Chapter 512 - 306: To Continue the Lost Teachings of Past Sages (Part 2)

Six provinces followed, tied for fourth place with six points each.

"Huh? Something’s not right here!"

Katie puffed out her cheeks, a confused look on her face. "Everyone could only win six matches at most today. How did they get more than six points?"

"It’s the Speed Victory Incentive Points from the team matches. The top three teams with the fastest total match times get extra points based on their rank. First place gets an extra three points, second place gets an extra two, and third place gets an extra one."

Fang Yuan explained, "That’s why I was considering a quick victory. In fact, this is exactly what the tournament organizers are encouraging. Even if two teams both win all their matches today, a difference in their total time will lead to a difference in points. And this is only the first day. The gap will only get bigger from here on out."

"Isn’t that too unfair?" Katie wrinkled her nose. "Some competitors are really strong, they’re just not good at short, fast, and decisive battles. This system will have a huge impact on their point standings."

Shao Ya shook her head gently. "That’s only one part of it. More importantly, this kind of incentive will lead to the homogenization of Beast Taming styles. Did you guys notice? Most of the competitors today used quick-strike tactics. It’s not that there were no other styles of Pet Beasts, but they were quite rare."

Cao Mingyu waved his hand dismissively. "That’s just how businessmen are. Just look at how many projects Fengyun Company took on for this national competition. Their greed is just shameless."

’Wasn’t your dad a businessman...?’ Su Zhi thought, tucking his hands into his sleeves and saying nothing.

Just then, Liu Yuhang asked in confusion, "But wouldn’t a uniform style make the matches boring? If I were a spectator, I definitely wouldn’t buy a ticket. That seems bad for commercialization, doesn’t it?"

"For the point-based qualifying matches, this arrangement does in fact maximize profits.

"In the early stages of the competition, everyone is still feeling each other out. How many would really go all out? These matches aren’t actually that entertaining to watch. Of course, there are some duels where just the probing is exciting, but those are rare. Most Alliance Members would have a hard time pulling that off, let alone at a high school level competition.

"If you were a spectator, you wouldn’t be that interested in these matches either. With a limited budget, you’d be more inclined to buy tickets for later rounds, not the qualifiers, unless you’re following a specific Beast Tamer like a superfan."

Fang Yuan swiped his finger, checking the schedule for the second day.

"So, during the qualifying stage, the schedule is often packed tight, because every day of delay is a financial loss. Ending the matches quickly and eliminating weaker opponents helps the organizers speed up the pace and get to the climax of the competition—the clashes between top contenders—sooner.

"Quick-strike tactics tend to demand more from a Pet Beast’s physical abilities but less in terms of strategic planning, making them easier for Beast Tamers to learn and master. With all these factors at play, people naturally prefer to have their Pet Beasts learn simple, brutal, quick-strike tactics rather than other, more complex strategies.

"This method of speeding up the pace also increases the visual excitement, which, to a certain extent, can actually attract more spectators. No audience will like short, fast-paced matches forever, but there will always be first-time viewers who are drawn in by them.

"And once the qualifying stage is over and we move on to the later rounds, clashes between top contenders can’t be resolved with a simple quick-strike. They’ll naturally switch to different tactics then. Truly strong Beast Tamers never let their Pet Beasts master only one type of tactic, so for them, this doesn’t have a big impact."

Liu Yuhang spoke up again. "But that’s just a few people. Under this influence, won’t most Beast Tamers who can’t manage multiple strategies all be forced down the path of quick-strike tactics?"

Fang Yuan was silent for a moment before nodding.

"...Yes. So, objectively, this incentive does cause the training path for Beast Tamers to become homogenized. Even the current textbooks treat quick battles as the Supreme Technique, which is another reflection of this trend."

Cao Mingyu scoffed again. "Those old fossils at the Boya Alliance are a lost cause. On one hand, they cling to outdated rules; on the other, they’ve been corrupted through and through by modern capitalism. Nobody’s better at taking the worst and discarding the best."

"..." Su Zhi suddenly felt that Cao Mingyu and a certain Alliance Leader with the surname Luo would have a lot to talk about.

What had started as a simple question about points had ended up dredging up so much more. They all fell silent for a while, and a somewhat oppressive atmosphere settled over the dorm room.

"You achieved a total victory, so why the long faces?"

A familiar voice came from the doorway.

They all looked up to see Zhou Shengfa leaning against the doorframe with a smile.

"That’s more like it. Liven up! Tomorrow’s opponents will be even stronger than today’s. You can only win if you maintain a strong will to fight!"

Zhou Shengfa smiled and sat down on an empty sofa, his tone earnest and thoughtful.

"This competition format and its rules certainly have their own agenda, but that doesn’t mean we have to follow it. Just as Su Zhi said, blindly pursuing a ’quick victory’ and abandoning your own best style—that’s what you should avoid."

"Yeah." Fang Yuan lowered his head slightly, his face feeling a little hot.

Zhou Shengfa smiled again. "Of course, I want to praise Fang Yuan and Lilith here. Their performance in the arena today was outstanding. They controlled the flow of battle, actively mobilized themselves, and fought in the style they do best. Everyone should learn from them!"

"CHIRP~!" Lilith nodded excitedly.

"Mmm..." Fang Yuan’s face grew even hotter.

Seeing his rare expression, the others burst out laughing as they applauded.

After that, Zhou Shengfa went over everyone’s performance from the day, giving them one-on-one summaries and feedback.