Bone-stripping and tendon-pulling? The reborn senior sister becomes the number one cultivator in the

"Then, Master Xiao, how do we learn to tame beasts?" Xie Wanning was very curious, because there were only demonic beasts in the Ten Thousand Demon Abyss, and it was impossible to form contracts with righteous cultivators.

"Follow me." Xiao Xiongtian opened a secret realm, which was filled with all kinds of spirit beasts.

Xie Wanning saw a rabbit munching on grass nearby and secretly pounced on it from behind, but missed.

However, the rabbit did not escape; it remained grazing in the same spot. Yet, it was merely a phantom, without any physical form.

"Master Xiao, what's going on?" Xie Wanning shook off the grass on her body and asked, puzzled.

"This is a secret realm. The spirit beasts inside are all transformed from the records in the book. What you need to learn is the habits of each spirit beast," Xiao Xiongtian explained seriously.

"Yes, disciple will certainly follow Master's teachings." Xie Wanning bowed.

She knew there were no spirit beasts in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons, so it must have taken Master Xiao a lot of effort to conjure such a lifelike spirit beast.

In the days that followed, Xiao Xiongtian explained in detail the habits, weaknesses, and contract conditions of various spirit beasts.

To form a contract with a spirit beast, one must first possess a cultivation level no lower than that of the spirit beast, and have a sufficiently devout heart, in order to obtain the spirit beast's permission to form a contract.

When Xiao Xiongtian explained the spirit beasts, his eyes were always filled with a kind of loving gaze, and his eyes looked at the spirit beasts with great tenderness, which was completely different from his usual stern face.

Xie Wanning could sense that Xiao Xiongtian genuinely loved spirit beasts.

However, she had never seen Xiao Xiongtian summon his spirit beast.

Until one day, Xiao Xiongtian didn't come to teach her how to tame beasts; he wasn't at the camp all day.

Xie Wanning was very worried and sought out her other masters and mistresses, but they only sighed slightly and did not answer.

By evening, Xiao Xiongtian appeared at the camp entrance, covered in blood.

Xie Wanning rushed over and helped Xiao Xiongtian up, asking worriedly, "Master Xiao, are you injured? Why is there so much blood?"

Xiao Xiongtian smiled, but there was an unyielding killing intent in his eyes: "It's alright, this is just the blood of demonic beasts. Those beasts shouldn't be alive."

Xie Wanning then realized that Xiao Xiongtian had spent the entire day hunting magical beasts.

"Disciple, don't help me. Don't let the blood stain your clothes." After saying that, Xiao Xiongtian gently pushed Xie Wanning away and went back to his room to change his clothes.

Xie Wanning watched Xiao Xiongtian leave with worry, her heart still hanging in suspense, unable to let go, her face clouded with sorrow.

"Disciple, come here." Xie Wanning noticed someone waving at her from afar. When she walked closer, she realized it was Yu Song.

"Master Yu, what exactly happened to Master Xiao?" Xie Wanning stepped forward, her face full of worry.

"Sigh, he just went to get revenge." Yu Song sighed and explained the reason.

Back then, Xiao Xiongtian had three powerful contracted spirit beasts: a Fiery Tiger, a Swift Leopard, and a Giant Paw Bear. These spirit beasts had been bound to Xiao Xiongtian for decades and had developed a deep bond with him.

However, the Fiery Tiger was killed by the demons in the ancient war between immortals and demons, leaving only the Swift Leopard and the Giant Paw Bear. Upon arriving at the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons, both the Swift Leopard and the Giant Paw Bear perished in battle. The Swift Leopard was severed in half, lifeless; the Giant Paw Bear was burned to ashes by the black dragon's flames.

As a beast cultivator, losing a contracted spirit beast means that physical wounds can heal, but the mental blow is difficult to heal.

Xiao Xiongtian became taciturn and prone to anger, only showing a slight smile when facing the illusory spirit beasts.

Xie Wan Ning recalled Xiao Xiong Tian's words to her: "If you ever have a contracted spirit beast, you must cherish it and put its life on par with your own."

Xie Wanning fell silent, an overwhelming sadness welling up inside her, and tears silently streamed down her face.

"Disciple, what's wrong with you?" Yu Song was startled and patted Xie Wanning's back to comfort her.

Xie Wanning recalled that since arriving at the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons, her storage pouch had not been with her, but the Crimson Flame Bird was inside. She often called out the Crimson Flame Bird's name in her mind: "Little Crimson!" "Little Crimson, are you there?" But there was no response. Xie Wanning understood that the contract had been broken, and the Crimson Flame Bird had met with misfortune.

The thought that the Crimson Flame Bird was injured because it shielded her from the Silver Python's attack filled her with self-reproach and sadness. She often thought of the Lingyun Secret Realm, realizing that her weakness had allowed the Crimson Flame Bird to be injured. She was punished and sent to the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons, while the Crimson Flame Bird's fate remained unknown.

She couldn't forgive herself.

She had been training in the Abyss of Ten Thousand Demons for over thirty years (the time within the formation was actually more than a year), but she still couldn't let go of the thought of the Crimson Flame Bird's death.

After crying her fill, Xie Wanning wiped away her tears and said firmly, "Master Yu, I want to go see Master Xiao."

“He’s in Beishan, you can go there to find him.” Yu Song handed over a bottle: “This is the wine I brewed, remember to give it to Master Xiao.”

"Thank you, Master." Xie Wanning accepted the wine and went to the top of Beishan Mountain.

A crimson moon hung overhead, its dark red light illuminating the mountaintop and a small tombstone atop it. Before the tombstone sat the imposing Xiao Xiongtian, letting the mountain wind whip his body against his skin.

"Master Xiao, this is the wine Master Yu gave you." Xie Wanning handed over the wine, bowed three times to the tombstone, and expressed her condolences.

Xiao Xiongtian picked up the wine, poured it in front of the tombstone, and then drank the rest of the wine in one gulp.

Xie Wanning looked at the small tombstone with the single character "Leopard" written on it. The area in front of the tombstone was clean, without any weeds, indicating that someone often came to clean it.

A leopard, its speed now halted, lies buried beneath a small tombstone.

Perhaps she had something in her eyes, because Xie Wanning's eyes reddened again.

And what about her Crimson Flame Bird? Where is its corpse? In a damp corner? Or in a dark mass grave?

"Why do people risk their own safety and lives to protect others, even at the cost of their own lives? Is it really worth it?" The words of the Crimson Flame Bird echoed in Xie Wanning's mind.

After leaving the secret realm, Xie Wanning wanted to ask the Crimson Flame Bird: Wasn't it most concerned about its own life? Didn't it have the ability to escape the Silver Python's attacks? Why did it repeatedly violate its principles to save Xie Wanning, someone who wasn't worth it?

The sound of the wind drowned out the sound of tears falling to the ground, but Xiao Xiongtian turned around and saw Xie Wanning with tears streaming down her face.

“Disciple, you…” Xiao Xiongtian was at a loss. He didn’t know why Xie Wanning was crying.

“Master Xiao, my… my little Chi is dead. I can’t even take care of its body.” Xie Wanning squatted down, covering her face and crying bitterly: “I am not qualified to learn beast taming at all, not qualified to form a contract with any spirit beast. I… I am a failed master.”

Despite learning so much about beast taming and understanding the habits of different spirit beasts, Xie Wanning always knew in her heart that she could never contract a spirit beast again; she couldn't let go of the Crimson Flame Bird.

The sound of the wind could no longer drown out the sound of tears falling to the ground; the girl's cries and the sound of the wind together played out the night's lament.