The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 52

Beasts like the Bone-Spiked were difficult to find, not because of their strength, but because, despite being low-ranked, they often appeared alongside the Metal Spirit, making them rare half-born beasts.

Yi Xian’s face darkened with frustration.

Duanmu Ya noticed her expression and thought she was overly worried about the little cub’s injury. “Yi Xian, don’t worry. I’ll think of something, maybe I can replace that ingredient with something else. If not…”

Yi Xian sensed the hesitation in her tone. “If not what?”

Duanmu Ya pursed her lips. “If not, we’ll have to ask Sister Qi Yun for help. The Qi family often collects a wide range of unusual and rare items. But…”

Yi Xian understood her concern. Asking the Qi family for help required both humility and leverage, and judging by Duanmu Ya’s avoidance whenever Qi Yun was mentioned, it would not be easy. Besides, she did not wish to owe the Qi family another favor. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “I think I’ve seen a Bone-Spiked Beast before.”

Duanmu Ya stared at her in disbelief. “What?”

Yi Xian did not elaborate on the missed encounter. She simply brought Duanmu Ya to wander around the outskirts of the Qingshan Sect twice. “Aside from appearing with the Metal Spirit, does this beast have any unique habits? Can it be lured out somehow?”

Duanmu Ya shook her head. “I don’t think anything can lure it out. But if you want something special about it…” She counted on her fingers. “Its whiskers can be used in medicine, and its shed bone spikes have regenerative properties. Even its molted skin has value. Remember that tailor’s shop we went to? If you bring the beast’s hide there, the owner will be thrilled to buy it.”

That meant the Bone-Spiked Beast was valuable from head to toe.

Yi Xian had no idea where Lan Tong had hunted one before. She and Duanmu Ya waited in the forest outside Qingshan Sect for half a day, watching the sun climb higher. Yet they saw neither the Bone-Spiked Beast nor any other beast.

Duanmu Ya yawned in boredom. “Are we supposed to wait here until the next era?”

Yi Xian knew Duanmu Ya could wait for ten days or half a month when searching for herbs, but this situation was different. The cub could not afford to wait that long. She patted Duanmu Ya’s shoulder. “I’ll go find Lan Tong. She should know where to catch one. You go back first. I’ll bring it as soon as I find it.”

Before Duanmu Ya could even respond, Yi Xian had already vanished ten meters away.

At the Beast Tribe’s encampment, Lan Tong was asking around when Yi Xian returned. Her tense expression softened slightly. “You’re back?”

Yi Xian walked past her to check on the cub. The little one was in the same position she had left her, her body emanating a deep sense of melancholy. Even the Purple Yuanxiao rolling around beside her failed to attract her attention. She was truly heartbroken this time.

Yi Xian gently picked her up and stroked her fur. The patch that had been struck by lightning was completely bald, and it was unclear whether it would ever grow back. “Xiao Nan, believe me, everything will be alright.”

The cub looked at her with tired eyes, whimpered softly, and winced in pain when she moved.

Yi Xian gathered her Light Spirit and healed the cub’s leg until the little one finally fell asleep. After laying her down carefully, she dragged Lan Tong outside. “That small beast you discarded yesterday, where did you catch it?”

Lan Tong glanced toward the dense forest behind them. “Why? Wasn’t it too little meat to bother with?”

Yi Xian’s eyelid twitched. She suspected this beastwoman was teasing her on purpose. Still, for the cub’s sake, she swallowed her irritation. “Xiao Nan’s leg needs the bone spikes from that creature as a catalyst. I just found out.”

Lan Tong thought for a moment. “Then let’s go together.”

Yi Xian followed without hesitation, recounting what Duanmu Ya had explained about the Bone-Spiked Beast’s habits along the way.

When they arrived, Lan Tong circled a few trees. Yi Xian had seen her hunt before. She would usually bite or stomp her prey to death. This time, she was merely pacing around. “What are you looking for?”

Lan Tong found a scratch mark on a tree trunk. “This is where I met it.”

Yi Xian noticed that the crooked tree had its branch broken cleanly. Only Lan Tong could have snapped it that way. “So we wait here?”

Lan Tong nodded and held out her hand. “Bl00d Blade.”

Yi Xian remembered Duanmu Ya’s warning that she should not use that dagger for self-defense anymore. The people of Mingwang Peak were not only causing trouble for the beastmen but also secretly searching for the black-clad assassin who had attacked them. That dagger was too distinctive. “Why do you need it?”

Lan Tong said nothing, only thrust the dagger into the tree trunk, then pulled Yi Xian up into the tree with her in one swift motion. The two of them were pressed so close together that not even air could pass between them.

When Yi Xian moved slightly, her forehead bumped into Lan Tong’s chin, and she inhaled sharply.

Lan Tong immediately touched her head with her hand and solemnly declared, “No injury.”

Yi Xian suspected that she had done it on purpose. But after hearing that statement, she decided she might have overthought it. With Lan Tong’s intellect, it was possible she genuinely meant it. “Is your chin made of iron?”

Lan Tong wrapped her arms around her. “Shh. Wait patiently.”

Their breaths mingled, the atmosphere growing charged. They remained like that until the sun set and darkness fell. After a long time, Yi Xian’s legs went numb, and her body leaned involuntarily against Lan Tong’s. It almost looked like she was falling into her embrace.

Seeing her discomfort, Lan Tong adjusted her position. She stretched out her long legs and drew Yi Xian onto her lap, holding her firmly by the waist. “Stay like this.”

Yi Xian could hardly believe that such an intimate pose, reminiscent of a child sitting on a parent’s knee, would happen with this woman. The position was far too embarrassing. She tried to get up but was pressed back down. Each time she moved, Lan Tong pushed her back again.

“You—”

“Shh. Don’t speak.”

Yi Xian noticed her focused gaze and twitching ears, then chuckled softly.

Lan Tong’s eyes sparkled as she pointed downward. Yi Xian followed her gaze. In the faint moonlight, a white-furred Bone-Spiked Beast with bristles like needles hopped forward on its hind legs like a kangaroo. It stopped beneath their tree, reaching out with its claws to grab the dagger stuck in the trunk, but no matter how hard it pulled, it could not remove it.

Yi Xian’s heart leapt with excitement. She had never expected Lan Tong to lure the beast out this way. She had thought they would have to wait for days.

Lan Tong held her and leapt down. With a single pounce, she caught the frightened creature before it could even react. She shook its leg and said, “It’s the same one.”

Poor creature indeed.

Yi Xian didn’t know what to say. “How did you know the dagger would attract it?”

Lan Tong looked triumphant. “You said it yourself. It’s half-born from the Metal Spirit. It must like weapons. Come, let’s take it back, kill it, and feed it to Xiao Nan.”

Yi Xian slapped her forehead. She had truly lost her mind from anxiety.

Lan Tong glanced at her and secretly slid a thin needle she had hidden between her fingers back into her leather belt. She then tapped the beast’s head. “First, I’ll take these four claws, then your skin. How dare you try to steal my treasure, hmm?”

Yi Xian, walking behind, thought she heard her mumbling. “What did you say?”

Lan Tong looked perfectly serious. “Nothing. You said its whole body is useful. We’ll skin it and drain its bl00d for Xiao Nan to drink.”

Yi Xian looked at the beast pitifully. Its long fur covered its face completely. “Keep it alive. I need it for the Bone-Mending Ointment, not to eat.”

This woman cared for nothing but food.

When they brought the Bone-Spiked Beast back, no one was happier than Duanmu Ya. As a fourth-tier alchemist, it was her first time seeing the legendary creature. She circled the white-furred beast several times, eager to study every inch. “Yi Xian, look at its fur. It’s so smooth. It feels just like human hair. Here, touch it.”

Yi Xian had no patience for that. “Forget the fur. What ingredients are you missing? I’ll get them. Just hurry and make the Bone-Mending Ointment. The cub hasn’t eaten for three days.”

Duanmu Ya was shocked. “Nothing at all?”

Yi Xian nodded. “She refuses to eat or move. Just lies there staring blankly. Hurry.”

Duanmu Ya carried the beast away. “I’ll refine it as soon as possible, but the paste will hurt a lot when applied. Rejoining broken bones means forcing them to mend together again. You should be prepared.”

Yi Xian didn’t care about the pain. Pain was part of growing stronger. A lame leg was far worse than temporary agony. If it meant Xiao Nan could walk again, any method was worth trying.

While Duanmu Ya worked on the Bone-Mending Ointment, Qingshan Sect was livelier than ever. The final duels were in full swing, with Mingwang Peak and Huanghai Peak at each other’s throats. It was said that the fight began when Fu Xing from Mingwang Peak clashed with an assassin named Shen Ting from Huanghai Peak. Their personal feud had escalated into a peak-wide battle, leaving the issue of avenging the dead and confronting the beastmen forgotten.

Yi Xian ignored the commotion. She spent her days running between the Beast Tribe’s camp and Qingshan Sect, healing the cub’s leg with Light Spirit whenever she could. Sometimes she talked to her softly. The cub’s mood had improved, though she still refused to eat. After several days, she had grown visibly thinner.

Two days before Yi Xian’s leave ended, Duanmu Ya rushed to her with a wooden box in hand, excitement written all over her face. “Yi Xian, it’s done! The Bone-Mending Ointment is ready. Hurry and try it.”

Yi Xian asked for the instructions carefully, then ran off immediately.

Before applying the medicine, they encountered another problem. To apply the paste, the fur had to be shaved clean. The moment Yi Xian raised the dagger, the little cub howled loudly, crying out in distress. Yi Xian tried to calmly explain the reason to her, but the howling only grew louder, even more than when she was bullied. Several groups of beastmen came running, asking Lan Tong what had happened.

Yi Xian shoved the dagger into Lan Tong’s hand, deciding to let her play the bad guy. “You figure it out.”

Lan Tong weighed the dagger in her hand and gave the cub a calm glance. The little one looked back pitifully, licking her nose as if begging for mercy.

Yi Xian’s heart softened at the sight, yet she knew if they delayed treatment, the cub’s leg could be permanently damaged.

Without another word, Lan Tong pressed the cub down firmly and, with a few quick strokes, shaved the fur clean. The cub cried out for a while and then looked down to see her bare leg, letting out a low, pitiful whine.

Yi Xian motioned to Lan Tong. “Hold her down. The Bone-Mending Ointment will hurt once it’s applied. She might thrash around.”

Lan Tong pinned one paw and the opposite leg. “Do it.”

The paste gave off a faint, cool fragrance. Yi Xian had no idea what herbs Duanmu Ya had mixed in, but when she tested it on her hand, the coolness soon turned into a burning heat.

Yi Xian applied the paste carefully over the swollen leg, then wrapped it with white cloth and fixed it in place with wooden splints. Lan Tong watched curiously. “What’s the board for?”

Yi Xian tapped it lightly. “For correction and protection. It keeps her from kicking in her sleep or scratching when it hurts.”

Lan Tong seemed to understand.

That night, the paste began to take effect. The coolness faded, replaced by a spreading heat, which soon grew unbearable. Xiao Nan cried in pain, her paws clawing the ground again and again until it was covered in marks. The howls echoed through the entire camp, causing confusion among the beastmen, who thought something serious was happening.

Each time the cub cried, some beastmen outside would howl back. Yi Xian looked baffled. “What are they doing?”

Lan Tong answered, “Cheering her on.”

Yi Xian rubbed her forehead. “It sounds more like some kind of ceremony.”

To distract the cub, she tried everything she could think of. She even made Lan Tong transform into her beast form to play with the Purple Yuanxiao. Yi Xian spent the night coaxing both of them like she was playing with cats. Eventually, the exhausted cub, weakened from days without food, fell into a deep sleep.

“At last,” Yi Xian sighed.

Lan Tong hummed in agreement.

Taking care of a cub was more tiring than cultivation. Yi Xian pulled some food from her storage pouch and laid it out neatly. “Feed her when she wakes up. You’ll stay with her tonight. I have a match tomorrow. I’ll come back after it’s done.”

Lan Tong followed her steps closely. “Is that how you got all your scars?”

Yi Xian found her looming presence irritatingly overbearing. “It’s fine. In the Qingshan Sect, we only compete to knock the other off the stage. Among your beastmen, it’s a fight for survival every time.”

The silence behind her made her glance back. Lan Tong’s deep eyes looked complicated.

“Did I say something wrong? Among beastmen, humans are slaves, prey, beaten and oppressed. It’s the same in reverse. Beastmen fare no better in human lands. It’s hatred between races, and innocent people on both sides suffer for it. I’m not blaming anyone. But, Lan Tong, you have to acknowledge the truth between us.”

Lan Tong pulled her into her arms. “I don’t.”

Yi Xian did not respond. Lan Tong had always treated her well, never scolding or hurting her, and always sharing the best food she had. The original Yi Xian had chosen her out of a will to survive, yet she was no longer that same person. “Alright, I’ll come back after the match. Be careful of human tricks. If you die, Xiao Nan will suffer even more.”

Yi Xian was exhausted. She only wanted rest before tomorrow’s duel and had no strength to argue with this stubborn woman.

Lan Tong spoke suddenly. “You want to enter the Secret Realm?”

Yi Xian nodded. “It’s a chance to grow stronger.”

Lan Tong’s gaze flickered. “I understand.”

Yi Xian had no idea what she meant, so she simply walked away.

After a day’s rest, Yi Xian returned to her ready state. The moment she stepped out, she saw Duanmu Ya dragging a white Bone-Spiked Beast that refused to move.

Seeing her, Duanmu Ya called out, “Yi Xian, help me! This thing’s impossible to manage. I was never meant to be a beast tamer. Can you take care of it for a while?”

Yi Xian was surprised to see it alive. “Take care of it? What for?”

Duanmu Ya poked the beast’s spine, covered in sharp spikes. “It sheds its spikes every half year. I need them and its whiskers for medicine. But it doesn’t seem happy about it.”

Of course it wasn’t. Who would want to be caged?

Yi Xian noticed that the beast’s white whiskers had been shaved almost completely off, revealing a pair of beautiful golden eyes filled with silent pleading. For some reason, she felt it was begging her for mercy.

Perhaps spending so much time around the cub had made her better at guessing beasts’ feelings.

Thinking of the cub who had moaned in pain all night, her heart softened again. “Maybe you should let it go.”

Duanmu Ya nearly jumped. “Yi Xian, do you know how rare this beast is? This is my first time seeing one! You might never find another if you let it go.” She hesitated before muttering, “Also, I need more for another batch of Bone-Mending Ointment. The first one wasn’t enough.”

Yi Xian sighed helplessly. “There’s nothing I can do.”

As she started to walk away, Duanmu Ya called after her, and to her surprise, the beast suddenly followed Yi Xian, dragging its feet behind her. Duanmu Ya couldn’t even hold it back.

Yi Xian found it amusing. “Can it understand me?”

Duanmu Ya scratched her head. “No idea. It won’t listen to me. Maybe you should try talking to it. Tell it to stay. I won’t kill it. I only need what it naturally sheds.”

Yi Xian remembered it was a phantom beast. They were intelligent, like her Little Pony. “Stay here. Once we take what we need, we’ll release you, alright?”

The beast gazed at her pitifully, then clutched at her trousers with both claws as if begging.

Duanmu Ya was speechless. Yi Xian was also stunned by its intelligence. “So you really understand me. If you give us your shed spikes and whiskers, we’ll let you go immediately. If not, you’ll have to stay for half a year.”

The beast nodded quickly and tugged on her trousers, wanting to go with her. Yi Xian shook her head. “No, I have a match. Let Duanmu Ya go with you.”

Duanmu Ya protested. “What? I can’t talk to it!”

Yi Xian sighed. “You can nod or shake your head, right? Ask and it’ll answer. I have to go. This match is important.”

It was one of the last matches, crucial to entering the finals.

Duanmu Ya suddenly remembered. “Oh, right! Yi Xian, your next opponents are all senior brothers. Be careful!”

Yi Xian had already faced stronger foes. “I’ll manage.”

As she left, the beast watched her go with reluctance. Duanmu Ya leaned close to its golden eyes and whispered, “She’s busy, you know. You really want to be her phantom beast, don’t you? But your elements might not match. Don’t be sad. You’re smart. You’ll find someone who suits you.”

When Yi Xian stepped onto the dueling stage, she saw her next opponent, Yu Hong. Fate truly enjoyed its cruel jokes.

Yundan Peak’s Yi Xian versus Mingwang Peak’s Yu Hong.

Yu Hong studied her closely as soon as she stepped up. Seeing her slender figure, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Yi Xian took in his grim face. A pale scar cut across half of it, ruining his once-handsome features. That must have been from the explosion of the Lightning Spirit Orb that day. Nian Yunyin’s version was potent, but nothing compared to the power of the Light and Lightning combined. Had it been the one from the Secret Realm, he’d be dead.

Evil never dies easily.

The image of Xiao Nan’s wound flashed through her mind, a long and deep gash running across her belly. She had analyzed the spiritual traces left on it. Only Yu Hong’s wind blades could cause such a wound.

She could almost picture the scene, the cub running desperately as his blade sliced through her soft belly and nearly killed her.

Yi Xian summoned her Little Pony.

When Yu Hong saw her phantom beast, the suspicion faded from his eyes. He nodded slightly and summoned his own Wind Spirit Bird. Its wings were disproportionately large, stirring a powerful gust that nearly knocked Yi Xian off the stage.

Yi Xian avoided repeating her previous technique. With a flick of her hand, the Five-Section Needles flared, and the condensed Light Spirit enveloped Yu Hong entirely.