with and return.
Hope and determination were nowhere to be found.
Cao Zhu glanced back, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "Come on, everyone, cheer up! We can win this!"
One of the disciples muttered halfheartedly, "Uh, yeah… sure."
"Let's… give it our best," another chimed in, their tone equally unconvincing.
Completely oblivious to their lack of enthusiasm, Cao Zhu misinterpreted their words as genuine encouragement. He beamed with pride, nodding as if his motivational speech had worked wonders.
Turning his focus ahead, his confident smile shifted into a determined gaze as his eyes locked onto the five disciples from the Sun Sect standing across the arena.
In contrast to the subdued White Crow Sect disciples, the Sun Sect participants wore expressions of smugness and confidence, some even laughing openly.
It was as if victory had already been assured in their minds.
"Ah, we're so lucky! We got the White Crow Sect in the first round!" one of them said loudly, laughing without a care, clearly intending for the White Crow Sect to hear every word.
Hearing the mocking remark, Cao Zhu didn't react with anger or embarrassment.
Instead, he smiled confidently, his eyes gleaming with determination. 'Heh, I'll show you the true power of the protagonist. Victory, even in the most impossible circumstances, is my specialty!'
The judge standing at the center of Arena 15 surveyed both groups before raising his hand to start the match. "Summon your beasts," he commanded, his voice ringing out clearly.
At his words, both groups activated their beast-taming techniques.
Cao Zhu's summoning drew the most attention as a mid tier 2 Giant Lightning Wolf materialized before him, its silver fur crackling with electricity. The wolf let out a thunderous howl, its fierce eyes locked onto the Sun Sect's beasts, ready for battle.
Unfortunately, Cao Zhu's beast was the only one that stood out in his groups. The rest of his group's summons were far weaker—three low tier 2 beasts and a single peak tier 1 beast.
By comparison, the Sun Sect's lineup was far more consistent. Even though they weren't known for their expertise in beast-taming, their team boasted five mid tier 2 beasts.
Despite the glaring disparity, Cao Zhu's confidence didn't falter. His eyes burned with determination, as if he was already planning the moment he would turn the tables.
"Begin!" declared the judge.
Barely a minute later, the battle was over—the White Crow Sect had been soundly defeated.
"N-No. Impossible!" Cao Zhu cried out, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Wasn't this supposed to be my moment to shine?"
Tears welled up in his eyes as he tilted his head back, staring at the sky in frustration and despair.
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"Come on, Brother Cao," one of his companions said, trying to console him. "You've only been training in the Beast-Taming Dao for a year. If you had more time, you'd definitely perform better."
Another disciple chimed in, "Exactly. Don't let this get to you. Next time, you'll do much better."
Cao Zhu sniffled, their words restoring a sliver of his confidence. "Ugh, you're right…" he muttered.
His thoughts turned inward, and a flicker of determination reignited in his heart. 'What great protagonist hasn't faced setbacks before?' he reminded himself, clenching his fists.
Hours passed, and the Beast-Taming category concluded. Qin Daiyu reappeared, her calm voice cutting through the chatter as she announced the results:
"First place, the Qian Family. Second place, the Heavenly Demon Sect. Third place, the Blue Dragon Sect. Fourth place, the Mad Monkey Sect..."
After the results were announced, all participants returned to the main plaza.
When Feng Fan spotted Cao Zhu, he decided it was his duty to cheer him up. With a casual stride, he walked over and placed a reassuring hand on Cao Zhu's shoulder
The gesture brimming with the confidence of a lifelong friendship—despite them barely being acquaintances.
Cao Zhu blinked in surprise, unsure of what prompted this sudden display of camaraderie. Before he could speak, Feng Fan began.
"My friend," he said, his tone warm, "don't be disheartened by your loss. Tell me—what great protagonist hasn't faced setbacks before?"
Cao Zhu's eyes widened, and he nodded vigorously. "Exactly! That's exactly what I thought!"
"Of course," Feng Fan continued, his smile growing wider, "there's just one tiny difference, you're more like a novel's extra than a protagonist. But hey, even side characters get their moments to shine, right? So cheer up!"
The words hit like a thunderbolt. Cao Zhu's expression froze, his face turned pale, and with a dramatic gasp, he coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.