Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 423: The Mystic Auction

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"A beautiful creature?"

Qiao Sang thought back to the earlier scene. When she realized who the bulging-eyed fish was referring to, she was speechless.

By now, the green light radiating from the Sea Salt Lizard had grown brighter again, illuminating the blushing and shy expression on the bulging-eyed fish.

An outrageous thought crossed her mind:

"What did it say?" Jiang Xiu asked curiously.

Qiao Sang translated, "It's looking for Lubao. Maybe Lubao provoked it earlier while retrieving the Dark Phantom Crystal."

"What?!" Jiang Xiu's face darkened.

"Sea Salt!"

The Sea Salt Lizard let out a cry and suddenly sped up.

"Blub-blub!"

The bulging-eyed fish paused for a moment, then looked displeased and picked up speed as well. Along the way, small and medium-sized water-type beasts scattered in fear.

"Xun xun!" Little Treasure clutched the microphone, looking excited.

Qiao Sang complained inwardly.

If the bulging-eyed fish's goal is Lubao, it’s better to keep them apart. While she wasn’t one to judge based on appearances, Lubao’s past interest in Yabao suggested that her taste was pretty normal.

The bulging-eyed fish, on the other hand, was far too peculiar in appearance. Lubao would never go for something like that. Besides, Jiang Xiu said this creature had a temper. If they didn’t get along, what if a fight broke out?

After a while, Jiang Xiu, whose expression had grown increasingly grim, finally couldn't bear it anymore. He opened his bag and rummaged through it.

"What are you looking for?" Qiao Sang asked.

"A seabed signaling device." Jiang Xiu replied while searching.

In the Guwu Region, seabed signaling devices are a must-have due to the underwater environment. These devices are more advanced than those in other regions and serve both communication and safety purposes.

There are two types:

1. Signals sent to surface safety towers, where professionals can respond.

2. Signals sent to other device users within range. This option relies on the goodwill of nearby individuals to provide assistance.

Jiang Xiu quickly located his device, a thick, phone-like gadget with a screen. He activated it, and a green signal dot began flashing.

With the distress signal sent, Jiang Xiu felt slightly relieved.

This blasted bulging-eyed fish! If Qiao Sang weren’t here, he would’ve given it a stern lesson. But for now, all he could do was wait for help to arrive. ŕ

"Blub-blub!"

The bulging-eyed fish cried out again.

"Yap Yap!" Yabao translated, clearly exasperated:

Qiao Sang frowned and asked, "Is it chasing us because it knows Lubao is here?"

Jiang Xiu thought for a moment before answering, "Probably. Even though Ice Xilu disappeared before its eyes, her scent was still present. That’s why it hasn’t stopped chasing us. Plus, this isn’t its first encounter with beast tamers participating in these exchanges, so it knows how tamers operate."

, Qiao Sang thought.

Seeing her deep in thought, Jiang Xiu grew uneasy and warned, "Don’t summon Ice Xilu under any circumstances. This fish is obviously here to cause trouble for her."

Qiao Sang nodded without explaining, but Jiang Xiu continued to elaborate, "Last time, participants tried to curry favor with it by offering rare gems. It took the gems but turned hostile immediately after."

"Blub-blub!"

The bulging-eyed fish cried out again.

"Yap yap!" Yabao translated:

Qiao Sang squinted at the creature in the distance. It was hard to make out details under the dim underwater light, despite the Sea Salt Lizard’s glowing green illumination.

Meanwhile, Jiang Xiu kept talking, "This species is obsessed with collecting crystals and gemstones. My guess is that it noticed the gem on Lubao’s forehead and decided to cause trouble."

Qiao Sang resisted the urge to summon Lubao.

Jiang Xiu added, "The only time this species’ temper improves is when they find a mate they genuinely like. They even hand over their entire collection of treasures to their partner."

Without hesitation, Qiao Sang began forming a summoning seal.

Jiang Xiu was stunned.

"!!!"

He was utterly bewildered.

"Lu!" Lubao appeared in the water.

"Stop! Call her back immediately!" Jiang Xiu shouted frantically.

The Sea Salt Lizard executed an emergency brake.

“Xun Xun?” Little Treasure paused in confusion.

Jiang Xiu took a deep breath.

“Why on earth did you summon Ice Xilu?!”

Qiao Sang replied earnestly, “For the sake of a successful wild pet exchange event.”

Jiang Xiu panicked.

“That’s nowhere near as important as Ice Xilu! Quickly, summon it back!”

“Don’t panic. Just watch.” Qiao Sang calmly gestured at him.

Jiang Xiu, his eyes already red with frustration, looked over, and froze in disbelief.

The Bulging-Eyed Fish had reached Lubao and, unbelievably, was bashfully handing something over with its side fin.

Squinting, Jiang Xiu focused on the object and recognized it immediately, it was the Dark Phantom Crystal he had thrown away earlier!

“What...?” Jiang Xiu was completely dumbfounded. He couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.

Meanwhile, Qiao Sang sighed.

“As I thought, the Bulging-Eyed Fish really does like Lubao.”

“Like Ice Xilu?!”

Jiang Xiu’s face contorted as he instinctively yelled, “I absolutely forbid this union!”

Qiao Sang coughed lightly and said, “I only summoned Lubao because you said the Bulging-Eyed Fish wouldn’t attack if it liked Lubao. This is a good chance to communicate with it and maybe prevent it from randomly attacking others in the future. Letting it chase us like this isn’t a solution.”

Jiang Xiu hesitated.

“It’s not that simple. Even if the Bulging-Eyed Fish likes Ice Xilu, it’ll go back to its old self once Ice Xilu is gone.”

, Qiao Sang thought.

“Zhu Zhu~”

The Bulging-Eyed Fish, having handed over the Dark Phantom Crystal, wiggled bashfully and let out a soft cry.

“Lu!”

Lubao, maintaining a cold demeanor, turned around and began swimming away.

“Zhu Zhu!”

The Bulging-Eyed Fish panicked and tugged Lubao’s tail fin with its side fin.

“Lu!”

Lubao coldly flicked her tail, breaking free.

Suddenly, the water stirred violently, and a thick water column nearly a meter wide shot toward the Bulging-Eyed Fish from a distance.

The Bulging-Eyed Fish, entirely focused on Lubao, had dropped its guard and didn’t notice the attack.

“Lu!”

Lubao leaped up, her tail wrapped in a surge of water, and struck the incoming water column with a fierce blow.

The column dispersed instantly, breaking into a cascade of droplets that merged with the surrounding waters.

“Zhu Zhu…”

The Bulging-Eyed Fish stared at Lubao, its long side fin covering its mouth in a gesture of awe, nearly moved to tears.

“Zhu Zhu!”

A moment later, the Bulging-Eyed Fish turned, baring its teeth, and snarled ferociously.

“Old Jiang! Take Ice Xilu and leave quickly! Leave this to me!” A deep male voice echoed through the murky waters.

Qiao Sang turned toward the source of the voice and saw a familiar sight, a shark-like pet beast with glowing teeth.

Jiang Xiu lit up in recognition.

“It’s Old Xu!”

“Old Xu?” Qiao Sang asked.

“The one organizing this underwater wild pet exchange event.” Jiang Xiu explained.

“He must’ve received the signal I sent out.”

Knowing this was a critical moment for communication, Qiao Sang wouldn’t let anyone ruin it. She grabbed Little Treasure’s microphone and shouted:

“Stop attacking! Everything’s fine! We’re just having an exchange!”

Xu Mingqing froze at the sudden announcement.

“Zhu Zhu!”

The Bulging-Eyed Fish had noticed the glowing-toothed Shark Fighter. Its mouth opened, gathering deep blue water energy.

“Lu.”

Before the attack could be launched, Lubao called out, signaling it to stand down.

The Bulging-Eyed Fish obediently dissipated the energy, its posture becoming docile.

, Qiao Sang thought.

Jiang Xiu’s fists clenched tightly as he watched the Bulging-Eyed Fish’s behavior.

Riding atop Shark Fighter, Xu Mingqing arrived beside the Sea Salt Lizard with no trouble.

“What’s going on?” He asked, staring at the Bulging-Eyed Fish fawning over Ice Xilu.

Jiang Xiu remained silent.

Qiao Sang gave a brief rundown of the events.

Xu Mingqing: …

He was speechless for a good ten seconds.

“Zhu Zhu~”

Meanwhile, the Bulging-Eyed Fish, seeing Lubao ignoring it, reached for the enormous dark red orb attached to its tail and cracked it open.

Inside, a pile of gemstones and crystals glittered.

Qiao Sang was quietly amazed.

Honestly, she wasn’t lacking in money, and summoning Lubao wasn’t about taking all the gemstones and crystals.

What she really wanted was to observe the Bulging-Eyed Fish’s unique behavior, the kind of peculiar actions specific to certain pet beasts.

For example, Sword-Winged Birds plucking a sword-like feather to stab someone they dislike. Or Paper Mew Sprites changing color based on their emotions. Or Clean Freak Treasures compulsively cleaning anything dirty.

These quirky behaviors fascinated her.

The Bulging-Eyed Fish offering its cherished gemstone crystals to a crush was equally intriguing.

Qiao Sang silently moved her gaze away from the pile of gemstones.

“Xun Xun!”

“Xun Xun!”

Little Treasure was lying on the inner wall of the bubble, his eyes shining as he stared at the pile of crystal gems, eager to stuff them all into his circular ring.

"Stop thinking about it." Qiao Sang said beside him.

"Those are for Lubao."

"Xun Xun!"

Little Treasure called out excitedly.

It can't put them in Lubao's place, so it'll have to store them in his own ring.

Qiao Sang: ...

"Lubao won't take them." Qiao Sang said.

"Xun Xun?" Little Treasure asked anxiously.

"You're still young and don't understand." Qiao Sang smiled.

"Xun Xun!"

"Xun Xun!"

Little Treasure began gesturing towards the Bulging-Eyed Fish.

Qiao Sang was stunned.

"How do you understand that?"

"Xun Xun!"

Little Treasure gave an expression that said,

Qiao Sang: ...

After sighing inwardly, she turned to Lubao, who looked aloof. She understood now; Lubao wouldn't take anything from the Bulging-Eyed Fish, and she wouldn't let Lubao take anything either.

At that moment, Xu Mingqing suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, isn't that an invitation card for the Mystic Auction?"

Qiao Sang also saw the invitation card he mentioned.

It was a crystal-made card, sitting on top of a pile of gem crystals, particularly eye-catching.

Jiang Xiu seemed to realize something, and immediately asked, "Isn't your national competition going to be held in the Central Hollow area?"

Qiao Sang didn't expect the topic to change so quickly.

She nodded, confirming, "Yes."

After confirming she had ranked first in her group and would directly advance to the national competition, Teacher Sun Boyi had told her the location of the competition.

Jiang Xiu suddenly said, "Find a way to get that invitation card."

Qiao Sang was stunned.

"Why?"

Before Jiang Xiu could answer, Xu Mingqing explained, "The Mystic Auction is a top-tier auction held only in the Central Hollow area. Invitations are limited and not under real-name registration, as long as you have one, you can attend."

"The invitation cards are issued once a year, and those who have attended the auction before will have their cards taken back. If the card is here, it means it hasn’t been used yet."

"The Mystic Auction seems to be held next month, and you'll be in the Central Hollow area at that time. Maybe you can go."

Qiao Sang laughed twice and politely replied, "I'm not really interested in auctions."

The national competition in the Central Hollow area was the most critical stage.

Opponents with high-level beasts would have a huge advantage. She wouldn't have the energy to attend an auction.

Jiang Xiu said, "The Mystic Auction sells things you can't see anywhere else. Even if you don't buy, you can go and broaden your horizons. If you see something you like but your parents won't let you buy it, just call me."

Xu Mingqing silently gave him a thumbs-up.

Jiang Xiu remained calm, pretending he didn't notice Xu Mingqing's gesture.

Qiao Sang asked, "Do they auction S-level or higher items and potions?"

Jiang Xiu and Xu Mingqing were clearly stunned. They thought Qiao Sang would be shy and say something like, "No, no," but she directly asked about S-level or higher items and potions?

Xu Mingqing glanced at Jiang Xiu, somewhat concerned about his wallet.

"Of course!" Jiang Xiu replied.

"Last year, they auctioned an SSS-level Thunder Stone."

Qiao Sang immediately turned and called out, "Lubao! Lubao!"

At her Beast Master's signal, Lubao extended a claw and took the crystal invitation card.

"Zhu Zhu!"

The Bulging-Eyed Fish wagged its tail happily when it saw this.

In its mind, taking something meant that the beautiful creature in front of it was willing to communicate further.

"Lu."

Lubao remained aloof and was about to explain that she had only taken it because her Beast Master had asked.

At that moment, a water-type beast with scales resembling red gems slowly passed by.

"Zhu Zhu..."

The Bulging-Eyed Fish immediately stared in awe.

When the gem-like creature swam a distance away, the Bulging-Eyed Fish hurriedly closed the dark red orb it had split in half, panicked, and chased after it.

"Zhu Zhu!"

Lubao: ???

Qiao Sang: ???

Little Treasure: ???

Jiang Xiu was more furious than if he had been dumped. He spat and cursed, "Scumbag fish!"

Xu Mingqing thought, "The Bulging-Eyed Fish really has poor taste."

Yabao looked at his Beast Master and then at Lubao, completely confused.

---

At 7:30 p.m., the Underwater Wild Beast Exchange came to a close.

Following the navigation, Qiao Sang went to the appraisal center to appraise the Dark Phantom Crystal she had found in the water that day.

The appraiser finished quickly.

"It's a C-level Dark Phantom Crystal."

Qiao Sang was silent for a few seconds.

"Can I resell it?"

The appraiser glanced at her.

"This is the appraisal center."

Qiao Sang remained silent for a moment, then said, "This is the Dark Phantom Crystal that Ice Xilu took."

The appraiser was stunned.

Qiao Sang continued, "Do I look familiar to you?"

The appraiser studied the girl in front of her carefully. After a few seconds, she gasped and covered her mouth in shock.

"Can I resell it?" Qiao Sang asked again.

"Yes!" The appraiser nodded firmly.

---

In the following days, Qiao Sang took Yabao and the others to several famous landmarks in Haicheng.

Some of the small stalls didn't accept cards, so she used cash she had exchanged with the Dark Phantom Crystal.

Time passed quickly, and before she knew it, the national campus Beast Mastering League regional competition’s top-eight rankings were approaching.

The Haicheng Beast Battle Arena was pa