Another three days had passed.
The sun hung low over Bai Tian Long's courtyard as he sat cross-legged in the shade of an old pine. His brows were furrowed, and his full attention was locked on the presence deep within the forest — White Fang, his split-soul avatar. The serpent had now grown to a stunning length of 3.8 meters, its sleek white scales glimmering under the filtered forest light. After days of tireless hunting, White Fang's evolution points had reached 90.
Only ten more.
That was all that stood between it and its first great transformation — the leap from a mortal beast to a demon beast.
---
White Fang slithered through the dense foliage with silent precision. Every movement was fluid, patient, and deadly. Little Yan, the Rosegold Flame Monarch Lion cub, moved alongside him, watching with curious pride. Though still a cub, Little Yan had grown considerably, developing budding claws and sharper fangs, now easily overpowering wild dogs and large hares. But this time, he obeyed White Fang's signal to stay back.
"This is his hunt," Bai Tian Long murmured aloud, watching through their shared link.
White Fang's forked tongue flicked out as he sensed a nearby presence. A rustle—then the gleam of another snake.
Hiss!
The first opponent was a thick-bodied venomous pit viper. White Fang lunged with perfect timing, coiling and striking with a burst of speed enhanced by the Flickering Shadow Step Technique he had recently been taught by Bai Tian Long. In a flash, the viper's head was crushed.
+3 Evolution Points.
Not wasting time, White Fang moved on. A monitor lizard. Then a small wild boar. Their fights were brief but fierce. Each kill added to his points. His body, too, slowly grew—centimeter by centimeter—with every absorbed essence.
Soon, his Evolution Points had reached 99.
Then, a chill ran down Bai Tian Long's spine. A presence.
---
From the coastal edge of the forest emerged a massive serpent, its emerald and dark-blue scales rippling with power. It was none other than the Sea Serpent with latent Dragon Bloodline, a peak mortal beast, only one step away from becoming a demon beast.
Its cold, reptilian eyes locked onto White Fang.
The serpent hissed.
White Fang didn't back down. He slithered forward, tongue flickering, and the scales on his back rattled faintly. Within Bai Tian Long's courtyard, his eyes opened wide with anticipation.
"That's it… this one's perfect."
White Fang licked the air and then—pounced.
The two serpents collided with a thunderous crackle. The Sea Serpent whipped its tail like a battering ram, sending chunks of rock and wood scattering. White Fang, agile and lean, dodged with the Flickering Light Step, vanishing for a moment before appearing to clamp down on the serpent's midsection.
The Sea Serpent roared and coiled, throwing White Fang off. It lunged, trying to crush him with brute strength.
White Fang danced through the assault, his movements blurred, his venomous fangs flashing as he bit again and again, targeting weak points.
But the Sea Serpent was no ordinary beast. Its latent Dragon Bloodline made it immensely resilient. Each of White Fang's attacks drew blood but barely slowed the monster.
Bai Tian Long gritted his teeth.
"You can do it… take your revenge. Make your will stronger than your enemy's bloodline."
Then, White Fang's body began to glow faintly — the fusion of beast and human soul resonating.
He moved faster. Smarter.
The final blow came as White Fang dodged a tail strike, then climbed the Sea Serpent's neck and sank his fangs deep into the base of its skull. The venom flowed.
The Sea Serpent thrashed. Roared. Then fell still.
---
Dragging the massive corpse back to the Bai courtyard, White Fang curled beside the body, exhausted yet victorious. His evolution points now sat at a full 100.
Bai Tian Long exhaled deeply and stood.
Everything was ready:
Mortal Beast Corpse – the Sea Serpent.
Demon Beast Corpse – the hatchling Black Fang Cobra, a peak 1st-order specimen.
Demon Beast Bloodline Sample – Dragon-variant essence harvested from crossbred beasts.
Spiritual Object – a 1st-order Water Jade, the size of a melon, dense with pure water-aligned spiritual energy, almost comparable to a 2nd-order treasure.
"All the requirements… and a worthy vessel. Now begins the evolution of White Fang."
As Bai Tian Long began to set the ritual, Little Yan looked at White Fang. For a moment, he tilted his head.
"He's… longer?"
Indeed. White Fang now towered over his earlier form — a sleek serpent more than four meters long, muscles coiled, fangs glinting, aura surging.
The next chapter in their story was about to begin.
---
Atop the cloud-wreathed cliffs of the observation peak, several figures stood motionless, watching the spiritual mirror that displayed the events unfolding far below. Within the swirling projection, the massive white serpent, White Fang, slithered forward with a primal grace, dragging the carcass of the Sea Serpent behind it. The beast's eyes gleamed with intelligence, and its movements bore the mark of trained precision.
"The avatar moves well. I suppose he trained it himself," one of the disciples noted, arms folded across his chest.
Jiang Chen gave a silent nod, watching without emotion. His eyes, however, were thoughtful.
"Just a normal avatar, at least on the surface," he murmured. "Efficient... obedient."
"Might be a soul-enhanced imprint," someone added. "Still, it's no more than a puppet with a sliver of intelligence."
But even as he said it, Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then a loud yawn echoed from the side.
"If I have to watch that thing eat one more snake, I swear I'll go stir crazy."
It was Wu Lin, the Saint Fighting Monkey, his tail lazily swaying behind him. He cracked his knuckles and turned toward the small girl standing beside him.
"Come on, Bai Tian Feng, let's get out of here. We'll go for a walk. You've been cooped up too long anyway."
The little girl tilted her head, long black hair fluttering in the mountain wind as she stared at the mirror.
"Big Brother's snake… it's strong."
Wu Lin laughed, lifting her up easily and placing her on his shoulder.
"Strong? Maybe. But boring. I'll let you play with real beasts once your cultivation stabilizes. That'll be more fun than watching this oversized worm squirm."
Jiang Chen turned slightly, giving Wu Lin a glance.
"Don't push her too hard. She's still young."
Wu Lin smirked, hopping toward the ridge's edge.
"Relax, Old Stick. I'm just taking her out to stretch her legs. If she breaks a few bones, that's called growth."
"That's what you call it," Jiang Chen muttered.
With a wave and a gust of wind, Wu Lin vanished into the mist, Bai Tian Feng riding on his shoulder, her laughter fading as they descended the mountain trail.
Back at the peak, Jiang Chen stood alone once more. He looked at the fading spiritual image of White Fang, now coiled in the forest with silent purpose.
"It may be just a puppet…" he said quietly to himself. "But some puppets grow teeth."
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