"The third reward?"
Upon hearing Gu He's words, Liu Ling's eyes brightened. He swiftly stored away the jade bottle, his face brimming with anticipation.
'What will the teacher give me this time?'
Gu He stepped out of the pavilion and said lightly, "Follow me."
'Huh?'
Liu Ling was puzzled. What exactly did his teacher intend to give him? Were they heading to the courtyard?
Soon, Gu He stopped in the middle of the yard. With a thought, a small purple beast materialized before them.
Woooooo!
The moment the little purple beast appeared, it sniffed the air, its eyes lighting up before it bounded toward Gu He, affectionately licking the soles of his shoes.
Gu He smiled as he observed the creature.
This little purple beast was the cub of the Amethyst Winged Lion King. Over the past few days, Gu He had already tamed it.
Born not long ago, the cub's intelligence was still developing. Gu He had won its trust simply by offering treats, along with a steady diet of pills and magic cores.
Meanwhile, Liu Ling stared at the sudden appearance of the little beast, momentarily stunned. Then, a thought struck him, and his face flushed with excitement.
'Could the teacher's third gift be… this little purple beast?'
The possibility made his heart race.
Ever since she had seen his Second Junior Sister soaring through the skies on her Iron-Winged Eagle, Liu Ling had been envious. After all, who wouldn't want a magical beast companion?
Rumors said the Iron-Winged Eagle was a fifth-tier magical beast, capable of rivaling a Dou King once fully grown.
And now… was Gu He finally granting his a magical beast pet of his own?
As he watched the Amethyst Winged Lion cub nuzzle Gu He's feet, Liu Ling studied it closely.
'What kind of beast is this?'
It resembled a lion, but its aura was extraordinary—majestic and imposing.
Liu Ling couldn't help but imagine himself riding atop this regal creature, cutting a domineering figure.
After playing with the cub for a moment, Gu He turned to Liu Ling.
"This beast is called the Amethyst Winged Lion. Consider it my third gift to you," he said with a smile.
"It's really for me?!"
Though he had suspected as much, hearing the confirmation sent a thrill through him. If not for maintaining his dignity before his teacher, he might have danced on the spot.
'From now on, I, Liu Ling, have my own magical beast pet!'
But wait—
Hadn't the teacher just called it an Amethyst Winged Lion?
The name reminded his of the Amethyst Companion Source from earlier.
Wasn't the Amethyst Birth Essence produced by the Amethyst Winged Lion King for its offspring?
Yet here were both the cub and the Amethyst Birth Essence in his teacher's possession.
A startling realization struck him:
'Did the teacher… steal these from the Amethyst Winged Lion King?!'
The thought sent his mind reeling.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King was a sixth-tier magical beast—a creature even most Dou Emperor experts wouldn't dare provoke.
Yet his teacher had not only taken its treasure but also its cub.
'This is insane!'
His earlier suspicions seemed confirmed.
'Teacher's strength must have already reached the Dou Emperor level.'
Awe filled him as he gazed at Gu He.
A Dou Emperor expert stood on par with the empire's most revered figures.
Beyond shock, Liu Ling felt overwhelming joy.
The stronger his teacher, the more formidable his backing. With a Dou Emperor teacher—and a sixth-tier alchemist, no less—who in the Jia Ma Empire would dare cross him?
As his eldest disciple, his status would rise alongside his!
Noticing Liu Ling's dazed smirk, Gu He frowned.
"What? You don't like the Amethyst Winged Lion? Fine, I'll give it to your junior sister instead."
Snapping back to reality, Liu Ling hastily scooped up the cub, hugging it protectively.
"No, no! Teacher, I love this gift!" he insisted with a nervous laugh.
Gu He glanced at the squirming cub and said coolly, "This little one is greedy. Feed it plenty of pills and magic cores, and it'll grow attached to you."
"Understood!" Liu Ling nodded eagerly.
He immediately retrieved a jade vial from his ring, popping a pill into the cub's mouth. The creature quickly calmed.
Gently stroking its violet fur, Liu Ling's eyes shone with affection.
'If this is the cub of a sixth-tier magical beast… doesn't that mean it has the bloodline of a Dou Emperor-level beast?'
The thought was exhilarating.
[Ding! Detected host's gift of a sixth-tier Amethyst Winged Lion cub to Liu Ling. Triggering 8,852-fold refund: Reward—Ninth-Tier magical beast Bloodline, Void Beast Cub!]
[The Void Beast cub has been deposited into the system space. Host may retrieve it at will.]
Gu He's lips curled into a smile.
'Ninth-tier bloodline… a Void Beast!'
This was an absolute windfall.
He cast a glance at Liu Ling, who was still fawning over his new pet like a fool, and waved him off.
"Enough. You've received your three rewards. Now go cultivate."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Clutching the cub, Liu Ling happily skipped away.
Once alone, Gu He's consciousness shifted into the system space.
There, suspended in the void, was a shimmering sphere of silver light.
As his awareness drew near, another prompt sounded:
[Ding! Does the host wish to form a master-servant contract with the Void Beast cub?]
Without hesitation, Gu He responded: "Of course!"
A drop of scarlet blood essence separated from his body, floating toward the silver orb.
A wave of fatigue washed over him—this was no ordinary blood, but his vital essence.
The moment the blood touched the orb, a brilliant silver light erupted.
"Rooooar!"
A childish, bestial cry echoed through the system space.
…
Enjoying the story? Get early access to 70+ advanced chapters.
👉 Join me on Patreon: patreon.com/DarkLord621