I was terrified! Raising a colossal star beast in the Beast Taming World

Chapter 195 The Night Before the Semifinals

It was getting late, so after a few brief words, everyone dispersed and went back to their rooms to wash up and rest.

Tomorrow's schedule is tight. If all goes well, I'll be playing two heavyweight matches in the semifinals and finals. Without enough sleep, I simply won't be able to keep up in terms of energy and focus.

This is especially true for Xue Youyou.

Because she was facing the leader of the Moon Worship Cult, Mu Yue, and the Nine-Turn White Moon Silkworm Fairy, who was almost certainly still undergoing a transformation.

This will probably be the toughest battle she has faced since coming into this world.

Even Xue Youyou needs to be fully focused and at the highest level in this battle.

After taking a bath, Xue Youyou changed into a loose bathrobe and lay down on the soft bed. Her snow-white hair was spread out on the pillow, shimmering faintly in the moonlight filtering through the gaps in the curtains.

She stared at the ceiling, her mind replaying the words Tu Shanyue had spoken in the soundproof barrier that evening.

Imperial Festival.

Fragments of the Moon Realm.

God's blessing.

If the Imperial Ceremony really happens, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Xue Youyou.

It's not just because the imperial pets that advance through the Imperial Sacrifice are ten or a hundred times stronger than ordinary emperors, but also because of the special rules of the Imperial Sacrifice—the chosen pieces are blessed by the gods, and their pets can evolve regardless of all the complicated evolution conditions.

This is what Xue Youyou truly cares about.

The conditions for the evolution of the Yuki-onna of the Divine Age are shrouded in mystery, each one requiring groping and trial and error like a headless fly, consuming an unknown amount of time and effort. She alone might never fully understand them in her lifetime.

But if she is chosen by the Emperor, then everything will be simple.

Once the level requirement is met, the Yuki-onna can directly evolve to the next stage. Clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.

This is infinitely more reliable than her consulting obscure ancient books, collecting strange and rare materials, and achieving those mysterious feats.

"Emperor's Festival..."

Xue gazed at the ceiling, muttering to herself.

Sensing the surging desire and longing in its master's heart, a subtle ripple appeared within the pet space. Before Xue Youyou could even summon it, Xuehua herself emerged from the pet space.

"Lulu lulu~"

A snowflake the size of a fist gently landed on Xue Youyou's chest, its soft body pressed against her collarbone, its slightly cool temperature seeping through the fabric of her robe. It nuzzled against Xue Youyou, as if playfully teasing her, or perhaps offering comfort.

Xue Youyou's brows softened, and she reached out a finger to gently stroke the snowflake, her fingertip drawing circles on the icy surface. The snowflake made a comfortable "purring" sound and shrank back a little.

She was preparing to say something during this rare moment of alone time with her pet—

dong dong dong.

The knocking interrupted her thoughts.

Before Xue Youyou could say "Please come in," the door was naturally pushed open. Meng Yanqing, dressed in loose pajamas, her long hair still fluffy from being blown dry, stood in the doorway peeking inside.

"I've come to find you! Yuyu... Hmm, Snowflakes are here too~"

Her gaze fell on the small, snow-white thing on Xue Youyou's chest, and her smile deepened.

She walked to the bedside in a few steps, bent down, and held out her hand to Snowflake: "Snowflake, be good. Your master and I have something to do. You should go into the pet space to avoid us for a bit."

"chatter?"

A big question mark appeared on Xuehua's head. It looked at Meng Yanqing, then turned to look at Xue Youyou, its small body swaying back and forth on Xue Youyou's chest, as if hesitating whether to obey.

Meng Yanqing smiled and gently poked the snowflake with her finger: "Hurry up, hurry up, it'll only be a little while. I'll bring you something delicious later~"

"Lulu".

Snowflake still didn't understand why it was being told to avoid it, but it was an obedient child. It rubbed against Snowy's chest one last time, then transformed into a cool white light and disappeared back into the pet space.

The room fell silent, leaving only the two of them.

Moonlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, casting a silvery-white band on the floor. The faint chirping of night insects drifted from afar, and the delicate fragrance of angelica blossoms from the courtyard wafted in through the window cracks, almost imperceptible.

Xue Youyou sat up in bed, leaned against the headboard, placed her hands on the blanket, and looked at Meng Yanqing with a leisurely expression: "Actually, with Xuehua here, everything will be fine."

Meng Yanqing did not answer immediately.

She sat down on the edge of the bed, crossed her legs, and crossed her arms over her chest, adopting an interrogation posture.

"Quickly confess what happened tonight."

Meng Yanqing raised her chin: "Didn't you say you'd tell me privately? Now that's private enough, isn't it? What exactly did you guys do tonight?"

Xue chuckled softly and shook her head: "Actually, it's not a big deal."

She briefly recounted what happened that night—Lu Yuan ran away due to debts, Lu Yuan was captured, she stormed the Qingqiu Mountain gate, she fought Su Yao, she was invited to a banquet by Tu Shan Yue, and during the banquet, Tu Shan Yue refunded her double the amount.

When Lu Yuan was mentioned as owing 10 billion, Meng Yanqing gasped. When Tu Shanyue casually returned double 20 billion, Meng Yanqing's jaw nearly dropped to the ground.

"Two hundred billion..."

Meng Yanqing's expression was as if she had been struck by lightning: "You just backed out like that? Is this Miss Tu Shanyue from Qingqiu so easy to talk to?"

Xue Youyou shrugged: "If the Dean knew what was good for him, he should have handed over the extra portion to me as soon as possible, otherwise... hmph."

After listening, Meng Yanqing remained silent for a long while, her expression indescribable.

"so."

She spoke slowly, her voice carrying a subtle emotion: "Your true experience tonight is this: you single-handedly challenged the superior state power, the gate of Qingqiu, then feasted and drank at the Qingqiu Fox Clan's banquet, and before leaving, you even brought back the 20 billion in compensation that Dean Lu Yuan had to return double."

She looked at Xue Youyou with the same gaze she would give an alien: "I thought my experience today was already pretty outrageous, but compared to you, it's nothing."

Xue Youyou tilted her head, seizing on a key phrase: "Your experience? Your grandmother's special training?"

Meng Yanqing immediately perked up.

She leaned forward, gesturing with her hands, her eyes sparkling with excitement: "Yes! Youyou, you know what? My grandma really meant it this time. She gave me a ton of amazing things, she's never been this nice to me before! It's like she's a completely different person! And..."

At this point, perhaps because it was inconvenient to say what followed, Meng Yanqing shut her mouth as if she had slammed on the brakes.

Xue Youyou nodded thoughtfully: "No wonder you dared to challenge Lei Ying by name. It seems you have indeed become much stronger."

Meng Yanqing grinned, a hint of eager anticipation in her smile: "Just wait and see the show tomorrow. Trust me, you'll be absolutely surprised!"

Xue Youyou looked at Meng Yanqing's confident appearance, and the corners of her mouth slightly turned up.

Tomorrow she'll probably be back to her usual heroic rescue and saving the day.

Xue Youyou didn't say anything like "Lei Ying has also changed, be careful," but simply reached out and gently patted Meng Yanqing's shoulder: "Then I'll wait and see."

Meng Yanqing stood up, walked to the window, and stretched languidly. Moonlight fell on her face, reflecting the smile she couldn't hide in her eyes and brows. She suddenly turned around, leaned against the windowsill, crossed her arms, and tilted her head to look at the serene snow.

"By the way, what were you thinking about while you were lying in bed? The expression on your face when I came in..."

She thought for a moment and found a word: "It's like she's thinking about something very important."

Xue Youyou remained silent for a moment.

She hadn't mentioned the imperial sacrifice to anyone else yet. It wasn't because of distrust, but because the matter was too far-reaching and had too great an impact; the fewer people who knew about it before the time was right, the better.

But Meng Yanqing asked about it.

Xue Youyou blinked: "I thought you came to ask me to play a game."

Meng Yanqing blushed and said, "How could that be? Tomorrow is the semi-finals and finals. Am I that kind of person?"

"Don't change the subject!"

Xue Youyou hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Tonight, Tu Shanyue told me some things... about Yuelan Prefecture. If that information is true, then something big might happen next."

"Something big?" Meng Yanqing blinked.

"A very important matter."

Xue Youyou nodded, her tone serious: "It's a major event that could change many things. However, the timing is uncertain right now; we can only wait."

Meng Yanqing stared at Xue Youyou for a few seconds without asking any further questions.

She had known Xue Youyou for so long and knew her personality. If she could really tell, Xue Youyou wouldn't hide it; if she couldn't tell now, then there must be a reason why she couldn't.

"Alright."

Meng Yanqing got up from the windowsill and clapped her hands: "Then I'll go back first. I want to meditate alone tonight and hopefully I can get to my best state. I have two tough battles to fight tomorrow."

She walked to the door, her hand already on the doorknob, then suddenly turned back and winked at Xue Youyou: "After talking to you for so long, I feel much better. Actually, I was a little nervous at first."

After saying that, she pushed open the door and went out, then leaned half her body back in: "Goodnight, Youyou."

"Good night."

The door closed gently, the footsteps faded into the distance, and the corridor returned to silence.

Xue Youyou lay back down on the bed. Xuehua emerged from the pet space and lay back on her chest, letting out a sleepy "purr".

She reached out and touched the snowflake's cold body, gazing at the moonlight casting shadows on the floor, her mind still churning with thoughts of the imperial sacrifice.

This time, however, a faint smile remained on her lips.