Beast Taming Star Journey

The clamor of voices pulled me from my thoughts of the family feud. The Beast Taming Competition had finally begun. The negotiations at the border had ended badly; Lin Zhentian was aggressive, while the elders hesitated. I felt a surge of anger, but I had to put it aside for the time being and focus my attention on the competition. This was not just a simple competition; it was my chance to prove myself and bring glory to the Farmer Clan. Su Yao didn't enter the contestant area with me but went to the audience seats instead.

She waved to me, her eyes full of encouragement. I knew that no matter what happened, she would always be my strongest support.

The moment I stepped into the players' area, I sensed that the atmosphere around me was somewhat subtle.

Each contestant brought their own beast companion; some were talking in hushed tones, some were resting with their eyes closed, and some were looking around as if searching for potential opponents.

The air was thick with tension and excitement, mixed with a barely perceptible sense of unease. I looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of this unease, but to no avail.

My tamed beast companion, Little Flame, rubbed nervously against my hand. It was a fire-attribute wolf cub, entirely fiery red, agile and lively.

I gently stroked its head and whispered comfortingly, "Don't be afraid, Xiao Yan, let's work together."

The preliminary rounds began quickly, and the arena was bustling with activity. The contestants took turns going on stage to showcase their beasts and skills.

I noticed a guy named Zhou, who was thin and had a sly look in his eyes, giving off a sinister vibe.

His tamed beast is a wind-attribute falcon, incredibly fast and with sharp attacks.

During the competition, Zhou's Falcon performance was exceptional. He was always able to anticipate his opponent's actions, and whether dodging attacks or launching counterattacks, he was incredibly accurate with almost no mistakes.

This caught my attention and also sparked discussion among some other contestants.

"The player's Falcon this week is amazing, it's like he's using a cheat code."

"Yes, his opponent was clearly not weak, yet he completely suppressed him. That's too abnormal."

I carefully observed Zhou and his falcon and discovered some clues.

The falcon's reaction speed was indeed astonishing, but its eyes were somewhat vacant, not like it was acting autonomously, but more like it was being... manipulated.

My suspicions grew stronger, and I began to pay close attention to every little movement of Zhou, hoping to find some clues.

Just then, Zhou seemed to notice my gaze. He gave me a provocative look and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

I ignored his provocation and instead, without making a sound, used my special beast-taming ability to quietly set up a small reconnaissance force around the arena.

My beast companion, Xiao Yan, also quietly approached Zhou's falcon, trying to gather some suspicious scents.

Suddenly, Little Flame let out a low growl; it seemed to have discovered something...

"Wait, Xiao Yan..."

I said in a low voice. Xiao Yan's growl made my heart tighten. Its nostrils flared, it pawed at the ground anxiously, and it made a whimpering warning sound in its throat.

I followed its gaze and saw that Zhou's falcon's eyes were even more vacant, and its movements had become mechanical, like a puppet on a string.

"There is indeed a problem."

I thought to myself.

My special beast-taming ability allows me to not only sign an equal contract with my beasts to share power, but also to sense the emotional fluctuations and subtle energy changes of the creatures around me.

At this moment, I clearly felt that Zhou's falcon was emitting an abnormal energy fluctuation. This fluctuation did not completely match Zhou's own aura, but rather seemed to be controlled by an external force.

I remained calm and continued to control Xiao Yan to approach Zhou's falcon, trying to gather more information.

Xiao Yan approached cautiously, its flames flickering slightly, as if trying to conceal its presence.

It quietly sniffed the falcon's scent, then quickly returned to my side, whimpering softly, as if trying to convey some message.

I closed my eyes and sensed the information Xiao Yan was transmitting back. A faint metallic aura was mixed in with the falcon's own demonic power. This metallic aura was so weak that I wouldn't have been able to detect it if it weren't for my special ability.

"Metal...could it be some kind of control device?"

I thought to myself. In the next match, Zhou's Falcon once again easily defeated his opponent, who was not weak at all, and was even a notch above Zhou.

I carefully observed Zhou's every move, my gaze fixed on his cuffs.

The instant the falcon launched its attack, I indeed saw a faint ray of light flash past his sleeve. It was so fast that I would not have been able to catch it if I hadn't been completely focused.

"It was cheating after all!"

I was burning with rage, but I maintained a calm facade. I needed to find solid evidence to expose his plot.

After the preliminary round ended, I didn't rush to leave. Instead, I quietly followed behind Zhou, observing his every move.

Zhou seemed very alert; he always avoided crowds and chose to walk in secluded corners. I followed him from a distance, keeping a safe distance to avoid being spotted.

I saw Zhou come to a corner of the rest area, looking around furtively, and then meet a man in black.

The man in black handed him a small object and then quickly disappeared into the crowd. The whole process was so brief that I wouldn't have noticed it at all if I hadn't been watching him closely.

Zhou tucked the small item into his sleeve and then quickly left the rest area.

My doubts deepened. What exactly was this little object? And what was its connection to Zhou's cheating?

The competition host also seemed to be paying close attention to contestant Zhou. What conspiracy is hidden behind this?

I took a deep breath and decided to continue tracking Zhou, determined to find out everything... I quietly approached the wall, and something seemed to be wriggling in the shadows at the corner... A deep voice said, "You... noticed it too?"