Beast Taming Star Journey

The night wind brushed my cheeks, carrying a chilling edge. Su Yao's words echoed in my ears: go back, back to that eerie and terrifying castle. My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe. We had barely escaped from there, and now we were about to step back into that perilous place. How could I not be terrified? "I know what you're worried about," Su Yao's voice was soft, yet firm. "But we can't let the Dark Lord do as he pleases. If the sacrificial ritual really takes place there, the consequences will be unimaginable." I took a deep breath, trying to calm my unease. "But... it's too dangerous there. I don't want you to be in danger again." I gripped her hand tightly, my knuckles turning white. The last encounter at the castle was still vivid in my mind—the eerie mechanisms, the terrifying traps, and that mysterious man in black robes—all of it still haunted me. I couldn't imagine how I would bear it if Su Yao were to meet with misfortune again. Su Yao gripped my hand in return; her hand was warm and strong, as if it could dispel all the fear in my heart. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” She looked into my eyes, her gaze filled with determination and trust. “We’ve been through so much together, I believe we can overcome any difficulty.” Her eyes gave me strength and strengthened my resolve. I knew I couldn’t back down; I had to face everything with her. “Okay, let’s go back!” I said firmly. We set off again on the road back to the castle. This time, my heart was filled not only with fear, but also with an unwavering determination. I knew the road ahead was fraught with danger, but to stop the Dark Lord’s conspiracy, to protect Su Yao, I was fearless. The night deepened, and the surrounding trees seemed like menacing monsters, howling in the night wind. We walked step by step along the rugged mountain path towards the castle. Silence reigned all around, only the heavy sound of our footsteps echoing through the valley. “We have to think of something; we can’t just force our way in,” I whispered. My past experience taught me that forcing our way in would only put us in greater danger. Su Yao pondered for a moment, then looked up at me, a sly glint in her eyes. "I have an idea..." Her voice was soft, yet tinged with excitement, as if she had already devised a brilliant plan. I held my breath, awaiting her plan. "We can..." She leaned close to my ear, whispering her plan. My eyes brightened, and my hope grew stronger. "This plan... might actually work!" I looked at Su Yao, my eyes filled with admiration. Su Yao smiled slightly. "We..." She suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on the distance, her expression becoming serious. Su Yao leaned close to my ear, her breath brushing against it, carrying a faint, sweet fragrance. "We can use your beast-taming ability to have your beasts infiltrate the castle to scout ahead, avoiding the visible and hidden sentries. Do you remember that mechanism we encountered last time that sprayed poisonous mist? Your beasts can trigger it beforehand, and we can go in after the mist dissipates." Her plan sounded bold yet ingenious, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration. Not only was she incredibly strong, but she was also meticulous, always coming up with solutions I never expected. "This plan... might actually work!" I looked at Su Yao, my eyes filled with admiration. "Of course it works," Su Yao smiled confidently. "I remember a few key locations in the castle. Your beast can scout them out first and see if anything unusual is happening." She drew a simple map of the castle on the ground and marked several areas requiring attention. I listened carefully to Su Yao's explanation, my confidence growing stronger. With her by my side, I felt I could overcome any difficulty. We proceeded according to plan. I summoned my beast—an agile shadow leopard skilled in stealth. Under Su Yao's command, the shadow leopard silently infiltrated the castle, avoiding patrolling guards and various traps. Just as we were about to reach the castle's outer wall, we heard a commotion of footsteps and voices in the distance. "Who's there?!" My heart tightened; I immediately realized we had encountered a patrol. “Don’t panic,” Su Yao calmly analyzed, “They’re few in number, let’s finish this quickly.” I nodded and immediately directed the Shadow Leopard to circle around to the rear of the patrol, preparing for a pincer attack. Su Yao drew her longsword, her figure flashing as she charged towards the patrol like a ghost. “Kill!” Su Yao shouted, her sword flashing, instantly felling two patrolmen. The remaining patrolmen didn’t even have time to react before being tackled to the ground by the Shadow Leopard that pounced from behind. The battle ended exceptionally quickly, cleanly, and without making much noise. I looked at Su Yao’s agile figure, my heart filled with admiration. She was like a burning flame, full of power and passion, irresistible. We continued forward, getting closer and closer to the castle. Just then, Su Yao suddenly stopped, her face turning pale, her body trembling slightly. “I…” she gripped my arm tightly, her voice trembling, “I feel something’s wrong…” Su Yao’s pale face and trembling body made my heart tighten. She gripped my arm so tightly that her fingertips almost dug into my flesh. "I...I feel something's wrong..." she stammered, her voice trembling violently. I supported her, letting her lean against me, gently stroking her back. "What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" I felt her body temperature, trying to calm her down. Her breathing was rapid, her heart pounding, as if she had been greatly frightened. "I...I feel a powerful force approaching..." Su Yao's voice was very low, almost inaudible. "An evil force..." I looked around; the night was deep, and apart from the rustling of leaves in the wind, there was nothing unusual. Could it be the power of the Dark Lord? My heart pounded. Su Yao's perception was always very strong; the "evil force" she spoke of was definitely not to be ignored. "Let's get out of here first." I supported Su Yao, preparing to retreat to a safe place before making further plans. However, just as we turned to leave, I noticed that the defenses around the castle were even tighter than before. The once sparse guards on the towering walls were now densely packed with figures. Magical light flickered on the walls, clearly indicating that the defensive magic had been reinforced. I could even feel a suffocating sense of oppression in the air. What... what's going on? When we came here before, the defenses weren't this tight. Could it be that the Dark Lord has noticed our movements? A shadow fell over my heart. Faced with such tight defenses, infiltrating the castle to stop the dark sacrifice ritual would undoubtedly be extremely difficult. "It seems we have to change our plans," I said in a low voice, my eyes fixed on the direction of the castle. Su Yao gradually calmed down as well. She took a deep breath and said, "That's right, forcing our way in is definitely not going to work. We need to think of another way." We hid in the shadows, carefully observing the castle's situation, trying to find a breakthrough. Time passed by, and my anxiety grew. The sacrifice ritual could begin at any moment; we had to act quickly. Suddenly, Su Yao pointed to a corner of the castle and said, "Look there!" I followed her finger and saw what appeared to be an inconspicuous entrance in a corner of the castle. The entrance was small, almost completely hidden by dense bushes, and would be difficult to spot without careful observation. "That... might be a secret passage." A glimmer of hope ignited in my heart. “Worth a try,” Su Yao nodded. We cautiously approached the entrance, carefully observing the surroundings to make sure there were no ambushes before slowly entering… The entrance was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. I gripped Su Yao's hand tightly, groping forward step by step. “Wait…” Su Yao suddenly stopped, her voice low, “I feel… someone is watching us…” A chill ran from my feet to my head. I immediately became alert, holding my breath and listening intently to the sounds around me. Silence, a suffocating silence. Suddenly, a bright light appeared before us… “Welcome to the Alliance Headquarters,” a deep voice said. We stepped into the Alliance Headquarters' strategic conference room, the blinding light momentarily overwhelming me. Looking around, the conference room was full of people, their gazes varied—some doubtful, some scrutinizing, and… hostile. The atmosphere was heavy, as if frozen. I felt my heart pounding; something was about to happen… “You…” I began to speak…