Chapter 705: I Have Finished Learning

Normal beast tamers spend years building a bond with their spirit beasts, giving selflessly. It's impossible to simply beat a beast into submission as Zhang Xuan did.

As a result, beast tamers and their spirit beasts develop deep emotional connections. Over long periods, they may even cultivate together, their bloodlines merging.

The Dragon Rock Beast had accompanied the elder for an unknown length of time. Furthermore, it died protecting him, so it was clear that the elder considered it his dearest companion. Even if it meant great hardship, he wanted to fulfill its dying wish.

"That... Purple Winged Heaven-Fiend Beast, isn't it from the Beast Hall?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Spirit beasts belonging to the Beast Hall are generally tamed. Even if their owners don't speak beast tongue, there are ways for them to communicate. Since Zhang Xuan wanted to learn beast tongue to understand the Dragon Rock Beast's dying words from the Purple Winged Heaven-Fiend Beast, it naturally meant the latter hadn't been tamed. Otherwise, he could have just asked its tamer, avoiding all this trouble.

"An adult Purple Winged Heaven-Fiend Beast is typically at Transcendent Mortal 8-dan, but this one has reached the Half-Step 9-dan realm. No one in our Beast Hall has been able to tame it..." The elder shook his head.

"Half-Step 9-dan?"

"Yes, although it's only Half-Step, its bloodline and strength make it a match even for some true Transcendent Mortal 9-dan experts. Moreover, due to the Dragon Rock Beast's death, it harbors a deep prejudice against humans, making it impossible to tame..." the elder explained.

"Is it friends with the Dragon Rock Beast?" Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled.

"They were... partners!" The elder hesitated before replying.

"Partners?" Zhang Xuan suddenly understood.

Some powerful spirit beasts are rare, making it difficult for them to find mates of their own species. In such cases, they may form partnerships with other powerful life forms. Of course, whether such partnerships can lead to offspring is uncertain. It's often more about spiritual companionship, fighting, and surviving together. Even among humans, some cultivation partners share a similar bond. Once cultivation reaches a high level, spiritual connection becomes paramount, and procreation or physical pleasure are no longer highly valued.

Since the Purple Winged Heaven-Fiend Beast and the Dragon Rock Beast were partners, the former naturally held the latter in high regard. Having witnessed its partner's death, it naturally harbored resentment towards the elder, its owner. It would be strange if it told him anything. The elder, engrossed in learning beast tongue, aimed to communicate with it and resolve its emotional knot.

"Teacher, since the Purple Winged Heaven-Fiend Beast was your spirit beast's partner, why does it come and cause trouble, attacking the Beast Hall every few days?" Han Chong, who seemed to know something about the spirit beast, couldn't help but ask.

"Attacking?" Luo Qiqi looked over.

"Yes, this big fellow comes several times a month to attack the Beast Hall, eating one or two spirit beasts or savage beasts. It causes a lot of complaints. The Beast Hall has tried to capture it at great cost every time, but its strength and speed are simply too immense to catch..." Han Chong explained.

Although he hadn't been in the Phantom Feather Empire's Beast Hall for long, he had witnessed many things. The Purple Winged Heaven-Fiend Beast would raid the Beast Hall several times a month, stealing and eating spirit beasts and savage beasts, leaving many frustrated. However, due to its overwhelming strength, the Beast Hall, despite its helplessness, could do nothing. He had initially thought this creature was an ownerless spirit beast that disapproved of spirit beasts being controlled by humans, but now it seemed likely that it was intentionally seeking revenge.

"It's resentful that the Dragon Rock Beast was killed, which is why it deliberately comes to the Beast Hall to cause trouble. All these years, I've been learning beast tongue to ask it what exactly it wants!" The elder shook his head. After speaking, he couldn't help but look at Zhang Xuan. "Since you even know the True Dragon's Roar, do you also know some ancient beast tongue?" Even true dragons need to learn the True Dragon's Roar from specialists. If the young man could teach the Eight Sounds of the Celestial Dragon, perhaps he also taught ancient beast tongue? Although he had just claimed to have only glanced at it, could that have been a humble remark?

Zhang Xuan scratched his head. "Ancient beast tongue... I really don't know it!" He had learned a few phrases back then, but they only made the spirit beasts roar wildly, almost going insane. He didn't even know what he was saying himself, so it was practically the same as not knowing it at all.

"You don't?" Hearing Zhang Xuan's confirmation, the elder's hopeful eyes dimmed. He asked again, "Then... what about the Eight Sounds of the Celestial Dragon?" Even if the Purple Winged Heaven-Fiend Beast didn't possess dragon blood, if the young man could truly speak the dragon tongue, he might still be able to communicate with it, persuade it to reveal what happened that year, and perhaps even explain why it was so hostile towards humans and insisted on causing trouble in the Beast Hall.

"I... only know one syllable!" Zhang Xuan felt even more embarrassed. The elder thought he truly knew the dragon tongue, but in reality, he had only learned a single syllable, which he occasionally used to scare spirit beasts with dragon blood when he had nothing else to do. It was definitely impossible for him to speak the full dragon tongue.

"One syllable?" The elder swayed slightly. He had initially found hope upon hearing the young man speak of the dragon tongue, but now it seemed no different from before. "Never mind then..."

The elder shook his head helplessly. Over the years, he had collected many books specifically to study ancient beast tongue, but the language was incredibly difficult. Even he, without a teacher to guide him, found it hard to discern truth from falsehood and hadn't managed to decipher more than a few phrases. He had thought that given Han Chong's strong recommendation, he might learn something from Zhang Xuan, but unexpectedly, he also knew nothing.

"Actually... there's no need to despair. Since you've studied ancient beast tongue for so many years, Elder, you must have collected many books. May I borrow them? Who knows, I might gain some insights!" Zhang Xuan looked over.

"Borrow? Insights?" The elder gave a wry smile. "Are you saying you want to learn it now?"

"Yes!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Do you know the difficulty of ancient beast tongue?" Seeing that Zhang Xuan indeed intended to, the elder couldn't help but shake his head. "Beast tongue has been lost. Many of the records that remain are vague, and many more are misleading. Even if you could pronounce them, would you know what they mean? I've studied for no less than fifty years and haven't made any progress. Now, to think..." Although he didn't finish his sentence, his meaning was clear: he thought Zhang Xuan was being frivolous. He had studied his entire life and still understood nothing. For Zhang Xuan to think he could learn it just by reading books? If ancient beast tongue were that simple, it wouldn't have been lost, leaving countless beast tamers desperate to recover it in vain.

"I'm also very interested in ancient beast tongue. I just want to take a look. If I can learn it, that would be great; if not, then there's nothing to be done..." Knowing the elder's concerns and thoughts, Zhang Xuan said.

"Alright then, go in. My hut here is filled with books about ancient beast tongue. Over the years, I've collected almost every record concerning beast tongue in the Phantom Feather Empire..." The elder, somewhat dispirited, waved his hand. Although he had painstakingly collected these books, they weren't vital artifacts. If Zhang Xuan wanted to read them, it was no big deal.

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist, pushed open the door, and entered.

Seeing his figure disappear from view, the elder couldn't help but shake his head, his face filled with disappointment. "Even with a teacher, ancient beast tongue is difficult to learn in less than several years. If it could be learned so simply, wouldn't I have lived these fifty years in vain?" He had thought that since Zhang Xuan could utter the True Dragon's Roar, his temperament must be steady, but unexpectedly, he was still so impatient. Ancient beast tongue involved a major secret of the Beast Hall; if it were that easy to learn, beast tamers wouldn't be in such a passive position when taming spirit beasts.

"Teacher... is usually very composed. Since he went to read, he must have his own reasons. Perhaps he might learn a thing or two!" Hearing the doubt in the elder's voice, Luo Qiqi couldn't help but say.

"Teacher? You're his student?" Hearing the girl's address, the elder was taken aback and looked over. The girl before him, both in cultivation and demeanor, was outstanding, a top talent among her peers. How could she acknowledge someone younger than herself as a teacher?

"Yes!" Luo Qiqi nodded.

"Earlier, I heard you call him 'Teacher Zhang.' Is the person who just went in a Master Teacher?" Seeing her confirmation, the elder remembered Han Chong's words.

"Teacher Zhang is a 4-star Master Teacher, the champion of the Ten Thousand Kingdoms Alliance's Master Teacher Tournament. He's going to Hongyuan Empire, presumably to study at the Master Teacher Academy!" Han Chong thought for a moment before replying. He had left the City of Ten Thousand Kingdoms before the Master Teacher Tournament concluded, so he didn't know many details, but he had heard some news about Zhang Xuan winning the championship and going to the academy.

"Champion of the Master Teacher Tournament?" The elder was startled.

"Not only that, Teacher Zhang is also a 4-star Beast Tamer and a 4-star Physician!" Han Chong quickly added.

"A 4-star Beast Tamer?" The elder frowned. "If he's a 4-star Beast Tamer, he should know the difficulty of ancient beast tongue. He shouldn't be so frivolous..." If Zhang Xuan were merely a Master Teacher unfamiliar with beast taming, it might be understandable. But a 4-star Beast Tamer was already an outstanding figure in the field. How could he not know the difficulty of ancient beast tongue? If he knew, how could he say he wanted to "take a look and learn," such an unprofessional remark?

"When he comes out, let me know. I'll take you to find the Hall Master!" Shaking his head, the elder stopped dwelling on the matter and waved his hand.

"Find the Hall Master? Teacher, are you going to help us find a flying spirit beast?" Han Chong's eyes lit up.

"Yes, since he's a 4-star Master Teacher and a Beast Tamer, it would be improper to refuse to help him. I recall the Hall Master has a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan flying spirit beast that he never lends out, but if I personally intercede, he might grant some favor!" the elder said.

"Thank you, Teacher..." Seeing the elder agree to help, Han Chong quickly nodded. Just as he was about to speak further, the door creaked open, and the young man walked out.

"Huh?" Everyone was stunned, and the elder also frowned. Wasn't he going in to read and learn ancient beast tongue? It hadn't even been ten minutes, so why was he already out?

"Did you realize that ancient beast tongue isn't that simple? And you don't want to learn it anymore?" The elder couldn't help but ask. This fellow must have gone in, seen the vast sea of books, and lost his nerve. Otherwise, why would he come out so quickly?

"It is indeed difficult, but it's not that I don't want to learn it anymore. It's just that..." Zhang Xuan hesitated, then finally said, "...I've finished learning it!"