Chu Kuangsheng's precondition was outwardly agreed to by Mingxi.

Will it actually be implemented?

That's for later.

Anyway, she couldn't possibly go before the Starsea Cup ended, right?

So, to be discussed.

While Mingxi was dragged by Chu Kuangsheng for intensive training, in an independent training room attached to the same hotel...

Nino Abby, who had just finished training, leaned against the cold metal wall, the light from her personal terminal screen illuminating her beautiful but slightly tired face.

On the screen were her parents.

"Nino, you really made it into the Top 16?"

Her mother's face held a surprised yet gentle smile.

Nino Abby wiped away the sweat on her cheeks, a rare smile appearing on her perpetually cold and expressionless face, a little shy, a little bashful.

And a hint of almost imperceptible... disappointment.

Her parents clearly knew she was participating in the Starsea Cup, but before she called them, they had no idea she had made it to the Top 16.

It was normal for her parents to be busy and not have time to follow the Starsea Cup.

She put away her smile and nodded slightly: "Yes, Mom, I made it to the Top 16 in the singles competition."

"That's great, you're truly our Nino."

Her mother's smile became even gentler, a tenderness she had almost never seen.

"Thank you, Mom."

Nino's voice was calm, but her heart was uncontrollably excited and joyful because of her mother's rare tenderness.

How many years had it been?

How many years had it been since she last heard a pure compliment from her parents, one that was truly proud of her?

It had truly been too long.

So long that she couldn't remember, and didn't want to remember.

Her usually stern father cleared his throat, his serious expression tinged with pride: "Indeed, not bad. Top sixteen in the entire alliance, it seems our years of nurturing and guiding you haven't been in vain."

"Sister, you're really amazing. I wish I could awaken too."

A figure appeared behind her father, looking almost identical to her, except her eyes were delicate like water, her complexion pale, and her figure slender, completely different from her, who was cold and expressionless but healthy.

She was Nino's twin sister, Lina Abby.

After she appeared, her parents' expressions instantly softened.

The stiffness, unnaturalness, and reluctance they showed when facing her... were completely gone, a stark contrast.

Nino's heart, which had just been warmed by her parents' praise, cooled down inch by inch again.

She quietly watched her parents and sister, a happy family of three, as if they had completely forgotten about her on the other end of the terminal.

Until Lina looked at the camera again.

"Sister is still here? Ah! She must be waiting for Mom and Dad to praise her again, right? Dad, Mom, quickly praise Sister, don't waste Sister's intention of making a special inter-star call."

As soon as she spoke, Nino showed no change in expression.

But her parents' faces on screen visibly darkened.

Her father, with a cold face, questioned: "Nino, I know you've been vain since you were little, but you really didn't need to make a special inter-star call for such a small matter. What are you trying to express?

Are you trying to show off your success in front of your sister, who can't awaken and can't contract a Pet Beast?

But don't you think you're showing off a little too early? It's just the Top 16, not winning the championship!"

"Dad, how can you say that about Sister? She just wants to get your approval, she definitely isn't trying to specifically suppress me."

Lina forced a smile, her voice weak: "Sister is so amazing, she's already become a world-renowned top Beast Tamers at such a young age.

And I... let alone awakening, I don't even have a healthy body..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly, and she instinctively curled up.

Her mother immediately hugged Lina protectively, and said to Nino with a hint of complaint:

"Look at you, isn't it just winning a few matches?

And you think it's worth making a special inter-star call for? You really are an inconsiderate child.

You know your sister isn't well, and she's suffering because she can't awaken, yet you deliberately come to provoke her. Do you have any conscience? If you hadn't taken her nutrients in the womb, would she be so frail? You should know that the talent you possess now should have been partly hers!"

Nino's fingers, resting on her lap, tightened slightly, her knuckles turning a little white.

It started again!

Every time.

Every achievement she gained through effort and sweat would eventually circle back to her owing her sister.

Her excellence, her strength, seemed to have become an original sin, a dangerous item that needed to be handled carefully to avoid hurting her sister.

She remembered countless days and nights, training Pet Beasts on the training ground, desperately exercising her body and improving her physical fitness, day and night, covered in bruises.

While Lina was carefully protected by her parents indoors, receiving the best care, and at the same time receiving her parents' comfort: "You are our family's most precious little princess, you don't have to work as hard as your sister."

She was strong, so she had to endure more hardship; her sister was fragile, so everyone had to accommodate her.

A cold sense of suffocation gripped her heart, more chilling than being frozen by ice in the River of Fortune before.

But she didn't show it.

She merely lowered her eyelashes slightly, concealing the surging bitterness in her eyes, and when she looked up again, her gaze was a calm, unruffled azure.

"I understand."

Her voice was emotionless, "I have a match tomorrow, I'm going to prepare now."

"...You child, you're becoming more and more heartless, I don't know who you take after! Hanging up!"

Her mother's voice was cold and biting, and before the video ended, she heard her father gently comforting Lina: "It's okay, Lina, your sister is just like that, she's been insensible since she was little, all vanity and no brains... Don't mind her... Yesterday your mother said you really liked the new dress from Xiu Yu Fang, Dad has already had someone send it..."

The call disconnected.

The screen went dark, reflecting Nino's expressionless face.

The noisy clamor from inside and outside the training room flooded her ears, yet it felt as if it were separated by a thick pane of glass.

The world was loud, but she felt very quiet, quiet enough to hear something inside her heart slowly cooling and solidifying.

She didn't move, just stood quietly leaning against the wall for a while.

Her long eyelashes trembled, finally settling into stillness.

That brief moment of loss and hurt was forcibly pushed back to the deepest part of her heart, like a burning ember forcefully extinguished.

She no longer needed her parents' care.

She raised her hand, her fingertips gently touching the fiery red small beast curled at her feet.

Feeling its warmth and softness, as if it were responding to the ripples in her heart.

"Because I already have you all..."

She whispered, her voice almost inaudible.

Taking a deep breath, then slowly exhaling.

All weak emotions were expelled from her body.

Her back straightened again, like the green pine at the entrance of Liaoyuan Dojo, which had weathered storms but never bent.

In her azure eyes, a scorching flame reignited. That flame was not anger, but something purer, more resilient, her own, undeniable pride and self-reliance as Nino Abby.

She didn't need to belittle herself to highlight anyone.

Her strength was a medal she earned with her own blood, sweat, and effort, not because she stole someone's talent!

She was just her, Nino Abby.

The next day.

Singles competition, Top 16 into Top 8.

The battle roster was released.

Lu Meiti · Yalia VS Gulnalan

Wu Lingshuang VS Ice Demon

Assam VS Xiaozhi · Nayue

...Nino Abby VS Mingxi

...Seeing her opponent's name, Nino's lips curved slightly in the Beast Tamers' lounge, her eyes sharp as knives.

Very good.

An opponent worthy of her full effort.

She needed a satisfying victory, not to prove anything to anyone, but for herself, to acknowledge every step of her journey!

She strode towards the arena, her reddish-brown ponytail swinging neatly behind her, each step firm and full of power.

The gloom brought by yesterday's call had been transformed into a fiercer fighting spirit.

The whistle blew.

"Match starts! Both sides summon Pet Beasts."

Two Pet Beasts appeared on the battle stage. On the left, an aura of darkness and water spread, and a Black Pearl Mermaid leaped out of the Pet Space.

Opposite it, a scorching airflow swept through the arena.

The Flame-Crested Falcon, carrying raging flames and a high-pitched battle intent, soared into the sky!

The Flame-Crested Falcon, a Saint-level Fire/Flight dual-type Pet Beast.

Its level was higher than Black Pearl's, and with water and fire clashing, this battle was a huge challenge for Black Pearl.

"Flamewheel, Sunny Day."

Nino seized the initiative.

Her tactical objective was clear: Sunny Day would strengthen her own abilities and also weaken the base power ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) of her opponent's Water-type skills.

A scorching orb of light ascended, the arena temperature sharply rising. The firelight reflected off the water vapor around Black Pearl, making sizzling sounds.

Mingxi's eyes narrowed: "Tidal Wave."

Black Pearl gently raised her hands, and a vast amount of water vapor instantly converged, forming undulating waves of a Tidal Wave around her.

The air humidity sharply increased, partially offsetting the dry, scorching sensation of Sunny Day, while subtly interfering with the hot airflow around the Flame-Crested Falcon.

Both combatants used the most basic weather tactics.

"Flame Charge."

Nino didn't hesitate, aiming for a quick attack.

The Flame-Crested Falcon let out a long cry, fierce flames erupting around it. Its speed suddenly increased, transforming into a fiery meteor, charging straight at Black Pearl!

Its speed was far beyond that of a typical Pet Beast's Flame Charge.

"Shadow Sneak."

Mingxi's voice was calm.

Just as the Flame-Crested Falcon was about to collide with Black Pearl, Black Pearl's figure blurred and vanished, like a shadow merging into water.

The next moment, she emerged from the shadow diagonally behind the Flame-Crested Falcon.

Her fist, covered in dark energy, smashed towards the Flame-Crested Falcon's wing root!

In the commentary booth, it was still Xie An Yan, and beside her was Nino Abby's accompanying commentator, Britney.

However, Britney was not Nino's exclusive commentator.

Because Nino Abby did not have a professional management and support team.

Britney began: "Mingxi is very interesting. She had Atonas use a high-priority sneak attack skill, interrupting the opponent's offense while also making a timely counter."

Xie An Yan glanced at her. Why was this guy stealing her lines?

Was she Ming Shen's exclusive commentator, or was she?

Xie An Yan felt a sense of her rice bowl being snatched away. It was only because her temper was so good, otherwise, she would have learned from Cao Cao and overturned the rice bowl!

"Turn around, Heat Wave!"

Nino reacted extremely quickly, as if she had already anticipated Mingxi's trick.

The Flame-Crested Falcon suddenly made an incredible sharp turn in mid-air, completely defying inertia. It flapped its wings fiercely, and a scorching gale mixed with sparks instantly swept behind it.

Black Pearl's Shadow Sneak not only missed but was also caught by the area-of-effect Heat Wave!

"Woo!"

Black Pearl was blown backward by the Heat Wave, slight scorch marks appearing on her body.

Xie An Yan commented: "Nino predicted Ming Shen's tactics and used superb Flight techniques and area-of-effect skills to counter, brilliant!"

Audience: "..."

It's all reversed, completely reversed!

"Air Slash Barrage."

Nino pressed her advantage.

The Flame-Crested Falcon hovered in the air, its wings vibrating at high frequency. Countless transparent, sharp Air Slashes shot towards Black Pearl like a fierce storm, covering all evasion angles.

"Volume Water."

Mingxi commanded.

The water vapor in front of Black Pearl instantly condensed into a giant, rapidly spinning water vortex, like a solid shield.

The dense Air Slashes shot into the vortex, most of them deflected and shattered by the powerful current, emitting harsh tearing sounds.

The water vortex constantly trembled, barely succeeding in defending!

Britney's eyes were sharp, and she quickly said: "Amazing, although Atonas's level is relatively low, using a highly proficient defensive skill to block the Flame-Crested Falcon's area attack is very clever."

Xie An Yan: "..."

"Flamewheel, through the vortex, Brave Bird."

Nino's command sounded like a thunderclap to the audience!

She actually ordered the Flame-Crested Falcon to actively charge into that turbulent water vortex. Wasn't that courting death?

"Chhh—!"

A violent sound of water vapor evaporating rang out.

To everyone's surprise, the astonishing momentum of Brave Bird actually tore open a brief passage in the center of the vortex.

The Flame-Crested Falcon successfully penetrated the water curtain, and with an unstoppable momentum, fiercely crashed into Black Pearl, who was slightly sluggish from maintaining her skill.

"Bang!!"

A violent collision sound!

Black Pearl was violently sent flying, her body flickering with dark light, her chest dented where she was struck.

However, the recoil damage from Brave Bird also left some marks on the Flame-Crested Falcon.

Seeing Black Pearl injured, Xie An Yan was both nervous and pained, but professional ethics forced her to remain calm: "Using the explosive power of a major move to forcibly break through defenses, Nino's move is a gamble-style attack, requiring extremely high demands on timing and the Pet Beast's execution. This shows that the Flame-Crested Falcon's strength is truly formidable."

Audience: "..."

Who exactly was whose accompanying commentator?

They were getting confused.

Nino pressed her advantage, immediately saying: "Flamethrower!"

The Flame-Crested Falcon opened its mouth, and extremely concentrated, scorching white flames gathered in its throat.

Under Sunny Day conditions, this skill's power was considerable.

However, at this moment, on Black Pearl's body, where she was hit by Brave Bird, a layer of dark ripples suddenly appeared.

It was damage absorption feedback.

A portion of the Impact force was converted into Ghost energy and instantly fed back to the Flame-Crested Falcon, which was currently charging its attack.

The Flame-Crested Falcon's body suddenly stiffened, its charging process interrupted.