Starting with the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly: Beast Taming

Chapter 84 Bad News

Inside the cave, the crowd was filled with righteous indignation, their voices echoing against the cold rock walls.

The beast-head chain lured the enemy, and the three fierce soldiers surrounded and killed them. The traps, linked one after another, sent chills down everyone's spine.

Zhu Ran didn't let his emotions get the better of him for long. There were more important things to do at the moment. He suggested, "Let's go back to the entrance first, check on the others, and then decide what to do next."

"Very well." Wei Dan's expression softened, and he murmured, "With the Xuan Yin Myriad Soul Banner dead, the restriction should have been lifted."

"So much time has passed, the guards stationed at the secret realm should have arrived by now. We'll report the intelligence, and the Beast-Head Chain—let it enjoy its freedom for a while longer!"

A short while later, the group arrived at the entrance.

Just as expected, the stone wall that had blocked everyone's retreat disappeared, and the outside air flowed into the cave, thus breaking the predicament.

"Master Zhu!"

Outside the cave, Liang Baizhou sat astride the Black Flame Banana Leaf Fan, floating in mid-air. Sensing a figure moving, he immediately looked down.

"Thank goodness you're all safe and sound!"

With the huge weight lifted from his heart, Liang Baizhou was overjoyed and excitedly asked, "There were guards from the secret realm here, so they went in through another entrance. You didn't run into them?"

"No." Zhu Ran shook her head.

The cave was a maze of passages, filled with a dense, gloomy atmosphere, which restricted visibility in all aspects. We were able to return the way we came thanks to Gui Zizhi's salted soda snails.

"Where are the others?"

"They ran out of the valley, saying they felt uneasy staying here and couldn't even take a nap."

Zhu Ran was about to smile when he sighed at how difficult this journey had been.

Liang Baizhou's expression suddenly turned serious, his brows furrowed, and he spoke softly, "Master Zhu, something seems amiss with the secret realm."

"If multiple people activate the Taiping Stone Pendant in the same location, the pet master with an A-level pet should arrive as soon as possible."

"But until just now, only two ordinary guard teams came. They couldn't open the passage from the outside, but then it suddenly opened. I'm more inclined to believe that you solved the problem at its root."

"Hmm—" Zhu Ran nodded and said, "There are three old guys hiding in the cave, such as this Blood Drum that is frozen in ice. Each one is more difficult to deal with than the last."

"Blood drums beat—goodness gracious."

With just a few words, Liang Baizhou seemed to glimpse a fierce battle, which made him feel restless and he couldn't help but admire it.

"You're Zhu Ran?"

Just then, a series of whooshing sounds filled the air as a hornbill descended from the sky. A burly man lay on its back and asked in a serious voice.

"Yes."

Zhu Ran's attention was drawn to the man, and the others followed suit, looking at the burly man.

"And you are Qin Taozhi?"

The burly man's large, bell-like eyes moved to the woman with black hair and purple eyes, seemingly comparing her to an object like a photograph in his hand.

"What is it?"

In response, Qin Taozhi slightly raised her eyes, a faint, eerie light flickering in her purple pupils, waiting for the other party to continue.

"What I am about to say must be kept secret for now, and you must not easily mention it to anyone outside this room."

The burly man took a deep breath, then took out a sound barrier talisman, tore it apart, and used it to shield the surroundings.

Wei Dan, Yuwen Qingtian, Gui Zizhi, and Yin Xiong all changed color simultaneously.

Zhu Ran's eyes flickered. "Okay, I agree."

Qin Tao remained silent, only nodding her chin.

The burly man remained silent for three seconds before speaking again, his voice extremely low and each word heavy: "According to the latest news from the rear, this training exercise has been called off. Once the escort personnel arrive, you will be sent to a hidden base within the secret realm."

"What?"

The crowd was in uproar. They had just escaped the jaws of death and had not yet fully enjoyed the relief of their escape when the news struck them like a blow to the head, leaving them dizzy and disoriented.

Why?

Qin Tao asked coldly.

The training program was halted, and similar incidents have occurred before in the hundreds of years of development of Zhongdu University.

But she didn't understand why, if they had stopped, they weren't being sent out of the secret realm, but rather to a so-called hidden base.

"Ugh."

The burly man sighed heavily: "The passage connecting the secret realm to the outside world is currently closed. We—we cannot open it."

With just one sentence, everyone was shocked.

"Senior, what does this mean? What does 'cannot be opened' mean?"

"Am I hallucinating? Is someone telling me there's no way home?"

"Quiet!"

The burly man glared at Wei Dan and Yuwen Qingtian, his burning gaze fixed on the others: "This is something we can't understand either."

"But the facts are clear, there are no lies. All we can do is abandon wishful thinking and find a way to break the deadlock as soon as possible."

As he spoke, his gaze locked onto the owner of those purple eyes: "Qin Taozhi, you are a descendant of the Qin family, inheriting their mantle. We need your help!"

His gaze swept around before settling on Zhu Ran's face. The burly man continued, "Zhu Ran, I've heard that your contracted pet has recovered its true bloodline form and is suspected to be A-rank. Is this true?"

Zhu Ran suppressed the shock in his heart and nodded in acknowledgment.

The burly man immediately said, "Then would you be willing to help us find out the truth behind this and let everyone return home safely?"

"What do you need me to do, senior?" Zhu Ran asked in return.

"Starting yesterday, people have been activating Taiping stone pendants frequently, at a rate far exceeding previous records."

"Our investigation revealed that there are many unknown areas within the secret territory, and students who enter these areas often face a life-or-death situation."

"Upon further investigation, it was discovered that the culprits were all, without exception, mature A-level military beasts. Even we seasoned battle pet masters would be filled with fear and flee at the mere sight of such extraordinary life forms."

The burly man paused, then sighed helplessly, "We are currently severely understaffed, especially in terms of high-end combat capabilities."

"No one would have imagined that a secret realm that had been thoroughly searched three times was secretly harboring a whole host of monsters."

2

"Therefore, we need your help!"

"Only A-level can withstand A-level; only through your efforts can we save as many students' lives as possible."

Liang Baizhou was speechless.

Wei Dan's eyes were vacant, and his shoulders trembled.

Yuwen Qingtian stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence.

This is insane! The ancient kingdom of war actually hides a large number of mature A-level beings?

Did the words spoken by the Mysterious Yin Ten Thousand Soul Banner come true without a single mistake?

Moreover, they have no way out now. As long as they stay inside the secret realm, they could die at any time.

"Senior, such important news, why not inform others?" Zhu Ran asked.

"Of course we need to notify them, but we can't notify everyone at once, especially those who have already joined us."

A hint of concern flashed in the burly man's large, bell-like eyes. "If I suddenly told you that you might die soon, and that the Taiping Stone Pendant wouldn't be safe either, then we, the guardians of this secret realm who should be your support, would be even more unreliable. Would you feel good about that?"

"Indeed," Zhu Ran said thoughtfully.

"Therefore, the correct approach is to first notify the stronger party, and then seek their help."

"Those who are weaker often have a poorer mentality. We cannot allow them to spread panic, even if the matter is really sensational."

"Our ultimate goal is to address the problem: how to solve it, and how to achieve it. That's the key."

Zhu Ran nodded almost imperceptibly.

He looked at Xuexi, who waved her antennae at him, showing no fear or timidity whatsoever. She was full of fighting spirit and ready for a great battle.

"I was originally a guard, so there's no reason for me to stand aside when something goes wrong in the secret realm."

Qin Tao's tone was calm and even, without any passion; her purple eyes revealed a deep calm and clarity.

The burly man nodded with satisfaction, then heard Zhu Ran say, "I am not a battle pet master, and I am weak in tactical planning and combat details, so there is a possibility that I will hold you back. Please take care of me, seniors."

"It's alright." The burly man understood Zhu Ran's unspoken message: he would do his best, but if he fell short, he hoped for mutual understanding.

Wei Dan and Yuwen Qingtian exchanged a glance. "Can we help? Although we are just apprentice battle pet trainers, we each have two mature B-level pets, which is quite a force to be reckoned with."

"Of course." The burly man laughed loudly. "Believe me, once you survive this ordeal, each of you will soar to great heights. This kind of life-or-death adventure is the most effective way to hone your skills!"

The burly man left temporarily.

He wasn't a big shot guarding the secret realm, just a key member, now working as a "messenger" to notify those who needed priority information.

"Although the situation is critical, acting blindly will not help. You have 12 hours to recover to your best condition, and then I will come to pick you up."

These were the last words the burly man spoke before he left.

Watching the hornbill turn into a black dot on the horizon, Liang Baizhou held his head in his hands, still unable to believe that things had deteriorated to this extent.

"Only four days in, and such a huge thing has happened. The three hundred people from the ancient kingdom who signed up for the army are incredibly lucky."

"Zhu Ran, did you learn in your Institute of Cultivation and Evolution what circumstances a secret realm would close its passage? In the 499 years of the Extraordinary Era, such a thing has happened very rarely, hasn't it?"

"Hey, junior from the War Academy, Master Zhu isn't omniscient. Besides, when it comes to secret realms, shouldn't your War Academy know more? Why are you asking us questions instead?"

With a few words and some lighthearted banter, the tense atmosphere eased slightly.

After a short while, Zhu Ran made contact with the students outside the valley and learned that although two teams of secret realm guards rushed into the cave, they were unable to bring everyone out in time. Zhu Ran then got up and turned back.

"I'll go help and get the missing person out as soon as possible."

"If we die, we should at least see our bones; we shouldn't become food for wild beasts."

Upon hearing this, Qin Taozhi, Gui Zizhi, Yin Xiong, Wei Dan, and Yuwen Qingtian also entered the cave without saying a word.

Liang Baizhou scratched his head, glanced at the group of "old, weak, sick and disabled" outside, and then at the black flame domain temporarily opened by the Black Flame Banana Fan. He wanted to help, but in the end, he decided to do his duty.

Two hours later.

Zhu Ran found the bull rider, who had followed the guard of the secret realm into the cave earlier, only to be struck by the blood-soaked drum and lose his mind for a time.

However, he was lucky enough to only suffer serious injuries and his life was not in danger.

Zhu Ran learned that the swallow rider, the rabbit rider, and several other students who had been separated from the ox rider had all been found.

Just as he was about to leave the cave and find a place to rest, he heard the sound of chains rattling in the darkness, and vaguely saw the outline of a wild beast's head.