Spirit Beast Enlightenment: A Beast Taming Progression Fantasy

No one even had the time for this shot to settle in before they were truly and completely shaken.

A bullet of seven-colored energy rushed toward Ryker, but he only extended a hand.

At that moment, under their shocked gazes, an identical seven-colored energy appeared.

Ryker grabbed at the air and the bullet Thorne’s serpent sent at him was caught in his palm and then unceremoniously crushed.

This was none other than the first ability of his Silver Mirror. It had the ability to record and perfectly replicate anything that appeared across its surface.

It was a Mystery Type contract that was still only in the Enlightenment Realm, and yet it didn’t seem to react like this at all. In fact, the power it displayed was beyond normal common sense.

Thorne’s eyes widened. He no longer cared about his face and immediately began to summon beasts. But what he didn’t expect was for Ryker’s Divined Chains to descend. This time, they were covered in a familiar seven-colored energy.

Before Thorne could react, he was bound in place.

“You should have learned from me,” Ryker said lightly. “Underestimating your opponent is quite foolish, don’t you think? Maybe it makes a little sense in my case… but what right do you have to look down on me?”

Ryker’s words echoed and resonated in the air.

There was a hushed silence and the truth seemed to finally be settling in. This was the first 9th Circle Talent in their history. And he had finally well and truly bloomed.

Not only that, but his useless first Contract had somehow become supremely powerful. Copying abilities weren’t rare enough that no one had ever heard of them. But they would usually have several weaknesses that had to be accounted for.

This one, though… didn’t seem to have any weaknesses at all.

SNAP.

The echo of Ryker’s fingers snapping echoed through the arena. Then, to everyone’s astonishment, the chains that had bound Thorne in place shattered to pieces.

“I’ll give you a second chance. Bring out everything you have. If you think I’m here because I give a damn about this Glory Path, you’re sorely mistaken.

“I came here to crush each one of you. One by one.”

Ryker’s aura continued to climb and the Silver Mirror only shone brighter.

Thorne’s face became red with embarrassment and rage. His serpent could feel his fury clearly, and the master-beast duo looked as though they were about to explode as one.

“RYKER!”

Thorne’s scholarly appearance vanished as veins pumped across his body. One beast after another appeared from his dantian.

Almost the instant they did, a black shadow appeared before Ryker. Anyone else would have been caught off guard by this speed. It was a rare Type of the Lightning affinity. The moment it appeared, it was already the fastest thing in the arena. It even had an ability that was only short of teleportation itself.

Yet, Ryker only tapped the air once.

There was a familiar ripple, but this time the creature was too fast to be caged. Instead, it was repelled away. Even using its unique lightning transfer skill didn’t work.

Instead, it crashed head first into Ryker’s barrier and ended up poisoned with a shot of Seven-Color Poison at the same time.

Ryker took a casual step forward, dodging out of the way of a long-armed ape throwing javelins.

The javelin whistled by with a force that crackled like thunder, but Ryker only raised his hand back and toward it.

A chain rushed out of his palm and latched onto the javelin.

A strong tug came from Ryker’s shoulder. He seemed to barely move, but the image of the long-armed ape was clearly reflected in his Silver Mirror.

BANG!

The air exploded as the javelin was sent rocketing back. Before Thorne could even react, the javelin shot right through his ape’s lower belly.

It was pinned into the ground, its body twitching and its legs instantly becoming paralyzed. In a single blow, Thorne’s beast might have been alive… but it was most definitely crippled.

Ryker took another step forward, but this one was into a rain of fire and wind. It looked like he was about to be completely swallowed, but the flames and wind alike stopped before him as though crashing against a spherical barrier.

Grabbing at the air once again, the Spirit Energy was corralled into Ryker’s palm, forming a spinning ball of flaming wind.

It compressed, and then compressed again.

Using these elements without the support of the Dao against him… or at the very least, a higher form of Spirit Energy?

What an absolute joke.

The ball split into two and became two concentrated balls of light that looked almost like a pair of mutated Molten Fireballs.

They shot back even faster than the original attacks had come and two beasts erupted into a pillar of fire that pierced the clouds above.

It only blazed for a short time, but what was left behind were two unconscious, charred beasts. They collapsed to the ground, unable to move.

Ryker took a third step forward and it seemed to remind everyone that this was the first time he was actually moving… and it hit them like a ton of bricks.

Things were truly better when he wasn’t moving at all.

Thorne’s gaze was entirely bloodshot, and to everyone else, the echo of Ryker’s previous words rumbled in their minds.

‘I plan to be particularly heavy handed this time around…’

One beast after another fell tragically, either to a vicious blow or to Thorne’s very own Seven Color Poison. And soon, there was only the serpent remaining.

Ryker stood tall and proud in the skies, holding out a palm he held facing downward. On it, there was an accumulation of Seven Color Poison. During the course of this entire battle, he had been accumulating his understanding, refining it, and now he was ready.

BANG!

A rain of chains suddenly exploded from his palm, descending in a torrent. The large serpent roared and tried to fight back, but for every chain it broke, two more came.

PENG! PENG! PENG!

Eventually, it was completely drowned, swallowed and suffocated to the point that it wasn’t even able to move.

Ryker slowly descended and landed on its head. At that moment, a gravity talent activated and it was smashed into the ground below.

BOOM!

Blood flew and the sound of blood crackling and shattering echoed.

Ryker walked down from the serpent’s enormous body, his clothing still just as immaculate.

Thorne screamed, rushing at him with a whip and chain, but every casual [Divined Step] Ryker took slipped out of the way without the slightest hint of effort.

This movement skill had reached such a profound level in his hands that it wasn’t until now most realized that he was using it at all. In fact, it still mostly seemed like he was on a casual stroll.

After he comprehended the Dao, Ryker also realized just how much depth [Divined Step] had. The Ancestor of the Valorians was truly a genius. He had grasped many intricacies of the Dao without ever truly grasping it himself.

And now that Ryker had, he could bring out strength from the Valorian Clan techniques that others couldn’t even begin to fathom.

When [Divined Step] was paired with the Dao of Space, the control of space itself couldn’t even be sensed. It looked like his steps were just far too profound for anyone to understand, and because of that, it kept one of his strongest trump cards hidden.

This Glory Path Challenge was nothing more than a child’s game to him. He would never show all his cards here.

While they were thinking the Silver Mirror to be the best he had, they had no idea that it had two other abilities and was still considered inferior to Phoenix and Prometheus for the moment.

Ryker slowly stepped to just within a meter of a Thorne that was huffing and puffing from exertion. He had given it everything he had, but he was simply too inferior.

With a casual flare, Ryker raised a hand, ready to deal the final blow.

“That’s enough.”

Hugo didn’t stand, but his voice came down like a commandment.

What he didn’t expect was that Ryker didn’t even pause to listen to him. He didn’t even look to see who was speaking. In fact, after the voice came down, the strength of his attack increased by another 20%. Every single discerning eye could see through this… because Ryker had allowed them to.

It was as though Ryker was telling him that his son would end up as injured as he was because of his arrogant words.

BANG!

Thorne’s ribcage collapsed and his body was sent flying out like a rag doll.

“Next.”

Ryker’s words echoed out just a moment later. It was as though he had never heard his uncle speak at all. He treated it like air.

But the heavy handedness of his attack told a different story.

Not only did he practically cripple all of Thorne’s beasts, but what no one realized was that he had even used the Dao on Thorne’s injuries. Even if he was brought to a special healing beast, it wouldn’t help in the slightest unless this beast was either a God Beast or had mastered the Dao.

He could thank his father for that.

In the stands, Isla’s little face was brimming with tears. Of all the outcomes she had thought there might be, this was one that she had simply never considered.

However, it was at that moment that Leopold slowly rose to his feet and spoke for the first time as he turned to leave.

“The matters of today will conclude here. Ryker will be reinstated to the Glory Path and receive every year of resources that he has missed until now.”

It was a shocking decision, especially since there should still be several battles left. But even more pressing than that, there had never been a precedent for Glory Path back-pay. This was the very first.

And it was clearly to appease this genius of the Valorian Clan.

But obviously… Ryker wasn’t so easy to appease.

“That’s inappropriate, don’t you think?”

Ryker’s voice unexpectedly sounded out.

Leopold also didn’t expect that Ryker would speak now. Boldly standing against the God of your Clan was even worse than it sounded. Grandfather or not, Leopold was above them all.

“The rules say that I have two more battles to fight. I wouldn’t want people to say that I’m freeloading.”

The audience felt their lips twitching. Who the fuck would say something like that at this point.

However, soon, the comedy of it all faded and the harsh reality of what Ryker was doing now settled in.

Gods were existences who were lofty and stood above all else. Even Mythics wouldn’t dare to talk to a God like this. It seemed as though Ryker had completely and utterly lost his mind.

“The rules are made by the strong.”

An overbearing pressure filled the entire arena and everyone went completely and utterly pale. It didn’t matter how much of a genius you were, how much cultivation you had, if you weren’t a God, it was entirely irrelevant.

Leopold’s meaning was clear. He could change the rules as he pleased and Ryker was trying his patience.

“Indeed, gramps is correct. In that case…”

Ryker’s gaze became frighteningly fierce. His momentum was so savage and horrifying that a hole was ripped through the dark cumulonimbus clouds above him. A vortex of rotating black clouds was formed, and yet not a single ounce of sunlight managed to make it through.

“Errelius, get your ass up here.”

The voice was surprisingly calm, but Errelius, who was too old to participate in Ryker’s Glory Path Challenge, was startled to the point he subconsciously sat up.

After pining after his wife for decades, it was about time Ryker drilled a hole through this man’s forehead.

“Enough.”

Leopold spoke once again, this time even more forcefully. Even the likes of Ryker could only take several steps back before stabilizing himself.

After he spoke these words, Leopold vanished completely. He didn’t even bother to stay to ensure that Ryker followed his words. This was the dignity of a God.

Would Ryker even dare not to?

Ryker’s laughter peeled across the skies like flashes of lightning. It was a laugh that all too many would remember for a lifetime.

It was the laughter of the greatest talent’s return.