Beast Taming Star Journey

The gates of the Beast Taming Academy stand majestically, their vermilion paint gleaming in the sunlight, and carved with all sorts of rare and exotic beasts, lifelike in their detail.

I stood in front of the door, my heart pounding, a mix of excitement and nervousness welling up inside me. This was where my dream began!

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, and glanced around at the other teenagers who had also come to take the exam.

Most of them were dressed smartly, accompanied by imposing beasts, and exuded confidence in every gesture.

In comparison, my coarse cloth clothes and slightly thin figure seemed somewhat out of place.

A middle-aged man dressed in a dark blue robe stood in front of the gate. A jade pendant with the character "御" (Yu) was hanging from his waist, clearly indicating that he was a beast taming instructor.

His gaze was sharp as he scrutinized each candidate, his keen eyes seeming to pierce through their hearts.

When his gaze fell on me, I could clearly feel a hint of disdain. His eyes seemed to say: You think you can get into the Beast Taming Academy?

This is Instructor Zhao. I've heard people in the village talk about him. He's a strict and rigid person, and it's said that he especially dislikes beast tamers from humble backgrounds.

It seems my assessment won't be easy. The assessment begins. The candidates take turns showcasing their summoned beasts for evaluation by Instructor Zhao.

I patiently waited in line, while Xiaoling quietly perched on my shoulder, occasionally glancing curiously at her surroundings.

At the front of the group, a young man dressed in fancy clothes caught my attention.

Beside him was a huge tiger with bright fur and fierce eyes; it was clearly no ordinary pet.

The boy's name was Li, the son of a wealthy merchant in the city. He was arrogant and rude and often bullied newcomers.

When it was Li's turn to be assessed, he walked up to Instructor Zhao with an arrogant air and patted the tiger beside him with a smug look on his face. "Instructor Zhao, please look at my tamed beast, the Crimson Flame Tiger!"

The Crimson Tiger roared to the sky, and a wave of heat rushed towards them, causing the surrounding examinees to take a few steps back.

Instructor Zhao nodded slightly, a hint of appreciation in his eyes, "Not bad, it's a rare fire-attribute beast with excellent aptitude."

Li became even more smug. He glanced at me, a contemptuous smile playing on his lips. Just then, he suddenly did something I never expected.

He deliberately brought the Crimson Tiger in front of me. The Crimson Tiger let out a low growl at Xiao Ling, and a powerful pressure swept over me.

Xiao Ling clearly sensed the threat; her body began to tremble slightly, and she let out uneasy whimpers. A surge of anger rose within me—this Li student was clearly deliberately making things difficult for me!

I was about to step forward to argue when I saw a sinister smile on Li's face. He lowered his voice and said, "Kid, you think you can get into the Beast Taming Academy? You'd better get back here!"

I clenched my fists and stared at him coldly... I took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in my heart.

The equal contract I signed with Xiaoling allowed me to clearly feel its fear. I gently stroked its fur and whispered to comfort it, "Don't be afraid, Xiaoling, I'm here."

A warm power flowed from my hand to Xiaoling, and it gradually calmed down, timidly raising its head to look at me.

I raised my head and looked directly at Li, without a trace of fear in my eyes.

"Li, your Crimson Flame Tiger is indeed imposing, but scaring a cub seems a bit unfair, doesn't it?"

My tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable firmness.

Li seemed surprised by my calmness. He paused for a moment, then sneered, "An unfair victory? In this world, strength is everything! A piece of trash like you who can't even tame a decent beast has no right to stand here!"

A slight upturn of my lips revealed a confident smile.

"Who says I don't have a decent tamed beast?" I placed my hand on Xiao Ling's head, and a strange energy fluctuation emanated from Xiao Ling. The originally trembling Xiao Ling's eyes gradually became sharp.

It let out a sharp cry at the Crimson Flame Tiger. Although the sound was faint, it contained a strange pressure that caused the huge Crimson Flame Tiger to involuntarily take a step back and let out a low growl, seemingly somewhat uneasy.

Li's face turned pale and then red. He looked at Xiaoling in disbelief, then at me, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

He never imagined that a seemingly insignificant young beast could exude such a powerful aura, making even his Crimson Flame Tiger feel fear.

I ignored Li's shock and gently patted Xiaoling to calm it down. Xiaoling obediently quieted its breathing and nestled back onto my shoulder.

The surrounding examinees witnessed this scene, and their gazes toward me changed, no longer showing disdain but instead a hint of curiosity and inquiry.

Finally, it was my turn for the assessment. I walked up to Instructor Zhao and bowed respectfully.

"Professor Zhao, please conduct the assessment."

Professor Zhao looked me up and down, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

He cleared his throat and said, "Since you've chosen the path of beast taming, you should know that the elemental advantages and disadvantages of beasts are crucial. Now, I'll give you a question: Suppose you have a water-attribute beast and encounter a fire-attribute beast, and the fire-attribute beast is of a higher level than your beast, how would you deal with it?"

This question seems simple, but it actually contains hidden complexities. It not only tests the knowledge of the elemental advantages and disadvantages of beasts, but also examines the beast tamer's adaptability in actual combat.

Moreover, the difficulty of this question far exceeds the level of a novice beast tamer. Instructor Zhao is clearly deliberately making things difficult for me, hoping to make me give up.

I frowned, lost in thought. This question was fraught with pitfalls; a simple answer of using water to counter fire would clearly not satisfy Instructor Zhao.

Furthermore, he specifically emphasized that fire-attribute beast taming levels are higher, which undoubtedly increases the difficulty. How can I answer these questions to successfully pass this level?

The other test-takers around me started whispering among themselves, all thinking that I definitely couldn't solve this difficult problem.

"This kid is doomed. Instructor Zhao is clearly not going to let him pass the test."

"Yes, such a difficult question, even an intermediate beast tamer might not be able to answer it."

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. I knew I couldn't let these comments affect me; I had to focus and find the key to solving the problem.

My gaze fell on the jade pendant in Professor Zhao's hand. The pendant emitted a faint glow, as if guiding me...

“Professor Zhao,” I began, “I believe…”