Chapter Fifty-Four: The Anomaly of the Central Continent’s Beasts

“...That is the situation. I humbly ask Lord Tang to assist us; the three of us will surely offer a generous reward.” Huang Shidong and the others rose and bowed to Tang Yi and Hua Ruoxue, their eyes frequently glancing at the magical beasts cradled in the arms of Hua Ruoxue and her companions.

“There is no need for such formalities, esteemed heads of the families. Helping you is our pleasure. Please return to prepare yourselves; we shall set out in two days,” Tang Yi replied, feeling a bit embarrassed by their bows.

“Thank you very much, Lord Tang. We shall take our leave for now,” Huang Shidong said, bowing again before leading the three young masters out the door. Once he was sure they had gone far enough, Hua Ruoxue turned to Tang Yi and asked, “Brother Tang, why did you agree to help them? Those kids from their families have even offended us.”

Tang Yi sighed. “Well, it’s not exactly helping them. Think of it as tying up loose ends from what I’ve done.”

“Oh? What do you mean? Brother Tang, it seems you haven’t wronged their families,” Gu Zhenzhen asked, stroking the small black wind spirit in her arms.

“It’s about time. When the others come back for dinner, I’ll explain everything to everyone,” Tang Yi said.

It turned out that Huang Shidong’s three families jointly owned a valuable vein of magical stones in a mountain range about thirty miles northwest of Dongkou City. These magical stones were essential for mages, used in cultivation, crafting magical equipment, and creating magic scrolls. Their ancestors discovered this vein centuries ago, and after nearly two hundred years of development, these families had amassed considerable strength and status.

The vein was located on the outermost edge of the central mountains of Zhongzhou, a place that had long been free from large or powerful magical beasts. However, recently, large groups of beasts had begun appearing sporadically, including some reaching level twelve, encroaching on the mining area. These incursions had caused seven deaths and twenty injuries, unsettling the miners.

To safeguard the area, each of the three families stationed one guide-level expert and five grand martial warriors for round-the-clock patrols. Yet, the vastness of the mining area made complete protection impossible, and beast attacks continued.

Coincidentally, after Huang Binghe’s three young ones witnessed the giant white monkey’s transformation, they urged their parents to confront the situation. But upon hearing Huang Binghe’s detailed description, Huang Shidong and the others confirmed that Hua Ruoxue and her companions’ beasts were all high-level, likely above level sixteen. On Dream Blue Star, only beasts at the guide level could freely transform their true forms.

Thus, Huang Shidong thought to enlist the help of Hua Ruoxue and her friends. If their beasts remained in the mining area for a time, lower-level beasts would be deterred from approaching.

Tang Yi paused, then began eating leisurely.

“Brother Tang, you’ve talked a lot, but what does this have to do with you?” Liu Mingde asked, puzzled.

“Remember I said I took all the magical stones from the unclaimed lands? That caused a series of earthquakes in Zhongzhou’s central mountains, destroying habitats and forcing magical beasts to migrate, disrupting the entire beast territory distribution. The mining vein of the Huang families is just one affected area. Since I caused it, I should be the one to resolve it,” Tang Yi explained.

“Brother Tang is right. Justice prevails and karma balances. Such matters should be settled early to avoid obstructions on the path of cultivation,” Zhang Sanfeng, who rarely spoke, suddenly said.

“Heh, well said, Elder Zhang. By the way, how was your debate with Du Licheng today?” Tang Yi smiled.

Zhang Sanfeng, now addressed as Elder Zhang by Tang Yi, was not perturbed by the familiarity. “I gained much insight. The cultivation methods on Dream Blue Star have unique qualities worth emulating. Du and I have agreed to continue our discussions over the next few days.”

“Excellent. Elder Zhang, I have a favor to ask, involving your name,” Tang Yi said happily.

“Tell me what it is first,” Zhang Sanfeng replied cautiously.

“For this migration of magical beasts, I intend to set up protective formations in all affected inhabited areas. This will be a great benefit to the present and future generations. However, the invention and installation of these formations must bear your name — given my current cultivation level, it would not be appropriate for me to do so,” Tang Yi explained.

“That’s no problem. I can’t assist with other matters, but this I will agree to,” Zhang Sanfeng consented after some thought.

The next day, Tang Yi went to the student reception office. Yi Wu updated his student card, and Tang Yi noticed his rank had risen to intermediate. His test results yesterday had fully met the standards for a beginner student, leading them to conclude that as a triple-element seven-star talent, his previous learning experiences were no longer applicable. Hence, he was granted freedom to choose his own courses and schedule.

This arrangement was designed to retain such a super talent at the Triple Talent Academy. With his current learning pace and aptitude, if he maintained it, the academy would dominate all competitions among major schools in two years.

Tang Yi subtly activated his powers to learn of their plan through Yi Wu, feeling a slight surprise but ultimately indifferent. Since he was benefiting from the academy, it was only fitting to contribute back.

Another day passed, and the time came to meet with Huang Shidong. Tang Yi, accompanied by Hua Ruoxue and her two companions, as well as Elder Zhang Sanfeng, arrived at the Huang family estate. Huang Shidong and others awaited them at the gate early.

“Lord Tang, I didn’t expect you to come in person. This is quite surprising,” Huang Shidong said, clearly impressed by Tang Yi’s current cultivation level. He worried about the dangers involved.

“Why, Lord Huang, do you seem unwelcoming?” Tang Yi teased.

“Not at all! It’s just... had I known you would come personally, I would have arranged a feast to welcome you properly,” Huang Shidong said quickly upon seeing Elder Zhang behind Tang Yi. He immediately sensed a subtle but imposing aura emanating from Zhang Sanfeng.