Beast Taming Star Journey

My hand touched the halo, and a tingling sensation spread throughout my body. This halo seemed soft, yet it was indestructible, like an invisible wall separating me from the artifact. I pushed hard, but it wouldn't budge.

"Damn it! What is this thing?" I cursed inwardly, pacing anxiously back and forth. The divine artifact was right in front of me, yet I couldn't touch it; this feeling was even more unbearable than facing a thousand troops.

Su Yao also rushed over. She tried various methods to attack the halo, but to no avail. "This halo seems to be composed of some kind of special energy," she said, frowning. "I can't sense any elemental fluctuations, but I can feel a powerful force."

The thallium-wielding beast tamer had already rushed to the artifact, a greedy smile on his face, reaching out to grab it. However, his hand was also blocked by the aura. Enraged, he frantically attacked the aura, but still couldn't break through.

"Haha! Looks like you can't do anything about it either!" I couldn't help but mock.

The thallium-wielding beast tamer glared at me fiercely but didn't say a word.

Just then, the Bismuth Beastmaster approached. He carefully observed the halo, then closed his eyes, seemingly sensing something.

"I understand!" he suddenly opened his eyes and said excitedly, "This halo is related to the energy flow of the surrounding environment! As long as we change the way the energy flows, we can make the halo disappear!"

"How can we change it?" I asked quickly.

The bismuth beastmaster pointed to several large rocks around them and said, "See those rocks? They are key nodes in the energy flow of this area. Use your beastmaster to move these rocks in a specific order, and you can disrupt the energy flow here, causing the aura to disappear!"

I immediately understood what he meant. I summoned my tamed beast—a lithe snow leopard. The snow leopard is my primary partner, and we share a deep understanding. I told it the sequence the bismuth tamer had instructed, and it immediately grasped the meaning and began moving the boulder as directed.

As the boulder moved, the surrounding air began to flow, forming visible vortexes of energy. The halo also began to flicker and grow increasingly thin.

"Quick! We're almost there!" the Bismuth Beastmaster shouted excitedly.

My heart was in my throat. The snow leopard completed moving the last boulder, and the surrounding energy flow instantly changed dramatically. The halo finally vanished completely!

Without hesitation, I rushed forward and grabbed the artifact. The artifact was icy cold to the touch, and a powerful force surged into my body, making me feel full of strength.

I made it!

I held the divine weapon high, my heart filled with joy. However, my joy did not last long.

A furious roar came from afar: "Damn brat! How dare you steal my divine artifact!"

I turned my head and saw the Mercury Beastmaster leading a group of people charging towards me menacingly... His eyes were filled with killing intent, and I felt a powerful sense of oppression coming towards me.

"Hand over the divine artifact!"

I gripped the divine artifact tightly, its icy touch doing nothing to cool my boiling blood. The Mercury Beastmaster's狰狞 (zhengning, meaning ferocious or hideous) face resembled a demon; he roared, his voice almost engulfing me: "Boy! You're courting death! Hand over the divine artifact, and I might leave you a whole corpse!"

Behind him, the beast tamers drew their weapons, and all sorts of bizarre beasts roared deafeningly, filling the air with murderous intent. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. I knew a fierce battle was inevitable.

Just then, Su Yao stood in front of me, her slender figure now as imposing and unbreakable as a mountain. "If you want to touch him, you'll have to get past me first!" Her cold voice carried an undeniable firmness, and the long sword in her hand gleamed with a cold light, pointing directly at the Mercury Beastmaster.

Looking at her slender yet resolute back, a warm feeling welled up in my heart. Once, I was a nobody, suffering endless humiliation, and it was she who stood before me time and again, sheltering me from the storm. And now, she remains the same, unhesitatingly protecting me with her own body.

An indescribable emotion filled my chest. I hugged her tightly from behind and whispered in her ear, "Su Yao, thank you, thank you for always being there for me."

Her body trembled slightly, then she took my hand in hers. Her hand was cold, yet it gave me immense strength. "Silly boy, why thank me? We're together, aren't we?" She turned her head and gave me a gentle smile, a smile like the warm winter sun that dispelled all the fear in my heart.

I nodded, grasped her hand tightly, and stood beside her, our gazes fixed firmly ahead. Seeing our intimacy, the Mercury Beastmaster was enraged. At his command, the beastmasters behind him surged forward like a tidal wave.

I took a deep breath, stored the divine artifact in my robes, and summoned my snow leopard. The snow leopard let out a deafening roar, its body swelling to enormous size, and it stood before us. Battle was imminent. My snow leopard fought alongside Su Yao's Ice Phoenix, clashing fiercely with the enemy's beasts. Swords flashed, roars filled the air; in an instant, this area became a battlefield of carnage.

The bismuth beast tamer and the lead youth also joined the battle. Although they were not as strong as the mercury beast tamer's side, they were brave and fearless, fighting fiercely. Su Yao and I cooperated, using the power of the divine artifact to deflect the enemy's attacks time and time again.

The battle was incredibly fierce; we all fought with everything we had. I had several wounds, my clothes stained with blood, but my gaze never wavered. I knew I had to win, for Su Yao, for my dream, for everything I cherished.

Finally, after a fierce battle, we successfully repelled the Mercury Beastmaster and his men. They fled in disarray, leaving behind a trail of corpses and wails.

Watching their departing figures, I felt no relief, only a heavier weight in my heart. I knew this was just the beginning; greater challenges awaited us. We had successfully obtained the divine artifact, but could we safely return to the Beast Taming Realm with it? Would the forces of darkness learn of this and launch an attack beforehand?

I turned to look at Su Yao. Her face was pale, and her breathing was unsteady; she had clearly expended a lot of energy in the battle just now. I supported her, about to say something, when suddenly, a dark, oppressive scene appeared on the distant horizon… The scene was like dark clouds looming over a city, suffocating. “What… what is that?” the leaden boy asked, his voice trembling.

"Not good..." The bismuth tamer's expression changed drastically, "It's the army of the dark forces!"