Tangxi Valley.
The morning light flickered faintly across the misty cliffs, but the silence was soon shattered by the frantic clash of steel and howls.
A group of three students ran alongside their master, desperately holding formation as they fended off a pack of wolves. Each beast radiated killing intent so strong that the air itself felt frozen, the oppressive bloodlust pressing down on their lungs.
The wolves' momentum grew heavier with every exchange. Their claws tore through the defensive sword formation, shattering glowing runes midair. The human cultivators gritted their teeth, forming a shield around a young girl—the sect's precious "young miss," the hope of their declining sect.
One of the students, a boy with cultivation clearly inferior to the others, stepped forward against the tide. His hands trembled slightly on the hilt of his sword, but his strikes were frighteningly precise. Steel flashed like starlight, meeting the lunges of the wolf pack's young ling—a half-human, half-beast cub, its golden eyes gleaming with cruel amusement.
"You damn demon…" the boy hissed between ragged breaths. "I will never let you lay a claw on the young miss!"
The wolf cub sneered, its beastly fangs bared as it parried a thrust. Despite its superior cultivation, it was being forced back step by step, its smirk twisting with irritation.
"Heheh… such a weakling, yet so stubborn. Don't worry, little swordsman. I'll eat her right in front of you—her flesh, her spirit, everything. Once I devour her, my strength will soar. You'll die knowing you failed."
The boy's jaw clenched, but his sword danced even faster, deflecting another strike. His footwork was shaky, his qi reserves nearly gone—yet each move was sharp, almost unnaturally so, as if fate itself was guiding his blade.
"Damn brat…" the wolf cub snarled. "Why do you move like that? You fight as if the heavens themselves are cheating for you!"
"Enough, young man!" the master's voice rang out. He cut down a lunging wolf with a single stroke, blood spraying across the stones. His face was pale, his breathing heavy. "Take the young miss and retreat! I'll hold this one back!"
The boy staggered, glancing at him in disbelief. "Master, you'll be surrounded!"
"Do as I say!" the master roared. His sword spun, creating a shield of light as three wolves slammed against him at once.
But the wolves were no fools. With cunning grins, two of them darted aside, intercepting his allies before they could reinforce him. The beasts' laughter was chilling, their claws tearing through soil and stone.
"Where do you think you're going, human?" one wolf snarled, saliva dripping from its maw. "Your little trick formation is broken. None of you will leave this valley alive."
The boy tightened his grip on the sword, his chest heaving as he stood before the young miss. The cub laughed again, golden eyes glowing.
"Show me, boy. Show me how long your so-called swordsmanship can hold against me. Let's see how long your 'destiny' lasts before it's swallowed whole."
The girl behind the boy looked refined, almost otherworldly—a true beauty even with her hair disheveled and forehead dripping with sweat. Her chest heaved, exhaustion written across her face, yet her eyes burned with stubborn light.
"It's alright… let me fight too."
Her qi, faint moments ago, now surged after the recovery pill she had taken. The gleam in her eyes carried such fighting spirit that even the wolf cub faltered for a heartbeat. Not long ago, his elder brother had fallen—cut down through the joint efforts of this fragile-looking girl and the boy in front of him.
But before she could step forward, the sect's elder barked an order, voice hoarse but unyielding.
"Run away, Yue! Don't be foolish. Listen to your teacher. Get word back to the alliance—with full strength. If you die here, none will know what happened!"
Yan Yue's lips quivered. She clenched her fists so tightly her knuckles paled, her teeth grinding in frustration. She knew he was right—if they all perished here, their sect's hope would vanish like smoke.
"I…" she began, her voice trembling.
"Just go."
The interruption came not from the elder but from the boy still holding his stance before her. His voice was steady, his back unyielding. "I'll hold them. I'll join you soon."
For a moment, Yan Yue's spirit wavered. Shame weighed on her heart. Am I only a burden to them? A flash of depression crossed her eyes, but before she could answer, a sound pierced the battlefield.
Ding… ding…
A bell.
Soft, serene, and utterly out of place amidst the blood and killing intent.
All turned their heads. A young man—no older than his early twenties—walked leisurely into the valley. In his hand was a simple staff crowned with a small bell that swayed with each step, chiming faintly as if mocking the chaos. His expression was calm, almost detached, as though none of this had anything to do with him.
The old master stiffened, his instincts screaming.
"Kid! Run! What are you doing this deep in the mountains?!"
The wolves, however, broke into grins. To them, this was nothing but fresh meat. A lone human walking casually? They must have strayed too close to the edges of human lands. Otherwise, how could someone so relaxed appear here?
"You." The wolf leader's voice dripped with malice as he pointed a claw. "Go kill him."
The nearest wolf leapt immediately, muscles rippling with bloodthirst.
But before the beast could reach its prey, Yan Yue cried out and moved without thinking. Her body flashed forward, positioning her between the bell-staff youth and the charging wolf.
The young man with the staff only raised an eyebrow, silent amusement flickering in his eyes.
The wolf, grinning with glee, bared its fangs as it hurtled forward, claws stretched to rip through both Yue and the boy behind her.
"Hehhhaaaa!" it howled mid-leap, savoring the kill in advance.
Then—
CRACK!
A thunderclap split the sky.
From above, a massive palm of pure lightning—five meters across, its fingers outlined in crackling arcs—descended with unstoppable force. It smashed into the wolf midair, crushing flesh, bone, and spirit in a single strike. Blood and fur vaporized instantly, the beast reduced to pulp as electric currents webbed across the valley floor.
The ringing bell fell silent.
And so did everything else.
The surviving wolves froze, hackles raised, their grins wiped away. The humans stared wide-eyed, breath caught in their throats. The air itself seemed paralyzed by the aftershocks of the divine strike.
For one suffocating heartbeat, there was only absolute silence.
"Raaawrrr!"
One of the wolfmen suddenly roared in fury. His eyes locked on Lin Kai. Given the young miss's exhausted state, there was no way she could have slain his kin so easily. Which meant only one thing—this unknown youth had done it.
The wolf charged, claws glowing with killing intent.
Before he could close the distance, a streak of red-blue lightning cut across the battlefield. Something small and fast darted in front of Lin Kai, its movement so clean it looked like a flash of light.
In the blink of an eye, it gripped the wolfman's massive frame. Then—
BOOOOM!
From its metallic legs, a jet of lightning erupted like a propeller, blasting it forward. The tiny figure spun midair, delivering a thunderous kick straight to the wolf's jaw.
CRACK!
The wolfman was sent flying skyward. When he came crashing down, his neck and jaw were twisted at unnatural angles, life already snuffed out.
Dust settled.
What stood in the wolf's place was… a small creature.
Barely a meter tall, humanoid in shape, with oversized metallic ears floating slightly above its head. Two massive gauntlets hummed with condensed electric energy, arcs of lightning dancing across their surface. Similar armor covered its legs, still sparking faintly from the propeller kick. Despite its chubby build and round cheeks, the sheer destructive power it radiated was undeniable.
Humanoid Electric Mouse: Primal.
"Thanks, Plus." Lin Kai grinned.
"It's fine." The little creature spoke in a fluent human tongue, voice clear and sharp. "After all, I was the one who suggested we go out and stretch a bit. These mutts are too weak…"
With casual disdain, Plus kicked the wolfman's corpse aside. His chubby face made him look adorable, yet his tone and actions dripped with cruelty. The contrast was unsettling.
Lin Kai turned, offering his hand to Yan Yue.
"Also, thank you, Miss Yue. I appreciate your help."
Her fingers trembled slightly as he pulled her up. "I… it's alright. In the end, I didn't do much."
"You tried," Lin Kai said softly, smiling. "And sometimes, even the thought of standing up counts."
As Yue steadied herself, her gaze fell on the little Primal still crackling with residual lightning. Her lips parted, words barely escaping.
"He… what is he…?"
She could sense his cultivation—peak Qi Absorption Realm. And yet, the power he had unleashed moments ago… she could never hope to replicate.
Lin Kai answered casually.
"Ah, that's Plus. He's my partner."
Then, with a mischievous smile, he added,
"If you're interested, I actually sell partners in my shop. You should come by sometime. Maybe you'll get lucky and bond with one like him."
Yue froze. The master's eyes widened. Even the wolves' expressions stiffened.
"You… sell them?"
"Of course," Lin Kai said lightly, as if talking about vegetables in a market. "Of course, mine is one I personally trained, so they won't all be this strong at first. But if you raise them well, they can surpass this easily. And the best part?" His smile turned knowing.
"By forming a bond, you can directly share their cultivation talent and qi… no tedious practice needed."
The old master's face paled, blood rising in his throat. He coughed violently, spitting crimson on the ground.
All of them—the girl, the students, even the wolves—were struck dumb.
For them, cultivation was a path of endless hardship and countless years of bitter struggle. Yet this youth spoke of casually skipping it, simply by… raising partners?
The silence grew heavy. In their eyes, Lin Kai was no longer a mere passerby.
He was something terrifying.