Chapter 250: Zhao Xing May Become the Leader of the Three Factions?

Gemini Island's success in securing three major military contracts and a training agreement with the Imperial Beast Division of the Azure Water Academy quickly drew the attention of neighboring islands.

On Dragon Lion Island in the East Sea, Tong Wanyang, the Commissioner of the Dragon Horse Supervision, sat atop a golden-eyed dragon lion, listening to a subordinate's report."Since the end of last year, Gemini Island's Dragon Horse Supervision has begun introducing a batch of graded young beasts. After the New Year, their number quickly expanded to 50,000.""Once these young warhorses are delivered, they are already graded. After just half a year of training, many have matured into Grade 8 and Grade 7 warhorses," reported a master farmer dressed in cloud-patterned robes."Oh?" Tong Wanyang dismounted and walked alongside his deputy, chatting. "They mature in half a year? Brother Pengcheng, is this information accurate?""Accurate," Yu Pengcheng confirmed with a nod. "I visited Gemini Island's Dragon Horse Supervision in mid-July, and it's indeed as rumored."

"Gemini Island, where do they get such immense financial resources?" Tong Wanyang mused, examining the report. "They don't even have a ranking."Tong Wanyang was referring to the Myriad Beasts Tournament rankings. The Dragon Horse Supervisions across the Purple Clouds Islands competed in four divisions: Southeast, Northwest.Dragon Lion Island was the leader in the Western division. Gemini Island lacked a ranking because they didn't even have a Divine Selection Division and hadn't entered the qualifiers in a long time. So, how could they have a ranking?Normally, creatures like Dragon Whiskers, Purple Lightning, Pegasus, and Fiery Flames had a growth cycle of one to three years.Shortening this cycle was simple: provide them with excellent feed.This required substantial financial backing. Among the Western Purple Clouds Islands, only Dragon Horse Supervisions ranked in the top hundred could achieve such results."I hear they've received support from Princess Youruo, and then Chongming Prefecture loaned them a batch of supplies," Yu Pengcheng stated."Ah, so it's a matter of connections," Tong Wanyang smiled."Indeed, it's due to connections," Yu Pengcheng admitted. "However, the Commissioner of their Dragon Horse Supervision does possess some capability. He hails from a military farming background and is said to specialize in Egoist School techniques.""I visited their cultivation areas, and the feed given to their warhorses is of very high quality.""How high?" Tong Wanyang inquired."It's not as good as ours, but it's comparable to the Four Dragon's Snout Islands."The Four Dragon's Snout Islands were among the top twenty in the Western division."What?" Tong Wanyang exclaimed in surprise. "Such audaciousness? It seems this Marquis Yuanrang is intent on the Myriad Beasts Tournament.""He certainly has that ambition," Yu Pengcheng chuckled. "Both the previous and current Commissioners of Gemini Dragon Horse Supervision have been tenacious.""However, the previous commissioner was already exiled to Minghuang Island. I wonder if this Zhao Xing will make any changes."

"How is their Divine Selection Division faring?" Tong Wanyang inquired."Adequate," Yu Pengcheng mused. "Marquis Yuanrang has merged and modified the Myriad Beast Incantation and Slave Seal techniques, achieving some results in a short period.""However, in my opinion, most of this success is attributable to their infrastructure and food supply," Yu Pengcheng commented.Many people knew the Myriad Beast Incantation and Slave Seal Edict.Different master farmers applied these two techniques differently, and Zhao Xing wasn't the only one to improve them; others had done so too.In Yu Pengcheng's view, this wasn't particularly remarkable; it was just a matter of different focuses. The training direction Zhao Xing pursued merely happened to align with the military's preferences, which might not appeal to the nobility.Moreover, with sufficient financial resources, any master farmer could achieve similar results.Who couldn't conduct high-intensity training?Infrastructure and food supply were the key!If horses weren't fed well and couldn't recover properly after training at Tuoquan Palace, they would be crippled within half a month.The previous commissioner of Gemini Dragon Horse Supervision simply couldn't secure such substantial funding."Their contracts with the military have high prices, but the costs are also significant."Tong Wanyang nodded. "Spending money for political achievements; that's always been the way for children of the nobility in office.""Should we make contact?" Yu Pengcheng asked."No need," Tong Wanyang said calmly, closing the documents. "They don't even have a ranking in the Western Purple Clouds. Let's talk once they secure a qualification spot and can withstand the onslaught of numerous powerful islands."Dragon Lion Island was the top power in the West, and current Gemini Island didn't register in Tong Wanyang's eyes; he didn't see them as a competitor at all.It was only the recent deployments from Chongming Prefecture that caught the attention of his subordinates. But participating in the Myriad Beasts Tournament and securing a place there was not so simple."Understood."

At Gemini Dragon Horse Supervision, Zhao Xing sent out a Dharma Clone, which arrived before the Dharma Beast Skyship.At that moment, Ji Zixuan stood below the skyship with a hundred students, waiting."Senior Brother.""Mhm," Zhao Xing nodded, then looked at the academy students. "Are all the first batch of Imperial Beast Division students from the academy here?""Yes," Ji Zixuan handed over a list. "A small portion was specially selected by me; the rest were assigned by the academy.""Have they been registered?""Lord Cao has already gone up ahead.""Let's go take a look." Zhao Xing and Ji Zixuan boarded the skyship for a tour.Before long, he saw Cao Jiang with his people surrounding a pet beast resembling a tiger with black stripes. Cao Jiang held a set of instruments, taking a few drops of blood from the creature.The elongated, transparent vessel holding the blood resembled a storage card. Cao Jiang then inserted it into the back of a half-human-height cubic device.The earth-mirror on the front of the device immediately lit up.Name: Shadow TigerGrade: Late Grade 8Bloodline: Elite Grade 3"Senior Brother, is this a Shang Heng Detector?" Ji Zixuan paused, watching with interest."Yes," Zhao Xing nodded. "It's a measuring instrument invented by Shang Heng, one of the founders of Shangluo Academy.""However, this is only a Grade 5 Shang Heng device; it can only measure realm and bloodline levels.""Skill levels cannot be directly measured."Zhao Xing browsed the Shadow Tiger's data.The data provided more detailed information:Innate Ability: Shadow RageEffect: The Shadow Tiger activates its inner bloodline power, increasing its strength, speed, and defense by an additional 50% for one hour.Secret Technique: Shadow Ambush (Intermediate 5th Turn)Effect: After training, the Shadow Tiger can skillfully utilize its innate talent, suppressing its aura to become a shadow, then escape behind an enemy to launch an attack.Secret Technique: Shadow Clone (Intermediate 6th Turn)Effect: After training, the Shadow Tiger can skillfully utilize its innate talent. When attacking, the innate mystic patterns across its body will form six shadow clones. These clones have no offensive power but serve as a distraction.

"How unusual! I've never seen a tiger that can use escape techniques," Ling Ruoxue, standing beside Cao Jiang, exclaimed, looking at the data with excitement. "Lord Zhao, have you seen one in the military?""No," Zhao Xing replied with a smile, putting the data back.Ji Zixuan, standing nearby, glanced at Ling Ruoxue, her eyes narrowing slightly before relaxing.The woman was beautiful, but likely not Zhao Xing's type."Lord Cao, please cross-reference carefully," Zhao Xing instructed. "The realm and skill levels of these pet beasts upon arrival must match the information on record.""Rest assured, My Lord," Cao Jiang nodded. "I will meticulously check each one three times and only take them off the ship once confirmed."Only by confirming their initial status and then re-recording upon their return, any growth in between would mean the Dragon Horse Supervision had fulfilled its agreement.After a quick glance, Zhao Xing disembarked, as there weren't any particularly noteworthy pet beasts.For their first collaboration, the academy wouldn't send powerful pet beasts for the Dragon Horse Supervision to raise.Fifty million might seem like a lot, but this batch of students numbered one hundred, and each beastmaster had more than one pet beast.During this period, their food and lodging were provided by the Dragon Horse Supervision, and their levels also needed to be raised. When spread out, there wasn't much profit to be made.However, Zhao Xing didn't intend to make much profit from this first batch; his main goal was to establish a reputation.On the military side, he had no shortage of low to mid-range contracts; with the Xuanjia Army alone, Zhao Xing didn't have to worry about his achievements for the next few years.But the academy side was an untapped market.

"Do you have time to stay at the Dragon Horse Supervision?" Zhao Xing asked."Yes, my master has given me two months," Ji Zixuan replied. She was now a vassal of Princess Youruo."Alright, then you can stay at the Commissioner's Residence. I'll arrange your training," Zhao Xing said."Thank you, Senior Brother," Ji Zixuan's eyes flashed with excitement."Gather the academy students; I have a few words to say.""Understood."Zhao Xing walked to the front of the square formation of one hundred academy students.The students from Azure Water Academy's headquarters were of high caliber; upon seeing Zhao Xing approach, they ceased their discussions."I am Zhao Xing, Commissioner of Gemini Dragon Horse Supervision, and also the primary person in charge of your pet beast training.""While you are here, you only need to do one thing: bring your pet beasts to the training location and, after training, return with them to your quarters.""My beast-training methods do not accept questioning or opposition.""Let me make it clear upfront: this training process will be somewhat painful. The academy's contract explicitly permits a certain number of casualties among the pet beasts.""If anyone is too fond of their pet beast, you can apply to withdraw now. I will explain to the academy and have others sent in your place."After speaking, Zhao Xing quietly waited for the students to make their choice.He didn't want anyone crying and wanting to withdraw halfway through the training.The Great Zhou had been peaceful for over two thousand years; most of these students had never seen bloodshed.The reason their cultivated exotic beasts were called 'pet beasts' rather than 'war beasts' was that many beastmasters, after graduation, would ultimately not enter the battlefield.Most of them would become beastmasters for the imperial family and nobility, primarily for ceremonial performances with exotic beasts during sacrifices.The imperial family and nobility held more frequent sacrificial activities. Living longer, with vast families and numerous ancestral tablets, monthly sacrifices were commonplace. Wei Xuancheng's later policy of abolishing sects and abandoning temples was intended to combat this extravagant practice.The Chenghua Division within the Dragon Horse Supervision was also one of these beastmasters' career paths. The Chenghua Division's function was to handle gentle-natured pet beasts for ceremonial performances and similar duties.It was hard to say which of the two paths was better. Joining the Chenghua Division was considered an official position, though with low salary. Becoming a beastmaster for the imperial family or nobility held no official rank, but paid handsomely.Of course, beastmasters for royal family members usually held official positions and received high salaries, making it an ideal post for beastmasters who disliked combat.Naturally, there was also a third option: cultivating combat-effective imperial beasts to join the military or participate in official competitions like the Myriad Beasts Tournament.

"No one is withdrawing? Very good." Zhao Xing waited for a moment, and seeing no one leave, he turned to Tao Anchun nearby. "Lord Tao, please take them to the post-house to settle in.""Understood."Starting the next day, the Azure Water Academy students, along with their pet beasts, boarded a flying boat and headed to the Thunder Pool Wasteland.Upon arrival, the pet beasts were taken inside, while the students waited in a stadium several miles away.As soon as Shang Ziyan and Su Minghui entered the stadium, they overheard classmates complaining."Marquis Yuanrang is so unfeeling. I just asked what kind of training my pet beast would undergo, and he completely ignored me.""Exactly! He's just a Grade 6 official, isn't he? My family has many Grade 6 vassals, and I