97: Secret Realms that weaken monsters

Bai Ye didn't agree immediately, but he didn't refuse either.

Folding his arms, he scrutinized the shifty-looking Huang Shi in front of him.

"First, tell me exactly what kind of help you need."

Huang Shi felt a bit unnerved by his gaze and unconsciously scratched his messy, curly hair, giving a sheepish laugh in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Oh, it's actually not a big deal; it'll definitely be a piece of cake for you."

"Get to the point."

What he hated most were people who beat around the bush. Why couldn't they just say what was on their mind instead of acting like they were telling riddles?

He felt like punching the Riddler to death so they could never tell another riddle again.

"Alright, alright."

Seeing that Bai Ye was unmoved, Huang Shi dropped his playful grin and became a bit more serious.

He lowered his voice and leaned in close to Bai Ye, whispering mysteriously.

"I need you to accompany me to a Secret Realm."

Bai Ye raised an eyebrow.

What kind of favor was this?

Exploring a Secret Realm was like going home for him.

Besides, with a Refiner's connections, couldn't he find a few Beast Tamers with Lord-level Magical Beasts?

"It's not a common Secret Realm."

Huang Shi saw Bai Ye's indifference and quickly explained.

"It's a Secret Realm that belongs exclusively to our Family, and there's a huge treasure inside."

Bai Ye's interest was piqued slightly.

"Exactly!"

Seeing that he had Bai Ye's attention, Huang Shi's eyes lit up.

"Inside are products left behind by a Super-Ancient Civilization. According to the records passed down from my ancestors, there's a special energy that can help us Refiners restore our depleted Refining Attempts."

"It might even allow someone to awaken a new Beast Taming Talent!"

Awakening a new Beast Taming Talent!

The way Bai Ye looked at Huang Shi changed instantly.

Well, well, you were hiding something big.

The value of this Secret Realm was far greater than that of a single Refiner.

A Talent is the Foundation of a Beast Tamer and the hardest thing to change.

From the moment a Beast Tamer awakens their Talent, their future path is essentially set.

Acquiring a second Talent is almost impossible, except for legendary treasures that can defy the heavens and change fate.

Although Bai Ye himself had the Heaven-Defying Golden Finger "Bond Nexus," which allowed him to continuously absorb the Talents of his beast pets...

...those were essentially the Talents of Demonic Beasts. His own Beast Tamer Talent had always been just one.

If he could have one more Talent... Bai Ye's heart skipped a beat or two in excitement.

However, he quickly calmed down.

There's no such thing as a free lunch; even if there were, it might turn out to be a trap.

"Can your Family really protect such a great place?"

"A Secret Realm that can add a Beast Taming Talent... forget a Fourth-Tier Beast Tamer like you, even a Seventh-Tier Beast Tamer would be green with envy. How could your Family possibly keep it all to yourselves?"

"An ordinary man is innocent, but harboring a treasure makes him guilty."

If such a strategic resource were exposed, Huang Shi's Family would likely have been devoured until not even the bone fragments remained.

The status of a Refiner wasn't omnipotent.

"Ahem, that's the key to the problem."

Huang Shi scratched his cheek, looking a bit embarrassed.

"For some reason, that Secret Realm has a very strange restriction. Only someone with our Family Bloodline can bring another person inside, and two people is the limit—not a single person more."

Bai Ye became thoughtful.

It sounded like a key-and-lock mechanism.

"So, for all these years, our Family has kept this secret under tight wraps. Very few outsiders know about it."

Huang Shi sighed.

"If it weren't for the fact that my Refining Attempts are almost used up and I have no other choice, I wouldn't have sought help from an outsider."

Bai Ye still felt things weren't that simple.

If it were really as good as he said, Huang Shi would probably have been treated like a national treasure by the Beast Tamer Association by now.

They might have even provided him with a large harem.

He wouldn't need to be a 'wild' Refiner here, relying on setting up trials to find help.

"You're not finished yet, are you?"

Bai Ye stared into his eyes.

"Hehe..."

Huang Shi gave a dry laugh, his eyes darting around.

Does this guy have mind-reading powers? He's already so strong, so why is he so sharp?

He couldn't help but wail inwardly.

It seemed impossible to hide anything if he wanted Bai Ye's help.

"The Secret Realm is a Fourth-Tier Secret Realm. Only Fourth-Tier Beast Tamers and below can enter."

"And..."

His voice became much quieter.

"After entering that Secret Realm, a beast pet's power is greatly weakened."

"Even a Lord-level Magical Beast can only perform at a Transcendence High-rank level at most."

So that's how it was.

Bai Ye understood. If the beast pet's strength was suppressed, it meant the Beast Tamer's own combat capability became crucial in that Secret Realm.

No wonder this guy was searching the world for a Beast Tamer who could fight Demonic Beasts barehanded.

"So, what you've been looking for all this time is just a capable fighter?"

"That's pretty much it."

Huang Shi stopped hiding things and simply laid his cards on the table.

"Over the years, to temper my own body and find a suitable Beast Tamer, I've long since emptied my Family's savings. I'm dirt poor now."

His claim that Refiners don't lack money was just a way to save face.

Except for some 'simps,' no Refiner lived as miserably as he did; even having a meal of roasted meat wasn't easy.

Even Beast Tamers with Talents that strengthen themselves are indeed stronger than common Beast Tamers.

But trying to take down an Elite Intermediate Thunder Light Lion barehanded without using a beast pet is an almost impossible task.

At most, they could only hold their own for a short time.

A Beast Tamer with a beast pet Fusion Talent could indeed defeat an Elite Intermediate Demonic Beast.

However, after entering the Secret Realm, the beast pet's strength drops, so the power after Fusion would naturally drop as well, making its effectiveness equally limited.

Only someone like Bai Ye, a "Human-Shaped Demonic Beast" whose own strength was absurdly unreasonable, was his most ideal partner.

"What Rank is the strongest enemy in the Secret Realm?"

Bai Ye pondered for a moment before asking.

He actually planned to go, so he had to get the details straight.

"Strictly speaking, there are no living Demonic Beasts inside, only some Mechanical Puppets left by a Super-Ancient Civilization. They're basically Mechanical System Demonic Beasts."

Huang Shi rubbed his brow, trying hard to remember.

"The strongest should be Lord Intermediate Grade, but don't worry, we don't need to clear the entire Secret Realm."

"We only need to pass the first half of the trial for me to get the core that replenishes Refining Attempts. The strongest enemies in the first half are only Elite Limit Mechanical Puppets."

Bai Ye thought it over carefully.

There wasn't much difference between an Elite Limit Mechanical Puppet and an Elite Intermediate Thunder Light Lion.

He could also try to take the trial for the second half to see if he could obtain a second Talent.