The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 50

“Where have you been? I told you to hide for a while. How did you vanish for two whole days?”

“In the Scripture Pavilion.”

“But I went there looking for you, too.”

Yi Xian had been so absorbed in studying the human-level cultivation method that she had forgotten to inform Duanmu Ya. Remembering that Duanmu Ya had been searching everywhere for her these past two days, she apologized quickly. “I was on the second floor. But let’s not talk about that. Xiao Ya, I found a scroll of a human-level cultivation method.”

Duanmu Ya was startled. She looked around the courtyard before pulling Yi Xian hurriedly into the room. “Are you sure it’s a human-level technique?”

Yi Xian nodded. “It took some effort. I’ve been staying in the Library Pavilion for the past two days because of it.”

Duanmu Ya’s eyes shone with excitement, her face glowing. She whispered with urgency, “Yi Xian, you must not let anyone else know about this. You understand the saying that possessing treasure invites trouble, right?”

Yi Xian smiled, thinking how much Duanmu Ya resembled a housekeeper fussing over her. Then she recalled Xie Ying’s expression when she had realized she had been tricked, one that looked as if she had swallowed a fly. “I’m afraid someone might already know.”

“Who?” Duanmu Ya asked immediately.

“Xie Ying.”

Duanmu Ya froze for a long moment. “I’ve always felt that Xie Ying…” She frowned deeply, searching for the right words, but could not find any. “Anyway, you should be cautious around her. How did she know you obtained a human-level cultivation method?”

Yi Xian felt embarrassed about having tricked Xie Ying. Her feelings toward this senior sister were complicated. Setting aside the woman’s intentions to win her over, what had truly bothered Yi Xian was Xie Ying’s earlier attempt to kill the little cub. Even though many people would have done the same to a beast cub, it still left a bitter taste in her heart. As the senior disciple of Mingwang Peak, Xie Ying’s disregard for the upcoming alliance between Qingshan Sect and the Beast Tribe was suspicious. “Are Huangfu Yi and Xie Ying enemies?”

Duanmu Ya shook her head thoughtfully. “I don’t know. But Mingwang Peak and Blazing Flame Peak have always been at odds. Among the three main peaks, Mingwang’s reputation far surpasses both Blazing Flame and Yunmiao Peaks. It’s only natural for their senior disciples to be rivals.”

Yi Xian understood. That likely explained why both Huangfu Yi and Xie Ying had extended olive branches to her. Yet after what had happened, Xie Ying probably would not invite her to join Mingwang Peak again. She had, after all, made those ‘greedy’ demands that no one could have taken well.

Duanmu Ya noticed her distracted look and called her name several times before nodding toward the courtyard. Her lips moved silently. “Your little cub snuck out looking for you.”

Yi Xian sighed.

Inside the room, the cub was happily devouring food. The delicious aroma filled the air. There was no need to ask where it came from; those Drunken Fragrance Chickens and other delicacies were clearly from Duanmu Ya. When Yi Xian entered, the little one lifted her head, eyes bright. “Awoo.”

Yi Xian saw her mouth and fur stained with sauce, turning her into a small, spotted cat. There was nothing majestic about her now. “You… you only know how to howl. When will you finally speak?”

The cub ignored her and kept eating until she was full, then rolled over and crawled into Yi Xian’s lap. Yi Xian took a wet cloth to clean her face and realized the little creature had stuffed herself until her belly was round and taut.

She rubbed the cub’s belly gently. The little one let out a satisfied hum, placing her paws on Yi Xian’s wrist. “Did your beast mother often starve you?”

The cub blinked at her, then affectionately licked her hand.

If Yi Xian hadn’t already seen her human form, she might have thought she was raising an ordinary pet. Yet her concern came from something deeper. She always feared the cub might run into the wrong people if she wandered off.

“Little Lan, from now on, stay by Lan Tong’s side. Don’t come looking for me alone.”

“Woo woo.”

“If anyone discovers you, they’ll kill you.”

This time, it had been Duanmu Ya who found her. Next time, if someone else entered the courtyard, they would not be so kind. Yi Xian rubbed the cub’s head. “You should return to the Beast Tribe with Lan Tong. That’s where you belong.”

The little one whimpered, burrowing into Yi Xian’s arms and curling up tightly. Yi Xian looked down at the round lump in her lap, half laughing, half helpless. “Also, don’t eat food that others give you, understand? What if they poison it?”

The cub stared up with foolish innocence, confirming what Lady Xue had once said that beastmen generally lacked intelligence.

Yi Xian gave a few more warnings before realizing the cub had already fallen asleep, her tiny snores soft and rhythmic. After a moment’s hesitation, Yi Xian placed her beside Lord Yin Bao. The large and small figures slept side by side, a scene oddly peaceful and endearing.

When she finally had a moment, Yi Xian drew the human-level cultivation method from her consciousness sea. To her surprise, the technique demanded unusually high qualifications. She could not even access its contents. When she tried to force it open, she was met with a sudden backlash. Her entire consciousness trembled, and her Little Pony was even expelled from her spiritual sea.

The experience left Yi Xian dazed. It took a long time for the dizziness and nausea to fade. She comforted herself; after all, this was a human-level method. If it had been an ordinary heaven-level one, she would have mastered it long ago.

No wonder the scroll had fled from her. Apparently, it considered her too weak and unworthy of it. Yi Xian could only laugh wryly. Still, she was not discouraged. She already had it in her possession. Unlocking it was only a matter of time.

On the fifth day of the finals came Yi Xian’s third duel.

Yundan Peak’s Yi Xian versus Mingwang Peak’s Cheng Bang.

Early in the morning, Duanmu Ya looked as though she hadn’t slept. Her eyes were red. “Yi Xian, let me tell you about Cheng Bang. He’s an earth-level, eighth-rank wood-type beast tamer. Extremely strong. Maybe we should forfeit this round?”

Yi Xian shook her head. “How would I know if I don’t try?”

Duanmu Ya knew persuasion was useless and instead began recounting Cheng Bang’s background. He was a quiet young man who had clawed his way from the outer courtyard into the inner courtyard entirely by his own effort.

When Yi Xian arrived at the battle arena, she noticed Nian Yunyin was also there. Nian Yunyin looked at her and gave a short reminder. “You still have three matches in the next two days. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

Yi Xian immediately understood what she meant, but Duanmu Ya, unable to hold her tongue, started arguing again. “What are you doing here anyway…”

Inside the arena, Cheng Bang was already waiting. He was a young man dressed in white and gold robes. His presence carried a refined, elegant air. He was about the same height as Yi Xian, with gentle features and a faint green glow pulsing at his forehead. When he saw Yi Xian, he nodded politely. He was utterly unlike her previous opponents, composed and steady.

Yi Xian studied him closely, her gaze catching on a green vine peeking from his sleeve. The vine’s texture resembled snakeskin.

According to Duanmu Ya’s notes, Cheng Bang’s contracted beast was called Snake Scale Flower, a strange plant that grew by devouring serpents and occasionally… other things. Including humans.

Both summoned their partners. Yi Xian saw that the Snake Scale Flower thrived beautifully, a vivid crimson blossom blooming among its vines. Stranger still, as it appeared fully, half of Cheng Bang’s face revealed the same red and green scales, giving him a wickedly alluring look.

“A life-bonded beast?”

“Yes.”

It was Yi Xian’s first time facing a beast tamer with a life-bonded beast. Seeing his flower-like markings, she found him almost unnaturally striking. “Does every beast tamer who signs with a life-bonded beast end up looking like this?”

Cheng Bang seemed caught off guard by the question, as if no one had ever asked before. “Perhaps.”

Yi Xian nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Then a storm of arrows filled the air, all aimed at her. The first volley nearly forced her out of the arena. Yi Xian braced herself, one foot skidding at the edge, then pushed off the ground and flipped back inside.

That was close.

Being thrown out of the arena within seconds would have been humiliating. She finally understood how Nian Yunyin must have felt when facing Xie Ying. This wasn’t a duel; it was a one-sided suppression. “Come again.”

Cheng Bang looked surprised but continued his assault. The vines swept toward her from every direction like a green storm. Yi Xian formed a protective barrier. The vines struck it with loud cracks, while her Little Pony galloped frantically across the air, chased by the whip-like tendrils.

Light element energy only made the vines stronger.

That was why Yi Xian had always thought her Light Spirit’s attacks were weak. She had planned to use this opportunity to analyze why she had lost the initiative so quickly. Before she could, the vines split into several strands, wrapping her barrier tightly and flinging it away. Yi Xian flipped twice mid-air before landing steadily three meters outside the arena.

Yi Xian sighed.

Cheng Bang’s move was a perfect counter to her own. Truly brilliant.

Nian Yunyin and Duanmu Ya rushed to her side. “Yi Xian, are you alright?”

Yi Xian hadn’t expected to lose so decisively, without even a chance to fight back. After a long moment, she smiled faintly. “I’m fine. I lost fair and square.”

Nian Yunyin nodded approvingly. “Once you reach earth-level rank eight, you’ll surpass Cheng Bang. Don’t lose heart. You must win your next matches.”

“You too,” Yi Xian replied.

Even after the match, she kept replaying the battle in her mind. Even if she had attacked first, her barrier would have crumbled in seconds under that Snake Scale Flower. She would still have lost.

“Are life-bonded beasts really that much stronger than ordinary ones?”

“Of course.”

Yi Xian turned to Duanmu Ya, who spoke as though it were obvious. “One grows alongside you, the other grows on its own. For example, your Little Pony cultivates faster than you, doesn’t it? Cheng Bang’s Snake Scale Flower grows with him. Regardless of which one advances faster, the other benefits equally. That’s the equality of a life bond.”

Seeing Yi Xian’s skeptical look, Duanmu Ya added, “Even Xie Ying’s sixth-rank Thunder Roc gains little advantage against it. Don’t take it to heart. Cheng Bang’s been around Mingwang Peak for years. Many have suffered defeat by his hands.”

Yi Xian nodded. “So Xie Ying doesn’t have a life-bonded beast yet?”

Duanmu Ya blinked, puzzled by the sudden turn in topic. “I have no idea.”

In the following two days, Yi Xian still had three more duels. Duanmu Ya always managed to gather information about her opponents ahead of time. “Yi Xian, your fourth match is against a senior disciple from Yunmiao Peak. The fifth and sixth rounds might be easier; they’re both newcomers who just joined the Qingshan Sect this year.”

Yi Xian asked, “Tell me.”

Duanmu Ya shared the details she had collected, focusing on the one from Yunmiao Peak named Wen Ge. “He’s an earth-level, fifth-rank water-type beast tamer, about the same entry year as Cheng Bang. But this Senior Brother Wen is eccentric, and his temper is unpredictable. He commands a powerful water-type phantom beast. Just do your best.”

“A water-type beast tamer?” Yi Xian murmured.

Duanmu Ya gave her a sympathetic glance before perking up again, excitedly sharing details about the two newcomers. One was from Blazing Flame Peak, and the other from Illusion Sea Peak…

Yi Xian had sparred with Li Zhong before and had been crushed in almost every match. This Senior Brother Wen was two ranks higher than Li Zhong. She replayed their hypothetical duel ten times in her mind, and her chances of winning remained nearly zero.

The next day, Yi Xian stood in the arena, watching as Senior Brother Wen Ge walked up step by step. He was tall, at least one meter eighty-five, with a lean build, yet his presence carried a faint sense of pressure.

Yundan Peak’s Yi Xian versus Yunmiao Peak’s Wen Ge.

Just as she summoned her Little Pony, Wen Ge suddenly interrupted. “Wait, what did you say her name was?”

The referee thought he had misreported and repeated, “Yundan Peak’s Yi Xian, heaven-level third-rank light-element beast tamer.”

Wen Ge glanced at her with his narrow, single-lidded eyes. Without another word, he turned and bolted off the stage at lightning speed, as if a monster were chasing him.

Yi Xian was stunned. Even the referee stood frozen in disbelief. Later, Duanmu Ya laughed for half a day about it and teased, “Yi Xian, are you sure you didn’t say anything to him?”

Yi Xian wanted to ask the same question herself. Why had Wen Ge run away at the mere sight of her? “No, I didn’t.”

Duanmu Ya laughed until she was out of breath. “Yi Xian, you’re famous now. You scared a senior from Yunmiao Peak just with your name. I’ll be laughing about this for a year!”

Yi Xian rubbed her forehead, worried that some unspoken rule might have been involved. Fortunately, the next two matches went smoothly. However, during her battle with He Jing from Illusion Sea Peak, she suffered a severe injury and was on the verge of forfeiting.

When Duanmu Ya saw the deep sword wound across her back, she scolded in frustration. “Why didn’t your barrier work against him?”

“I wanted to test close combat,” Yi Xian answered.

Duanmu Ya nearly fainted from anger. “You’re gambling with your life! If you want close combat experience, wait until the finals to challenge others in the arena, not like this.”

She pressed the wound as she applied medicine. Yi Xian cried out, nearly jumping. “Ah, Xiao Ya, are you trying to kill me with pain?”

After finishing the treatment, Duanmu Ya stormed off in anger.

Yi Xian lay on her stomach, replaying the battle in her mind when she heard the faint sound of a door opening. She assumed Duanmu Ya had returned. “Still angry?”

Instead, heavy breathing filled the room.

She turned her head and froze. The great lion stood there, the little cub perched on its back, both staring at the wound on her back. Yi Xian instinctively grabbed the blanket and covered herself. “You again?!”

Lan Tong lowered her head, shaking off the cub, then leaned closer to sniff the wound. Along with the thick scent of bl00d, there was also the faint aroma of medicinal herbs.

When Yi Xian saw her open her mouth, she raised her hand defensively. “I just applied the medicine. If you lick it off again, we’re going to have a problem!”

Lan Tong licked her hand anyway. Yi Xian swatted her big head. The cub took advantage of the moment to crawl under the blanket, squirming until she popped up near Yi Xian’s chest.

Yi Xian grew irritated seeing Lan Tong’s beast form. She was enormous, her head alone twice the size of Yi Xian’s, and her jaws could have swallowed a person whole. “Turn into a human and talk to me.”

Lan Tong shifted immediately. Her golden hair was messy and tangled like straw. Though her features carried an exotic beauty, she now looked like someone who had crawled out of a mountain cave. Her face was smudged, and her nose streaked with soot. Only her sapphire-blue eyes remained clear and luminous, yet every time they flickered, Yi Xian felt she was plotting something mischievous.

“You’re injured again. Who did this?”

Yi Xian thought about it. Injuries were inevitable, whether among beastmen or humans. Wherever people gathered, conflict inevitably arose. Compared to those deadly struggles, these matches were mild. At least they stopped before anyone was killed. “Why did you come again? And you brought Little Lan with you? Didn’t I tell you before not to? It’s dangerous.”

Lan Tong blinked innocently. “Little Lan pulled me here.”

Yi Xian sighed. She thought for a moment and realized that the cub must have taken her earlier words literally, not to come alone, so she brought this beast with her. I’ve dug my own grave. She looked down at the cub, who was playing with her fingers. Her heart softened. “Don’t bring Little Lan here for now. Qingshan Sect has increased patrols. If anyone finds you, even washing in the Yellow River won’t clear our names.”

Lan Tong snorted dismissively.

Yi Xian grew irritated at how the tall beastwoman loomed by her bedside. The height difference alone made her feel smothered. “Move, you’re blocking the light.”

Lan Tong sat beside her instead, her long legs awkwardly folded. Her gaze deepened as she studied Yi Xian. “You’re one of those people who can command beasts, right? A beast tamer? What was that light you used on me last time?”

Yi Xian noticed the focus in her eyes and was startled. She recovered this quickly? Only three or four days had passed. Her recovery was comparable to a human cultivator’s. “Even if I explain, you wouldn’t understand.”

Lan Tong wasn’t angry. “Try me. We’re about to battle your people soon.”

What?!

Yi Xian suddenly remembered. This woman wasn’t just here for her; she was also after the Watermark Secret Realm. Rage surged through her as she grabbed Lan Tong’s beast-hide tunic and pulled her forward. Lan Tong even leaned closer. “Don’t tell me you plan to take Little Lan into the secret realm.”

If she dared say yes, Yi Xian would knock her senseless.

Lan Tong met her gaze. “Of course not.”

Yi Xian sighed in relief and released her tunic, pushing her away. “Then you should take Little Lan back to the Beast Tribe. The secret realm isn’t a place for you. You shouldn’t let her wander freely. What if something happens?”

Lan Tong glanced at the cub, who barked joyfully at her. The corners of her lips curved. “We came to find you. And to enter the secret realm.”

To find me and enter the secret realm? Yi Xian stared. Does she think the secret realm is a marketplace you can stroll into?

Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me you’re joining the finals too. Can you even enter the secret realm? And what about the cub?”

Lan Tong replied calmly, “During that time, Shi Wu will take care of her.”

Shi Wu?

From the surname alone, Yi Xian could tell he was from the Lion Tribe. So this beast really does have strong connections. She had suspected for a while that Lan Tong had a powerful background. “So you really are participating in the finals?”

Lan Tong nodded. “Of course. Now, can you tell me what that light was?”

Yi Xian thought for a while. “Fine, but you’ll have to agree to one condition.”

Lan Tong didn’t even hesitate. “Alright.”

Since her Light Spirit had healing powers, Yi Xian’s wounds had almost fully recovered within days. In just seven days, she completed six matches, winning five and losing one. Her remaining match was scheduled a week later, giving her the perfect chance to train.

The cub returned to the place where the Thunder Roc had chased her before, barking as though retelling the entire event to Lan Tong. Outside Yi Xian’s formation, she circled restlessly, reenacting the past chaos.

Watching the two, one big and one small, Yi Xian thought she must be insane to agree to such a reckless plan.

With the Purple Yuanxiao keeping the cub entertained, she began her training.

“Lan Tong, come at me.”

“If I attack, you’ll get hurt.”

Yi Xian frowned. She quickly summoned her Little Pony. A shower of radiant light cascaded down upon Lan Tong. Yi Xian seized the moment when she closed her eyes, teleporting behind her. But Lan Tong easily dodged and grabbed Yi Xian’s hand, twisting it lightly, pulling her into her arms.

Yi Xian heard her teasing voice. “Got you.”

Even with that light grip, Yi Xian could tell Lan Tong hadn’t used any real strength. If she had, Yi Xian’s arm would have snapped. “No, Lan Tong, take this seriously.”

Lan Tong lowered her lashes, feigning grievance. “I am serious.”

Serious, my foot.

Where’s that ferocity that tore the Wolf King apart?

Yi Xian knew this wouldn’t work. If they kept playing around like this, she would never improve. When she met the beastmen in the real tournament, a few exchanges would be enough to cripple her. How could she survive the secret realm like this?

“Then I won’t hold back.”

“Good.”

Yi Xian summoned her Seven-Section Needle Light, sweeping it toward Lan Tong. The defensive barrier enveloped her completely. Lan Tong tilted her head curiously, studying it like a child, cautiously touching it before drawing back her hand. “What is this?”

“Try breaking out of it,” Yi Xian said.

Lan Tong tried, but the barrier held firm. Yi Xian felt pleased with its stability until a pitiful cry from the cub echoed in the distance. Lan Tong’s expression changed instantly. She let out a deep roar, transforming in a flash into a blazing golden lion. Her bellow shook the ground, the sound echoing through Yi Xian’s ears.

The barrier shattered.

A golden shadow leapt past Yi Xian and dove toward the foot of the mountain.