Beast Taming Star Journey

I staggered out of the sea of ​​flowers. The scene before me was no longer a beautiful illusion, but a cold, hard rock platform. In the center of the platform, the Barium Instructor and the Cerium Elf hovered silently in mid-air, their gazes fixed on me with a hint of scrutiny. "Congratulations, Nong Yu, you have overcome your inner demons and emerged from the soul illusion." The Barium Instructor's voice was solemn and dignified. "Now, you will face the final test of the ultimate trial—the Phantom Duel." I took a deep breath, trying to calm the lingering tremor in my heart. Su Yao's phantom still lingered in my mind, but her resolute gaze became my driving force. I had to pass this final test to truly be worthy of fighting alongside her. As the Barium Instructor's words fell, a blurry figure appeared in the center of the platform, gradually solidifying into a beast tamer clad in black armor. His face was hidden beneath his helmet, making his features indistinct, and he held a longsword that emitted a cold, eerie light. "This is... a phantom?" I asked softly. “That’s right,” the Cerium Elf’s voice was clear and ethereal, “It possesses the strength of a high-level Beastmaster and can simulate the fighting style of all the opponents you encounter.” My heart skipped a beat. A high-level Beastmaster! This was undoubtedly a huge challenge for me. “Nong Yu, good luck!” came the encouraging voice of my Lan companion beside me. He patted my shoulder, “Let’s fight together!” I nodded and summoned my Beastmaster companion. The phantom moved, its figure as fast as lightning, instantly appearing in front of us, its longsword flashing, bringing with it a sharp sword aura. My Lan companion and I quickly dodged, while simultaneously commanding our respective Beastmaster companions to fight back. However, the phantom’s strength far exceeded our expectations. Its attacks were swift and unpredictable, as if it could predict our every move. We gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, and wounds began to appear on our bodies. My Beastmaster companion let out a painful cry, struck away by the phantom’s sword, and crashed heavily onto the platform. “Damn it!” I cursed inwardly and quickly went forward to check its injuries. “Be careful!” came the warning from my Lan companion. I looked up sharply, only to see the phantom's longsword almost touching me. Instinctively, I raised my arm to block, but was still forced back several steps by the powerful sword energy, a sharp pain shooting through my arm. "Nong Yu!" my companion Lan cried anxiously. I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain as I stood up. I couldn't give up! I had to persevere! For Su Yao, for my dream! The phantom closed in again, its attacks growing increasingly fierce, and my companion Lan and I were almost powerless to defend ourselves. I felt my strength gradually draining away, my consciousness beginning to blur… Was this… how it was going to end? No, I wasn't willing to accept it! Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck me, a bold idea forming in my mind… "Companion Lan," I whispered, "let's try…" I took a deep breath, suppressing the surging blood within me, and a daring idea took shape in my mind. “Lan,” I whispered, “let’s try ‘Twin Resonance’!” Lan was taken aback, then a glint of surprise flashed in its eyes. “Twin Resonance? But we’ve never tried it before. Will it work?” “There’s no time to hesitate,” I said firmly. “We have to take the plunge! Trust me!” I closed my eyes, concentrated, and felt the subtle connection between myself and my beast companion. “Twin Resonance” was a beast-taming technique we had discovered by chance, which could fuse the power of the tamer and the beast companion together to unleash even greater power, but we had never used it in actual combat. I opened my eyes again, a resolute light flashing within them. “Ready?” I looked at my beast companion, which growled softly, its eyes also filled with fighting spirit. “Begin!” I shouted. My beast companion let out a deafening roar and pounced at the phantom. This was a feint, intended to draw the phantom’s attention. At the same time, I circled around to the phantom’s side, carefully observing its every move, looking for its weakness. As expected, the phantom was drawn to my beast companion's attention. It brandished its longsword, forcing my beast companion back. But just then, it suddenly sensed my intention, abruptly turning around, its longsword aimed directly at my heart! "Danger!" Lan shouted, commanding its beast companion to shield me, taking the full force of the phantom's attack. "Lan!" My heart tightened, but now was not the time to hesitate. I seized the opportunity, concentrating all my mental energy on "Twin Resonance." A powerful energy surged from my body, merging with the power of my beast companion. I felt as if I and my beast companion had become one, our power multiplying! "Now!" I roared, commanding my beast companion to launch an attack. The attack, fused with the power of "Twin Resonance," was incredibly powerful, and the phantom couldn't withstand it. It let out a shrill scream, its body torn apart by the powerful energy, finally dissipating into starlight. "We... succeeded?" Lan stared in disbelief at everything before him. I nodded, let out a long sigh, and collapsed to the ground, feeling as if all my strength had been drained. The Barium Mentor and the Cerium Elf descended slowly from the sky, a relieved smile on the Barium Mentor's face. "Congratulations, you've passed the ultimate test." The Cerium Elf waved his staff, a golden light enveloping me and my Lan companion. A warm power flowed through my body, and I felt my strength greatly enhanced, faintly touching upon a higher realm. "This is… a reward?" I asked in surprise. The Barium Mentor nodded. "This is the Beast Taming Star's recognition of you; it will help you improve your strength even faster." We thanked the Barium Mentor and the Cerium Elf, left the Beast Taming Star, and embarked on our journey back to the Beast Taming Realm. I gazed into the distance, my heart filled with anticipation and unease. Having gained new power, how would I carve out a place for myself in the Beast Taming Realm? What would become of Su Yao and me? The moment I returned to the Beast Taming Realm, I rushed to Su Yao's residence. Pushing open the door, I found the house empty, with only a note left behind: "Come to the border immediately, there's an emergency."