Five hundred miles outside Tianxing City, in the desolate forest, the jungle was dense, filled with small hills forty to fifty feet high, and giant shrubs thirty to forty meters tall, teeming with various wild beasts, wolves, jackals, tigers, and leopards.
It was a hunting ground for many hunters and trappers to support their families. In front, a Black-Clothed Man in black clothes and a black robe moved like lightning, leaving a phantom afterimage in the bushes, his face filled with terror.
“It’s over, it’s over, it’s all over. The Gao Family actually made a move. Shenzhu City really spared no expense…” The Black-Clothed Man muttered something, but he was also running desperately, despair on his face.
“Dad, hurry up and chase him! Don’t let him run away. This guy must have an agility-type Royal Skill. He ran for hundreds of miles without even a single gasp. Is this really the speed a Beast King Level can achieve?”
Gao Changsheng took the lead, holding the Blade of Thunder, his whole body wrapped in golden lightning, like a golden-armored War God. A few leaps covered thousands of meters, each step exceeding the speed of sound, making him seem very leisurely.
Gao Xiaotian’s appearance was more handsome than Pan An; in terms of looks, there was nothing to say, a fine tradition of the Gao Family through generations.
Seeing his son full of vigor, he couldn’t help but show a smile. Ever since his son became an Imperial Ruler level Beast Tamers.
After possessing a Domain of Space, he became somewhat arrogant and lawless.
Fortunately, he changed after marrying his wife, but this warlike Bloodline, who knows who it resembles.
He sighed slightly, vigilantly observing his surroundings, and found that all along the way, there was only this one small fry; no other traps or conspiracies were found.
“Royal Skill: Teleportation.”
Gao Xiaotian instantly disappeared from his original spot and reappeared standing in front of the enemy’s escape route, extending a finger and flicking it gently at the enemy.
Three Yuan Finger, a golden light streaked across the jungle.
It felt like an iron head hitting a large bell, a violent shockwave, as if being crushed and pushed back by a giant mountain. The enemy struggled for a long time to no avail, pinned down and unable to move.
With a bang, the enemy was sent flying back three hundred meters, crashing into the mountain wall, his entire head bleeding and dazed as he looked at the two approaching figures.
“What virtue and ability do I possess? A mere Imperial King, I actually have to face two Imperial Rulers attacking together. You think too highly of me.”
Su Tianyun’s eyes were filled with terror and a deep sense of despair. His Beast Taming Space was sealed by the Domain, and he couldn’t even release his Beast. At this moment, he had no thought of resisting.
Even if he released his Beast, he probably wouldn’t escape. Now that he was captured, he didn’t know if it was a blessing or a curse. He never even considered resisting. With a difference of two major Realms, even a Celestial would find it hard to escape.
Gao Changsheng was having fun at the moment, feeling a bit like a cat playing with a mouse. He braked suddenly, his face silent, and he felt a bit of a complaint about the false information, but the simpler the work, the more he naturally liked it.
“Originally, the Beast Master Association’s news claimed that the bandits were extremely vicious, lawless, and exceptionally cruel, with at least one Imperial Ruler level expert involved. I thought the enemy would be difficult to deal with and prepared a group attack strategy, but it turns out it’s just this one small fry?”
Gao Changsheng frowned, somewhat doubting the truthfulness of the intelligence provided by Shenzhu City. He pinched the head of the limp, fallen enemy to read his memories. After checking the memories, he sighed in relief when he found no issues.
Gao Changsheng carefully laid down the man’s body. Gao Xiaotian’s previous blow had caused a complete comminuted fracture throughout the man’s body, but he was still clinging to life, thanks to Gao Xiaotian holding back and having no intention to kill.
“Dad, these unlucky guys encountered and fought with sea beasts in Haikou. The Imperial Ruler expert who destroyed Shenzhu City’s defenses has already died in the sea beast attack. Only a few members narrowly escaped with their Beast cubs and came to the jurisdiction of Tianxing City.”
Gao Xiaotian listened and nodded, saying, “It’s better if there’s nothing. You handle the rest of the matters yourself. Don’t forget to transfer the hundred thousand appearance fee to my card.”
“What? One hundred thousand? Impossible…” Gao Changsheng immediately refused to accept it. Such a simple job for one hundred thousand? Besides, he was the one who intercepted the enemy from beginning to end. His father only moved one finger, and his own long-distance escort mission only paid two hundred thousand.
“It’s less than two minutes of appearance, and it costs one hundred thousand yuan. Do you think money grows on trees?” Gao Changsheng said.
“Only two thousand, take it or leave it.”
Gao Xiaotian listened, rubbed his hands, and with a smile, he teleported over and hooked his arm around his son’s shoulder, saying, “Two thousand is fine, but don’t tell your mom about this.”
“Also, Gao Hao is three months old now. After the final blessing, send him to the Family Academy for schooling. Recently, Star Plucking Peak and Death Star Valley have been a bit unusual. Star Moon Bay has sent people to deliver a request for assistance.”
Star Moon Bay, also one of the four major civilized cities in Xingnan Province, has a vast land with three hundred million inhabitants, and fifty million people reside within the city.
The northern area is the terrifying Death Star Valley, where there are many Fallen Beasts, requiring a large number of people for defense, and it is also a paradise where tens of thousands of Beasts live.
The northeast corner is Star Plucking Peak, with an extremely high altitude, named because the number of its peaks is like the stars.
It is mostly inhabited by ice and snow-type Beasts and is famous for many very precious Medicinal Pills. It is also a Holy Land for ice and snow-type spatial Beast Tamers to Cultivate.
Gao Changsheng was amused by his father’s words and chuckled, “Dad, then I’ll report five thousand for expenses. You don’t tell Qingyuan either. Star Plucking Peak is guarded by the Mao Family Army, so there’s no need to worry. The Qin Family’s new Clan Chief has just taken office recently, so it’s inevitable that there will be some personnel adjustments.”
Gao Xiaotian’s face showed a strange expression as he looked at his son, then finally whispered, “Hmm, then I’ll take seventy percent. Has the little one missed his grandpa recently?”
“Dad, sixty percent. You know, I recently invited four Sacred Beasts to bless Hao’er, and it cost a lot of money to entertain them. Second Uncle even asked me for Maotai, which I couldn’t bear to drink.”
Gao Xiaotian frowned and said coldly, “Bargaining with your father, you little brat, your wings have gotten hard. It’s settled at three thousand five.”
The two exchanged glances and sighed. Two Imperial Ruler level experts were actually arguing over five hundred.
“Dad, that’s not how you taught me back then. A true man, born between heaven and earth, how can he long remain beneath others?”
Gao Changsheng looked incredulous. His father seemed to be too low-key recently. Two years ago, he was still majestic and awe-inspiring.
In the past two years, the biggest change has been his father.
Gao Xiaotian touched his face. For a moment, both of them felt a bit awkward, then they smiled at each other, as if this was also a kind of unspoken growth.
“Times have changed. Your mother entered the Gao Family’s Holy Land last year and contracted a Double-Headed Golden Dragon, becoming a Beast Reverent. I can’t beat her anymore. Not only has my pocket money been cut in half, but she also said that if I don’t Breakthrough to Beast Reverent, the spiritual wine supplied each month will be reduced by ten percent.”
Gao Changsheng recalled his mother, and the childhood fear of being dominated by his mother resurfaced. Although all his food, clothing, and expenses were provided by the Family, and they were all precious treasures hard to come by, a true man could not be without a small private fund.
“Dad, be careful in Death Star Valley. If things are not feasible, retreat first. You can call on First Uncle and Second Uncle then. The Qin Family has changed five Clan Chiefs in the past thirty years. I have great doubts about their Family’s power struggles; they weren’t killed by those Fallen Beast attacks, but were schemed against.”
Gao Changsheng said, picking up the half-dead enemy. The two of them flew towards the Beast Master Association. Trade, transactions, and contracts between Beast Tamers were all handled at the Association.
Neither of them spoke about the Qin Family again. As one of the three major Families in Xingnan Province, the relationship between the two Families was not good, but it was not bad enough to violate industry rules. They also had some cooperation with each other.
Maintaining the stable development of Xingnan Province.
The existence of the Beast Master Association is the most important link among the three major institutions of the Zhongyuan Empire. It not only collects intelligence and issues tasks but also serves as a link for national news, holding an extremely high social status.
The Beast Master Association branches throughout the Zhongyuan Empire are responsible for resolving disputes, conflicts, and cross-border management for Beast Tamers.
If the Gao Family manages the military security of Tianxing City, then the Beast Master Association is the maintainer of rules, also having the power to supervise and enforce.
The Beast Master Association maintains the stable development of various major cities. Its history of existence has already spanned more than one hundred thousand years. It can be said that its Foundation is deep, its strength is strong, and it has made many indelible contributions to human development.
At this moment, a group of law enforcers arrived outside Saint Beast Village.
Among the five, four were Royal Sect level, powerful and each with their own strengths. The captain was even at the Military General Level, with high talent.
In a disused blacksmith’s shop, there was a dim basement. The Formation in the basement flickered, surrounded by a sealing Formation that could isolate it from external viewing.
There were four people in the room, each around twenty years old. One young man looked at the pale-faced man, who seemed to have indulged too much, and asked anxiously, “Holy Lord, how much longer do we have to wait? Can we really get a reward of a top-grade Beast cub and become a noble Imperial Master?”
“Don’t worry, the Cult Master will not abandon you. You are young, work hard, and glory, wealth, and becoming a King or Prime Minister are within reach.” A loud voice came from a hexagonal mirror.
“Not good… we’ve been discovered.” The call hadn’t ended, but the other side had already hung up. The few people immediately panicked.
Just as they were about to open the door, there was a sound from outside the house.
“Brother Jiang, I’ll do it.”
A group of five, handsome men and beautiful women, all wearing solemn cyan uniforms, with a badge on their chests engraved with the “Peace Dove” emblem of the Beast Master Association.
“Zitan, be careful.” Jiang Qi warned cautiously.
Zitan nodded, her eyes emitting purple light, capable of seeing through ordinary Formations, low-level illusions, and enhancing her Mental Energy, making it difficult for her memories to be read or for her to be charmed.
This ability was Zitan’s Three-Tailed Fox Beast, which granted her her first talent, the “Broken Illusion Charm Eye,” possessing the abilities of insight, charm, and dispelling Formations, very practical and an all-purpose ability.
Of course, if the Mental Energy and strength Rank difference were too great, charm-like skills would be useless, even making people laugh. No matter how powerful a charm spell, it couldn’t make an old tree sprout. What is illusory is ultimately illusory.
“Xiao Fen, how is it?” Zitan asked. A three-tailed pink fox emerged from the ground. After communicating, Zitan nodded and said, “Brother Jiang, no problem. The surrounding crowd has been evacuated. We can act.”
Jiang Qi waved his hand, and everyone quickly dispersed. The people inside the house anxiously pulled the doorknob, wanting to open the door, but felt as if they were trapped inside the room instead.
“We’re trapped! The Formation is about to be broken!” One of the people inside shouted, wanting to do something, but before he finished speaking, the entire room was violently shaking and crumbling.
At this moment, a man-sized silver battle-axe appeared before everyone. The axe head was silver-flamed, and its light flickered. Jiang Qi swung the axe.
With a rumble, the entire blacksmith’s shop became unstable, splitting into two halves and collapsing. The internal Formation was immediately broken, and the people inside instantly felt dizzy and nauseous. Their strength was already low, and the Formation backfired.
Jiang Qi immediately rushed into the ruins, staying vigilant.
The four people inside were now frothing at the mouth and lying on the ground. The other three law enforcers immediately tied them up with adamantine chains forged from meteorites, which were very tough; even an Imperial Master couldn’t break free. After checking, Zitan’s face showed a strange expression as she said,
“The strongest one is only a Nine-Star Imperial Knight, and he hasn’t even contracted a single Beast. How can trash like them cross the Haikou defense line and reach Tianxing City?”
Jiang Qi listened and was silent for a moment, then said, “Top-grade Beast cubs are expensive, so it’s inevitable that some people take risks. However, targeting Sacred Beast cubs, even an Imperial Ruler wouldn’t dare to say they could retreat unscathed. They are just some expendable pawns.”
“Take them back. It seems the Gao Family father and son have also succeeded.”
The two of them didn’t mention the Qin Family again. As one of the three great Families in Xingnan Province, the relationship between the two Families was not considered good, but it was not considered bad enough to violate established norms; they also had some cooperation with each other.
Maintaining the stable development of Xingnan Province.
The existence of the Beast Master Association is the most important link among the three major institutions of the Zhongyuan Empire. It not only collects intelligence and issues tasks but also serves as a link for national news, holding an extremely high social status.
The Beast Master Association branches throughout the Zhongyuan Empire are responsible for resolving disputes, conflicts, and cross-border management for Beast Tamers.
If the Gao Family manages the military security of Tianxing City, then the Beast Master Association is the maintainer of rules, also having the power to supervise and enforce.
The Beast Master Association maintains the stable development of various major cities. Its history of existence has already spanned more than one hundred thousand years. It can be said that its Foundation is deep, its strength is strong, and it has made many indelible contributions to human development.
Jiang Qi said, retracting his battle axe weapon. After some investigation, the basement contained a complete Contract Formation, which had now been destroyed. However, the Sacred Beast cub's whereabouts were still not found, making the situation a bit troublesome.
Just at this moment, a sound came from the badge on Jiang Qi's chest.
"Jiang Qi's team, come back. The Sacred Beast cub has been recovered."
"Received."
Jiang Qi said, looking at his teammates, "Return to the team. Tonight, I'm treating everyone to roasted lamb."
"Captain, does this operation count as an external assignment?" Zitan asked with anticipation.
"Of course. This time, Shenzhu City issued the mission, so everyone will receive an attendance fee between 200 and 500. Considering the situation with the Gao Family, they shouldn't be too stingy."
Jiang Qi escorted the four individuals out of the village. One of the team members summoned a Unicorn Rhino, a labor-intensive Beast, to drag the four back to the Beast Master Association. No accidents occurred along the way.
This made Gao Changsheng, who was hiding in the dark, breathe a sigh of relief. Although he had extracted information from the Beast Tamers' memories that the Imperial Ruler was on the verge of death, he still remained hidden for safety.
Now, all four Sacred Beast cubs had been recovered, and a huge sum of four million had also been retrieved. A portion of it belonged to the Gao Family, approximately ten percent commission, which had been a long-standing understanding.
Another five percent went to the Beast Master Association, and the rest was to be returned to the Shenzhu City Lord for arrangement and processing. This operation and mission were completed in less than half a day.
As for the father and son's salaries, they were issued by the Family, with a basic monthly fee of forty thousand yuan, plus a share of Imperial Ruler Level Cultivation resources. As core members of the Family, their treatment was top-tier. As for food, clothing, housing, and daily necessities, the Family covered everything for free.
Additionally, based on the difficulty of the mission and external assignments, there would be other accumulated rewards. Over a year, with a little effort, one could accumulate millions in savings. This money was originally intended for leisure and enjoyment, but now with Gao Hao to raise, it naturally became milk powder money, nutrition fees, tuition, and so on.
Moreover, the Family did not cover the first Beast. Only if the parents died in battle for the Family would there be special treatment. Under normal circumstances, the children's parents paid, or they went out to find connections themselves.
At this moment, in the Beast Master Association, on the top floor lounge.
A spacious and luxurious room, even the chairs were made of red gold, intricately carved with numerous Defensive Formations. The entire setting was exquisite and magnificent, used for receiving distinguished guests. In this conference room, there were four Imperial Ruler Level beings present, all of them important figures rarely seen in ordinary times.
They were Jiang Yishan, the President of the Beast Master Association in Tianxing City, who possessed a Lava Space and had masterful control over flames, with seven fire-element Beasts, making him one of the top existences in the entire Xingnan Province.
Black Gold Province, one of the six provinces of the Zhongyuan Empire, located in the southernmost part of the Empire with numerous seaports. Shenzhu City, as one of the powers, possessed its own Family city and unique cultivation system.
Zhu Wanrou, the current Vice Clan Chief of the Zhu Family Sacred Beast Base, possessed a Storm Space and had four flying-type Beasts, one of which was a fire-element Fire Dragon Beast, and another terrifying Wind Qilin Sacred Beast with extreme wind attributes.
Rumor had it that this woman could fight above her Realm. Her two Beasts coordinated seamlessly. Even Gao Changsheng himself felt the terrifying destructive power of the storm combined with fire, let alone with five combat-type Beasts fighting together.
As for the other two, they seemed to be support-type Beasts and were rarely exposed, so others did not know about them.
Moreover, he was somewhat restrained by fire-element Beasts. His Beast Taming Space was a huge forest land, suitable for contracting Beasts of extraordinary power, especially his seventh Beast. After acquiring the Forest Spirit Beast, his combat power and destructive power would increase tenfold when fighting on land. If he could fight in a dense forest, his overall combat power could soar to twentyfold.
However, in front of a dual wind-fire Beast Master, he would probably only be able to flee in a sorry state. Gao Changsheng's expression was also serious at this moment.
The Imperial Ruler Level was a major threshold for Beast Tamers. Upon reaching this Rank, one could disregard etiquette when meeting the Imperial King, and traveling to other cities and provinces would not be obstructed. They would even receive hospitality from the local City Lord's mansion.
Beast Tamers who had grown to this point, if they had not joined a certain Family or power, were also targets sought after by various major Families. Whether it was a princess of the Empire or a legitimate daughter of a major aristocratic Family, they were all available choices.
If one preferred freedom and chose a commoner as a spouse, or if they were willing to join the Empire to serve, then the Zhongyuan Empire would bestow territory, confer a noble title, provide a luxurious house, invest in developing a city in the local area, and help them develop their own Family.
Because there were Imperial Ruler Level powerhouses guarding them, the Empire was willing to invest heavily in building new cities. Otherwise, there was a risk of being destroyed by Fallen Beasts before they even developed.
Often, the investment and construction would be ruined in an instant, and the common people would become displaced.
The more populated a place was, the more it attracted Fallen Beasts. Of course, there was another saying that the Souls of Beast Tamers were very delicious, attracting Fallen Beasts to approach. The two were natural enemies.
The other two Imperial Rulers present were naturally Gao Xiaotian and Gao Changsheng, the father and son who had helped recover the four Sacred Beast cubs.
At the top of the seating arrangement was naturally Jiang Yishan, who was over sixty years old but looked only around thirty. His short black hair was tied behind his head, and he wore a neat outfit with a gentle smile on his face, making people feel very comfortable.
"Vice City Lord Zhu, according to the mission requirements, the Gao Family father and son have captured the criminals, and you have safely recovered the four cubs. According to the contract, you must present one of them to the Gao Family."
Zhu Wanrou's beautiful eyes were slightly cool. She stood up and bowed towards Gao Xiaotian, a radiant smile blooming on her face, beautiful as a blossoming flower.
"Thank you both for your help. I have already checked the condition of the four cubs. One of them has somewhat blurry eyes. How about we give that one to your Gao Family?"
Zhu Wanrou sat on the left, and the Gao Family father and son sat on the right. Upon hearing this, both frowned. Eyes with some problems? Could it be blind?
"Isn't this bullying?" Gao Changsheng instantly stood up, feeling cheated.
Gao Xiaotian pulled his son back, looking at the young girl opposite him, who was probably the same age as his son. He lightly coughed and said, "Could you please take this old man to see its condition? If it's not serious, my Gao Family can still compromise."
The two of them hadn't directly found the four cubs, so they hadn't seen them specifically. However, just thinking that they were Sacred Beast cubs, they were priceless treasures to Beast Tamers.
Zhu Wanrou nodded without hesitation, "Yes."
The group of four stood up and headed to the nursery. The four cubs had been wandering around for less than three months since birth. Their fur had just grown in, and they were incredibly cute, despite the bumpy journey.
They were inevitably a bit thin, especially one panda cub whose eyes and body trembled severely. The caretaker fed it tiger milk, and it finally fell into a deep sleep, still looking a bit dazed.
"It's that one," Zhu Wanrou pointed to the smallest one, lying motionless on its belly, drooling. It was the thinnest of the four cubs.
Gao Changsheng immediately felt a surge of anger.
"This one, motionless, are you sure it can be raised?" He wanted to give his son and wife a pleasant surprise, not a fright. If the first Beast died, it would be cruel for a child.
Gao Xiaotian didn't speak. A golden light flashed in his eyes, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face. He pulled his impulsive son back and stepped forward, saying, "It is indeed a Sacred Beast cub, but can you tell this old man what Medicinal Pills you used on this cub?"
Zhu Wanrou was surprised to hear this. Numerous healing-type Beast Tamers in Shenzhu City had failed to save this young Beast's eyes. Did he have a way? As expected of the Gao Family, known as the "Treasure Pot."
"We used three Golden Pupil Pills, two Bloodline Pills, one holy beast pill, and two Awakening Pills," Zhu Wanrou said, not intending to hide anything. Her honesty was the most she could do.
The remaining three panda cubs already had predetermined slots. Even as Vice Clan Chief, she had no authority to change them. So, the panda cub that was to be given away from the start was this one, with half-blind eyes.
If the Gao Family could truly cure its eyes, it would also be a stroke of good fortune for the panda cub. After all, the Family had already given up on continuing to invest in this cub, and no one was willing to take responsibility for it.
Gao Changsheng was also startled to hear this. He hadn't realized before that Shenzhu City was actually a wealthy city. These eight Medicinal Pills were all priceless, as they were allocated to each major city.
There was a fixed quantity each year. Even a Genius like Gao Changsheng himself had only received three Saint Grade Medicinal Pills. This little fellow actually used seven, which made him a bit jealous. The most precious holy beast pill had gone to his uncle's son, and that was a good item that could activate Bloodlines.
Thinking about it this way, even if it died and was used for alchemy, it wouldn't be a very losing deal. Gao Changsheng stroked his chin, and Gao Xiaotian looked at his son's shocked expression.
"So that's how it is. It certainly has its precious aspects."
"I agree to the trade," Gao Xiaotian nodded, and Gao Changsheng also nodded in agreement. The group returned to the conference room and signed their names on the agreement. The employment relationship was officially concluded.
"Pleasant cooperation." The group shook hands and departed. Gao Xiaotian took the cage from the staff. The small panda was only twenty centimeters in size. It suddenly opened its eyes, revealing golden pupils that sparkled brightly.
"As expected, it's a precious Double Pupil Panda. If it were the mother of an Immortal Beast, this little fellow would have caused a sensation at birth," Gao Xiaotian said with a hint of regret, looking at the little one. But precisely because its Bloodline was incomplete, their Gao Family got a bargain.
Gao Changsheng followed up, "Dad, what are you talking about?"
Gao Xiaotian shook his head helplessly, put away the cage, and said, "I'll let you see it when we get back. This time, we've picked up a treasure. If it's nurtured well, there's a slight chance it can become a Super Immortal Beast, even stronger than your Peerless Azure Dragon."
Gao Changsheng followed his father back to the Gao Family mansion and into the back room. Gao Changsheng picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup of water, drinking it with a gulp.
Gao Xiaotian opened the cage door, held the small panda in his hand, and used his finger to pry open its eyelid, saying, "Look, this little fellow also has a hidden silver pupil. Its true Bloodline Awakening should be golden and silver double pupils. I guess those old fellows from the Zhu Family also discovered the anomaly, which is why they made such a huge investment, but it was destined to be a complete loss."
"It's a pity, this little fellow has an Innate defect. No matter how many Saint Grade tonics are given, they are just a kind of poison. It's a miracle that its small body has survived until now. You should also thank your mother; she contracted the Double-Headed Golden Dragon."
Gao Xiaotian looked at his son, who was still in a daze and didn't understand, clearly showing that he hadn't read much during his school days and knew nothing. He waved his hand helplessly and said, "You go back and report that you're safe. Come back in a few days. Remember to complete the final blessing for Hao'er in these two days. I've decided that his first Beast will be this little fellow."