"Brother Ye, why don’t we leave together?" Hu Qingtong’s demon servant, the Silver-horned Profound Ice Tiger, had demonstrated such power that Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu willingly admitted defeat.
Rather than waiting for Master Yangh to make a decision before leaving, it’s better to take the initiative to leave now. This way, it won’t be embarrassing and will also be graceful.
As for taking Ye Zhen along, it was a favor that Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu freely offered, or you could say, it was done on a whim. Frankly speaking, the innocent yet enticing aura of Hu Qingtong also moved his heart quite a bit.
However, it was clear that Hu Qingtong was not a weak mortal; he could only proceed step by step, and today was just the beginning of their acquaintance.
Of course, the fundamental reason was that he also believed Ye Zhen had no chances left. Even his Heavenly Level Middle Grade demon servant, the Black Winged Thunder Python, had no hope, let alone Ye Zhen’s rather average Cloud Winged Tiger King, known only for its speed.
Truth be told, he had slain plenty of Earth Level Cloud Winged Tiger Kings before, so he simply didn’t take Ye Zhen seriously at all.
As Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu’s voice came to a close, all eyes present turned toward Ye Zhen, including Hu Qingtong’s, though her gaze was indescribably complex.
"Hmph, it’s better to leave and avoid embarrassment!" Duan Yingnian exclaimed.
"Brother Qin, as martial artists, we must never give up until the very last moment. As long as we do not give up, there is hope! As long as Master Yangh hasn’t made his choice, I want to perform!
And after I have performed, as long as the result isn’t out, I won’t leave! Life isn’t just about hope; it’s also about miracles!" Ye Zhen suddenly said.
To Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu, Ye Zhen’s words clearly sounded pretentious. Everyone knows such grand truths, but in the end, strength is what matters. Moreover, in Qin Hu’s opinion, Ye Zhen’s words were an obvious jab at him.
"Sure, those words aren’t wrong, but people who still persist in this kind of situation are often not just foolish, but... morons!" Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu’s lips curled up in derision.
Standing aside, Duan Yingnian crossed his arms, pleased with the prospect of Ye Zhen gaining another thorough enemy.
"Who’s the foolish moron will only be known after the results are out!" Ye Zhen’s expression suddenly became icy.
"Isn’t the result obvious? If miracles happened every day, then they wouldn’t be miracles anymore!" Qin Hu was now squarely confronting Ye Zhen.
This time, Ye Zhen didn’t say anything further. He stood tall and, after moving slightly closer to the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten, his Divine Sense suddenly stirred, "Everyone, watch closely."
In the next instant, the Cloud Winged Tiger King, lying outside the door, abruptly stood up, shook itself, and remained standing in place, its radiance quickly flickering several times.
At first glance, Ye Zhen’s Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten seemed to have done nothing. Many people, especially the unobservant martial artists, were puzzled, seeing no change at all.
But in the eyes of the Beast Taming Sect’s top disciple, Ma Yue, there was a sudden surge of brilliance, and he sharply turned his head towards Ye Zhen, his face filled with excitement.
"What kind of skill is this, if I may be so blind? It doesn’t look like much?" scoffed Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu, who had been at odds with Ye Zhen.
"If you’re blind, then take a closer look, to avoid embarrassing yourself!" Ye Zhen retorted without any courtesy, his Divine Sense suddenly stirring again.
The next instant, the radiance around Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten flashed again and again, its size shrinking dramatically. If initially reducing from the size of a hundred meters to eighty meters wasn’t too noticeable, then the sudden shrink from a hundred meters to fifty, and then explosively down to thirty meters, was unmistakable – anyone who still couldn’t see it might as well find a rock and smash their head.
Could the size of a Demon Beast actually change?
Everyone’s eyes widened in shock, even Duan Yingnian was taken aback. Was there really such an ability in this world?
The next moment, Ye Zhen’s Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten magically shrunk from the size of a hundred meters to thirty meters, before instantly expanding back to a hundred meters. The dreamlike scene left the onlookers utterly dumbfounded, even Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu was left gaping.
So much so that when Ye Zhen ordered the Cloud Winged Tiger King Kitten to stop transforming, many still stared dumbly at it, even rubbing their eyes in disbelief.
Once they came to their senses, everyone instinctively looked up towards the direction of the Moon-viewing Tower’s top floor, eager to know what choice the legendary elder of the Beast Taming Sect, Yangh Yiguan, stationed at the top, would make.
Right then, a streak of light shot out from the top floor of the Moon-viewing Tower, and rapidly approached Ye Zhen. In the moment they saw the newcomer’s features, everyone intuitively knew the outcome.
Up to now, the only beast whose displayed abilities could shock Elder Yangh enough to leave his place in the Moon-viewing Tower was Ye Zhen’s Upper-grade Earth Level Cloud Winged Tiger King.
The figure who suddenly appeared before Ye Zhen was none other than the elder of the Beast Taming Sect and the protagonist of this banquet, Master Yangh Yiguan.
Elder Yangh was thin, with a goatee under his chin and a face etched with the ravages of time, indicating that this man surely had a story with just one glance.
"Can your Cloud Winged Tiger King get any smaller?" Elder Yangh immediately pressed with eager eyes, fixated on Ye Zhen.
Ye Zhen was momentarily taken aback, then firmly shook his head.
While the ability for the Cloud Winged Tiger King to shrink to the size of a palm wasn’t exactly a profound secret, Ye Zhen preferred not to make it widely known, as sometimes, it could serve as an unexpected weapon.
Seeing Ye Zhen shake his head, a hint of disappointment flashed in Elder Yangh’s eyes, then he asked again, "Can it get bigger, even larger than its actual size?"
Ye Zhen shook his head again. This was truly impossible!
"Your Cloud Winged Tiger King’s ability to change size must have been cultivated later on, right?" Yangh Yiguan’s goatee twitched as he prodded again.
Ye Zhen’s pupils suddenly constricted, he didn’t answer but lightly chuckled instead, "You must be the Beast Taming Sect’s Elder Yangh, right? I am Ye Zhen."
Ye Zhen answering those previous two questions wasn’t of much importance; it was simply his way of dealing with doubts effortlessly, nothing more.
However, this pressing inquisitiveness from Elder Yangh about such a sensitive matter was becoming impertinent.
Today, Ye Zhen had come with a request for others, so it wouldn’t be appropriate to outright refuse, instead, he used this way of counter-questioning to remind Elder Yangh.
Elder Yangh was an experienced individual, well-versed in worldly affairs. The excitement he felt was fleeting; he quickly understood what Ye Zhen implied.
"Indeed, I am Yangh Yiguan! Young Hero Ye has truly opened my eyes today!"
Upon hearing this, Duan Yingnian was rather disappointed, and Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu looked visibly distressed. Since Elder Yangh had said that the experience broadened his horizons, was there even a need to question whether Ye Zhen would be selected or not?
Despite his distress, Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu still felt a glimmer of joy. With Ye Zhen selected, it meant that Hu Qingtong was out of the running, and he could leave with her; perhaps, there could be further developments.
"Elder Yangh, may I have the honor of sharing dinner with you tonight?" Ye Zhen asked directly.
Unexpectedly, Elder Yangh didn’t respond immediately and seemed to ponder.
After a few moments, Elder Yangh of the Beast Taming Sect addressed the crowd with a cupped fist gesture, "Ladies and gentlemen, the one I had originally selected for this last group was Miss Hu Qingtong. The control over ice displayed by her Silver-horned Profound Ice Tiger was simply miraculous; even I could not compare!
But I could never have anticipated that Young Hero Ye’s Cloud Winged Tiger King could actually change its size. I have studied Demon Beasts alongside them all my life and have never seen one with such ability to alter its form.
Therefore, whether it’s Ye Zhen or Miss Hu Qingtong, I would like to invite them both to tonight’s banquet, and add an extra seat for Young Hero Ye on the fly.
To express my apologies, the fee of 500,000 mid-grade Spirit Crystals required for Young Hero Ye’s attendance will be waived!"
Ye Zhen was stunned; he hadn’t expected Elder Yangh to act in such a manner, not only allowing him a selection but also waiving his fee of 500,000 mid-grade Spirit Crystals.
He could afford 500,000 mid-grade Spirit Crystals now, but to give them away would halve his current wealth, which turned out to be an unexpected and pleasant surprise.
Duan Yingnian was stunned, and all the Martial Artists attending the banquet were equally astonished. What luck! They had things like Heavenly Level Lower Grade and even Heavenly Level Middle Grade Demon Beasts vying for a spot at the banquet, and they still had to pay 500,000 mid-grade Spirit Crystals.
While Ye Zhen, with an Upper-grade Earth Level Demon Beast, not only secured a spot at the banquet but also was exempted from paying 500,000 mid-grade Spirit Crystals. It was as if they were just throwing animals in comparison.
As for the Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu, he was so frustrated it was as if he might cough up blood.
After all the commotion, he was the only one eliminated from the fifth group. Not only was he publicly humiliated by Ye Zhen, but his little scheme had fallen through as well.
Despite his annoyance, Thunderbolt Sword Qin Hu managed a bitter smile and quietly made his way towards the exit.
"Brother Qin, as I have said before, where there is no giving up, there is hope, and with hope, there are miracles. Persistence is not always foolishness... What do you think?" Ye Zhen’s voice timely followed him.
The withdrawing Qin Hu suddenly blushed furiously; the smack of his embarrassment resonated. Just now, he had mocked Ye Zhen as being stupidly foolish, and yet, so quickly the tables had turned.
However, Qin Hu was not one to concede defeat easily.
"Miracles don’t occur every day. I hope at tomorrow’s Spirit Returning Assembly, Brother Ye won’t disappoint me! Since I now know that Brother Ye will be attending, I can’t help but mention it to Tower Master Yan! Farewell!" With that, Qin Hu strode off.
Nobody noticed that when Qin Hu said these words, Hu Qingtong’s beautiful gem-like eyes suddenly sparkled brightly.
"Master, it’s getting late, the dishes for the banquet are ready," reminded Ma Yue, the leading disciple of the Beast Taming Sect, in a soft voice.
Elder Yangh, whose gaze lingered on Ye Zhen unwilling to leave, suddenly laughed heartily and gestured invitingly, "Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me upstairs to dine."
Before anyone could respond, Elder Yangh took the initiative and grabbed Ye Zhen’s hand saying, "Young Hero Ye, it is a pity we only met today. At tonight’s banquet, you must sit beside me!"
Ye Zhen was thoroughly embarrassed.
Being led upstairs by hand by an old man was rather off-putting. If he had a choice, Ye Zhen would have preferred to be held by Hu Qingtong.
Of course, that was probably the wish of all present!
The banquet officially began! (To be continued. If you enjoy this novel, please vote for it at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)

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