The wind howled over the canyon as Ren Fei's body slumped unconscious against the shattered stone.
Zian stood over him, chest heaving, flames flickering around his fists.
The corpse fire in his veins crackled like thunder, but inside his spiritual pouch, something far stranger had begun to stir.
The black egg.
It pulsed, emitting soft chimes of qi—like a heartbeat from beyond the mortal world.
Zian crouched beside it, one hand trembling as he reached in and pulled it free.
The egg had changed.
No longer just obsidian smooth, its surface was now laced with faint silver lines that formed beast runes—ancient, forgotten, and calling to him.
"What… are you?" Zian whispered.
The egg pulsed again.
His vision blurred—and then reality cracked.
Spiritual Vision – The Beast's Eye
He stood on a battlefield where beasts and men fought as one, and a colossal winged serpent rose above them, crowned in flame.
A man knelt before the beast, holding out a glowing core. The serpent roared and pressed its forehead to the man's.
In a flash of light, the two became one.
"Bloodline is bond. Beast and man, united by instinct."
Zian staggered back as the vision ended, gasping.
When he looked down, the silver runes had etched into his palm—temporary marks, but they carried meaning.
The egg wasn't just alive.
It was forming a bond.
A beast bond, older than the modern art of taming. Something innate.
"You're choosing me," Zian said softly. "Not by contract. Not by command. But by… instinct."
He smiled faintly.
It was the first time in years anyone—anything—had chosen him willingly.
And that meant everything.
Elsewhere – Spirit Realm, Skyroot Basin
Mei Xuan stood atop a burning pillar, staring down at a temple made of petrified wood and bone.
She clutched an old jade slip, gifted to her by an old rogue cultivator before she entered the Realm.
"If you ever find the Skyroot Temple," he'd said, "don't go in unless you're ready to trade memory for power."
She hesitated.
Then stepped through the threshold.
A dozen shadowy figures formed before her—shades of her past. Her childhood. Her brother's death. Zian, bloodied, exiled.
"Show me," she said.
"Give me strength enough to follow him into madness."
The shadows surged forward.
Back in the Canyon – Ren Fei Awakens
Ren Fei coughed up blood, eyes fluttering open.
He lay against shattered stone, qi flickering weakly.
"He… howled like a beast," he muttered. "He's not just using beast cores. He's becoming…"
His expression twisted.
"I have to report this. If the Emperor's Circle finds out—"
He tried to move.
Chains of corpse flame flared into being around his limbs.
"You're not going anywhere," Zian said, stepping from the shadows.
Ren hissed. "You think killing me will stop the truth from getting out?"
"I'm not going to kill you."
Zian's eyes narrowed, voice calm.
"I want you to remember. I want you to go back to your masters and tell them what's coming."
He leaned in close, eyes gleaming with cold resolve.
"Tell them a broken heir is walking the path the heavens sealed."
Zian turned and vanished into the mist.
Moments Later – A Strange Awakening
Deeper into the canyon, Zian found a hollow beneath an arch of bone. He sat down cross-legged, the egg resting in his lap.
He closed his eyes.
Breathed.
And then, he heard it again.
The whisper—not of a beast. Not of the Realm.
But of something older.
"…The Seventh Howl… the Sovereign's pulse… you are the cradle…"
He didn't understand it all.
But he could feel it.
The egg… wasn't just a beast.
It was a fragment of the Sovereign Beast Core.
And somehow, it had recognized him.
A shiver ran down his spine, but he didn't recoil.
He smiled.
For the first time, he didn't feel cursed.
He felt chosen.