Legendary Beast Cultivator

The rhythmic clicks of the mechanical guardians sluggishly faded throughout the training hall, leaving a tense silence in the disciples’ expressions. Every disciple kept their eyes locked upon the circular arena, where the mechanical guardians stood still, and motionless.

Gu Yanluo slowly darted his calm gaze across the crowd before calling the next name.

"Yun He," Gu Yanluo called out, waving his sleeve.

"Yes, Master," The sturdy young woman immediately stepped forward, cupping her hands.

And immediately, Yun He walked toward the arena. A narrow opening appeared between two towering mechanical guardians as the hidden gears rotated with a loud clanking sound. He stepped through the small entrance along with Gu Yanluo.

Gu Yanluo approached him calmly, pulling a long strip of black silk from within his sleeve. He tied the cloth around Yun He’s eyes tightly, obscuring his vision in darkness.

"Remember," Gu Yanluo’s voice echoed beside her ear, cold and commanding. "The Earth Ape cannot see through your eyes. It feels through your resolve."

Yun He slowly exhaled, forcing his tension to quiet down. "I understand."

Gu Yanluo nodded faintly before stepping outside the arena, and the mechanical guardians immediately shifted back into position with a loud thud, sealing her inside.

Snap!

The loud sound of his fingers snapping triggered the mechanical guardians. Immediately, the crimson eyes of every mechanical guardian shimmered brightly simultaneously. Without any delay, the nearest guardian lunged forward, its wooden training staff descending with immense speed toward Yun He.

Yun He instinctively tumbled backward. Just as a second devastating strike approached from her blind spot, and instantly a fierce Earth Ape burst out from her aperture, materializing beside her. It was not like the agile beasts from the previous battles, the Earth Ape possessed an incredibly broad chest and strong arms. Rather than warning Yun He with meticulous movements, it relied upon sturdy physical guidance to avoid the damage from mechanical guardians’ attacks.

It suddenly grabbed Yun He’s shoulder, pulling her back forcibly. A powerful wooden fist passed barely inches from her face, smashing into the empty air before the guardian tumbled onto the ground.

The disciples outside widened their eyes in surprise.

"It pulled him away..." Chen Ming muttered, a bitter smile crawling on his lips.

Then, another guardian attacked ruthlessly from the side. The Earth Ape lightly struck Yun He’s arm, and Yun He instantly crouched cown. A flashy kick passed right above her head, the wind pressure grazing her long hair. Throughout the trial, Yun He and her beast moved steadily. They displayed a good battle of reliable movements.

And sometimes, Yun He reacted a bit too slowly, and then a few attacks from a few training staffs struck her shoulders and back with dull thuds, leaving visible purple bruises beneath her academy robes.

Ten minutes slowly passed. The mechanical guardians finally shut down, moving back to their positions, and the crimson eyes of the guardians faded back into darkness.

Gu Yanluo stepped into the arena and untied the blindfold.

"Eighty percent?" Chen Ming whispered, guessing a random number after seeing Yun He’s condition.

"No, it is seventy-eight percent..." Gu Yanluo shook his head, examining the fresh bruises on the boy’s shoulders. "The Earth Ape possesses excellent defensive instincts. But... you hesitated whenever your beast changed your direction. Trust it more, lady."

Gu Yanluo looked into her eyes for a few seconds.

"Thank you for your guidance, Master." Yun He respectfully cupped her fists, and walked back toward the disciples.

"Huo Ren..." Gu Yanluo called out.

The fiery young disciple immediately grinned, stepping forward confidently. "My turn!"

Without waiting for a command, he rushed boldly toward the arena. The disciples exchanged helpless glances, and Lian Nichang sighed quietly. "He still hasn’t changed..."

Gu Yanluo calmly tied the black silk around his eyes before speaking, his voice devoid of warmth. "Confidence is acceptable, but arrogance is fatal, brat! Be careful!"

"I’ll be fine, Master," Huo Ren laughed boastfully.

Gu Yanluo simply stepped away from the ring and snapped his fingers.

The trial began and instantly the first guardian lunged, but Huo Ren managed to dodge it successfully.

"Hahaha! Too slow!" Huo Ren cheered, laughing hard.

Before his laughter could even end, the second strike landed squarely against his shoulder, sending him staggering backward.

"Owchhh!" Huo Ren mourned in pain.

A crimson Fire Falcon immediately rushed out from his aperture, crying out loudly as it circled rapidly through the air. Its warnings were frequent and its movements were precise, yet Huo Ren stubbornly ignored them.

"No, we’ll dodge this way!" Huo Ren muttered frantically, changing direction on his own will.

And another training staff struck his side, causing him to stumble. The Fire Falcon cried again with a high pitch screech. Instead of following the beast’s guidance, Huo Ren stubbornly attempted to predict the next mechanical guardian himself.

A powerful slap slammed violently into his back. The disciples outside quivered, listening to the sound of the slap.

’He isn’t listening to the beast...’ Lin Yuan observed calmly, his expression calm and unbothered among the disciples. ’Let him face the circumstances... Hahaha!’

In his mind, the excited voice of the turtle beast echoed, and a faint shimmer escaped from the turtle ring.

’Heh, the brat’s beast understands the battle, but the master does not. What a fool,’ the Turtle Beast laughed softly. ’His falcon sees everything, yet he chooses blindness.’

’A cultivator who lets pride override his beast’s instincts will always pay the price in blood,’ Lin Yuan replied silently, his gaze remaining locked onto the arena.

By the time the ten minutes finally concluded, Huo Ren’s robes were covered in gray dust, and severe bruises covered both of his arms. Even the Fire Falcon looked exhausted.

Gu Yanluo untied the blindfold, remaining silent for a long, sighful moment.

"Sixty percent!" Gu Yanluo finally spoke, letting out a pathetic sigh toward Huo Ren.

The low number stunned Huo Ren, his face turning pale. "What?"

"You possess a capable beast, but you do not possess equal trust. It warned you again, and again, and again. But, you ignored it," Gu Yanluo sneered, pointing toward the shining falcon. "A beast cannot protect a cultivator who refuses to trust it."

Huo Ren slowly lowered his head, his arrogance vanishing into disdain. The Fire Falcon quietly rubbed its head against his shoulder, chirping softly. For the first time that morning, the arrogant disciple gently stroked its feathers. "I’m sorry."

"Good. Remember today’s lesson." Gu Yanluo nodded faintly, waving his sleeve. "Xiao Yanrui, You are next!"

The silent boy calmly walked forward without any excitement, or nervousness. And even before he entered the arena, a massive Ice Bear quietly appeared beside him, standing motionless just like its master.

Once the blindfold covered Xiao Yanrui’s eyes and Gu Yanluo stepped away from the arena, the guardians activated with a loud clank.

Without a single moment of hesitation, the Ice Bear lightly tapped Xiao Yanrui’s elbow. One precise step, and a wooden staff missed its attack. Another guardian lunged, and the bear exhaled a soft frost. Xiao Yanrui pivoted sideways exactly half a step, letting the metallic fist pass inches from his chest.

There were no wasted movements, panic, and unnecessary effort. The master and beast moved almost identically, like a single entity moving through the storm calmly. The entire hall became silent.

"Excellent..." Gu Yanluo appreciated proudfully, narrowing his eyes.

When the trial concluded, Gu Yanluo inspected him thoroughly.

"Eighty-six percent. The bond is exceptional, keep it up Xiao Yanrui." Gu Yanluo patted his back pridefully.

Xiao Yanrui bowed silently before returning to the others.

"Next, Xiao Lanxue."

The young girl calmly stepped forward, an Ice Serpent slithering gracefully around her shoulders. Like her brother, very few words were spoken. Once blindfolded, the trial began.

The Ice Serpent continuously crawled against Xiao Lanxue’s wrists and shoulders, guiding every single movement with meticulous precision. The pair flowed around the mechanical guardians almost like dancing snowflakes, leaving the watching disciples in surprise.

When the last minute ended, Gu Yanluo nodded with profound satisfaction. "Eighty-six percent! As expected, the Xiao twins possess nearly identical synchronization."

Xiao Lanxue quietly returned to stand and stood beside one Xiao Lanxue, exchanging only a brief glance without a single word of celebration.

"Chi Ruyan," Gu Yanluo called out the next disciple name.

Chi Ruyan stepped into the arena, a pale Lightning Serpent appearing beside him. Though both master and beast sometimes reacted a bit late to dodge the attacks, earning a few strikes from the guardians across Chi Ruyan’s forearms, but the Lightning Serpent never abandoned its master. It repeatedly guided his away from danger through gentle taps and short, sharp hisses.

When the trial finally concluded, Gu Yanluo gave a small nod at the fresh bruises.

"Eighty percent, and you possess a solid foundation," Gu Yanluo murmured, analysing him, "You still hesitate, but your trust is genuine."

Chi Ruyan smiled brightly, cupping his hands. "Thank you, Master!"

Gu Yanluo slowly turned toward the remaining disciples, and a satisfied smile finally crossed his face.

"Hahaha... My dear brats... You’ve shown me something far more valuable than victory." Gu Yanluo slowly looked around the training hall, his eyes glinting under the sunlight. "Strength grows with cultivation, and techniques improve through repetition. But the bond between cultivator and beast is built one day at a time."

Gu Yanluo’s sharp gaze settled upon the disciples who had yet to take the trial. The corners of his mouth curled slightly as his eyes darted across the crowd, lingering once more on Lin Yuan, who still stood there with that same calm, unbothered smile.

Gu Yanluo clicked his tongue inwardly, a surge of irritation rising in his chest before he suppressed it. He faced the crowd, his voice echoing loudly throughout the training hall, cutting through the murmurs. "Alright... Now... the next disciple to enter the arena is... Lian Mei Lin!"