Beast Taming Star Journey

A sharp pain struck, and the world before my eyes turned into a black and white vortex. When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on a bed in the waiting area, with Su Yao anxiously watching over me.

"Nongyu! You're awake! How are you feeling?"

When Su Yao saw that I was awake, she quickly asked. I struggled to sit up, a sharp pain shooting through the back of my head, and my vision was blurry.

"I...I'm fine..."

I asked weakly, "Who attacked me?"

Su Yao's expression turned serious. "I don't know. I only saw a dark shadow flash by before you collapsed. I've already notified the competition's medical staff, and they're on their way."

I rubbed my temples, trying to recall the events before I lost consciousness. That man in black…who sent him?

Could it be because I exposed Zhou's cheating and offended the mastermind behind it? Medical staff arrived quickly and gave me a brief examination.

They confirmed I only suffered a mild concussion and was otherwise fine, but advised me to withdraw from the upcoming matches. Withdraw from the matches? How could I!

I've worked so hard to get to where I am today, isn't it all to prove myself?

Moreover, my next opponent is Zhao Yushouzhe, and I have always looked forward to a fair and square contest with him.

"I...I can still compete..."

I said through gritted teeth. Su Yao and the medical staff all advised me not to push myself, but my mind was made up. I took a deep breath, slowly stood up, and walked towards the arena.

My opponent, Zhao the Beastmaster, has been waiting for a long time.

Seeing that I was pale and unsteady on my feet, he asked with concern, "Are you alright? Do you want to rest for a bit?"

I shook my head. "No need, let's begin."

From the very start of the match, Zhao the Beastmaster displayed formidable strength. His beast, a gigantic saber-toothed tiger, was incredibly fast and its attacks were fierce, quickly putting me on the defensive.

The injury to the back of my head made me dizzy and slowed my reactions. I narrowly escaped being struck by the saber-toothed tiger's claws several times.

"Nong Yu! Watch out!"

Su Yao's anxious shouts came from the audience. I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain, and commanded my tamed beast, a pure white snow wolf, to fight the saber-toothed tiger.

Although the snow wolf is not as fast as the saber-toothed tiger, it has strong defense and endurance, and has repeatedly deflected the saber-toothed tiger's attacks.

I knew I had to turn the tide of the battle as soon as possible, or my strength would soon be exhausted.

While dodging an attack from a saber-toothed tiger, I suddenly felt a stronger connection with the snow wolf, and a powerful force surged from it into my body.

This is… the power of an equal contract! A surge of joy filled my heart as I felt an unprecedented power coursing through my body. I guided this power back to the snow wolf.

The snow wolf howled to the sky, its body suddenly emitting a dazzling white light. Its size rapidly increased, its fur became thicker, and its eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

"This is... the evolved form of the snow wolf?!"

Gasps of surprise erupted from the audience. The evolved snow wolf had greatly increased its speed and strength; with a leap, it sent the saber-toothed tiger flying.

I seized the opportunity and commanded the snow wolf to launch the final attack. The snow wolf opened its blood-red maw and bit down on the saber-toothed tiger's neck.

The saber-toothed tiger let out a miserable cry and collapsed to the ground, unable to fight. I...I won! I staggered to the center of the arena, struggling to maintain my balance.

Suddenly, a figure rushed into the arena... It was Su Yao!

"Nong Yu!"

She hugged me tightly. "Are you alright?"

I felt her body trembling, and her hand gently stroked the wound on the back of my head…

"pain…"

"pain…"

I hissed softly. Actually, the wound didn't hurt that much anymore, but Su Yao's touch made me feel like I was being electrocuted, and a strange feeling spread through my heart.

She quickly withdrew her hand, as if she had been electrocuted, and a blush rose on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?"

She asked softly, her eyes full of concern. I shook my head, looking at her face so close to mine, my heart pounding even faster.

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Fool, you're injured like this and you still say you're fine."

She gave me a reproachful look, her eyes as gentle as a pool of spring water, almost drowning me in them.

The cheers around us gradually faded away, leaving only the two of us, creating a quiet little world in the midst of the noisy stadium.

She helped me slowly walk off the field, and we remained silent the whole way, but the touch of her fingertips conveyed an indescribable warmth.

Back in the rest area, Su Yao carefully treated my wound, applying the ointment with movements as gentle as a feather.

As I looked at her focused expression, her long eyelashes casting a shadow under her eyelids, a strange flutter welled up in my heart.

"I was able to win this time thanks to you."

I broke the silence.

She looked up and smiled. "You're amazing too. You managed to evolve the snow wolf. That's truly impressive."

"Actually, I don't know what happened either..."

I told her about the strange connection I felt with the snow wolf during the competition, and about the power that suddenly surged into my body. Su Yao listened and fell into deep thought.

"An equal contract...shared power...it seems your beast-taming ability is even more special than we imagined."

A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, followed by curiosity. "Perhaps, this is your real secret weapon."

I nodded, my mind filled with questions. What secrets did my beast-taming ability hold?

At this point, the medical staff came over again to check my injuries. After confirming that I was alright, they left. Only Su Yao and I remained in the rest area.

"What are your plans for the next match?"

"My next opponent is one of the top contenders in this competition, whose strength far surpasses that of Zhao the Beastmaster," Su Yao asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

Moreover, the snow wolf had also exhausted a lot of energy from the fierce battle and needed time to recover.

What makes me even more uneasy is that ever since I exposed Zhou's cheating, I've felt like there's a pair of eyes watching me from the shadows, full of malice.

"I do not know either…"

I sighed, feeling immense pressure. Su Yao took my hand and gave me an encouraging look.

"Don't worry, no matter what happens, I'll be by your side."

Her words were like a warm current flowing into my heart, dispelling my unease and fear.

Meanwhile, in a secluded room, several men in black were gathered around a table, their faces grim.

"This Nong Yu is a tough guy; he even defeated Zhao the Beastmaster."

One of them said, his tone full of annoyance.

"It seems we'll have to resort to some special measures."

"The other man said in a sinister tone, a cold glint flashing in his eyes."

"We must stop him from advancing as soon as possible, or our plan will be ruined."

The leader of the men in black tapped the table, his tone firm. They were beginning to plot a new scheme, preparing to eliminate me completely in the next match.

Although I won this match, I know that even greater challenges await me. My enemies are not only my opponents on the field, but also the forces lurking in the shadows.

How should I deal with the challenges ahead? Will my beast companions recover in time? All of this is unknown, which makes me feel unprecedented pressure.