Chapter 313: Serves Them Right for Being Provincial Champions

"What's wrong? Why are you so flustered?" The man on the other end of the phone sounded cheerful, his good mood evident.

"It's about Qiao Sang from Shengshui High! Her Treasure-Seeking Demon just used Shadow Control in the match!" The middle-aged man's voice trembled with excitement.

Huang Renbiao paused. "What control?"

"Shadow Control! You know, the Ghost-type move that controls opponents using shadows!" The middle-aged man's voice quivered as he repeated himself.

There was a moment of silence on the other end before the man's tone turned serious. "Are you sure? Could you have seen it wrong?"

"Principal!" The middle-aged man was getting anxious.

"I'm Old Li! A C-rank Beast Tamer! How could I mistake such a thing?"

Huang Renbiao remained silent for so long that Old Li thought the call had dropped. Finally, his voice came through, calm but sharp:

"What's the proficiency level?"

Shadow Control wasn't just rare for provincial tournaments, it was a move that could cause a stir at the national level.

If the proficiency level was low, they might still have a chance to prepare. The real worry was if it was at mastery level.

If that happened, the skill would evolve from two-dimensional shadow control to three-dimensional physical attacks.

And if it had reached that level... Ding Yanjing was in trouble.

"I'm not sure about the proficiency." Old Li admitted, though his tone hinted at disbelief.

"Qiao Sang is still so young. Just teaching her Treasure-Seeking Demon Shadow Control is absurd enough. There's no way its proficiency could be high..."

He trailed off, his tone shifting.

"But then again, Qiao Sang doesn't follow common logic. A high proficiency in Shadow Control on her beast doesn't seem impossible either. Judging from today's match, though, it seems like basic control."

Old Li's expression turned grim. "I'll keep an eye on her and report back if there are any developments."

On a grassy lawn surrounded by greenery...

Ding Yanjing whispered to the boy next to him, "What's up with the principal? He looked ecstatic when Guwei Blossom evolved into Guwei Sunflower, but after that phone call, his face turned dark."

Before the boy could reply, Huang Renbiao frowned from not far away.

"Do you want to speak any louder? I could hear you clearly from here."

Ding Yanjing: ...

The boy shot Ding Yanjing a pitying look before wisely staying silent.

Huang Renbiao, however, didn't press further. Instead, he picked up his phone and made a call.

After a few rings, the line connected.

"Hey, Xiao Song. In today's post update, focus on analyzing Shengshuu High's Qiao Sang. Old Li just called to say her Treasure-Seeking Demon used Shadow Control in the match. Yes, that skill. I'll have him send you the video later. Make sure to write detailed strategies on how to counter it."

Meanwhile, Old Li returned to the venue. Just as he was about to sit down and watch the rest of the matches, he noticed people leaving one after another.

Confused, he stopped someone nearby. "Hey, why is everyone leaving?"

The person gave him a weird look. "The match is over. Why else would we leave?"

After shaking off Old Li's hand, the person walked off briskly, leaving him stunned.

"The match is over?!"

Old Li stood there dumbfounded. "I was just on the phone for a bit. How is it already finished?!

"There were six rounds! When I left, Qiao Sang had just finished the first one! How is it over already?!"

In the dormitory at the West Huai District Beast Taming Training Grounds...

"Xun~ Xun~"

Little Treasure enthusiastically mimicked his own heroic moves from today's matches, showing off exaggerated gestures to Yabao, which wasn't present during the matches.

Scenes where he simply spun his opponent in the air were now reenacted as if he had been swinging them around like noodles.

"Yap yap!"

Yabao gasped in awe, humoring Little Treasure.

"Xun~ Xun Xun!"

Little Treasure grew even more animated, completely forgetting his initial grudge against Yabao.

Nearby, the Great Flame Sparrow stared at Little Treasure with a contemplative expression.

This little guy is so strong. Maybe it'd be fun to spar with it someday.

On her bed, Qiao Sang was lying on her side, scrolling through her phone.

Suddenly, she sat up and said, "Do you know who posted this thread analyzing the province's top-ranked players? Our match just ended, and the data is already updated. The speed is uncanny."

"It's probably someone watching the official livestream." Wang Yao replied from another bed, fiddling with her phone.

"No, something feels off." Qiao Sang frowned as she reviewed the pinned posts.

The three pinned threads all came from the same user ID, and their updates were suspiciously consistent, always appearing shortly after matches ended.

While it was plausible to watch a few matches on a livestream, there was no way a single person could gather detailed information on every participant from grades 10 to 12 across all schools in under an hour.

This wasn't an individual's work, it had to be a collective effort.

She reopened the thread analyzing the Senior participants. Unlike yesterday, this time, her name was listed first:

[Qiao Sang, female, Shengshui High. Beast lineup: Flame Hound, Treasure-Seeking Demon, and one unknown.]

Notable update: She fielded her Treasure-Seeking Demon in all six matches today!

Key skill: Shadow Control! A high-level skill unprecedented in Zhehai Province!

Skill countermeasures:

Since Shadow Control relies on connecting shadows to control the target, ensure your beast moves quickly enough to avoid being linked.

Alternatively, use decoys or clones to confuse the Treasure-Seeking Demon. If a clone is controlled instead, no harm will come to the real beast.

In later rounds, venue layouts will vary. With the right terrain, such as shadowy areas to block visibility, you can effectively evade Shadow Control.

Qiao Sang noted the post's timestamp: 10:02 a.m. It was uploaded less than three minutes after her match had ended.

If she hadn't been paying close attention to her own profile, she might not have noticed.

Most students focused on their own year's competitions, while school team members prioritized matches relevant to their division.

Who would have the time, or the ability, to track participants from every grade?

Suddenly, a thought struck her. She flipped to the section on Ding Yanjing and other members of Litan Beast Taming High.

What she found made her laugh.

Unlike other schools, whose members' details were meticulously analyzed, Litan's information was comically vague. For instance:

"Kong Chengxi, huge in size but slow-moving. Likely to avoid psychic-type controls."

Compared to the precise breakdowns for other schools, Litan's analysis read like a joke.

Qiao Sang chuckled. If her suspicions were correct, then Litan Beast Taming High truly deserved their perennial spot as provincial champions.