Chapter 92: Heaven-Gracing Curtain’s Debut!!
The one-month deadline finally arrived.
Unlike Lian Xing, who was an orphan, both Tian Quan and Silver Dragon had to bid farewell to their families and teammates, then rushed back to the league venue in less than half a day, using their pet beasts for transportation.
After all, no matter how reluctant they were, they couldn’t miss this opportunity to participate in the Monarch-Tier Speed Puzzle. Contracting a Monarch-Tier pet beast meant reaching the halfway point…on the path to the pinnacle of this world, witnessing a breathtaking view that trillions of people could only dream of.
Embarking on this true path of transcendence…it meant a lifespan of tens of thousands of years, witnessing the changing world and the passage of time, their names etched in history!!
“…”
“…”
“Whoosh——!!!”
A large airship, bearing the symbol of Qingyao Sea, slowly descended onto the landing platform of the Beast Tamer Association Headquarters. The hatch opened, and a woman in a dark blue robe walked out, her expression indifferent, a hint of arrogance in her eyes.
“Where are the three trial participants from Baiyue Province?”
“Hurry up and get on board. We’re on a tight schedule!!”
“…”
“…”
Hearing her rude tone, Tian Quan frowned, bid farewell to the Dean of Phantom Sea Academy, and boarded the airship. Silver Dragon followed closely behind.
However, as Lian Xing was about to board, the golden fox called out to her.
“Lian Xing…”
“I’ll be transferred to the 9th-level region, Chijin Province, in a month. If you need anything, come find me there…” With that, an ice-blue crystal flew from behind the fox, landing gently in Lian Xing’s hand.
Lian Xing looked down at the crystal, her expression surprised.
This was…
The Extreme Cold Detonation · Ice King’s life crystal!!
Since they couldn’t identify the killer of the Extreme Cold Detonation, even Millennium Marquis, the high-ranking official, had closed the case, and the crystal had been awarded to the little fox as a trophy…
But even if the fox, as a Biological Species, couldn’t use it, selling it or exchanging it for other Royal-Tier crystals would still be a huge gain, right?
If she was lucky and got a suitable Biological Species crystal, she could even awaken a second talent…
At this moment, the woman in black, standing at the entrance of the airship, urged impatiently, “Don’t dawdle! We still have to pick up others from three more regions!!”
Ignoring the Qingyao Sea envoy’s rude attitude, Lian Xing nodded, pocketed the crystal, and boarded the airship.
A dozen seconds later, watching the golden-haired girl disappear, the golden fox sighed sadly.
This ship, sailing towards the Legends…it didn’t have a ticket for her…
But at least she was getting promoted~~~~
Inside the Qingyao Sea airship.
As expected of an 8th-level region, the airship’s size and luxury were on a completely different level compared to those used in Baiyue Province. The interior resembled a grand hotel hallway.
Leading the three girls to a room, the woman in black took out a key.
“We still have to pick up people from three more regions. It’ll take about a week. You three can share this room~~”
“What? Just one room? Why!?” Tian Quan asked, her voice filled with displeasure.
“You’re all from the same place. It shouldn’t matter, right?”
“If you don’t want to stay here, you can sleep in the hallway. The airship is full. And if not for that lucky encounter with a Royal-Tier pet beast, you wouldn’t even have this opportunity, right?”
“Remember, no wandering around while the airship is in flight!!” The woman in black said arrogantly, then, without giving them a chance to argue, turned and left.
Tian Quan was furious but could do nothing. This wasn’t the Academy League. Beating up the opponent wouldn’t solve anything.
“She’s not even a Commander-Tier Beast Tamer…”
“How dare she be so arrogant…!!!”
“Forget it, let’s not argue with her. It’s not worth the trouble…” Lian Xing said.
As villagers visiting the outside world for the first time, they should keep a low profile.
In the end, the three girls reluctantly squeezed into the same room. Silver Dragon’s expression seemed a bit disappointed…
She had thought she could finally be alone with Lian Xing, but now Tian Quan was here.
But at least the room and the bed were spacious, designed for Beast Tamers to sleep with their pet beasts, three meters wide, more than enough for the three of them.
Silver Dragon went to take a bath, Tian Quan sat in a corner, hugging her smooth fishtail, lost in thought. The atmosphere was a bit awkward.
Meanwhile, Lian Xing took this opportunity to check on the Golden Leaf. After obtaining a large number of Arcane Arts through unconventional means…yesterday, the Golden Leaf had consumed five Weapon Species Commander-Tier crystals and five Biological Species crystals, then refused to eat anymore.
24 hours had passed, so Lian Xing took out ten more Weapon Species crystals and fed them to the Golden Leaf. After devouring the crystals, the Golden Leaf lay motionless in Lian Xing’s arms, its belly full.
“So, it can only consume ten crystals per day, regardless of type…?”
“This means Azure Edge has been enhanced 15 times, and Penetration has been enhanced 5 times. And since it hasn’t absorbed any Royal-Tier crystals, Heavenly Graffiti and Desperate Gamble haven’t changed.”
“But as long as I maintain this feeding schedule, the fourth Arcane Art will also become incredibly powerful…”
After pondering for a while, Lian Xing fed Star Sand and the Moonlight Rabbit nine Commander-Tier life crystals each, excluding Biological Species and Weapon Species types. These weren’t needed by the Red Prison Palace Master, and they weren’t picky. After eating, they went to sleep.
By the time Silver Dragon finished bathing, five hours had passed. She emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a translucent towel, her skin as smooth and white as cream.
“I took a long time. Do you want to go first?” Tian Quan asked Lian Xing, looking at her.
“I can’t…shower…”
“Huh?” Although she didn’t understand what Lian Xing meant, Tian Quan assumed she simply didn’t want to shower and went into the bathroom herself.
Mermaid hybrids loved bathing. By the time Tian Quan finished, another five hours had passed. She looked at Silver Dragon and Lian Xing, who were cuddling on the bed, and swallowed enviously, then quietly climbed into bed and curled up in a corner, hugging her fishtail as she drifted off to sleep.
During the day, since the airship had left Baiyue Province, they couldn’t access the virtual battle space, nor did they have access to other regions. The three girls could only watch their pet beasts, in their Juvenile forms, fight and play to pass the time.
They even bet a few Low-Tier crystals, all of which were won by Lian Xing.
The Golden Leaf was invincible!!
Although it was constantly being sucked on by the Moonlight Rabbit like a cigarette, when it came to fighting, a few rolls were enough to make the other Juvenile Species pet beasts whimper in pain. Its hardness and weight were simply not on the same level as Low-Tier pet beasts.
As the day passed, the awkward atmosphere between the three girls eased slightly.
But at night, Tian Quan felt uncomfortable…
Because Silver Dragon and Moon Rabbit’s intimate gestures were becoming increasingly bold…
Even though it was just cuddling and hugging, during these boring times, it was incredibly envious…
Finally, after a week of torture, the airship landed, and Tian Quan was… freed…
“Whoosh——!!!”
As the airship’s hatch opened, Tian Quan, Silver Dragon, and Lian Xing had just left their room when the other young Beast Tamers rushed out of their rooms as if they had never seen the sun before.
It seemed those who had single rooms had suffered even more.
They had no one to talk to, only their pet beasts to play with.
Lian Xing felt a pang of gratitude.
Stepping out of the airship, they were greeted by a sea of thick, blue clouds, the sky completely obscured, making it impossible to tell day from night.
This was the 8th-level region, Qingyao Sea. The scenery was truly unique.
However, they seemed to be in a deserted area, surrounded by a barren landscape, no signs of civilization.
Only a giant, mechanical conch stood before them.
As everyone wondered, the Qingyao Sea envoy, the woman in black, walked forward and explained, her voice filled with pride, “This is a mechanical device created by the Great Lord Biluo at the entrance of our Qingyao Sea. It can assess a pet beast’s combat power based on the force of its attack.”
“The minimum score is 0, the maximum is 100. Below 20 means it’s not Commander-Tier, above 90 means it has the power to fight against a Royal-Tier pet beast.”
“Now, each of you will take the test. Single pet deployment only. Those who score below 60 can go home~~~”
“By the way, the champion of our Qingyao Sea league this year scored 87 points a week ago~~~” The Qingyao Sea envoy’s tone was arrogant and condescending.
Seeing her disdainful attitude, not only Tian Quan, but many other trial participants were also annoyed.
But, could a Commander-Tier Beast Tamer really score 87 points?
Wouldn’t that mean they could even stall a Royal-Tier pet beast for a while!?
Almost a hundred people looked at each other, their expressions uncertain. Only Tian Quan and Silver Dragon glanced at the expressionless, golden-haired girl beside them.
Forget about being comparable to a Royal-Tier pet beast she had just humiliated…a real Royal-Tier pet beast, forcing it to beg for mercy…
“Of course, this is just a basic test. After all, raw power isn’t everything~~~”
“Alright, let’s start with the three trial participants from Chijin Province~~~”
As the woman in black finished speaking, a girl with long, reddish-brown hair, dressed in a cheongsam, walked forward. Although she was the champion of Chijin Province’s league this year, the Beast Tamers here were all the strongest from their respective regions. Compared to them, she wasn’t particularly outstanding.
Under everyone’s gaze, the girl in the cheongsam nervously summoned her main battle pet beast.
Commander-Tier — Biological Species — Red Moon Claw!!!
The Red Moon Claw resembled a…mutated…wolf, its body glowing crimson, a giant, crescent-shaped blood claw protruding from its back, even larger than its own body.
Seeing this, Lian Xing raised an eyebrow.
Its life force was decent but…
It was just barely above the threshold of a peak Commander-Tier pet beast.
“Red Moon Claw, attack with all your might!!!”
“Bang!!!”
In the next second, following the red-haired girl’s command, the giant wolf with the red claw charged towards the mechanical conch, its body a blur of light. A golden glow flashed as it activated a Gold Quality combat skill.
The impact was so loud that everyone covered their ears, but the conch itself remained unmoved, not even trembling.
A few seconds later, a number appeared on the mechanical screen behind the conch.
[61 points]
Seeing this score, the red-haired girl in the cheongsam let out a sigh of relief, while the other two trial participants from Chijin Province looked at each other in disbelief. If even the champion of Chijin Province, their strongest Beast Tamer, could only achieve a…barely passing…score, did they even have a chance?
As expected, a minute later, two disappointing numbers appeared, plunging everyone into silence.
[44]
[47]
Based on that attack, many of them weren’t even as strong as these two eliminated Beast Tamers.
But even that level of attack couldn’t even reach 50 points. How could a normal person surpass the 60-point threshold!?
This first test was too difficult!!!
The two eliminated participants from Chijin Province were devastated.
Seeing this, the Qingyao Sea envoy, the woman in black, sneered.
Did these…villagers…from lower-level regions really think they could compete with Qingyao Sea for a spot in the Bimen Pass Speed Puzzle?
With their level of strength, dreaming of contracting the Great Lord Biluo!?
In her view, this first test alone would eliminate two-thirds of them, without even needing the Qingyao Sea participants to fight!!!
After that, several more trial participants were eliminated. Only the league champions from each region could generally surpass 60 points, and even a few champions failed. Seeing this, the woman in black couldn’t help but laugh.
In the end, out of the 27 participants from the 9th-level regions, only 20 remained.
The highest score was only 71 points.
A heavy silence fell over the venue.
The woman in black, looking at the dejected crowd with a smug expression, turned to Tian Quan, her lips curling into a mocking smile.
“What about you? You, villagers from the 10th-level region…want to give it a try?”
“…”
“…”
So weak!!! Tian Quan thought.
Her expression wasn’t because she found the test difficult, but because she found these 9th-level region league champions…pathetic…
Based on the power of those who had scored 60 points, even a peak Commander-Tier pet beast could pass this test…
Why make it so complicated?
At this moment, Silver Dragon had the same thought. She had been able to challenge peak Commander-Tier pet beasts before the start of this league, probably scoring around 67 points. But after battling against a Royal-Tier pet beast in the league, and with the additional evolution information provided by Lian Xing, her pet beast’s current strength was definitely above 70 points.
The two village girls were confused.
Unbeknownst to them, Lian Xing had already…previewed…the Qingyao Sea battle region, using the access granted by the little fox. She had discovered that with Tian Quan’s strength, she could easily rank among the top three in the Qingyao Sea region.
This was why Phantom Sea Academy almost always won the championship, their dominance unchallenged. Their foundation and the…quality…of their hybrids were simply beyond the reach of other academies in Baiyue Province.
“Heh, if you’re too scared to try, just go home. At least you can lie to yourselves and say you were almost good enough…” the woman in black sneered, seeing their hesitation.
So, Silver Dragon walked towards the mechanical conch. During this past month, she hadn’t just been…visiting family…
She had used almost all her resources to fulfill six of the Silver Wing Dimension’s Royal-Tier evolution requirements provided by Lian Xing.
But even so…
It was no longer within the realm of comprehension for an ordinary peak Commander-Tier pet beast!!!
She could even face off against the World-Shattering White Robe now!!!
“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!”
A giant silver wing, formed from ethereal particles, extending for over a hundred meters, appeared beside Silver Dragon. Its body shimmered with a silver light, like a meteor’s tail, as it slashed downwards. With a deafening roar, the shockwave sent the disdainful woman in black tumbling through the air, forcing the other trial participants to summon their pet beasts for protection.
A dozen seconds later, the dust settled.
Seeing the score displayed on the mechanical conch, everyone was stunned.
[82]
What the…?
What kind of power was that?
Wasn’t she a Beast Tamer from a 10th-level region!?
The woman in black, scrambling to her feet, her face covered in dirt, also looked at the score in disbelief.
82 points. This was already the third highest score in Qingyao Sea.
A mere village girl from a 10th-level region could actually threaten the Qingyao Sea trial participants, how was this possible!?
However, before anyone could recover from their shock…
Tian Quan, the blue-haired girl with a giant fishtail, walked towards the mechanical conch.
“Buzz.”
The ground cracked, the sea boiled, mountains trembled.
Just like Bing Zhuyu’s first appearance in Baiyue Province…shocking, majestic, domineering, yet graceful.
As a giant glacier erupted from the ground, lifting the mechanical conch into the sky…
[85 points]
“Thud!!”
After the glacier dissipated, the mechanical conch crashed down from the clouds, a deafening roar accompanying the outrageous score. At this moment, as the Qingyao Sea envoy, the woman in black, brushed the ice off her body and looked up at the score, her arrogant expression froze.
85 points. Only two points lower than the Qingyao Sea champion, surpassing all other Qingyao Sea Beast Tamers.
“What’s going on? How is this possible!?”
“How could a Beast Tamer of this level appear in a 10th-level region!?” the woman in black muttered, her voice filled with disbelief and fear.
Of course, no one suspected that the machine was malfunctioning. After all, Bing Zhuyu’s mere aura had almost blown them all away.
But this question, perhaps all the Ten Greats from past Baiyue Province leagues would also like to know the answer.
In other regions, the championship rotated among different academies. Next year, it’ll be our turn.
But in Baiyue Province, only once every decade or so would Phantom Sea Academy lose the championship.
And Baoyu Shuitianliang, a graduate of Phantom Sea Academy, had recently become the guardian of an 8th-level region.
“Tch…” However, Tian Quan seemed dissatisfied with her score, walking back with a frown.
If not for that crippled High-Tier pet beast holding her back, she could have scored one or two points higher.
After a moment of stunned silence, almost a hundred pairs of eyes focused on the golden-haired girl in stockings.
The other two participants from Baiyue Province had displayed such incredible strength.
What about her…?
Would she be on the same level?
Under everyone’s gaze, Lian Xing didn’t summon her pet beast. Instead, she turned to look at the woman in black.
“You said…someone from Qingyao Sea scored 87 points?”
“Y-Yes…” the woman in black nodded, her voice hesitant, a hint of pride remaining.
Even if that fishtailed girl had scored 85 points…it was still lower than their Qingyao Sea champion, right!?
What was there to be smug about….
However, in the next second, as Lian Xing spoke, everyone’s expressions turned to disbelief.
“Then Qingyao Sea shouldn’t even bother participating in this competition.”
“All of you, including you, you’re all trash. You’ll be eliminated anyway. Just go home and sleep… Don’t waste your time…”
“Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!”
As Lian Xing’s venomous words echoed, a powerful hurricane erupted, blinding everyone, the wind so strong that they couldn’t even open their eyes.
And within the hurricane, a white figure slowly emerged.
At this moment, sensing that familiar yet transformed aura, Bing Zhuyu, behind Tian Quan, widened its eyes.
The Moon-Embracing Jade Hammer!?
No, it wasn’t…
Although it looked similar…it was different!!!
Lian Xing, after all, was…vengeful.
And she wouldn’t give Qingyao Sea any face.
After all, the final decision for the Speed Puzzle rested with the 6th-level region, Bimen Pass. Qingyao Sea was just one of many preliminary testing locations for the 8th-level regions.
So, casually insulting them wouldn’t affect her final score…
Therefore—
She might as well…
Give it her all——
Heaven-Gracing Curtain…!!!!
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