The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 47

The little cub threw back its head and howled in rhythm, one long and one short, almost like a secret signal. As the roars grew louder and closer, Yi Xian quickly reached over to cover its mouth.

“Awoo.”

“Xiao Ya, we have to go.”

Duanmu Ya looked completely bewildered. “Aren’t we sending her back?”

The little cub innocently licked the center of Yi Xian’s palm, oblivious to the chaos she had just caused. Yi Xian sighed and tapped the cub’s wet nose. “No need. Her mother is almost here.”

Duanmu Ya was stunned. “Huh? Her beastman mother is coming? We—we—we need to run!”

Nian Yunyin, being dragged along by Duanmu Ya, looked back and saw the cub gleefully sprinting after them. She seemed to be playing a game of who could run faster. “She keeps following us. Are you sure this won’t lead that beastman right to us?”

Yi Xian’s eye twitched as she glanced at the cub chasing her heels. The scene felt strangely familiar, just like the games she used to play while on the run. A thunderous roar suddenly tore through the forest, making her ears ring.

The cub raised its head to howl again, but Yi Xian quickly stuffed a fruit in its mouth, silencing it.

Duanmu Ya suddenly realized something. “Oh, so you’re the little traitor.”

Nian Yunyin interjected, “As long as it’s here, the beastmen will find us no matter where we run. We need to deal with it first.”

Duanmu Ya spread her arms protectively like a mother hen. “What do you mean ‘deal with’? Nian Yunyin, don’t you dare lay a hand on it. At most, we leave the cub here. That’s it.” Then she started frantically signaling Yi Xian with her eyes. “Yi Xian, what do you think?”

Yi Xian patted the cub on the head. “Sit here and wait, alright?”

The cub tilted its head, staring up at her with wide eyes, licking Yi Xian’s hand again and again. Guilt crept up on Yi Xian, as though she were tricking an innocent child.

If Xiao Nan could always find me first, there’s no way this isn’t Lan Tong’s doing. I wouldn’t believe it even if you broke my finger.

Yi Xian bit her lip. “Stay by your beastman mother’s side and don’t run off. This place is dangerous.”

As soon as she stood, the cub clamped its teeth around Yi Xian’s robe and howled desperately.

Hearing her cry, Duanmu Ya hurriedly pulled some food from her storage pouch to offer, but before she could place it in the cub’s mouth, a gust of wind swept past her ear. A strong force yanked her back, nearly knocking her over.

Nian Yunyin caught her. “Lion Tribe beastman.”

A massive golden lion had appeared in the clearing. Its eyes swept disdainfully over Nian Yunyin and Duanmu Ya before landing on Yi Xian. Just standing there, it completely blocked Yi Xian’s path, like a predator savoring its long-awaited prey. Its eyes narrowed slightly, then it stepped forward.

With the huge lion ahead and the persistent cub clinging to her hem behind, Yi Xian was trapped, sandwiched between a pair of furry beasts with nowhere to escape.

The lion lowered its massive head to sniff at Yi Xian’s neck.

Seeing this territory-marking behavior made Yi Xian burn with rage. She slapped the lion hard across the face. Once wasn’t enough, so she did it two more times. But to Lan Tong, it was no different than a tickle. She seemed even more excited. Opening her mouth, Lan Tong licked Yi Xian’s hand over and over, like she was savoring some exquisite delicacy.

Yi Xian felt helpless, as though she had punched cotton. Furious, she raised her other hand to punch this ill-mannered beast. “Get away from me!”

Lan Tong growled and shoved Yi Xian against a tree with her head, sniffing her up and down.

Yi Xian was completely overpowered. She knew she couldn’t compete with a beastman’s strength, so she summoned her little pony. The pony lowered its head and released a burst of light, blinding Lan Tong temporarily.

Yi Xian used the opportunity to dive out from under her and escape.

“Awoo!”

The cub, having been playing with her orb, saw Yi Xian running and chased after her with gleeful howls.

The sight of Lan Tong’s beast form made Duanmu Ya go weak in the knees. Who could blame her? The trauma from Lan Tong’s berserk rampage in Yars City had left deep scars. Nian Yunyin had to drag her back while Duanmu Ya anxiously shouted, “Yi Xian, why is the cub still following you? Ugh! Why does it always end with us running from beastmen?!”

Nian Yunyin snapped, “Stop talking and save your strength.”

Yi Xian also knew this couldn’t go on. She was painfully aware of a beastman’s speed. Competing in that department was a guaranteed loss. Especially this one, Lan Tong had wings no one knew about. Even if she ran to the ends of the earth, Lan Tong would find her.

“You two go get help. I’ll hold her off.”

With that, Yi Xian darted off in another direction.

“Yi Xian! Yi Xian!” Duanmu Ya called out.

Nian Yunyin sighed. “Stop yelling or you’ll get her killed. Go!”

At the fork in the road, the cub hesitated briefly before following after Yi Xian, howling nonstop. She was practically a moving alarm, broadcasting Yi Xian’s location with every step.

Lan Tong’s roar thundered again, toppling trees as she honed in on Yi Xian. The wind howled behind her as she ran in a zigzag pattern, dodging pursuit. The fear of death loomed again, just like back in the Beast Tribe Territory.

I have to run faster. I need to outrun this beast.

Run, run, run.

The roaring wind still filled her ears. Then, suddenly, silence. No more roars.

Yi Xian glanced sideways. No sign of Lan Tong.

She turned her head. A massive golden lion with a cub on her back was charging toward her at full speed. Yi Xian quickly turned and ran again.

Within moments, the chase began again. Lan Tong was right beside her, and the cub perched on her mother’s head let out cheerful howls as if urging her forward.

Yi Xian nearly choked in rage. This little traitor…

Then, in a blink, the howling behind her stopped. Looking back, she saw she was now seven or eight meters ahead of the two lions.

That was fast.

She saw Lan Tong’s furious expression and changed direction, weaving through the trees. Something felt different. She could sense her steps shifting, the forest shifting around her.

In a peculiar moment, the entire world seemed to pause, and she pulled ahead again.

She even caught a glimpse of Lan Tong’s astonished face. That alone felt immensely satisfying.

Yi Xian didn’t stop to ponder it. She just kept running. Every few dozen meters, the same shift happened, pulling her farther ahead. After a few repetitions, Lan Tong and the cub vanished from view.

She didn’t dare slow down. What if that beast suddenly took flight? That would be the end.

Then again, she couldn’t help but marvel. I actually outran a beastman? It felt like a dream.

Could this be the benefit of leveling up?

As she was about to examine herself, she heard shouting from not far off. Among the voices were Duanmu Ya and Nian Yunyin.

She answered, “Over here!”

“Yi Xian! Are you alright?” Duanmu Ya and Nian Yunyin ran up with a group of senior disciples. Seeing Yi Xian smiling, they began to relax and look around. “Did that beastman hurt you?”

Lan Tong had wanted to catch her, but failed.

Yi Xian, feeling victorious for once, was in a great mood. “No. She wouldn’t dare. The Qingshan Sect and the Beast Tribe have a prior agreement.”

Nian Yunyin expressed their thanks to the group who had come to help.

The senior disciples, in turn, gave them a serious lecture. It was best to stay inside the sect for the time being and avoid unnecessary conflict with beastmen.

Only after they left did Duanmu Ya nudge Yi Xian and cautiously ask, “Yi Xian, did the beastman let you go because you found her cub?”

Yi Xian scoffed. Let her go? That beast probably wanted to tear her limb from limb.

But oh, how satisfying it had been to leave her in the dust.

Maybe I’ve been under her foot too long. I’m getting some twisted ideas.

“Sure,” she replied nonchalantly.

Nian Yunyin noticed Duanmu Ya’s constant signaling and decided to bow out. “Yi Xian, see you in the finals.”

“See you.”

Once she was gone, Duanmu Ya exhaled in relief. “Whew, I managed to cover it all up. Yi Xian, that was way too close.”

Yi Xian shook her head. If Nian Yunyin were Qi Yun, she would have already figured out everything going on between me and that beast.

Still, she said honestly, “Thanks to you both.”

Duanmu Ya kept muttering about how dangerous it all was. “Are you sure that beastman really let you go that easily?”

Of course not.

Yi Xian gave her a strange look. “Want to help me with something?”

“You want me to chase you?” Duanmu Ya exclaimed.

Yi Xian nodded. “Give it your all like when you were being chased by the Wolf Tribe. Push yourself to the limit. Also, pay attention to how I move.”

Though confused by Yi Xian’s strange request, Duanmu Ya still complied, joining in this seemingly childish game of tag.

Duanmu Ya was never skilled in cultivation and had a weaker constitution. After running for several dozen meters, she was already gasping for breath and on the verge of giving up. But Yi Xian had already pulled ahead by several meters. Her steps were steady, her pace swift, as though she had only just warmed up. Competing like this, Duanmu Ya knew she could never win. “Yi—”

Just as she was about to call it quits, Yi Xian suddenly did something so shocking that Duanmu Ya was left speechless for a long moment. Then she cried out, “Yi Xian! Yi Xian! Stop! Quickly, stop!”

Yi Xian estimated the distance between them to be around ten meters. “Out of breath already?”

Duanmu Ya waved her hand. “No, that’s not it. You, how did you suddenly leap so far ahead? That was really strange. What did you do?”

Yi Xian’s eyes lit up with joy. “You saw it?”

Duanmu Ya thought she had imagined it, but the surrounding trees proved otherwise. She pointed at two completely different trees. “You were right here a moment ago, just three or four meters from me. But in the blink of an eye, you were over there. That’s at least ten meters apart.”

Yi Xian had guessed right. When she was being chased like a dog by that beast, she had indeed developed some kind of teleportation ability, allowing her to shift distances of eight or nine, almost ten meters in an instant.

No wonder every time Lan Tong caught up, she’d immediately fall behind again.

Seeing Yi Xian smiling so smugly, Duanmu Ya waved her arms to regain some attention. “Yi Xian, what is going on?”

Yi Xian glanced at her. This silly girl had been thinking of her ever since being saved and was someone trustworthy. “Xiao Ya, watch closely.”

Yi Xian locked eyes on a tree three meters away. In her hand appeared a green leaf.

Duanmu Ya looked puzzled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Without explaining, Yi Xian lightly inserted her dagger into the tree. “Pay close attention this time.”

Duanmu Ya still didn’t quite understand what Yi Xian was planning. She alternated between staring at the dagger and Yi Xian’s extended hand. After a few breaths, the dagger was in Yi Xian’s grasp.

Duanmu Ya blinked, then suddenly jumped in excitement. “What is that? Yi Xian, how did you suddenly grab it like that?”

Yi Xian wasn’t entirely sure herself. “Let’s just call it a lazy-person skill. I think the ability to instantly leap ten meters is probably an extension of this.”

Duanmu Ya looked between the tree and Yi Xian. “Teleportation?”

Yi Xian nodded. “Don’t tell anyone else about this, alright? Not until I fully understand what it is. You must keep it a secret.”

Duanmu Ya nodded repeatedly, then suddenly realized. “So that’s how you escaped earlier. That beastman probably can’t catch you now, right? Haha! That must be it! Right?”

Yi Xian laughed too. Just remembering Lan Tong’s shocked expression gave her immense satisfaction. “Exactly. Help me observe. Maybe we can figure out how it works.”

Yi Xian ran while Duanmu Ya tracked her movements to collect data. To understand the ability, Duanmu Ya nearly wore her legs out. She realized she simply couldn’t keep up with Yi Xian. In the past, the difference hadn’t seemed so huge, but now Yi Xian would suddenly disappear every few meters. She couldn’t even see her figure anymore. It was utterly demoralizing.

Feeling bad for Duanmu Ya, Yi Xian began to miss the days when Lord Yin Bao was around. With that lightning-fast speed, it could have easily kept pace with her. Sadly, Lord Yin Bao was still sound asleep. Once she had a rough idea of how the ability worked, Yi Xian brought Duanmu Ya back to Yundan Peak.

Only five days remained until the finals.

The urgency Lan Tong had brought was now dulled by the excitement of the upcoming competition. Coupled with her newfound teleportation ability, Yi Xian felt even more confident. At the very least, this skill helped offset the natural speed advantage that beastmen possessed.

That day, Duanmu Ya came running over, waving a stick enthusiastically. “Yi Xian! Come try this. See if it feels right in your hand.”

A weapon?

Yi Xian was momentarily stunned by what Duanmu Ya held. It looked like a command baton, thin and long, though parts of it did not quite match the image she had in mind. “What is this?”

Duanmu Ya twirled it. “Last time, Nian Yunyin said you needed a weapon compatible with light spirits. I saw you only have a dagger, so I gathered a few weapons. Try this one first.”

There were nine interlocking sections on the thin rod. Yi Xian disassembled it one by one, turning it into nine short sticks. “A nine-sectioned staff?”

Duanmu Ya burst into laughter. “That name fits, but it’s not really a staff. You should call it the Nine-Section Needle Light.”

Yi Xian’s face twitched. “This is a needle?”

Duanmu Ya nodded. “It’s a Light Spirit Needle. Perfect for someone like you. However, not many people dismantle it in that manner. Try it out.”

“How?”

Duanmu Ya reconnected the nine sections, and it did start to resemble a massive needle. “Gather your light spirit into it, then swing.”

Yi Xian followed her instructions, channeling her light spirit into the needle. With a casual swing, a blinding white light surged forth, enveloping the entire courtyard in a sacred glow.

Yi Xian was stunned. “A shield?”

Before, she needed to join forces with her little pony to create a human-sized shield that only lasted a dozen seconds. But this one… had she really summoned it alone?

Duanmu Ya spun around in awe. “Wow! As expected from a top-tier human-level spiritual tool. The power is amazing.”

Yi Xian no longer dared underestimate the needle light in her hand. This slender little thing had such great power. “A top-tier human-level artifact? Xiao Ya, isn’t this weapon incredibly valuable?”

Duanmu Ya waved it off. “Not at all. I only traded it for a bottle of sixth-tier pills. What do you think of the weapon?”

Yi Xian swung it again. It felt light and easy to handle. She tried separating it to use as a hidden weapon. “If I leave out one or two sections, will that affect its power?”

Duanmu Ya encouraged her. “Give it a try.”

Once the shield in the courtyard dissipated, Yi Xian began experimenting, attaching sections one at a time. She found that with just three, she could form a human-sized shield, one even more durable than the one she used to make with her pony. It was almost disheartening.

“It’s good.”

“Wonderful! We finally found a weapon that suits you.”

Yi Xian selected five needle segments, hiding the rest up her sleeve. “Thanks, Xiao Ya.”

Duanmu Ya stuck out her tongue playfully. “Yi Xian, can I ask you a favor?”

Yi Xian smiled. “Do we need to be so polite? Just say it.”

Duanmu Ya’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “I heard there’s a high-grade spiritual herb in the Watermark Secret Realm. If you happen to go, can you bring one back for me?”

Yi Xian was not very knowledgeable about herbs or weapons. Still, she knew that among the four artifact tiers of Heaven, Earth, Human, and Divine, a top-tier human artifact was already quite rare. She didn’t know how Duanmu Ya had managed to trade for it using only sixth-tier pills, but it probably involved some clever bargaining. “Xiao Ya, I can only promise to do my best.”

Duanmu Ya nodded excitedly. “That’s enough. If it’s dangerous, prioritize your safety. The herb… well, maybe we’ll get another chance someday.”

Yi Xian could hear the regret in her voice. Spiritual herbs were rare. Miss one chance, and you might never find it again.

Yi Xian smiled but said nothing. Duanmu Ya pouted, saying that even if she begged and pleaded, Yundan Peak’s master wouldn’t give her a spot in the secret realm. Otherwise, she would’ve gone to fetch it herself.

With the power of five needle segments, Yi Xian felt like she had wings. Her offensive and defensive capabilities had both improved dramatically. That day, she even used the needles to form a shield for Duanmu Ya. It lasted an entire incense stick’s time. In the end, Duanmu Ya had to unleash a furious fire dragon just to crack a hole in it.

“Yi Xian, if you ever become an Earth-level Beast Tamer, this shield will be even harder to break. I bet you could just swing it at the contestants in the finals and knock them out. You’ll definitely make it to the championship.”

With her teleportation skill and the Nine-Section Needle Light, Yi Xian felt more confident. But reaching the finals meant facing beastmen…

Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a purple orb and a flash of gold dart into the grass.

Duanmu Ya was still caught up in excited speculation.

Yi Xian cleared her throat. “Xiao Ya, I want to train alone for a bit.”

Duanmu Ya understood and left quickly. With only a day or two before the finals, it was perfectly reasonable for contestants to be on edge.

Once Duanmu Ya had gone, Yi Xian walked toward the corner of the courtyard. As expected, the little one was sitting on the Purple Yuanxiao, filthy as could be. Who knew which dog hole she had squeezed through this time? Its golden fur was a mess, and its red nose was smeared with dirt. The cub looked exactly like a stray cat.

“Why did you come here?”

“Awoo.”

Seeing how dirty it was, Yi Xian scooped the cub up to give her a bath. But as soon as the cub hit the wooden tub, Xiao Nan began howling loudly.

Yi Xian quickly stuffed something into its mouth. “Don’t howl! Or else, or else I’ll…”

She struggled to come up with a proper threat. After spending time with Lord Yin Bao, the cub had learned to dig holes and catch mice. Running away from home had become second nature.

And Lan Tong, that beast, didn’t bother to discipline her own cub. She just let her run wild. Yi Xian was at her wits’ end.