The early morning air over the Bai Clan territory was crisp and clean, carrying a faint salty fragrance from the distant ocean. Above, seabirds wheeled and danced in the blue sky, their calls blending with the gentle rustling of the trees.
Standing in his courtyard, Bai Tianlong watched the morning light spill over tiled roofs and flowering trees. For a rare moment, the world felt peaceful.
This world… dangerous, yes, but also so beautiful, he thought. If only there were no enemies scheming against the Bai Clan, I'd like to go out and see more of this magical and wondrous cultivation world.
But peace never seemed to last long in Bai Tianlong's life.
From the corner of the courtyard, hidden among the plants, a small lion cub crouched low. Roughly the size of an adult Earth cat, the cub's golden fur caught glints of sunlight, and a mischievous grin curled its muzzle. Little Yan waited until Bai Tianlong's eyes were distracted by the clouds, then opened its mouth wide.
What came out was a bizarre mix between a lion's roar and a cat's meow—cute enough to fool someone for half a breath, but packed with spiritual energy and soul force.
The sound slammed into Bai Tianlong's mind like a thunderclap. His body froze for two seconds.
"F*ck—are you trying to scare your beast master to death!?" he roared after regaining control, his face dark.
This was not the first time. Since yesterday, when Little Yan had advanced to Demon Servant realm and awakened the Lion's Roar skill, the brat had been relentless. Discovering that Bai Tianlong had very little resistance to the technique, Little Yan had turned it into a game—using Lion's Roar on him, hiding before each attack, and bolting away right after, as if knowing he was being naughty. By now, Bai Tianlong had been stunned over five times in just one day.
Not amused in the slightest, Bai Tianlong grabbed the cub by the scruff of its neck.
"That's it! Out you go! If you have this much energy, go train in the wild forest!" he barked, tossing Little Yan gently but firmly out of the courtyard. "And if that's not enough, go back to your old pride and spar with the other lions! Go play with them!"
Little Yan landed on its feet, glanced back with a pout, and then padded off toward the forest.
With that annoyance handled, Bai Tianlong exhaled and walked back inside. His expression grew serious.
Right now, his to-do list as a cultivator was long:
He needed to increase his cultivation base. At the moment, he was still only at the 2nd layer of Qi Condensation, far from Foundation Establishment.
Body cultivation was essential—he'd only just started training the Five Elemental Body Refinement Technique.
His five elemental spells still needed practice to move from minor achievement toward major accomplishment.
And finally, his beasts—especially White Fang—needed careful attention.
Since White Fang had awakened its two racial skills, Bai Tianlong had created a strict training plan:
1. Hunting Mode: When Bai Tianlong controlled the avatar directly, they would only engage in safe hunts, maximizing point gain without unnecessary risk.
2. Skill Training Mode: When left to its own autonomous consciousness, White Fang would focus entirely on using and refining its new skills.
Currently, both racial skills were at Entry Level. Bai Tianlong's goal was to push them to Minor Accomplishment as soon as possible—boosting their power and cutting their activation time in battle.
He closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and let his mind sink into cultivation once more.
The courtyard fell silent again… but somewhere in the forest, a faint, cheeky roar echoed back toward him.
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[ Immortal Dimension]
In the endless blue skies of the Immortal Dimension, the colossal figure of Divine Bull Niu Tian descended upon a floating palace. His golden horns gleamed under immortal sunlight, his hooves shaking the air with each step.
Standing at the entrance, Bai Tianhao and Bai Tianwu—Bai Tianlong's elder brothers—straightened in surprise.
"Ah, so you two really have grown into immortal brats now," Niu Tian chuckled, his bull eyes warm. "I brought you something."
With a stomp, four youthful Divine Tempest Bulls emerged from behind him. Their coats shone with silver-white patterns, and even though they were still in the mortal realm of cultivation, their wind-and-earth dual-element aura hinted at future greatness.
"These two are yours," Niu Tian said, nudging a pair forward with his horn. "Raise them well—land or sky, they'll follow you into any battle when they mature."
The brothers bowed deeply, gratitude showing in their eyes.
Then Niu Tian leaned closer, his voice dropping. "Tell me—do you want to go to the mortal realm and meet your family?"
They froze. A month ago, when Master Buhlin had asked, they had declined, thinking it better to focus on cultivation. But since then… regret had been gnawing at them. They missed their grandfather, their clan. The truth was, once they fully stepped into the immortal path, chances to meet mortal family would become almost nonexistent. Mortal lifespans were brief, and immortal cultivation could take centuries—sometimes thousands of years. There were even immortals who had lived for millions of years. Time alone could erase family ties.
Bai Tianhao and Bai Tianwu exchanged a glance and nodded. "Yes. We want to go."
"Good," Niu Tian grinned, "but you'll have to call me grandpa first."
"Won't that mess up the hierarchy?" Bai Tianwu frowned.
"Hah! Master treats us beasts as children when he's raising us, but in battle, we're brothers in arms. That's what he says. So calling me Grandpa Bull isn't wrong," Niu Tian replied with a snort.
A faint blush crossed their faces as they muttered, "Grandpa Bull…"
Niu Tian threw back his head and laughed. "Now that's more like it!"
With a mighty sweep of his arms, he lifted one boy under each arm and strode toward the dimensional gate. Before stepping through, he turned his head toward the palace balcony, where Tian Fang—the Young Miss—stood watching.
"You're not allowed to come to the mortal realm until the time comes for the big event," he said firmly. "That's why you've kept yourself sealed at the Peak Saint Emperor stage instead of breaking into the Immortal Realm. I still don't understand how a Core Formation stage man won your heart, but—" he shrugged his massive shoulders, "—that's your personal issue."
Tian Fang's expression didn't change. She simply nodded and made no remarks.
With a deep laugh rumbling in his chest, Niu Tian stepped into the swirling light, vanishing with the two brothers into the mortal realm.
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