《Super Beast Tamer》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°Beat him to death. Hahaha.¡± A few young boys were surrounding something in the street. Amid shrill yells, beams of striking blue light were gushing out constantly. ¡°Hurry, go on. Why are you in a daze? Continue to attack, Light Cone Fox!¡± Surrounded by this group of boys was a fox that was releasing strange and mysterious blue light. It was having a one-sided victory in its fight with another animal. Chen An happened to pass by the group, and he furrowed his brows. If this situation were to occur on Earth¡ªthe place of his origins, and when he had previously been leading an ordinary life¡ªhe would have fished out his cell phone and captured the blue light fox for a web-search. However, it was different in this world. He had just recently transmigrated but was already stunned by the so-called ¡°beast taming¡± in this place. Beast taming was not as simple as rearing a pet at home. Therefore, the situation before his eyes was not purely a case of bullying stray animals. It was not something that he could poke his nose into. Chen An sighed and shook his head. Forget it, he thought. He could not afford to offend these people. ¡°Wang Yi, you¡¯re such a flop! Your Light Cone Fox doesn¡¯t even obey you. How are you going to become a Beast Tamer in the future?¡± ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t think the problem lies with Wang Yi. A beast such as the Light Cone Fox is inferior and low-grade. Wang Yi, you should dump it as soon as you can.¡± Exasperated, the boy called Wang Yi knelt down and slammed his fist on the ground. He ordered heinously, ¡°Light Cone Fox, if you don¡¯t kill it, you¡¯re no longer qualified to be my Combat Beast!¡± The Light Cone Fox originally did not intend to hurt the ¡°enemy¡±, but it forced itself to attack again for fear of being abandoned. Dark blue light converged at the end of the Light Cone Fox¡¯s tail. The fox looked down momentarily and seemed to have made up its mind. Then, it shot a beam of blue light toward the beast that was already covered in injuries. The beast cried and was flung out by half a meter. It hit the corner of a wall by the street and was already at its last breath. ¡°Hahaha, you did a fairly good job. Light Cone Fox, I didn¡¯t waste the large sum of money used to buy you.¡± Wang Yi laughed hysterically. The people around him echoed. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s a good beast.¡± ¡°The other unwanted and inferior beast should go and die soon. It¡¯s useless!¡± Chen An was preparing to leave when he heard those words. He paused in his tracks. In this place, beast taming was part and parcel of one¡¯s daily life. There were Work Beasts that could work for people, Smart Beasts that could carry out complex tasks, and Combat Beasts that could fight. Not everyone had the same share of talent in beast taming, though. Some were born to be heaven¡¯s pride. They possessed a strong talent for beast taming and were destined for a smooth sailing life in this world. On the other hand, some did not have the slightest bit of talent or affinity in beast taming, even if they were to be given the most inferior kind of beast to tame. In this world, they were labeled as scum and wastrels, and they faced oppression as the lower class. Nobody cared about their well-being, and they were left to sink into degradation. Unfortunately, Chen An belonged to the latter group. When he had initially transmigrated to this place, he had been filled with curiosity and also longed to tame a beast. However, it was a pity that he did not possess the talent. Not long after he had transmigrated, he could already sense hostility from the people here. A splendid and exciting world was clearly right before him, but he had to stand on the sideline idly. Sorry, he could not bring himself to do that! When Wang Yi instructed the Light Cone Fox to strike a fatal blow, Chen An hollered furiously, ¡°Stop!¡± Wang Yi was obviously shocked, and he quivered. Shortly after, he came to his senses and felt embarrassed. ¡°Who is that? How dare you intervene in my beast combat! Show yourself.¡± Chen An sneered. ¡°With your standard, can this even be called a beast combat?¡± In this world, beast combats occurred frequently, and they typically involved Combat Beasts. There were various kinds of combats and were not limited to single or group combats. Usually, the organizations would organize formal competitions. Over time, many large-scale private combats had also been recognized. However, Chen An felt that bullying an abandoned, stray beast could not be associated with a beast combat. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me you want to save this filthy and smelly thing!¡± As he spoke, Wang Yi trampled on the beast viciously. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll give you a chance. Summon your beast to compete with mine. If you win, I¡¯ll take it that I¡¯m dumping this piece of trash to you.¡± ¡°Wang Yi, isn¡¯t this Chen An? He¡¯s a well-known good-for-nothing here. He doesn¡¯t have any beast-taming talent. How is he going to compete with you?¡± The rest of the group roared with laughter. That was right. In this place, one¡¯s beast-taming ability determined their status. It was not only between humans and organizations but also between countries. Without any beast-taming skills, one could not even defend themselves with dignity. ¡°Chen An, please don¡¯t think that we¡¯re bullying you. We have secured spots in formal beast combat colleges. You may be our neighbor for now, but after a few years, you won¡¯t even be fit to talk to us.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you very arrogant in the past? You said that you would definitely become the most powerful Beast Tamer. Dream on!¡± Becoming a Beast Tamer was everyone¡¯s dream. Unfortunately, a Beast Tamer¡¯s basic qualification could only be attained by those who had innate beast-taming talent and continuously worked hard. They had to go through beast combat colleges¡¯ formal training and many rounds of stringent assessments. At Chen An¡¯s age, like these boys, he should have been enrolled in a beast combat college. However, all of this was very far fetched to him. ¡°Today, I¡¯ll show you what I have learned from the beast combat college and make you realize how different we are from you!¡± Wang Yi grinned evilly as he waved and summoned the Light Cone Fox. The Light Cone Fox seemed to have understood Wang Yi¡¯s words. It immediately stood in front of Wang Yi, looking all geared up to attack. ¡°Light Cone Fox!¡± bellowed Wang Yi. Dark blue lights converged at the tail of the Light Cone Fox again. ¡°Oh no!¡± Chen An muttered inwardly. This group of people was unreasonable, and he had no means to fight them. In that case, he could only suffer the fate of being beaten up? Ding¡ª [The Full Taming System has been launched. Launch progress: 1] [The basic attributes of the host have been launched.] Chen An heard the prompts, and he felt inexplicable. Could this be the legendary system? Why is it talking about launching? Does it know that I¡¯m almost beaten to a pulp here? he thought. [Upcoming action: Remodeling of basic attributes.] [Affinity +100] Chen An watched on as the Light Cone Fox finished prepping its tail. At that moment, Wang Yi¡¯s palm had also landed, signaling to the Light Cone Fox to attack. Chen An shut his eyes tightly. To his surprise, he did not feel any severe pain. Time seemed to have crept by¡­ and he did not sense further commotion. Could the Light Cone Fox have killed him in one blow? Baffled, Chen An opened his eyes. He saw Wang Yi in an awkward pose, while the Light Fox Cone in front of Wang Yi was not moving at all. The surrounding people burst into laughter. This time, they were laughing and mocking madly at Wang Yi, not Chen An. Controlling and fighting alongside the Combat Beast were basic foundations, but Wang Yi had failed twice in these consecutively. It was such a joke. The first occurrence was when the Light Cone Fox had been reluctant to kill another of its kind. And now? Chen An recollected something. The system seems to have increased my attributes a while ago? Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wang Yi¡¯s face was red with rage. ¡°You¡¯re so useless!¡± ¡°You sound as if you¡¯re very capable.¡± Chen An rolled his eyes. The system had seemingly increased his affinity. The Light Cone Fox was kind-hearted by nature, and thus reluctant to harm him. In that case, he would teach Wang Yi a hard lesson! Chen An rushed forward speedily, raised his fist, and smashed it toward Wang Yi¡¯s head. Although he did not have a Combat Beast, couldn¡¯t he still fight? Typically, a Beast Tamer had a Combat Beast to assist them in combat. In addition to exerting a high degree of control over their beast, they were also expected to possess advanced combat skills. Evidently, Wang Yi did not have all of this. ¡°Chen An, don¡¯t go overboard. Stop what you are doing now!¡± The surrounding people immediately released their respective Combat Beasts and threatened Chen An to stop. ¡°That hurts! That hurts!¡± Chen An punched Wang Yi in the abdomen, and the latter rolled on the ground. ¡°Hurry! Send me to the hospital. I can¡¯t take the pain anymore.¡± Chen An immediately lost his interest upon seeing Wang Yi¡¯s cowardly look. [System Prompt: New index unlocked. Light Cone Fox. Integration in progress.] [Agility +20] [New skill attained: Light Cone] Was there such a thing? It seemed that after defeating the beast¡¯s master, Chen An would be able to attain the index, as well as the corresponding attributes and skills. In that case, he would be able to gradually become powerful, even though he did not have the Beast Tamer bloodline. Someone stepped forward to help Wang Yi up, and they prepared to leave. Wang Yi was crying in pain and holding his abdomen. He yelled that he would seek Chen An for revenge. Someone stared at Chen An scornfully and kicked the dying, stray beast in the street to him. ¡°What are you?! A person like you is not fit to own anything, even a trashy beast!¡± Having said that, the group dispersed. Chen An looked down and examined the beast¡¯s wounds. He could not tell how it originally looked like as its fur was covered in mud and bloodstains. It looked like a worn-out mop that had been thrown on the floor. Chen An sighed gently. In this place, beasts were very precious. There was a demand even for the most ordinary and low-grade beast. However, to have been reduced to such a miserable state, this beast must be extremely lousy. ¡°Oo.¡± Its tiny paws were covered in dirt as they fiddled the bottom of Chen An¡¯s trousers. It looked very pitiful. If Chen An were to sit and do nothing, in no time, this beast would definitely die for sure. Chen An ground his teeth. Forget it, he would save it! Anyway, he might be able to revive it with the Full Taming System. He wrapped the small beast with his clothing and brought it home. ¡°Live on, please don¡¯t die.¡± After saying that, he turned around and rummaged through his storeroom. The eyes of the small beast were already half-closed by now. ¡°I remember that they are here. Why are there that many sundries? What a hindrance!¡± After transmigrating, many memories had been transferred to Chen An. His parents had been outstanding Beast Tamers. They had been great partners who had developed feelings for each other and then became a loving couple. They had overcome countless obstacles and made many brilliant achievements. They had also accumulated massive wealth. The items in the storeroom were the beast-taming trophies that they had gained in the past. They were also awards that reflected their past glory. They were all covered in dust now, piling together with the beast-taming items. Chen An rummaged for a long time, and at last, he found a small box in the corner of the room. He took great pains to open it. Lying quietly inside the box was a red pearl. [The Beast Rearing System has been launched.] [Identifying the item for the host: Medium-grade pill. It has a healing effect after consumption.] Chen An held the red pearl in his palm. He used the system to identify a few more feeds and then left the place with them. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The small beast was at its last breath, so Chen An immediately used the medium-grade pill. A red beam of light engulfed the small beast, and Chen An could see those gaping wounds healing. ¡°It seems quite useful.¡± Chen An had not confirmed whether the system was reliable. After a while, the small dying beast suddenly sprang to life. It could even stand up. He could finally see its head and limbs now. Chen An gave it another handful of feed. Famished, the small beast gobbled the food. It seemed it was not enough as the beast held onto Chen An¡¯s hands and licked them continuously. Chen An¡¯s palms were itchy. ¡°Are you a dog? Or a cat?¡± He could not tell what kind of beast it was. [The Beast Identifying System has been launched. Identifying¡­] Just as Chen An wanted to exclaim that having a system was very convenient, his eyes lit up at the identification results. Type: Combat Beast Endowment: Low Grade: Level 1 Specialty: None Talent: None Spirit chamber quantity: 0 Skill chamber quantity: 0 The attributes were inferior, but it was actually a Combat Beast? ¡°It¡¯s so pitiful.¡± Chen An poked its small head. As a Combat Beast, it was that lousy. It was no wonder that it had been abandoned and was wandering in the streets. He was the only one who was willing to take it in. Fortunately, this little fellow was not picky about food. It ate all kinds of feed. Chen An¡¯s parents had left behind a lot of feed, and it was enough to feed it for life. He would take it that he was helping a beggar. ¡°What should I name you?¡± Judging from this beast¡¯s looks, it could be a cat or dog species, but it was neither of them on a closer look. Its face was very adorable, though it exuded a trace of fearsome vibe. Forget it. Beasts were not the same as ordinary pets on Earth. ¡°I might as well name you Dou Buxiang1.¡± The small beast seemed to like this name very much. It made some small noises and then widened its mouth with a seeming smile. It seemed quite intelligent. Chen An caressed its head. ¡°Are you happy, Dou Buxiang? Why are you happy? You¡¯ll have a hard life if you live with me.¡± Chen An took another handful of feed and placed it by the mouth of the beast. ¡°Like me, you are depleting your resources. In time, our fortune is going to be used up. You can only lower your living standards and follow me to a place with poorer living conditions.¡± That was right. Chen An had this plan in mind. He could live in a wealthy estate, enjoy staying in a big house, and lead a relatively good life because of his deceased parents¡¯ inheritance. However, he only had expenditure and no earnings. He did not have any beasts. In this world, he had no means to make a living and could only tighten his belt. He hoped that the things left behind by his parents could sustain him for a few years. In this world, families who did not have the Beast Tamer bloodline for many generations were residing in poor estates. They lived alongside trash every day and in an atrocious environment. ¡°I can¡¯t take this lying down,¡± Chen An muttered to himself. He had transmigrated after much difficulty and enjoyed the wealthy estate left by his parents. He felt indignant about gradually heading to destitution and living in poverty. He had not forgotten the contemptuous laughter of those people earlier. However, reality was cruel and heartless. The difference between a Beast Tamer and an ordinary person was akin to heaven and earth. There was a huge gap in their social standing. ¡°Well?¡± Dou Buxiang was tugging at the hem of his clothing. It had laid out all the feed in a tidy and organized manner. It was clearly hungry but unwilling to touch the feed. Afterward, it sat beside the feed obediently and stared at Chen An. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Chen An ruffled its head. In that instant, he seemed to have understood Dou Buxiang¡¯s intention. ¡°Are you telling me to exchange these items for money?¡± This might be a good solution! Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chen An searched out all the beast-taming items in his house and filled a huge bag with them. Afterward, he found and entered an established-looking pet shop. The shop owner welcomed him affectionately. However, his face froze shortly when he saw how sloppy Dou Buxiang looked. ¡°Hi, customer. Do you need¡­ beast-grooming service?¡± The awkwardness in his tone intensified. This seemed like a necessity, but Chen An had not come for this. ¡°No. I wanted to inquire if your shop needed any supplies.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± The shop owner came to his senses quickly and sized up Chen An from tip to toe with a strange look in his eyes. ¡°Sorry, Mister. All the merchandise in our shop is selected carefully with stringent requirements. This is to ensure that the customers shop with peace of mind. We would not put on sale any items with ambiguous origins. I¡¯m sorry for that.¡± It was a very clear and diplomatic response to decline Chen An. Chen An thought so too. It seemed that this method would not work. ¡°Is there anyone?¡± The pleasant voice of a lady sounded. Just as Chen An turned around to leave, he bumped into a graceful and dazzling figure. ¡°I would like to have some specialized high-grade feed.¡± As the lady spoke, her chest was heaving up and down. Coupled with her svelte figure, Chen An could not help staring at her. ¡°I¡¯m not¡­¡± She seemed very anxious and did not give Chen An a chance to explain. ¡°Hurry, I¡¯m in a rush.¡± She rushed forward and leaned one of her arms on the counter. Her fair, translucent, and bright skin was extremely blinding to the eyes. The shop owner hurried toward her and said smilingly, ¡°Sorry, we don¡¯t sell specialized feed. We only have universal and medium-grade ones.¡± The woman frowned, and her pretty face wrinkled. ¡°You don¡¯t sell them? I want to buy high-grade snacks then.¡± ¡°We only sell low-grade snacks.¡± The boss was slightly embarrassed. ¡°Miss, snacks aren¡¯t meant to be the main sources of food for beasts. You don¡¯t need to be particular about the grade. High-grade snacks will make the beasts become more picky and difficult. Low-grade ones will suffice.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± The beauty refused to compromise. ¡°Why did you open such a lacking pet shop? Are there any other shops nearby¡ª Oh!¡± She looked down in surprise as a snow-white rabbit scuffled to her and pounced on her shoulder. It was trembling non-stop. Dou Buxiang was looking up and staring at that rabbit in a silly manner somewhere near her feet. ¡°What an ugly beast,¡± she said in a low voice. But Chen An heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. This is my beast. It¡¯s quite obedient.¡± Chen An was staring at that big and white rabbit and curiously sizing it up. [The Beast Identifying System has been launched. Identifying¡­] Oh my goodness! He was shocked by the identification outcome. This was not an ordinary rabbit but a high-grade (Level 15) Combat Beast, which had three spirit chambers and three skill chambers. All the items inside the chambers were high-grade ones. It was no wonder this beauty insisted on buying high-grade feed¡ªthis beast was not any ordinary beast. ¡°Sigh, forget it.¡± The beauty sighed. ¡°If I had known this, I would have brought more feed with me. That would have saved me all the trouble.¡± Having said that, she turned around to leave. ¡°Hi, customer. Please, wait for a moment.¡± The shop owner hurried to stop her from leaving. He was unwilling to let a customer with a huge spending power leave. The beauty furrowed her brows and looked very impatient. She snorted. There was no point in keeping her here. This shop was such a flop as it could not provide what the customer wanted. Flustered, the shop owner hurriedly took down various merchandise on the shelves and served her warmly. He wanted to persuade her to make a purchase with his eloquence. At that moment, Chen An suddenly spoke. ¡°The high-grade water attribute spirit core is certainly good and has a powerful addition reaction. However, it¡¯s not suitable for your beast. Her spirit chamber is already cracked, and you have to remove it immediately.¡± The beauty turned around in surprise. ¡°What did you say?¡± Beasts were born with spirit chambers. The more spirit chambers a beast had, the more spirit cores could be embedded in them. Besides giving attributes to the beast, a good spirit core usually came with special skills too. This was a crucial aspect of beast taming. However, when cracks appeared on the spirit chamber, it was often because an incompatible spirit core had been embedded in it. In less serious cases, the beast would have a hard time. In serious cases, the spirit core would collapse and cause the death of the beast. ¡°Impossible. I have been feeding Wu Wu the best things. She didn¡¯t show any abnormalities. How can that be?¡± Obviously, the beauty did not believe Chen An. ¡°Why are you still here? I¡¯ve already said that our shop doesn¡¯t need these items of yours. Don¡¯t spout nonsense and disturb the customer!¡± The shop owner felt anxious. He only wanted to earn money from the buyer and did not care whether the spirit core was suitable. ¡°Shut up.¡± That beauty was already feeling impatient. She was also anxious about her beast. Expectedly, her tone was unfriendly. Chen An noticed that she was wearing a long, red dress and exquisite gold jewelry. She looked like a rich man¡¯s daughter. ¡°So its name is Wu Wu. What an adorable beast.¡± Chen An walked to her and touched the head of the rabbit. True enough, as soon as he touched the beast, he could immediately sense its timidness and pain. Although it had been enduring pain all this while, it only moaned occasionally. The lady lowered her head and seemed deep in thought. She was reluctant to make up her mind to remove the embedment. At that moment, there was a clamor outside the pet shop. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s here. Pet shop? Hahaha. Chen An¡¯s brain is rusty. Did he think that he can sustain a living in this way? It¡¯s ludicrous.¡± Wang Yi had led a group of people into the pet shop arrogantly. He was holding on to this abdomen and could not stand up straight. It seemed that he had been seriously injured by Chen An the last time. ¡°Chen An, we meet again. You don¡¯t have the slightest bit of beast-taming talent. How are you fit to enter a pet shop? ¡°Did you really take in this stray beast? You¡¯re good, Chen An. Trash and trash. You guys are very compatible. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s beauty here. Beauty, hurry, leave this place. Chen An is not a good man. You¡¯ll dirty yourself by standing near this kind of people.¡± The group was staring at the beauty. Wang Yi had come to seek revenge. ¡°I must teach you a hard lesson today. How dare you touch me? You deserve it!¡± The system issued a mission. [Defeat the other party. Mission reward: Unlock a Spirit Core and Skill Book Verification System.] Chen An¡¯s eyes sparkled. Oh, great! He had been troubled about not being able to figure out spirit cores. However, he did not have any combat power. Dou Buxiang was baring its teeth by the side, but it was of no help at all. ¡°Hey, you guys are standing in my way.¡± The beauty had one hand on her waist and was holding Wu Wu with her other hand. She could not be bothered with Wang Yi and the group. ¡°You have a temper, Beauty. Come, let me¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯re such a nuisance!¡± Before Wang Yi could finish his words, she covered her ears. She had been feeling vexed over Wu Wu¡¯s spirit core, and now someone was disturbing her. She could not endure it longer. Wu Wu jumped down immediately. Chen An then caught a clear glimpse of its golden eyes. There were complex patterns on them, and they were moving rapidly. ¡°Moon, disperse!¡± Along with its master¡¯s bellow, Wu Wu hopped around everywhere. Its white figure turned blurry, and only a long ray of golden light could be seen sweeping across the ground. The golden lights circled Wang Yi and the group, rounding them up. In that instant, they were immobilized. A surge of powerful force was unleashed by their side, and they were flung to a distance. Wang Yi had been beaten out of the pet shop, stumbling to a distance. ¡°What a powerful beast!¡± The blood in his mouth drowned his praise. Chen An was stunned. It turned out that this rabbit was that powerful? He looked at that beauty again. She was frowning, looking worried and undecided. Chen An could only mourn silently for Wang Yi and the group. Appearing when she was in a bad mood¡ªthey deserved it! Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios [System mission completed. The reward has been issued.] Chen An was in awe as he was staring at the unlocked Spirit Core System and Skills Book System. This world was crazy. There were more than a thousand kinds of high-grade spirit cores, not to mention the low-grade and medium-grade ones. The skills book was comprehensive and had everything that one could think of. ¡°Do we have to remove the embedding? Can¡¯t we wait a little longer? Can we wait for another period of time?¡± ¡°Judging from the cracks, its condition is very serious. Moreover, the cracks have widened further because you made it fight a while ago. If you delay further¡­ That¡¯s alright too. As long as it doesn¡¯t participate in any battles, it should be able to last for some time.¡± Chen An was puzzled as to why she was reluctant to remove the embedding. He discovered the reason after he used the Spirit Core System to verify. The high-grade water attribute spirit core that she had embedded could increase the agility by about 100 points. It also had a passive attribute that could reduce the beast¡¯s fear of water so that it could maintain its agility during battles near or in water. At the same time, Wu Wu was equipped with a skills book called ¡°Aqua Moon Heart¡± that came with an active skill, Aqua Moon. According to the skill description, it could seemingly control water attributes, but the specific details were unknown. ¡°If you remove the spirit core, you have to take away the skills book too. Otherwise, Wu Wu won¡¯t have enough attributes to withstand this.¡± This was the reason for her hesitation. ¡°That¡¯s right. I brought Wu Wu here to join a beast tournament. I thought that I could achieve fairly good results. If only¡­¡± Removing both the spirit core embedding and skills book was akin to weakening its battle prowess by about 1/3. ¡°But if we force it to combat with an incompatible spirit core, this may be the last time that you will be fighting alongside Wu Wu.¡± Chen An was not trying to frighten her. When it hit Wang Yi earlier, its spirit core had collapsed further, so the situation was not optimistic. ¡°Alright!¡± She ground her teeth and agreed. The pet shop owner lunged over again. ¡°Customer, do you need to remove the embedding? We have a 20% in-store discount now and promise that we won¡¯t let the beast suffer the slightest bit of pain¡­¡± Chen An ignored the constant sales pitch and took Wu Wu from the lady¡¯s hands. ¡°You helped me earlier. I¡¯d like to return the favor by helping you remove the embedding.¡± There were no longer any traces of Wang Yi and the group outside of the shop. It seemed that they had long left the place. There were only some traces of unappealing bloodstains on the ground. ¡°I dealt with that group of people in passing. They¡¯re too noisy.¡± She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. Removing the embedment was not a complicated job. Chen An had the system, and thus a good knowledge of spirit cores. While in his hands, Wu Wu was not throwing any tantrums. In fact, it seemed to be enjoying itself very much. ¡°This pet shop is so-so, but you¡¯re fairly capable. I embedded this water attribute spirit core for Wu Wu personally. It was a lot of hard work.¡± She flipped her wrist and showed him a faint scar. The wound had healed for a long time, but the scar did not completely disappear. Judging from the sustained injury, it must have been quite serious. ¡°I¡¯ve already removed it. I¡¯ve also done the same for the corresponding skills book. Do you have any spare ones?¡± Chen An asked. Both the spirit core and skills book could not be used lightly. One would not modify them for no reason once they had been matched up. Therefore, she had not brought any of them. ¡°No, I don¡¯t know what will be suitable for Wu Wu.¡± She ruffled her hair to calm herself down. The pet shop owner lunged at them again. ¡°We have various kinds of skills books here. Although they are slightly more expensive, they are both superb skills!¡± ¡°I have spirit cores as well as a skills book. They are very suitable for Wu Wu.¡± Chen An shot a glance at the shop owner. He was the one who had refused to accept his items earlier. The beauty swept a suspicious gaze across the pet shop owner and then at Chen An. ¡°I see. You¡¯re not a shop assistant here.¡± ¡°Oh. The mountain need not be high. It is famous as long as an immortal lives in it. A lake need not be deep. It has supernatural power so long there is a dragon in it. The pet shop may not necessarily sell the good stuff!¡± As he said that, Chen An took out two boxes from his bag and opened them. ¡°The spirit core with an agility attribute can also increase agility. This skills book also comes with a passive skill. When the beast has exhausted all of its energy, the skill will restore the energy once.¡± The pet shop owner beside them sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it shameful to use these things to compete for my business? We don¡¯t have stock of these items, but there are plenty of them at the auctions.¡± However, auctions were not held daily. It was a fact that the shop did not have any stock of it. ¡°I¡¯m not charging you a lot of money for these two items. I¡¯ve given you a discount. I¡¯m not asking for a lot!¡± Chen An held up four of his fingers. ¡°4,000 yuan. That¡¯s already very cheap.¡± It was certainly very cheap. Both spirit cores and skills books were not in demand but still pricey. Good ones could fetch a price of many millions. Unfortunately, Chen An only had low-grade spirit cores and a low-grade skills book. In fact, he was also overcharging with the price of 4,000 yuan. ¡°Look, it was hard for you to make this trip. You have registered for the beast competition, right? How can you not attend it? I¡¯m not charging you a lot of money. You can make do with these items first and then join the competition. Take it that you¡¯re gaining some combat experience for Wu Wu.¡± Chen An convinced the beauty. To a beast, a beast competition was the best place to practice and train. For the sake of joining the competition, many people did not mind taking great lengths to bring their beasts everywhere and participate in the competitions. In addition, if they were to win, they could receive generous prizes. This kind of opportunity could not be missed. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll buy these two items for 10,000 yuan. Please do it for Wu Wu. I¡¯m paying an extra 6,000 yuan for assurance!¡± True enough, Chen An was right. This was a rich man¡¯s daughter and an extremely generous one at that. To someone like him who needed money now, he would be a fool if he did not earn that 10,000 yuan! The shop owner was stupefied. This was a wealthy customer, indeed. Unfortunately, he did not earn any money from her. The system was launched again. Chen An swiftly embedded the spirit core and then emplaced the skills book. In a few moments, he had completed the task perfectly. Wu Wu slipped away from Chen An¡¯s hands and scurried back to her. ¡°The beast competition is tomorrow, and it will be held nearby. I¡¯ll come to fetch you, and we can go together.¡± ¡°Oh? Me? I¡¯m not a Beast Tamer. I have no fate with that kind of place,¡± explained Chen An, even though he longed very much to be there. ¡°This won¡¯t do. I spent twice the money because I want Wu Wu to be safe and sound. You have to be present tomorrow. If Wu Wu displays any abnormalities during the combat, I will stop fighting. And you have to save Wu Wu. I¡­ cannot let anything happen to Wu Wu,¡± she said stubbornly. However, he could tell that she cherished her Combat Beast very much. This adorable little rabbit had found a good master. ¡°Promise me quickly.¡± She began to pester Chen An. It seemed that he could not send his first customer away if he did not agree to it. ¡°A-alright. I¡¯ll be a spectator at the competition. Don¡¯t worry about the combat. I assure you that there are definitely no issues with the items that I sell,¡± promised Chen An as he patted his chest. ¡°It¡¯s agreed then!¡± She carried Wu Wu and was prepared to leave. Just as she was about to exit the door, she suddenly turned around and blinked at Chen An. ¡°You must remember our promise! My name is Lin Yingxue. I am a three-star Beast Tamer!¡± She used her hand to make a gesture of three beside her eyes. It was as if she was holding onto a dazzling star. Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chen An could not help marveling at the fact that this young beauty was actually a three-star Beast Tamer. It seemed she was not only rich but also had exceptional talent. Dou Buxiang was nudging him by his feet, seemingly pleading for something. Chen An carried him into his arms. Dou Buxiang was no longer an abandoned, filthy beast in the street now. It smelled good all over and looked extremely adorable. ¡°Do you want to go?¡± He had not forgotten that Dou Buxiang was also a Combat Beast, regardless of how lousy it was in fighting. As a Combat Beast, it would long for combat. It was their life mission, after all. ¡­ No. 714 Beast Taming Arena. Chen An looked up, and the splendorous decor of this place dazzled him. Just as he walked into the place, he heard a loud clamor in the huge and spacious arena. ¡°This is your first time here. This place is very crowded and messy. You have to follow me closely.¡± Lin Yingxue walked in front of Chen An, turning to him from time to time. Chen An followed behind her closely. Firstly, they had to register and verify their identities. Next, Wu Wu had to go through an examination. Last, they verified Lin Yingxue¡¯s Beast Tamer grade. At last, after a long time, a battle was arranged. They passed her a card and told her to get ready. On the card were the competition time, arena number, and other details. To Chen An, the process was similar to that of a pre-flight departure. However, countless Beast Tamers were coming in and out of this place. They were immersed in the battles¡¯ shouts and cheers. Thus, everything felt very different. It was more formal and made people feel nervous. It was only when Lin Yingxue entered the competition ground according to her number, and Chen An was seated at the audience stand, that he felt more at ease. Lin Yingxue was considered a beauty with an attractive figure. He did not know if the matching system did it on purpose, but it had randomly matched her with an ugly and lecherous-looking hunchbacked old man. At the sight of Lin Yingxue, the man laughed. ¡°Hey, little girl, you are wearing a skirt. Please, don¡¯t cry if you have a wardrobe malfunction.¡± Lin Yingxue shot him a glare. ¡°You must be at least a two-star to be arranged as my opponent. Yet, you¡¯re that low-class. Disgusting.¡± Suddenly, he straightened his hunchback, lifted his head, and yelled, ¡°Two-star? Little girl, you are looking down on me. I¡¯m a four-star Beast Tamer!¡± That voice shook the entire venue. Chen An quickly held onto Dou Buxiang, which was hiding in his clothing, to calm it down. Lin Yingxue covered her ears with a pained expression. At that moment, a dog clad in steel armor jumped out. It opened its salivating mouth and pounced on Lin Yingxue. Chen An heard someone in the audience exclaim, ¡°This is Wang Wang¡¯s Evil Grimsteel Dog.¡± It seemed that the beast was quite famous in this arena, and its name did not sound friendly. Chen An immediately reminded Lin Yingxue, ¡°Don¡¯t cover your ears anymore. Summon Wu Wu quickly. Watch out! In front of you!¡± Lin Yingxue then shook her head and raised her arm. ¡°Come out, Wu Wu!¡± Golden patterns appeared, crawling and spreading on her arm at lighting speed. They were the same as those patterns in Wu Wu¡¯s eyes. The Evil Grimsteel Dog continued to pounce on Lin Yingxue aggressively. Just as its hot, salivating tongue and filthy mouth were about to bite Lin Yingxue, she turned and gave the dog a hard kick on its limb. Her opponent did not give up and intensified his attacks. He immediately changed his attack moves and threw out an iron chain toward Lin Yingxue¡¯s feet. Lin Yingxue leaped in the air and dodged it. His evil dog collaborated with him closely. It jumped at the same time and aimed its big mouth at Lin Yingxue¡¯s slender neck. ¡°Wu Wu!¡± Lin Yingxue immediately summoned Wu Wu. A golden flash streaked across as she continued to turn around and kick the dog on its head. Lin Yingxue supported herself with her hands on the ground and leaped up swiftly, landing with a squat. ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re fairly good. However, you¡¯re too na?ve. Do you think it¡¯ll be your turn after dodging my first round of attacks?¡± Although his beast had failed twice, Wang Wang did not seem to have any intentions to stop attacking. The Evil Grimsteel Dog suddenly barked, and the steel weapons on it clanged non-stop. The ground froze, and frost cracks were spreading quickly beneath its paws. Lin Yingxue was completely in a passive mode. She ducked the cracks together with Wu Wu while the frost persistently chased her. She could only run away from them and had no time to retaliate. ¡°Hahaha, little girl, you should know what is called a mad dog by now, right? Mad dogs hold on to humans and bite and tear them constantly!¡± Wang Wang continued with his attacks. He waved both his arms and lashed out his iron chain, which had sharp and poisonous spikes on them, at Lin Yingxue. Lin Yingxue did not manage to dodge in time and was hit at the shoulder. It was so painful that tears almost rolled down her eyes. Her red clothing had also been torn. It hung on her body like a broken cloth and made her look unkempt. She could not continue dodging the attacks forever. Lin Yingxue focused on the frost on the ground with a firm gaze in her eyes, seemingly waiting for the evil dog to launch an attack on her. ¡°True enough!¡± Lin Yingxue grabbed the opportunity and punched the dog¡¯s head with her fist. The golden shine on her arms dazzled, and she beat the head of the dog till bent. ¡°Golden silk, lock!¡± Immediately following that, Wu Wu skimmed toward Wang Wang at lighting speed. Golden lights burst and engulfed Wang Wang in the blink of an eye. The audience cheered. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this little girl to be that formidable. Her beast is also not bad!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She is one star below Wang Wang. Yet, she can perform that well. This is definitely a match worth watching!¡± However, Chen An did not agree with this. He had an ominous feeling. Dou Buxiang also stuck out its head and slouched on Chen An¡¯s feet, looking at Lin Yingxue worriedly. Wang Wang had been locked up. Lin Yingxue got up from the ground and wiped away the perspiration on her face with the back of her hands. At last, she caught a breath and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Be careful! Don¡¯t let down your guard!¡± Chen An reminded her. It was impossible that someone like Wang Wang would allow himself to be entrapped. Lin Yingxue did not react in time. The voice seemed to be very far from her, and it was difficult to hear it. She only felt very lethargic, and her body refused to listen to her. She was too exhausted to continue fighting. She had reached her limits and did not notice that the trapped Wang Wang had been using his powers to break a little of his restraints. Then, he broke free and escaped! ¡°Haha, little girl, you¡¯re very interesting. Let me defeat you personally!¡± The iron chain supported Wang Wang¡¯s body and attacked speedily. Lin Yingxue was unable to evade and the sharp, poisonous spikes magnified in her eyes. What could she do? ¡°Oo¡­¡± There was a loud clang. Wu Wu was in front of Lin Yingxue. It blocked the fatal strike for her before landing on the ground. This was a beast adept at swift attacks, so it was an extremely foolish act for it to take the initiative to block an attack. Wang Wang was quite powerful, and this strike was fatal enough. The poisonous spikes stabbed Wu Wu¡¯s belly, and blood dripped from it continuously. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios ¡°No!¡± Lin Yingxue dashed in a panic and squatted next to Wu Wu with tears streaming incessantly. Unfortunately, the arena was never a place for tears. ¡°Little girl, you have lost.¡± Wang Wang smiled grimly, waving another iron chain. The arena was filled with exclamations and shouts. Everyone believed that Lin Yingxue was about to lose. Chen An was the only person who furrowed his brows, staring at Wu Wu closely, as well as at Lin Yingxue¡¯s heartbroken figure. [The Attribute System has been launched and will be tested soon.] Chen An checked Lin Yingxue¡¯s attributes thoroughly with the system, and her portable chamber caught his attention. The number of portable chambers was also one of Beast Tamers¡¯ important talents. A portable chamber enabled a Beast Tamer to have a beast. If one would like to have another beast, one must replace the existing one. In addition, there were people who were born with more than three portable chambers and were extremely adaptable. They could summon several beasts to fight together at the same time. This would not be considered as cheating or bullying, as one¡¯s talent itself was part of one¡¯s ability as well. Fortunately, such geniuses were extremely rare. Even if they had such portable chambers, they would remain vacant because of the poor adaptability of the portable chamber, as well as the fact that no suitable beast could be found. Most people only had one portable chamber, which was enough. This was the case for Lin Yingxue, however¡­ ¡°Why did she cry and look so heartbroken? Many beasts meet with unexpected deaths in competitions. She could simply choose another beast,¡± the audience in the back row whispered. ¡°This little girl seems rich. It would not be a problem to get a better beast. Alas, indeed, the richer she is, the more stingy she is.¡± ¡°What? She must be a thin-skinned girl who bawled her guts out after losing the competition. She is after all too young, she would not do.¡± There were a lot of discussions in the audience, and all of them believed the problem was that Lin Yingxue was too frail and weak. Dou Buxiang stuck its head, looking sad. Chen An touched Dou Buxiang¡¯s head. He understood why Lin Yingxue was so heartbroken. She came from an extremely powerful bloodline, and she was very talented. She was fully qualified to become a top Beast Tamer. But the problem lay in her only portable chamber. It had very low adaptability. Even the most ordinary beasts found it difficult to adapt. It was not easy for her to find a beast with medium-grade qualifications like Wu Wu. If she lost Wu Wu, she might never find a suitable beast. In other words, she would no longer be qualified to be a Beast Tamer. Wang Wang kept pressing in, eager to deal the final blow with the iron chain in his hand. ¡°Little girl, your combat skill is good, but it¡¯s a pity that the beast is too inferior. When this is over, come to me, and I will give you a good beast. The two of us can have a good discussion, shall we?¡± He smiled wretchedly, hinting at something else. The sharp edge at the end of the chain was about to pierce Lin Yingxue¡¯s fair skin. Boom¡ª There was a muffled sound. The chain bounced away, and there seemed to be an extra layer of protection around Lin Yingxue. Wu Wu, which was in her arms, radiated a faint green halo from its body. The scarlet bloodstains were all cleaned up. ¡°Is this healing?¡± Perhaps this was the effect of the skills book? Lin Yingxue widened her eyes in surprise, hoping that Wu Wu would be alright. Wang Wang was astonished. He had been through many battles and had seen too many beasts¡¯ skills. There were either offensive skills or defensive skills. Basically, no one used the skills book of the treatment category. This was because such skills were really useless. ¡°Even if it could achieve a small amount of treatment, what¡¯s the use? Little girl, if you can¡¯t bear to part with this rabbit, I can spare its life. As for what to do, you should understand, am I right?¡± Wang Wang¡¯s eyes swept restlessly again over Lin Yingxue. ¡°Hmph!¡± Lin Yingxue snorted coldly and pointed her fingertips on Wu Wu¡¯s forehead. The golden pattern quickly echoed the lines on her body. ¡°You are the one who should beg for mercy!¡± ¡°Moon, disperse!¡± Chen An had witnessed the power of this move. Therefore, he was not surprised when Wang Wang was sent flying away. The posture was exactly the same as when Wang Yi was being beaten. On the contrary, the audience shouted and stood up in shock. ¡°Awesome! This girl fought with an opponent one star higher than her and won the battle!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this can do as well? Why did she wait until now to use the sure-win move?¡± On the competition stage, Lin Yingxue took advantage of Wang Wang¡¯s fall to defeat his beast, the Evil Grimsteel Dog. The dog was already lying in the corner, its head drooping, deep in sleep. Lin Yingxue pulled the dog¡¯s ears and threw it off the stage. The big screen in the center of the arena had completed the calculations. ¡°Lin Yingxue won, points +12. Cumulative points: 402.¡± Chen An breathed a sigh of relief and left the audience. Thankfully it was a win. If it were a loss, things would not be as simple as refunding money. As soon as it was over, Lin Yingxue carried Wu Wu in her arms and hurried to find Chen An. ¡°Hurry up, help me to see how Wu Wu is. It scared me to death just now, I thought¡­¡± She hesitated to speak, not knowing whether she was worried that she would no longer be a Beast Tamer, or she was worried about the safety of the beast, or both. ¡°But it¡¯s so strange. Was the light on Wu Wu the effect of the skills book? The one I bought from you? It seems to have more than a healing effect. There was a moment just now when I felt that I was unprecedentedly powerful.¡± Wu Wu kept kicking in Chen An¡¯s hands, as if eager to return to Lin Yingxue¡¯s arms. Lin Yingxue leaned over and kept scratching its chin to make it behave. Looking at this scene, Dou Buxiang could only jump around, feeling aggrieved and anxious. ¡°Please tell me what is going on?¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s eyes were fixed on Chen An. She was already standing very close to him, and her dark pupils brimmed with determination. Chen An shrugged. ¡°As I have said, it is definitely to your advantage to buy the skills book from me. That skill book is called ¡°Vast Sky¡±. Passive skills can be triggered when one is severely injured. The healing skill is only a secondary skill. The important part is that the combat capability of beasts could be greatly improved in a short period of time and turn the tide to win at the last moment.¡± This was the key to victory. Lin Yingxue lowered her eyes and felt ashamed. She would have definitely lost without this skills book. And the consequences¡­ She did not dare to think about it. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± It was a very small sound, almost like a mosquito¡¯s whisper. ¡°Huh?¡± Chen An really did not hear it. ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s all your fault for taking away Wu Wu¡¯s spirit core. I tried so hard to advance to the next level. I have to prepare for the next match!¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s attitude changed drastically, and she was back to her proud self. At the time of calculation, her accumulated points had exceeded 400 points. This meant that a three-star Beast Tamer had around 300 to 400 points. Once it was exceeded, one would be matched based on a four-star Beast Tamer. The opponent in the next battle was of the same level as Wang Wang and might be more powerful and of a higher level. Currently, Wu Wu used low-grade spirit core and ordinary skills books. This was simply not sufficient to fight in the battle. ¡°We have already agreed that you are responsible for my beast.¡± Lin Yingxue turned and walked forward, a rich and sweet fragrance in her hair. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chen An carried Wu Wu in his arms. Did she simply leave her beloved beast with him? ¡°Hurry and keep up!¡± Lin Yingxue waited in front, determined to stick around Chen An. Outside the auction¡­ A man and a woman were about to enter when another man stopped them. ¡°I am sorry. The auction will not take place today. It is postponed for some reason. Please come back a few days later.¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s pretty brows frowned again upon hearing this. ¡°What? Will not take place today?¡± Coincidentally, she had just happened to move up the levels, and it had been postponed. ¡°When will it be resumed?¡± The man smiled embarrassedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just responsible for guarding the door. I don¡¯t know exactly when it will take place.¡± Lin Yingxue pursed her small mouth, stomped her feet, and said to herself, ¡°This is so annoying.¡± Chen An pulled her back, lest she exploded in anger. ¡°We can¡¯t help it. This is the way auctions are. They don¡¯t happen every day and depend on luck.¡± Precious treasures were often rare, and most of them could only be bought at auctions. ¡°How about we check out those shops?¡± Chen An suggested. ¡°No.¡± Lin Yingxue did not continue. Based on Chen An¡¯s understanding of her, she was very picky and particular. She simply did not like general merchandise, and she refused to lower her requirements or to settle for less. This was typical of a wayward, indulging young woman. ¡°Hmph!¡± Lin Yingxue lowered her head and tapped her toes on the ground. She was irritated and bored, so she vented her anger on the stones and kicked them far away. Chen An suddenly could not help but laugh at her unhappy and frustrated look. ¡°How dare you laugh!¡± Lin Yingxue crossed her arms and turned her face away angrily. ¡°This won¡¯t do! I have to find a better spirit core and skills books for Wu Wu. No matter what, we have to continue fighting together!¡± ¡°Well, then let¡¯s wait for the auction. Hopefully, we can catch it. But before that, you have to take a good rest and reorganize.¡± Chen An merely made a casual statement, but Lin Yingxue was stunned as soon as she heard of taking a good rest and reorganizing. She stayed rooted to the spot as if she was reminded of something. ¡°I¡­¡± Originally, Lin Yingxue believed that it would be impossible for her to advance through the levels. She had participated in the competition so as to put Wu Wu through more training, and she could improve from actual combat. Thus, she had not prepared much, thinking that she would not stay there for long. However, right now, she had no choice but to stay for a long time. This was why she appeared to be stunned. She changed out of her torn gold-red dress, put on a plain white dress, and walked out of the bedroom, still fiddling with her hair. ¡°Will it be inconvenient for you if I stay here?¡± Chen An looked up and almost did not recognize Lin Yingxue the moment he saw her. She wore a red dress previously. She seemed to be enveloped in roaring flames, especially when she was fighting as the sleeves swung around like raging flames. And now, the white clothes accentuated her snow-white skin, and indeed, her looks were, as her name suggested, as fair as snow. ¡°What do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll prepare the food.¡± ¡°Huh? Anything is fine¡­¡± Seconds ago, Chen An was still excited, but then Lin Yingxue summoned Wu Wu and caressed it in her arms. It seemed that the sentence was not directed at him. Before transmigration, Chen An did not know anything about cooking. After he had transmigrated, he had to be self-reliant and make do with simple meals. It had been a long time since he had a delicious meal. He thought that he would be able to have his share of good food. Lin Yingxue went into the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves, and tied her hair. She was busy in the kitchen and seemed to be quite adept at cooking. ¡°Unexpectedly, you don¡¯t look like someone who can cook.¡± Chen An could offer no help, so he just stood by the door looking at her. ¡°Look like? Then tell me, what do you think of me? Do you have the impression that I am the kind of difficult and unreasonable delicate lady? Oh yes, you must have thought that I am grumpy and tend to resort to acts of violence as well.¡± Lin Yingxue mocked herself in a rarely calm and gentle tone. ¡°No.¡± Although Chen An agreed with her, he would not embarrass her by being so blunt. ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect this.¡± ¡°After Wu Wu became my beast, it seldom ate the beast feed. I feel that those things are not good for it. I would personally prepare Wu Wu¡¯s food and feed it.¡± Lin Yingxue was busy, so Wu Wu stayed next to her, holding up its front paws and looking around. Chen An did not continue the conversation. It seemed that she really did not prepare food for him. He could only settle his dinner in the eateries that he was tired of eating. [The Beast Rearing System has been launched.] The system automatically recognized the food prepared by Lin Yingxue. ¡°Super-grade beast feed.¡± Chen An was rendered speechless. Most people would only use normal- and medium-grade beast feed. Unless for those particularly good beasts, people might be willing to use high-grade feeds, he had not heard of super-grade beast feed. Wu Wu ate the food without any sense of urgency. It was enjoying the food. Dou Buxiang squeezed in, rushing over to snatch the food from Wu Wu. Chen An stretched out his hand, wanting to pull it back. It would be so embarrassing if he allowed Dou Buxiang to snatch the food. Lin Yingxue smiled and took out another serving. ¡°Don¡¯t hurry, this is yours.¡± Dou Buxiang rushed up and devoured the food like a hungry wolf. Chen An had never made Dou Buxiang go hungry before. Why was it so famished? ¡°Get ready. We¡¯re going to have dinner too. You can check out my culinary skills. This is also to thank you for lending me so much help¡­¡± Lin Yingxue was busy and methodical. Chen An¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Do you really know how to cook? Great, where did you actually come from?¡± He was really curious. After all, he had transmigrated to this world and had yet to explore this world. Lin Yingxue¡¯s hands suddenly paused, and she lowered her head, casting her gaze downwards. She did not look at Chen An or speak. After a while, she continued to prepare dinner. The atmosphere was a bit awkward. If he had known it, he would not have asked the question. This might be something that she did not want to talk about. Chen An immediately changed the subject. ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the auction together tomorrow morning. Although it was postponed due to some reasons, it is probably only for a day. The earlier we prepare the spirit core, the earlier you can be assured.¡± Lin Yingxue still lowered her head and said nothing. She did not even respond to matters regarding Wu Wu. She seemed to be deep in her thoughts. Chen An turned his head to a side out of curiosity, wanting to see her expression. Her expression was as calm as stagnant water without a trace of emotion. He wondered if she was angry or sad. Family was always a taboo subject for Lin Yingxue. During dinner, Chen An savored the food while sighing to himself. Lin Yingxue had good culinary skills. It was amazing that she could fight in the arena and whip up delicious food. However, he still had to worry about such an amazing girl. They had obviously agreed to go to the auction together the next day. However, early next morning, Chen An was the only one left in the house. Lin Yingxue was missing. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After discovering that Lin Yingxue was missing, Chen An had an ominous feeling. Dou Buxiang paced around restlessly. If Chen An was cruel and left her in the lurch, letting her fend for herself, there would be no more entanglements between them. After all, she had merely bought something from him, and the relationship between the two ended there and then. However, Chen An chose to go to the entrance of the auction to look for her. The man who was guarding the door was still there, and he told Chen An that he had indeed seen Lin Yingxue. She had left after asking her questions. Chen An asked for her directions after she left. ¡°Sure enough.¡± If he did not come looking for her, she might meet with disasters today. From the direction that the man showed him, there was only one possible place that she might have gone¡ªFierce Beasts Forest! In this world, the most dangerous deed was to go to Fierce Beasts Forest. That was the place with the richest spirit aura, where many fierce beasts were concentrated. Even for very powerful people, if they dared to enter the forest, they must be prepared not to leave the forest alive. The people who entered Fierce Beasts Forest were often those who had come to a dead-end and dared to exchange their lives for money. They were all in groups. They would enter the forest as a group, hunt down the fierce beasts, obtain the spirit cores, and sell them at the auction for money. Lin Yingxue obviously could not wait anymore, so she had ventured into Fierce Beasts Forest alone. ¡°She is too stupid.¡± To think that he had the impression yesterday that Lin Yingxue was an extraordinary and smart person. This was what Chen An had on his mind. He could not help but speed up, and Dou Buxiang quickly caught up as well. Just like what he said, right at that moment, Lin Yingxue was full of regrets for her stupidity. She leaned behind a giant tree and stuck out her head to check for danger. She scanned the surroundings and turned around after confirming there was no movement. Her heart thumped rapidly, and her breathing was heavy. Her lower legs began to feel sore. These were signs of extreme exhaustion. She had encountered a fierce beast that looked like a snake just earlier. It was extremely fast, twisting its body, and it suddenly slashed past in front of her. She did not have time to be afraid. She chased after it without thinking. All she had in mind was the faster the fierce beasts were, the probability of them having an agile attribute spirit core must be higher, and this was what Wu Wu needed. She had to land her hands on it. It was this thought that had made her attack the fierce beast regardless of danger. She launched consistent strong attacks on the fierce beast. However, to the fierce beast, the attacks were of no threat. They were as soft as dropping feathers and could not hurt the fierce beast at all. She backed away in shock, and she instantly understood that she had underestimated the fierce beast. It was too late to escape. When a fierce beast was angered, it would not easily let go of its prey. ¡°If I had known, I wouldn¡¯t have come to this eerie place. Why didn¡¯t I¡­¡± Not only did she regret her reckless actions, but she also could not bear to part with him. ¡°Chen An¡­¡± She mumbled and muttered to herself. It was as soft as a whisper. No one would be able to hear it in this dense Fierce Beasts Forest. ¡°Are you calling for me?¡± Lin Yingxue instantly became vigilant, thinking that the fierce beast was following her in desperation. ¡°Are you being sane to run around alone? And you even dare to hit someone?¡± Chen An grabbed onto Dou Buxiang to prevent Lin Yingxue from being attacked. ¡°You¡­¡± After having a clear look at Chen An, Lin Yingxue¡¯s eyes widened unbelievably. There was a hint of surprise in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared. ¡°How dare you come in? You are not even a Beast Tamer. You will die a quicker death than I will here!¡± Chen An thought to himself, criticizing the person who had made him come all the way here to ¡°court death¡±. Ss¡ª There was a sharp and subtle voice. ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s a fierce beast!¡± One could sense Lin Yingxue¡¯s fear from her trembling voice. What should they do now? Chen An quickly called the system. The system was launched. There were not many things that could be used inside. There was only the index of Light Cone Fox, a few ordinary skills books, three low-grade spirit cores, and one medium-grade spirit core. The fierce beast was very vengeful. Running away would only consume one¡¯s energy, and one would eventually die out of exhaustion. It would be better to confront it head-on. If one lost, one would then die. When death was near, there was no time to have too many considerations. It was better to use everything he had within the system! The giant snake that came winding out of the dense forest had dark green scales and two rows of sharp spikes. [The Taming System has been launched. Identifying¡­] Stone Mythical Snake! Its movements were extremely fast, and the spikes on its body were highly poisonous. No matter whether it was a beast or a human, once entangled by the snake, it would be very difficult to escape. ¡°Dou Buxiang, jump!¡± Chen An had never once fought together with his beast. It was just that when the system had finished identifying the Stone Mythical Snake, he suddenly thought of a way. Perhaps he could confront it and try not to be entangled by the snake. If so, he might have a chance at winning. Without any thought, he gave his commands to Dou Buxiang. Thankfully, Dou Buxiang did not let him down and acted upon receiving his commands. The Stone Mythical Snake was so fast that one could not see it clearly. In the blink of an eye, the Stone Mythical Snake, which was in front of them, had come close and was barely half a foot away. ¡°Dou Buxiang, use Light Cone.¡± In the index, this skill originally belonged to the Light Cone Fox. It was a good offensive skill, but it took a long time to accumulate energy. Chen An originally planned to knock the Stone Mythical Snake down before it got close. Unexpectedly, he had underestimated its speed. And judging from the current distance, it would be too late to finish prepping it. Lin Yingxue was next to him. She summoned Wu Wu in a panic, trying her best to save Chen An. At that moment, a scorching white light flickered, piercing the Stone Mythical Snake¡¯s eyes. Its eyes shut to form a vertical line, and the snake twisted its body in pain, falling onto the ground and bending into a circular arc. The golden lines flowed. Lin Yingxue dealt the snake with a mighty blow just at the right time. The Stone Mythical Snake stuck out its tongue, wanting to retaliate. However, it was too late. Dou Buxiang that was in the air descended heavily onto the snake. Coupled with Lin Yingxue¡¯s attack, they dealt a fatal blow to the snake. The Stone Mythical Snake did not even manage to retract its tongue. [The Taming System has been launched. Congratulations to the host. New index obtained: Stone Mythical Snake.] Chen An breathed a sigh of relief. He was surprised at the reward. It turned out that fierce beasts were also included in the beasts index. If he wanted to have a complete collection, he might have to go to Fierce Beasts Forest often. The Stone Mythical Snake was defeated. In the center of its head, right in the middle of the diamond-like shape, a dark green thing flickered. This was its spirit core. People usually used the spirit cores obtained from fierce beasts for their beasts. Fierce beasts could not be tamed, nor could they fight together with Beast Tamers like beasts. They were synonymous with danger and wealth. [The Spirit Core System has been launched. Verification is completed.] [High-grade spirit core, Agility +125, Water Attribute Attack +30] The grade and attribute were quite good. If they sold it at the auction, there would be many bidders, and it would become a priceless treasure in an instant. It was a pity it was incompatible with Wu Wu¡­ Lin Yingxue had risked her life for a spirit core. However, now that the fierce beast had been defeated, the spirit core was not suitable. It would be even more dangerous to embed an incompatible spirit core. While staring at the look in her expectant eyes, Chen An was thinking about how to tell Lin Yingxue when he heard a strange cry from Dou Buxiang. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dou Buxiang had always been well-behaved. It was always quiet when it was with Chen An and would never let out such worrying cries. Chen An squatted beside Dou Buxiang to see if it was injured, but it seemed to avoid him. It raised its head and barked a few times, and then it suddenly fell silent. The dark green spirit core of the Stone Mythical Snake actually flew out without anyone trying to obtain it, and after approaching Dou Buxiang, the spirit core merged with it. Chen An watched helplessly as Dou Buxiang radiated a dark green light before it finally calmed down. Had the spirit core disappeared? Dou Buxiang was the ¡°worst¡± Combat Beast. It did not have any embedded chamber. Logically, it was impossible to embed the spirit core. Where did the spirit core that had just been integrated go? Chen An launched the Taming System and looked at the attributes of Dou Buxiang. Its grade had been upgraded by one level to reach the second level. The attributes changed from being 0 for all options to Strength +15, Defense +45, Agility +200, and Water Attribute Attack +30. Lin Yingxue still did not know what was going on, so she looked at Dou Buxiang curiously. Dou Buxiang swung its head from side to side twice, spreading its four feet and lying down comfortably. There was nothing strange about it. Chen An launched the system. Before fighting with the Stone Mythical Snake, there were a total of four spirit cores. All of them were gone. He did a rough calculation of the attributes, and only one conclusion could be drawn¡ªDou Buxiang had absorbed all those spirit cores. This was why its attributes had changed. There were three medium-level spirit cores, one low-grade spirit core, as well as a high-grade spirit core of the Stone Mythical Snake. There were a total of five spirit cores, and all of them had been absorbed? One must know when embedding spirit cores into beasts, there was a limit to the embedded chambers. Like Wu Wu, there was only one embedded chamber, and the adaptability was not good. Previously, the embedded chamber had cracked because of an incompatible spirit core. It seemed that Dou Buxiang could ignore the limitation of the embedded chamber, thus absorbing five spirit cores in one go. If so, as long as he kept searching for spirit cores, he could infinitely improve Dou Buxiang¡¯s attributes. He wondered if it had any adaptability issues. Dou Buxiang was lying around Chen An¡¯s feet, rubbing Chen An¡¯s trousers with the soft hair beside its face. It seemed to understand Chen An¡¯s concerns and was saying, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I like all kinds of spirit cores.¡± Lin Yingxue failed to get the spirit core, but it was rare that she did not throw a temper. According to her temperament, she would definitely flare up if she could not get what she wanted. ¡°Chen An, you said you are not a Beast Tamer? I don¡¯t believe it.¡± Lin Yingxue suspected that she had seriously underestimated Chen An¡¯s capability, and this was so for Dou Buxiang as well. She had never seen beasts like Dou Buxiang. Not only was it peculiar, but there was also an odd feeling about it. It was very different from other beasts. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the skill that Dou Buxiang used just now? I seem to have seen it before.¡± Lin Yingxue tried to recall and vaguely remembered the Light Cone Fox when they had fought with Wang Yi. Chen An briefly explained it to her. But he did not tell her about Dou Buxiang¡¯s infinite absorption of spirit cores. She might not be able to understand things beyond her imagination. ¡°Originally, the skill, Light Cone, required a long time to accumulate energy. Unexpectedly, Dou Buxiang has strong comprehension skills, and it could use it directly without accumulating energy.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it.¡± Lin Yingxue suddenly said, ¡°You are the most talented Beast Tamer I have ever seen.¡± Chen An smiled and was about to say that he was not a Beast Tamer. He had repeated this explanation countless times and was used to it. However, Lin Yingxue interrupted him. ¡°No. Chen An, do you know about beast tamer colleges, places that specialize in training Beast Tamers? People who dream of becoming Beast Tamers have a deep longing for these places.¡± ¡°I know, but it¡¯s useless to know all this. In order to enter those colleges, dreams are not enough. One must have the most important thing¡ªqualifications.¡± There were good and bad colleges, and some were more powerful than others. But no matter how terrible the beast tamer colleges were, one must pass the assessment to enroll in the college. The first assessment was to test the bloodline. Everyone knew that one must have a bloodline in order to be qualified and have a place in this world. ¡°Every year, people only see the glamorous side of those who enter the beast tamer colleges. No one cares about those who don¡¯t have a bloodline. They do not know the injustice and darkness that these people face after a few years.¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s words did not sound like someone highly talented like her would say. ¡°I know about this too.¡± Chen An was not afraid. Even if he did not have the bloodline, he would not be reduced to that particularly miserable state as long as he had the system. ¡°Chen An, let me tell you, there is no bloodline test for the entry assessment this year. You have to take the test.¡± Lin Yingxue continued on. ¡°De Yuan College, have you heard of it?¡± ¡°I know, that¡¯s the best beast tamer college. Who wouldn¡¯t know of it?¡± ¡°I will work hard. Let¡¯s meet again at De Yuan.¡± ¡°If there really isn¡¯t a need to take the bloodline test, I actually want to try it.¡± ¡°Really!¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s surprise was not as intense as Chen An¡¯s. That was because he suddenly saw a sea of ??flowers not far away, with branches and vines, and a little shimmer on the core. Such beautiful scenery did not match the eerie and strange Fierce Beasts Forest. Chen An approached it and found that under the flowers, there was no soil at all. All the rhizomes were tangled together and connected to the same place. ¡°There is danger everywhere in the Fierce Beasts Forest. We shouldn¡¯t touch them.¡± Lin Yingxue approached, worried about Chen An. Chen An sensed that there were traces of beasts over here. He followed the rhizomes of the flowers to the center of the sea of ??flowers. All the roots were gathered together, twisted like a bread twist, and they went all the way down. Chen An stretched out his hand and removed the flowers on top, revealing what was underneath. Lin Yingxue wrinkled her face. She had a very bad impression of the Fierce Beasts Forest. She felt that whatever was underneath must be a very ugly creature. Surprisingly, green grass followed Chen An¡¯s fingers and came out from underneath. There were no flowers and fruits, but the green grass itself. When Chen An touched it, it immediately wrapped around his little finger. ¡°Be careful, things in the Fierce Beasts Forest are not as docile as they seem.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t seem to feel anything, I don¡¯t think it will attack me.¡± The system prompt sounded. [The Taming System has been launched. Congratulations to the host. Index unlocked: Evening Moon Vine.] It turned out not to be grass but a beast!? It seemed to be a plant-based beast. From its name, it seemed to be a type of vine. Vines might be small and inconspicuous when they were young, but they would be very powerful after growing up. The Evening Moon Vine must be newly grown. If it had a suitable owner and was through careful cultivation, it might become a powerful plant-based beast in the future. ¡°Let¡¯s bring it with us.¡± This was what Chen An had in mind. It was no use leaving it here. It was better to bring it with them when it was still young. He curled his little finger and gently pulled Evening Moon Vine out of the sea of flowers. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as the Evening Moon Vine was taken out, all the flower rhizomes connected to it were broken, and the flower branches quickly withered. The entire sea of ??flowers instantly vanished. ¡°There are still gains. This is not bad, after all.¡± Lin Yingxue stared at the thin Evening Moon Vine on Chen An¡¯s little finger, feeling a little envious. ¡°If you like it, I can give it to you.¡± ¡°No, I am afraid that Wu Wu might eat this kind of plant-based beast.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so small. It¡¯s not enough to feed the rabbit.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, Chen An felt a slight numbness in his little finger. Evening Moon Vine must have been frightened. The two of them chatted while Dou Buxiang cleared the path, and they left the Fierce Beasts Forest. They looked up and realized the sky was already dark. Sure enough, time passed by quickly in the forest, and a day has passed. ¡°What to do? The day after tomorrow is the qualifying match. Wu Wu does not have a spirit core. I dare not take it to the qualifying match. I can only give up¡­¡± She ground her teeth, obviously unwilling to do so. ¡°We still have one day tomorrow.¡± Chen An made a gesture with one of his fingers. ¡°How come you are always so calm? Do you know that when others are feeling anxious, your calm demeanor will get on their nerves?¡± ¡°Hahaha, is that so?¡± Chen An smiled. ¡°That may be because it¡¯s useless to be anxious.¡± Being anxious was indeed useless, but being lucky would be useful. The next day, the postponed auction was finally being held. Lin Yingxue hurriedly changed her clothes and went to the auction, pulling Chen An with her. When the two entered the venue, there were quite a few people inside. It seemed they were urgently in need of materials and rushed to join the auction. Chen An could not help but sigh. Everything was good in this world, except that the materials used for taming beasts were too scarce. One by one, the items to auction were sold away to different people at high prices. The procedures were complicated and slow. Chen An had been sitting for a long time, and he felt like yawning. The two of them had a clear purpose for being here¡ªit was to buy a spirit core. Thus, they did not need to look at other items. The minimum requirements were high-grade, with agility attribute. It was best to have some other attributes, as well as to have a spirit core with passive skills. If so, Lin Yingxue would buy it without hesitation. This was because this kind of spirit core was very rare and extremely precious. ¡°This is not bad. This is a high-grade power spirit core, and there is a 50-point agility attribute. It is also suitable for Wu Wu. We can make do with it.¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Yingxue shook her head, looking at the next item. It did not fit her requirements. ¡°It¡¯s almost over. I¡¯m afraid you will have to make a compromise.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a while longer. If there¡¯s really no suitable item, we will then take a similar one.¡± Lin Yingxue decided to give in. But unfortunately, after that high-grade power spirit core, there was no other spirit core. The last item was sold, and they did not even see a spirit core with other attributes. They could not even compromise to get another spirit core. This was how auctions worked¡ªeverything depended on luck. It was fully dependent on the items that others sold. There were a lot of miscellaneous items, so being unable to buy what one wished was common. Chen An turned sideways to look at Lin Yingxue and saw her sigh slightly. ¡°There is no other way.¡± ¡°The qualifying match might be important, but you don¡¯t have to think too much about it.¡± Chen An made a rough calculation. Lin Yingxue had just passed 400 points. If she gave up this battle, it would be regarded as a failure, and many points would be deducted. She would be back to a three-star Beast Tamer. Lin Yingxue got up and left; her frustration was all written on her back. She was destined to miss the battle she had been looking forward to. ¡°Have you noticed?¡± Chen An started whispering. ¡°It seems that someone has been following us all the time.¡± Lin Yingxue frowned, turned around, and said unceremoniously, ¡°Hey, if you continue to follow me, don¡¯t blame me for being impolite.¡± Not far behind them, a man was squinting and smiling. Chen An had no idea how long this man had been following them. He had just found out about him. Lin Yingxue put her hand at her waist. ¡°I warn you not to follow us anymore.¡± She had beaten up many lecherous men who had been following her. Hence, she did not mind beating up one more person like him. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I just want to ask this man a question.¡± The man walked toward Chen An. ¡°When will you start to auction your item? I have waited throughout the entire auction. I don¡¯t understand why you didn¡¯t auction your item!?¡± ¡°My item?¡± In addition to buying, there were also sellers who came to the auction to sell their items. But today, he did not intend to sell anything, and he did not bring anything with him. This person might have made a mistake. ¡°You must be putting it aside just to wait for the right price. Just name the price. I won¡¯t bargain. I will give you as much as you ask for.¡± The man sounded as if he did not care about the price. Chen An really did not understand what valuable things he had with him that made the man ask brazenly for it. ¡°I really don¡¯t have anything to auction today. We are here to buy goods.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Realization suddenly dawned upon the man. ¡°It seems that you really don¡¯t know.¡± He stretched out his arms in mid-air in front of Chen An. The Evening Moon Vine on Chen An¡¯s little finger moved restlessly, protruding new shoots, and pulled out a long vine. It actually crawled off Chen An¡¯s little finger and entangled onto the man¡¯s arm. ¡°Sure enough, it is Evening Moon Vine. It is rare, so rare!¡± The man was ecstatic, and he studied Evening Moon Vine carefully. Chen An immediately felt that this person should not be underestimated. The system had added affinity to himself before, so beasts would not take the initiative to attack him. However, the person in front of him could actively get close to plant-based beasts. He must be accomplished in taming plant-based beasts. ¡°You don¡¯t understand the true value of Evening Moon Vine, so it¡¯s better to sell it to me. No matter how much you ask for, I will buy it right away.¡± The man looked at the Evening Moon Vine intently and did not seem interested in speaking to Chen An. Chen An launched the system. In the beasts index where the unlocked Evening Moon Vine was, it was written that this plant-based beast had many areas to grow and develop. It could break through the Level 100 upper limit of ordinary beasts, and it had a natural skill, Growth. After the skill was used, it could grow to a gigantic size in a short time. After reading the index carefully, Chen An knew that the Evening Moon Vine was indeed very powerful, but it was not as exaggerated as what that person made it to be, saying that he ¡°¡­don¡¯t understand the true value¡­¡±. Or was there anything special about this kind of plant-based beast that he was unaware of? ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll say it one last time, don¡¯t follow us anymore.¡± Lin Yingxue pulled Chen An and was about to leave, without even paying attention to the man. ¡°Oh yeah. What you want may not be money.¡± The man hurriedly stopped Chen An and took out a small box from his clothes. ¡°Is this what you need?¡± A spirit core was lying quietly inside the box. Chen An had the system with him, and it immediately reacted. This was a spirit core with a high-grade agility attribute, as well as a passive attribute. It was exactly what Lin Yingxue needed most! Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Chen An¡¯s expression turned serious. This man knew what they needed most, meaning that he had been tailing them for a long time and paying special attention to him. Was it for the sake of the Evening Moon Vine? ¡°Interesting. Do you think you can trade with me that easily? Let me tell you. I don¡¯t care about it,¡± Lin Yingxue said arrogantly. ¡°Do you think that we will go home empty-handed after the auction? Or that we can¡¯t afford to buy the items?¡± That man was still smiling. ¡°I¡¯m telling you. To me, even the most expensive item transacted in this kind of lousy auction is trash. I can get anything that I want or set my eyes on.¡± Chen An held back his smile at Lin Yingxue¡¯s willful attitude. ¡°It seems that you can¡¯t tell what good stuff is. I hope you will give it a good consideration,¡± the man said. Then he handed the box in his hands to Lin Yingxue. As soon as Wu Wu came in touch with the high-grade spirit core with agility attributes, it started to become restless. Lin Yingxue was shocked by Wu Wu¡¯s reaction. Wu Wu had always been very docile and had a calm demeanor in every encounter. It had not behaved in this way before. Wu Wu looked as if it could not wait to jump out of her arms and then pounce into the hands of that man. ¡°Your beast knows better than you.¡± The man smiled complacently. Lin Yingxue was totally embarrassed by Wu Wu¡¯s response. Why was it that useless? She had been giving it the best in everything. Yet, it embarrassed her because of a spirit core. Lin Yingxue could not figure it out. ¡°I just wish that you guys can accept the transaction that I suggested. Each of us will get what we want.¡± That man sounded very confident. The atmosphere was quite awkward. In particular, Lin Yingxue¡¯s expression was a tell-all. ¡°Cough¡­¡± Chen An coughed twice. ¡°There have to be two willing parties in a transaction. We can¡¯t force anyone to buy or sell, right?¡± That man was anxious now. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Actually, you don¡¯t have the Beast Tamer bloodline, right? Although I don¡¯t know the reason why the Evening Moon Vine is attached to you, its true power will only be unleashed if I use it.¡± Chen An wore a serious and grave expression. This man could actually tell at one glance that he did not have a bloodline. ¡°How about it? Let¡¯s agree to this.¡± That man was very confident about the conditions that he had proposed. There was no reason for Chen An to reject him. However, in the next moment, Chen An turned around and left. Further, he had Lin Yingxue with him. She was not someone who would bow down for the sake of something. She would not mind even if they were to risk entering the Fierce Beasts Forest again. That man was left behind and stood in a daze for a long time. His hands were still raised in the air and holding onto the box, not knowing whether to hand it to them or put it away. He could only mutter to himself, ¡°This is impossible.¡± There was absolutely no reason for them to reject him. Just as Chen An took a few steps, the Evening Moon Vine crept down from his arm and shrunk into its grass form once again, entwining Chen An¡¯s thumb. ¡°Don¡¯t leave, we can negotiate again.¡± That man chased after them. His tone softened, and he did not sound that arrogant anymore. ¡°My name is Liu Ran. We can be friends. Don¡¯t be in a hurry to go.¡± Chen An felt that this man was pestering him like a plaster. He behaved as if he must take the Evening Moon Vine away from him. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you my name. We¡¯re buddies henceforth. Buddy, your girlfriend¡¯s beast needs a spirit core. Aren¡¯t you going to help?¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s face reddened upon hearing his words. ¡°What girlfriend? Don¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. I know. Girls are shy. Buddy, you have to help her. I¡¯m already that sincere. Can you exchange it with me, please?¡± Chen An could not be bothered with him. If this man had spoken to him politely earlier, he might have acceded to his request. After all, he was not persistent about keeping the Evening Moon Vine. He had already attained the Evening Moon Vine¡¯s index. If he were to keep it, he would have to constantly nurture and grow it, as well as find a spirit core and skills book for it. His hands were already full with one Dou Buxiang. ¡°What about this? I¡¯ll give you some more items. What else do you need? I can give them to you so long as I have them.¡± Chen An shook his head as it was unnecessary. He had the feeling that a salesman hounded him. ¡°Well, I have a high-grade beast skills book called ¡°Slow-up Stab¡±. Once the opponent is attacked, be it a Beast Tamer or beast, their movement will slow down dramatically.¡± When Liu Ran took out the skills book, he looked as if he was cutting off a piece of his flesh. Chen An was very curious. Earlier on, the man had said he did not care about the money. Now, he looked like he was feeling the pinch to part with a skills book. Could this skills book be a priceless treasure? [The Skills Book System has been launched. Identification is completed.] The function of the skill was as per what Liu Ran had said. The so-called slowing down of movements was, in fact, to reduce the speed by 50%. That was quite a substantial amount. The system identified another compatibility function. When the skill was paired with other kinds of controlling skills, there would be other effects. This was what made Chen An¡¯s eyes shine as he had attained some skills after defeating the Stone Mythical Snake. If he were to use both kinds of skills simultaneously, he wondered what the effect would be. As soon as Chen An hesitated, Liu Ran immediately approached him with a smile. He tucked the spirit core and skills book into Chen An¡¯s hands. ¡°You¡¯re not making a loss, really. You¡¯ve gotten a great bargain, but you¡¯re still hesitating.¡± ¡°I can give it to you on one condition. If you abandon this plant-based beast, I will come and defeat you personally and take it back.¡± Chen An wanted the man to agree on this as he remembered Dou Buxiang¡¯s previous sorry plight. Liu Ran was stunned that Chen An would propose such a condition. ¡°Okay. Be rest assured.¡± Usually, those without a beast-taming bloodline would either hurry to avoid the way of Beast Tamers or tremble with fear at the sight of the latter. Liu Ran had never met someone as special as Chen An. After Chen An took the spirit core, he handed it to Lin Yingxue. Wu Wu anxiously pounced on the spirit core. ¡°This little one¡­¡± Lin Yingxue patted its head lightly and lowered her head. It was uncertain if she was looking at Wu Wu or feeling too embarrassed to look up, lest Chen An discovered her blushing face. ¡°You and your girlfriend are very loving. This is a high-grade spirit core, and you gave it away just like that,¡± Liu Ran marveled. He put out his hand at the same time. It was obvious what he was asking for. Chen An moved his little finger and swung the Evening Moon Vine. The Evening Moon Vine was very intelligent, so it detached itself and crept to the man. ¡°Alright, your name is Chen An, right? I¡¯ve said that we are good buddies. Don¡¯t forget that. We will certainly meet again. I¡¯ll make a move first.¡± Liu Ran held the Evening Moon Vine and left happily. He had already achieved his goal, after all. Chen An felt helpless. Good buddies? Well, this is your one-sided thinking, he thought. ¡°That man is very annoying.¡± This was Lin Yingxue¡¯s assessment of him. ¡°Yes.¡± Chen An nodded. Nevertheless, it was fortunate that he had delivered the high-grade spirit core to their doorstep. Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Arena No. 714. The audience¡¯s clamor could already be heard from outside the arena, not to mention that they were inside it. The competition was at its climax, and the audience¡¯s deafening noises also swayed Chen An¡¯s mood. In the arena, the outcome of the match was already known. The victor and his beast were enjoying the cheers from the audience. On the other hand, the defeated party was carrying his beast, covered in injuries, in his arms. Some people were helping them down the arena. The next match was Lin Yingxue¡¯s turn. Someone said behind Chen An, ¡°Do you guys know that the lady joining the next match had defeated Wang Wang before?¡± ¡°She fought with Wang Wang before? What a poor thing. Who doesn¡¯t know that Wang Wang is an old rascal who likes to take advantage of girls?¡± ¡°No, no. That girl is quite formidable. She hadn¡¯t been taken advantage of. She taught Wang Wang¡¯s Evil Grimsteel Dog a hard lesson, and the dog was almost thrown out of the arena.¡± The group broke into scornful laughter, and Chen An could barely hide his smile. A golden-red figure leaped into the arena. The bright demeanor captured the attention of the audience. Qian Zhan was Lin Yingxue¡¯s opponent. His beast was called Purple Lightning Sable. [The Taming System has been launched.] Chen An used the system to read through Purple Lightning Sable¡¯s information, and he silently heaved a sigh of relief. He leaned backward on the chair, looking relaxed as he watched Lin Yingxue¡¯s movements in the arena. As soon as the competition started, Lin Yingxue launched a vigorous attack on her opponent. It seemed that she had realized the importance of making the first attack during the match with Wang Wang. She no longer waited for the other party to strike and then find the chance to retaliate later. Evidently, the other party did not expect the harmless-looking girl¡¯s attack to be that aggressive. Qian Zhan was caught off guard right from the start. Wu Wu kicked him in the chin, and he grimaced in pain, backing off continuously. The audience was roused. ¡°Qian Zhan is also a four-star Beast Tamer. He is at a disadvantage that soon?¡± ¡°That girl has already accumulated enough points to be a four-star Beast Tamer. It¡¯s hard to tell who will win this match.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I think that girl will win for sure.¡± Lin Yingxue had gained the upper hand, but she did not cease her moves. She immediately changed the direction of the attack and closed in on Qian Zhan. Seeing that he was about to be beaten off the arena, Qian Zhan hurriedly summoned his Purple Lightning Sable to counterattack Lin Yingxue. ¡°You¡¯re a lady. Why are you that aggressive in your moves? Don¡¯t blame me for making you suffer then.¡± The Purple Lightning Sable was a medium-grade beast and quite petite. It had fully unleashed the merit of a small-sized beast. It was extremely agile, and its combat speed was much faster than Wu Wu¡¯s. It also had the talent skill, Purple Lightning, which could be released within a short distance. Once it hit the other party, strong electric currents would land the other party in extreme pain. Those whose defending skills were poor might feel numb and become immobilized. Lin Yingxue continued to attack vigorously. She was closing in on Qian Zhan, so this was the best time for the Purple Lightning Sable to attack. The Purple Lightning Sable followed Qian Zhan¡¯s order and pounced on Lin Yingxue. Its body was shrouded with dense purple lights. Faraway, the audience could also hear the buzzing sound of electric currents. Lin Yingxue could no longer retract her move, so the audience held their breaths. ¡°It¡¯s a goner. She¡¯s going to be burnt by electricity now. Believe it or not? The Purple Lightning Sable¡¯s electric current is not something to be trifled with.¡± ¡°She was too anxious and did not have a back-up plan. She deserves it.¡± Lin Yingxue was about to reach the Purple Lightning Sable. She was only an inch from it. Suddenly, Wu Wu jumped out, landed between Lin Yingxue and the Purple Lightning Sable, and used a golden, thin thread to form a fine mesh. Lin Yingxue grabbed the mesh and turned around with might. Then, she leaped across the Purple Lightning Sable and landed on the ground steadily. On her side, the golden pattern on her arms swirled as she flung the mesh toward Qian Zhan. Qian Zhan was already forced to the edge of the arena and had no room to retreat further. He had no choice but to allow himself to be wrapped tightly by that piece of mesh. Qian Zhan tried hard to free himself. He was leaning his body forward, trying his best to stop himself from falling off the arena, while summoning his Purple Lightning Sable. Chen An cupped his head. He knew that the battle was about to end. According to the system, the Purple Lightning Sable only had one skill chamber. The only skills book assembled in it could momentarily increase its power by three seconds. Although the duration was very short, the increase in power was substantial. It was no wonder that Qian Zhan would choose this book. However, this kind of skill had a fatal shortcoming. If the aim was off and could not hit the opponent, it would be a wasted blow. It was a critical juncture for Qian Zhan now as he was about to be defeated. Undoubtedly, he would instruct his Purple Lightning Sable to use this skill. Then, it would depend on whether Lin Yingxue could dodge the attack. As expected, in the arena, the Purple Lightning Sable rolled itself into a ball and charged toward Lin Yingxue at lighting speed. Wu Wu leaped to Lin Yingxue¡¯s side, and the golden patterns on its forehead appeared again. Bang¡ª There was a low and deafening sound. Lin Yingxue and Wu Wu turned around simultaneously. She was still holding the golden mesh in her hands. It was uncertain if this was done on purpose, but the Purple Lightning Sable¡¯s strike, which carried all its strength, had coincidentally hit the mesh. This surge of power circulated in Lin Yingxue¡¯s hands, and she recycled it for her own use. She utilized the power and threw out the mesh in her hands. Qian Zhan had not freed himself in time. Under the entire audience¡¯s gaze, he was flung high into the air, from one end to the opposite end of the arena. He slumped against the edge of the arena, struggled, and wriggled twice like a worm. At last, he fell off the arena. The battle ended, and Lin Yingxue claimed victory¡ªan almost instantaneous one. The audience clamored. ¡°Oh no. Is Qian Zhan that down on his luck?¡± ¡°The Purple Lightning Sable is such a flop. It ended up making its master lose with that skill which increased power.¡± ¡°Is there such a thing? My horizons have been widened. Qian Zhan is going to be a laughing stock henceforth!¡± Chen An finally figured out their conversation. These people believed that Lin Yingxue could win the match because of a hiccup in the Purple Lightning Sable and Qian Zhan¡¯s collaboration, and this resulted in Qian Zhan¡¯s defeat. The chemistry between the beast and the Beast Tamer was the most important necessary foundation. It would be a joke if they could commit such mistakes. However, Chen An disagreed with them. Qian Zhan was a four-star Beast Tamer, and he was quite powerful. He suffered a miserable defeat because Lin Yingxue¡¯s competency was a notch above his. Wu Wu had been given a new spirit core and had shown an obvious improvement in its combat power. The golden mesh had also been used to deal with Wang Wang before. At that time, Wang Wang had freed himself from it easily. But a while ago, the mesh had managed to totally trap Qian Zhan. Obviously, this was a marked improvement. In addition, Lin Yingxue had excellent combat tactics. Using the Purple Lightning Sable¡¯s power to throw Qian Zhan out of the arena was all part of her combat strategy. True enough, joining more combats and accumulating experience was an ideal way to develop a Beast Tamer. ¡°Why are you staring into space? Let¡¯s leave quickly. Or do you want to watch the next match?¡± In the blink of an eye, Lin Yingxue, who was in the arena moments ago, was already standing in front of him. Everyone else cast sideways glances at them, and they could not stop staring at Lin Yingxue¡¯s face. They were seated far away and could only catch a clear glimpse of Lin Yingxue¡¯s moves during the combat earlier. They were surprised that, at close-up, she was, in fact, a great beauty with a pretty face. ¡°She¡¯s the girl who competed in the match just now. Do they know each other?¡± Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A group of people whispered, watching Chen An stand up and walk out of the arena side by side with Lin Yingxue. They could only exclaim, ¡°I can¡¯t tell at all.¡± After Lin Yingxue won the qualifying match, she was ready to leave. ¡°According to the regulations, I must complete the star certification. Otherwise, I cannot continue to participate in the competition with my current points, and I will be considered as maliciously accumulating points.¡± Chen An nodded, understanding her meaning. The so-called star certification meant that when the points were higher or lower than the point range of the current star level, one had to go to the Beast Tamer Association for certification. One must officially advance to another level or go a few levels down. There was no hurry to obtain the certification. Even if a certain amount exceeded the points, there would be no impact. However, if it was too high or too low, and one still did not go for certification, the Beast Tamer Association Association would issue a warning. If it was serious, one would completely lose one¡¯s qualification as a Beast Tamer. After Lin Yingxue won the previous match, she gained a lot of points because of her quick victory. She had 445 points, which had already exceeded the range by a lot. It was time to go for formal certification. ¡°I will be away for a while, and we will meet again in the future.¡± Chen An laughed out loud. ¡°Why do you say the same words as Liu Ran? Why are you so confident that we will definitely meet again?¡± ¡°Our common goal is to become excellent Beast Tamers. This road is as narrow as a single-plank bridge. There is bound to be a chance to meet again.¡± Lin Yingxue smiled slightly, and her eyes turned into crescents. But after a while, she suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you have forgotten about it?¡± ¡°What have I forgotten?¡± ¡°Sure enough, you have forgotten about it!¡± Lin Yingxue emphasized carefully. ¡°Back when we were in the Fierce Beasts Forest, we previously agreed on going to the beast tamer college!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Chen An suddenly remembered. ¡°That De something College?¡± ¡°De Yuan, De Yuan College.¡± Lin Yingxue gritted her teeth, enunciating every word. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the entrance examination will be in a few days, and you must sit for the exam.¡± They had no idea what one learned in a beast tamer college. Chen An was interested and readily agreed. ¡°Okay!¡± After Lin Yingxue left, the promise aside, Chen An searched for related information and realized how troublesome it was to enroll in De Yuan College. It was indeed the most powerful beast tamer college in this world. Among all the information that could be found, as well as the many famous Beast Tamers who he could name, all of them were from De Yuan College. The college was far superior to other colleges in terms of teachers, resources, and qualifications. Of course, the requirements for entry were much more demanding than other colleges. For example, with regards to the written exam, other colleges did not require students to take one at all. They would engage in actual combat, and the best students would be selected based on actual combat performance. ¡°No way, I have already agreed. If I back out, wouldn¡¯t I be a coward?¡± Since he had agreed with Lin Yingxue, he could not go back on his words. Fortunately, he had an all-rounded system. As long as it was related to beast taming, the system would provide all information for him. He launched the system, and the complicated content appeared before him. ¡°What are the talent skills of the White Heart Elephant?¡± Chen An lay on the sofa, muttering to himself, ¡°Well¡­ Thousand Pounds Crush. One foot is enough to crush whatever is underneath. Immense power will be added, and the aftermath will cause a small range of secondary damage. ¡°What is the most suitable spirit core for the Milky Way Bird?¡± After thinking about it again, he found the answer. ¡°A spirit core with water attribute.¡± He was not muttering nonsense. These were all the topics that De Yuan College had tested over the years. For Chen An, this was like an open-book exam, but he needed to constantly search for answers through the system in his mind. Although the difficulty was greatly reduced, it was better to practice in advance to avoid any unexpected problems. In just two days, Chen An launched various systems, and he became more and more familiar with them. There were so many weird and strange things in this huge beast-taming world. If he were lucky enough to collect all the beasts, how good would it be? By the way, there were spirit cores and skills books! In the future, when he was in battle, it would be nice if he could launch the index and use whatever was inside the index! While thinking about it, he arrived at De Yuan College examination grounds. There was already a large group of people outside. He looked at the group of people, and all of them had dark eye circles. One look, and he could tell they had stayed up late to figure out a way to cram brains. De Yuan College deserved to be the best college. The written exam was held in a grand place, and the environment was spacious. Many people had turned up as well. The written exam process was the same as before he had transmigrated, except there was one more test to check that they had not brought any beasts into the venue. This might be so to prevent anyone from using beasts with special skills to cheat in the exam. When Chen An was being checked, the other party showed a confused look. Nonetheless, since the examination room was quiet and serious, the other party did not say much. Chen An did not say a word either. Perhaps the other party had not seen anyone who had no bloodline and no portable chamber ever participate in De Yuan College¡¯s examination. The papers were distributed, and the pages were full of questions. If it was in the past, he would have a terrible headache. But it was different now as all the questions were revolved around the beasts. They were not boring but fascinating. For example, this question said, ¡°After the beast uses the skills book, can the master use the skills learned?¡± The answer was no. However, this was just the answer. This was the perception of most people. They all felt that humans could not use the beasts¡¯ skills. While fighting together with the beasts, the only way was for the Beast Tamer to strengthen their physical fitness and cooperate with the beasts. But if one could go beyond this limit and integrate one¡¯s beast¡¯s skills, they would be invincible. Chen An answered the questions one by one. The examinees scratched their heads, thinking hard about the answers, while Chen An easily finished the papers way before the stated time. It was boring to stay in the venue, so it was better to leave early. Thus, Chen An handed in the papers and ended the written exam. When leaving, the person at the door glanced at him again. He was probably still thinking about his bloodline. Since he finished the test way earlier than others, Chen An thought that there should be no one outside. But as soon as he walked out, a few people passed by in groups, talking and laughing while walking. Chen An speculated they were also very good at taking exams, and hence they were so confident. ¡°De Yuan is too much. We don¡¯t care about the written exam that they come up with.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Just let those weaklings sit for the exam and fight for a spot. They are worried about doing poorly in actual combat, so they have to rely on written exams to make up for their points.¡± ¡°Hahaha, let¡¯s take a good look. Let¡¯s see which nerd ranks first in this year¡¯s written exam. The person who ranked first in the written exam last year was so scared in actual combat that he peed in the pants. Tell me, how do you think this kind of person is worthy of entering De Yuan?¡± Several people laughed and went away. Chen An was shocked. It turned out that people who did well in the written exam would not be the envy of others. Instead, they would be looked down upon. This was too miserable¡­ Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After listening to their conversation, Chen An did not know if he should hope for good results in the written exam or not. Nonetheless, whether he expected it or not, it would not affect the result. When the results were announced, they also revealed the first round of actual combat assessment grouping. Unsurprisingly, the person who ranked first and scored full marks in the written exam was indeed very advantageous and would attract everyone¡¯s attention. The person was destined to be the center of attention in the subsequent exams. It was just that one still could not tell what kind of attention the person would receive¡­ According to the grouping, different people were required to cooperate together in the first round of actual combat assessment. That was to say it would be team battles. Chen An was assigned to Group 12. He found the place marked with the number 12. Before he went in, he already heard voices inside. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? The big fool who ranked first in the written exam is in our group.¡± ¡°Really?¡± another person asked cowardly. ¡°I¡¯ve inquired about it, it¡¯s true. Why are we so unlucky? We are being teamed up with him. I heard that it is a team battle. I will say it in advance. I don¡¯t want to be dragged down. You can do what you deem fit then.¡± Chen An smiled. That was right¡ªthe so-called big fool was referring to him. This was a three-person team battle, and the other two were his teammates. After confirming that this was his team, Chen An walked over. One of them looked very imposing. He exuded an air of arrogance just by standing there. As for the other person, he looked like a yes-man, cowering in the corner. ¡°Are you Chen An? I am Wang Zhi. Bear this in mind, don¡¯t hinder me later.¡± This round of assessment was said to be a team battle. In fact, it was merely because too many people applied for De Yuan College every year. The college thought of using the three-on-three team battle as a way to filter out those who were weak. In team battles, winning or losing was not important at all. The important thing was one¡¯s performance. As long as the examiner could see an examinee¡¯s capability, they could pass and enter the second round of actual combat assessment. To put it bluntly, the examinees had to display their skills. The first few team battles were over. In a game, there were a total of six people from both sides. People could only remember one or two of the contestants. No one cared about the result of the match. They just kept discussing who was bound to stay and who was destined to be eliminated in the match. There were a few solemn-looking people near the competition stage¡ªthey were all teachers from De Yuan College. They watched the game closely, noting down the few malleable talents who performed well. The chief examiner announced the next round of games. ¡°Group 12, Wang Zhi, Li Danming, Chen An.¡± Then, he called Group 13 and the three people within the group. Wang Zhi was the first to stand up, and he looked very excited. ¡°It¡¯s our turn. Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s time for me to display my skills!¡± Before he went onto the competition stage, he kept repeating himself, telling them not to hinder him. ¡°As long as both of you don¡¯t get in the way, there is no way that I will fail the first round of assessment. I will absolutely pass the exam!¡± Chen An felt that one should not speak in absolute terms. Battles of this kind involved a large number of people, and they were clueless about the participating beasts. The variables were too many, meaning there was no such thing as ¡°absolute¡±. The examiners, and others who came to participate in the examination, watched them from a short distance away. Six people went onto the stage one by one, and the beast battle began. [The Taming System has been launched. Identifying¡­] The three people on the opposite side all have one portable chamber each¡ªthat was to say they had a total of three beasts. Boulder Flower was a medium-grade Combat Beast, with its own talent skills. Boulder: After active activation, it would form a flower-shaped barrier, where the defensive power decreased from inside out. The edge was the weakest and the center the strongest. It was embedded with a medium-grade defense spirit core and had a low-grade skills book with it. During defense deployment, if one encountered powerful attacks, it would automatically counterattack. Silver-Feathered Eagle, a low-grade beast with no talent skills. It was embedded with a medium-grade agility attribute spirit core. It had a medium-grade skills book, whereby each attack would slightly strengthen the attacking power, and at the same time, one would only suffer half of the damage. Spirit Rainbow Deer, a low-grade beast with the talent skill, Flying Rainbow. It could be randomly triggered in battles, resulting in small healing effects on oneself. There was a possibility of healing other designated beasts. It was embedded with a low-grade defense spirit core. It did not have a skill chamber and could not contain any skills book. After reading the information on the three beasts, Chen An¡¯s first reaction was feeling tempted. These three pets were too interesting, so he must defeat them and get their indexes! His second reaction was to calm down. Although the three pets were indeed not very powerful, things would be tricky when they combined and cooperated. One was very impulsive among his two teammates, as if rushing to reincarnate, while the other was a coward who wished for nothing but shiver in a corner. They were useless. If he wanted to win, he must come up with a good strategy. ¡°I will show you the way!¡± Wang Zhi rushed out and instantly summoned his beast, which was a Combat Beast wrapped in flames, with a roar. The other party waited. The Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s master was a girl. Seeing that Wang Zhi rushed at them, she immediately jumped onto the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s back, and the little deer jumped to hide at the back. A rainbow halo appeared on the antlers, and the remaining two Combat Beasts were also enveloped in the rainbow colors. This was the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s healing effect. Wang Zhi was utterly clueless, and he just rushed forward. The other opponent was a 5.3 feet tall man. He went forward and released his beast, the Boulder Flower. The flower shield was opened, and it was bigger than Chen An had imagined. The shadow cast by the light could completely cover Wang Zhi. If Wang Zhi ran into it, the outcome would be obvious. However, Wang Zhi did not seem to be turning back. He stubbornly insisted on his own ideas and was about to hit into it. Chen An immediately stopped him. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t hit into it.¡± Since the Boulder Flower carried a skills book with it, only one outcome would await whoever knocked into it. Before Chen An could figure it out, Wang Zhi had already demonstrated to everyone clearly. He hit the very center of the Boulder Flower¡¯s shield, triggering the opponent¡¯s skills book. The flower shield automatically counterattacked, closing quickly and wrapping him completely. Then the flower branch raised Wang Zhi in mid-air. The examiner by the side sighed and shook his head slightly. He was too impulsive, and this was not how a good Beast Tamer should behave. The other candidates could not help but laugh. Wang Zhi¡¯s situation was really funny. At the same time, under the Boulder Flower¡¯s protection, the Silver-Feathered Eagle¡¯s master also responded, releasing the beast, and the eagle hit the sky. Chen An¡¯s other teammate, Li Danming, was timid and fearful. He was even more afraid when he heard the Silver-Feathered Eagle¡¯s cries. He kept asking, ¡°What should we do, what should we do?¡± What else could they do? The current situation was completely in the hands of the opponents. If they did not fight back, they would lose right away. ¡°Dou Buxiang!¡± Chen An summoned his beast. A huge beast appeared in the battle, and roars that had never been heard before resounded everywhere. On its head, two majestic horns shone through, and the two rows of spikes on its back sent shivers down the audience¡¯s back. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As soon as Dou Buxiang appeared, it immediately attracted everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°What is this? We have never seen such a beast! Is this a Combat Beast as well?¡± ¡°I really haven¡¯t seen it before. It looks pretty majestic. It should be a very powerful beast, right?¡± ¡°Wow, such a powerful person. Fortunately, we are not up against him. Otherwise, we might not pass the team battle.¡± These people still did not know that Dou Buxiang had just been a stray beast that no one wanted before this. It was a Combat Beast that was considered to be the worst of all as it had no skills book or talent. However, in Chen An¡¯s hands, it had absorbed six spirit cores, and its attributes had increased tremendously. Even if Wang Zhi¡¯s beast had the best spirit core attribute in this team battle and used high-grade fire-attribute offensive spirit cores, its attributes could not be compared to Dou Buxiang¡¯s. Chen An had also integrated a beast index for it. Presently, not only could it use the skills of the Light Cone Fox and Stone Mythical Snake, but it also had the characteristics of these two beasts. The two newly grown horns on its head were glowing, and they could instantly release the Light Cone Fox¡¯s skills. It was much stronger than the Light Cone Fox that must be prepped before one could use it. The two rows of spikes on its back came from the Stone Mythical Snake. If one touched those spikes, it would cause real damage. No matter where one was, people were used to judging others by appearance. The changes in Dou Buxiang¡¯s appearance made it no longer the stray beast that it used to be. It was currently the powerful Combat Beast that everyone talked about. Greed and possessiveness could be seen in the eyes of those people who were staring at Dou Buxiang. However, it was too late. Dou Buxiang had already identified Chen An as its master. Even if Chen An had no bloodline and no portable beast chamber, they made the perfect match of Combat Beast and Beast Tamer. The little girl, the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s master, exclaimed, ¡°Be careful!¡± Under the Boulder Flower¡¯s cover, the Silver-Feathered Eagle was ready to launch an attack. After hovering high in the sky for a while, it was ready to dive down¡ªthe goal was Chen An. The other party could already tell that Li Danming was a weakling as he was too timid to take the initiative to attack. Now that the Boulder Flower trapped Wang Zhi, they would be in control if they defeated Chen An. The Silver-Feathered Eagle launched a skill in the air. It seemed to be preparing to land a fatal blow. Chen An raised his head slightly and looked at the sharp eagle beak. He estimated that the damage might be serious, and there was no need to face it head-on. ¡°Dou Buxiang, withdraw!¡± Dou Buxiang was very obedient and quickly darted behind Chen An. The Silver-Feathered Eagle¡¯s master would not give up. He immediately attacked Chen An, thinking of trapping him and creating the best timing for his Silver-Feathered Eagle to attack. A strong force charged toward Chen An, and he dodged sideways, while Dou Buxiang blocked in front of Chen An. At that moment, the Silver-Feathered Eagle suddenly rushed down. It was getting closer to Dou Buxiang and was about to smash onto it. Chen An looked behind him, where the Boulder Flower¡¯s master was guarding. The present situation was two against one, and there was no way to retreat. Since he could not dodge anymore, he had to fight head-on. ¡°Light Cone!¡± Chen An yelled his command. The double horns on Dou Buxiang¡¯s head immediately lit up, shooting out a bright beam of light. The Silver-Feathered Eagle was swift, and coupled with an addition of skills, although it could not completely dodge the attack, it still directed part of the damage toward Dou Buxiang. Dou Buxiang whined, but the damage was not serious. As for the Silver-Feathered Eagle, in addition to being injured by Dou Buxiang, there was also the damage caused by the effects of using its skills to launch an attack. This kind of skills book might be able to hurt the enemy, but one would sustain injuries as well. If this was not utilized well, it would only be a burden to oneself. It seemed that the Silver-Feathered Eagle¡¯s master did not have a good ability. The Spirit Rainbow Deer hurriedly jumped over, the antlers moving slightly, and a rainbow light appeared, wrapping around the Silver-Feathered Eagle. ¡°Retreat!¡± The Boulder Flower¡¯s master was anxious. After all, the two of them were too close to Chen An. If Chen An launched an attack at this time, their situation would become very dangerous. The Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s master, a little girl with a round face, blinked at Chen An. She brought the Silver-Feathered Eagle with her as she rode the deer and hopped far away. Although Chen An would throw a game according to situations, he would not show mercy. She might be adorable, but it would not be worthwhile if he failed because he underestimated the opponents. Dou Buxiang charged toward the hopping deer. The Spirit Rainbow Deer was terribly scared, and its antlers flashed with rainbow light. Unfortunately, apart from the tiny amount of healing power, there was no attacking effect. Upon seeing that the situation was not in their favor, the Boulder Flower¡¯s master immediately retracted his plant-based beast. Wang Zhi was released, and the Boulder Flower shield was launched once again, blocking Dou Buxiang. This was so to protect the Spirit Rainbow Deer and Silver-Feathered Eagle. But at this time, a beast rushed out and hit the Boulder Flower. Unlike Wang Zhi, who had attacked the flower shield¡¯s center, the beast cleverly attacked the edge. The defensive ability at the Boulder Flower¡¯s edge was the weakest, and it could not trigger a counterattack. They could only watch helplessly as the flower shield broke, revealing a large hole for Dou Buxiang to pass through. Chen An looked at Li Danming, who had finally decided to release his beast. It was a medium-grade beast, Armor-Piercing Beast. Its talent skill was Armor-Piercing. When fighting and being defensive, its armor-piercing ability would double. However, the Boulder Flower was not weak either. With a single hit on the edge of the flower shield, the Armor-Piercing Beast became dizzy and stumbled to the ground. Dou Buxiang charged forward, and Chen An followed thereafter. The people watching the battle by the side exclaimed, ¡°Gosh, one person is chasing after three people? Is this guy crazy?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use of him chasing them? Ain¡¯t he worried the three of them would kill him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that he has other new skills.¡± Regardless of whether they believed it or not, in the next second, Chen An caught up with the Spirit Rainbow Deer and pulled one of its antlers. The Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s master was scared stiff, and her adorable face turned pale with fright. Chen An exerted force with his wrist and forcefully slammed the leaping deer directly to the ground. The Silver-Feathered Eagle that it carried with it came crashing down as well. The Silver-Feathered Eagle flopped, trying to fly again. However, Dou Buxiang charged forward, closing in step by step. When it approached, the spikes behind it exuded strange power. The Silver-Feathered Eagle could no longer soar¡ªit seemed to be frozen. Immediately afterward, the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s antlers became gray like a stone. There was no more flashing of the rainbow light. ¡°What is this?¡± exclaimed the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s master. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just being petrified.¡± This was a skill acquired through the Stone Mythical Snake¡¯s integration. It could result in a short period of petrification to a Combat Beast at close range. Chen An looked at the situation with satisfaction. The Boulder Flower shield was shattered, the Silver-Feathered Eagle could not fly, and the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s antlers were sealed. They were defeated! ¡°W-we give up!¡± The Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s master lowered her head and accepted failure. If the battle continued on, it would only bring more damage to the Combat Beasts. ¡°The assessment is over. Group 12 and Group 13 can leave the stage.¡± Next, it was time for the teachers to deliver their feedback. Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this time, Chen An also heard a voice in his mind. [The Taming System has been launched. Congratulations to the host. Indexes obtained: Boulder Flower, Silver-Feathered Eagle, Spirit Rainbow Deer.] Great! He had obtained three indexes in one go! The index had obtained three more beasts, so Chen An was overjoyed. He had won the match, and everything had gone smoothly. Chen An suddenly felt that the so-called First Beast Tamer College was not so unattainable, after all. On the battle stage¡­ The Boulder Flower and Silver-Feathered Eagle suffered heavy injuries, and they looked downcast when they left the stage. Given the condition of their two Combat Beasts, if they did not change them, they would not be able to continue fighting even if they entered the next round of assessment. The Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s master lingered behind. She lowered her head and trailed after Chen An. Chen An turned around to check what was the matter. Her tone sounded worried. ¡°Can the antlers of my deer recover? Can you help me? It is so pitiful.¡± Chen An smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The petrification effect will only last for a while. Once the time is up, the antlers will recover, and the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s skills can be used as usual.¡± ¡°Really?¡± She raised her head in surprise, with tears in her eyes. Chen An nodded. This was just a team battle assessment, and all he wanted was to pass it smoothly. ¡°Thank you. I know my capability is weak. You are so powerful, and if it weren¡¯t for your reservations, my deer¡­¡± She looked worriedly at the Spirit Rainbow Deer¡¯s gray antlers. Chen An waved his hand and walked away indifferently. But before taking two steps, the cowardly Li Danming walked over, still holding a dazed Armor-Piercing Beast in his arms. It was a beast that was very similar to a pangolin, except that the carapace behind it was glowing in gold color, and the lines were more complicated. It looked more like a special totem. Li Danming stood in front of Chen An, stammering, unable to say a complete word. When he finally was about to speak, a sudden, loud howl echoed from the side. ¡°Impossible! I don¡¯t believe it! I was trapped by a broken flower as soon as I went up. My capability is obviously more than that. I am not convinced!¡± That was Wang Zhi. Although he was a man, he began howling like a woman in front of the crowd after getting off the stage. ¡°Teachers, please give me another chance. The team battle just now doesn¡¯t count! It was Chen An who deliberately asked me to go up first so that he could be in the limelight. This is unfair!¡± A group of people stopped Wang Zhi, and he was not given a chance to get close to the teachers. The teachers were used to seeing such situations. They could not be bothered to do anything. They continued to proceed with the next few groups of team battles in a calm manner. ¡°I¡¯m not convinced! It¡¯s Chen An! He has been behind us all the while. He waited until I was trapped to be in the limelight. This is unfair!¡± Wang Zhi had completely forgotten what he had been saying before the team competition started. There were a lot of discussions among the onlookers. Some people felt that as Wang Zhi did not perform in the team battle, he was worried that he would not pass the assessment, so he shouted to attract the attention of the teachers. Others said that it was Chen An¡¯s fault, deliberately cheating Wang Zhi. Chen An was indifferent to their discussions. However, the person who could not hold back turned out to be Li Danming. He stood up and explained in a weak, unmanly voice, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Wang Zhi¡¯s nonsense. He was the one who told us before the match not to hinder him. He was the one who rushed forward regardless of the situation. How could he blame Chen An for the mistake, it is really¡­¡± Li Danming did not have it easy either. He had a cowardly personality, but he still stood up for Chen An to explain the situation. His voice turned softer and softer, and no one could hear what he was saying in the end. Wang Zhiqi¡¯s face flushed with agitation. ¡°Li Danming, you merely followed what Chen An did and released a beast to join the fight. I don¡¯t believe that you will pass the assessment.¡± Before he could say anything, a charming female voice sounded. ¡°No matter what your level is, you can¡¯t become a student of De Yuan College with your yells and embarrassing antics.¡± The person was dressed in red, with a slender golden chain wrapped around her arms and her ankles. As she walked forward, there was a slight pleasant sound. She had red lips and an extremely charming face, which looked a bit like Lin Yingxue. The woman walked over, folded her arms, and said slowly, ¡°Li Danming, you have passed the team battle assessment.¡± ¡°How is it possible? He obviously didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Wang Zhi was still not convinced. ¡°Teacher, what you saw just now was Chen An¡¯s fault.¡± This woman was a teacher of the De Yuan College, Lin Xiaoxiao. ¡°There are only two people in Group 12 and Group 13 who did not pass the team battle assessment. One of them is you, and the other is the Silver-Feathered Eagle¡¯s master. The rest have all entered the next round, and they will have to go through one-on-one assessments.¡± Wang Zhi learned of his fate through Lin Xiaoxiao¡¯s statement. Wang Zhi was crestfallen, and he slumped on the ground. After a while, he propped up and got up. ¡°What a lousy De Yuan, I don¡¯t care for it! Let me tell you. Such a lousy college does not even check the candidates for bloodline. I won¡¯t join this college even if you beg me. I will join another college. You will regret not having me.¡± Every year, many people would get the cold shoulder at De Yuan College. However, Wang Zhi was the only one who was so blunt. Lin Xiaoxiao did not speak and just pointed to the door; her meaning was obvious. Wang Zhi continued to curse and was sent away. ¡°Go on, it¡¯s the next group¡¯s turn,¡± Lin Xiaoxiao said as she returned to her original position. When she passed by Chen An, her eyes slanted sideways. Chen An stared at her face. Her facial features were indistinguishable, but she did look like Lin Yingxue. He shook his head. It might just happen that they were both adorned in red and gold colors, and hence he had the impression that they looked similar. The team battle assessment was still ongoing, and Chen An was not in a hurry to leave. He stayed around to watch a few more matches. Li Danming had been following behind him, like a shadow. To be honest, Li Danming had a really bad personality. Chen An had never seen such a timid and fearful man. If he often spent time with such people, Chen An would definitely not be able to stand it. Nonetheless, he was able to act courageously at a critical moment. He had no idea whether it was good or bad. In the battle, he had been able to sense and judge the situation. His Combat Beast, Armor-Piercing Beast, was a good beast and quite powerful. If he could complete the one-on-one assessment and enter the academy, Chen An would not mind being friends with him. As for himself, he was looking forward to the one-on-one assessment. Judging from the other candidates¡¯ quality in the team battles and their Combat Beasts, they were not comparable to Dou Buxiang at all. After watching for a long time, he did not see anyone more powerful than him. If that was the case, he should be able to pass the one-on-one assessment easily. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After watching an endless number of team battles, Lin Xiaoxiao stood up and exercised her neck. A feeling of fatigue came over her, and she could not help but sigh. She would be exhausted to the bones every once in a year. As a De Yuan College teacher, she was always concerned about the annual enrollment. This was especially so in recent years. The quality of students had declined significantly, and the recruited students either had bad bloodlines, poor talents, or various other problems. They could not make it big. Lin Xiaoxiao had always been worried about this. That was why she would personally come here every year during the enrollment exam to recruit good students. Fortunately, all was not in vain. She finally saw a decent one this year. She was confident that if Chen An joined De Yuan, she could train him into an excellent Beast Tamer. Perhaps, there was no need for all this. He might not even need the college¡¯s or teachers¡¯ assistance, and he would be able to develop and grow at the fastest speed. At the thought of this, Lin Xiaoxiao¡¯s lips could not help but curl upward, silently repeating his name to herself. At the same time, she also made a decision. In any case, no matter what the price, she must get Chen An! She stretched, thinking that she could finally rest when a familiar person walked over. ¡°Teacher Lin, please go back to the college. De Yuan will hold a meeting to discuss this year¡¯s admissions.¡± As a tutor, the other party spoke in a very polite tone. However, Lin Xiaoxiao was accustomed to it. After all, there was still a difference between different teachers. ¡°What is the meeting about? This is the last step in the enrollment process. What else can we discuss?¡± All she had in her head right now was to recruit Chen An into De Yuan College quickly. She did not care about anything else. ¡°Let¡¯s go there. The meeting seems to be related to the person you¡¯ve been fancying¡­¡± Lin Xiaoxiao¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°It¡¯s really troublesome. Those old fogeys always like to trouble themselves with useless stuff.¡± The De Yuan College¡¯s interior was magnificent as every building was grand and imposing. Lin Xiaoxiao stepped into the conference room, lazily. The light inside was a little dim. There was a huge black round table in the center, and people were already sitting all around it. Others seemed dissatisfied with her late arrival. They coughed twice, urging her to take a seat as soon as possible. Lin Xiaoxiao stepped forward and walked to her place. A girl was standing behind the seat¡ªshe was in the same red dress and golden accessories as herself. ¡°Yingxue? Why did you come to such a dull and boring meeting?¡± Lin Xiaoxiao was surprised. Like herself, her little niece hated trouble the most and would rather not be there. Lin Yingxue nodded and greeted her. ¡°Auntie, I can¡¯t help but not come for what we are discussing today.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao understood right away, and she whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. These horrible old fogeys are simply not flexible. Stay here and keep silent.¡± At a glance, the people seated came from all departments. There were the tutors and management of De Yuan College, as well as people from the major Beast Tamer clans. ¡°The formation is very unusual. I would like to ask what is so important that makes everyone so interested?¡± Lin Xiaoxiao¡¯s charming voice echoed. ¡°You should be ashamed. If not for your clan that caused so many troubles, it wouldn¡¯t be so embarrassing now!¡± Lin Xiaoxiao was displeased, and she immediately rebutted, ¡°Why is it embarrassing? I don¡¯t feel embarrassed. Instead, we have a rare genius. I am very pleased.¡± The other party refused to give up. ¡°You call that a genius? That is obviously a good-for-nothing that has no bloodline!¡± ¡°Bloodline? What¡¯s the use of bloodline? There are so many students with good bloodlines in the college, and there is no lack of bad ones. You should be able to see for yourself.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao was telling the truth¡ªa bloodline was indeed very important in the choice of a Beast Tamer. She used to have this perception in the past, believing that people with good bloodlines would definitely have good talents. These people would improve faster than others through continuously working hard. However, after seeing Chen An, she did not think so anymore. ¡°Our De Yuan Academy is full of outstanding descendants of major clans, and there is a very small number of people who joined us and have good bloodlines and talents. Look at what you have done now. Due to your Glittering Fiery Feather clan¡¯s proposal, De Yuan College will have one more good-for-nothing. In the future, he will inevitably bring shame to the college!¡± Lin Xiaoxiao was unhappy upon hearing this. ¡°I think Yingxue¡¯s suggestion of not testing the bloodline is very good. Unlike some clans, they insist that they have good bloodlines and even sent one of them into the college. Presently, the said person is still among the bottom and couldn¡¯t even summon the family¡¯s Combat Beast.¡± The man was fuming. The descendant that Lin Xiaoxiao was talking about was from his clan. Nevertheless, he was helpless as she was telling the truth, and he could not rebut. The atmosphere became awkward. The person sitting at the highest position was the De Yuan College¡¯s dean. ¡°We originally thought that if we didn¡¯t test the bloodline, De Yuan would gain more respect and earn a good reputation for fairness and non-discrimination. We didn¡¯t expect that someone without a bloodline would enter the final assessment. It¡¯s indeed wrong!¡± The people in the conference room nodded and agreed. Bloodline testing had been the rule since ancient times. How could the rule change for one person? ¡°We have checked. Chen An¡¯s parents are indeed Beast Tamers. But he has not shown his bloodline, and he has only seen a sudden improvement in recent days. It must be due to cheating or some other indecent methods¡­¡± ¡°There is his beast, as well. We have never seen such a beast before, and it executed the skills of other beasts. He must have used some unknown means to achieve it.¡± ¡°If such a person is allowed to enter De Yuan, how will our college cultivate powerful Beast Tamers in the future?¡± The dean nodded, and everyone reached an agreement. Lin Yingxue hurried to speak but was stopped by Lin Xiaoxiao. ¡°If so, aren¡¯t you slapping yourself in the face? Previously, we said we would not test for bloodlines, but now we are going to drive him away because of his bloodline. Isn¡¯t that a joke?¡± The dean denied. ¡°No, we should not be blatant about this matter so as not to damage the reputation of the college.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao frowned. ¡°What does the dean mean?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have to concern ourselves over this. Naturally, Chen An should be eliminated as it should be.¡± Before the dean could say anything, a young male voice could be heard, his tone frivolous. Like the Lin clan, Glittering Fiery Feather, the major clans seated here were named as Beast Tamer clans as each of them had a symbolic beast. This kind of beast was often of a higher grade than ordinary beasts, and all the family descendants also used the same kind of beasts. This gradually became a symbol of the clan. The man who was talking had silver scales patterns on his blue clothes. He belonged to the Icicles River Carp clan. Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Since Lin Yingxue belonged to Beast Tamer clans as well, she faintly remembered that she had seen this person before. If she remembered correctly, his name was Zheng Qing. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®¡­should be eliminated as it should be¡­¡¯? Chen An¡¯s capability is obvious to all. He is bound to pass the final round of assessment.¡± Lin Yingxue felt most anxious among all of them. God knew how much she hoped for Chen An to join De Yuan College. She was still waiting for him here. Others might not know of Chen An¡¯s ability, however, she knew it very well. It was very advantageous for De Yuan College to have him as a student. To put it plainly, De Yuan College was actually the place where Beast Tamer clans concentrated on cultivating their descendants, and the power of bloodline could not be ignored. As long as there were talented descendants, every Beast Tamer clan would send them to De Yuan College. Most of these people had amazing talents and extraordinary abilities. Eventually, De Yuan opened its noble and strict door to accept a very small number of young people with potential, and this was how the college gradually developed and became today¡¯s First Beast Tamer College. The assessment was only for those who wanted to get into the college despite not coming from established backgrounds. For Lin Yingxue, who was the Glittering Fiery Feather clan¡¯s daughter, she did not need to be tested at all and could directly enter the college. Lin Yingxue looked at Zheng Qing, and realization dawned on her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Zheng Qing nodded. ¡°Indeed, there is no need for me to participate in the assessment, but if I do want to participate, I don¡¯t need any reason. Don¡¯t say that I am being a bully. If it just so happens that I am being matched with the person with the most potential this year for the one-on-one assessment¡­ Well, I wonder who will be the winner and the loser¡­ Oh, I¡¯m¡­ so scared.¡± A look of disgust flashed in Lin Yingxue¡¯s eyes. She could not stand his weird way of speaking. Zheng Qing still had more to say. He looked toward the person seated at the highest position. ¡°Dean, am I right?¡± The dean nodded, silently consenting to his plan. Lin Xiaoxiao frowned. This was trouble. At the end of the meeting, Lin Yingxue still lingered behind, hesitant to leave. From the attitudes of those people just now, although they did not spell it out so as to preserve each other¡¯s dignity, it was already obvious what they were going to do. She lingered at De Yuan College, waiting for one person¡ªZheng Qing! ¡°Lin Yingxue, I suppose you must have known that Chen An has no bloodline, so you made that suggestion to the college. You are very smart, and you know how to persuade and fool those fogeys to agree to it. However, don¡¯t think that you have succeeded.¡± Lin Yingxue felt more and more annoyed at Zheng Qing¡¯s words. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Lin Yingxue was puzzled. ¡°You are an outstanding talent of the Icicles River Carp clan. Chen An hasn¡¯t hindered you. Why can¡¯t you bear the sight of him?¡± Zheng Qing laughed. ¡°Yes, although I haven¡¯t met him, I just can¡¯t stand him. Lin Yingxue, instead of talking to me over here, you should worry about Chen An. When he loses to me in public, how will he be able to deal with it?¡± ¡°You!¡± Lin Yingxue bit her lower lip. She knew very well of Zheng Qing¡¯s capability. As the most outstanding person of this generation in the Icicles River Carp clan, Zheng Qing¡¯s ability was way above her. In particular, Zheng Qing¡¯s beast was the most representative beast in the clan¡ªthe Icicles River Carp. So far, no one fully knew how extensive Zheng Qing had developed and nurtured his beast. If both of them fought against each other, no matter whether it was Wu Wu¡¯s aptitude or Lin Yingxue¡¯s talent, they would definitely be defeated by Zheng Qing. ¡°Zheng Qing, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. Chen An is a special person. I admit that you are indeed very powerful, but don¡¯t become highly conceited. It would be very embarrassing for you to lose to Chen An.¡± Lin Yingxue was stubborn. She did not believe in herself, but she believed in Chen An. ¡°Hahaha, what do you mean? Is it possible that I will lose to him?¡± Zheng Qing convulsed with laughter. There were some matters that one just could not be sure. ¡­ Chen An closed his eyes and sat quietly. He was not trying to cultivate his moral character, but doing a very important and complicated thing. [The Taming System has been launched. The Spirit Core System has been launched. The Skills Book System has been launched¡­] The complicated systems were presented right in front of him, and the most eye-catching items were the three new indexes. This was especially so for the Boulder Flower. It was a plant-based beast, so Chen An wondered whether Dou Buxiang could integrate with this plant-based beast or not. If not, what would happen? Anyway, he should give it a try. Upon thinking of this, Chen An chose Boulder Flower. [System Prompt: Undergo integration? Please choose a subject for integration.] A subject for integration? Chen An was curious. Previously, he had integrated everything with Dou Buxiang. According to the system, it seemed that he could integrate with some other beasts? [System Remarks: After unlocking index in this system, the host can choose to integrate it with any beast, and it can be integrated with the host as well.] Chen An was excited. It turned out that he could integrate the index with himself as well. The Silver-Feathered Eagle seemed pretty good, but its master could not make it thrive. He did not know how to utilize the power of the Silver-Feathered Eagle. He would start by integrating Boulder Flower with Dou Buxiang first. The integration speed was very fast with the system¡¯s help. Dou Buxiang¡¯s appearance underwent another change, though it was not as drastic as the time before. A small pink-purple dot appeared on its forehead, in the middle of the two horns, and slowly converged before it was deeply entrenched on its forehead. If one did not take a careful look, they would not notice it. Chen An leaned over, squinted his eyes, and realized that there was a Boulder Flower in the center of the small dot. It seemed like a flower that was sealed in resin and would never wither. This was like a beautiful sight that would never fade away. Dou Buxiang had high compatibility. Since it was able to integrate with plant-based beasts, there was nothing he had to be worried about. When Chen An unlocked new indexes in the future, he could integrate as many as he wanted. But before that, he wanted to integrate Silver-Feathered Eagle and Spirit Rainbow Deer. He was curious about the outcome and effects. Chen An selected both of them in the beasts indexes, and the system sent him a reminder. [Integration begins.] Chen An felt a warm sensation in his body, spreading slowly from his fingertips to his heart. It was not uncomfortable, but he felt slightly sweaty. The warm feeling lasted about ten minutes before it gradually subsided. [System Prompt: Integration completed.] Was it done? Chen An still could not believe it. He could not see any changes in his body, nor did he experience any obvious changes in his appearance like Dou Buxiang. Could it be an integration of skills? Chen An wanted to give it a try, so he stretched out his hand, waved his fingertips, and made a gesture in one direction. Then, sharp silver feathers flew forward like sharp arrows. They trailed like a streamer, briefly passing in front of his eyes. A silver feather was firmly embedded in the place where Chen An pointed at, with tiny cracks all around it. One glance, and he could tell this was the skill of the Silver-Feathered Eagle. But if he remembered correctly, the Silver-Feathered Eagle was a beast with no talent skills? Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios [Congratulations to the host. Integration with an extra bonus.] The voice of the system gave him a reminder. Chen An then realized that indexes¡¯ integration was not simply adding whatever skills that the beasts had. Rather, like Dou Buxiang, when obtaining the indexes, the skills might be more powerful, or he could have an addition of skills. When he integrated the Light Cone Fox index with Dou Buxiang previously, it was obviously a skill that needed to be charged. However, Dou Buxiang could use it instantly. This went to show how special it was. In his case, he was able to display the talent skill that the Silver-Feathered Eagle did not have. ¡°Awesome!¡± Chen An exclaimed and stood up from the sofa. Presently, the only pity was that there was no more index to integrate. It would be nice if he could fight with a more powerful Beast Tamer as soon as possible. With that thought in mind, Chen An looked forward to the final round of assessment at De Yuan College. He went for the assessment with a light-hearted mood. As soon as he arrived, he saw a familiar figure, Li Danming. He still flinched and stayed in the corner. If Chen An had not interacted with him before, he would definitely treat him as non-existent, just like other people, and ignored him. Li Danming saw Chen An. Their eyes met each other, and he opened his mouth slightly as if to say something. Chen An knew him well. Therefore, he took the initiative to walk over. As soon as he approached, Chen An realized that Li Danming had been trembling. What was he afraid of? ¡°Chen An, h¡­ have you gotten the opponent¡¯s information? What kind of Beast Tamer is he?¡± Chen An could not help but turn speechless as he listened to his horrified voice. He really wanted to tell him that he was, after all, a man, so he should not speak in a trembling voice. But looking at his terrified look right now, it was useless even if he told him all this. The only way for him to grow up might be through countless battles. ¡°Not yet. You must have already received the information. Do your best!¡± In the final round of assessment, De Yuan College would randomly match the opponents. Each person only needed to receive an information card with a number written on it, indicating which match it was, as well as the serial number of the opponent. At the same time, a small amount of information about the other party would be attached for the candidates¡¯ reference. This was to appropriately reduce the difficulty of the exam. Li Danming said, ¡°The opponent¡¯s beast is very aggressive. What should I do? I will definitely lose if I fail to meet a Beast Tamer with an armor-like beast.¡± It seemed that his plan was very simple. He only hoped to get through the team battles smoothly and enter De Yuan College. It would be best if he was lucky enough to encounter an armor-like beast that his Armor-Piercing Beast was skilled at handling in the final assessment. If so, he would be able to join De Yuan College. He thought that everything would go according to his plan. ¡°If you intend to enter the college through sheer luck, it is better that you leave now.¡± After all, no one in this world was lucky all the time. Upon seeing the stunned look on Li Danming¡¯s face, Chen An added, ¡°If you expect that I will comfort you or encourage you, forget it. Those words are too empty and useless.¡± After that, he turned his head and left. He must be kidding. This was a single-player beast combat. There was no other way besides relying on oneself. Chen An went forward to get the information card in the crowded place. On the left, there seemed to be a burning gaze staring straight at him! The moment Chen An sensed it, he immediately gave the person a sidelong glance. There were indeed many people here, but everyone else was paying attention to the information card in their hands or discussing the assessment with the people next to them. There was only one person standing not far away, leaning against a birch tree behind him. His dark blue pupils were fixated on him. Chen An stopped and looked back without being evasive about it. Under the shade of the leaves, he could not really tell the man¡¯s appearance. There were lights and shades on his face, which made him look even more unpredictable. ¡°No. 152, this is your information card.¡± Someone passed the information card over. Chen An continued to stare at the man while he reached out to take the card, taking a glance at the information. ¡°You must be my opponent.¡± ¡°Yes, I am Zheng Qing, the person who is about to defeat you.¡± The name that the person offered was the same as that written on the information card in his hand. Moreover, it stated that Chen An¡¯s assessment was arranged to be the first match on the information card. ¡°Interesting.¡± There must be something strange about things going wrong. Chen An had an ominous feeling. However, now that he had reached this point, there was no reason to back down. He must defeat Zheng Qing! [The Taming System has been launched. Identifying¡­] [Identification completed. Congratulations to the host. Super-Grade beast noticed: Icicles River Carp.] [Two embedded spirit chambers: High-Speed Spirit Core, High-Grade Water Attribute Attack Spirit Core.] [No Passive Spirit Core.] [Talent Skill: Icicles. It is able to instantly freeze a target at a long distance, greatly reducing movement and causing damage.] [Talent Skill: River. Regardless of whether the icicles hit the target or not, all the icicles will remain for a period of time and automatically gather together to form a defensive layer.] [Three Skill Chambers: After using ¡°Lightning Speed¡±, gain speed in a short time, and the damage sustained during the period is reduced.] [¡°Frozen¡± reduces the opponent¡¯s speed by a small amount after each hit.] [After using ¡°Strengthen¡±, one¡¯s own defense will strengthen.] [Joint Combo: Cracking Icicles River. The Icicles River Carp will immediately swim forward. The path that it passes by will be frozen in an instant. The Beast Tamer can launch the second stage of his attacks, directing attacks along the path. The further the distance, the lower the damage.] Chen An was dazzled after reading the results identified by the system. It was the first time he saw such a fancy beast¡­ But one thing was certain¡ªthe Icicles River Carp was indeed very powerful. It was far more powerful than any beast he had fought against so far. ¡°This is such a powerful beast. I must get it into the index as soon as possible. I can¡¯t wait anymore.¡± Chen An was very anxious to get his hands on it. Zheng Qing was surprised at Chen An¡¯s self-confidence and ecstatic mannerism. It was as if he did not regard him as a powerful opponent. He warned him once again, ¡°Chen An, don¡¯t think that you are invincible just because you have been through one or two beast combats. Let me tell you, however strong you are, there is always someone stronger. I will definitely defeat you today!¡± Since theirs was the first match, it attracted the most attention. Everyone present was watching this beast combat intently. They would judge based on the skills level of this match. The other party was arrogant, while Chen An waved his hand, looking bored. ¡°It¡¯s all right, don¡¯t talk such nonsense, just launch your attacks!¡± Zheng Qing snorted coldly. ¡°Icicles River Carp!¡± He raised his hand, and a faint blue light appeared. A jet of water rose from the ground, gushing upward. Right above the water column, between Zheng Qing¡¯s palm, a light blue fish jumped out. It was indeed a super-grade beast. The way it was summoned was so much more gorgeous than other beasts. The fish resembled a carp, but there were long barbels on both sides of its mouth. They were even longer than the catfish¡¯s. There was a gradient in its scales, transiting from light blue to pure white, and the ends were as sharp as blades. Chapter 20 As soon as the Icicles River Carp leaped out, the water column turned into icicles with a bang, shattering to the ground. When the Icicles River Carp was summoned, the bystanders exclaimed in surprise. ¡°Wow, I have never seen such a beautiful beast.¡± ¡°You are not the only one. I have not seen it, as well. If I see this at the auction, even if I have to spend all my fortune, I will definitely get this beast.¡± ¡°Are you dreaming? Don¡¯t you know that this is the unique beast of the Icicles River Carp clan? All those nonsense about auctions? Don¡¯t be a laughingstock!¡± Zheng Qing, who summoned the Icicles River Carp, had a proud look on his face. The beast he used was indeed different from ordinary beasts. As early as thousands of years ago, many top-notch Beast Tamers had begun to devote their efforts to obtaining specific beasts for their own use. They kept developing their beasts¡¯ abilities, seeking to achieve excellence in rearing and in terms of using spirit cores and matching them with skills books. They even tried their best to have exceptional performances in battles. All the clans¡¯ descendants also used the same kind of specific beasts. Therefore, they gradually became what people hailed as the ¡°Beast Tamer Clans¡±. They were generally named after the beasts that they used. Like Zheng Qing, people might not know who he was if he was mentioned. However, if someone talked about the Icicles River Carp clan, others would know what they were talking about. Chen An was not to be outdone by him. He went on to summon Dou Buxiang. Dou Buxiang had integrated with Boulder Flower. When it was summoned, a purple-red multi-petal flower spun rapidly. Dou Buxiang charged down while stepping on the petals, standing obediently next to Chen An. Chen An touched his head, getting ready to take the first move! The Light Cone that was instantly released flew by like a meteor. Zheng Qing smiled slightly and easily dodged the attack. ¡°This is not bad. It¡¯s very fast. However, it¡¯s a pity that compared to my Icicles River Carp, it¡¯s simply displaying one¡¯s slight skill before an expert!¡± The moment he turned sideways, the Icicles River Carp swam beside him, and there seemed to be water next to him, with undercurrents surging. Chen An could clearly feel that Zheng Qing was indeed not simple with just one blow. He was ten times stronger than those that he had fought before. ¡°Icicles!¡± Zheng Qing launched a fierce attack. The Icicles River Carp swam next to him, and the water around him formed a small number of icicles, with extremely sharp points. Zheng Qing controlled those icicles with a triumphant expression. ¡°Although you can¡¯t resist a single move of mine, it is your honor for someone like me to fight with you personally.¡± With that, the Icicles River Carp swung its long tail angrily, attacking him with its icicles. Chen An frowned as the speed was astonishingly fast, and Dou Buxiang had not integrated any spirit core with speed attributes. For that, it really was no match for Icicles River Carp. It was too late to hide now. It was better to fight it head-on! Pink-purple flowers appeared out of thin air. Initially, it was a small and inconspicuous flower. But in a very short period of time, the petals stretched outward and layered on top of each other. When extended to the limit, it seemed to be an inviolable shield, totally covering Chen An. The icicles of the Icicles River Carp were not to be underestimated. The number was huge and overwhelming. It was alright to hit the center of the flower shield, but they directly penetrated the flower shield when the icicles hit the edge. Dou Buxiang immediately rushed over, blocking the gaps. This was the biggest flaw of the Boulder Flower¡ªit could not resist all attacks. Zheng Qing chuckled. ¡°It seems that I have underestimated the enemy. Your beast and what you have are slightly more than what I imagined. It¡¯s indeed good to be able to block thousands of icicles. Unfortunately, you will not be so lucky next time.¡± Indeed, with the one blow just now, the Boulder Flower shield had gaps around it. If there was another round of attacks, it would shatter right away. He could not use this move to deal with Zheng Qing again. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s over. Don¡¯t blame this for being cruel. De Yuan doesn¡¯t welcome people like you.¡± Zheng Qing ran forward quickly. The Boulder Flower shield had yet to be put aside. Everyone who watched the match exclaimed, ¡°It¡¯s over. This person simply looked down upon his opponent.¡± ¡°Well¡­ just take a good look. He is from one of the clans. There is no way we can be compared to him. it is already very rare to see him here.¡± Everyone believed that Chen An would undoubtedly lose. Even Chen An, who was in the midst of a battle, could feel that defeat was getting closer to him. Upon seeing that Zheng Qing was about to launch another attack, he would really lose if he did not do anything. Zheng Qing¡¯s movements were very fast. He stepped with his legs, and a column of ice blue water suddenly appeared. Then, he leaped into the air using the force of the water column. Behind him, the Icicles River Carp suddenly turned into a round carp totem, radiant and glittering. ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Zheng Qing shouted and threw a fist. It hit the center of the Boulder Flower shield, and the flower shield automatically counterattacked right away. But to Zheng Qing, the weak counterattack was useless. He was not affected by it. Click¡ª The flower shield shattered. Chen An¡¯s only defense had been broken. The people around them looked at the fragments of the flower shield in shock. They fell to the ground like glass fragments. But just when the flower shield was about to fall to the ground, they heard a sound they had never heard of. It sounded like an eagle had flown past, and the wind echoed. Zheng Qing, floating in the air, stared at himself in disbelief. It was only a small blow, but it happened when he was defenseless, nonetheless. He backed again and again. The Icicles River Carp totem behind him did not manage to support him. When he moved about in a chaotic state, it gradually dissipated. He could only fall from the air and crash heavily on the ground. No one was able to react to the sudden change of events. After a long period of silence, someone finally shifted his gaze to Chen An. At that moment, Chen An stood upright, with two fingers close to his ears, a little silver light dissipating around him. It hovered on his fingertips until Chen An relaxed his fingers. Someone slow to react lowered his voice and asked, ¡°What just happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like Chen An won, did he? How did he defeat Zheng Qing? I didn¡¯t even see it clearly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the only one. I only saw a flash of white light swishing across the air, and Zheng Qing fell to the ground.¡± In fact, other than the bystanders, who had not seen what happened clearly, Zheng Qing himself did not understand as well. He got up from the ground, unable to return to his senses. There was a burst of white light the moment he broke the Boulder Flower shield. He vaguely saw¡­ what it seemed to be a silver feather. He was unconvinced and asked Chen An loudly, ¡°What did you just do?¡± Chen An thought for a while. He did not name this move. Perhaps, he should make it simple by naming it after the beast. ¡°It is Silver Feather.¡± That was the Silver-Feathered Eagle¡¯s skill, which Chen An had accidentally discovered during the indexes¡¯ previous integration. Chen An breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing everyone¡¯s astonishment, he could not help but sigh in his mind. Everyone knew of the beast, Silver-Feathered Eagle, but they did not know that these kinds of beasts had talents yet to be developed. Chapter 21 Chen An immediately refuted this thought just as it flashed across his mind. Wrong. This was because they had poor foresight, and there were many things that they were ignorant of. ¡°What was that earlier?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a Beast Tamer attack in this way.¡± Normally, the beast¡¯s performance was the centerpiece of a beast combat. Although the Beast Tamer was expected to fight alongside the beast, they usually played a very small part in the combat. No one had seen a situation like this before. Dou Buxiang had stood beside Chen An idly while Chen An had attacked and defeated Zheng Qing on his own. ¡°No, he has clearly used the skill of the beast just now.¡± There were strict requirements for using the skill of a beast. For example, only a beast could use the skill. Other factors of consideration were compatibility, skill chamber, and so on. In short, no matter what, it was impossible for a Beast Tamer to use the skill of a beast. There was an uproar, followed by heated discussions. In the end, there was a huge commotion. Not far away, the teachers from De Yuan College could not allow the situation to continue. What happened today was too intriguing. The outstanding descendant of the Icicles River Carp clan had suddenly suffered defeat. Afterward, an extraordinary Beast Tamer appeared. Either of these was enough to cause a stir. Lin Xiaoxiao stood up. She had been watching by the sidelines at the teacher stand. True enough, Chen An did not disappoint her. ¡°The outcome of the first assessment is already known. Let¡¯s continue and get ready for the next assessment.¡± Her tone was calm and unfazed. She continued with the assessment as she would normally do. Following the second and third assessments, the discussions gradually died down. Everyone¡¯s mood had been swayed by the assessment¡¯s nervous atmosphere, and they seldom discussed Chen An anymore. Seated on the teacher¡¯s stand, Lin Xiaoxiao sighed softly. ¡°Sigh, the truth always comes out. There is no point in concealing the truth.¡± She said this again when she met Lin Yingxue. Lin Yingxue had been waiting for this auntie of hers at De Yuan College. She wanted to find out Chen An¡¯s situation at the assessment today. ¡°At this time, the assessments have not ended¡­ Did auntie hurry to leave because of me¡­¡± ¡°Yingxue, I didn¡¯t hurry because of you.¡± ¡°Otherwise?¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s voice faltered slightly. She was afraid that Lin Xiaoxiao would deliver the bad news of Chen An or the assessment. ¡°You can ask him yourself.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao¡¯s mouth curled into a seeming smile. ¡°He has done something great.¡± Lin Yingxue did not understand what her auntie meant. Just as she wanted to press on, Lin Xiaoxiao smiled and turned around. Following Lin Xiaoxiao was Chen An. Lin Yingxue¡¯s face blushed the moment she saw Chen An. She stammered to him, ¡°When¡­ When did you arrive?¡± ¡°The college has been very considerate. My assessment was the first one. Now that it has ended, I have some spare time to explore this place.¡± Chen An wrapped his arms around his shoulders, looking as if he was an old man going for an after-meal leisure walk. ¡°You have already passed the assessment and are a student of De Yuan College henceforth. I brought you here to familiarize you with the environment, not to wander around aimlessly.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao spoke like a teacher. ¡°De Yuan? I promised someone to go to the assessment, but I didn¡¯t promise to enter the college. I have my own ways to become a Beast Tamer.¡± Chen An said this deliberately. True enough, both Lin Yingxue and Lin Xiaoxiao became anxious. One of them said that De Yuan College was the best beast-taming college, and he should not let his talent go to waste. She even added shyly, ¡°I have been waiting here for you. How can you not attend?¡± The other one refused to let him go as well, but she was more seasoned. ¡°I¡¯ve clearly told you that I¡¯m determined on this. You have to come to De Yuan College. Be frank with me. Is there anything that you are dissatisfied with? Or what else do you want?¡± She suddenly looked as if she had just recalled something and said, ¡°Oh, right! Outstanding freshmen of De Yuan College can receive a large reward. You will also find out why the college is able to nurture that many exemplary Beast Tamers once you see the training field. There are more female Beast Tamers than male ones¡­¡± Upon hearing that, Lin Yingxue cast a resentful glance toward her auntie. Chen An then stopped teasing them. ¡°This sounds fairly good. But¡­ something seems to be lacking.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao was amused. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be that difficult to talk to. Alright. After you come to De Yuan, you can look for me on any issues. Will that do?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Chen An had not agreed. He deliberately dragged his word to hold the two ladies in suspense. At last, he nodded. ¡°But, speaking of this, since you beat Zheng Qing, you will also be considered a key student of De Yuan. We¡¯ll see what those horrible old fogeys have to say.¡± At the thought of the earlier meeting, Lin Xiaoxiao could not wait to see the expressions of those people when they saw Chen An in De Yuan. ¡°Zheng Qing¡­¡± Lin Yingxue muttered this name once. She looked down, her face filled with worries. Chen An asked her what happened. This was someone whom he had defeated. Why did they have to be afraid? Lin Yingxue stammered, ¡°No matter what, Zheng Qing is a descendant of the Icicles River Carp clan. He doesn¡¯t need to go through the assessments to get into De Yuan. Therefore, this won¡¯t impact his enrollment.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Toward this, Chen An seemed extremely calm and unaffected. This kind of situation was normal and unsurprising at all. ¡°Zheng Qing lost to you this time, and he definitely won¡¯t let this matter rest. Chen An, you have to be careful.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao nodded, ¡°Zheng Qing is very insidious, cunning, arrogant, and prideful. He would not have lost to you if he had not underestimated his opponent this time.¡± ¡°Hey, although Zheng Qing is very formidable, you guys don¡¯t need to belittle me.¡± Chen An had acknowledged Zheng Qing¡¯s capability through his exchange with him today. However, the indisputable outcome of the combat was right before them. Lin Xiaoxiao analyzed the situation objectively. ¡°Zheng Qing was too anxious in that combat. He didn¡¯t unleash the true powers of the Icicles River Carp. He already suffered a quick defeat before he could use many of the skills. ¡°If I didn¡¯t remember it wrong, the most powerful move of Zheng Qing and the Icicles River Carp is their Joint Combo¡ªCracking Icicles River. ¡°In his combat before this, Zheng Qing has been gaining victories with skill and ease, withholding his full power. If he had used that Joint Combo today, I would have gotten a chance to widen my horizons.¡± Lin Yingxue and Lin Xiaoxiao sang the same tune, behaving as if they were on-screen partners in a show. Chen An broke out in a sweat. Joint Combo? What was a Joint Combo? Cracking Icicles River¡­ He recalled reading this as one of the skills in the Full Beast Taming System when he had launched it previously. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know what a Joint Combo is?¡± Lin Xiaoxiao held her forehead and sighed. ¡°I thought I had encountered a brilliant Beast Tamer. Unexpectedly, you¡¯re a moron.¡± Chapter 22 The Joint Combo was the dream of many Beast Tamers. It was a type of beast skill, which required excellent chemistry and collaboration between the Beast Tamer and their beast. This was the only way to unleash the power of the skill. It was much more powerful than a high-grade skills book. Between Beast Tamers of the same level, whether one had mastered the Joint Combo would be a determining factor on their competency gap. ¡°Very few low-grade beasts with poor endowments are able to comprehend the Joint Combo together with their Beast Tamers.¡± There was a tinge of disappointment in Lin Yingxue¡¯s eyes as she said this. After all, Wu Wu was a medium-grade combat beast. There was a huge difference between Wu Wu and the Icicles River Carp, a super-grade combat beast. ¡°In addition, the Beast Tamer is also expected to be a high-level Beast Tamer. Otherwise, they may not be able to achieve that.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao was observing Chen An¡¯s gaze. ¡°But this should not be a problem for you.¡± Chen An suddenly felt that not forcing Zheng Qing to use the Joint Combo was a loss. He was very curious as to whether this ¡°divine¡± skill could destroy the world. Lin Xiaoxiao seemed to have read his mind. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on it anymore. We¡¯ll leave this kind of thing to fate. Some Beast Tamers are very formidable and have excellent beasts, but they are unable to use the Joint Combo in their entire lifetimes.¡± Therefore, it was largely dependent on one¡¯s luck. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Zheng Qing is very petty and will definitely bear a grudge. Chen An, if you bump into him in the college and end up in combat, you have to use the Joint Combo too¡­¡± This was what Lin Yingxue was worried about. Lin Xiaoxiao nodded. However, this was something inevitable. At most, she would restrain Zheng Qing by using her authority as a teacher. ¡°You may be able to find a better skills book for Dou Buxiang if you go to that place. You will be able to fight Zheng Qing then¡­¡± Lin Yingxue was deep in thought. ¡°Are you talking about Treasure Cove?¡± The so-called Treasure Cove was, in fact, the name of a place. This was because, besides auctions, all the other beast supplies came from that place. Lin Yingxue was quick to take action. After she spoke about the Treasure Cove, she insisted that Chen An should make a trip there. ¡­ They walked alongside. Just as they stepped into the place, Chen An felt very strange. This place was very chaotic and complicated. Unlike an auction where he could tell the attendees¡¯ intent¡ªeither buying or selling stuff¡ªat one glance, everyone here seemed to be deep in thought and harboring ulterior motives. Lin Yingxue lowered her voice and said, ¡°Have you noticed? The atmosphere here is very different from that of auctions. I didn¡¯t like to come here in the past because it¡¯s very stifling.¡± ¡°Yes, it feels very strange. Aren¡¯t we here to buy beast supplies? It¡¯s not something shameful. Why do we have to be that secretive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not secretive. We don¡¯t want to attract other people¡¯s attention.¡± Lin Yingxue scanned the people surrounding them to confirm that no one was looking in their direction. She then said, ¡°Also, this is not a place to buy and sell things. To obtain something, you have to use other means.¡± Chen An saw two people beside them, speaking in a hushed tone. When they walked past them, he vaguely heard the word ¡°exchange¡±. ¡°Do you mean exchanging an item for another one?¡± That was not strange. Hadn¡¯t he done that during the transaction concerning the Evening Moon Vine with Liu Ran earlier on? ¡°The transaction methods are unlimited here. Exchanging is one of the ways. There is also another way¡­¡± Lin Yingxue paused in her tracks. In front of them was an enormous battle stage. It occupied almost the entire space of one floor of Treasure Cove, and it was more than thrice larger than the size of a normal battle stage. In stark contrast with the huge and spacious battle stage was the crowd surrounding it. Packed like sardines, they already had no place to stand. Yet, they remained enthusiastic in watching the combats on stage. Chen An peered across the jostling heads and saw two people fighting on the stage. Good riddance! He would bump into whoever he had just talked about! The one losing the combat was Liu Ran, wasn¡¯t it? The dark green vine twisting and twining on the battle stage was none other than the Evening Moon Vine that Chen An had found in the Fierce Beasts Forest. Back then, Liu Ran had sounded as if he had been very formidable. At this juncture of the battle, Chen An could not tell how much of Evening Moon Vine¡¯s potential had been unleashed. For example, the opponent¡¯s beast was already regaining its energy after its last move, but Liu Ran had been badly struck as he had not controlled the Evening Moon Vine to react in time. At that moment, the Evening Moon Vine had reduced its growth rate and shrunk substantially. It had also retracted the few stems that it extended earlier. Lin Yingxue whispered into Chen An¡¯s ears, ¡°Based on my assessment, his opponent is a two-star Beast Tamer. He is two levels below me.¡± ¡°A two-star Beast Tamer can beat Liu Ran to this extent?¡± Chen An had sensed Liu Ran¡¯s special affinity toward plant-based beasts when he met him earlier. He had believed that Liu Ran had extraordinary talent. At the very least, he would not be that¡­ weak. But now, he was almost thrashed by a two-star Beast Tamer. Could he have been wrong in his judgment? ¡°Very few two-star Beast Tamers can master the Joint Combo that I mentioned just now.¡± Lin Yingxue stared at Liu Ran¡¯s opponent with a complicated and envious expression. ¡°Are you saying that this person knows the Joint Combo?¡± Chen An began to focus on the battle. He very much wanted to learn about Joint Combo and widen his horizons. On the battle stage, Liu Ran had fallen into a passive mode. He was hiding everywhere and chased around by his opponent. His Evening Moon Vine was also using its vines to help Liu Ran duck the opponent consistently. The opponent was already impatient with this draggy delay tactic. Like Liu Ran, he was also using a plant-based beast. The Taming System was launched. Chen An skimmed through the beast¡¯s information: Sandstorm Rose, high-grade beast. It had already mastered the Joint Combo, Blinding Sand Dust. When Liu Ran dodged the attack again, his opponent was downright furious. After he placed his palms together, the rose-shaped beast flew before him and started spinning at lightning speed. Immediately afterward, dazzling rose petals dispersed everywhere, looking like they were either blooming or withering. A whistling storm engulfed the entire battle stage, blowing the sky of petals into a mess. And the Beast Tamer looked as if he was about to be blown away by the wind. Chen An caught a clear glimpse of the situation. The Beast Tamer had already begun to turn blurry. Was he going to transform into the sand and be dispersed by the wind under the watch of everyone? Lin Yingxue could not help exclaiming, ¡°I¡¯m surprised that he can achieve this.¡± Wind, sand, and flower petals ravaged the entire battle stage. Liu Ran no longer had a hiding place, and the Evening Moon Vine could not withstand this either. Amid the strong wind, the end of its vine was dancing wildly in the air. The sand and flower petals were akin to sharp blades of knives as they severed the vine¡¯s few remaining stems. In a few seconds, Liu Ran could no longer endure the attack. He let out a cry of surrender as he could not bear to let his Evening Moon Vine continue suffering. The sandstorm halted, and the rose petals spun back into their original state. The Beast Tamer reappeared on the battle stage, and this marked the end of the battle. Chapter 23 Chen An was speechless. This kind of hopeless situation was too violent and cruel. After a moment, the apparent defeat was announced. ¡°So, this is the Joint Combo? It¡¯s quite cool.¡± Chen An had already begun to imagine what kind of Joint Combos Dou Buxiang could comprehend. ¡°That¡¯s right. Normally, Joint Combos are not that simple and a lot more than this. I don¡¯t know why its full power was not unleashed. It might be because Liu Ran surrendered early or that the Beast Tamer¡¯s level is too low.¡± ¡°Are you saying that a Joint Combo should be more formidable than this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Yingxue pouted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Liu Ran persist¡­¡± Chen An laughed. If he were to endure it any longer, there was a high chance that he might turn into a sand dune. On the stage, the defeated Liu Ran walked toward his opponent dejectedly and muttered something in a low voice. That man nodded continuously, and the two then descended the stage. Chen An was very curious. It was seldom that a beast combat¡¯s opponents would interact. He moved into the crowd and listened to the discussions. ¡°Liu Ran had been overconfident. Why did he accept the challenge? Look, he lost.¡± ¡°Is it a big deal? It¡¯s a fact that he has lost. But they were betting on a beast skills book. To Liu Ran, this is not considered a loss.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Anyway, Liu Ran can extract the skill and create a skills book. He lost some face, but that¡¯s a small matter.¡± Chen An turned around. Lin Yingxue was still standing there. ¡°Is this the other method that you were referring to? Using the combat outcome to attain someone¡¯s item?¡± Lin Yingxue nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. At Treasure Cove, there won¡¯t be a situation of runaway losers. As long as there is a promise, one has to accept the outcome and then pay the price.¡± ¡°Is this why you want to maintain a low profile? You don¡¯t want to be discovered by anyone?¡± ¡°The battles in Treasure Cove are different from the arena¡¯s. There are no restrictions here, and they won¡¯t match the opponents for you according to your level. Sometimes, people only have eyes for the items, but they regret it the moment they suffer instant defeats on the battle stage.¡± Suddenly, Chen An realized that this was not a great place. It was no wonder Lin Yingxue did not like to come here. ¡°I have no choice. There are many more precious treasures at Treasure Cove than at the auctions. We have to make a trip here, no matter what.¡± Lin Yingxue shrugged her shoulders. The weaker ones would have to take some risk if they wanted to advance in their levels and attain good stuff. Of course, they might face the more powerful ones¡¯ bullying and oppression and become worse as a result. Alongside the danger was a huge temptation. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look at your good buddy. Did he also lose his underwear?¡± Lin Yingxue deliberately enunciated the words ¡®good buddy¡¯. Chen An waved his hands. ¡°That¡¯s enough. He called me buddy because he wanted to take the Evening Moon Vine from me.¡± ¡°The stakes are very high at Treasure Cove. After all, to both parties, every battle carries a huge risk. Many people bet on their respective beasts. That Liu Ran might have lost his Evening Moon Vine to the other guy.¡± Chen An was momentarily distracted as he recalled his words to Liu Ran. If Liu Ran were to abandon the Evening Moon Vine, he would take it back personally. If that was the case, he would have to fight with the person that had beaten Liu Ran to a pulp. He had just fought with Zheng Qing not long ago, so at the thought of another match, Chen An felt somewhat fatigued. No matter what, he would go over and take a look. As he approached them, Chen An saw Liu Ran and his opponent sitting in a corner of Treasure Cove. Liu Ran summoned the Evening Moon Vine, and a thin vine entwined his wrist. The Evening Moon Vine was wounded, so its color looked faded, and it was yellowish and withered, like a plant that had not been watered for a long time. Liu Ran poked the Evening Moon Vine with his fingers and muttered, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m very good at extracting skills books. I will definitely be very careful and won¡¯t harm you.¡± Upon saying that, he removed the Evening Moon Vine from his wrist and placed it flat on the table. Then he took out a skills book and put it aside. Liu Ran made a strange hand gesture. His left hand tapped on the Evening Moon Vine with his eyes closed while his right hand pressed on the skills book. Chen An was very curious about his actions. If Liu Ran was making the beast learn a skills book, he should emplace the book directly in the skill chamber and not do this. Along with Liu Ran¡¯s movement, the Evening Moon Vine emitted a bright emerald light. It resembled the time when Dou Buxiang had absorbed the Stone Mythical Snake¡¯s spirit core. The beast was seemingly ¡°opened¡± and obediently giving something. At the same time, the skills book was changing as well. Chen An immediately launched the system to identify the skills book, only to discover that it was a blank skills book with no record or data whatsoever. Nevertheless, he received more information soon. The skills book was titled ¡°Growth¡± shortly after. This was Evening Moon Vine¡¯s talent skill! Liu Ran opened his eyes and looked relieved. He immediately checked on his Evening Moon Vine anxiously, and after confirming that it was fine, he wiped away his sweat. He looked exhausted as he slumped on the chair. The other party was exhilarated when he received the skills book. ¡°Liu Ran, they tell me that you¡¯re great at creating skills book. That¡¯s true. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem, right? You can replicate your Evening Moon Vine¡¯s talent skill completely without hurting the beast the slightest bit. You¡¯re certainly good.¡± Liu Ran rolled his eyes. ¡°My Evening Moon Vine¡¯s Growth is out of the world amongst the plant-based beasts. Now that you¡¯ve got it, please save your hypocrisy.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel indignant. I¡¯ve already given you some face by not asking for the Evening Moon Vine. Aren¡¯t you grateful for that?¡± ¡°Save it. Both you and your Sandstorm Rose have already comprehended the Joint Combo. Can you bear to leave it and take a new beast? No matter how powerful my Evening Moon Vine is, you won¡¯t dare to exchange for it, right?¡± Liu Ran had hit the nail on the spot, so the other party left embarrassedly with the skills book. Liu Ran was left behind in the corner, holding his face and rubbing it hard. ¡°It¡¯s so embarrassing.¡± Chen An and Lin Yingxue walked toward him, and the quick-tongued Lin Yingxue spoke. ¡°Do you also know what shame is? Weren¡¯t you full of promises when you wanted to exchange for the Evening Moon Vine?¡± As soon as Liu Ran heard her voice, he straightened his back and forced a smile. ¡°What a coincidence. It¡¯s you guys. Come, sit here. Why did you come to such a place?¡± He sized up Lin Yingxue. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a rich man¡¯s daughter who can buy anything that you want at the auctions?¡± ¡°If I hadn¡¯t come here, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see how badly beaten you are now.¡± Lin Yingxue bore a grudge against Liu Ran as the latter had made Chen An forsake the Evening Moon Vine. On the other hand, Liu Ran was not afraid of Lin Yingxue¡¯s aggressiveness, and he would always retort her. Hence, there would be bickering whenever those two met. Chen An¡¯s gaze landed on the Evening Moon Vine, and he asked, ¡°Liu Ran, what were you doing earlier?¡± Chapter 24 Liu Ran¡¯s earlier action might have looked simple to an outsider. However, Chen An knew that it was no simple feat to completely reprint the Evening Moon Vine¡¯s talent skill in a blank skills book. Liu Ran scratched his head. He knew that he could not hide this from Chen An, and he was also partly at fault. After obtaining the Evening Moon Vine, he had new-found confidence. In addition, the Evening Moon Vine had grown swiftly in his hands, so it was the most formidable plant-based beast that he had. He had thus been filled with confidence and became overly complacent. When he had come to this place, he had agreed to a battle with that fellow. He had been under the impression that he would be able to win and then inquire about the Joint Combo. Never had he expected to lose and then bump into Chen An. Aside from the loss of face, he had certainly let Chen An down. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth. I am born with a talent to create skills books. The skills book that I create can reprint the skill completely. In addition, the beast that I extracted the skills book from will not suffer any harm.¡± This was also his trump card. Although many people knew this, he would not reveal this on his own accord. Chen An nodded as he listened. ¡°It turns out that a skills book is created in this way.¡± Liu Ran was stupefied. ¡°Buddy, you didn¡¯t know this? How did you think skills books are produced? It could not possibly be blown here by strong winds¡­¡± ¡°You actually have such a talent?¡± Lin Yingxue sized up Liu Ran from tip to toe. Liu Ran felt indignant. ¡°Why are you staring at me like this? I¡¯m not as inferior as you think. No matter what, I¡¯m an extraordinary talented Beast Tamer who specializes in plant-based beasts.¡± He was not lying. Liu Ran had a portable chamber that had high compatibility with plant-based beasts. It was to the point where he could take away any kind of plant-based beasts. ¡°You?¡± Lin Yingxue expressed her disbelief. ¡°Why do I have to lie to you? In terms of understanding of plant-based beasts, I¡¯m so much better than you.¡± Lin Yingxue felt indignant. ¡°Well¡­ A while ago, who has been¡­¡± ¡°Alright, stop it.¡± Liu Ran could not win against Lin Yingxue in this argument, so he surrendered. ¡°In that case, you can have as many skills books as you want. So, they are of no value to you at all?¡± asked Chen An. After pondering deeply, that seemed logical. Liu Ran waved his hands quickly. ¡°Please, don¡¯t think of it that way. The skill of a beast, especially the talent skill, is a very precious thing. Every extraction is considered a loss.¡± After all, no one would be willing to let other people use the skill of their own beast. Chen An asked again, ¡°You made your skills-book-creating talent sound very great. Let me ask you again. Can you extract the Joint Combo and create a skills book from it?¡± As he said this, both Liu Ran and Lin Yingxue were stunned. This was a very bold idea. If he could do that, the Joint Combos book would simply be a priceless treasure! It was a pity that no one could create it. The value of a Joint Combo was not something that money could measure. There would be a huge commotion if it were to exist! ¡°That¡¯s impossible. To be able to create a skills book, one needs to meet stringent criteria. They have to possess an innate talent in it. There are also good and poor talents.¡± Liu Ran sighed and said regretfully, ¡°For example, the skills book created by some people are less effective than the original skill. The many low-grade skills books that you¡¯ve read before might have originated from high-grade beasts but created by lousy Skills Book Creators. Therefore, they are now called rubbish skills.¡± Lin Yingxue nodded. For example, Chen An¡¯s skills book titled ¡°Vast Sky¡± might be useful for a one-time surprise attack, but it was not feasible for long-term use. Liu Ran added, ¡°Some Skills Book Creators will injure the beasts severely during the creation process. If the consequence is serious, death may occur.¡± This was no different from killing the chicken and taking its eggs. ¡°There are also Skills Book Creators who will not cause any harm to the beasts but themselves.¡± Having said that, Liu Ran had a bitter smile. ¡°Take me for an example.¡± Chen An recollected Liu Ran¡¯s worn-out look after he had finished creating the skills book a while ago. ¡°I¡¯m not boasting. I¡¯m already considered a highly talented Skills Book Creator. Yet, I¡¯m unable to extract the Joint Combo skills book. I can¡¯t even see the tip of the iceberg. Sigh¡­¡± Liu Ran threw both his hands up helplessly. ¡°Even the most formidable Skills Book Creator can¡¯t do that?¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve not heard of it.¡± Lin Yingxue felt slightly dejected. She felt uneasy whenever she thought of Zheng Qing, the threat to Chen An. ¡°Liu Ran, can you tell me exactly how you extract and create a skills book?¡± Chen An¡¯s question was not entirely out of curiosity. He had been tempted when he saw the Sandstorm Rose¡¯s Joint Combo. ¡°Why? Do you want to learn it? Why are you that stubborn? Have I not said it? Creating skills books requires talent. You can¡¯t force it.¡± ¡°How do you know that I can¡¯t when you have not even taught me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pointless. I don¡¯t know how to teach, and you can¡¯t learn them as well.¡± Liu Ran tried to persuade Chen An to give up on this notion soon. Ordinary-grade skills books could only be created by destined Skills Book Creators. The requirements on the creator would certainly be more stringent for Joint Combos. ¡°Don¡¯t be too stubborn. You can¡¯t force such things. You may end up harming yourself badly if it¡¯s not managed well. And the damage is irreversible.¡± Liu Ran had seen people who had forcefully tried to create skills books although they were not qualified to. In the end, they had become cripples. Unfortunately, Chen An was a very persistent man. ¡°You don¡¯t need to care about that.¡± Upon seeing that Chen An was resolute, Liu Ran had no choice but to say evasively, ¡°Alright. Listen well.¡± Lin Yingxue¡¯s interest was also piqued, and she leaned her ears over. However, Liu Ran was extraordinarily vague. ¡°First, you have to¡­ R-right. It¡¯s like that. Next, you have to¡­ Did you see that clearly? That¡¯s right. This is the way to go. Last, you have to¡­ No, no. Not like that. That won¡¯t work. It¡¯s like this. Do you understand me? It¡¯ll be fine if you do.¡± For a long time, Liu Ran stood by himself as he gestured and drew in the air. He got rather carried away, and Lin Yingxue felt an urge to kick him. ¡°Oh.¡± Chen An had an enlightened expression. ¡°Did you understand what he said?¡± Lin Yingxue was doubtful. If it was that easy to learn how to create a skills book, would they still be a rare thing in this world? Chen An looked serious as he sat in front of Liu Ran and said, ¡°Give me a blank skills book.¡± This was a very common item. Every Skills Book Creator would carry with them at least one or two of it. Liu Ran took out one of his books and asked Chen An what he intended to do with it. He saw Chen An summoning Dou Buxiang. His left hand tapped on Dou Buxiang¡¯s horn while his right hand was placed on the blank skills book¡¯s cover page. Judging from his action, he was about to reprint the skills book. Chapter 25 ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡± Liu Ran was frightened out of his wits. On the one hand, he was worried about Chen An, afraid that the latter would mess it up and injure himself. On the other hand, he was scared that the beast would be hurt. However, the creation process had already begun and could not be interrupted. Liu Ran was as anxious as ants on fire. He stood up and paced back and forth, nervously beside Chen An. ¡°Sigh¡­ Why do I have such a wretched mouth? Why did I tell him about the skills book?¡± Beside them, Lin Yingxue sighed and said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him even if you kept mum.¡± ¡°Do you have to crack wise? Aren¡¯t you his girlfriend? Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will face problems when he forcefully extracts the skill of the beast? This is not something to joke about. He may look fine now, but anything can happen when you touch him later.¡± Liu Ran was speaking from his heart. He felt extremely helpless that no one heeded his advice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I believe in Chen An. Have you not realized that he¡¯s different from us?¡± Lin Yingxue had long understood something. Chen An might be on par with her now, but very soon, he would advance by leaps and bounds until she could no longer catch up with him. Like Liu Ran, Chen An was sitting with his eyes closed during the skills book creation process. It was only then that he realized it was not as simple as he thought, and it did not only involve a single step. His consciousness felt as if it had plunged into a vast and deep ocean. It was jet-black everywhere, and he could not see a trace of light. The left side of the ocean was mysteriously warm and even hot at some point in time. The right side was icy cold. When immersed in water, half of his body felt bone-piercing cold. He was at the intersection of the hot and cold areas, and the dividing line was right along the middle of his body. It was a very clear and defined line that could not be crossed. Chen An was entrapped. It was as if he had been bound and could not move in any direction. He could only think of ways and try his best to use his hands to feel something. However, this place was akin to an endless and bottomless ocean. Be it up, down, left, or right, he could not hold onto anything. Suddenly, something on his left seemed to be moving. The waves gushed and slapped him again and again. Liu Ran watched Chen An nervously. Beneath Chen An¡¯s left hand was Dou Buxiang. It was gently nudging Chen An¡¯s palm with its pair of horns, looking like it was calling out to Chen An. Chen An, who was immersed in the water, was grabbing something hard with his left hand. He seemed to be holding onto something in the ocean. Immediately afterward, it seemed as if that thing had wriggled from his left hand onto his arm, flowing to his right side. He could feel the warm currents getting through the dividing line and heading to the icy cold side. As Chen An did not know how to control it, he allowed it to flow with ease. Liu Ran suddenly exclaimed, ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re superb! You¡¯ve already extracted the skill successfully. Next, you have to engrave it on the blank skills book. That will complete the job.¡± ¡°How can he do that?¡± Lin Yingxue asked. ¡°Have I not told you? It¡¯s like this¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Chen An could sense the dividing line breaking down. The cold, right side also warmed up gradually. He felt much more comfortable now. Chen An gradually opened his eyes, and the first thing that greeted him was Liu Ran¡¯s approaching big face. Liu Ran kept asking him, ¡°Are you alright? Are you alright?¡± ¡°What else can happen? It seems quite easy.¡± Chen An chuckled. ¡°Simple? I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re alright. I didn¡¯t expect you to create a skills book anyway. I¡¯ve already told you. We are buddies. Just give me a shout if you want to create a skills book in the future, though there are limits as I can only reprint the skills of a plant-based beast.¡± Liu Ran was a loyal friend. He patted Chen An¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯ve also created a plant-based beast skills book this time.¡± ¡°Plant-based?¡± Liu Ran turned around and stared at Dou Buxiang¡­ It did not look anything like a plant! ¡°Is your brain damaged?¡± ¡°How can that be? Look at this.¡± Chen An raised the skills book in his right hand. The prominent word of the skill ¡°Boulder¡± was on the cover page. It was Boulder Flower¡¯s skill, which had been integrated into Dou Buxiang earlier on. Therefore, Chen An reprinted this skills book. Liu Ran was stunned and speechless. He grabbed Chen An¡¯s hand and stared at that skills book. ¡°This is impossible! Did you really create this?¡± The skills book was right in front of him. How could it be fake? Liu Ran could not believe it and looked at Dou Buxiang again. After confirming that Dou Buxiang had not suffered the slightest bit of harm, he fell into a daze. ¡°Chen An, it turns out that you have skills book-creating talent.¡± ¡°Something is not right. You shouldn¡¯t be able to create a skills book without the Beast Tamer bloodline,¡± Lin Yingxue muttered to herself. However, unlike Liu Ran, she was able to come to terms with this. She had long already witnessed that Chen An was not an ordinary man. ¡°This is the Boulder Flower¡¯s talent skill. Wonderful! I wanted to pay a high price to get one during the auction but didn¡¯t manage to because this thing is priceless! I didn¡¯t expect you to create this successfully. In addition, the beast itself is not even present? This is so miraculous!¡± Chen An launched the Taming System silently and checked the Boulder Flower¡¯s index. It was still in the activated state. It turned out that he could do something beyond what a normal Skills Book Creator could do. He would be able to create the book so long as the index was activated. That was the reason Liu Ran had said he could only create plant-based beast skills books. ¡°Chen An, this ¡°Boulder¡± book, can you¡­¡± Liu Ran held back his words. He had pleaded for the Evening Moon Vine from Chen An before and had realized that Chen An was open to a soft approach but not coercion. If he wanted something from him, he had to plead with him nicely. ¡°What do you want? You already got something, and now you want something else? No way!¡± Lin Yingxue blocked in front of Chen An. She knew how precious a skills book was, and it could not be given away that easily. However, to Chen An, this item was not useful. ¡°I can give it to you if you want it. Anyway, it¡¯s for the Evening Moon Vine. I¡¯m also very curious about the effect.¡± Lin Yingxue spun around. ¡°Chen An, there is a limit to the number of skills books that you can create. You cannot extract again for a period of time. Otherwise, this will harm the beast. You can¡¯t give it to him that easily.¡± One could not blame Lin Yingxue for being petty. She was sparing a thought for Chen An. ¡°Is that so?¡± Chen An sounded calm and nonchalant. Dou Buxiang was right beside him and trotted to Chen An obediently. Chen An¡¯s hands covered Dou Buxiang¡¯s horn again. Upon seeing that, Liu Ran took out a blank skills book without the slightest bit of hesitation and placed it under Chen An¡¯s hand. This time, the extraction was a walk in the park for Chen An. He was not that lost and could finish creating the skills book swiftly. He did not even feel any fatigue when he opened his eyes. Chapter 26 Li Danming followed Chen An into the dormitory. Many people were gossiping behind their backs. ¡°There is someone who dares to stay with Chen An? I remember that he is called Liu Ran. He was almost late for his last assessment. It¡¯s that guy who was stopped at the doors but shamelessly forced his way in afterward.¡± ¡°Both Chen An and Liu Ran are weirdos, and coupled with that scaredy-cat, this dormitory trio is very inauspicious.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to stay away from them in the future.¡± Chen An was immune to these noises. Li Danming was cowardly and afraid of trouble, so he remained silent as he looked down and unpacked his belongings. Only Liu Ran stood at the door with a smiling and cunning expression. ¡°I heard that De Yuan is an amazing place. I¡¯ve been very curious as to what is so amazing. I finally realized it now. Some people refuse to speak in the human language and insist on barking.¡± Someone glared at Liu Ran furiously. However, they were aware that Liu Ran had a very powerful plant-based beast and didn¡¯t dare to confront him directly. Liu Ran did not hesitate to return the glare. ¡°Besides barking, they have to cover their dog mouths and whisper softly. It¡¯s so funny.¡± He had hoped for a courageous person to come forward and give him a round of scolding. He could then compete with that group of people directly. It was a pity that all of them were cowards, and they compromised to avoid trouble. Liu Ran scanned around, and no one came forward. Instead, everyone quickened their steps and left. ¡°Boring.¡± Liu Ran turned around and stepped into the dormitory. He believed he had done something gratifying and wanted to boast about it a little. Unexpectedly, he saw that Chen An and Li Danming had already unpacked and organized all their belongings. His bed was the only messy one now. ¡°H-hey¡­ Both of you are too heartless!¡± Everyone ignored him. Liu Ran was not familiar with Li Danming, so he approached Chen An. ¡°Buddy, they¡¯ve already said such words. Don¡¯t you feel anything?¡± Chen An sat down nonchalantly. Fortunately, De Yuan¡¯s dormitory was quite spacious, and he could avoid Liu Ran¡¯s hounding. Those people were annoying, but they were all weaklings. If there had been a conflict, it would have been akin to a fist punching cotton wool. He might as well let time prove their capabilities. The sky darkened, and it was almost the end of the first day at De Yuan. Chen An turned around and saw Li Danming withdrawing into a corner again. This guy should have a limit to his timidness. It was exaggerated that he even felt timid in the dormitory. In addition, he and Liu Ran were not some fearsome beasts. What was he afraid of? ¡°You¡­¡± Li Danming¡¯s hands trembled and pointed outside the door. ¡°Who are you? You have come to the wrong place. Don¡¯t come in.¡± Chen An then noticed someone standing at the doorstep. He had short and scarlet red hair that looked very striking. He had strong and muscular arms with many scars scattered on them. That man stood at the doorstep like a statue without moving or speaking a bit. Li Ran was immediately on his guard. ¡°Why? Did you come here to look for trouble?¡± That man remained silent. He was standing there, expressionlessly. Chen An also sensed the hostility. He could smell a trace of blood stench from him, as well as feel a strong and dangerous aura. Someone appeared from behind him. This man looked more refined. He pushed up his spectacles and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already done a count. Everyone is in groups of four dormitory mates. This is the only dormitory that has one more vacancy.¡± The bespectacled man was De Yuan¡¯s dormitory manager. Every year, there would be students that could not successfully form dormitory groups, so he needed to find places for them. ¡°This person will stay in your dormitory. It¡¯s just right. There will be four of you.¡± He was referring to that red-haired man who had a body full of scars. Chen An did not mind, but Li Danming¡­ Looking at his frightened face, Chen An felt pity for him. That man walked in with a cold and aloof expression that was akin to that of a robot. He ignored the rest of them and began to unpack his belongings. Smiling, Liu Ran lunged to him. ¡°Sorry, I misunderstood and thought you came here to look for trouble. I¡¯m Liu Ran. What¡¯s your name?¡± That man ignored him. As such, Liu Ran¡¯s enthusiasm was met with coldness. It was the first day at De Yuan, and they had yet to learn his name¡­ The next morning, Liu Ran called out to the red-haired man, ¡°Hurry! I thought you were a formidable character. Are you still asleep at this time? Hurry!¡± The red-haired man opened his eyes. He looked as if he had just escaped from a nightmare. He remained silent and did not utter a single word. Liu Ran was not anxious for nothing¡ªDe Yuan¡¯s classes were conducted in groups of four. This was also why all De Yuan freshmen were so particular about the dormitory arrangements on the first night. The weaker ones needed to cozy up to powerful figures. Those who had connections had already long formed cliques. Chen An and Liu Ran did not know the intricacies of this. Thus, when they were shut out of the first lesson, they felt very lost and perplexed. That was right. Everyone had a different idea of the first lesson in De Yuan College, such as a luxurious illusion, a teacher with a voluptuous figure, and special methods to advance tremendously. Yet, they did not see any of this. Instead, only a huge and cold-looking door greeted them. ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Liu Ran broke out in a sweat. He took a few steps forward as he wanted to knock on the door. Chen An stopped him and cast him a glance, hinting at him to look around. Evidently, the other students already knew what was going on. They had already gathered in groups and were discussing something. Li Danming also approached them quietly. ¡°I¡¯ve gathered some information. This teacher has a very eccentric temper. We have to prove our capability before we can attend his class. Otherwise, we will be rejected and shut out of the door.¡± ¡°Prove our capability? How do we do that?¡± Liu Ran patted the red-haired man¡¯s arm muscles. ¡°Show him this. Is this counted?¡± ¡°No. From their discussions, we can knock on the doors after we form a group of four to challenge the teacher. We will then be let in. After entering, the group of four will have to join forces to fight the teacher and ensure that they are not kicked out of the place. If they are successful, they will be fit to remain in this teacher¡¯s class. If they are not, they will no longer be qualified to step through this door.¡± No longer qualified meant that they would not be given any further chance to challenge the teacher, not even in the future. Chen An surveyed the surrounding classmates. As he looked at their faces, he recalled the respective dormitories that they had headed to yesterday. That was right. They had formed into groups with their dormitory mates. During the first day in college, it was unlikely that they would know one another. It was no wonder they were that particular about choosing their dormitory mates. Chen An was now facing the same predicament as last night. He had no one else with him, except for Li Danming and Liu Ran. The trio glanced at the red-haired man, who still looked as stoic as ever. ¡°He must be quite powerful to be able to become a teacher of De Yuan. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re going to challenge him alone?¡± Liu Ran patted the red-haired man¡¯s shoulder. He had concluded that this cold and aloof on the outside was actually warm and affectionate in his heart. The red-haired man pondered for a long time before he nodded stoically. Chapter 27 ¡°It¡¯s agreed then. The four of us will form a group.¡± Liu Ran glanced at Chen An. ¡°Fortunately, you stopped me. Otherwise, I would be the first person to knock on the door.¡± Smiling, Chen An questioned him back, ¡°You don¡¯t want to be the first one?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s always good to have a precedent for this kind of thing.¡± ¡°No. We have to be the first to challenge the teacher this time.¡± Chen An had a firm gaze in his eyes. ¡°Why?¡± Liu Ran did not understand. ¡°Have you forgotten about last night?¡± Liu Ran suddenly realized something. ¡°Is this your opening gambit? Do you mean that we should establish an advantageous position for ourselves?¡± ¡°Not entirely so.¡± Chen An had some plans in mind. ¡°I¡¯ll go and knock on the door!¡± Liu Ran acted immediately. He knocked on that cold and icy huge door a few times in a row. He deliberately knocked on it loudly to drown the surrounding people¡¯s discussions. He allowed them to turn their gazes to him. A deep and hoarse voice sounded behind the door. ¡°Good lad. You dare to challenge me that quickly. Not bad. You have courage. Come in.¡± Liu Ran turned around and lifted his chin at the group of people proudly before swaggering into the place. Chen An, Li Danming, and the red-haired man were right on his heels. Just as they stepped into the place, Chen An could sense a strong and oppressive aura. The atmosphere in the entire house was very oppressive. This house could be described as a battle stage. In the middle of the house was their opponent¡ªa fat old man with a long beard. [The Taming System has been launched. Identifying¡­] This teacher looked very ordinary and somewhat ugly. Nevertheless, he was quite powerful. His beast was an Aqua Leopard, a high-grade beast. It was embedded with a medium-grade defense spirit core and medium-grade water attribute spirit core. It had the talent skill, Aqua. When it encountered water attribute beasts, its defense power would multiply. In addition, each time it encountered a water attribute attack, its defense power would increase at a range of 1% to 50%. It also carried a skills book, Extending Zone. The zone would extend, and the beast¡¯s defense power would increase by using the beast as the epicenter. The skill would then forcefully expel everything within the zone. ¡°There are only the four of you? That¡¯s just nice. Come on!¡± The teacher did not waste any breath. He summoned his beast immediately and began the battle. As soon as the beast was summoned, Chen An noticed that this was not the leopard that he had in mind. It was, in fact, a¡­ sea leopard. It looked quite adorable, and its appearance did not quite match that of the boorish-looking teacher. ¡°Dou Buxiang!¡± Chen An was the fastest to react. He summoned his beast before the rest could do so. Dou Buxiang leaped down from the rose-colored petal and pounced on Aqua Leopard directly. This was because Aqua Leopard was already gathering its energy at this moment. The teacher laughed loudly. ¡°Not bad. You have a very fast reaction speed. However, your beast is not powerful enough.¡± Dou Buxiang charged toward the beast. It lowered its head and pressed its two horns on the Aqua Leopard¡¯s body when it was closing in. As a result, the Aqua Leopard¡¯s skill was interrupted. ¡°Dou Buxiang, come back.¡± Chen An immediately summoned Dou Buxiang back to him as soon as the situation turned advantageous. Liu Ran heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Thanks, buddy. The three of us did not react in time just now. If we were hit before summoning our beasts, I don¡¯t know how far we would fly out from here.¡± The Evening Moon Vine was twisting and creeping around his arm. Chen An turned around. Li Danming¡¯s Armor-Piercing Beast and a red, fiery wolf were already all geared up. ¡°I¡¯ve underestimated you, fellas. You have quite a few good beasts.¡± The teacher¡¯s enthusiasm was piqued, and he had an excited look in his eyes. ¡°Aqua Leopard, Extending Zone!¡± The Aqua Leopard straightened its back, and its whiskers moved slightly. One could see blue ripples spreading out from its body like waves. They were regular and linear lines spreading at lightning speed. Nevertheless, these ¡°ripples¡± were not weak. Chen An and the group felt as if they had been hit by raging waves. This was Aqua Leopard¡¯s skills book. The more defense power the beast had, the greater the skill¡¯s effect. Chen An and the group had been shoved to the point whereby they could no longer stand properly. They retreated continuously. ¡°You better think of a solution. You guys know my rules. Once you have been expelled from here, you can forget about coming in again.¡± The teacher stood beside Aqua Leopard and sounded relaxed when he spoke. Liu Ran immediately swung the Evening Moon Vine down his arm and allowed it to take root in the floor and cast its roots deep underground. ¡°Growth.¡± The Evening Moon Vine¡¯s growth speed should not be underestimated. Before Liu Ran finished his words, the Evening Moon Vine had already grown into something as enormous as a thick tree trunk. Liu Ran wrapped his hands around his Evening Moon Vine and could barely keep his body steady. Following that, a few branches extended from the vine. Acting like extending arms, they secured the rest of the group and their beasts. It was fighting against the Aqua Leopard¡¯s Extending Zone. ¡°Why isn¡¯t this over?!¡± Li Danming wore a pained expression. He was the weakest and thus felt the worst when they were in the zone. In addition, his Armor-Piercing Beast was of no use in this kind of situation. Chen An also felt that the skill had persisted for a longer time than expected. He had initially thought that he would have a chance to counterattack after overcoming the first hurdle. Now, it seemed that they had to go against the tides by resisting the Extending Zone and attacking the Aqua Leopard at the same time. Otherwise, they would be hurled out sooner or later. A fiery red figure leaped into the air. It was fast, although it was resisting the Extending Zone¡¯s pressure. It was the red-haired man¡¯s combat beast. Chen An launched the Taming System immediately. [Berserker Wolf, medium-grade beast. It is embedded with a fire-attribute attack spirit core, and it carries a passive spirit core. After every attack, its fire attribute will increase by one layer. With consecutive attacks, the fire attribute can be increased by up to 10 layers.] ¡®Talent skill: Berserk. This can tremendously increase the attack power and enhance the chemistry and collaboration with the Beast Tamer, multiplying its vigor. Joint Combo might be comprehended in such situations.] It also carried a skills book Long Flames, which could release long-distance fire attribute attacks and cause damage in a straight line. This was a fairly good beast, and it looked more powerful than many high-grade beasts. Yet, it was assessed as a medium-grade one. Chen An could not really understand the reason. The Berserker Wolf continued to resist the Extending Zone and closed in on the Aqua Leopard. The teacher blocked in front of the Aqua Leopard and waved his fists at the Berserker Wolf. The Berserker Wolf averted him urgently. Nonetheless, it was caught off guard, was expelled further by the Extending Zone, and was forced to use its skill. Unfortunately, he did not manage to hit the opponent. The red-haired man caught up with his beast with the Evening Moon Vine¡¯s help. Chen An¡¯s expression turned serious. The man had a strange look on his face. His red, short hair looked like burning flames, and his eyes were emitting red light. His movements also seemed very odd. He looked like a berserk man that was wandering aimlessly. Suddenly, the deafening roar of a wolf tore the house. The Armor-Piercing Beast was frightened out of its wits and trembled by Li Danming¡¯s feet. The red-haired man pounced on his opponent together with the Berserker Wolf. At that moment, both the Beast Tamer and the beast had fallen into madness. Each of the wolf claws was as sharp as knives as they slashed forward aggressively, tearing the area formed by the Extending Zone. The thread-like blue ripples looked like they had been pulled apart. Flaws had appeared in the zone. However, the red-haired man did not attack the Aqua Leopard. He chose to attack the teacher instead! ¡°Red-haired fella, are you mad?¡± Liu Ran¡¯s Evening Moon Vine crept to him hurriedly. Chapter 28 Everyone who looked at the red-haired man and his distorted face could tell that he was obviously in a state of madness. The Evening Moon Vine climbed onto the red-haired man¡¯s waist, having a firm grip on him. After trying twice and not being able to break free, he became even more frantic. He raised his head and shouted loudly, and his hands clenched into fists, the muscles on his arms bulging. Bang¡ª He actually broke apart the Evening Moon Vine¡¯s firm branches. Even Liu Ran was shocked. He suffered a blow, vomited blood, and fell to the ground. He pulled his brows together in pain. He put aside his Evening Moon Vine and launched the Boulder Flower to protect himself. Liu Ran could hardly save himself. He could no longer use the Evening Moon Vine to help others. Li Danming¡¯s Armor-Piercing Beast flinched, not daring to move forward. If not for Chen An, who deployed Dou Buxiang in time, using the same method as the red-haired man to destroy the Extending Zone, Li Danming might be beaten and expelled directly. The red-haired man was still yelling madly, and his Berserker Wolf also roared loudly. ¡°There are actually such students in De Yuan?¡± One could not tell whether the teacher meant it as a compliment or a derogation. But it was obvious that he was much more knowledgeable than others and knew what was going on with the red-haired man. The red-haired man suddenly leaped up, curling his index finger into claws, long and bright red nails appeared, and he made a grab at the others. Five beams of red lights flashed. They were dazzling fast. Even the teacher, who had experienced many battles, failed to respond in time, was caught by the red-haired man. There were five red marks on his shoulders. However, the teacher appeared to be calm and did not seem to be in pain. ¡°Given such madness, perhaps he has completely lost his sanity?¡± The red-haired man¡¯s behavior could be called the ¡°state of madness¡±. This was a very special situation, which usually occurred when one¡¯s beast was not as good. This was especially so for aggressive Combat Beasts that had ways to obtain more powerful attacking abilities, such as talent skills. When the skill was activated, the Combat Beast itself, or the Beast Tamer, could not control and suppress it well. In such a situation, the Beast Tamer and the Combat Beast would fall into a state of madness. Just like what happened now, all the red-haired man needed to do was avoid being beaten and expelled. However, he looked as if he was going to kill someone. This was undoubtedly making it more difficult for Chen An. On the one hand, he needed to help Li Danming, but on the other hand, he needed to ensure that he was not being expelled and to stop the red-haired man, making him wake up from his state of madness. ¡°Slow-up Stab!¡± Chen An used silver feathers to break through the Extending Zone, creating a path for Dou Buxiang. Dou Buxiang rushed toward the Aqua Leopard, bowing deeply. There were two neat rows of spikes that were obtained through integrating with the Stone Mythical Snake. Originally, the Stone Mythical Snake would only use its spikes to petrify the opponent after entangling the opponent, and therefore temporarily preventing the opponent from moving. However, when it was integrated with Dou Buxiang, the spikes could be separated from the body. The two rows of spikes suspended in the air, getting ready to attack. A silver feather quietly passed through the air, and the blue lines of the Extending Zone were all cut off rows by rows. This was like a muted guqin[1] with broken strings. The spikes followed closely, and they were all stuck onto the Aqua Leopard¡¯s body. The Aqua Leopard groaned and could not even flop, completely losing its combat effectiveness. After settling the Aqua Leopard, there was someone even trickier¡ªthe red-haired man! He was desperately throwing himself onto the teacher, launching vicious attacks on him. The teacher himself had a weird temper. Now that the red-haired man entangled him for a prolonged period of time, he grew even more impatient. He did not care to show mercy. Instead, he clamped the Berserker Wolf¡¯s neck and slammed it hard to suppress it. Then he raised his leg and kicked the red-haired man away. Scarlet blood flowed from the red-haired man¡¯s red eyes. There were two streaks of blood on his cheeks, which looked horrifying. ¡°Spirit Rainbow!¡± Chen An rushed over immediately after defeating the Aqua Leopard. The two horns on Dou Buxiang kept flashing rainbow lights like the Spirit Rainbow Deer. The rainbow light shone on the teacher and the red-haired man. The bloody mark on the teacher¡¯s shoulder was the first to heal. Perhaps the teacher had thicker skin, or it could be the result of the Spirit Rainbow skill, so the injuries healed instantly, and there was no visible scar. However, things were not looking so good for the red-haired man. He covered his eyes, screamed in agony, and curled up as if he was suffering from great pain. Seeing that he was in agony, Chen An immediately made Dou Buxiang stop its Spirit Rainbow. The teacher rested his hand on Chen An¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Is that your skill? Keep using it. It will help in suppressing and comforting him.¡± Chen An was puzzled, but after some thought, he was after all the teacher and had no enmity with the red-haired man. He must have said that to help him. Dou Buxiang understood and ran to the red-haired man, emitting its rainbow light at him through its two horns. It did not take long for the red-haired man to really calm down. He lay on the ground, motionless. Chen An took a closer look and only felt relieved after confirming that he was still breathing. The people outside were frightened upon hearing the commotion inside. They went into absolute silence. They had done their homework way before this and knew that the teacher would generally show mercy so that the students could pass. However, after hearing the commotion inside, it seemed that someone was dying in the first group. In the room, the teacher sighed. ¡°Oh, I am getting older. This is just an introductory battle, and it ended up in this manner. It seems that in the future, it will be your stage.¡± Li Danming stuck his head out. He was thankful that he managed to survive. Liu Ran said proudly, ¡°Teacher, rest assured, we will perform well in the future.¡± Chen An kept quiet. He was well aware of the situation. ¡°Next group.¡± The teacher made a gesture, telling them to go to the back and wait. In other words, they had passed. After everyone expressed their gratitude, they carried the red-haired man and moved to the back. They waited a long time, but no one knocked on the door. The teacher stood in the middle of the room and began to pace boringly, sighing helplessly from time to time. After hearing how Chen An and his group shouted and yelled in the battle, the group of people outside were having second thoughts. They did not dare to enter. All of them hoped that another group would go first before they decided what to do next. After waiting for a long time, a few girls appeared. ¡°Hey, why are you dilly-dallying? Can you hurry up? We have waited for so long at the back. If you don¡¯t wish to challenge, we will go ahead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste time speaking to them. We are not in a queue, and this is not according to a first-come, first-served basis.¡± A girl in a red dress was already standing at the door. She knocked gently on the door with the back of her fair hand. The person on the other side of the door eagerly opened it. Chen An saw the red dress and immediately recognized who the person was. It was Lin Yingxue. The other three girls in her group were also in the same dormitory. When Lin Yingxue took the first step, she met Chen An¡¯s eyes. Chen An winked at her, and there was a warning look in his eyes, telling her not to relax her vigilance and to react in time. This teacher liked to spring surprises, and the assessment began from the moment one entered the door. Sure enough, the girl far behind was still trying to politely close the door when the Aqua Leopard gathered its energy again. [1] This is a five-stringed or seven-stringed plucked instrument in some ways similar to the zither. Chapter 29 When Lin Yingxue had participated in the competition before, Chen An had also been present. She was used to Chen An being outside the arena during the battle. It was a very magical feeling, as if the two could communicate silently. Lin Yingxue felt that perhaps it was a tacit understanding between the two of them. Just like now, with a look in Chen An¡¯s eyes, she knew what Chen An meant. She immediately summoned Wu Wu, the golden lines on its body shining gorgeously. ¡°Moon, disperse!¡± Seeing that the Aqua Leopard was gathering its power, Lin Yingxue and Chen An adopted completely different strategies. Chen An¡¯s first reaction had been to interrupt, giving the others enough time to react. After all, he had still not known the teacher¡¯s abilities. If he had attacked rashly, he might have been asking for trouble. It was not the case for Lin Yingxue, though. As soon as she entered, she wanted to use powerful offensive skills to suppress it. This was what she had learned in the previous competitions. The first person to launch an attack would have the advantage. If not, then one would suffer. Unfortunately, she was wrong this time. Wu Wu¡¯s tried and tested offensive skills were not threatening in front of the teacher¡¯s Aqua Leopard. Not only was the Aqua Leopard unscathed, but Wu Wu was also placed in a dangerous situation because of the close-range attack. ¡°Haha, you are too anxious. You won¡¯t learn unless you are taught a lesson.¡± The teacher¡¯s symbolic smile sounded again. He would not show mercy to a female student. The teacher immediately ordered the Aqua Leopard to extend the zone, and a blue ripple line appeared again. At that moment, Wu Wu was nearer to the beast and bore the brunt of it. Lin Yingxue did not know how to deal with it, and she panicked. She could only watch helplessly as Wu Wu was being hurt by the Extending Zone and was pushed a few meters away. ¡°No!¡± Once Wu Wu was expelled, it was equivalent to losing her combat ability. She could not be turned away just like that, so she swiftly stepped forward and caught Wu Wu. The little white rabbit rolled in the air before being safely picked up by its master. The two small ears were pressed together behind its back. It was frightened by the attacks. Chen An looked at the blow she suffered just now and was worried for her. After all, at this moment, she was already at the door. If the teacher launched another attack again, she would definitely be expelled. Lin Yingxue hugged Wu Wu, her long hair flying due to the Extending Zone. There were denser golden lines on her legs, circulating downward. It was as if to root her to the ground stabilizing her. It was a pity the teacher¡¯s ability was way above Lin Yingxue. The Aqua Leopard turned around in place and once again strengthened its attack. Liu Ran leaned to Chen An¡¯s side. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to help your young girlfriend?¡± If she kept being passive, she would definitely be expelled in less than ten seconds. Chen An looked at Lin Yingxue¡¯s figure thoughtfully. At that moment, the door behind Lin Yingxue was opened. The teacher was furious. ¡°Who is it? Who dares to break my rules? Don¡¯t you know I¡ª¡± Halfway through his words, he fell silent. A smile gradually replaced that angry face. ¡°It turned out to be Teacher Lin. Why would you have the time for a surprise visit here? Come in.¡± The person was none other than Lin Xiaoxiao, who was also known as De Yuan¡¯s youngest, as well as the most beautiful and sexy female teacher. Many people in De Yuan, including the teachers and students, were full of admiration for her. As soon as Lin Xiaoxiao came in, she fiddled with her hair. ¡°You don¡¯t look like you are welcoming me in. Instead, you are pushing me out with your beast.¡± ¡°Oh, yes.¡± The very serious teacher suddenly acted like a silly man, muttering for Aqua Leopard to stop its attack, and moved a chair from the corner. ¡°Teacher Lin, today is¡­¡± Lin Xiaoxiao sat down gracefully. ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± The teacher was ecstatic. ¡°T-then, I will let them go out first.¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Xiaoxiao made a beckoning gesture, which was already very obvious. Chen An watched as the 5.3-feet-tall sturdy-built teacher blushed. He was affectedly bashful like a woman as he bent down and leaned in to hear what she had to say. None of them had any idea what Lin Xiaoxiao said to him. However, after the teacher stood up straight, he coughed stiffly. ¡°Okay, Lin Yingxue, yes, you have passed. Let the people outside know that the first group and you performed very well. My class is full. I won¡¯t accept any more challenges, so let them leave.¡± Liu Ran, who was by the side, could not help but swear, ¡°How can there be such a thing?¡± Lin Xiaoxiao nodded in satisfaction, got up, and left. Before leaving, she turned to look at Chen An with a smile on her face. ¡°Fortunately, we seized the opportunity. Otherwise, we would be waiting like fools outside,¡± Liu Ran kept exclaiming. However, something suddenly came to him. ¡°This is not right! Why do I have the feeling that you have something going on with the female teacher? Didn¡¯t you previously say that you must be the first to challenge? You must have known before this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Faced with Liu Ran¡¯s questions, Chen An told him not to overthink. ¡°The reason why I chose to challenge first is for those outside to realize the differences in our abilities, frighten them, and be of some deterrence to them.¡± This was Chen An¡¯s original idea. He had not expected Lin Xiaoxiao to come. In fact, they had indeed given those outside a scare during their assessment. They dared not come to challenge, and hence they lost an opportunity. After hearing the notice from the teacher, the people outside moaned and groaned. This teacher was very famous in De Yuan. After an underdog Beast Tamer had received this teacher¡¯s guidance, he gradually improved and was a well-known and powerful Beast Tamer now. Since they missed the opportunity, they were naturally upset. Those who were accepted were the four people in Chen An¡¯s dormitory and Lin Yingxue. The unconscious red-haired man awakened, and the five were lined up. The teacher looked at each one of them and nodded in relief. His name was unimportant. They only needed to remember his beast, the Aqua Leopard, and to greet him as Teacher Leopard. ¡°The five of you are very good. However, among my many students, you are not considered as outstanding, and you will still need to continue working hard.¡± The five of them nodded. Teacher Leopard was very experienced. He had a general understanding of them based on the battles just now, and he began to instruct them one by one. ¡°You possess a plant-based beast, the Evening Moon Vine, right? Not bad, it is your good fortune to have this powerful beast at such a young age.¡± Liu Ran smiled and looked at Chen An. ¡°It¡¯s just that you are still not very experienced in using the Evening Moon Vine. Otherwise, you could have used your Evening Moon Vine to assist others in attacking during the battle just now, and you would not have been forced to put it away for your protection.¡± Liu Ran, who was proud of himself seconds ago, turned solemn. ¡°You have good talent. I suppose there must be other plant-based beasts? You can have another plant-based beast to cooperate with the Evening Moon Vine, and this will help you to quickly increase your ability.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t even use a single beast well, yet I have to carry another beast? Is this being too anxious? Besides, I don¡¯t know how to use it at the same time¡­¡± Chapter 30 Teacher Leopard brusquely interrupted him. ¡°What¡¯s the use of having a teacher? Go ahead to bring along another beast next time. I shall teach you how to use it.¡± The teacher then looked at Li Danming. The latter immediately felt guilty. After all, he had hardly played any role in the battle just now, nor had he performed well. He was worried that the teacher would reprimand him. ¡°You are too timid, and you don¡¯t dare to attack. I saw your beast, Armor-Piercing Beast. It is an offensive beast. If you don¡¯t take the initiative to attack and stay behind, you will only lose your footing.¡± Li Danming was embarrassed at his words. He still remembered that Chen An had said the same words before. At that time, after listening to Chen An¡¯s warning, he had made a daring attack in the final assessment. Although there were improvements now, he should continue to work hard. ¡°And you, you are the complete opposite to him. He doesn¡¯t dare to attack, and you are too fierce in your attacks.¡± The person that the teacher was referring to was naturally the red-haired man. ¡°But we can¡¯t blame you as your Combat Beast is very special. If you want to continue using it, you must learn how to control it.¡± The red-haired man remained silent, simply listening to the teacher. ¡°Oh, I do know of a kind of beast, you can¡­ Forget it. For the current you, the most convenient way is to suppress it by all means. If you can¡¯t suppress it, you should make plans as soon as possible to replace the beast.¡± Chen An noticed that as soon as the red-haired man heard the idea of replacing his beast, there was a flicker of sadness in his eyes. It seemed that he was not willing to replace his beast. However, it was not easy to suppress the state of madness. What Chen An was more interested in was the method that the teacher was hesitant to share with them. ¡°Speaking of replacing one¡¯s beast, Lin Yingxue, is Teacher Lin your auntie? So, are you also from the Glittering Fiery Feather clan?¡± Lin Yingxue nodded. She knew what her teacher wanted to ask and took the initiative to answer, ¡°Wu Wu is my only beast.¡± She deliberately emphasized the word ¡°only¡±. Realization dawned on the teacher. ¡°Then your path is probably going to be much harder than others. Try to improve your beast. Medium-grade beasts can also have a high upper limit.¡± He had finished giving feedback to the others, and when it was Chen An¡¯s turn, the teacher skipped and changed the topic. ¡°I will suggest different training methods according to each of your situations.¡± Liu Ran¡¯s training was put on hold for the time being as he did not have a second plant-based beast. As for Li Danming, in order to correct his cowardly disposition of not daring to attack, the teacher arranged 10 people to keep besieging Li Danming. To put it simply, it was a round of violent beating¡ªthey would keep beating him, but the bottom line was not to kill him. Li Danming had only two options, either be beaten or fight back. Chen An was seized with anxiety for him. This method might really spur his fighting spirit in the shortest time, but it was too cruel. As for Lin Yingxue, under the teacher¡¯s guidance, she engaged in actual combat with a senior sister, working to improve Wu Wu through constant battles. As for the red-haired man, the teacher said he would personally guide him. Everyone else looked at the red-haired man with envy for having such a good chance. ¡°Give me a minute. We will start training later.¡± After explaining to the red-haired man, the teacher turned to Chen An. ¡°Follow me.¡± Chen An felt odd that he was suddenly being singled out. The duo walked a distance away. The teacher made sure that no one could hear them before speaking slowly. ¡°Is your name Chen An? This is a good name. It will probably not be long before this name is widely known in the Beast Tamer world.¡± The teacher¡¯s extremely high evaluation caught Chen An unaware. He wondered why the teacher made such comments, so he gave a polite reply. ¡°I am still young, and apart from De Yuan¡¯s exam, I have not been able to participate in many beast battles. I hope that a teacher with a rich combat experience would guide me along.¡± The teacher sighed. ¡°Oh, I am getting old.¡± He turned to Chen An with a serious face and said solemnly, ¡°I said just now that there is a gap between all of you and many of my students. That was only referring to the rest of them. You are the most talented person I have ever met. Although I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t detect the power of bloodline in you, I know that you are the most special person.¡± Chen An knew the reason. This was not being talented; it was the credit of the system. ¡°You don¡¯t have to greet me as your teacher. This is because I can¡¯t teach you at all.¡± The teacher was very frank. ¡°Given your current abilities, even if we did not teach you, you could surely become a powerful Beast Tamer yourself.¡± At the thought of Dou Buxiang, the teacher could only sigh. Those students in the distance either had problems with their own abilities, or their beasts were not good enough. As for Chen An, everything was perfect, and there was nothing to criticize. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you to a place.¡± The teacher walked out with Chen An. The red-haired man was still waiting by the side for him. Upon seeing the teacher, he immediately came over. However, the teacher told him to continue to wait in an indifferent manner. The two passed through De Yuan and walked a long way before they stopped in an open area. There was a huge battle stage surrounded by people. The most eye-catching thing was the huge stele behind the battle stage. The stele was engraved with dense rows of characters. The teacher pointed his finger into the distance. ¡°This is a place in the college that is specially meant for students to practice. Only De Yuan students can engage in beast combats here. For you, constant battles may be the fastest way to improve.¡± Chen An agreed totally. After all, he needed to defeat more opponents to get the beasts¡¯ indexes. ¡°But you have to pay attention. There are many ways of fighting here and the most common of which is to challenge others.¡± ¡°Challenge? Who?¡± ¡°Did you see the stele at the back? There is a ranking on it. It is ranked from top to bottom, and the people who have lower rankings can challenge the high-ranking people at any time. After succeeding, they can directly switch the ranking positions.¡± ¡°Directly? Does it mean it is also possible for the person who is ranked last to challenge the person in the first place and take the first spot?¡± ¡°Yes, by right, this is the case. However, the people who ranked in the middle will not allow this to happen.¡± ¡°Do you mean that the people in the middle can block the challenge?¡± ¡°Yes, and you must have a ranking before you can issue a challenge.¡± The teacher patted Chen An on the shoulder. ¡°So, you should abandon that idea as soon as possible. Start slowly from the bottom to steel yourself and move up the ranking. If you go too fast, it¡¯s not necessarily a good thing.¡± ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± ¡°You will understand in the future.¡± The teacher did not explain further, but instead, he told Chen An about a few of the capable people in De Yuan. Their rankings were also very high. He reminded Chen An to wait until he was more powerful before challenging them. ¡°As for today, you have just experienced a battle, so it¡¯s better not to push yourself anymore. After you are well-rested, you can come back here to challenge them. Anyway, this place is always open, and you can issue a challenge any time.¡± Chapter 31 Chen An nodded. The battle with the teacher today was indeed a fierce one, and he was exhausted. ¡°Teacher, there is one more thing that I am curious about.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Although Teacher Leopard told Chen An not to address him as his teacher, Chen An did not want to be rude and still addressed him as his teacher. This moved the teacher very much, and he was naturally willing to share everything with him. ¡°What is the other method that we can use to solve the problem of the Berserker Wolf causing its Beast Tamer to go into a state of madness?¡± ¡°Unexpectedly, this is what you care about.¡± Teacher Leopard sighed. ¡°If under normal circumstances, a Berserker Wolf is good enough to be evaluated as a high-grade beast. But due to its shortcoming as a Berserker Wolf, it has to be downgraded to medium-grade.¡± It was alright to change to another beast. However, it was just that a Berserker Wolf was extremely rare and precious. The teacher continued. ¡°There are still many other beasts that have the same problems. Some Beast Tamers refuse to give up and will work hard to search for a type of beast¡ªWind-Dwelling Egret.¡± ¡°Wind-Dwelling Egret?¡± Chen An had never heard of such a beast. ¡°This kind of beast is even rarer. This is what I heard from others. It is said that the passive talent of this egret can eliminate the negative effects of going into a state of madness. It would not reduce the effect of the skill, but at the same time, the Beast Tamer and the beast would not go into a state of madness.¡± ¡°What is the exact method?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Some people say that it is only possible for a Beast Tamer who has two portable chambers, and they must bring two beasts at the same time.¡± If Chen An remembered correctly, the red-haired man only had one portable chamber. ¡°That child is very pitiful.¡± The teacher recalled what happened previously. ¡°In fact, De Yuan was not willing to take him in after what happened¡­¡± Chen An remembered the way the red-haired man had looked like when he was sent over as he had nowhere to go. ¡°What are you referring to?¡± ¡°He injured his opponent during the one-on-one assessment, and the opponent was seriously injured. If the teacher present hadn¡¯t intervened in time, he might have killed the opponent.¡± Was it that serious? Chen An remembered his deranged behavior just now and felt that it was indeed possible. After saying all this, the teacher remembered that the red-haired man was still waiting for him and left. As for Chen An, he stayed and watched the battles on the ranking battle stage for a long time, noticing a lot of strange Combat Beasts. The rest of them ended their lessons under Teacher Leopard¡¯s guidance. As soon as Liu Ran returned to the dormitory, he ran to Chen An. ¡°Brother, how is it? The ¡°Slow-up Stab¡± that I gave you is pretty good. Back then, it pained me to part with it. I hesitated for a long time before taking it out.¡± Chen An smiled. Liu Ran would not admit that he had received a benefit. He already had the Evening Moon Vine, yet he was still thinking about the skills book that he had used to exchange with it. ¡°Chen An, thank you.¡± Behind him, Li Danming¡¯s voice could be heard. Chen An was still curious about the reason why he suddenly thanked him again. He turned around and was just about to ask when he saw Li Danming¡¯s shocking appearance. His head was badly beaten. It was as swollen as the head of a pig. Besides having swollen cheeks, his chin was puckered and swollen. ¡°You, this¡­¡± Chen An wanted to know what he had gone through. ¡°Today, the teacher arranged for several people to beat me until the Armor-Piercing Beast could not stand it anymore and retaliate. He then allowed me to go.¡± The Armor-Piercing Beast could no longer stand it anymore, and yet he could still shrink in the corner? Chen An wondered if this was cowardice or a high tolerance level¡­ ¡°What you said previously is the same as what the teacher said. In fact, I also want to get rid of my fear as soon as possible and to fight single-handedly like you.¡± Li Danming¡¯s voice tinged with sadness. It was a pity that his voice was always too soft, like a mosquito buzzing. It was not easy to be able to hear what he said, and it was even more impossible to distinguish the tone of his voice. The trio was chatting together, while the red-haired man sat far away. Liu Ran had given up on communicating with him. It had been so long, and he had not spoken a single word. Li Danming was timid. Given the way the red-haired man looked, he did not dare to approach him. After a long time, a voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Do all of you know each other?¡± The voice sounded a little hoarse, but it was not brusque. The speaker sounded very young and polite. ¡°Huh?¡± Liu Ran suddenly exclaimed, ¡°It can¡¯t be real! You have finally spoken up! I thought you were dumb.¡± Chen An stopped him. ¡°We are considered acquaintances.¡± The red-haired man turned silent. Liu Ran could not stand his demeanor. ¡°Hey, hey, hey! You are the one who asked the question. My brother has answered you, yet you remain silent. This is being rude!¡± The red-haired man glared at Liu Ran, and they were at daggers drawn. Li Danming had already hidden in the corner. Chen An had to wave at Liu Ran to make them stop. In fact, the red-haired man did not do this deliberately. He might seem to be cold and indifferent, but he always envied Chen An in his heart. He remembered his deranged behavior in front of his teacher today. If it were not for Chen An¡­ It was no wonder Liu Ran and Li Danming would cling to Chen An like that. The red-haired man still did not know that Chen An, whom he envied, was constantly looking through the complicated beast indexes. [The Taming System has been launched.] ¡°Launch all the beasts indexes that have yet to be activated.¡± Chen An¡¯s purpose this time was not to integrate beasts. It was to search for the beast named Wind-Dwelling Egret in the indexes. [Automatically searching for Wind-Dwelling Egret. Found.] From its appearance, it was indeed an egret and was not as peculiar as other beasts. In fact, one could not tell what was so powerful about it. According to the system, the Wind-Dwelling Egret¡¯s talent skill was Wind-Dwelling. It could strengthen one¡¯s control of the wind attribute attacks. No matter how Chen An looked at it, it had nothing to do with suppressing the Berserker Wolf¡¯s state of madness. There was also the method that the teacher had mentioned¡ªcarrying two beasts at the same time. However, in the case of the red-haired man, if he did not want to fall into a state of madness, he might have to consider changing his beast. Chen An kept searching for solutions in the complex system. After searching through it for a long time, he finally saw something useful within the Beast Rearing System. It said that a powerful wind attribute control skill had a miraculous effect on suppressing madness. It turned out that this was the principle behind it. That was to say, if he obtained the index of the Wind-Dwelling Egret and created a talent skills book from it, it might be useful. Chen An continued to search through the system, wanting to see if other beasts had strong control over wind attributes. Perhaps they could replace the Wind-Dwelling Egret. While looking at it, Chen An felt sleepy and dozed off to sleep. He slept until the next morning. Chen An woke up with a start by the noises outside. He opened his eyes and saw Liu Ran right before him. ¡°Brother, something has happened!¡± Chen An was not interested. Nothing could have happened, so he sat up straight lazily while stretching. ¡°You have no idea of the commotion outside.¡± Liu Ran was deliberately mystifying. ¡°Someone challenged the 10th place on the ranking battle stage!¡± Chapter 32 ¡°Oh.¡± Chen An knew that the ranking battle stage he was talking about was the one that Teacher Leopard had shown to him previously. Anyway, he would have to challenge them sooner or later. It didn¡¯t affect him that someone had challenged another person and had a new position on the ranking. ¡°The important thing is that person won the battle. He went straight from the 99th place to the 10th place in the leaderboard.¡± Liu Ran kept talking. ¡°It¡¯s so amazing, and everyone outside is talking about it.¡± Li Danming also came over. ¡°I wonder when I could challenge the leaderboard¡­¡± ¡°You? It is still way too early. There are many complicated requirements when it comes to challenging the rankings.¡± Liu Ran pulled Chen An closer to him. ¡°Brother, I think you can have a go at it. Let¡¯s go. That person has just ended the challenge. He should be still there. Let me bring you there to take a look.¡± With that, Chen An, who was still in a daze and was not wide awake, was dragged to the ranking battle stage by Liu Ran. A blue figure was on the stage. He was in his usual chic appearance and with his ambiguous expression¡ªZheng Qing! When Zheng Qing saw Chen An coming, he smiled triumphantly. ¡°Chen An, you must have heard of my success in the challenge, and hence you came in a hurry?¡± Chen An looked at Zheng Qing from under the battle stage. ¡°God knows it¡¯s you. Why would I make a special trip for you? Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself.¡± Liu Ran did not know the animosity between Zheng Qing and Chen An. However, he realized that he had done something wrong. ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the situation? I shouldn¡¯t have brought you here, is that so?¡± Standing on a higher ground, Zheng Qing was full of complacency. ¡°Chen An, just admit it. De Yuan¡¯s battle ranking is the best proof of one¡¯s strength. I am among the top ten, while you¡­¡± He made an exaggerated move, looking at the rankings behind the battle stage from the top ranking to the last in the leaderboard. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to have a place on the leaderboard.¡± Peals of laughter resounded around them, and the crowd began to whisper to each other. ¡°I have seen Chen An during the entrance examination, and his opponent was Zheng Qing.¡± ¡°Is that true? I didn¡¯t know they have such a history. Now that both of them have entered De Yuan, who was the winner?¡± Everyone pricked their ears to listen, and someone in the know told them the truth. ¡°You must have never imagined that although Zheng Qing seemed to be very powerful, he lost to Chen An in the end.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± Everyone who heard this was in disbelief. ¡°It must be nonsense. As a member of the Icicles River Carp clan, Zheng Qing does not need to be assessed at all. Moreover, the rules for De Yuan¡¯s entrance examination are clear. The winner stays, and the loser leaves.¡± Someone snorted coldly. ¡°Like you have said, Zheng Qing is a member of a powerful clan. Will they be treated in the same manner as all of us? The rules are only meant to restrict us, not meant for them.¡± With that said, everyone felt that Chen An was more powerful. ¡°If so, why is Zheng Qing being so arrogant here? He is Chen An¡¯s defeated opponent, after all.¡± Zheng Qing heard the mention of the term ¡°defeated opponent¡±. The inherent smile on his face quickly cracked like a breaking shell. ¡°Hmph! Chen An, let me make it clear to you today. Everyone else, make sure you listen to what I say. During the assessment last time, I only participated out of interest. Given the huge difference in our abilities, I did not use my full abilities so as not to hurt the opponent by accident.¡± He was always able to come up with convincing reasons. Lin Yingxue, who had just arrived, happened to hear what he said, and she could not help but snort. The biggest reason why Zheng Qing had lost to Chen An was that he was arrogant and conceited. He had looked down upon Chen An and underestimated him. This was why he had lost. But Zheng Qing gave excuses for his defeat. ¡°I was negligent, and therefore I lost. It was my fault that the college enrollment was unfair. They had no choice but to allow the winner to enter De Yuan.¡± Zheng Qing made it sound as if he should not have failed in the assessment and should be allowed to join De Yuan. As for Chen An, he was not qualified to join De Yuan. Everyone had diverging opinions, and they began talking at once. Someone felt that Zheng Qing was just giving excuses. It was a fact that he had lost. There was nothing else that he could say. No matter how convincing the reason might be, it could not change the fact that he had failed. Others had different opinions. ¡°Well, this makes sense. How could Chen An be able to defeat Zheng Qing? It must be that Zheng Qing was negligent, or that Chen An used some opportunistic means to win.¡± ¡°In that case, who is stronger, Zheng Qing or Chen An?¡± ¡°Nonsense. It has to be Zheng Qing. His beast is the Icicles River Carp. How can Chen An be his match?¡± Almost everyone was looking forward to another match between Zheng Qing and Chen An, hoping they could fight each other in the ranking battle. ¡°Chen An, I would advise you to surrender right away, so as not to embarrass yourself in De Yuan College like¡­ him.¡± A man stood next to Zheng Qing, his head downcast, looking crestfallen and defeated. One could see traces of a fight on his body. There were many wounds and obvious frostbites and cracks around the wounds. The Icicles River Carp had evidently injured him. He was originally ranked 10th. After being challenged by Zheng Qing, he was defeated. The two of them exchanged rankings, and he was ranked 98th now. The sudden drop in the ranking made him a joke that everyone talked about in De Yuan College. Zheng Qing could not wait for Chen An to challenge him, so he pressed him further. ¡°So? Do you dare to challenge me? Let¡¯s do it now!¡± Lin Yingxue panicked. She had always been afraid of Zheng Qing¡¯s Joint Combo. He had not used it last time. If he and Chen An fought again this time, he would definitely have no reservations. Chen An must not be goaded. He must not agree to it¡­ Lin Yingxue prayed in her heart. Chen An was naturally fearless. Even when he knew that Zheng Qing had not launched a full attack during the previous fight and his Joint Combo was very powerful, he did not think that he was incapable of fighting him. He was about to challenge him. However, a voice sounded. ¡°You seem to be very powerful? Yes, the Icicles River Carp clan is really domineering.¡± It was a man in red. He had a huge golden shield on his shoulders, and his neck seemed to be carrying a huge burden¡­ Chen An looked to the left and to the right. He had the feeling that the man¡¯s attire seemed familiar to Lin Yingxue¡¯s and Lin Xiaoxiao¡¯s. It was just that he was not as agile and elegant as them. He seemed to be burdened. As soon as the man in red came out, someone whispered, ¡°It¡¯s Lin Su. Why is he here?¡± ¡°Lin Su ranked 3rd. To him, it doesn¡¯t matter who is ranked in the 10th place.¡± Lin Su had the surname of Lin as well. Chen An could not help but look at Lin Yingxue not far away. She turned solemn as she silently lowered her head, without looking at the man in red, exuding coldness and alienation. Lin Su walked forward slowly. No one knew what he was here for. When he approached, he pointed to Zheng Qing on the battle stage and said, ¡°You, do you dare to fight with me?¡± Chapter 33 According to the ranking battles rules, the person who ranked below could challenge the person with a higher ranking at any time, and the opponent must accept it unconditionally. Lin Su ranked 3rd, while Zheng Qing ranked 10th. In theory, Zheng Qing could choose not to accept his challenge. However, Zheng Qing had been arrogant just now, and he had kept provoking others. If he declined the challenge, he would not be able to find a way out of this embarrassing situation. ¡°Since you took the initiative to challenge, it¡¯s not that I won¡¯t accept it, however¡­¡± Zheng Qing sounded hesitant, and he looked reluctant. It seemed that he was very wary of Lin Su. This was understandable. Just looking at the rankings, both of them were worlds apart in terms of their abilities. Zheng Qing had always been cunning. Naturally, he would find a good excuse to back down with good grace. However, Lin Su would not go easy on him, interrupting him directly. ¡°No more hesitation. Just one word, will you accept the challenge or not?¡± Zheng Qing hesitated for a moment, looking at the people around him from the corner of his eyes, then nodded with a heavy heart. The ranking battle stage was activated again. Unlike other battles, if someone from the top ten positions joined the battle, it had to go through thorough confirmations. As if unable to wait, Lin Su hurriedly nodded and launched an attack. The beast he summoned was totally different from the Icicles River Carp. Even before the beast took shape, everyone could feel a strong heatwave, as scorching as the burning sun. It looked like a flying swallow with a sharp golden beak. It had scarlet red feathers all over the body and a long tail feather. Perhaps due to its original color or for other reasons, the long tail feather shone with golden-like patterns. [The Taming System has been launched. Identifying¡­] [Glittering Golden-Feathered Swallow: A super-grade beast. Embedded with high-grade Water Attribute Attack Spirit Core, and high-grade Fire Attribute Attack Spirit Core.] [Talent skill: Golden Feather. It can be separated from its own tail feather and be used as an independent attack.] [Skills book: Burning The Earth. This increases the fire attribute attack, and while causing fire attribute damage, reducing damage sustained by itself.] [Skills book: Repelling Water. This increases the degree of attribute compatibility, forming a shield after active activation. It resists water attribute damage and reduces its additional control effects.] Chen An finished reading the Glittering Golden-Feathered Swallow¡¯s attributes. Lin Su¡¯s beast was Zheng Qing¡¯s nemesis. He was about to exclaim in amazement when he noticed that things were getting tense on the battle stage. The Glittering Golden-Feathered Swallow¡¯s tail feather turned into a beam of golden light, piercing toward Zheng Qing. Zheng Qing could not even dodge and was being stabbed by it. Chen An found this scene to be very familiar. This was similar to what had happened when he used the skill of the Silver-Feathered Eagle to defeat Zheng Qing within seconds. Both of them utilized the skills of flying feather-type beasts, and both of them used the feather of birds to attack the opponents. This was how Zheng Qing was defeated twice in front of everyone. Lin Su wrapped his arms around his chest. The Glittering Golden-Feathered Swallow appeared for only a few seconds and had completed its mission. Thus, it was put away. The fastest way to defeat Zheng Qing¡¯s Joint Combo was to win with speed and to end the battle in the shortest time possible, without giving him a chance to use it. Lin Su walked to Zheng Qing. ¡°So this is how powerful you are.¡± Zheng Qing had no way to refute. No one who witnessed the battle could find a reason for Zheng Qing¡¯s failure. ¡°Therefore, I also have the right to suspect that there was something fishy with the previous battle.¡± Lin Su unilaterally announced, ¡°The previous challenge is not counted. You should be content with being in the 98th place. Be honest and return to where you should be.¡± With that, Lin Su stepped off the battle stage. The person ranked 10th, who had previously lost to Zheng Qing, approached him and bowed his head as if following on the heels of Lin Su. Lin Su lowered his voice, his tone menacing. ¡°This time, I made a move just to maintain a balance in the rankings. However, if you can¡¯t defend your ranking next time, you can only blame yourself for not being as powerful as others!¡± The man kept nodding his head, looking like a yes-man. Lin Su ignored the person and walked in Lin Yingxue¡¯s direction. Chen An immediately became alert when he saw him approaching Lin Yingxue. Even if he knew that they had the same surname, he still did not know how they were related to each other. Regardless, they definitely did not have a good relationship. When Lin Yingxue saw Lin Su approaching, she took a step back in disgust. Lin Su chuckled lightly and did not wish to invite a snuff for himself. ¡°Cousin, if you have enough fun outside, you should come back to the Glittering Fiery Feather clan as soon as possible. After all, you can only improve quickly if you are in the clan. Otherwise, all your efforts¡ª¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Lin Yingxue interrupted him curtly. She had heard these words countless times. Perhaps, Lin Su had revealed too much information. Lin Yingxue looked at Chen An subconsciously when they were talking, as if she was worried about her secret being discovered. This glance of hers caught Lin Su¡¯s attention, and when he looked in that direction, there was no shock or surprise in his eyes. Chen An had the feeling that Lin Su knew who he was, however, he did not know him at all. ¡°I know you are powerful, but De Yuan College¡¯s rankings, especially the top ten, are not easily taken. Even if one is powerful, one does not have the right to claim those rankings.¡± Lin Su had said previously that he would maintain the balance of the rankings. ¡°I hope there would be no other arrogant person who dares to challenge the top ten positions, wanting to achieve instant success.¡± ¡°Is this a warning?¡± Chen An asked a question in reply, an ecstatic look in his eyes. ¡°No, this is just a suggestion. As for whether you want to adopt it or not¡­ It¡¯s up to you.¡± Chen An chuckled slightly. Lin Su was a shrewd and unfathomable person. That day, Zheng Qing was lifted off the battle stage. His face was facing the sky, so no one saw the expression on his face. The onlookers just snickered. For them, this incident was an unprecedented joke in De Yuan. It was a pity. After that incident, Zheng Qing kept a low profile. He remained in his 98th position and did not challenge anyone else. There were no new happenings, and the onlookers could not help but feel bored. They asked around, and still, there was no progress. Since Zheng Qing kept a low profile, they decided to inquire about Chen An¡¯s recent activities. In the end, what they found out was Liu Ran had treated Chen An to a meal after the incident as an apology. They did not have the exact details as to the reason behind it. Several days passed. Just when everyone thought that this incident was over, Chen An stepped onto the battle stage. ¡°Really! He finally can¡¯t hold back anymore. Hahaha, hurry up, let¡¯s go and take a look!¡± ¡°Hurry, tell me, to whom did he issue a challenge? Could it be the unlucky man again? The person who is in the 10th place?¡± ¡°Or did he challenge Zheng Qing? That would be a good show.¡± However, all of them were wrong. Chen An did not challenge the high-ranking people, and he bypassed Zheng Qing. After challenging the 99th place, he went on to challenge the 97th place. After hearing that he challenged the person ranked 97th, the onlookers were no longer enthusiastic about the match. ¡°This is so boring!¡± ¡°What about Zheng Qing? Chen An bypassed him, yet he kept quiet about it?¡± On the leaderboard, If one bypassed the person directly ranked one position above them to challenge others, everyone who ranked in between on the leaderboard had the right to stop them. Chen An ranked 99th, and since he challenged the person ranked 97th, Zheng Qing had the right to challenge him. Chapter 34 Zheng Qing had previously provoked Chen An in public, so now that Chen An bypassed him, how could he remain silent? What everyone could not figure out was that Zheng Qing indeed remained silent. Chen An battled with the person ranked 97th, but Zheng Qing did not appear at all. The onlookers were reluctant to leave and insisted on waiting for Zheng Qing to show up. They did not see Zheng Qing. However, they saw another new battle. The red-haired man issued a challenge to someone on the ranking. Although the opponent did not have a high ranking, he had a very good defense. It could be hailed as an impenetrable defense. There was no loophole. He attacked the opponent from every angle, but the opponent¡¯s beast was able to defend in time. The red-haired man kept changing his attacks, but to no avail. The opponent¡¯s defense was very comprehensive, and he had very high-defensive attributes. After a long fight, the Berserker Wolf was exhausted, while the red-haired man became irritable and hysterical. Waves and waves of anger swept over him. The most worrying thing had indeed happened. It was the familiar red flames again, engulfing the Beast Tamer and the beast. They had lost sanity and reason to the flames, his hideous and terrifying expression appearing once again¡­ De Yuan College, in the dormitory¡­ Chen An did not feel exhausted at all after the two consecutive beast battles. Instead, he was full of energy. The few days of rest that he had taken were not in vain. For Chen An, fighting against the people who had a lower ranking was easy and more rewarding. Chen An launched the indexes with satisfaction. There was already a newly activated beast in it, a cute-looking kitten. When he had first been fighting in the battle, it had been moving with agility, waiting for opportunities to attack him from behind. It was considered a good beast, but the Beast Tamer was not as powerful. He had missed the best opportunity to strike and suffered a terrible defeat. Chen An looked at the indexes with a satisfied look on his face, studying ways to integrate them. Someone opened the door; it was Liu Ran. Previously, Teacher Leopard had told him to carry another plant-based beast. Hence, he had gone searching for them, spending his time at auctions and Treasure Cove. He sighed as soon as he came back. ¡°Hey, buddy, fate is very amazing. I met you previously, and I obtained the Evening Moon Vine. Why is it that I can¡¯t meet someone like you again?¡± This was not the first time Chen An heard the same words. He did not bother to refute and just smiled at him. Judging from Liu Ran¡¯s expression, he had not managed to find a beast that he liked. However, he was not discouraged. He sat beside Chen An with a grin on his face as he said mysteriously, ¡°Buddy, I have a question for you. You must promise not to be angry.¡± ¡°Tell me about it first.¡± Chen An thought to himself, If I really get angry, I will have to hit his head. ¡°Upon returning to De Yuan, I heard everybody talking about you. Let me make this clear first. I am not the one who said all these.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± In fact, even if Liu Ran did not say it, Chen An could probably guess what those people were talking about. ¡°They said you were scared. Zheng Qing directly challenged the person ranked 10th, while you challenged the opponents ranked last. Even for other people, they would not challenge the ranking in this manner.¡± ¡°Then how do other people do it?¡± ¡°If they are powerful, at the very least, they will bypass those ranked at the bottom. They will then be able to move up the ranks and get to battle with the higher-ranking Beast Tamers as soon as possible. Everyone does it this way. If I were as strong as you, I would directly challenge those who have a higher ranking.¡± Chen An nodded in approval, but his expression said otherwise. ¡°Also, what do you intend to do with Zheng Qing?¡± ¡°Now, it¡¯s not the time to challenge him.¡± Liu Ran was confused. ¡°What¡¯s so scary about Zheng Qing? He is so weak, losing twice in a row, and he suffered a crushing defeat. It makes people laugh their heads off. You should take the opportunity to give him another blow so that he has a clear idea of the wide gap between the two of you. In this way, he will no longer make things difficult for you in De Yuan.¡± ¡°You are very thoughtful.¡± Liu Ran thought that Chen An was complimenting him, and he smiled. ¡°Of course, you are my buddy.¡± Previously, everyone was fearful of the established and powerful Icicles River Carp clan, thinking too highly of Zheng Qing. Presently, everyone kicked a man who was down. However, Chen An knew that Zheng Qing indeed possessed a super-grade Combat Beast and had mastered a Joint Combo. To defeat him, he had to work harder to become more powerful. In others¡¯ eyes, they might find it odd that he challenged people from the bottom of the leader board one by one. In fact, he was unlocking indexes. If he challenged them one by one, the more opponents he defeated, the more indexes he could collect. They did not know that right now, he was improving rapidly at an astonishing speed. He was waiting for the day when Zheng Qing lost his cool and battled it out with him. Liu Ran naturally could not understand what he meant. ¡°Buddy, why do I feel that you are planning something else? I am confused, and I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t understand. You¡¯ll know in the future.¡± Liu Ran knew that he could not find out any information from Chen An, so he gave up. He suddenly remembered something else and changed the topic. ¡°I went to Treasure Cove today. Let me tell you. I really saw a particularly powerful beast. It is comparable to the Evening Moon Vine!¡± Chen An¡¯s interest was piqued at the high praise that he had for the beast. ¡°What beast is it? Is it a plant-based beast?¡± ¡°No.¡± Liu Ran shook his head. He did know more about plant-based beasts, but he still had some knowledge about other types of beasts. Liu Ran tried to keep Chen An in suspense. ¡°I have been staring at the Beast Tamer of the beast, wanting to see how they look like in actual combat. However, it¡¯s a pity that no one challenges them. It¡¯s such a precious treasure.¡± ¡°What is the treasure that you have a liking for?¡± Chen An and Liu Ran had known each other for a while, and he knew that Liu Ran was very enthusiastic about the pursuit of new treasures. ¡°That is a beast that looks like an egret. It has very strong control over the wind attribute. If one can bet on a skills book, or even better, the beast, it is a sure-win deal!¡± ¡°Egret? Wind-Dwelling Egret?¡± Chen An made a bold guess. Perhaps the beast that he was looking for happened to be in Treasure Cove. After going to pains to look for the beast, he finally found it by sheer luck! If he could really find a Wind-Dwelling Egret, he could solve the red-haired man¡¯s problem as soon as possible. Chen An felt bad that he always seemed to be gloomy and depressed. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called, but judging from your behavior, you seem to have heard of it?¡± Liu Ran approached him again, looking inquisitively at him. Chen An patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Will you be searching for your beast tomorrow? Let¡¯s go together!¡± ¡°Really?¡± Liu Ran was pleasantly surprised, thinking that Chen An would help him find a new beast. ¡°It¡¯s great. I will definitely be lucky, and I will certainly meet my beast with you around!¡± Chen An smiled helplessly, hoping that Liu Ran would not get the wrong idea. The Wind-Dwelling Egret could suppress the madness of Berserker Wolf. If he happened to meet its Beast Tamer, there was bound to be a fight. Chapter 35 After turning many corners, they finally reached a relatively secretive place. From the outside, Treasure Cove was still as rustic and simple. But as soon as one entered the place, they would be immediately drawn into the strange atmosphere, finding it difficult to extricate themselves. Liu Ran deliberately kept a low profile. After all, he had come to find a pet. He did not want to end up like the previous time where his Evening Moon Vine¡¯s passive skills book had been taken away by others. Compared to him, Chen An was more collected. His eyes scanned the surroundings, and the system worked hard to identify other beasts. He had to admit that Treasure Cove was indeed full of treasures. The people that walked about carried beasts that were at least medium-grade and higher. After seeing countless beasts, Chen An¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up. He had found it! The beast that the person right in front of him had was what he had in mind¡ªthe Wind-Dwelling Egret! Chen An looked at that person¡¯s back. She was of a smaller frame and was shorter than Chen An. She had long flowing hair, and a small bell hung around her thin waist, making slight sounds as she moved. She was a young lady. Judging from her appearance, she was not afraid of drawing attention to herself. She walked about the Treasure Cove in a high-profile manner. She did not seem to have a target in mind but was only looking around, treating it as an auction. Chen An walked forward quickly and reached out to pat her shoulder. The young lady turned around. She had an extremely adorable face. She was smiling, with cute dimples on both sides of her cheeks. ¡°Are you here to challenge me?¡± There was no doubt that even though she was shorter than Chen An, she did not show a trace of fear. Instead, she seemed to be expecting someone to take the initiative to challenge her. Liu Ran was exasperated. Chen An went to provoke others when he was not paying attention. He looked to be in agony and regretful as he hurriedly walked over. ¡°Sorry, my buddy is¡ª¡± ¡°Let¡¯s follow Treasure Cove¡¯s rules.¡± Chen An interrupted Liu Ran. Liu Ran could not stop him in time. He clutched his head, sensing a headache acting up. Everyone in Treasure Cove had undiscovered talents. He could not figure out why Chen An would take the initiative to challenge them. Although the other party seemed like a harmless young lady, he should not be rash as well. ¡°Really? My name is Feng Ling, don¡¯t underestimate me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t underestimate you.¡± From the system, he could tell that this young girl¡¯s Wind-Dwelling Egret was a high-grade beast, embedded with a high-grade wind attribute attack spirit core. Its passive skill was Wind-Dwelling. It could strengthen one¡¯s control of wind attribute attacks. She carried a skills book: Commanding the Winds and Clouds. It would launch continuous wind attribute damage to the target, with a short-range repelling effect. During this period, the second stage of attack could be launched to immediately stagnate the target, temporarily depriving the target of any action. No matter how he looked at it, the young lady was not to be underestimated. Feng Ling smiled sweetly and tilted her head in front of Chen An. ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for bullying you.¡± Her earrings with little bells jingled. It was still not certain who would be at a disadvantage. Regardless of Liu Ran¡¯s persuasion, Chen An and Feng Ling stepped onto the battle stage one after another. Both parties confirmed their bets. Feng Ling seemed like a child who was up to great mischief, demanding an exorbitant price. If Chen An lost, his beast would belong to her. Chen An¡¯s request was to extract passive skills from the Wind-Dwelling Egret after winning. Feng Ling rolled her eyes. ¡°Little Brother, let me remind you. Even for the strongest Skills Book Creator, many skills are impossible to extract and create. So far, no one can create a skills book from my Wind-Dwelling Egret. If this doesn¡¯t work¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± Chen An had already figured out the Skills Book Creators¡¯ limitations. One could not extract and create the skills of beasts that they could not carry. This was the same for super-grade beasts and Joint Combos. In addition, just as Feng Ling had said, there was another limitation based on the individual differences of Skills Book Creators and beasts. There were many limitations. Liu Ran kept sighing under the battle stage, thinking that Chen An would definitely lose. Even if he won after all the hardships, he would not be able to get the skills book. Anyway, it was a loss. The people watching the battle were discussing among themselves. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone who sells the skills book of Wind-Dwelling Egrets. It seems impossible to create it.¡± ¡°The skills are good, but they cannot be created.¡± ¡°This person must be crazy to challenge Feng Ling and make such outrageous demands.¡± Feng Ling was kind of well-known in Treasure Cove. She was smart and adorable. When she had first arrived, people had been under the impression that she was a young lady who knew nothing about the world, and they had wanted to take advantage of her. In the end, all those people had been taught a lesson by her. With the Wind-Dwelling Egret¡¯s help, Feng Ling had become one of the Beast Tamers in Treasure Cove that no one dared to challenge. Chen An was the first person to challenge her after what had happened back then. Strong winds were blowing on the battle stage, and at the center of the hurricane, the egret spread its wings high. Its chirping sound was clear and long-lasting. Dou Buxiang emerged with a rose-colored Boulder Flower on its feet. Its appearance had changed once again. Its pupils were no longer as dim and dull as before. Instead, they had become menacing like a cat¡¯s eyes. When the head was lowered, those eyes seemed to be observing its prey, getting ready to attack. The hemline of the young lady¡¯s skirt swayed in the wind. ¡°Your beast seems to be very special.¡± Her expression became serious. She could estimate the strength of the other party before she made a move. She seemed to be very experienced. However, Chen An would not be merciful just because she had an adorable face. If he wanted to win, he must suppress her beast as soon as possible. Dou Buxiang dashed and sprinted, making a charge toward Feng Ling. Feng Ling was obviously taken aback. ¡°I thought it was a cute little kitten. I didn¡¯t expect it to be a ferocious little wild cat.¡± Her fingertips were like turning ropes, pulling out a few pure white thin threads, which seemed to be able to understand her, winding in different directions. It did not take long for her to create barriers, blocking Dou Buxiang from approaching her. ¡°Command the Wind!¡± The Wind-Dwelling Egret heard Feng Ling¡¯s sweet voice, and the hurricane gathered strength. In the wind, white dots of light flew out, knotted on the silk threads, moving with the wind, chiming and echoing. It was like a string of wind chimes. Faced with the wind chimes that the other party deliberately created, Dou Buxiang had no intention of stopping. Instead, it crashed into it head-on. As soon as it dived into it, it was entangled by the wind chimes and could not move at all. The jingling sounds were clearly beautiful, but at that moment, they were messy and noisy. One could not help but feel a bad headache. ¡°Command the Wind!¡± Seeing that Dou Buxiang was trapped, Feng Ling seized the opportunity and immediately used its skills to claim her victory. Strong winds blew at Dou Buxiang. It was on the losing end and would be defeated anytime. Liu Ran broke out in a cold sweat as he looked at Chen An nervously. This was a battle with the beast as the bet. If he lost, Dou Buxiang would be gone. It was still fine if he did not look at him. The moment he saw Chen An, Liu Ran could not wait to rush forward, using his Evening Moon Vine to lend a helping hand to Dou Buxiang. At the very least, it would not suffer a crushing defeat. Chen An stood still, with no intention of retaliating, as the wind chimes trapped Dou Buxiang. Chapter 36 The strong wind generated by the Wind-Dwelling Egret engulfed the entire battle stage. Both the Beast Tamer and the beast on the stage could sense the winds sweeping across them like sharp blades. Trapped by the wind chime, Dou Buxiang backed off continuously. Yet, Chen An remained grounded, looking calm, and composed. Liu Ran felt strange and puzzled. He ran to the battle stage, leaned toward Chen An, and yelled to him, ¡°Buddy, what¡¯s in your mind? You might be alright, but your beast can no longer persist. You¡¯ll lose for sure if you don¡¯t retaliate now!¡± Feng Ling dismissed Liu Ran¡¯s warning. Thinking that victory was in the bag, she chuckled non-stop and re-emphasized, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m bullying you.¡± She would surely win! In the eyes of outsiders, Dou Buxiang had already lost its ability to fight, and Chen An had exhausted his means. As such, they would know the outcome of the battle in a few moments. The audience¡¯s interest had waned. They predicted that a certain person would suffer the painful loss of his beast and end up crying and pleading for mercy. Just as they were prepared to leave, the situation on the battle stage changed fast. Feng Ling could sense numbness gradually spreading from her feet to her waist and then to her shoulders. She could no longer control her body. ¡°Cloud Halt!¡± At the critical juncture, she activated the Wind-Dwelling Egret¡¯s second skill, attempting to defeat Chen An before she became completely immobilized. At the very least, she had to immobilize the opponent. Otherwise, she would have to take the beating later on. The hurricane ravaging the battle stage stopped instantaneously after the skill was used. There was pin-drop silence in the surroundings, coupled with an awful atmosphere in the air. Chen An lifted his head and looked at Feng Ling in the eye. She could only see the determination and confidence of winning in Chen An¡¯s gaze. ¡°What did you do?¡± Feng Ling could not believe that she had been attacked. When had that happened? And what skill was that? On the other hand, Chen An was also trapped in the stagnant hurricane and was unable to move. What is he trying to do? How can he achieve victory? A rustling noise disrupted Feng Ling¡¯s many doubts and questions. That adorable face of hers paled instantly. She saw Chen An¡¯s beast crawling out of the wind chime¡¯s dense strings. That was obviously what a cat-like beast would do. ¡°How can that be? It had not been trapped?¡± At the sight of Dou Buxiang¡¯s cat-like eyes, Feng Ling knew that she had already lost the battle. The sudden victory caught the audience by surprise. Even Liu Ran had not come to his senses. He stood in a daze for a long time and then cheered, ¡°He won? Hooray! Wow, you¡¯re really good, buddy. How did you win? I have not figured it out!¡± He rushed to the battle stage and hung his arms on Chen An¡¯s shoulder. Chen An then gradually moved his limbs and freed himself from the inert state. The petite young lady was looking down with both arms raised behind her back. She sighed and said, ¡°I have lost. Go ahead and extract the skills book.¡± The Wind-Dwelling Egret was beside Feng Ling. She reached out her hands and touched its head. ¡°Sorry.¡± She was sure that the Wind-Dwelling Egret¡¯s skill could not be extracted. If this was done forcefully, it would become injured. ¡°Can you¡­¡± She bit her lower lips as she wanted to plead with Chen An but was too embarrassed to do so. Chen An said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m a professional in creating skills books.¡± Beside him, Liu Ran nodded. ¡°Although he has only created two skills books, I can assure you that he is very competent in it.¡± Chen An wondered if Liu Ran was doing him a favor or disservice. When Feng Ling heard that, tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked like she was about to cry. She helplessly handed her Wind-Dwelling Egret to Chen An and was constantly frowning. Chen An took out a blank skills book, which he had long prepared in advance. He positioned both his hands and began to extract and create the book. This was the third time that he entered that vast ocean. Chen An felt very different this time. Previously, the warm side seemed to know him and would automatically guide his hand. However, this time, he could not grab it no matter what. It was like playing hide and seek. Earlier on, he had extracted skills from the Evening Moon Vine and Dou Buxiang, which were both very close to him. Was that why they would obediently allow him to do so? This time, he had just defeated the Wind-Dwelling Egret. It was no wonder that it was hiding and running away from him. Chen An calmed down, explored bit by bit, and searched for a consistent hiding behavior. At last, he managed to grab it at an opportune time. The two sides connected, and the words ¡°Static Wind¡± appeared on the skills book. Feng Ling was also very puzzled. ¡°Is this real? Why hasn¡¯t anyone else created this before?¡± Liu Ran recalled the first time he witnessed Chen An creating a skills book upon seeing her ignorant expression. He crossed his arms and clarified her doubt, smugly, ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate this buddy of mine. You can¡¯t treat him as an ordinary man. He is an expert in creating skills books.¡± Feng Ling observed Chen An¡¯s side profile. After looking at his closed eyes and focused expression, she became distracted for a moment. It was only when Chen An finished creating the skills book and handed the Wind-Dwelling Egret back to her that she came to her senses. ¡°Er¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your beast is perfectly fine.¡± This was not what Feng Ling wanted to inquire about. She wanted to find out how the numb feeling earlier had come about. ¡°There is a beast called Stone Mythical Snake, and it has the effect of petrification. As your hurricane ravaged, tiny spikes were also spinning in the wind until they pricked you silently.¡± ¡°Petrification?¡± Feng Ling pressed on. ¡°Therefore, you have been plotting for this right from the beginning?¡± Chen An smiled and nodded. This kind of tactic was not considered as ambushing. He was merely making use of the wind his opponent¡¯s beast generated. Feng Ling mocked herself after learning the truth. ¡°I had thought that I was an expert in manipulating the wind. Never did I expect to attribute both my success and failure to wind. You¡¯re a notch above me.¡± Chen An ruffled Feng Ling¡¯s head like he was consoling a little girl. ¡°You¡¯re also very good. As a Beast Tamer, you can tap on your beast¡¯s unique characteristics and develop the combat tactic of using wind chimes. That¡¯s fairly good.¡± Feng Ling backed off continuously and broke away from Chen An¡¯s hands. She held her head and combed her hands through her hair. The bells on her ear lobes were ringing non-stop. ¡°D-don¡¯t bully me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Chen An smiled and clarified his intent. After obtaining the Wind-dwelling Egret¡¯s skill, he still had to find a suitable plant-based beast for Liu Ran. Immediately upon hearing that, Feng Ling said with her nose in the air, ¡°You will have to be humble and seek my advice for this then. I¡¯ve battled with many people at Treasure Cove.¡± ¡°Do you know of any powerful beasts then?¡± Liu Ran felt hopeful and longed for Feng Ling¡¯s reply. Chapter 37 ¡°No.¡± This was her reply, short and concise. ¡°What?¡± Liu Ran could not understand why Feng Ling sounded that bold and righteous. He had heard that people at Treasure Cove had many treasures with them. Why did she say otherwise? Feng Ling returned her glance to Chen An to confirm whether her mischievous prank had succeeded. She then added, ¡°What I meant is ¡®no¡¯ for today. I¡¯m very familiar with the people here. The person who has a powerful plant-based beast is not here today¡ª¡± ¡°When are they coming then?¡± Liu Ran was very enthusiastic. He pressed on before Feng Ling could finish her words. ¡°How would I know? I¡¯ll let you know when he comes.¡± Feng Ling was facing Chen An when she said that. Liu Ran was clearly the one looking for a beast, but she wanted to communicate with Chen An. Liu Ran spoke frankly. ¡°Are you trying to woo my buddy? I have to tell you. We are close buddies and always together. You¡¯ll have to look for me first if you want to find him.¡± Feng Ling sneered. ¡°A-alright. Understood. I¡¯ll see you again when that person comes.¡± Chen An nodded and left Treasure Cove. The urgent task at hand was to hand this book to the red-haired man and find out its effect. After returning to De Yuan, they could not find traces of the red-haired man. Li Danming was also clueless. He said the red-haired man had become more depressed and kept to himself more ever since he had unintentionally injured his opponent. A Beast Tamer had to adhere to the beast battle rules and could not use tactics outside the rules. Neither could they kill or hurt the Beast Tamer and the beast. If any party were to deliberately harm the opponent seriously during a beast battle, it would be hard for them to encounter Beast Tamers who were willing to fight with them in the future. They would also have a bad reputation, and this would leave a mark on their beast-taming journey. The red-haired man had hurt someone again at the ranking battle stage. Thus, there were many discussions about this in De Yuan. Someone had suggested changing the rules of the leader board or banning special Beast Tamers from participating. There was also a suggestion to expel the red-haired man from De Yuan. Chen An searched many places in De Yuan but could not find the red-haired man. Liu Ran had become impatient. ¡°Buddy, why are you searching for him, expeditiously? You¡¯re not related to him in any way.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°What do I not understand? You must have gone to Treasure Cove to get the skills book for him. Do you know that you would have lost your beast if you had lost the battle today?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°You make it sound that easy! What if! What if?!¡± Chen An told him to shut up and focus on searching for the red-haired man. ¡°You will very soon find out why I am concerned about the red-haired man¡¯s matter. However, honestly, it is partly due to sympathy.¡± ¡°Why? Be blunt about it.¡± Liu Ran had learned his lesson. He knew that Chen An had a reason for all of his actions. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. You have to feel it yourself to understand. It¡¯s useless for me to say it.¡± Just as Chen An said his piece, they found the red-haired man in a corner. That was a very dark and damp corner, which had been isolated for a long time. Rubbish and excrement were piling up. It was smelly and filthy. This was a secluded land of filth in the bright and clean-looking De Yuan. At that moment, the red-haired man¡¯s flaming red short hair was buried in his arms, looking like an extinguished ball of fire with its last bit of shine. Liu Ran could not tolerate this attitude. ¡°I recall you being very fierce and dominant when you first came to the dormitory? You ignored everyone. Are you hiding here to cry?¡± The red-haired man looked up. His expression was still as aloof and stoic as ever. It was just that there were two obvious, bright red scars on his face. Had he hurt himself to suppress his madness with pain and to summon back his rationality? Chen An stepped on the silt, ignoring the dirty and muddy water splashing on the bottom of his trousers. ¡°A powerful wind attribute manipulation power can suppress the shortcoming of the Berserker Wolf. Many people don¡¯t know that and view a beast¡¯s madness as a difficult problem. That¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± The red-haired man did not expect these words to come from Chen An¡¯s mouth. ¡°This is the Wind-Dwelling Egret¡¯s passive skill. I have created a skills book with it. Are you going to give up on yourself or carry this book to give it a try? I¡¯ll leave the choice to you.¡± Chen An certainly wanted to help him, but if the red-haired were to continue to wallow in self-pity and refuse to accept his good intention, Chen An would not force him. ¡°Wind-Dwelling Egret?¡± The red-haired man was evidently clueless. His big figure had been overshadowed by the trivial. He was overwhelmed by the fact that he would become mad and hurt people and felt that he was the worst Beast Tamer. He was filled with pain and remorse, gradually giving up on himself. The red-haired man took the skills book from Chen An. ¡°The ¡°Long Flames¡± skills book that your Berserker Wolf carries can only cause harm in a straight line. It¡¯s not very useful. You might as well remove it. Don¡¯t feel heartache about it.¡± Thanks to the system, Chen An understood the red-haired man¡¯s beast more than the latter. The red-haired man hesitated for a moment. Soon after, he made up his mind and changed the skills book decisively. The fire-attributed Berserker Wolf was now carrying a wind-attribute manipulation skills book. Those people who deemed themselves as beast experts would certainly laugh their heads off if they were to get to know this. They would chide at the poor pairing. Nevertheless, the effect said it all. The red-haired man summoned his Berserker Wolf, which had obviously become quieter. ¡°Come here.¡± If the battles were not hard, he dared not summon his Berserker Wolf casually. This was because it was like a demon on fire. It could bring him great combat power, but it was also fearsome and cold-blooded. It could turn its back and harm him at any point in time. The Berserker Wolf seemed to be obeying the red-haired man¡¯s words as it moved toward him step by step. Afterward, it bowed obediently. The red-haired man had never seen it behaving that obediently before. ¡°Is it really because I had given it the wrong skills book? Because of the lack of wind attribute?¡± Chen An was incensed. ¡°I only came to realize that you¡¯re an ungrateful one now. Do you really think that a wind-attribute skills book can resolve your problem? This is from a Wind-Dwelling Egret, a high-grade beast. Your Berserker Wolf is only medium-grade. How would you be able to get this kind of skills book? You don¡¯t know how much effort I spent on obtaining this.¡± The truth was that Chen An had not found it a Herculean effort. He had only made one trip to Treasure Cove, after all. ¡°Is it true that my Berserker Wolf¡­ will be able to fight normally after this?¡± The red-haired man realized that he was being overly impatient half-way through his question. ¡°Chen An, I just happened to be assigned to your dormitory. Actually, you don¡¯t need to help me?¡± ¡°No. There is a need for me to do so.¡± Chen An stopped at this. The red-haired man had been troubled by his beast¡¯s shortcoming for a long time. Just as he was about to give up on himself, a stranger had stepped out and helped him. He was filled with gratitude. The tall, burly, and muscular grown-up man could barely endure his tears. ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± Chen An made a gesture to stop him. If he were to cry, it would be very awkward and unnerving. Chapter 38 A few days after giving the Wind-dwelling Egret skills book to the red-haired man, Chen An saw an advancing newcomer on the leaderboard. At this juncture, Chen An had already defeated more than 30 opponents and was ranked 65th¡­ Right on his heels, at the 66th ranking, was that person¡¯s name, Duan Pingchao. This had been a controversial person in De Yuan. Everyone had chided him for hurting people during beast battles in the past, but this had not occurred in his recent battles. In addition, his beast had become more powerful, and it was unknown as to what skills book it had used. He had also adopted a completely new combat strategy. No one knew the reason for the change, and everyone was trying to find out his secret formula. Chen An laughed and brushed this off. They had been calling him the red-haired man all this time. In fact, his real name was Duan Pingchao. This change had piqued the curiosity of many. ¡°That Duan Pingchao is too strange. He suddenly became so powerful. I suspect that it has something to do with his skills book. I¡¯ve never seen such a special skills book with such powerful wind-attribute attack. Who knows of it?¡± ¡°Who would know? He¡¯s not the only strange one. Liu Ran¡¯s skills book is also very strange.¡± ¡°Chen An too. His tactics are getting fancier and fancier in the ranking battle stage. R-right. Aren¡¯t the three of them from the same dormitory? Something is fishy here.¡± Upon coming to this sudden realization, everyone began to ponder over this meticulously. It was still logical for Duan Pingchao and Liu Ran¡¯s cases. They had an additional skills book of unknown origins. However, Chen An¡¯s case was too exaggerated. The tactics he adopted were as countless as stars. In addition, they resembled the skills his opponents had used on the ranking battle stage. ¡°What? What? Are you saying that Chen An is able to pick up our skills as long as he fights with us? That¡¯s too scary!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not right. What about the other two? Since Chen An can do that, so can they? Won¡¯t that be chaotic?¡± Chen An had always been regarded as a unique exception. Numerous people were targeting him, but they endured their anger and dared not utter a word. Nonetheless, if everyone was like Chen An, it would pose a huge threat. ¡°That won¡¯t do! I have to get a line on this!¡± Liu Ran was the most big-mouthed one, and he was tricked the moment he heard that someone had information on a precious treasure. In the end, he was led into revealing that Chen An was a powerful Skills Book Creator. People then came to realize why all of this had come to be. As long as they could become closer with Chen An or use some means to curry favor with him, they might obtain some special skills books from him. This was why Skills Book Creators were very much sought after. It was just that most Skills Book Creators had their limits, and they could not create books that boldly and fearlessly. Things were different when it came to Chen An, however. Some people had been scornful with their remarks about Chen An earlier. They had always gossiped and commented negatively about Chen An¡¯s behavior in De Yuan. They had said he pulled strings to get into De Yuan. Otherwise, Zheng Qing would not have lost to him. During the dormitory arrangements, they had said he was an oddball and refused to stay with him. They had also said that Chen An wanted to make a name for himself during the teacher¡¯s introductory battle and intentionally snatched everyone¡¯s opportunity. During the challenge, he had not dared to fight Zheng Qing and was a coward. They had been repeating these words behind Chen An¡¯s back to countless people. Anyone who was familiar with them could already regurgitate these words. However, they seemed to have become different today. They were full of smiles and fawns when facing Chen An and had awkward, strange expressions. ¡°Chen An, we are also considered classmates. Although different teachers teach us, we are still classmates. Previously¡­ Er¡­ No¡­ We have always been on good terms, right?¡± Chen An did not know what they were trying to convey. He only felt amused. ¡°I don¡¯t remember any of you at all. How are we related?¡± They were immediately embarrassed by this. ¡°Why don¡¯t you introduce yourself using both your hands and legs and with lots of expressions to show me that you¡¯re someone worth knowing? I¡¯ll take it that I know you then.¡± Chen An felt this was not a demanding request. In fact, he knew their names, as all of them were shameless with their words. They initially looked embarrassed, but greed soon overcame their pride. They temporarily put down their dignities and then introduced their names and respective beasts comically. ¡°My cousin is older than me by five years. She¡¯s already a five-star Beast Tamer. She has defeated at least¡ª¡± Chen An shook his head and told him to retract his hand gesture of five. ¡°Since your cousin is so powerful, why do you have to know me?¡± Someone said, ¡°I have the most powerful beast, the last time, I spent¡ª¡± Chen An shook his head again. He could not bear to continue looking at his dumb action of using both hands to cup his face like a flower. ¡°You have the most powerful beast? I don¡¯t think we need to know each other then.¡± ¡°N-no! There is a need! I¡¯ll give it another go!¡± Chen An knew very well how to deal with them. These people liked to talk bad about him because they dared not admit that they were weaker than him. It was this fear that made him sacrifice their face so that they could gain something from him. Chen An was not playing a deliberate prank on them. If they could liven up his mood, he was willing to throw a few skills books to them. Chen An was even more generous toward those who had no grudges or feud with him. Those who received the skills books felt that they had gained a treasure. They could not wait to use them. True enough, there was a marked improvement in their beast¡¯s competency. This was the first time they discovered that they had a very superficial understanding of their beasts. After heeding Chen An¡¯s advice on the pairing of spirit core and skills book, as well as combat methods, the effect was excellent, and they could unleash the power of the beasts. All of a sudden, there was a fad about idolizing Chen An in De Yuan. Some people were convinced about Chen An¡¯s capability and that he had many good things to offer. Of course, to follow closely behind heavy-laden wagons, they had to improve their relationship with Chen An. Some recognized the gap after comparing themselves with Chen An and felt increased respect and admiration for him. Some discovered the problem. Why did Chen An¡¯s skills books look that familiar? After comparing carefully, they discovered that these were the beast skills that originally belonged to Chen An¡¯s previous opponents. The more skills books were given, the more this belief was verified. Once the news spread, those who had battled with Chen An before felt the most uneasy. They took their beasts as their possessions, and all the beast skills belonged to them. They must not let other people use them. Chapter 39 Since the day his skills books proliferated in De Yuan, Chen An had sensed the atmosphere around him becoming increasingly mysterious and strange. He could still hear a few discussions about him in the past, and most of them were trivial matters. But now, he could no longer hear a single noise. It was not that no one was talking about him. It was just that people had become more secretive. Behind those fake smiles were needles and knives. Li Danming was the most sensitive one, and he felt timider after sensing the change. When he could no longer hold himself back, he asked Chen An, ¡°Did I do anything wrong? Why do I feel that everyone is behaving very strangely? It is as if they can¡¯t wait to kill me.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of you.¡± Chen An was aware that they were targeting him. ¡°Also, no one did anything wrong.¡± ¡°I often do wrong things¡­¡± Li Danming said timidly. ¡°There is no right or wrong. It is because some people¡¯s interests have been affected. Therefore, these things are falsely labeled as right and wrong.¡± Chen An smiled. The current him was an example. He had not conformed to the norms, so others saw him as a wrongdoer and opponent. It was up to them what they wanted to do. Chen An had made up his mind firmly. No matter what they did, it would not hinder him from advancing rapidly. Now, he had already been through close to 30 battles without suffering a single defeat and had grown quite powerful. In particular, although Dou Buxiang¡¯s entrapment during his battle with Feng Ling had been part of his strategy, he had already sensed an unprecedented¡­ resonance. Li Danming was still pondering over Chen An¡¯s earlier words about right and wrong. At that moment, Liu Ran ran to them from afar. ¡°Chen An! At last, I understand why you said that earlier!¡± ¡°Said what?¡± Chen An had said many things, so he could not remember which one Liu Ran was referring to. ¡°What you said about Duan Pingchao. I asked you why you had to do that. You said it¡¯s necessary and that I would understand in the future.¡± Liu Ran was panting heavily. ¡°I¡­ finally know why now.¡± ¡°Do you want to catch your breath before you continue talking?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ Listen to me. Duan Pingchao has gotten into a brawl with someone because of you.¡± ¡°With who?¡± Chen An could sense that Duan Pingchao was a temperamental person, but he did not expect him to be that impulsive. ¡°He fought with others despite his circumstances¡­ Wouldn¡¯t that¡­¡± Li Danming felt worried. On the other hand, Liu Ran did not seem anxious. ¡°It¡¯s only right that he does that. You have not seen Chen An battling with that lady called Feng Ling. My heart almost jumped out then.¡± ¡°Can you tell me what is happening first?¡± Chen An did not want to go into detail about the rights or wrongs. ¡°That man who came to the ranking battle stage and challenged you. That¡¯s right. He¡¯s the one. He had a conflict with Duan Pingchao. They have just started fighting, and most probably, it has not ended yet. The outcome is unknown.¡± It was Zheng Qing. It seemed that he was the first one that could not endure it any longer. He was ranked 98th and could challenge anyone who ranked above him. But why had he chosen Duan Pingchao and not him? Chen An furrowed his brows. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look!¡± Liu Ran and Li Danming quickened their pace and caught up with Chen An. They did not understand why Chen An was that anxious. ¡°Why are you anxious? Duan Pingchao is quite powerful, right? I don¡¯t believe that he can¡¯t beat Zheng Qing.¡± In actual fact, Duan Pingchao had lost, and it was a very miserable defeat. A few days back, in a very cold place in the south¡­ Under a faint blue glow, silence prevailed. Everything was sealed in the deep and thick cold ice. It was the Icicles River Carp family clan. Zheng Qing was walking on the ice and going through many enormous ice doors. Looking at the ferocious and dangerous-looking icicles above his crown, he had a complicated feeling. If he were to move forward further, he would reach the house of Zheng Jinyue, the clan leader of the Icicles River Carp clan, and also his father. He could no longer hide what had happened in De Yuan. He had initially thought that he could deal with the situation himself, but now¡­ Zheng Qing braced himself as he stepped into the house. A middle-aged man clad in a dark blue robe was sitting in a prim and proper way at the higher altitude. He had a kingly and dignified aura. ¡°Clan Leader.¡± Zheng Qing would not address him as Father even in private. In the honorable beast clan, the clan leader had a very high and respectable status. ¡°How long has it been since the Icicles River Carp clan captured and tamed this beast?¡± ¡°It has been 300 years,¡± Zheng Qing replied clearly with a humble attitude. ¡°During these 300 years, our clan has had countless talents. Even those with lesser talent had some achievements. At the very least, they were not as embarrassing as you!¡± Zheng Jinyue sounded quite calm initially, but his tone turned harsher later on. He slapped his chair¡¯s arm, stood up, and pointed his finger at Zheng Qing, who was below the platform. ¡°You have brought shame to us. How can you face the clan? Ever since you were a child, the clan firmly believed that you have extraordinary talent and are a genius who is hard to come by. How are you going to fulfill the high hopes your clan has placed on you now?¡± The Icicles River Carp clan had invested massive resources and money in Zheng Qing. They hoped that he could surpass the past generations, become the most powerful Beast Tamer, and bring more glory to the clan. Everything had been going according to the plan, and Zheng Qing had gotten into De Yuan College. Then, this unpredictable incident occurred. The bowing Zheng Qing listened to the reproaching obediently. ¡°I¡¯ve already investigated this. Is that man called Chen An?¡± Zheng Jinyue looked thoughtful when he said Chen An¡¯s name. ¡°It¡¯s him. Is Clan Leader going to¡­¡± ¡°No matter what, my Icicles River Carp clan is noble, and no one can humiliate us. Chen An, I have to teach him a lesson.¡± Zheng Jinyue had a grave expression. He had always prioritized the clan. ¡°Also, what is his skills book creation about?¡± ¡°Skills book creation?¡± Zheng Qing recalled carefully. ¡°There seems to be such a thing. I heard many people in De Yuan talking about this. But you don¡¯t need to worry, Clan Leader. He can only create other kinds of beast skills books. It is a big impact for others but for us¡ª¡± ¡°You lost because you underestimated your opponent, but you have not learned from it!¡± Zheng Jinyue interrupted his foolish son. ¡°Since you already know that he is different from others, you can¡¯t treat him like an ordinary person.¡± ¡°Is Clan Leader saying that¡­ Chen An can also create the skills of our Icicles River Carp clan? This is unbelievable!¡± ¡°Although we can¡¯t verify this now, we can¡¯t rule out this possibility.¡± Zheng Qing trembled just at the thought of this possibility. ¡°I understand now. I will definitely try to fight with him as fast as I can. I will definitely win this time!¡± This was not what Zheng Jinyue wanted. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to win. Ruthlessness is the trait of a truly great man. Qing¡¯er, you¡¯re not young anymore. You don¡¯t need to have reservations when you do certain things.¡± Zheng Qing understood his words very quickly, and his expression turned insidious. ¡°Yes, Clan Leader!¡± At the same time, Zheng Qing also made a resolution in his heart. Chapter 40 When Chen An and the group rushed to the battle stage, dazzling blue lights were streaking across the stage. Both Icicles River Carp and Zheng Qing were bursting forth with stronger powers than before. The cold ice that had been buried for a millennium and the silence that had been slumbering for an endless time was beginning to crack at this point in time. The ravine was as deep and dark as a giant python. Thin, hair-like cracks intersected everywhere like a ferocious centipede slithering with its dense legs and embracing the cold ice on the battle stage. When Duan Pingchao was hit, the Berserker Wolf had already lost all of its combat ability and was drained of energy. It was sprawling in the corner of the battle stage and covered in wounds. It spat a mouthful of fresh blood as it looked up. Duan Pingchao had lost miserably. He had fallen onto the bone-piercing cold ice, and the remaining bits of the ice from the cracks were still stabbing and torturing him endlessly. ¡°Chen An, this move was prepared for you. But I¡¯ve run out of patience and gone slightly overboard. Sorry.¡± Zheng Qing spoke apologetic words, but he wore a frolic expression. This was Cracking Icicles River, the Joint Combo that Zheng Qing had kept hidden for a long time! It had such a shocking effect when used! He looked up. ¡°Now, who else dares to doubt my powers?¡± This was the second time that he had challenged Chen An on the ranking battle stage. Unlike the last time, everyone knew that Chen An had no means to victory after witnessing the Cracking Icicles River. They had been looking forward to this! ¡°Chen An, you have avoided this for a long time. Do you dare to fight him?¡± Everyone was clamoring. They could not wait to see Chen An lose and teach him a hard lesson not to use other people¡¯s skills that casually in the future. Fight! Of course he had to fight! He had expected things to reach this stage and anticipated the battle with Zheng Qing. However, Zheng Qing was too vicious and cruel. He had gone overboard, and Chen An was infuriated. In the history of the ranking battle stage, it had never been this exciting when someone ranked in the 90s challenged someone ranked in the 70s. It was a very striking battle. Chen An only had one objective in mind when he stepped onto the battle stage, and it was not for the sake of ranking. He wanted everyone to know that no one could doubt absolute power. They were not qualified to judge whether he was right or wrong. Dou Buxiang¡¯s appearance stunned everyone as it emerged. Apart from the Stone Mythical Snake¡¯s spikes and the Boulder Flower¡¯s shield, his body was shrouded with glimmering luster. That was from a beast called Star Butterfly that could use the power of the stars to increase one¡¯s attacking power. Its paws had become extremely sharp, and its steel-like nails were shimmering like metal. This came from a beast called Savage Wrecker Bear. Not every Beast Tamer could take the blows from those paws. There were many, many more¡­ Dou Buxiang had completely transformed, and it really did not resemble anything now. It was the perfect fusion of beasts. ¡°You¡¯ve stolen many things.¡± Zheng Qing crossed his arms, and his Icicles River Carp was twisting around and entwining his wrist. ¡°This is nothing.¡± Based on Chen An¡¯s plan, he wanted to unlock all the beast indexes in the world. This was just the tip of the iceberg. ¡°Chen An, I was wrong to have allowed someone like you to become a Beast Tamer. I won¡¯t spare you any mercy this time. I¡¯m putting an end to this!¡± As soon as Zheng Qing came on-stage, he never planned to use his previous skills to fool around or waste time. He hollered his most powerful Joint Combo, ¡°Cracking Icicles River!¡± The Icicles River Carp¡¯s size immediately multiplied, and the long whiskers around its mouth were about to float outside the battle stage. He charged toward Chen An furiously and formed a deep, dark abyss in the cold ice as he sped through it. As he moved, Zheng Qing carved out that familiar carp totem behind him. The only difference was that the patterns were more complicated, and the colors deeper this time. Chen An was not going to dodge this attack. He would confront it! This was a world that viewed talentless people as trash. Dou Buxiang was once a pitiful beast that was bullied by others. It only stood out after fighting alongside him on a battle stage. The young lady who strove to become more powerful¡­ The bright, fiery red hair and the sound of the wind chimes when the wind blew across the windows¡­ Both victory and defeat did not matter. Fighting alongside was most important! ¡°Dou Buxiang!¡± This was neither an order nor a skill. At that very moment, the paths had been connected. The sounds of the cracking ice and splashing water and the deafening thumps of the heart were resonating with a brand new voice. That voice was calling to him and addressing him as the master. It was looking forward to unleashing a Joint Combo with him. Zheng Qing had given it his all. Seeing that Chen An remained rooted to the spot, he laughed hysterically. ¡°I want you to become a complete piece of trash!¡± The clan leader¡¯s orders were clear¡ªZheng Qing¡¯s objective was to destroy Chen An¡¯s beast-taming path of Chen An. Return everything to the grave! When the Icicles River Carp was about to trample on Dou Buxiang, a surge of powerful force charged toward the Icicles River Carp and swayed its path. Zheng Qing cursed inwardly. This had never occurred before. Fear enveloped his entire body, but he told himself that he must not lose! The Cracking Icicles River immediately launched a second attack. Countless, tiny traces appeared on the earlier enormous crack and traveled in a lightning-like motion rapidly. Chen An looked down slightly, and he could sense a complicated force spinning in between Dou Buxiang and him. He could manipulate it and then burst forth with it! Zheng Qing¡¯s eyes widened suddenly. He could not control it! He was increasingly losing his control! Be it his body or the Icicles River Carp, they were collapsing unknowingly until they completely fell apart! Bang¡ª The Icicles River Carp was flung out of the stage and landed in the deep ravine it had created. Zheng Qing was defeated once again. Amid the endless mist, Chen An¡¯s figure gradually became clear. From his thin-looking side profile, he was pursing his lips tightly. ¡°He¡­ has won?¡± Someone said softly. It was unbelievable. After witnessing Zheng Qing¡¯s battle prowess, Chen An could still beat him again. What else could this prove but that one did not need any reason or basis to be powerful? ¡°That skill¡­¡± It was certainly hard to admit. That was not something that Chen An had attained from other beasts, but a Joint Combo that solely belonged to him! ¡°He¡¯s too powerful. Zheng Qing¡¯s clan spent so much effort to activate the Joint Combo for him. How did Chen An do that?¡± Chen An carefully recollected his earlier feelings. He then came to realize that he had similar feelings during his battle with Feng Ling. But Zheng Qing was the one who stimulated this completely. Speaking of this, he had to thank Zheng Qing for it. It was just that this way of thanking was not quite right. Zheng Qing was stuck in the ice cracks, and he could not move. His waist, back, and legs were twisted in odd directions. Obviously, they had been broken. He could no longer continue being a Beast Tamer in the future. He wanted to destroy someone else¡¯s future, yet he ended up destroying his own. Could one say that he deserved it?