In addition to Su Muli, Li Lingyin, and Jian Guoguo, Jiang Xing also contacted several Beast Tamers who had contracted Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings and were currently participating in battle tournaments. He sent them the Pet Beast Compendium entries for every evolution except the Fae Light Dragon and invited them to help showcase his latest research results.
Evolution forms such as the Rainbow Dragon and Azure Light Dragon had no environmental requirements.
If those Beast Tamers chose those forms as the evolution target for their Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings, Jiang Xing could coordinate with the authorities and arrange for them to evolve right in the middle of a match. The entertainment value would be off the charts.
As for the Aurora Dragon King, its requirements were far more complicated and specifically required the Azure Dragon environment...
If any of those Beast Tamers wanted to pursue that evolution and were willing to prepare the necessary materials, Jiang Xing was also willing to help them gain access to the Azure Dragon Secret Realm so their Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings could attempt the evolution.
Whether they succeeded or failed, it wouldn't be a problem. At worst, the showcase could be changed from an evolution during battle to a summoning during battle.
The effect would still be impressive.
Of course, Jiang Xing also reminded them that the Rainbow Dragon Hatchling still possessed unrevealed evolution forms, such as the Fae Light Dragon.
They could also refuse evolution altogether and let their Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings continue lying low while waiting for the right opportunity.
The Beast Tamers were both shocked and delighted when they received the news.
Delighted because their Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings could finally continue growing.
Shocked because...
There were way too many evolution branches!
A full six evolution forms, including one ultimate evolution path.
The Aurora Dragon King in particular was absurd. Not only could it satisfy the requirements for two talents at once, but it was also a High Monarch Tier species.
What kind of monster was that?!
They were scared to tears.
Thankfully, none of them had tried evolving their Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings on their own.
With so many evolution branches available, choosing the wrong path by mistake would have been something they'd regret forever.
After the initial excitement, they quickly made their decisions.
Including Su Muli and the others, there were fifteen Beast Tamers in total.
Only two chose the Aurora Dragon King as their evolution target.
The other thirteen all selected ordinary evolution forms.
Not a single one chose to refuse evolution.
The reason was simple.
Although the Aurora Dragon King was powerful, its compatibility with different teams and tactical systems wasn't as high as some of the other forms.
Take Su Muli, for example.
She already possessed an Abyssal Water Phoenix Fledgling and was clearly committed to a pure Water-type team.
Running a single Aurora Dragon King alongside the rest of her lineup wasn't as effective as evolving into a Lake Light Dragon, which could work together with the Ink Realm and rain-based tactics to gain enormous boosts.
As for the Perfected Heart talent, its greatest value lay in its ability to stage miraculous comebacks.
Her Rainbow Dragon Hatchling already possessed Unceasing Heart, which could be carried forward through evolution, so her need for Perfected Heart wasn't particularly high.
The same applied to Species Tier.
Just because a species possessed a Demi-God Tier Species Tier didn't mean every member of that species could become a Demi-God.
It merely represented the upper limit of the species.
Pet Beasts capable of actually reaching that upper limit and becoming Demi-God Level beings had always been exceedingly rare.
Otherwise, Legendary Beast Tamers wouldn't be so scarce.
Therefore, in the eyes of most Beast Tamers, although ordinary Light Dragons had a Species Tier one sub-tier lower than the Dragon King forms, they were still Mid Monarch Tier species.
That was more than enough.
A distant and uncertain species ceiling wasn't as valuable as immediate elemental synergy.
And if they ever wanted to chase a higher ceiling in the future...
They could simply raise another one.
After all, no rule stated that a Beast Tamer could only raise a single Rainbow Dragon Hatchling.
That was also why none of them chose to delay evolution.
Thus, Su Muli and Li Lingyin chose the Lake Light Dragon, while Jian Guoguo selected the Flame Light Dragon...
Influenced by her family's traditions, Li Lingyin naturally favored Water-type Pet Beasts even though she wasn't committed to a pure Water team.
Jian Guoguo was much the same. As a descendant of a family of craftsmen, she was naturally more inclined toward Fire-type Pet Beasts.
Seeing the choices made by the two girls, Jiang Xing nodded slightly.
The rivalry between water and fire truly never changed.
...
After finishing his discussions with the Beast Tamers, Jiang Xing took some time to watch Li Lingyin's and Jian Guoguo's matches.
The Little Xuanwu Cup had only reached the semifinals.
Each of them still had one more match to win.
If either of them got eliminated before reaching the finals...
Then they might as well just go to sleep. No amount of spectacle would matter.
Fortunately, neither Li Lingyin nor Jian Guoguo disappointed him.
Both had received guidance from Champion Beast Tamers.
Both were talented in their own right.
And both possessed Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings.
Although their opponents' Pet Beasts were also pre-evolution forms of various Overlord Tier species, they ultimately fell just short and were defeated with regret.
Of course, part of that was due to the restrictions placed on the Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings' comeback ability in lower-level tournaments.
If the Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings had been allowed to make unlimited miraculous comebacks, their victories would never have been this difficult.
'Those two kids have grown so quickly...'
Jiang Xing felt as though the Shanghai Evolution Conference had happened only yesterday.
Yet while watching their matches now, he suddenly realized that although Li Lingyin and Jian Guoguo still appeared to be Novice Beast Tamers on the surface, they already possessed strength comparable to Veteran Beast Tamers.
Especially their battle judgment and combat reactions. It was as if they had become completely different people, improving by leaps and bounds.
Even with guidance from Champion Beast Tamers, their own talent was unquestionably exceptional.
'In a Pokémon fanfic, they'd probably qualify as protagonists themselves.'
Jiang Xing sighed with emotion and put away his phone.
The next day—
In Shanghai, the finals of the Little Xuanwu Cup officially began!
Although the Shanghai Battle Arena didn't hold the same status as a certain Prism Battle Tower, it was still one of Shanghai's premier large-scale battle venues.
Most notably, it could accommodate up to 150,000 spectators.
When every seat was filled and countless spectators cheered together, the thunderous roar seemed capable of shattering the clouds themselves. The atmosphere was overwhelming, sending adrenaline surging through everyone's veins.
"Li Lingyin!!"
"Jian Guoguo!!"
After fighting their way through victory after victory and advancing step by step to the finals, the two novice Beast Tamers were no longer unknown newcomers. They had already amassed enormous fan followings.
In particular, the promise between them had become a favorite topic among spectators, leaving countless people eagerly anticipating this battle.
Now, as they stepped onto the battlefield and met each other's gaze, both could see the blazing fighting spirit burning in the other's eyes.
There was no need for words.
The moment the referee gave the signal, the battle erupted instantly!
This was a true Beast Tamer battle.
Not only did the two girls have to move constantly to avoid enemy attacks, they also had to accurately assess the battlefield, rapidly respond to their opponent's commands under intense pressure, and direct their Pet Beasts to defend themselves or exploit openings in the enemy's defenses.
Because the tournament followed a 3v3 plus singles format, each participant could register and use three Pet Beasts, but could only have one summoned at a time.
As a result, even amidst the chaos of battle, they constantly had to judge whether they should switch Pet Beasts and whether recalling one at the wrong moment would leave them vulnerable to attack and defeat.
It was a severe test of a Beast Tamer's stamina, mental capacity, and reaction speed.
Watching the intense and thrilling battle unfold, the spectators couldn't help holding their breath.
Inside the enormous arena, the only sounds were the collisions between Pet Beasts and the occasional command from their Beast Tamers.
It was so quiet that a pin drop could have been heard.
After a series of exchanges, Li Lingyin's and Jian Guoguo's Pet Beasts gradually lost their ability to fight.
In the end, only two Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings remained, floating beside their respective Beast Tamers.
At that moment, both girls stopped attacking at the same time and stood where they were.
"As expected, you've become much stronger."
Sweat slid down Li Lingyin's cheeks, yet there was no sign of exhaustion in her eyes. They still burned as brightly as ever.
Not far away, Jian Guoguo's bangs were soaked through as well, revealing equally fiery eyes.
"I won't lose this time."
"In that case, let's decide the winner with our strongest forms."
As she spoke, Li Lingyin pulled a deep-blue stone from her pocket, one that resembled flowing water.
"..."
Across from her, Jian Guoguo silently took out a fiery red Flame Stone.
Because the battle arena was so massive, high-speed cameras and giant screens had been installed for the audience's convenience, and every contestant wore a miniature microphone on their collar.
As a result, the spectators clearly witnessed the interaction between the two girls and couldn't help feeling puzzled.
What were they doing?
Using items?
The Little Xuanwu Cup allowed certain battle items, but why had they deliberately stopped fighting and even given their opponent time to react?
Was this the bond shared between rivals?
Some sharp-eyed spectators recognized the items in the girls' hands as Secret Realm Stones of different attributes.
When they combined that observation with the Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings floating beside them, their heartbeats quickened.
Could it be...
Li Lingyin spun the brim of her cap backward, raised the Water Stone in her hand, and held it out toward her Rainbow Dragon Hatchling.
With excitement in her voice, she shouted, "Show Guoguo your brand-new form, Dragon Hatchling!"
"..."
On the other side, Jian Guoguo also handed the Flame Stone to her Rainbow Dragon Hatchling.
The battle-filled gazes of the two Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings collided.
In that instant, two pillars of white evolutionary light burst forth across the battlefield!
Whoosh—
Countless spectators leapt to their feet, staring at the arena in shock and exhilaration.
The Rainbow Dragon Hatchlings, whose popularity had skyrocketed over the past few months and who had become the center of public attention, were actually evolving during the promised battle between the two girls?!
"ROAR!!!"
A dragon's roar echoed throughout the entire battle arena!
Two enormous True Dragons appeared in the sky above the battlefield, radiating overwhelming Dragon Might.
One possessed pale blue scales, with flowing light whiskers drifting around its body like rippling water and coral-like dragon horns crowning its head.
The other possessed orange-red scales, its light whiskers burning like crimson flames. Black stone dragon horns rose from its head, etched with patterns resembling flowing magma.
At the sight of this scene, every spectator unconsciously held their breath.
The young dragons that had crossed the Rainbow Dragon Gate and mastered the power of light had actually displayed completely different forms after evolving?!
The two Light Dragons, representing water and fire, hovered in the sky.
As their eyes met, it was as though tangible sparks burst forth from the collision of their gazes.
The next moment, after a brief pause, the drums of battle thundered once more!