After parking her bike by the roadside and taking a picture to remember the location, Qiao Sang embarked on her shared flight journey.
The Great Winged Sparrow, an evolved form of the Sharp Winged Sparrow, had a wingspan of about 2.5 meters.
Beastmasters riding flying-type beasts wasn’t an issue, but carrying passengers required a flying license.
The Airborne Management Bureau had clear regulations regarding flying-type beasts carrying passengers.
Beasts between 1.5 to 2 meters in size were two-person mounts.
Beasts between 2 to 2.5 meters were three-person mounts.
And those between 2.5 to 3 meters could carry four people.
The Great Winged Sparrow was right on the borderline between a three-person and four-person mount.
For flying beasts of this size that skirted the standard, they had to be inspected annually by the Airborne Management Bureau.
However, some flying beasts would often carry more passengers than allowed.Although Qiao Sang didn’t agree with such overloading practices, circumstances were different this time. She didn’t dare to ask if the beast was overloaded, what if it was?
On the way, the middle-aged man kept talking non-stop. Initially, the two young people with him seemed disinterested and reluctant to chat, but under the man’s persistent chatter, they eventually joined in.
From their conversation, Qiao Sang learned that the two young people were also heading to Jin Song Village for the second leg of the race, which put her mind at ease.
“I feel like the prize for first place in the individual competition is even better than the team prize. If I didn’t have to make a living, I would’ve given it a shot.” The middle-aged man said.
Qiao Sang had been half-listening, but when she heard this, she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the prize for first place?”
Her third uncle was gunning for the individual prize. He had given up on competing in a team after realizing the prizes overlapped with what he wanted, a testament to how appealing the individual prize must be.
Her third uncle supported the whole family. He had two beasts to care for, a son studying at a Beastmaster university (an expensive endeavor), and her cousin Ye Jingwen was pursuing a career as a spirit plant especialist, another costly path.
Looking at all the spirit plants in the backyard, it was clear they had spent a lot recently.
For a moment, Qiao Sang let her imagination run wild about what the prize might be: Cash, spirit plants, or a few crates of pet energy food—something practical, no doubt.
“A new photo book of God Ya and his pet, fresh from their recent photoshoot during the Instellar Cup. It’s a first edition. Not sure how our little town got a hold of it.” Said the young man.
Qiao Sang: ...
She suddenly wanted to turn back.
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By the time they arrived at the second leg handoff point in Jin Song Village, quite a few people had already gathered.
After registering at the check-in point, Qiao Sang and Yabao went to the designated spot—the village entrance.
“Just follow the main group. Do you remember the Roaring Swamp Crocodile? It’s the big one with the tough yellow skin and huge mouth that greeted you earlier this morning.” Qiao Sang reminded her dog with some concern.
“Yap!” Yabao thumped his chest with his paw, signaling that he was all set.
“There’ll be water stations along the way if you get tired. Just grab some when you need it.” Qiao Sang added.
“Yap." Yabao nodded. Honestly, he preferred milk, but since his Beastmaster hadn’t mentioned it, water it would be.
After giving all her instructions, Qiao Sang exited the track. Since the competition was for beasts, the Beastmasters could only wait on the sidelines.
A total of 233 teams, consisting of 699 Beastmasters and 1,398 beasts, were participating in this marathon relay.
Around the village entrance, roughly 200 beasts stood ready, some of them advanced-level.
Even among this crowd, Yabao stood out with his unique sunglasses and fiery red fur, catching the attention of many.
“Whose Fire Fang Dog is that?”
“Oh my gosh, that red beast looks so cool!”
“Judging by the color and appearance, it seems like a fire-type beast.”
“It kind of reminds me of the champion beast from the recent Bai Xin Competition.”
Qiao Sang glanced over, surprised to find some kids who had seen the Bai Xin Competition. Impressive. She secretly approved of their sharp eyes.
Time passed. Thirteen minutes later, a thunderous sound approached from afar.
“Xuuuuun!” Little Treasure excitedly pointed in the direction of the sound.
Following his gesture, Qiao Sang froze in place, rubbing her eyes in disbelief, almost thinking she was hallucinating.
A brown, shelled beast was... rolling toward them.
Yes, rolling.
Just as Qiao Sang thought it was a stray beast that had wandered onto the track, a male voice nearby shouted, “You’ve arrived! Stop now!”
At that moment, the brown-shelled beast came to a halt, slowly extending its head and limbs.
Its right front paw bore the race number A112, and a yellow relay sash hung around its neck.
Qiao Sang was a bit dazed. It was a Twin-Tailed Land Tortoise...
Was it really a competitor?
A marathon was supposed to be about running, right?
How could it be... rolling?
This Twin-Tailed Land Tortoise had clearly undergone professional training, as it showed no signs of dizziness despite rolling for so long. It steadily handed the yellow relay sash to a Six-Tentacle Snail.
What happened next completely altered Qiao Sang’s perception of a marathon relay.
After putting on the yellow sash, the Six-Tentacle Snail used three of its tentacles to spray sticky liquid onto the ground. Then, it crawled onto the slippery surface.
As soon as it touched the slick ground, the snail shot forward several meters. It continued to spray mucus and slid forward with such speed that it quickly disappeared from sight.
Qiao Sang stood there, dumbfounded by the spectacle, realizing this marathon was unlike any she had ever imagined.
Right... This was a beast marathon...
It was only natural that it would differ from a human marathon...
She had assumed this race was a straightforward competition: Running on land, swimming in water, and flying in the air.
She hadn't expected it to be so... creative.
Glancing at her Yabao, confidently wearing its sunglasses, Qiao Sang suddenly regretted not understanding the rules better.
If all the other beasts used such flashy tricks, her poor dog running on his own might end up in last place...
Just then, the second team approached. It was a Ink-tailed Fox, panting as it trotted over without using any abilities.
But as it neared the handoff point, its two-meter-long tail suddenly glowed with a sandy hue. Floating sand appeared beneath its paws, forming a narrow path ahead.
The sand lifted the Ink-tailed Fox as it slid down the narrow path toward the handoff.
It removed the yellow relay sash from its neck and passed it to Yabao, who was still proudly wearing his sunglasses.
Qiao Sang was stunned.
What the heck? The second team to arrive was Ye Ranran’s Ink-tailed Fox!
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