Chapter 244

The Zi Xiao Archipelago has five arenas.

The grand arena on Zi Xiao Island does not open for the preliminary rounds; it won't activate until at least the group stage.

Zhao Xing's Twin Island lies west of the archipelago, so he was assigned to the Western Zone and participates in the Western Winter Evaluation Preliminaries.

The Zi Xiao Arena in the Western Zone is located on Tian Jing Island.

When Zhao Xing arrived, Tian Jing Island was already bustling—people and strange beasts filled the sky, land, and sea, even including costumed aquatic folk.

"My lord, seven thousand eight hundred and thirty islands in the Western Zone have entered this Winter Evaluation Preliminary."

"As of this noon, fifteen minutes past the hour, the total number of combat beasts participating is three hundred fifty-seven thousand nine hundred fifty-four; masters number only one-tenth, and ninety percent are sixth-rank beasts." As they docked, Tao Anchun reported the latest figures.

Zhao Xing glanced at the ground mirror and chuckled: "What a grand event—so many combat beasts."

"Each participating island has a minimum of two slots; in reality, it's far more—some large islands control hundreds or even thousands of slots."

"Like Ya Long Island, Wan Shou Island, and Zi Xiao Island. These three large islands each hold over fifty thousand slots." Dong Yuanqiu sighed.

"This year, these three large islands sent only about ten competitors each; most present now are medium and small islands—even so, some medium islands hold several hundred slots."

Zhao Xing nodded; the power gap between islands was far too severe.

Ya Long Island, Wan Shou Island, Zi Xiao Island—all had piles of fourth-rank combat beasts, even higher-rank ones; they could pick and choose from their fourth-rank beasts!

Such large islands naturally get more slots, and they don't even need to enter the preliminaries.

They're even guaranteed entry into the group stage—just the number varies: more if they compete, fewer if they don't.

Because Ya Long Island, Wan Shou Island, and Zi Xiao Island are backed by the highest nobility of the Great Zhou.

Zi Xiao Island belongs entirely to Princess Youruo; it's her mother's ancestral home.

Ya Long Island and Wan Shou Island have shares held by numerous dukes and Wu Hou.

For instance, Ming Wu Hou of the Hu Jiao Army holds shares on Ya Long Island, because his great-grandfather earned merit during the Taizu era in expanding Haizhou.

Three hundred fifty thousand combat beasts in the Western Zone sounds like a lot, but each master controls multiple pets.

Of course, ninety percent are sixth-rank—mere stepping stones.

Because the internal selection system is brutal, the death rate among sixth-rank beasts during the preliminaries reaches fifty percent.

But many beasts still break through—from sixth to fifth rank, from fifth to fourth.

It's just a matter of who steps on whom.

"Hu Jiao and Qing Luan can die in the preliminaries—it doesn't matter—but Shan Mao must not die here; if faced with a strong opponent, withdraw." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

Because there are still many opportunities.

Over the next five years, winning any season's preliminary will qualify you for the next five-year group stage.

This is the first year of the preliminaries; if you fail this year, you still have four more years—sixteen chances total.

Ao Tian Miao is only at early fifth rank; her growth potential is still vast—no need to fight to the death now.

As for the Hu Jiao and Qing Luan gifted by the Dao Academy, their growth potential is limited; Old Master Zhao didn't care.

Let them fight for a sliver of survival in life-or-death combat; as combat beasts, dying on the battlefield is better than wasting away in a cage.

As Zhao Xing pondered, the lead ship ahead suddenly halted, and the escort flying vessel also stopped.

Faintly, voices of argument drifted over.

"Is this traffic jam?" Zhao Xing peered ahead.

"My lord, I'll go check." Tao Anchun volunteered.

Before he could even move, flames suddenly erupted from the port side of the Ming Yue luxury vessel, lashing toward the seven-sail luxury vessel ahead.

The seven-sail vessel, unwilling to yield, instantly turned and surged forward, ramming into the Ming Yue vessel's side.

"Boom!"

The seven-sail vessel's hull was sheathed in black iron, with a piston ram on its left side.

The impact punched over a dozen holes through the Ming Yue vessel.

"You dare attack a military vessel, you bastard!"

"Scum! I'm of the Ji clan—how dare you slander me? Are you rebelling? Soldiers, seize them!"

"Fuck, think you're the only Ji? Wolf God Guards, attack!"

"..."

The two luxury vessels swiftly engaged in boarding combat—only dozens of fighters, but over a thousand strange beasts!

The Tian Jing Island escort flying vessel was caught in the crossfire, crushed to shards; the escort official barely jumped clear in time to survive.

Those nearby stared in shock; Zhao Xing was speechless—road rage truly followed you everywhere.

"Reverse! Gain altitude." Zhao Xing ordered.

His vessel was a Yun Yu luxury ship dispatched by the Ministry of Agriculture—not a warship, utterly unarmored; if caught in the crossfire, it'd be a pointless death.

But as feared, it came: Twin Island's Yun Yu vessel lay just a hundred meters behind, and at a slightly lower altitude.

When the seven-sail warship overturned the Ming Yue vessel, the two-thousand-meter-long hull tumbled directly toward Zhao Xing's ship.

"Reverse! Reverse the ship!"

"Activate the barrier!"

"The Tian Jing escort flying vessel is still hooked!"

"Who cares? The escort officer will jump off himself."

"..."

On Twin Island's Yun Yu vessel, chaos erupted; Tao Anchun, Dong Yuanqiu, and others immediately ordered their mechanical engineers to rapidly reverse the ship.

"I give up." Zhao Xing, seeing this, shot out of the vessel. Twin Island's officials weren't soldiers—their reaction was too slow; Zhao Xing calculated that without intervention, the Ming Yue vessel would definitely smash into his own.

Ships surrounded him on all sides—backward, forward, left, right—he couldn't retreat far enough.

"Nine Heavens Gale Art, activate!"

Zhao Xing flashed outside the ship, and nine streams of azure storm winds appeared instantly around the Mingyue luxury vessel.

￠o

While extinguishing the flames, he righted the tilting hull and halted its descent.

"Excellent wind art! Who are you?!" someone on the Mingyue luxury vessel shouted.

If Zhao Xing hadn't supported the ship, the sixth- and seventh-rank cultivators aboard could have flown away, but the eighth- and ninth-rank mechanism masters inside controlling the mechanisms would surely have perished with the vessel.

Before Zhao Xing could speak, a young man in lavish robes on the seven-sail warship shouted: "Who the hell is interfering? Are you looking for death? My father is Wu Hou! My mother is Princess Yuan Yao, and I am..."

He fell silent, because Zhao Xing unleashed his wind art once more, locking the seven-sail luxury vessel in place.

The Nine Heavens Storm Winds formed two spherical barriers, separating the two ships.

The seven-sail luxury vessel pushed its engines to full power, yet still could not break free from the storm wind barrier.

Zhao Xing's Nine Heavens Storm Wind Art had already reached the high-grade perfect stage!

How could a fifth-rank supreme-grade luxury vessel possibly break free from a magical domain formed by storm winds?

"Boom—crack~"

Within the storm wind barrier, nine storm wind dragons glided, and as thunder rolled, beads of lightning emerged.

Both the aggressor and the victim instantly fell silent.

Another high-grade art perfected, with extraordinary control, forming a lightning domain.

"Hss, I've run into a master." The son of Wu Hou's eyes cleared instantly, reason returning.

On the other ship, Ji An, the Wen Ce Bo, also muttered in astonishment: "Whose subordinate is this? So fierce? Hmm? Just a sixth-rank official—where did such a powerful figure emerge from in the Zixiao Archipelago?"

A sixth-rank official wielding a high-grade perfected art and dual domains? This was extremely rare—especially outside the military.

Zhao Xing paid them no mind, simply holding both ships in place, waiting for the Tianjing Island Inspection Office to arrive.

The Tianjing Island Inspection Office responded swiftly; Zhao Xing had barely finished his art when they arrived.

A patrol team arrived on a flying skiff, hovering above the two warships.

Liang Hongyu, the fifth-rank inspector, was also taken aback by the scene.

"What happened?" Liang Hongyu summoned the helmsman for an explanation.

The three crewmen who jumped ship belonged respectively to the seven-sail vessel, the Mingyue vessel, and the Yunyu vessel.

After Liang Hongyu asked, she quickly learned the full story.

Liang Hongyu activated her Mingguang Armor and flew to Zhao Xing's side, bowing slightly, her voice crisp: "Thank you, my lord, for maintaining order. May I ask your esteemed name?"

She was a fifth-rank official; Zhao Xing was sixth-rank. Yet Liang Hongyu was exceedingly courteous, for Zhao Xing's strength surpassed that of most fifth-rank officials—could he possibly be an ordinary sixth-rank official?

"Zhao Xing, Chief of the Twin Dragon-Horse Supervisory Office."

"Chief of the Ministry of Agriculture?" Liang Hongyu was startled: "Please, Lord Zhao, dismiss the magical domain over the seven-sail warship."

"Of course." Zhao Xing waved his hand, and the magical domain over the seven-sail vessel vanished instantly.

"Detain everyone on this vessel except the mechanism masters controlling the ship—take them back for questioning!"

Though a female inspector, Liang Hongyu acted decisively; once guilt was confirmed, she immediately ordered arrests.

"You bastard, my father is..."

"Shut up!" Liang Hongyu snapped. "Did your vessel illegally convert into a warship? Is your father a duke or a prince? Arrest him!"

The son of Wu Hou was shackled, and the warship was towed to an outer islet for anchorage.

Ji An aboard the Mingyue luxury vessel was also to be taken away, but his ship was damaged and could not move yet—he must wait for the Tianjing Island Heavenly Craft Office to repair it.

Zhao Xing saw that their prolonged blockage was becoming intolerable; people behind them were already cursing!

So he whispered to Liang Hongyu: "Lord Liang, why not let me take both the people and the ships to the island together?"

Liang Hongyu hesitated: "Lord Zhao, it's still another hour and a half to the island... wouldn't it be better if I guided the vessel down here?"

She doubted whether Zhao Xing could sustain this for so long.

Zhao Xing said: "No need for such trouble. After you guide the Yun Dao, you'll still need to adjust the island's entry array—that will waste more time. Don't worry—I won't let them crash."

Liang Hongyu's eyes flickered with surprise, and she immediately bowed: "Then I am deeply indebted to Lord Zhao."

Thus, Zhao Xing controlled the damaged luxury vessel and flew it forward as one.

This sight drew many gazes—few could support a fifth-rank luxury vessel aloft using storm wind magical domains.

After reaching the island, they flew low for another hour and a half, arriving at the Tianjing Island Luxury Vessel Office.

Zhao Xing had planned to leave, but then Ji An, still in chains, insisted on coming over to greet him.

He was escorted by Liang Hongyu and bowed: "Ji An, courtesy name Mingzhi, County Magistrate of Kaiyang on the Seven Stars Island. Thank you, Lord Zhao, for your intervention."

The Seven Stars Island is a medium-sized isle, formed by seven linked islands, each hosting one county.

As for why the county magistrate led the delegation instead of the Dragon-Horse Supervisory Office's chief, it's because conditions vary across islands.

In some counties, magistrates are powerful enough that the Dragon-Horse Supervisory Office must obey their orders—even the Left Deputy Chief is often concurrently held by the magistrate.

"Zhao Xing, courtesy name Chen'an, Chief of the Twin County Dragon-Horse Supervisory Office." Zhao Xing returned the bow. "I merely acted on impulse, Brother Ji—you should control your temper better."

Ji An laughed: "You're right, Lord Zhao. Where will you be staying on the island? After I pay my fine, I'll come to personally thank you."

Zhao Xing glanced at Tao Anchun, who looked uneasy and whispered: "My lord, our Twin Island hasn't competed in the arena for many years. This quota was specially granted—Tianjing Island didn't arrange lodging in advance. We must find our own accommodation..."

Zhao Xing nodded and said to Ji An: "Forgive me, Brother Ji—we haven't secured lodging yet."

Ji An was surprised. Such a powerful supervisory official shouldn't be without lodging—why hadn't Tianjing Island assigned him quarters?

Strange as it was, Ji An still refused to abandon his gratitude: "If Lord Zhao doesn't mind, my Seven Stars Island has a dedicated pavilion—I can arrange lodging for you."

Zhao Xing considered, then said: "Very well, then I'm in your debt."

"Hahahaha! First time I've welcomed guests in chains—don't mind me, Lord Zhao." Ji An's laugh was hearty. "Lord Zhao, wait here—I'll be right back."

Ji An then descended the ship with Liang Hongyu.

"My lord, this man is quite generous. The Seven Stars Island is medium-sized—we won't need to rent lodging." Tao Anchun watched Ji An's retreating figure and smiled.

The government-run post stations were already full; to find lodging, one had to pay rent oneself or simply buy a plot of land.

On Tianjing Island, every inch of land was worth its weight in gold; at this time, whether buying or renting, it was a considerable expense.

The Seven Stars Island had not missed a single preliminary round in decades, so naturally it had its own residence on the island and did not need to squeeze in with others.

It turned out exactly as Tao Anchun had guessed: when Huang Jian returned after paying his fine, Zhao Xing spoke with him and learned that Huang Jian had bought a manor in Tianjing City, and it was quite large, covering a full thousand mu.

"A thousand mu? Brother Huang is truly extravagant," Tao Anchun beside him could not help but exclaim.

"Haha, actually I just benefited from the former county magistrate," Huang Jian said with a smile. "Before I took office, the Kaiyang County had long ago established public property here."

"Brother Huang is truly lucky," Zhao Xing remarked. "To encounter such a good thing; my former Supervising Commissioner left us nothing at all."

Huang Jian waved his hand and said, "It has nothing to do with luck; the former county magistrate of Kaiyang County was my own elder brother."

Tao Anchun: "..."

Damn, there really are connections everywhere.

Zhao Xing was used to it; he himself was also a connected person.

In fact, in the East Sea Archipelago, this situation was not uncommon: grandfather served as county magistrate, then the son, then the grandson after the son.

Because many islands in the East Sea implemented a system similar to the Tusi chieftaincy.

The woman Long Xiao pursued, Bai Ling, had a grandfather, Bai Yunwu, who was one of the largest Tusi chieftains in the East Sea.

Of course, Huang Jian was not in this situation; he was neither a mixed-blood nor a Water Clan member, but purely a result of official maneuvering.

"It has been hard to get by in recent years," Huang Jian suddenly sighed as they chatted.

"What does Brother Huang mean by that?" Zhao Xing prompted.

"Once the Great War against the Barbarians began, policies across the East Sea tightened increasingly; in past years, I would just maneuver a bit, skip the preliminary round entirely, and directly secure a group stage spot in the western Zixiao region."

"Now that fighting has started, even the preliminary round must be contested," Huang Jian said. "Especially since Liang Wang took power, he has exploited the East Sea excessively; previously, when my brother served as magistrate in Kaiyang County, we only needed to raise ten Grade Five War Beasts every three years; now, we must raise fifteen every single year!"

"If we fail to complete it in a year, we must reduce our scale; not only will human salaries be cut, but the feed for the beasts will also be halved."

"If this war drags on for another ten years, I fear I won't even be able to afford to hire Riders or Beast Keepers," Huang Jian sighed.

"Isn't Brother Huang himself a Rider?"

Huang Jian paused in surprise and retorted, "How so? Is Brother Zhao himself a Rider?"

Zhao Xing nodded: "I am indeed a Rider myself."

Tao Anchun asked in confusion, "Is hiring Riders that common?"

Huang Jian nodded and said, "Of course; the Dragon Horse Bureau only raises them; Beast Masters are hired separately as experts. One cannot rely on the Farmers of the Chenghua Bureau to take the field, can they? The Farmers of the Chenghua Bureau are all useless; they can only add some festivity during sacrifices."

Dong Yuanqiu felt somewhat embarrassed, for he was the Vice Commissioner of the Chenghua Bureau.

Huang Jian also found it strange, for he noticed that although Zhao Xing's strength was good, the people under him seemed unfamiliar with these rules and market conditions.

They clearly did not look like a strong team.

Elder Zhao, of course, understood these matters: "Some teams not only hire Riders but also recruit veterinarians, farmers, dancers, musicians, priests, and martial artists at great expense."

Tao Anchun asked in surprise, "You need to hire so many people?"

"Of course," Huang Jian said. "For example, the medical officers and farmers of the Sub-Longdao only recruit military doctors, military farmers, or medical scholars who have retired from the army or from Daoist academies."

"The War Beast competitions are extremely fierce and last a long time; if a beast is injured today, it must fight again tomorrow. Only military doctors can restore a War Beast's combat power in such a short time."

"Military farmers are the same; War Beasts must adapt to different weather and terrain for battle, because the ultimate goal of the Ten Thousand Beasts Competition is to enter the Dragon Court Ancient Land."

"The environment there is even more complex, and survival is even harder."

"Therefore, the training intensity for War Beasts is very high; today the training environment might require Great Cold, and tomorrow it might require Great Heat."

"How could ordinary civilian farmers possess such skills? Even if they could reverse the seasonal qi, they could not sustain it for very long."

"Then there is food; meat-eaters are one thing, but for vegetarian War Beasts, their nutritional balance must be carefully selected."

"Herbivorous Strange Beasts are usually enormous in size, requiring massive amounts of high-quality fodder."

"To be self-sufficient, planting speed and scale must be increased; furthermore, some precious plants cannot be raised by ordinary farmers."

Dong Yuanqiu, Tao Anchun, Cao Jiang, and others listened and could not help but sigh, never expecting there to be so many intricacies involved.

It seemed the failure of the previous Supervising Commissioner was not due to bad luck.

Zhao Xing continued Huang Jian's point: "Besides military doctors and military farmers, large islands also recruit musicians and dancers to play music to soothe the War Beasts' emotions and perform dances to stimulate their fighting spirit, while martial artists and priests serve as sparring partners."

"Beast Masters may appear glorious during the competition, but in reality, this is not the achievement of one person; every formidable Beast Master has a powerful logistics team behind them, silently putting in immense effort."

Huang Jian said, "Yes, ten years ago, our Seven Stars Island recruited a Grade Five farmer from the Benwo Sect from the Shangluo Academy; thanks to him, we were able to maintain the 【Intermediate Island】 standard of Seven Stars Island."

"Brother Zhao, your Twin Bureau has neither hired a Rider, so are you personally responsible for the Divine Feeding Office duties?"

Zhao Xing shook his head and said, "No, my lord Tao is responsible."

Tao Anchun felt somewhat ashamed; he was indeed in charge of the Divine Feeding Office, but in reality, the cultivation of many precious plants was handled by Zhao Xing.

As for the Mountain Cat, Tiger Dragon, and Green Phoenix, he had not raised even a fraction of them.

It could be said that Zhao Xing single-handedly brought the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau to the preliminary round, and the upcoming battles on the arena would still depend on Zhao Xing and his War Beasts.

Furthermore, the Twin Bureau did not even have a decent veterinarian; the physician brought this time, Wen Mukin, was merely a part-time veterinarian!

After chatting for a while longer, all the officials of the Twin Bureau appeared somewhat dispirited.

The excitement of participating had not even begun before it already faded.

Because compared to Huang Jian's setup, their side, aside from Zhao Xing, had nothing worth mentioning.

It could even be said to be pitifully weak.

Huang Jian seemed to notice the predicament of the Twin Dragon Horse Bureau and did not mention it further.

The floating ship calmed for a moment; Huang Jian pointed ahead and said, "Brother Zhao, ahead is Tianjing City; fly southwest to the foot of Jian Nan Mountain, and that is my Kaiyang Hall."

"Good."

The floating ship landed at the Kaiyang Hall within Tianjing City.

Kaiyang Hall covers a thousand mu, with four manors clustered around it, all belonging to Starfall Island.

Inside the manors are artificial lakes, convenient for water-type battle beasts to move about.

The buildings gradually grew taller; Zhao Xing locked the Tiger-Jiao and the Green Phoenix into the Tuquan Palace here, to live alongside the strange beasts of Kaiyang County, while the Mountain Cat stayed with him in a side room.

They arrived on the second day of the twelfth month; the competition opens on the fourth day of the twelfth month.

With two days remaining, Zhao Xing did not go out to wander, staying instead at Kaiyang Manor.

The theme of the preliminary round is 'Winter', lasting a full month.

The competition format has multiple parts; it is not purely fighting.

"From the fourth to the eleventh of the twelfth month, these seven days are the 'Flag Capture Contest'."

"Three hundred and fifty thousand strange beasts will leave the arena area to seize ten thousand flags on the island."

"Capturing one flag allows passage to the next stage."

"The Flag Capture Contest ends on the eleventh; the very next day begins the 'Survival Contest'."

"A Third Rank Minister of Agriculture will intervene, stirring up the heavenly timing and earthly advantages of Tianjing Island."

"This continues for seven days; during this period, all things on the island wither into desolation. Except for areas of human activity, no supplies can be obtained elsewhere; only a few locations store food provisions."

"Under such harsh conditions, primordial energy is consumed immensely, and one must also face attacks from competitors; enduring seven days is already difficult."

"However, if one feels unable to endure, the Rider may recall the battle beast and return to the arena."

"The Survival Contest ends on the eighteenth; on the nineteenth, the 'Ice-Bound Training' immediately begins. The arena is underwater, starting from the northern outer sea of Tianjing Island, then swimming east, south, and west around the island to return to the starting point."

"It lasts ten days; immediately after ten days, the aerial grand melee commences."

"Strange beasts cannot land; they must fight continuously in the air. This is another contest testing endurance and combat power."

"Finally, only the top three thousand are considered to have passed the preliminary round."

"Sigh." Zhao Xing looked at the competition format and could not help but sigh.

The elimination rate is truly high.

Three hundred and fifty thousand strange beasts; ultimately, only three thousand pass the preliminaries.

The preliminary round is already a hundred-to-one selection, yet these participating strange beasts had previously undergone a round of screening by the 【Divine Selection Office】.

"Aotian, will your small frame be able to endure?" Zhao Xing looked at the Mountain Cat gnawing on a fish and could not help but worry.

"Meow~" Sensing its master's emotion, the Mountain Cat put down the fish, walked over, and rubbed against Zhao Xing's shoulder.

"Good, I believe in you." Zhao Xing smiled, "But if you cannot endure, you must obey my command and run back, do you hear?"

"Meow~"

Tianjing City, Dragon-Lion Hall. This is the base of Dragon-Lion Island, the largest island in the western Purple Void Archipelago.

At this moment, Tong Wanyang, the Director of the Dragon-Horse Bureau, was chatting with his adjutant, Yu Pengcheng.

"The top ten islands from last time are all hiding their strength this time, not sending out any formidable battle beasts," Yu Pengcheng analyzed. "Although all are Fourth Rank, there are only four Divine Bloodlines, all at Divine Level, stages one to three."

"First, the Four-Rank Early Stage, Divine Level Stage One Bloodline, Imperial Crocodile, sent by Nine-Dragon Bay."

"Second, the Four-Rank Mid Stage, Divine Level Stage One Bloodline, Spirit-Horned Gui, sent by Dragon Spring Island."

"Third, the Four-Rank Mid Stage, Divine Level Stage Two Bloodline, Frost-Howling Giant Bear, sent by Bear Island."

"Fourth, the Four-Rank Mid Stage, Divine Level Stage Three Bloodline, Vengeful Soul Dragon, sent by Heart-Rock Island."

Tong Wanyang flipped through the list, smiled, and tossed it aside: "It seems everyone wants to develop peacefully this time, too afraid to fight as fiercely as before."

Yu Pengcheng said, "Yes, it is said that next year the Great Campaign against the Barbarians will enter the Middle Grade phase; by then, who knows how many battle beasts will be requisitioned. Everyone will have to tighten their belts."

In this current period, the Ten Thousand Beasts Competition must take a back seat; everything prioritizes the Great Campaign against the Barbarians.

At least, this is the case in Haizhou and the Eastern Sea.

Under these special circumstances, each island is intentionally reducing internal attrition during the preliminaries and group stages.

This is to avoid failing the tasks assigned from above and being unable to deliver so many battle beasts to the army.

"Has Wang Xuanyi arrived in Tianjing City?" Tong Wanyang asked.

"He has arrived." Yu Pengcheng nodded, "I was just planning to go pay my respects."

"And to sound out the situation," Tong Wanyang pondered, "asking what the situation will be like next year."

"Oh, right." Tong Wanyang suddenly remembered something, "I recall the supplies for the Twin Dragon-Horse Bureau were approved by Wang Xuanyi. You should also inquire and see what relationship Wang Xuanyi and Zhao Xing have."

"I heard that this Marquis Yuanrang offended Liang Wang and was exiled here; there is no reason he should be valued by Wang Xuanyi. Besides Princess Youruo, is there another reason?"

"I will go inquire."

Tianjing City, the Grand Agriculture Vice-Minister of Chongming Prefecture, Wang Xuanyi, descended into the prefectural government office.

"Your subordinate, Yu Hong, pays respects to my lord Wang."

"Hmm." Wang Xuanyi nodded, "Are all preparations for this preliminary round in order?"

"My lord, the islands have been sealed, and the four rounds of obstacles are all prepared."

"The four armies of the Eastern Sea Legion, totaling one hundred and twenty thousand men, are on standby both inside and outside the islands," Yu Hong said respectfully.

"What is the situation regarding the participants?"

"The actual number of attendees and battle beasts is one thousand two hundred and forty-six fewer than the preliminary registration list; the number of battle beasts is also seven thousand eight hundred and forty-six fewer."

Wang Xuanyi nodded, entered the main hall, and took his seat.

"Vroom~" Above the main hall, blocks of ground-mirrors descended, monitoring the internal and external movements on Tianjing Island.

At the same time, a leaderboard ranking appeared beside them, though it was not yet activated.

Wang Xuanyi glanced over, scanning the entire list of participants.

Subsequently, his gaze lingered on the entry for Zhao Xing of the Twin Dragon-Horse Bureau.

"They've arrived in the first year? A Tiger-Drake and a Green Phoenix, plus a mountain cat... I wonder if they can pass the first trial." Wang Wang Xuanyi thought, then quickly dismissed the matter.

December 2nd, evening.

Zhao Xing sat by the lake, watching the Green Phoenix and the Tiger-Drake play in the water.

The mountain cat squatted quietly beside them; seeing Zhao Xing sitting cross-legged, it even sat up and meditated in a human-like manner.

It mimicked Zhao Xing's inhalation and exhalation, but before long, the mountain cat's eyelids began to droop, growing drowsy.

"Huh, this cat of yours..." Huang Jian walked over, looking at the mountain cat in surprise, "It's actually so spiritual?"

"Get up, a cat should act like a cat." Zhao Xing patted Aotian.

"Ah-ho~" The mountain cat yawned and opened its eyes.

"Brother Huang, why aren't you sleeping yet?"

"Just came out for a walk." Huang Jian smiled. "Brother Zhao, you're bringing only two pet beasts to compete?"

"Three."

"It's competing too?" Huang Jian pointed at the mountain cat.

"Yes, let it see the world."

Huang Jian curiously sized up the mountain cat: "Can it make it? Isn't this just a mountain cat of ordinary bloodline? How can it withstand four trials?"

"Meow!" Aotian stood upright on its hind legs and swiped a lightning bolt at Huang Jian with its paw.

"Zzzzt~" Huang Jian's hair instantly stood on end.

"Aotian, what are you doing!" Zhao Xing was startled and hurried over to help Huang Jian up. "Old friend, are you alright?"

"N-no, I'm fine... cough, cough." Huang Jian was a Fifth-Rank official; he never expected to be zapped down by a mountain cat.

He got up, his eyes shining as he looked at the mountain cat: "Brother Zhao, is your cat for sale?"

Zhao Xing shook his head with a smile.

"I'll pay a huge price!" Huang Jian declared.

"I won't sell, no matter the price."

"You won't even ask how much I'm offering?"

Zhao Xing smiled: "Even if I were selling, Brother Huang, you wouldn't dare accept. It has a father; are you afraid a Sword Immortal might come chasing after you to chop you down later?"

Huang Jian looked utterly confused, not knowing what nonsense Zhao Xing was spouting, and simply assumed he refused to sell.

December 4th, early morning.

Inside the Kaiyang Hall, many people had gathered, mainly from the other six counties on Seven Stars Island.

However, no one noticed Zhao Xing, a mere Sixth-Rank Agricultural Officer.

As soon as they arrived, they began discussing strategy with Huang Jian.

After two hours of deliberation.

Huang Jian brought up an unrelated topic: "Brothers, on my way here, I got into a conflict with someone, but fortunately, I was assisted by Zhao Xing, the Director of the Dragon-Horse Bureau on Twin Stars Island."

"He only has three pet beasts, all Fifth-Rank, but his staff is newly formed, with hardly any competent logistics personnel."

"I wish to invite him into our Seven Stars Island team to share intelligence and medical resources, as a way to repay his personal favor. What do you all think?"

"Agreed."

"I have no problem."

One young man frowned. "Brother Huang, if you wish to repay a favor, why do it now? He is merely a Sixth-Rank Agricultural Officer with only three beasts. Even if your Dragon Pet helps him pass one trial, can it possibly escort him all the way through?"

"By doing this, you aren't helping him; you are harming him."

"Brother Gu." Huang Jian looked at Gu Yi, the Magistrate of Yaoguang County, beside him, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Does Brother Gu disagree?"

Gu Yi said, "I do not approve of you doing this."

"I also think Brother Gu makes a valid point," another Fifth-Rank official said. "We are not familiar with him. If we let our pet beasts act together with his, it would cause many inconveniences."

"Very well," Huang Jian said. "I was not thoughtful enough. Then I will not share intelligence, but I will share my own medical personnel with him."

Huang Jian also knew they feared Zhao Xing would become a burden if they acted together, and they were also afraid of exposing the weaknesses of their pet beasts; in truth, this was their greatest concern.

December 4th, the first quarter of the Mao hour.

Zhao Xing walked out of the Kaiyang Hall.

At the same time, Huang Jian, Gu Yi, and other magistrates and agricultural officers from Seven Stars Island, totaling fourteen Fifth-Rank officials and forty-eight Sixth-Rank officials, along with one hundred and eighty-two pet beasts, had also gathered outside the venue.

As a medium-sized island, the strength of Huang Jian and the others could not be underestimated; of these one hundred and eighty-two pet beasts, fully half were Fifth-Rank combat beasts.

"Brother Zhao." Huang Jian walked over, looking ashamed. "Originally, I wished to invite Brother Zhao's combat pets to join us, but this time it is not just my county acting alone. Please forgive me for being unable to invite you to travel with us."

"It is no trouble," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "I was the one who intruded. Brother Huang, please proceed with your arrangements."

"If your pet beasts are injured and lack medical personnel, be sure to notify me," Huang Jian said.

"Good." Zhao Xing nodded.

After the two met, Zhao Xing returned to his lodging, closed his eyes, and summoned the Tiger-Drake and the Green Phoenix.

"Aaaah~" "Squeee~"

The Tiger-Drake and the Green Phoenix immediately flew back from the lakeside, landing before Zhao Xing.

"Aotian, go up."

"Meow~" The mountain cat immediately jumped onto the Green Phoenix's back.

Zhao Xing instructed Tao Anchun: "My Lord Tao, My Lord Cao, keep an eye on the Earth Mirror. If any emergency arises, notify me immediately."

"Yes, My Lord, rest assured."

"Master Wen, please go prepare the medicine. If you don't have enough or are missing anything, tell me immediately."

"Yes."

Tao Anchun and the others immediately began attending to their respective tasks.

Zhao Xing closed his eyes and began the 'Soul Bond Connection'.

When he opened his eyes again, three perspectives appeared before him.

One was the mountain cat, the other two, the blue phoenix and the tiger crocodile.

"Huu~"

The blue phoenix and the tiger crocodile, carrying the mountain cat on their backs, shot upward into the sky.

According to the rules, they must leave Huicheng before Mao Shi San Ke, and within seven days claim three flags to qualify for the next trial.

December 4th, Mao Shi San Ke.

Countless beast-creatures flew out from Tianjing City, which faced south with its back to the north.

After leaving the barrier, the beast-creatures flew toward the east, west, and south of Tianjing Island.

Ten thousand flags were scattered across the island.

Whoever claimed even one flag could pass.

"Roar!"

Just as they flew out of the eastern gate, Zhao Xing saw a massive head emerge on the city wall, a thousand meters west of Tianjing City's eastern gate.

"Emperor Crocodile, divine-bloodline beast—this aura, surely a Rank Four Emperor Crocodile."

Zhao Xing commanded the blue phoenix to turn back and glance; the colossal Emperor Crocodile stretched a thousand meters in length, its spine lined with spines, dark-gold sacred patterns swirling across its body.

"Nine Emperor Crocodiles total, lying sprawled beyond the eastern wall." Zhao Xing thought. "Looks like these Emperor Crocodiles have no intention of searching for flags."

Seven days to find the flags—and only if they bring them back into the city do they count.

The Emperor Crocodiles' strength towers above all others—why bother searching?

Just block the entrance to the city and wait for the lesser creatures to retrieve the flags, then take them.

"Roar!"

Roars echoed from the west, south, and north.

Shadowy forms loomed above each city gate.

Zhao Xing saw the spectral image of a Wrath Dragon, its massive body coiling and dancing in the sky.

And a Frost Howl Giant Bear, wielding a colossal spiked club, clad in armor, guarding the southern gate.

"That means, to enter the city, we'll need an extra flag." Zhao Xing thought. "Otherwise, we can't get in at all."

Divine-bloodline Rank Four beast-creatures stand above all—they have no need to compete.

They all belong to the top ten factions of the west; they can claim as many flags as they wish.

Of course, not many from the top ten factions came this time—feeding the top ten doesn't require many slots.

Roughly a thousand flags should suffice.

If luck holds, perhaps these factions are already full—and we won't meet the gate guards on our return.

"Aotian, we…" Zhao Xing was about to instruct Aotian when, through the blue phoenix's vision, he suddenly spotted a flag embroidered with a golden dragon emerging from the sea, stuck in a pile of rubble at the bottom of a valley.

"My luck… we've only flown ten li out of the city, and I've already found a flag?"

Zhao Xing immediately ordered the blue phoenix to descend and retrieve the flag.

The rider serves as a guide; without a rider, the beast-creature cannot perform complex actions on its own.

If Zhao Xing told the mountain cat to find the flag, without using the Soul Bond Connection to continuously guide it,

the mountain cat might get lost after leaving the city.

Find flags? What even are flags? Can you eat them?

The blue phoenix and tiger crocodile are the same—they might understand "flag" this time, but next time they're told to find something else, they'll be just as confused.

"Lii~"

As the blue phoenix descended, a sound came from the left.

Through the blue phoenix's pupil, Zhao Xing saw a flash of gold—suddenly overtaking the blue phoenix's descent speed.

"Rank Five golden falcon? That speed is too fast—blue phoenix, pull back, don't chase."

Zhao Xing could only watch helplessly as the flag below was snatched away by a streak of gold.

In speed, the golden falcon has almost no equal among Rank Five beasts.

Of course, its stamina is a major issue—it can fly at most one hour before needing to rest and eat.

The blue phoenix can sustain full-speed flight for over six hours.

"Miao?" The mountain cat looked puzzled.

"We can't catch it." Zhao Xing's voice echoed in the mountain cat's mind.

"Miao!" The mountain cat protested—it's only because you didn't call me earlier!

Zhao Xing ignored the mountain cat and ordered the blue phoenix and tiger crocodile to avoid areas thick with beasts, circling high above.

Bird-beasts have the advantage of flying high and seeing far; the tiger crocodile can fly too, but now it serves only as a guardian, for its vision is poor.

From the blue phoenix's altitude, the tiger crocodile saw only a blur below.

Three hundred fifty thousand battle-beasts had been densely packed as they flew out of Tianjing City.

The moment they emerged, battles erupted in many places.

The blue phoenix immediately climbed higher, avoiding the chaotic fights.

Yet the sky still teemed with flying battle-beasts.

But a trio of Rank Five beasts, especially one with a cat standing atop the blue phoenix, were rarely dared to be challenged.

No matter how you look at it, it's strange; since it's strange, out of caution, no one takes the initiative to provoke.

If they run into a flag, that's another matter.

"Found another flag! One, two, three, four—four Golden Dragon Leaping from the Sea flags!" Zhao Xing's luck was simply too good; after flying for two quarters of an hour, he spotted flags again, this time a full four of them, planted in a pond below.

"Descend!" Zhao Xing immediately ordered the Green Phoenix and the Tiger-Jiao to land.

Whoosh~

The Green Phoenix and the Tiger-Jiao, wrapped in vortex winds, plunged from the sky; surrounding sixth-grade strange beasts all made way.

"There's a flag, charge!" Inside a venue in Tianjing City, a Beast Tamer named Huang Biao, who was riding four fifth-grade Golden-Winged Lions, spotted the flags in the pond at the same time as Zhao Xing.

He immediately gave orders to the Golden-Winged Lions, while simultaneously observing the competitors around him.

"The Green Phoenix's secret techniques are Frost Assault, Cold Feather Thrust, Ice Wall, Ice Cone Impact, and Frost Mist."

"The Tiger-Jiao's secret techniques include Emptying the Sea Realm, Tiger Roar Dragon Cry, Jiao Dragon Bite, and Reverse Scale Exploding Origin Art."

Beast Tamer Huang Biao stared tightly at Zhao Xing's combination over there.

"Hmm? Why is there a cat too?"

"What were the Mountain Cat's secret techniques again?"

Huang Biao immediately fell into deep thought.

Whether on the arena or the battlefield, combat beasts like the Mountain Cat were truly uncommon.

Because the vast majority of cats are stubborn types, hard to make them do this or that, let alone train them.

"Something's off; must be on guard."

Huang Biao immediately reduced his speed, having the four Golden-Winged Lions assume a defensive posture while flying.

As it turned out, the Green Phoenix didn't use any secret techniques at all, just plunged straight down.

Then, scooped up the four flags and flew away in a straight line.

"What?" Huang Biao stared at the Green Phoenix's retreating back and couldn't help but freeze.

"This is a master; he actually didn't use any secret techniques at all, deliberately exposing his back to me?"

"Not attacking actually makes it harder for me to respond; such a brilliant tactic, winning without a move! He's mastered the secret techniques perfectly." Huang Biao muttered to himself.

He didn't know, however, that Old Master Zhao simply didn't know these things.

The Green Phoenix and the Tiger-Jiao had only been in his hands for two or three days; he hadn't even mastered guiding the Green Phoenix to cast skills yet; he had come this time just to practice.

As for tactics, that went without saying; Old Master Zhao was just a part-time Beast Tamer, how would he think of such things?

Right now, he could be said to be a pure rookie.

It was entirely Huang Biao overthinking it, fighting wits with thin air.

"Four flags secured." Inside the venue, Zhao Xing smiled. "If it weren't for those Divine Bloodline guardians, I could have had the Tiger-Jiao and the Green Phoenix return to Huicheng right now."

"Not now; still need to find two more."

"Hmm? Seems like someone is following?"

From the Green Phoenix's perception, Zhao Xing discovered someone seemed to be staring at his combat beasts.

Looking back, he found it was still those four Golden-Winged Lions.

"This person is strange; didn't snatch it earlier, I thought he was afraid of me, why chase now?"

"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind; that's not how you play it." Zhao Xing was somewhat puzzled; if you had snatched it at the start, I would have let you.

After all, his luck was good, and it was only the beginning; no need to fight to the death.

"Roar!" The Golden-Winged Lion's roar sounded somewhat frantic.

It was Huang Biao, having observed Zhao Xing's three pets for a while, finally realizing the truth.

"This flying posture; damn it, he's not a master at all, but a total rookie!"

"I was fooled by him!"

Huang Biao cursed furiously.

So embarrassing; if people found out that a top student from Wan Hua Dao Academy like him had been toyed with like this, where would his face go?

"Ao Tian, test these four big cats." Zhao Xing gave the order to the Mountain Cat, then realized his command was too complicated.

What do you mean "test"? The Mountain Cat wondered.

"They're coming to snatch food; beat them up." Zhao Xing issued the command again.

"Meow!!!" The Mountain Cat instantly bristled.

Snatching food? How could that be allowed?!

"Zzzzz~"

In the Mountain Cat's eyes, purple and blue lights flickered.

Purple and blue colors, rings of secret runes, rapidly circled from the head to the tail.

When the light flashed past, the Mountain Cat entered its second form.

Covered in a layer of purple-blue scales, its fangs and claws lengthened; with every breath, Lei Ting and vortex winds flowed around its body.

In an instant, a Mountain Cat with thick limbs, developed muscles, clad in purple-blue battle armor, full of metallic texture, appeared on the Green Phoenix's back.

"Hmm? What secret technique is this?" Huang Biao froze instantly. "A Mountain Cat of the Metal element? No, that's wrong."

In the time it took to be stunned, the Mountain Cat had already vanished from the Green Phoenix's back.

"Pfft~"

Huang Biao felt pain in both ribs, and a sensation of weightlessness came from his mind.

"What?"

Huang Biao was stunned; the view before his eyes spun wildly, and he rapidly approached the ground.

His four Golden-Winged Lions had, in an instant, all entered a paralyzed state, and their wings had all been torn off!

"What on earth is going on? What breed of cat could be this powerful?" Huang Biao was completely stunned.

At first he suspected a master, then he thought it was a novice, but now he saw it was an unparalleled grandmaster!

Both were Fifth Grade, the Golden-Winged Lion was even at the mid-stage of Fifth Grade with a Bloodline of Rank Six, yet it was instantly defeated by a cat?

Not to mention Huang Biao and Zhao Xing were both somewhat surprised now.

"Is Aotian the Mountain Cat too strong, or are those Golden-Winged Lions too weak?"

"Just how high is the combat power of a mountain cat that has consumed countless Lingxiu? This truly touches the blind spot of my knowledge..." Zhao Xing thought silently.

He had never seen such a cat in his past life either; who would use so much Lingxiu to feed a cat? That was far too extravagant.

At the Twin Dragon Horse Stable, Zhao Xing rarely sparred with mountain cats because his clone couldn't win, and his main body had too many things to do.

"Aotian, I seem to have seriously underestimated your combat power," Zhao Xing realized this point.

"Meow~" The mountain cat lay on the back of the Green Phoenix and licked its paw.

Zhao Xing changed his question: "Aotian, when we were leaving the city just now, those big fellows lying on the city wall, were you afraid of them?"

Aotian stood upright, turned his head to look at the city wall, where only the faint shadow of the Imperial Crocodile could be seen now.

A light flared in Aotian's eyes, reflecting the image of the Imperial Crocodile.

His emotions also became excited.

You mean that big fish? Are we going to eat it?

"Eat?"

Zhao Xing, inside the Kaiyang Arena, was instantly shocked.

The mountain cat was not only unafraid, but also wanted to eat the Imperial Crocodile?

"You are so awesome, why look for a flag? Let's go, let's go back to Huicheng and eat fish!"