Genius Beast Taming: Starting from Awakening an S-Rank Talent

Zhou Heng calmly swept his gaze over the crowd and, following custom, politely said, "No need for such formalities, everyone."

Zhou Heng did not allow them to revert to their old names, nor did he feign enthusiasm or lower his stance.

Because he knew in his heart that, apart from Li Lang and a few others, the friendship between him and his classmates was far from being enough for them to get along freely and without regard to etiquette.

He deserves the respect and awe that people have for him, given his current status, so there's no need for him to be modest.

If you act coy and hesitant, it will only make you seem hypocritical and pretentious.

Everyone said in unison, "Thank you, Young Alliance Leader."

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, please take your seats!" Zhou Heng nodded slightly in response.

"Yes, ma'am." The crowd responded immediately.

They surrounded Zhou Heng like stars around the moon, leading him to the main seat.

The main seat is placed at the highest point of the banquet hall, with a mural of ink wash landscape painting behind it.

Upon closer inspection, the mountains in the painting are actually sleeping Qilin, the clouds are soaring phoenixes, and the river seems to be churning with divine dragons.

The overall picture is quite peculiar.

This mural is of great significance and has extremely high collection value. It was painted by a disciple of the first leader of the Alliance, Emperor Dawn, thousands of years ago.

Emperor Dawn is a ninth-tier Emperor Beast Tamer, and also the master of Supreme Worry-Free.

Although the painter was not the Supreme Worry-Free, he was, in terms of seniority, the Supreme Worry-Free's junior brother.

In order to display this painting here, a group of sixth-tier commanders and beast tamers from behind the Star-Picking Pavilion went to the Ice Halberd Marquis of Xuanxiao Town yesterday to beg him. They talked themselves hoarse before finally managing to borrow it temporarily from him.

The main seat is three meters long and is covered with a carpet made of the fur of a Dark Soul Panther, a supernatural creature of the superior diamond race.

This blanket has been slightly forged and can be considered a prototype of a treasure. It retains a trace of the Dark Soul Leopard's former aura, and the natural shadow patterns on it seem to still be flowing.

When the Dark Soul Leopard reaches its maximum potential, it can advance to the sixth rank.

This is a treasured possession of one of the shareholders behind Zhaixingge.

In front of the main seat was a table made of cold jade, on which, besides fine wine and delicacies, stood a delicate and exquisite golden incense burner with a lion-shaped pattern.

The incense burning inside the furnace was not ordinary incense, but a special incense made from powdered antlers of the Nine-Colored Jade Deer, a seventh-tier beast of lower-level overlord quality, mixed with various flowers.

Although the antlers of the Nine-Colored Jade Deer can regenerate continuously, it is still a seventh-tier spiritual object, which is extremely valuable to a sixth-tier commander beast tamer.

In theory, any resource that reaches Tier 7 is a priceless treasure that cannot be measured in Alliance Coins.

If you use spirit items below the seventh rank to exchange for one spirit item, you usually need a large number of sixth-rank spirit items to exchange for one seventh-rank spirit item.

To welcome Zhou Heng, the major shareholders behind Zhaixing Pavilion have really gone all out this time.

Zhou Heng looked around at the furnishings in front of him and was fairly satisfied.

Without hesitation, he took the seat of honor in a very imposing manner.

The rest of the people, led by Li Lang, tacitly took their seats on the left and right sides according to their relationship with Zhou Heng, their own strength and background, in an orderly manner.

The owner of Zhaixing Pavilion wanted to go forward and pour wine for Zhou Heng, but was stopped by Tianyin Hou and Qianren Hou, who were standing to the side.

The owner of Zhaixing Pavilion knew that these two were seventh-tier feudal lord beast tamers. With just one glance, they scared away the major shareholders behind Zhaixing Pavilion. Naturally, he did not dare to be presumptuous and could only stand a few meters away with a forced smile.

Zhou Heng said to Marquis Tianyin and Marquis Qianren, "My two junior disciples, please sit down quickly and come sit next to me."

"Thank you, Junior Uncle." Marquis Tianyin and Marquis Qianren immediately sat down next to Zhou Heng.

Zhou Heng then instructed, "Boss Wan, these are my two nephews. You must take good care of them; you'll be the one pouring their drinks!"

The owner of Zhaixing Pavilion bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you so much for your kindness, Young Alliance Leader! It is my honor."

Then, Zhou Heng picked up the jade cup in front of him, looked around, and said a few routine pleasantries to the crowd below.

Finally, he downed the mead in one gulp: "We're all old friends here, so don't be too reserved. Let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest today!"

After saying that, he announced the start of the banquet.

After everyone expressed their gratitude again, they finally picked up their chopsticks.

Elegant music filled the banquet hall at just the right moment, and at the same time, flowing spiritual mist suddenly appeared, transforming into dozens of phantom cranes under the control of the Star-Picking Pavilion staff, emitting clear cries.

There are even depictions of mythical beasts from ancient legends, such as a dragon-horse carrying a map and a divine ape offering fruit.

They are so lifelike, flitting and playing among the guests, which is a delightful experience.

All these arrangements, from the sixth-tier Starry Jade Beast that greets guests to the valuable decorations inside the hall, demonstrate that the Star-Picking Pavilion has used almost all the resources it can mobilize to construct a magnificent hall full of noble charm, in order to show the highest level of courtesy to Zhou Heng.

As a peerless genius who is highly likely to reach the pinnacle in the future, Zhou Heng is worth the effort of the Star-Picking Pavilion.

However, the atmosphere at the beginning of the banquet was not relaxed.

Apart from Li Lang, who remained as usual, eating and drinking as usual, and occasionally exchanging a few words with Zhou Heng, everyone else seemed a bit reserved.

They were somewhat cautious when raising their glasses and using their chopsticks.

After all, the difference between his SSS-level talent and his status as the Alliance's junior leader was like an invisible chasm, making it impossible for them to treat Zhou Heng the same way they would treat an ordinary genius classmate.

After a while, a group of waiters dressed in ancient style and with outstanding appearances lined up to bring various delicacies.

They were all accompanied by some docile, cute, and excellent-looking small beasts, and they all had special spiritual fluctuations, clearly indicating that they were all beast tamers.

These waiters were carefully selected; the male waiters were handsome, and the female waiters were sweet-looking.

Some had a snow-white, fish-ball-sized, second-tier Clear Sound Sparrow perched on their shoulders, while others had a golden-feathered, meter-long, first-tier Treasure-Sniffing Squirrel at their feet…

These tamed beasts have virtually no combat power, but they are quite beautiful to look at.

Suddenly, a sparrow with clear voices flew to Zhou Heng, carrying a wine cup larger than itself, filled with sweet fruit wine.

Qingyin Sparrow skillfully placed the fruit wine on Zhou Heng's table, something it often did in the past; it was part of the service provided by Zhaixing Pavilion.

Just as the Qingyin Sparrow was about to fly away, the Eternal Night Dragon, which had shrunk to the size of a palm, suddenly jumped off Zhou Heng's shoulder.

The Eternal Night Dragon stretched out its claws and grabbed the Qingyin Sparrow, which was only the size of a fish ball, in mid-air.

Zhou Heng immediately spoke up to stop him: "Tyrant, stop right now!"

The Eternal Night Dragon hesitated for a moment, then released its grip.

It did not intend to hunt the Ephemeral Sparrow.

After following Zhou Heng, Zhou Heng told it that unless it encountered a hostile beast tamer, it could not hunt beasts that had been contracted by a beast tamer; it could only hunt extraordinary creatures.

Despite its rebellious nature, the Eternal Night Dragon has always remembered Zhou Heng's words.

It was simply uninterested in human banquets and a bit bored, so it wanted to tease the Qingyin Sparrow and play with it.