In the quiet of his courtyard, Bai Tian Long sat cross-legged, the faint hum of spiritual energy circulating through his meridians.
His gaze lifted to meet the calm, unfathomable eyes of the Heaven Plundering Sage who stood nearby, as though he had been there the whole time.
"I will focus on cultivation… as well as raising my beasts," Tianlong said firmly. "But even with merging techniques, raising beasts, and my avatar, I still feel like my cultivation speed might not be enough."
The Sage's lips curved into a slow smile — one that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Wait until you reach the mid-stage of Qi Condensation," he said softly. "Then… I'll take you out for a walk."
Something about that smile made the hairs on Tianlong's neck stand on end.
It wasn't the smile of a benevolent teacher — it was the kind of smile that suggested he was about to be thrown into a situation where 'life-changing experience' and 'near-death trial' meant the same thing.
A faint shudder passed through him.
Why do I feel like something very bad is going to happen
----
The clang of steel on steel echoed through the vast chamber, a ceaseless rhythm that had played in Bai Zhenyu's ears for over a week.
The second layer of the Bai Clan's Inheritance Trials was far crueler than he had imagined — three Foundation Establishment puppets, tireless and merciless, blocking the only path forward.
They struck in perfect unison, rotating between offense and defense, each blow heavy enough to crush a Qi Condensation cultivator outright.
For days, he had danced on the edge of death, relying on his Bai Clan Sword Drawing Technique, the crackling arcs of the Five Element Lightning Sword, and the explosive force of the Five Elemental Explosion to keep himself alive.
But victory remained just out of reach.
And in the last two minutes of his latest attempt, the puppets had revealed a combined attack, their movements blurring into an unstoppable storm.
Bai zhen Yu had barely staggered back into the safe zone, his chest heaving, a thin trail of blood at the corner of his mouth.
Sitting cross-legged, Bai zhen Yu closed his eyes. The ache in his muscles and the faint crack in his ribs were reminders that brute force wouldn't win this fight.
His gaze slid toward the puppets. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
If I can't beat them alone… then I won't fight alone.
He extended his hand, and a ripple of energy pulsed behind him. A shadowed space appeared — a Beast Taming Space, vast and deep like an unseen world.
Within, a serpentine figure coiled lazily, silver thunder crackling across its pure white scales.
The Little Thunder Serpent raised its golden eyes, sensing its master's call.
This was not the first time Bai zhen Yu had considered using his beast.
When he had formed the contract in this life, something rare had happened — the fragmented soul of his previous body's user had merged completely with his own.
From that union, he had awakened not one, but two Life Talents:
B-Rank – Beast Fusion: the ability to merge with a beast, sharing power, instincts, and abilities.
C-Rank – Thunder Strengthening: amplifying all lightning-based powers of himself and his beast.
In his past life, he had been a Nascent Soul True Lord — in the Imperial Beast Taming world, known as an Imperial Beast Lord. His mastery of Beast Fusion had allowed him to stand against Monarch-level foes.
Now, in this life, the addition of a second talent made his potential even more dangerous.
Bai zhen Yu let out a low chuckle.
"To most people, using an early-stage Qi Condensation beast and my forbidden-layer Qi Condensation cultivation to fight Foundation Establishment puppets would make me a madman," he said to himself.
"But Beast Tamers… immortal Beast Tamers… would call it possible. And Imperial Beast Tamers? This is exactly what we're made for."
The Imperial Beast Tamers were not ordinary tamers. They were the inheritors of an ancient pact, blessed by the will of the Ancient Human Emperor himself.
Their beast contracts went deeper than spirit and blood — they were etched into fate. An Imperial Beast Tamer and his beast could become one, rising beyond their natural limits.
Bai Zhen Yu drew a jade box from his storage.
Inside lay the withered stalk of a Dragon Transformation Grass, its silver-green leaves still carrying a faint, draconic aura.
"It's your turn to eat," he said, flicking the herb toward the Little Thunder Serpent.
The serpent devoured it in a single gulp. Lightning burst across its scales, and its body swelled slightly, the golden eyes gleaming brighter than before.
Even though the herb was only ten years matured, its effect on a dragon-blooded beast was profound. In seconds, the serpent had broken through to the peak of early-stage Qi Condensation.
---
Before stepping into the trial ground, Baizhen Yu felt a familiar ripple in his mind — the thread of the beast contract humming with life.
A voice echoed in his consciousness, not from words, but from pure thought.
"Are you sure you want to risk your life over this?"
"You can always return in the future."
Baizhen Yu smiled faintly.
"Yes. This is the perfect chance to break through to the Thirteenth Qi Condensation."
There was a pause, then the mental tone shifted, carrying a quiet warmth.
"I am your first partner in this life too… Then let's fight to the end if need be. We have already died once — one more time won't matter."
The Little Thunder Serpent could not yet speak aloud — its newborn body had not refined its vocal cords — but its mind was ancient.
Within that fragile frame pulsed the broken Nascent Soul of the Iron Spine Serpent from Baizhen Yu's past life, and even in its incomplete state, it carried the weight of their shared battles and deaths.
Bai Zhenyu's eyes hardened. "Then we'll fight together."
Bai Zhenyu stepped forward, summoning the power of his talents.
"Beast Fusion."
Lightning surged as the serpent's form blurred into his, coiling along his arms and shoulders like living armor. White scales shimmered faintly across his skin, and his pupils narrowed into golden slits.
The Thunder Strengthening talent roared to life, flooding his meridians with electric power.
His aura spiked — halfway between man and serpent, radiating the primal dominance of a predator.
The safe zone's barrier dissolved as he walked out, each step leaving crackles of static on the trial ground floor.
Across the chamber, the three Foundation Establishment puppets turned toward him in perfect unison, their weapons gleaming under the trial's cold light.
Bai Zhenyu smiled, lips curling into a predator's grin.
"This time… I'm not coming alone."
The first puppet moved. Bai ZhenYu vanished in a burst of silver-white lightning.
To be continued…