34: Continued fermentation

"Did Bai Ye feed it ashes?"

The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Should she mix some hair into the Wanyan Horse's food when she got back? Maybe that skeleton could mutate into something fluffy.

The Wanyan Horse, sleeping in Lin Anan's beast taming space, suddenly opened its eyes.

It looked around vigilantly.

For some reason, it suddenly had a bad feeling.

Bai Ye glanced meaningfully at Lin Anan.

This girl really guessed right.

He had indeed fed Xiao Lan ashes, but that was out of necessity, and Xiao Lan's Undead Attribute had nothing to do with what it was fed.

In Lin Anan's view, Bai Ye's Ghost Orchid was far more valuable than those so-called rare Aptitude beast pets.

Bai Ye smiled noncommittally.

"I'm hungry. Let's order some food."

Bai Ye decisively changed the subject.

"Okay, okay! I want to eat the most famous Roasted Dragon Lizard Leg in Huanglong City!"

As soon as food was mentioned, Lin Anan immediately tossed her previous questions to the back of her mind.

The two ordered lavish room service.

The tender and juicy Roasted Dragon Lizard Leg, paired with chilled Tree Fruit Juice, was simply heavenly.

"Oh, right, Bai Ye."

Lin Anan mumbled indistinctly while gnawing on the Dragon Lizard Leg.

"Since you've caused such a sensation at the Sacred Dragon Cup this time, many people must be watching you. You need to be careful in the upcoming matches."

She was very worried about Bai Ye, and the more worried she was, the hungrier she got, taking a huge bite of the Dragon Lizard Leg.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Bai Ye took a sip of juice, looking calm.

When soldiers come, use generals to block them; when water comes, use earth to cover it.

In the face of absolute strength, all schemes and tricks are just paper tigers.

Without knowing his specific circumstances, who could guess how much power was hidden beneath his seemingly ordinary body?

He would definitely give those with ill intentions a huge surprise!

While the two were enjoying their meal.

Outside, discussions about "Contestant No. 777" and his "Monster Ghost Orchid" had already ignited the Beast Tamer communication platforms in Huanglong City.

The official Sacred Dragon Cup forum, Beast Tamer chat groups, and even short video platforms were all flooded with news about the match.

"Huge Upset: Mysterious Newcomer Uses Ghost Orchid to Instantly Kill Transcendence High-rank in Sacred Dragon Cup Preliminaries"

"That's Not a Ghost Orchid! That's a True Ghost Wearing Plant Skin!"

"Video Alert! One Minute Recap of that Grass-Attribute Night Demon Strike! [Video Link]"

A video, only a dozen seconds long, filmed by an audience member on their phone, was being frantically shared.

In the video, countless ice cones rained down. Just when everyone thought Bai Ye would be overwhelmed, dozens of emerald green bats appeared out of thin air, forcibly resisting all the attacks.

The scene shifted, and the Ice Crystal Bird let out a mournful cry and fell from the sky.

The video stopped abruptly there.

[Comment Section]

"Is this seriously a Ghost Orchid? If the ornamental orchid in my backyard was this fierce, I'd worship it on the spot!"

"Upstairs, stop dreaming. This is definitely a mutated species."

"That Skill is 100% 'Night Demon Strike,' a High-rank Undead System Skill. It's terrifying; one strike drains half the Ice Crystal Bird's life."

"Who exactly is this No. 777? Why have I never heard of this person before?"

"We found the official contestant profile. His name is Bai Ye, he's not very old, and he's likely just a high school student."

"High school students these days are too competitive. Soon we might see high schoolers using Elite Rank beast pets."

In an instant, Bai Ye's background and identity were completely exposed.

Of course, this was limited only to public information.

The information about him clearing the Solo Secret Realm and being specially recruited by the Association was kept strictly confidential.

Even so, it was enough to cause an uproar.

A young man from a common high school, bringing a mutated Ghost Orchid to shine brightly on the Sacred Dragon Cup stage.

It was simply the standard protagonist script.

Several university admissions offices began inquiring about Bai Ye's contact information.

Especially universities with botany departments—they really wanted Bai Ye to enroll... Steel Dragon High School, inside a luxurious training room.

Long Ao, who was hailed as the biggest favorite to win the championship, was resting with his eyes closed.

The Ironclad Steel Dragon lay beside him like a small mountain, radiating terrifying heat.

"Young Master Ao, there was an unexpected incident in Competition Zone 7."

A man who looked like an assistant quickly walked in and handed a tablet computer to Long Ao.

"Hmm?"

Long Ao slowly opened his eyes. He took the tablet and clicked on the pinned video.

When he saw the emerald green bats, he raised an eyebrow slightly.

After the Ice Crystal Bird was instantly killed, an expression of interest finally appeared on his eternally icy face.

"Ghost Orchid? Night Demon Strike?"

A slight curve appeared at the corner of Long Ao's mouth.

"Interesting."

To be able to learn Skills of other Attributes—even he was a little tempted.

However, if that Ghost Orchid was mutated, its value would greatly decrease.

Mutation implies uniqueness; other beast pets would have no way to imitate it.

"Do you need me to investigate the background of this Bai Ye?" the assistant asked.

"No need."

Long Ao shook his head and tossed the tablet back.

"It's just a potentially mutated pet. In the face of absolute power, it's merely a clown putting on a show."

Patting his Ironclad Steel Dragon, he revealed an incredibly confident smile.

He hoped the Beast Tamer of that Ghost Orchid would eventually stand before him.

"Tell the people below to pay attention, and don't let some ignorant fellows disturb my future toy."

"Yes, Young Master Ao."

The assistant respectfully withdrew.

Long Ao closed his eyes again, but this time, the image of a Ghost Orchid that could release bats lingered in his mind... Inside the presidential suite of the Sacred Dragon Hotel.

Having eaten his fill, Bai Ye was lying on the soft, large bed, teasing Xiao Hei, who was kneading his stomach.

Phantom Snow lay by the pillow, looking disdainfully at its useless companion.

"Meow ha~"

Phantom Snow suddenly widened its eyes. How did it hear its own yawn/hiss?

Bai Ye's phone suddenly rang.

It was an unfamiliar number, with the caller ID showing Huanglong City local.

"Hello?"

Bai Ye answered casually.

"Hello, may I ask if this is Mr. Bai Ye?"

On the other end of the line, a polite, slightly formal male voice sounded.

"Who is this?"

"Hello, Mr. Bai. I am a scout for the Tianshen Group. You can call me Zhao Kuo."

"Our group greatly appreciates your performance at the Sacred Dragon Cup and would like to discuss a contract with you."

Tianshen Group?

Bai Ye paused; he had heard of that name.

It is one of the Beast Tamer management agencies in Xuanhuang Nation, having signed many famous professional Beast Tamers to star in movies or variety shows.

Their financial resources are very strong.

He didn't expect them to move so quickly.

They probably don't know he's actually a member of the Beast Taming Association, otherwise they wouldn't just call—they would visit in person.

Bai Ye raised an eyebrow: "Tell me about it."

He wondered what price he could command in the eyes of these large corporations.