C11 Beast Tide(1)
Green's efficiency in dispatching enemies had skyrocketed, sparing Wang Yan the need to lift a finger.
When facing a horde of ferocious beasts, Green would first subdue them with its dragon might, then finish them off as effortlessly as bouncing a rubber ball.
Meanwhile, Wang Yan dedicated himself to mastering the Spicy Palm technique.
The deeper he delved into his training, the more Wang Yan marveled at the martial art's extraordinary nature.
Yet, there was a downside: he couldn't use that hand to handle food, nor to rub his eyes or pick his nose.
You might wonder how Wang Yan came to know these limitations. Well, after a few spicy-induced crying incidents, he learned his lesson.
"Let's move on to the next spot!"
Having traded all the ferocious beast carcasses to the system, Wang Yan coiled Green around his waist and continued his journey by car.
With each transaction, Wang Yan unraveled more features of the Fair Trading System.
True to its name, the system adhered to principles of fairness, justice, openness, and transparency.
Not just the carcasses, but also gathered spirit medicines and mined ores could be exchanged.
In essence, anything earned through his own labor was his to claim.
Through his recent exploits, Wang Yan had amassed 4,200 points.
He intended to reserve them for enhancing a new spirit beast or to discreetly benefit Ruan Mei.
Despite his tough talk, Wang Yan was deeply protective of his little sister.
She had been by his side since childhood, never once scorning him for his physical condition, often sharing her treats with him.
Had he not been blinded by the lofty and arduous ambition to "become the strongest," Wang Yan would have settled down and started a family with Ruan Mei long ago.
"Ah, life can be so monotonously dull!"
With a sigh, Wang Yan floored the accelerator.
...
...
"Accelerate, come on, faster!"
"Why the hell have you stopped?"
A furious bellow rang in his ears as the driver punched the steering wheel, his face contorted with rage.
"Damn it, I knew Mitsuda's clunker was no good, only good for saving gas and nothing else!"
The driver shook with anger.
Under different circumstances, he might have found a way to fix it.
But now, the ferocious beasts outside weren't about to give them any opportunities.
"Get out and get ready to fight!"
With that shout, the driver leaped through the window.
Outside, a pack of vicious jackals and other repulsive creatures that even seasoned beast tamers and ferocious beasts dreaded were closing in.
These beasts were notoriously brutal and sly, always hunting in packs, never engaging in solo combat.
Typically, a ferocious beast onslaught involved a swarm-like rush, overwhelming with sheer numbers.
But jackals played a different game; they targeted the vulnerable spots in their prey's defenses.
They were particularly despised by male ferocious beasts and men alike.
"Damn it, not these vile creatures!"
A hefty man jumped out, his face as dark as a burnt pan.
Jackals were the epitome of shamelessness among ferocious beasts.
Once, a Rank 5 elite-quality Giant Fanged Elephant calf got isolated and was ambushed by jackals.
With its thick hide and elite status, ordinary Rank 4 beasts couldn't even scratch it.
But jackals were a different story; they went straight for the weak points.
Amidst the calf's harrowing screams, its innards were slowly gouged out from behind...
"Don't worry, we'll make it out. I've got a secret weapon," the driver reassured, patting the hefty man's shoulder.
"For real? You're not kidding?"
"No tricks!"
"Then look me in the eye and swear that a Flame Empire person doesn't deceive another Flame Empire person!"
The hefty man was dead serious.
"Cut the chatter, we're encircled by jackals."
The driver barked, summoning his two spirit beasts.
An ordinary-quality fire fox and an elite-quality porcupine appeared, ready for combat.
But the sheer number of jackals around them was overwhelming, far too much for just two beasts to handle.
"We fight to the end! One kill is break-even, two kills is a win!"
The hefty man clenched his jaw, his eyes blazing with fury.
Ferocious beasts don't play by the rules; they won't accept human surrender. An encounter in the wilderness inevitably leads to death or injury.
"Ugh, I'm only 23 and haven't even had a boyfriend yet!"
The last woman in the group sighed as she called forth her spirit beast.
Three of ordinary quality and three elite—a respectable force, but hardly a ripple against hundreds of vicious jackals.
Typically, a beast tamer at Level 3 could bolster their physique to 20 points, enough to endure the bloodline shock from an elite spirit beast.
But a leader-grade beast? Forget it. That required at least Level 6 and a physique of 100 points.
In this vein, most beast tamers bonded with ordinary spirit beasts at Level 1, elite ones at Level 3, and leader-grade at Level 6.
In four centuries, there hadn't been another like Wang Yan, who had a leader-grade spirit beast at Level 1.
"Three elite spirit beasts might hold them off for two minutes. How about we go out with a bang, so you don't die with any regrets?"
The fat man waggled his eyebrows, his tone teasing.
"Go to hell! I'd rather be mauled by a dog than give you the satisfaction!"
She was fiery, cursing him outright.
The fat man chuckled, his face quickly turning solemn.
They had known each other for years and understood each other's temperaments well.
His words were never serious, just a way to lighten the mood.
And it worked; their spirits lifted after the round of banter.
"We may not have been born on the same day, but dying together is a testament to our friendship."
Fatty retrieved a box from the car's backseat, revealing a two-meter-long Miao knife inside.
The blade was slender, resembling a young shoot, hence the name.
Given his build, Fatty favored heavy weapons, using brute force to dominate his foes.
Wielding a Miao Dao, a weapon famed for its agility, was an exceptionally rare sight.
"If we manage to survive this ordeal, I'll give you an opportunity," the woman whispered to Fatty with a glance.
"Give it a rest. If I make it back alive, I'm going to indulge at the brothel until the heavens grow dim and the celestial bodies fade," Fatty retorted with a huff, swinging his Miao Dao in a wide arc before him.
"Kill!"
"Kill!"
"Howl!"
"Howl!"
Angry bellows and howls erupted almost simultaneously as three humans and six spirit beasts clashed with a swarm of savage jackals.
A single jackal, a common Rank 3 ferocious beast, had modest fighting prowess. But in numbers exceeding a hundred, they were a force too formidable for a mere handful of people to contend with.
Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!
The porcupine quivered, unleashing hundreds of quills that swiftly transformed a dozen encroaching jackals into pincushions.
The Forest Boa encircled the trio, its body forming a stalwart wall of defense.
The armored Hu Lang wolf charged valiantly into the fray, clamping its jaws around the throats of its foes.
The three elite spirit beasts exhibited their formidable strength, while the three ordinary spirit beasts maintained a vigilant stance, ready to thwart any jackals that might breach the Forest Boa's defenses.
The skirmish was brutally intense, with jackals falling one after another. Meanwhile, the three beast tamers and their spirit beasts sustained injuries in the relentless conflict.