Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 242

Chapter 242: Failing the Examination!

You tamed a bird?

Upon those words, the bustling room turned quiet all of the sudden.

Everyone covered their mouths in shock as they turned to look at Yun Tao.

Are you trying to insult someone here, or are you giving up on yourself because you failed to tame anything?

It can’t be that this fellow had been scared silly seeing the others before him receiving grade-1 and grade-2 results.

“Tamed a bird? The heck, why don’t you say you tamed a hammer! To dare to speak to Beast Tamer Hong like that, you sure are brazen!”

“This is no longer a problem about being brazen or not, there’s something wrong with his head! If he tamed a bird, I tamed a ball!”

“If that’s the case, then I tamed a chili padi… Actually, all of us have something we tamed, so shouldn’t we take the beast tamer examination as well?”

…

A moment of silence, and the room burst into laughter.

The heck.

Ever since the establishment of the Beast Hall, this is the first time someone failed to tame anything and declared it so proudly. This is a new high for crudeness.

If you don’t have anything to show, why are you here?

Still saying that you tamed a bird…

A bird your head!

Can you be anymore audacious?

“Haha, Yun Tao. All along, I thought that you are an incredible figure. To think that you didn’t let me down… To tame nothing at all and speak of it so proudly and brazenly, I’m impressed!” Zhu Jinhuang was almost getting cramps from laughing.

Is this fellow a retarded?

If he tamed nothing at all, the most that could happen is a failure. To tell Beast Tamer Hong that he tamed a bird… Is he looking for some thrill?

Beast Tamer Hong may not be the best beast tamer in the Beast Hall, but he is known for being austere. To spout such brazen words.. he is clearly challenging his authority!

“You truly are courting death…” Zhou Xuan laughed.

To think that he thought of this man as a competitor. At this moment, he felt that he had undermined his own worth by having even thought such.

He was worried that this fellow would awe everyone with his capability… He did awe everyone, with his audacity, that is.

“Hmph!”

With her hands behind her back, Mo Yu xiaojie raised her impeccable face and snorted.

Even if Yun Tao didn’t tame anything this time, he could try again the next time. But with such an immature attitude, no matter how talented he was, he would never become anyone great.

While everyone else roared in laughter, Beast Tamer Hong almost died from anger. His hair stood on its ends as he gritted his teeth, “What did you say?”

As a reputable beast tamer of the Beast Hall, this was the first time he had been provoked in such a manner.

Bird your head!

Come, why don’t you show it to me right now?

If you can’t, why don’t I take yours away and kick it like a ball?

“I mean… I tamed a bird, a strange bird!”

Only now did Yun Tao realize that he has misspoke. He quickly explained and whistled. Wuuu, the strange bird flew into view.

From the instant they reached the Beast Hall, this fellow had been flying around freely, and no one noticed its presence.

Savage beasts are usually three to four-meter big, and even the smallest ones are around a human’s height. Given that the bird was only a palm’s size, if one didn’t look at it carefully, he would only think that it was a canary or a wild bird. No one would dare to think that it was an aerial savage beast.

Furthermore, even if they had considered this possibility, they would have found it unbelievable.

The purpose of taming savage beasts is to aid one in his battles. Even the worst beasts could be used as a method of transportation. Given the miniature size of this fellow, what could it do?

Honestly speaking, it wouldn’t even be sufficient to fill one’s stomach.

“You call this a savage beast?”

“Are you sure you didn’t take it from some random bird cage?”

“What the heck is this? I thought you were just joking. To think that you’ve really tamed a bird! But, what is the use of this bird? To play with?”

Seeing that Yun Tao had really just tamed a bird, the room was silent for a moment before bursting into laughter once more.

Look at the Viridescent Eagle which Mo Yu xiaojie had tamed. It is also a bird, but it is mighty and exudes majesty! Yet, yours is just nothing but hilarious!

You should know that you are here for the beast tamer examination! Those who don’t know what’s going on might just think that you are in a market putting on a circus show.

“Is this the savage beast that you tamed?”

Beast Tamer Hong’s complexion didn’t recover just because he saw the strange bird. With a steeled face, he asked coldly.

“Yes!” Yun Tao replied.

“According to the rules of the Beast Hall, in the second test, one has to tame a savage beast which is stronger than himself. This little bird can be killed with just a slap. Yet, you brought it here for me to assess… Are you joking with me?”

Beast Tamer Hong tried to hold back his anger.

“I am not joking!” Sensing the bizarre tone in the other party’s voice, Yun Tao hurriedly explained. “This strange bird may be small, but it’s not weak. It possesses incredible speed which even Pixue realm experts are unable to catch up to. It must be a kind of savage beast…”

Pah!

Before he could finish his words, Beast Tamer Hong slammed the table and stood up. His eyebrows shot up and his cheeks were trembling.

“Audacious! Yun Tao, do you think that this is your Hanwu Kingdom? Do you think this is a place you can fool around at? Beast taming isn’t a joke! You passed the first test with outstanding results, so I thought that you would be able to achieve amazing results in the second one. But… you chose to commit such a preposterous actions instead!”

“As a Dingli realm pinnacle cultivator, even if you can’t tame some of the stronger savage beast, a Pixue realm primary stage should be no problem for you. To tame a small bird and put on a show here, further claiming that it has incredible speed and that it must be a type of savage beast, do you think that I’m blind?”

“To dare to challenge an examiner directly in the beast tamer examination, bringing a wild bird here for assessment… Who gave you such guts to commit such audacious actions?”

Infuriated, Beast Tamer Hong waved him away with unquestionable authority, “Scram! You failed your second test. If you wish to take the examination, come again next year!”

“Beast Tamer Hong! This… This strange bird is really a savage beast with cultivation above that of Pixue realm, even I am not an opponent for it…”

Not expecting Beast Tamer Hong to fly into such a temper and proclaiming his failure, Yun Tao went pale. He hurriedly explained.

“Aren’t you done yet? Yun Tao, didn’t you hear those words? Beast Tamer Hong asked you to scram! Stop disgracing yourself here, you have already tarnished the good reputation of beast tamers!”

Seeing how his opponent has failed the examination, Zhu Jinhuang laughed heartily. He walked forward and stared at Yun Tao in disdain.

“Why don’t you give up on beast taming? Without sufficient skills, it is impossible for you to become a beast tamer anyway. If Beast Tamer Hong were to pass you, wouldn’t that mean that everyone can become a beast tamer just by buying a bird in the market?”

Zhou Xuan sneered by the side.

In the previous exam, Yun Tao had managed to stand above the rest of them. They thought that he would continue to outshine them for the rest of the exam, but never in their dreams did they expect that fellow to do himself in.

He could have just caught a normal Pixue realm primary stage savage beast, yet he chose to go for a wild bird which god knows popped out from where…

“Beast Tamer Hong…”

Ignoring the insults of the other two, Yun Tao turned to the elder.

“Aren’t my words clear? Get out!” Beast Tamer Hong glared at him.

“Give me another chance, you can test it for yourself. This strange bird is really a savage beast, and its cultivation isn’t weak…”

Not expecting such a situation, Yun Tao panicked.

He had just promised Elder Zhang Xuan that he would help him choose a good savage beast once he becomes a beast tamer. If he fails the examination now, he would be unable to make good of his words.

And this isn’t yet the biggest problem. At least for this problem, he could just apologize, and Zhang Xuan should be magnanimous so as to not pursue this matter.

More importantly, after creating such a huge uproar here, when he returns to the kingdom, his other competitors for the throne would make use of this matter to oppress him. If so, the opportunity for the throne would slip by his hands.

His pursuit for Mo Yu xiaojie would also have to come to an end.

“I don’t want to say it for a third time. I’ll allow you to walk out by yourself. This way, at least you get to retain a little bit of your pride!”

Beast Tamer Hong refused to listen to his explanation and waved him away.

If he wasn’t a prince, he would definitely have slapped him out instead of wasting words with him.

“Scram! Yun Tao, if you still refuse to leave, I will have my men throw you out!” Zhu Jinhuang stared at Yun Tao gleefully.

From today onward, this fellow would be out of the race. Meaning to say, he was one step closer to Mo Yu xiaojie.

“Hurry up and leave. If you continue to cause trouble here, don’t blame me for getting nasty.”

Zhou Xuan sneered. With his hands behind his back, he glanced at Yun Tao contemptuously.

“I…”

Angered and embarrassed, Yun Tao clenched his fists tightly.

He thought that he could pass the examination easily, yet it ended like this. Gritting his teeth tightly, he turned around and prepared to leave. But at this moment, a calm voice echoed in the air.

“Yun Tao, since the beast tamers of the Beast Hall are all such useless fools, I don’t think you should bother taking the examination!”

From where the voice came from, Zhang Xuan was looking at Yun Tao calmly.

Chapter 243: Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow

The beast tamers of the Beast Hall are useless fools?

Hearing those words, everyone was outraged.

“What did he say?”

“Who’s this fellow? Is he courting death?”

“To dare to insult beast tamers, he must be tired of living!”

…

Everyone glared at Zhang Xuan, their eyes filled with killing intent.

The reason why the Beast Hall grew so prosperous was because of the beast tamers. Yet, this fellow had dared to insult all of the beast tamers here. There must be something wrong with his head!

Shen Bi Ru’s body trembled and she tugged on the sleeves of the young man before her hurriedly. She nearly fainted from shock.

Where are we?

The Beast Hall!

To be saying that the beast tamers here are all useless fools, aren’t you asking for trouble?

This isn’t something that can be explained as a rash act, this is clearly a provocation!

From long ago, she knew that Zhang laoshi was bold. But no matter what, she had never imagined that he would be so daring!

“What did you say?”

As everyone expected, Beast Tamer Hong’s face turned so red as though he was bleeding. He turned his head to Yun Tao and questioned, “Yun Tao, is this what you think of the Beast Hall as well?”

Zhang Xuan stood together with the crowd from Hanwu Kingdom, so everyone thought that he was Yun Tao’s subordinate.

“Elder…” Yun Tao quickly turned to look at Zhang Xuan.

When he heard Zhang Xuan say those words, he nearly went insane as well.

Even though he might fail due to a biased judgement by the examiner, he could still try again next year.

However, now that those words have offended the Beast Hall, it would be impossible for him to take the examination ever again.

Even though he hadn’t been with Elder Zhang Xuan for long, he knew that he was a powerful and calm person. He deals with everything rationally and appropriately. So why is he acting so unreliably at such a crucial moment?

He stared at the young man in panic, only to see the other party looking at him calmly, as though he was unconcerned.

Unconcerned?

The edges of Yun Tao’s lips twitched.

Is he really bold, or is he truly confident in his strength?

There were several thousands of savage beast in the Beast Hall, and even the weakest one had a Pixue realm cultivation. Even a Zongshi realm expert wouldn’t be able to escape after wrecking havoc here!

Flustered, he immediately walked over to persuade Zhang Xuan to apologize. However, the young man simply smiled. With his hands behind his back, he turned to look at Beast Tamer Hong.

“Disregarding the rules, failing to recognize a savage beast before him, acting as he pleases, coming to a conclusion without verifying his facts… If he isn’t a useless fool, what else can he be?”

He spoke slowly and calmly, as though the infuriated Beast Tamer Hong meant nothing to him at all.

“Is he… lecturing Beast Tamer Hong?”

“Who is this fellow?”

“Even Hall Master Feng wouldn’t dare to speak like that!”

…

Hearing that young man’s tone that sounded as though he was lecturing a student, everyone felt as though their brain was coming to a halt.

They have seen arrogant people, but they have never seen such an arrogant person.

This fellow must be mad!

Who do you think you are?

Beast Tamer Hong is a famous beast tamer of the Beast Hall. To say that he came to a conclusion without verifying his facts… This is no longer speaking up for Yun Tao. This is a blunt insult, he doubts the other party’s professionalism.

“You said that I disregard the rules and failed to recognize a savage beast?”

Having been criticized in public, Beast Tamer Hong felt the blood within his body go on a rampage.

“I, Hong Feng, have been a beast tamer for thirty-seven years. I have tamed twenty-four savage beasts and taught a hundred and eighteen students. Three of them even became beast tamers. Even though I don’t claim to be learned in the profound art of beast taming, I am not someone who would speak nonsense! Yet, you said that I disregard the rules and failed to recognize a savage beast? Fine! If you don’t explain yourself today, regardless of who you are, don’t blame me for not going easy on you!”

Infuriated, Beast Tamer Hong’s revealed his cultivation. He was a Tongxuan realm pinnacle expert, and was not too far away from reaching Half-Zongshi.

Roar!

At the same time, a massive savage beast appeared and stood beside him.

It was a giant red-eyed ape. Around three-meter tall, every single movement it made caused the ground to tremor.

A beast tamer usually fought along with its tamed beast.

This giant red-eyed ape had also reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle. A savage aura emanated as though a tide over the crowd, and the pressure it exerted on the others was several times stronger than that of Beast Tamer Hong.

Upon witnessing this, everyone’s face went pale. Subconsciously, they retreated a few steps backward.

If the two of them were to fight alongside one another, they would be able to match up against even a Half-Zongshi!

“Why? You refuse to admit your mistakes and want to make a move on me?”

Even amidst the immense pressure, Zhang Xuan simply flung his sleeves and replied calmly.

The other party may be strong, but he has also reached Tongxuan realm pinnacle. Furthermore, given the numerous tactics he possessed, even if ten of them came at him, it would be impossible for them to hurt him at all.

“What is going on?”

The atmosphere in the room was completely still and it seemed that Beast Tamer Hong was about to make a move when a bellow sounded in the room. Then, three figures walked in.

“It’s Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang. They are all 2-star beast tamers!”

“Didn’t Beast Tamer Hong say that they are busy?”

“This fellow challenged the prestige of the Beast Hall. Even if they are busy, they would definitely rush over upon knowing of the matter!”

“This fellow is done for. Yun Tao as well!”

“That’s right. Hanwu Kingdom is just a Tier 2 Kingdom, how can it withstand the anger of the Beast Hall?”

…

Upon seeing the trio, everyone immediately burst into discussion.

All three 2-star beast tamers of the Beast Hall have arrived at the scene.

Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan glanced at Yun Tao gleefully, as though heartened by the tragic plight that was about to befall him.

When Yun Tao and Zhang Xuan insulted Beast Tamer Hong, it could only be considered as a personal grudge. However, from the moment that the Hall Master appeared, it become an issue between the Beast Hall and Hanwu Kingdom. This matter could no longer be settled easily.

Even Mo Yu xiaojie couldn’t help but shake her head.

She thought that Yun Tao was a fool for bringing a bird for the beast tamer examination, but to think that his subordinate would be even dumber!

He insulted Beast Tamer Hong so thoroughly, how could the other party simply let this matter go?

If this matter blows up, the one who would be at a loss is Hanwu Kingdom.

Even so, there wasn’t the slightest bit of emotion on her face. As though an emotionless fairy, she watched the spectacle impassively.

Yun Tao’s fate has nothing to do with her, and she couldn’t be bothered with it either.

“Hall Master, Beast Tamer Lu, Beast Tamer Wang!”

Upon seeing the trio, Beast Tamer Hong immediately stepped forward and greeted the three. Even though he was raging within, he took the time to explain the situation to them.

“You said that Hong Feng disregarded the rules and failed to recognize a savage beast before him?”

Hearing those words, the Hall Master Feng turned to look at Zhang Xuan with a sharp glance.

Hall Master Feng is an elder in his sixties. With a towering stature, his movements are dignified.

He is a Zongshi realm expert!

Beast Tamer Lu and Beast Tamer Wang merely stood quietly beside him, but somehow, they felt like mountains, impossible to budge.

The three 2-star beast tamers were all Zongshi-realm experts!

It was precisely because of them that no one dared to act out of line in the Beast Hall.

“Indeed!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Do you know that your words are questioning his professionalism? To a beast tamer, those words are equivalent to sullying his reputation.” Hall Master Feng’s eyes narrowed.

The reason why Beast Tamer Hong was so infuriated was because the young man questioned his abilities as a beast tamer. For a beast tamer to be unable recognize a savage beast, he would become a laughingstock.

Zhang Xuan didn’t explain the matter. Instead, he walked to the center of the room and snapped his fingers.

Wuuuu!

The strange bird on Yun Tao’s shoulder flew over.

Compared to Yun Tao, the strange bird was much more receptive to Zhang Xuan’s commands. Even though the latter had beaten him up, he had also helped to raise its cultivation.

After the strange bird sat on Zhang Xuan’s hands, Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze and smiled.

“I would like to ask the four beast tamers what the name of this bird is.”

“The name?”

Seeing Zhang Xuan ask about the name of the bird instead of answering Hall Master Feng’s question, everyone gaze swiftly fell on the bird.

Beast Tamer Hong’s complexion darkened, and he harrumphed, “Even though it is rare, I have once read a description of this bird on a book. The name of the bird is [Bone Bird]. It’s said that this bird has an additional bone on its back to support its entire body. This bird is usually used for appreciation purposes and doesn’t possess any combat abilities. Naturally, it isn’t considered as a savage beast. Why? Are you going to say that I’m wrong?”

“Now that you speak of it, the bird does match the description of the Bone Bird!”

Beast Tamer Lu stroked his beard as he said, “The Bone Bird lives in the depths of the forest, and it is known for its moving song at daybreak. Just like Beast Tamer Hong has said, this bird is only for appreciation purpose. Even though it is a rare and valuable bird, as it cannot be considered as a savage beast, it isn’t eligible for use in the beast tamer examination!”

Hearing the words of the duo, Zhang Xuan simply chuckled and turned to Hall Master Feng.

“What does Hall Master Feng think of this?”

“I think that it is the Bone Bird as well. There is a bone protruding out from its back clearly!” Hall Master Feng nodded in approval of the other two’s words.

Upon hearing the three beast tamer coming to the same conclusion, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. “Since you have all determined it to be the Bone Bird, who can tell me the specific traits of a Bone Bird?”

“The Bone Bird has a black back, red beak, and golden claws. On its back, there are three feathers which creates a clear melody when it’s flying. Thus, its melodious birdsong actually doesn’t come from its throat, but from the feathers behind…”

Before the three beast tamer could answer, a quiet voice sounded.

It was Mo Yu xiaojie.

She stated the unique characteristics of the Bone Bird recorded on the books.

But before she could finish stating the full description, she paused abruptly. Her beautiful complexion turned dark, and confusion reflected in her eyes.

“You’re right. The clear birdsong of the Bone Bird doesn’t come from its throat, but from the feathers at its back. That is to say, as long as it flies, there should be a melody… But when it flew over just now, did any one of you hear it?”

Zhang Xuan smiled.

“This…” Everyone was taken aback.

The strange bird has flown about several times, but not even once did they hear any sound. If they didn’t see the bird for themselves, they wouldn’t have known that it was in here.

If what Mo Yu xiaojie mentioned was correct, does it mean that… the strange bird isn’t the Bone Bird?

“The claw of this strange bird is gold, but there is a red dot at the center of its claw. Furthermore, there is a crown at the top of its head. Also, instead of one, it has three bones protruding from its back, and there isn’t any sound-making feathers behind either. More importantly… It is light and flies swiftly!”

Zhang Xuan raised the strange bird up and explained its characteristics one after another.

With every aspect he explained, Beast Tamer Hong’s face would darken.

Because at this moment, he could also tell that the strange bird was slightly different from the Bone Bird he spoke of.

“But if it isn’t a Bone Bird, what is it?”

He asked.

Putting his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan smiled.

“It is an Ancient Beast——Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow!”

Chapter 244: Punishment

“Ancient beast?”

Everyone’s expression changed immediately.

There are many different kinds of savage beasts, and ancient beasts possess the strongest bloodline of them all.

Along with their maturing, the blood within their body awakens and their strength grows.

There is no beast tamer in the world who doesn’t take pride in taming an ancient beast. That is because along with the rise in the tamed beast’s strength, the owner, through the connection created via the contract, would find his cultivation raised as well.

However, such savage beasts are extremely rare, to the point that they are almost extinct. Countless beast tamers have traveled through the mountains, scaled various mountains, and investigated the innumerable legends and folklores of the world, but even so, they had been unable to find any trace of ancient beasts.

Yet, one had appeared right here, and it had been tamed by… Yun Tao?

“That’s impossible! Even if this fellow isn’t a Bone Bird, it is impossible for it to be an ancient beast. They are already extinct…”

Beast Tamer Hong was the first one to question Zhang Xuan’s words.

Even though the others didn’t say anything, they shared his thoughts. They couldn’t believe that the strange bird is an ancient beast.

“The ancient bloodline has ceased to exist. Even if there are still ancient beasts out there, they must have attained the level of spirit beasts. How can it be an ordinary savage beast?”

Zhu Jinhuang couldn’t help but harrumph, “Even if you wish to escape from punishment, you shouldn’t spout lies.”

“You say that this strange bird is an ancient beast? What a joke! My Tiger Head Beast must be a primordial beast then!” Zhou Xuan sneered.

Primordial beasts are even more incredible than ancient beasts, and were naturally much rarer as well.

They weren’t the only ones acting like that. Even Yun Tao’s lips twitched upon hearing those words and he nearly fainted.

It is just a gluttonous and vindictive bird, how can it be related to the ancient beasts in any way?

One must know that this is the Beast Hall. If Zhang Xuan’s words were to be proven false, he would be in deep trouble.

“Hehe!” Zhang Xuan chuckled. “If I’m not wrong, the Beast Hall should have a way to ascertain bloodline, right? It doesn’t matter if you don’t believe my words. We’ll know the answer once we give it a quick check.”

Since it is an ancient beast, its bloodline comes from the ancient times and possesses unique powers. Thus, it isn’t difficult to conduct a test.

“This…”

Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Hong, and the others glanced at each other and nodded their heads simultaneously.

If this strange bird is truly an ancient beast, then this would be a groundbreaking affair for the Beast Hall.

It has been more than a thousand years since the establishment of this branch, but there hasn’t been a single beast tamer who had tamed an ancient beast.

“Legend has it that during ancient times, the spiritual energy in the air was violent and harsh. It is far from the gentle spiritual energy in the air now. Even though it was easier to cultivate then, it caused the blood of the savage beasts to contain destructive powers, and the blood would billow as though boiling water. If the strange bird is truly an ancient beast, other savage beasts would surely be unable to withstand the might of a single drop of its blood…”

After a momentary pause, Hall Master Feng said.

The bloodline of ancient beasts is pure and searing. It is completely different from that of the savage beasts existing now. Mostly, just a drop of the blood of an ancient beast can cause the entire bloodstream of a savage beast to boil and burn it to death.

Thus, it isn’t too difficult to check verify an ancient bloodline.

After passing down some instructions to an apprentice, the apprentice walked out and he came back in with a savage beast not before long.

It was around the size of a hare, and its entire body was white. It was somewhat similar to the Pill Sample Beast of the Apothecary Guild, just that it was slightly larger.

That is the savage beast used by the Beast Hall to experiment all kinds of medicine and food.

“Here!”

Zhang Xuan tapped softly and a droplet of blood emerged from the body of the strange bird. With a light flick, it flew toward Hall Master Feng.

Grabbing it with his hands, Hall Master Feng swiftly enveloped it with his zhenqi before placing it into the mouth of the savage beast.

Sssssss!

It was as though water was thrown into a pot of burning oil, a sizzling sound echoed in the room. Soon, the savage beast turned completely red and it squirmed about the floor in agony. Then, it ceased to move. It was dead.

Clearly, it was burned to death by the overwhelmingly powerful bloodline.

“This…”

Upon witnessing this, Hall Master Feng and the others narrowed their eyes.

Only the ancient bloodline possesses such might.

Silence!

The entire room turned deathly silent.

Even the most foolish of those here could tell that the young man was right. The unimpressive strange bird before them was indeed an ancient beast.

It might be small, but it was dozens of times more valuable than the savage beasts Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang had tamed just because of its ancient bloodline.

The two shouldn’t even be compared to it, it was just like comparing diamond and dirt.

“Did I just mock an ancient beast?”

Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan’s mouth twitched. They felt as though their faces had been slapped, and they were on the verge of tears.

That was a savage beast, an existence that would cause an uproar in the Beast Hall! Yet, they insulted it as though it was worth nothing…

To be unable to recognize an ancient beast, how shameless was it for them to have called themselves beast tamers?

If word were to spread out, they would become laughingstocks. Even if they do become official beast tamers, this piece of history would follow them no matter where they go.

While the others were focused on the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, Mo Yu xiaojie’s eyes were fixated on the young man. Her expression was grim.

Even Hall Master Feng and the others failed to recognize the true identity of the bird, yet this fellow was able identify it. Furthermore, before three great Zongshis, he was able to speak calmly without fear… Where in the world did he come from?

Is it possible for such an incredible figure to hail from a small and remote kingdom like Tianxuan Kingdom?

“Did I… actually judge Yun Tao, who tamed an ancient beast, with a fail?”

Beast Tamer Hong’s face paled. In an instant, he seemed to have aged a decade.

This is an ancient beast! Something which countless beast tamers dream of, but are unable to tame!

Not only are they rare, they possess great intelligence as well. As such, they don’t submit to anyone easily… Given his own taming skills, it would be hard for him to successfully tame an ancient beast even if he met one. On the other hand, Yun Tao had managed to tame one, but he failed him and even demanded him to get out…

Ignoring everyone’s shock, Zhang Xuan stepped forward and said.

“Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow possesses the ability to absorb lightning to awaken its bloodline. While this ancient sparrow is similar to the Bone Bird in many ways, there are also many differences. Due to the omnivorous nature of the Bone Bird, its eyes are cloudy. On the other hand, the ancient sparrow’s eyes pierces straight into one’s soul. Even though it isn’t obvious, if one pays careful attention, the difference can be seen.”

“Next, the claws. Putting aside the red dot at the center, the claws of the ancient sparrow are hard and sharp, allowing it to tear through the average weapons easily, needless to say, human flesh. Beast Tamer Hong said that it doesn’t possess high combative abilities, but that is because it is still young and doesn’t know how to use them. The moment it learns to to utilize these, it would be able to tear even Tongxuan realm experts into two easily.

“Of course, these two characteristics aren’t too obvious. It is difficult for the average beast tamer to spot them.”

At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment and calmly pointed to the head of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, “The greatest distinguishing trait is its red crown. Even though it isn’t large, it is clearly a symbolism of ‘sovereignty’. With this crown, even those who don’t know anything about beast taming will know that this bird is anything but simple, and that it isn’t something that an ordinary wild animal like the Bone Bird can compare up to! To fail to spot such an obvious distinguishing characteristic, and claim that Yun Tao is wrong and fail him…”

At this point, Zhang Xuan gazed coldly at him, “Beast Tamer Hong, is this how you assess savage beasts?”

“I…”

Beast Tamer Hong’s face paled. Under Zhang Xuan’s gaze, he couldn’t help but step back.

“What gave you the confidence to immediately deem Yun Tao to have failed, and ask him to scram?”

Zhang Xuan continued to utter harshly.

Deng deng deng!

Under the sharp words of the other party, Beast Tamer Hong seemed to have lost all of his courage and retreated once more.

A book on the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow was compiled after Zhang Xuan knocked it out. As there was a detailed introduction on the ancient beast within the book, Zhang Xuan knew about these facts long ago.

If the examiner were to assess Yun Tao’s tamed beast seriously, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t have hidden the matter.

However… After Zhang Xuan pointed out his mistake, he went so far as to emanate his zhenqi and summon his tamed beast, wanting to get rough with Zhang Xuan!

As Zhang Xuan was a Tongxuan realm pinnacle cultivator, he didn’t need to fear the other party’s intimidation. However, if his cultivation was any lower, he would have suffered a severe injury from the other party’s actions.

Since the other party was treating him in such a manner, there was no reason for Zhang Xuan to treat him kindly either.

“It’s my negligence…”

Beast Tamer Hong’s complexion was awful.

The other party’s words were completely true. Even if he wanted to refute his words, there was nothing he could say.

“As an examiner, you judged Yun Tao by your emotions, failing to maintain impartiality. Your actions nearly caused a talented beast tamer who tamed an ancient beast to be buried in dirt!”

Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves, “Is this how the Beast Hall operate? If so, am I mistaken in saying that the beast tamers are useless fools?”

“I…”

Facing the other party’s questions, Beast Tamer Hong trembled in agitation, but he wasn’t able to say anything at all.

When he first heard the other party’s words, he was so furious that he felt he could explode. However, after knowing that he nearly sent away a talented beast tamer who tamed an ancient beast, he could only silently accept the other party’s criticisms.

The main point of the beast tamer examination was to recruit new talents for the Beast Hall. To send away a genius like that is a violation of the rules of the Beast Hall.

“Please calm down. There are innumerable species of ancient beasts, and the information on eighty to ninety percent of them had disappeared along with time. Even the Beast Hall can’t possibly have a comprehensive list on all of them. It is natural for such mistakes to occur!”

Hall Master Feng walked up with a smile, “How about this, since it’s our Beast Hall’s fault, we won’t shirk responsibility. We’ll give Yun Tao another shot at the assessment! As for Beast Tamer Hong, due to his negligence, he will be sent to the Beast Forest to raise savage beasts, and for three years, he’s not to step out from the place!”

After saying those words, he turned to look at Beast Tamer Hong and asked, “Beast Tamer Hong, do you accept your punishment?”

“I am willing to accept my punishment!” Beast Tamer Hong bowed, disconsolate.

“To send Beast Tamer Hong to the Beast Forest for three years just because of that? Furthermore, not to step out from that place?”

“Isn’t that… too harsh?”

“The Beast Forest is a place where savage beasts are raised, and it is similar to a pig sty. Normally, only apprentices would visit there. For the 1-star pinnacle Beast Tamer Hong to stay there for three years, that’s truly a harsh punishment!”

…

Upon hearing those words, everyone was stunned. Then, they turned to look at Zhang Xuan in fear.

That was Beast Tamer Hong! Other than the three 2-star beast tamers, he was the most prestigious beast tamer in the Beast Hall. Yet, with just words, that lad managed to get him exiled to the lowly Beast Forest to do menial labor, not to leave the place for three years. His abilities and means are truly fearsome!

While everyone was staring at Zhang Xuan fearfully, Zhang Xuan secretly sent a telepathic message to Shen Bi Ru.

“That… What kind of place is the Beast Forest? Is that fellow’s punishment harsh?”

“…” Shen Bi Ru widened her eyes, and her face was distorted in her frenzy.

Chapter 245: Mo Yu’s Challenge

Shen Bi Ru got increasingly confused about the young man before her.

The Beast Forest is where the savage beasts reside, and it is an untidy and dirty location. It is one thing to feed the savage beasts, but for one to have to clean their feces, bathe them and comb their fur… For an official beast tamer to be grounded to such a location, it could be considered as a severe punishment.

All beast tamers, even if it were a mere apprentice, who have been to the Beast Hall would know what this represents…

Yet, he asked what kind of place it was and whether the punishment was considered harsh…

Are you joking with me?

It is one thing if you don’t know the first thing about taming. However, you easily tamed the Gold Alloyed Panther and the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, as well as raised their cultivation. Furthermore… You were able to identify an ancient beast when Hall Master Feng and the others were unable to…

You recognized an ancient beast so unknown that even Hall Master Feng knew nothing about, yet you don’t know about such fundamental knowledge…

If it were anyone else, she would have thought that he was intentionally looking for reasons to strike up a conversation with her so as to win her favor. However, Shen Bi Ru knew that this young man truly knew nothing at all!

Because… Even if he didn’t say anything, Shen Bi Ru was more than willing to strike up a conversation with him!

“The Beast Forest is…”

Suppressing the stifled sensation she was experiencing in her chest, she explained the matter regarding the Beast Forest. At the very end, she couldn’t help but ask, “Do you really not know anything about beast taming?”

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

Even though there were records on beast tamers in Tianxuan Kingdom’s Book Collection Vault, information was in random bits and pieces; there wasn’t any reliable content on the occupation. The reasons why Zhang Xuan was able to help the Gold Alloyed Panther and Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow achieve a breakthrough was because of the Library of Heaven’s Path and his pure zhenqi…

Truthfully speaking, Zhang Xuan knew nothing about beast taming.

“Alright!”

Hearing the other party’s confirmation, Shen Bi Ru became speechless.

Despite knowing nothing at all, you managed to tame a savage beast. Furthermore, you were able to make the Hall Master punish an official beast tamer, and not to forget, leave four beast tamers speechless…

At this rate If you were to know beast taming, won’t you overthrow the entire Beast Hall?

You said that you don’t know anything about formations, yet you were able to see through the flaws in the Green Wood Confinement Formation. You said you don’t know anything about beast taming, but you were able to tame a savage beast so easily… Brother, can you teach me how I can be as ignorant as you?

Honestly speaking, I finally understand why ‘ignorance’ is bliss…

Shen Bi Ru felt so stifled that she wanted to vomit blood. On the other hand, Yun Tao was about to go mad with excitement.

After being criticized by Beast Tamer Hong, he thought that he would have to leave the Beast Hall in disappointment today. Yet, Elder Zhang Xuan managed to solve his problem with just a few words.

More importantly… That strange bird is actually an ancient beast, the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow!

As an apprentice beast tamer, he knew how valuable the bloodline of an ancient beast was. While it couldn’t be said to be worth a city, it didn’t pale much in comparison.

Elder Zhang Xuan recognized the true identity of the strange bird, but he still gave the opportunity to him, allowing him to tame it…

“After this beast tamer examination is over, I should find a way to dispel the contract…”

Yun Tao made up his mind.

While having an ancient beast was great, it was impossible for him to control or protect it with his current strength.

On top of that, the ancient sparrow was obviously much closer to Elder Zhang Xuan. After the examination was over, he would dispel the contract and allow the ancient beast to accompany its true owner.

If Zhang Xuan were to know of his thoughts, he would definitely shake his head with a smile.

Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan had no interest in a mere ancient beast.

Possessing the Heaven’s Path Divine Art and Heaven’s Path zhenqi, along with the rise in his cultivation, he would be able to cleanse the bloodline of any savage beast as he pleases. As long as he has sufficient time, he would be able to transform any ordinary savage beast into an ancient beast!

More importantly, even though the bloodline of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow was impressive, it was small. Not only could Zhang Xuan not ride on it, it would be riding on his shoulder all day long. Thus, to Zhang Xuan, it was of no value to him.

If it were an aerial primordial beast, Zhang Xuan would have given it some thought. While Zhang Xuan didn’t mind taming ancient beasts, bringing it around everywhere, cultivating together, the contract, and all kind of other miscellaneous matters, just thinking about them was a huge hassle in itself… Better not.

…

Hall Master Feng personally conducted the examination for Yun Tao. Knowing that the ancient beast had submitted completely, there was no doubt about its loyalty. Thus, Zhang Xuan couldn’t be bothered to continue watching.

Stretching his back and pondering about how he should go to Tianwu Kingdom to look for the Poison Hall, he suddenly caught a whiff of fragrance. A beautiful figure appeared before him. In her eyes, one could see pride and a refusal to concede.

“To be able to recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, you are knowledgeable. You must be a beast tamer!”

The genius, Mo Yu.

When she was evaluated as a grade-1, she should have been the one to enjoy the looks of admiration from the others. Yet, this fellow stole her limelight, and thus, she couldn’t help but be interested in the affairs of this young man.

Ever since her birth, except for that one person, regardless of whether it was her occupation or her cultivation, as long as she set her mind to it, she would always stand out from the others. She thought that, just like the many times before, she would definitely be in the first place for this beast tamer examination, but from the looks of it now, it is likely to be impossible.

While the Tongxuan realm Viridescent Eagle isn’t weak, it pales too far in comparison to an ancient beast.

After several days of being with Yun Tao, she knew that it was impossible for that fellow to possess the capability to tame an ancient beast. Thus, it was likely that he had a helper with him, and that helper was this unimpressive-looking fellow before her.

“I’m not a beast tamer!” Glancing at the other party, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“You’re not? Then how do you know of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow? Also, how did you tame this Gold Alloyed Panther then? Not to mention, gain intimacy with that ancient sparrow?”

A glean flashed across Mo Yu’s eyes.

As a master teacher apprentice, it was natural that she had a sharp eye for things. It was clear that he possessed great intimacy with his Gold Alloyed Panther, and the ancient sparrow seemed to be attached to him as well. She found it hard to believe that he wasn’t a beast tamer.

“Oh, it might just be my good luck!” Zhang Xuan casually replied.

Other people would be trying their best to fawn on her given her noble identity as the third princess of Tianwu Kingdom and her great talents. However, Zhang Xuan didn’t think much of her identity.

“Luck?”

Mo Yu staggered.

Taming beasts is about sparing no means and schemes to build a relationship with savage beasts. Luck… What the heck is that?

Whenever others speak with her, they would be trying their best to act knowledgeable, using all sort of exaggerated and bombastic phrases to impress her. However, not only did this fellow refuse to tell her anything, he was even unwilling to put in the effort to make up an excuse…

Luck… If such a thing could tame savage beasts, who would be willing to spend so much effort to become a beast tamer?

Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, everyone has always talked to her respectfully. No one has ever dared to treat her in such a way.

She couldn’t help but feel dismal.

Seeing how even the esteemed third princess of Tianwu Kingdom suffered a blow from Zhang Xuan, Shen Bi Ru shook her head.

When she first spoke to this fellow, she also nearly died from anger.

Now that she has gotten used to it, it felt much better. Other than suffering a few shocks and the face-slapping on a daily basis, at the very least, she is able to handle his speech now.

Talking to Zhang Xuan when one doesn’t know his temper and character is definitely suicidal.

Unaware of Zhang Xuan ‘glorious past’, Mo Yu xiaojie took in a few deep breaths before managing to calm her breathing. Then, she raised her head as though a proud crane.

“If you’re unwilling to speak of it, I shall not force you. But to be able to make a savage beast submit so willingly, you do possess some capability! How about this, why don’t we have a competition? If I win, you will tell me how you caught the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow and how you won its favor! On the other hand, if you win, I will you give a 2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shu’s Tutelage Jade Token!”

“2-star Master Teacher Jiang Shu?”

“I heard that he is the most incredible master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom, reaching 2-star pinnacle. Furthermore, he is the person in charge of Tianwu Master Teacher Pavilion. His Tutelage Jade Token is invaluable, even if it’s just for two hours!”

“This object is something one can’t buy with just money… If I were to obtain it, I will surely be able to reach Tongxuan realm or even higher!”

“It is a waste to use this token when trying to reach Tongxuan realm. At the very least, one should only use it when trying for Half-Zongshi. Only then will it be worth its value!”

…

Several people in the surrounding had been paying attention to Mo Yu xiaojie’s actions. Seeing her strike up a conversation with this fellow, they immediately focused the hearing. Upon hearing the stakes, they were so excited that their eyes shone and their breathing hastened.

Even if it were just for two hours, a 2-star master teacher’s Tutelage Jade Token was something countless people dream of.

It might very well be the impetus for one to surpass their current limits to reach higher realms.

No one would be able to turn down such an enticing offer.

Everyone thought that the lad would agree immediately when Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied, “I’m not interested!”

After impersonating a master teacher for a period of time and interacting with Liu shi and the others, Zhang Xuan knew what a Tutelage Jade Token was and what it was used for.

However, his method of cultivation is only limited by the number of books in his possession. He doesn’t require guidance from anyone.

Even the Tutelage Jade Token of a 3-star or a 4-star master teacher wouldn’t entice him.

No matter how knowledgeable they are, can they be even more knowledgeable than the Library of Heaven’s Path?

Nothing could be hidden from the heavens. Even 7-star or 8-star master teachers wouldn’t match up to the value of the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Not interested? Have you thought the matter through…”

With such a huge bait, Mo Yu originally thought that Zhang Xuan would accept it immediately. However, after hearing his answer, she was taken aback. She was about to say something when the Heart Inquisition Crystal lit up. Yun Tao was done with his examination, and slowly, numbers floated into appearance on the surface of the crystal…

40!

“What? A Loyalty Level of 40? Is this… Advanced Taming?”

Hall Master Feng was taken aback. He stood up abruptly, and his eyes reflected his disbelief.

He wasn’t the only one. The entire room immediately burst into commotion. Even Mo Yu was dumbfounded by the sight.

The various phases to the taming of a beast could be divided into Inceptive Taming, Advanced Taming, and Complete Submission.

For Inceptive Taming, the loyalty of the tamed beast would be around 15 to 30. At this level, the Beast Tamer is able to easily summon their savage beast, and it will follow him. In a way, it is similar to a domesticated animal.

For Advanced Taming, the loyalty of the tamed beast would be around 31 to 45. At this point, the beast tamer and savage beast would establish a contract and they would be capable of communicating with one another telepathically.

As for the even more advanced Complete Submission, the Loyalty Level would exceed 45. Usually, it would require many years of friendship between the tamed beast and the beast tamer. At this level, they would be able to practice the same cultivation technique and improve together.

It was already incredible to achieve Inceptive Taming with an ancient beast. Yet, the Loyalty Level of the strange bird has already reached 40… This means that it was already beyond the level of just following Yun Tao. A contract has already been established between the two!

But… how is this possible?

“How… did you do it?”

Hall Master Feng couldn’t help but ask.

“This…” Yun Tao hesitated.

“I understand that it might be inconvenient for you to speak, but don’t worry too much about it!” Upon seeing his attitude, Hall Master Feng thought that it was secret, so he hurriedly added in.

“That’s not it. Actually…” Yun Tao scratched his head. “It’s Elder Zhang Xuan’s efforts. He beat up this ancient sparrow, and this fellow submitted immediately…”

Chapter 246: 246.Are You Taking the Beast Tamer Examination?

“Gave it… a good beating?”

Everyone present was stunned.

Hall Master Feng’s lips twitched and he nearly fainted.

This is an ancient beast, and there might not a second one in the entire Xuanluo Mountain Range. Given its value, everyone would be vying to dote on it, yet… beating it up?

Furthermore, to tame a beast, a beast tamer has to cultivate feelings with it. Beating it up may encourage it to submit grudgingly, but as time goes by, all kinds of problems would surface.

But… if Zhang Xuan really used such rough methods to force the Ancient Lightning Cloud Beast to submit to Yun Tao, then why would it have a Loyalty Level of 40 toward Yun Tao?

There were those who forced savage beasts to submit to them, but even those who managed to establish a contract with their tamed beast could only attain a Loyalty Level of 31 or so at maximum.

A Loyalty Level of over 40 means that a tamed beast is truly willing to follow its master, without the slightest bit of doubt!

“Can it be that… ancient beasts have to be tamed in such a way?”

Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang stared at one another in deep contemplation.

There wasn’t a precedent in which an ancient beast was tamed in this Beast Hall, and as such, no one knew how an ancient beast was supposed to be tamed. As such, everyone thought that to tame an ancient beast, one had to employ the same method as with other savage beasts; treat it with care and concern to befriend it before trying to tame it… Can the key to taming them truly be simple violence?

“This… Where is the Elder Zhang Xuan you speak of? Can we pay him a visit?”

Even after pondering, Hall Master Feng was unable to reach a comprehension. As such, he asked Yun Tao for Zhang Xuan’s whereabouts.

From what he visualized, this elder Yun Tao spoke of was likely to be an esteemed beast tamer who has an in-depth knowledge about ancient beasts

“Pay him a visit? There’s no need for it, Elder Zhang Xuan is here…”

Hearing Hall Master Feng’s words, Yun Tao was stunned. Then, recovering from his daze, he pointed to Zhang Xuan as he spoke.

“He is… Elder Zhang Xuan?”

Hall Master Feng was astounded. He felt his vision turning gray.

No matter what, Yun Tao was twenty-seven years old and, not to mention, a prince of Hanwu Kingdom. Since he addressed the other party as an elder, the other party should at least be someone in his fifties and sixties. Yet… it was the fellow who just recognized the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, a youngster who hadn’t even reached his twenties…

“That’s right. Elder may be young, but his ability in beast taming is incredible. Do you see that Gold Alloyed Panther beside him? It is savage beast that he just tamed, and it was less than ten minutes from the point he saw it before it was tamed.”

Afraid that Hall Master Feng would disregard Zhang Xuan, Yun Tao hurriedly added in a praise for Zhang Xuan.

“Taming a Gold Alloyed Panther… in less than ten minutes?”

“Am I dreaming?”

“Even if you’re spouting nonsense, you should have a limit. Even the most basic Inceptive Taming takes a minimum of three to five days. Yet, you said that he tamed it within ten minutes?”

“Why does it sound like a huge joke to me?”

…

Yun Tao didn’t try to lower his voice at all. As such, everyone in the room heard his voice clearly. They stared at one another blankly.

Putting aside Mo Yu, Zhou Xuan, and the others, even their guards who had experience in beast taming knew how difficult it was to tame a savage beast.

One had to understand the other party’s condition, habits, companion, likes and dislikes…

Only after getting familiar with all of these information can one formulate a plan to tame the savage beast. Furthermore, they have to do subtly so as to not incur the savage beast’s displeasure… In all, if one includes the preparatory work one has to do beforehand, taming a savage beast should take a minimum of several months. Ten minutes… Who are you trying to deceive?

Not mentioning a Pixue realm savage beast, would a young puppy follow you home just after ten minutes?

Mo Yu xiaojie stared at the young man who has just rejected her in disbelief.

Taming a savage beast in ten minutes?

If it was true, then it was suicidal for her to challenge him to a beast taming competition!

To tame this Viridescent Eagle, she had spent a huge amount of time and prepared two months in advance…

“How did he manage to tame a Gold Alloyed Panther in such a short time? What kind of method did he use? Did he use a female companion to attract it? Or maybe he tackled its gluttony? The allure of power… Or did he resort to some other unique means?”

Beast Tamer Lu couldn’t help but ask. He immediately pointed out over ten different ways of common beast taming methods

“That’s not it. Those are the fundamental methods, and those methods are slow. I think he probably used multiple methods simultaneously. He first captured the attention of the other party in the shortest time possible before removing the guard of the savage beast bit by bit, increasing the intimacy between the duo swiftly…

Hall Master Feng said.

“However, it is impossible for him to employ so many different methods within just ten minutes. My conjecture is that it should be a single powerful method…” Beast Tamer Lu shook his head.

The two of them had dedicated their entire lives to the art of beast taming, and knowledge of beast taming had been ingrained directly into their soul. Upon hearing that someone had managed to successfully tame a savage beast within an extremely short period of time, their first question was the method the other party used to achieve the feat.

“Cough cough, Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, Elder Zhang Xuan… didn’t use any of those methods!”

Hearing their discussion slowly becoming more and more complex as various theories were dumped in to support their claims, Yun Tao couldn’t help but stop them.

“He didn’t use any of those methods? Could it be that… he used some new beast taming method?”

The duo’s eyes lit up.

A new beast taming method was similar to the emergence of a new apothecary forging technique. It would create a huge uproar, and the creator would leave his name in history.

If there was truly a method to tame a Pixue realm savage beast in less than ten minutes, the art of beast taming would be revolutionized.

“It’s not a new beast taming method, but…” Yun Tao scratched his head, as though he still found the fight he saw previously incredulous. “Elder Zhang Xuan pummeled this Gold Alloyed Panther, then… it submitted to him!”

“What?”

“Pummeled it?”

Hall Master Feng and the others were flabbergasted.

Zhang Xuan’s actions of taming the ancient beast by beating it up could have been attributed to the difference in species, so his violent method might have worked. However… there were others had tamed Gold Alloyed Panthers before him, and it was a known fact that these panthers possess an arrogant personality. They rarely interact with others, and the best way to tame it was to attract it using a female companion…

Yet, it submitted right after receiving a beating?

“That’s right. Actually, I intended to tame this Gold Alloyed Panther for the examination, but I underestimated its strength and nearly got killed. It was Elder Zhang Xuan who appeared and saved us. After elder pummeled that fellow, it submitted completely to him, initiating a contract on its own volition. In truth, elder had been unwilling to accept it. If not for my persuasion, he might have turned it down.”

Yun Tao recounted.

“Submitting right after a pummeling? Furthermore, it’s a Complete Submission, and it initiated a contract on its own volition?”

“The Gold Alloyed Panther offered to become his tamed beast, but he was unwilling to accept it…”

“Other people had to squander their fortune and serve a savage beast as though it was a king in order to tame it, but he only has to beat it up…”

…

Hearing those words, everyone staggered and nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

Especially for Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang. Their body trembled and they nearly passed out from astonishment.

In order to tame the savage beasts beside them, the kingdoms behind them had devoted great manpower and a massive fortune. Even so, they had only managed to achieve an Inceptive Taming, and the savage beast could possibly leave them at any moment. On the other hand, this fellow simply beat up the savage beast, and it immediately submitted to him…

When did beast taming become so simple?

“To be able to tame a savage beast just by beating up, as well as to recognize an ancient beast… Without a doubt, he’s a genius beast tamer!”

Recovering from the shock, Beast Tamer Lu’s eyes glowed in excitement.

“Right, is he… a beast tamer?”

Suddenly recalling something, Beast Tamer Wang asked.

Since the other party was able to tame savage beasts so easily, he should be a beast tamer. But if so, why wasn’t there any records on him in the Beast Hall?

“He isn’t one, he hasn’t taken the examination yet! He is just an amateur who learned a little beast taming during his free time!” Yun Tao said.

Along their journey here, Yun Tao had already inquired if Elder Zhang Xuan had attempted any beast tamer examination.

There was a large group of talented personnel in the world who didn’t take the examinations, but possessed exceptional talents.

“He hasn’t taken the examination? Great, can you help me ask him if he’s willing to become a beast tamer? As long as he’s willing to, I will conduct an individual examination for him!”

Beast Tamer Feng hurriedly said.

With his incredible aptitude and means in beast taming, he would surely shine brightly when he becomes an official beast tamer. Perhaps, this Beast Hall branch might… become well-known because of his influence. More importantly, if he truly possesses the ability to tame a savage beast just by beating it up, then if he were to join that competition… he would surely be able to win first place!

Of course, in order to make sure of that, Hall Master Feng would conduct the examination personally.

“Take the beast tamer examination? I’ll help you ask him…”

Yun Tao nodded his head. He walked over to Zhang Xuan and asked, “Elder, Hall Master Feng said that if you are willing to take the beast tamer examination, he will conduct an individual examination for you…”

“Forget it…”

After hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xuan rejected the offer.

The reason why Zhang Xuan was able to tame beasts was because of the Library of Heaven’s Path. If he were to take the examination, his lack of knowledge would immediately be revealed.

However, that wasn’t the aspect Zhang Xuan was the most concerned about. Regarding his lack of knowledge, he could easily solve it by going through the books in the Beast Hall. More importantly… the second phase of the beast tamer examination would take half a month by itself, not to mention the various tests he would have to undergo beforehand.

For the moment, the poison aura within his body was the topmost priority. He didn’t want to waste any time here.

“This is a good opportunity, Hall Master Feng will be conducting the examination personally…”

Yun Tao didn’t expect Zhang Xuan to reject the offer immediately. Thinking that this was too good an opportunity to let by, Yun Tao tried persuading him.

As long as he could impress Hall Master Feng, the Beast Hall would be willing to devote all kinds of resources to groom him. This was something that countless beast tamers dreamed about.

“I have urgent business to attend to, so I’ll have to leave soon. Since you’ve already become a beast tamer, help me choose a good aerial savage beast. It doesn’t matter to me whether I take the examination or not!” Zhang Xuan said.

“This…”

Confirming that the other party wasn’t inclined to take the beast tamer examination, Yun Tao shook his head in disappointment, “Actually, for the beast tamer examination, you just have to find a suitable savage beast to tame. It doesn’t necessarily have to take half a month to complete. Besides, as an official beast tamer, not only do you get to freely choose among the aerial savage beasts, you don’t have to pay any fees or whatsoever for it as well. In fact, you are allowed to change mounts freely at any Beast Halls…”

“Don’t have to pay any fees?”

Before Yun Tao could finish his words, the calm Zhang Xuan from a moment ago was currently standing in front of him with glowing eyes.

“That’s right. Official beast tamers have privileges. 1-star beast tamers are exempted from the fees borrowing mounts below Zongshi realm, while 2-star beast tamers are exempted from the fees of borrowing mounts at Zongshi realm, and so on. The higher your rank as a beast tamer, the more privileges you enjoy…”

Yun Tao explained. However, halfway through, Elder Zhang Xuan looked at him with a serious expression, and with a determined tone, he said,

“The fee exemption or whatsoever is just a small matter, you need not say anymore! How does the beast tamer examination work…”

“Why don’t… I try taking it on!”

Chapter 247: Soul Depth Above 10?

“Ah?”

Yun Tao couldn’t react to the abrupt change before him.

Didn’t he declare with determination that he wouldn’t take the examination, just a moment ago? Why did he change his mind so quickly?

The moment he mentioned that there were exemptions of fees for riding aerial savage beasts, Zhang Xuan’s attitude changed immediately…

Feeling overwhelmed, Yun Tao nearly choked on his saliva.

In his perspective, Elder Zhang Xuan, who was a powerful Zongshi who possessed incredible strength, shouldn’t have any interest in material wealth. For his eyes to glow the moment he heard that it was free… Cough cough, wasn’t he too materialistic?

“Fine then…”

It took him much effort before he managed to swallow the saliva stuck in his throat. He was about to say something when Mo Yu xiaojie turned over, and with her head raised proudly, glanced at Zhang Xuan in disdain.

“Try taking it on? Hmph, do you think that becoming a beast tamer is a joke? You just happened to succeed in taming two savage beasts, and you think that beast taming is easy? Let me tell you, just for the commonly seen savage beasts in the world, there are already more than tens of thousand of them. Not to mention, they have their own defining characteristic, personality, habits, and other numerous other traits. Without at least a year of effort, it is impossible for you to remember them all!”

Mo Yu was still infuriated by how that fellow rejected her challenge. Upon hearing his arrogant words, she struck back immediately.

What do you mean by “try” taking it on…

Beast taming is one of the top occupations among the Upper Nine Paths. The difficulty of becoming an official beast tamer is not any lower than that of becoming an apothecary.

Do you think that this is a joke? Do you think that you can pass the examination just because you tamed two savage beasts by luck?

It is just like one wanting to become a physician just because he happened by accident to formulate a medicine which is useful toward an illness.

Dream on!

Every single occupation has its own depth and complexity. It is impossible for one to become proficient in an occupation within just a day or two.

This is especially true for beast taming. You might be able to tame savage beasts weaker than you through brute force. However, what about those with higher cultivation than you?

If you dare to disrespect them, they would destroy you in an instant.

Despite knowing nothing about the characteristics of the savage beasts, you said that you want to take on the beast tamer examination. If this isn’t being arrogant, what else can it be?

“Mo Yu xiaojie, there’s no need to get mad at such a haughty and ignorant person! He just happened to know the name of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow and tamed a Gold Alloyed Panther by luck, and he thinks that the world revolves around him. Given how he knows nothing about beast taming, his ignorance will surely be revealed the moment he takes the examination!”

Zhu Jinhuang stepped forward.

Beast taming is a profound art. Even if one is talented, he would require at least several years to learn the fundamentals. This fellow is definitely not an apprentice beast tamer, and from the looks of it, he hasn’t really learned much about beast taming either. With those subpar skills, he wishes to take on the beast tamer examination?

“He is just a conceited fellow. A beast tamer must know more than taming savage beasts. More importantly, one has to understand the savage beasts from head to toe. All he did was to coerce savage beasts to submit through brute force, and he thinks that he is a beast tamer already. What a joke! If that’s the case, anyone can become a beast tamer!”

Zhou Xuan sneered.

The two of them were hostile toward Yun Tao. Naturally, they hoped that those around him wouldn’t be able to pass the examination. Besides, that fellow had just snubbed Mo Yu xiaojie, and speaking up for her now could possibly win them some brownie points.

“Since I just happened to tame two savage beasts and know nothing at all… then Mo Yu xiaojie, why do you want to compete with me and learn how I won the favor of the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow?”

Couldn’t be bothered with Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan, Zhang Xuan turned to the beautiful figure and spoke impassively.

“You…”

Mo Yu’s body stiffened and her face turned red.

Given her noble standing, others usually maintained an attitude of utmost respect when speaking to her. Never had anyone dared to speak to her in such a manner. Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, she felt so furious that her words jammed in her throat.

“Lad, do you know who you’re talking to? You arrogant fellow…”

“Hurry up and apologize. It is your honor to be criticized by Mo Yu xiaojie. How can you be so audacious so as to refute her words…”

Seeing how the fellow insulted their goddess, Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan felt greatly displeased. They bellowed at him immediately, but before they could finish their words, Mo Yu’s expression darkened.

“Shut up! No one will take you for a mute if you don’t speak!”

“Xiaojie…” Taken aback by her sudden outburst, the two of them went silent.

They were speaking up for her, yet they ended up being yelled at instead.

In any case, they knew that they had accidentally triggered Mo Yu’s ire with their fawning, thus they decided not to speak anymore.

“It’s this fellow’s fault. I’ll see how he make a fool of himself later on!”

The more they thought about it, the more furious they became. Not daring to vent their anger on their goddess, they chose to divert it all toward Zhang Xuan. As such, the more they looked at him, the more of an eyesore he became to them.

Couldn’t be bothered to deal with these three fellows, Zhang Xuan followed behind Yun Tao as he walked toward Hall Master Feng.

“Hall Master Feng, Elder Zhang Xuan has agreed to take the beast tamer examination. So… when can the examination begin?” Yun Tao asked excitedly.

He had completely confidence in this Elder Zhang Xuan.

Other people had to go through all sorts of hardship to tame a savage beast, but he was able to achieve the same feat just by beating it up. Not to mention, he was able to raise their cultivation easily. Even if it were Hall Master Feng, Yun Tao didn’t believe that he was capable of doing the same.

Since he is a person of such great means, how can he possibly fail a mere beast tamer examination?

“We can start now. I heard that you haven’t participated in any examination before, and you aren’t even an apprentice beast tamer. Is that true?” Hall Master Feng glanced at Zhang Xuan.

“That’s right!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Since you are able to tame a Pixue realm savage beast and recognize the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, this shows that you have an in-depth knowledge of beast taming. As such, I’ll skip the apprentice beast tamer examination.”

Hall Master Feng said.

The main purpose of the apprentice examination was to test the foundation of a person in the certain occupation. Since Zhang Xuan was able to recognize the Ancient Cloud Lightning Sparrow while the others weren’t able to, Zhang Xuan was likely to be someone who has a solid foundation in beast taming. Thus, to have him take the apprentice examination would be both troublesome and pointless.

Of course, if he were to know that Zhang Xuan didn’t know anything about beast taming, he wouldn’t be thinking the same.

“However, it would be hard to test your understanding of savage beasts without the apprentice examination. Since that’s the case, I will remove the first phase of the beast tamer examination and, instead, add in a theoretical component to the apprentice examination.”

The apprentice examination consisted of a theoretical examination and a savage beast discernment test.

On the other hand, the beast tamer examination consisted of receiving the acknowledgement of a savage beast and taming a savage beast.

Since Zhang Xuan was able to recognize a rare savage beast like the Ancient Cloud Lightning Sparrow, it could only mean that he was extremely knowledgeable in the different types of savage beasts. As such, the test on discerning savage beasts would be a complete waste of time. Also, for a person who had successfully tamed a savage beast, there was no purpose in getting him to earn the acknowledgement of a savage beast.

Thus, Hall Master Feng contemplated for a moment and decided to change the format of the examination.

“The first phase will be a theoretical examination, which will be presented in the form of a written paper. After you pass the first phase, you will have to tame a savage beast which is stronger than you! I’ll be impartial in the judgement, and as long as you pass the two phases, you will be an official 1-star beast tamer.”

“Alright!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

Yun Tao had told him about the beast tamer examination beforehand and it was around the same as what Hall Master Feng has said. He didn’t intentionally make things difficult for Zhang Xuan.

Upon seeing him agree to it, Hall Master Feng smiled. “Alright then, I will prepare the written paper now. It’s a pass if you can answer all of the questions correctly!”

“Wait a moment, do you have any books on beast taming here? Can I browse through them?”

Zhang Xuan asked.

“You wish to browse through books?”

Hall Master Feng and the others stared at one another in confusion.

Why would you look at books now?

“The library over there is full of books on beast taming. Usually, only apprentice beast tamers are allowed to browse through them, but I can give you special permission to look through them now if you want. But to browse through them now…”

Hall Master Feng felt perplexed. Even though he didn’t finish his final sentence, everyone knew what he was trying to say.

There are at least hundreds of thousand of books on beast taming. Isn’t it a little too late to do some cramming now? It is just like looking for a wife only when one wants to have a child. Your way of doing things is unbelievable!

“Oh, it’s a habit of mine. Before major events, I tend to feel a little anxious and would have to browse through books to adjust my state of mind. Thus, I will have to trouble Hall Master Feng for this matter!”

Zhang Xuan replied his doubts casually.

He used the same reason at Master Lu Chen’s residence back then, and the result wasn’t too bad. Thus, he decided to use it once more.

“Is that so… Alright, the library is over there. You can head there directly!”

Hall Master Feng was unsuspecting and pointed toward the door.

“Much thanks!”

Zhang Xuan nodded before heading forward with widened strides.

It would be impossible for him to pass the beast taming examination without reading up on it. However, given that he now has access to the library, as long as he copies all of the books there into the Library of Heaven’s Path, the rest would be a piece of cake.

“This fellow…”

Upon seeing Zhang laoshi agree to go ahead with the beast tamer examination, Shen Bi Ru’s eyelids twitched. She could feel blood welling up in her mouth, threatening to spurt out at any moment.

Isn’t this way too daring!

It wasn’t that she didn’t believe in the other party, just that… along the way, he had shown his lack of knowledge in the field of beast taming time and again. In fact, it was just a moment ago that he asked her what the ‘Beast Forest’ was…

You don’t even know the Beast Forest, yet you dare to challenge the beast tamer examination?

More importantly…

The other party would be bringing in the papers in a moment, but you’re only going to start reading up now?

The heck you are up to?

“Un? Wait a moment… The last time he was at the Compendium Pavilion in the academy, he was also flipping through the books randomly. Could it be that…”

Suddenly, Shen Bi Ru recalled the sight when the two of them was in the Compendium Pavilion.

This Zhang laoshi was flipping through the books randomly. She thought that he was doing it intentionally to attract her attention, but only after that did she realize that she had been overthinking it. The other party wasn’t just flipping through the books randomly. He was actually remembering the contents of the books.

To remember contents of the books just by flipping through them haphazardly…

Can it be that Zhang laoshi really knows nothing about beast taming, and that his purpose of browsing through the books is to… learn?

“This… How can this be? After becoming a teacher at Hongtian Academy, he probably visited the Compendium Pavilion often to read through those books. After all, even 3-star master teachers who possess photographic memory can’t possibly learn the contents of that much books within such a short period of time!”

Finding her conjecture ridiculous, Shen Bi Ru dumped it aside immediately.

It is said that if one who possesses the State of Insight of Heart of Tranquil Water has a Soul Depth of 10 and above, he would gain photographic memory. Then, the moment he flips through a book, he would be able to remember the content clearly until his death.

This is precisely the reason why the more incredible master teachers are able to immerse themselves in so many occupations and remember a vast amount of knowledge.

However… Assuming that Zhang laoshi really possesses a Soul Depth exceeding 10, flipping through the pages of that hundreds of thousand of books one by one would still take several months!

“Can it… can it be?”

Another thought appeared in Shen Bi Ru’s mind and her body shuddered involuntarily.

Chapter 248: He Is Running!

“This is impossible…”

The moment the thought appeared in her mind, Shen Bi Ru shook her head vigorously.

She had once read on an ancient manual that in the Upper Nine Paths, other than the commonly seen occupations such as blacksmith, apothecary, and formation master, there was another mysterious occupation, seer.

Seers are skilled in divination. Using special methods, they are able to foresee the events that would happen in the near future and then make preparations for it in advance.

If Zhang Xuan were a seer, it would have been completely possible for him to know the questions in advance and flip through the corresponding books to memorize the correct answers. But if so, he didn’t need to browse through all of the books in the library.

Could it be that Zhang laoshi possess talents in this mysterious occupation? If that was the case, that explained why Zhang Xuan was able to answer her questions outside the Compendium Pavilion perfectly back then.

That also explained why he knew that Yun Tao’s formation couldn’t confine the Gold Alloyed Panther… Now that she thought of it, this might really be the case!

Just that…

This occupation exists only in the legends. According to the ratio stated in the books, out of billions of cultivators, there might not even be a single seer. Given the absurd rarity of the occupation, nearly no one has ever seen a seer.

If Zhang Xuan possessed such abilities, he could have avoided scoring a zero in his Teacher Qualification Examination, and he wouldn’t have suffered so much afterward either.

Besides, divination only allows one to foresee the rough outline of affairs that is about to happen. It is impossible to peer into the specific questions of the examinations and make preparations for them beforehand!

Shen Bi Ru’s eyebrows knitted tightly together as she mused over the matter. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

She thought that she knew this Zhang laoshi well, but from the looks of it, all she had seen was just the tip of the glacier.

After deriving nothing at all after a long period of contemplation, her curiosity toward Zhang laoshi grew.

At this moment, she finally understood why Han Qiong said she wasn’t worthy of the other party. While she was beautiful and possessed quite some talent, Zhang Xuan was simply out of her league.

As her thoughts were wandering around the place, Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan were staring at Zhang Xuan’s back with widened eyes.

“This fellow… Is he mad? To only start reading right before the examination?”

“There must be something wrong with his head. What use is there to browse through books now?”

The two of them muttered as they sneaked glances toward Mo Yu. There were deep creases on her forehead, and it was a mystery to them what she was thinking about.

They were about to walk up to fawn on her when their goddess turned around and walked in the library’s direction.

“Mo Yu xiaojie…” The duo hurriedly followed behind her.

“Stay here! I will break the legs of whoever who follows me!”

Harrumphing coldly, Mo Yu turned around and headed straight for the library.

“Damn it, damn it!”

Hearing Princess Mo Yu berate the two of them because of a fellow she had just met, Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan’s faces reddened in anger.

But before their rage could burn for long, Mo Yu xiaojie returned to the examination hall. She was muttering something beneath her breath, and there was a bizarre expression on her face.

The two of them stared at one another in confusion. They were curious about what she was saying, but fearful of angering the other party, they could only remain where they were and scratch their heads in frustration.

After a short period, they finally came to the limit of their patience. Zhu Jinhuang beckoned a guard over and whispered into his ear.

The guard then circled around the room and appeared behind Mo Yu. After listening in to her words for a moment, he returned with an equally bizarre expression.

“What did Princess Mo Yu say?”

Upon the guard’s return, the duo asked anxiously.

“She… kept saying flipping through books, flipping through books, flipping through books… As for her other words, I didn’t manage to catch them!”

The guard scratched his head.

“Flipping through books?”

Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan stared at one another. They could see bewilderment in each other’s faces, and at the same time, a thought appeared in their minds…

Can it be that… their goddess has gone insane?

…

Oblivious to the fact that the goddess of the duo was in a frenzy because of him, Zhang Xuan was, at the moment, engaged the action which Mo Yu kept mumbling about, flipping through books.

He thought that there would at most be tens of thousand of books on beast taming here. However, upon walking into the library, he realized how childish his thoughts were. Looking at the dense congregation of books around him, there was surely no less than several hundred thousand books.

Even though it wasn’t as large as Tianxuan Kingdom’s Book Collection Vault, it wasn’t far from it.

If he were to use his usual method, several days would have passed before he could manage to flip through them all.

He thought that the beast tamer examination would be easy, and that he would be able to finish it swiftly. If he were to spend several days flipping through books, even if he doesn’t go mad, Hall Master Feng and the others waiting outside would go mad.

Usually, people only spend a maximum of four hours to adjust their state of mind for examinations. If he were to take several days at a single go and emerge with bloodshot eyes, everyone would realise that something is amiss.

“But if I don’t flip through all of these books, the Library of Heaven’s Path won’t be able to compile a corresponding book. If the knowledge within that book which I missed out were to be tested, I will fail the examination…”

Zhang Xuan frowned. “If so, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the free rental that beast tamers enjoy…”

Even though Zhang Xuan possessed over ten million gold coins in his storage ring, he had already cultivated frugal habits as a result of being an average librarian in his previous life… If he has the chance to save money, he would definitely seize it!

This was no longer a matter of money, but principles!

“The Library of Heaven’s Path allows me to view the information and flaws of an object just by touching it. If I were to touch this bookshelf… Will the content of the books on it appear as well?”

Going by his usual pace, it would be impossible for him to finish flipping through so many books within a few hours. Thus, he had to look for another method. With a deep frown on his forehead, an idea suddenly appeared in his head.

With a touch of his finger, he was able to compile a book on any objects, unconscious people, and unconscious savage beasts.

Since these books were placed on a bookshelf, was it possible for all of the content of the books to appear in the Library of Heaven’s Path just by touching the bookshelf?

“I should give it a try!”

Zhang Xuan walked up to a bookshelf, touched the bookshelf, and mentally echoed ‘flaws’.

Hu!

The library jolted and a book appeared. Flipping it open, Zhang Xuan’s body swayed and he nearly vomited blood.

Written in the book is: Xuanluo Mountain Range Beast Hall 3rd row bookshelf. Crafted by a 1-mo craftsman using camphor wood. It has 37 years of…

“This is not what I want…”

Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears.

Clearly, only when an object comes into direct contact in his hands would information and flaws be generated. There were no shortcuts around it.

“Un? That’s not right. If information is generated when an object comes in contact with my fingers, then… even if I don’t flip through these books, just by touching it, a corresponding book should be compiled as well, right?”

Before long, another thought popped into Zhang Xuan’s mind.

The duration of contact didn’t matter. As long as Zhang Xuan willed for the flaws of an object to be shown, a book would be compiled. If so, it should be possible for Zhang Xuan to compile corresponding books just by brief contact.

“I should try it out…”

Zhang Xuan walked over to a pile of books and, yelling ‘flaws’ in his head, his fingers slid past over them.

Huhuhu!

Zhang Xuan was still considering whether its usefulness when the library jolted, a pile of new books appearing in his consciousness.

“It works?”

Zhang Xuan’s face reddened in agitation. He flipped open the compiled book quickly, and verified that the content of the original book was imprinted perfectly on it along with the various flaws.

“It’s workable!”

Crying tears of happiness, Zhang Xuan carried out several more tries more in order to confirm the situation.

As long as he willed for flaws to appear, he would be able to duplicate the books his fingers slid past in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

This was more than a hundred times faster than flipping through the books.

Zhang Xuan was able to flip through more than a dozen books at once, but retrieving and returning the books from and to the shelves consumed much of his time. Now that Zhang Xuan had confirmed that he could duplicate a book just by touching it, he could slide his fingers over the books without even moving the books from their original positions. As such, he was able to compile an entire shelf of books in less than a minute.

However, due to the rapid pace of collecting the books, the intense tremor in the library would cause Zhang Xuan’s head to hurt. He was therefore unable to compile all of the books at a single go. Usually, after duplicating the books on several shelves, he would have to take a rest.

Even so, his speed was much faster than before.

At his current pace, he would only need around two hours to finish duplicating all of the books present.

“Let’s go!”

Zhang Xuan was delighted at finding an efficient way in collecting books. As he mentally yelled ‘flaws’, he ran alongside the shelves as his fingers slid on the books.

After finishing a row, he would double check the books in the Library of Heaven’s Path to see if he had missed out any. If so, he would return to add it in.

As he collected more and more books, Zhang Xuan’s understanding toward beast taming increased swiftly.

…

“Hall Master Feng, are you done preparing the papers?”

In the room, Beast Tamer Lu and Beast Tamer Wang, upon seeing Hall Master Feng walk over, turned to look at him.

“Un!” Hall Master Feng nodded his head. “Characteristics of hundreds of savage beasts are tested in this examination, and I hadn’t gone easy on him at all. If he can answer all of these questions accurately, then his proficiency in beast taming is truly incredible.”

“Since he is able to identify the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow, he should be well-versed in the knowledge of savage beasts. I think that there’s a high probability of him passing the examination.” Beast Tamer Lu said.

“Indeed. Our Beast Hall often ranks among the last in the competition because of our remote location and lack of talents. If a genius were to appear in our Beast Hall and win the competition, we might be able to successfully advance to become a 3-star beast tamer as part of the rewards!”

Hall Master Feng’s eyes glowed in excitement.

“That’s right. But we shouldn’t rush the matter, let’s wait for the results of the examination first!” Beast Tamer Wang said. “Honestly speaking, I think that Yun Tao had exaggerated his achievements. I find it hard to believe that a person can tame a Pixue realm savage beast within ten minutes!”

“I also find it hard to believe, but I’ve questioned Yun Tao’s subordinates as well. All of their replies are the same, and they don’t seem to be lying. Even if he isn’t as amazing as Yun Tao put him out to be, he probably isn’t too far from it.”

Beast Tamer Lu replied.

“No matter what, this is an opportunity. If he disappoints us, we will just have to continue looking for another candidate. Ah right, is Zhang Xuan still browsing through books in the library?”

At this moment, Hall Master Feng suddenly noticed Zhang Xuan’s absence and frowned.

“He isn’t out yet!” Beast Tamer Lu nodded.

“Xiao Zhu, you take a look!”

Hall Master Feng commanded.

Xiao Zhu was an apprentice which was currently learning beast taming under him. Hearing his commands, Xiao Zhu rushed into the library. Then a moment later, he returned with a flushed face. He opened his mouth to speak, only to close it hesitantly.

“Why? Is he still browsing through books?”

Upon seeing the expression on his apprentice, Hall Master Feng frowned in confusion. For his usually calm apprentice to behave in such a manner, what could have happened?

“That’s not it…”

With an awkward expression, Xiao Zhu said, “H-he is in the library… running!”

Chapter 249: Discourse

“Running?”

“Running inside the library?”

Hall Master Feng and the others questioned immediately if they had heard wrongly. They turned to look at Xiao Zhu with a perplexed expression.

If you say that he is browsing through books or meditating in the library, I will be able to accept it. But running…

Hall Master Feng blinked, “Could you have seen wrongly?”

The library is full of bookshelves, it wouldn’t be convenient to run in there!

More importantly, since he was able to beat up a Pixue realm savage beast, his cultivation realm should be rather high as well. How fast does he have to run for it to be of any use to his cultivation?

“Could it be related to some beast taming methods? Maybe it is about catching up to some savage beasts?”

Beast Tamer Wang asked doubtfully.

“He… isn’t running quickly but merely at the pace of an ordinary human. Also, he seemed to be mumbling something while running around. However, as he is too far away, I couldn’t really make out what he was saying.”

Xiao Zhu said in embarrassment.

He didn’t feel comfortable speaking about what he had seen just now, fearful that someone might take him for a lunatic.

For a person who went to the library to adjust his state of mind to be running about while mumbling something… No one would ever think of it to be possible.

“Running, mumbling?”

This time, the three beast tamers were truly baffled.

They thought so hard that they were about to claw out their head, but even so, they were unable to understand… what in world has running got to do with adjusting his state of mind!

Honestly speaking, the first idea that would pop into anyone’s mind upon hearing about the other party’s actions is… wrecking havoc!

If he isn’t trying to wreck havoc, then what? Who in the world adjusts his state of mind like that?

Furthermore, to do it in the library….

Given how big the examination hall is, do you think that there isn’t any space for you to run here? Besides, if you find this space small, there is a savage beast activity site which is several kilometers long. You won’t be able to reach the other end even if you were to do somersaults for half an hour straight…

“No, I should go in to take a look. There are too many precious manuals in the library. I can’t allow them to get damaged because of him!”

After pondering of a moment, Hall Master Feng thought that he couldn’t let this matter be.

Given how the other party was running about in the room, he was likely to not be in his right mind. If he were to suddenly set the library ablaze, it would be too late for tears then.

He mustn’t allow such a thing to happen!

With a grim expression, he walked straight toward the library. But at that moment, a young man walked over, his face full of fatigue.

Zhang Xuan.

The current Zhang Xuan was completely different from how he was an hour ago. Regardless of whether his mental state or his physical body, he appeared clearly worn out. It seemed as though he had just undergone a torturous training, and that the energy in his body had been sapped dry.

“Are you alright?”

Hall Master Feng couldn’t help but approach him.

When others adjust their state of mind, they would enter their peak condition. On the other hand, this fellow seemed as if he had spent an entire night engaging in physical exercise. Are you sure you are adjusting your state of mind, not wearing your mind out?

“Oh, I’m alright. Is the paper ready? Let’s begin!”

Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually.

Even though he had managed to imprint all of the books in the library into the Library of Heaven’s Path swiftly through the new method he discovered, due to the excessive amount of content inserted within a short period of time, the reverberation on his head was too great, causing him to become slightly faint-headed.

At this moment, he felt as though he hadn’t slept for five days. He was fatigued from head to toe.

“So… do you want to start now?”

Seeing that the other party was having trouble opening his eyes, Hall Master Feng couldn’t help but ask, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Fine then. Let’s go over there, the Record Crystal is out of range here.” Hall Master Feng nodded.

Regardless of whether it was for the apothecary examination or the beast tamer examination, for the sake of fairness, a Record Crystal would be used to record the entire process, such that those who doubt the impartiality of the examination could check on it.

Soon, they arrived at the center of the room where the Record Crystal was located. Hall Master Feng and the other two beast tamers sat down.

Upon seeing them sitting down, everyone knew what was going to happen. They immediately burst into discussions.

“The examination is about to start!”

“Right! He is skipping the apprentice examination and going straight for the beast tamer examination. This is the privilege given only to the topmost geniuses. Even Mo Yu xiaojie didn’t enjoy such a benefit. I would like to see if the fellow would dare to remain in this place once he fails!”

“He just happened to tame a few savage beasts by luck, do you think he possesses true capabilities? I think that he will fail for sure!”

“The first test assesses his theoretical knowledge. Without several years of study, it is impossible for one to remember the countless savage beasts in the world and their characteristics. Back then, in order to remember them all, our prince made to read through the books everyday. This fellow isn’t even twenty. Even if he were to start studying from his mother’s womb, how much content can he remember?”

“He is trying to attract attention. I doubt that he has any true ability…”

…

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was about to take the examination, everyone immediately crowded over, and many of their gazes were filled with derision.

It has been long since someone had skipped the apprentice examination and gone straight for the beast tamer examination. Green with envy, most of them hoped that Zhang Xuan would fail.

This was especially so for Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang. Due to their relationship with Yun Tao and Mo Yu xiaojie, they were filled with hatred for this fellow. They would love it if Zhang Xuan were to make a mockery of himself.

If the other party were unable to even pass the theoretical examination, becoming a beast tamer… would be nothing but a dream!

Amidst the commotion, Mo Yu was also brought back to reality. She stepped forward and glanced at the young man coldly.

With just a single glance, her eyebrows shot up.

What is wrong with this fellow?

Just a moment ago, he was flipping through books spiritedly. But now… Why does he seem as though he had been sucked dry?

The others could tell that something was amiss with Zhang Xuan as well. Shen Bi Ru exchanged glances with Yun Tao, and deep creases appeared on their foreheads.

“Zhang laoshi, are you alright?”

“I’m fine!” Zhang Xuan nodded. “It’s just that I’m a little exhausted!”

To duplicate that huge collection of book in less than two hours into the Library of Heaven’s Path took up a lot of his energy. Not only did he have to keep willing for ‘flaws’ to appear, the tremor in his mind whenever a book was compiled took a toll on him. It would be truly weird if he were to appear spirited instead.

In his current condition, it was a wonder that he could still remain standing.

“Elder, if you aren’t feeling well, why don’t we rest for a bit and take the examination tomorrow?” Yun Tao asked.

The person before him was potentially a Zongshi realm expert. What in the world did he go through for him to be so exhausted?

“It’s no problem…”

Knowing that they were simply expressing their concern, Zhang Xuan was about to reject them politely when a cold sneer echoed.

“I think he is intentionally feigning it. Maybe his actual intention of heading into the library is to read up on the beast taming books, and upon realizing the difficulty of the examination, he decided to feign weakness to avoid the examination!”

The one who spoke was Zhu Jinhuang.

There was blatant contempt in his eyes, and it seemed as though he was resolute to uncover a fraud’s disguise.

“There must be the case! How is it possible to become so withered after reading just a few books? Pardon me for my ignorance, but this is my first time hearing of such a thing!” Zhou Xuan took this opportunity to get back at Zhang Xuan.

“This…”

“Now that they spoke of it, it does seem possible.”

“He was probably confident until he started flipping through the books and realized how profound the art of beast taming is. Fearful, but not wanting to disgrace himself, he decided to come up with an excuse…”

“That must be the case…”

Most of the crowd thought that the words of the duo were logical and agreed with their view.

If that’s not the case, how can a simple trip to adjust his mental state result in him returning as though he was on the verge of death?

He seemed so exhausted that it was as if he could collapse at any moment…

It is impossible for someone to become so tired just by reading books… Since this situation can’t be explained, only a single possibility is left. He is feigning it.

“There’s no need for it. We can start now!”

Hearing the doubts and discussions in the surrounding, Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

“This is the paper that I just came up with. You have an hour to complete it, and you will pass the examination if you score full marks. You may start now!”

Seeing him persist, Hall Master Feng decided to say nothing. Instead, he passed a huge stack of paper to Zhang Xuan.

Just like the written paper in the apprentice apothecary examination, it was dozens of pages thick. It would take a long time just to write an answer to every single question, not to mention the effort required to think through every question carefully in order to ensure that the answers are correct.

Zhang Xuan lowered his head to glance at the papers, only to see all kinds of questions on the fundamental knowledge of beast taming on it. The questions covered all aspects of beast taming, and without sufficient knowledge, one might not even understand the questions.

“Alright, you can begin answering. The time starts now!”

Seeing Zhang Xuan receive the papers, Hall Master Feng gestured grandly and said.

“Un!” Zhang Xuan placed the papers on the desk and picked up a brush. He was about to begin answering when he felt his head ring. His entire hand seemed to be trembling uncontrollably.

The rapid pace at which he duplicated the books into the Library of Heaven’s Path had really taken a toll on him. Due to his insufficient cultivation, not only was he drained mentally, his body took a huge toll as well.

It would probably take at least an hour of rest before he can recover.

But he didn’t have the time for it now.

If he were to rest for an hour, it would be impossible for him to finish that thick stack of papers. Even with the assistance of the Library of Heaven’s Path, it was an impossible feat.

As long as he were to answer a question wrongly, he would fail the beast tamer examination. Failing and embarrassing himself was a small matter. More importantly… He would be unable to enjoy the privilege of a free ride. That was something he couldn’t tolerate.

“Look, he seems to be so tired that he can’t even hold the brush!”

“Hehe, do you believe that a cultivator whose cultivation exceeds Pixue realm can be so tired as to be unable to hold a brush? It must be an act!”

“That must be the case! He must have seen the questions and felt that it is beyond him. That’s why he chose to feign weakness… Honestly speaking, this is the kind of people that I despise the most!”

“Who doesn’t despise such people?”

Seeing how Zhang Xuan’s fingers were trembling to the point where he was unable to grip his brush properly, everyone harrumphed coldly.

Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and the others stared at one another doubtfully.

Can that really be the case?

But it isn’t logical for Zhang Xuan to be so exhausted just by running about the library!

“Zhang Xuan, if you feel that you aren’t in a condition to answer the questions, I can allow you to rest for a day and start tomorrow.”

After confirming visually that the fellow before him was to be in a bad state to answer the paper, Hall Master Feng couldn’t stand it further and said.

Sighing, with trembling hands, Zhang Xuan placed the brush down.

The other party was right. Even if he were to force himself to write, his words would likely be illegible given his current condition.

More importantly… His speed wouldn’t be sufficient. It was likely that he would have to stop to rest after writing a few lines. It was impossible for him to finish the paper like that.

If Zhang Xuan wanted to pass the examination without wasting a day resting here… There was only one last option!

Sighing, Zhang Xuan lifted his head and looked forward.

“Hall Master Feng, the two beast tamers, I am not in a condition to hold a brush. Can I opt for a discourse instead?”

“Discourse?”

The three beast tamers stood up in astonishment. Disbelief was reflected in their eyes.

“Wha-What did you say? You wish to take on the most difficult form of the theoretical examination… discourse?”