C20 – Genius
A burst of light heralded the arrival of three pet beasts in front of the Jeep.
Moo Zhen’s pet, a Horned Rhinoceros, was a common attribute beast. Its size indicated maturity, with a level at least at the second rank, fifth layer.
Yin Xuan’s choice was a Wind Slice Mantis, a creature of the wind attribute. Similarly mature, its level hovered around the second rank, sixth layer.
Kong Qian, the strongest of the group, commanded a mature Rock Bear. This earth attribute beast stood at the ninth layer of the second rank, on the cusp of advancing to the third rank.
Tung Yaying quickly followed suit, summoning her pet, a rare flying attribute beast at the second rank, fifth layer.
Altogether, the adventure team boasted four second rank pets, with the Rock Bear at the top, nearing the third rank.
Within the Lakeshell adventurer community, this team’s prowess placed them solidly in the middle tier.
After all, Lakeshell was merely a third-tier city, where the adventurer’s overall skill level wasn’t particularly high.
Over ninety percent of the adventurers were apprentice Beastmasters, with second rank pets as their norm.
Xie Yang stood out as the sole apprentice to possess a third rank pet beast.
He pulled out his battle recorder and then called forth his own pet.
In an instant, the Ice Crystal Soul materialized beside him, its chilling presence instantly cutting through the surrounding heat.
Kong Qian and the others quickly turned their attention to the Ice Crystal Soul, their expressions betraying their puzzlement.
What kind of pet beast was this?
None of them had encountered such a creature before. Yet, they refrained from questioning.
Probing into another’s strength and secrets was a major faux pas among adventurers.
Besides, not recognizing every pet beast was normal; encountering unfamiliar ones was part and parcel of their world.
The Death Bell Beetles approached rapidly, soon reaching the Jeep.
It was only then that Xie Yang got a good look at them. They were roughly the size of a large dog, resembling oversized black ladybugs.
Protruding from their heads were horn-like structures, capable of emitting devastating sonic attacks.
This is how the Death Bell Beetles got their name.
When the distance closed to just over ten meters, the Death Bell Beetles halted abruptly. Their horns retracted sharply, then shot out with force.
A thunderous boom, reminiscent of a tolling death bell, erupted, transforming into invisible sound waves that surged toward Xie Yang and his companions.
The air around them twisted violently.
The group was ready, deploying their defensive Soul Techniques without hesitation.
Five Soul Power shields sprang up, encasing them and their pets within.
The warped sound waves battered against the shields, stirring ripples across their surface, yet leaving everyone completely unscathed.
Tung Yaying had intended to use her shield to protect Xie Yang and his pets, but to her astonishment, he had already mastered Soul Protection. She was taken aback.
Level one Soul Protection could safeguard only the user.
Level two Soul Protection extended its defense to the user and their chosen targets.
Xie Yang was remarkably young, his talent having emerged less than a year prior. Moreover, he had just become an apprentice Beastmaster the day before.
Yet, he had not only acquired Soul Protection but had also advanced it to level two.
His rate of cultivation was astonishingly fast!
He was incredibly powerful!
Tung Yaying was momentarily stunned.
Kong Qian and the others, witnessing the scene, were wide-eyed and astounded.
“Geniuses who clear the Superior Grade Apprentice Assessment truly are formidable!”
The same realization struck all four of them simultaneously.
Xie Yang paid no mind to their astonished looks and commanded the Ice Crystal Soul to launch an assault.
With a cry, the Ice Crystal Soul stretched its palms forward, and a swarm of ice cones materialized, hurtling toward the cluster of Death Bell Beetles.
In a flash, over thirty Death Bell Beetles were impaled and pinned to the ground.
The swarm’s numbers were slashed by a fifth in an instant.
“He’s incredible!”
Kong Qian and the rest were barely over their initial shock when they found themselves gaping once more.
Though the Death Bell Beetle was a mere first rank pet, it boasted the strength of the fifth to seventh layers.
Not even Kong Qian, the strongest among them, could single-handedly annihilate over thirty Death Bell Beetles.
His Rock Bear was a formidable second rank, ninth layer pet.
This meant that Xie Yang’s pet was undoubtedly superior to the Rock Bear. It was a third rank pet!
Upon this realization, Kong Qian and the others involuntarily inhaled sharply.
“Wasn’t Xie Yang’s pet just at the sixth to seventh layer of the second rank? How did it suddenly advance to the third rank?”
Moo Zhen mumbled, his face a picture of bewilderment.
No one responded to Moo Zhen’s query.
The rest were equally baffled and astounded.
An eighteen-year-old apprentice Beastmaster possessing a third-rank pet was nothing short of astonishing.
Could Xie Yang be a scion of a prestigious Beastmaster family with a rich legacy?
Perhaps he was nurtured from a young age with endless resources and tutelage from numerous master instructors.
Otherwise, it seemed inconceivable for a youth of humble origins to achieve such a feat.
The mood among the crowd was one of turmoil and confusion.
Meanwhile, the Ice Crystal Soul was already unleashing its second Soul Technique.
A breath of bone-chilling cold erupted from the Ice Crystal Soul, instantly turning a dozen charging Death Bell Beetles into statues of ice.
Snapped out of their stupor, Kong Qian and the others quickly commanded their pets to engage in the fray.
With a collective effort, the insect horde was eradicated in no time.
Xie Yang, on his own, had dispatched nearly half of the Death Bell Beetles, reaping a bountiful victory.
Post-battle, every gaze that fell upon Xie Yang was laced with deep respect.
Strength commanded respect.
This timeless adage held true everywhere, especially within the power-valuing adventurers’ circles, where the mighty were met with greater esteem and awe.
Though young, Xie Yang had demonstrated formidable prowess, earning the genuine respect of Kong Qian and the others.
Their previous flattery towards a prodigy paled in comparison to their current, heartfelt admiration for Xie Yang.
Yet, Xie Yang remained indifferent to such adulations.
He found greater joy in the spoils of the battle.
Over seventy Death Bell Beetles translated to more than seventy thousand Credit Points in rewards.
The bounty from this single encounter was unexpectedly generous, leaving him delightfully surprised.
“No wonder they say Beastmasters have it easy when it comes to making money,” Xie Yang remarked, a touch of wonder in his voice.
Hearing this, the others couldn’t help but smile wryly to themselves.
After all, how many Beastmasters could match Xie Yang’s prowess? To possess a third-rank pet at such a young age and single-handedly slay seventy to eighty Death Bell Beetles was truly extraordinary.
Most apprentice Beastmasters don’t cultivate a second-rank pet until they’re well into their twenties. Out in the wild, they tread with utmost caution.
Kong Qian and his team often faced life-threatening dangers while hunting in the wilderness. Following grueling battles, they might earn a few hundred thousand, which then had to be divided among the four of them.
Making money was far from easy for them.