"Okay, I'm not bragging—I've never been afraid of spending money!" Zhao Manyan declared confidently before ending the call.
He stared at his phone with a triumphant grin. Meeting Ye Chenfeng was undoubtedly the luckiest moment of his life. I have hundreds of millions in pocket money, and now I get to use it for monster hunting and cultivation? Plus, it's the Three-Step Pagoda, a sacred haven for mages!
Excitement coursed through him as he immediately began placing calls to order the best magic tools available. Tools to speed up cultivation, refine star control, enhance both water and light elemental magic, and even restore magical energy—all of it.
"Bring everything we've got in stock!" he barked to his family's staff. "It's not like I'm keeping them. Just borrowing for a few days!"
Satisfied with his preparations, Zhao Manyan chuckled to himself. No cost spared when it comes to success.
Back at the villa, Ye Chenfeng finished his call, and the room fell silent until Mo Fan spoke.
"I remember Xiaohou is in the military. Should we ask him about the Shadow Beast's habits?"
Ye Chenfeng raised an eyebrow. "Why bother? We don't need that kind of information."
Mo Fan blinked. "Huh?"
Mu Nujiao chimed in after a thoughtful pause. "This test isn't just about capturing the Shadow Beast, is it?"
Mo Fan tilted his head, confused. "What do you mean?"
"Dean Xiao said the mission is only considered complete when the Shadow Beast is delivered to the school's taming cage," Mu Nujiao explained. "That means even if we capture it, the task isn't done. The real challenge is getting it back to the cage safely."
Ai Tutu gasped. "So, once someone catches the Shadow Beast, it becomes like a football. Everyone will be fighting over it!"
"Exactly," Mu Nujiao replied. "We need to plan for that chaos."
The realization dawned on Mo Fan, who nodded in agreement.
But Ye Chenfeng interrupted with a dismissive smirk. "You're all overthinking it. If someone catches the Shadow Beast, just take it from them."
Mu Nujiao looked at him in disbelief. "But won't that make us the target of everyone else?"
Ye Chenfeng's expression remained unbothered. His presence alone answered her question. Who would dare challenge the powerhouse duo of Ye Chenfeng and Mo Fan?
Later that night, in an abandoned warehouse cluttered with junk, a group of students carefully guarded their prize: the captured Shadow Beast.
Shen Mingxiao, their leader, barked orders. "Stay sharp! Once it's dark enough, we'll move it to the taming cage and complete the mission."
Luo Song, his teammate, groaned. "I'm exhausted. That thing almost escaped. I need a break."
"Fine," Shen Mingxiao replied. "But we'll keep watch to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Unbeknownst to them, rustling outside the warehouse signaled the arrival of unexpected visitors.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Shen Mingxiao shouted, trying to sound intimidating.
To his shock, Ye Chenfeng stepped out of the shadows, accompanied by Mo Fan, Mu Nujiao, and Ai Tutu.
Shen Mingxiao and his team froze as Ye Chenfeng's gaze swept over them. The air grew heavy with tension.
"You've done a good job catching it," Ye Chenfeng said calmly, walking straight past the dumbfounded students. He grabbed the unconscious Shadow Beast with one hand. "I'll take it from here. If you have any objections, feel free to find me later."
The students didn't dare move.
As Ye Chenfeng and his team left, dragging the Shadow Beast toward the taming cage, Mo Fan glanced back, puzzled.
"Wait... they just let us take it? No resistance at all?"
Ai Tutu chuckled. "What did you expect? Who's going to stand up to him?"
Mu Nujiao nodded, a faint smile on her lips. "Sometimes, strength is all it takes to avoid unnecessary complications."
Their journey to the taming cage was similarly uneventful. Every would-be attacker melted away at the sight of Ye Chenfeng, their courage dissolving before his overwhelming aura.
Mu Nujiao stared up at the night sky as they reached their destination. She sighed, still struggling to process how easy it all had been.
Is that really all it took?
Even the Shadow Beast, a supposed challenge, was now just another trophy under Ye Chenfeng's casual dominance.