Saint Beast Battle Soul

Legend says that whenever the Heavenly Dao falters and the cycle of reincarnation reaches its end, ten "Primordial Chaos Beasts" are born in the endless realms.

Their bodies are as colossal as the Immortal Realm itself. Wherever they tread, the heavens shatter, the earth splits, space and time invert, stars wither, and all living beings perish.

After destroying the old world, they vanish without a trace. Then, the heavens and earth are reborn, order is re-established, life flourishes, and a new world is born.

Deep in the night, a torrential downpour began. Dense, dark clouds piled up like billions of malevolent spirits, glaring down at the gloomy human world.

Countless dazzling lightning bolts snaked through the clouds, erupting in thunderous roars that made heaven and earth tremble.

"Tianming, save me!"

Li Tianming's head throbbed violently. Washed by the pouring rain, he struggled to open his eyes.

Before him lay a roc with two pairs of golden wings. This once majestic bird was now covered in wounds, blood gushing out and mingling with the rain, dyeing a large swathe of land red.

"Golden Feather!" Seeing this, Li Tianming felt as if his heart had been torn apart! This was his Companion Beast, the "Four-winged Golden-winged Great Peng Bird," his sworn brother for sixteen years of life and death!

BOOM!

A clap of thunder exploded, and lightning split the sky. In the flash of light, a purple, three-eyed eagle descended from the heavens!

The three-eyed eagle was entwined with dense lightning snakes. It let out a fierce shriek, its sharp talons pinning down "Golden Feather." Then, it opened its beak and began plucking the golden feathers from "Golden Feather" one by one.

Each plucked feather left behind a bloody gash!

Golden Feather's screams pierced Li Tianming's chest like thorns, making even breathing agonizing!

"Li Tianming, you actually attempted to drug and assault Mu Qingqing! As a disciple of the Heavenly Mansion in Yanhuang Academy, I must punish you for your beastly conduct!"

A young man sat atop the three-eyed eagle. His eyes seemed to hold a thunder pool, and amidst the flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder, he commanded the three-eyed eagle like a child of the storm.

"Considering your good behavior in the past, I'll spare your life, but I sentence your Companion Beast, the 'Four-winged Golden-winged Great Peng Bird,' to death!" the young man declared in a deep voice.

He intended to torture "Golden Feather" to death!

"Brother Ting, the 'Saint Beast Battle Soul' will be yours. Li Tianming, that despicable scumbag, doesn't deserve such a divine artifact."

Nestled beside the young man was a peerlessly beautiful girl. In the onslaught of the downpour, she was drenched, her slender figure incredibly alluring as she nestled in the young man's embrace.

This was Mu Qingqing, whom Li Tianming would recognize even if she turned to ash!

The "Brother Ting" she spoke of was the thunderous youth Lin Xiaoting, sitting atop the three-eyed eagle!

Li Tianming finally remembered—

Their goal in killing "Golden Feather" was to seize the "Saint Beast Battle Soul"!

In this land, everyone knew how precious the Saint Beast Battle Soul was, worth more than any treasure. It was said to be the remnant left behind by a legendary "Saint Beast" after its death, capable of forging a powerhouse who surpassed all beings!

The Saint Beast Battle Soul that Li Tianming had obtained had already been refined by "Golden Feather" into its own feathers.

The rage in Li Tianming's chest erupted like a volcano, churning like smoke and clouds!

Yet, for some reason, Li Tianming couldn't move his body at all. He could only watch helplessly as the lightning divine eagle plucked Golden Feather's feathers one by one, watching it bleed profusely and cry out in agony towards him.

The desperation and pain in its eyes tore Li Tianming's heart apart.

What in the world could be more agonizing than watching your brother being slaughtered before your eyes while you were powerless to help?

"Lin Xiaoting, Mu Qingqing! If I, Li Tianming, survive this day, I will send you both to hell!" Li Tianming would never forget these two names. He struggled with all his might, wanting to tear their faces apart!

But strangely, they grew farther and farther away, then were swallowed by mist and lightning. Everything before his eyes vanished.

Li Tianming stood in the dim world, looking around blankly.

Where was Mu Qingqing?

Where was Lin Xiaoting!

Where had they gone?

Creak!

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening reached his ears.

"Ming'er, you had another nightmare." A voice filled with gentle tenderness drifted to him in a daze.

Li Tianming's head throbbed violently. He struggled to sit up, supported by a pair of frail arms, and finally opened his eyes. He was in a dimly lit bedroom. The candlelight in the corner flickered, casting long shadows of the tables and chairs.

"So everything just now was a nightmare. No wonder I couldn't move."

However, it wasn't entirely a dream, because everything that happened in the dream had truly occurred!

Every scene, every word they spoke, was exactly as it had been then!

He, Li Tianming, had once been a prodigy from Lihuo City, a remote city in the Vermilion Bird Country! He was the son of the City Lord of Lihuo City!

Three years ago, Li Tianming had been recognized by Yanhuang Academy, the supreme sacred land of the Vermilion Bird Country, and cultivated there, carrying the hopes of the people of Lihuo City.

On his way to Yanhuang Academy, he met Mu Qingqing, a prodigy from another remote city, Godwind City. They became acquainted and companionship grew. After a heroic rescue, they fell in love, helping each other and growing together for a year.

During that year, Mu Qingqing used "cultivation is important" as an excuse and did not publicly reveal their relationship.

Li Tianming had once believed she was his destined love, willing to protect this woman for the rest of his life.

But he never expected that he didn't understand her at all, and was completely unprepared for her ambition!

That year, Li Tianming obtained the "Saint Beast Battle Soul" in the Yanhuang Academy secret realm "Sunken Abyss Battlefield," which was enough to cause a sensation. It was an ancient feather with patterns from the ancient era. He knew how precious it was, so he kept it strictly confidential and first let his Companion Beast "Golden Feather" refine it into the feather.

From beginning to end, he had only told Mu Qingqing!

But he never expected that the person he trusted most would leak the news of the Saint Beast Battle Soul to Lin Xiaoting from the Yanhuang Academy's "Heavenly Mansion"!

She then transformed herself, kicked Li Tianming aside, and became Lin Xiaoting's girlfriend.

The "Heavenly Mansion" of Yanhuang Academy was the highest secret place in the academy, a place only the most dazzling geniuses in the entire country could enter. Each of them was a legendary existence.

The powers behind them were basically the noble families, magnates, and royalty of the entire country. For example, this Lin Xiaoting was the most dazzling genius youth in "Thunder Venerable Mansion," a regional overlord.

Such a background was beyond Li Tianming's reach.

That night was their one-year anniversary. Li Tianming had prepared a gift and presented it before her. She was very happy. After tricking Li Tianming into drinking a cup of wine, Li Tianming, unaware of the trick, made a move. Just as he did, Lin Xiaoting appeared.

What happened later was exactly like in his dream. They cruelly killed Golden Feather and stole the Saint Beast Battle Soul, which was worth half the country's wealth.

The only difference was that at that time, he and Golden Feather fought side by side, but in the end, they were no match for the super genius Lin Xiaoting from the Yanhuang Academy's "Heavenly Mansion."

The outside world rumored that Li Tianming pursued Mu Qingqing unsuccessfully and tried to drug her for beastly acts, only to be caught by Mu Qingqing's boyfriend, Lin Xiaoting, who crippled Li Tianming's Companion Beast on the spot!

From then on, Li Tianming not only lost his Companion Beast but also became infamous, becoming a laughingstock of Yanhuang Academy, and finally left Yanhuang Academy in despair.

Afterward, with Lin Xiaoting's help, Mu Qingqing entered the Yanhuang Academy's "Heavenly Mansion" to cultivate, her cultivation advancing by leaps and bounds. Lin Xiaoting, relying on the Saint Beast Battle Soul, soared to become the number one genius in the Heavenly Mansion!

The two became a legendary couple, a beautiful tale. As for Li Tianming, who was once a laughingstock, he became like dust after losing his Companion Beast, drawing no attention except for gossip!

Who would have known that he and Mu Qingqing had dated for a year?

After returning to Lihuo City, three years had passed.

For these three years, he had been like a walking corpse, like an ant. If it weren't for the belief in revenge and the responsibility of taking care of his mother, he would have died somewhere long ago.

For the past three years, on almost every rainy night, he would dream of everything that happened that night, dream of their disgusted and disdainful eyes, dream of "Golden Feather" having its feathers plucked one by one, like being tortured to death.

Waking up at this moment, everything that happened back then still replayed in his mind. He remembered every expression of theirs clearly.

In the dark night, the young man's eyes were as red as blood.

Three years. This dream had made him remember everything so clearly again.

Even drinking ice for three years could not quench the fire of hatred!

"Ming'er, don't be afraid, sleep soundly. Mother is here." When he was at his angriest, the gentle woman beside him gently stroked his forehead, gradually calming him down.

Under the candlelight, his mother, "Wei Jing," looked even thinner. She appeared somewhat aged, but even so, her gaze as she looked at her son was still filled with deep maternal love.

"I'm sorry, I disturbed you, Mother." Li Tianming took a deep breath, freeing himself from the bone-deep pain. He understood that taking care of the woman who gave him life was the most realistic thing he had to do in the future.

"It's nothing." Wei Jing stood up shakily and said, "I saw you weren't sleeping well just now. I was afraid you wouldn't sleep well on this rainy night, so I brewed the 'Pure Spirit Grass' into medicine. I'll go get it for you."

"Pure Spirit Grass is your medicine. How can you be so confused again? Without that Pure Spirit Grass, how long can you live?" Li Tianming was anxious and quickly stood up to support her.

Looking at her haggard face, Li Tianming felt bitter. The doctor had already said that given her current condition, she wouldn't last much longer. Yet, even so, she still got up in the middle of the night to make medicine for him.

"Ming'er, Mother has lived enough. These good things should be for you young people. It's a waste for me to use them." Even at this point, she was still talking to him with a smile.

"Nonsense, hurry up and drink it." Li Tianming was used to it; if he wasn't serious, she wouldn't take her medicine on time.

"Alright, I'll drink it. As long as my son is happy, I'll drink as much as you want. Mother used to drink a lot when she was young." She winked like a mischievous child.

Li Tianming watched her drink the medicinal soup brewed from Pure Spirit Grass. This soup could extend her life, but after drinking this month's supply, he had no idea where he would find Pure Spirit Grass next month.

In this life, she had sacrificed too much for him.

How could he be worthy of having such family?

He once wanted to become successful and give her a better life, but he never expected to become a cripple and live here relying on each other.

"Ming'er, you must remember, fate sometimes makes good people suffer, but all suffering is a tempering, all to forge a stronger you. Therefore, you still have a better life ahead. Never give up, you must keep striving." After drinking the medicine, she said to Li Tianming with passionate fervor.

"I know. Go to sleep." Li Tianming helped her back to her room, coaxing her like a child, and it took nearly half an hour for her to fall asleep.

The night was deep.

Li Tianming stared blankly at the streaks of white in his mother's hair.

Suddenly--

A mysterious space within his body, called the "Companion Space," suddenly stirred.

This space was called the "Companion Space." On the Yanhuang Continent, everyone was born with a "Companion Space" within their bodies.

Seven days after birth, a Companion Beast would hatch within the Companion Space. Almost everyone on the Yanhuang Continent had their own Companion Beast.

Companion Beasts were mystical and diverse, with numerous varieties. The strong could fly through the sky and burrow through the earth. The ancient ancestors created the "Symbiotic Cultivation System," establishing a cultivation channel between humans and Companion Beasts, thus giving birth to Beast Masters.

Beast Masters and their Companion Beasts cultivated symbiotically, sharing bloodlines and wisdom, fighting side by side to form a powerful combat combination of one person and one beast.

Li Tianming was once a Beast Master, and "Golden Feather" was his Companion Beast.

After Golden Feather died, his Companion Space had been dormant for three years.

Until today, the Companion Space finally showed signs of activity!

Li Tianming's face lit up with surprise.

His Companion Space held a secret unknown to anyone!

That is, besides "Golden Feather," which hatched with him at birth, there were actually ten other mysterious eggs within his Companion Space!

Only after Golden Feather hatched did these ten eggs surface. They felt completely different from Golden Feather.

They had remained silent for over ten years. Theoretically, they should all be Li Tianming's Companion Beasts, but such a situation had never appeared in the history of the entire continent.

And today, he had a strong premonition—

These ten most mysterious eggs were finally about to hatch!