A day had passed. The once-heated discussions about university entrance exams had completely faded, overshadowed by the shocking fall of a fifth-tier city and the death of Shen Kang, a beast tamer of emperor rank.
On the streets and across the internet, the entire world was abuzz with discussions.
"How the hell did the Central Government let something like this happen?" a man shouted angrily.
"Exactly! A fifth-tier city should have top-tier defenses. How did it fall so easily?" another chimed in.
"And that so-called emperor-ranked beast tamer who the hell was he? How could he be so weak?"
"That's what I'm saying! An emperor-ranked beast tamer should have at least five emperor-level beasts. But this guy lost to just one? What a joke!"
Then, someone who seemed to know more spoke in a cold voice.
"That man was Shen Kang."
A brief silence followed before someone burst into laughter.
"Shen Kang? That cripple? Oh, no wonder!"
"But I heard the Dawn's Radiance organization was involved too. The reports say they even sent an emperor-ranked beast tamer to attack the city."
Rumors some true, some false spread across the world like wildfire.
Secret Conference Room A Sixth-Tier City
Deep within a sealed dimensional chamber, a massive conference hall stood, hidden from the outside world by mysterious energy. There were no doors, no exits only those with a summoning sigil could enter this place.
In the vast chamber, ten towering black pillars loomed in a perfect circle.
Soon, ten shadowy figures materialized atop the pillars. Their expressions were solemn, exuding an unshakable presence. When all had gathered, the first shadow spoke in an icy voice.
"Those filthy sewer rats… they're getting far too bold."
A few figures chuckled softly, but the first shadow continued.
"But that's not why I've called you all here today. We need to settle the division of resources from the emperor-ranked dimensional gate."
His tone grew sharper.
"I believe some of you have been playing dirty. Wouldn't you all agree?"
The room fell into a suffocating silence.
Outside a Hidden Dimensional Gate Near Rainfall City
Standing before an ancient-looking portal, Gu Tian and Lin Yuntian prepared for their expedition.
Gu Tian turned to Lin Yuntian. "Is your barrier ready?"
Lin Yuntian nodded. "All set."
Once their preparations were complete, the two stepped into the gate.
Inside the Dimensional Gate
The world beyond the portal resembled a vast rainforest. Towering trees loomed over them, their dense canopy shrouding the entire landscape in twilight. The distant echoes of beastly roars reverberated from every direction.
Gu Tian surveyed the surroundings before issuing his command.
"Grimm. Xiao Bai. Come out."
A shadowy figure and a small white dragon emerged from his body.
"Kill everything that moves… except the slimes."
Without hesitation, both beasts shot forward, vanishing into the jungle.
Gu Tian then turned to Lin Yuntian. "I need you to capture every slime you find."
Lin Yuntian grinned. "Got it."
With a flash, he soared into the sky, scanning the area for slime-type beasts.
Meanwhile, Gu Tian pulled out a leather-bound notebook, jotting down observations as he muttered to himself.
"This is the twelfth gate, and I still haven't found a single slime that meets the conditions."
At this moment, Gu Tian's power level had reached Silver Peak.
He was just one step away from Gold. If he could conquer this gate, Grimm would reach Gold rank as well.
However
A sudden beastly roar tore through the air.
SZZZZHHH!!!
A mysterious attack shot toward Gu Tian at terrifying speed.
BOOM!
Gu Tian effortlessly dodged the incoming attack while analyzing the beast before him. As he focused, detailed information appeared in his vision.
[Name: Soul Monarch]
[Power Level: Silver (Low)]
[Species: Royal Bloodline Spirit Tribe]
[Element: Spirit]
[Special Abilities: Soul-Devouring Blade (SSS+), Path of the Spirit (SSS), Spirit Realm (S), Rotten Wood Spirit Blade (S), Black Flame Spirit Blade (S), Spiritual Perception (S), Waterflow Spirit Blade (A), Wind Spirit Blade (A), Spirit Form (A), Heart of the Spirit (A), Sword Grandmaster (A)]
[Potential: King (Peak)]
[Evolution Pathways: 1]
[Overall Evaluation Compared to Silver-Ranked Beasts: SS]
Seeing this information, Gu Tian fell into deep thought while continuing to evade its attacks. He had made up his mind this was going to be his third beast.
Originally, he had been searching for a slime with special S-rank skills to experiment with creating a limitless devouring slime. However, encountering the Soul Monarch changed everything.
Its Soul-Devouring Blade (SSS+) was an incredibly unique and intriguing ability. The Soul Monarch could consume the souls of any living creature, transforming them into blades. These soul-forged weapons would then allow it to use the abilities of the devoured beasts.
Most importantly there was no limit to the number of blades it could create.
This meant that as long as it continued to absorb souls, it would grow infinitely stronger exactly what Gu Tian desired.
A smile formed on Gu Tian's lips. After searching through 12 different dimensional gates and inspecting over 10,000 slimes, not a single one had met his conditions. Perhaps this was fate compensating him, gifting him a beast with even greater potential.
Gu Tian spoke in a calm voice.
"Grimm."
Deep within the forest, Grimm, who had been hunting other beasts, immediately received the command. Without hesitation, it recalled all 500 undead it had previously unleashed.
Dark energy began to surge around Gu Tian as he issued his next order.
"Restrain it."
BOOM!
Five hundred shadowy undead figures lunged at the Soul Monarch without warning!
Sensing danger, the Soul Monarch immediately reacted. With a flick of its wrist, the spectral swords orbiting its body pulsed with dark purple energy. These blades, forged from the spirits of fallen beasts, swirled around it like an impenetrable wall of swords.
SWOOSH!
BOOM!
Gu Tian watched closely as the Soul Monarch held its ground. Despite being surrounded by Grimm's hundreds of undead, not a single one had managed to land a hit.
The beast suddenly swung one of its glowing azure blades, unleashing a crescent wave of spiritual water energy that sliced through dozens of undead at once.
BOOM!
Several undead were sent crashing into the trees, though they weren't completely destroyed. Even so, Gu Tian realized he needed to adjust his strategy.
After observing the battle for a while, he noticed that only ten of Grimm's undead army had spiritual attributes. The rest were purely physical attackers, making them practically useless against the Soul Monarch, since physical attacks couldn't harm spirit-type beings without special skills.
Wasting no time, Gu Tian reached into his dimensional ring, pulling out a sleek black pistol. He swiftly ejected the standard magazine and replaced it with a specialized silver-marked magazine.
Click!
As the pistol locked into place, Gu Tian raised it, aiming straight at the Soul Monarch, which was still preoccupied fighting Grimm's undead.
BANG!
A soul-infused bullet echoed through the forest.
The Soul Monarch had no chance to dodge.
The bullet pierced straight through its torso.
Its body shuddered violently before collapsing onto the ground, the spiritual energy surrounding it weakening instantly.