This was the ultimate hidden gem I'd been looking for!
Following a big brother like him meant a boundless future!
The next second.
A scene that left everyone dumbfounded unfolded.
The Auspicious Beast, which had just been treating Red Hair and the others like monkeys and acting high and mighty, suddenly sheathed all its arrogance.
A watery sheen appeared in its golden eyes, which brimmed with affection and eagerness to please.
"Baa~"
Bai Ze let out a soft, sweet bleat and scampered forward on all fours. Like a husky spotting its owner, it bounded straight toward Su Yun.
Su Yun froze too, forgetting to throw the flash grenade in his hand.
"This..."
Before he could react, Bai Ze had already rushed up to him.
It rubbed its furry head, topped with little deer antlers, against Su Yun's trouser leg, displaying the utmost gentleness and fawning affection.
After that, it still seemed to feel that it hadn't done enough to show its sincerity.
It simply bent its hind legs, went limp in front, and flopped down at Su Yun's feet. Then it rolled over, exposed its soft, snow-white belly, and gazed up at him expectantly.
Quick! Pet me! Scritch me! Don't be shy!
The entire scene fell silent.
Red Hair clutched his bleeding nose, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. "F-Father, why does this sheep have a split personality? Wasn't it just acting all tough?"
Tang San was even more shocked.
Auspicious Beasts were sentient. They only attached themselves to those with immense fortune, and only appeared before saints.
This Bai Ze...
Had actually submitted to Su Yun of its own accord?
And in such an utterly fawning manner?
Big Brother Su... What kind of existence would he become in the future?
Su Yun looked down at the divine beast at his feet, which was frantically acting cute and begging for attention. He pushed up his sunglasses, the corner of his mouth twitching despite himself.
He crouched down and tentatively stroked Bai Ze's smooth fur.
Bai Ze immediately let out a contented purr and even pushed its head into Su Yun's palm, looking utterly blissful.
"All right."
Su Yun sighed and vigorously kneaded Bai Ze's furry head like a ball of dough.
"If you're this sensible and know how to act cute, you can come with me from now on. I could use a flashy mascot."
Hearing that, the tension finally left Bai Ze's body.
It gave a supremely contented little snort, then even licked Su Yun's palm with its barbed tongue, trying to win him over. The sight of it acting like a loyal dog left Red Hair and the others staring blankly.
However, the heartwarming moment didn't last long.
A set of footsteps broke the harmony.
Yu Xiaogang stepped forward.
He looked at the little beast, which was almost unnaturally docile, and scrutinized it, his eyes full of calculation.
"Su Yun..."
Yu Xiaogang's voice was a little hoarse.
"This Soul Beast is pure white from head to toe, with golden eyes as bright as torches. Its body contains an extremely powerful and pure Soul Power. It must be an exceptionally rare mutated Soul Beast."
Grandmaster pointed at the Star Gate Martial Soul behind Su Yun. Its glow had subsided, but it remained on standby. His tone was grave.
"Your Soul Power has reached the level-ten bottleneck. In Douluo Continent, the rules are ironclad: without a Soul Ring, you cannot advance."
"Your Martial Soul has spatial attributes. The power contained in this mutated Soul Beast is just what you need to stabilize your Martial Soul. It may even bring about a qualitative leap."
At this, a feverish gleam flashed through Yu Xiaogang's eyes—the yearning to see his perfect theory confirmed.
"Su Yun, you're a smart man. You should know that in this world of the survival of the fittest, a pet that can act cute is nowhere near as useful as a top-grade Soul Ring."
"Kill it. This is an opportunity tailor-made for you."
Though cruel, Grandmaster's words were the bloody truth of this world.
On Douluo Continent, the rules between humans and beasts were simple and brutal.
The air froze in an instant.
Tang San stood to one side, looking at the sentient little beast. Though he felt a pang of pity, he was just as eager.
If it were him, he would have swung the blade without hesitation to break through the bottleneck, no matter how cute or intelligent the beast was.
Only power in one's own hands was real.
Su Yun's hand stopped on Bai Ze's tender antlers.
Behind his sunglasses, his gaze flickered slightly.
Lying at his feet, Bai Ze keenly sensed the killing intent coming from that Grandmaster.
Bai Ze panicked.
Its clever little mind raced.
I'm done for!
That old geezer's awful!
He's actually egging Big Brother on to kill me!
In this lousy plane, you can't level up without killing me.
No!
I can't die!
I've only just latched onto a big shot—I haven't even taken off yet!
But I can't leave him, either!
I have to find a solution that works for both of us!
One that makes Big Brother stronger and keeps me alive!
Buzz—!!
Driven into a corner, Bai Ze's golden, slit-pupiled eyes burst into flame.
Its life essence was boiling. It was burning through its lifespan to activate its innate skill.
Foresight!
This time, it began frantically searching through the future history of Douluo Continent.
Its consciousness was like a fish swimming upstream, recklessly battering against the river of time as it tried to find a way for humans and beasts to coexist.
Five thousand years from now...
Still nothing!
They were still killing beasts!
Eight thousand years from now...
Soul Beasts were nearly extinct!
These humans were ruthless!
Look farther ahead!
Keep looking!
I refuse to believe Heaven has left us with no way out!
Ten thousand years!
Bai Ze's body trembled violently. Two streams of golden blood ran from its nostrils, making it look utterly wretched.
But its eyes suddenly lit up.
It had found it!
It had found that person!
In the future, ten thousand years from now, an old man from another plane who called himself the Holy Necromancer would create a great pact called the Soul Spirit!
But the original version of that pact required an extremely high level of spiritual power and guidance from a specific kind of necromancy!
Big Brother was a tech guy. He couldn't learn it yet!
"Not enough! This still isn't simple enough! I need a foolproof version! One that anyone can use!"
Bai Ze roared in its mind. Blood poured from every orifice, and its soul was burning, but it didn't stop.
Twenty thousand years! Thirty thousand years!
Bai Ze's consciousness broke through the barriers of time and saw the interstellar age, where the Steel Torrent and Soul Beasts danced together!
There, after countless generations of refinement, optimization, and iteration, the technology had finally shed every obscure outer layer!
It had found it!
It brushed away the dust of history and seized the final, universal simplified version, perfected through tens of thousands of years of testing!
This version didn't need any complicated incantations or grand altars. Everything had returned to the most fundamental principles.
The ritual wasn't complicated. It had only eight essential words: mutual recognition, form a pact.
No third-party medium was needed. As long as a human Soul Master and a Soul Beast shared the same intent, they could use blood as a medium.
The Soul Beast's spiritual imprint would then begin transforming on its own, carrying its essence into the Soul Master's body.
That was it! This was the final revised version, simple enough for an elementary school student to understand!
This was the perfect solution: I wouldn't have to die, and Big Brother could use it right away!
Big shot! Don't do it!
Your humble servant has brought you a perfect score from tens of thousands of years in the future!!
Bai Ze snapped its eyes open. Without even wiping away the blood from its nose, it sprang straight up from the ground.
Like a little white cannonball, it slammed its forehead into Su Yun's brow!
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