Chapter 89: The Realm of Beasts

Chapter 89 The Beast Domain

In the early morning, before the sky had lightened, Ye Tian was roused from his sleep by a persistent knocking at the door. When he opened it, he found Layton standing there, his face calm and collected.

"Are you ready?" Ye Tian glanced at the backpack on Layton's shoulders.

"Yes," Layton nodded.

"You know, people die in there," Ye Tian said with a wicked grin. "Even if you don’t go, I won’t say a word."

"I’m going," Layton replied seriously. "I want to become stronger. For that, I’m willing to pay any price!"

"Very well. Put down your bag and take that one instead. We're leaving." Ye Tian went back inside, pulled some roasted meat from under his blanket, and tucked it into his arms. "Let’s go. I promised I wouldn’t let you down—absolutely."

Feipuli Academy was immense, so vast that it encompassed several mountain ranges. Among them was the Beast Domain. As its name suggested, it was a paradise for magical beasts, rivaling the infamous Magic Beast Forest in danger. Legends spoke of eighth-tier magical beasts lurking in its depths.

This place served as the final training ground for the academy’s graduates. For Layton, it was far too soon to be here. But there was no other choice—Ye Tian had to come, because here, there were no people. Indeed, not a soul. The academy didn’t forbid students from entering, but none dared to venture alone into the Beast Domain, for all who had tried had perished, leaving not even bones behind.

The magical beasts here were staggeringly numerous. In other ranges, beasts were hunted for their magic cores, but here, there was no such necessity, so their numbers had reached catastrophic proportions. Even for graduating students, the final exam in this domain was a tremendous hurdle—one that could claim lives.

"Gray," Layton called, struggling under Ye Tian’s enormous bag. He’d only heard rumors about the Beast Domain before, but stepping inside, he finally understood the fear. Barely two kilometers in, they had already encountered three packs of magical beasts, including a group of third-tier Saber-Toothed Wolves.

Layton felt confident he could handle a single Saber-Toothed Wolf, but not an entire pack. If they attacked together, he’d be torn to shreds after taking only a few down. Strangely, though, the wolves hadn’t attacked—perhaps because they were already full, Layton thought.

"Are you afraid?" Ye Tian asked, glancing back.

"No," Layton answered stubbornly.

"Fear is human nature. I’m afraid, too," Ye Tian admitted.

Layton was immediately deflated. "Then why do you keep going?"

"I may be afraid, but I have confidence I’ll survive. Do you?" Ye Tian asked.

"I..." Layton hesitated. Though he liked to boast about being unafraid of death, when truly faced with mortal danger, he realized his resolve wasn’t as strong as he claimed.

"You want to become stronger. That’s understandable. You’re willing to pay any price—that’s understandable too. But when the time comes, you find yourself unwilling. That, I can’t understand. So consider it carefully; it’s not too late to turn back," Ye Tian said, pausing in his steps.

"I..."

"Why are you so lost?" Ye Tian asked.

"Am I lost?" Layton truly was at a loss. Why? Why did his bold resolve vanish the moment he faced the Beast Domain?

"Tell me, why do you want to become strong?" Ye Tian pressed.

"For revenge," Layton replied.

"What kind of revenge?" Layton fell silent.

"And after you’ve had your revenge?" Ye Tian continued.

Layton remained silent.

"What should I do?" Layton asked softly.

"I don’t know what grudge you bear, but you need to let it go. Otherwise, it will be your greatest obstacle. Think about it—even if you succeed in your revenge, what then? The pain will remain, only involving more people," Ye Tian replied.

"So what should I do?" Layton could no longer hold himself together. All this time, his drive had been vengeance. Now, with his façade torn away, he felt on the verge of collapse.

"There’s nothing wrong with becoming strong. But strength doesn’t have to serve revenge. There are many other things—like helping those in need. Sometimes, a small act can change a person’s life," Ye Tian said earnestly.

"Can I let it go?" Layton looked up.

"You can, as long as you’re willing. The Buddha said: 'Lay down the butcher’s knife, and become a Buddha instantly.' If you let go of the burdens in your heart, only then can you truly become stronger—only then will you not be consumed by hatred and destroyed by it."

"Really?" Layton asked again.

"Truly. Forgiving your enemies is actually forgiving yourself," Ye Tian said, helping Layton to his feet. "Do you remember when we first met? Your eyes were full of hate. If you don’t change now, even if you become a Grand Magus, you’ll only turn into a killer."

Layton broke down and wept, loud and unrestrained, remembering his childhood, his village, everything.

"Let it out. Once you’ve cried, it’ll be okay," Ye Tian comforted him.

"I want to be strong!" Layton declared, tears in his eyes.

"Ok! Then let’s move on."

"This place is nice—let’s make camp here tonight." Emerging from the forest, they came across a shimmering lake, its clear water exuding a refreshing humidity that felt wonderful.

"Gray, I don’t know how to pitch a tent," Layton admitted shyly.

"Oh, don’t worry, I didn’t bring one," Ye Tian replied with a mischievous grin.

"You didn’t bring one?" Layton thought of the massive bundle on his back. If there was no tent, then what was in it?

"You’ll be sleeping right here tonight," Ye Tian said, chuckling.

"Here? How?" Layton asked, confused.

"Enough talk. Wait here and don’t wander. I’m going for a walk," Ye Tian said, leaving Layton behind as he vanished into the woods.

"Hey, don’t leave me here!" Layton called after him, but Ye Tian was gone.

Though daylight had come, and the sun shone brightly, Layton felt a chill down his back. He looked around, calling Ye Tian’s name a few more times, but ultimately decided not to wander. The whole morning passed this way.

By noon, Ye Tian still hadn’t returned. Layton’s stomach growled with hunger. He opened Ye Tian’s bag, only to find it full of things he didn’t recognize and likely couldn’t eat.

"What should I do?" Layton was truly at a loss. Should he keep waiting or search for food himself?

In the end, hunger triumphed over fear. Though anxious, he forced himself to venture into the forest.

Chirps, squeaks, roars—all manner of sounds seemed to echo right next to him.

Suddenly, there was a rustle to his side. Without thinking, Layton cast Fireball.

A huge rat, struck by the fireball, darted out angrily.

"Goldenfur Rat?" Layton relaxed a bit. This was a second-tier magical beast that used a hardening spell and attacked with claws and teeth. He should be able to handle it.

"Don’t panic, don’t panic!" Layton gripped his wand tightly—his only source of confidence.

The Goldenfur Rat, seeing its opponent was a trembling human, squeaked and lunged at him.

"Thunder, Lightning Bolt!" Layton cried, waving his staff. A thin bolt of lightning shot toward the rat, but it ducked and lunged at him.

"No, no!" Layton stumbled back in terror, flailing his wand in confusion. Suddenly, the rat shrieked and fell from mid-air.

Layton collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

It took him a long time to recover. Carefully, he approached the dead rat, but found nothing amiss—perhaps it had been sick, he consoled himself. At least he now had food, but how to prepare it?

Layton could cook—he’d been raised in hardship—but he had no pot. "I’ll just roast it," he decided. The most important thing was to cook the beast, or he’d be forced to eat it raw.

Everything was in Ye Tian’s bag, as he hadn’t been allowed to bring his own. Searching through Ye Tian’s pack, he found a knife—sharp enough for the job.

Returning to his spot, Layton cleaned and skinned the Goldenfur Rat, set up a simple spit, and began roasting it.

Lacking fire-starting tools, he had to rely on magic. What seemed simple took him ages to accomplish—either there wasn’t enough fire element and the wood wouldn’t light, or there was too much and the pile exploded.

Covered in soot and dirt, Layton looked utterly bedraggled, but his spirits improved as he remembered the days with his mother, long ago.

Night fell, and still Ye Tian did not return. Layton drew a simple magic circle on the ground for comfort, though he knew it was of little use. Resting his head on Ye Tian’s bundle, exhausted, he soon fell into a deep sleep.

The night was quiet, the lake shimmering in the moonlight, but only Layton’s campfire offered any warmth.

A beast’s roar shattered the silence, waking Layton in terror. Scrambling up, he reached for his wand—thankfully, it was still there. He clutched it tightly, eyes scanning the darkness.

The breeze continued, the fire burned low. Hastily, Layton threw more wood on, fanning the flames and illuminating his tense face.

From the forest came more growls and howls, each one jolting Layton from his uneasy sleep. By dawn, exhaustion overcame him and he drifted off at last.

In his dreams, Layton saw a fanged beast lunging at him, its foul breath filling his nostrils.

"Ah!" Layton jolted awake, gasping for breath.

"Awake?" came Ye Tian’s weary voice.

"Where were you? You left me here alone—do you know how dangerous it was?" Layton exploded, shouting at Ye Tian.

"I know. If I hadn't been watching from nearby, you’d already be in some beast’s belly," Ye Tian sighed. "You’re worse than I thought."

"You!" Layton spun around and froze. Nearby lay several magical beast corpses of varying sizes. He recognized one—a fifth-tier fire-type beast, the Thunderflame Moth.

"These..." Layton was speechless.

"Get up. Time is short," Ye Tian said coolly. "From now on, you will do exactly as I say. No arguments. Understood?" he asked sternly.

"Understood!" Layton sprang to his feet.

"You should have a small knife. Go cut down some trees and arrange the logs into a plum blossom stake formation, just like before. Understood?" Ye Tian asked.

"Understood, but this knife..." Layton produced the dagger.

"You can use any method. Understood? Any method!" Ye Tian turned away. "I’m going to catch fish for breakfast. I’ll call you when it’s ready."

Depressed, Layton took the knife and nervously entered the forest, not daring to go far—there was no need, with towering trees all around. But how to cut them down? He was at a loss.

"Magic," he thought. Wind magic could be sharp enough to fell trees.

He began to chant, summoning wind blades that bit into the trunk. It was a good idea, but these were hundred-year-old giants, thick as barrels, and his wind blades only managed shallow cuts.

Layton’s face flushed with embarrassment. He summoned wind blades again and again, and finally, after much hacking, a massive tree crashed down.

Pleased, Layton then realized another problem—how to get it back?

Gale spell? No, he shook his head—he didn’t want to lose the tree. Tornado? That was powerful, but perhaps he could control it.

"I’ll use that," Layton decided, chanting the incantation.

"O great elemental spirit, grant me the power to command the wind—Tornado!"

A small whirlwind sprang up on the ground. "It’s a bit weak," he thought, but tried to direct it under the tree.

It worked—the little tornado gently lifted the trunk, but Layton soon felt drained; controlling magic to move heavy objects was exhausting!

"Hang in there," he told himself, gritting his teeth. Slowly, he guided the tornado toward the riverbank.

It was only a few hundred meters from his camp, but every step felt like torture, his spirit nearly depleted by the effort.

"You can do it!" he heard a whisper in his ear, and his eyes brightened. Just as he was about to give up, he forced himself onward, inch by inch, until finally he reached the bank and collapsed, spent.

"Hungry? Want something to eat?" Ye Tian asked, holding out a fragrant grilled fish that made Layton’s stomach protest.

"Can I rest a bit first?" Layton smiled bitterly. He didn’t want to move at all.

"Already worn out? Don’t worry, there’s plenty more to do. Keep at it!" Ye Tian stuck the fish in the ground next to Layton, then grabbed the huge tree trunk. "Your job is to move things—leave the rest to me. Hurry up, we have to finish today!" Ye Tian grinned wickedly.

"You can’t be serious!" Layton wailed, his cries echoing through the skies of the Beast Domain.