Starting with SSS-rank talent, I contracted the Forbidden Ferocity.

Deep within the black mist, those vertical pupils stared unblinkingly at Shen Ye.

cold.

Negative.

Like two cold stars buried in the grave.

The Netherfire Crow landed on Lin Jin's shoulder and let out a soft cry.

It's a warning.

This Shadow Bone Serpent is not weak.

Shen Ye gripped the short knife tightly, the system panel in front of him still flashing.

Shadow Bone Serpent

[Level: Peak Tier 1]

[Potential: Grade A]

[Status: Severely damaged, corroded by pollution, on the verge of spiraling out of control]

[Hidden Bloodline: Netherworld Dragon-Serpent]

[Mythical Evolution Branch: Nine Nether Candle Dragon]

Nine Netherworld Candle Dragon.

These four words alone are enough to make Shen Ye take a risk.

The first tamed beast follows the path of the World-Destroying Nether Phoenix.

If the second one can follow the Nine Nether Candle Dragon route, his beast taming system will be fully formed.

One empty space and one open ground.

One fire, one darkness.

One is the master of killing and conquest, the other is the master of deception and cunning.

Black mist surged.

The Shadow Bone Serpent finally crawled out.

It was nearly seven meters long, entirely black, with scales that resembled exposed bone armor. It had two broken bone horns on its head, and a huge wound torn open on its abdomen, from which black mist continuously seeped.

It was indeed seriously injured.

But that chilling and menacing aura still made the surrounding air feel heavy.

Shen Ye saw that a second fragment of the contaminated core was embedded in the wound on its abdomen.

"So you swallowed a piece."

The Shadow Bone Serpent couldn't understand his words.

Or rather, it can barely understand anything anymore.

Pollution is eroding its sanity.

It opened its mouth, revealing two rows of fine, bony teeth.

hiss!

A dark shadow suddenly shot out.

too fast.

Faster than the Blackrock Wolf King.

Shen Ye almost instinctively turned to the side, the snake's tail brushing against his chest, the strong wind stinging his skin.

boom!

The black stone pillar behind them was snapped off by the snake's tail.

Gravel flew everywhere.

Shen Ye's eyes narrowed.

Peak of Tier 1.

Moreover, it is a ferocious beast that excels at speed and strangulation.

If it hadn't been severely injured, this thing would probably have already reached the edge of the second tier.

The Shadow Bone Serpent missed its attack and instantly disappeared into the black mist.

The next second, the shadow beneath Shen Ye's feet suddenly twisted.

The snake's mouth emerged from the shadows and bit his ankle.

"Shadow abilities?"

Shen Ye remained calm.

The Darkfire Raven was faster than him.

The dark flames fell, forcing the Shadow Bone Serpent to retreat into the black mist.

Shen Ye took the opportunity to retreat, leaning against the black stone pillar.

He didn't rush to kill.

A ferocious beast on the verge of losing control cannot be suppressed solely by innate talent.

Force can bind the body, but it cannot bind the will.

Such tamed beasts will eventually turn on you, or become completely useless.

Shen Ye wanted the Nine Netherworld Candle Dragon.

It's not a mad snake.

The Shadow Bone Serpent slithered through the black mist, and the sound of its scales rubbing against the stone surface could be heard from all directions.

It was waiting for Shen Ye to reveal a weakness.

Shen Ye suddenly spoke:

"I know you're not completely insane yet."

"If you want to live, get out here."

The black fog fell silent for a moment.

Then, his murderous intent intensified.

The Shadow Bone Serpent suddenly rose from the left.

At the same time, the Darkfire Raven launched a Shadow Strike, its sharp claws viciously grabbing at its vital spot.

The Shadow Bone Serpent actually twisted its body in mid-air to avoid a fatal blow, using its bone armor to take the hit head-on.

Sparks flew everywhere.

It opened its mouth and spewed out a cloud of pitch-black poisonous mist.

Shen Ye immediately held his breath and retreated.

The poisonous fog fell to the ground, corroding the black stones and creating fine holes.

"it is good."

Shen Ye's eyes lit up.

fierce.

ruthless.

reluctantly.

I know about the injury replacement.

That's more like the second beast he'd make.

"Netherfire Raven, burns away the pollution, not the body itself."

The Netherfire Raven let out a cry and spread its wings.

The dark flames no longer bombarded the flesh and blood of the Shadow Bone Serpent, but instead coiled around the black mist at its wounds.

hiss!

The Shadow Bone Serpent writhed in agony.

As if sensing a threat, the contaminated core fragments suddenly released a large amount of black mist.

In an instant, the coldness in the snake's eyes was replaced by scarlet.

It went completely berserk.

The enormous serpent's body swept away several stone pillars and lunged at Shen Ye.

Shen Ye had nowhere to avoid it.

He did not back down.

Instead, they charged straight at the snake's head.

"Soul Burning!"

The ghostly light in the eyes of the Netherfire Raven surged.

The Shadow Bone Serpent froze.

Seizing the moment, Shen Ye flipped over and leaped onto the snake's head, gripping its broken horn with his left hand and plunging his right dagger into the edge of its abdominal wound.

It's not about killing it.

Instead, they pried out the core fragments of the pollution.

The Shadow Bone Serpent writhed wildly.

Shen Ye was thrown so hard that his bones almost broke, and his arm was also cut with several wounds by bone spurs.

But he did not let go.

"Get out here!"

With a flick of the short sword.

The second core fragment of the contaminated site was forcibly dug out.

The black mist exploded instantly.

Shen Ye was thrown back and crashed heavily to the ground.

The Shadow Bone Serpent also collapsed, its crimson markings rapidly fading.

It raised its head, and a sliver of clarity returned to its snake-like eyes.

Shen Ye coughed up a mouthful of blood and stood up.

He looked at the Shadow Bone Serpent.

"Now, choose."

"Die here."

"Or come with me."

The Shadow Bone Serpent stared at him.

A few seconds later, it slowly lowered its head.

It is not about submitting to the weak.

It means acknowledging the strong.

Shen Ye raised his hand and activated his talent.

"The Covenant of Ten Thousand Beasts"

Dark gold contract patterns appeared.

The Shadow Bone Serpent did not resist.

As the contract pattern landed between its brows, a cold and immense power surged into Shen Ye's spiritual sea.

Contract successful.

[Second Beast Tamer: Shadow Bone Serpent.]

[Incomplete Netherworld Dragon Serpent bloodline detected within the Shadow Bone Serpent.]

[Mythical evolution branch locked: Nine Netherworld Candle Dragon.]

[First stage evolution: Shadow Bone Serpent → Candlelight Bone Serpent.]

[Required Materials: 2 Contaminated Core Fragments, 10 Shadow-type Beast Cores, 800 Evolution Points]

Shen Ye glanced at the storage bag.

He happened to have a Shadow-type beast core.

Two fragments of the contaminated core have just been retrieved.

We have enough evolution points.

"evolution."

[Materials successfully consumed.]

Evolution begins.

The Shadow Bone Serpent suddenly curled up.

Black mist surged out from the gaps in its scales, only to be gradually pushed back into its body by the dark gold contract patterns.

Its previously ruptured abdominal wound healed rapidly.

The broken bone horn on the top of the head regrew and transformed into two short, jet-black horns.

A ring of pale blue candlelight ignited deep within its pupils.

It's not the kind of fire that burns the soul like the Netherfire Raven.

Rather, it is a more ancient and profound light.

It's like being able to see the road to the underworld.

[Evolution successful.]

The Shadow Bone Serpent evolves into the Candlelight Bone Serpent.

[Level: Early Stage 2]

[Potential: S-rank]

[Skills: Shadowmeld, Bone Prison Strangulation, Candlelight Gaze.]

[Feedback begins.]

boom!

The second contract flowed back into Shen Ye's body.

Blood and qi surged.

His mental strength surged.

His wound stopped bleeding and scabbed over at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The Qi and Blood value climbed steadily from 3.9.

4.3.

4.8.

5.5.

It eventually stopped at 6.2.

His mental strength has even broken through to 39.

Second-order threshold.

Shen Ye clenched his fist, clearly feeling the surging power within his body.

He is now more than just a beast tamer.

He himself also officially possessed second-tier combat power.

The Candle Shadow Bone Serpent coiled around his side, its head bowed.

The Netherfire Crow landed on Lin Jin's shoulder and gave him a cold look.

The Candle Shadow Bone Serpent flicked its tongue, but made no move to provoke.

Shen Ye said calmly:

"From now on, your name will be Zhu Jiu."

A faint blue candlelight flickered in the eyes of the Candle Shadow Bone Serpent.

The Netherfire Crow turned its head to look at Shen Ye.

Shen Ye paused for a moment.

"Your name is Ye Yu."

The Darkfire Raven then withdrew its gaze.

Just then, a muffled tremor suddenly came from the depths of the secret realm.

The black fog receded in a certain direction like a tide.

A system notification sounded.

[Contamination Core Fragment: 2/3]

The location of the third core fragment has been pinpointed.

[Warning: Second-order contaminated life form detected.]

Shen Ye looked towards the end of the black mist.

There, there appears to be a collapsed black altar.

From the direction of the altar came human voices.

"Shen Ye!"

It was Zhou Xuan.

The rescue team has arrived.

Shen Ye's eyes flickered.

He did not respond immediately.

Because another voice also rang out.

Cold, angry, and murderous.

Where is Shen Ye?

"The people of my Zhao family cannot die in vain."

Shen Ye smiled.

The Zhao family arrived very quickly.

Just right.

He also doesn't like to hold grudges overnight.