No one in the audience found it odd that Tian Lei entered without his beast by his side this time. After all, resonance wasn't some rare, unreachable technique—it was something every cultivator could achieve with enough time and discipline. Most could learn to merge with their beasts within a few years of cultivation; geniuses managed it in one.
Tian Lei, being one of the more mysterious competitors, was simply assumed to have mastered it early.
After all, in his last battle, everyone saw his "golden sun bird" resonance—a dazzling display of golden light and heat that matched perfectly with the traits of a high-grade beast. None suspected it was an illusion woven from his magic instead of a true beast.
So when he stepped onto the golden arena again, calm and unarmed, no one questioned it. They just thought he was preparing to enter resonance again when the fight began.
