Beast Taming Patrol Chapter 1610 449: Inspector’s Emblem (Double-Length, Finale Countdown: 1)_5

The inner chaos within the six little ones was bound to stir again.

"The reason you skipped the Tao Source Realm to step straight into the Tao Realm ties directly into my tale."

Lin Su drew a deep breath, quelling the storm raging in his chest, "Please go on."

"Having one foot in the Tao Realm, I built my own world." A flicker of memory lit Shou's eyes, "Born from my Tao, it housed replicas of the countless races forged by chaotic entities."

"From the moment that world took shape, I expected beings inside to hit the Tao Source Realm early, refining my Tao and propelling me into the Tao Realm."

"Yet right then, I stumbled upon a relic in the chaos, remnant of a fallen powerhouse."

"Even amid endless chaos, that mighty one had carved a legend in life, etched in the minds of myriad chaotic beings, a testament to their immense power."

"The relic's emergence drew hordes from the chaos, and I was merely one drawn in."

"Though my strength paled, luck favored me, letting me grasp the Tao legacy they bequeathed."

"Back then, I wasn't alone in claiming it; numerous chaotic beings seized portions too."

"Through fierce contention, we each claimed fragments."

"The Tao handed down by that powerhouse was known as the Path of Spirit Control."

"Unlike typical Taos that bolster the self, this one forges a space for contracting other entities, harnessing them as personal might."

"Those who cultivate this Tao suffer a critical weakness early on—their bodies stay frail, their techniques outmatched by peers, leaning too heavily on contracted partners."

"Flaws aside, its temptation proved irresistible to us."

"For the space this Tao carves evolves into a Tao Realm when a contracted being attains the Tao Source Realm!"

"Dao achievers via this route leap past the Tao Source Realm into the Tao Realm outright."

"And that's not its greatest power." Shou's eyes glinted with amusement here, "Should beings in my Tao Realm shatter into the Tao Realm and emerge, I'd ascend beyond the Tao Realm…"

"Taoist Domain Realm!"

"Inside the Tao Realm, birthing a Tao Realm expert transforms it—no longer mere Tao Realm. It evolves further, birthing the Taoist Domain, granting entry to an entirely fresh realm."

Lin Su's eyes bulged wide.

Could Shou before him have already attained the Taoist Domain Realm?

No surprise then, for even at Tao Realm, he sensed vast inferiority.

The Path of Spirit Control…

Was this the root of the Beast Tamer lineage?

"Encountering such a mighty path, I naturally fell under its sway." Shou sighed, shaking his head, "My Path of Ten Thousand Spirits already aligned closely with the Path of Spirit Control, requiring only a chosen race to cultivate it while contracting others."

"I picked humans, the most plentiful in chaos and gifted with supreme intellect."

"Since the Path of Spirit Control skips the Tao Source Realm, breakthroughs prove far tougher than normal, leaving my strength stuck at half-step Tao Realm for ages."

"But fresh woes arose." A complex shadow crossed Shou's gaze as memory resurfaced, "A chaotic being who raided the relic alongside me snagged a piece of the legacy too, though distinct from mine."

"That sly creature tracked me down, suggesting a Tao swap." Helplessness flickered in Shou's eyes, "Later, I learned every legacy inheritor faced their overtures."

"When they approached, I figured it would sharpen my grasp of the Path of Spirit Control and speed my ascent to new heights, so I accepted eagerly."

"Yet in the exchange, they wove their Tao into mine, subtly tainting it."

"Both our Taos touched on ten thousand spirits, yet diverged sharply."

"I mimicked ten thousand spirits into varied races; they amalgamated ten thousand spirits' traits into one form."

"Unwittingly swayed, humans in my Tao Realm forsook the Path of Spirit Control for another route."

"A path potent from the outset, yet capped lower in potential."

Lin Su: "..."

Thus Martial Tao was born?

Hold on...

His pupils narrowed sharply.

Exotic beasts first, then Beast Tamer lineage, followed by Martial Tao overwhelming Beast Tamers…

This mirrored Divine Martial's history, not Blue Star's.

Did that mean Divine Martial once served as Shou's Tao Realm?

Then how did it turn into his?

"Do you grasp why I overlooked the shift in my Tao?"

"Tell me." Lin Su refocused, shoving aside his swirling doubts for now.

"Because amid their influence, I truly detected gains that aided me."

"Insights to propel my Path of Spirit Control onward."

"That's why I call that one cunning."

"By the time I fully comprehended, my Tao had spiraled beyond salvage."

"Awakening, that rascal even goaded me into a wager, staking a Chaos Treasure." Shou shook his head in wry defeat, "Only then did the truth dawn—that they'd played me for a fool."