Chapter 647: White Sir's Gift

The "Concentric Ring" was a mystical artifact personally crafted by Emperor Sanmo. It appeared as a circular, blue-glowing portal. Although a beast passed through it in a mere instant in the real world, within that fleeting moment, it would experience countless realistic illusions. The test of "concentricity" naturally focused on whether the beast would act to harm its master under various extreme circumstances.

The Concentric Ring was difficult to craft, and in their haste, the Beast Control Sect had only managed to produce one. While the test itself was brief, the number of beasts within the sect was immense. This included not only the personal spirit beasts of the disciples but also a large group of unowned beasts used for manual labor, tending spirit fields, and guarding the sect. Though labeled "unowned," these beasts were entirely under the servitude of the Beast Control Sect.

They were controlled by the Beast Control Sect's ultimate treasure, the Myriad Beast Wheel. It was said that the Wheel was etched with the patterns of almost all beasts in the world, and even newly born species would soon appear on it. When a beast was first born, the Myriad Beast Wheel would carve an imprint into its soul, forever binding it to the Wheel's control. Legend had it that Emperor Sanmo himself had brought this treasure from the Southern Nether Sacred Beast Mountain and bestowed it upon the Beast Control Sect's founding patriarch, Wan Shi Yong. It was from the Myriad Beast Wheel that Wan Shi Yong comprehended the True Beast Control Art.

However, despite its incredible powers, the Myriad Beast Wheel had several fatal flaws. It could only be used on newly born beasts. Moreover, any beast whose soul bore its imprint suffered the immense, constant pain of the "Wheel's Torment." As a result, their intelligence could not fully develop, limiting them to simple tasks. In beast control combat, perfect understanding between master and beast was crucial to commanding them as if they were one's own limbs and unleashing maximum combat power. In battles between cultivators of the same rank, every detail could influence victory or defeat. If a controlled beast lacked intelligence, it was akin to crippling oneself. Therefore, Beast Control Sect cultivators relied on the True Beast Control Art to slowly cultivate their personal spirit beasts from a young age, never considering those controlled by the Myriad Beast Wheel. This critical difference led to the Beast Control Sect's dire predicament when the great calamity, where different cultivation arts became incompatible, descended.

Fortunately, Emperor Sanmo personally supervised the evacuation. In the presence of the white-haired, long-browed elder, neither human nor beast dared to act out of line, proceeding with the Concentric Ring test in an orderly fashion. After the first day, only about a tenth of the total beasts had completed the test. This meant that the selection process was expected to take roughly half a month. The beasts that passed the screening tearfully embraced their masters and entered the Myriad Beast Ark first. Soon, they would depart the Xuanhuang Realm aboard this flying artifact, seeking refuge in an unknown minor realm. Those who failed the test, despite their masters' reluctance, were forcibly separated. It was said that these beasts would be temporarily confined and then released once the entire Beast Control Sect had safely withdrawn.

On the evening of the seventh day of testing, Xu Ke, who had been missing all day, suddenly found Li Fan, his face etched with panic.

"Xiao Hei, something terrible has happened. You need to sneak away immediately."

Li Fan, who had been meditating and cultivating the Creation Furnace Art with his eyes closed, opened them, glanced at Xu Ke, and remained impassive.

Xu Ke continued, "I'm not joking this time. If you stay any longer, you'll really lose your life. Don't worry about me, just quietly leave the Beast Control Sect."

Li Fan opened his mouth and yawned.

Xu Ke immediately grew anxious. "Xiao Hei, are you even listening to me? Today, I heard from Senior Brother Lu Ya..."

"The beasts who fail the test won't be released as promised. Instead, they'll all be executed. Is that right?" Li Fan interjected.

Xu Ke froze. "You... how did you know?" A flicker of surprise crossed Xu Ke's face. "Could it be, Xiao Hei, that you eavesdropped on our conversation?"

"It's so obvious, one wouldn't need to eavesdrop," Li Fan said, raising his head with a disdainful expression. "Not to mention how many sect secrets these former Beast Control Sect beasts know. The evacuation from the Xuanhuang Realm concerns the very survival of the Beast Control Sect. If it leaks out, who can guarantee that the beasts won't pursue us to the minor realm? Then there'd be no escape, and it would be a catastrophe for the entire sect!"

"That Emperor Sanmo is not some soft-hearted, benevolent type. He could even give the method for enslaving his own kind to humans..." A dangerous glint flashed in Li Fan's eyes. "In short, all these beasts must die!" Li Fan stated coldly.

Li Fan's words carried undeniable weight. It took Xu Ke a long time to react. He stared blankly at Li Fan. "Since you've figured it all out, Xiao Hei, why are you so calm? Aren't you afraid?"

Li Fan puffed out his chest, staring intently at Xu Ke as he pressed, "A joke! What am I afraid of? You think I'd fail that Concentric Ring test? Do you have so little faith in me?"

Intimidated by Li Fan's imposing aura, Xu Ke actually dared not meet his eyes. He stammered, "That's not what I meant. Nothing is absolute, what if..."

Li Fan flapped his wings, flew to Xu Ke's head, and struck him firmly with a claw. "There are no 'what ifs'!" he declared resolutely.

Xu Ke tried to speak but stopped. Though he was extremely anxious, he knew the eccentric bird's stubborn temperament well and ultimately did not try to persuade him further.

After three days of uneasy waiting, Xu Ke finally saw Xiao Hei's turn for the test arrive. Under his intensely nervous gaze, Li Fan walked into the Concentric Ring. For an instant, time seemed to stand still. The next moment, the Concentric Ring suddenly erupted with a gentle blue light—the mark of a successful test!

"Ah! Xiao Hei, you're amazing!" Xu Ke screamed, rushing towards Li Fan, intending to hug him tightly. But he was mercilessly kicked away by one of Li Fan's claws.

"Test passed. Next," Lu Ya announced, looking at Li Fan with a hint of surprise.

Five days later, after all of the Beast Control Sect's beasts had completed the Concentric Ring test, the Myriad Beast Ark was packed to the brim, ready to set sail towards an unknown home.

"Senior Brother Lu Ya, aren't you coming?" On the deck, Xu Ke looked curiously at Lu Ya, who stood at the bow of the ship, tilting his head as he asked.

Lu Ya reached out and ruffled Xu Ke's hair. "Someone has to stay behind. The Ten Immortal Sects also have their pride, you know. It wouldn't be good to anger others if we weren't even willing to keep up appearances."

Xu Ke nodded, half-understanding.

"You go. The future of the Beast Control Sect rests on you." Lu Ya said with a hint of reluctance in his eyes, tying a red string around Xu Ke's right wrist.

"Wow, this is Mr. Bai's red string!" The unique knotting pattern on the red string allowed Xu Ke to recognize its origin instantly. Back when they were in the ruined temple in Ningyuan City, whenever a child was cured by Mr. Bai, he would tie such a red string on their wrist, wishing them future safety and peace.

Xu Ke raised his hand, holding the red string before his eyes, looking at it repeatedly. Li Fan also stared at the red string, an indescribable feeling rising in his heart.