Chapter 241: I Tamed a Bird

"Don't argue. Going to Sebei City in the Cold Martial Kingdom, only ten spots left, and they're full for today. If you want to go, come back tomorrow and line up!"

"This is for Jibei City in the Anyuan Kingdom. Three more people needed. Those who want to go, hurry up, or you'll miss out!"

"Here selling cubs of the Tongxuan realm Red-tailed Fox. Anyone interested in buying, come quickly..."

......

In front of the crowd, various voices clamored, making a chaotic din.

"The Xuanluo Mountain Range backs onto ten kingdoms. The North Martial Kingdom, Cold Martial Kingdom, Heaven Profound Kingdom... all come here to trade. There are many people every day, especially those traveling far. The Beast Hall has only so many beasts; with so many people, not everyone can get a seat. You basically need to line up in advance. Some people wait here for half a month and still can't get on!"

Looking at the noisy crowd before him, Yun Tao explained.

"Can't get on even after half a month?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had guessed that the Beast Hall couldn't possibly have enough beasts to meet demand, but he hadn't expected the wait to be this long.

If he had to wait here for half a month, he might as well ride the Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard directly to the Heaven Martial Kingdom.

"Don't worry, senior!" Seeing his expression, Yun Tao smiled. "Once I pass the assessment and become a formal beast tamer, I'll be qualified to help you select a flying beast. No need to wait around like everyone else."

Hearing this, Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.

Every profession had its privileges.

For instance, when alchemists bought pills at the Alchemist Guild, they got priority and discounts.

The same went for beast tamers.

Others had to queue for a fixed number of daily spots to ride flying beasts, but formal beast tamers could board directly without wasting time in line.

"Then... let's go complete the assessment!"

Seeing the long dragon of people queuing, Zhang Xuan felt his scalp tingle and waved his hand casually.

"Mm, the beast tamer assessment is over there!" Yun Tao led the way.

As they strode forward, others saw the tall and fierce Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard beside Zhang Xuan and made way.

The Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard had lost its sharp breakthrough aura; aside from its massive size, it looked much the same as before, making it seem only at the Orifice Opening realm at first glance.

Still, even an Orifice Opening realm beast was not something people wanted to provoke—not because of its strength, but because this was the Beast Hall. Anyone bringing such a huge beast must have significant connections, either as an apprentice or a beast tamer. Either way, they were not to be trifled with.

With no one obstructing them, they moved quickly. Before long, they arrived before a large room with five big characters on the door: "Beast Tamer Assessment."

Unlike the alchemist assessment hall, this one was more spacious.

"There's still some time before the assessment ends. It's not too late; let's go in!"

Thinking he would soon pass the assessment and become a formal beast tamer, Yun Tao's eyes sparkled with excitement. He laughed and was about to step inside.

"Isn't this Yun Tao? Back so soon? What, found the assessment too tough and slunk back in defeat?"

Before they could enter, a slightly mocking voice rang out.

Turning to look, they saw a young man with many subordinates and a huge tiger-headed beast swaggering over.

This tiger-headed beast was even larger than the Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard, with a more imposing aura, as if it could tear the sky apart.

However, in terms of strength, it was slightly inferior—merely at the early Orifice Opening realm.

"This is the Sixth Prince of the North Chen Kingdom, Zhu Jinhuang. He's always been at odds with our prince..."

Seeing Zhang Xuan's confusion, one of Yun Tao's subordinates transmitted a message.

"North Chen Kingdom?"

Zhang Xuan recalled a book of maps of the surrounding regions.

Like the Cold Martial Kingdom, North Chen was a second-class kingdom. Because their territories bordered each other, friction was constant, making them hostile kingdoms. As royal members of two major kingdoms, mutual enmity was only natural.

"Actually, their conflict isn't really about territory... but..."

Before Yun Tao's subordinate could finish, footsteps sounded, and another group approached.

"Jinhuang, how can you say that? Don't you see the Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard behind him? With such a big fellow, of course he can pass the assessment!" The leader, a young man in white, chuckled lightly, then frowned. "But... doesn't this Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard seem a bit distant from him? Could it be that it's not his beast pet?"

It sounded like he was defending Yun Tao, but the slight curl of his lips carried mockery.

"This is the Ninth Prince of the Qianyuan Kingdom, Zhou Xuan. He's also not on good terms with our prince..." Yun Tao's subordinate continued transmitting.

The Qianyuan Kingdom was also a second-class kingdom, not too far from here. It didn't border Heaven Profound but was adjacent to the Heaven Martial Kingdom.

"Oh, now that you mention it, I see!"

Glancing at the Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard, which stayed close to an unknown young man rather than Yun Tao, Zhu Jinhuang smiled. "Yun Tao, you didn't really fail to tame a beast and borrowed one from someone, did you? If so, I'd advise you to be careful. If the Beast Hall finds out, you'll be banned for life, and then you'll have to tuck your tail and leave!"

The Beast Hall had clear rules: if a beast tamer candidate was found to have borrowed another's beast, they would be banned for life, meaning they would never again be eligible for the profession.

As beast tamer apprentices, Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang had sharp eyes. They could tell at a glance that the Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard was close to Zhang Xuan and unfamiliar with Yun Tao—clearly not his beast pet.

"Heh, if he fails this time, let's see how he can still have the face to pursue Miss Mo Yu!" Zhou Xuan said.

"Pursue her? I think he should just get as far away as possible. A genius like Miss Mo Yu is not someone a half-baked guy like him can defile!" Zhu Jinhuang snorted.

"I'm not qualified? You two aren't much better. Stop talking nonsense here. If you've got the skill, become a beast tamer first!" Yun Tao, feeling overwhelmed by their combined attack, flicked his sleeve.

"Oh? You sound pretty confident. But soon enough, you'll be crying. The beast tamer assessment isn't just about passing; it's also graded. Let's see what grade you can get!"

Zhou Xuan said.

"Worry about yourself. I'm afraid you won't even get a third-grade and will have to slink away!" Yun Tao retorted.

"You..." Zhou Xuan narrowed his eyes. "I hope you're still this confident after the assessment."

"Hmph!"

The three clashed, neither giving ground. Their subordinates also glared at each other with hostility.

Listening to their exchange, Zhang Xuan understood: their conflict wasn't about kingdom territory after all, but about a woman named Mo Yu.

"Miss Mo Yu is a famous genius among beast tamer apprentices. She's taking the assessment with the princes. She shines brightly, and these princes all secretly admire her, competing behind the scenes, hoping to win her favor..."

Yun Tao's subordinate continued transmitting.

Knowing the reason, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had thought princes fought over territory, but it turned out to be over a woman.

"It's Miss Mo Yu!"

"Look at the beast behind her..."

"So impressive!"

......

As the three faced off, a commotion arose around them. A graceful figure walked slowly over.

Behind this figure followed a tall eagle with iron back and golden wings, eyes like lightning, inspiring caution.

"A Tongxuan realm beast?" Zhang Xuan's gaze sharpened.

This eagle had actually reached the late Tongxuan realm, far stronger than the Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard beside him.

Moreover, its aura hinted at wind and thunder, suggesting its speed might even surpass that of the strange bird from before.

"Miss Mo Yu!"

Seeing this figure appear, Yun Tao, Zhu Jinhuang, and Zhou Xuan all brightened and hurried to greet her.

"So she's Mo Yu?"

After examining the eagle, Zhang Xuan shifted his attention to the graceful figure.

She was a woman of twenty-three or twenty-four, dressed in a light green robe that perfectly outlined her elegant figure. Her slender waist seemed as if it could be encircled by a hand, and her flowing black hair contrasted with her fair skin, giving her a unique beauty.

In terms of appearance alone, she was no less than Shen Biru, and even surpassed her. She could be said to rival Zhao Ya, who had activated ten percent of her Pure Yin Constitution.

She was indeed beautiful, but she looked extremely aloof, completely indifferent to the attitudes of Yuntao and the others.

"As expected of Miss Moyu, truly extraordinary!" Zhu Jinhuan greeted her with a beaming smile. "A Green Eagle Beast at the Tongxuan realm—I'm afraid only you could tame it. Impressive, impressive!"

"Of course. Just a mere Green Eagle Beast; with Miss Moyu's skill, it's a piece of cake, isn't it?"

Zhou Xuan also put on a flattering smile.

At their flattery, Miss Moyu glanced over, her icy face expressionless. Her eyes swept past and caught sight of Shen Biru in the crowd. She paused, then walked straight over.

"You're here for the beast tamer assessment too? Where's Han Qiong? She didn't come?"

Her voice, though crisp and pleasant, carried a sense of keeping people at a distance.

"She didn't come. I'm here with a friend." Shen Biru pointed at Zhang Xuan.

Miss Moyu glanced at Zhang Xuan, then swept past him as if he were air. Turning her delicate body, she walked toward the room without another word.

Zhu Jinhuan and the others, though ignored by her, showed no displeasure and followed her inside.

"You know her?" Zhang Xuan didn't mind being ignored by Miss Moyu but looked at Teacher Shen beside him with curiosity.

"I met her once when I came here with Han Qiong last time." Shen Biru nodded.

"Is she really just a talented beast tamer apprentice?" Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

Even if this girl was very beautiful and had great talent for beast taming, it shouldn't be enough to make the princes of three kingdoms treat her with such deference!

Whether it was Hanwu, Beichen, or Qianyuan, as second-grade kingdoms, even if they didn't have many beast tamers, they certainly had a few. An apprentice shouldn't be enough to make a prince humble himself willingly.

In a second-grade kingdom, not even a master teacher apprentice would have such status.

The higher the kingdom's grade, the more exalted the royal power. Unless one was a high-level professional, they wouldn't attract attention. It wasn't like Tianxuan Kingdom, where a mere master teacher apprentice could make King Shenzhao treat him with respect.

"She's indeed not just a beast tamer apprentice. I heard Han Qiong mention once that she has another identity... the Third Princess of Tianwu Kingdom!" Shen Biru said after a moment's thought.

"Princess of Tianwu Kingdom?" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

That made more sense.

Tianwu Kingdom was a first-grade kingdom, the undisputed overlord of the twelve surrounding kingdoms.

A princess of this kingdom was more noble than the king of some small kingdoms. If someone could marry her, the status of prince consort would greatly benefit any future struggle for the crown prince position.

It seemed Zhu Jinhuan, Zhou Xuan, and even Yuntao all had this in mind.

But for Zhang Xuan, princess or not, it didn't matter.

Relying on others was useless; the most important thing was oneself.

As they spoke, they entered the room.

The room was different from outside—very quiet, with only the few groups that had just entered.

"There are four candidates for this assessment, all back. Who do you think will assess us?"

"Of course, it'll be the Hall Master! He's the highest-ranked two-star beast tamer in the Beast Hall and almost always oversees the assessments."

"Yeah, I heard the Hall Master is very strict. I wonder if it's true."

"True or not, our prince has already tamed a wild beast and met the requirements. Passing is certain."

...

Entering the room, they heard whispers all around.

The three princes had brought many attendants. In contrast, Miss Moyu stood alone, her delicate figure straight, exuding an icy aura that kept everyone from bothering her.

"From her tone earlier, does she have a conflict with Teacher Han?"

Seeing that the Third Princess of Tianwu Kingdom came without a single attendant and had a 'keep away' demeanor, Zhang Xuan recalled her conversation with Shen Biru and couldn't help looking over.

"It's not really a conflict. Teacher Han is also a beast tamer apprentice, and they both spent some time in the Beast Hall. Since both are beauties, they naturally compared themselves to each other. I just didn't expect her to be taking the formal beast tamer assessment so soon. Her talent is truly impressive."

Shen Biru's beautiful eyes showed surprise.

"Talent?" Zhang Xuan was curious.

Was passing a beast tamer assessment considered great talent?

"It seems you don't know. This Princess Moyu has been studying the beast tamer profession for less than a year!" Shen Biru said.

"Less than a year? That really does make her a genius." Zhang Xuan nodded.

Although he didn't know much about beast tamers, he knew a lot about alchemists. Since both professions were ranked similarly among the upper nine streams, their difficulty must be comparable.

In less than a year, not only did she become an apprentice, but she was also taking the formal assessment. Such talent was indeed terrifyingly strong.

"Most importantly... she not only studied beast taming but is also a one-star alchemist, close to two-star! And even more importantly... she is a master teacher apprentice. It's said she came here to take the beast tamer assessment to hone her mental state. Once she has enough qualifications, she can return and take the one-star master teacher assessment."

Shen Biru's expression turned serious.

"One-star alchemist? Master teacher apprentice?"

Zhang Xuan was startled.

Although it was somewhat similar to his own situation, he knew that her talent was indeed far greater than his.

He had passed the one-star alchemist assessment entirely through trickery, relying on the power of the Library of Heaven's Path. If he actually had to refine pills, he could at most concoct medicinal powders, not even ordinary pills.

To have passed the one-star alchemist assessment at such a young age with real skill, and to also be a master teacher apprentice—no wonder she was called a genius. She was truly remarkable.

As they were talking, an old man walked in.

"Quiet. Today, I will be in charge of everyone's assessment!"

Seeing this person appear, everyone was taken aback.

"It's Beast Tamer Hong from the Beast Hall? Why is he the one conducting the assessment?" Yuntao was also puzzled. "Normally, for a formal beast tamer assessment, the Hall Master and others must be present, along with a two-star beast tamer. Although Beast Tamer Hong is not low in status, he's only at the peak of one-star. He's not qualified to conduct the assessment."

Seeming to read their doubts, Beast Tamer Hong spoke: "Today, the Hall Master and others have important matters to attend to, so I will conduct the assessment on their behalf. Rest assured, I will strictly follow the procedures and will not show favoritism. So, everyone need not worry. Moreover, there are recording crystals here for real-time recording. As long as you meet the requirements, you will pass the assessment and become a member of the Beast Hall."

"Yes!"

Everyone nodded in unison and said no more.

Whether alchemist or beast tamer, any professional assessment requires on-site recording for later review.

With this device present, no one dared to cheat.

"All of you are beast tamer apprentices and have passed the first round. You must already know the content and format of the second round, but I still need to explain it beforehand."

Beast Tamer Hong looked around: "This round requires taming a wild beast stronger than yourself. Although initial taming is sufficient, it will still be graded."

"The greater the difference in cultivation between the wild beast and yourself, and the higher the loyalty, the higher the grade."

"Under normal circumstances, there are three grades: one, two, and three. The higher the grade, the better the assessment result. Does anyone have any objections to this?"

"No!" Yuntao and the others quickly nodded.

"Very well, let's begin the assessment now. First, Zhou Xuan!" Beast Tamer Hong looked over.

"Yes!" Zhou Xuan stepped forward.

"What beast did you tame?" Beast Tamer Hong asked.

"Reporting to Beast Tamer Hong, I tamed a Howling Fang Wolf, an early Pikuang realm wild beast." Zhou Xuan pointed, and his subordinate immediately brought over a wolf over three meters long.

The wolf was grayish-blue, with sharp fangs at the corners of its mouth, giving an exceptionally ferocious impression.

"Mm."

Nodding, Beast Tamer Hong took out a crystal ball and handed it over.

"This is a Heart-Questioning Crystal for testing wild beast loyalty. It can display a numerical value. For initial taming, loyalty ranges from fifteen to thirty. The higher the value, the higher the grade."

"Heart-Questioning Crystal?"

Seeing this object, Zhang Xuan nodded inwardly.

When he had learned the Heart-Questioning technique and tested Liu Yang's trust, it was also this thing.

It seemed it could test not only human trust but also wild beast loyalty.

Thinking about it, one could understand: this thing could create illusions in the mind of whoever touched it, using virtual scenarios to judge trust and loyalty—it should be very accurate.

Same as testing trust, Zhou Xuan first dripped a drop of blood into it, then had the beast communicate.

Before long, a number slowly emerged on the crystal—20!

"In less than half a month, reaching a loyalty of 20, meeting the standard for preliminary taming—not bad, not bad. Rated second grade!"

Seeing the number, Beastmaster Hong stroked his beard and nodded with satisfaction.

Finding a beast, then taming it, reaching this loyalty in less than half a month—he absolutely qualified as a one-star beast tamer.

"His Highness is truly impressive!"

"Rated second grade—hasn't happened in the Beast Hall for many years, right?"

"Yes, too strong!"

Hearing the rating, the crowd below buzzed with discussion.

For the beast tamer assessment, third grade counted as passing; second grade, for someone just becoming a beast tamer, was definitely considered a genius.

"Second grade, not bad. But I'm no worse than you."

Not expecting Zhou Xuan's result to be so high, Zhu Jinhuang paused, then smiled faintly and walked over.

Soon the result came out: his tiger-headed beast also had a loyalty around 20—second grade.

"Now it's Miss Mo Yu's turn!"

"Miss Mo Yu's beast is a flying beast, which is inherently harder to tame. Plus it's a Tongxuan realm beast, so the bonus must be even greater!"

"Yes, her result will probably exceed second grade."

"The Beast Hall hasn't seen a first-grade result in over thirty years. Could she break that rule?"

...

Seeing Miss Mo Yu step forward, everyone looked tense and turned their gazes toward her.

Achieving first grade in the beast tamer assessment was like refining a perfect pill in the alchemist assessment.

Once successful, she would surely be valued by the Beast Hall, and various resources would be tilted her way.

Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang achieving second grade was already impressive, but Miss Mo Yu was clearly stronger. Everyone wanted to see if she could make history.

Ignoring the surrounding chatter, Miss Mo Yu stepped forward. With a wave of her jade hand, the huge green eagle beast slowly approached.

Following the same steps as the others, she finished the test quickly.

Loyalty: 30!

"First grade! It's first grade!"

Hearing the rating, the room instantly erupted.

Everyone knew Miss Mo Yu was an unparalleled genius and would surely achieve first grade, but hearing it still shocked them.

"Heh, Yun Tao, it's your turn. We're both second grade, and Miss Mo Yu is first grade. You were so arrogant just now—you won't end up with third grade, will you? If so, I think you'd have no face to show anyone!"

Seeing Yun Tao about to step up, Zhu Jinhuang laughed.

"I think Brother Zhu is overestimating him. Forget third grade—I wonder if he can even pass the assessment!" Zhou Xuan snorted. "That Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard definitely isn't his, so where is the beast he tamed?"

"Right, he doesn't have a tamed beast, does he?"

"If he has no beast, that means he failed..."

Their voices were not lowered, immediately causing an uproar around them.

Even Miss Mo Yu couldn't help but furrow her delicate brows and look over.

"Quiet!"

Waving a hand to stop the argument, Beastmaster Hong looked at the approaching Yun Tao, his eyes also full of doubt. He couldn't help asking, "What did you tame? Was it that Golden Body Iron Coin Leopard?"

"No, that was tamed by Senior Zhang Xuan..."

Yun Tao scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed: "I... tamed a bird."