Celestial Beast Taming

It was just as Taya said. After a thousand Soul Fighting duels, if you still had positive points, you’d get the chance to join various organizations.

But joining those organizations with that level of potential would only get you the status of an affiliate member.

You needed a potential rating of at least C Level to be taken seriously by those organizations.

As for B Level geniuses, every one that appeared would be madly scrambled for by the major factions.

Even major powers like the Wanyu Soul Fighting Company and the Wanyu Source Material Company treasured B Level geniuses.

As for geniuses with A Level potential, there was no corresponding information in the public data on the Virtual Source Network.

Taya did indeed have double-digit points, but looking at her combat record...

The best way for her to keep her points was to stop fighting.

Otherwise, she could easily lose two matches in a row, and her points would drop to a single digit.

Zhong Yi had already been planning to find a Soul Fighting Bar and get matched for a fight.

Before participating in the First Level Divine Origin Slaughter Secret Realm, Zhong Yi needed to get a sense of the strength of geniuses from other worlds who were at the same Tier as him.

Those who were at his level and had managed to obtain a Source Material Celestial Shuttle to enter the Virtual Source Network were likely a cut above the opponents he would encounter in the Divine Origin Slaughter Secret Realm.

After all, there was a high barrier to entry for obtaining a Source Material Celestial Shuttle.

Before participating in the Divine Origin Slaughter Secret Realm, there was no opportunity to unlock the Divine Origin Store.

Zhong Yi had just arrived on the Initial Street when Taya struck up a conversation with him.

If Taya had wanted to charge a fee to be his guide, Zhong Yi would have refused her outright, left the Initial Street, and found a Soul Fighting Bar on his own.

Using a Soul Fighting Platform in a Soul Fighting Bar to get matched with an opponent was completely free.

All Creatures who came to the Virtual Source Network via a Source Material Celestial Shuttle could use this service for free.

Since Taya was willing to lead the way, Zhong Yi saw no reason to refuse.

You might get scammed out of your Divine Origin Value on the Virtual Source Network, but you wouldn’t encounter any real danger.

Therefore, there was no need to be overly cautious while on the Virtual Source Network.

The atmosphere in the Soul Fighting Bar was lively, somewhat similar to the internet cafes of Zhong Yi’s past life.

But instead of rows of computers, the Soul Fighting Bar was furnished with one round platform after another.

These round platforms, which looked a bit like manhole covers, were the so-called Soul Fighting Platforms.

By standing on a Soul Fighting Platform and activating your Soul Power, you could automatically be matched with an opponent.

Inside the Soul Fighting Bar, everything was semi-self-service.

At the entrance of the Soul Fighting Bar stood two attendants in uniform. They were responsible for handing out free Soul Fighting Bracelets to newcomers participating in Soul Fighting for the first time.

Zhong Yi received a bracelet and put it on his wrist.

Just as he was about to head inside, he heard the two attendants, who had been quite cold to him and Taya just a moment ago, speak with great enthusiasm.

”Lord Zhu Li, welcome!”

”If you wish to engage in Soul Fighting, you don’t need to use these Soul Fighting Platforms like they do.”

”I’ll take you to a Soul Fighting Room upstairs. We have food and drinks prepared there according to your preferences.”

One of the attendants bowed low, smiling as he led the way.

In Zhong Yi’s eyes, the attendant’s posture was no different from that of a lackey.

In the main hall of the Soul Fighting Bar, the gazes of many people who weren’t yet using the Soul Fighting Platforms turned toward Zhu Li, their eyes filled with envy and awe.

Taya also watched the short-statured Zhu Li, who had a deep scar between his eyebrows, with an envious expression.

”See that? That’s a big shot with a C Level rating.”

”I just saw Lord Zhu Li glance at you a few times. Do you think he might have taken a liking to your good looks?”

”If you were lucky enough to be by the side of a C Level big shot, your future would be limitless.”

”These Wanyu Soul Fighting Company employees only act like this toward C Level lords.”

”I heard the Wanyu Soul Fighting Company provides free services worth one Divine Origin Value to C Level lords every week.”

”My potential will never reach C Level in this lifetime. It would be great if I could catch the eye of a C Level lord someday!”

Listening to Taya’s rambling, Zhong Yi’s expression darkened.

’Am I being treated like some pretty boy?’

According to Taya, his looks were considered quite outstanding in the Virtual Source Network.

Zhong Yi shook his head, feeling a bit helpless about it.

Whether it was competing in strength, potential, or development, Zhong Yi had never once thought about relying on his looks.

In the Guardian Beast World, the title ”Lord” was only used for Celestial Destiny Seekers.

But here in the Virtual Source Network, it was used to address these geniuses who had reached a C Level rating.

Judging by the behavior of Taya, the two Wanyu Soul Fighting Company employees, and the other members in the Soul Fighting Bar, everyone called C Level geniuses ”Lord” with genuine respect.

Taya herself wasn’t planning on doing any Soul Fighting. She had previously lost points until she dropped below ten, and it had taken her a long time to earn them back.

Taya hadn’t forgotten her purpose for coming to the Initial Street. She turned to Zhong Yi and spoke.

”I haven’t asked your name yet. If your Soul Fighting Points reach ten or more, would you consider joining our Lion Heart Association?”

”The benefits in our Lion Heart Association are excellent. The points you earn within the association can be exchanged for many things that would otherwise cost Divine Origin Value.”

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yi immediately shook his head, rejecting Taya without hesitation.

Zhong Yi had already established his own faction in the real world: Soul Soil.

Now on the Virtual Source Network, Zhong Yi still planned to establish Soul Soil here. There was no need to join another faction.

Even if he were to join or cooperate with a faction,

he would never join one just because he had enough points, as if he were simply enrolling after passing an entrance exam.

”My name is Zhong Yi. I’m not familiar with this Lion Heart Association you mentioned, so I won’t be joining.”

”I heard that the first time you fight on the Soul Fighting Platform, you can undergo a potential ranking.”

”The highest potential rating you can get is C Level...”

Before Zhong Yi could finish, Taya cut him off.

”Did you see Lord Zhu Li and get some crazy ideas in your head?!”

”Every single person who steps on the Soul Fighting Platform for the first time thinks the same way you do.”

”Once you actually start fighting, you’ll realize the opponents you get matched with are nowhere near as simple as you imagine.”

”Don’t be so arrogant!”

The more Taya looked at Zhong Yi, the more handsome she found him, and she couldn’t help but add a few more words.

”The first time I came to the Virtual Source Network, I went straight to participate in Soul Fighting duels.”

”In my own world, I was a genius envied by all.”

”The rising star of the Dusk Lion Race, one who appears only once every 4,000 years. But in my first battle, I barely managed to scrape by with a win.”

”In my second battle, I was completely overwhelmed from the very start, unable to fight back at all.”

”The person I fought was also a Guardian Beast Master. I was strangled to death by vines that shot out from his body.”

”Since you’re not planning to join the Lion Heart Association, I’ll be going.”

”Let’s add each other as friends. I’ve been hanging around this area for over 200 years, so you can ask me for help if you need anything.”

The Soul Fighting Bracelet Zhong Yi had just put on his wrist had a function for adding friends.

After adding Taya as a friend, Zhong Yi found a random Soul Fighting Platform and stepped onto it.

As if sensing Zhong Yi was about to fight, the Soul-Controlling Flower, which had entered the Virtual Source Network along with his Soul Power, joyfully stretched out its ribbon-like filaments.

It seemed the environment within the Virtual Source Network was even more pleasant for the Soul-Controlling Flower than the real world!

The moment Zhong Yi stood on the Soul Fighting Platform and activated his Soul Power, a voice, devoid of emotion yet filled with divinity, echoed in his ears.

This voice was very similar to the one Zhong Yi heard during his Secret Realm explorations, each time his Secret Realm Exploration Level reached one hundred percent and he was awarded Divine Origin Value.

[Congratulations on participating in your first Soul Fighting duel. Your first duel will automatically initiate a ranking battle.]

[Winning five consecutive battles will earn you a C Level rating. During the Ranking Competition, wins and losses will not affect your points. Losing any single duel will end the Ranking Competition.]

[The scene for each battle is randomly generated. Are you prepared to begin the first ranking match?]

After confirming his readiness, the scenery around Zhong Yi changed.

He found himself in a wasteland with a purplish-red sky, standing on jagged, dark-red rocks.