Chapter Twenty: First Glimmer of Talent

The facts were already clear beyond doubt.

Shen Luo made a swift decision and said to Shen Fan, "You stay here and watch over them; I'll go rescue the other clansmen."

The young boy began to display a composure and sense of responsibility beyond his years.

Shen Fan nodded reflexively, "Alright."

By the time he regained his senses, the Tiger Spirit had already tossed Shen Luo lightly onto its back, carrying him swiftly toward the north of the city, in the direction of the Shangguan residence. In the blink of an eye, they vanished into the night.

Shen Fan crouched down, patted the Ice Ape on the head, and murmured, "We must do our best to keep up as well."

Within the city of Youzhou, a formidable beast soared from south to north, its terrifying aura completely concealed, drawing little attention. Only the hapless assassins along the way suffered, each falling to the beast’s claws before they could even react.

Its manner was nothing short of arrogant and domineering.

The young Azure Bird watched, eyes wide and unblinking—when it grew up, would it be this awe-inspiring too?

In this manner, they brazenly and effortlessly broke into the Shangguan residence.

Once the outer courtyard had been cleared of killers, the Tiger Spirit finally stopped. It set Shen Luo down upon the ground and then slipped into the Divine Tiger Stone Talisman.

Ahead, the sounds of fierce battle rang out.

It turned out that, after the Nascent Soul cultivator departed, the remaining cultivators seized the opportunity to unite and, fighting desperately, managed to create a tenuous stalemate.

Just as the battle reached its fever pitch, two beasts—one blue, one white—suddenly charged in. The plump Azure Bird targeted eyes with its flames, while the white beast ruthlessly slit the assassins’ throats with its claws.

The scene erupted into chaos.

"What are those beasts?"

"Heavens, is that fat bird a descendant of the twelfth-rank Vermilion Bird?"

"Whose spirit beasts are those?"

Especially the members of the Shen clan—they’d seen many formidable beasts, but never ones so ruthless, cold-blooded, and shamelessly skilled at exploiting weaknesses.

What was even more outrageous, these two beasts hadn’t even reached the Bone-Refining stage, yet they handled the assassins with ease, in stark contrast to the sorry state of the cultivators themselves.

Infuriating!

Regardless of what the others thought, within moments, a dozen or so assassins at Heart-Moving and even Golden Core stage had been completely wiped out by the two beasts.

The scene grew uncannily quiet.

At that moment, a set of footsteps abruptly approached. After two days of turmoil, every cultivator was on edge, craning their necks to see who would appear. From the arched stone gate emerged a scrawny, raggedly dressed youth.

The boy was frail, his face sickly sallow from long-term malnutrition.

"That aura... it’s the third level of Heart-Moving stage!" someone exclaimed.

The crowd stared, eyes wide with shock and envy, as if they could bore a hole through the youth.

He appeared to be only eight or nine years old, and had already cultivated to the third level of Heart-Moving stage—what kind of monstrous talent was this?

Across the entire cultivation continent, to reach Heart-Moving stage before fifteen was unheard of; he was truly one of a kind.

Soon, the astonishment in their eyes turned to disbelief.

The youth picked up the white beast with a doting expression, and the plump Azure Bird happily landed on his shoulder.

A collective frustration welled up in everyone’s chest.

Damn it, suddenly they felt the deep, malicious hand of fate—these two monstrous beasts belonged to him too! How could one even be angry?

"Are you... Ah Luo?"

A tentative voice rose from the crowd.

A lean, middle-aged man stepped forward; he seemed gravely injured, his movements unsteady.

"Uncle Wu!" Shen Luo called out joyfully, hurrying to support the man’s arm.

Shen Bofeng gazed at the youth with tears in his eyes.

In just three days, he’d advanced from the third level of Qi Refining to the third level of Heart-Moving stage. Such an unparalleled cultivation speed left all others in the dust. Shen Bofeng could sense the youth’s aura was steady, his spiritual energy full—this was no forced breakthrough with precious elixirs, but true progress. Clearly, the boy had encountered a great opportunity in the Spirit Garden Secret Realm.

"Excellent," Shen Bofeng said, clapping his shoulder with heartfelt laughter.

The cultivators present finally understood, their eyes once again filled with awe and envy.

"Incredible! This promising genius will surely bring glory and honor to the clan, elevating it to new heights."

"I remember now—he’s the Shen clan youth who bonded with a twelfth-rank Vermilion Bird and a zero-rank beast during the Beast Tamer qualification test!"

"You don’t mean that zero-rank beast is that cat? Impossible—its aura is clearly at the Bone-Refining stage."

Amidst the murmured conversations, Su Li keenly sensed the youth’s complex emotions, and flicked her tail, brushing his arm again and again.

Shen Luo stroked her fur, signaling that he was alright.

Once composed, Shen Luo turned to Shen Bofeng. "Uncle Wu, there’s something important I need to discuss with you privately."

Shen Bofeng’s expression grew grave; with a wave of his hand, a barrier of spiritual energy rose around them. "I’ve set a restriction—no one outside can hear us. Speak freely."

Shen Luo nodded, and succinctly recounted how they had discovered the Wind Ghost City assassins, how they had inadvertently saved Shen Fan and Shangguan Yuefang, defeated the Nascent Soul cultivator, and uncovered the Shangguan clan’s schemes.

By the end, Shen Bofeng’s face was so dark it seemed about to drip water. He ground his teeth. "That old scoundrel Shangguan is truly outrageous!"

"Uncle Wu, there’s no time to lose. We must hurry to the secret realm and find the clan leader and our people," Shen Luo urged.

Shen Bofeng nodded with a sigh. "But I am gravely injured by that Nascent Soul cultivator, and the others’ strength is..."

"Master, Sister Tuan says she wants to go to the Qishan Secret Realm," Tiger Spirit’s voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

Shen Luo lowered his head thoughtfully.

Su Li looked up with innocent eyes, pressing her soft pink paws insistently against his arm, urging him on.

She was always resourceful—perhaps she had discovered something. Shen Luo decided to investigate. He raised his head, voice resolute, "Uncle Wu, please leave this matter to me."

Shen Bofeng’s gaze turned icy and sharp. "You understand this is no child’s play—life and death hang in the balance."

Shen Luo met his eyes without flinching. "I can do this."

"Very well," Shen Bofeng replied, pleased yet conflicted. Why did Shen Luo have to be the descendant of that person? After a pause, he said, "I cannot let you go alone. Let Fan’er accompany you. At least you can look after each other."

Shen Luo shook his head. "There are many affairs to handle in the clan right now; you cannot attend to everything alone. With Shen Fan here, he can assist you and lighten your burden."

Hearing this, Shen Bofeng felt a surge of comfort.

Once the spiritual barrier was dispelled, Shen Bofeng immediately began conferring with several other powerful family cultivators, excluding the Shangguan clan.

Though no one knew the details, the awkward, stiff expressions of the Shangguan clan members revealed much.

After this upheaval, it seemed certain that the fate of Youzhou City would once again be rewritten.