Oport’s mind had gone completely numb. Seeing the sudden appearance of so many magical beasts, he had long lost any desire to compete; not fleeing immediately was already a feat in itself!
Granted, he possessed talent far exceeding that of ordinary people, but without the tempering of life-or-death combat, he remained immature. Under such a sudden crisis, he was utterly lost!
Never mind him; even the specially trained guards turned pale upon witnessing so many high-level magical beasts, even forgetting their sworn duties!
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you want to have a contest?” Zhong Shenxiu watched Oport with amusement. As he asked this, the magical beasts seemed to receive an unspoken command and lifted their heads in a collective roar! (!} i； lJ“ ~ ' ~^' ^“ ~ ' ~^' ！ 11
Hundreds of magical beasts roared in unison—a scene that could not be described merely as “spectacular”! Hearing such deafening howls, even the bravest heart would feel its knees turn to water!
Looking at the other applicants, they were already surging outward in a chaotic rush. They had no appetite left to observe; this place had instantly become a zone of peril! While the beasts remained stationary for now, if they chose to attack, this area would soon become an earthly hell!
The guards did not try to stop the fleeing applicants; if they could, they too would have bolted from this troubled area! But bound by duty, they had to remain, and urgently extract Oport. If anything happened to their young master, none of them could escape severe accountability! “Young Master, we must leave this place immediately!” A guard braved the immense danger to approach Oport. Oport nodded curtly; the oppressive atmosphere around them made it hard to draw breath!
However, just as he began to retreat, the previously static magical beasts suddenly erupted into motion, kicking up swirling dust everywhere.
Oport dared not move rashly. When the commotion finally settled, he realized with a shock that he was completely surrounded by the beasts, leaving him an operational space of less than ten square meters!
His surroundings were impenetrable, and the beasts watched him with fierce eyes, as if sizing up a grand feast. “Didn’t you insist that we stay? Now you want to leave?” Zhong Shenxiu regarded Oport with leisurely interest.
Oport stared blankly at Zhong Shenxiu, finally grasping the enormity of his mistake—why had he stopped them? Why propose a contest?
At the same time, he could no longer ignore Zhong Shenxiu, as it seemed this young man was responsible for everything; the girl beside him hadn't intervened at all!
In truth, judging the strength of Beast Tamers didn't require a contest; one only needed to observe the magical beasts under their command. Clearly, Oport had no hope of victory; the gulf between them was simply too vast! “You win!” Though deeply unwilling, the present circumstances forced Oport to concede.
But just then, an Earth-elemental Grade Ten magical beast suddenly let out a shriek and unleashed a Grade Five magic spell—Great Earthquake!
In an instant, the world seemed to spin. Cracks appeared in the earth beneath their feet, spreading outwards, and surrounding walls began to crumble!
Oport was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected the opponent’s beasts to strike so suddenly. Though no casualties had occurred, the display was terrifying! I already conceded, why this hostility?
As he looked towards Zhong Shenxiu in confusion, Zhong Shenxiu finally spoke: “I knew you would lose, but this contest must still proceed, because…”
In an exquisite and elegant private courtyard, Bennett, the patriarch of the Tilarri family, was deep in thought within his study.
Based on recent reports, the Demon Worms were appearing closer and closer to human settlements. As the saying went, a man who does not consider the future will find trouble at his doorstep. He had to devise a countermeasure, not just for the sake of his family’s interests, but more crucially, for the safety of the Autumn Cloud Empire.
Especially since news had recently arrived that a large swarm of Demon Worms had appeared near Gold Harvest City. Although it was unknown why they suddenly vanished, this confirmed that the Demon Worms were beginning to threaten normal human life!
A year prior, he had personally led his subordinates into battle against the Demon Worms. Commanding hundreds of magical beasts, they fought for two hours and managed to kill only five Demon Worms, while his own beasts suffered losses of over twenty!
He had personally experienced the formidable power of the Demon Worms. Now, the problem was how to contend with such a vast and numerous enemy!
After much deliberation, the most effective method he could conceive was "using worms to control worms"—manipulating Demon Worms to intercept others!
But this involved too many variables. Although he had heard rumors of individuals successfully forming contracts with Demon Worms, this method was entirely unsuitable for Beast Tamers. Tamers controlled their beasts without signing contracts, otherwise, they couldn't command so many creatures!
Here lay the issue: how to make the Demon Worms obedient without entering into a contract? Using the methods for training magical beasts against Demon Worms was clearly unscientific. Furthermore, he had experimented; the success rate was minuscule, and even if successful, the Demon Worms were prone to attacking their masters!
Besides the challenge of training, there was another hurdle: how to capture a massive quantity of Demon Worms. Capturing one or two posed no problem, but too few would render the "worm-on-worm" strategy useless. To truly achieve "worm-on-worm" control, the numbers deployed had to rival those of the attacking swarms! Alas, a headache!
This problem had plagued Bennett for a long time. Although he had solicited opinions from his clan members numerous times, not a single person had hit upon a viable solution! He hoped the Demon Worm attacks would hold off until he found an answer!
Just as Bennett resigned himself to this temporary hope, a sky-rending roar of magical beasts snapped his thoughts back to the present. What was happening? What occurred? At first, he suspected a riot among the clan disciples’ beasts, but as he listened more closely, he gasped! That… that was the sound of a Grade Ten magical beast, a Sky Dragon Horse. Ah, and that was an Eleven-level beast, the Wind-Fire Tiger. And… that was the sound of a Twelve-level beast, the Earth-Stomping Bear. This… this was…
Bennett’s shock was morphing into sheer disbelief. Due to his extensive dealings with magical beasts, he could identify them purely by their cries. He never imagined the monstrous roars contained such a convergence of formidable beasts! Bennett had no doubt this signaled an invasion by numerous high-level beasts. He was certain because beasts as powerful as Grade Twelve were rare, with his own family possessing only two. But the sounds suggested countless Grade Twelve beasts, and even more terrifying, sounds from Grade Thirteen and Fourteen creatures! Heavens! What in the world was happening? Bennett abandoned all thought and bolted from his study, running toward the source of the noise.
Simultaneously, several elder-level figures within the Tilarri family began converging on the training grounds! The massive commotion stirred up by Zhong Shenxiu had thrown the entire Tilarri household into a state of panic!
The scene shifts back to the training ground. Zhong Shenxiu, utilizing his mental projections, was already aware of Bennett and the others rushing toward them. His delay in dealing with Oport was simply because Oport was too immature, not fun enough. Witnessing Oport lose all fighting spirit over just a few hundred beasts was exceedingly tedious!
Zhong Shenxiu’s nature was: if he starts something, he cannot leave it half-finished! If the small scale isn't interesting, he'll simply draw in the bigger players! This was hardly the first time he’d done such a thing!
As for Oport, the arrogance he displayed earlier had vanished; his entire body trembled slightly. He sensed that Zhong Shenxiu had no intention of letting this matter rest. He was now forced to confront an enemy he knew he couldn't defeat yet could not avoid fighting! This was no longer a contest, and Zhong Shenxiu could hardly be called an opponent anymore.
Oport desperately wanted to fight back, but his own magical beasts were utterly spent. Facing hundreds of these high-level beasts alone would be pure self-torture! What should he do? What could he do?
Oport was utterly lost for the first time, when a voice, one that brought a flicker of relief, sounded from outside the training grounds. “No one inside move rashly!” Bennett commanded with utmost authority, arriving inside the perimeter the very next moment.
Despite steeling himself, he was still stunned when he beheld the hundreds of high-level beasts! Where had these creatures come from, and why were they all gathered here?
This thought flashed through Bennett’s mind, but this was no time for speculation; he saw Oport and his retinue trapped by the beasts!
As he scrutinized the magical beasts, more people filed in from outside, all wearing expressions of terror, yet maintaining absolute silence!
They understood the habits of magical beasts intimately. Before understanding the cause, any noise risked enraging the creatures. Bennett’s prior shout was precisely to prevent rash actions from startling the beasts!
It was manageable while the beasts remained concentrated here. If they dispersed, it would spell massive trouble! The Tilarri family could face a devastating calamity!
Though burning with anxiety, Bennett had not lost his reason. After a thorough observation, he finally noticed the anomaly:
Why were these beasts behaving so docilely? Logically, different species encountering each other should result in conflict, yet here they were, existing peacefully! The only explanation for this phenomenon was—
Bennett’s heart jolted. He finally realized: these were tamed magical beasts! But who possessed such immense power to subdue so many extraordinarily potent magical beasts? Judging by the current scene, this individual’s taming skill far surpassed his own! Who could this person be?
Bennett’s gaze lingered on Oport for a few seconds but quickly dismissed him. While Oport was recognized as a clan genius, even his talent had limits. At this stage, controlling this many beasts was impossible!
Of course, there was another critical reason: Oport’s face was a mask of abject terror, further proving he was not the master of these beasts!
Finally, Bennett’s eyes settled on Zhong Shenxiu and Robin. Their placid expressions stood in stark contrast to everyone else. Could it be…?
Bennett dared not continue that line of thought; it exceeded his capacity to accept. He could not reconcile such a multitude of powerful beasts belonging to individuals so young! “Hey, it looks like your reinforcements have arrived!” Zhong Shenxiu smiled again, addressing Oport.
For him, this was merely a game, a small punishment for Oport blocking his path. How the game would proceed depended on their behavior. If their attitude remained agreeable, it would end with a scare. If they acted stubbornly or caused offense, the beasts would certainly be allowed to stretch their legs! Oport remained silent, looking helplessly toward his great-grandfather.
“Very well, enough time has been wasted. Let us begin!” Zhong Shenxiu offered Oport a friendly smile, but to Oport’s eyes, it looked utterly sinister.
As Zhong Shenxiu finished speaking, a bear-type magical beast, over two meters tall, stepped out from the multitude of creatures. Each stride left a massive indentation on the ground! “Stop! No one else moves, or you won't just face one beast!” Zhong Shenxiu warned the guards beside Oport.
The guards dared not budge an inch, forced to watch the bear lumber toward them with terrified eyes.
This bear was a Grade Ten Ice-elemental beast named the 'Glacier Wolf Bear.' While slow in movement, it possessed tremendous durability and could unleash powerful ice magic!
As the 'Glacier Wolf Bear' approached, Oport still stood there foolishly, his mind completely blank, devoid of any will to fight!
At that moment, a dark streak flashed, and a man riding a magical beast charged forward—it was Oport’s father, Bryer! The beast he rode was the Grade Eight speed specialist, the Black Slaughter Fang!
Bryer said nothing, grabbing the unresponsive Oport and pulling him onto his mount before leaping out at extreme speed. Zhong Shenxiu watched the entire process silently, making no move to stop it!
Bryer finally pulled Oport clear of the beasts’ encirclement and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he was horrified to see the 'Glacier Wolf Bear' planted directly in their path!
Ah, he forgot to mention it—Zhong Shenxiu’s magical beasts had all been modified!