Chapter 685: Do You Speak Beast Tongue?

The beast district of the Illusion Feather Empire's Beast Hall was built within a vast mountain forest, where countless spirit beasts lived leisurely and contentedly. Many were even natural enemies, but under the taming of beast tamers, they could coexist without conflict.

"The Hongyuan Empire is over a million kilometers from here. How many days do you plan to take to get there?"

As they walked forward, Han Chong asked.

"The sooner the better, preferably within about twenty days!" Zhang Xuan calculated and replied.

Master Hong and the others had already been gone for nine days, and they were riding the Illusion Feather Empire's royal flying boat. To catch up, they would have to shorten a month's journey to twenty days.

Over a million kilometers—even if a spirit beast could fly two hundred thousand or three hundred thousand kilometers a day, it couldn't reach there in ten days; they would need rest and adjustments along the way.

"Twenty days?" Han Chong stopped, frowning. "To reach the Hongyuan Empire in such a short time, you'd need at least a Mortal Transformation seventh or eighth level spirit beast!"

Different types of spirit beasts had different speeds. Some at Mortal Transformation seventh level had the speed of eighth or even ninth level, while others were powerful but slower.

However, regardless of the type, to reach the Hongyuan Empire in twenty days, it was impossible without a Mortal Transformation seventh or eighth level beast.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

As a beast tamer, he knew a great deal about spirit beasts and could estimate the time.

"Such a level of spirit beast can only be tamed by a late-stage or even peak five-star beast tamer. Let me take you to the Elder Hall..."

Han Chong frowned.

If it were a Mortal Transformation fourth or fifth level spirit beast, he could borrow one with his reputation. But seventh or eighth level—even five-star beast tamers found them hard to tame, and they were few in number. He might have to seek help from the Elder Hall of the Beast Hall.

"Elder Hall? Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

Zhang Xuan looked at him.

"It's no trouble. My teacher is a peak five-star beast tamer... If he learns that someone as young as you is a four-star beast tamer and also a great master of medicine, he will be very pleased!"

Han Chong smiled slightly.

As the four chatted, they rounded a forest and arrived at a modest thatched courtyard.

The courtyard was built with wood and mud, looking very simple, without the luxury of the outer buildings.

Pushing the door open and entering, the spacious yard was filled with various cages, each holding a different animal—some spirit beasts, some brute beasts, varying in size, densely packed, seventy or eighty in total.

"These..."

Seeing these cages, Zhang Xuan was filled with curiosity.

This should be the place where the teacher Han Chong had mentioned lived. The animals in the cages were not of high rank; many were even savage beasts below the Grandmaster level.

Such creatures could be killed with a flick of a finger. A top-tier five-star beast tamer, an eighth-level Mortal Transformation powerhouse—why would he raise these things?

"Oh, my teacher is..."

Han Chong knew what he was puzzled about and was about to explain when they heard the door ahead creak open. A spirited old man walked out.

The old man had white hair and a white beard, holding a book in his hand. He seemed not to notice the others, muttering to himself as he walked, saying something. The more he muttered, the more excited his face became, as if he had found some truth, his eyes shining.

"Teacher..."

Han Chong stepped forward.

"Don't disturb me. Wait until I'm done!" Without even looking at him, the old man waved his hand and walked to a cage with his book.

In this cage were seven or eight red-haired hamsters at the Sovereign level.

These hamsters were not large but were extremely skilled at burrowing. Some people raised them specifically for digging basements or building underground palaces.

Of course, this old man probably didn't keep them in a cage for that purpose.

"Teacher is like this. Once he gets absorbed in research, he ignores everything else..."

Seeing that his teacher ignored him, Han Chong smiled wryly at the three.

"No matter."

Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

Although he was in a hurry to go to the Hongyuan Empire, he wasn't pressed for this moment. This old man, holding a book and having set up so many cages, even he couldn't help but be curious.

Ignoring the onlookers, the old man flipped through several pages of the book, finally found something, and stared straight at the red-haired hamsters in the cage. He took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and shouted.

"Bo nuo hu luo mi xian..."

As the sound rang out, the red-haired hamsters seemed to hear something extremely disgusting. Their eyes widened at the same time, and they opened their mouths to vomit.

"Vomiting? That's not right?"

The old man scratched his head and flipped through several more pages: "Probably my pronunciation is off. Let me try again."

"Bo nuo hu luo mi xian..."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The red-haired hamsters rolled their eyes, fell to the ground, their legs twitching uncontrollably, their eyeballs turning white. Two others tried to escape but slammed into the cage and immediately passed out.

"This..."

Everyone's eyes went wide at the same time.

Even Zhang Xuan's eyes were rolling.

What had this guy just said that was so disgusting it scared the red-haired hamsters like that? They'd rather knock themselves out on the spot than stay another moment?

"Was that... beast language?"

Remembering something, Luo Qiqi looked at Han Chong.

Although not a beast tamer, as a renowned teacher, she knew a great deal and had heard some ancient beast language before.

It was said to have been personally compiled by Confucius, but lost over the ages; even if someone knew it, it was held by a few and never passed on.

Could it be that Han Chong's teacher had already learned it and was conducting experiments?

But even experimenting with beast language was nothing—what exactly had he said to make these red-haired hamsters vomit like this?

"Teacher is learning beast language, and has already achieved some results..."

Han Chong nodded.

"Results?" Zhang Xuan and the others were speechless.

Making animals vomit was a result?

I could beat them until they vomit too!

"Ahem!" Hearing the conversation and seeing everyone's expressions, the old man was embarrassed, closed his book, straightened his clothes, and turned around: "Han Chong, didn't I tell you to study on your own? What do you want?"

"Reporting to Teacher, this Master Zhang is my benefactor. He wants to borrow a Mortal Transformation Realm Level 8 spirit beast to go to the Hongyuan Empire!" Han Chong said quickly.

"Mortal Transformation Realm Level 8?"

The old man frowned: "There are only three flying spirit beasts of that level in the entire Beast Hall. Two were borrowed by the Huanyu royal family last time! The last one just returned from a long journey, exhausted, and probably can't be deployed. Moreover, to borrow a spirit beast of that level, even I as an elder can't decide alone; it requires a council of elders, or even the hall master's approval!"

"This..."

Han Chong's face showed embarrassment.

The Beast Hall of the Huanyu Empire was clearly stricter in management than that of Wanguo City. Mortal Transformation Realm Level 8 spirit beasts were at the peak within the entire empire and were generally not assigned tasks; even if they were, it required the council's consent.

Back when he was hall master of the Wanguo City Beast Hall, he could deploy any spirit beast with a single word. He thought his teacher, as one of the top elders, would have that authority too, but it seemed not so easy.

"Then... are there any Mortal Transformation Realm Level 7 spirit beasts available?"

Since using a Level 8 was so troublesome, a Level 7, though slower, would still do.

"There are fourteen Level 7 spirit beasts in our guild, all private pets of elders. Only five can fly, and borrowing them requires the elder to personally pilot them—extremely difficult!"

The old man shook his head: "Moreover, most of these spirit beasts are not suited for long-distance flight. Going to the Hongyuan Empire... they probably won't be much better than some Level 6 spirit beasts!"

The Beast Hall's spirit beasts were of two types: rental and private. Rental beasts were usually collectively tamed by beast tamers, then raised by apprentices or lower-level tamers for others to ride.

Private beasts were personal pets, usually battle companions. These beasts were extremely fast over short distances, suitable for combat, but long-distance flight was difficult.

Although the Beast Hall had many Level 7 spirit beasts, almost all were land-based. Even those that could fly only did so over short distances. For a journey like going to the Hongyuan Empire, few spirit beasts could manage the long trek.

"So there's no way?" Han Chong's face flushed.

Master Zhang had helped him so much, and now that the other party had finally made a request, he couldn't fulfill it—it was too embarrassing.

"No way..."

The old man shook his head, then suddenly thought of something and said: "Unless... you can communicate with that one and convince it! If you can do that, going to the Hongyuan Empire might not even take ten days!"

"That one?"

Han Chong thought of something and shook his head with a bitter smile. He was about to speak when he suddenly remembered the young man's miraculous abilities and his eyes lit up: "Teacher, we probably can't convince it, but Master Zhang... might be able to!"

Seeing his student so excited, the old man frowned, looked at Zhang Xuan with suspicion: "Him?"

It wasn't that he was unoptimistic; the other party looked only about twenty. At that age, even with good talent, he'd be at most a one- or two-star beast tamer. What could such strength do?

That was a creature even the hall master couldn't handle.

"Don't judge by Master Zhang's age; he's a solid four-star beast tamer. Back then, the Yaochen Beast I couldn't tame—he tamed it!"

Han Chong quickly explained, then remembering something, added: "Moreover... Master Zhang seems to know beast language too, and apparently... it's more effective than Teacher's!"

"Beast language? You know ancient beast language?"

The old man was startled, his eyes full of doubt.

Ancient beast language had been lost for over ten thousand years. Those who mastered it were the most elite beast tamers, who kept it to themselves and wouldn't leak it. How could someone so young possibly know it?

"I... learned a little, read a few books," Zhang Xuan nodded.

"A little? I've studied it for over fifty years and only know the basics. What use is a little learning!"

Hearing that the other party had only learned a little, the old man showed disappointment. He waved his hand and was about to continue when he saw the young man take a deep breath and suddenly open his mouth.

"Hmm!"

Crash!

All the spirit beasts and savage beasts in the courtyard instantly fell to the ground, trembling. The old man also felt a shudder, his vision went black, and he stumbled and fell to the ground, twitching uncontrollably.