312: Chapter 312 Shigure Sakura

"Eighth Rank?"

Hearing this, Chen Yi's brow furrowed slightly. "Does that mean we need a Spirit Beast or a Beast Tamer who has reached the Eighth Rank?"

"No, it's not about the level; it's the attack power that needs to reach the Eighth Rank level!"

Shi Yuying explained in detail, "You can try attacking the barrier yourself, and then you'll understand."

As soon as those words were spoken, Lin Mengxue, who was standing to the side, directly threw a punch that smashed into the barrier.

*Thump—*

With a dull, heavy sound, the barrier didn't budge an inch.

However, a message of conceptual rules clearly transmitted into the minds of everyone present.

[Those who break through with Eighth Rank force may enter the Final Land!]

"How interesting!"

The corners of Chen Yi's mouth curled up slightly into a playful smile. "The restriction to enter the secret realm limits Beast Tamers and Spirit Beasts to no higher than Sixth Rank, Tenth Stage, yet it requires an Eighth Rank attack to enter the final area! The rules of this secret realm are quite the double standard—"

Starting from the first area, the Ice Zone, this secret realm had been reeking of double standards everywhere.

And now that they were here, it had become even more extreme!

Hearing this, Shi Yuying also joked with a smile, "Brother Chen Yi, you arrived late so you might not know, but this Antarctic Secret Realm has plenty of double standards! Many rules seem fair on the surface, but in reality, they are full of various hidden thresholds and trials!"

"Is that so?"

Chen Yi's interest was piqued by her words. "In that case, I'll have to trouble Brother Shi Yuying to explain a bit more about what else is here—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by The girls again!

"We'll listen!"

"Brother Chen Yi, you go rest over there!"

"Leave this kind of thing to us!"

"My nine tails are very soft, you can lie down here and sleep for a while!"

"Let's hear just how many more double standards this secret realm has!"

The girls chattered away and, without giving him a choice, pushed Chen Yi over to Yan Jiuyue, making her use her fluffy nine tails as a pillow for him.

Then they surrounded Shi Yuying, striking a pose as if they were conducting an interrogation.

Clearly, Shi Yuying wasn't going to be able to shake off the 'gay' label anytime soon.

Watching The girls' determined 'husband-protecting' stance, Chen Yi felt both amused and helpless, so he obediently lay down on Yan Jiuyue's fox tails.

He pretended to close his eyes and rest, but in reality, his ears were pricked up to listen to their conversation.

Shi Yuying only smiled helplessly at this, showing no sign of taking offense.

On the contrary, she found Chen Yi's Contracted Spirit Beasts quite interesting.

Next, she began to patiently recount the various double-standard rules she had encountered in the secret realm.

From the hidden suppression of specific bloodlines in certain areas, to the distribution of rewards in special scenarios, and then to how some traps tested one's character far more than their strength—Shi Yuying spoke eloquently and with great clarity.

As he listened, an hour passed in the blink of an eye.

Chen Yi yawned. His originally tight vigilance couldn't help but relax under Shi Yuying's gentle narration and the comfort of Yan Jiuyue's fox tails.

This person spoke clearly, possessed extraordinary insight, and seemed to have a very gentle personality.

Could he be a Demon Emperor from the same faction as Black Rose?

Otherwise, how could one explain a Demon Emperor having such a personality?

Furthermore, he could indeed clearly feel that Shi Yuying truly harbored no hostility toward them.

His eyes were clear, his tone sincere, and there was even a faint hint of wanting to build a good relationship.

Not just Chen Yi, but even The girls who were full of suspicion before had significantly changed their attitude toward her.

Listening to her recount various anecdotes and knowledge about the secret realm, it felt like this Japanese Beast Tamer wasn't as difficult to get along with as they had imagined.

Instead, she gave off the feeling of a knowledgeable, gentle-tempered 'big sister' figure—even though she was currently cross-dressing as a man.

At that moment, Shi Yuying suddenly changed the subject. Her gaze swept over the group of Spirit Beast Girls around Chen Yi, each with their own unique charms, and she asked curiously, "By the way—do you and Chen Yi have plans—to have children?"

"Have children?"

As soon as these words came out, The girls were stunned at first.

Then, in an instant, a layer of touching blush dyed all of their pretty faces.

Even Yan Jiuyue, who was usually full of flirtatious talk, was no exception!

Naturally, they—wanted to!

Nurturing offspring with a loved one was a desire imprinted in the very instincts of life!

When Spirit Beasts cultivated their Affinity, as long as they had the thought of pregnancy in their hearts, there would be a certain probability of conceiving!

It's just that—the current situation was indeed a bit special.

They were in a critical period of rapid strength growth, exploring secret realms everywhere amidst constant danger.

If they got pregnant at this juncture, what would they do if they had to fight while heavily pregnant?

Not only would it be a burden to the team, but the safety of themselves and the child could not be guaranteed.

Seeing the shy and complicated expressions on The girls' faces, Shi Yuying narrowed her eyes, a smile of reminiscence and blessing appearing at the corners of her mouth.

But deeper down, there was a hidden trace of indelible regret and sorrow.

She sighed softly, as if lost in some memory, and continued speaking to herself.

"Let me tell you a story! It's about a—Dragon Country friend of mine!"

"She had extraordinary talent and possessed a powerful SS-rank bloodline, and her Beast Tamer was also a young talent with an SS-rank gift!"

"They were childhood sweethearts; she was the first Spirit Beast he contracted. Moreover, both came from prestigious families with illustrious backgrounds, and they were looked upon and envied by countless people."

"They grew up together, fought together, and their feelings for each other were incredibly deep! Later, that Beast Tamer contracted several other sisters, and everyone got along very harmoniously."

"Relying on their exceptional talent and family resources, in the year they turned 38, both successfully broke through to the Tenth Rank, truly standing at the peak of the world at that time!"

"Before that, in order to focus on increasing their strength and dealing with various challenges, none of them had children—"

"It wasn't until they reached the Tenth Rank and felt they could finally relax and enjoy a peaceful life that they decided it was time to properly nurture a crystallization of their love."

"As the first-priority Contracted Spirit Beast and the first to break through to the Tenth Rank, it was only natural that she would carry the first child."

"Those few years were the time they looked forward to the most! After tireless efforts, she finally got her wish and became pregnant! After ten months of pregnancy, she eventually gave birth to a very cute girl."

"However—just as they were immersed in the immense joy of becoming parents for the first time, and not long after the child had turned one month old—a top-level mission concerning the safety of the nation was suddenly issued!"

"Her Beast Tamer, as a high-level combatant of the country, had no choice but to go to war! She and the other sisters, naturally, followed without hesitation!"

"Before leaving, they entrusted their daughter, who was still in swaddling clothes, to the care of their most trusted old butler—"

"They thought that with their Tenth Rank strength, they would be able to return quickly after completing the mission and accompany their daughter as she grew up—"

"But once they left, they never came back."

"They all died in that extremely tragic mission! Not a single one survived—"