The two girls, one big and one small, crossed the space between them and high-fived, while Chen Yuan and Liu Jinglan smiled wryly.

Forget it, team names are the least important. Chen Yuan is not even particularly concerned about ranking in this tournament. As long as he can successfully find the Blazing Flame Flower and help Spark evolve, this trip will be considered a success.

But.....

As these thoughts flashed by, Chen Yuan turned his head to Liu Jinglan and asked, "What are your expectations for our ranking in the competition?"

Liu Jinglan replied, "We’ll try to get into the top five. The top five are rewarded with some resources required for the Red Flame Ox’s development."

"Alright, that shouldn’t be a problem," Chen Yuan nodded in understanding.

With his strength, plus Liu Jinglan, breaking into the top five shouldn’t be an issue, even though there’s still a burden.

Chang Yuhuan is not that burden.

Her Water Spirit Turtle has broken through to Tier Two, proving invaluable in this fire-ridden mountainous environment.

Liu Jinglan continued, "Last week, our Fire State hosted the Blazing Fire Cup. Most competitors who ranked will compete this time, and some strong Beastmasters from out of town are here, too. The competition will definitely be fierce."

He paused, then remarked casually, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes towards Chen Yuan, "But don’t worry, I managed to get into the quarterfinals back then, so I’m familiar with some of the stronger players."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly, "That’s impressive, reaching the quarterfinals in such a large tournament isn’t easy."

Recently, the headquarters of the Beastmaster Association issued related documents about various Beastmaster competitions.

Among them, the Taibai Cup hosted by the Baokun City Beastmaster Association is a B-level event, while the Da Feng Cup hosted by the Qin Province Beastmaster Association and the Blazing Fire Cup hosted by Fire State are both A-level events. Events held by various institutional units fall between D to C-level.

And the Donghuang Conference in preparation is undoubtedly an S-level event.

According to rumors, participating in events at each level and achieving the corresponding ranks earn points, and participation in the national Donghuang Conference requires meeting certain point criteria.

Liu Jinglan slightly tilted his head, beaming brightly, and waved his hand, "Nah, just had some luck, nothing compared to Advisor Chen’s skill."

Hearing the two flatter each other commercially, Chang Yuhuan covered her mouth and laughed.

But Liu Jinglan truly admired him, knowing full well it’s not just flattery.

Even though both the Da Feng Cup and Blazing Fire Cup are A-level events, the overall skill level of Beastmasters in Qin Province is undoubtedly higher than in Fire State, and the intensity of the matches is equally greater.

In other words, even for both quarterfinalists, the former’s achievement carries more weight than the latter’s.

Moreover, Chen Yuan was the champion.

Liu Jinglan had competed against the Blazing Fire Cup champion, whose overwhelming presence left a deep impression, knowing he’s an unbeatable opponent.

Yet Chen Yuan’s strength seemed to surpass this champion, earning Liu Jinglan’s genuine admiration.

But admiration is one thing; as a Beastmaster aspiring to greater strength, Liu Jinglan dares to challenge any Beastmaster.

After finishing their meal, Liu Jinglan’s eyes sparkled, "Advisor Chen, remember our previous agreement?"

Chen Yuan was momentarily dumbfounded, "Uh?"

Did I have any agreement with this guy with a big bushy brow?

Liu Jinglan quickly explained, "You promised me back then, whenever there’s a chance, we’d engage in Pet Beast battles."

Chen Yuan realized and nodded, "Of course, I haven’t forgotten about that."

Liu Jinglan enthusiastically stood up, about to drag Chen Yuan outside, "The largest Combat Club in Fire State is just nearby, where all the local skilled Beastmasters battle."

Unable to refuse such great enthusiasm, Chen Yuan agreed.

Consider it post-meal digestion.

The group arrived at a Combat Club with a style rich in ethnic characteristics, gazing at the bustling lobby with a moment of silence.

Isn’t there too many people?

Liu Jinglan patted his forehead, regretfully saying, "Think of my lousy memory. Tomorrow is the competition, and tonight many Beastmasters are sure to come for warm-up matches."

"Oh, there are too many people, and there’s no reservation. Let’s look for another Combat Club."

Just as Liu Jinglan was about to turn away, he spotted a familiar figure among the passersby and excitedly waved, "Hu, do you have a reservation?"

A burly figure turned to face Liu Jinglan, broad-shouldered and robust, with dark skin, draped in a coat, and grinning at him, "Such a coincidence?"

Then, he strode over, lightly patting Liu Jinglan’s shoulder. Though controlling his strength, it still pained Liu Jinglan, causing him to grit his teeth.

"Of course, I have a reservation."

Liu Jinglan couldn’t care less about his aching shoulder, thrilled, "Let’s join in the battle."

"No problem," the man called Hu nodded decisively, then glanced at Chen Yuan, extending his right hand, "Is this your teammate?"

Liu Jinglan nodded, "Chen Yuan, my good friend from Qin Province. Since he traveled all the way here, I definitely have to team up with him."

He paused and introduced Chen Yuan, "This is my friend I met at the Blazing Fire Cup, Jiang Hu. Both of us reached the quarterfinals."

"Hey, what’s so special about the quarterfinals?" Jiang Hu waved his hand dismissively, but the raised corners of his mouth and exposed smile clearly showed his happiness.

Some players consider reaching the semifinals or being the runner-up as a disgrace, while others see reaching the hard-earned quarterfinals as glory.

Meanwhile, three people walked up behind Jiang Hu, two men and a woman, forming a classic team setup.

After some chatting, it turned out Jiang Hu had also formed a team for the competition, just taking advantage of tonight to warm up at the Combat Club.

The group walked towards the reserved battle area, with Jiang Hu and Liu Jinglan leading, Jiang Hu wrapping an arm around Liu Jinglan’s shoulder, speaking in a lowered voice, "The rewards this competition offers are extremely generous, and absorbing these mountain fires greatly benefits our Pet Beasts."