Chapter 496: Strange Phenomenon

Actually, if any other two-star beast tamer had said that, he wouldn't have been angry.

The main thing was... the guy who just spoke had such a punchable expression, with a look that said 'if you don't listen to an old hand, you'll suffer right before your eyes,' a demeanor that wouldn't stop until he infuriated someone, especially that slightly contemptuous gaze...

He, a dignified four-star peak beast tamer, was actually looked down upon by a little brat... Look down on your sister!

This demon beast, the Yaochen Beast, has dragon bloodline, extremely proud, so it's normal that it's hard to tame. Do you think I wanted to resort to force? It's not like I haven't exhausted all the good methods!

Hmph, self-righteous, knowing neither heaven nor earth!

I really don't know how Pavilion Master Sai could be friends with someone like that.

"Never mind them, hurry up and roast, the more fragrant the better!"

Suppressing his chest that was about to explode, Hall Master Han instructed.

"Yes!" Elder Hu and the others nodded, increasing the heat, and instantly the aroma became richer, continuously wafting around.

...

While he was nearly furious over here, the others over there stopped at a spot a few hundred meters away.

"Right here!" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"Master Zhang..." Everyone looked over, full of doubt.

As for Master Zhang's abilities, they were quite confident; since he said something would happen, he definitely wasn't speaking idly.

"Is Master Zhang worried about a beast tide?"

Pavilion Master Sai recalled something, frowning: "The deer herd's meat is fragrant, a coveted medicine trove for all spirit beasts. Once roasted, it's very likely to alarm countless spirit beasts to come... But... if it really is a beast tide, hiding just this short distance away probably won't help, right?"

If it really were a beast tide, with ten thousand beasts stampeding, they would tear apart any other living creature on sight. Not to mention hiding a few hundred meters away, even hiding several kilometers or dozens of kilometers would likely be hard to escape.

"Right?"

Only then did everyone realize.

They also thought like Pavilion Master Sai, guessing whether Master Zhang was worried about a beast tide. Such occurrences in Wenyan Ridge had historical records, not baseless rumors.

The deer herd's meat was so fragrant, it was very normal to attract spirit beasts. If it really happened, they should flee as far as possible, not stay here—wasn't that asking for death?

"Beast tide? You guys sure can think!"

Hearing this, only then did he know what they were thinking. Zhang Xuan said with a speechless face: "Even you can see that the deer herd's meat is fragrant and will attract other spirit beasts. Would the most powerful beast tamer of the Beast Hall not know that?"

"This..."

Blinking, everyone's faces reddened simultaneously.

Right, even they, outsiders, could see it. How could Han Chong, as the Beast Hall Master, not think of it?

He was a four-star peak beast tamer, dealing with savage beasts all his life. Even the Yaochen Beast's refusal was anticipated, and he had prepared countermeasures. If a beast tide were really going to happen, he would have certainly prepared long ago.

"Don't worry, that won't happen!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Why?" Zhao Feiwu was completely puzzled.

Such fragrant deer herd meat was hard for even them, humans, to resist. How could spirit beasts withstand it?

Seeing the usually clever 'young master' ask this, Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes: "Even if the deer herd's meat is very fragrant, how far can the smell spread?"

"This..." Zhao Feiwu was stumped.

The meat was fragrant, but by the time they retreated here, the smell was faint. If they retreated a few hundred meters further, they probably wouldn't smell it at all. Even if spirit beasts had better noses than humans, they couldn't sniff a smell from several kilometers away.

"Besides, what place is this? The Yaochen Beast's territory. Would other savage beasts or spirit beasts dare to come even if they smelled the fragrance?" Zhang Xuan continued.

"Uh..." Zhao Feiwu looked very embarrassed.

Spirit beasts and savage beasts have territorial divisions. The strong live in places where the weak dare not approach; once they do, they are very likely to be hunted as prey. The Yaochen Beast was famous throughout the entire Kingdom Alliance, considered the most powerful spirit beast in the entire Nine Bends Mountain. Having lived here for who knows how many years, what other beasts would dare to live nearby?

Wouldn't that be asking for death?

"If I'm not mistaken, within a ten-kilometer radius of where the Yaochen Beast lives, there are no other spirit beasts. No matter how fragrant the deer herd's meat is, it can't agitate spirit beasts ten kilometers away!"

Zhang Xuan explained.

"Ten kilometers?" Only then did everyone understand.

They had come down from two kilometers away and traveled all the way, indeed not seeing any spirit beasts. Even if they saw some footprints, they were very sparse, extremely few. Probably those were beasts passing through, who, upon smelling the traces left by the Yaochen Beast, immediately fled in terror.

Otherwise, with their group being such a big target, how could no spirit beast have come to trouble them?

Even if the deer herd's meat was very fragrant, the smell couldn't travel ten kilometers. Besides, even if it did, would other spirit beasts dare to come?

This was the lair of the most powerful spirit beast in the Nine Bends Mountain!

No wonder Hall Master Han felt emboldened and didn't worry at all. He had known all along that a beast tide was impossible.

"If it's not a beast tide... then what is it?"

Returning to the original topic, everyone looked over again.

"Just keep watching and you'll find out!" Zhang Xuan didn't explain.

"If there's danger, please, Master Zhang, save Hall Master Han. He only slighted you because he doesn't know your abilities; in truth, he's not a bad person..."

Seeing he wouldn't say, the others didn't press further. Pavilion Master Sai said awkwardly.

Regardless, Hall Master Han was his friend; if he truly faced danger and he dodged first, that would be against moral duty.

"Mm, if such a situation arises, I'll step in. But I'm afraid that if I do, they might not be happy!" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Keep watching; the change is about to begin!"

Hearing this, everyone turned to look ahead.

By now, the deer herd beast's meat was almost roasted, the aroma growing richer.

All the elders were skilled in wilderness survival and carried various seasonings. Though the roasting was hasty, it rivaled the best chefs of Honghai City—not only in flavor but also in color, making one's mouth water at a glance.

"Brother Yaochen, smell that? Become my spirit pet, and this is yours. Besides, you'll just be by my side; it's not like you'll be wronged. Once my life ends, you'll naturally be free again. What's there to hesitate about?"

Seeing the aroma had entered the formation, Hall Master Han continued, "Make your decision quickly. If you delay any longer, we'll eat the deer herd beast. Then, even if you decide, it'll be too late! I don't need to tell you how precious this thing is—the only one in the entire Ninefold Mountain Range. Miss it, and you'll regret it for life!"

Admittedly, Hall Master Han's words were persuasive. Any other spirit beast would have wavered long ago and couldn't hold out. But the Yaochen Beast in the mirror kept its eyes tightly shut, neither struggling nor resisting, as if asleep.

"Since when did the Yaochen Beast become so easygoing?"

Zhao Feiwu now saw the problem.

According to the prevalent legend in the Ten Nations Alliance, this big fellow was fierce and brutal. Years ago, someone had trapped it using a large formation, but its stamina seemed endless, quickly exhausting the spirit stones in the formation base and breaking out!

A formation can be maintained by absorbing natural spiritual energy or by using spirit stones. The former requires long accumulation; the latter only needs enough spirit stones, without absorbing energy.

Either way, energy supply is needed. A formation is not a perpetual motion machine; constant impact causes great consumption. Once the spirit stones in the formation base are depleted, even without knowing how to break the formation, it will collapse.

Because of this, the corridor of the Array Masters Guild had a time limit of one hour.

Otherwise, if trapped in a confinement formation with no danger, random charging would eventually drain the energy... Even if one got out that way, it wouldn't count as breaking the formation.

The Yaochen Beast was so ferocious, yet since being trapped, it had quieted down, peaceful as a good baby. Though it coveted the deer herd beast, it showed no intention of charging... clearly not in character.

"Hall Master, it's roasted!"

As everyone was puzzled, Elder Hu and the others had fully roasted the deer herd beast. The golden spirit beast meat, fragrant for miles, was irresistible.

"Good, bring it over!"

Hall Master Han nodded.

Elder Hu and the others responded, bringing the roasted deer herd beast over.

"See? If you hesitate any longer, we'll start eating..."

Hall Master Han chuckled lightly, looking down at the deer herd beast before him. Just as he was about to pick it up and continue tempting the other, his eyes suddenly went wide, nearly bursting with rage. "Holy crap! Which one of you... took a bite?"

"Took a bite?"

Everyone looked over sharply, only to find that the previously intact deer herd beast had somehow lost a thigh, leaving only a bare bone hanging there.

In other words... someone had already eaten a leg!

Hall Master Han was frantic.

Who was so malicious?

Though he said they would eat, it was just a trick to deceive the other. If they actually ate, taming it would become nearly impossible.

So he was only bluffing, not actually acting. How... in the blink of an eye, had a leg gone missing? Eaten so cleanly?

You guys are too ruthless! Don't you know how much I spent to catch this thing?

Eyes wide, he stared coldly at Elder Hu and the others.

Pavilion Master Sai and that clueless two-star beast tamer had walked away after starting the roasting; they couldn't have done it. Only these few were possible.

"Hall Master, we... didn't!"

Under his gaze, Elder Hu and the others were startled, waving their hands repeatedly, on the verge of tears.

They had been swallowing saliva while roasting, suppressing their inner urges, not daring to touch it. How, in the blink of an eye, had a leg gone missing?

"No? Then did the meat fly away on its own?"

Hall Master Han was furious.

What kind of teammates had he found? He asked them to roast the meat to lure the Yaochen Beast into submission, and they started eating first—and even ate a whole thigh...

Was this for real?

"Hall Master, it really wasn't us. We can swear..."

Seeing he didn't believe them, Elder Hu raised his hand to continue explaining, then suddenly froze as if seeing a ghost. "Hall Master..."

"What now?"

Hearing the call, he followed the gaze. Hall Master Han stumbled again, nearly spitting blood.

The deer herd beast, which had just lost one leg, now had its other leg missing too, bare bones hanging there, unspeakably eerie.