Chapter 259: Do You Want to Become a Beast Tamer?

"Beat it up?"

Everyone was stunned.

Hall Master Feng's mouth twitched, and he nearly fainted.

This was an ancient beast, an existence so rare there might not be a second one in the entire Xuanluo Mountain Range. They should be cherishing and protecting it... not beating it up?

Furthermore, taming beasts requires building a bond and increasing compatibility. A beating might force a temporary submission, but over time, it would lead to all sorts of problems.

But... if the Cloud-Lightning Ancient Sparrow was forced into submission through aggressive means, then what on earth was the meaning of a forty-point loyalty?

While it was true that beasts could be tamed by force, and there were precedents, even with a contract, the loyalty of such a beast would only be at the lowest level of complete submission, typically around thirty-one.

A loyalty of forty points, however, indicated a truly sincere submission, one that could only be achieved without any reservations whatsoever!

"Could it be... ancient beasts need to be tamed this way?"

Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, and Beast Tamer Wang exchanged glances, each pondering the implications.

There had never been a precedent for taming ancient beasts, and everyone was unsure how to go about it. They had initially assumed that, like other magical beasts, they would require nurturing, care, and friendship to be tamed. Yet, could the simplest method of all—violence—actually be the key?

"Well... where is this Senior Zhang Xuan you spoke of? Would we be able to pay him a visit?"

After a moment of contemplation, still unable to comprehend it, Hall Master Feng couldn't help but ask.

In his opinion, any senior who had researched ancient beasts would undoubtedly be highly esteemed, and their understanding of beast taming would be no less profound than their own.

"Visit? There's no need. Senior Zhang Xuan is right here..."

After a brief pause, Yun Tao pointed in Zhang Xuan's direction.

"He is Zhang Xuan... Senior?"

Hall Master Feng was taken aback, feeling a sudden dizzy spell.

Regardless of anything else, Yun Tao was the Prince of the Hanwu Kingdom, a man of twenty-seven or twenty-eight. For him to address someone as "Senior," they had assumed that person would be at least fifty or sixty years old. Yet, it was this young man, barely twenty, who had just identified the Cloud-Lightning Ancient Sparrow...

"Yes, indeed. Don't let Senior's youth deceive you; his beast-taming abilities are truly exceptional. Do you see the Golden Body Iron-Coin Leopard beside him? It was also just tamed. From the moment he encountered it until its complete submission, the entire process took less than ten minutes."

Fearing that Hall Master Feng and the others wouldn't take this seriously, Yun Tao quickly added a compliment about Zhang Xuan.

"Less than ten minutes... taming a Golden Body Iron-Coin Leopard?"

"Are you dreaming?"

"There's a limit to what you can spout! Even the simplest, most basic taming takes at least three to five days to complete. Less than ten minutes?"

"I feel like I'm listening to a joke."

Yun Tao's voice wasn't muffled, so everyone in the room heard him clearly. They exchanged bewildered glances, frozen in place.

Leaving aside Mo Yu and Zhou Xuan, even the guards behind them had participated in beast-taming processes and knew just how challenging it was to tame a magical beast.

First, one needed to thoroughly understand the beast's situation, habits, whether it had a mate, its preferences, and dislikes...

After familiarizing oneself with all of this, a tailored plan would be devised, and even then, one couldn't be abrupt. In short, successfully taming a magical beast, including all the preparatory work, usually took several months. Ten minutes... surely that was a joke!

Forget about taming an Aperture Opening realm beast; could you even get a dog to willingly follow you home in ten minutes?

Miss Mo Yu couldn't help but glance at the young man who had just rejected her not far away, her face filled with disbelief.

Taming a magical beast in ten minutes?

If that were true, and she had challenged him... wasn't she just asking for humiliation?

To tame her Green Eagle Beast, she had invested a significant amount of time, preparing for a full two months in advance...

"Taming a Golden Body Iron-Coin Leopard in such a short time? What method did he use? Mate Attraction? Food Attraction? Strength Attraction... or some other technique?"

Beast Tamer Lu couldn't help but interject, listing over a dozen common beast-taming techniques and methods as he spoke.

"No, those methods are quite basic and slow to yield results. I believe it must have been a multi-faceted approach, gradually peeling back layers to quickly capture the beast's interest, making it unwilling to leave..." Hall Master Feng chimed in.

"There are too many of those methods to be completed in such a short time," Beast Tamer Lu countered, shaking his head. "My guess is it must have been a single, direct technique..."

Both men had dedicated their lives to beast taming, having ingrained the profession into their very being. Upon hearing of a magical beast being tamed in such a short span, their immediate thought was to identify the method used.

"Cough, cough, Hall Master Feng, Beast Tamer Lu, Senior Zhang Xuan... none of those methods were used!"

As their discussion grew increasingly complex and academic, Yun Tao could no longer hold back and finally interrupted them.

"None of them? Could it be... some new beast-taming method?"

Hall Master Feng and the others' eyes lit up.

A new beast-taming method, much like a new pill-refining technique for alchemists, would undoubtedly cause a massive stir if it emerged.

A method capable of taming a powerful Aperture Opening realm magical beast in mere minutes would surely astound everyone if it ever became widely known.

"It's not a new beast-taming method, but rather..." Yun Tao scratched his head, seemingly recalling the earlier events, still finding them unbelievable. "Senior Zhang Xuan also gave the Golden Body Iron-Coin Leopard a beating, and then... it submitted!"

"What?"

"He beat it up too?"

Hall Master Feng and the others were utterly dumbfounded.

Taming an ancient beast by beating it might be explained by its unique species, suggesting that such a method could perhaps work. However... there were precedents of Golden Body Iron-Coin Leopards being tamed by the Beast Hall. They were known for their arrogant nature, extreme speed, and general aversion to human interaction. The optimal method for taming them was typically the Mate Attraction technique...

...But it submitted after a beating?

"Yes, indeed. I had originally intended to tame that Golden Body Iron-Coin Leopard myself, but I underestimated its strength and was nearly killed. Senior Zhang Xuan appeared and saved us. After he finished beating the beast, it completely submitted and even voluntarily requested to sign a contract. To be frank, Senior himself was a bit reluctant; if I hadn't persuaded him, he might not have even agreed."

"It submitted after a beating? And it was complete submission, even requesting a contract?"

"The Golden Body Iron-Coin Leopard wanted to submit, and he was reluctant..."

"Other people tame magical beasts as if going through life and death, exhausting their finances and shedding a layer of skin, but he just gives a beating and it submits..."

Hearing this, everyone swayed again, feeling as if they might cough up blood.

Zhou Xuan and Zhu Jinhuang, in particular, felt their entire bodies tremble, on the verge of fainting.

To tame the magical beasts by their side, they had mobilized manpower and resources from their respective kingdoms, and poured in countless financial investments. Even then, their beasts were only at a preliminary level of taming, capable of abandoning them at any moment. Yet, this person simply gave a casual beating, and the beast was completely tamed...

When did beast taming become so simple?

"To be able to tame a beast with a mere beating, and to recognize and tame an ancient beast... Regardless of the specific methods, this individual is undeniably a beast-taming genius!"

After the initial shock, Beast Tamer Lu's eyes couldn't help but sparkle.

"Oh, by the way, is he... a beast tamer?"

Suddenly recalling something, Beast Tamer Wang couldn't help but inquire.

Someone capable of easily taming magical beasts should already be a beast tamer, but if so, why were there no records in the Beast Hall?

"He isn't yet; he hasn't participated in any assessments! He merely picked up the skill of beast taming as a hobby!" Yun Tao replied.

On the way here, he had already confirmed that Senior Zhang Xuan had not participated in any beast-taming assessments.

There was a significant number of geniuses among the common folk who, despite never taking an assessment, possessed exceptional talent.

"Not assessed yet? Excellent! Please ask him if he's willing to take the Beast Tamer assessment. If he agrees, I am willing to personally conduct the assessment for him!" Hall Master Feng said eagerly.

To tame magical beasts with such ease indicated astonishing methods. Once he became a beast tamer, he would undoubtedly shine brightly. This Beast Hall branch might even gain widespread renown because of him. Most crucially, if this person truly possessed the legendary ability to make a beast submit with a single beating, then participating in the upcoming grand conference... he would undoubtedly seize first place!

Of course, he would still need to personally assess him and witness it for himself.

"Assess as a Beast Tamer? I'll ask for you..."

Yun Tao nodded and took a few steps toward Zhang Xuan. "Senior," he began, "Hall Master Feng said that if you are willing to take the Beast Tamer assessment, he is prepared to conduct it for you personally..."

"Let's forget about it..."

After a slight hesitation, Zhang Xuan declined.

He was able to tame beasts due to the Library of Heaven's Path. If he were to undergo a proper assessment, knowing nothing about the formal methods, he would surely be exposed instantly.

However, with enough books, he could still manage, but that wasn't the critical point. What truly mattered was that taking a Beast Tamer assessment would consume over half a month, and he didn't know how many stages he would have to pass through beforehand.

The urgent matter of the poison in his body needed to be resolved quickly, and he simply didn't have much time to waste here.

"But this is a great opportunity! Hall Master Feng himself would conduct the assessment..."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xuan outright refused, prompting Yun Tao to speak up.

For Hall Master Feng to offer a special assessment was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one that many could only dream of but never attain.

"I have urgent matters and need to travel quickly," Zhang Xuan replied. "Since you're already a Beast Tamer, just help me choose a good flying beast. Whether I take the assessment or not is irrelevant."

"This..."

Seeing that he genuinely had no strong inclination to be assessed as a Beast Tamer, Yun Tao shook his head, a hint of regret in his voice. "Actually, to become a Beast Tamer, you only need to successfully tame a suitable beast; it doesn't necessarily take half a month. Furthermore, as an official Beast Tamer, not only can you choose your own magical beast, but you can also ride any of the Beast Hall's magical beasts without paying any fees. You can even freely exchange mounts at any Beast Hall..."

"No fees?"

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Zhang Xuan, who had previously appeared so nonchalant, suddenly standing right in front of him, his eyes sparkling with interest.

"Yes, that's right. Official Beast Tamers possess this privilege. A one-star Beast Tamer can use magical beasts below the Grandmaster realm for free. A two-star Beast Tamer can use Grandmaster realm magical beasts for free, and so on. The higher your rank, the greater your status and privileges..."

Yun Tao explained, but before he could even finish, he saw Senior Zhang Xuan looking at him with a serious expression, his tone filled with determination.

"Free stuff? That's amazing! How do I take the Beast Tamer assessment?"

"Perhaps... I should give it a try!"