Starting with the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly: Beast Taming

Chapter 89 "The Crevice"

When I woke up, there were only 15 minutes left until the agreed 12-hour period ended.

Pull back the tent and retrieve Tun Tun and Haha, who were guarding the gate.

Zhu Ran poked Xue Xi's belly, smiled slightly, and then turned his gaze to another, larger tent.

"—That's roughly the situation. The secret passage has been closed for thirty-six hours. Our people are still working hard to find the root cause of the problem. Please remain calm, students."

"Calm down? How can we calm down? We came here to train, how could something like this happen—"

"Oh no, if the elders in the family hear this, they'll have a heart attack!"

The camp was in an uproar, with countless people pacing back and forth anxiously, arguing and crying all around.

"Has it become public?"

Zhu Ran found Liang Baizhou, who was also in the tent, but he was sitting on the edge, in a seat similar to an observer.

"It can't be hidden anymore."

Liang Baizhou gave a bitter smile. "Although everyone signed an agreement to take responsibility for their own lives, the sudden appearance of a large number of mature A-grade beasts in a training ground that should have been deemed to have relatively low risk is a despair that those of you who control A-grade pets can never truly understand."

"I hope everyone can adjust their mindset as soon as possible and actively face adversity," Zhu Ran said realistically.

After making a contract with the Ancient Magic Mirror, his mindset clearly changed. He was no longer so afraid of the unexpected, but rather eager to try and fight those ferocious beasts.

"You're a top student in the Species Evolution major at the Institute of Cultivation, how did you get assimilated by the people from the War Academy?" Liang Baizhou said, both amused and exasperated.

"There's no other way." Zhu Ran shrugged and smiled. "Instead of wasting time fighting amongst ourselves, we might as well fight back bravely and forge our own path!"

"It's really getting heated," Liang Baizhou murmured.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—

'

A whistling sound came from above, like metal being cut, sharp and piercing.

The burly man reappeared riding a hornbill.

Accompanying him were three other teams stationed in the secret realm, all with stern expressions and a hint of fatigue in their eyes.

"These three teams will escort you to the secret realm's base."

"Once you arrive there, we will provide you with ample food, water, and medicine. With the double protection of the barrier and the secret realm guards, even powerful A-level beasts will have no chance of overtaking you."

The burly man, named Jiang Xiong, after issuing orders on behalf of the high-ranking officials stationed at the secret realm, searched for two figures in the crowd with his large eyes and shouted, "Zhu Ran, Qin Taozhi, you two come with me alone. Let's go immediately!"

Countless eyes suddenly converged on the two of them.

Wei Dan, Yuwen Qingtian, Gui Zizhi, Yin Xiong—Meng Baixuan who was rescued, and the Swallow Rider—whether classmates or seniors, their gazes at this moment were all complex and indescribable.

They will travel to a safe haven to reunite with the remaining survivors and work together to overcome this major crisis.

But at Zhongdu University, a freshman pet trainer and a senior trainer who is in the process of starting his own business are actually going to fight on the front lines in their place.

"Take care, senior!"

"Go, Flower Princess! Don't let the monsters in the secret realm get too cocky!"

"They must all come back alive! No more sacrifices can be made!—"

Some people stopped crying and waved goodbye.

Some people raised their fists in blessing.

Zhu Ran let a touch of warmth flow through his heartstrings.

As he took that step, Xuexi gently fluttered her butterfly wings, and with one hook claw first grabbed the frozen blood drum, followed by the beast-head chain.

The other hook grabbed Zhu Ran, who then tied a rope around his waist, the other end of which was tied to Qin Taozhi.

Whoosh! In an instant, the cold air surged like a rainbow, and the snow rose to the same height as the hornbill.

"Fly in this direction, and talk as you fly."

Jiang Xiong's dark face was devoid of any casualness; his jaw was taut, and every move he made exuded a sense of urgency that left no room for delay.

"Another important intelligence?"

The wind howled in mid-air, and Zhu Ran shouted as he asked.

Jiang Xiong nodded. "Our side has lost one A-grade pet beast, and dozens of ordinary secret realm guards have also perished. The situation is not optimistic."

Zhu Ran's heart sank. His A-rank pet was dead? Was it surrounded, or was it in a one-on-one fight? If it was the latter—

"They were besieged."

Jiang Xiong seemed to sense Zhu Ran's worry and forced a smile: "Don't worry, there are no sighting reports of S-rank mature beings yet, so it's not as hopeless as it seems."

Zhu Ran's tense nerves couldn't relax even a little.

A-level mature beings are comparable to fully-fledged D-level beings. They are extraordinary units capable of transcending major realms and conquering higher realms, and are often the cash cows and guardians of a large family.

The news that a bunch of ancient kingdoms of war have appeared is something that no one would believe for the first time.

But it really happened.

So, out of all the A-ranks, there isn't a single S-rank?

It's worth noting that the Old Mirror had attempted to break through before, but failed.

Among the other individuals, those equally ancient military beasts, were there any who achieved success?

Zhu Ran's face turned pale whenever she thought about this question.

That feeling wasn't fear, but helplessness.

There is a formidable chasm between Grade A and Grade B.

Isn't the same true between Grade A and Grade S? Even more so!

"Originally, the higher-ups planned to send you as support personnel to specifically rescue the remaining students."

"But things happened suddenly. We discovered a 'crack' in the secret realm, where unimaginable spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathered. Countless A-level beasts were drawn in by the sight and rushed into it—"

"Based on on-site survey data, the appearance of the fissure likely coincides with the closing time of the secret realm passage —"

Zhu Ran was astonished. Such a thing was possible? Two major events happening at the same time could not possibly be a mere coincidence!

"Therefore, the higher-ups plan to form a 'super elite team' to investigate deep into the underground fissures—you two have been selected."

As they moved rapidly at high altitude, the wind howled and whipped their battle suits. Jiang Xiong's face was ashen, and his lips were tightly pressed together.

"Why us?" Qin Taozhi suddenly asked.

Zhu Ran was also calculating that the Ancient Kingdom of Soldiers was at least a medium-to-low-level secret realm. With three hundred students coming in for training, even if the secret realm's garrison was poor, it wouldn't be unreasonable to send a dozen or so mature A-level creatures, right?

Given that there are many strong individuals, why were these two young people selected for the elite team instead of the more experienced and knowledgeable seniors?

"It was Professor Tang Jiamu who suggested it."

He was very pleased to learn that the two had teamed up to outwit and outfight the three-headed monster.

"Later, at the voting meeting, he solemnly put forward a point of view: the situation in the crevice is unknown, and we must broaden our means of response as much as possible in order to overcome more terrain and more enemies —"

"Currently, the list of suitable candidates for forming a team is severely lacking in plant-type and ice-type characters. Professor Tang believes that you can make up for the team's weaknesses, so you must be included."

"I understand." Qin Taozhi nodded gently, a bewitching light swirling in her purple eyes.

"I understand," Zhu Ran echoed. "So Professor Tang will also join the 'Super Elite Team'?"

"Of course," Jiang Xiong said. "You can underestimate anyone, but you must never underestimate Professor Tang. He is a true evolutionary biologist."

Zhu Ran seemed lost in thought.

Evolutionary scientists skilled in combat are ultimately few and far between. Could Professor Tang be the exception? But he'd never heard of such a thing before—

"Whoosh"

The hornbill landed, followed by the broken-winged frost butterfly.

Amidst the ruins, Zhu Ran couldn't see a single person, let alone any extraordinary pet.

"They've arrived."

Jiang Xiong's words surprised both Zhu Ran and Qin Tao.

The two instinctively activated their spiritual eyes to search for their target.

Not to mention anything unusual, there wasn't even any sign of life that had ever existed around; everything was peaceful, desolate, and deathly silent.

"Whoosh!"

The space twisted at a distance of less than thirty meters.

Where there was originally nothing, a layer of translucent gauze, like ink diluted with water, slowly emerged. The light black color resembled flowing smoke and clouds, and the varying shades resembled ink spreading on rice paper, giving people a unique aesthetic.

With a soft "plop," the thin veil was torn open, revealing a group of figures.

"Ink wash style—is this the ability of the Ink-Patterned Leopard?"

Zhu Ran felt a chill run down her spine and her gaze sharpened. Sure enough, at the very front of the crowd, Tang Jiamu, dressed in black, stood tall and imposing.

He was tall and slender with a cold expression. The others exuded a faint aura of killing intent, revealing the iron-blooded spirit of those who had fought on the front lines for a long time. Only he remained calm and indifferent, showing no joy or sorrow.

Beside him stood two black-striped leopards, their mottled patterns resembling ink strokes, like spirits born from ink, ethereal and agile, yet undeniably majestic.

"Professor Tang."

Zhu Ran greeted him, inwardly surprised.

He had only ever seen Tang Jiamu ride a single black-striped leopard, moving freely, but he had never seen two black-striped leopards, one on the left and one on the right.

"You've arrived."

Tang Jiamu finally showed a smile, and his demeanor became somewhat more human.

"We are ready to go into battle at any time."

The peaches of Qin are cold and desolate, sparse and ordinary.

Tang Jiamu nodded. It was extremely rare for a mentor and student to fight side by side during the previous trials in the secret realm, and his feelings were quite subtle.

"Let me introduce you. This is 'Sister Crocodile,' the current head of the Ancient Kingdom of Soldiers."

Following the sound, Zhu Ran looked toward a middle-aged woman.

The woman had three old scars on her forehead.

However, the grotesque scars and skin overgrowth gave her an even more fierce appearance.

"Welcome to the team, both of you."

Crocodile Sister extended her right hand to shake hands, but her face didn't show much of a smile: "I sincerely thank you all for bravely fighting on the front lines as students."

"However, we know nothing about what's happening deep inside the crevice."

"To ensure the safety of the team, I need your promise that once you join the force, you will strictly adhere to military standards and follow orders without question."

Zhu Ran and Qin Tao agreed without hesitation.

Crocodile Sister then revealed a faint smile, pointing to the people beside her and introducing them one by one: "This is A Dou, a die-hard fan of arena battles, his contracted pet beast 'Fighting Dragon,' extremely competitive, and skilled in close combat."

"This is Ma Ye, tone-deaf, but his contracted pet is a 'Sonic Boom Horse.' I'll give you a pair of special earplugs later; you might need them occasionally."

"This is the Marquis, who is usually quite quiet—and of course, his pet beast is even less talkative, a very rare 'silent stone monkey'—"

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