"Yu Bao broke through Xiaoyue’s Blood Vine assault! He’s leaping high into the air and pouncing on Xiaoyue!"

In his extreme excitement, Lu Dongjie’s speech was already rivaling that of a Senior Level commentator.

But compared to the ever-shifting battlefield, his pace was still too slow!

In fact, the moment he opened his mouth, Yu Bao had already activated Desert Concealment and teleported right in front of Xiaoyue!

Xiaoyue retreated to create distance. The Blood Vines on the field suddenly reverted to their normal dark green color, snapping and falling one by one.

This was also the weakness of Shao Ya’s talent.

Forest Quartet had both a high floor and a high ceiling, but it required the Pet Beast to invest an immense amount of concentration to synchronize with the controlled plants.

The moment its concentration was broken, the effect would diminish instantly.

And as a Beast Taming Talent with a limited activation, this Skill could not be used again until Shao Ya recovered.

At least in this arena match, it was impossible for her to cast a second Crimson Prayer for Xiaoyue.

Taking advantage of the window where the Blood Vines were out of control and Xiaoyue had yet to mount a new offense, Yu Bao rapidly closed in.

Sandstorm, Furious Sand Blade, and Yellow Earth Wall were unleashed in quick succession!

Yu Bao’s swift assault caught Xiaoyue completely off guard.

Faced with Yu Bao’s sudden burst of speed, Xiaoyue was utterly bewildered and could only scramble to evade.

He was getting anxious. Just a few seconds ago, he had held the complete advantage!

"It’s normal for the offense and defense to shift. The advantage is gone, so be it. Stay calm, and don’t let your opponent disrupt your rhythm!"

Shao Ya transmitted through the Beast Taming Space.

The situation on the field was changing in a flash, and a wave of exhaustion from activating her talent washed over her, yet the young woman remained incredibly focused, showing not a hint of fatigue.

Never anxious, never wavering, never giving up, never retreating.

As long as she stood on the stage for even a moment longer, she would face her opponent in her strongest state!

"The First Movement has ended, but the Second Movement has yet to be played. Wait for the right moment, then activate the Second Movement and turn the tables!"

"Meow!"

Xiaoyue’s slightly urgent reply came from the Beast Taming Space.

’Activating the First and Second Movements back-to-back will be a huge drain on you!’

"Of course I know that."

Shao Ya smiled faintly. "But I also promised to give it my all. And I have to keep my word, don’t I?"

"...Meow!"

Sensing his Beast Tamer’s conviction, the wavering in Xiaoyue’s gaze was replaced by firm resolve.

On the stage, a howling sandstorm swept over the shattered vines and branches littering the ground.

The surging sandstorm bore down on them, much like a desert encroaching upon a forest, creating an intense sense of pressure.

As the sandstorm approached the center line, the already devastated forest fell, inch by inch.

But as Xiaoyue’s resolve solidified, the forest that had retreated to the center line stabilized once more!

"SWOOSH—"

In a blur, Xiaoyue dodged a series of fierce attacks from Yu Bao and launched a ferocious counterattack.

Yu Bao hadn’t expected his "big bro" to execute such a high-quality escape under so much pressure and was caught off guard for a moment.

But only for a moment.

Before Xiaoyue could build a continuous offense, Yu Bao initiated a Tier Two Sandstorm.

Simultaneously, he activated Desert Concealment backward, transforming into a swirl of sand and creating distance from Xiaoyue.

’Now’s the time!’

Shao Ya raised the back of her hand. A silver mark in the shape of two crossed swords appeared, emitting a faint red glow. Her crimson pupils swirled, and a faint silver outline appeared around them.

At the same time, all the remaining vegetation on the field dissolved into green light and converged on Xiaoyue.

When the green light faded, Xiaoyue was covered in a suit of ink-black armor, traced with silver patterns!

[Frost Shadow Qtm: Holy shit! Armor Warrior!]

[Annihilation: Ahhh Xiaoyue, slay me!]

[Day after Day: So stunning, but I don’t know how to describe it...]

[Golden Rare: What’s wrong with you all? Isn’t the real point the white hair and red eyes?!]

"Shao Ya has activated her talent a second time! With her help, Xiaoyue now has what appears to be a layer of armor!

"The on-site Energy Value monitor shows that before gaining the armor, Xiaoyue’s Real-time Energy Value was 1120. It has now surged to 1600 and is slowly decreasing!"

The armored Xiaoyue opened his eyes. His light green pupils became incredibly bright, a silver glow flowing around their edges.

Forest Quartet: Second Movement - Silver Battle Dance.

Effect: Energize and absorb all vegetation within a certain area, transforming it into armor that enhances a Pet Beast’s combat power!

In a natural environment, especially a Primitive Forest dense with vegetation, Forest Quartet undoubtedly had the power to dominate the entire battle.

This was also why Xiaoyue had been willing to expend a huge amount of energy to use Thousand-Year Forest Prison at the start of the match to alter the environment.

On an artificial arena stage, the effects of both the First and Second Movements were actually greatly diminished.

Even so, they would never waver, never retreat!

The desert and forest were clearly interwoven, sand and flying leaves swirling together in a dance.

The armored Xiaoyue stood up straight and looked at Yu Bao.

Yu Bao also looked at his "big bro" Xiaoyue. A Quicksand Shield coalesced on his left, and a Furious Sand Blade hovered on his right.

The two Pet Beasts who knew each other best stared at one another for a moment, then charged forward in unison.

As the two Pet Beasts clashed, the scenery on the stage also changed.

The desert and forest were no longer two distinct environments but became interlocked like jagged teeth, like the Riding Lances of two knights thrusting at each other!

"CRACK—"

After a momentary clash, the two Pet Beasts passed each other, their momentum carrying them a few steps forward.

All their power was retracted, and a strange silence suddenly fell over the stage.

The live stream comments scrolled by:

[Frost Shadow Qtm: According to the plot, isn’t one of them supposed to collapse now?]

[Annihilation: Such strong Japanese Anime vibes...]

[Viewer38128: Yu Bao, you have to hang in there! I bet everything on Su Zhi!]

[Golden Rare: Lol, talk about eating your words.]

[Butterfly Fan Bone: Look! They’re moving!]

"CRACKLE—"

Xiaoyue staggered forward a few steps. The ink-black armor branded with silver patterns suddenly shattered, scattering and falling away like withered leaves.

"Meow-wah-meow."

Xiaoyue looked back at Yu Bao, a look of pride in his eyes.

’I still won.’

"WHOOSH"

Yu Bao disintegrated into a pile of sand.

"?!" Xiaoyue was shocked.

At the same time, the Furious Sand Blade that had been knocked away during their clash suddenly reversed course in mid-air, sweeping back with a trail of sand in tow!

Only then did Xiaoyue remember—this was a Tier Two Furious Sand Blade, capable of flying along any trajectory!

"Xiaoyue, watch out!"

"SWOOSH—"

The Furious Sand Blade shot past.

Though utterly exhausted, Xiaoyue still mustered all his strength to roll toward the edge of the stage, dodging what he thought was Yu Bao’s dying struggle.

However, at that exact moment, the sand trailing the Furious Sand Blade suddenly converged and transformed into Yu Bao’s true body!

"Meow meow meow?"

Xiaoyue finally realized: that wasn’t just sand carried by the Furious Sand Blade, but the sand from Yu Bao’s Desert Concealment. The one he had just fought was a Sand Shadow Guard...

’You sneaky bastard! What happened to our man-to-man duel?!’

"Sss-ha~ ⌓‿⌓"

But it was too late. Yu Bao, with a smile on his face, kicked his "big bro" right off the stage.

"SPLAT—"

Xiaoyue landed outside the stage, four paws in the air, a helpless look on his face.

The timer stopped: 00:34:21.13

Lu Dongjie shot up, slamming his hand on the desk:

"Xiaoyue has been knocked out of the ring! Xiaoyue has been knocked out of the ring! The referee has made the call! Yu Bao is the winner!

"Congratulations to Su Zhi for successively defeating the tournament’s number three seed and number one seed to officially advance to the finals!"

[Frost Shadow Qtm: God Su is amazing!]

[Annihilation: Hngh-ahhhhhh!]

[Viewer38128: I’m in tears! I actually bet right this time!]

[Golden Rare: Believe in God Su, attain eternal life!]

"This live broadcast channel kindly reminds you to stay away from Pet Beast gambling and embrace a healthy lifestyle."

After confirming his winnings had been deposited, Lu Dongjie put away his phone and gave the reminder with a serious expression.

But it was impossible to hide the delight behind his solemn facade.

"Congratulations to contestant Su Zhi on advancing, and thank you all for following along. We’ll see you tomorrow for the finals! The national team member you all know and love, Peng Kai, will be joining me to commentate. Please be sure to tune in for the final’s live broadcast!"

...

Back on the stage, Yu Bao stood stunned for a good while before a look of ecstatic joy slowly spread across his face.

’I beat Big Bro. I won the semifinals!’

’Su Zhi and I are in the finals!’

Xiaoyue walked back onto the stage, only to see Yu Bao swaying unsteadily from overexcitement, looking like he was about to fall...

Xiaoyue quickly went over and held him up. Yu Bao leaned against Xiaoyue, his head lolled to the side, and he fell fast asleep.

To defeat his big bro, Yu Bao had given it one hundred and twenty percent. He was just too tired now.

The little guy looked adorable as he slept, with half his tongue sticking out and the corners of his mouth curved up in a smile.

With a helpless look, Xiaoyue stood perfectly still, acting as a pillow.

’So what if you won?’

’You’re still just a dumb little pup who never grows up and needs his big bro to take care of him.’

[Assignable Attribute Points: 0.01...0.08]

Su Zhi glanced at the panel and then dismissed it.

Shao Ya walked toward him, a congratulatory smile in her eyes.

Her crimson pupils returned to their azure blue. The focus and heroic aura from the battle receded, and her gaze once again became gentle and soft.

"Congratulations on advancing~"

The young woman put her hands behind her back, blinked, and gave a sweet smile.

Su Zhi smiled back at her. "So, what about that surprise you promised me? Let’s have it."

"Oh? I’m surprised you still remember."

The young woman gave him a playful wink.

"I was planning on not giving it to you if you forgot."

"Hmph, don’t even think about backing out."

"Do you really want it? How about I give it to you when we get back?"

"No, right here..."

Shao Ya took a step forward and gently hugged him.

Su Zhi froze on the spot.

The warm, soft feeling enveloped him, and the throbbing excitement and tension slowly melted away.

"Actually, every time you two stayed up all night working hard, I was secretly watching. I know Yu Bao trains his Skills in the middle of the night, and I know you stay up all night modifying Skills. I’m very lucky to be able to witness you growing stronger."

The young woman tilted her head. Her eyes held relief and joy, but even more so, a sense of heartache.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Su Zhi suddenly felt incredibly vulnerable.

The indignation of being last and doubted... the injustice of being targeted after losing the exchange match... the exhaustion from modifying Skill frameworks all night long...

All those emotions and feelings he had never paid any mind to were suddenly magnified infinitely in that instant.

Seeing Su Zhi’s reddened eyes, Shao Ya smiled gently, patted his back, and held him a little tighter.

"You’ve been under a lot of pressure, haven’t you?"

"Yeah..."

Su Zhi choked out a response, fighting back tears.

"You’ve worked so hard. You don’t have to hold it in anymore. Just let it all out. My shoulder is here for you."

Su Zhi said nothing. Ignoring that they were on a stage in front of everyone, he hugged Shao Ya tightly. The tears he had suppressed for so long were finally released, soaking the young woman’s shoulder.

Through his shimmering tears, Su Zhi heard her begin to softly sing a melody:

"A shoulder for the past..."

"Let out the cries imprisoned for so long..."

"A pair of wings for me at this moment..."

"To soar above this world..."

...

...

PS: The lyrics at the end of the Chapter are from "Moon Halo".