Starting with the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly: Beast Taming

Chapter 77 The Non-Existent Valley (3000 words, please subscribe!)

"Why does this butterfly seem a bit eerie?"

"Among the personnel list that we reviewed earlier, Group 85 was undoubtedly the most eye-catching. After all, Hua Ji's strength is even more terrifying than ours, the veteran battle pet masters. Her team is destined to attract everyone's attention."

"But isn't Zhu Ran a researcher? Developing an interesting formula and founding a company are certainly achievements, but they're not enough to warrant unconditional praise."

The three guardians of the secret realm were perplexed.

The one riding the ox really wanted to turn back and check carefully to see if the Frost Butterfly still had any bloodline cracks.

"Well, let's focus on the bigger picture. A bunch of hot-blooded young people hanging around together could easily cause trouble."

The one who wanted to ride the ox eventually gave up the idea, while the one who wanted to ride the swallow and the one who wanted to ride the rabbit remained silent and offered their support.

So the only ones truly dumbfounded were the two groups of students who didn't know each other at all.

Nan Yuxuan and Dian Li were secretly pleased. Now they knew why they didn't fight, right? With this guy around, they would only humiliate themselves.

Of course, you guys aren't bad either, seeing through everything in advance. When those who ran away first discover the truth, their expressions will definitely be quite interesting.

Thinking this, Nan Yuxuan and Dian Li exchanged a glance, and the former called out to the red brick rock puppet, which followed behind.

You can give up competing, but you can at least join in the fun, right?

The remaining two teams stood there, stunned.

The two captains looked at their respective guards, who nodded in encouragement and wanted to join in the fun as well.

"Knock knock knock one"

Below the thunderclouds, an electric turtle trotted about, acting like a lightning rod, constantly attracting small lightning bolts to strike.

Standing a body length apart, Zhu Ran, Liang Baizhou, and Qin Taozhi all activated their spirit armor.

"Master Zhu, you're being too reckless! You're actually going straight through the thunderclouds! What if you lose them?"

"The thunderclouds are about to dissipate, and the remaining lightning is perfect for Tun Tun to temper her body."

"Losing them? Impossible. We followed the escape route of the beast-head chain exactly. It was the other teams that took a long detour, which is why they were at risk of losing them."

During casual conversations, Zhu Ran would occasionally pick up some carbonized stones.

The lightning element it contains is equivalent to a low-quality thundercloud stone, but it is still a top-quality food for Tun Tun.

A moment later, Zhu Ran rushed out of the area covered by thunderclouds. Looking back, he saw that the first few teams that rushed out were a thousand or two kilometers behind him, and had fallen behind.

"Zhu Ran?"

The pet trainer was named "Wei Dan," and his mount was "Wind-Riding Eagle." He was skilled in speed and was most proficient in wind magic.

He was determined to obtain the heavily damaged animal head chain.

Suddenly, a figure appeared directly in front of him, and upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Zhu Ran, whom he feared the most.

For a moment, Wei Dan lost his composure and became somewhat anxious.

But the Wind-Riding Eagle suddenly screamed, changing its reckless and explosive momentum, and took the initiative to avoid the large butterfly in front of it.

Even when Wei Dan angrily rebuked it, it refused to obey commands, and fear filled its round pupils.

"Something's wrong. What's going on with that frost butterfly?"

Even the slow-witted Wei Dan finally realized something was wrong at this moment.

The Wind-Riding Eagle wasn't unwilling to get close to Zhu Ran, but rather unwilling to get close to that ice butterfly.

It is a mature B-level creature, a sky overlord who wields the element of wind!

How do you make an ice worm that has evolved incorrectly live in fear and trembling?

"Whoosh!"

Because she had to balance the Steel Giraffe and the Azure Lotus Fairy, Xuexi controlled her strength and flew, revealing only a small part of her true speed through her talent "Windwalker | True Speed".

At the same time, Xuexi also kept Zhu Ran's advice in mind, trying her best to conceal her aura and not to deliberately tease other people's pets.

But even a tiny bit released still startled her; Xi was at her wit's end!

Xuexi could only increase altitude, giving as much airspace as possible to the Wind-Riding Eagle.

The problem is that the Wind-Riding Eagle has gained intelligence. Knowing that the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly is unfathomable, it still dares to fly in front of it? It's already a great show of restraint that it didn't poop in fear!

"What's going on? Why is Wei Dan deliberately lagging behind Zhu Ran, like he's his wingman?"

Students who fall further back don't feel the pressure from those at the front; they can only make vague judgments and guess wildly.

Then, hilarious scenes began to unfold.

The two flying jockeys, who were originally ranked second and third, thought their chance had come because the Wind Chaser slowed down, and they tried their best to catch up.

As a result, as soon as they got close and sensed the faint aura of the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly, the pets became listless. Even the strongest of them became weak and could only obediently fly a few steps behind.

From the perspective of the students behind, it is naturally a flock of geese flying south, with Zhu Ran at the very tip of the V-shape, the leader of the flock.

Everyone else was a member of the group, a member of the public, and they adhered to class order, being extremely obedient.

"When did these people become so polite?"

"What kind of sorcery did Zhu Ran use? Why does everyone revere him?"

Questions, like seeds in moist soil, once sprouted, grow wildly.

But no one forgot that the target was the beast-head chain, and the most urgent task was to locate it.

"In this direction!"

The Wind-Riding Eagle has an extremely sensitive sense of smell. It can tell you exactly what the burnt smell is from the beast-head chain by the wind!

Xuexi tilted her head. "Can't Xi smell it? Xi's antennae are quite remarkable, do I need you to remind me?"

Ahead, a valley suddenly appeared.

The valley is very low, but as you approach the entrance, you feel that it is deep and bottomless. A gloomy airflow flows out from the bottom of the valley, dark and murky like smog, making people unconsciously frown.

"Did the animal-head chain escape here?"

"What's down there? It's a bit creepy, like some kind of graveyard—"

A frost butterfly with broken wings fluttered down and landed at the entrance of the valley. A light frost seeped into the valley, dispelling some of the gloom, but the bottom was still not visible.

Eagles, owls, and rainbow kites—a host of birds circled, hesitating whether to follow and land.

"There's no reason to give up. This might be the lair of the Beast Head Chain. Let's storm in and capture it alive!"

Wei Dan gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

He doesn't expect the Beast Head Chain to be promoted to S-level in the future.

He was willing to pay any price to fight for promotion to Rank A!

There were quite a few people who shared the same goal as him, and they all arrived at the valley, forming a large group of more than twenty people.

While observing the strange sights in the valley, the group also stole glances at Zhu Ran's mount.

Then, only a very few people were able to remain calm, while the rest were visibly horrified.

No blood vessels broken?

Has the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly transformed yet again?

Combined with the aura of birds like the Wind-Riding Eagle, they were subdued by the presence of the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly and relinquished their dominance over the skies.

Some people are already speculating that the Broken-winged Frost Butterfly might be a mature, A-level butterfly. Is that really possible?

"Gentlemen."

Zhu Ran knew he couldn't hide it under everyone's watchful eyes, but he didn't want to waste any more words on Xiao Die Die, so he said directly, "The situation inside the valley is unknown. Please make your decision carefully whether or not to go deeper."

After speaking, Zhu Ran looked at Liang Baizhou and Qin Taozhi.

The two nodded, retrieved the steel giraffe, summoned the Black Flame Banana Leaf Fan, and then ordered the white-bearded goblin to stand on the fan handle, while they themselves also stood on it.

The other remained calm, still riding the Azure Lotus Fairy, but circled a few water snakes, preparing to descend.

"Take the lead."

Zhu Ran smiled, and the broken-winged frost butterfly behind him grabbed him on one hand and the strong frog on the other, and floated into the valley.

The Black Flame Banana Leaf Fan and the Azure Lotus Demon, like left and right arms, followed in sync.

"If it truly is a mature, Grade A being, do we have a chance of competing with Zhu Ran?"

Above the valley, the female business school student spoke, and everyone froze, speechless for a moment.

"We can't just leave it here and give it to him for nothing, can we?"

"Yes, even if the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly is incredibly powerful, as long as we find the Beast-Head Chain first, we still have a chance to form a contract!"

Wei Dan's team had no guards; all three members were battle pet masters.

So they made their first decision, setting aside any distractions, and chased after him into the valley.

"Even without the beast-head chain, this place is so yin-heavy; perhaps it's a blessed land suitable for yin spirits? Or maybe there are other opportunities to fight over!"

Another person rode a pet downhill, accompanied by teammates, watching over each other and relying on one another.

"Why don't you go down and explore first? My pet is rather fragile and not good at this kind of dark environment. I'll stay here and keep watch for you."

A team captain made a suggestion, and his teammates frowned but did not object.

"Strange, did this valley exist before? I have no recollection of it."

The ox rider whispered, his questioning gaze sweeping over the rabbit rider and the swallow rider.

Both of them showed a solemn expression.

The environment of the secret realm is indeed not static, but the sudden appearance of a valley is too strange and too abnormal.

The man riding the swallow thought for a moment, then took out a bucket of fireworks and handed it to the group of students who were preparing to keep watch, saying, "If there is no movement after we go down for an hour, you face east and light the warning fireworks."

"That serious?" the captain asked in surprise. "Why didn't you stop them earlier? They've already gone down."

"Secret realms are inherently unpredictable, and there is no absolute safety. Everyone has to pay the price for their choices; this is part of the experience."

The rabbit rider snorted coldly, "Giving you fireworks is just in case."

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"Besides, everyone has a Taiping stone pendant and other trump cards. Everyone's shrewd, and so are you."

The lookout captain chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head sheepishly.

Indeed, he was rather afraid of death and didn't want to venture into unknown territory.

But if someone takes the lead in eliminating the risks, he wouldn't mind getting a share of the profits.

"Whoosh!"

Those riding swallows, oxen, and rabbits swiftly descend into the valley.

The three figures disappeared.

At the bottom of the valley, around Zhu Ran, strange plants grew intertwined, and the entire forest was filled with thick, eerie energy, so silent it was chilling.

This kind of cold is different from icy cold; it's hard to describe in words, and it's more like an intuition.

This place is dangerous!

We must not be careless just because Xuexi has been promoted to A-level. The Taiping Stone Pendant must be kept in our hands at all times!

"Hiss"

The sound of the giant snake flicking its tongue came, and Xuexi's tentacles twitched as she slashed the Ice Wheel Slash diagonally to the side.

"hiss!"

A large python had just shown its head, only managing to let out a threatening, sharp hiss, before its head separated from its body, the wound clean and quickly covered with frost.

Zhu Ran took a few steps forward, then his pupils contracted.

Behind the giant python, a cave appeared, from which gusts of cold wind wafted out. His vision could not penetrate the thick darkness, as if an unknown threat lurked in the depths of the shadows. The sound of his heart pounding was more suffocating than ever before.