Chapter 255: Assessment Failure

"Tamed a bird?"

Upon hearing this, the previously bustling room fell silent. Everyone stared, their faces contorted with odd expressions.

Was he swearing, or just admitting defeat, having tamed nothing? Had he seen the previous examinees, all of whom ranked first or second class, and simply lost his mind?

"Tamed a bird? I could f***ing tame a hammer then! What gall to speak to Beast Tamer Hong like that!""That's not guts, that's brain damage. He tamed a bird, I tamed a ball!""So, I tamed a chili pepper... If we've all tamed something, does that mean we can all take the Beast Tamer exam?"

After a moment of stunned silence, the room burst into uproarious laughter.

Good grief! Since the Beast Hall was established, countless beast tamers had been examined, but never before had someone so openly and refreshingly declared that they had tamed absolutely nothing.

You have nothing, so what are you doing here?

And "tamed a bird"...

What the hell does "tamed a bird" even mean? Can you be any bolder?

"Haha, Yun Tao, I've always thought you were quite a character, and you truly are... To state so grandly and self-righteously that you haven't tamed a beast, I'm impressed! Truly impressed!" Zhu Jinhuang shook his head, almost convulsing with laughter.

Is this guy brain-damaged? If you haven't tamed one, you simply fail. But to tell Beast Tamer Hong that you "tamed a bird"... Isn't he just asking for trouble? Beast Tamer Hong, though not the highest-ranking beast tamer in the Beast Hall, was known for his strictness. Speaking to him like this was utterly disrespectful and a blatant provocation!

"He's really asking for it..." Zhou Xuan also laughed aloud. He felt foolish for having considered this guy a rival; now, it just seemed embarrassing. He had worried Yun Tao might achieve something amazing and impress everyone, but it seemed... people were indeed looking, but only with disdain.

"Hmph!" Not only were they laughing, but Miss Mo Yu also stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her flawless face slightly raised, emitting a soft snort from her nose.

If you can tame it, tame it. If not, come back next time. Such grandstanding to attract attention, no matter how talented you are, only makes you a small-minded individual.

As everyone laughed, Beast Tamer Hong, standing to one side, nearly exploded with rage. His hair bristled, and his teeth ground audibly; he was on the verge of losing control. "What did you say?" he roared.

As a renowned beast tamer of the Beast Hall, this was the first time he had ever faced such a blatant provocation.

"What the hell do you mean, 'tamed a bird'?! Come here, show it to me. If you can't produce it, believe me, I'll tear off your own 'bird' and kick it around like a ball!"

"I meant... I tamed a bird, a strange bird!" Only then did Yun Tao realize his slip of the tongue. He quickly clarified, then whistled. With two "whoosh" sounds in the air, a strange bird flew in.

The creature had been wandering around the Beast Hall on its own since they entered, unnoticed by anyone. Most of the beasts in the Beast Hall were three to four meters long; even the smallest were at least as tall as a person. Something as small as a palm would easily be mistaken for a sparrow or a wild bird if not closely examined, utterly inconspicuous. No one would even consider it a flying beast.

Moreover, even if they did, they would find it unbelievable. Beast tamers usually tame beasts for combat, or at the very least, as a means of transport. What could something this tiny possibly be used for? Honestly, it wasn't even enough to make a single dish.

"This is a beast?""He didn't just grab it from some birdcage, did he?""What the hell? I thought he was joking, but he really did tame a bird! But what use is it? Is it for a pet?"

Seeing that Yun Tao had indeed tamed a bird, and that it had flown over, the room first fell silent, then erupted in laughter once again.

Look at Miss Mo Yu's tamed Azure Eagle Beast—it's also a type of bird, but it's mighty and imposing, exuding a sense of fierce power! Yours, on the other hand, doesn't inspire awe, it just makes people laugh until they're silly! Anyone who knew you were here for a beast tamer exam would be surprised; those who didn't would think you were just a street performer, here to show off tricks or host bird or cricket fights from the bird market.

"Is this the beast you tamed?" Beast Tamer Hong's expression did not improve with the strange bird's arrival; it remained ashen, like a zombie, and his voice was icy.

"Yes!" Yun Tao nodded.

"The Beast Hall has a rule: for the second examination, you must tame a beast stronger than yourself. This tiny bird could be killed with a single slap. To use it for the exam... are you sure you're not still joking?" Beast Tamer Hong struggled to suppress his anger.

"I'm not joking!" Realizing the other party's tone was off, Yun Tao quickly explained, "This strange bird, though small in size, is not weak in strength. Its speed, especially, is incredibly fast, and it is definitely a type of beast..."

Before he could finish speaking, Beast Tamer Hong slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, his eyebrows twitching and his face trembling.

"How dare you! Yun Tao, do you think the Beast Hall is like your Hanwu Kingdom? That you can just come here and cause trouble? Beast taming demands practicality; there's no room for carelessness. You passed the first stage of the exam with excellent results, and I expected you to do well in the second stage too. But instead... you act so recklessly, just to make a spectacle!"

"You're at the peak of the Dingli Realm; perhaps you can't tame a powerful beast, but surely you can manage a beginner Aperture Cleansing Realm beast? You bring a tiny bird here and put on an act, claiming it's fast and a type of beast—do you think I'm blind?"

"This is a Beast Hall examination! To openly challenge the examining beast tamer, bringing a wild bird from who knows where and daring to present it for the test... Who gave you such audacity?"

Beast Tamer Hong's eyes blazed with fury. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he declared with undeniable authority, "Get out! You've failed the second stage. If you want to take the exam again, come back next year!"

"Beast Tamer Hong, my... my strange bird is a genuine Aperture Cleansing Realm beast! I'm not even a match for it myself..." Yun Tao was terrified, his face turning pale when he realized Beast Tamer Hong's immense anger and his immediate disqualification. He quickly tried to explain.

"Are you done yet? Yun Tao, didn't you hear? Beast Tamer Hong told you to get out! Stop making a fool of yourself here; you've disgraced all beast tamers!" Seeing his rival fail and get scolded, Zhu Jinhuang laughed gleefully, stepping forward with deep contempt in his eyes.

"If you don't have the skill, don't take on the task. You have no beast-taming ability, yet you're trying to show off here. If you were to pass, would everyone just buy a bird from the bird market and call themselves a beast tamer?" Zhou Xuan also chuckled coldly.

They had been overshadowed by Yun Tao in the first theoretical exam. They had expected him to continue excelling in the second stage and maintain his superiority, but they never dreamed he would ruin himself like this. He could have simply tamed a beginner Aperture Cleansing Realm beast; instead, he insisted on bringing some wild bird from who knows where...

"Beast Tamer Hong..." Ignoring the taunts from the two, Yun Tao looked at the elderly man before him.

"Was I not clear enough? Get out!" Beast Tamer Hong's eyes widened.

"Please, give me another chance. You can test it; this strange bird really is a beast, and its level isn't low..." Yun Tao was filled with anxiety, unable to comprehend this outcome. He had just bragged to Senior Zhang Xuan about becoming a beast tamer and helping him choose a beast. If he failed now, he wouldn't be able to fulfill his promise.

Of course, for that matter, he could simply be thick-skinned, apologize, and Senior Zhang Xuan, being a man of great magnanimity, probably wouldn't hold it against him. The most crucial point was that if he failed to become a beast tamer and suffered such a huge public humiliation, he would face all sorts of suppression upon returning to the kingdom, effectively ending any chance of inheriting the throne. Furthermore, his pursuit of Miss Mo Yu would become as unattainable as a flower in a mirror or the moon in the water—utterly impossible.

"I don't want to say it a third time. Leave on your own accord; that's me saving your face!" Beast Tamer Hong ignored his explanations, waving him away. If Yun Tao hadn't been a prince, he would have slapped him out of there already, instead of wasting words.

"Just get lost, Yun Tao! If you don't leave now, do you believe I'll have someone throw you out?" Zhu Jinhuang took a step forward, his eyes alight with smug triumph. From today on, this guy was no longer a rival, just insignificant.

"Go on, get out. If you keep making a fuss, I really won't be polite," Zhou Xuan said with a cold laugh, hands behind his back, his eyes full of disdain.

"I..." Yun Tao's face flushed from white to red, and he clenched his fists. He had expected to pass the exam with ease, but this result was utterly unexpected. He gritted his teeth, about to turn and leave, when a calm voice suddenly rang out.

"Yun Tao, if the beast tamers of the Beast Hall are such useless idlers, then there's no point in you taking the exam!"

At the source of the voice, Zhang Xuan stood quietly among the crowd, looking over with a composed expression.