Beast Taming Star Journey

The strategic conference room at the Alliance headquarters was so quiet you could hear the ticking of a pointer. A huge map covered the entire table, densely marked with enemy strongholds, and intricate lines outlining our planned attack routes. My fingertips moved slowly along these lines, as if stroking the pulse of the battlefield. The victory in the exercise filled me with joy, but it also made me more vigilant. This victory was based on known intelligence, but the real battlefield is always full of unknown variables. I stayed here alone to find any loopholes in the plan and to make thorough preparations for the upcoming decisive battle. "Here..." I murmured to myself, my fingertips hovering over a stronghold marked "Black Wind Gorge," "and here..." Another stronghold was named "Nether Valley." Both places were the centers of the dark forces' strongholds, with complex terrain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. In the exercise, we simulated various scenarios, but we never considered the dark forces' most insidious attack method—soul erosion. This attack is invisible and intangible, impossible to defend against. Once hit, it can cause anything from loss of consciousness to becoming a walking corpse. Although we have developed some pills to resist soul erosion, their effects are limited, and their quantity is scarce, making it impossible to distribute them to every warrior. Thinking of this, my brow furrowed deeply. If the dark forces were to use soul erosion on a large scale in the final battle, the consequences would be unimaginable. The defenses we had painstakingly built could collapse in an instant, plunging the entire Beast Taming Realm into utter destruction. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. I had to devise a countermeasure; otherwise, all our previous efforts would be in vain. I began searching for possible breakthroughs on the map, rehearsing various scenarios over and over. Time ticked by, and I remained alone in the silent conference room. The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and night enveloped the city. I rubbed my sore eyes, feeling utterly exhausted, but my unease remained undiminished. Just then, a series of hurried footsteps shattered the silence of the conference room. "Nong Yu!" an anxious voice called out. "New intelligence!" I looked up sharply and saw the Envoy of Yi rushing in, sweating profusely, clutching a roll of parchment tightly in his hand. "We finally have news of reinforcements from other realms!" he said breathlessly, handing me the parchment. I quickly unfolded the parchment, my eyes scanning the words, my heart pounding. It turned out that the other realms hadn't been standing idly by; they had been secretly observing the movements of the dark forces and gathering a wealth of intelligence on soul corruption. More importantly, they had developed a special crystal called "Soul Crystal," which could effectively resist attacks of soul corruption. "That's wonderful!" I stood up excitedly, feeling a warm current of hope coursing through my body. With the Soul Crystal, we could effectively counter the dark forces' trump card, greatly increasing our chances of winning this decisive battle. I immediately summoned the alliance's high-ranking officials and told them the news. Everyone was overjoyed; the gloom that had hung over them instantly vanished. Based on the new intelligence, I readjusted the battle plan, incorporating the use of Soul Crystals. I distributed Soul Crystals to the frontline soldiers and formulated detailed usage plans to ensure that every soldier received effective protection. To test the results of our preparations, we organized a small-scale combat exercise. The exercise location was an area simulating the terrain of Black Wind Gorge. All forces quickly engaged in battle, with Beast Tamers commanding their respective beasts and coordinating closely with the soldiers. The battle was extremely fierce. My beast, the Howling Moon Wolf, let out a deafening howl, leading the other beasts in a charge. The Howling Moon Wolf's claws tore through the air, each strike carrying a fierce gale, shredding the enemy to shreds. Su Yao also took the lead, riding her beast—a phoenix engulfed in flames—circling above the battlefield like a goddess reborn from the ashes. The phoenix's flames swept across the battlefield, burning the enemy to ashes. I closely monitored the changing battle situation, constantly adjusting my commands to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan. Seeing the soldiers' valiant and fearless performance, my heart was filled with confidence. "This exercise exposed some flaws in our previous plan, but it also gave us hope." I stood on the high platform, overlooking the entire battlefield, and said to Su Yao beside me. "With the Soul Crystals, coupled with our improved plan, I believe we will definitely be able to defeat the dark forces." Su Yao nodded, her gaze firm: "That's right, we will definitely achieve final victory!" Just then, a scream suddenly came from the battlefield... Su Yao! Su Yao's scream pierced my heart like a sharp knife, and my world seemed to freeze for a moment. I turned my head sharply and saw her fall from the phoenix's back. A black shadow flashed by, leaving a shocking wound on her arm. "Su Yao!" I disregarded everything, leaped down from the high platform, and rushed to her side in a few flashes. Her face was pale, and she bit her lip, enduring the pain. I picked her up and rushed back to the camp with burning anxiety. "Damn dark forces, they actually cheated!" I cursed under my breath, gently placing Su Yao on the bed. Her wound was still bleeding, and a black aura swirled around it, constantly corroding her body. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. Now was not the time for self-blame; I had to heal her wounds as quickly as possible. I channeled the beast-taming power within me, gently infusing a stream of energy into Su Yao's body to help dispel the dark aura emanating from her wounds. Su Yao's brows relaxed slightly, and her pained expression gradually subsided. I held her hand, feeling her weak pulse, my heart filled with worry and self-reproach. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I didn't protect you well," I whispered. Su Yao shook her head, smiling weakly, "It's not your fault, this is war, there will always be casualties." Looking at her pale face, a deep tenderness welled up within me. I gently stroked her hair, whispering in her ear, "You must get better, I can't lose you." Su Yao closed her eyes, gently leaning against my shoulder. At that moment, the distance between us seemed to disappear, leaving only the sound of our heartbeats. After several days of recuperation, Su Yao's injuries finally stabilized. During this time, I stayed by her side without leaving her side, taking care of her daily needs. We rarely spoke, but our eyes were filled with concern and affection. However, just when we thought we could finally breathe a sigh of relief, bad news arrived. The dark forces seemed to have sensed our preparations and began to move frequently around the area. Their scouts constantly appeared near our perimeter, seemingly probing our strength. "It seems they're about to make their move," Su Yao said gravely, looking at the intelligence report in her hand. I also felt a sense of unease. The dark forces' frequent activity was no accident; they had likely already discovered our plan and were preparing to attack. "We must be prepared. We can't let them catch us off guard," I said in a low voice. Over the next few days, we increased our vigilance, closely monitoring the dark forces' movements. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, a sense of impending doom hanging in the air. One night, I quietly left the camp and went alone to the entrance of the dark lair. Gazing at the eerie entrance before me, a strange premonition welled up inside me… "Something is calling to me…" I murmured to myself, taking steps towards the dark abyss…