Chapter 739: You Are Master Zhang?

"No use!" Zhang Xuan said.

He really didn't see the point in using this Heavenly Stalwart Beast just to hunt Spirit Beasts at the Bridging Heaven or Returning to One realms. As for high-level beasts like the Purple Sun Beast, even using it would be useless. It was far less effective than the 'ruthless person' or the puppet, which were much more direct.

"No use..." Yu Cheng and Feng Wu's mouths twitched, and they looked close to tears.

Before the assessment, they had specifically consulted Elder Mi about what to do with a high-level beast pet. The reply was that it could only be used once. They had assumed that with so many inner cores, this guy must have already used his beast pet's power. To their surprise... he only summoned it now.

For them, catching a Spirit Beast in ten minutes was incredibly difficult, but for a Half-Step Ninth-Layer Heavenly Stalwart Beast, it was nothing. Could this really reverse the situation? If so, they'd surely cry themselves to death.

"Even if he uses it, he might not be able to catch a Spirit Beast... and even if he does, it might not return within ten minutes! We... still have hope!" Despite his immense frustration, Yu Cheng gritted his teeth. So what if the opponent used the Heavenly Stalwart Beast? They weren't beaten yet! Even if that massive creature was powerful, catching a Bridging Heaven Realm Spirit Beast and bringing it back here within ten minutes wouldn't be easy.

"Alright, then we'll just have to wait..." Ignoring their words, Zhang Xuan looked up at the sky. When he descended the mountain earlier, he had carefully observed and knew where Spirit Beasts were located. With its previous roar, he had already instructed the Heavenly Stalwart Beast in the air. For it to catch one or two shouldn't be difficult; it just depended on their cultivation level. Preferably, they should be above the Confluence Realm.

As he was contemplating, enormous wings flapped in the sky. The Purple Winged Heavenly Stalwart Beast returned, its massive hooves firmly gripping a flying Spirit Beast, carrying it along.

"That was quite fast, but this Spirit Beast... why does it look so familiar?" Seeing the beast return in less than two minutes, Zhang Xuan nodded, then stared at the captured Spirit Beast in its grasp, a look of surprise on his face. Why did this creature seem so familiar? Wasn't it the one who had 'reported' to the Purple Sun Beast and, in passing, stolen Yu Cheng and Feng Wu's storage rings? It appeared this creature had been flying when the Heavenly Stalwart Beast encountered and snatched it.

"Just this creature..." His mouth twitched, and he quickly glanced at Yu Cheng and Feng Wu nearby. Sure enough, their eyes were red, and they were baring their teeth, looking ready to devour someone.

"It's this creature! Heaven truly has eyes..." "Wonderful!" Once a flying Spirit Beast escaped into the vastness of mountains and seas, catching it was virtually impossible unless one could also fly. They had long prepared to search for this creature, even after the assessment, traversing mountains and rivers. They never dreamed that in less than half a day, it would be captured by Master Zhang's Spirit Beast. Heaven truly has eyes! This way, not only would their vengeance be realized, but the stolen storage rings would also be recovered, increasing their scores!

"Master Zhang, quickly have your beast pet drop that creature! I have a personal score to settle with it..." Yu Cheng roared, his hatred palpable.

"Throw it down?" Seeing his reaction, Zhang Xuan shook his head and gestured upward. Hearing the command, the Purple Winged Heavenly Stalwart Beast hesitated briefly, then released its grip on the Spirit Beast's hooves. The Spirit Beast, at Humanoid Seventh Layer, plummeted straight down towards Yu Cheng like a cannonball.

"Excellent, I want you dead!" Seeing it thrown down, and recalling the humiliation of a dignified master being stripped bare, Yu Cheng stomped his foot and leaped upwards. His large fist formed a True Qi pattern, swirling like flames.

"What is he doing?" "I don't know. Master Zhang's beast pet caught this; what does he mean by trying to kill it?" The surrounding masters, seeing him frantically attack the Spirit Beast caught by Master Zhang's beast pet, exchanged bewildered glances.

Boom! Before they could even fully comprehend the situation, the Humanoid Seventh Layer Spirit Beast rolled several times in mid-air, having already regained consciousness. It shook its wings, stabilized its form, and extended its hooves. Although it engaged hastily, it had already reached Humanoid Seventh Layer, and its superior height and weight gave it an advantage. When fist met claw, Yu Cheng immediately felt an immense pressure, as if a colossal mountain was crushing him. An incredibly potent force surged forth, causing blood to gush from his mouth and nose. His upward momentum was instantly reversed, and he plummeted like a cannonball, crashing heavily to the ground and creating a large crater. Blood sprayed wildly as he suffered severe injuries in an instant. No matter how strong or talented he was, he was only at the early stage of Humanoid Sixth Layer, a significant disadvantage compared to a Seventh-Layer Spirit Beast; they weren't even on the same level.

"Brother Yu..." Surprised by this outcome, Feng Wu rushed to help him up. When he looked up again, he saw the Humanoid Seventh Layer flying Spirit Beast spread its wings, turn, and fly off into the distance.

"Master Zhang, that creature flew away..." Filled with anxiety, he couldn't help but shout. If they wanted revenge on that creature, once it was gone, it surely wouldn't return. Where would they find it then?

"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Feng Wu couldn't help but exclaim, "Then why don't you have it captured again!"

"Catch it again? I'd like to... but my beast pet can only be used once. Having just captured that creature means my chance is spent. If I do it again, it would be breaking the rules!" Zhang Xuan looked very distressed. Of course, he couldn't recapture it; otherwise, news of the Purple Sun Beast would leak, leading to significant trouble for him. It was better to just let it go and avoid further complications.

Yu Cheng, who had just recovered a bit of True Qi, heard this and couldn't help but spit out blood again. He had clearly seen the creature's meridians locked by the Heavenly Stalwart Beast, rendering it immobile, so how did it recover completely the moment it was released? Furthermore, even if it recovered, it was far too sudden, almost as if... the Heavenly Stalwart Beast had intentionally added a burst of power when it dropped the creature!

"This..." As Yu Cheng spat blood, Feng Wu also staggered. It was he who, by mentioning Master Zhang's powerful beast pet, had prompted Elder Mi to set the 'one-time use' rule. He had hoped this rule would humiliate Zhang Xuan, never dreaming he would inadvertently shoot himself in the foot.

"As long as you capture that Spirit Beast, I'll concede defeat..." Yu Cheng roared, spitting blood. As long as he could retrieve his storage ring, even admitting defeat would be a worthwhile trade!

"You admit defeat? Then... what about the Sky-Striking Talisman you were supposed to lose to me?" Zhang Xuan looked at him.

"I..." Yu Cheng's body stiffened. "My belongings were stolen by that creature; I can only get them back if it's caught..."

"Don't worry, as long as that creature is caught, I'll give it to you..." He gritted his teeth and continued.

"No, first hand over the Sky-Striking Talisman. I need to confirm it's still there before I command my beast pet to act. Otherwise, if I violate the rules because of this and am disqualified from the assessment, wouldn't that be a huge, unrecoverable loss?" Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

"You..." Yu Cheng was so furious he nearly exploded. "Don't worry, I, Yu Cheng, as a master teacher, will compensate you with high-grade spirit stones even without the Sky-Striking Talisman; I won't let you suffer a loss..." Knowing he couldn't produce it immediately, he had no choice but to say through gritted teeth.

"So... you're implying you don't have the Sky-Striking Talisman?" Ignoring his words, Zhang Xuan pressed on.

"...Yu Cheng was about to cry. "Can we please stop talking about the Sky-Striking Talisman? All I want is for you to catch this creature. If you can, do it; if not, then forget it... Can't we have a conversation without mentioning that item?"

"Brother Yu... that creature has already flown away..." Just as he was about to speak, Feng Wu tugged at his side. He quickly looked up to see the sky completely dark. The Humanoid Seventh Layer Spirit Beast had long since flown far away, leaving no trace. If it might have been found on Lei Yuan Peak before, now it was surely terrified, flying further and further, its tracks completely gone!

"Damn it..." The more he thought, the angrier he became. With a roar, Yu Cheng struggled to his feet and glared furiously at Zhang Xuan.

"Alright, time's up!" Just then, a senior student called out. Everyone turned to see the long incense stick in front had just burned down, signaling that exactly ten minutes had passed.

"Seniors, he didn't catch a Spirit Beast, and his points are lower than mine, which means he's lost..." Yu Cheng gritted his teeth and roared. "If you won't let me off easy, then fine, I won't make things comfortable for you either!"

"Lost?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "My beast pet caught a Returning to One Realm Spirit Beast. If not for his obstruction, its inner core would already be in my hands, and I would have successfully gained a thousand points! He deliberately obstructed me, not only allowing that creature to escape, but also intentionally trying to make me violate the rules, aiming for my expulsion! Most importantly, he made a bet with me without even having the stakes, trying to trick me out of high-grade spirit stones..." Zhang Xuan stepped forward, speaking with righteous indignation: "I hope the seniors will see justice done for me!"

"This..." Seeing both individuals appealing for justice, the senior students exchanged hesitant glances. Strictly speaking, Yu Cheng had indeed cheated; otherwise, Master Zhang would certainly have won. However... Master Zhang's score wasn't higher than his opponent's. If they judged solely by the outcome and not the process, he had indeed lost.

"Both of you are outstanding among the new students; there's no need to create animosity over this. I suggest we simply drop the bet..." After a moment, a senior student spoke.

"No! Since we made a bet, we must abide by it. Losing is losing, and there are no excuses!" Yu Cheng snorted. Since he couldn't get his revenge, he would at least make sure this fellow learned a lesson! Otherwise, today's incident would undoubtedly become a laughingstock, impossible to live down.

"This..." Witnessing his adamant stance, the senior students hesitated, and one finally suggested, "How about this: we'll hand this matter over to Elder Mi to handle..." These two had not even formally entered the academy, yet their strength was already comparable to the seniors'. Once admitted, they were sure to shine, and even as senior students, they were reluctant to offend them.

"Good!" Yu Cheng raised his head. His higher score meant he had nothing to fear from Elder Mi.

"Alright then, tell me your names. I'll register the results first!" the senior student said.

"My name is Yu Cheng, and he is Zhang Xuan..." Yu Cheng snorted and began to introduce them. However, before he could finish, he saw the previously composed senior students suddenly widen their eyes, staring at the young man nearby, their voices trembling with excitement as if they had just encountered an idol.

"Zhang Xuan? You are... Master Teacher Zhang Xuan from the Phantom Feather Empire?"