On the crystal table rested the warm and cozy nests for the Beast cubs.
The first little wolf cub to hatch had a fluffy, round, black head.
When Beast cubs first hatch, they have the appearance of beasts. Only when they get a bit older will they slowly begin to evolve toward a human form.
How early they transform into a "human" is related to their own abilities.
It was a Black Wolf cub!
All the guests present wore expressions of envy.
Many of them were prominent families of the Empire. In their desperation to continue their bloodlines, they had often come to blows fighting over a single S-Class female.
After nearly twenty years of silence, the K family was finally welcoming the cubs of their successor!
In the crowd.
The young miss of the Leopard Clan snorted coldly.
"Don't celebrate too early. For all you know, the ability test will show she's given birth to four little weaklings!"
A young master from the Luoyi Family, which had always been at odds with the K family, glared at the wolf cubs and chimed in, "Exactly! The next generation of fox cubs for our Luoyi Family hasn't even arrived yet. What gives that stinking Wolf Clan the right to get ahead?"
The crowd stirred.
From the rear, a distinguished guest arrived.
"Duke," Housekeeper Qiao greeted with a smile.
The blessing part of the ceremony had just begun.
The attention of all the Beastmen was drawn to it.
Yu Zhizhi, dressed in a long, lavender formal gown, stroked the little wolf cub's head with her fingers.
The little wolf cub couldn't speak yet and let out a high-pitched yelp.
It relished the touch of its closest kin.
Standing to the side, the White Wolf, Nar, watched the little wolf cub with smiling eyes.
"Ms. Zhi Zhi, you can lift it up now."
Before the ceremony, Yu Zhizhi had learned how to give the blessing to the cubs.
She nodded gently.
The Beastmen in the banquet hall couldn't help but take a step forward. They watched the entire process, afraid of missing a single detail.
This was also Yu Zhizhi's first time doing something like this.
She carefully picked up the little wolf cub.
It was very well-behaved.
It nestled in Yu Zhizhi's arms without moving.
Its black wolf tail drooped down, wagging slowly out of sheer happiness.
Yu Zhizhi gently pressed her forehead against the little wolf cub's. A faint glow enveloped the space between the brows of the woman and the beast.
"Today, I am here to pray to the Beast God for a blessing."
"May you have a life of peace and success, health and longevity. May all you encounter be as you wish, and may your life be filled with joy and free of sorrow."
In the crowd, Lisa couldn't help but start to cry.
She remembered that when she was born, both her parents were dead, and it was a family elder who had blessed her.
'How happy would I have been if it were my own kin?'
The ceremony was sacred. The arrival of every Beast cub was accompanied by the blessings of their entire clan, and even the entire Empire.
There were four wolf cubs in a row.
Before their abilities and genders were tested, they all had to be treated equally.
In the blessing part of the ceremony, the S-Class female of the Rabbit Clan was so beautiful she took the breath away from every Beastman.
At this moment, she seemed so sacred…
To the side, Dracula's gaze was locked tightly on her.
'She's giving a blessing. As their closest kin, blessing Black Wolf cubs.'
'Those four—they're all cubs she had with a Wolf Clan male!'
At this thought, a raging fire ignited in his chest, burning his insides until they ached.
Yu Zhizhi placed the last wolf cub onto the soft cushion.
Looking at the four little cubs sitting in a row, she still felt a bit dazed.
The final blessing was complete.
A wave of applause swept through the hall.
The last VIP to arrive was the Duke of the Empire.
He sized up this rumored, newly-advanced S-Class young female of the Rabbit Clan with great interest.
She was stunningly beautiful, with an elegant figure and a vibrant, ethereal aura. She also possessed an air of bone-deep fragility that compelled the male Beast Clan to feel a sense of protectiveness.
'—This matches the female I've been looking for.'
'It seems I'll have to plan carefully how to... snatch her from the K family's grasp.'
"Next is the most important and long-awaited part of the ceremony—"
After the blessing concluded, the black-robed Godfather announced in a clear voice, "The Ability and Gender Assessment!"
Yu Zhizhi took two steps to the side.
She couldn't help but glance at the "Godfather," only to find him still staring straight ahead at the crowd, officiating the ceremony with undivided attention.
'Strange…'
'Yu Zhizhi had felt a naked gaze fixed on her from the side during the blessing.'
'She didn't know if it was because the gaze was too searing, but she felt even her back was a little uncomfortable.'
"I wonder what kind of abilities they'll awaken?"
"I'm more curious if there are any females among the four wolf cubs!"
"How could it be that easy to have a female? The Big Dog Clan next door has had six litters, and they were all males! Their family is going crazy wanting a Little Moon—"
On the Beast World Planet, in the Valoran Empire, it was popular to call one's daughter a "Little Moon."
"I heard that too! When the Big Dog Clan named their male cubs, I think they were called Beckon Moon, Hope for Moon, Yearn for Moon, Gaze at Moon, Come Moon, Want Moon, and Plead for Moon..."
"Forget them, even the Imperial Family prays to the Beast God every day, wishing for a Little Princess!"
Every household longed for a Little Moon.
Only a Little Moon could ensure a family's prosperity.
This was an exceedingly common matter in the Beast World Empire.
Here, daughters were worth their weight in gold.
If a Little Moon's Comprehensive Rating could reach S-Class, an unknown family could instantly soar to prominence.
A thousand years ago, technology on the Beast World Planet wasn't as advanced. There were no machines to incubate life. The five ancient great families all rose to prominence and rapidly conquered territory only after producing a High-level female who could propagate their line.
The glory of their ancestors was enough for them to live off of to this day.
Now with technology, although there was no shortage of newborn Beast cubs in terms of quantity, they were unable to inherit their family's powerful Strength.
Furthermore, in terms of gender, they were uniformly male.
The female gene was too difficult to replicate.
Even if they succeeded by chance, the offspring had no reproductive ability.
"Look, look! The results are out—"
People were pushing and shoving, eager to get a bit closer for a better view.
"Don't push!"
On the crystal table, faint blue ripples appeared. Placing a Beast cub on it would initiate a comprehensive ability assessment.
The data was projected directly into the air above.
The glittering golden font was extremely eye-catching.
All the Beastmen looked up.
Yu Zhizhi also raised her head. She saw the lines of text—
[Initial Assessment: Cub #1]
[Species: Wolf Cub]
[Gender: Male]
[Spiritual Power: 18,000]
[Superpower: Initial Fire Element · Magma Level]
[Physique: Martial God Level]
[Comprehensive Rating: SSS]
...
"I... holy shit?" A male Beastman in the crowd couldn't hold it in.
An SSS rating right after birth?!
What's he going to be like when he grows up?!!
What the hell is 18,000 spiritual power?! What kind of Beast cub has 18,000 spiritual power at birth!?
And that Superpower! Other cubs spit a little fire, and this one comes out at Magma Level?
The Physique below that is even more absurd—starting right at Martial God!
'Do you people even understand the weight that word 'God' carries?!'
All the Beastmen were roaring internally. When they looked at the young female from the Rabbit Clan again, they were utterly shaken to their core—
'Is this what an S-Class female of the Empire is like…'
'The initial abilities of the cubs she gives birth to are just too powerful…'