"The Demons, they’ve been lured away?"
Lin Tianhai breathed heavily, drenched in blood, and looked towards a direction where flames blazed.
"We’re... we’re saved."
"SOB, SOB... Old Wang, hang in there! ...Ah, these damned beasts!"
"My son? Where did my son Xiao Tian go?"
"Stop talking! Treat the Pet Beasts!"
Originally, their Adventurer’s Guild had over thirty members, but now, fewer than ten survived.
What brought the Beast Tamers the most despair was not just the tragic deaths of their adventuring companions and their Pet Beasts in battle, but also the terrible misfortune that had befallen their own children. These three devastating blows struck one after another.
This was supposed to be a safe zone marked by the military; otherwise, the Fei Niao Group wouldn’t have established a presence here. Their original intention was to provide the younger generation with an opportunity to gain experience, and incidentally, to foster exchanges and perhaps even form alliances through marriage.
But an accident had unexpectedly occurred.
Lin Tianhai, who had lost an arm, trembled from head to toe. Fortunately, his dear daughter Lin Xiaomeng was unharmed. With his wife having died young, his daughter had become his greatest emotional anchor.
He glanced at his companions, who had once been a joyous and harmonious group. Now, they seemed like strangers. Some even looked at him with a hint of hatred.
If his car hadn’t gotten a flat tire, if they had kept driving, perhaps they wouldn’t have encountered this catastrophe.
Bitterness filled Lin Tianhai’s heart.
When they returned this time, with morale shattered, the Adventurer’s Guild, which had existed for over a decade, would probably have to disband...
A dazzling golden conflagration erupted, like a fiery tree bursting with silver blossoms! Then, as if triggering a chain reaction, one massive fireball after another flared to life. The resultant blast waves swept outwards rapidly, carrying with them a horrific shower of severed limbs that pelted the survivors.
"What... what is this?"
The firelight illuminated their stunned, vacant expressions; they didn’t even notice when blood spattered onto them.
"A rescue? Is it the military?"
"Silver-rank! That explosive power is definitely Silver-rank capability!"
"I sent a distress signal; I didn’t expect the military to arrive so quickly."
The Beast Tamers suppressed their grief and, one by one, got to their feet. Mired in deep despair, even the faintest glimmer of light seemed incredibly dazzling.
At this moment, faint, rustling footsteps approached.
The survivors followed the sound and looked towards the inferno, where a slender figure seemed to be emerging from the flames.
As the footsteps drew nearer, a spirited young man walked out. He was tall and slender, dressed in fine clothes, with delicate and flawless features. His dark eyes were especially striking, like stars in a summer night sky. A cute, fluffy young fox lay on his shoulder, a Spirit Core in its mouth, sleeping lazily. Its presence added an approachable aura to the young man.
Lin Tianhai’s eyes widened. Such an imposing aura... Is he a prodigy from a Beast Taming Family? And the explosions behind him... did he cause them?
Lin Xiaomeng stared dazedly at Chu Yi. Thinking she was mistaken, she rubbed her eyes and looked again. Her pupils contracted sharply.
It’s the young man from yesterday who annihilated the Fireball Mouse’s entire clan! But... the change is too drastic! His true Beast Taming rank... it’s not Red Copper, but Silver?!
Lin Xiaomeng’s breath hitched. Her mind felt overloaded, and she nearly fainted.
"Xiao Meng, what’s wrong? Do you know him?" Lin Tianhai’s attention immediately focused on his daughter.
"Yes, Dad. He’s the Beast Taming Genius I told you about." A look of adoration appeared on Lin Xiaomeng’s face. "So, he’s actually a Silver-rank Beast Tamer."
Lin Tianhai’s pupils contracted. No, that’s impossible! A Silver-rank doing novice quests? This is...
He paused. His mind started racing again. I’ve lost an arm, and my only Pet Beast left is a servile-level Butterfly. If my daughter could connect with him... No. Lin Tianhai quickly dismissed the thought. If Chu Yi were Red Copper-rank, there might still be a sliver of a chance. But Silver-rank?! Such a young Silver-rank... his daughter wouldn’t even qualify to be his handmaiden... Even meeting him once would be an extravagant hope. This kind of prodigy is destined not to inhabit the same world as them. He is destined to shine with immense golden light on the world’s stage!
Seeing the adoring look in his daughter’s eyes, clearly smitten by the hero who had rescued the damsel in distress, Lin Tianhai opened his mouth, but words failed him. He could only sigh.
My evolution points have reached 200. Ghost Hand can evolve once. But... Never mind the potential commotion for now. My intuition tells me to hold off; a greater harvest awaits.
Chu Yi’s gaze flickered. Seeing this group of survivors, an inexplicable urge to kill them all and harvest their Spirit Cores welled up within him. His Soul Corruption had reached 71%, twisting his thoughts somewhat. But as the master of the Evolution Guide, he clung to his rationality. No matter how much the Master of Grey Mist prattled on, Chu Yi dismissed it as mere barking.
"I’m a Beast Tamer from the military," Chu Yi began. "Unfortunately, it seems you’ve encountered an attack." With this opening, he easily integrated into the group.
Under their guidance, Chu Yi found the grievously mangled corpses. A wave of extraction yielded 16 Spirit Cores. The other corpses had presumably been devoured completely.
Next, Chu Yi harvested Souls. Since Ghost Hand had reached its level 20 cap, all the harvested essence converted into his Spiritual. His surging Spiritual roiled within him. As his Spiritual Power was already abundant and met the requirements, he advanced to Red Copper sixth rank in one leap.
It had to be said, the further Beast Tamers progressed, the more arduous advancement became. Chu Yi lamented how incredibly arduous Cultivation was. So, so difficult... What? You’re saying it’s not normal for me to leap from an ordinary person to Red Copper sixth rank in just three days? For me, Chu Yi, to achieve what I have today, which accomplishment hasn’t been preceded by countless hardships? It’s all thanks to my own efforts and exceptional talent... Evolution Guide, show me your limits!
Moreover, with the passage of time, he could channel the harvested Power of the Soul to Bika, allowing it to level up rapidly.
It’s Mutated Evolution, after all. When my Pet Beast levels up, I level up too. Isn’t that perfectly normal?
"Sir, would you like some water?" Lin Xiaomeng offered a bottle of mineral water, stammering.
Just one day apart, and the difference is like heaven and earth.
Chu Yi waved his hand dismissively, his expression cold.
A hero saving a beauty? Not happening.
His mind was solely focused on leveling up. Thanks to his surging Spiritual Power, he could now multitask. He mentally flipped open the Evolution Guide; the third page was unlocked, allowing him to bind a third Deceit Beast.
Chu Yi held back for the moment, sifting through the potential evolution paths for the Evil Repentance Eye.
[Clock Eye]: Master of time, controlling its forward and reverse flow, as well as time resets. Price: 120.
[Pregnancy Eye]: Fulfills conditions; whoever is stared at becomes pregnant. Price: 100.
[Eyes of the Forest (1/2)]: Master powerful Illusion Techniques, drags targets into an Illusion Realm, causing them to be lost forever. Price: 95.
[Crimson Eyes]: Consumes Rage; all abilities are amplified by 30%~100%. Price: 80.
[Red Eye]: Master Ghoul Power; stack attribute values by consuming its own kind. Price: 85.
The others, like [Eye of the Soul], [Eye of the Storm], and [Electronic Eye], were priced low with weak abilities, so he excluded them immediately.
Chu Yi’s gaze first fell upon [Pregnancy Eye].
Such a high price... It might be a conceptual-level skill, incredibly powerful.
Eyes of the Forest was an enhanced version of the Evil Repentance Eye, focusing on Spiritual Power, where hypnosis evolved into Illusion Technique. Crimson Eyes was about a rage burst. Red Eye could consume to stack any attribute value, making it a Deceit Beast with limitless potential. Chu Yi hadn’t given up on this one yet.
As for Clock Eye, Chu Yi was most drawn to this evolution path. He recalled Tokisaki Kurumi in her gothic lolita dress—truly awesome!
Space is king, time is supreme. It could even reverse the flow of time, bringing the dead back to life. Its life-saving capabilities would be exceptionally potent.