Chapter 263: You Call This Beast Tamer?

"The rules were set long ago and will not be changed," said Liu Wanliang.

"That's good," Zhao Xing nodded.

Zhao Xing asked no more questions, and Liu Wanliang remained silent. The group waited quietly in front of the Canghai Grotto-Heaven gate.

Teams continuously arrived from the wilderness, and soon the crowd around the entrance grew impressively large.

Although there were only just over fifty thousand Beastmasters, the number of battle pets they could contract was unlimited; how many one could contract was a testament to their skill.

However, Beastmasters of the middle third-rank had a limit to the number of soul contracts they could form.

This was because forming soul contracts imposed a burden, one even more severe than cultivating the Strawman Technique.

The Strawman Technique, at least, involved splitting one's own soul, which could be 'offline' in a low-activity dormant state, or its power could be recalled to the main body.

Beastmasters, however, bore the burden of their battle pets' souls. Imagine hundreds or thousands of lynxes or Azurehounds barking in one's mind all day long… a Beastmaster would go insane within a year.

Furthermore, one couldn't simply dissolve a contract when not fighting, as such frequent operations would harm both the battle pet and the Beastmaster.

"Typically, Beastmasters participating in battles only bring fewer than ten battle beasts. Quality over quantity is the principle; more than that isn't practical."

"Even high-rank Beastmasters who have reached the Prime Soul realm, capable of bearing more, wouldn't do so."

Relying on sheer numbers, unless reaching a certain scale, is less effective than focusing on training a few key battle beasts.

"When the spiritual energy revival version arrives, battle pets' intelligence will significantly increase, and both Beastmasters and battle pets will know how to cultivate their life souls, making the contract quantity limit much higher."

"However, Beastmasters capable of fielding large armies will still be a minority," Zhao Xing observed the surrounding beast-controlling teams.

Even with the spiritual energy revival, financial constraints remain. Training battle beasts requires substantial resources.

Developing a few main battle beasts is already costly; dozens would only be feasible for the extremely wealthy.

For Beastmasters, the expense of battle pets is ten, or even dozens, of times greater than their personal expenses.

Take Zhao Xing as an example: excluding the unique case of the lynx, his Spirit Illusion Goat and Azurehound consumed approximately twenty million in resources to reach the fifth rank.

This was merely the cost price, as Zhao Xing himself was a resource producer and a Sinuo (Minister of Agriculture) who commanded the Startling Thunder Transformation.

If someone else were to do it, the cost could easily multiply several times over.

The Beastmaster profession is incredibly expensive, second only to the Mechanist. Most graduates must attach themselves to royalty or nobility, or be born into such families; lone Beastmasters are extremely rare.

Among many professions, the cheapest upgrade path is that of a Martial Artist, though this is only relative to other cultivation professions.

"There's nothing much to see. Everyone is restraining their power and walking meekly on the ground; it's hard to tell anything significant," Zhao Xing quickly averted his gaze.

Because everyone arriving from Baiyun Island had to walk, flight was prohibited; even birds had to use their claws.

Beastmasters had cast spells to suppress their exotic beasts' strength and conceal their auras.

By this point, all were well-trained, and there was very little commotion in the wilderness.

With four hours remaining, Zhao Xing simply put down his bamboo box, leaned against it, and closed his eyes to rest.

The Azurehound, lynx, and Spirit Illusion Goat formed a protective triangle around Zhao Xing.

Zhao Xing's consciousness sank as he inwardly observed his Pure Essence Space.

The Pure Essence soil had now expanded from 34,100 square meters to 68,000 square meters.

However, this still fell within the scope of Level 3 soil.

The restrictive characteristics of the Pure Essence Space were as follows:

Firstly, for living entities, only plant life could be brought in, and they must be at least fifth-tier, matching the fifth-rank Pure Essence Realm.

Secondly, for non-living entities, only two types could enter.

The first type was wood-attribute materials, which had a weight limit.

The second type was energy-based treasures, such as 'essence crystals,' which were pure energy crystallizations. These had no weight limit, only being restricted by the space's size.

The Pure Essence soil was now thriving.

With the exception of large trees, which had not yet reached maturity, all other plant types were fully mature.

Zhao Xing had divided the Pure Essence soil into three areas.

The first was for plant soldiers, entirely cultivated with species like Lightning Bamboo, Tough Long Vines, Poison Mushrooms, and Thousand-Sound Bamboo.

This was the largest area, with numbers already exceeding ten thousand.

The second was for restorative plants, mainly for vital energy recovery and detoxification herbs.

The third was for consumable plants, primarily providing materials needed for the Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars.

In addition, fifty avatars stood in the center of Zhao Xing's Pure Essence soil.

This included the nine strongest Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars.

"For this ranking competition, Beastmasters and their battle pets are not permitted to carry any divine weapons or sharp tools."

"However, there are equipment supply points inside, simulating the conditions of the ancient Dragon Court Land. In the ruins of the ancient Dragon Court, one can find broken equipment everywhere, and even if damaged, some can still exert powerful effects."

"My avatars shouldn't count as divine weapons or sharp tools, right?" Zhao Xing mused inwardly.

Zhao Xing wasn't worried about the plant soldiers.

This was because the official Beast Control Department once had a rare classification for Plant Controllers.

However, it was later removed because the Sinuo profession refused to acknowledge it.

"This is a branch of the Sinuo, how can it be assigned to your Beast Control Department?"

Yet, there was no precedent for Sinuo of the Id School competing for a spot in the Dragon Court Land.

It was simply very rare.

Sinuo of the Id School were already uncommon.

Combat-oriented Sinuo of the Id School were even rarer.

In reality, many Sinuo of the Id School primarily cultivated economic plants.

In mainstream thought, the Celestial Timing School was stronger than the Terrestrial Advantage School, which in turn was stronger than the Id School.

If one wanted to fight, why not follow the Celestial Timing or Terrestrial Advantage Schools?

Nevertheless, it was undeniable that Sinuo of the Id School who controlled plant soldiers were, in a sense, also controllers, though they were a niche and obscure group, not recognized by the mainstream beast control community.

Releasing plant soldiers wasn't against the rules, but Zhao Xing was unsure about the Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars.

Historically, no Sinuo of the Id School who had cultivated the Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars had ever participated in the Myriad Beast Tournament.

"One is not allowed to carry divine weapons or sharp tools, but the Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars is a magical discipline; how could it be considered a divine weapon?"

Zhao Xing carefully re-examined the rules, confirmed there were no prohibitions against it, and felt relieved.

Four hours passed in the blink of an eye.

Before long, a golden dragon warship appeared above the massive entrance to the Canghai Grotto-Heaven.

*Swish, swish, swish!*

Countless gazes immediately turned skyward.

Dozens of officials stood on the warship's deck.

Four of them flew out from the warship.

"Shao Nong Ling (Minor Minister of Agriculture) Wang Tianzhi, Tai Pu Ling (Grand Minister of the Imperial Stud) Ji Shuchang, Grand General of the East Sea Hong Yuanba, and Aquatic Race Envoy Bai Yunwu," Zhao Xing observed the sky.

These four were responsible for presiding over the event; even Princess Youruo had to step aside on such an occasion.

Although she possessed a noble status, her own fiefdoms, vassals, and significant influence, officially, she held no second-rank government position.

"Wang Tianzhi is a candidate for the next Grand Minister of Agriculture."

"He is currently only a little over 250 years old, which is still very young for a second-rank official. However, despite his 'youth,' his seniority is very high."

"He is the junior martial brother of the current Grand Minister of Agriculture, Li Boqian, and also serves as the Vice Dean of Xuantian Academy," Zhao Xing thought.

There was more than one Shao Nong Ling; the Great Zhou's nineteen prefectures had at least nineteen Shao Nong Lings. Why 'at least'? Because sometimes, grotto-heavens and blessed lands within various prefectures would also establish additional Shao Nong Lings.

During Emperor Wu's reign, to differentiate, positions in grotto-heavens and blessed lands were called Shao Nong Ling, while those in the nineteen prefectures were called Shao Nong Qing. Essentially, their responsibilities were the same, just the titles differed, and both were subordinates of the Grand Minister of Agriculture.

However, being both a Shao Nong Ling and the Vice Dean of Xuantian Academy made Wang Tianzhi's status quite unique.

Later, although he didn't win against Liu Tianning, he still became the leader of the Celestial Timing School and was greatly trusted by Old Liu.

Tai Pu Ling Ji Shuchang was a subordinate official of the Grand Minister of the Imperial Stud, who governed all beast-controlling affairs in the realm. Part of his authority overlapped with that of the Shao Nong Ling.

Although various professions had different cultivation paths, government institutions overlapped like roof beams, complementing each other.

For example, the Dragon Steed Overseer of Chongming Prefecture could be held by a Sinuo or a Beastmaster.

Similarly, the Director of the Divine Selection Department could also be a Priest; the title simply varied. If it was under the purview of the Grand Minister of the Imperial Stud, it would be called a Tai Pu Priest.

Dong Yuanqiu, the Chenghua Overseer under Zhao Xing, could even perform warhorse dances and courtship dances. Mi Fu, on the other hand, had held even more official positions than Dong Yuanqiu.

During his military Sinuo training at Shiyang Grotto-Heaven, Zhao Xing had also learned about mechanical formations, warship navigation, and summoning deities.

Sinuo also possessed methods for summoning deities, but Zhao Xing never practiced this path.

Although officially it was stated that proper use wouldn't shorten one's lifespan, and the cost was borne by incense offerings, in reality, frequent possession by Yin spirits still had adverse effects.

Similar to the path of mechanical formations, Zhao Xing simply chose not to practice it from the start, to avoid being tempted to use it.

In summary, multi-talented officials often emerged in positions where government functions overlapped.

Ji Shuchang was the first to speak, offering a series of polite remarks, primarily recounting the origins of the ancient Dragon Court Land and the Myriad Beast Tournament.

He began by praising Emperor Taizu, stating that his venerable efforts in developing Pinghai Prefecture allowed the Great Zhou to access the Dragon Court Land secret realm.

He then credited Emperor Wen's benevolence, which won the allegiance of the aquatic tribes' chieftains, thereby securing entry slots into the Dragon Court Land.

Finally, he lauded Emperor Jing for expanding these slots to five thousand.

Of these, 3,500 slots had already been fully allocated by the court to top-three-rank controllers, who did not need to compete and formed the main force for exploring the Dragon Court Land.

From the 1,500 slots for middle-third-rank participants, 500 would be decided in this competition.

In truth, the Great Zhou's acquisition of entry slots to the Dragon Court Land was largely due to Emperor Wen. During Emperor Taizu's era, this was not the case; the slots were always divided among the various aquatic tribes, the sectarian world, and the Eastern Wilderness factions.

Emperor Taizu's period merely drove away the aquatic tribes and developed Pinghai Prefecture.

In the early reign of Emperor Wen, the aquatic tribal chieftain system was implemented, causing many powerful aquatic factions to pledge allegiance.

With the submission of the aquatic tribes, their allocated slots were also surrendered to the Great Zhou. Emperor Wen acquired a thousand slots without deploying a single soldier, and by the end of his reign, this number gradually increased to four thousand.

So, what contribution did Emperor Jing make? He did two things.

First, he slept with Princess Youruo's mother, which added 500 slots.

Second, he fathered Princess Youruo and doted on her extensively, leading to another 500 slots.

This effect was entirely due to Princess Youruo's mother being part of the aquatic race; her grandmother, Lady Bi Xia, was said to be a descendant of the God of the Sea, meaning Princess Youruo was, in fact, a mixed-blood.

When He Wu and Fang Ze chatted privately, they always referred to her as 'Princess of the East Sea,' a nickname inherited from her ancestors.

"Long live His Majesty!"

A deafening shout suddenly reached his ears. Zhao Xing looked up to see that Tai Pu Ling Ji Shuchang and Shao Nong Ling Wang Tianzhi had finished speaking.

Next, it was Bai Yunwu and Hong Yuanba's turn to announce the specific rules.

"The competition begins the moment you enter the Canghai Grotto-Heaven."

"This competition consists of a total of five stages!"

Zhao Xing listened with full attention.

While the rules had long been officially announced, the details of the stages themselves would only be revealed now, much like exam questions unveiled only upon entering the examination hall.

"The five stages within the Canghai Grotto-Heaven are established by selecting five types of trials from the ancient Dragon Court Land. They are:"

"The Grand Arena."

"Dragon's Guard."

"Island of the Chosen."

"True Dragon Royal City."

"Dragon's Law Decree."

As Bai Yunwu finished announcing the stage names, a fierce buzz of discussion erupted below.

"Oh no, oh no, why are this time's trials so difficult?"

"Darn it, I haven't done any training related to the True Dragon Royal City."

"Island of the Chosen? Isn't that a pure luck stage? Why is that included?"

"Charge, charge, charge! Promotion and nobility await now!"

"Hehe, I've been stuck at the junior fourth-rank for a long time. This time's rewards are significant. If Dabaobao and I rank within the top five hundred, we'll both enter the official fourth-rank! We'll gain noble titles!"

"In the Grand Arena stage, I am invincible!"

"True Dragon Royal City, *hiss*..."

"Senior Brother, why are you hissing? You haven't even heard of this stage."

"Everyone says it's difficult."

Upon hearing the names of these five stages, Zhao Xing's expression also changed slightly.

The difficulty this time was considerable; four of the five chosen simulated stages were major challenges.

Lin Ziyue, Wang Zhaozhao, and Zhang Mo, all fourth-rank controllers standing nearby, also looked grim, clearly lacking confidence.

"I wonder if this is due to the influence of the Pacification War against the Barbarians," Zhao Xing mused with closed eyes.

In his previous life, the middle-rank war ended in the 35th year of Jingxin.

In this life, it began three years earlier. If the timing remained constant, it should have concluded in the 32nd year of Jingxin. However, there were no signs of it ending; instead, it was intensifying.

"Does the court want to gain advantages from the ancient Dragon Court Land to secure a greater upper hand?"

"The five stages just announced are places that have rarely been explored in previous attempts."

"Stages that should only be massively explored during Emperor Wu's time are now showing signs of being introduced... Emperor Jing, please stop. The outside world is full of rebels; leave some foundation for your son."

Zhao Xing opened his eyes, emerging from his memory palace.

At that moment, Hong Yuanba let out a loud shout: "Silence!"

His voice, like rolling thunder, instantly suppressed all discussions.

Reaching the second-rank realm meant every word carried the might of heaven and earth.

Everyone fell silent, and Bai Yunwu continued:

"There is danger in each of the five stages!"

"However, if you encounter danger, you can activate the Canghai Token. Once activated, the Canghai Grotto-Heaven will immediately expel you."

"Each stage has independent scoring. The top five hundred in overall points will directly secure a slot, while the remaining participants will later compete for the remaining one thousand slots."

"Next, I will repeat the general rules for the competition stages."

"One: No divine weapons or sharp tools are allowed."

"Two: If all battle beasts die, the participant is considered eliminated, and even if their total score ranks within the top five hundred, they will not secure a slot."

"Three: Once you withdraw, you cannot re-enter, but your points will be retained."

"Four: If a battle beast breaks through to the third-rank within the Canghai Grotto-Heaven, the participant will directly secure a slot and no longer participate in this competition."

"Five: Combat is prohibited in public resting areas."

"Six..."

There were many rules. Zhao Xing listened carefully and found them to be consistent with the earlier official announcements.

After Bai Yunwu finished reciting the rules, the sky remained silent for another quarter of an hour.

Precisely at noon, the blue vortex of the Sea Gate opened its seal.

"Roar!"

A dragon's roar echoed, and the first person rode a dragon, flying towards the massive gate.

At this moment, the flight prohibition vanished, and all people and beasts surged towards the thousand-meter-tall gate.

"Aotian, Huantian, Xiaotian, let's go!"

Zhao Xing immediately rode the clouds.

Beside him, a cat, a dog, and a goat also quickly took flight, charging forward with their master.

"His speed? How is he so fast?" Lin Ziyue, riding a flying divine elephant and preparing to accelerate, saw Zhao Xing suddenly dart forward, becoming a mere blur in the blink of an eye.

"He flies so fast, both he and his battle pets are quick." Wang Zhaozhao, standing nearby, was equally surprised. In terms of speed alone, Zhao Xing was faster than all of them, including the fourth-rank controllers.

"Could he be feigning weakness to trap stronger opponents?" Zhang Mo also cast a surprised glance, a hint of doubt arising in his mind.

However, there was no time for further thought. The controllers from the Princess's Manor all began to rush towards the Sea Gate.

*Buzz*

Zhao Xing followed numerous streaks of light into the massive gate. There were at least ten thousand such streaks around him, their speed no less than his own.

The sensation upon entering was similar to all grotto-heavens: after rushing in, he felt a vague resistance.

Half a *ke* later, the world spun, turning upside down, with his head pointing down and feet up.

"Stop!"

Zhao Xing commanded them to stop, and his three battle pets immediately halted.

"Heaven's Eye Technique!"

Zhao Xing activated the Heaven's Eye Technique, immediately scanning his surroundings.

Many had charged in together, but now he only saw a few scattered streaks of light crossing the sky.

"The Canghai Grotto-Heaven is truly vast; everyone must have been dispersed."

"Let's check my current location." Zhao Xing immediately pulled out his Earth Mirror from his pocket.

The officials prohibited bringing equipment, but the Earth Mirror was an exception, as were magical robes below the fourth-tier.

*Buzz*. The Earth Mirror projected a three-dimensional image: five layers of floating continents, which comprised the map of the entire Canghai Grotto-Heaven.

"The Nine Heavens of Canghai actually refers to nine massive continents floating in the void."

"However, only five heavens have been opened this time, and the first stage is the Grand Arena."

The first stage, named the Grand Arena, had simple rules: eliminate other controllers.

Eliminating a sixth-rank battle beast awarded 100 base points; if it was a controller's beast, the controller also received half of the opponent's current points.

Eliminating a fifth-rank battle beast awarded 1,000 base points; if it was a controller's beast, the controller also received half of the opponent's current points.

Eliminating a fourth-rank battle beast awarded 10,000 base points. If it was a controller's beast, the controller also received half of the opponent's current points.

Staying in the Grand Arena for a full day awarded 10,000 survival points on the second day!

Being eliminated meant one's points were halved.

After two months, the second heaven would open, allowing entry to the second stage.

"This stage will have the most intense competition."

Zhao Xing meticulously studied the map, which showed his current location.

"I'm near 'Cangzhu Lake' in the first heaven."

"There are only forty-six supply points nearby. Those who entered will likely seek them out immediately."

This was because the vital energy in the first heaven of Canghai Grotto-Heaven was extremely thin. Relying on absorbing energy from the surroundings, it was difficult to sustain even daily activities, let alone combat.

Participants also needed to eliminate other contenders to earn points, making supply points critically important.

This was also why so many had charged forward quickly just now—they wanted to find supply points as soon as possible.

"Not only can I not absorb any vital energy, but my own vital energy is slowly draining away," Zhao Xing frowned.

He looked down and immediately noticed something.

"It seems the entire continent has been subjected to a top-tier spell, with 'Essence-Draining Underhalls' contained beneath."

"Although this rate of depletion is subtle, after one day, a fifth-rank master at full completion, even if doing nothing, would have half their vital energy drained. In two days, it would be entirely depleted."

Zhao Xing circulated his Energy Gathering technique, tightly locking his vital energy, but it continued to drain.

"I'm not a normal fifth-rank cultivator. I've opened a Pure Essence Space, and it's been reinforced by the Xuanhuang Essence Analysis Technique and a billion resources. Logically, my vital energy should be inexhaustible."

"Yet, it's still draining. Even if I tightly lock it, I can only extend the duration to six days."

His strength, which couldn't be measured by that of a normal fifth-rank master at full completion, could only last six days.

"The lynx, Azurehound, and Spirit Illusion Goat have different strengths, so their vital energy should drain at different rates. Yet, they all consistently last four days."

"Does this mean the stronger one is, the more energy is drained?"

"Around the first heaven, a layer of mist is constantly shrinking. After two months, it will contract to the size of a single county-level city."

Zhao Xing understood that all participants, regardless of whether they were sixth, fifth, or fourth-rank, would have to compete for supplies at the supply points, otherwise they wouldn't last a month.

As long as they sought supplies, they would encounter others, making combat inevitable and eliminations naturally quick.

"Let's go, let's gather supplies!"

"Woof!" "Meow!" "Meeh!"

Zhao Xing immediately cast the Gale Wind Technique, flying rapidly towards the nearest location.

They needed to seize enough supplies to sustain one person and three beasts for at least a month.

The more, the better, because the six-day depletion by the Essence-Draining Underhall only applied to non-combat situations.

In combat, this time would be even shorter.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish!*

As he traveled on the gale winds, Zhao Xing felt the rate of vital energy loss within his body accelerate.

"Whether flying high or low, it's the same. The Essence-Draining Underhall truly lives up to its name."

The top-tier spell had a vast reach. Zhao Xing estimated that the entire Grand Arena in the first heaven was covered by top-tier Essence-Draining Underhalls.

Unless one comprehended a top-tier spell capable of countering the Essence-Draining Underhalls, the vital energy depletion could not be altered.

"The first supply point."

After flying for less than five minutes, Zhao Xing spotted the nearest supply point.

It was an ancient palace situated on a hillside.

Five-colored vital grain flags were planted on top of the palace.

"What great luck! The first palace I found is a fifth-tier supply point, and it's so close."

Zhao Xing used his Heaven's Eye to scan the surroundings, finding no one present.

"Yan Wu's fortune is truly well-deserved; there's not even a single competitor, allowing me to claim this palace's supplies exclusively."

Zhao Xing rushed inside with the lynx, Azurehound, and Spirit Illusion Goat.

Upon entering, he found three large chests inside.

"Lynx, open the locks."

Master Cat swiped his paw, and a flash of lightning split open the locks on all three chests.

Zhao Xing looked closely and saw that each chest contained 10 fifth-tier essence crystals.

"They're all mid-grade fifth-tier essence crystals, enough to sustain us for about two and a half days."

"Pure Essence Projection!"

With a thought, a shadow immediately enveloped the three chests.

Subsequently, the thirty fifth-tier essence crystals were collected inside.

Without the Pure Essence Space, he would have had to carry these supplies manually.

Fifth-tier essence crystals were the size of water vats. Carrying thirty water vats while traveling?

That would be too conspicuous and inconvenient.

Of course, if they were higher-concentration sixth-tier essence crystals, their volume would be much smaller.

"Let's go, to the next location."

After searching the first supply point, Zhao Xing immediately activated fifty Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars.

"Obtaining supplies was relatively simple at first because the initial entry locations were random. With good luck, even weaker controllers could acquire a large amount of resources. After that, it would be a matter of seizing them from others."

Supplies were limited! They were destined to sustain only a minority until the second stage.

"My Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars have less vital energy storage than my main body, but if they're just collecting supplies, they can last two or three days."

"If we don't encounter combat and can get such supplies every time, it's a net gain."

*Buzz*

With a thought, Zhao Xing's body seemed to be copied and pasted, and in the blink of an eye, fifty Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars appeared around him.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!*

The fifty Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars, some flying, some burrowing, quickly headed towards the supply points around Cangzhu Lake.

Zhao Xing's main body didn't stay idle either, stealthily moving towards another location.

Time waits for no one; seizing the initiative meant earning more points in the first stage.

As time passed, one by one, the Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars arrived at their respective supply locations.

Zhao Xing had good luck; within half a *shichen*, thirty of his Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars had retrieved supplies and were heading back.

"Beep, beep, beep—"

Inside a floating warship above Cangzhu Lake.

Cangzhu Guard 'Ming Dan' suddenly received an anomaly report from the monitoring station:

Guard Ming Dan, please review the anomaly report for Cangzhu Lake.

"Hmm? It just started, how are there already anomaly reports?" Ming Dan, a middle-aged man in light armor with a broadsword on his back, was momentarily stunned.

As a monitoring guard, his duty was to report anomalies to his superiors for prompt handling.

However, he hadn't expected the monitoring station to report an anomaly so soon after the start.

With a puzzled expression, Ming Dan opened his Earth Mirror.

"Lingzhu, what anomaly did you find?"

Ming Dan asked the mechanical puppet, which was an assistant specifically designed to help him monitor supply palaces across the region.

"Thirty supply palaces in Cangzhu Lake were emptied by the same person at roughly the same time," a bald man-shaped mechanical puppet reported.

"The same person, appearing simultaneously in thirty supply palaces?" Ming Dan's expression instantly changed.

This clearly exceeded his understanding.

This was because the supply points were not close to each other.

In an extremely short period, the Earth Mirror's surveillance footage showed the same individual appearing in all locations.

This proved that the actions were not sequential, but simultaneous!

"Could someone be cheating, bringing in mechanical puppets?"

"That's impossible."

A sudden thud echoed in Ming Dan's heart.

In the past, cheating might not have occurred, but now it was uncertain; the East Sea was not peaceful.

Unsure, he immediately checked the figure displayed on the Earth Mirror and instantly saw Zhao Xing's appearance.

"Just as I thought... Lingzhu, pull up this person's information immediately!"

"Yes."

The bald man immediately went to other rooms in the warship to search for Zhao Xing's participant data.

"No, Lingzhu, you keep searching. I need to go down and see for myself first."

As Ming Dan stepped out, he immediately told his puppet assistant, "Oh, and report this matter to Inspector Lin Zhengfeng immediately."

"Tell him that an anomaly has been discovered at Cangzhu Lake, and I have gone to investigate, awaiting further results."

"Yes."

Ming Dan then left the warship to track Zhao Xing's main body.

Zhao Xing's main body was easy to identify.

This was because the lynx, Azurehound, and Spirit Illusion Goat were all with him, resting inside Supply Palace No. 41.

Ming Dan was quite cautious. He didn't make a grand display but instead quietly hurried over to observe.

The world was vast and full of wonders; perhaps the person hadn't violated any rules?

His sudden intervention in the competition's progress also required careful consideration; acting rashly could be seen as a sensitive action.

At this moment, Zhao Xing, having finished scavenging Supply Palace No. 41, was planning to rest and recover his vital energy.

Many avatars had returned, bringing back a large amount of supplies.

The supplies were divided into three types.

First, equipment supplies. Zhao Xing's avatars found three sets of fifth-tier Dragon Spirit suits for battle pets.

These could be perfectly utilized by the lynx, Azurehound, and Spirit Illusion Goat.

Second, vital energy supplies, mostly essence crystals, with a small portion of elixirs and fruits.

Third, medicinal supplies, mainly for detoxification and healing.

Box after box of supplies were carried back by the Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars.

Outside Supply Palace No. 41, empty chests immediately piled up like mountains.

"Meow." The lynx chewed on an elixir, finding its taste unappetizing.

"Woof!" The Azurehound suddenly barked towards outside the palace, its ears perked up, then turned its head to look at Zhao Xing.

"Xiaotian, do you smell a stranger?"

The Azurehound nodded.

Zhao Xing immediately walked outside.

Sure enough, three pillars of light suddenly appeared on a distant hillside.

*Buzz*

As the light faded, the three pillars dissipated, revealing three figures and twelve battle pets.

"Two fifth-rank, one fourth-rank Beastmasters."

"Twelve battle pets, half of which had reached the early fourth-rank."

Zhao Xing's eyes narrowed slightly.

After scavenging for so long, he had finally encountered living people.

"Halt!"

Zhao Xing transmitted his voice through the wind: "The supplies here have already been claimed by me. Go elsewhere; don't force my hand."

Zhao Xing didn't want to fight so early.

It was only the first day; eliminating these three wouldn't yield many points.

It was better to fatten the pigs before slaughtering them. Wasting vital energy in battle now wouldn't gain many points.

Anyway, the first heaven was surrounded by pervasive mist, shrinking the participants' survival space like a tightening circle.

In the final days, he wouldn't have to worry about not encountering people.

"Hm?" Hearing the voice, Li Tao, the fourth-rank Beastmaster, couldn't help but stop and activate his Clear Sight Technique to observe Zhao Xing on the palace steps. "A mere fifth-rank, yet so arrogant?!"

Li Tao believed that as a fourth-rank Beastmaster with so many fourth-rank battle pets, he was already at the top of the food chain.

He never expected a fifth-rank individual to be so audacious.

"Senior Brother, look quickly!"

"So many empty chests!"

Chen He, a fifth-rank Beastmaster beside him, pointed to a lawn outside the palace.

He circled around and from one angle spotted the empty chests.

"It's clearly a fifth-tier supply point, so why are there so many empty chests?"

"Senior Brother, we've come up empty seven times before. It seems all the supplies in Cangzhu Lake have been moved by this person," Chen He said, licking his lips.

"One person claiming so many supplies is simply asking for death."

"Senior Brother, let's eliminate him."

Li Tao nodded.

Without supplies, they wouldn't be able to leave Cangzhu Lake at all.

Looking at the overall map, competition in other areas might not be any less intense. They needed to secure enough supplies to get through the initial period.

"In that case," Li Tao said, "Chen He, Qian Zhong, you two go."

"If he's sensible and hands over the supplies, we can let him go. If not, eliminate him directly."

Li Tao hadn't even intended to act himself, instead instructing Chen He and Qian Zhong to do so.

In his view, with twelve battle pets on their side, half of which were fourth-rank,

while Zhao Xing had three fifth-rank battle pets.

With him backing them up, his two junior brothers would be enough to take down Zhao Xing.

"Stop! Take another step, and don't blame me for acting." Zhao Xing shouted.

"Hmph, what kind of empty-fort strategy are you playing? Do you think I can't see that you're the only one in this palace?" Chen He chuckled.

"Kid, be smart and leave now!"

"We'll allow you to take one box of supplies and leave; everything else must stay."

"Otherwise, your journey through the stages ends here!"

Zhao Xing's brows furrowed.

He vaguely sensed that someone else was lurking and observing nearby.

But he couldn't pinpoint their direction.

Before locating the person hidden in the shadows, Zhao Xing didn't want to act rashly.

However, Li Tao and his group clearly wouldn't leave easily.

Zhao Xing could only see them off.

"I must end this quickly."

"And deter the one in the shadows."

Li Tao and his two companions were not weak, so Zhao Xing immediately unleashed his full power.

To catch the bandits, first catch their leader. To resolve this, naturally, the Beastmasters had to be dealt with first.

Once the Beastmasters were gone, their battle pets would naturally vanish too.

*Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish, swish!*

Thirty Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars, using their Divine Movement Guard, instantly appeared at the base of the hillside.

They surrounded Li Tao and the five battle beasts accompanying him.

"Malicious Yin Wind!"

"Landmine Blight!"

"Thunderous Truth-Shattering Finger!"

"Dripping Rain!"

"Soaring Serpent Transformation!"

The thirty Ten Thousand Dharma Avatars suddenly appeared and then abruptly cast seven high-level, perfected spells.

Li Tao was caught completely off guard.

The rainbow-colored light of the spells instantly engulfed Li Tao and his battle beasts.

"What—"

Li Tao didn't even have time to retaliate before his entire body emitted a blue glow.

The blue light enveloped him and the five battle beasts, forming a bubble.

*Pop—*

The bubble burst, and in the next moment, both man and beasts vanished together.

All participants carried a Canghai Token.

Upon receiving a fatal attack, it would instantly activate, expelling the person from the Canghai Grotto-Heaven for treatment.

Poor Li Tao, not knowing what had happened, was ambushed by Zhao Xing, the sly one, and directly eliminated.

"Senior Brother? Where's Senior Brother?"

"What did you do?"

Chen He and Qian Zhong were stunned.

The battle hadn't even begun, and their strongest Senior Brother and five fourth-rank battle pets were gone.

"Hmph!"

Zhao Xing didn't bother with idle talk. Since he had already made a move, expending one unit of vital energy or two made no difference.

Seizing the moment while the two were stunned and disoriented, he immediately attacked.

*Buzz*

After only three breaths, these two and their battle beasts were also eliminated.

"After cultivating for so long, I can finally insta-kill people," Zhao Xing clapped his hands.

A Sinuo wouldn't normally be able to eliminate opponents so cleanly and swiftly, but Zhao Xing was an absolute exception.

However, Zhao Xing's brows remained tightly furrowed.

During the recent combat, his main body hadn't acted; he had been observing the surroundings.