Beast Center?

Qiao Sang subconsciously started imagining again: The trainer of the Sawtooth Dragon was actually her sworn enemy. Wait, she didn’t have a sworn enemy…

Change that.

When the Sawtooth Dragon arrived above the Beast Center, its trainer happened to walk out and saw her riding it. Very displeased at this stranger riding his beast, he immediately picked a fight.

Yabao and the others lost, she got dragged into it, her brain domain suffered heavy shock, but relying on her strong, unyielding willpower, she endured it, broke through, and ascended to the next level.

Perfect.

Hehe… Qiao Sang couldn’t help grinning foolishly.

“Gang Zhan…”

Gangbao glanced at her own Beast Master, then silently turned her head away.

On the way to the Beast Center, the Sawtooth Dragon flew the correct route the entire time.

Qiao Sang had navigation open but not on speaker;

she occasionally checked to confirm the dragon wasn’t off course.

Daydreaming was fine, but reason had to stay in control.

After all, the Sawtooth Dragon was flying by sensing its trainer’s position at the Beast Center. If the trainer left midway, the route would deviate.

The dragon was fast and steady;

in less than twenty minutes, Qiao Sang already saw the Beast Center.

Her heart raced yet again...

The Sawtooth Dragon was here, the place matched, would the time be now…?

If not, did she have to meet its trainer, get him to let her interact with the dragon again?

And if he refused… would that be the reason they clashed and fought?

While those thoughts flickered, the Sawtooth Dragon stopped in mid-air, a hundred meters above the Beast Center.

As the building drew closer, suddenly-

The ground beneath her vanished.

The next instant, she was plummeting.

It happened too suddenly. Qiao Sang’s mind buzzed blankly for two seconds.

“!!!”

The abrupt weightlessness made her pulse skyrocket. Her already racing heartbeat spiked higher, adrenaline flooding her system in raw panic.

Crap!

Where was the Sawtooth Dragon?!

That massive beast, where did it go?!

The script was all wrong!

Staring at the glaring sun, she tried to reason: Why did the dragon vanish?

It wasn’t a Psychic-type... Wait! Its trainer!

The trainer could have recalled it into the Beast Codex.

Damn it! Why recall it now?!

Without the dragon, it didn’t match the dream scene at all!

All her work was wasted!

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure shrieked beside her.

“Gang Zhan!”

Gangbao dived toward her master, body enlarging midair.

“Yap!”

Yabao steadied himself midfall, eyes glowing blue as he caught his Beast Master with psychic force.

Qiao Sang froze midair.

Gangbao sighed in relief.

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure was still falling, until he realized what was happening. He suddenly remembered, oh right, he could float. (T/n: 😆) He stopped in midair, wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

Close call… almost forgot I could do that.

Qiao Sang’s heart still thundered wildly, though calmer than at the moment of the fall.

But maybe because of the intense shock, a dull ache throbbed in her head.

All wasted…

So today wasn’t her breakthrough.

When would she next meet the Sawtooth Dragon…?

Just as she thought this, a blazing crimson star array lit up directly above.

A massive silhouette emerged from the array.

Backlit by the sun and too close, she couldn’t see details, only the sheer vastness of the dragon that seemed to blot out the sky.

The crimson array vanished.

Qiao Sang looked up.

The dragon’s enormous shadow engulfed her.

The scene aligned perfectly with the dream.

Her heart skipped a beat, then pounded harder, faster, stronger.

More overwhelming than when she was accepted into the Imperial Beast University.

She’d been disappointed before, but suddenly, the very thing she longed for appeared before her.

Yes… the dream seemed so overwhelming only because the dragon was too close.

If this followed the dream exactly, then…

“Yabao! Cancel your psychic hold!” She said firmly.

“Yap?”

Yabao looked confused, not understanding why. But when he saw her gaze fixed upward, he obeyed, his eyes dimming, psychic power withdrawn.

She fell again.

The dragon loomed overhead, jagged-winged, horned, exactly as in the dream.

Everything matched.

Her mind boomed, clearing in an instant, headache gone, only her racing, powerful heartbeat remained.

The dream had ended there...

But reality continued.

“Zzzruu!”

The Sawtooth Dragon panicked, wings beating once to flash forward and catch her.

“Yap! Yap!”

Yabao raged at the dragon, baring his teeth.

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure chimed in furiously.

“Zzzruu…”

The dragon lowered its head in shame, explaining quickly with its cries. Its trainer had recalled it, but when realizing the mistake, summoned it back immediately.

Still, Yabao and Little Treasure scolded furiously.

“Enough.” Qiao Sang said gently.

“It wasn’t the dragon’s fault.”

Hearing her, they reluctantly quieted and returned to her side.

Gangbao only cast her a silent glance.

The dragon sighed in relief, grateful.

It carried her to hover near the Beast Center entrance, lowering itself two meters above the ground to avoid blocking traffic.

Even here, such a mighty dragon drew stares.

Qiao Sang jumped down.

The Sawtooth Dragon shrank and flew to a rugged man in his thirties, with stubble on his chin.

“Sorry.” The man said, walking over.

“I didn’t realize someone was riding it.”

“No problem.” Qiao Sang waved casually.

“Anyone would be unaware.”

She turned sincerely to the dragon.

“Thank you for bringing me back.”

The dragon blushed, thanked? By a human? She was a good person. Its eyes softened toward her.

The man was surprised, she held no resentment, only gratitude.

He quietly studied her and her unfamiliar beasts. Two even wore lightweight miniaturization bracelets, at least General-level.

This girl looked underage. Complicated feelings flickered in his gaze.

“You took the flight tournament task?” He asked.

“Yes, a trial mission.” She nodded.

“So, you’ve registered for the Regional Tournament.”

She nodded again.

“Then maybe we’ll meet again.” The man said with a faint smile, then left.

The dragon waved farewell.

Qiao Sang swallowed her questions, replying, “Goodbye.”

---

Beast Center.

Dormitory 1908.

Evening sun lingered in Yongtian City.

“Yap!” Yabao barked, rested and ready to train again.

“Wait.” Qiao Sang fixed him with a look.

“First, one thing.”

Before he reacted, she recalled him into the Beast Codex.

Her pulse quickened as she formed hand seals.

But then-

Knock, knock, knock.

“It’s me.” Mikayla’s voice said.

Suppressing her urge, Qiao Sang opened the door.

“How was the mission?” Mikayla asked.

“Smooth, no problems.” Qiao Sang replied.

“Only a wandering Sawtooth Dragon this morning, but it was easy to reason with.”

“I see.” Mikayla sat down.

“After this mission, we’ll go to Jiantian City.”

“Jiantian?” Qiao Sang blinked.

“Isn’t that far from Yongtian?”

“It is, but it’s one of the eleven cities of Mutian Province. You can complete assessment tasks there. More importantly...” Mikayla’s eyes deepened.

“You told me your prize for winning the National Campus Beast Mastering Championship included entry to Secret Realm No. 16. It just opened yesterday. These realms stay open only a month.”

Only a month?! She thought it was two years away! This rounding was ridiculous!

But she was touched, Mikayla had been watching the timing for her.

“I understand.” Qiao Sang nodded. She would definitely go;

the Enlightenment Dream Stone, worth billions, couldn’t be wasted. Maybe she’d even meet Qingqingni.

“By the way.”

Mikayla asked suddenly, “Where’s your Fire Qilu?”

Qiao Sang stiffened, heart thudding again.

“I recalled him just now. I’ll summon him out.”

Her fingers formed seals and a blinding crimson star array burst into light within the room.