"Grand Elder, this is the beast-taming genius I mentioned to you earlier, the one named Lin Tian," Elder Qingxuan said respectfully, stepping forward as he addressed the Grand Elder.
"Beast-taming genius?" The Grand Elder's eyes glinted with curiosity upon hearing the title. Having been in seclusion, he had not paid much attention to the goings-on in the Outer Sect. Now, upon hearing such high praise from Elder Qingxuan, his interest was piqued.
The Grand Elder's gaze swept across the arena, finally settling on Platform No. 5. At the center of the platform stood a disciple clad in a light blue robe, standing beside an armored tiger.
The armored tiger exuded an imposing aura, its strength comparable to the eighth level of Qi Refining. Though the disciple on Platform No. 5 stood motionless, the other contestants dared not approach him.
"What is that boy's name?" The Grand Elder asked, his gaze still fixed on the disciple.
"Reporting to the Grand Elder, that boy is Yuan Hao, the strongest among the Outer Sect disciples of the Beast Peak. Before entering the sect, he had already tamed this armored tiger. His cultivation is now at the eighth level of Qi Refining," Elder Qingxuan replied hastily.
"Is that so? In that case, let him face Lin Tian in the next match," the Grand Elder said with a slight smile.
Upon hearing this, Elder Qingxuan hesitated, his face flickering with doubt. While Lin Tian's earlier performance had been remarkable, his cultivation was still only at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Facing Yuan Hao, who had reached the eighth level, he stood no chance, especially with the powerful armored tiger by Yuan Hao's side.
"What's the matter? Are you worried about that boy?" The Grand Elder noticed Qingxuan's hesitation and asked with a chuckle. "I believe that boy may surprise us."
Elder Qingxuan, though smiling, inwardly scoffed. Yuan Hao's strength was indisputable—there was no real contest here.
Before long, the first round of the grand battle ended, and two disciples remained on each platform, leaving a total of sixteen remaining contestants. Lin Tian was among them.
Due to the Grand Elder's influence, during the drawing of lots, Lin Tian was unsurprisingly matched against Yuan Hao.
When Lin Tian stepped onto the platform, Yuan Hao's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by a smile that gradually crept across his face.
As the strongest disciple of the Beast Peak, Yuan Hao harbored a deep resentment toward Lin Tian. A month ago, Lin Tian's performance had overshadowed his, and now, within the Beast Peak, he was often compared to Lin Tian. Hearing that name made Yuan Hao uncomfortable.
Now, being chosen to face Lin Tian, he was determined to use his beast-taming skills to defeat him on the stage. Only then would he truly secure his place as the top disciple of the Beast Peak.
"I never expected my opponent to be you," Yuan Hao said, stroking the head of his armored tiger. He then flicked his tongue and licked his lips. "The entire Xuanwu Sect is talking about you as the top beast-tamer among the Outer Sect disciples. Since that's the case, how about we have a proper contest with our beast-taming techniques? I'm curious to see just how powerful your skills really are."
"A contest of beast-taming?" Lin Tian was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.
"What? Are you scared?" Yuan Hao taunted.
"It's not that I'm scared, it's just that my spiritual beast seems to have disappeared somewhere. Wait a moment, let me call it." Lin Tian turned around, gathering his spiritual energy. He then shouted, "Saiban!"
Upon hearing the call, the cat that had been lazily resting in the arms of a female disciple immediately raised its head. With an air of pride, it began to prance over toward Lin Tian. Indeed, Saiban was the name Lin Tian had given to his three-tailed spirit cat.
Upon seeing the small cat, Yuan Hao was taken aback. He had expected Lin Tian to have tamed a more ferocious spirit beast by now, but instead, there was only a tiny cat—one that looked so delicate. The armored tiger beside him was at least one hundred times larger than this little cat.
Could there really be any point in fighting with such a mismatched opponent?
"Can you really defeat that big guy over there?" Lin Tian crouched down, speaking softly to the cat. Though he had witnessed its speed, he had no idea of its true strength.
Before Lin Tian could even finish his question, the cat shot him a contemptuous look.
"Are you really going to use this spirit beast to fight my armored tiger?" Yuan Hao asked, eyeing Lin Tian with disbelief.
"Why not?" Lin Tian replied, confused. Did he look like someone with other spirit beasts at his disposal?
"Since you're so stubborn, I'll grant your wish. But when your spirit beast is crushed by my armored tiger's paw, don't cry," Yuan Hao said with a cold smile before issuing his command.
However, at that very moment, the armored tiger suddenly performed a stunning turn and, without warning, swung its massive paw toward Yuan Hao. Yuan Hao didn't even have time to react before he was sent crashing off the platform, knocked unconscious.
"What on earth just happened?" The onlookers were utterly dumbfounded. The armored tiger had been with Yuan Hao for ten years, and their bond was unbreakable. Even if the tiger didn't want to listen to Yuan Hao, it would never attack him.
But as they wondered what had occurred, an even more astonishing scene unfolded. The once fearsome armored tiger, which no ordinary disciple dared approach, was now acting like a puppy, lying at the feet of Lin Tian's small cat and wagging its tail in apparent submission.
Lin Tian's cat stretched out a paw and gently tapped the armored tiger's nose, as if approving of its behavior.
"What is going on here?" Elder Qingxuan was on the verge of losing his composure.