After using cheats, I became the strongest Beast Tamer

This was...

Chen Xing looked up at the moon overhead.

Mists from afar wafted in like wisps of smoke, gently cloaking the moon.

The hazy moonlight penetrated the clouds, mottledly reflecting the moon that was being slowly devoured behind the sky.

The obscuring entity seemed like an invisible gargantuan maw, or a massive hand, slowly shrouding the once brilliantly shining moon.

A trace of confusion passed through Chen Xing's eyes; he faintly sensed that what covered the moon was not merely darkness, but a deep and ancient blood-red, akin to age-old coagulated blood, dark and profound, exuding a mysterious and ancient aura.

"A lunar eclipse... has it come early?" Chen Xing murmured to himself, filled with doubt.

He pondered that perhaps due to geographical differences, the region he was in was experiencing the lunar eclipse phenomenon earlier than expected.

He gazed at the moon gradually being consumed by darkness overhead; ever since he had entered the Exotic Region, he had spent his nights accompanied by this very same moon.

The moon here was not much different from the one he had seen in Great Xia, but in this world filled with extraordinary powers, both sun and moon were endowed with even more mysterious and venerated status.

When he looked up at the stars from the land of the Exotic Region, Chen Xing noticed that the moon was always enveloped in a faint halo, as if a mysterious filter had been applied, preventing one from peering into its depths.

Even extraordinary Beast Tamings with vision far surpassing the ordinary could not see through that hazy halo.

As for the moon of Blue Star, mankind had set foot upon it years ago; however, beyond the barren land, there remained only endless desolation, as if it had long been dead.

"This eclipse seems different from the minor ones of the past; the last time I saw a red eclipse like this in the Exotic Region was fifty years ago," Qiu Shangqing noted as he looked up at the moon, hinting at something.

Chen Xing inquired, "Elder Qiu, is this eclipse different from a regular one?"

"Of course, a regular eclipse typically only covers one or at most a few territories, and such eclipses are common. They're only of some help to certain special species, like some wolf creatures that revere the moon as their totem and need to undergo an evolution ritual during an eclipse, or to conduct certain special ceremonies," explained Qiu Shangqing.

"But this red eclipse covers not just a few territories; the whole Exotic Region can witness it, similar to the Moon Glow event some time ago."

"Such phenomena used to be almost invisible; they're becoming more frequent of late," Qiu Shangqing remarked with a sigh, "With each celestial spectacle in the Exotic Region, there's likely a deeper meaning behind it. Sadly, in the grand scheme of the Exotic Region, my perspective is but a drop in the ocean.

But I do know that after the last red eclipse that enveloped the whole Exotic Region, the overall level of the mana tide increased significantly. Perhaps it will be the same this time," said Qiu Shangqing.

It was precisely with higher mana tides time after time that Great Xia had been able to catch up with the established powers of the Exotic Region as a latecomer.

After hearing Elder Qiu's explanations, Chen Xing's heart tightened; so a red eclipse was different from a regular one. Would that affect Taotie's evolution?

Chen Xing quickly recalled the relevant knowledge on evolution and soon found the relevant precautions.

Any eclipse could be used to conduct a ritual, which did not affect the final outcome of the evolution ritual.

But if the evolution ritual were altered due to external forces, it was irrelevant to the ritual itself.

"What's on your mind? You seem troubled," Qiu Shangqing noticed the change in Chen Xing's expression.

Chen Xing hesitated, then spoke up, "Elder Qiu, I have inadvertently discovered a new evolution path for Taotie. Conducting the evolution ritual requires the day of the eclipse; if we miss this one, it might be half a year before the next."

"Taotie's new evolution path... The little crocodile's?" murmured Qiu Shangqing thoughtfully.

He looked at Chen Xing as if he were pondering, remembering that Taotie's path was that of the Azure Sea Emperor Crocodile. Was it now time to switch evolution paths?

What intrigued him was what evolution path could make Chen Xing give up the Azure Sea Emperor Crocodile.

After all, he was well aware of the potential strength of the Azure Sea Emperor Crocodile; it held the potential of a sovereign.

Moreover, there were higher levels to aspire to; according to the Exotic Region's terms, that would be the Totem Level.

Though incomplete, it was still a traceable and dignified path.

What he wondered was whether it was possible to switch evolution pathways after evolving into the Water Control Greedy King Crocodile.

Qiu Shangqing pondered, "Waiting another half year does seem rather long. Once we cross the border, we can find a secluded place and conduct the evolution there."

As he said this, Qiu Shangqing looked at the Titan's Heart being dragged under Sìxiàng, "This is what you need for evolution, right? Carrying it is indeed inconvenient; better use it up in the evolution."

Generally, the evolution would take between 15 to 60 minutes.

As long as they found a suitable place in the wild and completed the evolution quickly, it wouldn't cause too much of a commotion.

This was also Chen Xing's reasoning; carrying the Titan's Heart around risked accidents, as it was too conspicuous. It would be better to directly convert it into Beast Taming power.

The group flew for half an hour after crossing the vast Flame River, then descended into a hidden valley.

Qin Xuan said, "I've checked the map; the nearest city is an hour and a half away from us."

Qiu Shangqing nodded, "I'll stand guard for you; go ahead and evolve."