Chapter 256: Cloud and Thunder Ancient Sparrow

Are the Beast Hall beast tamers incompetent?

When this voice rang out, everyone erupted in an uproar.

“What did he say?”“Who is this guy? Is he trying to get himself killed?”“How dare he insult a beast tamer? I think he’s tired of living!”

Everyone’s eyes immediately focused on him, glaring as if they wanted to kill.

The Beast Hall was renowned precisely because it had beast tamers who could control savage beasts. For this fellow to dare to openly mock them here—was he out of his mind, or had he gone insane?

Shen Biru, standing nearby, also trembled, quickly pulling on the young man's arm. She nearly fainted.

Where was this?The Beast Hall!To say the beast tamers here were incompetent, directly targeting Master Hong—wasn't he just asking for trouble?

This wasn't just impulsive behavior; it was blatant provocation!

She had always thought Teacher Zhang was brave, but she never imagined he would be *this* brave!

“What did you say?”As expected, Master Hong's face flushed crimson with rage. He turned his head and asked, “Yun Tao, is this also your attitude towards the Beast Hall?”

Zhang Xuan was standing with the people from Hanwu Kingdom, and everyone assumed he was Yun Tao’s subordinate.

“Senior…” Yun Tao quickly looked over.

When Zhang Xuan uttered those words, he also thought he had gone mad.

Even if they had been treated unfairly this time and failed the assessment, at worst they could start over and try again next year.

But saying something like that meant completely offending the Beast Hall, making any future assessment impossible.

Although he hadn't spent much time with Senior Zhang Xuan, the latter had profound cultivation, was calm and composed, and always acted methodically. Why was he so unreliable at the most critical moment?

He anxiously looked at the young man not far away, only to see him appear indifferent, as if completely unconcerned.

Unconcerned?

Yun Tao's mouth twitched.Was this boundless magnanimity, or absolute confidence in his strength?

The Beast Hall had thousands of savage beasts; even the weakest of which had reached the Aperture Opening realm. Causing trouble here, even a Grandmaster expert couldn't escape!

Just as he was filled with anxiety, wanting to intervene and feeling the pressure was becoming unbearable, he saw the young man opposite him smile faintly, clasp his hands behind his back, and look over.

“Ignoring rules and failing to abide by them, failing to recognize savage beasts right before you, acting recklessly and arbitrarily based on personal whims, making conclusions without investigation or discernment… What else would you call such incompetence?”

His voice was calm and composed, without a hint of panic, seemingly unfazed even when facing the furious Master Hong.

“Is he lecturing… Master Hong?”“Who is this guy?”“Even Hall Master Feng wouldn't speak like this, would he?”

Seeing the young man's demeanor and tone, as if he were lecturing a student, the onlookers felt their minds almost shut down.

They had seen arrogant people before, but never one so brazen.

This fellow must be crazy!

Who do you think you are?

Master Hong was a renowned beast tamer of the Beast Hall. To say he acted purely on personal whim and made arbitrary conclusions… this was no longer defending Yun Tao; it was a blatant slap in the face, questioning his abilities and profession.

“You say I don't follow rules? That I don't recognize savage beasts?”

Being accused face-to-face, Master Hong's aura surged, as if it would burst forth from his body at any moment.

“I, Hong Feng, have been a beast tamer for thirty-seven years, tamed twenty-four savage beasts, and taught eighteen students, three of whom have become official beast tamers. While I don't claim profound expertise in beast taming, I am not one to speak nonsense! Yet you say I don't follow rules and don't recognize savage beasts? Very well, very well. If you can't provide a reason today, no matter who you are from Hanwu Kingdom, don't blame me for being merciless!”

His aura surged, and Master Hong revealed his cultivation: he was a peak Tongxuan realm expert, not far from being a half-step Grandmaster.

As he raged, a massive savage beast also darted out, standing beside him.

It was a red-eyed giant ape, about three meters tall, and its slightest movement gave people a sense of immense, earth-shattering pressure.

Beast tamers always fought in coordination with their beast pets.

This red-eyed giant ape had also reached the peak Tongxuan realm, and its ferocious aura surged like a tide, imposing even greater pressure than Master Hong.

Seeing this scene, everyone's faces turned pale with fright, and they involuntarily recoiled.

If this man and beast were to truly fight, with their combined strength and coordination, they could even contend with a half-step Grandmaster!

“What? You're wrong but refuse to admit it, and now you want to attack me?”

Flicking his sleeve, Zhang Xuan appeared calm and unconcerned by the pressure.

Although the opponent was strong, Zhang Xuan had also reached the peak Tongxuan realm. With his various methods, let alone one man and one beast, even ten more wouldn't be able to harm him in the slightest.

“What's going on?”

Just as Master Hong was about to make a move, and the atmosphere in the room was extremely oppressive, a loud shout rang out, and then three figures strode in.

“It's Hall Master Feng, and Master Lu and Master Wang, the two two-star beast tamers!”“Didn't Master Hong just say they were busy?”“This fellow is clearly challenging the Beast Hall's authority; they'd surely come even if they were busy!”“This kid is finished, and Yun Tao is finished too!”“Indeed, Hanwu Kingdom is merely a second-tier kingdom. How could it withstand the Beast Hall's wrath!”

Seeing the three appear, everyone erupted in an uproar.

The Beast Hall had a total of three two-star beast tamers, and all of them had actually arrived.

Zhu Jinhuang, Zhou Xuan, and others all watched with schadenfreude, filled with smug satisfaction.

Mocking Master Hong just now was merely a personal conflict with room for resolution. Now that the Hall Master himself had intervened, if the situation escalated, it would become a conflict between the Beast Hall and Hanwu Kingdom, and it would be difficult to de-escalate.

Miss Mo Yu, standing to one side, couldn't help but shake her head.

It was foolish enough for Yun Tao to bring a bird for the beast tamer assessment, but she never expected this subordinate to be even more foolish!

He even dared to speak against Master Hong; how could the latter possibly let it go?

If the matter escalated, only Hanwu Kingdom would suffer the consequences.

With her hands clasped behind her back, like a detached fairy, there was no expression on her face.

Whether Yun Tao was about to suffer misfortune or not, it had nothing to do with her, and she couldn't be bothered to care.

“Hall Master, Master Lu, Master Wang!”

Seeing their arrival, Master Hong stepped forward. Though still furious, he recounted what had just happened.

“You said Hong Feng doesn't follow rules and doesn't recognize savage beasts?”

After hearing this, Hall Master Feng turned and looked over, his gaze like lightning.

Hall Master Feng was an elderly man over sixty, tall and possessing a unique dignified demeanor in every movement.

He was actually a Grandmaster realm expert!

The remaining Master Lu and Master Wang appeared similar; though they stood quietly in place, they gave off a sense of an unshakeable mountain.

Three two-star beast tamers, three Grandmasters!

Precisely because they were present, even though the Beast Hall's prices were high, no one dared to utter a single word of nonsense there.

“That's right!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Do you know that saying this is questioning his capabilities? For a beast tamer, it could ruin his reputation?” Hall Master Feng narrowed his eyes.

No wonder Master Hong was angry. For this young man to say such a thing was equivalent to doubting his professional ability. How could a dignified beast tamer face anyone if it got out that he didn't even recognize a savage beast?

Zhang Xuan offered no explanation. He took a step forward into the middle of the room and flicked his finger.

Whoosh!

The strange bird perched on Yun Tao's shoulder flew over.

Compared to Yun Tao, this strange bird preferred to listen to Zhang Xuan. Although Zhang Xuan had given it a thorough beating, he had also helped it improve its cultivation.

The strange bird landed on Zhang Xuan’s hand. Only then did he look up, smiling faintly.

“I would like to ask the four beast tamers, what is the name of this bird?”

“Name?”Seeing him not answer, but instead ask for the bird's name, everyone looked over in unison.

Master Hong's expression darkened. He snorted, “Though this creature is rare, I've seen a detailed description of it in books. It's called a Bone-Brace Bird. Legend has it that this bird has an extra bone in its back compared to normal birds, which supports its entire body. This bird is for ornamental purposes, possesses no combat ability whatsoever, and naturally isn't considered a type of savage beast. What? Are you perhaps trying to say it isn't?”

“Indeed, now that you mention it, it does resemble the description of a Bone-Brace Bird!”

Master Lu, on one side, stroked his beard. “The Bone-Brace Bird lives deep within dense forests. It sings at sunrise, its voice echoing through the nine heavens, truly delightful. As Master Hong said, it's used for ornamental display and play, and is quite valuable, but it's difficult to use it for a beast tamer assessment!”

Hearing their words, Zhang Xuan's face remained expressionless. Instead, he smiled faintly and looked at Hall Master Feng, who was not far away.

“What's the Hall Master's opinion?”

“This should be a Bone-Brace Bird. You can clearly see a bone protruding diagonally from its back!” Hall Master Feng also nodded.

Hearing that all three beast tamers had reached this conclusion, Zhang Xuan shook his head, sighed, and looked at them. “Since you've determined it to be a Bone-Brace Bird, then who among you can describe its detailed characteristics?”

“The Bone-Brace Bird has a black back, a red beak, and golden-yellow claws. Especially on its back, it has three hollow feathers that produce a clear cry when it flies against the wind. Therefore, its loud singing doesn't come from its throat, but from the feathers on its back…”

Before the three beast tamers could answer, a faint voice spoke up.

It was precisely Miss Mo Yu, who had just passed the beast tamer assessment, who spoke.

She recited the characteristics of the Bone-Brace Bird as recorded in books.

However, she stopped mid-sentence. Her fair, jade-like face looked somewhat displeased, and her eyes were filled with doubt.

“What you said is correct. The Bone-Brace Bird’s loud singing doesn't come from its throat, but from the feathers on its back. This means that whenever it flies, it should produce a sound… Did any of you hear anything when it flew around just now?”

“This…” Everyone was stunned.

This strange bird had flown several laps here just now, yet no one had heard any sound. If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't even have known it had arrived.

If what Miss Mo Yu had just recited was correct, then… could this truly not be a Bone-Brace Bird?

“Though this strange bird’s claws are also golden-yellow, the soles of its feet have red spots, and it has a fleshy comb on its forehead. The extra growths on its back are not one bone, but three, and it doesn't have sound-producing feathers. Most importantly… it's light-bodied and flies extremely fast!”

Zhang Xuan lifted the strange bird in his hand, explaining one characteristic after another.

With each explanation, Master Hong's face grew a few shades darker.

Because by this point, he also saw that this strange bird was indeed quite different from a Bone-Brace Bird.

“If it's not a Bone-Brace Bird, then what do you say it is?”He couldn't help but ask.

With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan smiled faintly.

“It is an ancient remnant beast, the Cloud Lightning Ancient Sparrow!”