The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 53

Yu Hong lifted his blade to defend himself, and a milky-white shield of light surrounded him. The shield caused him no harm, and after a moment of surprise, he sneered. “So it’s you.”

Yi Xian’s heart tightened. Did he recognize me?

Last time, she had been in her assassin’s outfit, masked, using teleportation and a dagger. He shouldn’t have recognized her. Where had she slipped up?

Then Yu Hong spoke again. “So you’re the low-level Light Spirit beast tamer who specializes in eliminating opponents through defense. You’re the one who defeated Su Heng.”

Su Heng?

Yi Xian’s Little Pony fired bursts of radiant light at the Wind Spirit Bird, while the bird flapped its enormous wings, creating several miniature whirlwinds that collided midair, neutralizing each other.

Yi Xian quickly realized that her Little Pony and the Wind Spirit Bird were evenly matched in strength and level.

She quietly gathered her Light Spirit energy. While the two phantom beasts fought fiercely, she flicked the Five-Section Needles toward the Wind Spirit Bird, striking it at a weak point, then racked her memory for anyone named Su Heng. The name soon came back to her. It was the Mingwang Peak disciple she had eliminated during the semifinals. Because of that victory, her name had spread among Yundan Peak disciples. Oh, that’s the new disciple who defeated the senior from Mingwang Peak.

“I don’t remember him,” she said evenly.

Yu Hong’s expression darkened. He gave a cold smile. “Do you think your tricks make you unbeatable? They won’t work on me.”

With a wave of his hand, countless wind blades slashed at a single spot on her shield, chopping at it as if splitting firewood. One strike after another. Cracks began to form on the surface.

“Little Pony, ignore the bird. Lend me your power. I want to have some fun.”

“What?” Yu Hong thought he had misheard or gone deaf. Then he felt himself abruptly lifted into the air. Everyone around the dueling platform craned their necks as Yi Xian’s barrier rose higher and higher, taking Yu Hong with it. Some even murmured that the match might already be decided.

“The dueling arena includes not only the ground but also the area below and the air above. It’s all part of the field.”

“Even underground?”

“Yes.”

Yu Hong’s perspective shifted rapidly before he could grasp what she was planning. Then came the sensation of plummeting. His stomach lurched, and he fell backward, his body caught in the pull of gravity as the barrier dropped straight from the sky.

Yi Xian knew the Light Spirit couldn’t harm him, but at least she could make him suffer a little. “Ever tried a drop tower?” she asked.

The barrier quivered. It could shatter at any time. Yi Xian’s face remained calm as she waved the needles again, reinforcing it. “Everyone who’s tried it loves the thrill. I think you’ll enjoy it too.”

The shield shot up again, then plunged downward, over and over, faster and wilder each time. Even the spectators gasped, holding their breath in shock. If that shield broke midair, the man inside would surely be crushed.

Yu Hong, shaken and furious, felt humiliated by the looks from the crowd. This arrogant newcomer had toyed with him. “Stop this! Who gave you the courage to defy Mingwang Peak so openly?”

At the peak of the next rise, countless wind blades shredded a hole through the barrier. Two hands broke through, and with one powerful motion, Yu Hong tore the Light shield apart. The blades rained down like knives, targeting Yi Xian standing in the center.

The Little Pony darted behind her, forming another shield together with her. Blades slammed into it with sharp clangs. Yi Xian stared at him coldly. “Seems Mingwang Peak can’t handle a little fun.”

Yu Hong had never met anyone so brazen. The new disciples of Mingwang Peak usually bowed their heads and called him ‘senior brother’ with utmost respect. Yet this woman, not even an official disciple, dared to provoke him again and again. “I’ll remember this,” he growled.

Yi Xian smirked. “Little Pony, give him a cleansing.”

The Little Pony floated above her head, channeling the Radiant Light. A flash of brilliance shot straight into Yu Hong’s eyes. He screamed, swinging his blade wildly.

“Wind, break her defense!”

“Try it,” Yi Xian said coolly.

She knew she couldn’t outmatch him in offense, but in defense, she stood on different ground. As a third-stage Heaven-level beast tamer, she could not match his raw strength, yet her spiritual weapon was of superior human-grade quality and remarkably durable. Unless he was a Human-level beast tamer, he wouldn’t break through so easily.

Wind and light clashed, forming a twisting cyclone of power. The barrier held, though the air vibrated with the strain.

Then she noticed the audience’s shocked faces. Something was off. Yu Hong was staring too, his eyes narrowing. Yi Xian looked down and saw her entire body surrounded by a brilliant white glow. Countless motes of Light Spirit energy were streaming toward her. The dueling platform itself shimmered within a blinding radiance.

I’m… advancing? she realized.

Yu Hong sensed it too. He extended his hand, then burst into laughter. “Not today. Not while I’m here. You won’t advance this time.”

Yi Xian frowned, sensing the surge of power within her dantian. The small sphere of light inside was absorbing energy uncontrollably. This must be from healing the beasts so often. I must have used up too much spiritual power and didn’t notice the signs.

Before she could steady herself, Yu Hong launched another assault. Wind blades slashed across her wrist and knee, tearing flesh and drawing bl00d.

Yi Xian glared at him. “You overestimate yourself. You think you can stop me?”

Gathering the remaining needles, she cast two protective shields, one encircling Yu Hong and his bird, and the other surrounding herself and the Little Pony. “Keep it steady,” she told her beast, then sat cross-legged and closed her eyes.

The crowd gasped.

Nian Yunyin stood abruptly. “She’s insane.”

Someone nearby nodded. “Completely. These new disciples go too far this year. Wait, aren’t you that creepy array master?”

Nian Yunyin left without a word.

Yu Hong, like the others, thought she was mad. Breaking through in the middle of battle was suicide. If interrupted, she could suffer permanent damage. Still, his rage overpowered reason. “Fine. You brought this on yourself.”

The audience held their breath. Three shields flickered across the arena. Inside Yu Hong’s, wind blades raged like a storm, clashing against the milky-white glow of Yi Xian’s defense.

Whispers spread among the crowd.

“What if her barrier breaks?”

“If it holds, she might win. But if not…”

Everyone waited in tense silence.

Inside, Yi Xian ignored everything. Her focus was on the glowing sphere within her dantian, now swelling rapidly. Three other Light Spheres rested quietly beside it. Energy crashed and surged within her, flooding every meridian. Even with Light Spirit’s gentle nature, the pain was sharp and consuming.

Finally, Yu Hong’s persistence paid off. His barrier shattered, and he grinned triumphantly. “Overconfidence is dangerous.”

He freed his bird and moved together with it, targeting Yi Xian’s defense. The Little Pony immediately reinforced her side. For a moment, it was an even tug-of-war.

But the gap between Heaven and Earth levels could not be bridged. After dozens of reinforcements, a hairline crack formed on the surface of Yi Xian’s barrier.

“It’s breaking!” someone cried.

“If it collapses, she’ll lose! Worse, her advancement will fail!”

“She should have surrendered earlier!”

A faint shattering sound echoed.

Gasps rippled through the stands. Some pitied her, others shook their heads and turned away, assuming it was over.

Yu Hong grinned smugly. “A lesson, little girl, learn humility or—ah! My foot!”

As he stepped closer, a blur shot from the ground as spikes of earth rose like blades and pierced through the dueling floor. One lodged directly in his left foot.

Yu Hong screamed, clutching his leg. Bl00d splattered as the spikes held him in place.

The stunned silence broke into cheers. The crowd roared for Yi Xian.

Yu Hong trembled with rage, humiliated as the spectators shouted her name.

Everyone speculated about the triangular spikes of earth that had appeared so suddenly at the center of the dueling platform. They had struck at the perfect moment, completely unexpected and catching Yu Hong off guard.

Yu Hong’s face twisted in rage. “You’re courting death.”

Those close enough could tell that he truly intended to kill Yi Xian. Dozens of wind blades shot toward her. The Little Pony’s radiant orbs intercepted some of them, but several still cut through the air toward her.

At that instant, the earthen spikes reappeared, clashing with the wind blades and crumbling into dust. A small silver mouse dropped from the sky, performing a few graceful flips before landing on Yi Xian’s shoulder. It planted its tiny paws on its hips and began screeching curses at Yu Hong.

The spectators were dumbstruck.

“Is that a phantom beast?”

“A mouse? A silver mouse?”

“That earthen spike skill must have been its doing. It’s so fast.”

To confirm whether it was a phantom beast, one would normally check whether the beast tamer’s forehead glowed with the beast’s elemental color. However, Yu Hong’s eyes were still dazzled by the Little Pony’s light, and Yi Xian herself was bathed in radiant brilliance, making it impossible for him to tell.

Still, it did not matter. He had found the one responsible for injuring him. Grimacing, Yu Hong yanked the spike out of his foot, bl00d splattering across the ground. “I didn’t expect there’d be another phantom beast. I was careless.”

Lord Yin Bao scratched its still-round belly, then cautiously touched Yi Xian’s cheek with one paw before letting out a stream of shrill scolding toward Yu Hong.

At Yu Hong’s sharp glare, the Wind Spirit Bird flapped its wings violently. The gusts grew stronger and stronger until Lord Yin Bao’s whiskers trembled. The wind became a storm, and the tiny mouse was lifted into the air, clinging desperately to Yi Xian’s hair.

“Ahhh! I’m flying!” squeaked Lord Yin Bao.

The Little Pony stepped in front of Yi Xian, firing streaks of light at the bird. Lord Yin Bao noticed Yi Xian being slowly pushed toward the edge of the stage. The movement was subtle, nearly invisible unless one looked closely. With a quick swing of her tail, the little creature dropped to the ground and scratched several lines into it. A one-meter-tall earthen shield rose just in time to support Yi Xian’s waist, keeping her from sliding off.

Then, in a flash, Lord Yin Bao leapt from her back to her shoulder, claws slicing through the air. Another triangular spike shot forward, but the Wind Spirit Bird dodged and countered with a wind blade. Lord Yin Bao darted across the arena in streaks of silver light, moving too fast for the naked eye to follow. When the audience realized what had happened, the bird was already trapped in a web of glimmering threads, its wings and beak bound tight. It fell to the ground with a thud.

The wind stopped. The blades vanished.

Then came laughter.

Someone in the crowd couldn’t hold it back first, and soon the laughter spread. The once-arrogant bird now looked pitiful, its eyes wide and full of despair. The sight was almost comical.

Yu Hong felt the laughter stab at his pride. Sitting on the ground, he glared at the mouse. He had thought his bird could easily deal with Yi Xian and her beasts, but it had been humiliated by a creature that had appeared out of nowhere. “I don’t believe I can’t kill a rat.”

The dueling arena forbade direct killing between tamers but said nothing about beasts.

He stood with a limp, summoning more Wind Spirit energy. His grin was cold and cruel. As he stepped forward, he noticed the small creature perched on Yi Xian’s shoulder, its body twitching.

With a flick of his wrist, the gathered wind condensed into a long sword that slashed horizontally. Lord Yin Bao jumped, barely dodging the blade, but when the next swing came for Yi Xian’s neck, it twisted midair, clutching the blade with both paws.

Strands of silken thread coiled tightly around the weapon. Yu Hong sneered and flicked his wrist, the sword’s force flinging Lord Yin Bao away. The blade grazed Yi Xian’s face, and bl00d dripped from her chin.

Lord Yin Bao screeched furiously.

Yu Hong quickly noticed something curious. No matter how he changed his angle or speed, the little creature always intercepted his strike, blocking each attempt with desperate precision. It was so busy defending Yi Xian that it forgot his free hand was gathering wind energy again.

When he swung, the sword drew Lord Yin Bao away, and his other hand unleashed several wind blades. The mouse intercepted a few, and the Little Pony blocked more, but three still pierced through, heading straight for Yi Xian.

A blinding white light exploded across the arena. Even the spectators covered their eyes. For a brief instant, time seemed frozen.

Yi Xian opened her eyes and saw the three wind blades hovering just before her chest. She managed to block with her arm, and all three blades pierced straight through it.

She gritted her teeth. “It’s time to settle the score.”

Lord Yin Bao stamped its tiny feet in fury. “Yi Xian, hit him! Hit him hard!”

Yi Xian smiled despite the pain, relieved to see the little creature awake. She patted its head. “Together?”

“Gladly!” it chirped.

Yi Xian wiped the bl00d from her face. “Every wound you’ve given me, we’ll repay properly. I’m not letting you off until the debt is clear.”

She swung the Five-Section Needles. Yu Hong immediately conjured another gust, expecting her to shield herself, but Yi Xian feinted instead. Lord Yin Bao moved like lightning, darting forward to claw a deep gash across his face that matched the one on Yi Xian’s cheek perfectly. Then it retreated.

Yu Hong froze, rage twisting his features. That scar had haunted him since the day of the assassin’s ambush. Now she had marked the same wound again. “Damn you! You’ll both die!”

The air howled. Countless blades of wind spiraled toward Yi Xian like a storm. She raised her shield just in time, the gusts hammering against it. Behind her, Lord Yin Bao reinforced it with a thick wall of earth before slipping through a hole it made in the ground.

“Be careful,” Yi Xian warned.

Lord Yin Bao tunneled beneath the stage and popped up behind Yu Hong, firing three triangular spikes into his leg. He howled in pain, retaliating by sweeping his wind blades in every direction, carving a deep vortex into the arena floor. Bl00d streamed down his legs as he stumbled.

Yi Xian watched the holes in his leg and nodded. “Good enough.”

With a flick of her hand, the Five-Section Needles formed another shield. Yu Hong had no chance to react before the barrier closed around him.

Yi Xian smiled. “Remember the drop tower?”

The shield shot upward, smashing into the arena’s upper dome before crashing down. She gave him no time to breathe, spinning the barrier faster and faster. Yu Hong lost his footing, tumbling helplessly inside as the barrier rolled and crashed.

Just when the crowd expected another round, Yi Xian abruptly flung him out of the arena.

“Lord Yin Bao, he’s yours.”

“With pleasure!”

A silver blur landed on the shield, shattering it with one heavy strike. Yu Hong, dizzy and broken, crashed to the ground. When he finally rose, his hair was wild, his face pale and bloodied.

The arena fell silent.

Yi Xian turned to the referee. “It’s over, isn’t it?”

The referee stammered before announcing the result.

As Yi Xian left the platform, her arm was still bleeding, and the audience finally erupted in cheers.

“Hey.”

She turned. “Hm?”

Nian Yunyin stood by the wall with her arms crossed, as if she had been waiting. “Took you long enough.”

Yi Xian smiled tiredly. “It turned out well enough.”

If Lord Yin Bao had not awakened when it did, the battle might have ended very differently. Back in her quarters, Yi Xian cleaned her wounds and then examined her small companion.

“Why is your belly swollen?”

“There’s still one left.”

Lord Yin Bao rubbed its round stomach, looking like a young girl cradling her first pregnancy. Yi Xian chuckled and poked its belly. “It’s hard. Don’t tell me you’re actually pregnant?”

Lord Yin Bao shook its head quickly. “Not yet digested.”

Yi Xian raised an eyebrow. “So those two Earth Spirits really did change you. Your attack power has grown a lot.”

The mouse’s long ears turned pink from the praise. It twitched them shyly. “When I was sleeping, I thought I heard the little cub crying.”

Yi Xian laughed softly. “Xiao Nan thought you were dead. She cried so hard that night.”