119:

  It seemed like the menagerie greeted them before they had even arrived, as Xiao Feng could feel Nova’ alarm through the bond. It seemed like she was subconsciously projecting it in his direction, not realizing herself as she intently gazed into the distance.

  “There are scents of beasts coming from up ahead, my human”, Nova said, speaking through a telepathic message. “But one scent stands out the most amongst them all. It is the scent of a predator like me, that has marked this area throughout so no other beast can be mistaken about whose territory they are entering. It is the scent of the apex predator of this area! She declared, her tone one of certainty.”

  That must be the Beast Master’s Umbral Fang then. She’s a Tier 3 Spiritual Beast, which means that her species has been recorded to reach the equivalent of the Core Formation Stage and I am certain that Liulian is at that stage already. She is far more powerful than us and even the Beast Master himself, so you must be careful, Xiao Feng warned.

  “A predator cannot lower their head before another if they wish to be welcomed as guests”, Nova replied, a steely determination audible in her tone. “Since a predator has already marked this territory, I must seek their permission to tread in this land and as long as I do not contest her over hunting trails, she will not harm me and treat me as a guest. However, that is only true so long as I do not show weakness— the moment I do, she will lose respect for me as a fellow predator and try to subordinate me. That will not happen, my human, for there is only one I answer to.”

  You don’t answer to me Nova, we are just friends, Xiao Feng replied. I am only worried because Beast Master Zen and Liulian are far stronger than I am, so I cannot control their actions. But I will still trust your decision, because I trust my friends.

  “I will be careful, my human. A predator knows how to hide their claws until it is the right time to strike,” Nova declared, but instead of the haughty tone Xiao Feng was expected, her tone was soft and gentle.

  And so, they took their first steps into the menagerie.

  The sleek, black-furred umbral fang had its ruby red eyes trained on the satchel Lianhua was carried, with a focus that could only be described as predatory. Xiao Feng looked around, noticing the familiar spiritual beasts grazing the small grass field that had been arranged in the menagerie, including bi-horns, silver-furred leporine beasts, raven-feathered birds and the gray worm that was still coiled around a tree, but thankfully there were no other alchemists around.

  Xiao Feng supposed that made sense, given that few alchemists would be willing to venture into the territory of a Tier 3 spiritual beast that was at or near the zenith of its power. But that was convenient for him, because as long as there weren’t any witnesses he could let Nova roam free.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  From the agitation Nova was subconsciously sending him through the bond, it didn’t look like she would stay still for longer.

  Come out then, Nova, He thought.

  Nova’s form was a blur as she leapt out of the cloth satchel and landed before Xiao Feng and LIanhua.

  Xiao Feng’s heartbeat began to pick up as Nova and Liulian, the umbral fang, began to slowly approach each other.

  The two spiritual beasts revealed their fangs as the began to circle each other, causing the otherwise peaceful Bihorns to slowly back away, while the leporine beasts hid in the foliage of trees and the raven-feathered birds decided to fly away to a corner of the cavern they were in. Only the gray worm seemed unbothered by the commotion, which Xiao Feng found interesting.

  Snarls, barks and clicks were exchanged and sure enough, Xiao Feng could only understand what his bonded beast was saying.

  “I seek free passage through your territory as a predator that roams the wilderness and in return, I pledge not to compete with you on hunting trails unless permitted to do so,” Nova spoke the words in a solemn tone, her gaze not leaving Liulian’s as she stared at her with unblinking eyes.

  Whatever Liulian’s response was, it seemed to agitate Nova greatly as she growled in clear anger, before responding, “I may be young, but my claws are sharp, my fangs are deadly and my spirit is unbroken.”

  Liulian replied with three quick barks and Xiao Feng could feel through the bond how she had agitated his bonded beast.

  “Will you go against the wisdom of the ancestors?” She asked, her tone bubbling with fury.

  In response, a thick darkness enveloped Liulian’s form. Xiao Feng’s expression grew tense, as even he could sense that the intensity of the Darkness Qi enveloping Liulian’s form was beyond the capability of even his predecessor at the zenith of his capability and the essence cultivation art was far from bridging the difference.

  Even if he could see through the origin of the attack by negating the concealment effect of Darkness Qi, there was no chance that he’d be able to react in time in face of a Tier 3 Spiritual Beast’s natural attack speed and reflexes.

  There was no denying it, Xiao Feng was afraid. That wouldn’t stop him from trying to intervene if Liulian really charged at his bonded beast, but he would do so knowing that his adventure in this new world might very well come to a close.

  But… Nova was not, for she raised a paw and focused all the Wind Qi she had recovered during their brief walk into a single, condensed crescent wind claw, holding it in place as both of the spiritual beasts stopped at once.

  The Liulian began to bark and click her tongue and let the thick coat of darkness qi obscuring her form dissipate first.

  In response, Nova let the Wind Claw fade, much to Xiao Feng’s relief— he could breathe again.

  “Hmph, if you want me to call you senior sister, then you must prove yourself,” Nova stubbornly replied.

  In response, Liulian slowly closed the distance between them and fondly licked the little fox, likely a gesture of affection among beasts given the embarrassment Nova projected through the bond.

  A moment later, the door to Beast Master Zen’s lodge swung open and to Xiao Feng’s surprise, he opened with an apology, “Forgive me for not stepping in earlier. This is a ritual that must be observed when a spiritual beast wishes to enter into another’s territory and interfering would only lead to misunderstandings and bad blood.”

  Xiao Feng finally allowed himself to relax.

  Daoist Enigma (Ebooks, Audiobooks and more)

  Rating and the story helps more people get their chai.

  Join it and grab a role here if you're interested, it's a pretty nifty feature