He crouched down, his face a mixture of shock, awe, and amusement. “A cat?” he muttered to himself. “After all that buildup, it’s a cat?”
The spirit beast walked forward on unsteady legs, its fur practically glowing with vitality. It stumbled slightly, then looked up at Hengsheng and let out another soft cry, as though calling for his attention.
Hengsheng let out a short laugh, shaking his head. “Alright, little one, let’s see what you’ve got. Don’t let your looks fool me; I know you’re something special.”
He extended a hand, and the Gray cat nuzzled against his palm. A small warmth spread through his hand, accompanied by a faint pulse of qi. Hengsheng’s expression softened, a rare smile playing on his lips.
Hengsheng picked the cat up, carefully inspecting it with both his eyes and his Qi sense. To all appearances, it seemed like an ordinary domestic cat. Its silky gray fur shimmered faintly under the room’s light, and it had an alert yet docile demeanor. It was female, and if not for the fact he had just watched it hatch from a spirit beast egg, Hengsheng might have dismissed it as a mere house pet.
“What kind of spirit beast are you?” he muttered, observing her features. The cat wasn’t a newborn; it looked more like a six-month-old kitten, agile and aware. Hengsheng nodded to himself. It wasn’t uncommon for spirit beasts to emerge from their eggs in a semi-mature state. Some could even fight immediately after hatching.
“Meow?” The cat tilted her head, her large, curious eyes blinking at him.
Hengsheng chuckled. “You’re a quiet little thing, aren’t you?” He held out a small, low-rank spirit stone. The cat’s eyes widened as she eagerly batted at the stone with her paw, nibbling on it delicately.
Intrigued, Hengsheng activated his spirit body to observe her. He noticed how the cat was effortlessly absorbing the spiritual Qi within the stone, nurturing her body in a slow yet steady manner. Hengsheng couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy. “Beasts have it so easy,” he muttered. “They just absorb resources and grow stronger. No need for techniques or complicated methods like us humans.”
The spirit stone soon crumbled into dust, completely drained of its Qi. The cat looked up at Hengsheng and let out a plaintive “Meow,” her small eyes pleading for more.
Hengsheng smirked. “Already spoiled, huh?” He handed her another spirit stone, which she immediately pounced on with enthusiasm. As she gnawed on the stone, Hengsheng triggered his system to form a soul contract.
Unlike the traditional method, where a cultivator bonded with a spirit beast companion by directly feeding their Qi into the egg to create an automatic life bond soul contract, Hengsheng’s approach was different. His system allowed him to use the formal soul contract method, often employed by tamers to bind spirit or demon beasts. This method was more flexible, allowing for mutual agreement on the contract's conditions.
A faint glow enveloped Hengsheng and the cat as the contract formation began. The system displayed the proposed terms to the cat, and surprisingly, she didn’t resist at all. Instead, she purred contentedly, radiating trust and acceptance.
[Soul Contract successfully established.]
Hengsheng smiled as the notification appeared, watching the cat curl up contentedly in his lap. He felt a soul connection between them was formed, his main system was also linked to the cat system further enhancing its function. For the first time in a long while, he felt a genuine sense of companionship. The path of cultivation was often a lonely one, and this small creature offered a warmth he hadn’t realized he missed.
He opened the system to check the cat’s status:
Cultivation Realm: Rank 1 Spirit Beast {0.01%}
Special Traits: Infinite Evolution
“Domestic cat, huh?” Hengsheng murmured, smirking. “You don’t seem very special, but I’ve got a feeling you’ll surprise me.”
The cat purred again, her tiny body pressing closer to his chest as if agreeing with his statement. Hengsheng leaned back, marveling at his experiment’s success. “Alright, little one. Let’s see… Do you want a name?”
“Meow?” She tilted her head, seemingly not understanding his words but somehow grasping his intention.
“Alright then, how about... Meowzilla?” he said with a playful grin.
“Hiss!” The cat’s reaction was immediate and fiery. She swatted at his face with her tiny paw, her soft but insistent blows catching him off guard.
“Okay, okay! I’m sorry! Why did you suddenly become so ferocious?” Hengsheng exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender.
The cat stopped her attack, sitting down with a dignified air, but her narrowed eyes and flicking tail clearly warned him to tread carefully.
“Alright, how about... Chairman Meow?” Hengsheng suggested, trying again.
The cat’s response was just as swift. She resumed her barrage of slaps, her little paw tapping his cheek repeatedly as if to scold him.
“Fine, fine! I’ll try something cuter, okay?” Hengsheng said, chuckling despite himself.
She stopped her assault, hissing one last time as if warning him not to test her patience further. Hengsheng scratched his head, wracking his brain for a name that might meet her elusive standards. Then, an idea struck him.
“Yunsu. What do you think? It means "Pale Cloud," suits your sleek, light-gray fur, don’t you think?”
The cat paused, her sharp eyes locking onto his. She let out a soft “Meow...” before returning to nibbling on her spirit stone.
Hengsheng smirked, assuming her contented response meant she accepted the name. “Yunsu it is, then,” he said, a hint of triumph in his voice.
Hengsheng let her play with the spirit stones. After all, she was just born a few minutes ago. Forcing her into rigorous training now felt unnecessary and cruel. Watching her nibble on the stone, her tiny paws clutching it with innocent curiosity, he couldn’t help but feel a growing attachment. How could I not be soft on something this adorable? he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Turning his attention to something else, Hengsheng focused on the peculiar connection he had sensed after the soul contract was formed. He realized that his main system was now linked to the system he had installed into Yunsu while she was still an egg. This link seemed to have drawn back some system essence from her system into his own, leaving behind only the special trait she had been born with.
Intrigued, Hengsheng inspected the trait’s details:
Allows its possessor to continuously evolve their bloodline without limit.
Grants the ability to extract and assimilate the bloodline essence of defeated beings, harnessing their power to enhance the possessor's own bloodline or forge entirely new and unique bloodlines.
Hengsheng was stunned. “This… this is ridiculous,” he muttered. The ability was beyond powerful, practically god-tier. The idea of an evolving, limitless bloodline was unheard of, even among the most formidable cultivators or demon beasts.
His initial reaction was envy. "I want this for myself," he thought, shaking his head with a wry smile. Well, technically, he can have it but that is for later when he is powerful enough to make such a system.
But upon deeper reflection, Hengsheng understood that this trait wasn’t entirely a product of his system. It was impossible to create something so overwhelming with the current rank of his system. Instead, the system must have guided the forces of heaven and earth to bestow the trait upon the egg during its transformation.
“I made the right choice,” Hengsheng murmured, watching Yunsu happily gnaw on another spirit stone. For spirit beasts or demons, the ability to control and evolve their bloodline was god-tier. because they whose strength largely stemmed from the bloodlines rather than strength that accumulated while cultivation, would undoubtedly envy such a trait if they knew about it.
Looking at Yunsu, Hengsheng felt a sense of satisfaction and pride. He knew she would one day become a force to be reckoned with. But for now, she was just a playful kitten, blissfully unaware of the grand potential she carried within her.