"If your teammates aren’t strong, it might be difficult to venture deep into Flame Mountain, let alone achieve a good ranking."

After a pause, his voice softened: "Maybe you should reconsider. Anyway, two of my teammates were recruited on the spur of the moment. How about switching teams with your sister?"

"Explain the importance of this competition to your friends, and have them switch teams with that pretty girl."

"I heard a lot of players are teaming up, and there are Beastmasters from other regions. The competition is really intense this time."

"With the two of us combined, we could still aim for the top ten."

Players who achieve rankings in the Blazing Fire Cup have undergone numerous battles, proving their capabilities far exceed those who only boast and market themselves as Beastmasters all day.

Jiang Hu had faced Liu Jinglan many times, and he was well aware of the latter’s true abilities. If they teamed up, the baggage cases wouldn’t impact them much.

Liu Jinglan turned his head toward Jiang Hu, feeling a warmth inside. He laughed and replied, "Hu, my friend is really skilled."

"How skilled?" Jiang Hu smirked, his tone indifferent, "Better than us top-eight players?"

As he finished speaking, the battle room came into view, and a staff member who had been waiting eagerly approached, "Are you Mr. Jiang Hu?"

They all stepped into the spacious open-air battle room, and Jiang Hu glanced at Liu Jinglan, "Will you start?"

Liu Jinglan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head towards Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan smiled and said, "Sure, we’re only playing one match; it should end quickly."

Since it was someone else’s reserved battle room, they couldn’t take up too much time.

Chen Yuan and Liu Jinglan stood on opposite sides of the battlefield. The former appeared calm, while the latter closed his eyes, exhaling deeply.

After learning Chen Yuan took the Da Feng Cup’s championship, Liu Jinglan specifically watched his battle footage and reached a harsh conclusion—his prideful Red Flame Ox was no match for the Flame Cloud Falcon and Gale Hunting Dog.

Seeing Liu Jinglan’s reaction as if facing a formidable foe, Jiang Hu, who had been chatting with his teammates, turned to Liu Jingyi, asking seriously, "Your brother is that serious?"

"Isn’t this just a warm-up?"

A warm-up is essentially a sparring battle between Pet Beasts, using the opportunity to understand and familiarize oneself with teammates’ Pet Beasts for better cooperation in the upcoming competition.

If it’s just a warm-up, why react like this?

If he recalls correctly, even on the Blazing Fire Cup stage, Liu Jinglan always had a relaxed, joking demeanor, his mentality among the best of the players. Even when defeated, he faced it with humor.

Liu Jingyi giggled, "Hu, it’s because my big bro knows he’s not a match for Chen Yuan."

Jiang Hu intuitively chose not to believe, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, "Impossible. Your brother is a top-eight player like me."

"Hu, is being top-eight really that impressive?" Liu Jingyi raised her head, eyes blinking with a hint of curiosity.

Before Jiang Hu could answer, his teammate quickly chimed in, "Of course it’s impressive! There are only eight Beastmasters as skilled as Hu in the entire Fire State."

"In our Fire State, this is the most skilled Beastmaster."

Liu Jingyi nodded thoughtfully and asked another question, "What about the champion? How skilled is the champion?"

Upon hearing the question, Jiang Hu fell silent, suddenly seeming to realize something. He lifted his eyes, which held a subtle gleam, and murmured, "The champion is, of course, the most skilled Beastmaster in each region. Even if we all join forces, we’re not necessarily their match."

"Oh..." Liu Jingyi nodded with apparent understanding, and seemingly absent-mindedly muttered, "So Chen Yuan is that skilled."

Chang Yuhuan stood nearby, chuckling lightly.

Jiang Hu instinctively replied, "Of course, every champion is very skilled."

Having said this, he suddenly seemed to realize something, abruptly turning to stare at the smiling Liu Jingyi, his voice hoarse, "What did you just say?"

Liu Jingyi raised her already prepared phone, displaying a page—Congratulating Chen Yuan on winning the Qin Province Da Feng Cup championship!

Below was a picture of Chen Yuan.

Jiang Hu’s eyes widened, his breath quickened. He glanced back and forth between Chen Yuan on the battlefield and the photo on the screen, his expression soon becoming exceptionally colorful.

A moment later,

Jiang Hu exhaled deeply, suppressing his excitement. He leaned over to Liu Jingyi, squeezing out a flattering smile, his previously rough voice now gentle, "Mind sharing more about this champion?"

Liu Jingyi slightly tilted her head, wearing a proud smile, "Alright, Hu. Chen Yuan is an advisor for the Qin Province Beastmaster Association..."

The remaining three Beastmasters silently drew closer, listening intently to Liu Jingyi’s narration.

Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield, an intense fight was brewing.

Before the battle began, Liu Jinglan spoke, "Advisor Chen, may I ask a favor?"

"Go ahead," Chen Yuan nodded with a smile.

"I hope you’ll deploy the Flame Cloud Falcon. I want to see the gap between the Red Flame Ox and it."

By now, Liu Jinglan had long abandoned any idea of matching Chen Yuan. The gap was evident, and he had to face reality.

Yet, both are fire-type Pet Beasts, and the Red Flame Ox is nearing Tier Three. Perhaps under the Flame Cloud Falcon’s pressure, it’ll find a chance for a breakthrough.

This challenge, though steep, holds the courage and determination of one versus the top.

After all, it surely can’t be defeated in a single blow, right?