Zhi Luo’s eyes widened as she stared at Zhong Shenxiu; she had never anticipated him suddenly turning toward her, and now what was she to do?

Fortunately, Li Si broke the stalemate for her. Li Si looked utterly agitated as he questioned Zhong Shenxiu, “Landlord. You… you aren’t thinking of eating it, are you?”

“Is that not permitted?” Zhong Shenxiu countered.

The look of astonishment on Li Si’s face deepened!

If this ‘Black Slaughterfang’ had been dead, it would have been one thing, but it was still alive right now. To consume it like that would be such a waste; after all, it was an Eighth-Tier Magical Beast—something money couldn’t even guarantee buying!

If such a formidable Magical Beast could become a magic pet, how impressive would that be? Furthermore, it would mean gaining a powerful ally!

At this juncture, an explanation is necessary. If one possessed the ‘Contract Magic,’ they could directly forge a pact with a Magical Beast, provided the beast remained docile. Those unfamiliar with ‘Contract Magic’ could purchase a ‘Contract Scroll’ at a magic shop to achieve the same effect of establishing a bond.

Another point must be added: the number of magic pets an individual can possess is not infinite; it is dictated by the contractor’s spiritual power capacity, as controlling a magic pet consumes mental energy. In other words, the more magic pets one has, the greater the spiritual drain. Consequently, most people only keep one or two magic pets; those who can simultaneously command three or more are generally mages.

Of course, mages also face limits on their magic pet count; the maximum is typically five. This isn't because their spiritual power peaks at five pets, but rather because an excessive number of pets can actually lead to a decline in their overall power.

We just mentioned that controlling magic pets drains spiritual energy, and mages expend spiritual energy to cast spells as well. If the number of pets is too high, it will inevitably affect their magical cultivation. Therefore, mages will choose a maximum of five magic pets, and such mages usually possess formidable cultivation bases.

This naturally sparks a question: if it were Zhong Shenxiu, how many magic pets could he command?

Without needing to think too hard, one could guess that the number would be staggeringly high!

Li Si, noticing Zhong Shenxiu’s piercing gaze fixed upon him, began to feel nervous, yet he managed to say, “Landlord, wouldn’t eating it be too wasteful? It’s an Eighth-Tier Magical Beast. If we could establish a contract with it first…”

“You want it?” Zhong Shenxiu interrupted Li Si.

Li Si stared blankly at Zhong Shenxiu. Though only three words, they caused his heart to pound and his breath to catch!

An Eighth-Tier Magical Beast—it was truly an Eighth-Tier Magical Beast! Was he offering it to me?

Li Si was so overjoyed he nearly leaped up. If he could claim this ‘Black Slaughterfang,’ his overall strength would increase tremendously; he might even stand a chance against a Gold Swordsman!

However, before he could respond, Zhong Shenxiu turned his head toward Xia Luo and Angeliya. He asked them again, “Do either of you want it?”

Xia Luo and Angeliya both visibly flinched. They had just witnessed the strength of this ‘Black Slaughterfang’; it could definitely be called formidable. Having such a beast as a magic pet would undoubtedly be incredibly impressive, and it would certainly boost their chances of survival!

They reacted faster than Li Si. Upon hearing Zhong Shenxiu’s inquiry, they instantly nodded their heads repeatedly, like chicks pecking at grain.

And Zhong Shenxiu actually smiled—not an evil smile, but a roguish one.

“All three of you want it. Who should I give it to?” As he spoke, Zhong Shenxiu’s gaze swept back and forth between the three of them.

The current state of Xia Luo and the other two was one of intense tension, their moods complex, akin to clutching a winning lottery ticket while nervously watching the drawing on television.

Just as the three waited tensely for Zhong Shenxiu to declare the final owner of the ‘Black Slaughterfang,’ Zhong Shenxiu finally spoke again, but his words left all three stunned into silence.

“Robin, this Magical Beast is acceptable enough. I’ll let you have it as your magic pet!” Zhong Shenxiu turned his head toward Robin instead.

Robin, naturally, did not refuse and accepted it gladly.

Xia Luo and the other two were completely unprepared for this outcome, expressions of deep frustration immediately appearing on their faces. However, since the matter was settled, they dared not voice any complaints, let alone challenge Robin. They could only watch dryly as Robin proceeded to establish the contract with the ‘Black Slaughterfang.’

At that moment, however, their expressions froze again. This was because the method Robin used to enact the contract was utterly bizarre and novel; it was the first time they had ever witnessed anything like it.

They watched as Robin formed a mudra with both hands, actually employing the ‘Control Spell.’

A flash of light seemed to pierce the ‘Black Slaughterfang’s’ brow, and then everything returned to stillness.

“Is that it?” Li Si murmured to himself.

Though he hadn't formally witnessed the process of contracting a Magical Beast, he had read descriptions in books, knowing that the more powerful the beast, the more difficult the contract, as the beast’s will would offer resistance.

Therefore, contracting a powerful beast usually required a significant amount of time, waiting until the beast’s mental resistance faded.

Yet, Robin had merely moved his fingers, emitted a beam of light, and was already done—this was truly difficult to accept!

The most shocked was Xia Luo. She had seen others successfully contract beasts before, and it was absolutely not as simple as what Robin had just done! …※

However, Angeliya was different from the other two; what concerned her wasn't Robin’s technique, but whether the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ would attack them again, as the beast was now mobile!

To describe the ‘Control Spell’ as a form of ‘contract signing’ is hardly accurate, as it forcibly implants a spiritual brand within the beast without requiring the creature’s consent!

The advantages of the ‘Control Spell’ are that it consumes little spiritual power, allows for rapid control, and can transmit everything the magic pet sees and hears back to the master; Zhong Shenxiu’s ‘Swift Eagle’ was the prime example of this.

Furthermore, another point could be considered its greatest strength: the limitation on the number of controlled pets is almost nonexistent. To put it plainly, with Robin’s current strength, she could use the ‘Control Spell’ to effortlessly command hundreds of magic pets.

Imagine, if Robin commanded hundreds of Eighth-Tier or even higher-ranking Magical Beasts—wow, what a spectacular sight that would be!

“How does it feel?” Out of concern, Zhong Shenxiu asked, as this was, after all, the first time Robin had utilized the ‘Control Spell.’

“Completed!” Robin nodded. There was no expression of elation on her face due to acquiring a magic pet.

Robin felt the same way as Zhong Shenxiu; neither of them was particularly impressed by the ‘Black Slaughterfang,’ mainly because its power level was too weak!

To consider even an Eighth-Tier Magical Beast weak, it was likely that even the legendary Dragons they might encounter in the future would fail to capture their attention!

“It’s done?” Li Si still found it hard to believe, yet the evidence lay before his eyes, forcing him to accept it, for the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ was standing docilely beside Robin, its previous ferocity completely gone.

However, this casual remark drew Robin’s attention. Thus, without much apparent movement from Robin, the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ at her feet suddenly lunged toward Li Si.

This sudden turn of events was more shocking than the previous two incidents because the others were busy marveling at Robin’s bizarre contracting method. Who would have expected the magic pet to suddenly go berserk and attack again!?

Angeliya was the fastest to react among the three because her gaze had remained fixed on the ‘Black Slaughterfang.’ Seeing it lunge at Li Si again, without hesitation, she channeled all her battle aura and launched a flying kick, attempting to intercept the beast.

If it had been the previous ‘Black Slaughterfang,’ it might have paused momentarily for her kick, but now, controlled by Robin, the beast’s movements were far more agile.

The ‘Black Slaughterfang’ merely contracted its body, easily evading Angeliya’s kick, and continued its charge toward Li Si without losing speed.

Li Si seemed either frozen by fear or simply slow to react; in any case, he didn't move an inch. By then, the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ had reached him.

With a loud thud, Li Si was knocked to the ground by the powerful momentum of the ‘Black Slaughterfang.’

It’s over, this time it’s really over!

Xia Luo knew clearly how incredibly sharp the ‘Black Slaughterfang’s’ teeth were—they could shatter incredibly hard rock. If Li Si were bitten, he would certainly have no chance of survival!

Just as Xia Luo drew her sword, intending to avenge Li Si, to her surprise, the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ leaped away from his body.

Looking closer at Li Si, apart from being paralyzed with terror and having a pale face, he was unharmed; there were no marks of being bitten!

Xia Luo was stunned, staring fixedly at the now motionless ‘Black Slaughterfang.’

“Li Si, are you alive?” Angeliya asked, even as she attacked the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ again. This time, she even employed the ‘Butterfly Step’!

But now Robin was controlling the ‘Black Slaughterfang,’ and Robin had already mastered the ‘Butterfly Step’ to perfection. How could Angeliya’s mere flashy maneuvers deceive Robin’s eyes?

The instant Angeliya initiated the ‘Butterfly Step,’ Robin knew which was the true target.

Thus, the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ completely ignored the illusory image on its right, sliding to the right to evade Angeliya’s downward chopping kick while simultaneously unleashing a ‘Leopard’s Tail Whip.’ The tail struck Angeliya’s ankle.

With a thud, Angeliya fell awkwardly onto her back, splayed out in four directions.

The ‘Black Slaughterfang’ then bounded several times and retreated back to Robin’s side.

The atmosphere instantly became tense. When Angeliya climbed up from the ground, she stopped attacking the ‘Black Slaughterfang’ and instead adopted a highly cautious stance.

Li Si finally managed to scramble up from the ground; aside from the scare, he was unharmed!

“Wh-what is going on?” Li Si stammered.

Xia Luo and Angeliya both turned their gazes toward Robin, hoping she could offer an explanation.

In an instant, the three of them stood frozen as if struck by lightning, …If you wish to know what happens next, please log on to XiongBa. There are more chapters, support the author, and support legitimate reading!