Chapter 148: 128 Longshang Desert
Almost within a single day, a total of thirteen contestants participating in the competition simultaneously suffered different types of assassination attempts.
Some were disguised as waiters, some attacked from the roadside, and even some posed as bystanders.
These sudden attacks plunged the entire competition into chaos and panic.
The contestants were all in fear for their lives, worried that they would be the next target.
The organizing committee also quickly strengthened security measures, trying to identify the assassins and their motives.
In this assassination incident, two contestants were severely injured.
They were urgently sent for treatment, but their conditions were not optimistic.
One of the contestants was lucky to be saved because of a guard who was on alert nearby, while the other contestant died on the spot due to untimely rescue.
Only after the attack did Chen Xing learn that a Beast Tamer assigned by the official competition had secretly been protecting him.
This Beast Tamer twisted the assassin's fatal strike at a crucial moment, saving his life.
His mentor sent him a message, telling him not to go to crowded places lately, to avoid another attack.
"Mentor, has the identity of the killer been confirmed?" Chen Xing asked.
"There is no direct evidence to ascertain the identity of the killer, we can only say there is a prime suspect," Han Yuning replied, "The Dark Fire Organization from Fentian Giant City is a major suspect."
"Don't worry, I have already arranged protection for your family as well."
A wave of warmth surged in Chen Xing's heart, and he gratefully said to his mentor, "Thank you for your trouble, mentor!"
"Actually, assassination attempts like these aren't rare in history," Han Yuning said.
"You might not have noticed them openly, but actually, decades ago, assassination attempts were almost a daily occurrence.
Back then, the situation was much more unstable than it is now with complex power struggles, and in the pursuit of interests and territories, frequent conflicts and assassinations would occur."
"However, it is also true that in recent years our relationship with the Exotic Region has eased a lot, and so assassination incidents have become much less common."
Chen Xing fell into deep thought upon hearing Han Yuning's words.
The political landscape of this world is far more complicated than he had imagined.
The political machinations and disputes over interests among the major powers could all lead to extreme events like assassinations.
"But recently, as our relations with Fentian Giant City have become tense again, incidents like this might resurface," Han Yuning's tone became grave,
"In fact, it's possible that the true mastermind behind the assassination isn't necessarily Fentian Giant City, but other forces looking to stir up trouble.
At this sensitive moment, any small development could trigger a chain reaction."
Chen Xing nodded, indicating that he understood.
This incident served as a reminder that he must always stay vigilant and never let his guard down.
Chen Xing said, "Mentor, I'll be careful."
Chen Xing called his sister and learned that she was currently in the rest area inside the arena.
Since she wasn't outside, she was spared from the attack.
He reminded his sister to be cautious, as many contestants had been attacked by illegal organizations.
"Got it, I understand," Chen Lingya replied, "You too, be safe."
...
Due to the attacks, the afternoon competition proceeded as normal, but the live audience viewing was canceled, and the officials compensated double for the tickets.
Back at Dragon Pavilion Residence, Chen Xing continued to cultivate his beasts.
The pet carnivore food he brought had been eaten up, so the Beast Tamers began eating regular food.
Because they could be massaged, both Beast Tamers appeared here normally.
At that moment, Chen Xing's phone, lying aside, suddenly rang.
He glanced at the screen, which showed the contact name "Elder Qiu."
Chen Xing gently pressed down on the Taotie beside him with one hand, to prevent it from making any sudden movements, and picked up the phone from the table with his other hand to answer the call.
"Hello, Elder Qiu!" Chen Xing said politely.
"Xiao Chen! I've been watching your competition, and you've been shining brightly lately!" An excited voice from Qiu Shangqing came through the phone.
"Thank you for your compliments, Elder Qiu, and thank you for your help," Chen Xing quickly said.
"Without your guidance, my Beast Taming would not have achieved what it has today."
The Taotie's Rare Evolution played a crucial role in enhancing its strength.
Although its huge body size provided a certain advantage, the strength increase brought by the Rare Evolution allowed it to excel in the competition.
"Hahaha, you're too modest. The main thing is your own Beast Taming Talent and hard work," Qiu Shangqing's hearty laughter came through the phone, "I just gave you a little push at the critical moment."
"I received a message, hearing that you were attacked."
"That's right," Chen Xing replied, Elder Qiu was indeed well-informed.
"Are you alright?" Elder Qiu asked with concern.
"Thank you for your concern, there's no major problem,"
"That's good, as long as everyone is safe," said Qiu Shangqing, before shifting the topic. "As your performance continues to shine, some foreign powers will definitely see you as a threat. Are your parents' safety guaranteed now?"
"My mentor said she would arrange for their protection," Chen Xing replied.
"Hmm, Han girl is meticulous, but there's a saying, 'no one can be on guard every day.' No matter how much protection is arranged, it's not the same as having their own beasts to tame. There will always be loopholes."
Qiu Shangqing spoke earnestly, "I have an idea you might consider."
"Please, senior, speak your mind."
"After the competition ends, you and your parents could stay with me for a while," Qiu Shangqing said slowly.
"Of course, the point is not just to stay for a while, but to let them both train a beast each. I don't expect them to accomplish much, but at least if they could become intermediate beast tamers and master a life-saving secret technique, it would be an additional layer of safety. What do you think?"
Chen Xing pondered upon hearing old senior's words.
He knew that the senior's advice was very sound – having his parents raise their own beasts was indeed a good choice.
In this way, his parents would be safer, and they'd also have more company at home.
Considering that he and his sister were going to leave home to study in the Exotic Region after the college entrance examination this year, the environment there was even more dangerous and complicated than here.
It wasn't really suitable for his parents to follow them there, rather, it would be better to let them raise two beasts for both companionship and protection.
At the same time, young tame beasts were easy to bond with, and he would also gain two new sources of skill point fragments to collect.
Thus, Chen Xing had made up his mind: "Old senior, your suggestion is excellent. I'll discuss it with my parents. If they agree, we will come and disturb you for a while after the competition."
After some more pleasantries, he hung up the phone.
Meanwhile, on the other end, after hanging up, Qiu Shangqing watched the replayed scenes on the TV with a sense of sentimentality.
Chen Xing's beast had grown significantly in size after evolving.
Perhaps when his beast evolved into the Azure Sea Emperor Crocodile, its body length should break a hundred meters.
Considering the age of beast tamers, he was actually still in his "prime."
Capable of shielding the family for a long time.
"Qiuyu, go check if there are any suitable Salty Bay Crocodile eggs in the family's recent clutch," Qiu Shangqing told his son beside him.
Qiu Qiuyu thought for a moment, "It seems there are. I remember there was a batch of high-quality eggs on Island No.1 recently."
"Hmm, select some suitable ones and keep them aside. We'll pick them out once the parents of young Chen arrive."
"Understood," Qiu Qiuyu nodded, grasping his father's intention to further increase the investment in Chen Xing.
As Chen Xing became more and more outstanding, the number of people wanting to invest in him was sure to rise.
Like a stock surging in momentum, investors would undoubtedly wave their cash eagerly to buy in.
At such times, ordinary people might even be unable to squeeze in, unable to secure a purchase.
His family had the advantage of being first movers, as they had invested early.
A genius who was only in the first year of high school and could still lead three rookie teammates to confront the Longdu Star High School team head-on was worth the investment.
Apart from those "heirs" secretly nurtured by the big noble families, he reckoned that there were few peers who could compare with him.
As far as he knew, certain big noble families would secretly nurture a very small number of geniuses from a young age, supposedly related to those three Ascension paths.
...
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xing continued to stream, placing his phone against the wall. The ongoing match between Wanhai Middle School and Ironstone Third Middle School played on the screen.
Twenty minutes later, the snowy battle concluded.
Only Chi Yu was left standing proud amidst the snow, bearing many battle scars.
A smile appeared on Chen Xing's face.
He patted the content Taotie beneath him, who had already closed its eyes. "Time to sleep."
He then returned it to the Beast Taming Space.
The Taotie, now in the Beast Taming Space, continued to keep its eyes closed, shifted its body, and fell into a deep sleep.
A little while later, his phone vibrated with a message from his sister: "We won (ok hand gesture)."
Chen Xing replied, "I saw. You take Chi Yu to get healed first."
All the afternoon's matches gradually ended, and the results were swiftly announced.
Coach Kuang gathered everyone in his room to reveal their next opponent.
"The afternoon matches have concluded. Longshang Desert Middle School and Modu Yunlong Middle School's duel was extremely fierce, but in the end, Longshang Desert Middle School emerged victorious," Coach Kuang said with some seriousness, "so, our next opponent will be the last tournament's champions, Longshang Desert Middle School."
Hearing this news, Chen Xing and his teammates were not overly surprised.
They understood that as the competition progressed, they would face increasingly stronger opponents.
And these opponents, whose names they had only heard from afar, had now become their competitors, clashing with them on the arena!
"Coach, I never thought we'd one day go up against the last tournament's champion team," Tong Xuhua looked towards Chen Xing. "Junior, you tell us how you want to play. We will all follow your lead."
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