Chapter 257: Punishment

"An ancient relic beast?" Everyone's expressions changed at once.

Barbarian beasts are categorized in many ways, and ancient relic beasts possess some of the most powerful bloodlines. As these beasts age, their bloodlines activate, leading to significant increases in their power. Every beast tamer takes pride in taming an ancient relic beast because the pet's increased strength, linked by contract, greatly benefits the owner. Unfortunately, these beasts are incredibly rare, almost extinct. Many beast tamers have searched across mountains, rivers, and forests, and delved into ancient myths and legends, yet found no trace.

To think one appeared here, and was even tamed by Yun Tao?

"This is impossible! Even if this creature isn't a Bone-Branch Bird, it certainly can't be an ancient relic beast. These creatures are virtually extinct," Beast Tamer Hong immediately questioned. Though the others remained silent, it was clear they shared his disbelief.

"Ancient bloodlines have long been severed. Even if one existed, it would surely have reached the Spirit Beast level by now. How could it merely be an ordinary barbarian beast?" Zhu Jinhuang couldn't help but scoff. "Even if you want to evade blame, there's no need for sensationalism."

"This bizarre bird is an ancient relic beast? What a joke! I might as well claim my Tiger-Head Beast is a Primordial Variant!" Zhou Xuan sneered relentlessly. Primordial Variants are even more powerful and rarer than ancient relic beasts.

It wasn't just them; even Yun Tao's mouth twitched, and he nearly fainted. It was just a gluttonous, shameless odd bird; how could it possibly be an ancient relic beast? This was the Beast Hall, after all; a mistake here could lead to serious trouble.

"Haha!" Zhang Xuan smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, the Beast Hall should have a method for testing bloodlines, correct? It's alright if you don't believe it; a test will reveal the truth." If it was indeed an ancient relic beast, its bloodline would naturally carry special powers inherited from ancient times, making it relatively easy to verify.

"This..." Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Hong, and the others exchanged glances, then nodded in unison. If this strange bird truly was an ancient relic beast, it would undoubtedly shock the entire Beast Hall. For millennia, since this branch was established, no beast tamer had ever successfully tamed a barbarian beast with an ancient bloodline.

"Legend has it that in ancient times, the spiritual energy was not as gentle as it is now; it was wild and violent. While cultivation was twice as effective, the blood of barbarian beasts from that era was like boiling water, constantly surging with rampant power. If this creature truly is a relic beast, a single drop of its blood given to another barbarian beast would surely be unbearable for them..." Hall Master Feng paused, then spoke slowly. Ancient relic beast bloodlines are pure and scorching, fundamentally different from those of modern barbarian beasts. Sometimes, even a single drop can be too much, causing another beast to burn away instantly. Verifying it wouldn't be too difficult.

At his command, an apprentice left and soon returned, carrying a barbarian beast. It was rabbit-sized, completely white, and similar to the Pill Master Guild's pill-testing beasts, but somewhat larger. Like the pill-testing beasts, this type of barbarian beast was used by the Beast Hall for experimenting with various medicines and foods.

"Here!" Zhang Xuan pointed, and a drop of blood emerged from the strange bird. He flicked it gently towards Hall Master Feng. Hall Master Feng caught it, enveloped the blood in his True Qi, and slowly guided it into the barbarian beast's mouth.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle! The moment the blood entered its body, it was like a drop of water hitting hot oil, emitting a crackling sound. The barbarian beast quickly turned entirely red, rolling uncontrollably on the ground. Shortly after, it stopped moving, its breathing ceased. It was clearly burned to death by the potent bloodline.

"This..." Hall Master Feng and the others' pupils contracted as they witnessed the scene. Only such potent bloodline power could have this effect.

Silence. The room fell into a deathly quiet. Even the most ignorant person now understood that the young man was correct: the unassuming strange bird before them was indeed an ancient relic beast. Even though the creature was small, its bloodline alone was dozens of times nobler than the barbarian beasts tamed by Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang. The two were utterly incomparable, like the difference between a diamond and mud.

"Did I just mock an ancient relic beast?" Zhu Jinhuang and Zhou Xuan's mouths twitched. They felt as if they'd been slapped hard across the face and were on the verge of tears. This was an ancient relic beast, a creature that could absolutely cause a sensation within the Beast Hall, yet they had dismissed it as a useless "broken bird"... With such poor discernment, how could they shamelessly claim to be beast tamers? If word got out, they would be ridiculed as a joke. Even if they became official beast tamers, it would be a major, indelible stain on their careers.

While everyone else's attention was fixed on the Cloud Lightning Ancient Sparrow, Miss Mo Yu's expression hardened, and she couldn't help but look at the young man standing nearby. Even Hall Master Feng and the others hadn't recognized it, yet this young man spoke eloquently and fearlessly. Where exactly had he come from? Could such a formidable individual really have emerged from a small place like Tianxuan Kingdom?

"I... I actually failed Yun Tao, who tamed an ancient relic beast?" Beast Tamer Hong's face turned ashen, as if he had aged ten years in an instant. Ancient relic beasts were creatures countless beast tamers dreamed of taming but failed to. Not only were they incredibly difficult to find, but more importantly, these beasts possessed extremely high intelligence and rarely submitted to humans. Even with his advanced taming techniques, he would struggle to succeed. Yet, an apprentice had tamed one, and he had declared the attempt a failure, even telling the tamer to leave...

Ignoring the crowd's astonishment, Zhang Xuan stepped forward, his calm voice resuming.

"The Cloud Lightning Ancient Sparrow can absorb the power of lightning, activate its ancient bloodline, and soar directly into the clouds! This ancient sparrow is indeed similar to the Bone-Branch Bird, but there are many differences. Firstly, its eyes. Bone-Branch Birds, being omnivores, have dull, cloudy eyes, while ancient sparrows possess a piercing, dazzling gaze. Though not immediately obvious, with a little attention, it's quite easy to discern.

"Secondly, its claws. Not only do they have red spots on their palms, but more importantly, the ancient sparrow's claws are much harder and sharper. They can easily tear through common weapons, let alone human flesh. Beast Tamer Hong claimed it had little combat power, but that's because it's still young and hasn't learned to utilize it. Once it unleashes its full power, let alone a Meridian Opening Realm cultivator, even a Profound Connection Realm expert could be torn in half by a single claw.

"Of course, these two characteristics are among the more subtle ones, making them difficult for most beast tamers to identify."

With a calm expression, Zhang Xuan paused, then pointed at the Cloud Lightning Ancient Sparrow's head. "The most obvious feature is the fleshy crest on its head. Although not large, it's a reddish-blue, symbolizing 'royalty.' Possessing such a red crest, even someone unfamiliar with beast taming would know this bird is far from ordinary, and not comparable to a low-level beast like the Bone-Branch Bird! To miss such a prominent feature and immediately declare it a mistake, marking it as failed..."

At this point, Zhang Xuan looked over coldly. "Beast Tamer Hong, as a beast tamer, is this how you inspect barbarian beasts?"

"I..." Beast Tamer Hong's face paled, and he involuntarily took a step back under Zhang Xuan's piercing gaze.

"Who gave you the confidence to directly deem Yun Tao unqualified and tell him to get out?"

*Thump, thump, thump!* Pressured by Zhang Xuan's tone, Beast Tamer Hong lost his earlier composure and retreated further. The Cloud Lightning Ancient Sparrow had formed a book in Zhang Xuan's mind when he knocked it unconscious, containing a detailed introduction, so he already knew its name. Originally, if this guy had approached the assessment with a bit more seriousness and humility, Zhang Xuan certainly wouldn't have held back the information, revealing it directly. But... even after his errors were pointed out, he still flared with True Qi and even summoned his beast pet, intending to attack! Zhang Xuan himself was at the peak of the Profound Connection Realm and unafraid of such aura and pressure. But for someone of lower cultivation, that earlier outburst would likely have caused bleeding from the nose and mouth, resulting in severe injury. Since they had already fallen out, he naturally wouldn't show the other party any courtesy.

"It was my oversight..." Beast Tamer Hong's face was grim. The other party had made no mistake whatsoever; even if he wanted to argue, he couldn't.

"You hold the responsibility of assessing beast tamers, yet you make decisions based on your own whims, failing to be fair and impartial! You almost caused a beast tamer who could tame an ancient relic beast to be overlooked, a pearl shrouded in dust!" Zhang Xuan flicked his sleeve. "Is this how the Beast Hall operates? If this is truly the case, am I wrong to call you a bunch of useless gluttons?"

"I..." Hearing the sharp, questioning words, Beast Tamer Hong's body trembled, yet he couldn't utter a single rebuttal. Earlier, he had been furious, almost exploding from the words. But now, realizing he had nearly driven away a beast tamer who had successfully tamed an ancient relic beast, he understood that even being scolded like this, he had no grounds for rebuttal. The assessment of beast tamers was meant to select talent for the Beast Hall. Driving away such a talent had already violated the Beast Hall's rules.

"Young man, please don't be angry," Hall Master Feng interjected with a smile. "Ancient relic beasts come in many varieties, and most have already vanished into history. Even the Beast Hall couldn't possibly catalog every single type perfectly, so a mistake is understandable!" Hall Master Feng smiled and stepped forward. "How about this: since it was an oversight on our Beast Hall's part, we won't shirk responsibility. We will immediately re-evaluate Yun Tao and reassess him! As for Beast Tamer Hong, for his negligent assessment and dereliction of duty, starting today, he will go to the Beast Forest to tend to the barbarian beasts. He is forbidden from leaving for three years!" At this, he looked at Beast Tamer Hong. "Beast Tamer Hong, do you agree to my punishment?"

"I have no complaints!" Beast Tamer Hong bowed, his expression dejected.

"A single sentence sending Beast Tamer Hong to the Beast Forest for three years, forbidden from leaving?"

"This... isn't that too harsh?"

"The Beast Forest is where barbarian beasts are kept, similar to a pigsty. Usually, only apprentices go there. For a dignified peak one-star Beast Tamer Hong to be there for three years?"

Hearing this decision, everyone was stunned, then looked at Zhang Xuan again, their eyes filled with dread. This was Beast Tamer Hong, one of the highest-ranking beast tamers in the Beast Hall, second only to the three two-star beast tamers. Yet, with a single sentence from Zhang Xuan, he was exiled to the lowest-level Beast Forest for three years of hard labor, forbidden from leaving. Such power and influence were terrifying!

While the crowd was filled with dread, Zhang Xuan, the person at the center of it all, quietly sent a message to Shen Biru.

"This... what kind of place is the Beast Forest? Is that guy's punishment severe?"

"..." Shen Biru's beautiful eyes widened, her face filled with exasperation.