Chapter 2661: Chapter 2661
Ye Liuyun and his group were the first to arrive at the hunting grounds.
After settling Ye Liuyun in, Lin Fengzhi took Lin Xiaoxiao and the others to prepare for the incoming guests. Even before landing on this planet, Ye Liuyun had noticed the abundance of feral beast here, with some even reaching the first or second level of the Dominator realm. However, these creatures mostly lurked deep within the forests, far from the edges where their group would be stationed.
*"So there are indeed high-realm beasts here—just not ones they can capture easily,"* Ye Liuyun mused to himself. He suspected that the widely practiced cultivation techniques in this region were limiting the martial practitioners’ progress.
The locals’ training in soul power, bloodline strength, and spatial manipulation was sorely lacking. That was why, despite having access to abundant resources, their cultivation levels remained stagnant.
This also explained their reverence for beast tamers. Since the beasts’ cultivation often surpassed that of humans, tamers were highly valued. If everyone strengthened their soul power, tamers would lose their worth—anyone could then subdue beasts with their own spiritual force.
Soon, airships began arriving one after another. Stepping out were wealthy young nobles, each accompanied by a retinue of elders and guards. Even for a hunt, it seemed these privileged youths were merely putting on a show, leaving most of the actual work to their protectors.
Ye Liuyun gave them a cursory glance. Most were only at the high-tier Immortal Realm, hardly worth his attention. With little interest in mingling, he retreated to his tent to rest.
Lin Xiaoxiao handled the general greetings, while Lin Fengzhi only stepped out when two small battleships approached.
Ye Liuyun spared them a look. Lin Fengzhi had already informed him that he was to tame beasts for the Sixth Prince and the princess. Clearly, only royalty warranted Lin Fengzhi’s personal welcome.
A man and a woman disembarked from the battleships, dressed in royal regalia and surrounded by attendants. The princess wore a veil that concealed her face—a signature trait that had earned her the nickname "the Veiled Princess." The fabric also blocked any attempts at spiritual probing. Rumor had it that even some within the royal family had never seen her true appearance, let alone outsiders. Recognizing her relied solely on her distinctive attire.
Yet, the veil did nothing to obstruct Ye Liuyun’s vision.
*"Decent looks, but her cultivation is disappointingly low,"* he noted inwardly. At only the ninth level of the Immortal Realm, she was no different from most people here.
However, his gaze lingered briefly on one of her maids. The woman’s true cultivation was at the second level of the Celestial Realm, though she concealed it, displaying only the ninth level of the Immortal Realm instead. Ye Liuyun assumed she was the princess’s personal guard and thought little more of it before closing his eyes to rest.
It wasn’t until Lin Fengzhi sent someone to summon him that Ye Liuyun finally emerged to greet the gathering. The crowd was visibly surprised at his appearance, with many of the women whispering among themselves.
"I always imagined Master Ye would be some old man, but he’s so young!"
"And those golden eyes—how extraordinary!"
Almost immediately, several women began batting their lashes at him, their gazes lingering with obvious admiration. Yet Ye Liuyun remained composed, his eyes fixed ahead. To him, these women were nothing more than common beauties—hardly impressive to someone who had seen far grander spectacles.
Lin Fengzhi took care to introduce the prince and princess, and Ye Liuyun observed the necessary courtesies before quietly taking his seat. The rest of the arrangements were left to Lin Fengzhi, sparing him any further involvement.
However, the Sixth Prince had brought along a beast tamer of his own—a man clad in barbaric animal hides, impossible to miss. Clearly, this man was itching for a challenge, eager to test Ye Liuyun’s mettle.
The Sixth Prince made no move to stop him, clearly amused by the prospect of a spectacle.
The beast tamer stepped forward boldly, his voice dripping with provocation. "If one dares to call himself a master, he ought to prove it—otherwise, it’s just an empty title. I, An Tianxin, don’t claim to be a master, but I am a beast tamer. Would Master Ye care to enlighten me?"
Ye Liuyun had no interest in indulging him. A mere first-level Heavenly Realm cultivator wasn’t worth his time—better to enjoy some food in peace.
With a faint smile, he declined politely. "Master? That’s just flattery from others. Since we’re both beast tamers, there’s no need for comparisons. Each has his own methods—what matters is taming the beasts, no?"
An Tianxin pressed on, undeterred. "Does Master Ye disdain a match with me? Or is it fear that holds you back?"
Lin Fengzhi quickly intervened, attempting to mediate. "Sixth Prince, perhaps we should save the beast-taming contest for after the hunt? With so many savage beasts around, wouldn’t that be the perfect opportunity for both tamers to prove themselves?"
But the Sixth Prince was eager for entertainment, his curiosity about Ye Liuyun’s skills getting the better of him. "Let’s have a little preview now—see what Master Ye is capable of. That way, when we hunt, we’ll know what to expect." He waved off Lin Fengzhi’s concerns. "Come now, Commander Lin, there’s no harm in it. Beast tamers competing is no different from martial artists sparring—just a friendly match. Win or lose, it’s all in good fun!"
His words weren’t entirely off the mark, and Lin Fengzhi also turned a troubled gaze toward Ye Liuyun.
Yet Ye Liuyun merely smiled faintly and said in a measured tone, "Since the Sixth Prince is so eager for entertainment, it would be rude of me to spoil everyone’s fun. However, when it comes to challenges like this, my stakes tend to be rather high. I wonder if Beast Tamer An can afford to play?"
Seeing no way to avoid the confrontation, Ye Liuyun decided to make them pay dearly—enough to teach these arrogant fools a lesson.
"Hah! The one thing I’m not short of is resources. Name your stakes—I’ll match them!" An Tianxin, who had long served the royal family as a beast tamer, naturally enjoyed generous rewards and had no shortage of wealth.
"Excellent! For each match, you’ll set the challenge by selecting a savage beast, and I’ll set the wager. We’ll play no more than three rounds. If you lose, you forfeit both the wager and the beast to me. If I lose, I’ll compensate you with a beast of equal rank on top of the wager. No matter how high the stakes, neither side can back out. Agreed?"
Ye Liuyun grinned as he posed the question to An Tianxin.
This wasn’t just a test of beast-taming skill—it was a battle of financial might.
"Deal!"
An Tianxin, brimming with confidence, wasn’t about to be intimidated. He agreed without hesitation.
Ye Liuyun pressed further, cornering the Sixth Prince as well.
"And if Beast Tamer An runs short on resources, will the Sixth Prince step in to cover the difference?"
"Hah! Fine, I’ll back him!" the Sixth Prince laughed, readily agreeing.
He had never met anyone foolish enough to challenge the royal family’s wealth. The crowd around them sneered at Ye Liuyun, certain his resources couldn’t possibly rival An Tianxin’s.
"Then, Beast Tamer An, please bring out your beast!"
Ye Liuyun ignored the jeers, simply urging An Tianxin to begin. He would let his skills do the talking—soon enough, these mockers would be eating their words.
