Beast Taming Star Journey

The bustling market was filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, and the strong smell of herbs mixed with the pungent odor of animals made it hard to breathe. I followed closely behind Su Yao, afraid of getting lost in the throng.

The variety of rare and exotic treasures is dazzling, but that's not the purpose of our trip. We need clues about resources to enhance our strength.

"There are too many people here..." I said in a low voice, my gaze sweeping over the bustling crowd. All sorts of beast tamers were moving among them. Some were leading huge beasts, some had colorful birds perched on their shoulders, and others had small venomous snakes coiled around their waists. Everyone was looking around warily, as if they were on guard against something.

Su Yao gripped my hand tightly. "Be careful, don't get lost." Her hand was warm and strong, giving me a sense of security.

We walked slowly along the street, paying attention to the items displayed on the surrounding stalls and the conversations of the people, hoping to glean some useful information.

Suddenly, I noticed a thin figure huddled in a corner, with some inconspicuous stones and herbs in front of him.

He was a bronze-skinned boy, dressed in rags, but with unusually bright eyes that revealed a cleverness.

He seemed to be trying to sell something to passersby, but no one was interested. My intuition told me that this boy might know something.

I pulled Su Yao to him, squatted down, and picked up a stone to examine it closely. The stone's surface was rough, without any luster, and looked quite ordinary.

"Is there anything special about this stone?" I asked, knowing the answer already.

The bronze-clad youth looked up, eyeing me and Su Yao warily, then whispered, "This isn't an ordinary stone. It was picked up from deep within the Sunset Mountains. It contains powerful fire-attribute energy, which is very helpful for fire-attribute beast tamers."

I smiled, put down the stone, and picked up a medicinal herb. This herb was entirely green, emitting a faint fragrance, and it certainly looked quite unusual.

"And what about this herb?" I continued to ask. The bronze-clad youth's eyes flickered for a moment, and he said, "This is the Jade Spirit Grass, which can enhance the spiritual power of beast tamers. It's extremely precious."

A thought flashed through my mind—this Jade Spirit Grass was exactly what we needed! But I didn't show it. Instead, I casually said, "These things are nice, but they're of no use to me."

The bronze-clad youth was somewhat disappointed and was about to pack his things to leave when I suddenly spoke up: "I have a Crimson Flame Crystal here, which I obtained from the Beast Taming Secret Realm. I wonder if you would be interested in exchanging it?"

I took out a crystal that was shimmering with red light from my pocket. Although this Crimson Flame Crystal was not very useful to me, it was a treasure to some fire-attribute beasts.

The bronze boy's eyes lit up instantly. He stared intently at the Crimson Flame Crystal, his breathing becoming rapid.

He knew the value of this item, hesitated for a moment, and finally spoke: "What do you want to know?"

I knew my guess was right; this boy did indeed possess some important information.

I lowered my voice and said, "I need some clues about resources to improve my strength, such as where I can find rare spiritual herbs or powerful beast eggs."

The bronze-clad boy pondered for a moment, then whispered a place name... Su Yao looked at me, her eyes filled with... Su Yao looked at me, her eyes revealing a hint of admiration. Her hand unconsciously took my arm, and a faint fragrance wafted into my nostrils.

I smiled slightly and calmly handed the Crimson Flame Crystal to the bronze boy. The bronze boy carefully took the Crimson Flame Crystal, holding it in his hands as if it were a priceless treasure, examining it closely.

He took a deep breath, seemingly sensing the powerful energy contained within the Crimson Flame Crystal, then raised his head and said in a low voice, "Deep within the Sunset Mountains lies a place called 'Nether Valley,' where many rare spiritual herbs grow, and one might even find powerful beast eggs. But..." He paused, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes, "It's extremely dangerous there. It's said that powerful guardian beasts protect those resources, and very few people manage to come out alive."

A chill ran through me; it seemed this clue wouldn't be easy to obtain. "Thank you," I said solemnly to the bronze-clad boy, then pulled Su Yao and turned to leave.

"Wait!" a rough voice suddenly rang out.

I turned around and saw several burly beast tamers walking towards us menacingly. They exuded a powerful aura and were clearly not to be trifled with.

One of the men, with a face full of scars, pointed at the Crimson Flame Crystal in my hand and shouted, "Boy, hand over that Crimson Flame Crystal!"

I frowned. It seemed these guys were after money and wanted to steal the Crimson Flame Crystal.

Su Yao also sensed the other party's hostility. She placed her hand on the sword at her waist, ready to strike at any moment.

"This Crimson Flame Crystal was obtained through a fair trade between me and this young man. Why are you trying to steal it?" I said in a deep voice, with a hint of warning in my tone.

“Fair trade? Hmph! In this place, strength is everything! What we want is ours!” another tall, thin man said with a sneer, his eyes gleaming with greed.

The surrounding beast tamers stopped in their tracks, watching the scene with great interest. Some even began to whisper and discuss among themselves.

"This kid's in for a rough time. He's messed with the Black Tiger Gang. He's definitely not going to have a good time."

"Yes, the Black Tiger Gang is the overlord of this area. Who dares to provoke them?" I sighed inwardly. It seemed that I was doomed this time.

I clenched my fists, ready to fight. Su Yao was also ready for battle; her aura suddenly erupted, and a powerful pressure swept out, making the surrounding temperature seem to drop several degrees.

"If you want to steal something, then you'll have to see if you have the ability!" Su Yao shouted coldly, drawing her sword and pointing it directly at the Black Tiger Gang members.

The atmosphere instantly became tense, and a great battle was about to break out. I took a deep breath, circulated my spiritual energy to its maximum, and prepared for the upcoming battle.

Just then, an old voice suddenly came from the crowd: "Stop!" Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw an old man with white hair slowly walking over. He exuded a powerful aura that made people dare not look directly at him.

The Black Tiger Gang members' expressions immediately turned grim upon seeing the old man. "So it's Elder Liu. What brings you here?" The burly man's tone carried a hint of apprehension.

The old man glanced at him and sneered, "You lot, daring to rob people in broad daylight, have you no regard for the law?"

The Black Tiger Gang members dared not argue and could only retreat to the side, looking rather dejected. The old man walked up to us, looked us over, and then asked, "Are you alright?"

I shook my head to indicate that I was fine. The old man nodded, then turned to the bronze-clad youth and said, "Little fellow, take them to the Netherworld Valley."

The bronze-clad boy paused for a moment, then looked at me. I nodded to him; he knew I needed this clue. The bronze-clad boy took a deep breath and said, "Come with me."

He turned and walked deeper into the trading market, with Su Yao and I following closely behind. The surrounding crowd automatically parted to make way for us as we left.

We followed a winding path deeper into the Sunset Mountains. The surrounding trees grew increasingly dense, and a mysterious atmosphere filled the air.

I knew that the Valley of the Netherworld was just ahead, but I also knew that it was fraught with danger. Su Yao gripped my hand tightly; her palms were a little cold.

I gently patted the back of her hand, indicating that she shouldn't worry. Deep within the Sunset Mountains, at the entrance to the Netherworld Valley, a chilling wind blew in...