Beast Taming Star Journey

The wind whipped the flags, making them flutter loudly. On the training ground, torchlight illuminated resolute faces. Soldiers, clad in armor and weapons in hand, stood ready for battle. Beastmasters stood to the side, their companions—various beasts of different forms, some majestic, others agile and adorable—all exuding a powerful aura. A tense atmosphere hung in the air. This was the final preparation before the live-fire exercise. Su Yao and I stood side-by-side on the high platform, overlooking the entire training ground. In the distance, General Yi was giving his final pep talk, his booming voice echoing through the night, inspiring every soldier. “This exercise simulates an invasion by dark forces,” Su Yao’s voice rang in my ears, “Although it’s a virtual enemy, we must give it our all.” I nodded, a vague unease creeping into my heart. This was not just an exercise, but an opportunity to test our strength. If we couldn’t even defeat a virtual enemy, how could we face a real threat? “Begin!” With General Yi’s command, the exercise officially commenced. The virtual forces of darkness surged in like a tidal wave, and the soldiers and beast tamers immediately engaged in battle. However, the battle quickly became a stalemate. The coordination between the beast tamers and the warriors was not yet smooth enough, and mistakes frequently occurred. Some beast tamers' commands were unclear, causing their beasts' attacks to miss; some warriors lacked understanding of their beasts' movements and could not coordinate in time. The dark forces pressed forward relentlessly, and we were forced into a retreat. Watching my warriors fall one by one, my heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, and I could hardly breathe. "This won't do!" Su Yao's voice carried a hint of anxiety. "We must find a way to change this situation!" I looked around, searching for a breakthrough. Suddenly, my gaze fell on Lucy. She was a high-level beast tamer from another realm, powerful and experienced. "Lucy!" I shouted, "We need your help!" Lucy turned to look at me, a determined glint in her eyes. She nodded, then commanded her beast, a giant flying bird, to charge into the enemy ranks. I took a deep breath, preparing to release my tamed beast. Just then, Su Yao suddenly grabbed my hand. "Wait," she whispered, "Let's..." "Wait," Su Yao whispered, "Let's..." Before she finished speaking, she leaped onto the back of my tamed beast—the Crimson Flame Lion. "We'll combine our powers!" I was startled, instantly understanding her meaning. Su Yao and I, and our tamed beast, were already of one mind. Combining our powers wasn't just a simple addition of strength, but a fusion of our power to unleash even greater might. I immediately activated the power of my tamed beast, and the Crimson Flame Lion roared to the sky, its mane flying like burning flames. At the same time, Su Yao released her tamed beast—a pure white Ice Phoenix. The Ice Phoenix spread its wings and soared into the sky, instantly filling the air with a bone-chilling cold. "Lucy!" I shouted, "Fire Phoenix, Ice Phoenix, let the two phoenixes sing in unison!" Lucy understood immediately and commanded her beast—a golden fire phoenix—to swoop down towards the center of the enemy formation alongside Su Yao's ice phoenix. The Crimson Flame Lion followed closely behind, spewing scorching flames that incinerated enemies in their path. The fire phoenix and ice phoenix worked together flawlessly. The fire phoenix's flames burned everything, while the ice phoenix's ice froze everything. The two opposing forces intertwined, forming a devastating storm that instantly tore apart the enemy's formation. Su Yao and I fought side by side, commanding the Crimson Flame Lion and ice phoenix, charging left and right through the enemy ranks. Our beasts coordinated perfectly, each attack landing precisely and inflicting heavy damage on the enemy. Seeing this, the soldiers' morale soared, and they chanted our names, their hopes for battle rekindled. The previously stalemate was instantly reversed by our arrival. However, as the exercise progressed, the virtual dark forces began to reveal their true strength. Their attacks grew increasingly fierce, wave after wave, seemingly endless. Lucy's Fire Phoenix was trapped by the enemy's magic circle, its golden flames gradually dimming. My heart tightened, and I immediately commanded the Crimson Lion to provide support. "Crimson Lion, Flame Impact!" The Crimson Lion roared, transforming into a streak of red lightning, breaking through the enemy's magic circle and freeing the Fire Phoenix. The two enormous birds circled in the air, cooperating to launch a fierce counterattack against the enemy. The Fire Phoenix spewed forth raging flames, scorching the enemy to a crisp; the Ice Phoenix released ice spikes, freezing the enemy into ice sculptures. The Crimson Lion was not to be outdone, wielding its sharp claws, tearing the enemy to shreds. The three powerful beasts joined forces, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy. The dark forces' offensive was finally halted, and the battle gradually stabilized. I wiped the sweat from my brow, my heart filled with joy. This practical exercise, though arduous, gave us hope. As long as we work together, we will surely defeat any enemy. Suddenly, I felt a powerful force approaching… Su Yao grabbed my arm, her voice trembling slightly, “Nong Yu, look…” I followed Su Yao’s gaze and saw a huge black vortex in the sky, seemingly about to devour everything. Countless black figures surged from the vortex, emanating a chillingly evil aura. “What…is this?” My heart sank, feeling an unprecedented pressure. “It’s reinforcements from the dark forces,” Su Yao said gravely, “It seems the difficulty of this exercise will be increased.” Just then, General Yi’s voice rang out over the training ground: “Everyone, due to a sudden change in circumstances, the exercise rules have been temporarily changed. The power of the dark forces has been enhanced, and you need to complete the mission in a shorter time.” Hearing this news, the previously relaxed atmosphere instantly became tense. The soldiers’ faces all showed solemn expressions, gripping their weapons tightly, preparing to face an even greater challenge. “Nong Yu, good luck!” Su Yao’s voice rang in my ears, her eyes filled with encouragement and trust. Her cheers, like a warm current, flowed into my heart. I took a deep breath, suppressing my unease. "Don't worry, I will." I turned to look at her, giving her a resolute look. I once again activated the beast-taming power within me, and the Crimson Flame Lion let out a deafening roar, its flames burning even more fiercely. "Lucy, let's go together!" I shouted, commanding the Crimson Flame Lion to charge towards the enemy. Lucy's Fire Phoenix and Su Yao's Ice Phoenix followed closely behind, the three powerful beasts joining forces once more, launching a fierce attack on the enemy. However, this time the enemy was stronger than before; their attacks were faster, and their defenses were more solid. Although our attacks were effective, they couldn't defeat the enemy as easily as before. The battle became extremely intense, with both sides exchanging blows, neither giving an inch. Explosions, roars, and shouts mingled together, deafeningly loud. I felt the beast-taming power within me rapidly depleting, and the Crimson Flame Lion's breathing became rapid. "This can't go on," I thought to myself. "I have to find a way to break this stalemate." I carefully observed the enemy's formation, searching for their weaknesses. Suddenly, I noticed a clear gap in their dense formation. "That's it!" I exclaimed with delight, immediately commanding the Crimson Flame Lion to charge towards that gap. Lucy and Su Yao understood my intention; they commanded the Fire Phoenix and Ice Phoenix to cover the Crimson Flame Lion's attack. The Crimson Flame Lion transformed into a streak of red lightning, breaking through the enemy's defenses and charging into the center of their formation. It wielded its sharp claws, tearing enemies to shreds and spewing scorching flames, burning them to ashes. The enemy's formation immediately fell into chaos, and their offensive began to weaken. I seized the opportunity, once again activating the beast-taming power within me, and the Crimson Flame Lion's power increased again. "Flame Storm!" I shouted, and the Crimson Flame Lion roared to the sky, spewing out a massive pillar of fire that engulfed all the surrounding enemies. The enemy's formation completely collapsed, and they began to scatter and flee. We pressed our advantage, wiping out the remaining enemies. The bugle call signaling the end of the exercise sounded, and I let out a long sigh of relief, slowly landing on the ground. Su Yao ran over and gave me a hug, "You were amazing!" I smiled, my heart filled with joy and pride. "This exercise, though arduous, gave us hope," General Yi's voice echoed across the training ground. "As long as we work together, we will surely defeat any enemy." I looked up at the sky, my heart brimming with confidence. However, at that moment, I suddenly felt a strange unease… I went alone to the strategic conference room at the Alliance headquarters, spread out a map, and slowly moved my finger along the marked enemy strongholds… "Here, and here…" I muttered to myself, my brow furrowed.