83: Go and take down the elite mid-level monster.

Bai Ye made his way home at a steady pace.

Under the setting sun, he moved tirelessly, weaving through the forest with ease.

The thirty-plus kilometer journey was merely a warm-up exercise.

Nearly twenty minutes later, the familiar outline of the city appeared in his line of sight.

He did not return directly to the villa he had just bought, but circled around the city center a few times, ensuring there were no tails following him before heading towards the Yunshan District.

When he stood before the main gate of his villa, the sky had completely darkened.

"Finally, I'm back."

Bai Ye let out a long sigh of relief and opened the gate with his key, but the scene before him made him freeze.

The living room, which had appeared somewhat cluttered due to the move, had been cleaned until spotless; the furniture was arranged neatly, and even the window glass had been polished until it was crystal clear.

"Xiao Lan?"

Bai Ye called out in some surprise.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

A faint sound responded to him.

In the direction of the balcony, dozens of emerald green Vine Whips were busy working in an orderly fashion.

Hearing Bai Ye's voice, Xiao Lan immediately separated one Vine Whip, waving it like a puppy, and the petals on it also trembled.

He walked to the balcony, rubbed Xiao Lan's petals, and petted Xiao Hei and Phantom Snow in the cradle.

The mental exhaustion from a day of busyness was swept away.

Xiao Lan poked his waist with a Vine Whip, and one Vine Whip curled up a folded letter and handed it to Bai Ye.

"You're saying Boss Zhang put this in the mailbox?"

There was indeed no signal for mobile phones in the underground black market, but using such a retro method...

Alright, Boss Zhang was probably even more cautious than he was.

Bai Ye unfolded the letter and scanned it quickly.

The content of the letter was very simple; Zhang Tianluo was worried that staying in Luoxue City would lead to trouble, so he had rushed back to his hometown company to lie low.

At the end of the letter, he specifically urged Bai Ye to be extra careful.

"He ran really fast."

Bai Ye shrugged indifferently, crumpled the letter into a ball, and tossed it precisely into a trash can not far away.

Zhang Tianluo's departure had no impact on him; the things that needed to be done had been done.

There were more important things to do right now.

He returned to the living room and took out the black metal card he had bought from the One-Stop Shop from his pocket.

He took a deep breath and dialed the first phone number according to the contact information on the card.

The phone rang with a "beep-beep" for a long time, and just as Bai Ye thought no one would answer and was preparing to hang up, a voice finally came from the other end.

The background noise was incredibly chaotic; the howling of the gale and the roar of giant waves crashing sounded like the end of the world.

What on earth was he doing?!

"Hello, the signal is bad, say what you need to say quickly!"

A slightly distorted male voice roared amidst the gale and giant waves.

Seeing that the person on the other end seemed to be racing against a tsunami, Bai Ye didn't waste words and shouted loudly into the phone, fearing the other party wouldn't hear him.

"I want to refine the talent of a beast pet."

"What? Oh, oh, oh, I know."

The man reacted for a moment before yelling at the top of his lungs:

"I'm busy racing against a typhoon right now, I don't have time. If I don't call you back, I might be dead, so I'm hanging up now!"

"Beep... beep... beep..."

Listening to the busy signal on the phone, Bai Ye's mouth opened slightly, and Xiao Lan extended a Vine Whip to close his mouth.

Was he playing extreme sports?

He suppressed the urge to complain, hoping this guy wouldn't be swallowed in one bite by a Monarch-level Demonic Beast in the sea.

A Refiner could transform a Gray-grade talent into a positive talent; besides Xiao Hei, Phantom Snow's Noble talent could actually be changed as well.

Suppressing the worry in his heart, Bai Ye adjusted his mood and dialed the second number.

This time, the phone was answered almost instantly.

"Who is it? Which bastard sold my number again? Is it that damn bird-man."

"Stop bothering me. If there's a next time, I'll definitely catch him and pluck his bird feathers out one by one."

A machine-gun-like roar came from the other end of the phone, making Bai Ye's ears buzz.

The other party didn't even give him a chance to speak and hung up the phone decisively.

Bai Ye held the phone, completely stunned.

You better be talking about bird feathers.

A few black lines appeared on Bai Ye's forehead; he was now seriously doubting if the ten million had gone down the drain.

These two Refiners were both completely unreliable; they were clearly a pair of clowns.

All his hopes were pinned on the last number.

Bai Ye looked at the only remaining string of numbers on the card, feeling a bit apprehensive.

If something else went wrong, he would have to go wait in line at the Beast Tamer Association.

By the time it was his turn, Xiao Lan's children would probably be old enough to run errands.

The phone rang for a long time, so long that Bai Ye's heart sank to the bottom, and just when he thought he wouldn't be able to contact this last one either, the call was connected.

"Speak."

An impatient male voice came through, exuding a sense of aloofness that kept strangers at a distance.

The voice sounded very young, but the tone was as if it had accumulated centuries of resentment.

"I was introduced by someone..."

"It's that bird-man again."

The other party snorted coldly, interrupting Bai Ye:

"How much money did he take from you?"

"Ten million."

Bai Ye answered truthfully.

This wasn't something he couldn't talk about.

"Heh, he sure knows how to do business. I'll find a way to make him cough it up later."

The other party's tone was full of mockery: "Alright, I have no interest in playing this boring game with you guys. Hanging up."

"Wait!"

Bai Ye hurriedly said: "I need your help to refine a Gray-grade talent. Name your price."

The other end of the phone was silent for a moment.

"I am a Refiner. As for money, I have as much as I want; I'm not lacking at all."

"But I established a rule years ago. If you insist on finding me, tell me first, what Rank Beast Tamer are you?"

"Second-Tier."

The other party sneered, completely looking down on Second-Tier Beast Tamers:

"A Second-Tier brat actually dares to come looking for a Refiner. Fine, since you are so confident, I'll give you a chance."

"Listen well, my condition is simple."

"Within three days, come to Phantom Thunder Dragon City in the Nine Dragons Domain. In the eastern suburbs, there is an officially designated danger zone where a pack of Thunder Light Lions is entrenched."

"You go unarmed—remember, unarmed—and kill an Elite Intermediate Thunder Light Lion."

"You cannot use beast pets, nor can you use any tools. Use only your own fists. If you succeed, I will help you for free. If you can't, don't come bothering me again."

After saying this, the other party prepared to hang up; he didn't think for a second that a Second-Tier Beast Tamer could complete this task.

This wasn't a test at all; it was an impossible demand.

Even a Fourth-Tier or even Fifth-Tier Beast Tamer, if they hadn't strengthened their own Physical Body, would have to retreat in the face of such difficulty.

No matter how Heaven-Defying a Second-Tier Beast Tamer's talent might be, how strong could their Physical Body be?

To challenge a Thunder Light Lion, known for its speed and violent attacks, with bare hands was simply courting death.

"Fine, it's a deal."

"Huh?"