I Tame Beasts by Feeding

Just as the crowd was stunned into silence, a calm voice called out. It was Mu Zeyu, who had been inactive until now, finally making his move.

"Illusion God, Cang Xin!"

Following Mu Zeyu’s command, the Hidden Heart Fox leaped into the air. Its small body instantly erupted with immense power, its snow-white fur even more dazzling as it refracted the sunlight.

A red gleam flashed in its intelligent eyes. Simultaneously, a clear cry rang out, transforming into invisible sound waves that swept toward the Water Swallow Turtle.

"SCREECH!!!"

At the same time, its sharp claws glinted coldly as it rapidly approached the Water Swallow Turtle and swiped viciously at its tail.

But the Water Swallow Turtle seemed completely unaware. Upon hearing that clear cry, it froze mid-air and plummeted, neither dodging nor evading, and blankly took the full force of the attack.

"SLASH!!"

The air itself seemed to tear. The moment the two made contact, four bloody gashes appeared on the Water Swallow Turtle, cleverly avoiding the shell on its abdomen and striking the soft underside of its tail.

"WHIMPER!"

The intense pain snapped the Water Swallow Turtle out of its daze. It let out two mournful whimpers and struggled to take flight, but after two flaps, it was clear it couldn’t. It had lost the ability to fight.

Zhang Yaoting snapped out of it as well. His eyes widened as he stared at the sudden turn of events, his expression turning ugly with disbelief.

"What’s going on? Water Swallow Turtle?!"

Seeing this, the referee looked at Mu Zeyu with a trace of surprise before unhesitatingly announcing the result.

"In this match, Mu Zeyu is the victor!"

Other than Yu Changsheng’s match, this was the first to conclude so quickly in the competition.

Below the platform, the spectators who had previously dismissed Mu Zeyu were all stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.

No matter how you looked at it, the battle felt strangely uncanny.

"What... What was that? Can someone explain? It ended so abruptly."

And soon enough, an eager spectator offered an explanation.

"I completely misjudged him. That Mu Zeyu’s contracted beast is something else! Turns out it’s a Hidden Heart Fox! To think he managed to form a Contract with such a rare Spirit Beast... Tsk, tsk. I’m so envious."

"If I’m not mistaken, Zhang Yaoting was trapped in the Hidden Heart Fox’s Illusion Realm from the start. That’s why he put up no resistance and just cast his Skills randomly. Against an attack that’s impossible to defend against, you can’t say his loss was unjust!"

"So, was his Qi Refining Sixth Layer Cultivation also a disguise? Did he use the Hidden Heart Fox’s concealment to deliberately make Zhang Yaoting lower his guard?"

"The Hidden Heart Fox is in a class of its own when it comes to Illusion Techniques and concealment. Few Demon Beasts can compare."

someone exclaimed, their tone thick with unconcealable envy.

After all, among Low-level Spirit Beasts, those capable of using Spiritual Attacks are exceedingly rare, and their potential is proportionally much greater.

Yu Changsheng watched Mu Zeyu end the fight so smoothly. He was a little surprised, but it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

’This Hidden Heart Fox’s Talent Magic is certainly interesting. If you’re caught off guard, I doubt even a Cultivator at the Qi Refining Peak would be a match for him.

’But the drawback is just as obvious. Against someone with a stronger Divine Sense, it’s completely useless. He might even suffer a backlash from the attempt. He could lose his ability to fight before his opponent even has to lift a finger.

’In terms of sheer power, my Colorful Star Deer’s Soul Stepping is more direct and brutal.

’And spiritually, the Colorful Star Deer’s intimidation is no weaker than the Hidden Heart Fox’s disorienting Illusion God. I wonder if there’s a chance we’ll end up facing each other.’

These thoughts flashed through his mind as Yu Changsheng cupped his fist and smiled at the approaching Mu Zeyu.

"That was impressive, so clean and decisive. It looks like you’ve secured a spot for yourself in this competition, Zeyu."

Mu Zeyu waved his hand dismissively. Despite his victory, there wasn’t a hint of smugness about him as he replied with a wry smile.

"Senior Brother Yu, please don’t flatter me. I just got lucky with a few cheap tricks. I was watching your fight earlier—now *that* was truly astonishing!"

"I imagine if you were to go all out, only Miao Wenlun would be a worthy opponent."

Mu Zeyu said, a look of awe still lingering on his face as he recalled the previous battle.

His admiration for Yu Changsheng had deepened even further.

Nearby, Fang Cai Feng, who had just been goofing off, watched the two of them, looking like he wanted to speak but couldn’t find the words.

After a moment, he clapped Mu Zeyu on the shoulder and said with a wide-eyed grin, "You sly dog, Mu Zeyu! I can handle Changsheng playing me for a fool, but you were hiding your strength this whole time, too? Seriously! If you’re this strong, why didn’t you say so sooner!"

As Fang Cai Feng spoke, he sighed inwardly, and his gaze darkened almost imperceptibly.

’At first, he’d thought he was the strongest of the three of them. Then, after discovering Yu Changsheng’s true power, he was surprised but could accept it. He had at least consoled himself with the thought that he was stronger than Mu Zeyu. But as it turned out, he was actually the weakest.’

How could he not feel a pang of disappointment?

Mu Zeyu seemed to read his mind and chuckled.

"I only won because they were unprepared. Against a truly strong opponent, I wouldn’t stand a chance. I just have an advantage with my beast, it’s nothing to be proud of. When we get the chance, we’ll go catch an even stronger beast for you to form a Contract with."

Fang Cai Feng’s heart warmed, but he put on a cheeky grin and said:

"My Wild Mountain Monkeys are pretty good too! I’ll just cultivate a little, and I’ll definitely surpass you both! Hahaha!"

Listening to his friends’ banter, Yu Changsheng shook his head with a helpless smile. As he glanced back casually, he felt an intense gaze fixated on him.

He turned his head and looked across the crowd. The owner of the gaze was none other than Miao Wenlun.

Miao Wenlun had been assigned to the second group, so there was still some time before his match.

Their gazes instantly locked. Miao Wenlun seemed surprised for a moment, but he didn’t approach. Instead, from a distance, he gave Yu Changsheng a smile that looked quite sincere.

Seeing this, Yu Changsheng returned the gesture with a slight nod, with no intention of approaching him either.

Soon, the battles on all six Beast Taming Platforms concluded, but they were all rather conventional, with no real highlights.

Of all the matches in the first group, Yu Changsheng’s had been the most eye-catching. Because of it, many now considered him a formidable rival.

After a short break, the matches for the second group began. Yu Changsheng didn’t hurry off; his goal was to use this opportunity to observe Miao Wenlun’s skills and true strength.

However, to Yu Changsheng’s disappointment, Miao Wenlun’s opponent this round was merely a subpar Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Seventh Layer who had scraped through the first trial on pure luck.

Miao Wenlun didn’t even have to summon his contracted beast before his opponent forfeited without a moment’s hesitation. This, in turn, became the quickest match to end in the second group.

This left Yu Changsheng feeling quite disappointed.