A week had passed since Bai Tian Long had begun his self-imposed regimen. In the span of seven days, he had filled his hours with equal parts study and practice, alternating between memorizing the books from the family's Cultivation Pavilion and scouting the island's natural beasts. But of all his tasks, two goals remained the most pressing:
Master the Dragon Tiger Body Refinement Technique and choose the right model beast to form his Split Soul Avatar.
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The Burden of Flesh and Will
At dawn, Bai Tian Long stood in the middle of his courtyard, bare-chested, with sweat beading down his forehead. He exhaled sharply and stepped into the first move of the Dragon Tiger Body Technique. Muscles twisted and contracted. Breath surged into form. But after just a few movements, he faltered.
Again.
"Still more than five breaths..."
His voice was bitter. The technique, inherited from Buddhist warriors, required one to complete all eighteen movements in a single breath to reach the realm of Initiate Master. He couldn't even finish them all, let alone chain them fluently. Still, he wasn't disheartened. He had resolved to chip away, one breath at a time.
---
Wiping his forehead, Bai Tian Long turned to observe the beast taming space.
Little yan's growth is also on the right track.
Inside, Little Yan, his Rosegold Flame Monarch Lion cub, was growing visibly healthier. Compared to the rest of his litter, Bai Tian Long could already see the difference.
The cub's mane had begun to glow faintly with traces of fire and crackling sparks. It walked with more energy, its eyes brighter and limbs steadier.
"Not bad, Little Yan… You're really growing well."
It was no mystery why. Even though both Bai Tian Long and the cub were weak now, the contractual feedback had granted the beast spiritual nourishment, and the specialized beast cultivation tube—a relic of the Bai family—was accelerating the process.
With that kind of head start, Bai Tian Long believed Little Yan would reach the Beast Servant Realm long before his siblings.
"One day, you'll stand proud. A king among beasts."
He turned to the corner of the space where the Void Thunder Eagle egg rested. The egg shimmered faintly, rhythmically absorbing the Spatial Qi within the Beast Taming Space.
It didn't stir much today. As if focused, meditating.
"Keep resting, little one. You have a long journey ahead."
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Choosing a Vessel is very important.
The bulk of Bai Tian Long's week, however, had been spent outdoors, exploring the island with his Eye of Knowledge activated.
He had carefully catalogued every mortal beast he could find: snakes, birds, cattle, and some weakened remnants of the previous battle against high-level beasts.
On the first day, he had compiled a complete list of potential candidates. Most high-level beasts had already been cleared by the Bai family's cultivators after the recent beast wave. What remained were creatures with no cultivation or bloodline value.
After careful consideration, he made his choice—
"A snake."
He had observed them in various environments: water snakes gliding effortlessly across the shorelines, tree snakes with hypnotic camouflage, and even a few venomous ones.
A snake could slither through both water and land, and in a world of islands, reefs, and hidden bays, such mobility was invaluable.
"Once it becomes a Beast Servant… I can send it beyond this island. See the world outside. Explore the seas."
As a Split Soul Avatar, the creature would be a true extension of his soul, capable of perception, basic cultivation, and utility. Though F-rank in grade, the Split Soul Avatar talent was still immensely rare. However, Bai Tian Long had been warned:
"If the avatar dies… the soul backlash will be severe."
So, while resurrection wasn't impossible, it was painful and dangerous—a risk to his very foundation.
He couldn't afford mistakes.
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The Wild Forest
That morning, with his goals clear and conviction steady, Bai Tian Long set off once more.
He entered the dense forest bordering the east of the island, his Eye of Knowledge active and scanning.
The trees whispered with wind. Birds called out distantly. But he moved with calm precision, his gaze searching the undergrowth.
After hours of trekking through moss and low branches, he finally found it—the same gray-scaled snake he'd seen before. It coiled near a small stream, sunning itself lazily.
Bai Tian Long crouched low behind a moss-covered tree root, eyes fixed on the silver-scaled python slithering just beyond a shallow stream. His Eye of Knowledge activated instantly.
Species: Serpent (Water Python Subspecies)
Race: Minor Draconic Python
Bloodline: Trace Dragonline (Silver Thread Lineage)
Cultivation: None
Potential: Low 1-Star
Traits: High adaptability, latent bloodline instability
Remarks: Dangerous for base-level binding. Not suited for Split Soul Avatar. Risk of backlash due to dragonline pride instincts.
His eyes narrowed.
Even a trace of dragon bloodline can warp an avatar's base form. Too proud. Too willful. A shame...
He sighed, shook his head, and turned to leave—
But then froze.
High above, wrapped atop the curved trunk of a tree that twisted like a serpent itself, a second presence emerged. It moved silently—fluid, coiling, yet oddly elegant.
A snake.
No… a White Boa.
Its body gleamed like pearl in the dappled forest light, thick and long, almost ethereal.
Bai Tian Long's pupils contracted. His Eye of Knowledge activated again on instinct.
Species: White Boa (Mortal Variant)
Race: Albino Jungle Serpent
Bloodline: None
Cultivation: None
Potential: Mid-Tier Mortal Growth
Talent Section:
F-Rank Poison Affinity (Innate venom adaptation)
F-Rank Speed Talent (Exceptional short burst mobility)
F-Rank Adaptability (High learning and adaptation)
F-Rank Eye Talent (Visual perception boost; primitive insight potential)
Remarks: No spiritual root. No bloodline suppression. Perfect vessel compatibility with Split Soul Avatar Talent.
His eyes widened.
"Four talents? No bloodline? No cultivation? This is… perfect."
Even for an f-rank talent set, this was an astonishing combination—balanced, clean, and exactly what the system had mandated for forming his Split Soul Avatar.
Here is a continuation and integration of the new scene in full novel format, completing the ending of Chapter 16 with a climactic and emotional encounter:
The thick forest air was silent for a long moment—too silent.
Above the stream, the White Boa uncoiled from the tree with supernatural grace. Its eyes were locked on the Draconic Python, who had only just begun slithering away.
For a moment, they faced each other—two serpents, one gleaming like snow under moonlight, the other glinting like steel beneath deep waters.
And then the silence broke.
With a hiss like ripping silk, the White Boa lunged.
Its white body coiled in a blur, striking toward the Python's throat with elegant savagery. Bai Tian Long crouched low in the underbrush, heart thudding as he watched the encounter unfold, his breath caught.
It's fighting? Even knowing it's weaker…
The Python recoiled, eyes narrowing. A guttural, draconic growl escaped its throat, and sparks of deep blue energy surged faintly across its scales—a sign of that dragonline pride.
It countered with a brutal twist, its larger frame slamming the boa mid-air and crushing it to the earth. Dust and leaves flew. A sharp screech echoed as the boa retaliated, biting into the Python's neck, its venom glands pumping hard.
But the dragonline blood burned too strong.
A moment later, the Python reared, tail whipping like a lash. It slammed the boa into a tree trunk—once, twice, thrice—until the White Boa's body finally fell limp, blood staining the forest floor.
"No…" Bai Tian Long whispered, fists clenched.
The Python, victorious but wounded, stared coldly at the fallen body. Then, without a glance back, it slithered into the thickets and vanished.
Silence returned once more.
Bai Tian Long slowly stepped forward.
The White Boa's body still held a faint shimmer of life. Its eyes flickered, barely open, and its gaze met his for the briefest moment. There was no fear. No regret.
Only... a quiet acceptance.
He knelt beside it, eyes soft.
"You knew you were weaker," he murmured, "but you still fought."
The boa didn't move. But something pulsed gently from within its body—a lingering will.
Bai Tian Long closed his eyes and extended his hand over its head. The power of his Split Soul Avatar Talent swirled around him. It was time.
"I'll carry your strength," he whispered. "I'll give your death meaning. You'll see the skies and the seas through me."
His hand glowed faintly. The system buzzed silently in the back of his mind, acknowledging the chosen vessel.
Initiating Avatar Bonding... Vessel: Accepted. Condition: Mortal Beast. Talents: Compatible. Initiating Soul Severing Thread...
A strand of soul split from his core—gentle, radiant, alive—and flowed into the boa's dying body.
"Your fight isn't over," Bai Tian Long whispered. "You were a warrior. Let me help you take revenge."
The boa's body shimmered, wrapped in a cocoon of translucent light. Its eyes closed, this time without pain.
From this moment forward, it would live again—not as a beast, but as an extension of his soul.
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