Legendary Beast Cultivator

The loud hums of the mechanical guardians slowly faded as Chi Ruyan stepped down from the arena. He rubbed the bruises on his forearm before smiling awkwardly toward his Lightning Serpent, which affectionately rubbed its head to his shoulder before vanishing back into his aperture.

"Next," Gu Yanluo folded his hands behind his back, his sharp gaze lingering over the remaining disciples. "Lian Mei Lin."

The young woman calmly stepped forward. She wasn’t like the previous disciples, there wasn’t the slightest trace of nervousness on her face. She simply bowed once before entering the arena through the small passage between the two mechanical guardians.

Clank!

The entrance sealed behind her after Gu Yanluo entered.

"Remember," Gu Yanluo stepped forward, tying her eyes with the familiar black silk cloth. "The eyes deceive, but the bond does not."

Lian Mei Lin nodded quietly, her breathing calm and steady. "I understand, Master."

Gu Yanluo stepped away, his robes fluttering against the hazy wind.

Snap!

The crimson arrays inside the eyes of the mechanical guardians immediately lit up.

Immediately, the first guardian rushed forward, its cracky wooden staff cutting through the air.

Before the strike could descend, a shimmering, dark-furred Lightning Boar burst out from Lian Mei Lin’s aperture. The faint bluish white sparks lingered gracefully along its neck as it lowered the head.

She was a Mid Stage beast of the Baby Beast Realm, and her beast’s intelligence was developing rapidly. It didn’t waste time warning her through sound. Instead, it burst out forward like a flash and meticulously tapped the back of her leg.

Lian Mei Lin pivoted her body one step to the left without hesitation.

Whoosh!

The wooden staff missed her by mere inches, slamming into the stone floor, causing a vehement trench on the floor.

Immediately, another guardian attacked from her blind spot. The Lightning Boar rotated around her with surprising agility for its bulky figure, tapping her right elbow with its snout.

Reacting to it, she dodged instantly. The staff swept harmlessly above her hair.

Outside the arena, the disciples glared at the arena attentively, leaning against the wooden railings.

"Amazing..." Lian Nichang muttered, his eyes wide. "Even a Lightning Boar can guide someone that smoothly."

Lin Yuan quietly observed every movement, his calculative gaze understanding the slight delay in Lian Mei Lin’s reactions.

"The beast isn’t merely protecting her... it’s trying to predict where she’ll move next. But she still hesitates for a fraction of a second before trusting the beast’s decision," Lin Yuan murmured, his voice low as whisper.

Slowly, minute after minute passed. As the pressure from the guardians increased, the Lightning Boar’s movements grew slightly frantic, and a few blows managed to strike against Lian Mei Lin’s shoulder and arm, leaving bruises on her. But, her composure never broke.

When the ten minutes finally completed and the mechanical guardians reached their formation, Gu Yanluo walked over and removed the blindfold.

"Seventy-nine percent," Gu Yanluo announced, stroking his chin.

Lian Mei Lin suppressed a small sigh of disappointment and respectfully cupped her fists. "Thank you for the guidance, Master."

"Continue strengthening your trust," Gu Yanluo said calmly. "The Lightning Boar already understands you. You simply need greater confidence to match its pace."

"Haha! I will, master!" She smiled softly, petting the boar’s head before commanding it to vanish.

She returned to the group, rubbing her bruised shoulder.

"Huo Luo Ren!" Gu Yanluo bellowed, calling out the next disciple.

The fiery boy immediately sprinted toward the arena, cracking his fists. He could barely contain his excitement to face the guardians, and his Fire Deer emerged from his aperture in moments after the trial began.

The Fire Deer moved with remarkable elegance. Every graceful leap with a hum seemed to guide Huo Luo Ren away from danger before the wooden staves could even reach their goal.

Its antlers shimmered with a raging crimson light, radiating faint waves of heat, while its hooves tapped lightly against the floor in a soothing rhythm. Watching the pair is almost like observing a well choreographed dance.

"They move naturally together," Gu Yanluo nodded once in approval. "It was great!"

However, Huo Luo Ren’s hot-headed nature sometimes worked against him. Whenever he let his own anticipation and excitement override the deer’s guidance, his flow was disturbed. And few lethal strikes landed during the other half of the trial whenever he hesitated or over reacted.

Ten minutes later, the formation deactivated with a low hum.

"Eighty-one percent." Gu Yanluo looked at the heaving boy. "The Fire Deer possesses excellent instincts. Learn to quiet your mind and trust them wholly."

"I’ll definitely improve, Master!" Huo Luo Ren grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Next. Chen Yu Ming," As Gu Yanluo called her name, the young girl took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly as she entered the arena. Once the blindfold covered her eyes, she stood still, her body seemed to be tense.

The mechanical guardians awakened, their metallic movements rattled across the arena.

A gentle, low howl echoed through the hall. A Water Wolf emerged from her aperture. The Water Wolf has beautiful blue fur similar to flowing, blue water, casting rippling reflections onto the floor.

As she broke into the Mid Stage cultivation stage recently, her beast lacked the raw speed of the other experienced beasts, but its protective instincts were fierce. Rather than rushing across the arena, the Water Wolf remained stuck to Chen Yu Ming’s side, constantly smearing its cool body against her sleeves and shoulders to communicate the direction of the approaching danger.

Her movements were careful, deliberate, and some are often uncertain. Because of her lingering fear, several attacks reached her before she could fully react, leaving bruises on her arms and faint tears upon her robes. And, every time she stumbled or panicked, the Water Wolf immediately wedged itself under her body, steadying her balance.

The disciples around the circular arena quietly smiled.

"They really trust each other..." Ying Yue whispered softly.

When the trial concluded, Gu Yanluo carefully examined both the exhausted disciple and the panting wolf.

"Seventy-six percent." He nodded approvingly, his voice softening a bit. "Your physical reactions require more improvement. But your emotional trust... is unquestionable. Grow your beast’s cultivation stage, and your synchronization will naturally improve."

Chen Yu Ming bowed happily, tears of relief dripping from her eyes. "I’ll work much harder, Master!"

Finally, Gu Yanluo looked at the disciples. "Teng Haoran."

The calm disciple walked toward the arena, carrying the same unbothered expression he always possessed. His Wind Falcon swirled briefly above him in a flash of gray feathers before disappearing back into his aperture. Only after the black silk cloth covered his eyes, the predatory bird emerged once more, letting out a sharp, piercing shriek.

Snap!

The guardians attacked simultaneously from three sides. Immediately, the Wind Falcon rose into the air, riding the violent gust of the hall. Instead of touching Teng Haoran directly, it constantly changed its flying pattern overhead. Each precise flap of its wings produced slight, localized gusts of wind.

Those small gusts brushed against Teng Haoran’s face, neck, and hands like a specialized language. His body reacted almost automatically, tapping into flawless dodges.

One step left. A calm half-turn. A sudden crouch as a staff swept over his head. A sidestep.

The Falcon never panicked in the air; neither did Teng Haoran on the ground. The pair flowed across the arena with remarkable, breathtaking flow. Only near the final minute, the two glancing strikes managed to strike Teng Haoran’s flank after five consecutive guardians forced him into a difficult position.

Even then, he used the momentum to tumble, quickly regaining his balance. The mechanical guardians fell silent, the red lights in their eyes dimming slowly.

"Magnificent," Gu Yanluo untied the blindfold, a rare glint of genuine pride in his eyes. "Eighty-seven percent!"

All the disciples widened their eyes in shock except Lin Yuan.

"So high?!" Chen Ming exclaimed, clenching his fists hard. "His beast barely even touched the ground!"

Gu Yanluo nodded. "The Wind Falcon never once lost synchronization, and the disciple read the wind flow perfectly. Excellent tactical awareness, continue refining this connection."

Teng Haoran respectfully bowed, his expression calm but his eyes bright. "I will, Master."

"Now! Chen Ming, step in!"

Chen Ming laughed hard, and sprinted on to the arena. Soon as Gu Yanluo blindfolded Chen Ming, the mechanical guardians began their attacks vehemently.

Instantly the Wind-Falcon shot out from his aperture, and grazed all the mechanical guardians once and landed on Chen Ming’s shoulder. Chen Ming flawlessly dodges the attacks as the falcon guidance. The disciples didn’t understand how the beast was guiding him.

"It was the bond!" Gu Yanluo smirked, elucidating the battle. "The falcon was just bound to Chen Ming totally, and as it was on his shoulder, the unique pulse of the beast can be known by Chen Ming. And he was dodging every attack perfectly, if this continues he will finish the trial with 100% efficiency—"

A loud thud interrupted the master’s words. It was a wooden staff sound striking the floor, but it grazed the shoulder bone where the falcon stood before. As the attack came, Chen Ming commanded the falcon to fly away, and he tried to dodge. But the movement was slow and he took the lethal blow.

And nothing touched him after that, ten minutes passed. Gu Yanluo stepped into the arena as the mechanical guardians settled calmly into their places.

"Humph... Excellent!" Gu Yanluo praised, his chest rising high. "Ninety-three percent! It should be hundred but the guardian’s instinct to attack your beast led you to low, but your bond is magnificent, Chen Ming!"

Chen Ming slowly returned to Lin Yuan’s side with a calm smile on his face.

"Great record, Chen Ming," Lin Yuan appraised, patting on Chen Ming’s back. "I will break that record. Hahaha!"

"I know that, bastard!" Chen Ming smirked, watching Lin Yuan’s face.

The last mechanical guardian slowly clicked back into its starting position. The silence once again filled the vast training hall.

Gu Yanluo stepped into the center of the arena. His sharp, sweeping gaze cut across every disciple who had completed the trial. A faint smile appeared on his usually arrogant face.

"Better. My expectations for this batch were not low... and all of you managed to exceed them," Gu Yanluo smirked, waving his sleeves. The disciples exchanged relieved smiles, the tension in the room finally plummeting down.

"Today’s trial was never about avoiding every single strike," Gu Yanluo continued, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "It was meant to teach you the truth of the Beast Taming path."

He paused, letting the silence stretch. "A beast does not become your true companion the moment it enters your aperture. It becomes your companion the moment both of you choose to trust one another without a shred of hesitation."

The words settled deeply within the hearts of the disciples. Even the usually talkative Chen Ming remained silent, understanding the depth of the trial.

Gu Yanluo turned his head toward the remaining student. There was only one disciple who had yet to step onto the arena. His eyes slowly stopped on Lin Yuan.

"Now... let us see whether calmness alone is enough to survive the storm," Gu Yanluo grinned, letting out a weary sigh. "Lin Yuan... Step into the arena!"

The entire hall instinctively turned their heads toward Lin Yuan. The atmosphere instantly turned anxious, every eye locked onto him as the most anticipated battle awaited.