Chapter 397: Phenomenal Traffic
"What? That's it?!"
Qiao Sang was utterly baffled.
How was this any different from Lubao's description?
Hearing her reaction, Jiang Xiu paused, seemingly caught off guard by Tuo Luola's lackluster vocabulary.
It was like someone asking, "What does the beautiful woman you just saw look like?" and another person answering, "Two eyes, one nose, and a mouth."
What an incredible way to describe things!
After a brief moment, Jiang Xiu coughed lightly and said, "I have another friend who-"
Before he could finish, Pei Shipan interrupted, "Tuo Luola has already committed the scene to memory. If you trust me, I'll find this place for you. I'll give you an update in a few days."
After speaking, Pei Shipan fixed Qiao Sang with a serious gaze.
Perhaps it was his dependable demeanor, but Qiao Sang hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Thank you, Uncle Pei."
"No need to thank me."
Pei Shipan casually pulled out his phone and said, "Let's add each other. That way, I can contact you directly when I have news."
"Alright." Qiao Sang took out her phone and added him.
Watching the exchange, Jiang Xiu fell into deep thought. Did he... not have Qiao Sang's contact info yet?
Two days later, 8:55 AM.
At the Haicheng Pet Battle Arena, a massive circular arena hovered over the sea, capable of accommodating 80,000 spectators.
Above the arena, an enormous open LED dome loomed, glowing faintly.
By now, all 80,000 seats in the arena were filled. The noise of the crowd created a fiery, electric atmosphere.
"I'm so excited! My heart's racing just thinking about seeing Ice Qiya in a bit!"
"Ugh, I was just a few seconds late, and the front-row tickets were gone!"
"I heard that Qiao Sang kid has three battle pets. She wouldn't not use Ice Qiya, right?"
"Stop jinxing it! Don't even say that!"
"Can someone explain? Do matches here usually draw such big crowds?"
"Bro, you're not from the Guwu region, are you?"
"Nope, I'm from the Xilu region."
"Thought so. Normally, apart from regional tournaments, no match here would fill even half the seats. But this time is different. One of the contestants contracted Ice Qiya. You know what that means, right?"
The spectator from the Xilu region looked utterly puzzled.
"No, what's so special about Ice Qiya? What type of pet is it?"
Hearing this, the previously enthusiastic local spectator immediately pulled a face and turned away, ignoring him.
Did I say something wrong...? The Xilu spectator was even more confused.
Nearby, someone else overheard the conversation and muttered to their companion, "How did someone who doesn't even know Ice Qiya get a ticket? Must've used connections, right?"
Yuhua Region Contestants' Area.
"I'm Jiang Xiaotian. I already sent you my request. Check it out." Said a buzz-cut boy.
Qiao Sang scrolled through her phone and found the chat history.
"You want a photo with Blazing Star Canine?"
"Yes, yes!" Jiang Xiaotian excitedly pulled out his phone, even opening the camera app for convenience.
"Just one photo, that's all I need!"
Qiao Sang turned to Yabao and gave him a silent look.
"Yap..."
With a reluctant expression, Yabao obediently leapt over.
Jiang Xiaotian grabbed Yabao in a tight hug, his excitement palpable.
After the photo was taken, Qiao Sang handed the phone back and said, "Next."
"Me, me, me! I'm next!" A sweet-looking girl stepped forward quickly.
"I'm Chen Yunru. We talked about this earlier, I want a photo with Blazing Star Canine too."
Qiao Sang checked her messages and nodded to Yabao.
"Yap..."
Once again, Yabao jumped into action.
"Next."
"Hi, I'm Li Yue." A boy wearing silver earrings approached.
"I'd like Ice Qiya to use Healing Light on me."
Out of the 31 requests she had received, most involved either Yabao or Lubao. To save time, Qiao Sang had already summoned Lubao.
She glanced at her phone and signaled to Lubao.
"Lu."
The gem on Lubao's forehead glowed blue in response.
Sitting nearby, Xu Yixuan watched the scene of people swarming Qiao Sang and sighed.
"Why does this feel like a celebrity fan signing event?"
Sun Boyi, standing beside her, noticed someone in the crowd and said in surprise, "Why is Wang Rui here?"
Xu Yixuan shrugged.
"Who wouldn't be charmed by Blazing Sta Canine and Ice Qiya?"
Fair point... Sun Boyi subtly withdrew his gaze and looked out at the packed audience, his heart skipping a beat.
Even regional tournaments don't draw this kind of crowd...
In the Audience.
A fashionable woman with curled hair and impeccable makeup excitedly spoke into her phone, which was held by a small yellow bird-like pet flapping its wings:
"Family, I'm here live at the Haicheng Pet Battle Arena! Don't worry if you couldn't get a ticket! I'll be streaming the entire event so you can witness Bing Luqiya's appearance with me!"
She glanced at her screen and added, "Thank you, 'Lulu's One True Love,' for the rocket gift! You're so generous. By 'Lulu,' you must mean Ice Qiya, right? Don't worry, I'll make sure you see your one true love today!"
As soon as she finished, another rocket animation appeared on her screen.
"Another rocket! Thank you, 'Lulu's One True Love!'"
She wasn't the only one streaming. Dozens of other livestreamers were scattered throughout the audience, all eager to capture the phenomenon that was Ice Qiya.
In the Guwu region, Ice Qiya was a treasure, there were only a handful of them, and ordinary people had no chance to see one.
But now, word had spread online that a high school student from the Yuhua region had contracted one.
The news exploded.
Why was a Guwu region treasure in the Yuhua region?
Why had a Yuhua Beastmaster managed to contract a rare Guwu pet?
And why was the contractor a high school student?
These questions turned this Ice Qiya into a unique symbol, sparking endless debates and shares online.
For streamers, this level of traffic was an unmissable opportunity.
As the fireworks concluded, the massive LED dome above the Haicheng Pet Battle Arena slowly closed, forming an arched screen visible to the audience.
A man with striking blue hair floated into the arena on a glowing blue platform, accompanied by a white pet whose glowing eyes made it clear the platform's levitation was its doing.
The crowd fell silent.
Holding a microphone, the blue-haired man stood confidently on the floating platform and spoke loudly:
"Hello, everyone!"
"Welcome to the regional qualifiers of the National Campus Beast Mastering League!"