The Strongest Beast-Tamer (Transmigration)(GL) - Chapter 55

Lord Yin Bao scratched its head. “It doesn’t look like a dumb snake.”

Yi Xian immediately understood what it meant. This was not the Beast Tribe territory, and no serpent beast would foolishly wander alone into such a place. With its massive body, there was only one possibility. It had to be a large phantom beast.

As a Beast Tamer, Yi Xian was tempted, but she knew she could not yet control such a creature. After thinking it through, she whispered, “We retreat.”

They began to back away slowly when a sharp cracking sound rang out. Yi Xian glanced down and saw she had stepped on a broken branch. The massive creature in the pool did not seem to notice and continued to thrash violently, churning the water like a storm. Yi Xian held her breath and moved even more cautiously backward… but then a flash of silver light shot past.

Lord Yin Bao’s fur stood on end as it screamed, “Run! Run! Run!”

Yi Xian reached instinctively for her dagger but found nothing. That split second of hesitation cost her the chance to escape. When she finally drew the weapon from her storage pouch, a thick, powerful tail had already coiled around her waist and lifted her into the air, hurling her straight toward the pool. Suspended above the water, she finally saw the monstrous creature in full.

The raging waters revealed their cause when four enormous claws broke the surface, each clutching a glowing orb. Earlier, the tail had hidden the creature’s body, and she had mistaken it for a giant serpent. But when it rose, she saw the truth. It was a black-scaled dragon, four-clawed and fierce.

Yi Xian’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had never imagined she would see a true dragon in this world. Scalding water splashed over her, drenching her completely. By the time she regained her senses, half her body was submerged, dangerously close to becoming the dragon’s next meal.

Without hesitation, Yi Xian plunged her dagger into its side. Perhaps its scales were too thick or its body too vast, because the strike barely left a mark. It felt as if her blade had met smoke. Lord Yin Bao darted wildly through the steam, chased by the dragon’s tail, flinging earthen spikes and threads of web charged with power, but each attack scattered harmlessly away.

It felt as though every attack was landing on a cloud. The futility was maddening.

Suddenly, a strong pull tightened around Yi Xian’s wrist. White spider silk coiled several times around her arm, and with a sharp tug, Lord Yin Bao managed to drag her partly out of the water. But just as her leg broke the surface, something cold seized her thigh, and she was yanked back under with force. Lord Yin Bao’s sharp cry echoed through the water.

This was no duel or staged battle, nor a struggle for survival against a beastman. This was sheer, overwhelming power and even more hopeless than her match against Senior Brother Cheng Bang.

So this dragon, clutching four shining orbs, is stronger than even him?

Yi Xian forced herself to think calmly, calculating her odds. She had slain a three-meter serpent beast, killed a wolf cub that gloried in hunting humans, braved the Elfa Forest, and survived countless perils to return to human lands. With the grand finals so near, she refused to die pathetically here, at the hands of a phantom beast.

Summoning her Little Pony, she commanded it to release a blast of radiant light toward the pool. But the water’s surface dimmed its brilliance, weakening the attack’s power. Even submerged, Yi Xian could tell the light’s deterrence was faint.

No good. I have to get back to land.

Could she use spatial teleportation underwater?

She wasn’t sure. She had never tried. Now or never. Her first attempt failed, but she did catch sight of Lord Yin Bao thrashing nearby, its tiny claws paddling furiously like a drenched chick.

The dragon coiled its tail again, and Yi Xian was reminded of the suffocating grip of the serpent she had fought before. She stretched out her hand, letting Lord Yin Bao swim close, then flung it onto the shore with all her strength.

Lord Yin Bao shook itself dry and immediately summoned a barrage of earthen spikes toward the creature, darting about like a guerilla fighter. The barrage angered the dragon, whose tail lashed out wildly in retaliation.

Yi Xian struggled against the pull of the water, to no avail. She took a deep breath and attempted teleportation again. A great splash followed as both she and the dragon were transported several meters away, landing on solid ground. Gasping, Yi Xian spat out a mouthful of water and finally saw the dragon’s massive head emerge from the pool.

Its violet eyes gleamed like polished gems, mesmerizing and cold. When its claws touched the earth, its expression froze in shock. Yi Xian’s teleportation had clearly caught it off guard. The orbs beneath its claws glowed like miniature suns, lighting both their astonished faces.

Little Pony unleashed another burst of radiant light, forcing the dragon to shut its eyes. Taking the chance, Yi Xian transformed into a bird, flapping frantically. Her wings wobbled at first, unfamiliar and heavy, but she quickly gained balance and soared toward the distant trees.

The dragon’s tail swept once more, toppling several large trees in its path.

Yi Xian was struck by one of the falling branches. Though as thin as one of her needle-lights, the impact made her chest ache as if her organs had been crushed. She tumbled to the ground, her beast transformation breaking apart instantly.

The Phantom Beast Technique clearly had its flaws.

The dragon squinted through the fallen trees and spotted her. With a casual flick of its tail, it cleared away debris and began to approach her slowly, its claws gliding over the soil.

Yi Xian pulled out her final two needle-lights. Together with Little Pony, she cast a Light Spirit barrier around the dragon. What should have been a perfect sphere of light distorted under its size, struggling to contain it.

The dragon clawed at the barrier, its tail sweeping again.

Yi Xian did not dare wait to see how long the barrier would hold. She turned and teleported once more. Just as she prepared for a second jump, a violent gust surged behind her. No, it was the dragon’s tail, sparking with lightning. She tried to dodge but failed. The tail struck her lightly, yet the silver light along it made her body convulse.

Had it shattered her defense in an instant? That meant its strength was beyond the Human Level.

Pain exploded in Yi Xian’s chest, as though her heart had been crushed. Bl00d spattered across the dragon’s scales as electric numbness flooded her limbs. Her vision dimmed as her thoughts flickered away like dying embers.

I have to stand up… or I’ll die here.

She bit her tongue hard, struggling to stay conscious. When that failed, she bit again, using the sharp pain to fight the creeping numbness. The dragon advanced slowly, then stopped. Its violet eyes widened as it turned its gaze to the sky.

In the hollow, Lord Yin Bao charged its triangular spikes, waiting for the beast to move closer. But when it followed the dragon’s gaze, its small body began to tremble.

Above them, a bl00d-red eye appeared in the sky, watching like a silent judge. After a moment, a voice echoed through the air, cold and divine. “Equal Contract.”

Yi Xian finally saw the red eye Lord Yin Bao had spoken of. Then everything in her mind went still. Equal Contract? What Equal Contract?

What shocked her even more was the dragon’s reaction. The moment it heard the words, its violet eyes crossed in fear, and its claws flailed in confusion. The orbs beneath its feet rolled wildly as it stumbled in panic. With a piercing cry, the mighty dragon turned and fled, vanishing into the forest within seconds.

Yi Xian stood frozen, speechless.

Lord Yin Bao darted after it, firing spikes that sliced through the air, but the dragon was already gone.

It took a long time before Yi Xian could make sense of what had just happened. Did I just miss a chance to form a contract with a phantom beast? “Cough—”

Lord Yin Bao hurried over. “Yi Xian, you’re hurt!”

Yi Xian struggled to stand, her body still weak from the lightning strike. As she steadied herself, she noticed a gleaming orb on the ground, one that had belonged to the dragon. The moment she saw it, she remembered that her dagger was still embedded in its scales.

She had once feared the dagger might attract the attention of Mingwang Peak, and now she had lost it completely. She wondered if she would ever get it back.

…

“Yi Xian?”

“Why are you sitting on the floor?”

“Don’t touch her.”

Nian Yunyin reached out to stop her, but Duanmu Ya had already lifted Yi Xian from the doorway. The moment their skin met, a surge of lightning coursed through them. Duanmu Ya, caught completely off guard, went limp and nearly collapsed, only for Nian Yunyin to catch her. “I told you not to touch her! Why didn’t you listen?”

It took Duanmu Ya a while to recover, her words slurred. “You… you didn’t say it fast enough. What happened to Yi Xian?”

Nian Yunyin gently checked Yi Xian’s breathing. Bl00d stained her lips and chest, and her clothes were soaked through. Lord Yin Bao lay nearby, stunned by the electricity.
“She’s still alive. It looks like she ran into a powerful opponent. Either a Lightning Spirit Master or a Lightning-type Beast Tamer. But who would dare attack her inside the academy? Strange.”

The first person Duanmu Ya thought of was someone from Mingwang Peak, though she kept silent in front of Nian Yunyin. She could only grit her teeth. “Whoever it was, they will pay.”

The two called for a senior sister skilled in Lightning Energy to help carry Yi Xian inside. The woman touched her and gasped.
“Such domineering lightning energy. The attacker’s level must be higher than mine, at least a Human-level Beast Tamer.”

After thanking her, Duanmu Ya walked the women out and immediately thought of Xie Ying. The match made perfect sense since Xie Ying had lightning affinity. Gritting her teeth, Duanmu Ya muttered, “Yi Xian must be badly hurt. Why isn’t she waking up? I’ll feed her a Heart-Guarding Pill.”

Nian Yunyin did not stop her. As expected, another bolt of lightning discharged, shocking Duanmu Ya again. With a quiet sigh, she said, “Yi Xian’s body is filled with Lightning Energy. If you keep touching her, you’ll be the one who needs that pill.”

Duanmu Ya puffed her cheeks in frustration but chose to ignore her. “Will she really be fine like this?”

Nian Yunyin watched the faint lightning flicker across Yi Xian’s skin, her eyes reflecting both worry and awe. “Misfortune may turn to blessing. Who can say?”

The two waited until midnight. The first to awaken was Lord Yin Bao. It nudged Yi Xian and was immediately struck by a spark of lightning, its fur standing upright all over. Frightened, it shrank back at once, curling up its paws. Then it leapt onto Duanmu Ya’s chest, squeaking near her ear until even Nian Yunyin was awakened.

“Lord Yin Bao, you’re awake! Quickly, tell me who attacked you?”

“Squeak squeak squeak!”

The two women watched as Lord Yin Bao waved its paws dramatically in the air. They exchanged puzzled looks. Duanmu Ya was utterly confused and gave up questioning. She thought it would be better to wait until Yi Xian woke up. Nian Yunyin, however, studied its gestures seriously and guessed casually, “A very large person… no, a large phantom beast that attacks with Lightning Energy?”

Lord Yin Bao immediately leapt about excitedly, cheering with waving paws.

Duanmu Ya was speechless and looked doubtful. “You’re kidding me. You guessed that?”

Nian Yunyin smiled softly. “You can ask Yi Xian when she wakes up to see if I was wrong. But a giant phantom beast with Lightning Energy… that’s unusual.”

Duanmu Ya frowned. “Xie Ying’s Lightning Roc is huge too. I’m sure it was her. Don’t forget, when Yi Xian was advancing her cultivation last time, she suddenly appeared.”

Lord Yin Bao had never seen Xie Ying, nor did it know what a Lightning Roc was. Listening to their debate, it scratched its head, then walked several circles before them on all fours.

Nian Yunyin laughed. “It’s telling you that it wasn’t Xie Ying.”

Duanmu Ya’s nose flared in irritation. She glared at Lord Yin Bao. “Then who else could do something like this? Surely not Peak Master Mingyi?”

Nian Yunyin shook her head. “If he made a move, Yi Xian wouldn’t have survived. And besides, he doesn’t even know her.”

Duanmu Ya was silenced. They guessed for half the night yet failed to find an answer, and none of them thought of the possibility that it was a masterless phantom beast. Their argument almost turned into a quarrel.

As for Yi Xian, after a whole night of numbness, she opened her eyes to hear Duanmu Ya’s sharp and fast voice chattering angrily at Nian Yunyin. It sounded like she was scolding someone. Nian Yunyin only smiled, patient and tolerant.

“What are you two arguing about?”

“Yi Xian! How do you feel?”

Yi Xian felt as though she had walked through the gates of death again. The aftereffects of the lightning strike were severe. Her legs were weak when she walked back to Yundan Peak. Just as she reached her room, her heart suddenly clenched. The pain of her chest being torn apart struck again, and everything after that was a blur.

Nian Yunyin said, “Your silver mouse said you encountered a large phantom beast. Did you see what attacked you?”

Yi Xian shook her head. Seeing Lord Yin Bao’s fur still standing like needles, she asked, “Was this from the lightning strike?”

Duanmu Ya nodded. “I even brushed it twice, but it won’t go back to normal. Nian Yunyin swore it’ll soften in two days.”

Yi Xian couldn’t help laughing, but the moment she did, her chest throbbed in pain. She tried to sit up, but her arms went weak and she fell back down. She stared at her trembling hands in disbelief.

Nian Yunyin noticed her worry. “Rest for another day. You’ll be fine. Luckily, you have no match scheduled for the next two days. Otherwise, I would have advised you to withdraw.”

Indeed, by the next day, Yi Xian felt much better and could move around. Yet whenever she practiced cultivation, traces of lightning energy would spark from her fingers, making crackling sounds that startled Lord Yin Bao into running wildly around the room.

Seeing her condition improving, Duanmu Ya kept reminding her not to rush her training. Then, as usual, her topic drifted far away. “Yi Xian, can you believe how stupid that thief was? Trying to steal from Qingshan Sect? I’d give her five words, reckless and blind to death.”

Yi Xian was still thinking about the dragon that had fled from the Equal Contract when she caught the word “thief.” The first thing that came to mind was Mu Feng from Elfa Forest. “What?”

Two days earlier, on the same day Yi Xian was injured, Qingshan Sect had been robbed. One of the three treasures meant for the grand finals had been stolen. It was the half-fragment of the Earth-grade Secret Realm once kept in Phantom Beast Valley. Xie Ying, the senior disciple guarding it, was injured and was now in seclusion to recover.

Duanmu Ya pursed her lips, clearly unhappy. “I thought it was Xie Ying who attacked you, but it seems I wronged her this time.”

Yi Xian frowned. “When did I say Xie Ying attacked me?”

“She was the most suspicious. Naturally, I suspected her first. The senior sisters said the Lightning Energy on you was unusually powerful. Only a Human-level Beast Tamer could achieve that. Who else could it be besides her?”

Yi Xian looked at her helplessly. “There are many Beast Tamers above Human-level in Qingshan Sect. And besides, my attacker wasn’t human.”

Duanmu Ya’s jaw nearly dropped. “So Lord Yin Bao was right? A giant phantom beast, and a Lightning-type one at that? But that’s impossible. No such powerful beast could be uncontracted in Qingshan Sect. Unless… it was masterless?” She hesitated before asking carefully, “Yi Xian, how did you defeat it?”

Yi Xian’s expression turned odd. “I didn’t. I was almost killed.”

Duanmu Ya scratched her head awkwardly, clearly wanting to ask more. Yi Xian sighed. “You want to know how I escaped, don’t you?”

Duanmu Ya laughed nervously. “Yi Xian, encountering such a high-level phantom beast isn’t your fault. Escaping alive is already impressive. Many Beast Tamers die while searching for their destined partners, slain by the very beasts they seek. Even the gifted ones.”

The relationship between hunter and prey shifted according to strength. That was the law of survival on Jiuxi Continent, one that everyone had to follow.

Yi Xian understood, yet being utterly overpowered still left her furious. That helplessness lingered in her chest, choking her with frustration. “It ran away on its own.”

Duanmu Ya blinked. “You’re joking.”

Yi Xian was puzzled, too. “I’m serious. Somehow, during our fight, I triggered a contract. Then, the red-eyed being you had seen before appeared and proposed an Equal Contract. The phantom beast panicked and fled.”

From the way it had bolted, it must have been terrified.

Yi Xian sighed inwardly. Do I really look that frightening?

Moments later, Duanmu Ya burst into laughter, loud enough to shake the roof.

Time passed quickly. Yi Xian’s eighth match arrived as scheduled. If she won more than half her battles, she would advance to the finals even with later losses. That was why Nian Yunyin had awakened Lord Yin Bao to increase Yi Xian’s chances in these crucial fights.

Yi Xian had mostly recovered, though she never mentioned that the tingling sensation still returned now and then, and lightning energy leaked uncontrollably from her palms. It felt as if she carried static inside her body, like being perpetually charged. She knew it wasn’t a perfect analogy, but she wasn’t fully healed and would need to be careful.

“Cough, junior sister, I’d like to discuss something.”

“Please, senior brother.”

Standing opposite her was Fang Shuai from Yunmiao Peak. True to his name, he was handsome and refined, with impeccable manners.

He looked a bit shy. “If I can’t break through your Energy Shield, could you not shake it up and down like last time? It’s embarrassing with everyone watching. Just kick me out of the ring directly.”

Yi Xian chuckled and agreed. When the match began, she soon realized how ruthless this seemingly gentle man was. He was a Lightning-type Beast Tamer, Earth-level, fourth stage, same as Yu Hong. His phantom beast was a Lightning Leopard.

The moment the Lightning Leopard appeared, it cast a web of lightning over the field, dense and unseen. Yi Xian had no time to react.

The instant she was struck, her mind went blank. Pain seared her chest, as though something inside her was tearing apart, struggling to emerge. If not for the Little Pony’s light cleansing her consciousness, she would have been thrown out of the arena.

After the light clashed with the brother’s lightning, Yi Xian swiftly drew out the Nine-Section Needle Light to form a protective Energy Shield around herself and the Little Pony. The explosion that followed shook the entire field.

When the smoke cleared, Fang Shuai stood in the center with his face blackened and his once-smooth hair puffed into a wild mess. His phantom beast had been blasted back into his spiritual sea. He looked at Yi Xian’s shield with despair, then took out a mirror from his Storage Pouch. After seeing his reflection, he collapsed completely and fled after shouting one line.

“Yi Xian, I will never forgive you!”

Yi Xian sighed, rubbing her forehead. It felt as though she had offended a crowd of people since the start of this tournament. She wondered what awaited her in the finals.

Straightening her back, she left the arena. Once she returned, the lightning energy burst uncontrollably again. A stray strike hit a tree in the courtyard, leaving a hole through its trunk. The stone bench nearby turned to dust.

She stared at the lightning dancing in her palm and whispered, “What is happening to me?”