Chapter 242: Assessment Failed!

Tamed a bird?

Hearing this, the previously noisy surroundings immediately fell silent.

Everyone was choked off, all looking over with strange expressions.

Were you cursing, or had you failed to tame something and given up on yourself?

Could it be that this guy, having seen the previous examinees score either first or second rank, had been scared silly?

"Tamed a bird? I tamed a hammer! Dare to say that to Beastmaster Hong, what nerve!"

"It's not nerve, it's a brain problem. He tamed a bird, I tamed a ball!"

"That way, I tamed a chili... Actually, we've all tamed something, can we all take the beast tamer exam?"

...

After a moment of silence, the room immediately erupted in laughter.

Damn.

Since the Beast Hall was established, countless beast tamers had been examined, but this was the first time someone had failed to tame anything and said it so openly and refreshingly.

If you had nothing, why did you come?

And tamed a bird...

Bird your sister!

Dare to be any bolder?

"Haha, Yuntao, I always thought you were someone, but I didn't expect you to really be someone... able to say you failed to tame a wild beast so grandiosely and confidently, I admire you! I admire you!" Zhu Jinhwang shook his head, nearly laughing himself sick.

Was this guy brain-damaged?

If you failed to tame it, just fail, but telling Beastmaster Hong you tamed a bird... wasn't that asking for trouble?

Although Beastmaster Hong wasn't the highest-level beast tamer in the Beast Hall, he was known for his seriousness. Speaking like that was simply arrogant and a public provocation!

"He's really asking for it..." Zhou Xuan also laughed out loud.

He had considered this guy a rival, but now it seemed embarrassing.

He had worried that this guy might make a stunning impression and catch everyone's attention, but now... he did catch attention, but it was just eye-rolling.

"Hmph!"

Not only they laughed, but Miss Moyu also clasped her hands behind her back, her flawless face slightly raised, letting out a light snort.

If you could tame it, tame it; if not, come again next time. Making a spectacle to attract attention, no matter how talented, was just petty.

Amid the crowd's laughter, Beastmaster Hong nearly exploded with rage, his hair standing on end, teeth grinding audibly, on the verge of losing it: "What did you say?"

As a renowned beast tamer of the Beast Hall, this was the first time he had faced such provocation.

Bird your sister!

Come here, show it to me.

If you can't produce it, believe I'll pluck the one you're carrying and kick it like a ball?

"I mean... I tamed a bird, a strange bird!"

Yuntao then realized his slip of the tongue, explained, and whistled. With two "whoosh" sounds in the air, the strange bird flew in.

This guy had wandered off on his own when entering the Beast Hall, and no one had noticed.

The wild beasts in the Beast Hall were mostly three to four meters long; even the small ones were at least man-height. One this size, if not looked at carefully, would be mistaken for a sparrow or wild bird, utterly inconspicuous, and no one would think of it as a flying wild beast.

And even if they did, they would find it incredible.

Beast tamers tamed wild beasts generally for combat, or at least as a means of transport. What could such a small one do?

To be honest, it wouldn't even be enough for a stir-fry.

"This is called a wild beast?"

"Did he catch it from some birdcage?"

"What the hell? I thought he was joking, but he really did tame a bird! But what use is this bird? For fun?"

Seeing that Yuntao had indeed tamed a bird and it flew over, the room fell silent for a moment before bursting into laughter again.

Look at Miss Moyu, who tamed the Green Eagle Beast, also a type of bird—majestic and imposing, giving a sense of killing intent! But this one of yours, instead of killing intent, made people laugh silly!

Those who knew thought you were here for the beast tamer exam; those who didn't would think you were from the bird market, playing with crickets and performing tricks.

"Is this the wild beast you tamed?"

Beastmaster Hong's face did not improve with the strange bird's arrival; it remained ashen like a zombie, his voice icy.

"Yes," Yuntao nodded.

"The Beast Hall rules state that for the second round, you must tame a wild beast stronger than yourself. This little bird could be killed with a single slap. Using it for the exam... are you sure you're not joking?"

Beastmaster Hong suppressed his anger.

"I'm not joking!" Sensing the other's tone was off, Yuntao quickly explained: "This strange bird, though small in size, is not weak in strength, especially its speed. It must be a type of wild beast..."

Slap!

Before he could finish, Beastmaster Hong slammed the table and stood up abruptly, his brows twitching, his face trembling.

"Outrageous! Yuntao, do you think the Beast Hall is your Hanwu Kingdom, where you can come and cause trouble? The art of taming beasts values pragmatism; not a bit of carelessness is allowed. You passed the first round with excellent results, and I thought you would complete the second round with good marks too. But instead, you act recklessly and make a spectacle!"

"You are now at the peak of the Dingli realm; you might not be able to tame a powerful wild beast, but at least you could manage an early stage Poxue realm one. Yet you bring a little bird and put on an act, saying it's fast, that it's a type of wild beast—do you think I'm blind?"

"In the Beast Hall exam, you publicly provoke the examining beast tamer, bring some wild bird from who knows where, and dare to take the exam... who gave you the nerve?"

Beastmaster Hong's eyes were full of anger, and with a wave of his hand, he spoke with unquestionable authority: "Get out! You failed the second round. If you want to take the exam, come back next year!"

"Beastmaster Hong, I... this strange bird is a genuine Poxue realm wild beast; I'm no match for it..."

Not expecting Beastmaster Hong to be so angry and directly fail him, Yuntao turned pale with fright and hurriedly explained.

"Are you not done? Yuntao, didn't you hear? Beastmaster Hong told you to get lost! Stop making a fool of yourself here; you've disgraced the beast tamers!"

Seeing his rival fail and being scolded, Zhu Jinhwang laughed excitedly, stepped forward, and showed deep contempt in his eyes.

"If you can't do the job, don't take it on. If you have no skill in taming beasts, don't show off here. If they let you pass, would everyone who buys a bird at the market be considered a beast tamer?"

Zhou Xuan also chuckled.

In the first round of theoretical assessment, they had both been outshone by Yuntao. They thought he would continue to excel in the second round and stand above them, but they never dreamed he would bring about his own downfall.

He could have easily tamed an early Poxue realm wild beast, but instead he had to bring some wild bird from who knows where...

"Beastmaster Hong..."

Ignoring their sarcasm, Yuntao looked at the old man before him.

"Haven't I made myself clear? Get out!" Beastmaster Hong glared.

"Give me one more chance. You can test it; this strange bird really is a wild beast, and its level is not low..."

Never expecting such an outcome, Yuntao was frantic.

He had just boasted to Senior Zhang Xuan that he would become a beast tamer and help him select a wild beast. If he failed, he couldn't fulfill his promise.

Of course, he could just be thick-skinned and apologize; surely the senior would be magnanimous and not mind.

Most importantly, if he failed to become a beast tamer and made such a fool of himself, returning to the kingdom would invite all kinds of suppression, and he would never be in line for the throne.

Pursuing Miss Moyu would also become a flower in a mirror, a moon in water, utterly impossible.

"I don't want to say it a third time. Leave on your own, and I'll save you some face."

Beastmaster Hong didn't listen to his explanation and waved his hand.

If this guy weren't a prince, he would have slapped him out long ago instead of wasting words.

"Get lost! Yuntao, if you don't leave, believe I'll have someone throw you out?" Zhu Jinhwang stepped forward, his eyes brimming with excited delight.

From today on, this guy was no longer a rival, insignificant.

"Hurry up and get lost. If you keep making trouble, I really won't be polite."

Zhou Xuan also sneered coldly, hands behind his back, eyes full of contempt.

"I..."

His face alternating between pale and red, Yuntao clenched his fists.

He had thought passing the exam would be easy, but he never expected this outcome. Gritting his teeth, he was about to turn and leave when he heard a faint voice.

"Yuntao, since the beast tamers of the Beast Hall are all such useless sacks, you might as well not take the exam!"

The voice came from where Zhang Xuan stood quietly among the crowd, looking over with a calm expression.