103:

  Xiao Feng and Lianhua observed with bated breaths as more and more cracks spiderwebbed across the surface of the Beast Egg, a nervous energy building up in the air as they bore witness to a phenomenon few got the privilege to witness, even on the continent of Tian. Beast Master Zen had made it clear that Beast Eggs were not only prohibitively expensive to purchase from another, but also very challenging to procure in the first place and Xiao Feng could not even recall any Elder of the Frontier Sect ever having mentioned being bonded to a spiritual beast.

  The light cracking sounding out from the eggshell intensified and Xiao Feng could not help but flinch as he caught a glimmer of silver poking out from a now widened crack upon the eggshell’s surface. A moment later, five razor sharp silver claws raked across the surface of the inner surface of the egg, causing the damaged part of the shell to fall outwards. From the gap created by the violent motion, a clawed paw peeked out, its paw pad hued in a light pink.

  The forelimb followed, revealing lush, black fur that seemed to devour the very light it was being exposed to, its hue so deep and rich that it seemed to embody the infinite blackness that lay between stars.

  Lianhua softly gasped.

  Xiao Feng only watched as a second paw made quick work of the eggshell that was still caging it, this time swiping repetitively as if the newly hatched beast wished to test the natural weapons that had been granted to it.

  The eggshell failed to withstand the onslaught, the cracks running across its surface turning to battle scars before its entire front-facing half fell apart entirely. Within it, sitting upon its hind legs, was the spiritual beast, its vertically-slit pupils set on rich silver irises gleaming with curiosity as they darted from left to right, taking stock of the room it had hatched in.

  With upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, two long, bushy tails, “fox-like” was the description that instinctively came to Xiao Feng’s mind. The regal coat of black fur covered the fox-like beast’s entire form besides the underbelly and chest, which was hued a lush snowy white in stark contrast. Its sharp, stubby, curved claws shared the same metallic silver hue of its irises, five each on the forelimbs and four on each of the hindlimbs.

  Most curious of all, upon the kit’s forehead was a two-dimensional crest, that of an inverted triangle contained by a circle, its points making contact with the circle’s circumference. The crest was drawn in the same metallic silver hue as the kit’s deadly sharp claws, upon the centre of its forehead.

  The kit’s lips were pulled back to display two pairs of fangs on it’s upper and lower jaw that were only a little longer than the surrounding incisors, which would still have made it a little intimidating had it not for the kit being only half as tall as Xiao Feng’s shin.

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  Then, the kit’s triangular ears twitched twice in rapid succession, before it started sniffing the air, its silver eyes slowly locking onto Xiao Feng’s.

  Xiao Feng’s pulse rate began to pick up as he stared into the Kit’s silver eyes that had widened in what felt like recognition to him, finding himself awestruck upon realizing that the moment he had been working towards for the past few weeks had finally arrived.

  He was living it.

  Xiao Feng didn’t move in the slightest, lest his actions be seen as a sign of aggression and he was rewarded as the kit lowered its lips, letting its jaw ease shut and relaxing its muscles.

  Then, the kit energetically chirped at him as if it were offering him a greeting, twice in quick succession.

  “Uh, hello?” Xiao Feng awkwardly offered.

  The Kit chirped again in response, before rising on all four of its legs and vigorously shaking itself, causing its lush fur to ripple as if it were formed out of liquid darkness. Then, the kit navigated the plush cushion the Beast Egg had been placed upon earlier, descending it with a regal grace as it kept both its bushy tails held aloft in the air.

  Once the kit had descended the plush cushion, it turned it’s neck upwards to gaze at Xiao Feng, before angling it back down to a comfortable angle and he watched as the Kit retracted its curved claws inwards, causing them to completely disappear into its paws. Then, without offering a warning, the Kit leapt towards Xiao Feng.

  “Whoa!” Xiao Feng yelped as he instinctively used his hands to stabilize the Kit’s landing, easing the Kit onto his left thigh.

  As Xiao Feng let the Kit go, its tails relaxed and it didn’t waste any time before it curled up into a ball, its two bushy tails serving as a comfortable pillow for it.

  A stunned Xiao Feng could only observe as the kit began to contentedly purr from his lap, not taking long before it closed its eyes.

  Not daring to shift his position, Xiao Feng only turned his head to face Lianhua, only to realize that her gaze was captivated by the small kit that was now nestled upon Xiao Feng’s thigh.

  Oh well, I guess I’ll just go with the flow, Xiao Feng thought as he started petting the Kit’s back. “So soft,” He muttered as he continued to pet the kit.

  Xiao Feng’s plan had been to enter into a true bond immediately after the beast hatched, assuming everything went alright with the hatching. Beast Master Zen had made it clear that a true bond was a test of character above all and that lying was not possible in the realm of yul, so he saw no reason to wait. Most cultivators might dread such a test, but Xiao Feng had no reason to hide his wants and desires from the hatched kit and there was no way he would let anyone harm his bonded beast while he was still around.

  He was willing to make the oath and mean every single word of it.

  But, of course, there was no way he would initiate the oath while the kit wanted to rest. The fact that the beast egg had swelled thrice in size after he had fed it the Beast Bonding Pill told Xiao Feng that the hatching wasn’t exactly a normal one and Lianhua’s reaction all but confirmed it.

  I can wait. Besides, I’m not complaining— who knew magical foxes could be so cute, He thought.

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