Chapter 94 – Silver Crane: Walking a Dog Without a Leash Brings the Owner to Tears

“The thirty-second match of the Tier-One Advancement Tournament is about to begin! Will both beastmasters bring their spirit beasts into the arena!”

In the massive circular beast-fighting arena, a silver-masked figure stood atop the central platform, shouting loudly toward both ends.

The high-tier arena was far larger than the lower-tier ones. At its center was a circular battleground, surrounded by tall, red-lacquered walls. Above those walls were terraced spectator stands.

This was the most anticipated match of the entire advancement event. Both competing beastmasters were well-known and ranked among the top-tier contenders on the leaderboard.

As a result, getting a seat in the viewing area was extremely difficult, and tickets were expensive. Front-row seats had been resold for up to fifty thousand spirit stones each—an outrageous price.

Lian Mu, unwilling to spend a single extra coin, opted for a standing platform with limited space. This was the free viewing area—more remote, with a mediocre vantage point, but good enough for her.

However, space on the platform was limited—only fifty people per section. Anyone wanting a spot close to the barrier had to fight for it.

As soon as Lian Mu stepped onto the platform, the crowd behind her surged forward, pushing her all the way to the front—right up against the edge of the barrier.

Waves of excited shouts threatened to shake the spiritual barrier of the platform itself:

“Another showdown between Gongyu and Silver Crane!? They haven’t fought in three months—who challenged who this time?”

“Word is, Silver Crane’s beastmaster spent a huge sum of spirit stones to upgrade its tail wings into high-tier spirit armor. Its strength has skyrocketed. Looks like it’s aiming for the top spot on the spirit beast leaderboard.”

“I don’t think Gongyu is afraid at all. His beastmaster must’ve come prepared too.”

The surrounding spectators chatted animatedly, and Lian Mu couldn’t help glancing toward the center arena.

Both beastmasters had entered the field, each standing in their designated prep zones.

In the beast-fighting arena, spirit beasts were the stars. Beastmasters didn’t use their own names; they shared a title with their beast, which served as their representative.

Gongyu hadn’t released his spirit beast yet, but Silver Crane was already out. Contrary to its name, it didn’t resemble a crane—it looked more like a fish. Its body was semi-transparent, shaped like a blob of molded water, albeit a bit murky.

Lian Mu noticed the wet trail on the ground wherever Silver Crane walked, leaving behind long streaks of moisture. She guessed it might be a water beast.

“…”

A fish-like magical beast walking on land… How could a water beast survive out of water?

A question popped into Lian Mu’s mind. As far as she knew, water beasts were tied to aquatic environments for life. If brought onto land, they’d die instantly.

“That beast is odd,” Lian Mu said in a clear, even tone—just loud enough for those nearby to hear. “It’s the first time I’ve seen a water beast ignore its environment like that…”

Someone nearby, clearly fond of Silver Crane, responded, “You must be new, little friend. Maybe you didn’t know—most of the top-ranked spirit beasts in the arena are modified. Water beasts surviving on land? Not unusual anymore.”

“Modified magical beasts?” Lian Mu asked.

Now that was interesting.

She kept watching. Gongyu had now released his beast—it was the largest she’d ever seen. Though she’d seen it once before in a memory stone, the real thing was far more striking in person.

“The match is about to begin. Will both beastmasters exit the arena!”

Once spirit beasts were released, the beastmasters had to leave the central field and enter a high-platform barrier zone. Within that barrier, they could communicate directly with their beasts and issue commands.

The battle was finally about to start. The crowd erupted in cheers, all eagerly awaiting the clash between these two beasts.

Gongyu was composed. After releasing his Flame Beast, he walked calmly toward the platform’s barrier. His eyes closed, the flame tattoo on his neck glowed faintly—he was already synchronizing with his spirit beast.

The Flame Beast was massive—nearly taller than the red walls surrounding the arena. Its limbs were thick and heavy, with glowing red liquid flowing through the cracks in its charred skin. Its tail swept back and forth, striking the ground with a provocative rhythm.

Something felt off to Lian Mu. This Flame Beast didn’t appear modified. Its size was within the norm for its species, but the spiritual energy it radiated was unusual.

Green Bean, sensing the presence of a magical beast, twitched its pincers and rubbed against her neck.

“No trouble,” Lian Mu muttered. She hadn’t expected to be the one saying that someday. She pressed down on Green Bean, warning it. “Those two beasts are stronger than you. Stop thinking about eating all the time—try learning something instead.”

Green Bean stared at her. Its red eyes gleamed with dull light. It flicked its stinger, trying to prove itself. But at that moment, the Flame Beast let out a roar that stirred the air, nearly blowing Green Bean off Lian Mu’s shoulder.

Lian Mu caught its dark, stubby body. “…It’s fine. Even making it into the top hundred would be impressive. I’m not asking you to win first place.”

Green Bean stared silently, clutched her finger, then settled down obediently.

“Little friend, is that your spirit beast?” someone beside her asked.

“Yes,” Lian Mu replied.

“Why’d you bring such a tiny thing to the advancement arena? These beasts start at twice the height of a person.”

Green Bean heard the outsider’s comment and waved its pincers in protest, ready to leap forward—but Lian Mu held it down with one hand. “It’s still growing. Just bringing it out for a walk.”

The onlookers cast strange glances at it: it looked exactly like an ordinary scorpion—just a bit chubby. It clearly wasn’t going to grow much more.

The beast-fighting arena had seen many beastmasters quit the Feihai Pavilion in shame after their spirit beasts lost miserably—and this scorpion didn’t look like it could last a single round.

People around them silently swallowed their comments and turned their attention back to the match.

Now came betting time. The spectators pulled out bamboo tablets, wrote on them, then dropped them into the mouths of golden toads placed at their feet.

Most people on the standing platforms were broke and didn’t participate. A few had ended up there only because they couldn’t get tickets to the main stands—some of them still placed bets.

There were a few near Lian Mu. She glanced at them—all had bet on Gongyu to win, and they wagered quite a bit of spirit stones. None hesitated; clearly, losing hadn’t even crossed their minds.

Fifteen minutes later, the silver-masked man made all the golden toads snap their mouths shut.

“Let the match begin!”

At his signal, both beastmasters moved their fingers. In the next moment, the barriers around their spirit beasts dropped. The water and flame beasts immediately charged at each other.

Gongyu’s beast wasn’t as fast. The first move belonged to Silver Crane, who leapt into the air and used its tail wings to swim through the sky—treating air like water.

Streams of red-hot liquid poured from Gongyu’s side, blasting into the sky as bursts of fire.

Silver Crane’s body twisted gracefully through the air. Its formerly murky form grew increasingly transparent, slowly blending into its surroundings. This was a unique trait of water beasts—turning their body into part of the environment for stealth.

High and low, fire and water, the two beasts tangled midair, each claiming the upper hand—neither giving ground.

Lian Mu’s eyes lingered on Silver Crane’s tail wings. They seemed to have been transformed from watery fins into something resembling a metal beast’s tail. This strange limb-replacement method reminded her of Wealth Bringer.

Wealth Bringer’s reforging method bore striking similarities to Silver Crane’s modifications—severing parts from its own kind to fuse into itself, achieving a secondary enhancement.

Lian Mu’s attention remained fixed on Silver Crane. Observing its entire body, she suspected more than just the tail had been altered.

A sudden, powerful thought struck her—this spirit beast named Silver Crane… its owner had to be an artifact refiner.

Lian Mu’s gaze remained fixed on Silver Crane. Green Bean tugged at a lock of hair that had fallen beside her ear, trying to get her attention, but got no response.

Inside the arena, the Flame Beast began to roar, pounding the ground with its claws. The flames on its body burned hotter and more intensely, even forming towering pillars of fire.

It tried to catch the erratically darting Silver Crane. Its tail swept upward, striking Silver Crane squarely.

“Now’s the time—tear it apart!”

“Gong Yu is the strongest!”

Many people in the spectator seats jumped to their feet. The atmosphere was tense, and the chaotic noise almost drowned out the entire beast-fighting arena.

Silver Crane, though struck, retaliated by whipping its tail. The golden-beastified tail was far stronger than the Flame Beast’s, both sturdy and fire-resistant, completely unfazed by the Flame Beast’s spurting red-hot liquid flame.

Silver Crane suddenly dove down and once again turned invisible. The Flame Beast couldn’t find it and could only stand its ground.

The next moment, a wet streak appeared on the Flame Beast’s back. By the time it reacted and tried to fight back, Silver Crane had already vanished again. A water streak corroded the Flame Beast’s back, extinguishing the flames and even leaving behind a gaping wound.

On the high platform, Gong Yu suddenly coughed up blood. He looked toward Silver Crane’s master on the other side—a figure dressed in ornate clothes—and frowned.

Silver Crane’s master smiled serenely, swaying a folding fan. His fingers curled slightly, and within the arena, Silver Crane suddenly burst forth, revealing its true form as it lunged toward the Flame Beast.

The corners of Gong Yu’s lips lifted slightly. The flame pattern on his neck grew scorching hot.

The Flame Beast in the arena suddenly went berserk, as if breaking free from some restraint. It became feral in an instant, its hollow eyes brimming with swirling red flame.

It looked around, spotted the water beast charging at it, and swiped with a claw that carried blistering fire. The ground burned black, and the heat wave surged toward the spectators.

“Ah! Gong Yu is using that move again!”

“He always holds back a little until the end, then lands a lethal blow. What a twisted habit.”

“If I remember correctly, Silver Crane lost the same way last time.”

The heat wave swept across the entire observation platform. Fortunately, the barrier weakened it enough to prevent injuries.

While the crowd marveled at Gong Yu’s strength, Lian Mu fell silent: “…”

That look the Flame Beast had just now—it felt familiar.

She thought carefully, and was almost certain: that was exactly how a wild magical beast looks when it goes berserk.

In other words, this Flame Beast had never been truly tamed by Gong Yu—it was being forcefully controlled by some method, and hadn’t even undergone purification.

Lian Mu looked up at the two beastmasters facing off on the high platform. Gong Yu had clearly won, but Silver Crane’s master showed no surprise at all. His expression was completely calm.

“Stage One Advancement Match, Round 32—Gong Yu is the victor!”

The spectator stands erupted like a wave.

Silver Crane was torn apart by the Flame Beast, and even its golden-beastified tail was bitten off. However, magical beasts were forbidden from devouring one another, so Silver Crane’s corpse remained on the field, releasing spiritual energy into the surroundings.

Lian Mu felt that energy and paused in surprise: “…”

That spiritual energy… it felt like that sword.

She reached out her hand, passing it through the barrier and probing carefully.

Then she withdrew her hand, thought for a moment, and instinctively searched for Silver Crane’s master in the crowd.

But just as she looked up, she met the eyes of Linghu Meng, with his rat-like face.

In that instant, Lian Mu felt a massive visual assault: “…”

Linghu Meng came down from the spectator stands, chin tilted as he gave her a sideways glance, a spotted dog at his side.

He saw Lian Mu on the platform and sneered viciously: “Didn’t expect you couldn’t even afford a spectator ticket. No wonder—you couldn’t even cough up five thousand spirit stones. From this spot, what can you even see? Then again, you don’t need to. Just judging by size alone, your ugly little thing’s already lost big time!”

“My brother’s match is over. Now it’s your turn with me!” Linghu Meng declared. “Tomorrow, at the time of Shen, in the Ninth-Rank Arena—I’ll be waiting. Don’t show up if you’ve got no guts!”

With that, he turned and walked off. His spotted dog also stood up and, as it passed by Lian Mu, barked at her wildly.

Green Bean opened its red eyes and leapt to the ground, ready to reveal its tail-stinger.

The spotted dog took off running toward Linghu Meng, still turning back to stick out its tongue.

Lian Mu: “…”

She silently pulled out the ranking book and flipped through it, finding Linghu Meng’s rank—not far from hers, about one hundred places ahead.