Starting with the Broken-Winged Frost Butterfly: Beast Taming

Chapter 90 Ink Painting Cage: The Yin-Yang Minor World

When Crocodile Sister was speaking.

Zhu Ran was also carefully observing the target team members.

A Dou, a short-haired, muscular man, wore a custom-made combat uniform with the character "Dou" embroidered on the chest and back, with dragons and phoenixes dancing around him, exuding an exceptionally flamboyant and domineering aura.

His pet beast, "Doulong," has physical characteristics similar to a Tyrannosaurus Rex and is nearly five meters tall.

With its sturdy hind legs supporting its massive body, short forepaws tucked into its chest and abdomen, a head covered in thick scales, sharp fangs protruding, and a long tail that drags on the ground, it exudes an aura of intimidation.

"In close combat, if you get bitten by the dragon, you'll either die or be crippled."

Zhu Ran silently commented, then looked at Ma Ye.

This beast tamer, described as "tone-deaf," had his hands in his pockets, ear cartilage studs, and lifeless eyes, exuding a nonchalant and irresponsible air.

But his destined pet beast is actually a "sonic boom horse"!

This pet beast has strong hooves that can tear the air with each stomp. When it sprints at full speed, it is surrounded by milky white clouds and can break the sound barrier!

In terms of absolute speed, Xuexi is at a complete disadvantage relying solely on "Windwalker".

As for the Marquis...

This person was wearing a trench coat, a mask, and sunglasses, and behaved strangely.

However, Zhu Ran had heard of the "Silent Stone Monkey".

These extraordinary creatures, known as "mage killers," excel at interrupting spellcasting. When they unleash their full power, they can even maintain a "spell vacuum" for a period of time, feared by both friend and foe.

"My contracted pet is a 'Two-Headed Crocodile,' which appears ferocious but is actually gentle. It is proficient in water magic and has no obvious weaknesses in offense or defense—"

After introducing the others, Crocodile Sister pointed to herself last and said succinctly.

"Just the seven of us?"

"Seven people is already the limit. Professor Tang's secret technique has many limitations, and adding one more person will render it ineffective."

Zhu Ran's mind was in turmoil. Did the secret technique refer to the disguise he had just undergone?

Just thirty meters away, a group of people concealed their tracks; this method is quite terrifying.

"Young man, why are you carrying two more spoils of war?"

A Dou's gaze was fixed on the blood-stained drum beside the broken-winged frost butterfly, indirectly ignoring the beast-head chain: "Such a high-quality pet beast, why don't you contract it and just leave it aside?"

"It's not right for me."

"If you have any available life contracts, you can sign them now," Zhu Ran said.

Upon hearing this...

Ma Ye raised an eyebrow.

The Marquis adjusted his sunglasses.

With the sound of a drumbeat, blood boils.

Who among those present did not know the formidable reputation of the Blood Drums at the beginning of the era?

"Unfortunately, we don't have any contract slots."

Sister Crocodile said regretfully, "Jiang Xiong, you should take them to the base; they will handle them properly there."

Zhu Ran hesitated for a moment, "Let's keep the beast-head chain. It can't cause any trouble for now. Keeping it might allow us to negotiate with some of the beast soldiers."

The beast-head chain's previously lifeless eyes suddenly brightened, and it looked at Zhu Ran with gratitude.

Jiang Xiong remained silent, waiting for Crocodile Sister's reply.

Sister Crocodile thought for a moment, then waved her hand and said, "That's settled then, make the arrangements."

"Yes." Jiang Xiong then respectfully withdrew.

Sister Crocodile added, "We'll talk about the reward later. If we survive and leave this secret realm, the government will treat everyone here fairly."

"Sis, let's not talk about those useless things!"

A Dou couldn't help but interrupt, eagerly saying, "The most urgent thing is to find out what's hidden inside the crack! These beast kings are so crazy! I'm almost dying of anxiety!"

Ma Ye urged, "Professor Tang, these two young people don't seem to know how amazing you are. Show them what you've got."

"I'm just a teacher."

Tang Jiamu pursed his lips, his expression blank.

But the black-patterned leopards on his left and right roared, and ink-like mist rose up, creating a barrier that quickly enveloped everyone.

This is "Ink Painting Cage: Yin-Yang Miniature World".

97

Tang Jiamu glanced at Zhu Ran, "It's a bit like the little tiger you developed; it's also a male-female fusion skill."

"After fusion, the effect transforms into stealth, encompassing sound, vibration, smell, and silhouette—the effect is extremely powerful, and only a very few types of races might be able to detect the anomaly—"

Zhu Ran was amazed. At this moment, he was standing inside the barrier and looking out. His vision was only slightly affected. The wind was howling and the pebbles were rolling around. He could still retain more than 90% of his senses.

"We were just as shocked as we were half a day ago."

Ma Ye laughed, "Once the ability of the Ink-Patterned Leopard is made public, the entire Chixia City will be shaken."

"Remember to keep it a secret when you go out."

Tang Jiamu lifted his eyelids and said calmly, "The breeding of the Ink-Patterned Leopard has never been commercialized, but rather a collaboration with national departments. This fusion technique has been classified as a national secret."

"No wonder!"

A-Dou shouted, "I told you you had a mountain of gold in your hands, why are you still so low-key? Turns out the Black-striped Leopard has already become a regulated pet!" His secure job is rock solid!

Zhu Ran was even more surprised. Most of the A-level mature beings were concentrated in high society, and the chances of ordinary people coming into contact with them were too low.

But Professor Tang actually took a step further, alarming the national level and making the Black-striped Leopard one of the "national strategic pet animals"?

This honor is highly prestigious, even among evolutionary scientists.

"Within the Yin-Yang Minor Realm, one can summon life contracts, but the more contracts one summons, the more weaknesses one will have."

"Adou, put your fighting dragon away, it's too frenzied."

"Put the Sonic Boom Horse away too. The barrier is too small, and it moves slowly. It's very uncomfortable right now. If it breaks out of the barrier, we'll be exposed immediately."

Tang Jiamu once became the one giving orders.

However, the two people who were named just smiled and didn't care at all, obediently doing as instructed.

"Professor Tang has a lot of influence in the pet trainer circle," Zhu Ran thought to herself.

"Set off!"

Crocodile Sister took over command. "The crevice is only five kilometers from here. We will infiltrate secretly. Our core mission is to investigate the truth and find a way out. Before that, we should avoid fighting as much as possible and preserve our status."

"yes!"

A Dou and Ma Ye immediately became serious.

The Marquis remained silent, but a sharp glint flickered in his gray eyes behind his sunglasses.

"call"

The black-striped leopard couple moved swiftly with small steps.

The seven people were divided into three groups.

Tang Jiamu is in a separate group.

Crocodile Sister and Adou rode on the "Two-Headed Crocodile".

Ma Ye and Lord Hou rode a B-grade pet named "Soft-skinned Dancing Cat".

Zhu Ran was fortunate enough to ride the "Azure Lotus Fairy," experiencing the thrill of being surrounded by water snakes and enjoying a novel experience.

"That's the crevice in the ground?!"

Soon, dust filled the sky ahead, and the earth split open into a boundless chasm, where any light that fell in would be instantly obliterated.

A chilling, biting wind surged upwards from the crack in the ground, carrying a faint, rotten stench, as if all the evil in the world lay dormant at the bottom.

"boom!"

A "meteorite" fell from the sky; a fleeting glimpse revealed it to be a "Titanite".

Its majestic form, seemingly forged from millennia-old black rock, possesses an imposing weight.

The surrounding gravitational pressure would inevitably slow down anyone who got close.

The stone structure is unbreakable and has top-notch defensive capabilities; a head-on collision would inevitably destroy it.

"Another A-level beast has broken in? How many is this now?!"

"Hey, I bet there's a party going on down there. See all those shards scattered around the crack in the ground? There's been more than one battle here, and the intensity of those battles is unparalleled!"

While the seniors were discussing it...

Zhu Ran quietly picked up trash.

Just as the elders said, the king of beasts once fought here, and the fragments that fell off are as hard as super alloys and are very valuable.

Then, Zhu Ran handed it to Qin Taozhi with utmost naturalness.

Qin Taozhi remained silent, and with a flash of light, the fragment was immediately stored in her spatial ring.

Do you have any extra fragments? I'll take them all.

"Not much." Qin Taozhi tilted her head, not asking any further questions. "Then deduct it from those two million."

"Include that skull staff too. If I owe it, I'll make it up to you later."

Zhu Ran disliked owing favors, and after a pause, said, "If the blood-soaked drumming can still generate profits, we'll split it equally."

Qin Taozhi responded with an "oh".

They don't care at all.

"Prepare for descent!"

At this moment, the seven-person team arrived at the edge of the crevice.

Up close, the oppressive atmosphere was like an abyss, as if a living creature was gnawing at everyone's hearts, making their hair stand on end.

"That 'Titan Stone,' it's rampant and domineering, it'll be good for us to scout ahead," A Dou chuckled.

The voice just fell.

The group had just begun their descent.

A thunderous roar echoed below.

"A Titanite is fighting with a hammer?" Zhu Ran stared intently.

It was a bronze hammer, its surface engraved with ancient patterns, fiercely battling with the Titanite.

Each swing caused the earth to shake, shockwaves to sweep in all directions, and rock fragments to fly wildly.

"Both sides employ a wide-ranging, aggressive style of play, essentially battling it out with sheer power?"

The troops had already stopped. A Dou rolled up his sleeves and opened his fists, his eyes blazing with a burning desire for battle.

"Who will win, who will lose? Place your bets!"

"This isn't an arena."

Ma Ye rolled his eyes. "I bet they'll draw and go their separate ways."

Zhu Ran was taciturn.

He was more interested in the origins of the bronze hammer than in guessing who would win.

"Mountain-Shattering Hammer? A completely new type of weapon beast, never heard of before—"

Boom boom boom boom!!

In just a quarter of an hour, Titan was smashed halfway through its body and retreated in panic!

Having won the battle, the Mountain-Shattering Hammer, without bothering to repair the cracks in the handle, plunged into the ground.

"Titan Stone actually lost? Is this broken hammer that powerful?" Ma Ye tapped his forehead, deeply wary.

"Sister, shall we go and kill Titanstone? It's nearby, and it doesn't seem to have given up. It'll be exploring again soon," Adou urged.

"I'm not going." Sister Crocodile shook her head. "Let's avoid trouble. There's no shortage of life-or-death battles deep in the crevice."

Zhu Ran felt sorry for him.

The blood-soaked drums bid him farewell, and he was still four A-grade beasts short of his goal.

If only Titanstone would be willing to join us voluntarily.

Zhu Ran thought to himself that he was a newcomer and didn't have much say.

Hopefully, there are more severely wounded beast kings deep in the earth's crevice, so that I may have a chance to become the oriole that catches the bird.

"Whoosh!"

The group descended rapidly, falling thousands of meters in the blink of an eye.

The ground above their heads was reduced to a narrow, dim beam of light, and it was pitch black all around.

Activating his spiritual eye, Zhu Ran vaguely saw towering rock pillars, like ancient trees, obstructing his view.

The rock platform, a blend of light blue and dark red, occasionally shimmers with a hazy light, stretching out like a staircase towards the unknown.